Masonry Magazine April 1971 Page. 23
IMI Holds Meeting for Masonry Promotion Groups in Arizona
Mason contractors, bricklayers and other masonry workers have to be salesmen if the profession is to prosper, and it's the job of the newly established International Masonry Institute (IMI) to provide the necessary tools for this local support. So said George Miller, Executive Vice President of the Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA), on behalf of the IMI Trustees, at IMI's first national meeting. It was held recently for local masonry promotion groups in Phoenix, Arizona.
Jan. 8-12, 1972 MCAA Convention & Show at the Americana Bal Harbour, Florida
Pictured at the national meeting of IMI Trustees and Advisors on April 1 are: (back center, clockwise around table) Charles Velardo (with glasses), Donald R. Bidwell, Thomas F. Murphy, James Richardson, George King (partially obscured), George A. Miller, Eugene George (back to camera), John Joyce, Neal English and Ray Lackey.
"Through such efforts, we can start creating a happy environment for all the people by providing the kind of places they can afford to live in and want to live in," said Thomas F. Murphy, President of the Bricklayers, Masons & Plasterers International Union (BM&PIU), and an IMI Advisor.
The IMI Promotion Seminar pulled together known masonry promotion groups from Seattle to Southern California to Florida to Michigan and Canada. Those who were not involved are urged to make themselves known to IMI. Also present at the meeting were the national promotion representatives of the Structural Clay Products Institute (SCPI) and the National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA). IMI officials attending were Trustees Donald R. Bidwell, Chairman; George A. Miller, Charles Velardo and Eugene George; Advisors Thomas F. Murphy, George King, John Joyce and James Richardson; Executive Director Neal English and Ray Lackey of Henry J. Kaufman Associates, IMI's ad agency.
IMI was recently established by BM&PIU and MCAA in Washington, D. C., as a national promotion trust fund to promote masonry materials and services. With basic funding from the two parent organizations, IMI promotion activities will depend upon 1¢ an hour payments for every hour worked by each BM&PIU member throughout the United States and Canada.
Purpose of the Phoenix meeting was to encourage the writing of the IMI provision into collective bargaining agreements coming up for negotiation or amending those recently finalized. At the meeting, local and state masonry promotion programs were reviewed. IMI aids for use by these programs, and national promotion and advertising efforts being undertaken by IMI were discussed.
BM&PIU President Murphy indicated that IMI has been "received with enthusiasm." He said that it has the all-out support of BM&PIU and MCAA as well as local affiliates of the two organizations. A number of cities have established IMI support and many more are taking the steps to do so, he pointed out. He appealed to all concerned to do everything possible to maintain the momentum.
George A. Miller (at lectern) addresses local promotional directors on the structure of IMI.
Group shot of the informational meeting sponsored by the Arizona Masonry Guild for Phoenix architects and engineers.
MCAA Executive Vice President Miller explained that, "IMI spans the entire masonry industry, not just brick, block, or the bricklayer." He said, "IMI exists to promote the masonry process and may tap the resources, knowledge and experience of a number of organizations as a means of helping the masonry industry prosper. Targets for IMI national promotion efforts will be architects, developers, bankers, and owners," he stated.
In response to questions about procedures required to establish IMI funding support, it was pointed out that appropriate wording for the collective bargaining agreements, the BM&PIU-MCAA trust agreement, and step-by-step guidance material are available. Inquiries should be directed to: Neal English, Executive Director, IMI, 823 Fifteenth St., N.W., Washington, D. C. 20005. Telephone: (202) 783-3908.
Urges Greater Unity in Construction Industry
Separate components of the construction industry cannot remain isolated and independent if they are to accomplish the massive job of rebuilding our cities, leaders of the construction industry were told recently.
In a keynote speech at the first national meeting of the Construction Action Council of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce, Wallace F. Traendly, president and chief executive officer of McGraw-Hill Information Systems Company, said that previous efforts toward coordination of the construction industry "haven't been fruitful because of a chronic case of industry fragmentation."