Unfortunately an agreement still has yet to be reached between the General Building Contractors Association and the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 542. At this time GBCA has been advised that work stoppages and possible picket lines should be anticipated as early as tomorrow morning.
Extended strikes, picket lines and the inevitable negative press that follows can severely damage our industry. In light of this, today, GBCA proposed to Local 542 a one-year agreement with a $2 monetary increase. While extending some of the work rules that Local 542 already has in place in their other agreements to building contractors remains a vital step in ensuring our competitiveness in the future, GBCA is n
evertheless, willing to enter into a one-year agreement without any substantive changes to the agreement. It has become clear that a multi-year agreement may not occur without substantial and irreparable damage to our industry. Knowing this, we believe it is better to work together over the next year to resolve our differences than to jeopardize all that our organizations have worked together to build.
At this time we believe it may be prudent to share this proposal with others including members of Local 542. Contractors may post this proposal on their work sites if they believe that doing so would better inform their employees. If you elect to share this information with members of Local 542 that you employ, you should only share the attached document and in no way attempt to influence their position on the matter. All negotiation efforts must occur only with the chosen representatives of Local 542.
If you have any questions about this memorandum or about the attached proposal please contact me anytime.
