Collaborative Workforce Initiative I Build America-Ohio To Go Live, Coinciding With Ohio’s In-Demand Jobs Week
Ohio’s first ever In-Demand Jobs Week is scheduled for May 7-11. Coinciding with the celebration, AGC of Ohio and the Ohio Contractors Association (OCA) will begin marketing their newly formed initiative to combat the growing workforce shortage in May.
AGC of Ohio and OCA partnered with “I Build America”, a nationwide initiative designed to change the perception of construction, to create an Ohio specific campaign: I Build America - Ohio. It features a new website that serves as the driving force for the initiative’s messaging and a related marketing campaign.
I Build America-Ohio promotes the commercial construction industry to students, as well as provides outreach tools for employers, resources for educators and influencers, and information for parents. A marketing team was hired to create a strategy to maximize messaging and outreach. Efforts will focus on reaching the appropriate audiences through a variety of different platforms. Data will be collected to measure and analyze the impact of each campaign.
The website – www.ibuildamerica-ohio.com – goes live May 1, and the initial marketing campaign will be launched concurrently. Employers can access materials from the employer toolbox for I Build America-Ohio by filling out a simple form on the website.
For In-Demand Jobs Week, Community leaders and employers are encouraged to plan events and activities that will inspire excitement and awareness among students and job seekers. A Guide for Businesses and Workforce Professionals has been produced by Ohio Jobs & Family Services. The Ohio Means Jobs website is another resource with tools for career seekers, including links to in demand jobs (many of which are in construction fields), free assessments and training, practice interviews and tips, and internships and coops.
Spread the word about I Build America-Ohio and celebrate In-Demand Jobs Week!
OCA Settles New Labor Agreements With Carpenters
(Agreement Goes Statewide In 2021!)
OCA’s Labor Relations Division (LRD) recently completed successful negotiations with the Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters for a new Ohio Highway Heavy agreement. The new agreement includes a financial package increase of 2.7% over its five year term. The first year increase, effective retroactively to April 1st is $1.20.
The biggest and most exciting provision of the new agreement is its expansion to include the remaining 46 Ohio counties beginning May 1, 2021, the fourth year of the agreement. OCA’s LRD has worked hard over the past ten years to evolve its Carpenters agreement into a true statewide agreement.
Other highlights of the agreement are clarifications for direct deposit payoffs, elimination of language binding signatory contractors to local vertical building agreements, inclusion of a Saturday make-up day, adding stay in place forms, and clarification of pile driving provisions.
OCA extends its gratitude to the following members of the LRD negotiations committee for its hard work, expertise and dedication to secure this ground-breaking agreement:
• Mark Sterling, Beaver Excavating
• Andy Leffler, Shelly & Sands, Inc.
• Barth Burgett, Kokosing Construction Company
• Chris Stutz, The Great Lakes Construction Company
• Jim Ruhlin, Jr., The Ruhlin Company
For the wage and benefit distribution of the Carpenters $1.20 increase, please see the latest update of the union wage and benefit increase notice in the “Breaking News” section on OCA webpage at www.ohiocontractors.org.
Modest Market Impact Expected from FY 2018 Federal Transportation Appropriations
By Dr. Alison Premo Black, chief economist, ARTBA
The FY 2018 transportation appropriations package approved by Congress March 21 provided $1.98 billion in new General Fund money for federal highway and bridge obligations by the state transportation departments. The money will be distributed to the states via the 2015 FAST Act’s Surface Transportation Block Grant Program. These resources are in addition to the $900 million FAST Act authorized increase for the core federal highway program, which was part of our previous forecast. Click here to read more.
Latest Edition of the Ohio Contractor Magazine Now On-Line
To view the March-April 2018 digital edition of the Ohio Contractor, click on the following link:
http://ohiocontractormagazine.com/OC-mar-apr-2018/html5/index.html?page=1&noflash
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