A Green Industrial Relations System for Construction: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Forecasts about future employment in ―green construction‖ imply sizeable growth in the next decade. If growth is even half of that forecasted for a sector like home weatherization, companies that provide services will need to operate at a far larger scale and sophistication than is typical today. This article uses data on existing wages and benefits and the costs of typical contractors in the industry and the business demands facing future contractors to speculate on what models of business organization might become dominant. Different models of business, in turn, will affect the employment and workplace conditions that will emerge over time.