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Lots of energy at building trades conference

Date Posted: April 4 2008

LANSING - Politics and power dominated the conversation at the 49th legislative conference of the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council.

Held March 19-20, the conference emphasized the importance of electrical production to the future of Michigan - and to the employment fortunes of the building trades. Hosting the conference were council CEO Patrick Devlin and President Patrick "Shorty" Gleason.

Convention delegates learned about what's on the agenda for building the infrastructure in Michigan to take advantage of the power produced by sources like solar, wind, bio-fuels, and the old standby, coal. They also learned about the need to dump Public Act 141, as well as the political landscape in Lansing and Washington D.C.

Following are some snippets from the various speakers:

Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm: "We want to partner with you to create a pipeline of skilled workers.

"We are uniquely positioned to be able to create a whole new sector of Michigan's economy to replace those lost manufacturing jobs. There's been a lot of talk about alternative energy, manufacturing wind turbines, installing those turbines, hooking them up to the grid. But in addition to that, the energy efficiency package (part of the proposed state law revamping Public Act 141) rewards the installation of efficient equipment. There's a whole sector of the economy, both in commercial and residential that can be created.

"We are the largest producer in the world of polycrystalline silicate, (at Dow Corning) the stuff that goes into solar panels.

"We are uniquely positioned, because of our geology with the water, the wind, the woods up north, and the conversion of waste wood into fuel.

"I'm really focused on diversifying this economy, and alternative energy is one way to do that. The other is through education. In this new world, a high school education isn't going to be enough. The trades have very sophisticated jobs, and we want to partner with you to create a pipeline of skilled trades workers. You in the building trades have fantastic training programs around the state.

"Part of the immediate strategy is an economic stimulus program of $1.4 billion worth of accelerated construction projects around the state, for construction in universities and on roads across the state. We want to shovels in the ground and we want to see dirt flying both this summer and next summer.

"We have a short-term, medium term and long-term strategy to move this state forward. We know that we've been in recession since 2000 essentially and have lost 400,000 manufacturing jobs due to the shift of manufacturing in this global economy.

"That's why we need a partner in the White House for working people, who will enforce these trade agreements, somebody who will help us diversify our economy. This election will be really critical for us.

"You have partner in us, whether it's in prevailing wage or eliminating the underground economy with the use of 1099s and making sure we're hiring Michigan people first."

U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow: "Hopefully come January with a new president we will have someone who understands the needs of the middle class in this country about jobs in this country and about what we need to do for our families.

"Democrats have the slimmest majority in the Senate, 51-49. But with Democrats having the majority in Congress, it has made a difference.

"Last June, something called Fast Track Authority was up for renewal. It would allow the president to continue to make bad trade deals with very little ability for Congress to stop it. The Democrats said "no' and now there's no more Fast Track. It's done. We did not extend it.

"We have a very different set of priorities than the Republicans.

"Democrats want to invest in Michigan jobs. First, green collar jobs in the green economy. My initiative to focus on things like batteries, for hybrids, and battery storage for wind turbines. Biofuels, job training, retooling older plants, then a block grant program to focus on weatherization and energy saving construction jobs.

"Second, as I call it, is jobs for building America. Just drive down any road, bridges, water schools - we need a major investment in rebuilding America. For every billion we spend on infrastructure, we get 47,500 jobs. Third, job training and education.

"It's a very different set of priorities. We stopped Fast Track that created unfair trade agreements, we stopped the president from taking away Davis Bacon and the minimum wage. It makes a difference who you put into office."

Michigan Speaker of the House Andy Dillon: "The energy package you've been following is my number one priority. I wish it were done by now. It's very complicated.

"This problem is emblematic of what's going on in Washington. Sound byte wars, the partisan bickering. It's very easy to say utility competition is good. But if you listen to what the experts are saying who don't have a dog in the fight, competition in the utility market doesn't work.

"If you go to investors and say we want to build a new power plant, and say 'by the way we don't have any customers locked in,' they're going to say we're not going to finance that. It's a broken model.

"If you look at states that have experimented with deregulation in the last six years, their electrical rates have gone up 40 percent. States that haven't have gone up 20 percent

"You have to win the hearts and minds of the legislators and overcome the perception that competition in every sector of the economy is the way to go.

"We're very close to having a package ready, we're very close to having the Michigan manufacturers and the chamber (the Michigan Chamber of Commerce) on board. I'm reasonably confident we'll have this out of the House in a month or so."

Dillon said the state budget is "nowhere near as bad as last year" and is currently short by about $100 million to $200 million to being balanced this year. He said the Lansing legislature has very limited ability to improve the state's economy, but that construction spending is one of the best ways it can help.

Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council CEO Patrick Devlin: "One of the things we're working with the state right now is Executive Order 2008-1, which will help us fight employers from misclassifying workers.

"In the last month, we worked with Michigan State University Trustees to get them to approve responsible contracting and Project Labor Agreement language for work done on campus.

"We're actively lobbying to reverse Public Act 141, which would make the state's regulatory environment more favorable for building new power plants. It would make our state an exporter, rather than an importer of power, and provide us with millions of man-hours of powerhouse work.

"We're also pushing for the passage of the Michigan First Bill, which would give owners and developers tax incentives for using Michigan-based contractors. This proposed legislation has moved us into valuable partnerships with big owners in Michigan - and having those relationships can't help but be a benefit in the future."

DELEGATES TO THE Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council's 49th Legislative Conference in Lansing's Radisson Hotel.

DELEGATES TO THE Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council's 49th Legislative Conference in Lansing's Radisson Hotel.