 The nature of the construction industry at the time also concentrated power in the hands of local rather than regional or national unions.Local construction unions made their own work-rules and played their own political games, and national and international union constitutions respected the autonomy of the local union by requiring the consent of local unions in the enactment of national union policies or by providing for optional participation in the programs of the national union.These jurisdictional disputes only became more frequent and intractable over time.