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GENERAL SECRETARY-TREASURER’S REPORTNecessity is the Mother of InventionFor years, the IUPAT has sought innovativeways to increase market share,because, after all, it is market sharethat determines how much work IUPAT membershave. To that end, we have developedmany policies and programs over the last15 years. In many ways, the district councilstructure itself was designedto increase market share.Other efforts to increase marketshare include our internationaltraining center and enhancementsto local training; the LMCI and itsprograms; millions of dollars inorganizing assistance to our districtcouncils and local unions overthe last 5 years; our ever improvinggovernment affairs departmentand our political activism;Leadership Series Training; specialinitiatives in floor covering, glazingand industrial painting; TopWorkplace Performance; and severalothers too numerous to list.Many more innovative ideas and programs havebeen developed and implemented by our districtcouncils and local unions. All of these policies andprograms must continue; however, in many placesthey are not enough. Bold steps will be required toincrease market share … steps that may represent adeparture from how we have unsuccessfully donebusiness … steps that will require careful considerationand intense member education.One possible step that may help in some areaswould be to base future pay increases upon our abilityto expand market share.This may be necessary in areas where we are indanger of pricing ourselves out of the market, wherethere is a declining market share, or whereG E O R G EG E N E R A L S E C R E T A R Y - T R E A S U R E Rdepressed economic conditions have eliminatedmost of the new construction and markets we havetraditionally enjoyed. This only leaves us withrepaint, service work, retro fit, light commercial andother markets in which we have not recently beencompetitive.In those areas we must take a hard look at ourselvesand decide, “Do we want to be the highestpaid unemployed workers in our industries, or do wewant to make fair wages and benefits and worksteady?”If the answer is we want steady work at a fairwage, then we must examine ourcollective bargaining process andour Collective BargainingAgreements.The following two sampleCollective Bargaining Agreement(CBA) clauses may assist in thisendeavor:“Effective (Insert Date) theincrease in the wage and fringepackage of this agreement shallbe based upon the number ofman-hours worked by the employeesof the bargaining unit coveredby this Collective BargainingAgreement in the preceding calendaryear. If man-hours exceed(Insert Number) for the calendarG A L I Syear of (Insert Year) then ($InsertAmount) per hour shall be addedto the wage and benefit package of this agreement.If the man-hours do not exceed the threshold abovethen the increase shall be ($Insert lesser amount) perhour. For the purpose of determining the total manhoursworked under this Collective BargainingAgreement for this clause, the number of hours contributedto the (Insert Name of Trust Fund) for theyear shall be the determining factor.This process will repeat for each subsequent yearof this agreement.”OR“Effective (Insert Date) there shall be no increasein the wage and fringe package of this agreementunless the total man-hours worked under this agree-Continued on page 31O C T O B E R - D E C E M B E R2 0 1 0 • J O U R N A L7