PartnersINProgress SMACNA & SMART—Building a Future Together
January 2022
PARTNERSHIPS BRINGING THE PIECES TOGETHER...
PartnersINProgress SMACNA & SMART—Building a Future Together
JOSEPH SELLERS, JR. AL LABELLA Co-Publishers KAARIN ENGELMANN editor@pinpmagazine.org Editor-in-Chief
12
JESSICA KIRBY jkirby@pointonemedia.com Editor
CONTENTS
POINT ONE MEDIA INC. artdept@pointonemedia.com Creative Services
3 GOAL SETTING IN 2022 After two years of disruption, it’s time to flex our skills and set some goals
Partners in Progress is a publication of the Sheet Metal Industry LaborManagement Cooperation Fund.
January 2022 - Volume 16, Number 1
for success.
4 THE NUMBER ONE CHOICE
All contents ©2021 by the Sheet Metal Industry Labor-Management Cooperation Fund, P.O. Box 221211, Chantilly, VA 20153-1211.
6 PROJECT 150 Make a difference in a high school student’s life by supporting Project 150
Find Partners in Progress online at pinp.org or at issuu.com/ partnersinprogress. An archive of all issues is available and printed copies may be ordered for a minimal fee.
8 PERSPECTIVE MANAGEMENT Conflict management expert Deidre McCarthy Gallagher says the best way
For comments or questions, email editor@pinpmagazine.org.
SMACNA San Diego and Local 206 have what it takes to stay top of their game when completing complex projects in their region.
at the 2022 Partners in Progress Conference.
to get your point across is to understand someone else’s.
10 ADAPTABILITY AND RESILIENCE Fostering resilience in yourself and your teams might just be the best
organizational improvement you make all year.
12 HYATT REGENCY: A P3 SUCCESS STORY General Sheet Metal and Local 16 work in tandem to make sure the
industry thrives. Find out how shared values build strong partnerships.
14 RICHARD MANGELSDORF: MY JOURNEY From apprentice to Local 280 Business Manager, Richard Mangelsdorf has
conquered every challenge up the ladder to success.
2 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
S HE E T M E TA L | A I R | R A I L | T R A N S P O R TAT I O N
Goal Setting
in 2022
Ted Turner said setting goals just beyond your reach ensures you always have something to live for. If there is anything we have learned from the past couple of years, it is that our values, sense of what is important and even goals have, in most cases, shifted. Our vision has become laser sharp defining the essentials. Family, health, kindness, clean air, and hard work top the list, and this focus highlights the importance of strong partnerships—in life and in work. This can inspire us to set some goals around forging stronger bonds into 2022 and beyond. Our lead story in this issue of Partners in Progress looks at why SMACNA contractors and SMART Locals are best equipped to handle the most complex of projects and the ways relationship building is essential for making those projects a success. Bo Jackson said, “Set your goals high, and don’t stop until you get there,” and this is exactly what SMACNA San Diego and Local 206 have done to become the number one choice for complex jobs in their region. See “The Number One Choice” on page 4 to find out how clear communication, mutual vision, and confidence helped them reach their goals. “Goals. There’s no telling what you can do when you get inspired by them... believe in them... act on them.” Realize the potential of Jim Rohn’s quote at the 2022 Partners in Progress Conference by participating in the Project 150 fundraising event. For the second time, the Conference has partnered with Project 150, which provides food, clothing, supplies, and scholarships to more than 6,000 homeless high school students in Nevada. Find out on page 6 how you can help. One need only read the news or chat with a neighbor in these pandemic times to see how important perspective is in relationship building. Deidre McCarthy Gallagher, mediator and arbitrator, writes on page 8 about how conflict in the workplace is often a matter of perspective. She challenges us to shift perspective and dig deep to understand others’ goals in order to build stronger working relationships—this is hard but valuable work but, as Frank DeVito says, “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.” If there is one thing to set goals around this year, it is resilience. The willingness to push through adversity and work hard is already a defining feature of most in the sheet metal industry, but resilience is also a muscle that must be toned. In her article “Adaptability and Resilience” on page 10, Lisa Bordeaux, consultant to the SMACNA-SMART Best Practices Market Expansion Task Force, discusses what resilience looks like, why it is important, and how to foster it in yourself and your teams. From alleviating workplace stress to enjoying a more peaceful and balanced life, the rewards of fostering resilience are plenty. And, as Hellen Keller, one of the world’s
