How a Mechanical Contractor Streamlined Union Payroll Across Six States

‍

What do the Detroit Lions, Tigers, and Red Wings have in common? Besides calling Detroit home, their iconic venues were all built with the expertise of W.J. O'Neil, a powerhouse mechanical, electrical, and plumbing contractor that's been in business for over 40 years. As a strictly union contractor, they've built their reputation on excellence and reliable partnerships with skilled trades across the region.

Based in Michigan with a satellite office in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the company employs 250 people across multiple states, including Georgia, Alabama, Indiana, Tennessee, Michigan, and Ohio. Their portfolio spans major commercial projects throughout these regions. Currently, they're showcasing their expertise on their latest marquee project: a $60 million dormitory development for the University of Michigan.

The Challenge

For many companies, sticking with a reliable and long-standing process feels like a no brainer. If it’s not broken, why fix it? That was certainly true for W.J. O'Neil, where Assistant Controller Judy Marasco had spent 25 years perfecting their payroll process. Each week, she dedicated four hours to managing payroll for their team spread across 20+ job sites at a time, juggling different union requirements, varying pay rates, and multi-state compliance needs.

The company had explored other solutions over the years. ADP, Paychex, and others had made their pitch, but none could prove they could handle W.J. O'Neil's complex needs. But as the company grew and key finance team members departed, Judy found herself working 12-hour days just to keep up with payroll and her expanding responsibilities. Something had to give.

The Solution

In July 2024, W.J. O'Neil's CPA firm recommended Miter as a solution to streamline back office operations. Despite initial skepticism born from decades of established processes, the platform quickly proved its worth.

"Being set in my ways of doing payroll for 25 years, I'm the one that always like, 'It's not going to work.' And when I saw Miter, I'm like, 'Oh my gosh… I love it. Everything we were told was going to work works."

Judy Marasco

Assistant Controller

The implementation success extended to the field teams, where even technology-hesitant foremen embraced the new system. "We did not have any push back. It was so easy to use for them that they really liked it too," Judy notes. The intuitive interface made the transition smooth for everyone involved.

The Results

Key Outcome #1:

Saving Time on Payroll

The impact on payroll processing has been remarkable, with processing time reduced by 75%. The weekly payroll routine that once consumed half a workday has been streamlined to just 90 minutes. 

"I start payroll at 7am and I’m done by 8:30am. So I’m done in an hour and a half as opposed to 4 hours."

Judy Marasco

Assistant Controller

This dramatic time savings isn't just about getting payroll done faster – it's about accuracy, reliability, and freeing up valuable hours for other critical tasks. The streamlined process has eliminated the stress of rushing to meet deadlines and reduced the risk of errors that come with manual data entry. What's more, the time saved compounds every week, giving Judy and her team over 130 hours back annually to focus on strategic initiatives.

Key Outcome #2:

Streamlined Union Rate Management

Managing pay rates across 11 different unions and multiple states is no longer the complex puzzle it once was. "We have sheet metal, pipe fitters, plumbers, electricians and depending on the jurisdiction, different areas of pipe fitters and plumbers," explains Judy. Each union brought its own complexity: "Depending on what classification, some of the fringe benefits - the dollar amounts are different. They're not the same." The process that previously required jumping between multiple screens and cross-referencing various documents now happens in a single, intuitive interface. This streamlined approach has reduced union rate management time from over an hour to just 15 minutes per week.

Cross-state work has become particularly manageable. Workers in Tennessee often work jobs in Alabama or Georgia, each with different fringe requirements. "Once I enter the pay rate group into Miter, it does everything for me," Judy explains. "Once the time is keyed in for the week, I go into their file and can easily change their pay rate group. It's literally as simple as clicking a button."

This streamlined approach hasn't just saved time – it's virtually eliminated calculation errors, ensuring accurate compensation while maintaining compliance across all jurisdictions. The system automatically handles complex calculations for benefits and pay rates, reducing risk and ensuring workers receive exactly what they're owed.

Key Outcome #3:

Modern Digital Onboarding

The cumbersome paper-based onboarding process has been replaced with a streamlined digital onboarding system. Instead of completing a 17-page paper packet in person, employees can provide key information through an intuitive app flow and can sign paperwork from anywhere. The response from the team has been overwhelmingly positive, and it’s one of Judy's favorite things about Miter.

"Now I get their name, email, SSN, phone number, and union classification through Miter. Then I text them the link to finish their onboarding. We've had no push back from any new hires on filling any of that out either. They would much rather sit and do it on a tablet or their phone than handwrite everything."

Judy Marasco

Assistant Controller

Key Outcome #4:

Seamless Field Team Adoption

Transitioning field teams from Excel spreadsheets to mobile time tracking is often challenging, but W.J. O'Neil's crews embraced Miter's intuitive interface immediately.

The switch eliminated double entry, with foremen now entering time directly into the system instead of emailing spreadsheets to the office for Judy to key in. This streamlined approach has improved accuracy and reduced administrative burden, while providing real-time visibility into labor costs and job progress. Project managers can now access up-to-date labor data, enabling better decision-making and more accurate project tracking.

Summary

For W.J. O'Neil, the transformation goes far beyond improved back-office operations – they're now positioned to pursue ambitious growth with complete confidence. Their team works together more cohesively, managing complex union requirements across multiple states with ease while maintaining the quality that defines their reputation.

The impressive results speak volumes about W.J. O'Neil's commitment to operational excellence: their finance team reclaims over 130 hours annually, field crews report time seamlessly, and new talent onboards digitally within minutes. Most importantly, key team members like Judy can now focus on strategic initiatives that drive the business forward.

As W.J. O'Neil continues securing prestigious projects across the country – from iconic sports venues to major university developments – they're scaling their operations with absolute confidence, knowing their payroll and HR infrastructure can support their ambitions no matter how large they grow.

‍