The Labor-Management Council of Greater Kansas City

LMC Board to Meet Dec. 19

The LMC Board of Directors will meet at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 19, at Blackwell Sanders, 4801 Main. Immediately preceeding the meeting will be an update session on the LMC Strategic Planning process for those who volunteered to identify new committee participants. Please contact [email protected] or (816) 501-4565 for more information.

LMC Public Officials Reception On Track for Nov. 29

RSVPs continue to roll in for the LMC's annual Public Officials Reception from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29 at the Downtown Marriott/Muehlbach. More than 100 eleccted and key appointed public officials, LMC members and other community leaders are expected to attend.

Sponsors to date include:

Senator

Greater Kansas City Building & Construction Trtades Council

Representative

Builders’ Association
Fire Fighters Local 42
Kansas Cit Insulation Contractors
Pipefitters Local 533
Plasterers’ & Cement Masons Local 518
Sprinkler Fitters Local 314
Teamsters Local 541

Assistant

Boilermakers Local 83
J.E. Dunn Construction Co.
Financial Counselors Inc.
Mark One Electric Co., Inc.
Missouri AFL-CIO
Truman Medical Centers
Turner Construction Co.

Supporter

Brickilayers Local 15
Mechanical Contractors Association

Sponsorships are still available; contact the LMC (bob.jacobi@rockhurst,edu, 816-501-4565).

Leo Zahner a Key LMC Leader

Although the LMC honored Leo Zahner with its Service to the Labor-Management Council Award, the recognition did not do justice to his role and contributions to the LMC and to the community.

Leo, who died last Thursday after a long illness, served on the LMC Board from nearly the beginning. He was a faithful attender of Board and Construction Industry Committee meetings but more importantly used his many relationships to strengthen the LMC. One example is the LMC Golf Tournament. Leo was an enthusiastic original member of the committee that created the tournament, and used his contacts to position the LMC to hold one of the first tournaments at the National Golf Course. The event at the National remains the best-attended of the LMC tournaments.

While Leo did not seek or want attention, he often worked behind the scenes to make events, committees, meetings and other initiatives successful. His passion for positive labor-management relationships extended beyond the LMC; he was an original and consistent participant in the Mid-America Labor/Management Conference and led Z. Zahner Co. to the national award for outstanding labor-management cooperation. His visionary business sense took A. Zahner into the arts-oriented corner of the sheet metal industry, leading to worldwide acclaim and business.

Yet a recounting of Leo’s accomplishments fails to fully describe him. Working with Leo meant not just a devotion to scuds but to fun. Leo had, and made sure all those around him had, a great time, generating more great stories than this blog could list. Leo brought joy to those fortunate enough to work with him and accomplishing great things at the same time.

All of those associated with the LMC will greatly miss Leo. His unique and inspiring presence will always be a key part of the LMC and those with whom he worked and played.

Services for Leo begin with visitation at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 20 at Church of the Nativity, 3800 W 119th Street, with funeral mass at 10:30 a.m. and burial in Forest Calvary Cemetery. The family requests in lieu of flowers that donations be made in his honor to Villa St. Francis, 16600 W 12th St., Olathe, KS 66062; or to Catholic Charities Community Hospice, 9740 W 87th St, Overland Park, KS 66212; or to the Shrine of St. Patrick, PO Box 1250, Laurie, Mo. 65038.

Power Partners Reveal Changes to Come

A nearly two-year process of study and dialogue produced concrete results Saturday as the IBEW-NECA Power Partners revealed the industry’s future to more than 800 rank-and-file members, their spouses, contractors and other construction industry leaders.

The table was set by Mark Breslin, author and contractor association leader, who explained the challenges faced by the organized electrical industry in regaining market share,. Breslin noted the national decline of unionized contractors’ market share from more than 80 percent to 13 percent and praised local electricians and contractors for taking a unique approach in fighting to reverse that trend.

“You are way ahead of the rest of the nation,” Breslin told the gathering at the Overland Park Convention Center after dinner. Among the challenges he cited is demographics: most workers and contractors are baby boomers, but it is the Gen X and Millennial generations who are the future of the industry and whose success is necessary to pay the pensions of the boomers, many of whom are close to retirement.

