LMCT: A successful model

The old--and never quite accurate--picture of labor/management relationships in the construction trades was of antagonists at each other's throats. According to this old model, the parties met only when necessary; and, when they did meet, fireworks were expected.
While negotiations still may deadlock, cooperation and collaboration, not confrontation, more accurately describes our relationship today. The Local No. 12 Labor-Management Cooperation Trust (LMCT) advances common objectives including the provision of health and welfare programs, pension plans, and training programs for union journeymen and apprentices. Negotiated in 1993, employer contributions, based on the number of hours worked by Union members, funds the LMCT.

We created the LMCT to address challenges in the plumbing construction industry that are not typically resolved through the collective bargaining process. These issues include: the hazardous nature of construction work, competitive pressure from employers who do not pay standard area wages or do not provide standard area health and pension benefits, and compliance with governmental regulations. We also seek to ensure that plumbing codes, materials, and installations truly protect public health and safety.

Heading off challenges
Perhaps most importantly, the LMCT facilitates the exchange of information among the officers and members of Local No. 12 and our employing subcontractors concerning projects, contracts, events, trends, and a host of other important matters. By meeting regularly, we're able to air--and frequently resolve--any potential conflicts. We're also able to do creative things together as a team and focus on the mutual goal of bringing in work for contractors and man-hours for Local No. 12 members.

The LMCT has developed a wide range of initiatives to encourage the free flow of ideas throughout our industry. We give special attention to the promotion of quality work, efficient operations, and the economic competitiveness of the unionized sector of the construction industry. Through these efforts, the LMCT Trust has transformed the way that labor and management work with one another.


Next page: Being a Union contractor has its benefits
Complete Fall, 2004 newsletter (pdf file)