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Date Posted: June 19 2009

Carpenters looking at rejoining trades

International Brotherhood of Carpenters General President Doug McCarron said that his union – in concert with the International Union of Operating Engineers – is “optimistic” about returning to the AFL-CIO Building Trades Department in the next two years.

The Carpenters left the AFL-CIO in 2001 primarily in a dispute over how union dues were being spent on organizing. The Carpenters subsequently had an on-and-off again relationship with the AFL-CIO Building Trades Department over money and personnel issues, and ultimately left in 2005 to join the alternative union umbrella group, the Change-to-Win Coalition. The Operating Engineers left the Building Trades Department in 2006.

Invited to speak to the Association of Union Constructors “Top Leadership Conference” last month in Orlando, McCarron opened the floor to questions from the audience. One contractor expressed frustration at “conflicts” on jobs where carpenters don’t participate with the rest of the building trades, which causes duplication of effort for contractors having to deal with the Carpenters – and everyone else.

Responded McCarron: “That’s a customer service problem, there’s no question about that. I am very optimistic. I have had a couple meetings with (President) Mark Ayers of the Building Trades. I think he’s putting a different spin on the building trades. I just had a meeting with him a couple weeks ago and I see some changes there. I see some hope there at least on the industrial side, with both the NCA (National Construction Alliance) and the building trades working in concert on those jobs. So we’re trying to address those problems. And it should be… I don’t want to say worked out, but I’m hopeful and I’m optimistic  with what Mark Ayers is doing with the building trades. So maybe over the next couple years we can get that stuff squared away.”

When asked if there was a scenario where the carpenters would rejoin the building trades, McCarron responded: “That decision will be made not only by myself, but by the Operating Engineers. Whatever we do we will do together. I don’t want to talk for the Operators, but let me say the likelihood went up quite a bit with Ayers (who took over as president in September 2007).

“Both of us are very impressed with him. We have to see. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not ready to jump back in. But if you know his agenda and his things work out, we’ll see what happens a year or two down the line.  He seems to get it.”

Craft mergers. There should be and there should be some opportunity during this recession. Suggested getting the crafts down to six or seven. I’ve taken a lot of heat for saying it over the years. If we really want to run the customer service aspect of it with our owners there has to be room for consolidation in the building trades.