The Labor-Management Council of Greater Kansas City

The next Construction Industry Committee and Construction Summit meeting is set for Thursday, Sept. 9, 8 a.m. via Zoom.

LMC Honors Walsh, O'Neill and Wien; Elects Jones Co-Chair and Learns About KC Rising

The Labor-Management Council honored former Missouri State Sen. Gina Walsh, Labor Beacon Publisher and Kansas City Council member Kevin O’Neill and retired Builders’ Association publications director Bill Wien at its 41st Anniversary Celebration and 21st Awards Dinner Aug. 12 at Argosy Casino. The celebration had been postponed from 2020 due to COVID.

Photos are available at left under 2021 Anniversary Celebration. Photos and results from the recent Craig Whitaker Memorial LMC St. Louis-Kansas City Carpenters Regional Council Golf Tournament and the Mid-America Labor/Management Conference are also available at left under Photo Albums.

The keynote presentation by KC Rising leaders Carolyn Watley and Steve Levy outlined the critical work on economic development the coalition is doing as well as how LMC members can become involved.

Watley outlined the development and purposes of KC Rising, a joint effort of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Kansas City Area Development Council, Civic Council of Greater Kansas City and Mid-America Regional Council. She is chair of the Greater Kansas City Chamber and vice president of community engagement for CBIZ. The coalition has developed a shared vision for regional prosperity that has growth benefitting all residents. Hundreds of regional residents and leaders have participated in KC Rising’s committee, interviews and other efforts, Watley noted. KC Rising’s seven pillars include Community, Neighborhoods, Industry, Inclusion, Education, Enterprise and Culture.

KC Rising measures the region’s status and progress on metrics including net migration, workers in self-sufficient households, GDP per job and the housing wealth gap. One example of KC Rising’s activities to address where the region lags comparable cities is building up small and disadvantaged business. So far 11 CEOs of larger area corporations have pledged to increase their supplier pool to include more of such businesses, with a goal of 100 CEO pledges, Watley pointed out.

Steve Levy, chief operating officer of McCownGordon Construction, explained that KC Rising’s People-Driving Committee is working to address employer needs while providing opportunity to more regional residents. One project is the development and stackable credentials, which allow workers to build marketable skills to get hired and promoted. Industries where stackable credentials can be helpful include information technology, construction, transpiration and logistics. Levy urged LMC members to engage with KC Rising, starting with signing up for communications and learning more details about opportunities at kcrising.com and @kcrising on LinkedIn and Twitter.

The LMC also elected Gabe Jones, Heavy Construction Laborers Local 663, as Labor Co-Chair and thanked Jason Mendenhall, Local 663, for his leadership as Co-Chair. Alise Martiny, Greater Kansas City Building & Construction Trades Council, Secretary, and Don Greenwell, Builders’ Association, Treasurer were re-elected as were board members Joe Hudson, St. Louis-Kansas City Carpenters Regional Council and Lindsay Walker, SEIU. Dan Heizman, Fire Fighters Local 42, was elected to fill the vacant term of Tim Dupin, who was appointed to a Fire Fighters International position.

Sen. Walsh received the Leadership in Labor-Management Cooperation Award. The first woman graduate of the St. Louis Insulators apprenticeship program and the first woman president of the Missouri State Building and Construction Trades Council, Walsh was a great supporter of LMC’s mission and issue priorities during her terms as a state senator as well as her work as state building trades president, noted Alise Martiny, Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades business manager and LMC secretary. Martiny explained that Sen. Walsh was instrumental in preserving prevailing wage, an LMC priority, while serving as Senate Minority Leader. In both positions she actively sought involvement from the Kansas City community even though she is from the St. Louis area and also promoted more opportunities for women, Martiny said.

O’Neill and Wien received the Service to the Labor-Management Council award for helping communicate the LMC’s message. Martiny said that communicating the LMC’s messages to both labor and management audiences is critical to the LMC’s success. O’Neill has covered the LMC’s activities extensively in the Labor Beacon, which reaches thousands of rank and file union members, and has promoted labor-management collaboration while on the Kansas City, Mo. City Council. Wien not only has covered LMC activities in Builders’ Association publications but took many photos at LMC events that have been used by the LMC as well as the Builders’. Martiny praised Wien’s professionalism, kindness and hard work.

