Unionized Construction Workers Research Articles

Safety climate and safety behaviors in the construction industry: The importance ofco-workers commitment to safety.

There is growing empirical evidence that as safety climate improves work site safety practice improve. Safety climate is often measured by asking workers about their perceptions of management commitment to safety. However, it is less common to include perceptions of their co-workers commitment to safety. While the involvement of management in safety is essential, working with co-workers who value and prioritize safety may be just as important. To evaluate a concept of safety climate that focuses on top management, supervisors and co-workers commitment to safety, which is relatively new and untested in the United States construction industry. Survey data was collected from a cohort of 300 unionized construction workers in the United States. The significance of direct and indirect (mediation) effects among safety climate and safety behavior factors were evaluated via structural equation modeling. Results indicated that safety climate was associated with safety behaviors on the job. More specifically, perceptions of co-workers commitment to safety was a mediator between both management commitment to safety climate factors and safety behaviors. These results support workplace health and safety interventions that build and sustain safety climate and a commitment to safety amongst work teams.

Development of targeted messages to promote smoking cessation among construction trade workers.

Blue-collar workers, particularly those in the construction trades, are more likely to smoke and have less success in quitting when compared with white-collar workers. Little is known about health communication strategies that might influence this priority population. This article describes our formative work to develop targeted messages to increase participation in an existing smoking cessation program among construction workers. Using an iterative and sequential mixed-methods approach, we explored the culture, health attitudes and smoking behaviors of unionized construction workers. We used focus group and survey data to inform message development, and applied audience segmentation methods to identify potential subgroups. Among 144 current smokers, 65% reported wanting to quit smoking in the next 6 months and only 15% had heard of a union-sponsored smoking cessation program, despite widespread advertising. We tested 12 message concepts and 26 images with the target audience to evaluate perceived relevance and effectiveness. Participants responded most favorably to messages and images that emphasized family and work, although responses varied by audience segments based on age and parental status. This study is an important step towards integrating the culture of a high-risk group into targeted messages to increase participation in smoking cessation activities.

Twenty years of work‐related injury and illness among union carpenters in Washington State

Individuals who work in the construction industry are at high risk of occupational injury. Robust surveillance systems are needed to monitor the experiences of these workers over time. We updated important surveillance data for a unique occupational cohort of union construction workers to provide information on long-term trends in their reported work-related injuries and conditions. Combining administrative data sources, we identified a dynamic cohort of union carpenters who worked in Washington State from 1989 through 2008, their hours worked by month, and their workers' compensation claims. Incidence rates of reported work-related injuries and illnesses were examined. Poisson regression was used to assess risk by categories of age, gender, time in the union, and calendar time contrasting medical only and paid lost time claims. Over the 20-year study period, 24,830 carpenters worked 192.4 million work hours. Work-related injuries resulting in medical care or paid lost time (PLT) from work occurred at a rate of 24.3 per 200,000 hr worked (95% CI: 23.5-25.0). Medical only claims declined 62% and PLT claims declined 77%; more substantive declines were seen for injuries resulting from being struck and falls to a lower level than from overexertion with lifting. Differences in risk based on union tenure and age diminished over time as well. Significant declines in rates of reported work-related injuries and illnesses were observed over the 20-year period among these union carpenters. Greater declines were observed among workers with less union tenure and for claims resulting in PLT.

A perspective on effective mentoring in the construction industry

PurposeThe present study aims to provide a perspective on effective mentoring in the construction industry by examining key mentor characteristics as perceived by construction professionals.Design/methodology/approachA total of 170 union construction workers rated 55 mentor characteristics based on to what extent each was characteristic of a superior, average, or poor mentor.FindingsTo identify the most important mentor characteristics, three criteria were relied on: means of characteristic ratings of a superior mentor; effect sizes of mean differences between ratings of poor and superior mentors; and correlations between characteristic ratings of superior mentors and satisfaction with mentors. Significant mean differences were found between characteristics of poor and average mentors as well as between poor and superior mentors.Research limitations/implicationsPossible future directions include an investigation of the relationship between competent mentors and personal characteristics, and potential health and safety outcomes resulting from effective mentoring in the construction industry.Originality/valueAlthough mentoring has been the focus of much research, the mentoring relationship is quite different in the construction industry and little mentoring research has targeted this industry. To develop an effective mentoring program in this industry, one of the initial steps is to identify characteristics of effective mentors in this industry.