Breslin praised the process for meeting these challenges taken by the Power Partners, which included sessions led by Breslin for industry leaders and for rank-and-file from all crafts sponsored by the LMC last year. After extensive discussions with customers, potential customers, other crafts and contractors and public officials, the Power Partners decided to ask the rank and file of IBEW Local 124 for their input. A series of town hall meetings drew hundreds of enthusiastic electricians over the past several months. Contractor members of the National Electrical Contractors Association-Kansas City chapter held their own town meeting as well.

Four key themes of concern and opportunity emerged from the town hall meetings:

•The image/brand of union electrical contractors and workers
•Attitude and accountability
•Mentoring for success
•Planning and logistics.

By addressing these four areas, the union and contractors hope to more effectively meet customer needs and regain lost market share, hoping to move from the estimated current share of 60 percent closer to 100 percent. Breslin cited several keys to implementing the needed changes: recognizing the three-party model (contractor-union-members), recognizing that it is change or fail, building a high degree of trust and communication, and preventing cynicism from stopping the progress.

The town hall meetings provided the members with an opportunity to express their ideas and begin “getting active in your future” noted Jim Beem, Local 124 business manager. He noted that participants showed great pride in their craft and a desire to part of the solution. Many specific ideas were generated by the Town Hall meetings. A few included:

•Pre-job meetings for all jobs to ensure that all workers and managers on the job understand the specifications and everyone’s roles and responsibilities;
•Provide apprentices with more variety of experiences on the jobs so they move into journeyman status well-rounded and prepared for a variety of assignments;
•A code of conduct to which all area held accountable;
•Random substance abuse testing to ensure safety on the job.

Contractors also had some ideas, including continuing training for journeymen. Kenneth C. Borden, executive director of the NECA-KC Chapter, said the contractors are committed to a partnership with the members of Local 124. He cited the formation of the Kansas City Construction Partnership to give several crafts a vehicle to regain market share.

“2008 will be a big year,” Beem said.

Leo Zahner

We are saddened to report the death of Leo Zahner Jr., past co-chair of the LMC and chairman of A. Zahner Co. Visitation will be Tuesday, Nov. 20, 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the Church of the Nativity, 3800 W 119th Street in Overland Park followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m.

Leo was a great leader for the LMC and in the community. Our condolences go to his large family and his many friends. Leo will be missed greatly.

We will follow with more about Leo later.

Labor Law Impacts Changing, Mid-Level Participants Learn

Labor law continues to evolve and the impact on organizations can be significant, Mid-Level Leadership participants learned yesterday from two of the area's top labor and employment attorneys.

John Phillips, Blackwell Sanders, and Terry Kilroy, Shughart Thomson & Kilroy, generously shared their decades of experience in labor and employment issues. Among the trends and developments cited:

•A significant increase in Fair Labor Standards Act cases, often resulting in multimillion dollar payments to employees. Companies sometimes change job duties without checking to see if the classification of the jobs also needs to change regarding overtime. Failure to properly classify jobs as exempt from FLSA overtime provisions or non-exempt results in significant costs to the organization if a suit is filed.

•Differences in caps on punitive damages in discrimination cases among Missouri, Kansas and federal courts could impact the attractiveness of Missouri for economic development.

•Sexual harassment cases continue to increase, though federal courts have tightened the standards for determining what cases will go to trial.

•The Missouri Supreme Court decision applying the state's constitutional right of collective bargaining to public sector employees may continue the growth of public employee bargaining. However, it is unlikely the Missouri legislature will soon implement a strong enforcement mechanism for exercising the right.

•The National Labor Relations Board will soon become short-handed unless Congress and the President are able to agree on choices to replace three members (out of five) whose terms are expiring. The Employee Free Choice Act, if it becomes law, would significantly change the organizing process.

The NLRB has made recent decisions, such as in "salting" cases, that tilt more towards management.

•The impact of a cheaper dollar is helping preserve some U.S. manufacturing jobs.

•Jurisdictional disputes in construction are a significant issue, with longtime precedents no longer sufficient to keep some disputes from erupting.

•Federal laws protecting workers may decrase interest in joining unions, though unions often view themselves as representing all workers and thus see the laws as necessary.

The Mid-Level class now breaks for the holidays before returning Jan. 30, 2008.

