BAC and Industry Expert Agree – Organizing is Vital for Success

Mark Breslin

Non-union contractors want and need what only union training programs provide – a steady supply of skilled craftworkers, Mark Breslin told delegates, underscoring the theme of the Union’s new organizing video. Breslin, Executive Director of the Engineering and Utility Contractors Association and author of Organize or Die, said it’s up to union leaders to pursue and market the union-advantage to employers more aggressively.
A fourth generation contractor, Breslin urged delegates to apply business-oriented strategies to organizing initiatives. These include creating a positive, professional image of the Union and our workforce, instituting a code of excellence for members, identifying the needs of non-union contractors, and doing away with terms such as “rat” and “scab.”

Using the airline industry to illustrate this last point, Breslin asked the crowd how they would feel if, on their way home, employees of a competing airline started calling them names. “Would that make you want to book a flight with them?” Breslin asked.

These are all essential organizing tactics that can help unions build work opportunities for members and their employers, according to Breslin.