Sponsors included Founding Sponsors Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City, Builders' Association and Cigna. Anniversary Sponsors were Heavy Construction Laborers Local 663 and Pipefitters Local 533. Awards sponsors included Fire Fighters Local 42, Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO/Working Families Friend, Heat & Frost Insulators Local 27, JE Dunn Construction Co., Mark One Electric Co., Inc., Power Partners and Truman Medical Centers. Supporters were Humana and Stephens-Heffner Financial Partners. Jennifer Borkowski, Humana, and Mary Jacobi provided crucial volunteer help, as did Laura Wagner, MO-KAN LECET.

The LMC’s next events include the 2nd Annual Sporting Clay Shoot Sept. 16 at Saddle & Sirloin Club, the Mid-Level Leadership Program beginning Sept. 22 at Rockhurst University and the LMC/BOMA-KC Public Officials Reception Oct. 14 at Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Jones, Mendenhall, Martiny, Heizman and Dupin are all Mid-Level Leadership graduates as is Bret Bonge, Evergy, LMC Vice Co-Chair.

Founded in 1979, the LMC is a nonprofit association based at Rockhurst University whose mission is to enhance collaboration by solidifying trust and communication between labor and management in the community. For more information contact Bob Jacobi at [email protected] or 816-501-4565.

The LMC congratulates Liz Shuler on her election as AFL-CIO president, and Frederick Richmond as secretary-treasurer. Shuler once served as a top leader. under IBEW International President Ed Hill, who was a staunch advocate of labor-management cooperation. Richmond comes from the United Steelworkers.

Photos from the Craig Whitaker Memorial LMC St. Louis-Kansas city Carpenters District Council Golf Tournament are available at left under 2021 Golf Tournament; the Mid-America Labor Management Conference under 2021 MALMC; and the 41st Anniversary Celebration & 21st Awards Dinner under 2021 Anniversary Celebration.

The LMC mourns the unexpected death of Dennis Stowell, vice president of Capital Electric Construction Co. and a board member of NECA's KC chapter. Dennis had recently been working with the LMC's Construction Summit. Our prayers are with his family. Visitation is today from 4-7 p.m. at Speaks Suburban Chapel, 18020 E 39th Street in Independence. Online condolences are available at www.speakschapel.com .

After a successful 41st (OK, 42nd) Anniversary Celebration and 21st Awards Dinner, the LMC'.s next events include:

•2nd Sporting Clay Shoot, Sept. 16, 11:30 a.m. at Saddle & Sirloin Club. Sponsorship and shooting opportunities remain but are limited.
•Mid-Level Leadership Program begins Sept. 22 at Rockhurst University.
•The LMC/BOMA-KC Public Officials Reception is set for Thursday,Oct. 14 at Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
Contact [email protected] for details, participation and sponsorship forms.

Construction Committee Discusses Need for COVID Vaccinations

Construction Industry Steering Team Summary of Minutes

 8 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021, Via Zoom

Attending:  Sam Alpert, Alan Ayres, Frank Carpenter, Katie Castro,  Greg Chastain, Greg Davey, Jason Duke, Joey Flickner, Dawn Godard, Kevin Hendrickson, Dustin Himes,  Don Hunt,  Bill Livingston, Alise Martiny, Bo Moreno, Luke Moylan, Tony Roberts, Chuck Roseburrough, Bill Tillman, Erica Torres, Scott Van Bebber, Eric Williams, Tom Wyrsch, Bob Jacobi. Note: if you attended and do not see your name here, please contact Bob Jacobi.

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

•There is still a strong need to get workers and families vaccinated.  After discussion, the LMC with support from Cigna will set up vaccination sites to be convenient and attractive for workers to attend.  The sites will be a mix of union halls and existing events.  Locals 53, 124, 533, 663 and 2 all offered sites if needed.  Events such as the Take a Kid Fishing  Day and the Union Car Show are also opportunities.  Contractors will be asked to help promote the vaccination opportunities, which will be weekdays in the evening.  Possible prize incentives, celebrity appearances and other attractions will be explored.  Compiling numbers  and perhaps a list  with photos of some members who have died from COVID would help in promotion, as would data o the impact on hospital capacity.  The LMC will compile possible dates and locations and promote.  The vaccinations would be open to the community, would ask for  but not require advance sign-up to help plan for enough capacity and will give as much notice as possible.