LMC Strategic Planning Summary, Session #3, Nov. 14, 2007 Hosted by Blackwell Sanders, 4801 Main, Suite 1000

Participants included:

Donna Birks, President, AFL-CIO Tri-County Labor Council of Eastern Kansas & Financial
Secretary, United Auto Workers Local 31
Jim Delaney, Vice President, Turner Construction Co.
Pat Dunn, Commissioner, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (facilitator)
Lyle Farrand, Secretary-Treasurer, Teamsters Local 541
Rick Greeno, Laboreers Local 1290 and Western Missouri & Kansas Laborers District Council
Gerard Grimaldi, Director of Governmental Relations, Truman Medical Centers
Bob Jacobi, Executive Director, Labor-Management Council of Greater Kansas City
Brenda Jones, AFL-CIO Tric-County Labor Council of Eastern Kansas and Communication
Workers of America
Garry Kemp, Business Manager, Greater Kansas City Builidng & Construction Trades Council
Jeff Manning, President, United Auto Workers Local 31
Judy Morgan, President, Kansas City Federation of Teachers Local 691
Steve Mullen, Business Manager, Bricklayers Local 15
Rory O’Connor, Senior Vice President, Walton Construction Co.
John Phillips, Parnter, Blackwell Sanders
Dan West, J.E. Dunn Construction Co.

This session was devoted to identifying the key issues that need to be resolved for the LMC to achieve the participation, activities and impacts developed in the previous session. Issues identified were:

1. Meaningful participation in this organization
2. Relevance of the organization
3. Effective communication of LMC value to sectors other than construction
4. The most effective structure for the organization
5. How do we organize other committees to replicate the success of the Construction Committee
6. How do we achieve balance (labor-management) on the committees
7. Prioritize activities (pick 3-5 to focus on)
8. Program to market the LMC and labor-management collaboration for the economic benefit of
the metropolitan Kansas City area

These were consolidated by combining #s 3 & 8 and #s 4, 5, 6 and #s 1 & 2. It was determined that generating “meaningful participation in the organization” is the key. The group then brainstormed methods to do so:

1. Build on leadership development programs
2. Organize committees by business sector
3. Establish benchmarks or goals
4. More effectively market and communicate
5. Structure board to reflect committees
6. Establish value proposition and concrete goals for committees
7. Create some “fun” activities
8. Prioritize activities

After further discussion the group determined that the next step was to form several industry committees and determine who (organizations) should participate. Small groups would be formed for each committee to develop the desired participation list, and will report back to a later session.

The committees to be formed include (participants who volunteered or had expressed interest in helping determine who should be on the committees):

Education and Health Care (Judy Morgan, Gerard Grimaldi)

Manufacturing/Industrial (John Phillips, Donna Birks, Jeff Manning)

Public Sector (Louie Wright, Rick Greeno)

Service (Sherwin Carroll)

Garry Kemp and Rory O’Connor and Bob Jacobi also will help develop participant lists. If needed, Pat Dunn will suggest possible participants as well.

After participants are identified, a strategy for each committee will be developed.

The follow-up session will be held preceding the LMC Board of Directors meeting at 10 a;m., Wednesday, Dec. 19 at Blackwell Sanders, 4801 Main, Suite 1000.

Thanks to John Phillips for hosting and Pat Dunn for facilitating.

Just 15 Minutes a Day Can Make a Difference

An overwhemling project is often put off because we rarely have enough time to tackle the entire job at once. Yet, says James Daley, devoting just 15 minutes per day to a particular task over time can accomplish a great deal.

Daley, dean of the Rockhurst University School of Management, told the LMC's Mid-Level Leadership participants Nov. 7 that time management is a crucial part of effectiveness. He noted, among other recommendations, that new habits can be sewn by consciously practicing it daily for six weeks. After that, the new behavior will become rooted and routine.

Daley also explained the uses--and possible misuses--of personality typing. By understanding the tendencies of ourselves and our collegues, we can become much more effective leaders. But tendencies are not absolute behavior patterns, and we may act differently from one circumstance to another, Daley said.

Today participants will learn about labor law from John Phillips, Blackwell Sanders, and Terry Kilroy, Shughart Thomson & Kilroy. THis session is the finale for the Fall portion of the program.

The Mid-Level particpants will hear again from Daley during the Spring segment when he talka about ethics. The spring segment begins Jan. 30 and continues for eight consecutive Wednesdays through March 19.

Reminder: Strategic Plan Session Nov. 14

The LMC's Strategic Planning process continues on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at Blackwell Sanders, 4801 Main, Suite 1000. Lunch will be available about 11:30 a.m. Please RSVP if you haven't already.

LMC Salutes Veterans

On this Veterans Day the LMC would like to thank all of the veterans, their families and currently serving military personnel and their families for their service and willingness to sacrifice for our nation.