Welcome
to the December, 2015 GMCS REGIONAL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY UPDATE.
GMCS is focused on facilitating communication and collaboration
amongst our construction employer associations, constructors, facility owners,
building trades and governmental bodies with an emphasis on creating a
centralized, focused community that actively promotes labor harmony, industry
advancement, contractor opportunities and workforce development.
Is
your firm looking to fill key positions within your organization? With over 25 years of industry contacts &
experience within the Philadelphia metropolitan region and developed industry
relationships to work from, GMCS
has become a powerful recruiting organization in this region’s
construction industry marketplace. Our goal is to provide our clients and
candidates with superior quality recruitment services while maintaining the
highest degree of integrity, confidentiality and professionalism. Go here to find out more about our Employer and Candidate Services. GMCS
maintains an active network of experienced industry professional candidates
that are currently exploring their next career opportunity. GMCS actively
markets these candidates to both regional and national firms as well as
partnering recruitment agencies throughout the country. Interested candidates and employers should
contact Wayne Gregory today at
wegregory@gregorymcs.com to discuss the
best GMCS employment and
recruitment solution for you.
We
currently have several excellent candidates that are interested in making a
move within the regional marketplace. GMCS is making those candidates available
to interested employers at no cost. Interested
firms should contact Wayne Gregory @ wegregory@gregorymcs.com for more
information.
Sponsorship
and marketing opportunities are available to industry stakeholders and
contractors; interested firms should contact Wayne
Gregory @ wegregory@gregorymcs.com for more
information.
Omni hotel in
Old City sold:
Buccini/Pollin,
long a dominant real estate presence in Wilmington, has taken its first stride
into Philadelphia with a package of acquisitions that includes the Omni Hotel
Independence Park in Old City.
Read
more here….
The State of University City – Center City Philadelphia –
West!:
Of
all the data and trends analysis contained in this year’s publication, the
number that jumps out most is University City’s realization of the 75,000 jobs
milestone.
Why
is 75,000 a magic number? It means that
from nanofab equipment specialists to neonatologists, from software development
engineers to clinical programmers, and from carpenters to electricians,
University City institutions and businesses are fueling the growth of the
regional economy. University City is not
simply producing jobs, we’re producing good jobs, creating opportunity in the
neighborhood, city and region.
Read
more here…
A 'gotcha' move? Construction industry reacts to OSHA
fine increase bombshell:
If
you didn't look too closely at the 2016 federal budget bill, which President
Obama signed earlier this month, you probably missed a small provision that
could have a giant financial impact on the construction industry. The U.S.
Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration hasn't made
an upward adjustment of fines since 1990, and the new budget directs the agency
to raise them and, on a yearly basis, keep them in line with the Consumer Price
Index. The index has risen approximately 82% since 1990, so the initial change
could see the dollar amount of OSHA fines skyrocket.
Read
more here…
Licensed
lawlessness:
They
menacingly photographed Sarina Rose's children as they waited for the school
bus. They cursed her out and cornered her at a luncheonette. One formed his
hand into the shape of a gun and pretended to shoot her as he mouthed the words
"Bang, bang, bang."
Rose's
company used a partly nonunion workforce to convert a long-derelict Loft
District building into apartments, and members of Ironworkers Local 401
registered their objections using such shameful and in most circumstances
criminal tactics. But after the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office filed
charges against Rose's tormentors in 2013, a municipal judge let them off. He
relied on a little-known state law that protected parties to a labor dispute
from prosecution for stalking, harassment, or terroristic threats.
Read
more here….
Dozens of carpenters rally for better pay at Ithaca
construction site:
About
50 protesters are outside a construction site on Ithaca's West State Street
Tuesday morning in a rally calling for higher pay for carpenters in the Ithaca
area.
The
men held banners and signs criticizing McPherson Builders Inc., the contractor
of a new renovation for HOLT Architects on the 600 block of West State Street,
for reportedly not paying the standard wage for carpenters in the Ithaca area.
Grasso Holdings
to develop Rivage site into mixed-use complex:
Grasso
Holdings in partnership with Onion Flats, both Philadelphia real estate
companies, plan to construct a $70 million, 6-story, mixed-use project that
will have 200 apartments, a 200-space underground garage and 15,000 square feet
of restaurant and retail space.
A
rendering of how the project could look though parts of it are still being
tweaked.
Read
more here…
DMI: Dodge
Momentum Index Dips in October
The
Dodge Momentum Index fell 4.8 percent in October to 125.2 after a strong
September reading of 131.5, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. The
decline nearly reverses September’s gain of 5.2 percent, which had been
bolstered by a sharp incline for institutional building projects at the
planning stage.
Read
more here…
Temple University's adjunct faculty vote to unionize:
Adjunct
faculty at Temple University voted Wednesday to join the American Federation of
Teacher's affiliate, the Temple Association of University Professionals.
More
than 1,400 adjuncts will now join an equal amount of full-time faculty
colleagues in the union.
Read
more here…
While
construction booms, numbers of qualified workers lags:
Turkey
topped the menu at the bricklayers' retiree luncheon last month, but union
president Dennis Pagliotti had something more serious on his plate.
"Come
back to work," he said he told the bricklayers and masons before they
chowed down at the union hall in Northeast Philadelphia. "We're going to
need you. Work is going to be so busy."
