Unionized Construction
The craft unions work with construction contractors using unionized labor through various market institutions such as jurisdiction rules, apprenticeship programs, and the referral system. Craft unions with specific jurisdiction rules for different trades set uniform hourly wage rates for journeymen and offer formal apprenticeship training to provide common and equivalent skill for each trade. Contractors, through the contractors' associations, enter into legally binding collective bargaining agreements with one or more of the craft unions in the construction trades. The system which bind both parties to a collective bargaining agreement is referred to as the "union shop". These agreements obligate a contractor to observe the work jurisdictions of various unions and to hire employees through a union operated referral system commonly known as the hiring hall.