From safety/operator training and equipment management technologies, to custom solutions engineered to meet specialized job requirements, United Rentals offers much more than just the world’s largest rental fleet. It takes a lot to get the job done right. We’re here to help.
BAKERSFIELD
3340 Allen Rd. Bakersfield, CA 93314 (661) 631-5777
CONCORD
5151 Port Chicago Highway Concord, CA 94520 (925) 822-0366
FRESNO
5704 S. Toyota Place Fresno, CA 93275 (559) 442-8989
HAYWARD 4125 Breakwater Avenue Hayward, CA 94545 (510) 786-9506
RENO 12905 Old Virginia Road Reno, NV 89521 (775) 348-0140
SACRAMENTO
8565 Elder Creek Road Sacramento, CA 95828 (916) 383-7475
SALT LAKE CITY
1135 S. Pioneer Road Salt Lake City, UT 84104 (801)886-0586
SAN JOSE
2969 Daylight Way San Jose, CA 95111 (408)224-1052
SAN LUIS OBISPO
635 Tank Farm Road San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 (805)543-0113
TURLOCK
2800 N. Golden State Blvd. Turlock, CA 95382 (209)632-5084
SANTA ROSA
3963 Santa Rosa Ave. Santa Rosa, CA 95407 (707) 523-2350
SAN FRANCISCO 255 Selby Street San Francisco, CA 94124 (415) 642-2350
President Joe Sostaric, The Conco Companies
VP/President-Elect Ron Bianchini, Preston Pipelines, Inc. Secretary/Treasurer Christi Plum, P C & N Construction, Inc. Sec/Treas-Elect Dale Breen, Midstate Barrier, Inc.
Juan C. Arrequin, Bay Line Cutting & Coring, Inc.; Tom Barr, Ghilotti Bros., Inc.; Bryn Burke, Dees Burke Engineering; Steve Concannon, Pavement Recycling Systems, Inc.; Teresa Dias, Peterson Trucks, Inc. Greg Goebel Jr., Goebel Construction, Inc.; Kevin Hester, McGuire and Hester; Kurt Kniffin, Stacy and Witbeck, Inc.; Tony Naranjo, J&M Concrete Contractors; Jeff Peel, Steve P. Rados, Inc.; Greg Silva, Knife River Construction; Keary Sullivan, F & M Bank
United Contractors Committee Chairs
Associates: Keary Sullivan (Associate Director), F & M Bank; Teresa Dias (Associate Director-Elect), Peterson Trucks, Inc. | Caltrans: Michael Ghilotti (Chairman), Ghilotti Bros., Inc. | Legislative: Rob Layne, O.C. Jones & Sons, Inc. | Political Action (PAC): Chris Young (Chairman), D.W. Young Construction Co., Inc. | Safety & Insurance: Robert Sabin, Harbor Linx, Inc. | Attorney Roundtable (ART): Facilitated by Mark Breslin | SF City Contractor Liaison: Mike Ghilotti (Chairman), Ghilotti Bros., Inc., Miguel Galarza (Chairman), Yerba Buena Engineering & Construction, Inc. | Scholarship: Trony Fuller, West Coast Sand & Gravel | Southern CA Steering Committee: Steve Concannon, Pavement Recycling Systems, Inc.
Mark Breslin, Chief Executive Officer; Emily Cohen, Executive Vice President; Tejel Patel, Executive Assistant to CEO; Julie Hinge, Executive Assistant to EVP; Victor Sella, Vice President of Labor Relations; Clay O’Neal, Regional Vice President, Southern CA Operations; Dave Jenkins, Contractor Services, Southern California; Ruby Varnadore, Labor Contracts Manager; Lucia Mixon, Senior Labor & Member Services Specialist; Sandra Kaya, Administrative Specialist; Sue Weiler-Doke, Labor Relations Consultant; Melissa Gutwald, Director of Finance & Operations; Denise Ramirez, Online Services Manager; Emmy McConnell, Senior Accountant; Michelle Hannigan, Bookkeeper; Angelica Gouig, Director of Events & Education; Christine Traina, Event Manager; Ann Danen, Events & Education Assistant; Marissa Miller, Marketing & Communications Manager; Michelle Vejby, Publications Manager; Eddie Bernacchi, UCON Chief Lobbyist; Christopher Lee, Safety Consultant; Drew Delaney, Mike Buckantz, Regulatory Consultants
United Contractors Magazine (ISSN: 2166-3777) is published monthly, except December, by United Contractors, 17 Crow Canyon Court, Suite 100, San Ramon, CA 94583. Editorial comments, letters, and article submissions are welcomed and encouraged. Correspondence should be directed to the United Contractors office at the above address, by phone at (925) 855-7900, or by e-mail at info@unitedcontractors.org. Reproduction of editorial material in this issue is permitted if accompanied by proper source credit. Periodicals postage paid at San Ramon, CA and other offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to: United Contractors Magazine, 17 Crow Canyon Court, Suite 100, San Ramon, CA 94583. © 2022 Published in the U.S.A.