Competition and the Limits of Solidarity among Unionized Construction Workers

AbstractLabor unions strive to reduce competitiveness and promote solidarity among their membership, and those in the U.S. construction industry also serve as job brokers between workers and employers. In this capacity, the attempts of unions to address the temporary nature of construction work through regulating the distribution of job assignments may inadvertently promote fierce competition between laborers. As workers struggle to make sense of their own fortunes in a tightening labor market and the diminished political clout of unions overall, the organizational structuring of competition produces labor fragmentation and calls into question appeals to solidarity. This paper examines the relationship between job brokerage, labor competition, and the organization of work among unionized construction workers in the Western United States. As the focus of building trade unions shifts from protecting workers' interests against the exploitation of management to functioning essentially as staffing agencies, our study illuminates the ways in which these unions become a locus for the articulation of difference rather than solidarity. It also illustrates the challenges faced by organized labor in addressing its seemingly contradictory role in facilitating both individualist and collectivist identity formations.

The effects of error management climate and safety communication on safety: A multi-level study

Work in the construction industry is considered inherently dangerous, despite the technological improvements regarding the safety of work conditions and equipment. To address the urgent need to identify organizational predictors of safety performance and outcomes among construction workers, the present study examined multi-level effects of two important indicators of safety climate, namely contractor error management climate and worker safety communication, on safety behavior, injury, and pain among union construction workers. Data were collected from 235 union construction workers employed by 15 contractors in Midwest and Northwest regions of the United States. Results revealed significant main effects for safety communication and error management climate on safety behaviors and pain, but not on injuries. Our findings suggest that positive safety communication and error management climate are important contributors to improving workplace safety. Specific implications of these results for organizational safety research and practice are discussed.

The Social Dimension: Are green jobs decent jobs?

