President's Message

Labor Day.

So what, exactly, is Labor Day about anymore?

The last weekend of the summer…

The weekend before school kicks into gear…

The beginning of football season…

That’s what most folks equate with Labor Day these days.

They certainly never talk anymore about what Labor Day really is about.  And why is that?

Why don’t more Americans (or any, for that matter) take one day out of the year to stop, reflect upon, and honor, the contributions that American workers have made, and continue to make, in building the strong fabric of our nation and our society?

Oh sure, just as there is every year, some newspapers will provide the obligatory space (and that is usually the only time of the year!) for various labor leaders to submit the usual boilerplate OP-EDs paying homage to the labor giants of yesteryear, and then opining about how unions are needed now more than ever in the United States.

They will also present the obligatory case for why Congress needs to pass the Employee Free Choice Act.

Now, don’t get me wrong…it is certainly very important for Congress to enact EFCA.  And, there is no shame or crime in honoring those labor leaders of the past who paved the way for progressive change in this country and actually built a middle class that was, and still is, the envy of the world.

But, let’s be honest with ourselves.  There currently exist serious doubts in the minds of the general populace about whether unions are relevant in America anymore.  Americans of all stripes have recognized that the times have changed, yet they don’t perceive that unions have changed with the times.

I am not talking about right-wing conservatives or virulent anti-union business owners.  I am talking about your average middle class, middle of the road, Soccer Mom or Lacrosse Dad in Any Neighborhood, U.S.A.

They certainly understand the historical basis and reasons for the emergence of unions in America – e.g. child labor; sweatshops; etc.  But, they simply do not see, based on their experiences and the experiences of those in their circle of influence, how unions fit into the way the world works today.

In other words, the American public does not see the “value” in unions today.

For better or worse, the society we find ourselves in today has been cultivated and conditioned by marketers and advertisers to be very brand-oriented.  Consumers today define themselves, in some small or large part, through the brands by which they associate themselves (“I’m a Harley guy”…or, “I’m an Apple person”).  And in so doing, they are structuring their lives around the ideal of “value.”  They incorporate it into not only their material shopping and purchasing decisions, but also into their lifestyle and political philosophies and general outlook on the world.

Put simply, Americans look at things today through the prism of “value.” 

Wal-Mart offers quality merchandise at “everyday low prices.”  That’s value.  Toyota offers stylish, high-quality, reliable and affordable automobiles.  That’s value.  Southwest Airlines combines on-time service, with low fares and friendly, courteous service.  That’s value.

What the American labor movement has yet to figure out is that unions need to engage in a dialogue with the American people about the “value” that unions provide to American society, and the changes and innovations that they are implementing in the pursuit of providing increased value.  This is where our success will be cultivated…in our collective ability to demonstrate that we can be value-added partners to our employers, and to society at large.

During his last appearance in 2004 at the Building Trades’ Legislative Conference in Washington, DC, the late Senator Edward Kennedy remarked that the most effective social program we can have is a sound economy.

Ted Kennedy was absolutely right.  And that is what the American labor movement needs to realize in this day and age.  We have to demonstrate…on a daily basis…the “value” that we bring, through our words and deeds, to building a sound American economy.

Sure, it’s great when a union wins a contract for a workforce, and that contract subsequently increases the pay and benefits for that workforce.  But, once those gains are realized, it is incumbent upon that workforce to understand that with greater rewards come greater responsibilities – to themselves, their coworkers; and to their brothers and sisters in the labor movement across the nation.

That workforce has to realize that more is expected of them.  They have to be productive, and they have to perform.  They have to justify the additional expense that the employer has taken on by having a unionized workforce, and to demonstrate value to that employer.  No one is “entitled” to anything because they are a member of a union; but they are obligated to give a fair day’s work, for a fair day’s pay.  Put simply, union workers have to be better, in every way imaginable, than their competitors in the non-union sector. 

Now, I know this may sound like heresy to some in the labor movement.  But, I am sorry…sometimes reality is a bitter pill to swallow.

Because the fact remains we live in an era where people have access to incredible amounts of knowledge, news and information right at their fingertips.  And the ability of average everyday individuals to exert influence upon the fortunes of companies, organizations, and, yes, unions, has never been greater.  People are more educated and more informed and, most importantly, they now have the wherewithal to trumpet what they like and what they dislike about anything and everything.  From automobiles to restaurants to computers to music to, yes, even unions, individual consumers now exert unparalleled influence in the fortunes of products, companies and organizations.  And they are conditioned to judge people and products by the value that they bring to their lives.

This is the battlefield on which the American labor movement must engage its detractors and those who insist upon our irrelevancy.  We have lost the public image campaign because we have lost the word-of-mouth war that exists when people come into contact with a product or service that does not demonstrate the value that was advertised.  They tell their circle of friends about it…who tell their friends…and if some of those friends have a similar experience to share, then the whole thing spreads exponentially.

That is the environment in which America’s labor movement must successfully operate if it is to succeed in establishing renewed relevancy in the minds of the American public.

Fortunately, we are entering an era in American history that presents opportunities for American labor to cast aside old, outdated misperceptions and dispersions and re-emerge with a new identity that demonstrates the value that we offer to the overall success and endurance of the American economy and of American society.

Jeff Immelt, the CEO of General Electric, was recently quoted as saying that America is entering the “reset” economy.  He went on to explain that “Change can come, but it requires a new way of thinking. It requires a clear and determined plan of action. It requires a stiff dose of candor about the troubles we face, many of which we brought on ourselves. It requires leaders throughout the economy to take command of events. The world has been reset. Now we must lead an aggressive American renewal to win in the future.”

Of critical importance, he said, is the need to focus on technology and manufacturing. “Many bought into the idea that America could go from a technology-based, export-oriented powerhouse to a services-led, consumption-based economy — and somehow still expect to prosper,” Jeff said. “That idea was flat wrong.”

Change can come, but it requires a new way of thinking.  And a stiff dose of candor about the troubles we face.

I could not agree more.  Because that is exactly what America’s Building Trades Unions are doing today.  We are leading by example.  We are showing by doing.  And we are walking the walk, before we even attempt to talk the talk.

Maybe it’s because our industry operates just a little different than most others. For an individual in the building trades, the only guarantee he/she gets is the first eight hours on the job.  How one performs during those first eight hours will determine whether or not he/she gets to come back the next day for another eight hours.  And so on and so forth. 

And for each of our individual Building Trades Unions, it’s no different.  Many of our contracts are tailored to a specific job.  How we perform on that first job, and the value that we demonstrate, will determine our success in securing future contracts.  For us, it’s pretty cut and dried.

Given that landscape on which to operate, we are determined like never before to demonstrate to the world – to the owners and contractors in our industry; the politicians; the media; and the general public – the value that is inherent in partnering with the world’s safest, most highly trained and productive workforce known to man.  Further, we are being very aggressive in educating people to the inherent value in our apprenticeship and training programs – a value that accumulates to the economy and society at large by providing a pathway for secure and prosperous careers for Americans of all backgrounds and status, while at the same time producing America’s professional skilled workforce of the future.

So, on this Labor Day, let us wear our union colors with pride as we honor those that paved the way before us and those who toil today in the fields, factories and jobsites all over this great nation. 

But let us also look to the future and embrace our role in providing value to the American economy and American society.  For we are now the trailblazers of our generation…and future generations of American workers are counting on us.