leading experts on resilience, said: “What you are looking for isn’t out there. It is inside of you.” Speaking of resilience, Local 280’s Business Manager and Financial Secretary-Treasurer Richard Mangelsdorf met every challenge he encountered on the road from apprentice to sheet metal worker, instructor, business representative, and his current position. In this issue’s “My Journey” on page 14, he talks about the essential balance labor-management partnerships bring to the sheet metal industry. And while SMACNA contractor General Sheet Metal and Local 16 raised the bar on flexibility and successful adaptation when the Local recruited specifically to help GSM complete outstanding work on the Hyatt Regency Portland project, it is both organizations’ focus on partnership that makes the projects they complete successful. In “Hyatt Regency” on page 12, GSM CEO Carol Duncan and Local 16 NW Regional Rep #1 Vanessa Steward explain why forging strong relationships in the current business climate is more important than ever. The secret? Mutual respect, common ground, and shared goals. Remember Tony Robbins’ words of wisdom: “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.” As you peruse the issue, think about what the individuals and organizations within have accomplished and will continue to create while working together, and consider: What goals will you make visible this coming year? ▪ Partners in Progress » January 2022 » 3
The
Number One Choice By / Natalie Bruckner
4 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
When it comes to winning bids on sheet metal jobs for complex projects, owners and general contractors turn to the most trusted sub-trades—those that have well-trained craftspersons who perform outstanding work, and also have a reputation for completing these projects safely, on time, and on budget. That’s why SMACNA contractors and skilled craftspersons at Local 206 in San Diego have become the number one choice for complex projects in their area. “We have the best apprenticeship program, and the best skilled and trained people to get the job done,” says David Gauthier, business manager at Local 206. “I like to play devil’s advocate sometimes and remind the general contractors that if they pick up a non-union contractor again, they will have the same headaches. I really don’t mind reminding them of their past mistakes.” This honest, upfront attitude has resulted in what can only be described as an exemplary partnership between Local 206 and its signatory contractors—a relationship that is recognized beyond SMACNA and SMART. But securing those complex projects requires more than a solid reputation and partnership; it also requires a strong and skilled workforce, and on that front, Local 206 and its signatory contractors are dialed in. “Our communication is strong when it comes to upcoming projects,” says Robin Callaway, project executive at ACCO Engineered Systems. “SMART may not be in on the actual labor loading needed, so we share with them the details of the project. For example, we inform them that it will be a 50,000 hour project that could fall in this window of time, and we project a workforce of X number. That allows the union to put together a strategy on recruiting new apprentices and making sure they have a skilled workforce ready to meet the proposed construction schedule, should we be awarded the project,” It’s a strategy that Callaway says is supported by all the union contractors in the area. By candidly providing that information to the Local, they can all prepare accordingly for the next 12 months and beyond. This approach has helped ACCO secure some significant jobs. One example is the 35,000-capacity San Diego State University Aztec Stadium in Mission Valley. “We were able
to share our workforce expectations early enough with our Local so that we didn’t suffer any labor shortages,” Callaway says. “Because Dave could anticipate the labor needs, he and the Local worked with us to ensure we were ready and able. Although we have plumbers, fitters, and sheet metal workers on that project, the sheet metal trade and ACCO drive the schedule by how rapidly they can perform due to the available workforce.” However, if you think that San Diego is exempt from the national recruitment challenge, think again. The only difference is that Local 206 and SMACNA Contractors are proactive in their efforts to recruit. In 2021, they came together to coordinate an afternoon job fair that was attended by 14 of Local 206’s biggest contractors. That same day, they received 40 applications for their apprenticeship exam, which was taking place two weeks later. “I was asked by the contractors, ‘What are you going to do about sufficient workforce?’” Gauthier says. “I put it back on them and asked, ‘What are you doing?’ So, we worked together to come up with a solution.” Rather than tell experienced non-union workers they had to bring a check book and ID to the union hall to pay money, go on an out-of-work list, and take a drug test before they could find work, contractors and the Local selected the job fair as a more attractive option. “If they see a contractor they’ve always wanted to work for at a career fair, they are more likely to approach that company and explore the options,” Gauthier says.
