The Labor-Management Council of Greater Kansas City

Change Equals Survival, Leaders Tell Class

The organized construction industry must change and needs effective leaders to make that change happen, two top industry leaders told the inaugural session of the 2007-2008 LMC Mid-Level Leadership Program at Rockhurst University yesterday.

Garry Kemp described in detail why the industry must change and how Kansas City-area unions and contractors are working to change to better meet customer needs and gain market share. The business manager of the Greater Kansas City Building & Construction Trades Council and LMC secretary described the newly-formed Kansas City Construction Partners and the new way of operating projects it will begin implementing soon. Unless union leaders approach their jobs more like business persons who are marketing their members' skills, the decline in union market share will continue, Kemp noted. He cited his own example as one who once was a leader doing things "the old way" until he saw union contractors' market share and thus union jobs begin to shrink.

Rory O'Connor agreed with the challenges faced by union contractors and the need for both management and unions to change. As senior vice president for Walton Construction and LMC vice co-chair, O'Connor witnesses how work is done throughout the nation. The competitive pressures are considerable, he said, and union contractors must be significantly more efficient than nonunion in order to continue paying good wages and benefits. Union workers are more productive and do better quality work, but that advantage needs to be strengthened and requires effort from both managers and workers.

The two leaders said they agree on most issues and those areas of agreement should get most of their attention rather than those on which they disagree. Good leadership for change is essential for the industry, both said, and they urged the program participants in both construction and nonconstruction careers to be willing to step up.

Construction Committee Meets Oct. 11

The Construction Industry Committee will meet at 8 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 11 at Mark One Electric Co., Inc., 909 Troost. Please contact Bob Jacobi (816-501-4565 or bob.jacobi@rockhurst.edu) for details.

Other upcoming events of interest to the construction industry include:

•American Subcontractors Association local chapter has a general contractors panel moderated by Don Greenwell, president of the Builders' Association, and including Jack Nix, J.E. Dunn Construction Co.; Jim Delaney, Turner Construction Co. and LMC Treasurer; and Rory O'Connor, Walton Construction Co. and LMC vice co-chair. The dinner event is 5:30-9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9 at Figlio tower; $45 per person for non-ASA members. Fax registration to 913-499-7684.

•Minority & Women Coalition annual banquet featuring KC Mayor Mark Funkhouser and Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon as speakers, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31 at Argosy Casinos. Contact April Ramirez at 816-842-7023 to rsvp or with questions. $150 per person.

Mid-Level Classes Begin

The Mid-Level Leadership Program begins its 2007-2008 class at 4 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 26 at Rockhurst University. Speakers for the initial session include Rory O'Connor, senior vice president of Walton Construction and LMC vice co-chair, and Garry Kemp, business manager for the Greater Kansas City Building & Construction Trades Council and LMC Secretary.

For more information contact Bob Jacobi at (816) 501-4565 or bob.jacobi@rockhurst.edu.

LMC Mourns Waris

The LMC sends it condolences to the family of Bill Waris. The former Jackson County Executive died earlier this week.

We worked closely with Bill on numerous bills duirng while he was a lobbyist, including funding for the Truman Sports Complex and to end the desegregation case involving the Kansas City School District. Executive Director Bob Jacobi was also the first employee recommended by Waris to be hired at the Little Blue Valley Sewer District in 1983.

We will miss his hard work, compassion and political courage as well as his sense of humor. Services are this evening and Saturday.

Zahner Honored

Bill Zahner, CEO of longtime LMC member A. Zahner Co., will be honored as Regional Entrepreneur of the Year by the Bloch School of Business at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. A. Zahner Co. is a sheet metal contractor signatory to Sheet Metal Workers Local 2.

Retired A. Zahner Co. Chairman Leo Zahner was an LMC Co-Chair and one of the LMC's most active leaders. Robert Zahner, vice president of A. Zahner Co., is an active leader within the LMC and LMC member SMACNA-KC.

Several years ago A. Zahner Co. received a national labor-management award for its relationship with Local 2 and earlier this year was recognized by the Business Council for the Arts.

Zahner Honored

Bill Zahner, CEO of longtime LMC member A. Zahner Co., will be honored as Regional Entrepreneur of the Year by the Bloch School of Business at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. A. Zahner Co. is a sheet metal contractor signatory to Sheet Metal Workers Local 2.

Retired A. Zahner Co. Chairman Leo Zahner was an LMC Co-Chair and one of the LMC's most active leaders. Robert Zahner, vice president of A. Zahner Co., is an active leader within the LMC and LMC member SMACNA-KC.

