Abstract
The construction industry experienced deep transformations coinciding with its three-decade decline in unionization from the 1970s to the present. Several factors shaping its industrial relations system have changed so fundamentally that it would be extremely difficult to recreate the workplace rules and governance mechanisms (e.g. apprentice systems; hiring halls; multi-employer funds) long associated with the industry. This essay provides a prospective look at the construction industry by examining the transformation it has undergone over the past thirty years. I focus on changes in the management of construction projects, the operation of public and private construction markets, and the structure of employer and labor institutions and assess how they affect worker-management relations prospectively. The article also discusses where these dramatic shifts have left us with large holes in our understanding of the current and future characteristics of the construction workplace.