Build. Adapt. Change.

JOURNAL: ISSUE 4 - 2015

BAC President James Boland

Adapting to and working to shape new technologies that impact BAC work opportunities, organizing more strategically and aggressively, increasing voter registration and participation among BAC members and households, diversifying the ranks of BAC members and leaders to reflect the evolving labor force, and building lasting community coalitions to accomplish these and other objectives were just some of the major topics considered at the 2015 Convention, a.k.a. BAC 150.

Build. Adapt. Change. Each word of the BAC 150 theme was spoken with deliberation and purpose by BAC President James Boland on the Convention’s opening morning. The audience of 450 delegates and guests joined in, chanting “Build. Adapt. Change!” until the Union gathering more nearly resembled a rock concert.

President Boland took the energy and ran with it. “It’s time to grow and time to build! We need to seize the opportunity to change the priorities and economy of North America.”

Boland advocated for a BAC “that seamlessly integrates the latest technologies.” As robotics become more viable and profitable, he said, “we need to be there with the technical knowledge to man those robots.” And as the use of prefabrication expands in construction, “BAC needs to be there running the fab shops.”

He asked the question, “Who will continue to build America and our Union?” and provided the answer: “a diverse workforce in our apprenticeship programs, on the job, and in our Union leadership.” He advocated concerted outreach, “to Latinos, African-Americans, women, and millennials.” For people who don’t have roots in construction, BAC needs to help them put down roots. “It’s up to us to make it happen.”

Boland explained that young people want unions and they want a voice at work. He said BAC can provide them with what they need and want. “We can show the way. As we celebrate our first 150 years,” he concluded, “we’re not here to look back, we’re here to build the future.”

Over the course of the four-day Convention program, delegates heard from industry, labor and political leaders that spoke to the various ways in which BAC can keep building, adapting and changing to strengthen the Union and its training programs, create more work opportunities for members, and to unite against lopsided economic policies that consistently “take” from the middle class to “give” to the 1%. Delegates also attended a series of educational workshops, and conducted separate regional elections for the BAC Executive Council (see page 5).

AFL-CIO President Says, ‘Go Big’

Special guest, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, began by singling out BAC’s historic role in the labor movement: “Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers have been lifting up the lives of working people for 150 years!” He spoke forcefully about combating wage stagnation, racism, mounting political threats to collective bargaining. “America should have the best infrastructure in the world!” he told delegates. “We have the most skilled and dedicated workers right here in this organization. Unions need to go big!” he shouted, arms raised. “We’re activists, we’re trade unionists!” and delegates were up out of their seats, right there with him.

Hillary Clinton - ‘I Will be Your Constant Ally and Fighter’

Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton joined delegates by phone on September 15th from the campaign trail. Responding to BAC’s September 8th endorsement of her candidacy, the former First Lady, Senator, and Secretary of State said, “I am proud and thrilled to receive BAC’s endorsement. I am going to treasure it and put it to work on behalf of our nation’s working people.” Citing attacks on organized labor by GOP candidates, Clinton said, “I will be your constant ally and fighter in Washington and across North America.” Vowing “to do everything I can do to defend the prevailing wage, defend project labor agreements, to set the standard in the construction industry”, she added, “I want to congratulate Jim [Boland] on his re-election and I hope you have a terrific 150-year anniversary of your great union and a really successful convention.” 

Pablo Alvarado - Day Laborers Organize

When day laborers organize, they raise the floor and lift labor standards for other workers. Responding to rampant wage theft and hazardous working conditions, Pablo Alvarado founded the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) in 2001. He came to BAC 150 carrying the message, “Day laborers are part of organized labor,” reflecting NDLON’s formal ties with the AFL-CIO. Though the NDLON is not a labor union, it operates 140 worker centers in 31 states and has played a vital role in raising labor standards and local minimum wages.

“Solidarity is necessary to take wages out of competition,” said Alvarado, stirring the BAC crowd with his message of unity and ended with a rousing declaration, “Viven los bricklayers! Long live the mighty bricklayers of America!” seats, right there with him.

Donna Edwards -
‘I’m Standing With You’

“I’m on fire for working people!” began U. S. Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD). A Democratic candidate for the open U.S. Senate seat in Maryland and current member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Edwards supports creating jobs by investing in infrastructure and by building schools, homes, and office buildings. Describing herself as a “foot soldier in the fight for working people,” she continued, “when I’m standing with you,” she ended, “I never stand alone!”

Both BAC Local 1 Maryland/Virginia/DC and the International Union have endorsed Rep. Edwards for Senate.