In a battle over contracts to build green roofs for Chicago's public buildings, landscapers have come out on top.
"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.'"
FULL STORY: Green days for landscapers in roofing labor fight

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

Trump Approves Futuristic Automated Texas-Mexico Cargo Corridor
The project could remove tens of thousands of commercial trucks from roadways.

Austin's First Single Stair Apartment Building is Officially Underway
Eliminating the requirement for two staircases in multi-story residential buildings lets developers use smaller lots and more flexible designs to create denser housing.

Atlanta Bus System Redesign Will Nearly Triple Access
MARTA's Next Gen Bus Network will retool over 100 bus routes, expand frequent service.
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