By Kelly Tourdot, ABC of Wisconsin President
Would you like to know one of my favorite takeaways from SuperCon? It’s that our members have amazing and powerful stories to tell about their businesses. Hearing these stories energizes me and reminds me of the important work we do to champion the Merit Shops of Wisconsin. Our shared work isn’t always easy, but it is successful when we work together. We all have stories to tell about the successes of our teams! (You can help us tell your story by joining us at the Capitol in April)
We aim to share the success of the contractors who choose to work based on their merit, and not on a union affiliation. ABC’s latest analysis shows that nationally, 90% of the construction workforce is currently choosing to work without union affiliation. In Wisconsin, we know approximately 8 out of every 10 construction workers are merit shop. It’s reasonable to assume companies and workers choose this because they understand the benefits.
It is our job to share the benefits of the merit shop with the policy makers who affect our industry. That is why we’re planning a lobby day for April 23 in Madison. I encourage all of our members to participate and share with legislators why you choose to be a merit organization. Our individual stories are compelling.
For example: We have a member who began as an ABC apprentice, later became a business owner, and rose to Chair the ABC of Wisconsin Board of Directors. Her story champions the success she earned by her own work and determination.
Another member chose to be merit shop because he could cross train his employees. When one trade’s work was slowing down, he was able to reassign those employees to assist another trade in their work. This allowed for business efficiency AND it allowed him to keep everyone employed.
A third member values the family culture of his business. He wants to be actively engaged in the lives of his employees and help them meet their personal and professional goals. Being merit shop means he can communicate with them directly, work alongside them to improve their situations, and build a company together. As a merit shop, he can negotiate directly with his employees.
Few legislators are exposed to the work we do and, without our stories, they don’t understand why we see problems with prevailing wage, project labor agreements, and other policies they consider. In this issue, you’ll note several marketing focused articles aimed at helping you differentiate your business. The same work can be done to fine tune your stories and prepare you to explain the benefits of your merit shop affiliation.
We aim to share our stories at our April 23 lobby day. Register now. It’s free to attend. I promise we will make certain you are comfortable, well-prepared, and ready to have these discussions. You have impactful stories to tell!