By Mark Breslin, UCON CEO
It’s 1989 and labor relations is a self-canceling phrase. There is no love in the air.
I get a phone call from my sister who lives in San Mateo County near the San Francisco airport. She informs me that there is a 4’ x 8’ plywood sign mounted high next to a jobsite on the side of Highway 101 with maybe 150,000 cars a day going by.
In big, bold letters, it says, “Mark Breslin is a Rat Scab.”
After flinging my DayTimer (remember those?) at the wall, I call the union Business Agent who I know is responsible. We debate the merits of his arguments loudly and vigorously. Four letter words are used. Mutual threats ensue. The issue is actually pretty minor. The contractor in the conflict is union. The workers are all union. UCON is all union. And his interests have less to do with representing the working man or woman than sticking it to management—me being at the sharp end of that spear. I broke the handset on my office phone. And that summarizes the labor relations of that era.
Labor and management relations have come a very long way from those times of conflict, mutual distrust, suspicion, and general dislike...a recognition of business interest interdependence has moved the needle miles from those old days.
In this issue, we focus on labor relations and what is relevant and vital today. But our history needs always to be remembered so we don’t repeat it. Labor and management relations have come a very long way from those times of conflict, mutual distrust, suspicion, and general dislike. The combination of more evolved leadership, a mutual market challenge from open shop
firms, the reduction of ego and posturing as the default, and—most importantly—a recognition of business interest interdependence has moved the needle miles from those old days.
UCON’s changes and growth also reflect this dynamic. Every one of our contractor members is signatory to one or more union agreements. And on the day that sign was put up we had around 65 union contractors in the organization. Now, over 30 years later, we have close to 400. These members include the market leaders in every segment of the industry across California and have made us likely the largest union contractors’ association of our type in the United States. This is a direct result of our leadership in labor relations. It is also a reflection of our contractors taking the lead in labor relations and staff following. It has been a principled approach that UCON needed to remain a union-affiliated organization, even when many predicted Open Shop was the future. It has required building long-term trust with labor leaders—now our partners, vs. adversaries of old. Though we don’t always see eye to eye on everything, and there are always some inherent issues we must confront, no one needs a 4x8 sign on the highway to get their point across anymore.
For more than a dozen years now, UCON’s contractor leaders have approached union relations and negotiations as a collaborative and dialogue-based model. Transactional and positional bargaining has cost the union industry a lot of market share loss in the past. More importantly, the idea that the problems of this industry can be solved at the bargaining table is no longer the way forward. To take on shortage of talent, unfunded pension liability, the need for advanced training, changes in technology, jurisdictional conflict between crafts, PLA challenges, a need for field leadership, meeting legal and regulatory mandates, market recovery and increases in market share—all of these are business challenges that take a business
mindset and honest discussions. That is UCON’s mission and foundation for our way forward for our members, partners, and our industry.
In 2022, UCON has negotiated eight new collective bargaining agreements across California for hundreds of companies, and many thousands of workers representing tens of millions of man hours worked each year. It is a serious undertaking requiring a degree of competence and commitment that takes time to build and maintain. The UCON contractors who participate in this effort, as well as our staff leaders (arguably the best labor relations team in the Western US), deserve the recognition and respect for their time and leadership on behalf of all of us (see pages 10-13 for UCON’s Labor Relations Teams). Without solid contractor leadership
and their “skin in the game” commitment, there is no UCON.
The mission of promoting positive change with labor relations takes time. It takes patience. It takes trust. And most of all it requires doing the right thing even when it is hard or unpopular. My having been called names, threatened, yelled at, and sued was part of a culture that was ineffective and unprofessional. But it never deterred us from looking at how we could do things better or differently for our valued members and our union industry. And this remains our mission and focus on behalf of all of you. u
By Victor Sella, UCON Vice President of Labor Relations
The title of this article is about contractor leadership. It is about dozens of owners and senior managers of construction companies around the state that put in the time and effort on behalf of the industry. It’s about contractors with skin in the game who stepped up in 2022 to lead the industry in negotiations during one of the most unique and uncertain economic times we’ve faced in decades.
As a result of their leadership, UCON now represents nearly 400 union contractors and 1,240 Powers of Attorney (with 200 Southern CA POAs added since 2019) for 21 CBAs across the state… and counting.
This kind of growth and industry impact are no accident. It’s part of a well-maintained strategic plan created by UCON’s Labor Executive Committees (LECs), encouraged by the Board of Directors, supported by the contractor members, and enacted by UCON staff. And we’re just getting warmed up.
With a hands-on contractors-first approach, this year 56 UCON contractors participated in twelve (12) collective bargaining negotiations across the state. Their efforts solidified our industry’s competitive framework for the next three to five years. Their leadership secured primary bargaining status (i.e. masthead) for UCON, which now spans six (6) agreements across the state with the Laborers, Pile Drivers, and OE3 unions.
