Heritage bargaining unit remains at R.E. Pierson Materials satellite plant

Sources: National Labor Relations Board Region Four, Philadelphia; CP staff 

By Don Marsh

NLRB Regional Director Dorothy Moore-Duncan has ordered Richard E. Pierson Materials Corp. in Williamstown, N.J., to honor a Teamsters Local 331 petition for an election to represent approximately 12 drivers at a Pleasantville, N.J., ready mixed plant. Serving the Atlantic City market, the operation is 25 miles from the nearest sister plant; its mixer drivers and those of three other Pierson Materials concrete operations in southern New Jersey are represented by Teamsters Local 676. The Pleasantville plant and certain Pierson Materials sites were formerly part of Vineland Transit Mix, which had separate agreements with Locals 331 and 676.

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Campaign advances life-cycle budgeting in infrastructure policy

Sources: Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill.; CP staff

A two-week print and online PCA ad campaign, themed “What Are the Real Costs” and targeted to political and policy opinion leaders in Washington, D.C., aims to elevate cradle-to-grave project cost factors in transportation and infrastructure funding. The ads appear through July 1 in Rollcall and CQ Daily print editions and in Rollcall, National Journal and Engineering News-Record online, directing readers and site visitors to Whataretherealcosts.org.

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NLRB formalizes proposed union representation election rule changes

Source: National Labor Relations Board; CP staff A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking outlines amendments to existing NLRB rules and regulations governing procedures in representation cases. If adopted after a public notice-and-comment process, Board Members contend, the changes would: Allow for electronic filing of election petitions and other documents. Ensure that employees, employers and unions receive and exchange timely information to…

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Veneerstone, Quality Stone lead second MVMA Awards

Source: Masonry Veneer Manufacturers Association, New York

Taking five gold awards, Veneerstone led the 2011 Masonry Veneer Manufacturers Association Design Awards competition, results from which were announced June 14 at the association’s annual meeting in Anaheim, Calif. Three judges from the American Institute of Building Design, including Executive Director Steve Mickey, served as the judges for the contest. There were 27 winners (gold, silver and bronze) selected from the 57 entries. Submissions for the contest were received from February through June of this year.

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Oldcastle/Belgard Hardscapes outdoor kitchen suits Rockefeller Center

Sources: Oldcastle Architectural, Belgard Hardscapes, Atlanta; CP staff

Belgard Hardscapes will furnish veneer stone and unit masonry for the first-ever outdoor kitchen component of House Beautiful’s fourth “Kitchen of the Year.” A premier ‘shelter’ magazine influencing design decisions among a key demographic for hardscape producers, House Beautiful has scheduled cooking demonstrations and food tastings July 18-22 as part of a Kitchen of the Year display in Rockefeller Center—one of New York City’s prime public gathering spaces.

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Landscaping product demand rises; hardscapes sees fastest growth

Source: The Freedonia Group, Inc., Cleveland

According to Landscaping Products, a new Freedonia Group study, U.S. demand for landscaping products is projected to increase 7.6 percent per year to $5.9 billion in 2015. The demand will be promoted by a recovery in U.S. housing activity, including new construction and existing single-family home sales. Among markets, residential sales account for the largest share of landscaping products with 55 percent in 2010.

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Labor agencies seek shorter union petition–election window, employer counsel disclosures

Sources: Department of Labor and National Labor Relations Board; Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC), Washington, D.C.

By Don Marsh

A NLRB-proposed rulemaking would take steps likely cutting the period for union representation election from an average of 45–60 days to 10–21 days, a move ABC believes would severely limit an employer’s ability to effectively communicate to workers the impact of unionization.

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White cement, slag mix doubles High Concrete panels’ solar reflectance

Source: High Concrete Group LLC, Denver, Pa.

High Concrete has introduced a mix design that is said to significantly improve the heat reflectance of precast concrete surfaces, causing them to stay cooler by reversing the urban heat island effect. The mix imparts a solar reflective index (SRI) of 82 in finished products, nearly double that of the company’s conventional gray concrete mixes.

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Quebec producer Unibeton deploys first Simard twin rear axle steering system

Source: Simard Suspensions, Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec

Ciment Quebec’s Unibeton ready mixed business has marked the North American debut of an adjustable hydraulic and digital system installed on both rear axles of a trailer-mounted concrete mixer. Engineered to maximize steering angle with a minimum number of components, the SVSE (Simard Vehicle Systems Engineering) system uses microprocessor-driven Electronic Steering Trailer technology from Europe.

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OSHA proposes $160K in fines for formwork failure-rooted fatality

Sources: Occupational Safety & Health Administration Region 5, Chicago; CP staff

OSHA has cited Schofield, Wis., concrete contractor Lewis Consruction Inc. and Menomonie, Wis., general contractor Cedar Falls Building Systems for failing to adequately brace formwork while pouring a 10-in.-thick, 10- x 28-ft. concrete wall. The structure was part of a proposed Chippewa Falls, Wis., sand plant for Houston-based natural gas producer EOG Resources; its collapse resulted in the death of one Lewis Construction employee and injuries to three others.

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