Jobs
in construction are rising - but there aren't enough qualified candidates to
keep up with demand. Nationally, four in five contractors report being worried
about labor shortages.
After
years when unemployment in the construction trades topped 25 percent, the
demand is putting pressure on a system now starved for workers.
Read
more here…
Two Liberty
Place up for sale, could trade for as much as $250M:
The
office portion of Two Liberty Place, a skyscraper that helps define
Philadelphia’s skyline, has been put up for sale and could go for as much as an
estimated $250 million.
The
tower’s 940,000 square feet of office space is 89 percent leased to multiple
tenants on a long-term basis including: Cigna Corp., which signed a lease over
the summer on 322,086 square feet through 2027; Buchanan Ingersoll, which
leases 77,000 square feet through 2021; Republic Bank, which occupies 53, 275
square feet until 2020; and Eckert Seamans, which has 53,000 square feet
through 2032. Unisys Corp. subleases roughly 90,000 square feet to 10 tenants.
Read
more here…
Pension Benefit
Guaranty Corporation: FY 2014 PBGC PROJECTIONS REPORT:
Multiemployer
Plans: The multiemployer program
reported a deficit of $52.3 billion. The nearly $10 billion increase from last
fiscal year is due to a drop in interest factors and the addition of 17 plans
that are “newly terminated or are projected to run out of money within the next
10 years,” PBGC said.
Read more here…
In its 10th deal since 2010, H.B. McClure acquires Upper
Allen company:
H.B. McClure Co. is becoming a big fish in the
mechanical services pond, having just completed its 10th
acquisition since 2010 with the purchase of Green Mechanical LLC in Upper Allen
Township.
But
the Harrisburg-based mechanical contractor is not just making acquisitions for
the sake of making them, said Jeri Donadee, the company's vice president. Any
additions have to be the right fit for the employee-owned company.
CPWR: Third Quarter - Fatal and nonfatal injuries among
construction trades between 2003 and 2014:
The
construction industry is unique due to many highly specialized occupations
within this sector. Although this
industry is dangerous as a whole, workers in different occupations are at risk
for various types of injuries and fatalities. This Quarterly Data Report tracks
fatal and nonfatal injuries among construction trades through the economic
boom, recession, and recovery in the last decade. It illustrates injury variations across
selected construction trades, and highlights leading causes of fatal and
nonfatal injuries in the most recent years. It also includes recently available
data on height of fall.
Read
more here…
Live! Hotel & Casino's diversity commitment 'doesn't
negate' racism allegations:
The
commitment from of Live! Hotel & Casino to have a diverse group of both
temporary and permanent workers is not enough to satisfy those accusing the
owners of racially discriminatory practices.
"The
offer is unsurprising and doesn't negate the allegations of their racially
discriminatory practices, which will be fully aired in Monday's [City Council
zoning] hearing," said Paula Peebles, leader of the Philadelphia chapter
of the National Action Network.
Read
more here…
Employment Situation Summary – October, 2015:
Construction employment increased by 31,000 in October:
Total
nonfarm payroll employment increased by 271,000 in October, and the
unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 5.0 percent, the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in professional and
business services, health care, retail trade, food services and drinking
places, and construction.
Read
more here…
Milliman
Analysis: Corporate pension funded status improves by $25 billion in October:
Robust
investment gains during October help counteract an otherwise disappointing
third quarter; pension assets are up 1.74% for the year.
The
funded status of the 100 largest corporate defined benefit pension plans
improved by $25 billion during October as measured by the Milliman 100 Pension
Funding Index (PFI). The deficit fell to $287 billion from $312 billion at the
end of September due to the strong pension asset investment gains of the
Milliman 100 companies during October. As of October 31, the funded ratio
climbed to 83.3% from 81.7% at the end of September.
Read
more here…
ABI: Architecture Billings Index on Solid Footing:
Continued growing demand across all construction sectors:
There
has been increasing levels of demand for design services for nearly all
construction project types for the majority of the year as revealed in the
Architecture Billings Index (ABI). As a leading economic indicator of
construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lead
time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American
Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the October ABI score was 53.1, down
slightly from the mark of 53.7 in the previous month. This score still reflects
an increase in design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in
billings). The new projects inquiry index was 58.5, down from a reading of 61.0
the previous month.
Read
more here…
This
e-mail newsletter has been provided complimentary to Associations and industry
stakeholders by Wayne Gregory of Gregory Management & Consulting Services (GMCS).
Wayne Gregory has been the recognized regional leader in the areas of Labor
& Industry Relations since 2005 and is continuing to serve the industry and
its multi-employer Associations under the GMCS brand, Knowledge,
Trust, Integrity and a unwavering commitment to Serve the
industry. From Association Management & Executive Leadership
services, Owner Representation, Government & Legislative Affairs &
Subscription Services and Labor & Industry Relations, let GMCS help your
Associations and organizations to forge a new and clear path forward.
We
hope that you enjoy the new newsletter format and welcome all comments and
suggestions regarding these changes. You may forward those to Wayne
Gregory @ wegregory@gregorymcs.com.
Best
wishes to all for a safe, prosperous, healthy & harmonious 2015.
Sincerely,
Wayne E. Gregory
Gregory Management &
Consulting Services
E-Mail: wegregory@gregorymcs.com
On the web: www.gregorymcs.com
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