Roofers vs. Landscapers in Chicago

The roofers disputed that landscapers are responsible for planting anything above the roofing membrane including building a multilayered garden. The roofers said there's no horticultural skill needed to lay pre-planted trays of vegetation on top of a roof, a system distinct from a layered garden.

Rooftop gardens, like the one atop Chicago's City Hall, have roofers green with envy.They want more of the work that is being done by commercial landscapers in the booming market to install green roofs on public and commercial buildings in the Chicago area. But the landscapers are standing their ground.

The turf battle pits the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers, Local No. 11 against Teamsters, Local 703, and the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150.

In a case involving a South Loop development, the unions took their dispute to the National Labor Relations Board. Last month, the board ruled in favor of Moore Landscapes Inc. of Northbrook and its employees who are represented by the Teamsters and Operating Engineers.

The labor conflict is a sign of how tough the recession has been on the building trades. Construction has nearly ground to a halt, putting pressure on unions to preserve jobs by finding new work for members.

Chicago is a leader in green roofs. The city installed more than 534,000 square feet of green roofs last year, according to Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. Mayor Richard Daley instituted a grant program in 2006 to encourage owners of downtown structures to install green roofs.

In the simplest terms, green roofs are vegetation, often sedums and grasses, planted in soil or some other lightweight mixture. The greenery decreases the environmental footprint of a building by offsetting water runoff, lowering energy costs and improving air quality. The roofs can even serve as green space.

The union flap stems from work Moore Landscapes began in April at Roosevelt Collection, a loft and retail development that is one of the largest green-roof projects in the city, totaling more than 80,000 square feet. Two days after starting the job, the roofers union filed an objection with the Chicago and Cook County Building and Construction Trades Council.