At a meeting with PHCC of Greater Boston contractors and Local No. 12 members, the United Association's Gary Hamilton (L) and Bill Turner discussed the UA's Residential Agreement.

The Boston-area housing market is red-hot. And PHCC of Greater Boston contractors, along with Local No. 12, want a bigger piece of the area's red-hot residential construction pie. As part of a nationwide effort by the United Association (UA) to target residential work, the PHCC and Local No. 12 are hammering out the details of an agreement that will help make the contractors more competitive in the industry.

Among the issues outlined in the agreement are the designation of the scope of work, the establishment of a separate residential rate, and the classification of residential employees to perform the work. It also addresses workforce portability, which would allow signatory plumbing contractors to work with general contractors on residential housing projects across UA jurisdictions. "The agreement aims to give our contractors more flexibility," says Local No. 12 Business Manager, Kevin Cotter. "It will enhance our position in the residential market."

"There's a perception that union shops don't do this kind of work," says the UA's Gary Hamilton, who spoke about the residential agreement with a group of contractors and Local No. 12 members at a presentation in February. "But we do--and we do it well. And we should be doing more."

What's at stake

With an abundance of subdivisions and huge homes rising throughout Greater Boston, the housing market represents a lot of work. According to McGraw-Hill, compared to 2003, total new U.S construction starts climbed 10% in 2004 to $583 billion. Of that, residential building rose 16% to $328.5 million, or 56% of all new construction work. Boston was among the nation's top five residential construction markets ranked by dollar volume in 2004 and posted a 34% increase over the previous year.

The UA's residential agreement is already in effect in New York City, Seattle, Las Vegas, and elsewhere. Hamilton says that about 1500 signatory contractors are currently participating in the program. The projects covered in the agreement include one- and two-family dwellings as well as apartment buildings and condos up to four stories.

In the Boston area, the agreement would open up the industry for small- and medium-sized shops. "It only makes sense for us to take a broad view of the market," Cotter says. "We have the best training program, bar none, and our members bring tremendous skills to the booming housing industry."

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