CAWP negotiated its first labor agreement in 1939.  Since then CAWP has been acting as the contractor’s agent in the area of labor relations, thereby relieving the employer of the need to assign labor relations responsibilities to company employees.  Labor relation services provided to CAWP members are classified in the following categories:  contract interpretation, grievance/arbitration, jurisdictional disputes, wage rate information, and trustee placement on fringe benefit funds. 

Contract Interpretations

CAWP members have the benefit of simply calling the Association to receive an interpretation of any provision contained in the CAWP labor agreement. 

Labor Grievance and Arbitration

CAWP assists members in handling any grievance filed against their company. 

Jurisdictional Information

Jurisdictional disputes on a construction site can result in lost time and job disruption for a contractor.  In order to minimize this problem, the CAWP labor agreement contains provisions that settle jurisdictional disputes without job interruption.   

Wage Rate Information

CAWP is unique in that the prevailing wage rates negotiated with the trades, and contained in the CAWP collective bargaining agreement, are th wage rates utilized by the federal and state governments for all heavy and highway work covered by the prevailing wage laws in western Pennsylvania. This provides a tremendous advantage to contractor members, in that they can bid on prevailing wage rate work with the comfort that the wage rates contained in their labor agreement are the same wage rates that are included in a project's contract specifications.

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CAWP is committed to promoting and delivering services that maintain and improve affirmative action in the construction industry.  Services include monitoring, communicating, and understanding federal and state regulations; continually publishing updated information; providing consulting and educational opportunities; and continually searching for new ways to assist members in complying with the regulations.

CAWP provides members with representation on federal and state audits and conferences, and can conduct mock audits of members’ EEO programs.  These mock audits provide information on how to document affirmative action steps and what to expect in a compliance review conducted by either federal or state entities. 

CAWP is continually publishing and conveying updated EEO information through EEO Bulletins.   Topics that are frequently communicated are required EEO posters and annual forms, union apprenticeship application program notifications, referral list for minority and female recruitment, etc. 

CAWP is committed to promoting and delivering services that maintain and improve safety in the construction industry.  Services include monitoring, communicating, and understanding Federal OSHA policies and procedures; continually publishing updated safety information; providing consulting and safety educational opportunities; and continually searching for new ways to motivate the industry to upgrade safety consciousness.   

CAWP provides safety-consulting services at no cost to the member.  CAWP will conduct jobsite inspections; develop project and corporate safety programs, policies, and training materials.

CAWP provides assistance to members in handling OSHA citations filed against their company.  CAWP can provide representation at OSHA conferences, along with providing supportive evidence on behalf of the member.  CAWP has been successful in dismissing, reducing of severity of, and/or reducing the fine of the member’s citations in most circumstances. 

CAWP is continually publishing and conveying updated safety information through Safety Bulletins.   Topics that are frequently communicated are accident prevention, AGC safety awards, required OSHA posters and annual forms, Department of Transportation regulations, Theft Prevention tips, etc. 

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

CAWP is committed to promoting workforce development and delivering educational services that maintain and improve the construction industry.  Services include monitoring, communicating, and understanding the educational needs of the contractor; continually presenting updated information through courses and seminars; providing career development opportunities; and continually searching for new ways to motivate the industry to be active in Careers in Construction activities.    CAWP is continually publishing and conveying updated workforce and career development information through Education Bulletins and the Executive Summary, newsletter.

 Apprenticeship Programs  

CAWP is adequately represented on all heavy and highway union joint apprenticeship committees operating in western Pennsylvania.  The Association accomplishes this by appointing contractor members as committee members to each of these programs, which  include the six basic trade unions: Carpenters, Cement Masons, Laborers, Operating Engineers, Pile Drivers and Teamsters. These committees are responsible for providing skilled construction workers through apprenticeship and training programs.

For more information on the various western Pennsylvania apprenticeship programs, please visit Interested in a Career in Construction section of this website.

 Journeymen Level Training  

 All of the above mentioned Joint Apprenticeship Training Programs provide Journey Level Training for their members.  The Journey Level Classes are offered regularly or can be scheduled on an as needed basis.  Examples of journeymen level training include  Certified Crane Operator class, OHSA ten-hour and First Aid/CPR.

CAWP encourages participation in Journey Level Training Classes in order to develop and maintain skills needed to keep CAWP contractor members competitive.  The encouragement and support of contractors for training is critical for these classes.

CAWP hosts a variety of member and industry wide events on an annual basis. These events are designed to benefit the membership in a multitude of ways, each offering a different combination of networking, education, socializing, training, recognition and fund-raising. Many events provide sponsorship opportunities for the membership that are designed to give additional name recognition to the larger membership base. Highlights of the annual event calendar include:

 
CAWP/H2AP Annual Dinner & Monte Carlo Night – held annually in January, this is the largest construction industry event in western PA. The 800-900 attendees participate in a Monte Carlo gaming reception, then sit down to a dinner filled with raffles and prizes.

CAWP Annual Meeting – held in February on a two-year cycle, this event takes the attendees to a warm weather location for three days of educational seminars, social events and networking opportunities.

CAWP/H2AP Construction Industry Day at Kennywood – held annually in July. Attendees enjoy a fun-filled day at Kennywood Park, and then join together for a picnic lunch followed by prizes and games – for kids and adults alike.

CAWP Golf Outing – held annually in August, this event is one of the most popular. Held on two adjacent golf courses, golfers participate in a round of golf and skill games. Following the round, the attendees enjoy a cocktail reception and sit down dinner. Prizes are awarded to skill game winners, as well as for the best rounds of golf at each course.