Electrical Cooperative System
Our local, our apprenticeship program and our contractors all coexist in a delicate ecosystem. In nature ecosystems stay stable through feedback loops. For example:
Too many herbivores → plants decrease → herbivore population crashes
More predators → fewer herbivores → plants recover
This constant push-and-pull creates dynamic equilibrium. One group eating another brings balance. The difference between nature and us is that in our ecosystem the relationship is symbiotic. We devour one another and we die. Our inter-relationship rewards cooperation with mutual benefit and conflict with mutual detriment. That being said actions of those with the responsibility of keeping our local ecosystem healthy and thriving require forethought and planning. A business manager who made poor contract choices not long ago serves as a reminder that the consequences of poor management are long-lasting and costly. Lets look at an example of a bad choice feedback loop:
The local sues school district over wage package adoption → Union contractors are no longer invited to bid on these "foot in the door jobs" that they are currently doing for the district → General Contractors altogether stop using union labor to avoid losing school district market and other customers → Non-union electrical subs replace us in more than just school district jobs but in college and city work which we also currently do → Our union affiliated apprenticeship is no longer being considered for integration by district schools → Wage package adoption now increases pay for non-union employees de-incentivizing union membership with benefits on the check, counteracting organizing efforts → Our local's leadership claim it as a win and receive recognition.
In this feedback loop everyone in our ecosystem suffers. Did this directly improve our members livelihood? Does it get us more work or better benefits? Does it make us more attractive as a choice for contractors thinking of going union? How much of member funded resources was spent on this? How does this put member's first? The answer to these questions is why this win doesn't feel like one, you have to be told it is. However, it makes leadership look good and that gives us insight into their decision making priorities.
A single poor choice doesn't make someone a poor leader, but factor in a leadership that reactively creates and prolongs contractor disputes with little to no attempts at communication and local resolution. That behaves emotionally and treats member queries dismissively. That behind the scenes places considerable efforts in targeting our apprenticeship's training director but does nothing to help keep a longtime local contractor from withdrawing after experiencing a loss. One that is more concerned with a personal agenda than member wishes and makes decisions in an altered state or with outside influence. Leadership that terminates our local's office staff unjustly, with little to no prior support or council.
The stability of our local cannot withstand a leadership of this nature long term. We need unity not division between us, the contractors and the apprenticeship. It's not about us vs them. Every minute we waste in conflict, those outside our ecosystem only grow stronger. It should be us TOGETHER vs THEM, the non-union. Non-union contractors are positioning themselves to take advantage of the upcoming surge of industry via the port after completion of the bridge project. Some have started their own training programs or support new college programs available at no cost. What are we doing? Lately, adding thousands worth of parking spaces to the hall.
A single poor choice doesn't make someone a poor leader, but factor in a leadership that reactively creates and prolongs contractor disputes with little to no attempts at communication and local resolution. That behaves emotionally and treats member queries dismissively. That behind the scenes places considerable efforts in targeting our apprenticeship's training director but does nothing to help keep a longtime local contractor from withdrawing after experiencing a loss. One that is more concerned with a personal agenda than member wishes and makes decisions in an altered state or with outside influence. Leadership that terminates our local's office staff unjustly, with little to no prior support or council.
The stability of our local cannot withstand a leadership of this nature long term. We need unity not division between us, the contractors and the apprenticeship. It's not about us vs them. Every minute we waste in conflict, those outside our ecosystem only grow stronger. It should be us TOGETHER vs THEM, the non-union. Non-union contractors are positioning themselves to take advantage of the upcoming surge of industry via the port after completion of the bridge project. Some have started their own training programs or support new college programs available at no cost. What are we doing? Lately, adding thousands worth of parking spaces to the hall.
The plan is to encourage and facilitate working together, same as one would at any job. To end the ongoing persecution of the training director and focus the energy on collaborating with our contractors. Only after doing so can we build the respectable and marketable apprentice training facility that we so desperately need. To present a unified front in competing with the non-union in all aspects of applied markets. To build the required local relationships that would enrich our members. To acquire not just more work but better jobs. To increase our contractor pool and help them grow not withdraw, so that our members don't have to travel to find work.
So far we've only discussed one facet of improvement. Take a look at the rest of the categories on the Plans Dept. page to learn more.