The AGC-supported Construction Labor Research Council (CLRC) released its first settlements report of 2025, which showed that construction-industry collective bargaining agreements settled from January through June of 2025 saw a 4.7 percent increase in wages, fringe benefits, and other employer payments for union craft workers for the first contract year. After a sharp increase from 2020 to 2023, settlements have leveled off over the past two years. CLRC cites the impact high inflation is having on first-year settlements and expects to see gradual increases through 2027. Additionally, the report looks at the averages by craft and by region for comparison purposes.
AGC members can access the full report in the Labor & HR Topical Resources area of AGC’s website under the main category “Collective Bargaining” and subcategory “Collective Bargaining Agreement Data.” (Be sure to first login as an AGC member in the top left corner of the webpage.)
The report is the first of three Settlements Reports planned for publication based on 2025 data. CLRC expects to publish the second one in early October for the first three quarters of the year and the third in January 2026 for the full year data.
Collective bargaining chapters are reminded to please send new contract data directly to CLRC promptly upon settlement of collective bargaining negotiations. Chapters and members are also reminded that CLRC offers consulting and custom research services on local matters at a discount to AGC affiliates. This includes market share analysis, union/nonunion wage and fringe benefit comparisons, collective bargaining agreement language cost analysis, workforce/labor analysist and projections, and more.