The local/DC organizer/market rep (MR) is under-trained by design. Conversely the trades have gone from organizing to market development to that of recruiting in one generation by design of the IPs! The IPs are using the strategy of VOD, which is not solidarity! It is that of a temp agency.
This blog and others will cover the work needed for Strategic Organizing. This section of instruction gives a local/DC a detailed and precise map in which to develop strategies and tactics. Warning: It will put a target on your back should you proceed in the current environment. At the minimum, a strong BM is needed – one who respects the IP but doesn’t fear them. Labor Rising knows this because the 82 organizers/MRs who have built out their entire markets are all gone! They have quit, been fired (because they are blocked from doing the job) or promoted up and out of the way. The Excel spreadsheets of these markets are in my possession. The picture the markets paint of the interaction of labor/management in the pinch point is very clear and I’m certain not what the clear-thinking R&F members have in mind that our internationals should be doing!
What the Internationals/Building Trades Academy teaches as MARKET DEVELOPMENT. It is so poor, to non-existent, as it accounts for nearly all the market losses for the past 2 decades from the perspective of union power and solidarity.
Let’s look at what needs to be taught to get you to a starting point of a strategic plan –
- Developing a Local/District Council’s entire market. For locals and DCs, depending on size of both membership and geographic area, approximately 200 to 400 hours of structured research. We must move and categorize large volumes of information. Skills are needed to do this. Excel – how to enter and organize data, use formulas and functions, build charts, and use other powerful Excel 2016 tools. Basic and solid knowledge of the ribbon/tool bar at the top of Excel. One Note or equivalent. A basic understanding of Word. Cloud computing, which lets you use and share files and applications over the Internet. Using virtual meetings, which connects tradespeople from across North America, regardless of their location, in using video, audio and more to link up online. Without these basic skills we are going nowhere. No International or Building Trades teach a comprehensive modern course on this. It is pure BS when they say they do! This can be taught online to save time and money by computer training centers across North America. The Market Development Rep/Organizer should have to pass this to move on to next level or even get the job in the first place. We do not teach Labor Combat to anyone unless they can show their structured markets and proficiency with the above subjects. That is how LR has obtained the 82 complete markets we now have. The consensus group many unions use is lynda.com once they acquire the basic skill sets thru computer training centers. Then they build additional skills – just like an apprentice moves on to journeyperson and master!
- SIC/NAICS codes – WTF are these? Exactly the question 95% of those attending LR classes have asked. Internationals teaching BS market development along with the Building Trades Academy and other consultants’ business branding strategies conveniently miss teaching us how to build our total markets objectively. Internationals prefer subjective type of market development like Value on Display and selling our VALUE. Occasionally, some low hanging fruit signs a contract, which is the exception, as long as organizers/MR stay out of the pinch point. There are a couple of locals that have solid organizers who use bottom-up effectively. However, for low density markets bottom-up is far too slow to turn a market.
Here is a link to the SIC/NAICS tables we at LR put together. https://1drv.ms/x/s!AmKOi71GyLcgqzcIBPFf3RBJ1SJ8 NOTE: if the Windows security box appears, click cancel and you should go through to the SIC tables. Until and unless a MR has a clue how to use these they are going nowhere in the big picture. The building trades mostly, but not entirely, are found in the 1500, 1600 & 1700 of column D on the right side of the tables under the link above. These codes are used by all business professionals in all areas to build comprehensive markets and data in near real time! So, insurance, workers comp, banking, government, census bureau, and everyone else, except the trades, uses them to know their markets. We in the trades teach ZIP – it is not the guys/gals that are failing – they are set up to fail because they are not given the tools, tactics and strategy in a structured way to win! Most trades use methods of categorizing the market that are reactive and that are incredibly labor-intensive ways of reporting what is almost totally SUBJECTIVE information of varying degree of credibility. When compared to a full market analysis, of the entire market, then and only then can you see the big picture. The Internationals say, “Hey LR you suck – we teach SIC codes.” But they teach 4-digit SIC codes. Without the 6-digit code you’re stroking yourself. Example: the 4-digit SIC code for one of the many cross-sections of building trades jurisdictions is 1711. If you run just 1711, you’ll have a nightmare of information. To find and research the specific contractors in a jurisdiction or combination of jurisdictions the organizer and or the market development rep needs the last 2 digits! It looks like this.