Through active marketing efforts on social platforms, Gauthier was able to get the word out, and the result was approximately 200 attendees, including members of the school board, the Metropolitan Transit System, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local, and the local building trades. That inaugural job fair, spearheaded by Gauthier and Linda Baxter Jennings of SMACNA San Diego, was such a success that it will now become an annual event and other Locals, including 359 in Phoenix and 88 in Las Vegas, have expressed an interest in doing the same. Gauthier admits that the relationship between SMART and
SMACNA in the area is remarkable. San Diego maintains a small town feel, and Gauthier went through his apprenticeship with many of the contracting leaders (or they were his mentors while he was working for contractors). These established relationships have helped build camaraderie and trust. Labor and management also communicate on every issue, no matter how tough.
“You can easily end up working in a silo, and we’ve been guilty of that here,” Gauthier says. “But a few years back, during the Partners in Progress conference in Las Vegas, we all went out to dinner and promised ourselves no shop talk. It was time to get to know one another on a deeper level.” After that, Local 206, its signatories, and SMACNA San Diego ensured they schedule regular luncheons and events where they can get together outside of business. “This meant that during the next phone call I received from a contractor they would ask, ‘Hey, how did that ball game go?’ And then we would start talking about work. It humanizes everything.” As for differences of opinion, that’s naturally going to happen, but as Gauthier says, “Yes, we butt heads with contractors on certain things, but if I can trust them and they can trust me, we can progress and move forward.” “There’s a sincere camaraderie, honesty, and mutual trust between us,” Callaway adds. “Plus, we are bound by the need to succeed together.” ▪ Natalie is an award-winning writer who has worked in the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, the United States, and Canada. She has more than 23 years experience as a journalist, editor, and brand builder, specializing in construction and transportation. Partners in Progress » January 2022 » 5
Project 150
More than 6,000 high school students experiencing homelessness in Nevada are at risk and they need your help.
By / Jessica Kirby High school is tough enough. The work, the routine, the social pressure—imagine weathering it all while wearing the same clothes for a month and having very little to eat and having no where to go after the final bell rings. That is the plight of 3,300 registered homeless and 3,100 non-registered homeless, displaced, and disadvantaged high school students served by Project 150 in Nevada. Project 150 aims to provide essentials, like food, clothing, support, and vocational information to teens experiencing homelessness, and the 2022 Partners in Progress Conference is your chance to make a difference. “We are excited to once again support Project 150,” says Carol Duncan, SMACNA-SMART Best Practices Market Expansion Task Force co-chair. “It is rewarding to make a difference in homeless teenagers’ lives, so they know that someone cares and wants to support them to be successful.” Through the partnership with Project 150, Partners in Progress attendees can purchase much needed supplies through the organization’s website, make cash donations, and volunteer to create care packages on site. “In 2020, we put together 650 bags stuffed with breakfast and snack items,” Duncan says. “We also did an impromptu, 6 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
on-the-spot fundraiser that challenged labor and management to outdoo each other. Through that effort, we raised almost $2,500. In addition, we raised another $3,000 online. I am a very competitive person, so I would like to beat last conference’s numbers in 2022.” Duncan says having a community-focused charity event like Project 150 at the 2022 Partners in Progress Conference establishes an additional layer of relationship building. “Bringing people together for a common community cause provides another opportunity to work together,” she says, and there are plenty of examples of that. For instance, in 2020, Sheet Metal and Roofing Contractors Association in Ohio and Local 24 each made a $500 donation to Project 150 as part of the Conference’s Strive to Succeed Challenge. Doug Mayse, president of SMRCA Ohio member Rieck Mechanical, donated another $500, when he was inspired by the partnership’s efforts. “Building a connection to something larger than each of us helps to build a sense of higher purpose that we can bring to everything we do going forward,” Duncan says. “Participation also impacts our own perspectives, not only at that moment, but also what we take home in our hearts.” Project 150 was founded in 2011 when a group of friends, including co-founders Patrick Spargur and Don Purdue
discovered there were 150 students at a single high school in Las Vegas who were heading into the holiday season with little more than the clothes on their backs. “These were kids who came home and their parents were gone or their homes foreclosed, and they had to make a very difficult decision—get a minimum wage job to pay for the basic essentials or participate in an education system that really wasn’t serving them,” Spargur says. The friends decided to help. That first year, they rounded up four truckfuls of clothing, blankets, and school supplies and gave out $10,000 in gift cards so the students could eat over the holidays.
