What Unites Us is Greater Than What Divides Us
Greetings, Brothers and Sisters. I hope that this issue of the BAC Journal finds you and your family healthy and safe as we enter the new year.
While the cultural and political differences within our society and across our two countries may seem intractable at times, these divisions should never overshadow the common ground that unites us as BAC members — our shared experiences as craftworkers and trade unionists united to advance the interests of workers in our industry. This is the common ground of BAC membership that rises above any superficial differences.
Organizing, training, safety, secure retirement and health benefits, and collective bargaining are the pillars that enable our union to deliver the representation and services that BAC members expect and deserve, and BAC will never shy away from advancing those goals. We will seek out opportunities to work with the administration of President-elect Trump and the incoming Congress to strengthen these pillars of unionism in the coming year, and where necessary, defend our hardfought gains (page 15).
Craftsmanship, creativity, and commitment on the job, and in our communities, is what distinguishes BAC members. The pages of this Journal are full of examples. The featured projects are a testament to the planning, preparation and skillset required to complete demanding project designs while overcoming varying logistical and jobsite challenges (pages 3–9). The training that BAC members receive is a core element of each project’s success (page 11).
While training the next generation of apprentices is critical to our union’s future, so is identifying and supporting the next generation of BAC contractors. The featured BAC Member Profile highlights the accomplishments of one such enterprising BAC member who made the successful transition from craftworker to contractor (page 14). Expanding the ranks of signatory contractors and protecting the collective bargaining agreement standards that they work under against low-road contractors is central to BAC’s ability to deliver the wages, benefits, and work conditions that we expect. That’s why strengthening the organizing skills of local union representatives is a central goal for BAC (page 10).
BAC also delivers for workers and their communities in so many other ways. Whether it’s ensuring that members have the latest information on helmet safety (page 18), or local unions helping to preserve and honor the legacy of civil rights in their community (page 12), BAC delivers because we share the need for and desire to leave our workplaces and our communities better than those that we inherited.
BAC has always changed with the times, adjusting to the challenges posed to our industry, our union, and our society. But what doesn’t change is our commitment to each other, our commitment to strengthen this union, and our commitment to advancing workers rights over corporate greed. Because at the end of the day “what unites us is greater than what divides us.”
Sisters and Brothers: Stay healthy, stay safe.