PartnersINProgress SMACNA & SMART—Building a Future Together
May 2021
“It’s so kinetic, you have to bend down to get in front of a unit that isn’t actually there...”
PartnersINProgress SMACNA & SMART—Building a Future Together
JOSEPH SELLERS, JR. ANGELA SIMON Co-Publishers KAARIN ENGELMANN editor@pinpmagazine.org Editor-in-Chief
8 CONTENTS
May 2021 - Volume 15, Number 5
3 SMACNA & SMART: EMBRACING THE FUTURE AND HONORING HISTORY Honoring 75 years of partnership between SMACNA and SMART. 4 THE SHEET METAL E-VOLUTION The sheet metal industry is in the middle of a revolution and SMACNA and
SMART are making the most of it.
7 CHRIS CARLOUGH: MY JOURNEY
Chris Carlough’s interest in removing the stigma from talking about mental health and addiction is changing the industry forever.
10 REACHING OUT
Peer mentors offer a helping hand and an open ear to members of the sheet metal industry struggling with mental health and addiction.
JESSICA KIRBY jkirby@pointonemedia.com Editor POINT ONE MEDIA INC. artdept@pointonemedia.com Creative Services
Partners in Progress is a publication of the Sheet Metal Industry LaborManagement Cooperation Fund. All contents ©2021 by the Sheet Metal Industry Labor-Management Cooperation Fund, P.O. Box 221211, Chantilly, VA 20153-1211. 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. For comments or questions, email editor@pinpmagazine.org.
11 THE ANSWER TO THIS ONE QUESTION REVEALS YOUR SUCCESS AS A LEADER
Hint: It involves the way you influence your team.
12 VIETNAM VETERANS’ MEMORIAL WALL
Morris Sheet Metal and Local 20 honor the fallen with The Healing Wall.
14 TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY PARTNERSHIP: PART III
National programs and initiatives that have strengthened the foundation of
labor-management partnerships.
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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
SMART & SMACNA:
Embracing the Future and Honoring History
The past few months, Partners in Progress has been taking our readers on a trip down memory lane to catalog the journey and growth of the SMACNA-SMART partnership. The reason was two-fold. First, to commemorate 75 years of partnering at the national/international level and second, to inspire local areas to begin or continue to work together for the betterment of the signatory sheet metal industry. One of the most important advantages of developing an effective labor-management partnership is the ability to jointly study evolving industry technology and trends and devise a strategy to pursue new work opportunities. “The Sheet Metal E-Volution” starting on page 4 provides good examples of how innovative contractors and their Locals can collaborate to pursue industry work opportunities in remote systems and monitoring technologies. These are driven by multiple factors, including enhanced interest in smart buildings, energy efficiency, the pandemic-related ventilation improvements, and climate change. Each year, millions of North Americans face the reality of living with a mental illness. When the SMACNA-SMART partnership began in 1946, there was a tremendous stigma surrounding the topics of mental illness, suicide, and addiction. That stigma prevented people, including those in the sheet metal industry, from getting the help they needed to live fulfilling and comfortable lives. Today, there are few families who have not experienced a loved one struggling with mental illness or addiction. In commemoration of May as Mental Health Awareness Month, we feature how the sheet metal industry’s SMART MAP (Member Assistance Program) is “Reaching Out” (page 10) with a peer mentoring program that identifies and trains SMART and SMACNA members to provide first contact, frontline support for those in our industry who are struggling. If your area has not participated in SMART MAP training, act today to bring this life-altering program to your area. Also, be sure to read this month’s “My Journey” on page 7 to learn why the SMART MAP program is a “labor of love” for SMART’s Director of Education. He believes that the health of our members and workforce is the most important common interest for labor and management. Successful labor-management partnerships require inspiring leaders on both sides. Different people have varying criteria they use to determine their success as leaders. Many of those criteria involve “backward” data points—an example would be, “Did I reach my sales goals for the last calendar year?” Want to learn a way to assess the effectiveness of your leadership in real time? Page 11 reveals the one question you can ask yourself to reveal your true success as a leader. (Hint: It involves the influence you have on your team!)