Their competency and focus are the foundation for industry partnering over the next cycle to take on the industry’s biggest challenges and opportunities.
UCON’s Northern CA and Southern CA LECs each consist of the co-chairs of the Laborers, Operating Engineers, Carpenters, Cement Masons, and Teamsters craft committees from their respective geographic region. Each LEC is comprised of local contractors who collectively hold complete autonomy and authority to make labor relations policies and strategic decisions for their region. Contractors lead, staff follows.
Since the LECs’ decisions are made by contractors through transparent, democratic processes, it’s an opportune time to share some of the key priorities and objectives they set to guide UCON in 2022’s historic negotiation season:
CBAs are synonymous with complexity. Crossing craft jurisdictions and geographic boundaries can be at times like crossing a minefield. Creating consistency in terms and conditions across CBAs regionally and statewide is and will remain a top priority for our LECs. In 2022, we made tremendous progress in every CBA we negotiated by creating consistency and operational flexibility in areas like meal and rest periods, training rates, modified duty, statutory claims / PAGA waivers, and dispatching.
Our contractors’ operational and competitive challenges never seem to slow down. And the reality is most of the issues our industry faces cannot be resolved through
collective bargaining. Therefore, our LEC’s primary focus during each contract cycle is partnering with each union. This takes form in 1-4 meetings between our craft committees and their respective unions to take on industry challenges, like skilled talent shortages, non-union competition, and creating more work opportunities, from a partnership perspective. More importantly, these partnership forums create a value opportunity to connect with the who’s who of labor relations and construction in California.
Concerns about unfunded Pension trusts and withdrawal liability have increased exponentially since the last downturn, and for good reason. While some funds have rallied into the “green zone” or even beyond 100% funded, others still lag behind. Effective management of pension, H&W, and training resources so that they can be a benefit, not a liability to the industry is another top priority for our LECs. Since 2018, we’ve developed and placed 11 trustees and 5 new co-chairs. Our cohort of next-gen talent being groomed is unmatched, and we’re still actively recruiting more talent.
Approaching bargaining and industry issues as a united front is necessary to ensure the future of union construction in the state of California. For this reason, our LEC’s longstanding policy has been to reach out to our association partners for each negotiation to offer
Continued on next page
collaboration, if not partnership, at the bargaining table. This has been problematic for decades—getting management on the same page and keeping the industry focused on outcome. We see it as an industry imperative and have bargained jointly many times in the past to solid results. This year, Engineering Contractors’ Association (ECA) and UCON jointly negotiated the Laborers (S. CA) Master Agreement, becoming the primary negotiation partner (or masthead) for that agreement.
Labor Executive Committee (LEC) is UCON’s labor relations policy and decision-making body. The LEC oversees and sets UCON’s strategic direction for our CBAs, labor partnerships, and overall industry influence.
Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committee (JATC) is a labormanagement group that oversees a union’s apprenticeship program and training center.
Labor Management (L/M) Organization is a committee comprised of both labor and management representative that focuses on a specific industry issue such as labor compliance or promoting union construction.
Sub-JATC – Labor-management group that oversees apprentice disciplinary and performance-related matters.
Craft Committee – exists to provide value to our members by delivering direction and leadership in the execution of strong, effective labor relations advocacy.
This kind of growth and industry impact are no accident. It’s part of a well-maintained strategic plan created by UCON’s Labor Executive Committees (LECs), encouraged by the Board of Directors, supported by the contractor members, and enacted by UCON staff. And we’re just getting warmed up.
With so many talented, experienced leaders retiring in the next few years, there is no better time for contractors to step up and accelerate into leadership at an industry level. That’s why UCON has been aggressively recruiting, developing, and placing contractors to become our next co-chairs, negotiators, and trustees. Since 2016, UCON has recruited over 90 new members to our craft committees. UCON provides
labor relations and negotiations training, mentorship, and unique opportunities to grow as an industry leader. If you’re not involved already, reach out to learn more about the benefit to you, your team, and your company. On the opposite page, please find UCON’s Leadership Matrix to understand the structure and opportunities available.
A big thank you and debt of gratitude is owed to our LEC and negotiation team members across the state for their leadership, guidance, and passion to help grow and sustain the union contractor’s place in California.
Andy Vasconi, Casey-Fogli Concrete Contractors
Rich Gates, DeSilva Gates Construction
Mike Ghilotti, Ghilotti Bros., Inc.
Catherine Moncada, Granite Construction Company
Steve Clark, Granite Construction Company
Kevin Hester, McGuire and Hester
Donna Rehrmann, Stomper Company, Inc.
Joe Sostaric, The Conco Companies
Louis “LJ” Fisher III, Cell-Crete Corporation
Tony Naranjo, J&M Concrete Contractors
Steve Clark, Granite Construction Company
Kurt Eddy, Pavement Recycling Systems, Inc.
Matt Kuzmick, Stacy and Witbeck, Inc.
Ricardo Sepulveda, Veteran Pipeline Construction
Jim Maddox, American Landscape Inc.
