The Labor-Management Council of Greater Kansas City

KCMO Council Passes Workforce Ordinance

On the final day of service for nine council members, the Kansas City, Mo., City Council passed an ordinance creating a new approach for addressing minority and female workforce participation on city construction contracts. The ordinance version passed by the council was hammered out by a number of industry, minority and community groups over tha past months and is uspported by the LMC and many of our members.

Council members voting in favor of the ordinance included Mayor Kay Barnes, John Fairfield, Sandra McFadden-Weaver, Troy Nash, Jim Glover, George Blackwood, Terry Riley, Becky Nace Shumacher, Alvin Brooks and Chuck Eddy. Voting against it were Deb Hermann, Bill Skaggs and Bonne Sue Cooper. Riley was the primary sponsor Nace Schumacher and Brooks provided support in a detailed debate.

A previous post outlined the LMC's perspective as well as highlights of the ordinance and its supporters.

Construction Committee Meets May 10

The LMC Construction Industry Committee will meet at 8 a.m. Thursday, May 10, at Mark One Electric Co., Inc., 909 Troost. Please contact Bob Jacobi ([email protected] or 816-501-4565) if you have questions or want to attend.

LMC Board Meets, Plans

The LMC Board of Directors met April 25. A summary of the meeting minutes is available at Download 4-25-07lmcboardminutes.cwk (WP).pdf (45.1K).

The next Board meeting will be June 27, 11:30 a.m. at the SMACNA offices, 1100 Main Suite 1810.

Mid-America Labor/Management Conference Deadline Approaches

The Mid-America Labor/Management Conference July 4-6 will feature a slate of workshops for all sectors, astronaut Story Musgrave, wellness checks, golf, fireworks and a workshop on the revolutionary culture changes underway in the Kansas City construction industry.

Because of the desireability of the Lodge of the Four Seasons over the 4th of July, particularly with its fireworks show included with the conference, participants are urged to get hotel and conference registrations in as soon as possible. Several sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities are also available; for information on these, please contact Bob Jacobi. The conference brochure including registration form is available here Download MALMC07.pdf (617.3K).

As with the previous 21 conferences, the 2007 event promises to be a great blend of useful content and fun not only for the conference participants but for their families as well.

2007 Golf Tournament Announced

The LMC's 2007 Golf Tournament has been set for July 23 at Oakwood Country Club. The tournament, now in its eigth year, has had two successful years at Deer Creek Golf Club and is providing players with a change of pace by going to the private club. The sign-up form can be found at Download 07golfpromo.cwk (WP).pdf (67.1K). Please contact us with any questions.

KCMO Minority Workforce Ordinance Under Consideration

The LMC's perspective on the city of Kansas City, Mo., construction minority workforce ordinance now under consideration by the City Council:

Dear Mayor Barnes and Council Members,

The Labor-Management Council continues to be strongly supportive of the efforts ot the “Roundtable” group working on the minority workforce ordinance. It is particularly pleasing to see the consensus recommendations of that group and we urge the Council to include these recommendations as the core of the ordinance.

As you know, the LMC’s Construction Industry Committee has been working on the enhancement of minority and female workforce (as well as contractor) participation in the industry for several years. We recently commissioned the Kansas City, Missouri Workforce Availability and Utilization Study which is referenced in the ordinance.

The Construction Committee has spent many hours discussing these issues and how best to meet the needs of our city’s workforce (particularly minorities), the city’s economic development and public projects, and our member contractors and unions. Many of the ideas reiterated below have been mentioned favorably and discussed. Other ideas which have been proposed and are not among those listed below have been found ineffective or unworkable by those who actually must do the hard work to achieve our mutual goals.

A couple of months ago we asked that the Council slow down the process for approval of a workforce ordinance so that the interested and expert parties could have more time to develop an effective, lawful and proactive ordinance. We appreciate your support in allowing the process to develop such an ordinance draft, as outlined below, and urge you to use it as the basis for the ordinance that you will adopt.

The city’s minority workers deserve real opportunities. City taxpayers deserve quality, cost-effective and timely work on needed city construction. Contractors and unions deserve a quality, representative workforce. We believe that the Roundtable’s recommendations are the best way to achieve these outcomes.

On behalf of the LMC I thank you for your hard work and careful consideration of this vital issue and look forward to the passage and implementation of an effective, legal and efficient program.

Sincerely,

Bob Jacobi
Executive Director

1. A Residency Promotion Program shall be created by the City with collaboration from labor unions, contractor associations, and work force referral organizations that will provide first opportunity for employment to residents of Kansas City, Missouri (but will not set a specific percentage residency requirement that might cause retaliatory legislation by surrounding communities that would, in the end, be detrimental to all concerned);

2. Labor and Contracting associations shall commit to increase minority participation in the apprenticeship programs from 20% to 30% over the next five years and to provide both minority apprentices and journeypersons with mentoring and retention programs;

3. Company-wide (not project specific) construction employment goals for field staff shall be established on City construction contracts:
(a) A 20% incentive goal and 10% minimum goal for minorities;
(b) A 4% incentive goal and 2% minimum goal for women;
Both goals shall be based upon minorities and women who work “full-time” per certified payroll data (full time meaning sufficient annual hours to qualify for benefits and pension). The incentive goals shall be subject to the appropriate appropriation by the City Council and shall be paid only at the conclusion of the job following a definitive showing based upon certified payroll that the much more aggressive incentive goal was met or exceeded. All contractors would be expected to meet the 10% minimum goal. Failure to achieve the goal could result in monetary sanctions and/or suspension from working on City projects. A waiver will be available for those contractors who, despite a good faith effort, were unable to meet the minimum goal.

