The Labor-Management Council of Greater Kansas City

The LMC congratulates Boston Mayor Marty Walsh for his nomination as U.S. Secretary of Labor. Mayor Walsh is a past leader of the Boston Building Trades Council and member of the Laborers.

The LMC Construction Industry Summit resumes on Feb. 11, 8 a.m., via Zoom.

The LMC Board of Directors unanimously adopted the following Public Issues Agenda for 2021:
Labor-Management Council of Greater Kansas City Issues Agenda 2021

The LMC takes public issues positions when they are supported by at least 75% of Board of Directors members from both labor and from management. This year’s Agenda was approved unanimously by the Board of Directors:

Federal
•Any future stimulus funds include significant vertical construction projects.
•Support continuation of Davis-Bacon in any new federal infrastructure program.
•Oppose federal “right-to-work.”
Watch: Multiemployer benefit fund reform

Missouri
•The LMC supports reasonable and effective economic development incentives. While the LMC supports ensuring that tax credits and other incentives are cost effective, we want to preserve those tax credits crucial to economic development such as the historic tax credit, tax increment financing and enact an angel tax credit and data center incentives.
•The LMC opposes legislation to impose “right-to-work.”
•The LMC supports maintaining and increasing Medicaid eligibility and adequate provider reimbursement.
•The LMC supports state funding for a comprehensive transportation plan.
•The LMC supports Prevailing Wage.
•The LMC supports development of a statutory framework for public employee collective bargaining in Missouri to reduce uncertainty for workers and for public employers.
Watch: Unemployment Insurance, Workers Compensation, Utility Rates & Energy Capacity, Education/Kansas City School District.

Kansas
•The LMC supports reasonable and effective economic development incentives.
•The LMC supports continued funding for the comprehensive transportation plan.
•The LMC opposes immigration reform proposals that would put the burden of I-9 verification on contractors for subcontractors. Verification responsibility should fall only on the direct employer of those workers.
•The LMC supports reinstatement of a local option for prevailing wage in Kansas.
•The LMC supports maintaining and increasing Medicaid eligibility and adequate provider reimbursement.

Local
•The LMC endorses renewal of the Kansas City, Mo., city earnings tax on the April 6 ballot.
•The LMC opposes elimination of the Kansas City, Mo. city earnings tax until an alternative is in place.
•The LMC supports prevailing wage on projects with economic development incentives.
•The LMC supports modernization of the Kansas City International Airport.
Watch: Possible Kansas City, Mo., Public Safety Sales Tax increase

The mission of the Labor-Management Council of Greater Kansas City is to enhance collaboration by solidifying trust and communication between labor and management in the community.

Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs for running it back to the Super Bowl! The team's leadership, management and union workers (NFLPA, SEIU) have succeeded on and off the field in providing winning play and as safe as possible experience for fans, players and staff. We look forward to another historic win at the 55th Super Bowl in two weeks.

LMC Board of Directors
Summary of Minutes
Jan. 21, 2021 • 9:30 a.m.
Zoom Hosted by Greg Davey, Builders’ Association

Attending: Sam Alpert, Bret Bonge, Teri Casey, Greg Davey, Jeff Hayes,Mike Keeran, Jimmy Walker, Wesley Reed, Bob Jacobi

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

•M/S/C to approve the financial report.

•M/S/C to approve the 2021 Issues Agenda based on the 2020 Agenda with the following changes:
—Delete positions on Keystone pipeline, UMKC Conservatory and Amendment 3 as moot.
—Add “Support the renewal of the Kansas City, Mo., earnings tax on the April 6 balllot.”

Jeff Hayes will supply information when available on legislation to classify 911 dispatchers as first-responders.

•The Public Officials Reception Oct. 22, 2020, was successful in attendance, financially and safety. A date in October 2021 at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts will be sought.

•The Mid-Level Leadership Program is postponed until September. There will likely be a limit on the class size; those who have expressed interest to date will be given first chance to enroll.

•The 41st Anniversary Celebration cannot be held May 13, 2021 at Argosy Casino unless attendance is greatly limited. A new date will be sought in August or September. Those who reserved and/or paid for sponsorships for the 2020 event are set for 2021.

•M/S/C to accept the date of Sept. 16, 2021 for the next Sporting Clay Shoot at Saddle & Sirloin.

•The Mid-America Labor/Management Conference is set for July 11-14 at Camden on the Lake. The LMC Golf Tournament will likely be in late July, date TBA.

•Congratulations to Teri Casey on being named Director of Human Resources for the city of Kansas City, Mo.

•The Leadership Committee will discuss 2021 board and officer nominations before the April Board meeting.

•The next board meeting will be in April 22, 2021, likely via Zoom..

•M/S/C to adjourn at 10:15 a.m.

The LMC mourns the passing of John Germann, a former president of Fire Fighters Local 42. John's services will be Friday, Jan. 22, 3 p.m. at Floral Hills Cemetery.

The LMC congratulates Teri Casey for her appointment as Kansas City, Mo., Human Resources Director by City Manager Brian Platt. Teri is an LMC Executive Committee member and Mid-Level Leadership Program graduate. She had been serving as interim director.

The LMC congratulates Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on their inauguartion as President and Vice President, respectively, of the United States. We appreciate their focus on improving the U.S. workplace and welcome their support for labor-management cooperation.

Today the LMC recognizes the nearly 400,000 Americans who have died from COIVD-19 since it was first discovered having penetrated the U.S. LMC friends and past leaders are among those who lost their lives to the virus. No family has been untouched. We will continue to take every safety precaution--masks, social distancing, WFM, virtual meetings--needed to slow the spread. And we urge all who can to get the vaccine as soon as its available to them. Finally, we recognize the many cases of outstanding labor-management cooperation to stop the spread and treat the sick.

The LMC Board of Directors meets this Thursday, Jan. 21, via Zoom. Please contact Bob Jacobi with any questions or suggestions.

The LMC honors Martin Luther King Jr. on today's holiday. The rest of the year we also work to honor his leadership by helping build relationships across workplace, geographic, racial and other lines so solutions can be discovered that benefit our community and create opportunity for all individuals.