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The North American sheet metal and construction industry has always had a strong alliance with those who serve their countries. Most recently, SMACNA and SMART have collaborated to recruit service members leaving the military for great careers in our industry. The month of May provides us with an opportunity to honor those American service members who made the ultimate sacrifice and died in service to their country. (Our Canadian partners honor their fallen heroes on Remembrance Day in November.) Check out “Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Wall” on page 12 to see how Morris Sheet Metal and Local 20 at Fort Wayne’s SMART Army pooled their resources to build The Healing Wall, an 80% size replica of the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in Washington, DC, that honors 58,320 fallen service heroes, including 1,534 from their home state of Indiana. We round out the May issue with the third article in our series honoring the achievements of the National SMACNASMART partnership, reviewing the 21st century programs that strengthened our partnership foundation (see page 14). Tune in to the June edition for the current tools and programs available to build your local labor-management partnership. ▪
« SMACNA-SMART Partnership Turns 75 in 2021 » SMACNA and SMART have been Partners in Progress for 75 years, and it is time to celebrate. Tell us about your partnership success story, share your organization’s partnership initiatives, or send in photos—recent or historical—that show off your labor-management partnership. Contact editor@pinpmagazine.org Partners in Progress » May 2021 » 3
The Sheet Metal
E-Volution By / Natalie Bruckner
The sheet metal industry is in the midst of a digital transformation. While historically the construction sector has been considered among the least digitized, an E-volution in the sheet metal industry is dramatically improving the way in which it operates, making work safer, more efficient, and more cost effective, and giving contractors and Locals that embrace technology an important competitive advantage. From remote connectivity that monitors and maintains buildings while ensuring safe working conditions for its occupants to advanced robotic platforms that autonomously navigate job sites and can draw straight lines with 1/16-inch accuracy, the technological tools available today are mindblowing. Staying ahead of the changes, however, can be overwhelming. Through the jointly-funded International Training Institute (iTi), SMART and SMACNA are helping to ensure their employees and members continue to be the most competent and skilled workforce available.
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“We have been offering classes in our Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing (TAB) curriculum on direct digital controls for quite some time now,” says Mike Harris, program administrator at the iTi. “The student gets to explore building automation systems that allow building-related equipment to be centrally monitored, adjusted, and controlled.” While COVID-19 has undoubtedly shone a spotlight on the benefits of remote technology, increasing awareness about energy reduction measures has also made this a hot topic. So hot, in fact, that Darrell Garrison, TAB specialist at the iTi, says courses have been filling up within days of being advertised, adding that TAB training at JATCs has also increased. “TAB and TAB proficiency have definitely become a focal point,” Garrison says. “While the pandemic heightened awareness due to the ventilation aspect and the importance of air quality, the increasing focus on climate change has also spurred interest. During the pandemic we have been thinking more about the world around us, the idea of a living building, and the role of the HVAC system within the building.” But remote technology doesn’t stop at direct digital controls. The iTi remains in contact with a number of smart technology companies, such as Dusty Robotics—a start-up that builds robot-powered tools to complete important tasks on construction sites. “They are doing a lot of beta testing right now with cutting-edge technology to autonomously navigate the job site,” Harris says. The adoption of technology supports and requires a skilled workforce, and rather than replacing human power, it ensures greater accuracy and troubleshooting capabilities. Technology also improves worker safety by mitigating many of the backbreaking, laborious tasks. And despite a robot’s efficacy in doing the heavy lifting, a person’s critical thinking and skilled training will remain essential. “The control side is expanding quickly, but what makes our people good at what they do is they have done the hands-on piece and have a deep understanding
of what is required,” Harris says. “Technology can’t replace that knowledge.” Garrison agrees. In fact, he is seeing increasing interest in augmented reality, which refers to systems that mix the virtual world with the existing world. It is an excellent adjunct to designing, planning, and viewing a project or system before getting your hands dirty, because it lets the real world stay as it is and lays a simulation over it. “When we are onsite, for example, we can populate a virtual component of a system, interact with it, and digitally manipulate parts of it,” Garrison says. “It’s extremely beneficial for troubleshooting and saves a lot of time on calls and being put on hold or having to wait for a mentor to drive to the site. In the future, field work and augmented reality will work hand in hand.” SMACNA contractor Jerry Jannicelli of Technical Building Services (TBS) Controls in New York also sees remote technology as an excellent tool for the industry. His company provides independent temperature control and mechanical maintenance, and is experiencing increased demand for the service, particularly as buildings become smarter. “Buildings are starting to be built for occasional users, so smart remote technology can meet those needs,” he says. “Advanced controls can limit HVAC consumption in unoccupied building zones, detect and diagnose faults, and reduce HVAC usage during times of peak energy demand. We just need to look at the automotive industry. Today, you expect your car to tell you when to change the oil or when the air pressure is low, and that’s what we want buildings to do.” Smart technology is also becoming invaluable in training centers as they reap the benefits of its advancement. The iTi and many JATCs have adopted virtual reality in their training to allow apprentices and technicians to learn remotely. “Most of our schools have gotten onboard and are using VR in some way,” Garrison says. “It’s so kinetic, you have to bend
“
The adoption of technology supports and requires a skilled workforce, and rather than replacing human power, it ensures greater accuracy and troubleshooting capabilities.
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Partners in Progress » May 2021 » 5
The Sheet Metal E-volution
“As this generation begins to enter the workforce, getting the word out there that the sheet metal industry has embraced this kind of technology as one of the many tools on its belt will ensure the health of the industry for many years to come.” — Mike Harris, program administrator, iTi
down to get in front of a unit that isn’t actually there. You are building up the muscle memory for those tasks. You can work on a unit right in your living room. It’s gamified, too, which makes it fun, and it becomes addictive. My colleague Lisa Davis and I have caught ourselves at 1 a.m. with our Oculus headsets on, completing a simulation and earning points.” While iTi and JATCs offer remote technology training through courses like TAB, remote systems can be very specific. That is why companies like TBS Controls offer inhouse training or training through the manufacturers to get their teams up to speed. Jannicelli says the people he employs must have experience in a variety of disciplines. He believes sheet metal workers are a great fit for learning and adopting remote technology because they have spatial awareness, posess knowledge of ventilation and air flow, and are critical thinkers.
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Embracing technology is just a smart way forward because of its overt safety and productivity benefits. It also allowed companies like TBS Controls to operate their remote divisions during the pandemic—even before construction was declared essential—ensuring their workforce stayed on the job. Technology also provides benefits when it comes to recruiting a younger, tech savvy generation that embraces gamification. “As this generation begins to enter the workforce, getting the word out there that the sheet metal industry has embraced this kind of technology as one of the many tools on its belt will ensure the health of the industry for many years to come,” Harris says. ▪ 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.
CHRIS CARLOUGH: MY JOURNEY Educational Director, SMART International In my house, sheet metal was a family affair. My father was general president for SMART International, and my grandfather was general president before him. The third generation always slacks a little bit, so I only became educational director. I grew up listening about labor disputes, organizing campaigns, and union issues at the dining room table. That is how I became involved. I became an area organizer in 1986 and worked as an international organizer for the union for 20 years before being asked to take over as education director about 14 years ago.
Two of my main interests in the union are mental health of the entire membership and their representatives, and promoting diversity and inclusion. I am interested in advocacy for people who are struggling with mental health, addiction, and thoughts of suicide, as well as for all the people suffering, because addiction is a family disease. One of my top priorities is looking to normalize mental health so talking about it becomes as open and stigmafree as discussing any other illness. We have started doing this work through SMART MAP, an awareness and peer support program focusing on mental health, of which I am very proud. As a guy in long-term recovery, it’s important to do my part
in killing stigma around substance use disorder by sharing my story, and if this issue resonates with you, reach out to your business manager and find out more about the SMART MAP program. I also have a strong interest in diversity, equity, and inclusion. I strongly believe expanding our union in terms of gender and race is central to our future, but I don’t believe we can be successful without ending the culture of hazing, bullying, and harassment and without striving to be kinder—it doesn’t mean that we can’t be tough guys and gals, but let’s take the fight to the non-union sector and other trades who look to infringe on work within our scope. This is really important to me. The sheet metal industry is a great place to make a living and to be in a position to have a good life. My dad used to say, “If you honestly tell sheet metal workers the whole story, they will always make the right decisions.” He felt we were the smartest of all the trades. I have always tried to hold on to that. I think that no matter what we are trying to do or what cause we are hoping to advance for the sheet metal industry, if labor and management don’t do things together, we are operating in silos. Finding and following our common ground is at the heart of partnerships. It sounds cliché, but together we do it better. Survival and growth of the construction industry? That’s a common interest. The physical and mental health of our members and employees? That’s a common interest. Meeting the challenges of today’s construction industry, whether embracing the changing demographics or working through new technologies and other areas of mutual agreement? That is a common interest. It is key for us to be able to survive and thrive and to work on those areas we have in common. We owe that to our members, our contractors, and our industry. ▪ Partners in Progress » May 2021 » 7
Reaching Out SMART MAP peer mentoring program provides on the ground help and resources for employees and members struggling with mental health and addiction. By / Jessica Kirby
When Bryan Johnson, business agent at Local 66 in Washington, received a call from a member late at night saying a loved one was in trouble, he knew just what to do. Within minutes, Johnson was able provide step-by-step direction on how the member could approach the situation safely, and he was able to pull up the exact resources the member’s loved one needed with two clicks of a mouse. “In all my years as representative, the absolute best days have been those when I was able to assist in something like that,” Johnson says. “There isn’t a person out there who wouldn’t feel good about having the training and resources to save or better a life in a time of crisis.” 8 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
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There is that piece of people not wanting to ask for help in general. It’s not that they don’t have instructors and contractors who care and have empathy. They do. They just don’t want to let anyone know they are struggling.
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—Chris Carlough, Educational Director, SMART Johnson is just one of more than 100 Local members, contractors, and JATC instructors who have participated in the SMART MAP peer mentoring program, an outreach-based program that delivers practical and effective tools for assisting individuals struggling with suicidal ideations, mental health, and addiction issues. The peer training program launched in 2019 as a result of the ground work laid by the SMART MAP Awareness trainings, which have taken place since 2013. SMART MAP conducted four training sessions in the fall of 2019, delivering approximately 21 hours of training on communication, confidentiality, and resource navigation to Local 66 in Seattle, Local 9 in Denver, Local 36 in St. Louis, and Locals 22, 25, and 27 in New Jersey. “This is awareness training skill building that enable the peer mentors to be front line advocates and resource providers for anyone needing mental health assistance,” says Chris Carlough, educational director for SMART and co-founder of the SMART MAP program. “The training includes strong communication skills and the ability to have difficult conversations. This isn’t a link to a 1-800 EAP type of program.” Mentors are also taught how to identify potential signs of addiction or mental health challenges, things like an alwayson-time employee suddenly experiencing chronic lateness, or changes in coordination or energy levels. The training closes with a segment on self-care, because compassion fatigue is real and peer mentoring is taxing and sometimes frustrating work. SMART MAP engaged not only business managers and organizers to complete the training, but also rank and file members. “We identified individuals who had certain traits in common—people who were interested in peer mentoring, who the rest trusted and respected, and who wanted to help and had some empathy for the issues,” Carlough says. Nearly 100 people were trained in the 2019 group, including some contractor members, and then COVID slammed the door on the program. Although certain components of the training were already online, taking the entire course online is a difficult endeavor because of the critical role breakouts, role playing, and storytelling play in the training. “In the training, we learn to ask open-ended questions, practice motivational interviewing, and have some tough conversations,” Carlough says. “These are skills it takes most of us our whole lives to learn, if we learn them at all. You can
do pieces online but words account for only seven percent of the equation. Everything else is body language and tone.” An essential component of the program’s roll-out has been having contractors and representatives from SMACNA national participate in the program because it is an encouraging step towards eliminating some of the stigma the workforce feels about approaching an employer to discuss these issues. “There is that piece of people not wanting to ask for help in general,” Carlough says. “It’s not that they don’t have instructors and contractors who care and have empathy. They do. They just don’t want to let anyone know they are struggling, and they are thinking about protection of job and status.” As SMACNA’s Director of Market Sectors and Safety, Mike McCullion became acutely aware of SMART MAP’s importance when statistics reported the country’s highest suicide rates in the construction industry. “That was a real eye-opener,” he said. “When the SMART MAP program expanded and became available, I attended to understand what it was all about, and I was absolutely blown away.” McCullion says some of the most surprising and impactful elements of the course included learning about the complexity of mental health and addiction problems and the willingness of participants to share the ways these issues have affected them personally. “It was a very personal course,” he says. “I learned so much about mental health and addiction, and I felt truly obliged to Chris because up to that point, few contractors had been involved, so I felt privileged to represent SMACNA and contractors. I got a great deal out of it. It really gave me an enlightened perspective on the depth of addiction and how difficult it can be to get out.” Another mental health training being developed and delivered by the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention, along with SMART and SMOHIT, is a one-hour suicide prevention training. “Every year, suicide impacts construction workers heavily, taking nine times as many lives as the “fatal four” (e.g. falls, caught between objects, electrocutions, and struck by objects) Partners in Progress » May 2021 » 9
Reaching Out
take on the job,” Carlough says. “That makes construction one of the industries most affected by suicide.” Carlough’s team is in the process of reaching out to all who have attended the three-day SMART MAP Awareness Mental Health Champions course to complete a six-hour Train the Trainer session and, in turn, bring that education back to their business, chapter, or Local. “Our goal is that each trainer will facilitate 10 trainings of 25 people each,” Carlough says. “That would affect 10%, or 20,000 people, in our membership.” SMACNA is working with Carlough to prepare awareness training to be delivered through SMACNA’s chapter education programs, beginning with two webinars—one on mental health, addiction, and wellness and a second on suicide prevention— and rolling into 2022, SMACNA will be working to offer chapters in-person training on the same subjects. “I think the workplace culture is shifting,” McCullion says. “As more and more contractors receive education on these issues, they are understanding how to respond in a positive way and work with employees to help them get the help they need.” Bryan Johnson has actually attended several SMART MAP trainings and says he learns something new every time. “It really changes your perspective on things and it really grabs you because there are people who have gone through some very serious issues and survived,” he says. Several Local 66 representatives have taken the training, but recognizing the need for on the ground members, the union also identified rank and file members to attend. “When someone is in need, they don’t necessarily look for a person who might be in the know,” Johnson says. “They turn to the people who are nearby and who they feel they can trust. We knew we had to get the resources into the hands of the people nearest them.” Carlough and his team are still working out the best way to identify potential mentors, noting it takes a certain kind of person to relate to others who are struggling. “I have been in recovery for most of my adult life, so I know what the lies sound like,” Carlough says. “If you ask a local to identify peer 10 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
mentors, many of those volunteers will be in recovery so they know the experience and have lived it, and they can be there for their co-workers.” SMART MAP is developing hard hat stickers to subtly identify peer mentors and, so far, the idea has been enthusiastically received. McCullion says contractors can be at the forefront of moving this kind of program forward because they realize this is a safety issue and that the health and safety of the workforce is so important. “We all want to move toward that goal of taking the shame and stigma away from this,” he says. “Employees shouldn’t have a negative perception of how they will be received by their employer. We all have our challenges—2020 tested that, for sure. What needs to be understood is that people are different and handle things in different ways. But we all have things that need handling.” Collectively, SMACNA and SMART are well positioned to change the culture and stigma around these issues by connecting on common ground. “The important thing to remember about labor and management is that there is no person on either side who would deny that these issues are a real concern,” Johnson says. “Of course, this relates to work and work benefits from people getting help, but we would all agree it is so much more than that.” To learn more about SMART MAP or becoming a peer mentor, contact your business manager or email Chris Carlough at ccarlough@smart-union.org. Carlough and Ben Cort, marijuana education expert, presented a seminar on SMART MAP for SMOHIT’s Safety Champions Conference in March 2021. Those interested can contact Mike McCullion or Randy Krocka at SMOHIT for recordings of that session or any session presented at the conference. ▪ Jessica Kirby is a freelance editor and writer covering construction, architecture, mining, travel, and sustainable living for myriad publications across Canada and the United States.
The Answer to This One Question Reveals Your Success as a Leader By / Randy Conley Judging the performance of a leader can be tricky. One person’s notion of a successful leader can be the polar opposite of another’s. It’s hard to agree upon a common definition of leadership, much less the definition of success. Do you define a leader’s success as hitting a revenue goal? Is it the satisfaction scores from your customers? How about employee engagement statistics? Is that your primary measure of success? There’s no shortage of metrics that are used to judge a leader’s effectiveness, but most of them are backwardlooking data points. How can you judge your success as a leader in real time? Let me suggest a single question that can help you calibrate the effectiveness of your leadership at any moment in time: Are my people better off because of my influence in their lives? At its most fundamental level, leadership is an influence process. Leaders are charged with influencing the attitude and actions of their team members. It doesn’t matter the setting, organization, or objective; leaders’ influence is received by their team members in either positive or negative ways. How does your influence manifest itself in these common areas critical to leadership effectiveness? Teamwork and Collaboration—Does your leadership result in team members working together cohesively and collaborating to achieve a common goal, or do team members compete to diminish the accomplishments of others, or worse, stab each other in the back? Innovation and Creativity—Positive-influence leaders foster a culture of trust and psychological safety. They create an environment where team members feel safe to take risks, try something new, and use their best judgment to solve problems. Conversely, negative-influence leaders rule with fear and intimidation. They punish people for stepping out of line, or heaven forbid, using their brains at work. Sustainable Performance and Results—Lest you think all this talk about positively influencing people is a bunch of
touchy-feely nonsense, let’s talk about results. At the end of the day, leaders are out to help their teams accomplish specific objectives. Contrary to popular opinion, caring about results and caring about people are not mutually exclusive. Just about any bad leader can drive short-term results, but it’s the good leaders who are able to sustain performance and results over a long period of time. Does your leadership influence produce inconsistent, flash in the pan success, or does it result in steady achievement and growth? Member Growth and Advancement—Examining the employee lifecycle on your team is an insightful way to measure your influence. If you experience frequent turnover, morale problems, or employee grievances, that tells you something (hint…it’s not good). On the other hand, if team members leave because they’ve gained new skills, improved their performance, and are moving on to bigger and better opportunities, that tells you something else (hint…that’s good). One of the best testimonials to your influence as a leader is what former team members say about you. What’s the word on the street about your leadership? Are my people better off because of my influence in their lives? It’s a sobering question, isn’t it? But it’s also a great one for assessing the quality of your leadership. What’s your answer to that question? ▪ Randy Conley, vice president of professional services and trust practice leader at The Ken Blanchard Companies, is the author of the Leading with Trust blog. You can follow Randy on Twitter @RandyConley or connect with him on LinkedIn. Partners in Progress » May 2021 » 11
vietnam veterans’ memorial wall Honoring our Fallen Heroes By Robin Brunet
With 1,534 of the 58,320 names inscribed on its black anodized aluminum surface representing fallen heroes from Indiana, the new Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Wall at the Veterans National Memorial Shrine and Museum in Fort Wayne, Indiana, has a special meaning for veterans in that state, while paying tribute to everyone who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. It is also a source of pride for SMACNA member Morris Sheet Metal Corp and Local 20 Fort Wayne SMART Army, which pooled their resources to turn this long-awaited project into reality. “It first came on our radar in December 2020, when it was announced that a replica of the wall would be erected in Fort Wayne,” recalls Darryl Esterline, business representative for Local 20. “Given the importance of the project to so many families, we told the organizers that SMART Army would volunteer our services to honor our fallen heroes.” The aptly named Healing Wall is an 80% size replica of the actual Vietnam Wall in Washington, DC, standing eight feet tall, 360 feet long, and made up of 72 panels. The arrangement of the wall is such that the names of service members who lost 12 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
their lives are in a ‘V’ configuration, with the eight-foot panels in the middle of the ‘V’ tapering down to the smallest on the ends, which are just two feet tall. The wall toured the country for a decade, and public donations enabled the Shrine to purchase the panels last December, at which point they were put into storage while concrete footers, support structuring for the wall, and surrounding grounds were prepared to receive the panels. The remaining challenge may have been small in size, but it was crucial to the success of the project—a system was required that would fix the panels to the concrete firmly but without undue visual clutter. It was the perfect task for Local 20, which, like SMART Armies in other jurisdictions, is dedicated to investing in its community with volunteer efforts, unity, and outreach. “We had only three weeks to develop a fastener, and standard J-channels would have been inefficient and costly,” Esterline says. “After considering three different concepts and a lot of trial and error, we created a blind fastening system whereby each panel would have two male clips on the top and bottom, and the concrete wall where it would attach would have two
“It helps that I worked for most of the owners of companies in the Fort Wayne area until I became a business representative in 2013. So, when I’m approached with problems, I can propose solutions based on practical experience.” —Darryl Esterline, business representative, Local 20
corresponding female clips. The panel would hook to the top clips and, thanks to a clearance of just one sixteenth of an inch, be able to settle on the bottom clips.” Thomas Laubhan, president at Morris Sheet Metal, says the request by Esterline to fabricate the clips was right up his alley, considering the company’s involvement in a variety of custom applications. “We provided CAD drawings and sample mockups, followed by approval of the fasteners and shop fabrication,” Laubhan says. “In addition to being invisible, the beauty of the system is that the panels are set slightly away from the concrete, allowing for seasonal expansion and contraction.” SMART Army came up with an ingenious way to ensure the system worked. “We created a prototype by building our own panels and test mounting them on a plywood wall,” Esterline says. “That way, we avoided any potential damage to the real panels, and on-site installation would be that much easier.” Laubhan, who also donated tools and equipment for the installation process, says it was an honor to be part of the SMART Army project. “Darryl is always on the lookout for ways contractors and the union can get involved in worthy causes, and this was a great one,” he says. To say both parties enjoy a close working relationship in Fort Wayne would be an understatement. “I’ve known Darryl since I was sweeping the floor of his workplace when I was 17 and he was a sheet metal journeyman,” Laubhan says. “We’ve
never dwelled on any division between labor and management because we both want the industry to grow and give employees a good living wage. Sure, we have our differences from time to time, but only with particulars.” Esterline agrees. “If we’ve ever had a problem or issue between us that lasted more than a day or so, I’d be surprised,” he says, adding that this bond exists throughout his Local’s 275-strong building trades membership, which covers 16 counties in Northeast Indiana. “It helps that I worked for most of the owners of companies in the Fort Wayne area until I became a business representative in 2013. So, when I’m approached with problems, I can propose solutions based on practical experience.” The Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Wall is a prime example. The installation process proved to be trouble-free, with layout completed and a few panels being installed on May 1 alone. “We were able to complete the project in advance of Veterans’ Day, and the unveiling ceremony took place on May 29,” Esterline says. “If there was a single image that made our efforts worthwhile, it was that of Fort Wayne Commander Greg Bedford of the Veterans’ National Memorial Shrine and Museum. He watched as we hung the first panel on site, and tears rolled down his cheeks.” ▪ Robin Brunet’s journalism has been published in over 150 magazines, newspapers, websites, and other media across Canada and the United States since 1982. He is also the best-selling author of two books: Red Robinson: The Last Deejay and Let’s Get Frank, as well as the upcoming The Last Broadcast. Partners in Progress » May 2021 » 13
Twenty-first Century Partnering: Part III In recognition of 75 years of the successful labormanagement initiatives between SMACNA and SMART, Partners in Progress has been mapping out key developments in the partnership journey between the two organizations. April’s issue focused on the landmark Mutual Gains Bargaining (MGB) program—the first-ever labor-management cooperative training program in the sheet metal industry. This month, we explore how and why SMACNA and SMART kicked off the 21st century with a flurry of partnership efforts and programs. Training for industry bargainers was a great start for the national associations, but as Michael J. Sullivan, former SMART general president, noted, “There are a lot of common issues that come up between contract negotiations that are best handled by labor and management working together. Programs that helped them communicate and develop a good working relationship were well worth the time and resource investments from SMACNA and SMART at the national level.” SMACNA fully agreed with Sullivan’s assessment, and the planning began for the first SMACNA-SMART Partnership Conference in Orlando, Florida, in 2000. Partnership Conferences Once again, the program was led by Bernie Flaherty, but this time there was no training on collective bargaining, and this 14 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
Michael J. Sullivan, former SMART General President who advocated for joint labor-management bargaining training and the first Partnership Conference.
was intentional. Flaherty described the goal of the program: “It’s not just negotiating a new contract every three years, but constantly working together to solve real issues. Such a partnership develops strong, ongoing, primary relationships
specific examples of best practices—things like joint marketing campaigns, labor-management cooperation committees, and how to improve strained labor-management relationships. The Task Force described the practices, documented the “how tos”, and shared the results. Then union and contractor pairs who were members of the Task Force traveled to different areas and presented details of industry best practices.
that will better serve our industry with a better quality of work life and, as a result, expanded market share.” Again, the representatives who wanted to attend the program exceeded all expectations. Plans were made to accommodate 150 attendees, but over 400 people registered. Topics included humanpower, organizing, and emerging markets, and featured an eye-opening discussion with construction owners on the factors that influence their decisions in selecting the right contractor and workforce for their projects. The success of that first partnership conference led to SMACNA and SMART holding the conference every two years. In 2006, the conference was renamed the Partners in Progress Conference. Over the years, the parties experimented with various schedules and tried backing it up to other partnership endeavors, including the National Apprenticeship Conference, Multi-Employer Benefit Fund Training for Local Trustees, and Industry Week. The Partners in Progress Conference continues to this day, and the next one is slated for March 2022. Best Practices Market Expansion Task Force “The Task Force was started in 2000 based on a simple premise: that SMART and SMACNA could be more successful cooperating and working together,” says Clark Ellis, principal and co-founder of the Continuum Advisory Group. Ellis has worked with the Task Force for several years following its formation, and it retained him several years ago to facilitate its future plans. “This premise was validated with research that found chapters and Locals who met regularly, worked on market expansion together, recruited new workers together, and cooperated on other initiatives performed better in the market than those who didn’t,” Ellis says. “And the more things they did together, the better their performance.” The early days of the Task Force were spent collecting
Clark Ellis from the Continuum Advisory group speaks at a Partners in Progress Conference. Ellis worked with the Best Practices Market Expansion Task Force at its inception in 2000 and is helping the current task force plan for future programs.
The task force put in many hours between planning meetings, traveling the country spreading the best practices news, and capturing and documenting new best practices. “One thing that was always present with the group was fun,” Ellis says. “When a group that is experienced and committed to industry advancement gets together, they will get lots of meaningful work accomplished, and they will have a blast. It was inspiring to be with such a team as they enjoyed working together to make their industry better. They got the Task Force off to a great start. “ Now that the Task Force is heading into its 20th year, its accomplishments are vast and word of its success is spreading. Some of its most impactful initiatives include the Expertise branding and websites, online resources based on best practices that all SMART and SMACNA members can use, Partners in Progress magazine, the Partners in Progress Conference, and many Chapter-Local partnerships that have progressed because they used jointly funded initiatives to improve their relationship and collaborative performance. “As the Task Force moves into the future, I’m grateful to be involved and excited to see how new leaders will take it forward, continuing to build value for the union sheet metal industry,” Ellis says. “And it’s great to know that the task force still enjoys working together and looks forward to being together as we emerge from the pandemic.” Partners in Progress » May 2021 » 15
Twenty-first Century Partnering: Part III
2002: A Significant Year in the Partnership 2002 accomplishments included: • SMACNA and SMART established and funded the first National Labor Management Cooperation Committee (LMCC) to advance the interests and prosperity of the union, its members, signatory employers and associations, and customers and users of union services in the sheet metal industry. The LMCC is funded by equal grants from SMACNA National and SMART International and provides the funding for the programs recommended by the Joint Best Practices Market Expansion Task Force (BPMETF).
Advanced MGB Training As the majority of industry bargainers were trained in MGB, requests came in to SMART and SMACNA for advanced training in collaborative bargaining. The advanced training programs went by various names, depending largely on which consultant taught the program. The national associations launched Advanced MGB in 2005 and Interest-Based Bargaining in 2007.
• The first partnership website, sheetmetalpartners.org, was launched to provide a portal where industry people could come to access information on what the industry’s contractors and unions are doing together to improve their markets. The website has been updated to pinp.org and contains information from past Partners in Progress Conferences, back issues of Partners in Progress magazine, sample marketing ads, industry photos, and many other resources to assist local partnership efforts. • The first issue of Partners in Progress magazine launched in August 2002. In 2017, the BPMETF modified Partners in Progress to a monthly format to provide more timely information on labor-management partnership initiatives. • “The genesis of the BPMETF was a recognition that neither SMACNA nor SMART could afford to avoid the reality that the market was growing but the market share of union construction was decreasing,” remarked Dennis Bradshaw, former SMACNA executive director of member services, who was staff liaison for the Task Force at its inception. “One of the first efforts was to understand how awarding entities, such as general contractors and owners, made their decisions.” The signatory portion of the industry had the perception that there was a bias in favor of non-union contractors. In 2002, the Task Force hired a professional firm and sponsored focus group sessions in four areas to find out what was important when hiring sheet metal contractors. While the task force sat behind mirrored windows, they heard frank and candid conversations among general contractors and owners about what was important. It became clear that there was no bias against signatory contractors. Competitive prices, quality construction, on time performance and expertise were the major takeaways. These focus group findings led to the development of the HVAC, Architectural, and Industrial Expertise branding efforts and websites.
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Former Cornell professor and labor-management consultant Michael Gaffney facilitated SMACNA’s Advanced Mutual Gains Bargaining Seminars and is a frequent presenter at Partners in Progress Conferences.
Regardless of the name, all advanced programs had the common theme of problem-solving, rather than not winning or losing, and bargaining in a manner that respects the value of the labor-management relationship. The SMACNA-SMART Spring Training Program for rookie or veteran bargainers was first offered in 2015. While previous MGB and advanced programs focused on simulated bargaining exercises, the Spring Training Program facilitated by Michael Gaffney, a peer of Flaherty’s at Cornell, offered parties the opportunity to bring actual negotiating issues to jump start their bargaining during the final day of the program. SMACNA’s Executive Director of Labor Relations Jason Watson noted the participants found this approach to the training was highly effective because “the training was immediately reinforced and made concrete by hands-on application.” The Task Force and the Partners in Progress team hope the history and developments that drove SMART and SMACNA to collaborate at the national and local levels will inspire you to improve your local partnership and local market standing. Next month, the final chapter of this series will provide you with the latest programs and tools to accomplish your goals. ▪
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