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Important Labor Relations/Prevailing Craft & Trades Information The East Central Illinois Building and Construction Trades Council has created the Directory of Labor Organizations and Union Contractors that contains local contractors recognized by the Council. This information is important to unit administrators who are responsible for facility management. Labor relations issues sometimes arise when campus units have projects that involve new construction, remodeling, equipment installation, or other modifications to existing buildings or equipment. Such issues may involve disputes over jurisdiction or rates at which employees performing the project work should be paid. Labor relations problems may occur because there are several state laws that affect building projects. For example, the Prevailing Wage Act requires that employees working on public works projects be paid the “prevailing rate of pay in the local labor market.” The Preference to Illinois Citizens Act gives Illinois residents employment preference on public works projects. These and other laws may be used as a basis for challenging decisions on work assignments and rates of pay on University projects. Concerns regarding work assignments, rates of pay, and the applicability of state laws can result in the delay of a project’s completion. More importantly, such delays can result in significant unanticipated project costs. Because several units may be involved in a project, there can be confusion about the procedures to follow in order to address and resolve problems. Corbin Smith, Manager of Labor and Employee Relations, Staff Human Resources, serves as the single focal point for coordinating the resolution of disputes. As the labor relations coordinator, Corbin ensures there is a uniform process for anticipating and resolving work disputes. The University must comply with applicable state laws and regulations on project issues and strives to maintain good working relationships with both unions and state agencies. Therefore, we urge you to contact Corbin at 333-3105 or cjsmith1@uillinois.edu whenever you have any type of question about project work assignments or rates of pay issues. If problems arise once a project is underway, please call Corbin immediately, whether the project is being administered through the Operation and Maintenance Division, Office of Capital Programs, Office of Facility Planning and Management, or any other department.
Mark Overmier................... zorkahn@uiuc.edu |
