1998 ANNUAL REPORT
Activities and Accomplishments
Wisconsin LECET

In 1998, Wisconsin LECET undertook initiatives on behalf of laborers, signatory
employers, the training program and local unions. Activities included attendance at
trade shows, conferences and workshops, writing of publications and design of
marketing materials. Wisconsin LECET participated in prevailing wage enforcement and
government deliberations. The wide variety of activities demonstrates the value of the
labor-management concept.

Here are the highlights from 1998:

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING

Wisconsin LECET has been involved in promoting increased funding for transportation
infrastructure for a number of years. In 1998, these efforts were successful on both the
state and federal levels.

The Chairman of the Wisconsin LECET Board of Trustees served on the Board of
Directors of the Transportation Development Association (TDA) of Wisconsin during
1998. In addition, Wisconsin LECET participated in the TDA Fly-In to Washington, DC
to lobby the Wisconsin Congressional Delegation for increased funding that was
eventually included in TEA-21.

Funding in the State of Wisconsin Transportation Budget also was increased
significantly.

ONLINE BID INFORMATION

Wisconsin LECET continued to use Dodge DataLine2 to supply construction bid
information to local laborers unions and signatory contractors. Asbestos contractors and
environmental remediation contractors received regular mailings on upcoming bids.
Local laborers unions received regular updates on bid activity in their jurisdictions.

As an expanded use of the Dodge capability in 1998, the Wisconsin Alliance for Fair
Contracting (WAFC) began receiving regular updates on construction activity. This
additional information has helped WAFC investigators expand their prevailing wage
monitoring activities.

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN CONSTRUCTION CLUB

Wisconsin LECET was a sponsor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Construction
Club Awards Banquet. A number of signatory contractors were honored for their
assistance to the Construction Engineering & Management Program.

Wisconsin LECET subsequently participated in a tour of the engineering campus at the
University of Wisconsin and invited engineering faculty to visit our Wisconsin Laborers
Training Center.

Wisconsin LECET hopes to use this dialogue to educate tomorrow’s construction
leaders in our state about the benefits of union construction. About 80% of the
Construction Club graduates go on to work for contractors in Wisconsin.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Wisconsin LECET again exhibited at the Governor’s Conference on Economic
Development along with the Wisconsin Laborers Skill Improvement Fund.

In addition, Wisconsin LECET remained a member of the Wisconsin Economic
Development Association (WEDA) to provide input on workforce development and labor
issues.

NEW WORKER RECRUITMENT

In an effort to promote the construction trades as an option for new workers, Wisconsin
LECET again was an exhibitor at the Governor’s Statewide Employment and Training
Conference. Job search professionals, government employment development workers,
apprenticeship programs and trade and technical schools all were in attendance.

Our video, Wisconsin’s Best Kept Secret, about the Wisconsin Laborers Training
Center was a very popular hand out during the conference.

Wisconsin LECET was an exhibitor at the Wisconsin Employment & Training Association
(WETA) Annual Conference in 1998. WETA is one of the organizers of the Governor’s
Statewide Conference.

Wisconsin LECET also displayed at a local job fair on behalf of one of the local laborers
unions in 1998.

We hope to expand our efforts in this area in 1999 in conjunction with the local laborers
unions and contractor associations.


ADVERTISING

Wisconsin LECET continued to advertise in contractor association directories. We
upgraded in 1998 to four-color ads and received many compliments from contractors
about our involvement in their publications.

We also continued advertising in local building trades council directories.

We will look at the possibility of expanding to publications of “owners” in 1999.

WISCONSIN LABORERS UNITY CONFERENCE

Wisconsin LECET participated as a workshop leader at the Wisconsin Laborers Unity
Conference in 1998. The conference is held biennially for rank and file laborers to
educate them about the activities undertaken on their behalf by the local unions, the
district council, the international union and the labor-management trust funds.

Wisconsin LECET led a workshop that also included information on National LECET and
the Laborers Health & Safety Fund of North America.

