Posted on April 23, 2010 by Chris Cheatham

Federal Construction To Require Project Labor Agreements

For many in the green building industry, federal projects have provided an opportunity for much needed work as private development has stalled.  However, contractors should be aware of a significant change to federal construction contracts coming down the pike.

On April 13, President Barack Obama issued an Executive Order that will result in new requirements for project labor agreements:

"The Obama administration is set to issue a rule Tuesday that will allow federal agencies to require that contractors on large-scale public construction projects agree to union representation for workers. . . . The rule doesn't mandate that federal agencies require contractors to bargain with unions on all jobs, but it clears the path for government agencies to make such agreements a requirement for contractors on jobs costing $25 million or more."

If you are a contractor or subcontractor still looking to get involved in federal green building projects, it is important to consider the implications of this Executive Order.  Projects greater than $25 million will likely require some sort of project labor agreement.   

Is your company prepared for the requirements associated with a union project? 

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Posted on November 3, 2008 by Chris Cheatham

On Tuesday, Vote for Green Building

On Tuesday, hopefully you are planning on exercising your civic duty to vote.  Here at Green Building Law Update, we try to remain non-partisan but we could not ignore this monumental election.  Thankfully, though, the candidates have made it easy for us.  Did you know that a vote for either Barack Obama or John McCain will be a vote for green building? 

It's true.  While the two candidates may hold substantially different opinions on other issues, both hold similar positions on green building energy efficiency standards:
"There really is a lot more alignment between the two platforms than folks may at first expect," says Jason Hartke, director of advocacy and public policy for the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). "They both do a very good job of emphasizing energy efficiency in their platforms."
There are some differences in the specifics of each candidate's green building policy and you can read more about Obama's plan here and McCain's plan here.  But the general positions are the same. 
  • Obama and McCain both support increased energy efficiency standards. 
  • Obama and McCain both want to "green" the federal government by applying a higher efficiency standard to government buildings. 
  • Obama and McCain both believe that global warming is real and that a cap-and-trade program should be instituted. 
You getting the picture yet?  If you cast your ballot on Tuesday for one of these two candidates, you are voting for change in federal environmental policy.  As these changes begin to take shape in 2009, is your business model ready to respond?  Maybe it's time you start thinking about incorporating green building practices.  
 
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