How Miter Is Solving Union Contractors' Biggest Payroll Headaches

If you run a union contracting business, you know payroll isn’t just about cutting checks. It’s about managing multiple pay rates, staying compliant with union reciprocity agreements, calculating fringe benefits, and producing union reports with zero room for error. For many contractors, these tasks consume thousands of hours each year – time that could be spent growing the business and focusing on their team.

Miter is the only all-in-one workforce management platform built for union contractors. It takes the complexity out of union payroll by automatically applying the right pay rates, calculating fringes, and generating accurate union reporting – all in one system.

Below are the most common challenges union contractors face, and how Miter helps solve them.

Managing multiple pay rates

Electricians may work under three different locals in a single month, each with different base rates, overtime rules, and shift differentials. Plumbers may have stepped apprentice classifications that change by location or experience. Manually calculating which rate applies is time-consuming and error-prone.

Miter automatically applies the correct pay rates, fringes, and rules based on employee classification, job location, and union jurisdiction. Pay rate changes can be scheduled in advance so they take effect exactly when new union or prevailing wage rates go into effect.

Handling union reciprocity when employees work across jurisdictions

When employees work under different union locals, contractors must manage unique pay rates, fringe contributions, and shift rules. Mistakes lead to payroll corrections, union grievances, and potential compliance issues.

When an employee clocks in at a different location, Miter recognizes the jurisdictional change and automatically applies the correct pay rates, fringes, and differentials. Compliance with reciprocity agreements happens automatically – no manual calculations required.

Union and certified payroll reporting

Union contractors spend days creating reports: certified payroll for public works, workers’ comp tied to classifications, and union reporting broken down by hours and contributions. Mistakes can cost contracts or trigger audits.

Miter generates certified payroll reports, workers’ comp documentation, and union reporting with a few clicks. Reports are audit-ready and include detailed hours, wages, and fringes by local, trade, and classification and can be produced in common formats so you can upload directly to LCPTracker, eMars, Elation, EComply, and other submission platforms.

Real Results from Union Contractors

Don’t just take it from us – union contractors who have made the switch to Miter have seen measurable results. Across different company sizes and specialties, the outcome is consistent: contractors are benefitting from time savings, reduced errors, and the ability to focus on growth instead of administration.

W.J. O’Neil: From Hours to Minutes

W.J. O’Neil, a union electrical contractor operating across six states, went from spending over an hour every week on union rate management to less than 15 minutes.

Learn how WJO streamlined payroll across six states.

CVE: 2,600+ Hours Saved Annually

CVE, California’s fastest growing demolition contractor, was managing multiple unions, entities, and public works projects. With Miter, they eliminated the need for an additional payroll hire and are saving over 2,600 hours a year.

Learn how CVE saves 2,600+ hours annually with Miter. 

Almendariz Consulting: 99% Automation

Almendariz Consulting, a union traffic control company in California, saves 1,400+ hours annually using Miter.

Learn how Miter cut Almendariz’s payroll workload by over 90%.

IBCC: Simplified Multi-Union Management

By implementing Miter, Inland Building Construction Companies (IBCC), a union general contractor in California, streamlined payroll, improved accuracy, and empowered employees with self-service tools.

Learn how IBCC simplifies complex union and prevailing wage requirements with Miter.

Adams Plumbing: Growth Through Efficiency

Adams Plumbing used their time savings to focus on business growth, landing contracts 12 times bigger than what they were previously handling.

Learn how Adams Plumbing landed 12x bigger contracts using Miter.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Miter different from other payroll software for union contractors?

Unlike generic HR or payroll systems, Miter is built specifically for contractors’ unique needs, including support for prevailing wages, union payroll, certified payroll reports, compliance, and job costing. Miter natively supports critical union workflows like managing multiple pay rates, reciprocity, overtime and shift differentials, as well as fringe and benefit tracking. Unlike alternatives, Miter brings together payroll, HR, expenses, and field operations – all in one platform designed for the construction industry.

How does Miter ensure compliance with union reporting requirements?

Miter helps construction and service contractors stay compliant and maintain strong union relationships by streamlining the hardest parts of labor compliance. Miter generates audit-ready certified payroll and union reports with detailed breakdowns by local, trade, and classification in minutes to help teams stay accurate, compliant, and confident without manual work.

Can Miter handle both union and non-union employees?

Yes. Contractors can manage both union and non-union employees in the Miter system. Our platform handles the complexities of union payroll, including multiple locales, varying rates, and fringe benefit calculations, while also serving the needs of non-union contractors. Miter automatically applies the applicable rules to each employee, taking the guesswork out of payroll.

Does Miter integrate with accounting and ERP systems?

Yes. Miter connects payroll, HR, time, and expenses directly with your accounting or ERP system for real-time job costing and financial accuracy. Miter has deep integrations with ERPs like Sage, NetSuite, Acumatica, Trimble, QuickBooks, and many more while its open API ensures data flows seamlessly between systems, eliminating duplicate data entry and maintaining accuracy across platforms.

The Bottom Line

Union contractors can’t afford to keep burning thousands of hours annually on manual payroll processes. Leading contractors have found a better way. They’ve stopped accepting administrative inefficiency as the cost of doing business. Instead, they’re letting Miter handle the complexity of union payroll compliance while they focus on what they do best: delivering quality construction projects on time and on budget.

Miter’s all-in-one platform for contractors connects payroll, HR, time tracking, and expenses in a single system that integrates with your ERP. Consolidate your tech stack, get real-time job cost insights, and give your field team one easy app to manage everything from clocking in to submitting expenses.

Get a demo to see how you can use Miter to simplify union payroll.