The Labor-Management Council of Greater Kansas City

The LMC mourns the passing of Rainey Crawford, who served for many years as Ford Motor Co.'s regional director of government affairs and before that in labor relations for Ford. He was a leader in many KC-area civic and economic development efforts. Donations on his behalf can be made to Theta Educational Foundation-KC, c/o Robin Royals 7214 Noland Road, Shawnee, KS 66216.

We are sad to report that Bruce Ellis has died from a heart attack.

Bruce came up through the ranks of Heavy Construction Laborers Local 663 and became a premier representative of labor in politics and the community. He eventually became Director of the Missouri Division of Labor Standards and later served as Labor Liaison for United Way before joining Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City as labor representative for many years.

Bruce was a great friend and supporter of the LMC and its mission. He generated many resources for the LMC, especially wise counsel even in his retirement. His unique personality and support will be greatly missed.

Bruce's obituary is expected to appear in the KC Star Friday.  Due to COVID, the memorial service is private.  However, the family welcomes those who want to attend graveside services at 3 p.m. Saturday at Mount Moriah, 10507 Holmes Road.

About 100 leaders from government, labor and business gathered safely at the 2020 Public Officials Reception presented by the Labor-Management Council of Greater Kansas City and the Building Owners and Managers Association KC Oct. 22 at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

Photos can be found at the right under photo album 2020 Public Officials Reception.

Crucial to the success were these supporters:

Co-Host

BOMA-KC

Presidential
Builders’ Association

Supreme Court

IBEW Local 124

Cabinet

United Healthcare

Senator

Delta Innovative Services
Fire Fighters Local 42

Sheet Metal Workers Local 2

Speaker

Blue Cross Blue Shield of KC
JE Dunn Construction Co.

Representative

BMO Taft-Hartley Services
Bricklayers Local 15
Economic Development Corp. of Kansas City
Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO
Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council
MO-KAN LECET
United Labor Credit Union

Assistant

Construction and General Laborers Local 264
Midland Thermal

Supporter

Wright Law Offices, LLC

Volunteers: Mary Jacobi, Katie Castro (Builders' Association)

Also the staff at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts as usual did an outstanding job, more challenging this year due to the many safety measures taken to prevent COVID-19 spread.

The LMC's next program will be the Mid-Level Leadership Program, with details to be announced. On May 13, 2021, the 41st (and 42nd!) Anniversary Celebration and 21st Awards Dinner will be held at Argosy Casino. Also scheduled for 2021 is the Mid-America Labor/Management Conference to be held July 11-14.

The LMC Construction Industry Committee next meets Nov. 12, 8 a.m., via Zoom.

The LMC urges a No vote on Missouri Amendment 3. In taking its unanimous position, the LMC joined a bipartisan coalition that opposes overturning the 2018 public vote on lobbying and election changes before it has had a chance to be implemented and changes Amendment 3 would make distorting population numbers in the redistricting process.

Former LMC Board member and current Missouri State Rep. Judy Morgan's husband Gene died after a battle with cancer. HIs obituary can be found here https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/ce-morgan-obituary?pid=196954464 and was published in the Sunday Kansas City Star.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Heartland Center for Behavioral Change where Gene served as President for many years or the ACLU of Missouri Foundation (details in the obituary).

Congratulations this morning to:

•Myles Gartland on being named Dean of the Rockhurst University College of Business, Influence and Information Analysis (where the LMC is housed). He had been Interim Dean and serves as an LMC consultant.

•Kansas City Area Development Council, LMC member, for its first place rating among regional economic development groups.

•Former Missouri Secretary of State and State Representative Jason Kander and his wife Diana on the birth of Bella. Jason was a strong supporter of the LMC and its mission while in public office and now is director of the Veterans Community Project, which is supported by many LMC members.

Reminder: Just one week until the Oct. 22 LMC Public Officials Reception co-presented with the Building Owners and Managers Association KC, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. We will be in the center's roomiest area with masks required and many other safety precautions. RSVP to [email protected]; sponsorships also still available.

Construction Committee Learns about Skilled KC Institute

Construction Industry Steering Team Summary of Minutes

 8 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020, Via Zoom

Attending:  Sam Alpert, Jeff Barratt, Katie Castro, Angela Crawford, Greg Davey, Brian Dietz, Jaime Guillen, Stephanie Haynes, Matt Johnson, Gabe Jones, Greg Lever, Alise Martiny, Jason Mendenhall, Laura Wagner, Tom Wyrsch, Bob Jacobi.

•Thanks to Greg Davey and the Builders’ Association for Zoom hosting.

•Discussion with Jeff Barratt, Skilled KC Technical Institute/Kauffman Foundation.  Jeff has extensive experience worth with apprenticeship programs in Colorado and Emily Griffith.  The Institute is beginning three programs—software development, advanced manufacturing and biological lab tech—and is open to working with the area construction industry with getting folks into apprenticeship and helping craft workers transition to other facets of the industry if they are interested.  The Institute’s goal is to help develop a skilled workforce without student debt and that is responsive to current and future employer needs and aims for 85% graduation and placement rates.  The Institute has a facility but plans to partner with other programs and buildings rather than have a significant campus (Campus Within A Campus) so it can be flexible and move quickly to meet employer needs.  Data and employer requests will drive programming.  The program will seek accreditation next year.  Jeff’s contact information is [email protected], (816) 932-1172, 4810 Rockhill Road, KCMO 64110.

