Member Spotlight
Steamfitters Local 601: Flexibility, Adaptability and Productivity
When Kevin LaMere became Business Manager of Steamfitters Local 601 in 2003, his first task was to ensure that the Elm Road Generating project went smoothly while making sure his local contractors understood their continued importance to his members' success.
Paying attention to the local contractors is something LaMere felt was essential to the success of his union. "It was a no brainer," he said. "They have helped make our union one of the strongest in the state, and I wouldn't dream of losing sight of that."
"The success of the Elm Road project is due in part to Local 601's preparation leading up to it," said Ed Tonn, President of Butters-Fetting. "However, what was really important to us was 601's understanding that our needs still had to be met, and that our customers' projects still needed to be finished. This wasn't an issue for us, and I'm pleased with how well everything went."
Preparation is Key
On top of maintaining his existing relationships with his contractors, LaMere needed to meet Bechtel's welding needs at the Elm Road project. Knowing that his local would be unable to meet the demand themselves, Local 601 invested $1 million to double their training facility and hire a full-time welding instructor. Since the United Association — comprised of Plumbers, Steamfitters and Sprinklerfitters — has a common nationwide training standard, LaMere was confident they would meet the demands of the large project.
Through collaboration with other Steamfitter unions across the Midwest and United States Local 601 was able to supply over 3,000 steamfitters throughout the course of the project. Workers from 25 different states participated in the training at Local 601, and the efforts to get the project done paid off.
Now that the Elm Road project is all but complete, and the majority of Steamfitters are no longer on the site, LaMere is again changing gears from power plant work back to industrial and commercial projects. He knows as well as anyone that the flexibility within his membership allows them to be prepared for any and all projects.
Greater Understanding Leads to Higher Productivity
In today's industry, many union leaders and contractors talk about the importance of productivity, and LaMere shared these same thoughts.
"Through a combination of education, training and experience, workers gain the confidence needed in order to confidently perform their jobs," he said. "If preparation is the key to meeting customers' demands, then education, training and experience are the keys to a highly productive workforce."
Once a worker becomes comfortable in their job, they start to figure out ways to be more efficient. However, working harder isn't always the most effective way to complete a job. In many instances, working smarter is the best path to success — something Local 601 seems to have perfected.
For years, the Steamfitters have known that whatever they can do to make their contractors' lives easier will ultimately benefit their members. That being said, they have worked hard at getting 26 individual and 35 different welding certifications as part of their training. They found that certifying their members this way allows them to give their customers and end users the skilled trades people that do the best job.
According to LaMere, preparing the membership ahead of a project has led to an increase in productivity and a greater trust in their work.
Relationships Matter
Having been a member of Local 601 for nearly 30 years, LaMere says he didn't understand how important relationships with contractors were until he stepped into his role as Business Manager. He learned early on that, "the surest way to making sure your members were taken care of and the contractors were happy, was to regularly communicate with them."
Whether the conversations are about new trends, the future outlook or how business is going, the importance of picking up the phone can't be underestimated. Regardless of the economic climate, the construction industry is very cyclical — like most industries — but the one component LaMere says never changes is the power of good relationships.
"It will always be important to let our contractors know that we are a highly skilled, flexible and productive workforce," he said. "I can't assume our contractors or their customers will know what we've been up to or how we're preparing for the future. That's why I make sure I have ongoing conversations and include their input when making decisions for our membership."
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