The Labor-Management Council of Greater Kansas City

Congrats to Brett Gordon, cofounder of LMC member McCownGordon Connstruction Co., on his retirement and interview in the Kansas iCity Business Journal. We appreciate his support and leadership over the years.

The LMC congratulates Duke Dujakovich, past co-chair and honoree and president of the Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO, for being neamed Deputy Chair of the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank board of directors.

The LMC is sad to report the death of Michael Maderak,a Bricklayer and president of Maderak Construction who served as a trustee on benefit trust funds. A Mass will be held Jan. 2, 10 .a.m at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Shawnee. The family suggests contributions to the Wyandotte pregnancy clinic.

Construction Committee Sets Summit, Discusses KCI Progress

Construction Industry Steering Team Summary of Minutes

 8 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020, Via Zoom

Attending:  Sam Alpert, Katie Castro, Angela Crawford, Greg Davey, Brian Dietz, John Fennesy, Jerry Helmick, Dustin Himes, Don Hunt, Matt Johnson, Gabe Jones,  Kevin King, Greg Lever, Alise Martiny, Colleen White, Tom Wyrsch, Bob Jacobi.

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

•The Construction Summit will take place at the time of the January Construction Committee meeting, Jan. 14, 8 a.m. via Zoom.  The planning committee has met and issued invitations with reminders going out next week.  The committee’s next meeting is Dec. 17, 2 p.m.

•The Kansas City Streetcar extension funding has been approved by the federal government, so the project will beigin this spring with moving utility lines.  Jerry Helmick has a meeting set with the KC Streetcar Constructors next week.

•KCI has set a completion date of March 2023 and is on-time.  The sign-the-beam fundraiser for Treater Kansas City United Way’s COVID relief efforts has been very successful, raising $60,000 including large donations from Clark, JE Dunn and Capital Electric as well as many individual signers.

•The KCI pre-apprenticeship program just graduated its third class and plans a fourth in February.  There are many success stories of graduates working at the site, and they have been accepted well by contractors and workers.  One has even been nominated for a Roofers’ foreman class.  Providing continued work for the apprentices after their KCI work is done is an ongoing concern.  The program is unusual for providing child care and reliable transportation options.

•Several bills of interest have been pre-filed in the Missouri legislature, including “right-to-work”, prevailing wage repeal and project labor agreements.  The revised prevailing wage law has generated issues and confusion regarding overtime for fringes and the entry-level worker classification.  While these bills seem unlikely to advance the must be monitored.  Transportation funding will also be considered.

•The Shawnee Mission School District will hold a mail vote on a $250 million bond issue in January.  The proposal includes five new schools and other projects, as well as shifting employees related to buildings to the capital budget, freeing up funds for teachers.  The projects will be phased and done under a CM agency method; JE Dunn Construction, Newark Novak and Nabholtz are approved for providing those services.

•The U.S. Dept. of Labor has been pushing regulatory changes and guidance letters though many will likely be challenged in court and/or changed by the incoming Biden Administration.  No Labor Dept. secretary nominee has been named by Biden yet; Marty Walsh, Boston mayor and former Building Trades leader has been endorsed by the AFL-CIO for the position though there are other candidates supported by various unions.  The national Building Trades has provided a position paper on what the department’s priorities should be (attached).

•NICE is developing virtual tools for promoting construction career opportunities in schools, including virtual apprenticeship center episodes, a new learning management platform for its new website, and a possible virtual iBuild in 2021 in case an in[person iBuuild at Bartle Hall is not possible again due to COVID-19.

•With COVID cases rising in the region, the industry is reminded of the “Care for Construction Heroes” (816) 595-4164 hot line; the Builders' Association COVID-19 Resource Center at www.buildersassociation.com; and the Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council web site, www.buildkc.org.

•Upcoming Events:

*CREW KC Holiday Trivia Zoom Party, Dec. 17, 4-5:30 p.m.

*Missouri Legislature begins 2021 session, Jan. 6

*Kansas Legislature begins 2021 session Jan. 11

*Local elections April 6

*iBuild, April 22, 2021, Bartle Hall; reception April 21 (may be virtual)

*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, Jan 14, 2021, via Zoom.  This meeting will be the first session of the Construction Summit.  Please rsvp to [email protected]

•M/S/C to adjourn at 9:10 a.m.

•A  Safe and Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all!

The LMC mourns the death of Kathy Robinson, U.S. Dept. of Labor Employee Benefits Administration, who was to conduct a program for the Builders' Association tomorrow.

Kathy did a program for the LMC Construction Committee in August regarding the EBA's services and programs, and was working with the Mid-America Labor/Management Conference for a presentation next year. She was a strong supporter of labor-management cooperation and had a great interest in serving our community. Kathy was also a mediator for children and family law cases.

Congratulations to David Campbell, who was selected new CEO of LMC member Evergy succeeding Terry Bassham.

The Construction Industry Committee meets via Zoom Dec. 10, 8 a.m.

The LMC mourns the passing of Mike Krasovec, a great friend to the organization and our mission. Mike was a business agent for Sheet Metal Workers Local 2 and later directed regional organizing for the International. He and his wife Mary Ellen Miller, a retired union leader herself (they met during the anti "Right-to-Work" campaign in 1978), were also prominent forces in area politics and community for many years. Mike had beaten cancer and heart issues before getting pancreatic cancer, though he livedmore than twice as long after his initial diagnosis as was projected. Local 2 plans a memorial recpeption post-COVID. Contributions are suggested in his name to PAN.can.org or the-battlewithin.org.

We also mourn the death of Tom Kirkwood, an engineer and community leader who worked with the LMC on economic development and transportation issues for many years. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.