FOCUS □ CLIMATE CHANGE ANDLABOURSTANDARDS The Social Dimension: Are green jobs decent jobs? Climate so-called ofgreen change jobs green we has jobs. might led With say to a an that wide explosion all definition jobsthat of Climate so-called greenjobs.With a widedefinition ofgreen jobswe might saythat alljobsthat contribute to environmentally sustainable development aregreen.Itmight span overall sectors andindustries and coverall workers as notonly newjobs inthe'clean'energy sectors aredeveloping ,but also when othersectorsare getting 'greener'. With increased development ofpolicies aimingat movingtowardsa morecarbonefficientsociety itis likely that thenumbers ofthese jobswillcontinue togrow.Itseemsthat environmentalconcernshave finally got the attention theydeserve in the sustainabledevelopment debate. Thequestion iswhether thesocialdimension is following. Do the presentpolicies on climate change and green jobs take sufficiently into accounttheworking conditions and qualityof thesejobs?Aregreenjobs decentjobs; jobs that areproductive andsecure, that ensurerespect for labour rights,which provide an adequate income, which offersocial protectionand includessocialdialogue,unionfreedom, collectivebargaining andparticipation? Thesearequestions which from the InternationalLabour Organisation's pointof view should be at the forefront inaddressing thegreenjobsandclimate changeagenda.Thereis a need to give equal attention to thesocial dimension of greenjobs and thetransition to a low carboneconomyin order toensuresustainable development. To datethere arenotmanydetailedstudieson working conditions in therelatively new green jobs. However,sectorssuch as recycling, hazardouswaste handlingand agriculture are not new and information on working conditions in thesesectors is available.Whennew studiesare developedbothintheseandinother sectors they tendtoconfirm that working conditions ingreen jobsarenotverydifferent from anyother jobs. Theworking conditions intherecycling industry inChinahaveoften been citedas particularly poor and dangerous.Recycling work is also sometimes precarious andgenerates lessthanlivingwagesandincomes . A study onworking conditions at recycling centres in Swedennow also showsthat employees inthisbranch haveone of thehighest accident ratesinSweden.Risksrelated tothewrork environment thatwereidentified includedfrequent heavylifts, handlingof hazardouswasteandfalling downintocontainers. Theagriculture sector is knownforitsgrowing job insecurity, low ratesof pay,poor working conditions and growing levelsofpoverty. When lookingat the agriculture sectorfroma green jobsperspective and itsgrowing biofuelproductionincountries likeBrazil,Colombia, Malaysia, andIndonesia studies showthat plantations often involvesexcessiveworkloads, poor pay, exposure to pesticides, and oppressionof workers. Working conditions within thesugarcanesector in Brazil are notorious, markedby crowding, poor hygieneand nutrition, and violence by company security guards against workers. Plantation workers havefewrights, especially as Indonesiaand Malaysia(a dominantpalm oil producer) havenotsignedkeyILO Conventions. Indonesian migrantworkers labouring on Malaysian plantations are particularly vulnerable topredatory practices andforced labour. In addition ,regulations and monitoring are weak or non-existent when it comes to the dangerous agrochemicals thatmanyplantation workers are exposedto. Organisinginthe new industries A reportfromGoodJobsFirsthas examined working conditions in someenvironment-friendlysectors suchas manufacturing ofcomponents for windandsolarenergy andgreenconstruction in the UnitedStates.Some of the observations relate towages,off-shoring, collective bargaining andunionisation. Whether itis healthand safety issues,wage concernsorunionisation itis clearthatdecentwork ingreenjobsisas mucha challenge as itisinany otherjob. The body of International Labour Biofuelproduction ofteninvolves excessive workloads,poor pay,exposure to pesticides, and oppression of workers LENE OLSEN isSpecialist in Workers' Activities with the ILO workers' bureau ACTRAV in Geneva The responsibility for opinions expressed in the article rests solely with the author, and publication does not constitute anendorsement by the International Labour Office of the opinions expressed in it. Page 5Volume 17Issue 1201 0 INTERNATIONAL union rights Low pay isnot uncommon in the workplaces profiled. Wage rates atmany wind andsolar manufacturing facilities arebelow thenational average for workers employed inthemanufacture ofdurable goods. In some locations, average pay rates fall short ofincome levels needed tosupport a single adult with onechild. SomeUS windandsolarmanufacturers have already begun tooffshore production ofcomponents destined for USmarkets tolow-wage havens such as China andMexico. Examples ofoff-shoring include the manufacture ofblades for wind turbines, defying the common assumption that such blades aretoolarge to ship overseas. Very few workers atwind andsolar manufacturing workplaces identified inthecourse oftheresearch arecovered bycollective bargaining agreements. In atleast two instances, this appears tobea direct result ofaggressive anti-union campaigns run byemployers with the help of union-busting consultants. Onthe construction side, itwasfound that a leading contractor engaged inenergy efficiency work hasa similarly hostile approach tounions. Thestudy did not find specific wages for non union construction workers employed ingreen building, but publicly available data suggests that that overall construction wages arefar lower than those of the union members profiled inthereport. FOCUS □ CLIMATECHANGE ANDLABOURSTANDARDS Employersat some windand solar manufacturing workplaces have runaggressive anti-union campaigns with the help of union-busting consultants Standards whicharean 'inseparable, interrelated andmutually supportive' partoftheDecentWork Agenda is very much relevantto the...

An English/Spanish safety climate scale for construction workers

Workers in the construction trades experience high rates of traumatic injury. An increasing number of workers in this industry speak only Spanish, including members of construction trade unions. This brief communication reports a dual language safety climate scale developed during a larger training intervention study. Construction workers in two unions self-completed a previously validated 6-item safety climate scale modified for the construction trades. A seventh item was developed midway through the study and incorporated into the version completed by half of the respondents. For one union with a sizeable number of Spanish-speaking members, a dual-language (Spanish/English) version was administered. Follow-up telephone interviews conducted 3 months after the self-completed survey also included the safety climate scale. Cronbach's coefficient alpha was 0.85 for the 6-item scale and 0.85 for the 7-item scale. Similar coefficient alpha scores were found for the subgroup of Spanish-speakers on the 6- and 7-item scales. Spanish speakers with low education were less likely to respond to the scale when self-completing but not when it was administered by telephone in Spanish. This safety climate scale elicits consistent and reliable response from unionized construction workers when administered in English or in Spanish. Spanish literacy may be a consideration for the use of this scale among foreign-born Hispanic workers.

