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Collective Bargaining in 2015 Yields Average First-Year Increase of 2.5%

Construction-industry collective bargaining negotiations completed during 2015 resulted in an average first-year increase in wages and benefits of $1.10 per hour or 2.5 percent, according to the annual year-end Settlements Report issued by the AGC-supported Construction Labor Research Council.  For newly negotiated multi-year contracts, the average negotiated second-year increase was $1.40 or 2.7 percent, and the average third-year increase was $1.50 or 2.7 percent. 

For all three contract years, the average increases negotiated in 2015 were higher than those negotiated in 2014, in terms of both dollar amounts and percentages.  The volume of settlements for a zero-increase in compensation – which reached a recent high point of 20 percent in 2010 – continued to decline to only 3 percent in 2015.

Regionally, the area reporting the lowest average first-year increase in 2015 on a percentage basis was the New England Region (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) at 2 percent, and on a dollar-amount basis was the South Central Region (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX) at $0.65.  The Northwest Region (AK, ID, OR, WA) reported the highest average first-year increase on a percentage basis at 2.7 percent, and the Southwest Pacific Region (AZ, CA, HI, NV) reported the highest on a dollar-amount basis at $1.66.

By craft, the lowest average first-year increase on a percentage basis was negotiated by the Bricklayers at 2.1 percent, and on a dollar-amount basis was negotiated by the Laborers at $0.96.  The Teamsters negotiated the highest average first-year increase on a percentage basis at 3.3 percent, and the Plumbers and Pipefitters negotiated the highest on a dollar-amount basis at $1.30.

The full report is available via the link embedded above and, along with other CLRC reports, in AGC’s online Labor & HR Topical Resources library at https://www.agc.org/industry-priorities/labor-hr/resources (under the main category “Collective Bargaining” and subcategory “Collective Bargaining Agreements Data”).  The report contains additional data and charts, as well as information about custom research and CLRC’s consulting services.

For more information, please contact Denise Gold, Associate General Counsel, at goldd@agc.org or (703) 837-5326.

Industry Priorities