John O'Grady Consulting Ltd.
Economic and Statistical Analysis
Economic and Statistical Analysis
A Guide to Construction Cost Sources: What Can They Tell Us About Competitiveness (2001)
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This paper reviews a number of private sector cost indices and compares their methodology. The study was prepared with Prof. Brenda McCabe of the Dept. of Civil Engineering at the University of Toronto. Prepared for the Ontario Construction Secretariat.
Attacking the Underground Economy (2004)
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This paper examines various enforcement issues related to the underground economy in the construction industry and, in particular, looks at the importance of reining in the widespread use of ‘independent operators’ to evade normal employer obligations under EI, CPP, WSIB, the Employment Standards Act, and the Income Tax Act. since 1987, the share of workers who are styled as ‘independent operators’ more than double, peaking at 24% in 1999. Prepared for the Ontario Construction Secretariat.
Cast-in-Place Concrete – A Scan of Economic and Competitive Conditions (2004)
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This paper examines the trends that are affecting the concrete forming industry. Prepared for the Ontario Cast-in-Place Concrete Development Council.
Estimates of Revenue Losses to Governments as a Result of Underground Practices in the Ontario Construction Industry (2007)
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This paper updates the estimates from the 1998 study using data from 2003-2005.
Five Studies on the Use of Concrete
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A collection of five literature reviews on non-traditional uses of concrete and concrete technologies. The papers include: Concrete Architectural Finishes, Cold Weather Use of Concrete, Concrete Paving, High Performance Concrete, and Ultra-Thin White Topping. The studies were prepared with Prof. Brenda McCabe of the Dept. of Civil Engineering at the University of Toronto.
Human Resources in Canada’s Built Heritage Sector (2005)
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This study reviews the professions and trades that are involved in the preservation of heritage structures. The study summarizes policies in other jurisdictions, especially in relation to requiring or encouraging compliance with heritage-specific occupational standards. Prepared for the Cultural Human Resources Council.
Impact of Fair Wage Policies on the Construction Industry (2006)
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In the US, ‘prevailing wage’ policies (usually known as Davis-Bacon schedules, after the authors of the legislation) have played a key role in putting a floor on construction industry wages since 1931. In Canada, fair wage policy originated in legislation adopted in 1930 and 1935 at the federal level. This paper reviews the empirical literature on prevailing wage / fair wage policies and recommends an updated policy for Ontario. Chapter Five of the study summarizes why construction is different and why a specific construction industry policy is desirable. Prepared for the Ontario Construction Secretariat.
Impact of Government Policy on Mobility in the Canadian Construction Industry (2006)
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The study examines policies which support or impede inter-provincial mobility in the construction industry. The role of the Red Seal program is given particular attention as are disparate provincial certifications for health and safety. Particular attention is paid to the tax treatment of temporary relocation costs and the difference in treatment between construction workers who are engaged as ‘independent operators’ and construction workers who are engaged as employees. Prepared for the Construction Sector Council.
The Impact of Technology on Construction Labour Markets (2003)
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This paper examines technology trends in the construction industry and their impact on construction labour markets. Prepared for the Construction Sector Council.
National Study of Construction Labourer Trade (1995)
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Labourers are the largest single occupation in the construction industry. This study examined the skills required and reports on a survey of over 5,000 construction labourers.
Preserving Fairness in Ontario’s Construction Industry:
The Case for Keeping Section 1(4) of the OLRA
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Section 1(4) of the OLRA – the ‘related employer’ provision – empowers the Ontario Labour Relations Board to treat related employers as a single employer for the purpose of certifying a union. In the construction industry, this provision prevents employers from ‘double breasting’, i.e., running both a unionized company and a non-union company that do essentially the same work and operate under essentially the same management. ‘Double breasting’, where it is allowed, can have significant effect in depressing unionization rates in the construction industry. This paper discusses the rationale for leaving Section 1(4) in place.
Productivity in the Construction Industry: Concepts, Trends and Measurement Issues (2009)
(Slide Presentation)
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This presentation reviews recent Canadian and US discussions of productivity trends in the construction industry and the reliability of broad measures which suggest a decline or stagnation in construction productivity. The presentation highlights the stark contrast between analyses based on the use of highly aggregated data and analyses that use site data. Prepared for the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) of the National Research Council (NRC).
Technology Trends in Concrete Forming (2007)
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The paper summarizes the impact of technology trends on employment and skill requirements in the concrete forming sector of the construction industry. Prepared for the Ontario Cast-in-Place Concrete Development Council.
Training Trust Funds: A Review of their History, Legal Foundations and Implications (2005)
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More than 200 union-based training centres are supported through Training Trust Funds. Taken together these training centres are approximately equal in training capacity to a community college. Although there are examples of TTFs in other industries, the construction industry is unique in the extent to which it has embraced this model. The study was prepared for the Canadian Labour Congress.
The Underground Economy in Ontario’s Construction Industry (1998)
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This study was prepared for the Ontario Construction Secretariat. The report reviews other studies of the incidence of ‘underground’ work in the construction industry and develops a methodology for estimating the extent of underground work and the revenue losses to governments and the workers’ compensation system.
When the Playing Field Isn’t Level
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Presentation to the Canadian Construction Association on the impact of the underground economy.