4. A Construction Workforce Board (much like the Fairness in Construction Board that has functioned with respect to the M/WBE Program so successfully for over a decade) will be established for the purpose of:
(a) Offering technical assistance and community input to the HRD Director;
(b) Providing oversight and public accountability for implementation of the Program;
(c) Hearing certain appeals of determinations and recommendations of the HRD Director; and
(d) Making certain recommendations to the City Council.
(e) This Board will consist of eleven (11) members, one of whom will be an independent chairperson appointed by the Mayor, and the other ten members shall be comprised of a representative of each of the following constituencies proposed by such group and appointed by the Mayor:
1. Labor organizations/unions;
2. School-sponsored training programs;
3. Workforce referral organizations;
4. Community organizations;
5. Faith-based organizations;
6. Heavy Constructors Association;
7. Builders Association;
8. MBE Contractors Coalition;
9. WBE Contractors Coalition; and
10. Subcontractor Associations .

LMC Board Meets April 25

The LMC Board will be at 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, April 25, at the Plasterers' & Cement Masons Local 518 hall, 301 South Main, Independence. Please contact Bob Jacobi with RSVPs and questions.

Also, the Mid-America Labor/Management Conference planning committee meets this weekend, and an updated brochure will soon be available on this blog.

Construction Committee Minutes April 12, 2007

Construction Industry Steering Team Summary of Minutes
8 a.m., Thursday, April 12, 2007, Mark One Electric, 909 Troost

Attending: Ken Alexander, Rosana Biondo, Troy Carlson, Gerald Eagan, Rick Greeno, Garry Kemp, Dave Lovetere, Bob Looman, Payne Mendenhall, Randy Milburn, Rory O’Connor, Kevin Sexton, John Tompson, Colleen White, Craig Wright, Bob Jacobi, Sean Wheeler.

•Introductions and thanks to Rosie Biondo and Mark One for hosting.

•Report on IBEW Town Hall Meetings. First one has been held; seven more are scheduled through July to include all Local 124 members. (See attached for background, goals, method and cost). Results of the first session were very good; excellent input and enthusiasm from the nearly 200 members who attended. After the Town Hall meetings are held and results/recommendations compiled, Mark Breslin will be brought in to present the results to the membership. All Building Trades business managers have been invited to attend a meeting to observe. Locals 8 & 533 and the MCA are looking at a similar process.

•Report on the J.E. Dunn Headquarters Model Project. Three goals will be accomplished, in addition to finding other efficiencies in the process: (1) All workers in participating crafts will have CURT standard drug testing; (2) All workers will have 10-hour OSHA training, supervisors will have 30 hours and (3) a Code of Excellence will be established and implemented. J.E. Dunn is enthusiastic about the process and will tout it. However, the next model project needs an owner (who is not the GC) to champion it so more or all crafts would participate. Possible projects include Truman SPorts complex. Ultimately the process needs to result in changes that can produce lower bids from subcontractors and insurers. The most recent meeting with Dunn and the crafts/associations was Tuesday; the crafts/associations meet Friday April 13.

•The Kansas City, Mo., Workforce Diversity Ordinance is almost certain to pass in its present form before the current Council terms end on May 1 (ie at April 19 or 26 meeting). Though the city has been advised that portions are unconstitutional and goal numbers are unrealistic, it is unlikely changes will be made. A legal challenge is likely when/if penalties are enforced. The MODOT approach of incentives was noted; projects using incentives include the Mississippi River bridge in St. Louis and likely the Paseo Bridge.

•A meeting was held on the minority workforce goals at the Truman Sports Complex project. While the meeting produced much positive discussion the numerical goals remain the same at this time. Further efforts will be made to both generate, through Project Prepare and other means, as many minority workers as possible for the project but also to note that some of those trained will be working instead on other projects in the community.

•The Construction Craft Academy has no standing with the U.S. Department of Labor in our region. It was rejected as a tenant in city-owned facilities and also as an exhibitor at the iBuild event. A “backdoor” attempt to support it via city water bonds projects was defeated also.

•The NICE iBuild event May 3 at Bartle Hall will involve 1,800 middle and high school students from the Kansas City, Mo., Kansas City, Kansas, Hickman Mills, Center, North Kansas City districts. Booth sponsors, especially from suppliers and manufacturers, are still needed. Another 1-200 volunteers for the event are also still needed; please contact Craig Wright at NICE.

NICE is also working with PREP KC for greater curriculum involvement in the KCMO and KCK districts, and next year 17 students are already signed up for the program from Harmon High (KCK).

•Colleen White, Strategic Workplace Solutions, has training modules available for labor law and other topics.

•The next meeting will be 8 a.m. Thursday, May 10.

•M/S/C to adjourn.

Updates & Corrections

Our sharp-eyed readers noted a couple of changes needed in earlier entries:

•The next Construction Industry Committee meeting is at 8 a.m., Thursday, April 12 (not 11) at Mark One Electric Co., Inc., 909 Troost.

•The correct address for Turner Construction in the Directory should be Suite 1000.

Thanks.

Construction Committee, Board Meet in April

•The LMC's Construction Industry Committee holds its monthly meeting at 8 a.m., Thursday, April 11 at Mark One Electric Co., Inc., 909 Troost.
•The LMC Board of Directors will meet at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 25 at Plasterers' & Cement Masons Local 518, 301 South Main in Independence.
For more information about either meeting please contact Bob Jacobi at [email protected] or (816) 501-4565.