Collaboration can bring construction
industry to new heights

By Ken Kraemer

Ken Kraemer

I’m tired of the stigma that surrounds the word union, and I think Building Advantage has done a great job changing the negative perceptions about what the building trades union represents and how labor and management positively affect the industry.

The word union should reflect the countless men and women who commit to the highest standards of excellence in our industry as well as all of the building owners, contractors and developers who hire union labor to work on their projects.

It is time for all of us to realize how and why labor and management are working together, how it affects each and every one of us, and why we need to be proud of the work we do each day.

There are many instances when people do not quite understand the point of labor and management collaboration, what it does for projects, and why it is so important to the future of the industry.

From my apprenticeship and time as a journeyman with Steamfitters Local 601 to serving as a union organizer/lobbyist with the Wisconsin Pipe Trades Association and eventually becoming a union contractor, I worked on both sides of management and labor.

As the executive director for the Construction Labor Management Council of Southeast Wisconsin and Building Advantage, I view it as my job to help protect and promote the construction
industry by educating our members about the benefits of collaboration between union labor and management.

I realized how important working together to meet the building owner’s expectation is to our industry a few weeks ago when visiting a couple of job sites with union general contractors.

Labor and management were working as a well-oiled machine to finish an impressive project. I witnessed a contractor listening to workers’ suggestions and thoughts on ways to improve safety. By the tone of their presentation, it was obvious the workers had respect for the contractor.

Working together in this manner, labor and management get projects like the Marquette Interchange done early and under budget. Labor and management collaboration keeps the lines of communication open to create solutions that better both sides of the industry.

Management and unions also pay for and regulate work-force development programs.

Some of the best educational and training programs in the country exist within the union. All sides of the industry take great pride in these programs. From management paying for work-force development programs to labor succeeding in apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, the Building Industry Groups Skilled Trade Employment Program and the unindentured worker programs, it is apparent why union and management make a superior product for the end user.

It is imperative we continue to foster these relationships as building owners seek the best choice for their next construction project or while a general contractor looks to get a job done on time and on budget.
There are men and women out there who quietly work as union tradespeople. One of my goals is to educate all involved in the construction industry about our organization and all of the great things union construction brings to careers, families and businesses.

I want people to continue to feel proud about what they do for a living and who they do it for.

Ken Kraemer is the executive director of the Construction Labor Management Council of Southeast Wisconsin Inc. and its Building Advantage marketing initiative. For more information on the benefits of labor and management collaboration, please visit www.buildingadvantage.org.