Staying the course

Candy Doyle Editor

The looming $1.1 billion state deficit will inevitably touch every facet of construction — and unions will not be shielded from a fragile economy despite their consistently strong numbers and political might.

Yet whatever the financial future holds, unions remain steadfast in their objectives: To organize, fight for workers’ rights and provide jobs for the rank and file.

That’s what we discovered when talking to construction union leaders for this issue of Wisconsin Builder — that while much has changed, much remains the same.

Increased training — and a resultant increase in safety — remains a strong objective for construction unions, as you’ll read in Jeremy Harrell’s story, “Regulating the industry: Unions push for trade licenses.” Unions representing electricians, ironworkers and operating engineers are making mandatory state certification and licensing a top priority.

The nearly yearlong recession hasn’t quenched union lobbyists’ thirst for influence either. In fact, it just may have strengthened it.

Unions and their members have been out in force, backing candidates in key state elections and making sure their voices are heard and their values are known — values that Sean Ryan elaborates on in “Lost in the flood: Union lobbyists keep issues afloat despite budget deficit.”

Those are just a few of the stories we’re featuring in this issue on construction unions. In the pages that follow, you will also find:

• Profiles on some of the most influential players in state unions, including Wisconsin State AFL-CIO President David Newby and Milwaukee Building and Construction Trades Council President Lyle Balistreri.
  
  
• A story on how construction union membership here remains strong — gains not losses were reported — despite turbulent economic times.
  
  
• A look back on 2001 and the stories that made construction union history last year.

We hope you find the stories — and the people behind them — as interesting as we did.

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