Monthly Archives: April 2014

Administrative Assistants’ Day provides an opportunity for people to take a moment to say thank you and express appreciation for all that is done by administrative assistants. At Kaplin Stewart, we mark that day annually by hosting a lunch at which we stop to recognize all the members of our administrative team for their contributions to our success. These events are important and appropriate. But more is necessary. It needs to be said publicly for the world to hear.

In what was seen as a seismic shift in judicial interpretation of the Pennsylvania Mechanic’s Lien Law of 1963, the Superior Court previously held that the construction trade unions could assert mechanic’s lien claims against property for unpaid health and welfare fund contributions by a contractor. In an opinion issued several days ago, the state’s highest court overturned that decision and reinstated the trial court’s order dismissing liens filed on that basis in Bricklayers’ of Western Pennsylvania Combined Funds, v. Scott’s Development Co.

The recent report from the U.S. Department of Labor on its producer price index showed mixed results for construction materials prices in March. Construction materials prices went up 0.5% from February, but they are up 1.1% from March of 2013. The number correlates closely with increases in non-residential construction materials prices, which were up 0.4%.

The introduction of licensure bills in the Pennsylvania state legislature has become quite a regular occurrence over the last 10 years. The efforts have included attempts to establish licensing requirements for electricians, plumbers, crane operators, and a number of other trades. A good deal of debate remains about the idea generally.

Recent news accounts report that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has selected four teams made up of companies in finance, construction, manufacturing and other industries to submit proposals for PennDOT’s Rapid Bridge Replacement Project, which provides for the replacement of over 500 bridges statewide through public-private partnerships. The four teams are constituted as follows: