THE NUMBER ONE CHOICE

By / Natalie Bruckner

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.