March 2012 Newsletter - ABC

MERIT SHOP MESSAGE
President
Alvin M. Bargas
Vice Chair
Member Services
Andy Lopez
Editor
Caitlin Stolzenthaler
Programs & Events
Chair
Josh Coots
MERIT SHOP MESSAGE is
published monthly by
Pelican Chapter, ABC. ABC
is a national nonprofit trade
association of contractors,
subcontractors, suppliers,
and associates who have
joined together to advance
the construction industry by
aggressively supporting the
merit shop philosophy and
the free enterprise system.
Copyright 2011.
Pelican Chapter
Associated Builders &
Contractors
19251 Highland Road
Baton Rouge, La 70809
225-752-1415
Fax 225-751-9470
www.abcpelican.org
Executive Committee
Chair Jerome Mabile, Performance
Contractors; Chair-Elect
Todd Grigsby, Cajun Industries;
Secretary Ronnie Gulino, ISC;
Treasurer Gay Young, Pala
Group; VC Education Chet
Ferachi, Performance Contractors,
Inc.; VC Outlying Area Thad
Thrash, Bryan & Thrash Contractors;
VC Growth Glen Redd,
Triad Electric & Controls, Inc.;
VC Government Relations
Stephen Toups, Turner Industries;
VC Member Services Andrew
Lopez, Bennett Builders, LLC;
Past Chair Mike Moran, Cajun
Deep Foundations
Board of Directors
Brian Bordelon, Triad Electric &
Controls, Inc.; Ben Bourgeois,
Turner Industries Group, LLC;
Hank Coates, Pala Interstate; Trey
Crawford, Grady Crawford
Construction Co., Inc; Ryan
Girouard, Whitney Bank; Greg
Landry, The Lemoine Co. Inc.;
Lee Mayeux, Cajun Industries,
LLC; Fred McManus, The Shaw
Group, Inc.; Thad Rispone, ISC;
Sarah Taylor, Gulf Coast Occupational
Medicine; Thad Thrash,
Bryan & Thrash; Wade Walker,
Jacobs Field Services; Joe Wiley,
EXCEL
Chapter Legal Counsel
Murphy Foster, III, Breazeale,
Sachse & Wilson Law Firm
Auditors
Hannis T. Bourgeois, LLP
FROM THE CHAIRMAN: MARCH MADNESS
JEROME MABILE, PERFORMANCE CONTRACTORS
As basketball season comes to a close, the beginning of my favorite season
typically starts in March, “Crawfish Season!” I would be doing the Pelican
Chapter an injustice if I didn’t give my predictions on the season. Well, all the
conditions needed from Mother Nature for a great wild crawfish crop are
happening. Early water in the basin, a mild winter, and plenty of natural
vegetation create the perfect habitat. Unlike my ability to predict basketball,
let’s hope I’m better at predicting crawfish season.
As the Republican presidential hopefuls continue to duke it out, the picture begins to clear
somewhat. We are faced with the reality of rallying around the GOP nominee with the
ultimate goal of electing a new president. We must unite and support the GOP nominee,
and ensure everyone who benefits from a free enterprise system understands the
importance and significance of this election. The one constant is that the current
administration is continuing on the path of anti-business, anti-free enterprise. From recent
appointments to the National Labor Relations Board to the snuffling of the mega Keystone
XL pipeline project, their idea of mending this economy only continues to worsen it.
Defending our core values and the Merit Shop Philosophy requires constant vigilance of our
government’s activities both locally and nationally. To assist the Indiana Chapter in their
fight to pass Right to Work legislation, our Pelican Chapter’s PAC donated $10,000 to their
cause. It was nice to learn that the PAC board unanimously agreed to support Indiana in
their quest for right to work. The PAC investment turned out to be a wise one. Big labor did
all they could to maintain the status quo of compulsory unionism; but in spite of an
estimated 7,000 union protesters, the Indiana Legislature passed the bill and Governor
Mitch Daniels signed it into law.
It’s mind boggling to know that “Big Labor” represents only about 15% of our nation’s
construction work force yet they are called “Big Labor.” Indianans have sent the message
that the time has finally come when the few are no longer able to influence the policy for
the many.
SAVE THE DATE
Thursday, April 12, 2012
4:00—7:00 p.m.
ABC Office
Baton Rouge, LA
THE MERIT SHOP ADVANTAGE
Merit Shop is a way of doing business in which companies reward employees based on
performance and encourage them to reach their highest level of achievement, and in which
contracts are awarded based on safety, quality, and value, regardless of labor affiliation.