Masonry Magazine March 2002 Page. 30
30 MASONRY MARCH, 2002
Congress and handling regulatory affairs. How are you going to make your mark as President over the next two years?
One of my directives is to get all mason contractors to want to become certified. Obviously this is a very far reaching goal, but one I believe worth striving for. The primary reason is because many of the walls we build are load-bearing walls which carry with it a liability. We must make sure that our customers can be assured that the walls we build will not be torn down through a lack of education or understanding. Through education, contractors can achieve a certification to build and guarantee the wall. It will elevate the industry to a whole new level, enhancing the industry's image along the way. You can achieve this through licensing, but until all fifty states make masonry a licensable craft, certification becomes a viable option. The key is to make our customers require it.
MASONRY MAGAZINE: In this economy and environment, everyone is placing a premium on resources and services. How can the association expand its programs and services in spite of stable or even diminishing resources?
We can achieve an expansion of our programs and services primarily through partnering more closely with allied national and local industry organizations. By working more closely with these associations, we can leverage the resources of every group and better accomplish the expanded use of masonry. For example, the MCAA is better suited to recruit new masons. National industry associations should provide financial support to the MCAA instead of trying to duplicate our efforts. Therefore, each group pays a little with greater results, because more resources will be thrown at the problem.
MASONRY MAGAZINE: You are a union mason contractor, yet the MCAA has both union and non-union members. In fact, your Vice President is a non-union mason contractor. What are your feelings on union and non-union contractors working together?
Forget the words union and non-union contractors. The fact is that we are all small businesses doing work as mason contractors and our goal is to collect