Archinect - News

Accused Gilgo Beach murderer Rex Heuermann was also the architect of a wage theft scheme, new lawsuit claims

2023-09-06T15:14:00-04:00

Not only is he an accused serial killer, Rex Heuermann is also a deadbeat boss, according to the state Department of Labor. It filed suit Tuesday to recover nearly $70,000 in back wages, penalties and interest for stiffing a former executive assistant.

Rex Heuermann, an architect, was arrested in July near his firm’s Midtown Manhattan offices on charges related to the murders of three women. Their remains were discovered at Gilgo Beach in 2010. In a separate legal matter, Heuermann and his architectural firm, RH Consultants & Associates, are accused of wage theft. They allegedly underpaid an employee, Donna Sturman, by more than $20,908.10, which includes $9,454.56 owed to her as vacation pay. Before his arrest, Heuermann had paid $16,385 towards the owed amount. However, he defaulted on the remaining balance, leading to a lawsuit. As a result, he now owes an additional $33,362.16 in civil penalties and $9,767.48 in interest.

His firm has been the subject of scrutiny since Heuermann became a suspect. Tax liens and other investigations into his business dealings have also been publicized. An account from one former employee in New York magazine recently also detailed a culture of high stress and “creepy” behavior on the part of Heu...

New York City's pay transparency law is about to take effect after six months of delay

2022-10-31T12:11:00-04:00

Starting Tuesday, most employers in New York City will be required by law to post salary minimums and maximums in any open job posting. Almost all job postings online or on signs on storefronts across New York City will be required to list a salary minimum and maximum starting Tuesday. Postings can’t leave the salary open ended, like posting “$15 an hour and up.” Any job that can be performed at least partly in New York City is covered, whether the worker is in an office or working remotely.

The city had previously voted to delay the law from taking effect in May amidst resistance from the business community, which in the end only gained an amendment laden with small concessions. Now first-time offenders will no longer be penalized, though fines for any proceeding non-compliance can be enforced up to $250,000 if the posting is not corrected within 30 days. Industries like construction that are facing labor shortages will not be exempted in spite of the lobbying campaign.

A separate statewide transparency bill is still awaiting Kathy Hochul’s signature after it passed the State Assembly and Senate back in June. Both are considered ‘game changer[s]” for workers and have been lauded for the effort to address gender pay gap across various industries. They join a growing list of states that includes Washington, Maryland, and California who have all passed similar legislation aimed at the issue, which also disproportionately affects women of color and is seen as one of the g...

As U.S. construction industry struggles to attract new workers with record-high wages, contractors call for education and immigration reforms

2019-07-15T17:54:00-04:00

Earnings for US construction workers now outstrip the private sector average as contractors face what’s being called one of the tightest labour markets they’ve ever experienced. The situation has led a contractors’ group there to slam an education system that produces “too many over-qualified baristas and not enough bricklayers” as employers are forced to increase pay to attract skilled workers from a diminishing pool.

Global Construction Review reports on the recent response by the Associated General Contractors of America to June's construction jobs numbers, which signaled a continued struggle for the industry to attract enough skilled workers — despite higher-than-average hourly earnings of now $30.73.

"The association urged the federal government to help attract more people into high-paying construction careers by boosting funding for career and technical programs in schools and enacting immigration reform that allows more people with construction skills to legally enter the country," writes GCR.

In a recent statement, AGC’s chief executive officer, Stephen E. Sandherr, pointed out what his organization sees as reason for the now dried-up recruiting pipeline: "The nation’s education system continues to produce too many over-qualified baristas and not enough qualified bricklayers and other craft construction professionals. As a result of these educational imbalances, too many young adults are ...

U.S. construction wages & employment make solid gains; employers struggle to find skilled workers

2018-10-18T13:50:00-04:00

American construction workers’ average wage has risen above $30 per hour for the first time, and the numbers employed have hit nearly 7.3 million, a level not seen since before the financial crisis, official statistics show. [...] “However, the pool of unemployed workers with construction experience has nearly evaporated, pushing up contractors’ costs and adding to project completion times.”

While positive economic indicators have had the U.S. construction sector thriving for a prolonged period now, AEC employers are increasingly feeling the pinch when it comes to finding qualified workers. "The tightening labour market poses a problem for companies looking to expand their headcount," reports Global Construction Review. "In a recent AGC–Autodesk Workforce survey, 76% of respondents said their firms planned to hire more craft workers in the next year. However, 80% said they were having trouble filling hourly positions, and that the difficulty has risen in the past year."

Looking for a new job in architecture or hoping to fill a vacant position in your company? Check out the latest listings on Archinect's job board or take a look at our recent Curated Job Picks and Employers of the Day.

Architecture Lobby survey takes a hard look at the state of the profession

2013-12-06T13:46:00-05:00

The Architecture Lobby is an organization of architectural workers advocating for the value of architecture in the general public and for architectural work within the discipline. […] The Architecture Lobby survey that is being distributed here gathers information that provides evidence for ourselves and for the public about the nature of our work and where we do and do not place value; where we could and should demand respect.

UPDATE: Please take the Archinect/Architecture Lobby survey on job satisfaction here.

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Frustrated by a lack of professional agency and fair compensation, an organization of architectural workers known as the Architecture Lobby are vying for a renewed critical appreciation of the architecture profession, from both the architectural community and the general public. To make their appeal, the Lobby is gathering data from architectural workers (architects, designers, administrators) and their firms through a 70 question survey.

In a similar effort to increase transparency and accountability within the profession, Archinect launched the Architecture Salary Poll in April of 2013. You can anonymously submit your employment information in an ongoing effort to generate real data on the profession over time.

Contribute to the Architecture Salary Poll.