171101 HEATING SPECIALTIES
171102 HEATING CONTRACTORS
171103 SHEET METAL WORK CONTRACTORS
171104 PIPE THAWING
171105 PLUMBING CONTRACTORS
171106 PIPING-PROCESS & INDUSTRIAL
171107 SEPTIC TANKS/SYSTEMS-CLEANING/REPAIRING
171108 SEPTIC TANKS
171109 SHEET METAL WORKERS
171110 FURNACES-REPAIRING & CLEANING
171111 SOLAR HEATING CONTRACTORS
171112 HEAT PUMPS
171113 GAS BURNERS-SERVICE
171114 MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS
171115 HUMIDIFYING APPARATUS
171116 AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
171117 AIR CONDITIONING CONTRACTORS & SYSTEMS
171118 BOILERS-REPAIRING & CLEANING
171119 COOLING TOWERS
171120 VENTILATING CONTRACTORS
171121 GREASE TRAPS & SAND TRAPS-SERVICE
171122 GAS FITTERS
171123 TANK INSTALLATION
171124 DUCT SYSTEMS-AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING
171125 THAWING SERVICE
171126 REFRIGERATION CONTRACTORS
171127 AIR CONDITIONING EQUIP TEST & BALANCING
171128 DRY WELL CONTRACTORS
171129 HEATING SYSTEMS-CLEANING & REPAIRING
171130 AIR BALANCING
171131 ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS & PRODUCTS
171132 GEOTHERMAL HTG/COOLING EQUIP/SYSTS-DLRS
171133 LEAK DETECTING SERVICE
171134 SEPTIC TANKS CONSULTANTS
171135 RADIANT HEATING & COOLING SYSTEMS
171136 REFRIGERANT RECOVERY
171137 ROOF COOLING SYSTEMS
171138 CONCRETE-SEALING & WATERPROOFING
171139 BOILER SETTING
171140 PIPE-SEALING SERVICE-INDUSTRIAL
171141 PLUMBING CONTRACTORS REFERRAL SERVICE
171142 PLUMBING DRAINS & SEWER CONSULTANTS
171143 SLAB LEAKS
171144 SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
171145 STEAM THAWING CONTRACTORS
171146 STEAM FITTERS
171147 HEATING & COMBUSTION CONSULTANTS
171148 COOLING SYSTEMS-MACHINE
171149 GAS FURNACES
171150 SNOW MELTING SYSTEMS
171151 SEWER LOCATING SERVICE
171152 SEWER & DRAIN CLEANING-SERVICE/REPAIR
171153 SEWER THAWING
171154 WATER POLLUTION MEASURING SERVICE
171155 AIR EXCHANGERS
171156 BOILERS-INSPECTION
171157 CONCRETE-SHOT CRETE
171158 WATER MAIN CLEANING SVC
171159 AIR DUCT SEALING
171160 GROUND THAWING & SPACE HEATING
171161 BASEMENT PUMPING
171162 HEATING SYSTEMS ALTERNATIVE
171163 LIFT STATION MAINTENANCE & REPAIR
171164 WIND POWER
171198 PLUMBING HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING
This is across all trades in varying degrees.
