You might start hearing about the Employee Free Choice Act. This legislation is somewhat complex and depending on who is telling the story, there will probably be some spin to it. The EFCA is legislation to basically determine the process and rules for employees and employers in determining whether to become organized (Union) or possibly even change jurisdictions.
The times are tough for everyone in the industry, and yes, even for Walls & Ceilings magazine. Like the rest of you, we have made some cuts and sharpened our pencils. Everyone is nervous today about the economy and we all know someone who has lost a job, home or needs desperately to find work.
Meet Victor Picena, proud member and apprentice of the Carpenters Union. He was born in Los Angeles and life was not particularly good for him at first. Victor found himself in a gang and doing everything wrong to be successful and get ahead.
My friend Mark Breslin often refers to the culture of the trades and how they need to develop a better culture within their own industry. The culture within a group shapes the group’s image, for better or worse.
Redlands is a city in California, and like all cities, they are suffering through a budget crisis. Unlike other cities though, there are no lay-offs. The reason is all city employees agreed to take a 10 percent pay-cut to meet the budget shortfall.
This is an ongoing debate with the drywall industry. What is a true level 5, skim coat joint compound, drywall primer that equalizes porosity or a proprietary product?
The news about Chinese drywall omiting a
sulphur gas and corroding wiring in homes and making people ill is not what our
industry needs. It appears the problem is confined to South Florida. My question
is: Is this for real?
My question is, where is our bailout? I, like everyone I
talk to, has mixed feelings about the bailout money. For the car
companies, it would certainly hurt for them to go under. But what was
management and labor thinking? The gravy train would last forever?
While contractors are certainly not the enemy, a sales pitch can sometimes seem like a strategic battle. Both require a plan, both require knowing the customer, predicting his or her next move and having a countermeasure to accomplish the plan.
