Chicago-area carpenters reach 5-year deal with contractors

Despite tense labor-management relations on many fronts, Chicago’s carpenters union has agreed to a deal that proclaims peace in its dealings with commercial construction contractors.

The union, the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council, has agreed to a five-year contract extension with an association that bargains on behalf of union contractors. The extension provides 4% annual increases divided among wage and benefits. It takes effect when the current deal ends June 1, 2024, and expires May 31, 2029.

Gary Perinar, executive secretary-treasurer of the carpenters union, said the pact assures record compensation increases.

“We’re fortunate to partner with union contractors who recognize the value of employing the industry’s safest, best-trained and most productive workforces to maintain their competitive advantage and market share,” Perinar said in a news release. “This extension eliminates the possibility of incurring work stoppages, reinforces the partnership we have with our signatory contractors, and signals a busy construction outlook in the years ahead.”

Perinar added that several contractors “are trustees on our training programs and get to see firsthand the work ethic and skillset we instill in every member.” The union decides how to parcel out increases among wages, pension and health care.

The agreement with the contractors’ representative, the Mid-America Regional Bargaining Association, or MARBA, will cover about 30,000 members assigned to commercial projects in eight Chicago-area counties. MARBA membership includes seven trade associations, each with its own roster of contractors.

MARBA Chairman Seth Gudeman praised the agreement in a statement, saying it “provides stability and represents a major investment in our skilled carpentry trades to ensure they remain a viable and attractive career path in the marketplace.” Gudeman is a vice president at Power Construction.

Individual contractors can opt out of the extension, but MARBA Executive Director Aaron Janik, citing strong relationships, said, “That’s not something we’re expecting to happen. Most if not all of the contractors will sign on to this agreement.”

The carpenters’ wages in the current contract for most counties, including Cook, start at $56.01 per hour for certain foremen and $53.51 per hour for journeymen. Apprentice rates range from $21.40 to $42.81 an hour, depending on experience.

The agreement comes as unions have used the leverage of a tight labor market to organize new workers and press for significant contract improvements for current members. Unions active on those fronts have included the Teamsters, United Auto Workers and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Commercial construction, however, could be chilled by a recession due to rising interest rates. Other headwinds could include people’s changing habits, including work-from-home arrangements that depress the need for office space.

The carpenters’ union has 52,000 members stretching across Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and eastern Iowa.