May 4, 2010
Thank you for that warm welcome.
I am certainly pleased to be here today and I have been looking forward to this opportunity for some time, as Labor Management relations is such an integral part of what is important to me.
When Mark Johnson first proposed the idea of my speaking to the entire Labor Relations staff of Parsons, I jumped at the chance.
Mark has been a true friend and partner to the Building Trades and I want to share a little personal story about Mark and his wife before I begin.
Mark and his wife were sitting at a table at his high school reunion…
Mark kept staring at a drunken lady swigging her drink as
she sat alone at a nearby table.
So Mark’s wife asked…
'Do you know her?'
'Yes,' he sighed…
'She's my old girlfriend.
I understand she took to drinking right after we split up those many years ago…
and I hear she hasn't been sober since.'
'My Goodness!' says Mark’s wife…
'who would think a person could go on
celebrating that long?'
There is a lot I want to tell you about America’s Building Trades Unions as we exist today. Because there is sea change occurring as it relates to what is happening within our unions – none more important than the widespread embrace of a culture change that is premised upon a new brand identity for the union construction sector.
This change can be summed up by the simple, yet transformative, brand proposition of providing “Value on Display…Every Day.”
Essentially, what we are attempting to achieve are behavioral changes that will lead to a professional image for our industry, our unions and our members. In that sense, we are asking ourselves the same question that millions of Americans are asking of themselves every day in order to change their lives for the better.
Questions like:
How do I go on an effective diet? How can I stop smoking? What can I do to stop drinking?
In the short term, it’s not that difficult. You do it and it’s done. However, the difficult part occurs when you have to work like hell for the rest of your life to stay on a weight maintenance program, or to stay on the non-smoking, alcohol-free wagon.
That’s what America’s Building Trades Unions are doing today. We are working very hard to make the necessary and stark changes that will institute and maintain a new culture for the union construction sector.
Not just for today, But over the course of the long haul.
Years ago, after he founded IBM, Thomas Watson was asked what it took to achieve excellence. His reply was simple, yet very profound, and it serves as a foundation for what our unions are attempting to do to change our internal culture, and by extension, the external perceptions that people have of who we are.
Thomas Watson’s reply was this, and I quote:
“Quit doing less than excellent work.”
End quote. That’s it. It’s simple, yet incredibly insightful. If you want to achieve excellence you can embark upon that objective rather quickly by simply deciding to QUIT DOING LESS THAN EXCELLENT WORK.
The 13 General Presidents with whom I am privileged to work with have a firm understanding that the first step to getting us to where we want to be is the determination to do excellent work and not to compromise; no matter what sort of roadblocks are erected.
And every subsequent step thereafter is composed of working relentlessly to keep our focus and keep our spirits up through tough times. Times like the ones we are experiencing right now.
We are also striving to learn something new every day. Something about ourselves, our crafts and how we can become a more value-added partner to our contractors and customers.
And as we make those discoveries our objective is to internalize them until they become part of our nature.
There is also an external force at work today. One that is providing us a unique opportunity to transform the culture of our unions and our industry.
And that is the Obama administration.
We, and when I say we, I mean the entire union construction industry…are very fortunate to have a President who not only understands but actively embraces the fundamental values of pride, performance and professionalism that encompass our unions and union contractors.
And he has put his beliefs into action.
He has insisted on Davis-Bacon coverage for federal government stimulus spending. He has officially sanctioned Project Labor Agreements as the preferred method for investing federal construction dollars.
And while I’m on the subject of PLAs…let me just say that we are encouraged by the fact that the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council just issued the final rule governing the implementation of President Obama’s Executive Order on PLAs.
With this rule now in place, we are hopeful that a significant number of federal construction projects will now proceed under a PLA. We still have work to do in educating federal agency procurement staff on how PLAs work and the process through which they are negotiated, but, all in all, we are encouraged about where we are right now.
As an offshoot to his support of PLAs, President Obama sees our unions and our skills training infrastructure as being the linchpin in the successful revitalization of the American nuclear power industry, and in the retrofit of the building stock in America - both public and private.
Now, of course, we are appreciative of all of these actions as well as many more things that the president has done. But the greatest impact this president has had on our unions comes directly from the fact that these legislative and policy initiatives have had the effect of directing a bright hot spotlight on our unions, our contractors, our collective identity and our performance.
From my perspective, having spent the better part of two years working to promote a new culture for and within the union construction sector, this has been a Godsend.
Because as anyone involved in organizational change can attest, it takes time, patience and perseverance to “turn the battleship” around. It does not come about easily.
Unless…
unless there are external factors at work that serve as an accelerating and motivational force.
President Obama has become that factor for America’s Building Trades Unions and actually for companies like Parsons!
Were it not for the faith and trust he has placed in us, which has not come without its own set of political risks for him, our job in instituting change would have been that much harder.
But with the white hot glare of public scrutiny and attention firmly placed upon our unions, our members, our training infrastructure, and our jobsite performance, I can readily sense that EVERYONE within our movement…from the General Presidents on down to the Local Union Business Managers…are now on board.
We fully understand what it is we are trying to accomplish…both in the short-term and the long-run. And everyone is also fully aware of what is at stake.
Our folks understand that it’s easy to talk about providing world-class quality and productivity on all of our jobs, but it takes a passionate commitment and tireless pursuit to deliver quality and performance consistently and predictably.
