The customer is always right

By Lyle Balistreri

Another construction season is upon us.

Union contractors and the unions are busy assessing anticipated manpower needs and how best to please their customers when constructing their projects.

As we further explore the relationship between management and labor, we must, more than ever in this highly competitive industry, find ways to work together to deliver projects that our customers will be pleased with. After all, when our customers are happy with the work we do, they are more likely to consider us for their next
project.

The union's responsibility to supply a trained and skilled work force is paramount. Apprentice-ship is the beginning of the training, and the training never really ends.

Journeymen in all of the crafts should be up to date with the latest technologies available regarding their trade. Upgrade training is essential to keeping the skills honed to maintain employment in the construction industry. Workers cannot assume that because they have reached journeyman status, continued training is needless. This must be preached to the individual constantly because upgrade training is optional.

Tradesmen who move into supervisory roles should be trained in the areas of communications and human relations. Supervisors, general foremen and foremen should be cognitive of the customer's needs at all times. They are the on-site link to the customer, and how they communicate with the customer can make the difference between getting paid and getting the next project.

Their people skills should be well honed. A supervisor with a good rapport with the workers is invaluable to the boss when it comes to getting the work done.

General contractors/construction managers lay it all on the line when they propose to build for a customer. There are a lot of assumptions about how the job will go.

First and foremost, they must assume that their subcontractors are going to be as dedicated to the job as they are. Those contractors are the customers for the subcontractors. There can be no disconnect between prime and sub. If there is, the job will suffer, the customer will be unhappy, and the relationship between the prime contractor and the subcontractor will be ruined. Once again, good communication between all parties has to be present.

We must police our industry. There is no room for the unscrupulous employer that takes advantage of the work force.

Paying workers as subs and issuing 1099s costs the construction industry many millions of dollars every year. Payroll taxes are not paid. Health care is not provided, shifting the cost burden onto the good employers in our industry.

Customers must do their part in seeing to it that the contractors they hire are reputable. Best-value contracting programs go a long way to screen out the bad players, and cities and municipalities, as well as the private sector, should adopt best-value contracting standards when requesting proposals.

When it comes to the jobs that are multiyear and hundreds of millions of dollars, customers, contractors and the unions should seriously consider project-labor agreements that include best-value contracting standards, no strike/no lockout provisions, a vehicle for the settlement of grievances and jurisdictional disputes, and standardized work rules that will help the contractors give the customers the best bang for their dollar.

Remember, the customer is always right.