540
Building Trade Unions: Basic Concerns
543
BASIC CONCERNS
543.1
MEMBERSHIP
The building trade unions in the U.S. are made up of eighteen trades,
organized into 10,000 locals, and comprise about three million members.
(3) "Total union membership as a percentage of all construction workers
in contract construction increased from 68.3% in 1956 to 75.0% in 1966.
This is in contrast to the general trend of unionism in the rest of the
economy where union strength has actually declined in relative terms . . . .
"In general, it would seem that, judging by wage rate and fringe benefits,
the degree of unionization is highly correlated to the size of construction
projects. In other words, union strength declines as the type of
construction becomes lighter from heavy construction (highest degree of
unionization) to . . . . home building (relatively low)." (4)
543.2
WAGES
543.2 .1
Since 1966, wages in construction trades have skyrocketed as compared
to wages in other industries as shown by the following chart: (5)
543.2.2
Fortune Magazine states that unskilled workers are getting raises of over
,000 per year, and that by 1972 a substantial percentage of skilled
construction workers will be making around ,000 per year. (6) While it
is a matter of record that many skilled workers make from to per
hour, a study of compensation in the building industry by the Bureau of
Labor Statistics states:
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