Wisconsin LECET
LABORERS-EMPLOYERS COOPERATION AND EDUCATION TRUST
2801 Coho Street, Suite 202 Madison, WI 53713 (608) 274-5757
Michael R. Ryan, Chair - Wisconsin Laborers District Council
Jerry Diemer, Director

Increased NationalTransportation Funding Needed

The Wisconsin transportation budget was passed by the state legislature late in 1997 and signed into law by the governor. It provided increased funding for roads, bridges and local maintenance of highways. Now it is time for the federal government to provide its fair share of funding for Wisconsin's transportation needs.

Early in 1998, the United States Senate will begin discussing the federal transportation budget. The six year extension of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) failed to pass and the act expired on September 30, 1997. Congress passed a six-month extension of the act in November. That extension will expire at the end of March, 1998. Thus, it is crucial that a long term extension of ISTEA that provides increased transportation funding is passed. It appears that the U.S. Senate will take up the issue early this year.

The current version of the bill in the Senate is called ISTEA II (S1173). In its present form, ISTEA II does not provide adequate funding. Under the bill, funding essentially remains flat when adjusted for inflation. As the U.S. Senate begins debate, they need to be told that the Gramm/Byrd Amendment to ISTEA II should be added to the bill. This amendment would mean an additional $100 million a year for Wisconsin and make the level of funding in the Senate bill responsive to existing transportation needs.

U.S. Senators Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold need to be urged to support the Gramm/Byrd Amendment and to sign on as co-sponsors of that amendment.

In the House of Representatives, the Environment & Public Works Committee has a long term extension bill called BESTEA (HR2400). This bill provides adequate funding for transportation infrastructure and addresses other issues in a way that is beneficial to Wisconsin. The bill guarantees states at least a 95% return on the formula portion of the program, removes transportation from the federal unified budget and minimizes unnecessary federal mandates so there is more local control and flexibility. Congressmen Tom Petri (R-6th) and Jay Johnson (D-8th) are very supportive of BESTEA. The rest of our representatives need to help them out by supporting BESTEA.

Some key points that need to be made to the Wisconsin Congressional Delegation include:

  • Transportation needs to be a high priority issue and funding levels need to be increased.
  • Documented needs exist in all parts of Wisconsin and across all modes of transportation.
  • Transportation is a good investment. For each $1 billion investment in federal aid highway programs, 42,100 jobs are created (see chart below). The economy depends on a good transportation system. Important safety needs are addressed by investment in new and improved highways.
  • Current funding does not even contain enough dollars to adequately maintain the highways we have.
  • With the improvement in the deficit picture, Congress no longer needs to use the highway trust funds to balance the federal budget. Highway user taxes and fees should be used for their intended purpose . . . to improve transportation infrastructure. Highway trust fund balances should be spent on transportation, not for other, non-transportation purposes.
  • We must get a bill in 1998 that addresses funding needs adequately. Six years is a long time to live with a program that does not increase funding substantially.

In 1978, federal funds constituted 34.1% of Wisconsin's total transportation budget. Last year, federal monies were only 22.5% of Wisconsin's total transportation budget. It is time for this twenty year downward slide in federal support for decent and safe transportation infrastructure to end! Please write or call your U.S. Senators and Congressmen today. Safe highways and bridges and decent jobs for Wisconsin workers depend on your support and action.

 

Message From The Director

by Gerald J. Diemer
Director, Wisconsin LECET
Results from the state Department of Workforce Development Prevailing Wage survey show good rates for Laborer Classifications and types of work state wide in 1998. You will recall that Wisconsin LECET undertook a number of initiatives last year to improve reporting for the survey.

For Building, General Laborer rates prevailed in 20 counties and were well within $1 of contract rate in 22 more, including the high volume counties of Brown, Eau Claire, Dane, Kenosha, LaCrosse, Milwaukee, Waukesha and Walworth.

For state Department of Transportation work, the outlook for next year is even better. General Laborer contract and benefit rates prevailed in 57 of 72 counties and were within $1 of the contract rate in all but one of the remaining 15 counties.

Sewer and Water rates will also remain competitive in many parts of the state next year. General Laborer rates prevailed or were within $1 of contract rate in nearly half of the counties reporting.

Rates for local street and miscellaneous paving have improved tremendously over rates once set by municipalities.

BUT, much more remains to be done in some areas of the state and for some of the types of work our signatories do. Wisconsin LECET will once again work with the Department of Workforce Development, local laborers unions and signatory contractors to improve reporting and streamline the process. Many signatories used the Prevail 1.0 software developed by Wisconsin LECET to report your wages and hours electronically last year. We hope many more use it again this year.

Start recording your wages and hours now, so when the August deadline approaches, you will not have to record a whole year of data in a short time.

All contractors should report! If you do not report, you may end up being at a competitive disadvantage down the road.

Highway Work Zone Safety

The Laborers Health and Safety Fund of North America (LHSFNA) has conducted the most comprehensive national study of serious injuries and fatalities among Highway and Street Construction workers to date. The results of that study and some suggested safety intervention strategies were unveiled at a Highway Work Zone Safety Conference in Washington, DC late last year.

Several activities have resulted from the LHSFNA study:

  • LHSFNA and several contractors are working to develop and test control and technology interventions including: powerline awareness markers, spotter operator alarms and a ribbon switch/radio control truck stop system.
  • A private firm working with contractors has begun to develop model internal work zone traffic control plans.
  • In New Jersey, a joint cooperative project between the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA), signatory contractors, OSHA and the New Jersey State Troopers has created a special Trooper division trained to recognize and intervene in hazardous work zone situations. It is estimated that during this pilot project over 1,700 highway construction hazards have been identified and corrected. More than 1,100 workers have been removed from exposure to serious hazards and potential injury.
  • The Laborers-AGC Training Fund has developed pedestrian worker training courses to be offered to Construction Laborers.
  • Several model safety programs are being developed for owners and contractors.
  • The University of Massachusetts-Lowell is in the process of identifying ergonomic problems and developing solutions.
  • LHSFNA is working with industry experts to address deficiencies in SAE and OSHA standards.

For more information on the Highway Work Zone Safety Study
or any of the ongoing safety intervention activities, contact the
Laborers Health and Safety Fund of North America at:

(202) 628-5465

MARKETING MATERIALS FOR TRAINING

Wisconsin LECET developed marketing materials for the Wisconsin Laborers Training Center late last year.

The Trainer , a brochure detailing class descriptions and the schedule for the 1998 training season was mailed to all members of the Wisconsin Laborers District Council and local laborers unions. The brochure also was supplied in bulk to the local laborers unions and contractor associations. Registration procedures and training center policies were also outlined in the brochure.

In addition, the last issue of this newsletter, the Wisconsin LECET News was dedicated to the Laborers-AGC Education and Training Fund Strategic Plan. Strategies for expanding and improving the training initiatives undertaken by LIUNA and our signatory contractors were detailed. Also, awards that were presented to Wisconsin for innovative training efforts were outlined.

Enclosed with the newsletter was a poster of the entire training schedule. We hope the posters are on walls and bulletin boards in all signatory contractors offices.

WISCONSIN ALLIANCE IS ACTIVE

The Wisconsin Alliance for Fair Contracting (WAFC) has been working on some cases during the end of 1997 and the beginning of 1998 that may involve more than just wage violations.

In conjunction with Contractor Compliance, the prevailing wage monitoring group affiliated with the labor-management fund of the Operating Engineers, WAFC has been compiling evidence and talking to legal authorities about contractors who may be doing more than just cheating on prevailing wages. Because the rules of evidence are difficult in criminal proceedings, it may be some time before a decision is made on these cases.

WAFC investigators will also be participating in a workshop with staff from the Labor Standards Bureau of the Department of Workforce Development early this year to discuss the prevailing wage regulations and complaint filing procedures. In addition, benefit plan and employee notice requirements will also be discussed.


ADVERTISING PROGRAM RENEWED

The Wisconsin LECET advertising program from 1997 has been renewed for 1998. We are currently working with the publisher of the directories for the Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Road Builders Association to design ads for their 1998 publications. This year, Wisconsin LECET will run four-color ads in the directories in an attempt to be even more visible. Last year, a number of contractors from both associations complimented Wisconsin LECET's appearance in the directories.

In addition, we will continue to run ads in the directories of local building trades councils.

We continue to seek other appropriate advertising opportunities for our labor-management cooperation message. If you have suggestions for publications that we should consider placing ads with, please feel free to contact us.


