Masonry Magazine February 1984 Page. 12
MCAA CONFERENCE
The Second Session of the Conference began on Tuesday morning, January 31, with presentations on "Legal Concerns in the Masonry Industry" by legal counsel George Plumb; "Activities of the Masonry Research Foundation" by Doris Lackey, assistant secretary to the MRF and assistant to the president for industry relations of the International Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craftsmen, Washington, D.C.; "Masonry Training in the 80s" by Bruce N. Voss. executive director of IMI's Apprenticeship & Training Program, and "IMI Engineering Module #3" by Ray Lackey, executive director of the Market Development Program of IMI.
George Plumb's remarks centered on the "Memorandum Agreement" prepared by Dr. John Dunlop of Harvard University. "The Memorandum Agreement continues the efforts that have been successfully utilized by Dr. Dunlop in attempting to bring cooperation into labor negotiations," Plumb said.
The Memo Agreement, as proposed, would permit the introduction of skilled labor/management techniques to address problems as they appear from time to time in various areas of the nation. It basically calls for a "cooperative" rather than an "antagonistic" relationship between the parties to a bargaining relationship.
"In appropriate situations," Plumb explained, "this approach to resolving disputes can be very effective, and substantial benefits are seen from the implementation of this approach."
Plumb also reported on the status of jurisdictional disputes and said they "continue to be a problem in the masonry industry and most likely will always be present. Typically, jurisdictional disputes increase when there is a downturn in construction activity. However, this downturn has continued for such an extended period of time that, as legal counsel, fewer disputes are presented to us, but those that we do see remain vigorously contested."
Plumb described MCAA as a "vigorous protector" of the right of employers to preserve their work assignments, and traced some of the landmark cases in which MCAA has won significant court rulings in its favor. He called the MCAA Jurisdictional Disputes Manual, Vol. II ("Rose Book") a "very important tool to be used in quickly resolving disputes and in outlining procedures to be followed when they occur." He urged that copies be obtained by all MCAA member firms for their administrative personnel.
Doris Lackey gave a detailed account of the purpose and structuring of the Masonry Research Foundation and its Advisory Council as well as the Masonry Industry Committee. She also outlined the various masonry research projects that are currently underway in conjunction with major universities in the U.S. and Canada. (The full text of her comments will be carried in a forthcoming issue of Masonry.)
Bruce Voss reviewed the local, regional and national aspects of apprenticeship and training programs for the masonry industry. The first priority, he said, is to make the programs responsive to local needs. "Despite the strong international character of the revitalized program, training is a very local concern to union members and contractors alike," Voss said. "Local Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committees the people most familiar with local needs and conditions-will have a voice both in the types of training offered and in the numbers of people trained."
He explained that IMI Regional Training Centers will provide housing, food service, recreation and quality training for groups up to 200 apprentices at a time. Newly indentured apprentices will be sent by their local JATCS to their Regional Training Center for a program of up to 12 weeks of pre-job instruction. The Center will additionally provide courses for journeymen and foremen to upgrade their skills.
The proposed National Training Center, to be coordinated with the activities of the International Masonry Center headquartered at the historic Brice House in Annapolis, Md., will provide a full range of on-site services for training skilled journeymen in one of four advanced skills- ornamental plastering, stone/marble masonry, mosaic and related tile, and new technologies. Also offered, Voss said, will be instructor and advanced foremen training, business management, and JATC administrative training.
"The important point we must remember about masonry training in the 80s is that it is not training just for management or just for labor, but training for the entire industry," Voss said.
Ray Lackey showed slides and described the new Engineering Design Module III, the third and final module in a series comprising an Educational Syllabus on Structural Masonry. Produced by IMI, Module III was developed specifically for the educator and sets forth presently accepted procedures necessary to design with masonry materials.
Coverage includes loadbearing structures, columns and pilasters, connections, construction details, highrise and warehouse building design examples, and special features of masonry construction. Detailed information is also provided on the various types of masonry materials, the history and background of masonry architecture, and masonry design standards.
Masonry Marketing
Manual Available
Introduced at the New Orleans Conference by MCAA's Masonry Systems Marketing Committee, the new Masonry Marketing Manual now can be purchased for $20 each from the MCAA Executive Office, 17W601-14th St.. Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181.