Gary Peterson, American Landscape Inc.
Alan Guy, Anvil Builders
Anthony Cozzo, BATS Traffic Solutions, Inc.
Mariano Pacheco, BATS Traffic Solutions, Inc.
Ron Fadelli, Berkeley Cement, Inc.
Chris DellAringa, Blue Iron Foundations & Shoring LLC
Dan Baker, Bridgeway Civil Constructors, Inc.
Gabe Farncroft, Bridgeway Civil Constructors, Inc.
Tom Donnelly, BrightView Landscape Development, Inc.
Tomas Kuehn, BrightView Landscape Development, Inc.
Wahid Tadros, California Engineering Contractors, Inc.
Louis “LJ” Fisher III, Cell-Crete Corporation
Robert Chrisp, Chrisp Company
Jake Chrisp, Chrisp Company
Bryn Burke, Dees Burke Engineering Constructors, LLC
Michael Ghilotti, Ghilotti Bros., Inc.
Greg Goebel Jr., Goebel Construction, Inc.
David Riccitiello, Golden State Bridge, Inc.
Steve Clark, Granite Construction Company
Catherine Moncada, Granite Construction Company
Gerrad Gerber, Haldeman Homme, Inc.
Matthew Lovingier, JMH Engineering and Construction, Inc. Alejandro Murillo, Joseph J. Albanese, Inc.
Katie Williams, Kiewit Infrastructure West Co.
Steve McFadden, Kiewit Infrastructure West Co.
Greg Silva, Knife River Construction - Stockton
Robert Cowan, Marina Landscape, Inc.
Doug Ford, Pavement Coatings Co.
Kurt Eddy, Pavement Recycling Systems, Inc.
Monty Khouri, Pierre Landscape
Trent Hill, Pierre Landscape
Ken Lindberg, Power Engineering Construction Co. Ron Bianchini, Preston Pipelines Infrastructure LLC Richard Lemus, Robert A. Bothman Construction
David Preston, Safety Striping Service, Inc.
Kurt Kniffin, Stacy and Witbeck, Inc.
Matt Kuzmick, Stacy and Witbeck, Inc.
Anthony Ascencio, Statewide Safety Systems
David Nicholas, Statewide Safety Systems
Chip Sterndahl, Sterndahl Enterprises, Inc.
Donna Rehrmann, Stomper Company, Inc. Bill Boyd, Sully-Miller Contracting Company
Jasmine Gongora, Super Seal & Stripe
Brenda Hampton-Ortiz, Super Seal & Stripe
Darren Veltz, Superior Pavement Markings
Dave Greco, Teichert Inc.
Maizer Ouijdani, The Conco Companies
Joe Sostaric, The Conco Companies
Tom Gibson, Toro Enterprises, Inc.
Wally Stillwell, Traffic Management, Inc. (TMI)
Fernando Soriano, Traffic Management, Inc. (TMI)
Mike Scott, Traffic Management, Inc. (TMI)
George Bradshaw, Underground Construction Co., Inc. Ricardo Sepulveda, Veteran Pipeline Construction Randy Jenco, Viking Construction Company
Want to learn more or participate? Contact any member of the UCON Labor & Member Services team to find out more—(925) 855-7900, memberinfo@unitedcontractors.org.
United Contractors Labor & Member Services team is a valuable resource for contractors statewide, assisting key management, administrative and field staff on a daily basis.
With over 100 years of combined construction labor relations experience, UCON’s Labor & Member Services team will help you navigate Labor, HR, Payroll, and much more. We handle thousands of member calls every year, and are committed to doing our best to respond the same day. If we don’t have the answer, we will find it. Meet our team and learn our areas of expertise:
Regional VP - Southern CA
vsella@unitedcontractors.org (510) 362-6959
Victor oversees labor relations advocacy, contract negotiations, and support services to UCON’s 390+ contractor members across the state. By providing labor, operations, and human resources consulting to our members, Victor gets the satisfaction of resolving people’s problems and improving contractors’ abilities to get work done and stay competitive.
coneal@unitedcontractors.org (657) 439-4545
Clay is the Regional Vice President for Southern CA, leading member relations across the region, including labor, agency, and legislative matters. He is dedicated to cultivating genuine relationships and improving the business environment for UCON’s members across Southern California.
rvarnadore@unitedcontractors.org (925) 362-7310
Ruby oversees association labor contracts and supports UCON’s contractor member companies and their teams. Her main focus is researching and answering labor questions and inquiries related to contract interpretation, payroll, prevailing wages, employment law, and more.
lmixon@unitedcontractors.org (925) 362-7306
Lucia provides operational support and assistance to UCON’s contractor members. She assists in resolving issues and answering questions involving labor relations, collective bargaining agreements, grievances, labor disputes, payroll, and pre-jobs.
Administrative
skaya@unitedcontractors.org (925) 725-6695
Providing administrative and project support to the Labor & Member Services team, Sandra assists in ensuring high-quality member service, and the best member experience possible.
