For my entire career I have worked for the advancement of union construction. To do so has required a great degree of personal optimism in the face of cynicism, inertia, conflict and declining numbers. Now even being the eternal optimist, I am worried about the future of the union business model and labor and management’s ability to safely navigate to a better future.

But I have the solution; at once simple and painful. Tell the truth. Be brave. Implement change.

The truth is that the future for union construction is going to be very rough. Everywhere in the U.S. and Canada labor and management are facing the same critical challenges: market share declines, escalating benefit costs, increased nonunion competition and a sputtering economy. This has manifested itself in difficult bargaining, loss of trust, jurisdictional strife and general fear and anxiety about an uncertain future.

At times like this fear causes some leaders to “ball up” instead of reaching forward boldly. We must avoid this at all costs.

The challenges of the economic environment we are in are unprecedented; but meeting the challenges that labor and management face now are foundational to their common future. Contractors must remain competitive. Unions must fulfill their role as employee advocates to create security. Both of these must be done in a way that balances economics and market share. This requires change.

But to set up change you have to get everyone on board. The most important thing that needs to be done to promote necessary change is for labor and management is to first tell the truth. Tell the truth to every union worker in the US and Canada. A million to two million union craftspeople must understand that the truth is as follows;

• The good old days are gone
• There is no entitlement available now or ever again
• They are responsible for their own future
• There is a limit to what construction owners will pay
• When you exceed that limit and don’t provide value, they go to the competition
• Your pension, health and welfare and career are directly tied to market share
• If many younger union members are not well mentored in skills then the pension plans for existing journeymen are at high risk
• If market share declines then everything has to be up for change or we go under
• This is not the contractor or your business manager’s fault
• Complaining won’t fix anything
• Change is not only necessary; it is the only answer

Labor and management need to educate our workers like never before.  The union members need to fully understand the real truth about the challenges ahead and act in support of whatever change is needed. No more telling them what they want to hear. No more blaming the other guy. No more treating them like mushrooms (keep them in the dark and feed them bull—t). This is most critical in apprenticeship. They need to start their careers knowing that the industry and our future areon the line.

To empower them to meet the competitive challenges they need to be “all in.” To accept necessary changes as suggested by their leadership if and when necessary, they need to understand why. To step up professionally and productivity wise so that contractors can try to fill the labor cost gap they need to understand costs vs. time vs. our competition.  Every apprentice program needs to add this content in. No offense to traditionalists, but “union heritage and history” as coursework pales in comparison with “your role and responsibilities in our future.”

All these must lead to apprentices’ and journeymen’s unqualified support of their leaders, vocally and politically, so that those unable or unwilling to change do not dominate the agendas of their organizations. Our ultimate goal is for them to become engaged and energized as owners rather than spectators of both our problems and solutions.

The polarization of labor and management sank the union airline, steel, auto and several other major industries. The union construction industry has moved towards change faster than those industries – but is time getting short? The broader view must be solution-based, not conflict based. Combining truth-telling with sound change strategies is the way of the future. It is hard to keep one’s chin up when it keeps getting punched, but it is the few of us who remain committed to education and change and optimistic about the result, who will keep our collective future from the edge of darkness.

This is today’s training, growth and leadership challenge and test.

And that’s the damn truth.

Mark Breslin is a strategist and author specializing in labor-management challenges. He is the author of  Survival of the Fittest, Organize or Die and Alpha Dog. He has addressed more than 50,000 labor and business leaders each year in North America. More on his work and profile is available at www.breslin.biz.