Ellajon: Page 3
Industry insights from our journalists
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Could the PRO Act become law?
Legal experts say it’s a long shot, but if passed, the Protecting the Right to Organize Act would drastically change worker-employer relations in many states.
Zachary Phillips • April 14, 2021 -
Soaring material prices, supply chain delays spook owners and developers
The rising cost of many materials and increased sourcing headaches have project owners rethinking their return to normalcy and threaten to derail construction's expected resurgence.
Joe Bousquin • April 12, 2021 -
Skyrocketing steel, lumber costs threaten to slow construction jobs
As material prices jump, U.S. contractors are coping any way they can. Here are some best practices for working around price fluctuations and shortages.
Joe Bousquin • Feb. 17, 2021 -
How the PRO Act would change the construction industry
Reintroduced in Congress Thursday, the bill designed to strengthen unions has major implications for construction firms and the workers they employ.
Zachary Phillips • Feb. 5, 2021 -
Post-pandemic: How COVID-19 will change office, hotel and mixed-use design
There are still unknowns as far as how the coronavirus pandemic will impact the look of new spaces, but flexibility in layouts will be key, design experts say.
Kim Slowey • Jan. 25, 2021 -
6 owners moving ahead in construction's hardest-hit sectors
Although hospitality, office and retail saw deep pullbacks in 2020, some clients are taking the long view and keeping their construction jobs in play.
Joe Bousquin • Jan. 20, 2021 -
5 questions to ask before adopting a vaccine policy
Despite recent Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidance, many employers have more questions than answers when it comes to coronavirus vaccine policies.
Ryan Golden • Jan. 6, 2021 -
2021 outlook: 6 trends that will influence construction this year
Several factors – some positive, some less so – are poised to shape the industry in the new year.
Joe Bousquin • Jan. 4, 2021 -
Tax changes on the horizon: What contractors need to know
Construction pros must consider the effects of a Biden tax plan, potential coronavirus relief and other factors for their end-of-year strategy, industry accountants say.
Kim Slowey • Dec. 14, 2020 -
Pandemic revs up drive-thru restaurant design
With drive-thru traffic increasing in the double-digits, Arby's, McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Taco Bell and others have developed building prototypes to better streamline operations.
Julie Littman • Dec. 4, 2020 -
Contractors brace for more lockdowns as coronavirus cases spike nationwide
Pros are doing what they can now to prepare for potential pandemic-induced halts to construction work in the winter months.
Joe Bousquin • Nov. 30, 2020 -
7 ways to prepare for potential COVID-19 construction shutdowns
Are more stop-work orders ahead? Here's what to do to be able to come back in stride.
Joe Bousquin • Nov. 30, 2020 -
Construction's COVID-19 record might be worse than you think
Despite a lack of definitive data, academic studies and local health authorities have found numerous outbreaks in construction.
Joe Bousquin • Nov. 19, 2020 -
Border wall breakup: Will blacklisting of contractors end if construction stops?
"Name and shame" policies blocking border wall contractors from work with cities like Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, have been in effect since 2018.
Kim Slowey • Oct. 30, 2020 -
Border wall breakup: What would happen if Biden becomes president
If Joe Biden wins and makes good on his promise to stop the construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall, the contractors involved won't have options other than packing up and going home.
Kim Slowey • Oct. 29, 2020 -
The gas tax that funds infrastructure projects is broken. The pandemic could end it.
As states and cities face budget crunches with gas tax revenues down, some are considering alternative ways to secure funding for infrastructure projects.
Jason Plautz • Oct. 28, 2020 -
Fixing construction's racism problem will take an industrywide effort
To eradicate bigotry on jobsites, the first step is to acknowledge it exists, industry leaders say. Zero-tolerance policies, bystander intervention and a 'racism rating' are some of their other ideas.
Joe Bousquin • Oct. 23, 2020 -
Construction firms step up efforts to eradicate hate
From zero-tolerance policies to cash rewards for help in investigations and banning Confederate flags, here are the meaningful steps contractors are taking against racism.
Joe Bousquin • Oct. 22, 2020 -
Despite progress, ingrained racism still runs deep in construction
While incidents of nooses and hateful graffiti on jobsites have made headlines in 2020, discrimination in the construction industry often manifests itself in more subtle, systemic ways.
Joe Bousquin • Oct. 21, 2020 -
Racist actions, attitudes 'nothing new' on construction sites
Hateful incidents leave people of color demeaned, belittled and pushed away from an industry starving for workers.
Joe Bousquin • Oct. 20, 2020 -
Racism on the jobsite: How hate erodes construction's bottom line
Industry leaders say that eliminating bigoted actions and attitudes is the right thing to do, but they also say it will boost contractors' profits. Here are five reasons why.
Joe Bousquin • Oct. 19, 2020 -
Contractors prepare to face COVID-19 challenges for the long haul
As summer turns to fall, construction pros are looking to new solutions to deal with the coronavirus pandemic through the rest of the year and into 2021.
Joe Bousquin • Sept. 8, 2020 -
The COVID-19 conundrum: Money is available for new construction projects, but few are breaking ground
While financing is available for the right projects, owners and developers aren't so eager to take a risk on ground-up construction during the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic.
Joe Bousquin • Aug. 24, 2020 -
What does Maryland's Purple Line project team breakup mean for P3s?
Although one of the country's most-watched public-private partnerships has stalled, the delivery method has advantages for many large civil projects, experts say.
Kim Slowey • May 27, 2020 -
How construction firms can prepare for a potential second wave of COVID-19
Although work is restarting in most jurisdictions, contractors can't let their guard down regarding coronavirus precautions for the future.
Kim Slowey • May 18, 2020