A list of current critical Project 150 needs are: Food 4,000 cases of each of the food items listed are needed annually to meet the needs of homeless, displaced, and disadvantaged high school students in Las Vegas:
“We realized that we probably made ourselves feel good, but we didn’t really make in impact on the bigger issues,” Purdue says. “We decided to make a longer-term impact so we could help these kids get through high school.” Today, Project 150 is a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable organization with a number of strategic partnerships in the Nevada area. At one high school, it supplies food, gym uniforms. take-home meals, and clothing. Through a partnership with Project 150, HomeAid Southern Nevada raised $27,000 in three weeks to purchase nearly 500 backpacks for students in need. “Information for Partners in Progress attendees is available on the conference charity webpage where they will find a donation link that will allow them to shop from Project 150’s wish list of greatest needs,” says Joye Blanscett, SMACNA National’s director of labor services and human resource management. “Visiting Project 150 in 2020 really reinforced that we have picked a great local charity to support with our conference. I hope you all agree and join me in encouraging our contractors to support this cause.” Learn more at pinp.org/conferences/2022pinp/project-150 ▪ Jessica Kirby is a freelance editor and writer covering construction, architecture, travel, and sustainable living for myriad publications across Canada and the United States. She can usually be found among piles of paper in her home office or exploring nature’s bounty.
• Granola bars (cases of 60 individual bars, without nuts) • Oatmeal (cases of 52 individual packets) • Tuna & crackers or chicken & crackers (cases of 12 individual boxes) • Protein items (Vienna sausages, canned tuna/chicken, spam)
Hygiene Products • Full size bottles of shampoo, conditioner, lotion, body wash, hairspray, and hair gel • Gender-specific deodorants
Clothing & Accessories: (male and female, all adult sizes) • New t-shirts • New underwear • Hooded sweatshirts • Plus size clothing • New makeup • Bras • Wallets • Belts • Perfumes/colognes • Curling irons/blow dryers • NEW athletic shoes & dress shoes for men Order items online at pinp.org/conferences/2022pinp/ project-150
Partners in Progress » January 2022 » 7
Perspective Management: Want to solve conflict in your organization? Try a new perspective on for size. By / Deirdre McCarthy Gallagher The project was behind schedule, and the Local’s business manager had heard reports that the contractor was pushing his union team to move at a pace that was unrealistic and unsafe. One afternoon, a union member was rushing from one part of the site to another and dropped some tools. While he was picking them up, the contractor walked over and started berating the worker at the top of his lungs. The business manager stepped between the two and said, very loudly, “That’s enough! This is unacceptable. I won’t let you treat my team that way!” The contractor curled his fists and decided it wasn’t the right time to explain that the same worker had dropped tools twice already that same day and had been told to slow down and be more careful. Workers separated the contractor and the business manager, but their suppressed anger cast a chill over the worksite. 8 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
Conflict in the workplace is often a matter of perspective. In the face of difficulty or challenge, we first become aware that something is happening through our senses, hearing something that someone says or seeing something that someone does. Because our work environments are complex, with competing demands, we develop shortcuts to make sense of what we see. Daniel Kahneman, author of Thinking Fast and Slow, talks about this in terms of fast and slow thinking. Fast thinking operates automatically and quickly with little effort and no sense of voluntary control—finding the sum of 2+2 or riding a bicycle, for example. Slow thinking, on the other hand, requires us to devote attention and mental energy to the task at hand—as we well know, filling out a tax form or parallel parking are slow thinking tasks. Fast thinking is continuously at work, generating impressions, intuitions, intentions, and
Perceptions of these stories are powerful but typically inaccurate because we highlight information that supports our prior beliefs and filter out conflicting information.
