On Leadership and Prudence

By / Hector Vargas, SMACNA-SoCal President

On March 1-2, 2022, SMACNA and SMART leaders from across the United States and Canada attended the 2022 Partners in Progress Conference at Resorts World in Las Vegas. The event was well attended and included interactive workshops and great speakers like Jim Abbott, the former New York Yankees pitcher, who spoke on resilience and optimism in leadership and in life, and Mike Abrashoff, former commander of the USS Benfold, who imparted wisdom and practical advice on team-building, leadership, and finding the best in people. These were just a few in a line-up of excellent speakers who shared insight and direction for how to change the way we think about cultuvating, building, and maintaining positive relationships between organizations.

To build a strong future, leaders from labor and management must work together and focus on a common goal. One common goal is growing market share while providing adequate wage and benefits to members. Increased market share with great wages makes it easier to attract the future work force required. I am proud to say that your SMACNA Southern California Labor Committee has a strong and true partnership with our Local 105 SMART Union.

While work in our area seems to continue at levels slightly below 2021, it is very important that you are properly planning for price escalation and material shortage. Current average lead times for HVAC equipment are running at 28+ weeks. Please make sure you are properly planning and researching when bidding projects. Cost increases are unavoidable, and it does not seem like the situation will improve anytime soon. Make sure you are conscious of this when bidding and adjust as required.

Hope everyone is safe, business is good, and wishing lots of success to all. ▪