MCAA Regional Report, Region D

Words: Dick PorterIllinois - Dick Porter
Indiana - No State Chair
Wisconsin - No State Chair

Workforce Development

No work means problems for Apprentices. Union trying hard to enforce a ratio of 1-5 but in this difficult time it is impossible to ask a contractor to take one now. DCTC (District Council Training Center), is the Bricklayer Apprenticeship School for the area. IUBAC still uses the facility for nationwide training sessions and more are scheduled. Their website is www.bac2school.org.

The IUBAC has searched out and promoted other areas of construction that Bricklayers and their Union is claiming. It is a new category at the National Union level and at the International Masonry Institute they have titled it “NEW WORK OPPORTUNITIES” (www.imiweb.org).

There may be opportunities here? Many of our contractors are looking for other ways to utilize their employees and diversify. We encourage contractors to look at what the IMI has to offer.

Economic Climate


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These figure are based on Safety Money ($0.01) per hour ie 2003 = 6.1 Million hours

A list of Union Bricklayer hours worked and reported for each month in the past 8 years. As you can see, hours worked are declining considerably from the 2003’s “banner” year. It is even worse than this example shows because during 2004 through today in these hours Plasters and Marble Setters (estimated at 600 workers, when times were better) have been added due to the merger of the “trowel trades”. Work dead and prices have dropped. Restoration has even slowed. The Bricklayers Union merged with Marble Setters, Tile Setters, and Tuckpointers and taken in a number of Plasterers. This merger has been in effect for about 1.5 years now.

The term “Quasi-Union” which has been used to describe an Mason Contractor who sign an union agreement and fail to comply with the union rules: Pay Scale, Over time, Work Rules and Benefits which allow them to undercut the legitamite Union Mason Contractors and their bids. This has been a problem for years in the Chicagoland area and has grown to epidemic proportions with the downturn in construction. The GC’s demand for cheaper pricing has breed this kind of behavior. MCAGC and the Bricklayer’s Union have taken numerous steps to fight for a “level playing field” and look for other avenues to assure the Union Contract will be complied with by all signatory contractors. It is a huge problem!

Membership Growth & Chapter Activities

Membership is stagnant in the greater Chicago chapter. We are losing more members due to failures than ever before. “Supporting Members” have been very active and generous, allowing the chapter’s social activities to continue but they are not growing for now. The downturn in hours has hit the association luckily we had saved for these times. For the first time in 22 years and maybe longer we have had to go into the reserves — thankfully there were reserves.

OSHA & Safety

We were not in favor and still are not of the board’s of the decision to push a standard through ASTM. There really has not been that much activity in the Chicagoland market so OSHA complaints are way down.

Chicago contractors are willing to help when Issues arise. Please MCAA call on your Greater Chicago chapter for volunteers when needed we will try to be involved.

Locally the MCA of Greater Chicago continues to support the Chicagoland Construction Safety Council (CCSC). Our donations and (1 cent) contributions from the collective bargaining agreements of the Laborers, Bricklayers and Operating Engineers along with others should give the CCSC the needed funds to operate their new and improved training facility in Hillside, IL. But with hours down everyone is suffering. Search the web at www.buildsafe.org they can help you too!

Lobby Efforts

MCA of Greater Chicago is very pleased with the efforts put forth by MCAA It remains a bright spot, one of many that keep Chicago enthused with the MCAA. The MCAGC would like to praise Jeff and his staff including the great team he has hired to Lobby for our concerns. He and his staff have made some difficult decisions over the past year and are poised to lead the masonry industry. The effort he has made to be more transparent and work with all of his chapters has been remarkable.

We are very active in the state with our membership in Illinois Construction Industry Committee membership. It is tough in Illinois’ with the present leadership, but we will keep the fight on. The ICIC is a consortium of contractor groups formed to monitor statewide legislation. This organization has been downsized due to the lack of funding.

Many of the partner associations have scaled back their financial commitments and the budget like all of ours has been impacted.
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