Roofers vs. Landscapers

"The rulings 'hopefully will put an end to the roofers' efforts to claim the installation of vegetative green roof systems for its members,' said Ken Jenero, an employment lawyer at Holland & Knight who represents the Moore and Pedersen landscape companies.

But the controversy is far from settled, said Joe McDevitt, chairman of the Chicagoland Roofing Council, a group of union-affiliated contractor firms. He said there are several issues, including liability, that are important to building owners but are not addressed by the NLRB [National Labor Relations Board]'s rulings.

'If a leak in the roof develops after the landscaping is installed and it's not installed by a roofer, who does the owner turn to?' McDevitt said. 'It's one of many complicated issues involving green roofs.'"