From the Ball Field to the Job Site: Strikes Benefit No One

By Lindsay M. Pease
Director of Communications Associated General Contractors

Baseball season is in full swing, and whether the Mariners are winning are losing isn’t all that matters.  The ability to attend a game, watch professional players suit up, buy an expensive hot dog and beer is every American’s right.  When Major League Baseball players went on strike in the summer of 1994, it was completely within the rights of the unions.   However, what was the cost?  Players couldn’t play ball, owners and unions engaged in a season-long saga of highly polarized negotiations, and ultimately millions of fans lost out on their beloved sport. When the move was made to cancel the rest of the season, more than $500 million of ownership revenue and over $200 million in player salaries were lost.

As the Western Washington construction industry gears up for labor negotiations this spring and summer, it’s critical for employers, unions, employees and their families to understand the costs of work stoppages.  AGC is now engaged in negotiations with the Carpenters, Cement Masons, Laborers, Operating Engineers and Teamsters.  As you probably know, the current collective bargaining agreements with these crafts expire on May 31.  As in baseball, a strike would benefit no one.  AGC has all intentions of keeping the construction industry attractive by offering competitive compensation packages to our employees.  Our intent is to accomplish this during negotiations without having a work stoppage.

When the concrete strike occurred last summer, its effects rippled through our region. Hundreds of projects came screeching to a halt, employees were out of work and now the “What if?” question is looming once again.  I spoke with a large contractor that attested to losing close to $100 million due to the work stoppage.  No one wants to see this happen again.

We all need to remember how vital construction is to our state’s economy.   For each $1 million spent on construction more than 30 jobs are created.  That equates to thousands of workers being impacted by just one large project in the state. 

AGC and the labor unions will not negotiate these contracts in the media, but we want to remain transparent as the collective bargaining process continues.  I urge you to keep track of the negotiating schedule for each craft by visiting the AGC of Washington’s web site at www.agcwa.com.   The status of the trust funds will be available along with recent proposals made to the unions.

Let’s take some lessons from strikes large and small and come to the realization now that stopping construction is not the answer for anyone.

Oregon AGC Members Win National Safety Awards

Portland - The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) has announced the winners of the AGC/Willis Construction Safety Excellence Awards, a prestigious award given to contractors with a proven safety record and cultural commitment to safety. Four Oregon contractors were award recipients, which were announced at AGC’s 88th Annual Convention held in San Antonio, Texas.

First place Construction Safety Excellence Award

• E C Company, Portland, Ore.; Specialty Contractor—Over 1 million work hours

• Hamilton Construction Co., Springfield, Ore.; Highway Division — 100,001 – 300,000 work hours

• LTM Incorporated, Medford, Ore.; Highway Division — Over 1 million work hours
Second place Construction Safety Excellence Award

• New Tech Electric, Portland, Ore.; Specialty Contractor — 100,001 – 300,000 work hours

 AGC’s awards program requires finalists to achieve zero work site fatalities and examines the contractor’s safety program. Entrants undergo a thorough screening process to ensure that their company has a commitment to a safe work site at every level of employment and has a successful safety training program, work site hazard identification and control, and safety program innovation. At the convention, finalists presented their safety program to a panel of safety experts.

 The Oregon-Columbia Chapter’s local awards program, Recognition of Safety Excellence (ROSE) Awards, begins in the fall and recipients are recognized at the chapter’s annual meeting in January. The chapter nominates the ROSE Award winners for the national Construction Safety Excellence Award, where they compete against other AGC members from around the country. The Oregon-Columbia Chapter has historically had a high level of success at the national level with numerous finalists, some category winners, and even a grand award winner.