Labor Relations Consultant
sweiler-doke@unitedcontractors.org (916) 719-6073
With more than three decades in construction, Sue WeilerDoke helps members with their labor relations. Directly involved with the $1.5 billion I-405 Project in Los Angeles, she led 11 departments as West Coast Business Director, including project engineering, risk management, contract and subcontract administration.
“Being a member of UCON is an essential function of our business at DeSilva Gates Construction. Having the ability to rely on an expert resource for help and insight with larger industry-wide subjects allows us to be more efficient and in turn make better business decisions.”
Brian O’Rourke, DeSilva Gates Construction
“UCON has successfully guided us to resolution on several union matters. We can depend on them for sound advice that aims to mitigate risk to our organization.”
Melissa Cowles, Sully-Miller Contracting Co.
“We appreciate UCON’s extensive knowledge, expertise, and help with a very challenging matter. UCON is very thorough, effective and efficient in their approach. We are very thankful and grateful to you!”
Brandi Lacampagne Engelke Construction, Inc.
United Contractors Labor & Member Services team provides the following services for our members statewide:
• Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) Negotiations with Major Construction Crafts
• Grievance/Dispute Hearings & Conflict Resolution
• Contract Interpretation of CBAs, Including Payroll Challenges
• Wage & Fringe Benefit Compliance & Questions
• Public Works/Prevailing Wage Labor Compliance Assistance
• Apprentice Manning Requirements
• Layoff/Termination Procedures
• Employment/Labor Law Questions
• Organizing Agreement Assistance
• Labor, HR, Legal & Payroll Bulletins
• Attorney Referrals
• Substance Abuse Testing Program
“I’m very grateful and thankful that I have UCON as my number one resource. In our office we say this a lot: ‘Let’s check with UCON.’ Over the last 20 years, I don’t recall a time they couldn’t help our team navigate through a situation.”
Audrey E. Kaili, Esquivel Grading & Paving, Inc.
Power of Attorney (POA) Metrics—1,215 Total
Northern CA — 1,016 Total
• Laborers (includes specialty agreements) – 396
• OE3 (includes specialty agreements) – 314
• Carpenters/Pile Drivers – 148
• Cement Masons – 110
• Teamsters – 48
Southern CA — 199 Total
• Laborers (includes specialty agreements) – 96
• OE12 (includes specialty agreements) – 59
• Carpenters/Pile Drivers – 27
• Cement Masons – 17
Statewide — Iron Workers – 26
New POAs since 1/2021
• Northern CA – 110
• Southern CA – 88
“We are happy to have partnered with United Contractors, a reliable and responsive trade organization. They have a dedicated team who work hard to solve our labor relations and business needs. Additionally, we are exposed to a wide variety of other like-minded contractors in our industry. UCON does a great job bringing us together for events that are pertinent to our needs.”
Jim Nelson, Western Paving Contractors, Inc.
Statewide growth continues:
• 18% total increase in contractor members from 2021 through 2022
• 70 New contractors since 1/2021
• Number of contracts negotiated in 2022: 13
• Number of contractors who participated in negotiations in 2022: 40+ companies, with over 50 individuals
“It was very clear through the process that UCON’s approach to negotiations was the most thought-out and best in the industry. I gained valuable relationships with our industry and union leaders.”
395Total UCON Contractor Members (as of 10/2022)
Alan Guy, Anvil Builders“The value of having a partnership with UCON is unmeasurable for the industry and at the negotiations table. They offered support with data analytics as well as professional knowledge in negations with union trades. UCON helped multiple companies across multiple trades with multiple visions come together to have one vision one, one outcome, one goal: the contractor leads, UCON supports.”
Ricardo Sepulveda, Veteran Pipeline Construction
UCON began approaching our union partners several years ago to create opportunities for discussion between labor and management outside of actual bargaining sessions. Called Industry Partner Meetings (IPMs), these provide a way for contractors to develop and foster relationships with their union counterparts while talking about common ground issues facing union contractors. The discussions can also lead to the formation of subcommittees to tackle specific areas of concern, such as non-union competition.
IPMs have generated many successful initiatives, such as labor-management job fairs, joint legislative initiatives supporting industry funding, safety policy initiatives, and other programs to generate union market share growth. Yet, previous participants will likely tell you that
the real value is spending time face-to-face getting to know industry leaders. In other words, the opportunity to develop relationships with industry influencers is what pays dividends, and that’s the opportunity UCON creates through IPMs.
UCON is looking forward to returning to in-person IPMs in 2023. Meetings are being scheduled with SCDCL and OE12 for Q1 2023. We will be reaching out to our Craft Committees and other interested members as details for these and others are finalized.
Want to learn more or participate? Contact any member of the UCON Labor & Member Services team to find out more: memberinfo@unitedcontractors.org, or call (925) 855-7900.
