MARQUETTE - Construction labor and management have come to terms on the first multi-year, multi-employer, multi-trade agreement ever settled in the State of Michigan

Upper Michigan construction workers, along with their employer contractors, recently ratified five-year collective bargaining agreements "that are certain to have a positive affect on economic development across the Upper Peninsula," said a statement by both labor and management.

The five principal civil trades in the U.P., consisting of the Laborers, Carpenters and Millwrights, Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, Ironworkers, and Operating Engineers and the Sheet Metal Workers, concluded the historic agreement with the Michigan Chapter Associated General Contractors (AGC), Labor Relations Division. Total wage and benefit packages settled on an average 3.75 percent increase each year of the multi-year agreement.

"This five-year pact between labor and management signifies everyone's willingness to keep U.P. construction costs stable and help promote economic growth," said Tony Retaskie, Executive Director of the Upper Peninsula Construction Council.

AGC Staff Consultant Bob Fontana, said, "What makes this kind of thing happen is trust. The Upper Peninsula workers and their employer contractors really trust and respect one another, for which there is no substitution."

For the contractors, the agreement helps them forecast costs, which is especially important for industrial maintenance contractors working with area paper mills and mining facilities, where keeping costs inline is imperative in maintaining their competitiveness.

For commercial and residential contractors, it also means stability. "By knowing our labor costs, and having a stable base of hard working employees, we are able to plan for the future," said Dick Goodney, president of Closner Construction in Marquette.

For the workers it helps them to continue planning for their futures as well. Mike Thibault, Business Agent for the Iron Workers, said, "This agreement was made because of the trust that has been development between labor and management. The contractors know they are getting a quality work force that is committed to safety and training, and our members are being fairly compensated for their work ethic through family sustaining wages and benefits."

The Upper Peninsula Construction Council (UPCC) has promoted cooperation between labor and management in the building trades for more than 20 years. The UPCC, formerly known as the Upper Peninsula Construction Labor-Management Council, was the first multi-trade, multi-employer construction association in Michigan and one of only a few within the United States. The council is funded by labor and management contributions and is committed to not only productive labor-management relations, but also to helping attract and retain industry in the Upper Peninsula.