Lafayette 2-2017
Work in the Lafayette Chapter has been pretty decent with the mild winter so far. There are still a handful out of work but they are slowly going back and may be back to full employment by the time you receive this newsletter. We have begun making progress on several area projects. Flex Lab, Ag Science, Bechtel, St. Elizabeth and others will begin soon. As most of the Lafayette members know, work is going to be good this summer and we will have a great year. Borner Restoration has picked up 2 nice projects at Purdue and will need approx. 10 PCC’s starting in May. There are several school additions and a new elementary school will be built at Salisbury and Lindberg in West Lafayette. These projects will begin bidding in spring. On top of that there are 2 to 3 large multiple 5-16 story, private projects coming to the Purdue Campus. They are mixed use facilities with commercial space ground level with living spaces above. If possible we will target these projects with the Local 4 Market Recovery Program.
As for the benefits, the Bricklayers of Indiana local pension made 8.5% and the IHF insurance plan is working well. This is the best insurance plan we have ever had. The ability to pick a plan that is tailored to you personally was a welcome addition. Now that most of the state is under the IHF there will be a full time insurance representative stationed at the Indianapolis Union Hall. This should make it very easy to get questions answered and insurance related issues resolved.
Contract Negotiations will be underway now until we get a new contract. Let President Champ, Myself, Ron Neal, Dave Sechman, or another Field Rep. know of your concerns so they may be addressed in future meetings. We are hoping to get all we can out of negotiation while being very careful not to price ourselves out of a job. We have to be very careful how we move forward in the industry at this time. The elimination of the prevailing wage/common wage taxpayer protection laws is a game changer for us. It is too soon to know the full extent of the repeal. What we do know is the merit shop is only required to pay minimum wages with no benefits to employees. We have also seen an increase in merit shops bidding the work that the unions traditionally have built. I still feel confident that we have a decent work load and our chapter and others will be able to negotiate a fair contract. Our Negotiating Committee members for Chapter #11 are Dave Sechman and Ron Neal.
The Tippecanoe Building Trades met with Mayor Rosewarski this February to discuss work in the Lafayette area. The Mayor reassured us he would have our back when he could help make a project go the way of the Local Building Trades. Earlier this year in January he signed an updated Responsible Bidders Ordinance (R.B.O) that includes certified payroll. The R.B.O. is good on all City taxpayer funded projects.
A few dates to remember: April 8th is the State Apprentice Contest at the Indianapolis Hall and April 22nd is the Semi-Annual State Meeting at the Indianapolis Hall.
Congratulations to Dan Fisher and Terry Hodge on 50yearsr of Service. Gold Card, Gold Watch Recipient’s!
Feel free to contact me at your convenience,
For job updates, Pension and H&W questions just give me a call the door is always open.
Have a Safe and Productive Summer