Several years ago A. Zahner Co. received a national labor-management award for its relationship with Local 2 and earlier this year was recognized by the Business Council for the Arts.

Mid-Level Has Openings

Due to three last-minute cancellations, the Mid-Level Leadership Program now has three open places for the 2007-8 class. The first ession begins Sept. 26, 4 p.m., at Rockhurst University.

WIth the additional openings, the application deadline has been extended to Monday, Sept. 24. The application from can be downloadd here Download mlplappformcwk.cwk (WP).pdf (51.5K)

Please contact the LMC, (816) 501-4565, bob.jacobi@fockhurst.edu, with any questions.

LMC Meets With Visiting Labor Leaders

Five visiting labor leaders brought different perspectives and a desire to learn to a meeting with LMC leaders today at Mark One Electric Co., Inc.

Under the auspices of the U.S. State Department and the Kansas City International Visitors Council, the five union leaders discussed trends, challenges and labor laws with the LMC as part of a six-day trip to Kansas City. The group is also meeting with several unions and union-affiliated organizations, such as the Institute for Labor Studies, and visiting key local sites.

The downward trend of organized labor’s share of the workforce in the U.S. is shared in Mexico but not in the other countries represented, according the the visiting labor leaders. Jordan is experiencing increased unionization, said Mezam Musa Yacoub Qahoush, regional coordinator for the International Confederation of Trade Unions. The upward trend is primarily in the free trade zone with the U.S. thanks to a free trade agreement signed with the U.S. several years ago that includes strong labor standards. However, some employers do leave the region after they are organized, he noted, and construction work in Jordan is entirely non-union and performed by a majority of Egyptian migrant workers. He cited poor living and working conditions for those workers as being a difficult problem throughout the Middle East.

Jordan faces the additional challenge of 1.5 million Iraqi refugees in a country of 5.5 million that has few natural resources, Qahoush noted. One hundred thousand Iraqi children are now being accepted into public schools, among other resource challenges, so Jordan is appealing to the United Nations for assistance.

Thanks to strong labor laws and rank-and-file solidarity, unionization is steady in Sierra Leone, said James Albert Lahai, assistant secretary of the Sierra Leone Teachers Union. Organizing and maintaining solidarity is a struggle as in other countries, though, he said.

Implementation of strong labor laws is not always effective in Sri Lanka, said Vijaya Ravindrakumar, chief organizer for the Friendship House Trade Union. Organizing is particularly challenging in free trade zones, she added.

Collette Yelkouni Lefebvre, director of labor employment and youth for Burkino Faso, cited stable unionization with similar challenges in organizing in her country.

The U.S. trend holds, however, in Mexico. External Consultant for the Telephone Workers of Mexico Project Carlos Gabriel Chavez Becker said the increasing role of multinational corporations is a key reason. Many of those companies have good labor records in their base countries, he noted, but actively oppose unionization of their Mexican workers. He also expressed amazement that labor and management could ever “speak the same language” as takes place at the LMC. There are three keys to increasing unionization, he said: pressure on multinationals to respect labor laws, support for the “fair trade” movement and global awareness in affecting public policy.

The five leaders learned the basics of the LMC and heard Rosana Privitera Biondo, president of Mark One Electric Co., Inc. describe her philosophy that the workforce is the company’s main asset and treating people well generates good results. “And I can sleep at night,” she said. Biondo noted the challenges and different perspectives labor and management have but emphasized that “what helps the community helps our company” and is worth the effort.

All agreed with Carlos Gabriel Chavez Becker that labor-management relationships require “patience” to be successful.

LMC Mournes Losses

Condolences go to the family of LMC co-founder William H. Dunn, Sr., on the loss of his daughter Mary Kathleen Dunn last week. She was 39.

Also in our thoughts and prayers is the family of James Daley, LMC Consultant and dean of Rockhurst University's Helzberg School of Management, whose wife Marsha lost her mother last week.

Finally, we note the death of Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop. While she had not relationship to the LMC, she inspired many with her "walking the walk" of applying broader values to business practicies that aided the community while making a decent profit at the same time. Her passion, willingness to lead and desire to make a real impact on her customers, vendors and employees is a well-known example of what we see in many of the participants in the LMC.

Konrath Group Joins LMC

The Konrath Group, a construction manager and contractor that has worked on many high-profile area projects, has joined the LMC. The LMC, particularly the Construction Industry Committee, looks forward to Konrath's participation. Konrath's contact information:

The Konrath Group
Emil Konrath, President
1600 Gennessee Suite 340
Kansas City, MO 64102
(816) 283-3860; fax 283-3858
ejkonrath@thekonrathgroup.com
www.thekonrathgroup.com