MCAA Regional Report, Region E

Words: Mike Cook, Tony Denegri, Dick Dentinger, Robert Heitkamp, Rick MartagonIowa - No State Chair
Kansas - Tony DeNegri
Minnesota - Dick Dentinger
Missouri - Robert Heitkamp
Nebraska - No State Chair
North Dakota - No State Chair
South Dakota - No State Chair

Workforce Development

Iowa

No report as of this writing

Kansas

No report as of this writing

Minnesota

The Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 1 MN-ND Apprenticeship Training Center conducts a number of Outreach programs for high school youth (general student population and at-risk youth; at-risk can be defined as economically at-risk, criminally at-risk, academically at-risk, and a number of other factors), community supported adult programs, and college level programs. The Apprenticeship Coordinator, Rick Martagon is a member of the Dakota County Workforce Investment Board. He serves as chair of the One Stop Committee and is a member of the Dakota County Technical College Masonry Advisory Board. He is also a member of the St. Paul Schools Curriculum Advisory Board and a member of the Minnesota Apprenticeship Committee. Additionally, the BAC has a presence at many high school career fairs and community based job fairs yearly. They participate in no less than 15 events per year.

The training center continues to bring the newest cutting edge technology as well as practicing older proven techniques with our members through continuing education and apprenticeship courses during the year. The courses are taught by our instructors and factory/product reps presenting their products. All classes are a combination of hands-on and classroom instruction. A list of our courses is available on our website; www.bactraining.org.

Missouri

There are 27 currently enrolled in the Bricklayers apprentice program, 14 in their last six months and therefore out in the field. Due to decreased enrollment, one of the two staff members has been laid off and the remaining instructor has assumed Coordinator duties. He is conducting journeymen upgrade training, such as OSHA 10-Hour and 30-Hour training, schedule permitting. During 2011 contract negotiations, contractors proposed changing classroom time to unpaid as a financial incentive to take on an apprentice. This cost-saving concession was not accepted by the Union. With over 300 journeyman bricklayers still unemployed, increasing apprenticeship numbers may be a struggle.

There are 17 currently enrolled in the Mason Tender apprenticeship program and the two high school feeder programs also have declining enrollment.

Economic Conditions / Forecasts

Iowa

No report as of this writing

Kansas

No report as of this writing

Minnesota

According to Mike Cook, President of BAC Local 1 MN/ND, he is getting a mixed bag of responses as to what 2012 holds for work as he talks to contractors and others. The city of Rochester is expected to have five tower cranes across their skyline by spring. Not only will it keep bricklayers in that area busy, but contractors and workers from the metro area will be traveling to Rochester to secure work. Other areas in the state are also showing signs of recovery with more buildings being drawn up and bid. Coming out of this winter we should be stronger then we were last winter.

A recent manpower hiring survey reports Minnesota gained 19,300 jobs in the year ending October 31, but only 900 in construction. Another report indicates that the Twin Cities metro area construction contracts have continued to rise for over this past year. Contracts for nonresidential construction showed the largest year over year increase with $233 million in contracts inked for October–up from $65 million in November 2010. The residential market is up 85% which is three times the volume experienced at the low point in the market in August 2010, according to McGraw-Hill.

Contributions to pension funds for the first 11 months of 2011 show an increase of about 6.5% over the same time period in 2010. Hours worked in 2010 were less than half of the hours reported during the peak year of 2007. Over the same time period reports show an increase of 5% in BAC members that are working since 2010. During the International Union meetings in September, we were one of the very few states to report an increase in hours in 2011.

The forecast for this area calls for similar increases during the balance of 2011. However, the first half of 2012 look to be suspect and tentative at best, with a noticeable lack of large projects on the boards to provide any strong foundation of hours.

Missouri

As of October 2011, Missouri’s unemployment rate is 8.5%. Residential masonry construction remains flat. The commercial sector is reporting a slight uptick. Anticipating that 2012 will remain challenging, we are forecasting a 14% decrease.

The institutional and commercial markets will be the areas of growth. A local hospital is planning two new developments that are currently in the architectural phase: $290 million in St. Charles, MO and $90 million in Chesterfield, MO. A casino plans an $82 million addition that will include a hotel, convention center and parking garage in St. Louis County. One university plans a $90 million expansion of their business school and another plans a $14 million expansion and renovation of the engineering building.

Masonry Marketing Activities

Iowa

No report as of this writing

Kansas

No report as of this writing

Minnesota

The MC&MCA continues to participate in the Midwest Masonry Promotion Council (MMPC) where contractors, suppliers, and producers contribute money based on monthly vertical masonry sales to a promotion fund that is targeted at the architectural community in Minnesota. MMPC Executive Director Craig Hinrichs has been on the job for over three years and continues to meet and work with architects through Architecture Institute of America (AIA) certified box lunch presentations and follow up meetings. Hinrichs presentation on structural masonry at the November AIA-MN state convention was attended by over 400 architects.