On September 22, 90 UCON members from over 70 companies joined us at the home of our CEO, Mark Breslin, for our fifth annual PAC fundraiser. The event raised more than $270,000 for UCON’s Political Action Committee (PAC), which is used to elect and protect pro-industry candidates running in the state Assembly and Senate.
In attendance were special guests, Senator Josh Newman, Assemblywoman Lori Wilson, Assemblyman Heath Flora, and candidate for Assembly District 11, Shawn Kumagai.
“This isn’t about the money,” Mark told guests. “It’s about the trust, generosity, and support you give to United Contractors. We will never take that for granted.”
Following Mark’s comments, UCON Executive Vice President, Emily Cohen corrected him. “It is definitely about the money,” she joked. “The funds you have raised help us to elect and protect candidates that support our industry. They believe in investing in infrastructure across the state, they believe in uplifting union-signatory contractors, and they believe in creating a better business environment for you.” Emily spoke to the audience about how important the next election cycles will be in California. “We are fighting hard to elect moderate candidates who hold the line in California. We can’t afford to lose a single race. Every vote is precious.”
The annual UCON PAC Fundraiser was established by UCON’s PAC Committee Members just five years ago with the goal of raising awareness about the importance of UCON’s work to elect candidates, while raising money for our political allies. The event has quickly emerged as one of the most effective, owner-centric industry fundraiser events in the state.
Thank you to every member who sponsored and supported this unique and critically important event. And a very special thank you to UCON PAC Committee Members:
Chris Young, D.W. Young Construction Co., Inc. (chair), Mike Bauman, Bauman Landscape and Construction, Inc., Steve Concannon, Pavement Recycling Systems, Inc., Randy Cram, Tri-West Tractor, Inc., Bruce Daseking, McGuire and Hester, George Furnanz, Stacy and Witbeck, Inc., Rich Gates, DeSilva Gates Construction, Dominic Sposeto, Vanguard Construction, and Wahid Tadros, California Engineering Contractors, Inc. u
Join the over 1,500 people who have taken advantatge of UCON’s Professional Development Programs. 2022 offered over 70 classes specially curated for our members. As the year comes to an end, take some time to join one of the important classes remaining. Check with your manager, and sign up for a class today!
Tuesday, November 8; 2:30pm-4:30pm
Instructor: Rachael Brown, Sweeney Mason LLP
Class Style: Virtual | Class Limit: Unlimited Cost – Member: FREE Non-member: $100
Under SB 1343, all California companies with five or more employees must provide sexual harassment training to all employees. Non-supervisory employees must receive at least one hour of sexual harassment training, and supervisors must receive two hours of sexual harassment training. This training must be renewed every two years and be provided to any new hire within six months of their hire date or promotion to a supervisory position. This course meets the state-mandated requirements.
By Angelica Gouig, Director of Events and Education
We have highlighted the most popular UCON end-ofyear classes below.
Did you miss a class? Many of our classes are “on-demand” through the UCON App—select the Members Only icon, and click on Visit UNITEDCONTRACTORS.ORG/CALENDAR to register. For any questions regarding UCON’s educational programs, contact Angelica Gouig, Director of Events and Education, at agouig@unitedcontractors.org, or (925) 362-7309.
Thursday, December 8; 2:30pm-4:30pm
Instructor: Roger Mason, Esq., Sweeney Mason LLP
Class Style: Virtual | Class Limit: Unlimited Cost – Member: FREE Non-member: $100
Get up to date with new construction industry employment laws affecting your organization’s policies and practices. This program will discuss new laws and court decisions and provide strategies to implement new requirements at your company.
Stay Tuned for UCON’s 2023 Schedule!!
• Desktop—Click the CC icon in the bottom right hand corner; select your language preference
The Closed Captioning & Translation now available for most UCON courses! Automatically translate courses into over 30 languages in the UCON App on your desktop or mobile device.
• Mobile —Click the CC and settings icon in the bottom right hand corner; select your language preference using the settings ( ) icon
UNITEDCONTRACTORS.ORG/CALENDAR
Trusted Partners. Proven Builders. stacywitbeck.com
affiliates competed for the top spot in the tournament while enjoying food and fun activities throughout each course, including a chance to win at the Donut Hole in One! Named after a UCON Associate Member whose involvement and positive attitude was a shining example, the “Sal Rubino” Golf Classic is a UCON tradition and favorite among members and industry guests.
“United Contractors is a timeless organization! My first attendance was in the early 90’s...30+ years later they are truly still uniting contractors and suppliers to better the industry!
Ken Hugen, RDO Equipment Co.Winners:
1st Place: Connor Lancaster, Berkeley Cement, Inc.; Tom Lum, Peterson Cat; Adam Palacio and Nicholas Scruggs, Columbia Electric, Inc.
