Union contract basics for contractors
A union contract fixes what labor costs you. What it can't fix is whether the customer pays on time — that's still on you to check.
The CBA sets your costs — the customer sets your risk
A union contract fixes what labor costs you. What it can't fix is whether the customer pays on time — that's still on you to check.
A collective bargaining agreement covers the big rocks: wage rates by classification, benefit contributions, overtime rules, dispatch procedures, and the grievance process when something goes sideways. For the shop, the practical effect is predictable labor cost — you know to the dollar what a crew costs per hour, which makes bidding cleaner.
What the CBA doesn't cover is the other side of the contract: the customer. Payment terms, change-order behavior, and closeout speed are between you and them. That's the gap Union Break fills — firsthand reports on how customers actually behaved, so the shop with fixed labor costs isn't gambling on the variable it can't see.
Does a union contract say anything about customer payment?
No. The CBA is between the shop and the union. Payment terms with the customer are a separate contract — which is why checking a customer's payment history before signing matters.
Where can I read my trade's agreement?
Your local union hall or the trade's international website — most locals provide copies to members and signatory shops. Start at the hall; bring questions.
Searches worth running
- contract
Reports where contract terms were the fight.
- change order
Change-order disputes on signed jobs.
- final payment
Closeout and final-check problems.
Other topics
- Customers who pay late
Pays on time is one of the five stars every report scores, and it is the star that sinks the most jobs.
- Scope creep and change orders
Reasonable requests and decision speed are two of the five stars, and together they predict change-order pain.
- Good customers to work for
The top band on Union Break means the crew would take the call again.
- Jobsite reviews by trade
A roofer's two-day job and a remodeler's eight-week job are rated by very different pressures.
- Customer reviews for union contractors
Union contractors carry real labor costs and real benefit obligations — a slow-paying customer hurts a signatory shop more than anyone.
- Prevailing wage and public works customers
Prevailing wage jobs come with certified payroll, retainage, and payment timelines set by statute, and some owners still find ways to stall.
- What customers should know about union shops
Union Break is written by the trades, but customers read it too — and the pattern in the reports is consistent.
- How to join a union trade
Most people overcomplicate this. There are three real paths into a union trade, and which one fits depends on your experience.
- What 'signatory contractor' actually means
A signatory shop has obligations that exist whether or not the customer's check clears — and that changes how you should pick jobs.