Masonry Magazine February 1995 Page. 8
FROM THE PRESIDENT
From some of the mail that I've received, it seems that some people think I'm one of those union hating contractors who should spend my next term in office as president of the ABC. Nothing could be further from the truth. Not only did I come up through the ranks from a union apprentice to journey man bricklayer, but I would still hold my union card had the local brick layers union not requested I surrender it so I could sit as a trustee on the local pension fund.
It's hard for me to imagine what it would be like not to have a union to deal with. Yes in some respects it would be easier, but in the long run the workmen and contractor are much better off being union. I have seen too many good areas of the country go open shop virtually overnight, with everyone, workers and contractors alike, suffering. Some of the damage comes long after the separation.
Let's look at two areas that I'm familiar with that have gone from almost totally union to totally merit shop today.
Arizona and Colorado were both very aggressive union areas. Both had good apprenticeship programs, strong contractor associations and very progressive promotion programs. Things were good in both areas, with contractors making a decent profit and the man on the wall taking home decent pay for a day's work. Somewhere along the line the contractors got greedy or the workers thought they were worth more than the market would bear or both-plus a combination of other issues-and bingo, no union. Who won? The obvious answer is nobody.
What does the union have to offer?
Training-MCAA is in the process of developing a training curriculum for bricklayers. Some parts of the country aren't covered by collective bargaining agreements and don't have union training programs. These areas need good training aids. You cannot get better training than is offered by a union training program, bar none. Sure some are better than others, but the worst union training is better than the best merit shop training I have seen or heard of.
Promotion-Many areas run exceptional local promotion programs. Regions differ in the types of materials, methods and needs. Canada may use more brick than New Mexico. New York has different structural requirements than Southern California. Each area should do their own promotion to fit their particular needs. The best method of funding this effort is through a collective bargaining agreement. Other ways of financing will work but not to the extent required for a good ongoing program.
Stability-The union adds an incredible amount of stability to the market place. I don't know what it would be like trying to figure out what wage rate to use on jobs next spring if I didn't have a union contract to go by. Most union contracts also provide for health and welfare and pension plans for the members. I know that many merit shop contractors also provide these benefits for their workers, but most do not.
What is the answer to the co-existence of the contractor and the union. Both must realize that they are united in a common goal. When one prospers so does the other. Strive to understand the problems the other side faces in order to do business. The contractor as well as the union must understand that the union is a business in its own right.
Both the union and contractors are united in the common goal of increasing the use of masonry. The union and contractor both gain by the increase in market share of masonry products. We must hold the line on exorbitant wage increases so as not to lose our market competitiveness. If we can make our products more affordable we will all be better off.
The union is the best friend I have in business. I don't know what I would do without it.-Lenny C. Pardue, Jr.