SAULT STE. MARIE - An historic consolidation is in the works that will result in a larger, unifying role for the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council.

Delegates to the council's 48th annual convention Aug. 2-4 met here and unanimously approved a resolution that will result in the drafting of a new constitution and bylaws for the council.

At the same time, there's new leadership at the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council, and the potential for expanded opportunities for the eight regional building trades councils around the state.

The operations of the largest among those councils - The Greater Detroit Building and Construction Trades Council - will be merged with the Michigan council. Under the new structure, principal offices of the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council will be in Detroit and Lansing.

"In a lot of ways, construction is a small world in Michigan," said Patrick Devlin, who was elected to a four-year term to lead the state building trades council as its secretary-treasurer. He held the same position with the Detroit council. "For building trades workers across Michigan, there are a lot more things that we have in common than keep us apart.

"We have similar interests when it comes to electing and retaining a worker-friendly governor, a worker-friendly legislature, maintaining OSHA, keeping our job sites safe, keeping good wages and fringes and trying to keep the Wal-Marts of the world honest. So much of what we do, we can do better collectively. So it makes sense for the various building trades unions and councils to formally unite under the banner of the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council."

Patrick "Shorty" Gleason, business manager of Iron Workers Local 25, was elected as full-time president of the Michigan council, a position which had formerly been part-time.

"As a third-generation tradesman, it's truly an honor to be elected to this position," Gleason told delegates. "We're going to be faced with a lot of challenges and I will do everything in my power to make sure that every council has an equal stake in the Michigan council. Thanks for the opportunity, and it's time to go to work."

Retiring from the MBCTC president position (and previously this summer as business manager of Boilermakers Local 169) was John Marek. Retiring from his position as secretary-treasurer of the Michigan council at the close of the convention was Tom Boensch.

Talks about restructuring the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council have been ongoing at local unions and councils around the state for the past eight months. Committee members representing a wide range of crafts participated in the formation of the language outlining the restructuring of the state council.

Delegates at the convention approved language that said "consolidation would unify the voice of union construction workers in the State of Michigan and strengthen their efforts, magnify their political presence, improve economies of scale and that the new constitution would strengthen the existing eight regional councils: Flint, Greater Detroit, Northern, Southeast, Southwest, Tri-County, Upper Peninsula and West and provide greater opportunities to create economic growth and expanded market share."

Currently broad in scope, more specific roles for the operations of the state and local building trades councils are expected from a constitutional committee that was formed at the convention. The committee is expected to produce a final draft document in six months. Both the Detroit and Michigan building trades councils then must ratify the new constitution.

Serving some 80,000 unionized construction workers in Michigan, the council serves as an umbrella group for 74 local building trades unions around the state. The council conducts organizing and safety seminars, participates in labor-management activities, develops safe-work information, initiates and coordinates political action efforts, administers some labor contracts and conducts marketing and communications on behalf of building trades unions, including the publishing of this newspaper.

HERE ARE THE NEWLY elected and recently retired officers at the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council. From (l-r) are the new President, Patrick "Shorty" Gleason and Secretary-Treasurer, Patrick Devlin. Newly retired are Secretary-Treasurer Tom Boensch and President John Marek. Gleason has been business manager of Iron Workers Local 25. Devlin has been secretary-treasurer of the Greater Detroit Building and Construction Trades Council, whose operations are being merged with the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council.