A New Channel for Health Promotion: Building Trade Unions

Labor unions are a largely unevaluated channel for health promotion interventions for working class populations, who are at increased risk for smoking and poor diet. We conducted qualitative and quantitative research to understand the meaning and function of union membership in workers' lives and applied this information to health promotion intervention design. Cross-sectional data included a survey conducted with a nationally representative sample of unionized construction workers (n = 1109; 44% response rate), and 16 focus groups (n = 88) conducted in multiple regions around the country. The vast majority of survey respondents held strongly positive views of their union. Focus group findings revealed the meaning of the union in members' daily lives, how members view information from the union, and their perceptions of the union's limitations. The findings provide a compelling rationale for considering unions as a channel for health promotion interventions.

Expanded analysis of injury mortality among unionized construction workers

To evaluate the utility of expanding the number and precision of injury categories used in previous occupational mortality studies, this study reanalyzed data from four previous studies of unionized construction workers (construction laborers, ironworkers, sheet metal workers, and operating engineers), by expanding the number of injury categories from 6 to 33. Proportionate mortality ratios (PMRs) were computed using the distribution of deaths from the National Occupational Mortality Surveillance System, a mortality surveillance system from 28 states, as a comparison. A blue collar comparison group was also used in additional analyses to adjust for socioeconomic and other factors. This reanalysis identified significantly elevated PMRs in at least one of the four worker groups for falls, motor vehicle crashes, machinery incidents, electrocutions, being struck by falling objects, being struck by flying objects, explosions, suffocation, and water transport incidents. Limiting the comparison population to deaths among blue collar workers did not change the results substantially. This study demonstrates that increasing the precision of categories of death from injury routinely used in mortality studies will provide improved information to guide prevention. Am. J. Ind. Med. 37:364-373, 2000. Published 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Lead levels in Maryland construction workers.

A cross-sectional study of unionized construction workers not currently known to be performing lead work was conducted. Participants completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire obtaining information about demographics, work history, other possible sources of lead exposure and health status (including hypertension, noise-induced hearing loss and renal disease). Blood was then obtained via venipuncture for whole blood lead level, hematocrit and free erythrocyte protoporphyrin determination. Two hundred and sixty-four Maryland construction workers had median whole blood lead determinations of 7 micrograms/dl and mean values of 8.0 micrograms/dl, with a skewed distribution ranging from 2 to 30 micrograms/dl. None were currently engaged in known lead work. Blood lead levels were significantly higher for the 124 who had 'ever' worked in demolition (8.8 micrograms/dl vs. 7.2 micrograms/dl, p = .004), and for the 79 who had ever burned paint and metal and welded on outdoor structures compared to the 48 who had done none of these activities (8.6 micrograms/dl vs. 6.8 micrograms/dl, p = .01). The 58 workers who had ever had workplace lead monitoring performed had higher lead levels (9.7 vs. 7.5 micrograms/dl, p = .003). Blood lead levels increased with age, and cigarette smoking. African Americans (N = 68) had higher lead levels (9.1 vs. 7.5 micrograms/dl, p = .01). There were only two women in the study, one with a lead level of 21 micrograms/dl and one, 7 micrograms/dl. Blood lead levels did not predict either systolic or diastolic blood pressure in this population. However, there was a significant interaction between race and lead as predictors of blood pressure, with blacks demonstrating a trend-significant correlation, and whites showing a nonsignificant but negative association. Demolition and hotwork on outdoor structures are known to cause acute episodes of lead poisoning. They also appear to cause slight but persistent increases in blood lead levels. Future workplace regulation should recognize and seek to maintain the low baseline now apparent even in urban, East Coast, construction workers.

Job Characteristics: Union-Nonunion Differences

One of the reasons for the development of nonunion construction was to allow management the flexibility of designing jobs without the constraints of jurisdictional and collective-bargaining agreements. The job-characteristics model was developed to identify differences in jobs and the motivational potential of a job. This paper reports the results of studies of a large sample of unionized construction workers and of a large sample of nonunion construction workers. Six hypotheses were formulated based on expected differences between union and nonunion environments and tested. In terms of the job-characteristics model, there is no difference in the perceptions of union and nonunion construction workers for task variety, task significance, and feedback. Union workers perceive greater task identity, while nonunion workers perceive greater autonomy. The implications of these findings are discussed and recommendations made for improving the motivational potential of jobs. The results of the study indicate that there is considerable opportunity for redesigning jobs in the construction industry.

