There are many crafts in the construction labor forces, but most contractors hire from only a few of these crafts to satisfy their specialized needs. Because of the peculiar characteristics of employment conditions, employers and workers are placed in a more intimate relationship than in many other industries. Labor and management arrangements in the construction industry include both unionized and non-unionized operations which compete for future dominance. Dramatic shifts in unionization can occur. For example, the fraction of trade union members in the construction industry declined from 42% in 1992 to 26% in 2000 in Australia, a 40% decline in 8 years