
How does a crane operator make $100K?
- July 25, 2021
How much does a construction crane operator earn?
How much do crane operators make in a year?
How does one make a career in construction?
These are some of the questions raised by the construction crane operators’ union, the American Federation of Government Employees, and they are not the only ones asking the questions.
The crane operators union has filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board seeking a federal investigation into the pay and benefits of its members.
More than 30 construction crane companies in the United States are subject to the national contract, which is meant to provide for fair, equitable, and just treatment of all employees in the construction industry.
But it’s the union’s complaints that are raising the most attention, according to the union.
“The contract is so clear that the employer has to make the case that it’s making the best decision for the worker, and it’s not a question of if, it’s a question that we can ask the company to provide evidence,” said union president Mike Jones.
A contract amendment passed in 2016 made the minimum wage at the time an election issue.
When Jones started working in construction in 2007, he had to put up with a lot of overtime because the contract called for him to spend an additional 10 hours a day on construction.
He remembers that being a difficult experience.
“I would spend two or three hours per day, and then I would come home, and there would be no pay for me,” Jones said.
Jones started getting paid a living wage of $15 an hour, but his work was difficult because he was only paid for what he did.
One day, the company came into his office, and he saw that they had a contract with him that said that he was to be paid $2.25 an hour.
“That’s when I was like, ‘That’s ridiculous.
Why would I do that?'”
Jones said, adding that it took him three months to get paid.
In his complaint, the union said that the pay was too low, that he didn’t have a job, and that he did not have insurance.
It’s not the first time the union has taken aim at the contract.
An amendment to the 2016 contract included a provision that allows construction workers to get up to $2,000 a month in overtime if they work more than 40 hours per week.
This is a significant increase, and we want to make sure that we are providing for the needs of our members in order to provide the best possible service,” said a spokesperson for the National Contractors Alliance.
At least five other companies have filed similar complaints with the NLRB, including General Contractors Association of America, which represents some of America’s biggest construction firms.
While the union and other construction unions are calling on the NLB to investigate, the contract is not binding, so the companies that have filed their complaints are still free to ignore it, according the NLFAA.
For now, Jones said he’s hopeful that the labor board will act quickly and enforce the contract, and for the construction companies to get on board.
Construction companies and their unions have had an intense political battle over the past few years.
Under the new contract, construction workers would get a $7.25 per hour raise in 2019 and then $10.25 in 2020.
But the contract was amended in 2016 to allow the employers to cut the wages of construction workers by half.
Many construction workers and their allies have been pushing for a raise of at least $12 per hour in 2021, but many construction companies have been arguing that the contract would not allow them to afford that.