Quantifying the Value of Union Labor in Construction Projects

This IPA report analyzes the performance of union labor versus non-union labor and subcontracted versus direct hire labor on cost and schedule performance using IPA’s extensive database of capital projects. This study references an earlier study, “The Looming Labor Shortage,” that Edward Merrow presented for a panel discussion at the UA/MCAA Labor Relations Conference on October 30, 2008. The December 2022 Revised Final now includes performance comparisons between Union, Open Shop, and mixed labor projects; the earlier version showed performance comparisons between only Union and Open Shop projects. We have also changed how we display labor productivity in the graphs to make it easier to interpret.