•The KCI project is experiencing issues with maintaining work for graduates of its pre-apprenticeship program due to numbers and the overall slight downward trend in construction workforce needs for some crafts in the area.  The impact could be greater on the next scheduled class of recruits.  Continued communication with the airport team and the community will be needed to ensure graduates can maintain their new career track and the challenges of finding work for new apprentices.  Use of local contractors is one way to help address the issue.

•Further discussion raised the idea of local public bodies including future workforce plans by contractors in RFPs to help develop and maintain a skilled construction workforce in the KC region. 

•The LMC signed a contract with RideKC to provide folks from the crafts to assist in prevailing wage monitoring on the agency’s construction projects.

•The Johnson County Courthouse, built by JE Dunn Construction Co., is substantially completed.  The new building showcases the quality of work done by the local construction workforce.  Photos of the project have been on the Kansas City Business Journal website.

•The Construction Summit planning team will meet within the next two weeks.

•The LMC opposes Missouri Amendment 3 on the Nov. 3 ballot.  Amendment 3 essentially overturns the changes to redistricting, gifts to public officials and campaign finance changes approved by voters in November 2018.  Those changes have yet to be fully implemented and the primary purpose of the amendment is to restore a more partisan redistricting process though that is only partially acknowledged in the ballot language.  Opposition to Amendment 3 is bi-partisan.  The LMC urges a no vote.

•While NICE will not hold its annual luncheon this year due to COVID, fund raising efforts continue.  NICE is producing virtual apprenticeship tours instead of in-person tours made impossible by COVID.  The virtual tours will be on the NICE website and and include much greater numbers than the in-person ones.  iBuild remains scheduled for April 22, 2021.

•The Union Sportsman Alliance Conservation Dinner will be virtual on Nov. 21.

•The Building Trades has cancelled its annual holiday party due to COVID concerns.

•Kansas City Area Development Council is doing its annual event virtual this year and it’s free at noon Nov. 18.  The event provides a showcase of the area’s economic development progress and plans.

•The LMC’s Public Officials Reception, co-presented with BOMA KC this year, will be Oct. 22 with many safety precautions at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.  The event will be in a much larger space.  Attendance and sponsorships are encouraged.

Upcoming Events:

*CREWKC Quarterly Luncheon, Oct. 20, 11:30 a.m., Grand Street Cafe

*LMC Public Officials Reception Co-Presented with BOMA-KC, Oct. 22, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

*General Election, Nov. 3

•KCADC annual meeting Nov. 18, noon, virtual

*Unions Sportsman Alliance Conservation Dinner, virtual, Nov. 21

*iBuild, April 22, 2021, Bartle Hall; reception April 21

*LMC 41st Anniversary Celebration and 21st Awards Dinner, May 13, 2021, Argosy Casino

*Mid-America Labor/Management Conference, July 11-14, 2021, Camden on the Lake

  For details on the above events, please contact the sponsoring group or the LMC

•New Business

•Next Meeting: 8 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020, via Zoom.

•The Nov. 12 meeting will include a presentation on a major data center project by Diode Ventures and JE Dunn.

•M/S/C to adjourn 8:58 a.m.

LMC Board of Directors
Summary of Minutes
Ot. 7, 2020 • 2 p.m.
Zoom Hosted by Greg Davey, Builders’ Association

Attending: Sam Alpert, Greg Davey, Tim Dupin, Jeff Hayes, Jason Mendenhall, Jimmy Walker, Bob Jacobi

•Thanks to Greg Davey and the Builders’ Association for virtual hosting.

•The cash flow report was reviewed. A financial statement for the 1st quarter of 2020-21 will be sent soon.

•The LMC opposes Missouri Amendment 3 on the Nov. 3 ballot and will begin communicating its position more widely.

•Successful golf and sporting clay events have been held with appropriate safety precautions. The Oct. 22 Public Officials Reception, co-presented with the Building Owners and Managers Association KC, will include many safety elements implemented by the Kauffman Center. RSVPs are coming in and printed invitations will be mailed soon. All are encouraged to attend and if possible sponsor.

•The Mid-Level Leadership Program is postponed until after January 2021. As many in-person sessions as possible will be used though some topics and speakers can be done virtually if needed.

•The 41st Anniversary Celebration will be held May 13, 2021. Those who reserved and/or paid for sponsorships for the 2020 event are set for 2021.

•The LMC and RideKC/KCATA have signed an agreement that the LMC will provide folks to do prevailing wage enforcement interviews on the agency’s construction projects. If successful other local public bodies will be approached for similar agreements. Local 663 can provide certified payroll examination as needed.

•The next board meeting will be in January 2021 on the 13th, 14th, 20th or 21st. Board members are encouraged to share any date conflicts before a final date is chosen. Local 42 offered the use of its hall, which has a board meeting room with safety features and remote capabilities, for any LMC meetings.

•M/S/C to adjourn at 2:58 p.m.

The LMC's Construction Industry Committee next meets Thursday, Oct. 8, via Zoom. Jeff Barratt, Skilled KC Technical Institute/Kauffman Foundation, will speak.

As noted yesterday, the LMC and RideKC signed an agreement to provide resources for prevailing wage enforcement on RideKC construction projects. Here is the video of the contract signing and comments from those involved:

The LMC and RideKC signed an important agreement today. Check here later for details.

In three weeks the LMC with Building Owners and Managers Association KC will host the annual Public Officials Reception at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Kauffman and the LMC have a full slate of procedures to maximize safety in the spacious Brandmeyer Great Hall. Contact Bob Jacobi to co-sponsor and/or to RSVP.