feelings, and it works well most of the time. But not always. Our fast-thinking brain is a facile and creative storyteller that interprets and gives weight to information in a selective and biased way—that is, to support a pre-existing narrative it has constructed. Perceptions of these stories are powerful but typically inaccurate because we highlight information that supports our prior beliefs and filter out conflicting information. The business manager heard that the contractor was rushing his crew, so when the business manager saw the contractor yelling at a worker, clearly (to him), this was proof that the contractor was pushing the crew too hard. Perception may prevent us from hearing or processing information from someone we perceive as the “other side”. This data gap leads us down a path riddled with assumptions. In the absence of information, we jump to conclusions. We quickly attribute a motive to the other person’s actions, an attribution that is often incorrect because it is impacted by such factors as the degree of control we believe the other person had over their actions, whether we think that their actions were intentional, and our history with and trust of the other person. This let-assumptions-fill-in-the-context dynamic is further complicated by a tendency to assume the “other side’s” bad action is reflective of their bad character. All of this is to say: we may descend into conflict management behaviors that are more destructive than constructive. And that’s how small, nipin-the-bud problems turn into massive and expensive ones. So how do we get back on track? What can an individual do? • We create space to cool down. This may take the form of a deep breath, going for a walk, or, as the adage goes, counting to 10 when angry and, if very angry, counting to 100. William Ury, author of Getting Past No: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, recommends suspending your reaction to regain your mental balance by imagining yourself going to a balcony and looking down on the conflict. In going to the balcony, you are taking a step back to gain perspective and stem an instinctual reaction that may not be positive. • We reflect on what is happening by considering our perspective and emotions and the other person’s perspective and emotions—as difficult as that may be. Using the tool of cognitive reappraisal, a process that involves reexamining
the facts underlying a conflict to see if there are alternative, non-threatening explanations for it, gives us a means of cooling ourselves down to inquire further and find out what is occurring. • We keep our eyes on what we want to achieve. In a workplace or organization, we are thinking about the big picture. Who else is involved? Are there any organizational systems or cultural factors that are contributing to the conflict? With that in mind, let’s think back to the conflict between the business manager and the contractor. As they viewed the same exchange, they saw different things based on their different perspectives, which was not a signal to dig in their heels; but rather, that there was additional information to gather and communication to explore. We come to the workplace each day with tasks to complete and jobs to do. Taking a step back to gain perspective—and understand the perspectives of others— can help to break down the obstacles to doing just that. To learn more about recognizing the role of perspective in conflict resolution and to gain practical strategies for solving conflict in your organization, check Diedre Gallagher’s talk at the 2022 Partners in Progress Conference, March 1-2, 2022 in Las Vegas. Register today at pinp.org/conferences/2022pinp ▪ Deirdre McCarthy Gallagher, Esq., is highly regarded for her ability to resolve both two-party and multiparty disputes in a range of areas, including employment to organizational matters. With over 20 years of experience as a mediator, facilitator, and ADR consultant, Ms. McCarthy Gallagher is known for her persistence and patience in bringing parties together in the most intractable of cases. Partners in Progress » January 2022 » 9
Adaptability and Resilience
By /Lisa Bordeaux