WISCONSIN LECET HOME PAGE

1998 marked the first full year of operation of the Wisconsin LECET web site. The web
page has been visited over 4000 times in its first year and continues to offer information
on our activities and publications to the entire country. In addition, we are linked to the
National LECET web site, LIUNA and many government organizations.

We will continue to update and upgrade the Wisconsin LECET Home Page in 1999.

HIGHWAY WORK ZONE SAFETY

Wisconsin LECET began serving on the Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Highway Work Zone Safety Committee in 1998. The committee is charged with
formulating a multimedia campaign for television, radio and print to promote safety in
highway construction work zones in Wisconsin.

National LECET lent a helping hand with financial assistance to the committee as well.
The campaign will be on the airways during the road construction season in 1999.

Other representatives on the committee are the WisDOT, Federal Highway
Administration, other labor groups, the Wisconsin State Patrol and contractors.

PREVAILING WAGE REPORTING

Wisconsin LECET again upgraded the Prevail 1.1 Windows program for reporting
prevailing wages in Wisconsin. A copy of the software was provided to each signatory
contractor prior to the State of Wisconsin Prevailing Wage Rate Survey. The survey of
contractors takes place each year to determine prevailing wage rates in Wisconsin.

In 1998, Wisconsin LECET also did outreach to contractors to install the software and
answer questions about proper information to report on the survey. A special effort was
made to reach and encourage sewer and water contractors to answer the survey
because of poor rates in 1997.

The result was an increase in reporting and a better set of rates for 1999. The sewer
and water rates showed excellent improvement.

Upgrades of the Prevail 1.1 program and outreach to contractors have already begun for
the survey that will determine 2000 prevailing wage rates.

WISCONSIN CONTRACTORS PREMIUM ADJUSTMENT
PROGRAM

This program that Wisconsin LECET helped establish in 1997, helped more than 700
high-wage contractors last year. The average decrease in workers compensation
premiums for contractors was 10%. Wisconsin LECET undertook an outreach program
to notify contractors about the premium adjustment program and answered many
inquiries about eligibility.

Contractors with 50% of their payroll in construction job classifications and an average
wage of $16.50/hour were eligible for the program.

WISCONSIN ALLIANCE FOR FAIR CONTRACTING

The Wisconsin Alliance for Fair Contracting (WAFC), a prevailing wage monitoring
organization, was very active last year.

WAFC investigators took part in training sessions on prevailing wage law, Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations on job site safety and asbestos
abatement requirements.

WAFC was also active in the successful effort to rejuvenate the national umbrella
organization for prevailing wage monitoring groups all over the country.

WAFC also continued to monitor hundreds of construction sites throughout Wisconsin,
perform valuable educational outreach to local governments on prevailing wage law
requirements and make sure our signatory contractors had a level playing field when
bidding on public sector construction projects.

PUBLICATIONS

Wisconsin LECET continues to publish the quarterly newsletter, Wisconsin LECET
News. This publication has been successful in generating contractor response to a
number of articles over the past year, including prevailing wage reporting, the Wisconsin
Contractor Premium Adjustment Program and new OSHA Respirator Rules.

Wisconsin LECET designed The Trainer, an explanation of classes and a course
schedule for the Wisconsin Laborers Training Center as well as distributing the Spring
and Fall Training Schedules to contractors.

We also designed and wrote a brochure that explains the benefits of the WAFC to
workers, contractors and local governments.

 

OTHER ACTIVITIES

• attendance at many conferences and workshops in Wisconsin and on a regional and
  national level
• ongoing efforts to recruit a signatory traffic control contractor
• grant application to the Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service for an educational
  program an safety and workers comp costs
• support of other labor-management groups
• Letters to the Editor on highway work zone safety
• Contacts with government leaders on apprenticeship issues and the Clean Air Act

FUTURE PLANS

Wisconsin LECET will continue many of our successful activities. Look for expansion of
efforts to recruit future craft workers and encourage prevailing wage reporting by
contractors. The highway work zone safety committee will also demand increased
attention in 1999. Wisconsin LECET will try to participate in more job fair type events
and increase contacts with schools.

Please call Wisconsin LECET with any questions about current activities.