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Wisconsin LECET
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Wisconsin LECET
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Keeping Transportation Issues High on the Priority Listby Philip J. Scherer, Executive Director Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin In recent months, Wisconsin has made significant gains in the public policy and funding arenas as they relate to transportation. For example, the 1997-1999 Wisconsin transportation budget included a responsive funding package for the biennium. On the federal level, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) brought trust back to the Highway Trust Fund by ensuring revenues would only be spent on transportation. In addition, over the life of TEA-21, Wisconsin will receive equity . . . a dollar in federal funding for transportation needs in our state for each dollar sent to Washington by Wisconsin motorists. A normal reaction, reflecting on all these gains, is to sit back and relax. Certainly, many of our state's politicians would love to take a break from dealing with transportation issues, especially when it comes to finding the needed dollars. The world does not stand still, however, even when there is no political appetite to delve back into this meaty issue. Consider these facts: Our Mobility Needs Continue to Grow Travel in Wisconsin has increased by 80 percent over the last 25 years and heavy truck travel has increased by twice that rate. According to the Federal Highway Administration, between 1986 and 1996, total highway mileage nationally has increased only 1.1% while travel on that system has increased 36.1%. That kind of growth leads to increased capacity needs as well as greater than expected wear and tear on the system. While some of the increasing demands can and should be accommodated by maximizing utilization of the existing system and modal options, key roadways will simply need to be upgraded. Economic Growth Means Higher Demands Our state's businesses and industries, such as construction, rely heavily upon a responsive transportation system. They need good connections to national and global markets if they hope to remain competitive. Wisconsin must never reach the point where transportation is a hindrance to our economy. We must develop plans and programs today that will create a transportation system to address evolving needs before they become a problem. Much of our Transportation System is Suffering from Old Age As a state and nation, we are also faced with the challenges of an aging system. For example, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) has estimated that by the year 2000, almost 30% of the State Trunk Highway System's mileage will have deficient pavement. At the local level, the numbers are as challenging, if not worse. Thus, despite the great accomplishments in funding our transportation infrastructure that we have worked so hard for recently, the effort still needs to be put forth. The system will continue to deteriorate with increasing use and will continue to need upgrades and repairs. In transportation, the process is not an end in itself. The trail must lead somewhere, must lead to meaningful products. That trail, which often leads through city council chambers, county board rooms, the halls of the Hill Farms State Office Building, the state capitol and even to Washington, D.C., is generally uphill and often steep. It is one that needs input and involvement from Wisconsin's construction industry from beginning to end. Opportunities for Input on Transportation Issues It is up to the users of the transportation system to keep the pressing issues on the table. Upcoming opportunities to provide input include the State Highway Plan and the 1999-2001 Wisconsin transportation budget. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is currently accepting comments on the Draft State Highway Plan (SHP), the state's highway model for the next 21 years. The Transportation Development Association (TDA) of Wisconsin has written an overview and analysis of the Draft SHP that can be requested by calling (608) 256-7044. Adequate funding in the end will be determined through the state's biennial budget process. Both WisDOT and the Governor have submitted their recommended transportation budget for the next two years. TDA has produced summaries of both the WisDOT and the Governor's 1999-2001 Transportation Budget that can also be ordered by calling us. Wisconsin LECET and the signatory contractors have between now and the end of June to support adequate funding.
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Message From The Director by Gerald J. Diemer |
| I would like to write about a couple of activities that
Wisconsin LECET has been involved with over the winter months. PREVAILING WAGE SURVEY Once again, it is time to start thinking about the State of Wisconsin Prevailing Wage Rate Survey. The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) will mail the survey to contractors at the beginning of June. The survey must be completed by July 31, 1999. This year's survey will cover wages and hours for workers on jobs between June 1, 1998 and May 31, 1999. Data from the survey will determine the prevailing wage rates for the year 2000. Wisconsin LECET has already completed the update/upgrade for our Windows program, Prevail 1.2, to assist contractors in their reporting efforts. We have already begun to meet with contractors to install the program and start them working on entering data NOW for the survey. If you have Prevail 1.1 already installed on your computer, you can close out last year and begin entering wages and hours for this year's survey now . . . while it is not quite so busy. When you install Prevail 1.2, it will preserve any data you have already entered. The latest Windows program has been upgraded to prevent mistakes seen by DWD last year. It will be mailed to contractors in early June to coincide with the arrival of the Prevailing Wage Survey from DWD. If you would like to receive the Prevail 1.2 version earlier or schedule a visit by Wisconsin LECET to your office to install the program and discuss the proper way to respond to the survey, give us a call. NEW WORKERS We have all heard a lot and read a lot about the shortage of workers being experienced in the construction industry. Though this shortage has been worse in the lower-wage area of the industry . . . the non-union sector, our signatory contractors have also voiced concerns. Wisconsin LECET has been taking steps to ensure that our signatory contractors will have enough skilled, reliable and productive workers in the years ahead. We met with the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Wisconsin late last year to initiate discussions about cooperative efforts to interest future workers in the construction trades. In addition, Wisconsin LECET continues to be involved in job and career fairs all over
the state. |
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had a chance to meet with Bob Barker (right), Executive Vice President and Jay Yunker
(left), Director of Career Development Services at AGC of Wisconsin to discuss joint
efforts to interest future workers in the construction trades. |
| Economic Developoment ConferenceFor the third year in a row, Wisconsin LECET, the Wisconsin Laborers Skill
Improvement Fund and the Wisconsin Laborers District Council were represented at the
Governor's Conference on Economic Development at the Concourse Hotel in Madison. The
three-day winter meeting gives us a chance to discuss union construction's commitment to
training, safety and productivity with 400 economic development professionals, elected
officials, government leaders, business owners and media representatives.
RIGHT: Mike John from the Wisconsin Laborers Training Center staffed the
exhibit this winter.
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More Changes in the Wisconsin LECET Trustees Mike Ryan, (left), Chairman of the Wisconsin LECET Board of Trustees, congratulates Bill Johnson, (right) at his retirement luncheon. Johnson, Business Manager of Laborers Local 113 in Milwaukee and a Wisconsin LECET Trustee retired this winter. Johnson was replaced on the Wisconsin LECET Board of Trustees by new Local 113 Business Manager Charles Fecteau whose photo appears to the right. We wish Bill the best and welcome Charlie to the Board. |
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| Advertising Program in Full Swing For the third straight year, Wisconsin LECET ads will be seen in contractor and labor publications. Over the winter, Wisconsin LECET renewed ads in the directories of the Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association. These ads are four-color and have photos that show laborers at work. In addition, Wisconsin LECET renewed ads in the directories published by Building Trades Councils in many parts of the state. Expansion of the advertising program into owners publications, such as architects and engineers, is possible.
Highway Work Zone Safety Committee For most of the winter, Wisconsin LECET served on the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Highway Work Zone Safety Committee. The committee brought together representatives from WisDOT, the Federal Highway Administration, the Wisconsin State Patrol, contractors and workers with the goal of slowing motorists down in highway work zones and protecting highway workers. The result will be television advertising, radio advertising and a brochure. The brochure, On the Road Again, has been completed and is available from Wisconsin LECET. It shows highway construction zones in Wisconsin in 1999. Radio and television ads are not completed yet. These ads will be finished in time to run over the Memorial Day weekend. These newly created ads will also run over the Labor Day weekend. In addition, the committee has also purchased an advertising package that will run ads for two weeks at the end of June and over the 4th of July holiday. An award winning ad called "At the Office" will be used in this time block. Wisconsin LECET will receive recognition for some of these ads because of a $5000 contribution from National LECET. There will also be radio ads in this package that highlight work zone signs.
Wisconsin LECET Website Has 5000 Visitors This winter, the Wisconsin LECET website at http://www.solidarity.com/lecet passed a milestone when the 5000th visitor logged on. The website went online in October, 1997 to become the first local LECET with its own home page. During the first year of operation, the site had visitors from all over the country log on to see what labor-management initiatives we were undertaking here in Wisconsin. Now, after a year and a half, we are one of many LECET sites across the country.
Environmental Project Information This winter, Wisconsin LECET began sending bid information on environmental projects to contractors. We currently provide bid information to asbestos abatement contractors as well. Wisconsin LECET gathers information from a variety of online bid services and government web sites. We then organize the information and send it out periodically to a list of contractors who we feel will be interested in bidding the work. Initial feedback from the signatories has been very positive. Sources of information include Dodge, Construction Market Data, the Environmental Protection Agency Super Fund Program, the Commerce Business Daily and the State of Wisconsin's Department of Commerce and Department of Natural Resources. In addition, Wisconsin LECET receives notices of bids from specific owners on occasion. These projects are then sent to our environmental contractor list. If you know of other sources of information or would like to be added to our mailing list, give us a call.
Eau Claire Job Fair Highlights Union Construction
WAFC at National Conference
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Visit the Wisconsin LECET website Send email to wilecet@solidarity.com |
