IP Newton B. Jones introduces the Boilermaker Code program.
IP Jones, MOST Administrator Branscum present program to industry group
THE NEW BOILERMAKER Code program received a warm reception at the 2016 TAUC Leadership Conference in Naples, Fla., May 5. TAUC, which stands for The Association of Union Constructors, is a national industry group that brings together multiple crafts, contractors and related interests to advance the group’s goals.
International President Newton B. Jones introduced the Boilermaker Code to the conference and showed the award-winning film by that name. MOST Administrator Dale “Skipper” Branscum followed Jones onstage with an overview of the program’s training curriculum.
Jones spoke about the loss of labor’s market share in the construction industry over past decades and the need to recapture project opportunities through a change in organizational culture.
“We now have viable [nonunion] competition,” he said, “and we’ve all learned ways to set up change in our organizations so we can compete. All of those approaches are important, and I think we’ve learned from many of you some ways for us to build our own program.
“We have to rebuild the trust of the stakeholders in our industry whom we failed many years ago as an organization they entrusted to do their work.
Part of the thing we have to do is to change and reshape the culture of our organization.”
Jones offered to share with TAUC partners any of the insights and lessons learned in developing and implementing the Boilermaker Code program.
“What they’re doing has the potential to be a true game-changer, not just for the Boilermakers but for other building trades, the contractor partners and the industry as a whole.”
— TAUC President Jake Locklear
TAUC President Richard “Jake” Locklear told the conference, “We’ve talked a lot about adapting to the realities of the 21st century marketplace. But the Boilermakers are doing more than talking — they’re taking action. What they’re doing has the potential to be a true game-changer, not just for the Boilermakers but for other building trades, the contractor partners and the industry as a whole.“
In addition to hosting the Boilermakers on-stage, TAUC also published in its magazine, The Construction User, an article by Branscum explaining the Boilermaker Code’s development and implementation.