The MC&MCA, along with concrete products manufacturers, masonry suppliers and the bricklayers and labor local unions are working together on a new promotional effort focused on engineers and engineering firms. The IMI and the Laborers LECET are actively involved in these marketing efforts, as well. This effort is designed to provide the same marketing and masonry promotion to the engineering community that the MMPC provides for the architectural community.

The IMI is preparing for the kick off of the MN Structural Masonry Initiative scheduled for January 9-10, 2012. Mark Wickstrom (IMI Minnesota) and Diane Throop (IMI National) along with two renowned structural engineers will visit five pre-selected engineering firms to review various structural masonry design systems software. The selected firms will also receive important update information to the MSJC codes. The goal of these visits is to gain insight into the firm’s level of interest and expertise in masonry engineering. We anticipate these meetings will establish a dialog between the engineers which will opens the doors for the Coalition to work closely with the firms on current and future projects.

MC&MCA and other masonry management and labor organizations feel strongly that the marketing and promotional efforts in these slow economic times will pay dividends when the market begins to turn around.

Missouri

On September 27, 2011 the Masonry Institute of St. Louis (“MISL”) kicked off its 2011-2012 seminar year with a presentation by Dennis Graber of the National Concrete Masonry Association. MISL has since hosted David Biggs (Biggs Consulting) and John Chrysler (Masonry Institute of America). Upcoming speakers include J. Gregg Borchelt (Brick Industry Association), local architects and engineers, MISL alumni Ed Glock, Jr. and MISL Technical Director Darrell McMillian, P.E.

McMillian has pulled off the trifecta of masonry marketing duties this year: in addition to providing technical assistance to contractors and design professionals and conducting educational programs on and off site, McMillian has been teaching a structural masonry course three days a week on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis to students on the campus of the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, using distance learning technology. University officials commented that such high enrollment in the first-offering of a course is unprecedented. Due to this success, MISL anticipates the course will be offered in future semesters.

Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (“SIU-E”) is offering a Masonry Design course this Fall 2011 semester, after the success of the Fall 2009 initial offering of the class that was funded by MISL and the Masonry Institute of Southern Illinois (“MISI”). Dr. Ted Preuss returned as the masonry instructor and was able to obtain internal funding for the 2011 semester. MISL and MISI continued their partnership by donating masonry code books to the students.

MISL has partnered with Dr. Jie Gong, Ph.D. of SIU-E to develop building element models and model creation tools for masonry materials that will be incorporated in Building Information Modeling (“BIM”) software. Dr. Gong noted that designing masonry structures involves a sequence of technical decisions made by architects and engineers. In most CAD and BIM systems, the geometry of masonry components and their bonding systems are not modeled, and the representations of a masonry wall are often reduced to a homogeneous flat surface. There are also very limited technical (moisture resistance and thermal expansion coefficient) and commercial information (such as manufacturers and suppliers) defined for masonry components in these programs. For the purpose of quantity takeoff, there are no efficient means implemented in typical CAD and BIM programs for determining the quantity of mason masonry components, block cuts, custom units, grout and mortar. By addressing these shortfalls, Dr. Gong’s design tools will allow for greater ease in BIM so that masonry is not engineered out of projects.

The MCA / OSHA Partnership continues to flourish. There are currently 10 partners reaching over 50% of all industry hours. The partnership’s DART (Days Away Restricted /Transferred Duties) has decreased from its baseline of 5.7 to 0.9 as of September 30, 2011. The partners meet once a quarter with the OSHA Area Director and general contractor safety professionals to discuss best practices. For example, the partnership developed a Site Plan Checklist to be given to the general contractor prior to each job. The plan identifies the type of materials and chemicals, equipment, scaffold systems and personal protective equipment the mason will be using, along with identification of the competent person and schedule of toolbox talks and safety inspections.

Competitors / Trends

Iowa

No report as of this writing

Kansas

No report as of this writing

Minnesota

No report as of this writing

Missouri

During 2006 contract talks, non-union contractors were in the area but unionized labor was still a dominant force. The MCA found significant changes as we pulled market data for 2011 negotiations: the approximate 100 union mason contractors in Local # 1 jurisdiction are experiencing greater non-union competition.

Commercial big box projects are switching to tilt up and precast more frequently, although time will tell about the longevity of the products compared to traditional masonry.

Work continues to be lost to competing trades. Residential carpenters are over $8 an hour lower than bricklayers, followed by painters $7.81, plasterers $6.25, roofers $5.80, and commercial carpenters $2.14.

As work becomes more scarce, the line between residential and commercial mason contractors become more blurred, and many contractors are bidding jobs outside the Local # 1 jurisdiction where work rules and economic packages are more favorable.

MCAA Regional Report, Region E

Workforce Development

Iowa

Kansas

Minnesota

Missouri

Economic Conditions / Forecasts

Iowa

Kansas

Minnesota

Missouri

Masonry Marketing Activities

Iowa

Kansas

Minnesota

Missouri

Competitors / Trends

Iowa

Kansas

Minnesota

Missouri

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