Lower increases for wages, bennies
Collectively bargained wage and benefit increases in the U.S. construction industry for the first nine months of 2007 took a slight dip compared to the same period a year ago.

According to the Construction Labor Research Council and the Construction Labor Report, average wage and benefit levels for the first year of contracts rose $1.81 (4.4 percent) from January to September 2007. That compares to $1.87 per hour (up 4.8 percent) in 2006, but was up substantially from the $1.68 per hour hike (4.2 percent) in 2005.

The information represents the average of 164 negotiated collective bargaining agreements settled so far in 2007. For the second year of the contracts, wage-benefit hikes averaged $1.90 or 4.3 percent.

Wage-benefit increases in the East-North Central Region, which includes Michigan, were below the national average. The first-year average for contracts was $1.64 (3.9 percent) and $1.65 in the second year (3.7 percent).


Construction workis a little safer
The construction industry was a little safer for workers in 2006, according to a report issued Oct. 16 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

While the number of hours worked in construction increased by 6 percent from 2005 to 2006, the number of injuries and illnesses for workers was essentially the same. As a result, the total recordable case rate in construction declined from 6.3 cases to 5.9 cases per 100 full-time workers in 2006.

The BLS reported that the number of construction injuries and illnesses totaled 412,900 in 2006, down from 414,900 in 2005.

Construction workers experienced 10.4% of the 3.9 million total non-fatal workplace injuries in 2006. The service sector led the way, with 67.6 percent. When it comes to occupational illnesses, construction had 4.6% of the total, compared to 36% for manufacturing and 20.7% for the health care workers.

Among all U.S. workplaces, nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses among private industry employers in 2006 occurred at a rate of 4.4 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers - a decline from 4.6 cases in 2005.