UPCOMING ACTIVITIES

Wisconsin LECET has already scheduled a number of activities and meetings for 1998.

At the end of January, we will participate in the annual Tri-Fund Conference held by the Laborers International Union of North America. In February, we will participate in the Governor's Conference on Economic Development. March will bring the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin Fly-In to Washington, DC and the Wisconsin Laborers District Council Unity Conference. In April, the 9th Annual Labor-Management Conference sponsored by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service takes place. In May, the Governor's Education and Training Conference will be held. And in July, the 4th Annual Minnesota-North Dakota-Wisconsin Joint Training Conference is scheduled.

Wisconsin LECET will make presentations at some of these conferences and we will set up the trade show booth display with the Wisconsin Laborers Skill Improvement Fund at others.

As you can see, the first half of 1998 is pretty much booked. We will still take suggestions on other meetings and events you feel Wisconsin LECET should participate in. Just give us a call and let us know when a conference or a meeting is taking place that you think we should attend.


WISCONSIN LECET WEBSITE POPULAR

Wisconsin LECET's web page has turned out to be a popular site for electronic travelers. After only four months, http://www.solidarity.com/lecet has received over 600 "hits" from visitors to the Internet. E-mail has come from the east coast, the west coast, Alaska, Hawaii and our midwestern neighbors.

You can find the Wisconsin Laborers Training Center schedule we talked about earlier in this newsletter on our home page. All the 1997 Wisconsin LECET newsletters are there. Information about transportation budgeting and clean air regulations is included. The 1996 and 1997 Wisconsin LECET Annual Reports are also on line. In addition, we have included links to the National LECET web page as well as many other sites you may want to visit.

The Wisconsin LECET Home Page has turned out to be a very cost-effective way to increase the visibility of our labor-management cooperation efforts here in Wisconsin.


WISCONSIN LECET TO PARTICIPATE IN WISCONSIN LABORERS UNITY CONFERENCE

The second Wisconsin Laborers Unity Conference is scheduled for March 20-22, 1998 at the Concourse Hotel in downtown Madison, Wisconsin.

The Unity Conference is open to all rank and file members in good standing with a Laborers Local Union affiliated with the Wisconsin Laborers District Council.

Like the first Unity Conference held at the Holiday Inn & Holidome in Stevens Point, Wisconsin in the spring of 1996, this years event will feature sessions and workshops on a number of Laborers Programs, including a healthy dose of labor-management initiatives.

Labor-management cooperation will take center stage during the seminars on Saturday, March 21, 1998, when sessions covering Wisconsin LECET, the Wisconsin Laborers Skill Improvement Fund and the Wisconsin Alliance for Fair Contracting will take place.

In addition to the workshops, guest speakers (including contractors) and a special session on financial and retirement planning, the 1998 Wisconsin Laborers Unity Conference will feature a health fair hosted by another labor-management fund, the Laborers Health and Safety Fund of North America. The health fair will provide on the spot preventative health screenings and many other informational services to help members and their families live long and healthy lives.

Wisconsin LECET, as well as National LECET, will serve as a sponsor of the the conference. In addition, we will moderate workshops on LECET activities and the Wisconsin Alliance for Fair Contracting. We will also set up the trade show display booth in conjunction with the Wisconsin Laborers Skill Improvement Fund to provide information on training programs and activities to expand market share for our signatory contractors and create jobs for laborers.

We look forward to our participation.


Director of Training Applicants Requested

The WI Laborers Skill Improvement Fund is seeking a Director of Training for their Training Center in Almond, WI. The Director is responsible for facilities management; course design and instruction relating to all work within the jurisdiction of journey and apprentice construction craft laborers; coordinating instruction at the Center and many sites across the state. Extensive knowledge of union building and construction trades and experience in curriculum development, classroom instruction and hands-on training is required. Budgeting, personnel, marketing and administrative experience is desired. Extensive statewide travel is required. Salary is commensurate with experience with an excellent fringe benefit package. Send a letter of application, resume and salary requirements to: WI Laborers Skill Improvement Fund, 2801 Coho Street, Suite 202, Madison, WI 53713.


The Wisconsin Alliance for Fair Contracting
will investigate prevailing wage violations

Call the WAFC
(800) 780-1778


If you need copies of THE TRAINER
or the poster with the training schedule,
please call Wisconsin LECET at:
(800) 782-46324

 

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