The Second Industrial Age brought the production of steel and electricity. Together they allowed immense growth in building technology and interstate commerce. Railroads were built, allowing people and goods to travel more quickly. Steel-framed high-rise buildings first appeared in Chicago, a city that experience tremendous business growth.

More > >

The huge backlog of American infrastructure maintenance, repairs and new construction may soon start shifting from government into private hands as cash- strapped local governments sell public assets to private investors. Tapping new sources of equity and credit, private companies would be allowed to take over the construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, airports, railroads and sewage systems. Such undertakings used to be common in the early days of the Republic. Today, it's becoming increasingly accepted that private firms have a much better track record of completing projects on budget and on time, while holding down costs. Other countries have already followed this route. This gradual shift toward the private sector in the United States is likely to provide a whole new impetus and structure to the construction industry. It’s a topic to watch.

More > >

“The prevailing wage law was designed to prevent contractors from coming into an area and undercutting local workers. Business leaders have complained for years that the rate does not reflect wages contractors pay locally. [They] say it adds as much as 20 percent to a construction project.”

-- Quincy (MA) Herald-Whig, August 11, 2007

More > >

More > >

1. So you’re a construction worker...
2. Does my pension have a solid foundation?
3. Who’s overseeing my pension?
4. Where do I go to find out about my pension?
5. Contact info for various trades