2nd Place: Chase Archibald, Curtis Archibald, and Kaj Archibald, of C.F. Archibald Paving, Inc.; Mike McElroy, FERMA
3rd Place: Braden Luper, TYS, LLP; Tobin Moon, TYS, LLP; Brian Schwarer, Heritage Bank of Commerce; Chris York, TYS, LLP
Longest Drive - Men: Sean Moss, McGuire and Hester
Longest Drive - Women: Elizabeth Torrez, Tenna LLC
Closest to the Pin: Fred Gomez, Heritage Bank of Commerce
Marshmallow Contest: Kyle Miller, Viking Construction
Winners:
1st Place: Dan Boyle, Midstate Barrier, Inc.; Spencer Cook, CNA Surety; Mark Mallin, Otto Construction; Patrick Morey, Ferma Corporation
2nd Place: Mark Farkas, Stacy and Witbeck, Inc.; Carlos Pozo, Casey-Fogli Concrete Contractors; Deuel Queiro, Tennyson Electric Inc.; Michael Romero, Anvil Builders Inc.
3rd Place: Sean Edgecumbe, Sweeney Mason LLP; Jeff Lindsay, Big Rentz, Inc.; Nick Pereira, Sanco Pipelines; John Wilshere, Nor-Cal Pipeline Services
Longest Drive - Men: Jeff Suitos, Nor-Cal Pipeline Services
Closest to the Pin: Chris Baldwin, Argent Materials, Inc.
Marshmallow Contest: Edward Pumphrey, Stevens Creek Quarry
ANNUAL PLATINUM
Ghilotti Construction Co.
McGuire and Hester
RNR Construction Trench Shoring
Anvil Builders
Bay Area Traffic Solutions
Chrisp Company
Graniterock
Griffin Soil Group
Joseph J. Albanese, Inc.
Knife River Construction - Stockton
PACE Supply
Pavement Recycling Systems, Inc.
Peterson Cat
Sierra Mountain Construction, Inc.
Smith Currie & Hancock, LLP
Stacy and Witbeck, Inc.
Sully-Miller Contracting Company
Sweeney Mason LLP
Teichert Inc.
United Rentals Trench Safety
Volvo Construction Equipment & Services
Vulcan Materials Company Woodruff-Sawyer & Co.
Alliant Insurance Services, Inc.
Bauman Landscape and Construction, Inc.
Bay Area Temporary Sanitation
Blue Iron Foundations & Shoring LLC
California Bank of Commerce
CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
The Conco Companies
DMZ Builders
Doyle’s Work Company, Inc.
Dynamic Office & Accounting Solutions/ Dynamic Technical Partners
Ghilotti Bros., Inc.
The Hartford Heritage Bank of Commerce Hoseley Corporation
JCC, Inc.
Kiewit Infrastructure West Co.
Marina Landscape, Inc.
McSherry & Hudson, LLC
Midstate Barrier, Inc.
Moss Adams LLP
National Trench Safety, LLC
Newfront
PentaRisk Insurance Services LLC
Silverado Contractors, Inc.
Sukut Construction LLC
Team Ghilotti, Inc.
Toro Enterprises, Inc.
TYS, LLP
Walsh Construction Company II, LLC
Andy Betts, Ritchie Bros.
Glen Hungerbuhler, Mission Clay Products
Joe Peixoto, The Construction Zone
Bayonet & Black Horse Golf Club
Breslow Imaging
Construct Your Image
Winslow & Associates
In early September, 18 select UCON members gathered for UCON’s 2022 Fall Executive Leadership Program (ELP), an interactive, two-day, industry-tailored event to grow and enhance leaders across United Contractors and the industry. Selected attendees are nominated by the UCON Board of Directors based on their established or emerging leadership capacity to help grow and influence the industry.
The ELP was created to help UCON meet our mission of building the next generation of industry leaders. The program, now in its fifth year, is co-led by author, speaker, and consultant, Bill Treasurer, CEO of Giant Leap Consulting, and retired Navy Seal Captain John “Coach” Havlik, experts in leadership development, strategic planning, and team building. Together, they lead attendees through an engaging and highly interactive curriculum focused on strengthening leadership in three broad areas: leading oneself, leading teams, and leading in the construction industry.
The mission of ELP is to help UCON members maximize their effectiveness and capacity to create more value for themselves, the people they work with, and the organization they serve. Members also build connections with each other over the two days, sharing ideas, experiences and challenges, while enjoying great meals and drinks together.
The UCON Board views the ELP as a valuable, long-term investment in the organization and industry. Since its inception five years ago, the Program has graduated more than 100 leaders from construction firms of all sizes.
The Executive Leadership Program is an invite-only program that focuses on construction owners and principals, with select reserved capacity for VPs and emerging leaders. If you are interested in learning more, please contact our Director of Events & Education, Angelica Gouig, or reach out to any UCON staff or Board Member. u
“Thank you all so much for the incredible honor to be both invited and a part of such an impactful training.”
— Kim Carone, Harbor Linx, Inc.
“Everything was great. The group activities were great team building activities, and I will be taking ideas back to my company. Being able to work with others in the similar situations and work is a huge benefit.”
— Monica Johnson, Independent Construction Company
“This program encouraged me to re-engage—to better lead myself and encourage growth of others.