“It’s not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” -Charles Darwin The year 2021 was a case study in the need for adaptability and resilience. The global pandemic impacted so many areas of our lives, at times it felt like we were living on another planet. Yet, here we are, reading another issue of Partners in Progress with a fresh perspective on the importance of resilience. Do you want a team that stops at every obstacle or one that overcomes? Does stress result in your team becoming overly emotional or freeze their capacity? People are resilient when they have a positive outlook, deal with difficult situations with relative ease, and overcome negative emotions despite difficult situations. Resilient individuals are more engaged and positive. They adapt to stressful situations and help others overcome the inevitable setbacks of life and work. The most resilient among us see challenges as opportunities. They believe adaptability and resilience are life skills worth building. We all have a role to play in developing resilience in the sheet metal trade. Psychology professor and researcher Carol Dweck asserts that resilience is based on the belief that we can improve. Believing that you can improve is a key factor of a “growth mindset”. 10 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
In her TED Talk on the “Power of Believing you can Improve,” she states that a person with a growth mindset believes they can improve and develop. This mindset provides optimism, resilience, and a willingness to take risks. In her studies, she learned you can foster a growth mindset with just two words: “Not Yet”. Tested extensively in Chicago schools, teachers began using those two words to great effect. They changed from giving students who fell behind a “Failing” grade to a “not yet” grade. That small label had a big impact and enabled students to persist. “not yet” changed the paradigm because it meant they weren’t done. They could pass if they kept trying and learning. This simple switch from “you failed” to “not yet” causes a cascade of resilience-friendly effects. It reduces the negative emotions associated with failure. It’s the difference between someone saying, “I can’t” and “I can”. Imagine you climb a mountain and someone asks, “Have you gotten to the top?” The answer “not yet” is very different from, “I failed.” It implies you haven’t reached your goal, but you are going to keep trying—a hallmark of resilience.
Why is resilience important?
Without resilience, your team is likely to crumble under the pressure of stressful situations. Members are going to embrace the way things are, and they will be inflexible and resistant to
change, preferring to stick to what they know. This impacts the organization, and change becomes overly stressful. Resilient individuals are better at stress management. Fostering resilience results in positive health outcomes. To fully understand the importance of resilience on health and safety, consider the effect job stress has on our companies and workforce.
The Cost of Job Stress
Job stress is estimated to cost American companies more than $300 billion each year, once you add up health costs, absenteeism, poor performance, and resulting turnover. According to Umass Lowell, an American research university, healthcare expenditures are nearly 50% higher for workers who report high levels of stress, and job stress is the source of more health complaints than financial or family problems. Contractors estimate replacing an employee costs 120% to 200% of the salary of the position affected, and the average total cost of absenteeism in a large company is more than $3.6 million each year. For the workforce, it is important to know that depressive illness, a side affect of job stress, is associated with nearly 10 annual sick days, and overall, depression is the largest single predictor of absenteeism and work-related performance According to The American Institute of Stress, more than one-third of Americans said their jobs were a source of stress— and this was in 2018, before COVID. Among Millennials and Gen Z, this statistic jumps to 44%, further proving that stress is on the rise among young people and has continued to grow over the past three decades. The same source says that 54% of workers report that job stress affects their home life. In a survey conducted in 2017, the American Psychological Association determined that the most common sources of stress for Americans were “the future of the nation” (63%), money (62%), and work (61%). Contracting businesses and Locals alike require resilience to ensure peak performance. Most significant, in a world increasingly separated by electronic communication and a pandemic, having resilience is not a passive process. It must be actively cultivated.
How do we foster resilience?