Do you want to build a real market in near real time with solid info? Well, here is a quick primer, and it is just a primer as much more work needs to go into market building. Go to http://resource.referenceusa.com/ website. There are other firms that do this, but this is the consensus one those trained by LR like the best. Scroll down to the bottom of that page. Find About and click on Library Locator. Enter Zip. Go get a library card at one of the libraries listed. Use Reference USA website tools to literally build entire BT trades markets. All levels. This is not a toy! It has some limitations, which can be worked around. You need to know what SIC/NAICS codes go into the fields along with the area the Rep wants checked, including all of North America. And, Canadians have a version too. You will get data on an Excel spreadsheet with lots of information across many categories. Too many to list here. From 1099’s and low six figure independent contractors to the biggest multi-national construction firms. NOTE: for trades with licenses, you will see those license numbers that are stolen from our journeypersons and used by the 1099’s of the non/anti-union quit often! You can get all Construction Managers, Developers, GC’s, Fabricators, Maintenance, Service etc., all formatted on Excel. It is also researchable, cross researching, uploading everything, shareable, with endless ways to format. We use none of it; and BTW, all capable by mobile applications. So, for example a MR/Organizer, hell even a member, can upload pictures, videos, info from most sources to be entered into the file for use later, along with flagging. NO BT PROPRIETARY SUBJECTIVE & COSTLY way of doing it now even comes close. It is also a dynamic document to then pass on to future MRs and Organizers in real time with OBJECTIVE info. Most new MR/Organizers get ZIP when they start the job. The Building Trades have old and decayed courses on organizing still taught today. You know this by looking at our market share over the last 2 decades. A loser! And yet we still teach it! It is by design – so we DON’T play/understand those PLAYERS in the pinch point! So, when you know/understand SIC/NAICS codes and get comfortable using tools like Reference USA, you would enter info like this in the respective fields. What state(s) do you organize in? Pennsylvania is the example – also can be several states/provinces and/or the entire U.S. or Canada.
If you are a local union organizer/MR list the counties you organize in and/or want researched: In Pennsylvania – Bucks Chester Delaware Montgomery Philadelphia Lancaster Berks Lehigh North Hampton Monroe Carbon Pike Wayne Susquehanna Wyoming Lackawanna Luzerne Columbia Schuylkill Lebanon York Adams Franklin Cumberland Perry Dauphin Juniata Snyder Union North Umberland Montour Lycoming Sullivan Bradford Tioga Clinton SIC CODES: 1721-01 1721-02 1721-03 1721-04
Here is a test – what is the jurisdiction of the SIC codes in the example above? 1721-01, 02, 03 & 04? Use the link above and scroll down till you see them.
Once you enter the info at the library you will get an Excel spreadsheet. Some libraries limit the number of results, so you may have to go in and out of the system to get all the search results. Do we need the vendor to run them for a fee? Most libraries have subscriptions to this type of info and more – paid for by your tax dollars. And it sits there and the Internationals either know it and don’t tell us or don’t know it exists. Either way – not cool!
However, we recommend using a vendor. The menu of items, especially credit scores, are worth the price. Most libraries have solid current info but not the bell & whistles that give you in-depth look at the contractors and by extension the markets they exist in.
Once the organizer/MR can do the above, and only then, does the work of organizing the market begin. Approximately 200 – 400 hours. Once you separate and organize the information you are going to be dangerous.
Then and only then can we begin to build our markets’ Compression Zone(s) which are specific tactics to move/shape the markets of non/anti-union contractors in a direction we want. Some by carrot, others by stick.
I’ll leave you with this – the construction markets are and have been contracting and consolidating. The trades have a strong tail wind should we chose to use it. It follows that the non/anti-union with 90% of the market can be the net loser – especially if the trades with well-trained organizers put their thumbs on the scale of those markets. To date, we have let the contractors sort out the market and who survives and who is merged or “rolled-up”!
What a wasted opportunity and time is now limited to use this and other tactics within a greater organizing strategy. Without knowing the dynamics of a Compression Zone (which will be in the upcoming blogs), we are at the mercy of the players in the pinch point – sounds like VOD. It doesn’t have to be that way.
We can absolutely deal ourselves back into the construction game – but 14 IPs are hell bent not to change!? Why?
On to Part 4.
“if you see a good fight – get in it”
Danny L Caliendo
Organizer
Labor Rising/Labor Combat