I say this to you today with all the confidence in the world: We have successfully lit the fire within our unions and within our industry. And we will not look back or do anything that is inconsistent with our desire to demonstrate the organizational persona that is worth repeating:
“Value on Display…Every Day.”
You see - to us - it’s a value proposition for companies like Parsons and the owners who we are privileged to work for and with.
Make no mistake…If there is one thing you remember about my appearance here today it’s this: America’s Building Trades Unions are committed to achieving new heights in quality and service. And hopefully, our industry and the entire world will begin to take notice.
And when that occurs, I am hopeful that we will finally….once and for all…retire the outdated stereotypes and misperceptions that continue to plague us, and which have prevented us from achieving our true potential as value-added partners both within our industry and within the communities in which we live and work.
I will be the first to admit that our unions have made more than our fair share of mistakes and errors over the last thirty or forty years.
Nevertheless, that’s the beauty of this great nation.
If you make the commitment to change…if you truly demonstrate a firm desire to change your ways…you can, and often do, get that all-important second chance.
That’s where our unions are today. We have learned from our past and it guides our thinking today.
There is plenty of value in learning from the errors of our ways. A few years ago, a writer by the name of Kevin Kelly offered the following observations on the subject of change and evolution.
He said, and I quote:
“Honor your errors.
A trick will only work for a while…
until everybody else is doing it.
To advance requires a new game.
Evolution can, and should, be thought of as systematic error management.”
End quote.
I cannot think of a more accurate portrayal of what the Building Trades has gone through over the last thirty years to get us to this point. Our evolution over that time period has been nothing less than systematic error management. We have learned from our mistakes. And those lessons have, in some instances, been pretty painful…yet at the same time, they have been incredibly illuminating.
But, we know full well that we are not there yet. We still have plenty of work to do…and we are doing it.
But, you will note that today I have often referred to “the union construction industry.” That is by purpose.
I don’t view our industry as being solely comprised of our Building Trades Unions. Our contractors have a stake in this, too. And we are working like never before with our contractors…and with our owners…to ensure that the union construction business model is viewed as an attractive, value-added alternative to the “race to the bottom” approach that does so much socio-economic damage in America today.
But for us to truly prosper…and to take our new culture and brand identity to new heights…we need the active participation and partnership of our signatory contractors.
We need you to call us out when we are not living up to our standards. And we are going to call you out if you are an impediment to progress and change.
We cannot change the culture of our industry if our signatory partners are not keeping us apprised of what is happening on their jobsites. And we want to hear about the good not just the bad.
So, with your help we find ourselves today on the verge of writing a new chapter in our illustrious history…one that puts these important lessons to work.
Allow me to take a minute and offer just one recent example of how we are doing just that.
As you all know, President Obama has taken the first steps, through the issuance of federal loan guarantees, to revitalize the American nuclear power industry.
There is now a flurry of activity surrounding this resurgence. And nobody has been busier than America’s Building Trades Unions. To date, we have signed agreements to construct twin reactors at each of three facilities:
Calvert Cliffs in Maryland…
Plant Vogtle in Georgia…
and the South Texas Nuclear Project.
In each instance, these projects will be governed by our new Nuclear Power Construction Labor Agreement. You could say that this new, groundbreaking agreement is in many ways a testament to the facts that growth and evolution are the product of systematic error management.
In crafting this agreement, I consulted with many util¬ities, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Nuclear Energy Institute in order to more fully understand the problems that were previously encountered in the construction of nuclear power plants.
I also investigated all manner of ways to improve efficiency and productivity and to reduce costs…while assuring that the health, welfare and safety of the construction workforce and the public is fully maintained.
Secondly, we are also fully cognizant of where these new reactors will be built. With the exception of Maryland, the first projects to be built will be in the Southern United States.
Now, in all honesty, that is not exactly a hotbed of strength for us. In the long-run, we intend to change that. But, in the short-term, we focused on addressing the specific needs of the owner and the contractor on each of these projects through such measures as regional wage rates designed to attract and retain workers to nuclear projects, along with specialized workforce development strategies that are designed to ensure the availability of a highly productive and highly professional skilled craft workforce.
And this agreement also reflects our commitment to developing additional recruitment and training efforts and to provide life-long careers for local residents to make nuclear plant construction attractive to local communities.
In closing, let me say this.
Everything I have just said to you will be meaningless if our local building trades councils and our local unions don’t take reform to heart.
But, let me also tell you this. They are listening…and they are embracing the changes that we are proposing. And it’s not so much as providing them with a hard and fast list of specific changes that need to be implemented - although many of our affiliates are doing just that. Things like local union accountability measurements…and jobsite codes of excellence…are just two of the many cultural changes being instigated by our unions.
And they are all very important.
But what is most important…at least to me…is to establish a dedicated and firm mind-set that is premised upon delivering “Value on Display…Every Day.”
I view my job as working day and night to help position the ship on the correct course…then convincing the crew that we are on the correct course…and then doing all that is necessary to empower the crew to accomplish their jobs as efficiently and effectively as possible so that we remain on the correct course.
And Ladies and gentlemen…we are on the correct course.
And we are removing the impediments that have for far too long prevented our local councils and our local unions to empower themselves and become effective change agents at the local level.
There is an old saying that says, “Change is a door that can only be opened from the inside.”
Believe me; America’s Building Trades Unions are all on the same side of that door…and we are pushing it open together in order to unveil the next great chapter in the history of America’s Building Trades Unions.
Thank you so much for allowing me this opportunity to speak to you.
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