Once hailed as a bridge-builder for skilled trades, Chavez-DeRemer’s tenure ended amid misconduct investigations and leadership upheaval, leaving HVAC and sheet metal contractors wondering what’s next.
Despite widespread job losses across most industries, the construction sector continues to add jobs and boost wages, leaving HVAC contractors in fierce competition for skilled workers amid rising costs.
The Department of Labor seeks to rescind a 2024 final rule addressing the classification of independent contractors and replace it with a rule like the one adopted in 2021.
The division debarred J. Solano HVAC LLC and its owner from bidding on federally funded construction projects for a period of three years because of the willful nature of the violations.
Workers at Eaton’s IAM union plant face illegal “reinstatement fees” after resigning during a strike, sparking a federal complaint and highlighting ongoing disputes over union transparency and worker rights.
Federal rollback of wage protections at Cape Canaveral could ripple through Florida’s construction industry, slashing union pay and benefits by as much as 40%, SMART says
The Labor Department’s new wage rule means thousands of skilled workers at Florida’s major federal sites will see steep pay cuts, with unions warning of weakened bargaining power and lower area standards.
President Trump's rescission of Biden-era labor requirements has reignited fierce debates over Project Labor Agreements, pension obligations, and apprenticeship mandates.
SMART criticizes the recent dismissals of National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo and Board Member Gwynne Wilcox by President Donald Trump.
The apprenticeship rule, marked as "withdrawn" on the Office of Management and Budget's website November 27, would have significantly altered apprenticeship programs.