•Session #7 of the Construction Summit:

The next draft presentation was provided.  School districts and cities/counties that recently passed or are planning bond issues will be targeted first for meetings.

•The federal infrastructure bill passed the Senate; its suggested that contacts with House members urging their support would be helpful.

•The city of KCMO has created a task force of staff and industry to look at expanded inspections of taller, older buildings and parking structures in light of the Florida high rise collapse.  An effort will start with public buildings including City Hall.  The task force is to report in 90 days; hearings will be held and the LMC will publicize.

•Overland Park has included incentives for EV and solar capacity in its permitting process; other cities may follow.  There is also a push for the 2021 energy code, which could make adopting cities less competitive.  Federal and state government funds and utility support will ramp up EV charging stations, creating opportunities for work as well as potential cost for building owners.

•NICE will continue developing Career Exploration Episodes at craft training centers as schools are unlikely to allow field trips this fall or longer.  iBuild is next scheduled for April  5, 2022 assuming schools are allowing field trips by then.

•The Building Trades Take a Kid to Fish Day is Aug. 28 and volunteers are sought to help string poles that day and the day before.

•The LMC Anniversary Celebration and Awards Dinner is tonight.  Special efforts are being made for a safe event.  The LMC will announce award winners of interest to the industry as well as a presenting from KC Rising, a key economic development program.

•Upcoming Events:

*Working Families Friend Golf Tournament, June 11, 7 a.m., Ironhorse Golf Club

*CWA/AT&T Charity Golf Tournament, June 12, Eagle’s Landing

*DBIA Happy Hour, June 23, 4-6 p.m., Superior Bowen

*Builders’ Scholarship Foundation Golf Tournament, June 28, Milburn Country Club

*Rockhurst University Golf Tournament, June 28, Loch Lloyd

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

*CREW KC Luncheon July 20, 11:30 am., Grand Street Cafe

*Craig Whitaker LMC Golf Tournament, July26, Oakwood Country Club

*LMC 41st Anniversary Celebration and 21st Awards Dinner, Aug. 12, 2021, Argosy Casino

*DBIA Regional Conference, Aug. 18, Lenexa Hyatt Place

*Labor Car Show, Aug. 21, Providence Medical Center Amphitheater, Bonner Springs

*GKC Building Trades Take a Kid Fishing Day, Aug. 28

*CREW KC Golf Tournament, Aug. 30, Canyon Farms Golf Course

*GKC Building Trades Golf Tournament, Sept. 2

*John V. Mesh Clay Shoot, Spet. 11, Powder Creek

*LMC Sporting Clay Shoot Sept. 16, Saddle & Sirloin

*Construction Safety Group Scholarship Golf Tournament, Sept. 17, Shoal Creek Golf Club

*LMC Public Officials Reception, Oct. 14, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

*iBuild, April 5, 2022, Bartle Hall

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

•Next Meeting: 8 a.m., Thursday, Sept 9, 2021, site TBA.  This meeting will be a session of the Construction Summit.  Please rsvp to [email protected]

•M/S/C to adjourn at 9 a.m.

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 LMC member Mark One Electric Co., Inc. for being named Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame Laureates. Mark One leaders honored are Rosana Privitera Biondo, Carl Privitera II, Joe Privitera and Tony Privitera. They will be recognized at the Junion Achievement Business Hall of Fame reception Nov. 9 at the new Junior Achievement Youth Learning Lab in Kansas City, Ks.

The LMC mourns the death of Nancy Dillingham, an outstanding community leader and mother former LMC Board member Allen Dillingham. She was deeply involved in the growth of Kansas City, particularly North of the river. Our prayers are with Allen and the Dillingham family.

The LMC mourns the death of former Missouri State Sen. Ed Emery. Sen. Emery formally represented Cass County. While the LMC and Sen. Emery didn't often agree on issues, he was always kind, was consistent in his positions and listened to the LMC's concerns. Our prayers to go his family.

The LMC congratulates Tim Dupin, who has been been appointed by Ed Kelly, General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), to the position of Director, Political Action in the IAFF Governmental, Political and Public Affairs Department.. The bad news is that Tim, a Mid-Level Leadership graduate, will be leaving the LMC Board of Directors as he will be moving to Washington, D.C. The LMC thanks Tim for his outstanding support and leadership.