Construction Industry Steering Team Summary of Minutes
8 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023, Mark One Electric Co., Inc.
Attending: Manny Abarca Sam Alpert, Greg Chastain, Rudy Chavez, Greg Davey, Ed Downey, Dustin Himes, Valerie Johnson, Wade Kiefer, Dominic Klobe, Chuck Martin, Josh Schmidt, Chris Stanton, Bob Jacobi.
•Thanks to Rosana Privitera-Biondo and Mark One Electric Co., Inc. for hosting.
•Session #22 of the Construction Summit: Efforts continue working with the Fair Contracting Alliance.
•Welcome to Ed Downey, Capital Electric, attending his first meeting. Ed was elected to the LMC Board of Directors last month.
•A new Jackson County Jail project was approved and will begin construction soon. KCMO may also participate. The jail is an important project for the community and the industry.
•The LMC will collaborate with the Fair Contracting Alliance (FCA) on the KCATA compliance monitoring contract. A meeting with KCATA is expected soon. FCA also has a contract with KCMO CREO to provide prevailing wage monitoring assistance on city projects in districts 1, 4 and 6. Don Hunt has been hired to oversee the monitors and monitors are being hired. Valerie Johnson at CREO is working to set up monitor training.
Jaimie Guillen is moving from Jackson County to be the new CREO director Sept. 11.
•Manny Abarca, FCA, reports that it is working with numerous groups and government agencies investigating the death of worker at the former AT&T building downtown being renovated with substantial public assistance. The circumstances of the death and the safety practices at the site are being investigated as well as other workforce practices, as a temp agency from Indiana brought in workers from Florida and Indiana to do the demolition work including the worker who died. Efforts to have OSHA prioritize its investigation are also underway. FCA is working with the family of the worker to help it as well. A press conference including city officials, union leaders and others took place Aug. 10 at the site expressing concerns and intent to close loopholes that provide incentives to developers who subject construction workers to unsafe and unfair practices.
•A meeting Monday, Aug. 21 at the Jackson County Courthouse, 2nd floor will bring together the county legislature and KCMO leaders to discuss collaboration opportunities for the Jackson County jail project. All are welcome to attend. The meeting will take place before the regular legislative session.
Abarca also noted that the county is looking at spending ARPA funds on county construction projects. About $1 billion in deferred construction and maintenance has been identified for county buildings; in addition to ARPA funds and county reserves, a bond issue may be sought within the next few years to address as many of the needs as possible. The Rock Island trail is another opportunity for development. There are questions as to how contractors can comply when doing ARPA-funded projects.
•The Missouri Apprentice Ready Program recently graduated is largest KC cohort. Rudy Chavez thanked the unions and contractors for their help in providing participants’ exposure and considering them for jobs. The next cohort begins Sept. 5 and will be the final one for 2023. The program recently received a $1.2 million Building Trades grant to continue and expand, including a partnership with the Urban League for recruitment aid.
•NICE recently published a construction career guide with information and photos provided by all of the crafts (except one) for distribution to schools. The booklet is a single source for detailed information on apprentice opportunities. NICE also has online resources including tours of apprenticeship centers and continues taking students and teachers for programs at apprenticeship centers.
•Concerns about workforce availability with the many current and upcoming projects has been shared by developers and contractors. Greg Chasten with Sheet Metal Local 2 assured that the local can supply all the skilled workers that will be needed. Other crafts indicated that they are expanding and finding ways to meet the demand, expanding apprenticeship programs and making other changes to get workers to the field. Post-COVID has also brought increasing interest from retirees to return to work, which is helping meet the demand. Sheet Metal and other pension funds have made changes to at least temporarily allow retirees to return to work if needed without jeopardizing their retirement income. Each of the crafts agreed that general contractors can feel confident that hey can meet the demand.
There was also discussion about centralized information on upcoming workforce needs. There are challenges to gathering and sharing such information at this point. The Construction Committee is a good place to bring information about future needs and concerns for discussion.
•The U.S. Department of Labor will issue an updated rule on Davis-Bacon on Aug. 23, which is long overdue. The modernized rule should be helpful to crafts and contractors involved in federally-funded projects.
•The Climate Action Update will take place on Sept. 9 at Rockhurst University. It’s important for industry representatives to participate. A link to information: https://climateactionkc.com/climate-action-summit/
•The Union Sportsmen’s Alliance and the Building Trades Council are sponsoring Take Kids Fishing Day Sept. 9 at Penn Valley Lake, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Volunteers are welcome. The event provides poles and other benefits for kids and gives them the opportunity to fish a stocked lake. Information is available from [email protected].
•Upcoming events:
*Kansas City Labor Car & Bike Store, Aug. 19, 9 a.m., Azura Amphitheater
*KC Urban Land Institute Coffee Connect, Aug. 24, Cushman & Wakefield
*CREW KC Golf Tournament, Aug. 28, Canyon Farms
*DBIA Sporting Clay Shoot, Sept. 7, Powder Creek
*Climate Action Update, Sept. 9, Rockhurst University
*Take Kids Fishing Day, Sept. 9, Penn Valley Lake
*Builders’ Innovation Expo, Sept. 19, 8-11 a.m.Builders’ Training Center
*LMC Mid-Level Leadership Program Begins, Sept. 20, Rockhurst University
*LMC Sporting Clay Shoot Sept. 21, Saddle & Sirloin
*Missouri & Kansas Laborers Charitable Foundation Golf Tournament, Sep. 29, Drumm Farm
*LMC and BOMA-KC Public Officials Reception Oct. 12, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
*NICE Annual Luncheon Oct. 17, 2023, Bartle Hall
*NICE iBuild April 2, 2024, Bartle Hall
•Next Meeting: 8 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, Mark One Electric Co., Inc. OSHA Regional Director Billie Kizer will speak.
•M/S/C to adjourn at 9:15 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.