Dick Lauber is being nominated for the Masonry Hall of Fame by his colleagues and friends in the masonry industry. It is widely known that Dick Lauber has many accomplishments, which are a reminder of his life-long involvement in the masonry industry. These accomplishments brought about great changes and advancements that still have a great impact in the industry today.
His greatest achievement, in the mind of his peers, is the person that he is. He fought for worker safety, voiced field concerns, and improved labor relations through his dedication to doing the right thing. Not just a businessman, Dick has a true empathy for mason workers and their working environment. He was a champion for the workforce, and his dedication to improving labor relations came with a vision that all could benefit from fair labor practices. It takes vision and courage to build harmony in difficult situations, and Dick was able to set an example as he worked to standardize industry practices and improve education opportunities.
It is a real testament to a person's character when so many people speak of him with such great respect. His greatest accomplishment, by far, is his character. As a dedicated and hard-working professional, he is driven to influence the quality of work being done with masonry. In many difficult situations, he kept his beliefs intact and was a fair and balanced negotiator.
Dick Lauber is regarded as a leader, a mentor, and a friend. He has influenced many in the industry to remain humble in their actions and deeds. Dick can be counted on to make difficult decisions that are fair to all parties concerned. He is so well respected that at the end of the day his professionalism, integrity, and character become an inspiration to all those who work with him.
J & E Duff, Inc., the mason contracting firm Dick Lauber has been at the helm of for over 45 years, has been a leader in bricklayer hours worked, masonry laborers hours worked, gross sales and respect - a benchmark of success for all contractors. Dick never hesitated to speak, advise and help younger union mason contractors, and lived by the rule that an educated competitor is the best competitor. His leadership at J & E Duff, and on all the masonry related boards pushed for more education for contractors and bricklayers alike. Professionalism is a trademark of this man and everything he touches.
Labor leaders from the Bricklayer's Union, Laborers Union, and the Operating Engineers Union all have a wonderful working relationship with Dick Lauber. Dick recognized that these are not the only unions and we all have to get along. He was a founding board member of Construction Industry Service Corporation (CISCO) a labor management group that allow union and management a place to talk about their common goals and discuss industry issues.
Dick is also a founding father of the Chicagoland Construction Safety Council (CCSC) - a safety organization to train union workers in all aspects of safety. Today, the CCSC has over 25 years of experience developing training curriculum and conducting high-quality training to industry workers. In addition to the regular schedule of training courses, CCSC now offers custom design training programs to meet specific needs.
Quality, quality, quality is what drives Dick. He understands the masonry wall fails if the standards are not followed, and if short cuts are taken, the masonry industry could lose face. Things have to be done right if we are to succeed as an industry long into the future. He would say properly assembled masonry walls cannot be beat, but we must stress quality and workmanship if the future of masonry is to survive.
Accomplishments and Industry Advancements:
- Was instrumental in merging all the apprentice schools in the Chicago area to establish a new centrally located bricklayer's apprenticeship school, the District Council Training Center, covering 9 counties. It opened in March 2002 and is considered one of the finest bricklayer apprenticeship schools in the country.
- Trustee on the pension fund, annuity fund, and health & welfare funds for more than 30 years
- Successfully merged the health and welfare funds in January 2010
- Pushed for, and oversaw the Bricklayer Pension fund merger that was finalized in January 2015
Served as a Board Member:
- Sat on Management side of the Bricklayer's "The Joint Board" as an Arbitrator since 1988
- Mason Contractors Association of Greater Chicago for 40 years, as its President for 21 years
- President of Mason Contractors Association of DuPage 3 years
- Officer of the Mason Contractors Association of America for 6 years
- Board of Directors for both International Masonry Institute and International Council of Employers
- Masonry Advisory Council and Mason Contractors Association of Greater Chicago for more than 25 years
Joined J. & E. Duff, Inc. in 1959. Trustee on the Pension, Annuity, and Health and Welfare Funds for more than 30 years. Participated in Bricklayer’s “The Joint Board” as an Arbitrator since 1988. Active in MCA of Greater Chicago for 40 years, including serving as President for 21 years. MCAA Region D Vice President for 6 years. Served as President of MCA of DuPage for 3 years. Named Industry Leader of the Year (2000). Instrumental in establishing the District Council Training Center (2002). Awarded C. DeWitt Brown Leadman Award (2004). Merged the Health and Welfare Funds (2010). Pushed for and oversaw the Bricklayer Pension Fund merger (2015). Board of Directors for IMI and ICE. Masonry Advisory Council board member for more than 25 years.