A culture focused on improvement recognizes that there will be challenges—but the result is learning, which is positive when handled properly. As leaders in our industry, this focus on learning, continuous improvement, and resilience can better prepare our people for the future. To foster resilience, we need to re-think our approach to failure and provide people opportunities to try new things, supporting safe ways to learn from their mistakes and the mistakes of others. Safely making mistakes requires an open, supportive, and connected community. Having a social support system, the “brother/sisterhood”, and the concept of “having each other’s
Want to learn more about building resilience and becoming an agent of change? Be sure to see Lisa Bordeaux’s talk at the 2022 Partners in Progress Conference March 1-2 in Las Vegas. Visit pinp.org/conferences/2022pinp for details and to register. backs” also builds resilience. You can foster this by showing interest in what others are doing, getting to know who they are, and remembering to acknowledge and celebrate both large and small victories. The more members of an organization that trust the people they work and train with will have their backs, the more resilient they will become. Focusing on strengths—personal, group, business, economic—builds resilience. Human beings instinctually shy away from the negative and gravitate towards betterment, so focusing on positives—even in their darkest hour—helps them find the determination, grit, and resilience to overcome, achieve, and improve. Finally, it’s important to resist the urge to catastrophize when something goes wrong, and we should encourage others to do the same. Thus, it’s key to be transparent in everyday interactions, sharing when you learn something new and recognizing that learning from mistakes is a normal and healthy way to grow. Fostering resilience reduces stress and makes it much easier to overcome the challenges of life. The last couple of years were a case study for our need to grow these skills, both at home and at work. ▪ Lisa Bordeaux is a technology thought leader, and will be presenting at the 2022 Partners in Progress Conference. She has developed and implemented technology at all levels of business including the end user, installer/contractor, distributor, manufacturer, cooperative and associations. Partners in Progress » January 2022 » 11
HYATT REGENCY A P3 SUCCESS STORY
By / Robin Brunet The Hyatt Regency Portland at the Oregon Convention Center has been credited as a successful public-private development partnership and an award-winning hospitality center piece. Notably, it was an example of how good labormanagement relationships can help a team surmount technical hurdles and get complex work done on time and on budget. SMACNA member General Sheet Metal (GSM) was tasked with fabricating the $224-million facility’s exterior metal panels in its Clackamas shop, and its success was contingent upon deploying a talented team of sheet metal workers at a time when the workforce was difficult to muster. “We benefitted from collaborating with Local 16 to get 12 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
this job done as smoothly as possible,” says GSM’s Chief Executive Officer Carol Duncan. “By far the biggest challenge was that the project was underway at a time when manpower was extremely tight; there were no people in the hall, and we needed a large volume of reliable workers on the site.” Local 16 stepped in by actively recruiting new members for the project, and as a result, the Hyatt crew jumped from 150 people to about 250. “Equally important, Local 16 set up a specialized training session for the new recruits to ensure they were fully knowledgeable about the installation process for one of the panel types,” Duncan says. While the business agents that helped GSM with the Hyatt
project have moved on, Vanessa Steward, Local 16’s northwest regional rep #1, speaks of the project’s success as a byproduct of the greater need to forge partnerships in today’s business climate. “People underestimate their importance, but it’s tougher than ever for entrepreneurs to build a business in this labor market, and if they don’t succeed, neither do we,” she says. Getting Local 16 to intervene on GSM’s behalf for the Hyatt project was as easy as picking up the phone and saying ‘We need more people,’ Duncan says. “That’s the close relationship we enjoy, and it’s the outcome of both parties actively wanting to make labor-management ties stronger,” she adds. “For some time now, labor and management have needed each other to flourish, and it’s a matter of communicating transparently, ensuring that what each party communicates is heard correctly and not overasking. That’s the recipe. It’s not always easy to maintain, but it’s definitely worth it.” Common causes also go a long way in bonding between the two parties. “Carol and I are committed to encouraging women and minorities to join our trade and share ideas on how to accomplish this,” Steward says, adding that she became a journeyperson in 2001 and was once employed at GSM (prior to August 2018, when she became the first elected female business agent in Local 16’s 130-year history). While progress on that front remains a challenge, it’s worth noting that for the Hyatt project, women did 7.5% of the work— more than on most construction sites, according to developer Mortenson Company. Workers of color did 28.1% of the job, coming close to the goal of 30%. Apprentices did 27.4% of the construction work overall, exceeding the target of 20%. Duncan and Steward demonstrate that, at the end of the day, basic respect for one another’s achievements is the fundamental basis upon which partnerships can flourish. “Vanessa is able to talk to young people, and she brings them in,” Duncan says. “Once they are in training, she checks on them and is genuinely interested in them and their families.” Steward remarks, “When Carol took over GSM from her husband, she grew the company from 30 people to several hundred, and she’s constantly promoting women and minorities
