LANSING – Changing times, changing faces.

The 51^st annual Legislative Conference of the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council broke some new ground by inviting guest speakers who have been traditionally unaccustomed to speaking to a group of labor union leaders, but were welcome this year because some of their views go hand in hand with the building trades when it comes to creating jobs.

At the same conference where both Democratic and Republican gubernatorial candidates talked to building trades delegates about their plans for the State of Michigan, the head of the state’s largest business group and a conservative state lawmaker reciprocated the cordial welcome they received from the delegates.

Michigan Chamber of Commerce CEO Richard Studley and State Rep. Kevin Elsenheimer (R-Kewadin) both told delegates that they welcomed the outreach from the building trades leaders, who linked up with a number of conservative lawmakers over the last 18 months in the effort to win state approval for construction of several power plants in Michigan.

Thanks to the union pressure, and with bipartisan legislative support and prodding by the state Chamber, the administration of Gov. Granholm finally approved permits for a new $1.2 billion clean coal boiler on the grounds of Consumers Energy’s Karn-Weadock plant near Bay City. A proposed new power plant in Rogers City is in limbo as it awaits permits.

“We were able to accomplish some good things with this coalition, and I think it’s extremely important that we give credit where credit is due,” said Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council President Patrick “Shorty” Gleason. Referring to the unlikely alliance with the conservative Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Gleason said: “We met with Mr. Studley several times and the building trades were able to set several things aside and focus on what’s important to his contractors and our members.”

For his part, Studley said the state Chamber of Commerce supports the trades when it comes to the power plant construction, as well as other areas like maintaining good state roads.

Studley joked that he “felt like a long-tailed cat at a rocking chair convention,” but added, “I was a little surprised to receive the invitation but glad to accept it.”

He said the building trades and the state chamber have worked together in the past – not coincidentally when former Attorney General Frank Kelley said 30 years ago that new power production in the state was unnecessary.

“We are proud to stand with you,” on the power plant issue, Studley said. “The building trades are known as being strong advocates for their members, and their leaders have the rare commodity, that they say what they mean and do what they say.” He said he wants to see the chamber and the building trades continue to “look for points of opportunity to work together.”

Studley said the chamber is open to user fees or increased fuel taxes to fund state road improvements. He echoed a fact that the state’s road builders have been bemoaning for years: Michigan continues to be a “donor” state with Washington, sending more in tax dollars than we receive in benefits to fix our roads. Currently he said we’re getting back about 92 cents on the dollar.

Without being overly political, Studley called for overhauling the state’s tax structure, and said we’re at a “tipping point” for people who rely on taxes vs. those who pay taxes. “We’re dangerously close to having more people riding in the wagon than are pulling the wagon,” he said.