Documents from Right to Work/ Diversity Meeting Released
Date Posted: February 23, 2015
Posted In: News, Workforce,
by Tom Finan, Executive Director, Construction Forum STL
Last week an article appeared in ConstructForSTL regarding a meeting called Feb. 13 by Jeff Aboussie, executive secretary-treasurer of the St. Louis Building and Construction Trades Council. ConstructForSTL has obtained copies of two documents which were presented in that meeting, one by MOKAN/CORE and the other by St. Louis City NAACP.
The NAACP document, submitted by Lew Moye, chairman, NAACP Labor Affairs Committee was titled, “St. Louis City NAACP Recommendations to Labor”. Among the eight recommendations were: “Diversification of the St. Louis Labor Council Executive Board with representatives from CBTU, APRI, CLUW, LCLAA, and Pride at Work.” It also recommended diversification of the Missouri AFL CIO Executive Board and the St. Louis Building Trades Council Executive Board. The document recommended an: “Increase in minority membership to 30 per cent (sic) per building trade.” The complete NAACP submission can be viewed by clicking here.
The MOKAN/CORE document began by stating, “For more than 50 years the St. Louis Construction industry has remained challenged in adequately including minority businesses and workers within the construction building trades. MOKAN believe (sic) that the construction unions should be a major catalyst toward rectifying this trend and increasing the number of skilled tradepersons within the construction industry.”
The document called for six points, including, “35% African-American participation goals included in contracts that Unions have with Contractors,” “Amnesty for African-American union members who have become inactive because of non-payment, enabling them to become active without penalties reinstating their pension eligibility,” and a minimum of 25 percent representation of African Americans on both union boards of trustees in numbers of business agents. The complete MOKAN/CORE document can be read by clicking here.
Jeff Aboussie’s decision to call the Feb. 13 meeting was prompted by a conversation he had with Missouri Rep. Jamilah Nasheed during recent hearings on Right to Work Legislation in Jefferson City. In attendance were about 60 persons from minority workforce inclusion organizations such as MOKAN; labor unions; contractor associations such as the Associated General Contractors of MO, SITE Improvement Association, Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association, and the Council of Construction Employers; and owners represented by the St. Louis Council of Construction Consumers.