TAUC: TAUC Blog

EPA delays new carbon rule for power plants

04/12/2013

EPA has delayed the release of a final rule that would have set strict carbon emission rules for new fossil-fueled power plants, The Washington Post is reporting.�

The Post quotes an EPA spokesperson as saying that the agency is still reviewing the more than two million comments it has received since the proposal was first unveiled last year.�

Under the proposed rule, natural gas plants would easily be able to meet the new limit of 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt hour, but it will be extremely difficult for new coal-fired plants to do so without expensive modifications. This has led many experts to conclude that the proposed rule will act as a de facto ban on any new coal-fired plants being built in the future. Coal plants currently provide about 40% of the nation's electricity and represent a major source of employment for TAUC contractors and their partners in the building trades.

Last summer, TAUC submitted comments to EPA objecting to the proposed rule, arguing that it would have a negative impact not only on our membership and the union construction industry in particular, but also on the nation as a whole. In order to meet the new standard, any new coal-fired plant would have to employ some form of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. EPA acknowledged that deployment of current CCS technologies "results in increased capital and operating costs and decreased electricity output (that is, an energy penalty), with a resulting increase in the cost of electricity. The energy penalty occurs because the CO2 capture process uses some of the energy produced from the plant."

TAUC will keep its members informed of any new developments related to EPA's carbon emissions rule.�

Kenneth Rigmaiden elected GP of International Painters Union

04/09/2013

Kenneth Rigmaiden�Kenneth Rigmaiden was elected General President of the 140,000-member International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) on April 1, the labor organization announced.�

He succeeds James Williams, who retired at the end of March.

Mr. Rigmaiden joined IUPAT in 1977 when he signed up for the�floor covering apprenticeship training program in Local Union 1288, San Jose, California.�He worked as a floor covering installer and eventually became president of his local. When several local unions were combined into Local 12 in 1993, he was elected business manager and helped bring about the first region-wide collective bargaining agreement for Northern California.

He was selected to serve as a general representative in 1996, and the following year became an assistant to the general president with specific duties in national agreements and jurisdiction maintenance. During that time, he also served on the National Maintenance Agreements Policy Committee, Inc. (NMAPC) and the General President's Project Maintenance Agreement Committee and the General President's Project Review Committee.�

Prior to being elected General President, Mr. Rigmaiden was Executive General Vice President of IUPAT.�

In addition to his new role as General President, Mr. Rigmaiden also serves as�Co-chair of the Finishing Trades Institute; is a trustee on the IUPAT International Pension Fund; and serves as Co-secretary of the Labor Management Cooperation Initiative.

Antitrust Suits Against U.S. Drywall Manufacturers Increase

04/02/2013

The number of private antitrust treble-damage suits against the eight major U.S. manufacturers of drywall (gypsum) board has been growing fast. Over 20 plaintiff's class actions have been filed by groups representing contractors, building supply houses and consumers.

The suits allege that beginning in the fall of 2011, at least five of the major U.S. manufacturers of drywall agreed to raise prices by 35%, probably at a meeting of the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry held in Idaho. The suits also allege that the manufacturers agreed to stop the practice of offering "job quote" clauses in their contracts with construction contractors. Under the "job quote" clause, a contractor was guaranteed that the contract price for drywall on a particular job would not increase for that job during the time it took to build the project, no matter how long it took.

The Department of Justice is aware of this litigation but has not indicated whether it is considering filing suit against the manufacturers. In commenting on this litigation, several drywall manufacturers have strongly denied that there were any illegal agreements among competitors and claim that the increases in prices in the fall of 2011 were independent decisions and did not involve any illegal agreements. Other manufacturers have refused to comment.

TAUC members who buy significant amounts of drywall should consult with counsel regarding the advisability of actively participating as plaintiffs in this litigation. It is anticipated that the suits in question will be consolidated into two or three separate class actions. One class may represent indirect purchasers, such as consumers; one class may represent direct purchasers, such as building supply houses and home improvement retailers; and one class may represent contractors.

The U.S. drywall market is a $5 billion dollar a year market and it is estimated that over 90% of the new buildings in the U.S. have drywall walls and ceilings.

NCCCO Elects Officers for 2013-14

04/02/2013

Current President Thom Sicklesteel of Sicklesteel Cranes has been elected to a further one-year term, along with other officers.

Login

Not a member?

Find a Contractor

TAUC Blog