Unions Promise Higher Worker Standards
BCTD Legislative Conference
This year's Building Trades National Legislative Conference marked the 100th anniversary of the
Building & Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO. Presidential candidates, members of
congress, and concerned union representatives all gathered during the multi-day conference to
discuss the issues facing the building and construction industry. Pertinent concerns facing
organized labor and the heated 2008 presidential race yielded the highest attendance yet -- 3,405
registered delegates and guests.
In response to the continued importance of recruiting qualified candidates for union jobs,
the Helmets to Hardhats program received much welcomed and warranted recognition from candidates
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, both staunch supporters of the program. "I applaud your
partnership with Helmets-to-Hardhats,” Obama said. “I believe we have a responsibility to serve our
soldiers as well as they're serving us, and by helping make sure they have the skills to work in
the trades when they come home, you're living up to that responsibility. As president, I'll support
funding for this critical program." Clinton voiced her support saying, "No one knows better than
our unions what it means to fight for the underdog. Everyday, you are standing up for workers who
need someone to stand with them. And I'm in this race for the very same reason - to fight for
everyone who needs a champion in their corner."
Mark Ayers, President of the Building and Trades Department at the AFL-CIO, gave the opening
keynote, sending a strong message to employers of union workers by promising a re-established
commitment to job performance and high quality workers. "For the next 100 years we must be clear in
our vision and honest in our mission,” Ayers said. “My generation of unionists, and yours, arrived
on the strong shoulders of those proud craftsmen who came before us... who built a tradition of
skill, performance, and pride in their work...We must answer a key question: What are we prepared
to do to ensure that our unions are trusted, value-added partners with our contractors and owners?"
He went on to say that consistent results on a "job-to-job" basis is important for unions and
remains something they are prepared to remain committed to. “My friends, these are the days of
accountability in our industry,” he said. "If we fail in this mission, we cannot ‘brand’ ourselves
as the premiere choice for construction services throughout North America."
To answer this challenge, Ayers explained that there has been a recent push to ensure that
presidents of unions remain focused on accountability and "excellence" measures, implementing
strict policies and standards on a local level. "Acting as true leaders they set out to change the
culture of their respective memberships and collectively the unionized construction industry" he
said. "Productivity has become a priority, as it must be."
Identifying with the specific employer concerns, he expressed a continued commitment to "put
an end to most of the senseless work stoppages and slow downs that had plagued the
industry...sending a clear message that bad attitudes and poor performance are no longer
acceptable...making it clear that a minority of members who contaminate some of our jobs are no
longer in charge."
The Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO, (BCTD) provides essential
coordination and support to the work of its affiliated national and international unions in order
that, through inter-trade solidarity, organized construction workers achieve a powerful voice in
government, in bargaining, and in their communities. For nearly a century, the BCTD has secured the
trade jurisdiction and autonomy of its affiliates as the respected arbiter of trade issues and
through that work has contributed to the continuity of employment and economic security of
organized construction workers in the United States and Canada.
