AIC AIC Workforce Management & Labor Relations 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), employees in the construction industry have the right to:
- Waive all union rights if requested by the employer
- Organize, bargain collectively, and engage in concerted activities (Correct answer)
- Be terminated for union activity at the employer's discretion
- Work only under open-shop conditions
Correct answer: Organize, bargain collectively, and engage in concerted activities
The NLRA guarantees workers the right to organize, form unions, bargain collectively, and engage in protected concerted activities.
Question 2: A project labor agreement (PLA) in construction typically:
- Prohibits all union labor on the project
- Establishes pre-hire collective bargaining terms for all contractors on a specific project (Correct answer)
- Is required only on projects under $1 million
- Applies only to federal projects in right-to-work states
Correct answer: Establishes pre-hire collective bargaining terms for all contractors on a specific project
A PLA is a pre-hire agreement that sets uniform labor terms — wages, hours, dispute resolution — for all contractors working on a specific project.
Question 3: The Davis-Bacon Act requires contractors on federal construction projects to pay workers:
- The federal minimum wage only
- Locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits as determined by the Department of Labor (Correct answer)
- A flat rate set by the Army Corps of Engineers
- Wages negotiated directly with each worker
Correct answer: Locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits as determined by the Department of Labor
Davis-Bacon mandates that workers on federally funded construction projects receive the locally prevailing wage and fringe benefits for their trade.
Question 4: Which of the following is a key responsibility of a construction superintendent regarding workforce management?
- Setting final contract terms with subcontractors
- Coordinating crew scheduling, production targets, and field discipline (Correct answer)
- Approving contractor invoices for payment
- Designing the structural system
Correct answer: Coordinating crew scheduling, production targets, and field discipline
The superintendent manages field crews by scheduling labor, monitoring productivity, enforcing site rules, and maintaining the work pace.
Question 5: Craft labor productivity in construction is BEST measured by:
- The number of workers on site each day
- Actual units of work installed per labor-hour compared to the estimate (Correct answer)
- Total wages paid compared to the project budget
- The number of overtime hours worked
Correct answer: Actual units of work installed per labor-hour compared to the estimate
Productivity is measured by comparing actual labor-hours per unit of work installed to the estimated standard, revealing efficiency gains or losses.
Question 6: A 'jurisdictional dispute' on a construction project refers to:
- A disagreement between the owner and the contractor over contract terms
- A conflict between two craft unions over which union's workers should perform a specific task (Correct answer)
- A dispute about which state's laws govern the contract
- A disagreement between the general contractor and a subcontractor over scope
Correct answer: A conflict between two craft unions over which union's workers should perform a specific task
Jurisdictional disputes occur when two unions both claim the right to perform the same type of work on a project.
AIC AIC Workforce Management & Labor Relations 1
Under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), employees in the construction industry have the right to: