Bringing the Spirit of the Convention Back Home

Not all the work of the Convention took place in the main hall. Just as important as the Convention resolutions, and just as inspiring as the speakers, were the Convention workshops that provided delegates and guests with actionable information and ideas to take home to their local unions and ADCs. Experts from the IU, other unions, government, and more shared their expertise on key issues that affect our members, locals, and the industry everyday – and gave participants the tools to keep Building Tomorrow Together for years to come. 

Building Better Local Websites

As important as the BAC Journal and local newsletters can be, today it’s the union website that often represents the first place that prospective members and contractors encounter BAC. Moreover, local websites can be a valuable resource to current members and contractors. However, a website is only as good as the work that goes into designing and maintaining it. In this workshop, participants learned from communications experts at the AFL-CIO about everything it takes to build and keep up a website as strong as our union.  

Jhon Sanchez of BAC Local 8 Southeast said the workshop is important for all Locals/ADCs. “The Union Hall template for local websites is a very good tool because nowadays everything is powered by digital platforms,” Sanchez said. “This training helps us better our website and get our messaging out to current and prospective members.” 

Building Political & Advocacy Power for the BAC

Whether we like it or not, politics shape the decisions that run our cities, states, provinces, and countries – and the laws that govern our jobsites. For the BAC, political action is often key to securing good jobs and fair wages. As attacks on labor have increased, the need for a well‐organized political program has never been greater. Participants in this workshop learned how successful locals and ADCs maximize their political influence, including best practices for

lobbying and building an effective local political program.  

BAC Local 7 Colorado/Wyoming President Jerome Gondek expressed his excitement about applying what he has learned to his local. “We are taking what we have learned back to my state legislators and letting them know who we are and what we do, including how many lives we are impacting with our training programs and the benefits that our union provides," he said. 

Building Strength and Solidarity With Peer Support Programs

Recent studies showing alarming rates of construction worker suicide and opioid overdose fatalities have led to a call to action among industry leaders. One important way that BAC can fight back against this epidemic is by building local union peer support programs – groups where members help members with the challenges that too many of us have gone through. The workshop highlighted successful examples from BAC and other unions of mental health and substance use peer support programs, and provided a framework and incentive for locals and ADCs to build or strengthen their own programs.  

"The peer support program taught us to bring awareness of mental wellness to the field,” said Michele Riley, a foreman in Local 2 Michigan. “If I see someone who is having a bad day, I will have a genuine conversation with them and encourage them to reach out and point them towards the right direction and resources.”  

Data-Based, Purpose Driven Organizing to Build Tomorrow 

BAC local unions and ADCs have resources – but they’re not infinite. If we want to maximize our financial and staff

resources to get the most from our organizing efforts, we need to collect and analyze critical data about our markets to make smart, strategic decisions about how and where to target. This workshop explored what data is needed to make those decisions, how to collect it, and – most importantly – how to analyze that data to develop sustainable and effective plans for growth.  

“This workshop is a must have for anyone looking to maximize success in organizing our future members and contractors,” said Local 9 PA Organizer Kevin Cogley.  

Developing the Members We Want

Most new BAC members have never been part of a labor union before joining. Their development begins with how the union interacts with them when they walk through the door, and it lasts throughout their careers. If we want them to be the kind of members who make BAC a strong force, we need to show them what makes the union strong. Participants in this workshop learned how to develop an educated, engaged, and committed membership through utilizing BAC’s freshly developed New Member Development program, as well as mentorship programs, career development training, and solidarity groups.  

For Scott Porter of BAC Local 1 Oregon/Washington/Idaho/Montana, lessons learned from the workshop were, “having a positive attitude towards our membership, being a good mentor, and always being willing to learn new skills to grow as a leader." 

Empowering the Rank and File: Engaging BAC Members and Supervisors in Jobsite Safety and Health

No one knows better than BAC members what the dangers are on our jobsites – but we don’t always know how to put

that knowledge to use. This workshop focused on equipping rank-and-file members and frontline supervisors with the knowledge, tools, and motivation needed to improve health and safety on job sites. Participants discussed the need for greater engagement, worker empowerment, and supervisor accountability. Through hands-on exercises, real-world scenarios, and peer discussions, participants learned how to promote a culture of safety from the ground up.   

 “Speaking with our members about safety on the job by visiting the jobsite, having a conversation with them, and pointing out safety and health hazards are the best strategies to keep our jobsites safe,” said Tony Morrow, Field Representative of BAC Local 5 Pennsylvania after attending the workshop.  

Maximizing Benefits of Investment Tax Credits

The new Investment Tax Credits (ITCs) for the 21st Century clean Canadian economy are finally here. From wind and solar to carbon capture and sequestration, generous incentives are available for companies who are building the clean economy and creating good jobs. Sean Strickland, President of Canada’s Building Trades Unions, and his staff showed participants from locals across Canada how BAC can create more union jobs from the ITCs.  

"The workshop was very educational," said Peter Traverse, BAC Local 1 Newfoundland/Labrador. "This is going to lead to more work for unions. It's going to make organizing a little easier as well. I think the investment tax credits are going to be great for Canada, great for the union, great for the labor movement." 

Recruitment that Works: Using Online Strategies & Helmets to Hardhats to Grow BAC

Recruiting new apprentices into the trade can be difficult, but investing in online recruitment is a proven way to boost our

efforts. Participants in this workshop learned practical tools and strategies to strengthen BAC’s digital presence and kickstart our online recruitment. And since one of the best places to look for new apprentices is among military service members returning to civilian life, the workshop also explored how to maximize our participation with Helmets to Hardhats (H2H) to attract more veterans into BAC.   

“The Helmets to Hardhats program is an invaluable tool. It not only puts our highly respected veterans on a career path with our trade, but with their background and skill sets the transition can be relatively easy for them. Locals 4 and 5 NJ are always looking for reliable, dedicated apprentices to go through our program and become top-notch journeypersons in the future. We're thrilled to have the veteran servicemen and servicewomen working side by side with our members out in the field,” remarked Local 5 New Jersey Field Representative Mario Cerrito, Jr.

Visual Media in the Palm of Your Hand: Using Your Cellphone to Create Engaging Content

Whether we’re recruiting new members, opening doors with non-union contractors, or engaging government officials, a picture of the amazing work that BAC members do can say a thousand words. Likewise, if we want to show where non-union work falls short, or highlight unsafe jobsites, a picture can make our case. But taking a good photo is often easier said than done. In this workshop, participants learned best practices for capturing photos and videos using their smartphones, how to share the high-resolution files, and how to use photos for social media content and flyers.  

After attending this workshop Ignacio Amoles of BAC Local 2 Michigan is ready to apply his new photography skills to jobsites.  “I really like what they were talking about, that people like to see themselves on social media,” he expressed. “Obviously if I'm out there, it's pretty cool to see yourself on the website itself. So, I think that's what we're going to be trying to do a little bit more of, taking pictures on the jobsites – the reality of what we're doing, day-in and day-out, and exposing that a little bit more.”  

The skills and strategies gained from the Convention workshops will not stay in the conference rooms. Members returned to their Local Unions/ADCs with a renewed sense of purpose and new tools to build a stronger union together.