The Labor-Management Council of Greater Kansas City

LMC Board Meets Feb. 28

The LMC Board will meet Feb. 28. Topics will include recommendations onMissouri and Kansas legislative positions from the Issues Committee; executive committee recommendations for 2007 goals as well as for a slate of officers and board vacancies; and preview of the LMC Awards Dinner.

For questions, suggestions or more information, please contact Bob Jacobi.

Mid-America Labor/Management Conference Set for July 4-6

The 22nd annual Mid-America Labor/Management Conference is set for July 4-6 at the Lodge of the Four Seasons, Lake Ozark, Mo.

The premeir labor-management conference in the region, the MALMC this year features space shuttle astronaut Story Musgrave; sessions such as changing the culture of the organized construction workplace, public and private sector collective bargaining issues, health care plans, pensins and workplace stress; a golf tournament; a conference barbeque dinner with fire works on July 4, networking opportunities and a closing banquet.

Full details, including hotel and and registration information, are available here: Download MALMC07.pdf (617.3K). Please contact the LMC with questions.

Construction Committee Meets Feb. 8

The next Construction Industry Committee meeting will be at 8 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 1. Contact Bob Jacobi for details and to RSVP. Agenda items include follow-up to the Breslin event, legislative update and NICE update.

A. Zahner Honored by Business Committee on the Arts

LMC member A. Zahner Co. is being honored by the Kansas City Business Committee for the Arts at a March 2 luncheon. The architectural metal contractor is one of three firms recognized (Hallmark and Helix Architecture are the others) for linking business and art.

A. Zahner, a signatory contractor of Sheet Metal Workers Local 2, is cited especially for its partnership with the Kansas City Art Institute. The partnership has included scultpure competitions for students in which the company fabricated the winning students' work and sold it with proceeds benefitting the KCAI's scholarship fund. A. Zahner's partnership is a natural considering the artistic nature of a number of its projects as well as its work on many art galleries around the world.

The Zahner family continues to run the company. Leo Zahner, now retired, served as LMC Co-Chair and was honored with the Service to the LMC Award. He played a key role in the founding and development of the LMC.

The Business Committtee for the Arts is a program of the Arts Council on Metropolitan Kansas City. It encourages ties between the business and arts communities that promote economic development and enhance Kansas City's culture. The LMC is a member.

For more information on the organization and its March 2 awards luncheon at Starlight Theatre (the enclosed portion!), contact Kelly Seward at 221-1777 or check out www.ArtsKC.org.

Mid-Level Class Resumes Jan. 31

The Labor-Management Council's Mid-Level Leadership Training Program, co-sponsored by Rockhurst University, resumes its 2006-2007 session on Jan. 31.

A 16-session program, the Mid-Level provides a unique leadership development experience for both management and union, for all levels and for all industries. The first eight weeks for the current group of 15 leaders ended Nov. 15, and the final eight weeks will run through March 28 (skipping Valentine's Day).

Sessions during the second half include:

•Jim Maloney, Executive Director of the Community Leadership Association, The Phenomena of Communication
•Jim Maloney, The Phenomena of Leadership
•James Daley, Dean, Rockhurst University Helzberg School of Management, Ethics
•Barry Wilkinson, retired Business Manager of Heavy Construction Laborers Local 663, and Dan Couch,
retired Deputy Executive Director of Truman Medical Center, Applying Leadership in the Organized Workplace
•Darrel Ray, author of The Performance Culture, Teams
•A three-session simulation.

For information about the 2007-2008 class which will begin in September, contact the LMC office (816-501-4565, [email protected]) and watch this blog for application forms in the summer.

Boilermakers Local 83 Rejoin

The Labor-Management Council is pleased that Boilermakers Local 83 has rejoined. Local 83's contact information:

Boilermakers Local 83
Roger Erickson Business Manager
5910 E 83rd Street
Kansas City, MO 64138
(816) 523-8300; fax 523-2832

A revised Directory will also be posted soon.

Erdman Appointment OK'd

The Labor-Management Council thanks Kansas City-area senators and members of Senate leadership who voted for Warren Erdman's appointment to the University of Missouri Board of Curators. Except for Sen. Matt Bartle, who was filibustering the appointment, all area Senators who voted supported it. The filibuster ended before 4 a.m. this morning.

LMC Backs Erdman Appointment

The Labor-Management Council Issues Committee, later concurred with by the Executive Committee, recommended that the LMC support Gov. Matt Blunt's appointment of Warren Erdman to the University of Missouri Board of Curators. The appointment may go to the Senate today for confirmation. Below is the letter the LMC sent to key senators:

Jan. 17, 2007

Members of the Senate Gubernatorial Appointments Committee

Dear Senator,

On behalf of Labor-Management Council of Greater Kansas City, I respectfully urge your support for the appointment of Warren Erdman to the University of Missouri Board of Curators.

We have worked with Mr. Erdman on issues critical to our community and to the state for many years, from his tenure with Sen. Kit Bond through today with his position at Kansas City Southern Industries. Few civic leaders have worked harder for the community good, whether for significant economic development projects, improving our educational system, establishing effective transportation policies or building the connection between the arts and economic development.

As you may know, the Labor-Management Council took no position on the stem cell issue that has generated concerns about Mr. Erdman’s appointment. Our interest here is that knowing of his integrity, of his vast knowledge of business and government and of his willingness to take leadership roles on behalf our community, we are excited to see him join the Board of Curators and bring his expertise and energy to serving our great university system.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions that you have. Thank you for your time and attention to this vital issue.

Sincerely,

Bob Jacobi
Executive Director

cc: Gov. Matt Blunt

LMC Asks for More "Deliberative Process" for City Diversity Ordinances

The Labor-Management Council has requested that the city of Kansas City, Mo., adopt a more deliberative process for considering an update to the MBE/WBE ordinance and a possible new contractor workforce diversity ordinance. This letter to the city Download diversityordinance.pdf (66.9K) explains the LMC position.

KCMO Disparity Part II

The second part of the KCMO disparity study: Download VOLIIKCMODisparityReport.pd (466.2K).