America's Labor Leaders to Release Major Study on The Associated Builders and Contractors

WHAT: The Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD), joined by the AFL-CIO and LIUNA, will release the findings of a first-ever state-by-state comparative analysis of the Associated Builders and Contractors trade association, better known as ABC, and its affiliate organizations. The findings expose ABC's data manipulation and an aggressive disinformation campaign designed to confuse elected officials, the public and the press into supporting policies that produce fewer jobs, lower wages, and minimal workforce training, which have had a detrimental effect on workers, their communities and the US construction industry as a whole.

The report, written by Dr. Thomas J. Kriger, analyzes ABC from a number of different perspectives, including its origins, its membership and density among contractors in the American construction industry, its finances, its formal apprenticeship and craft training programs (along with its affiliate, the National Center for Construction Education and Research, NCCER), and ABC's more recent electronic, ideological issues advocacy.

The findings of the report, "Driving the Low Road in the Construction Industry: An Analysis of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC)," will be released at a teleprint conference call.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REPORT

Kaiser Permanente's Hillsboro hospital opening still a year away, but construction nears completion

HILLSBORO -- Tayna Wylder looked on Tuesday as her crew delicately molded concrete for the central plaza of the $344 million Kaiser PermanenteWestside Medical Center, the first new hospital in Washington County in 40 years. 

View full sizeAndrew Theen/The OregonianTayna Wylder, right, works alongside her crew as they wrap up work on the elaborate plaza entry to Kaiser Permanente's new hospital in Hillsboro. Wylder is one of a dozen women owners of companies with contracts on the construction.

"It's the hardest job we've ever had," said Wylder, owner of Star Construction Services. "It's tested our company extensively." 

Wylder's crew started work on the facility in 2010, among the nearly 2,000 workers chipping in on the new facility.Kaiser, the nation's largest nonprofit health management organization, hopes to open the facility to patients and 1,100 employees in August 2013. 

Virtually all construction is complete on the Tanasbourne-area facility. The plaza is intended to be a central courtyard and entryway for the hospital; a warm and open place where sick patients or their friends and family can find refuge. 

Woman-owned firms like Wylder's took in $33.7 million in contracts on the soon-to-be-finished 126-bed hospital, accounting for roughly 27 percent of construction costs, according to Kaiser figures. Minority firms took home $7.5 million, or 6.5 percent of costs. 

With private companies like Kaiser and public entities creating minimum requirements for woman and minority-owned contractor involvement, Wylder said companies like hers are not as much of a rarity these days as they used to be. "It's going to be the new norm," she said of the diversifying face of construction. "That's the way the industry is trending." 

Star Construction is scheduled to work on the Sellwood bridge replacement, but project delays put their duties a couple years out. Work continues on the Willamette River bridge on Interstate 5 in Eugene, but that will end soon. 

So, despite the bright, sunny day and the fact that her whole crew was working across Hillsboro, Wylder said she still feels the weight of a recession that has hammered construction firms everywhere in recent years. "I feel a big pressure to keep our employees employed," she said. 

Ultimately, said Wylder, 43, it's a simple equation. Like everybody else, "we need more work." 

(Kaiser Permanente's Westside Medical Center is the first new hospital in Washington County in nearly 40 years.  A Business section article Wednesday gave incorrect information.)

Retrieved from: http://www.oregonlive.com/hillsboro/index.ssf/2012/05/kaiser_permanentes_hillsboro_h.html

From South Africa: Awards for excellence (Govan Mbeki best woman partnership award)

Zola Ntshiya, Picture: GALLO IMAGES

Peter Luhanga

Some state-funded housing projects in the Western Cape have scooped the prestigious Govan Mbeki Awards for delivering exceptional work.

The annual awards for outstanding work in housing development were initiated in 2006 and named after Govan Mbeki in honour of the role he played in human settlements by partnering with key stakeholders in order to further the cause of building a nation free of inequity.

At a ceremony held this week 11 state-funded housing projects received the prestigious award in different categories namely best finance linked individual subsidy programme project, best upgrading informal settlements programme project, best rental stock, best priority project and best enhanced people's housing project.

Additionally, two students, Gerhard Hanekom and Merli Koen, were awarded the Govan Mbeki merit student award and the organisation,

South African Women in Construction walked away with the Govan Mbeki best woman partnership award.

Deputy Minister of Human Settlements Zou Kota-Fredericks, who presented the awards together with human settlements

MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela, said through the efforts of partners the government was able to build sustainable human settlements and create jobs.

Madikizela said the state-funded housing projects that had won awards had showcased hard work.
However, he said the provincial housing backlog was not dented despite delivering houses.

The N2 Gateway housing project, which had built 3012 houses in Delft, scooped the best priority project award. – WCN

Retrieved from: http://www.thenewage.co.za/50506-1011-53-Awards_for_excellence