Rethinking craft administration: Managerial position, work autonomy, and employment security in the building trades

The organization of work in the construction industry often has been presented as the exemplar of “craft administration” wherein managerial positions are of relatively low significance. Occupational control of employment and work structure in this context presumably is manifest through the craft union. On the other hand, research on other industries has shown the managerial position in the firm to be a source of extrinsic and intrinsic reward. This results from the manager's pivotal position in the bureaucratized labor process. This paper seeks to reconcile these perspectives. Data from a survey of 246 unionized construction workers and 14 local union officers from nine building trades are used to assess the impact of the managerial position and union involvement on work autonomy (self-direction and freedom from supervision) and employment security (unemployment and trade agreement infringements). In general, the results indicate that managerial affiliations to employers' firms are associated with greater autonomy and more employment security. Union involvement has contradictory consequences for individual tradespeople.

New answers and new questions in construction worker motivation

A survey of unionized construction workers was conducted in a major American Midwestern city to collect data on their perceptions of the motivational climate on their jobs. The framework for the collection and analysis of the data was the expectancy model of worker motivation and performance. The findings indicated that the motivational climate is very poor. Contractors rely more on punishment and discipline than they do on positive rewards. Little is done to encourage good performance. Discipline is used to discourage poor performance. Contractors provide little in the way of rewards, even when they are not prohibited from providing a variety of rewards by their labour agreements. The workers surveyed reported very little incentive to be highly productive.

Worker Perceptions of Contractor Behavior

A sample of unionized construction workers from a major mid‐western city is surveyed to gather their perceptions of the behavior of their contractors. There are 703 participants in the study. Four dimensions of contractor behavior are identified: the propensity of the contractor to punish, the propensity of the contractor to reward, the degree of participation allowed by the contractor in decision making, and the level of work facilitation provided by the contractor. The four dimensions have varying relationships with worker motivation, performance and satisfaction.

Influence of Foremen on Performance

A sample of unionized construction workers from a major midwestern city is surveyed to gather their perceptions of the behavior of their foreman. There are 703 participants in the study. Five dimensions of foreman behavior are identified: (1) The degree of participation allowed by the foreman in decision‐making; (2) the level of support provided by the foreman; (3) the degree of achievement orientation of the foreman; (4) the degree of bias of the foreman; and (5) the level of work facilitation provided by the foreman. The five dimensions have varying relationships with worker motivation, performance, and satisfaction.

Motivational Impact of Work Crews

Unionized construction workers in a major midwestern city are surveyed to collect data on the workers' perceptions of their workcrews. Data are analyzed using factor analysis and five elements of work crew functioning are identified: general effectiveness, openness, cohesion, goal clarity, and goal difficulty. The relationships between these variables and the workers' motivation, reported performance, and job satisfaction are analyzed. The conclusion reached is that contractors must manage their workcrews in terms of planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling. By doing this, worker performance and satisfaction can be increased.

Motivational Implications of Construction Work

A survey was conducted of unionized construction workers in a major midwestern city to collect data on their perceptions of the jobs and environment within which they perform their jobs. Constructi...

Human Resource Data in the Construction Industry

Unionized construction workers in a major midwestern city were surveyed to collect data on education, training, experience, employment history, and a variety of other demographic variables. The characteristics of this local work force were analyzed and, where possible, contrasted with the data on the national construction labor force. The implications of the findings were discussed as they relate to the need for human resource planning in the construction industry. For example, the data indicated that younger workers are not joining unions in the same numbers as in the past. The anticipated result is a future shortage of skilled workers in the unionized sector of the industry, which has implications for construction productivity and for the funding of various worker benefits. The need for improved human resource planning was stressed.

Motivation in Unionized Construction

A survey was corrducted of unionized construction workers in a major midwestern city to collect data on their perceptions of the motivational climate in their jobs. The framework for the collection and analysis of the data was the expectancy model of worker motivation and performance. The findings indicated that the motivational climate is very poor. Contractors rely more on punishment and discipline than they do positive rewards. Little is done to encourage good performance. Discipline is used to discourage poor performance. Contractors provide little in the way of rewards, even when they are not prohibited from providing a variety of rewards by their labor agreements. The workers surveyed reported very little incentive to be highly productive.