CSO Conference delegates receive industry updates

IP Newton Jones discusses construction sector priorities.

Speakers highlight opportunities, challenges

LODGE LEADERS FROM across North America attended the Boilermakers’ Construction Sector Conference at Marco Island, Fla., March 2-5 to learn about the latest developments impacting their members, their locals and the International union. Speakers provided reports on the MOST Boilermaker Delivery System; pension and health and welfare plans; legislative and political developments; the Boilermaker Archives; the Boilermaker National Apprenticeship Program; MOST programs; construction industry technology; and other topics.

International President Newton B. Jones, in his opening address, gave an overview of the challenges facing our members as well as various initiatives designed to move the union forward.

He reported that construction Boilermakers worked 25.7 million man-hours in 2014, a significant improvement over the years immediately following the 2008-2009 financial and economic crisis. He noted that projections by the National Association of Construction Boilermaker Employers (NACBE) call for continued improvement, reaching an estimated 27 million man-hours by 2017.

“That is good news for us, but in some cases we haven’t had the people to cover all the work,” Jones said.

He cited successful recruitment initiatives, particularly efforts by lodges in the Southeast Vice Presidential Section such as Local 108 (Birmingham, Ala.). Jones said Local 108, in a very short time, generated 400 inquiries from workers interested in going to work as a Boilermaker, using “out of the box” marketing techniques. He said best practices for lead generation and follow-up will be shared with other lodges in the Construction Sector to help solve manning shortfalls. Pres. Jones stressed the importance of the new Boilermaker Code program in enhancing the value of Boilermakers to owners and contractors. He noted that the Code is now an official program of MOST and will be incorporated into the referral rules and certification requirements.

Another key initiative, he said, is protecting and expanding the Bank of Labor, which represents a substantial investment by the union and a unique opportunity to grow that investment.

“Our forefathers saw a need for this bank when it was created in 1924,” he said. “They left it in our hands to protect and support. Today we have an opportunity not only to preserve what they created but also to build it into a bank for all of labor. That will be good for our union and it will be good for the future of the Labor Movement.”

Pres. Jones also cited initiatives by the History Preservation Department and the Communications Department to create web-based resources for members, including the Boilermaker Museum of Photography and Film, the Boilermaker Store, and the “Boilermakers Live the Code” website.

Total health program supports workers on and off job

JOE MALONEY, INTERNATIONAL Vice President for Canada, and Jason McInnis, Canadian National Health & Safety Director, spoke about their opposition to “fit to work” programs proposed by some Canadian companies.

Maloney said he was concerned that having a third party decide whether a member is fit for work and providing personal information to that party is not an acceptable solution.

“We don’t like things being forced upon us,” Maloney said. “So we asked Jason to develop a health and safety wellness program called the Boilermaker Total Health Program.”

McInnis said he took the program to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health headquarters in Washington for certification. NIOSH is a research arm of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Maloney and McInnis introduced L. Casey Chosewood, M.D., to the delegates. A senior NIOSH researcher, Dr. Chosewood explained the purpose and need for total health programs. He stressed that people can’t separate their work lives from their home lives, and this situation can lead to health problems and other concerns.

“What happens at work doesn’t stay at work,” he said, citing as examples, bringing home mental stress from the job or dangerous materials like lead on work clothes. Dr. Chosewood said that on the flipside, “What happens at home doesn’t stay at home.” Workers sometimes bring their personal, at-home difficulties such as financial or relationship problems to work and may snap at co-workers or become distracted on the job, perhaps creating a dangerous situation. “The best companies look after worker health and safety at work, invest in their health while at work and send them home [in a healthier state] than when they arrived,” he said. “Total worker health is the employer’s responsibility. Building the culture of health is the key, not trying to change people’s behavior. Dr. Chosewood stressed the importance of workers having a voice in a total worker health program. “These kinds of programs can invade privacy if they are not worker-centered. Workers should have a voice in the design of the program. Without a voice and buy-in, the program is not legitimate.”

Wynn informs, motivates

GARRISON WYNN, A motivational speaker engaged by NACBE for the conference, addressed delegates on the topic of leadership. He outlined key behavioral issues for effectiveness such as voice tone, clarity, honesty and commitment to tasks.

“The way you sound causes people to react in a certain way,” he said, “and a lack of conviction will reveal itself in a person’s voice.

“Spineless, jellyfish management” can occur when a leader doesn’t agree with upper-level direction and allows that disagreement to reveal itself, he noted.

“Stand up to change,” he urged. “Don’t show your emotions when passing on bad news.”

Wynn said it is critical for leaders to simplify and clarify information so that everyone understands what is required to complete a job.

“Simplicity and clarity is the ‘new smart.’”

Evenson reviews MBDS, referral rule changes

CONSTRUCTION SECTOR OPERATIONS Executive Director Kyle Evenson reviewed referral rule changes. He reminded lodge leaders that the rules require lodges to use the MOST Boilermaker Delivery System (MBDS) when dispatching workers.

“You must use the MBDS as the exclusive referral system,” he said. “You can’t just be sent out to a job without first being entered into the system. That person has to have a MOST drug test before he can go out. This is not a membership tool; it’s a dispatching tool.”

Evenson also stressed that, under the new referral rules, dispatching from the penalty list is not allowed. He pointed out that those on the penalty list account for less than one percent of all construction Boilermakers across the United States.

Evenson urged lodge leaders to spread the word about referral rule changes by publishing the information on lodge websites and in lodge newsletters, posting the information in hiring halls and giving copies to stewards to take to job sites.

International readies Boilermaker Code training program

DALE “SKIPPER” BRANSCUM, Construction Division Director, outlined a training program being developed to help members understand the value of the Boilermaker Code, why it was created, and the benefits it will yield. The training is essential to incorporating the Boilermaker Code and Creed into the organization’s culture.

Branscum explained the structure of the training program, which will include 10 modules consisting of presentation slides, videos and discussions about negative actions within the industry that impact our members and the real cost in terms of lost income and degraded reputation.

The one-day training will walk participants through specific types of negative actions with real-life examples of how those actions harm members, contractors and owners.

Contractors and owners have expressed enthusiasm for the Boilermaker Code, he noted. “I think this has the potential to be a game-changer that takes our Boilermakers to the next level. “The industry is going to be watching as we move to adopt the Code and Creed and set a new standard for excellence."

NACBE Safety Awards recognize top performers

THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of Construction Boilermaker Employers (NACBE) presented its annual report on safety performance and recognized top-performing local lodges.

For the third year in a row, Local 69 (Little Rock, Ark.) topped the field.