Philadelphia Construction Law Blog

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is winding down its national Safety Stand Down Week. The effort, which s designed to create an increased awareness on safety issues, is suggested by OSHA in order to set aside a little extra time to teach and train on specific safety issues.

It’s primary election day in Pennsylvania.  The ballot includes choices for governor and luetenant govnernor, Congress, state representative, and others.  Voting is a special privilege that many in the world do not enjoy.  Our elected officals have a huge impact on the economy at large and, specifically, the construction industry.  So get out and vote today!

New legislation aimed at eliminating the role of government in collecting union dues and PAC contributions from public sector employee’s unions is under consideration in the Pennsylvania legislature. Although the parameters of any pending legislation are not yet entirely clear, it is undeniable that discussions are under way in both the House and the Senate to consider making changes to this area of the law.

Those who follow politics know that the “baby boomer” generation is often the topic of discussion in the context of budgetary and policy debates. The massive number of people that fit into that age demographic presents unique challenges in so many different ways. The construction industry, including in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, is no different.

We are pleased to announce that Kaplin Stewart will soon be providing educational videos on various topics to share information on various topics of importance to our clients, potential clients, and the construction industry at large. While they will admittedly not be on the silver screen, we hope they provide useful information that can be used to better your business.

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: