[ En Español ]

JOHN J. FLYNN President International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers .............................

At various times in our Union’s history, members and officers have taken a step back to review where the Union is, looked ahead to future challenges, and developed plans and policies to turn those challenges into opportunities. Now is such a juncture for our Union and you can help shape our Union’s future.

At the 2000 Convention, we embarked on a strategic planning initiative called the Millennium Morning Project. We are now well into the fact finding part of the process, and during the next several months, the Executive Council will begin to draw conclusions and make recommendations for the Union based on what’s been learned.

Along the way, we’ve included progress reports in the Journal, updates on our website, prepared Issue-Bulletins for discussion at Chapter and Local meetings, and conducted open discussions at Regional Council meetings. Our goal is to keep all levels of the Union informed and involved with this process as it moves forward.

So far we’ve gained important insights into labor-market trends and regional variations in the use of masonry materials and market share. Some of this information has revealed areas where we can do better, other information has shown us what we’re doing well. One important finding from an independent study on market share revealed that we hold a larger share of our market than publicly reported for the labor movement as a whole. Clearly our commitment to organizing is paying off.

We’ve already received feedback from many of you through your participation in Local and Chapter meetings, as well as general membership surveys. From Chapter meetings in the Midwest, for example, we learned that members feel more should be done to organize the residential construction market because, as Local 8 Illinois members pointed out, doing so would “create more job opportunities for our union members.”We’ve learned what members foresee as key challenges for our Union today and in the years ahead. Members of Local 7 Kentucky of the Southern Ohio ADC and Local 5 Ohio of the Northern Ohio ADC, for example, cited the increasing cost of health care as a critical issue that will continue to impact our Union and industry in the future.

The goal of this strategic planning process is to address these opportunities and challenges, prepare our Union to weather down-turns in construction activity, such as those surfacing now in some markets, and to position every Local to keep our members working. As we move into this next and final phase of the study, your input becomes even more critical. The Executive Council wants to hear from you. There are many ways that you can stay informed and involved. I encourage you to raise questions at Union meetings and ask your Local officers to pass your concerns, suggestions and questions to the IU and the Executive Council. You can also learn more about the project here on BACWeb, by reading read updates in the Journal, and by participating in surveys on this project. On behalf of the IU Executive Board, I’d like to thank you in advance for your input and cooperation in the Project’s next phase, and for helping to shape a future for our Union we can all be proud of.

If you have ideas for stories or issues of concern, let us know by emailing us at askbac@bacweb.org or writing to:

International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers
Attention: Communications Department
1776 Eye Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006