— David Preston, Safety Striping Service, Inc.
Rick Andreatos, Pavement Recycling Systems
Angela Bauman, Bauman Landscape and Construction, Inc.
Kim Carone, Harbor Linx, Inc.
Jimmy Draper, Shimmick Construction Company, Inc.
Gabe Farncroft, Bridgeway Civil Constructors, Inc.
John Franich, Joseph J. Albanese, Inc.
Dave Heier, Moss Adams
Scott Helf, SVG Contractors, Inc.
Erik Jacobsson, Jacobsson Engineering Construction, Inc.
Monica Johnson, Independent Construction Company
Nicole Laurence, Graniterock
Eric McCosker, Independent Construction Company
Carlos Moreno, The Traffic Guys
Jeffrey Pike, Total Traffic Control Inc.
Dave Preston, Safety Striping Service, Inc.
Dave Sherman, Capitol Barricade
Brad Sorem, Mike Bubalo Construction Company
Sarah Tacker, Flatiron West, Inc.
Our services include installing underground
and dry utilities, cabling, signals, and lighting; soils testing, management, and disposal; and fill site management.
UCON welcomes our new regulatory consultants joining our team. Associates Environmental will assist on all CARB and Stormwater regulatory matters. We are excited to have them on board and are confident they will serve our members and UCON very well.
Founded in 2008, Associates Environmental is a clientfocused environmental consulting firm specializing in air quality, water quality and waste management regulatory compliance assistance and services. Associates are experts who have been involved with environmental permitting and plan writing since as early as the 1980s.
For any UCON member having questions regarding CARB, fleet compliance or stormwater retulatory matters, please contact Associates Environmental at (949)352-4941, www.associatesenvironmental.com. Our representatives are Mike Buckantz and Drew Delaney:
Associates Environmental Contacts: Drew Delaney, Mike Buckantz 18141 Beach Blvd., Suite 200 Huntington Beach, CA 92648; (949) 352-4941
We would also like to thank Tony Dorsa for his expert service with United Contractors, helping members with their regulatory issues over the years. Tony has recently retired, and we wish him all the best!
We know the regulatory burden for contractors provides incredible challenges and often feels overwhelming. United Contractors remains committed not only to advocate on behalf of the industry, but to assist members on a 1-1 company level. For questions related to your equipment compliance, or general CARB questions, contact UCON’s Regulatory Consultants, Associate Environmental, (949) 352-4941.
United Contractors would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank the following companies who are celebrating their anniversary of membership with our organization in October:
49 YEARS – 1973
Contractor Member: Sanco Pipelines, Inc. Dave Schrader
45 YEARS – 1977
Contractor Member: Maggiora & Ghilotti, Inc. Gary Ghilotti
40 YEARS – 1982
Contractor Member: Pacific Boring, Inc. John Iles
38 YEARS – 1984
Contractor Member: Ranger Pipelines, Inc. Tom Hunt
Associate Members: Ferguson Waterworks Carlos Ledon
Tri-West Tractor, Inc. Randy Cram
34 YEARS – 1988
Contractor Members: Redgwick Construction Company Bob Rahebi
St. Francis Electric LLC Guy Smith
33 YEARS – 1989
Associate Member: CEMEX Tony Skulick
30 YEARS – 1992
Contractor Member: R & B Equipment, Inc. Rick Jeffery
28 YEARS – 1994
Contractor
R.J. Gordon Construction, Inc. John Johnson
26 YEARS – 1996
Contractor Member: K.J. Woods Construction Company, Inc. Kieran Woods
25 YEARS – 1997
Contractor Member: Bugler Construction Glen Bugler
24 YEARS – 1998
Contractor Member: Condon-Johnson & Associates, Inc. Mike Almeida
19 YEARS – 2003
Contractor Member: Neary Landscape, Inc. Brian Neary
18 YEARS – 2004
Contractor Members: Flatiron West, Inc. Mike Costa
Michels Corporation Murray Luedtke
17 YEARS – 2005
Contractor Member: Penhall Company
Josh Heath
Associate Member: Robust Network Solutions Bashar Asmar
16 YEARS – 2006
Contractor Members: D & D Pipelines, Inc. Dennis McElligott
W. C. Maloney, Inc. Curt Maloney
Associate Members: Last & Faoro William Last, Jr.
14 YEARS – 2008
Contractor Member: Campanella Corporation Mike Campanella
12 YEARS – 2010
Associate Member: OSHA Training Institute Education Center at Chabot-Las Positas CCD Cari Elofson
Assisting members daily—HR, legal and payroll issues, public works and prevailing wage compliance, contract interpretation, labor disputes and more.
Protecting the interests and increasing marketshare for union contractors statewide.
Guiding members with Cal/OSHA compliance, policies, procedures, problems, citations, and more; safety and regulatory resources; CARB assistance.
Cultivating
United Contractors empowers, advocates for, and supports California’s union contractors.
We are relentlessly committed to serving the needs of our members while building the next generation of industry leaders.