“For some time now, labor and management have needed each other to flourish, and it’s a matter of communicating transparently, ensuring that what each party communicates is heard correctly, and not over-asking. That’s the recipe. It’s not always easy to maintain, but it’s definitely worth it.” —Carol Duncan, CEO, General Sheet Metal
in the sheet metal trade. We have enormous respect for one another, and we look forward to further collaborations.” The 14-storey, 600-room Hyatt features more than 440,000 square feet of floor space designed to LEED Gold standards, along with a 175,000 square foot parking garage with the ability to expand to host 120,000 square feet of additional office space. An estimated 751,927 work hours were required to complete the project. GSM used ACM and Morin panels as well as Parklex facades. “There were many challenges, including the fact that this was a congested worksite, so coordinating on-time deliveries of panels was critical,” Duncan says. Local 16 recently became a member of the SMART Northwest Regional Council (which focuses on enhancing job opportunities, wages, benefits, and working conditions for union members), and Steward points out that this fortifies labor-management relationships. “That’s because the council is comprised of Locals 16, 23, 55, 66, and 103—with a range from Alaska to Portland and east to Montana,” she says. “General Sheet Metal participates in the council, as do other companies, and it enables them to tap into projects outside of their normal jurisdictions by gaining information about regional markets, workforce situations, competing non-union signatories, and so forth.”▪ Robin Brunet’s journalism has been published in over 150 magazines, newspapers, websites, and other media across Canada and the United States since 1982.
Partners in Progress » January 2022 » 13
RICHARD MANGELSDORF: MY JOURNEY Business Manager & Financial Secretary-Treasurer, Local 280 I first started out in the sheet metal industry in 2001. A friend of mine had started an apprenticeship in sheet metal and told me all about it, so I applied for a pre-apprenticeship through the training centre and awaited placement. It was May long weekend, and I was in Tofino for my aunt’s wedding when I got the call that I would be starting on Tuesday at Ecco Heating.
For a long time, I wasn’t sure if sheet metal was the right industry for me. As an apprentice, I thought that I wasn’t built like a typical sheet metal worker, and I wondered if maybe there was a better path for me to take. Not knowing what direction to go, I left to travel for a period of time. After returning from my travels, I decided to come back and finish off my ticket. Unfortunately at that time, I was unable to get back in at Ecco, but I ended up at Austin Metal Fabricators where I worked until after I earned my ticket. It wasn’t until after I competed in the Canadian apprentice contest and started getting opportunities to teach at the training centre that I really committed to the trade. As the Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer at Local 280, I deal with the day to day operations of the Local. That might entail things like managing the finances, directing the organizer and representatives, and representing the union on numerous boards. To be honest, the position encompasses so much that it is difficult to describe everything someone in this seat takes on. I love that sheet metal is one of the few craft trades remaining. I love that our members take flat metal and form three dimensional objects for various purposes. I love that our members can drive past buildings and point out to their friends and families that they helped build them. In this industry, nothing comes easily. Everything takes hard work and persistence. I think the biggest challenges for me have always been starting in new positions. Whether becoming an instructor or a business representative, or now the business manager, all have been difficult because I try to always hold myself to the highest standards. I struggled the most when I started out as an instructor, though. During my first full-time class, I was very hard on myself, but it was mostly where I was mentally at the time, as I was in my mid-20s. I would say becoming the business manager has been more challenging, but I’ve come a long way in the last 15 or so years, so I’m handling it much better. 14 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
In this position, it’s easier to see that labor-management partnerships are important to the industry because it is a symbiotic relationship. Companies need workers and workers need companies. If companies aren’t competitive enough, there will be no hours to work for the workers. If companies don’t pay enough, they can’t attract workers to staff the jobs. Having a partnership means understanding that balance on both sides of the table and being realistic with demands. Anyone’s journey starts with the first step. If someone is interested in starting a career in sheet metal, call us at the union hall! It is a great opportunity to get a four-year education and get paid the entire time, instead of going to university and ending up with a pile of debt to go along with your diploma. ▪
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