Committees form to tackle challenges

The Southeast Area (SEA) Tripartite Alliance met at the Hilton Sandestin Hotel in Destin, Fla., March 30-April 1, to address industry issues. The alliance includes leaders from the Boilermaker, contractor and owner communities.

Warren Fairley, IBB International Vice President and SEA Tripartite conference chairman, urged the alliance to consider ways to accelerate problem solving for issues identified during caucus sessions. An important first step, he said is to continue working on issues during the year, between annual conferences. To that end, the alliance agreed to form committees charged with developing proposals. Those proposals will then be brought before the full conference.

With the assistance of Southern Company’s Mike Snowden and TVA’s Jerry Payton, serving as facilitator, conference delegates established four committees, each with a “convener” to schedule and coordinate meetings. A new website developed for the alliance by the Boilermakers’ Communications Department will allow committees to post progress reports.

Other key topics at the conference included manpower projections and recruitment. Local 108 (Birmingham, Ala.) BM-ST Tim Simmons described the approach taken by the lodge to attract new apprentices as well as journeyman-level candidates. Local 108 has successfully ramped up its recruitment efforts using “out of the box” marketing techniques, said Simmons and IR-CSO Ronnie Dexter. MOST Training Rep Jay Brophy also discussed recruiting and the coordination of efforts with local lodges and the Southeast Area Joint Apprentice Committee.

A total of 14 speakers addressed the event on topics such as safety, project updates, the Boilermaker Code and Creed, MOST programs, apprentice training, and legislative affairs.

The 2016 conference will again be held at the Hilton Sandestin, April 4-6.