Those of us who sometimes find ourselves involved in the political end of our business are all too used to hearing construction unions talk about the superior quality of work performed by union companies, their training programs, and how those things make hiring union contractors a bargain, despite higher costs.
We all know that is no truer than the claim that open shop contractors save money on the backs of our workers. The fact is that both union contractors and the open shop do very good work. But unlike unions, we don't have the money, the political clout, the time - or frankly the inclination - to promote our accomplishments on a full-time basis.
What we do have is companies that do some of the best construction work in Mass. and that's why the annual Excellence in Construction Awards (EICA) is so important. It's the one time that ABC stops to reflect on the very best work done by members during the past year.
The process begins when ABC member companies submit some of the best work they have done in the past year. Those projects are reviewed by an independent panel of judges, who select Eagle, Merit, Spirit and Green awards in a variety of construction categories.
EICA is our opportunity to respond to union claims. We can't do it with television ads or an army of lobbyists, but we can recognize high-quality work that speaks for itself.
This year's EICA dinner was held on November 15 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center on the South Boston Waterfront with Mass. Broadcasters Hall of Fame member Gary LaPierre as master of ceremonies.
We hope you will start thinking about projects that you can enter next year as we celebrate some of the very best construction projects in Massachusetts and support the open shop contractors who built them.
You can sign up for the event at our website, www.abcma.org.
Greg Beeman is the president of the ABC-Mass. Chapter, Burlington, Mass.