Split Has Many Eyeing Future Relationships

摘要

Top officials of the laborers' and operating engineers' unions are sorting out the fine details of their decision to leave the AFL-CIO's Building and Construction Trades Dept. to form a breakaway alliance with four other construction unions. But industry observers-particularly regional union officials, contractors and owners-are watching and wondering how yet another dissident union move will impact construction labor relations. Some privately worry whether new union strife will complicate jobsites. But others chalk it up to inside-the-Beltway labor politics and don't expect much disruption in the field.