Small jump for May construction
New U.S. construction starts in May were up 1 percent compared to the previous month, according to McGraw-Hill Construction.

"The construction industry has picked up the pace in recent months," said Robert A. Murray, vice president of economic affairs for McGraw-Hill Construction. "The stronger economy is helping the nonresidential structure types, but at the same time there's concern that rising prices for building materials - steel, lumber and now cement - will dampen emerging nonresidential expansion."

During the first five months of 2004, total U.S. construction was up 10 percent compared to the same period in 2003, and up 8 percent in the Midwest region.


Voting system at Carpenters upheld
The first Circuit Court of Appeals handed a major victory to the United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC) International Union on June 21, effectively upholding the voting structure of the union.

By a 2-1 decision, the appellate court overturned a lower court ruling, and found that the New England Regional Carpenters Council is a legitimate body and is thus able to elect officers by a delegate vote. Carpenter members in the "Association for Union Democracy" who brought the case argued that the New England council should be declared a local union that must have a system in which officers are elected by direct membership vote.

Nearly a decade ago, the UBC instituted an election system in which members vote for delegates, who then vote for officers. The New England lawsuit has been the major test case for members who are dissatisfied with the setup. Plaintiffs, who won in a prior circuit court decision, are considering taking the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Appeals Court Judge Sandra Lynch, who voted with the majority, said Congress "imposed strict restraints" on the ability of the judiciary to change the arrangement of union election systems.

In 1996, the Carpenters union set up regional councils with broad authority over how local business is conducted.

The Michigan Regional Carpenters Council effectively withdrew from the Greater Detroit and Michigan Building Trades councils in May 1996. The Carpenters International Union still has a working relationship with the AFL-CIO Building Trades Department, but has split with the AFL-CIO itself in a dispute primarily over how the federation's dues money was used for organizing.

State ups hours for online claims
The State of Michigan has more than doubled the number of hours in which unemployed workers can file claims online for unemployment benefits.

The state Unemployment Insurance Agency's website, www.michigan.gov/uia is open for 132 hours straight from 7 a.m. Mondays through 7 p.m. Saturdays, EST. The system is not available for 36 hours, including all day Sunday, to allow for maintenance.

Until now, the system would only take claims for 12 hours on weekdays.