PRIDE of St. Louis, Inc.

As seen in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch July 22, 2001

Area leaders say PRIDE of St. Louis is vital to continuing competitiveness of St. Louis
Slowing economy and labor shortage spur endorsement

Confronted with a slowing economy and looming labor shortage, area leaders are turning to PRIDE of St. Louis, the venerable St. Louis construction labor-management group, to ensure the area remains competitive for national building projects.

PRIDE - which stands for Productivity and Responsibility Increase Development and Employment - is the nation's first and oldest voluntary construction labor-management organization. Its members include AFL-CIO construction unions, contractor organizations, owners, architects, engineers, suppliers and developers.

"As the economy slows and capital sources tighten their belts, competition among cities for national building projects intensifies," said St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay. "For more than a quarter of a century, PRIDE as been an attractive bargaining chip in luring development to the St. Louis area. Few cities have organizations like PRIDE that regularly bring labor and management to the table to work together to make St. Louis the best place to build."

According to the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association, construction dollar volume in the St. Louis are topped out at $3.2 billion last year - a decline of about $500 million from the record $3.7 billion spent in 1999. The decline represented the reversal of a general upward trend in construction spending through the 1990s.

"PRIDE is essential to sustaining the momentum that brought new businesses to St. Charles County the previous decade," said St. Charles County Executive Joe Ortwerth. "National companies, such as MasterCard and MCI/WorldCom, have found St. Charles County to be an attractive place to build worldwide data centers. PRIDE members provided a skilled, productive and stable union building workforce that contributed to selling those companies on locating in our county."

While the 1990s was producing record building volume, PRIDE was addressing a looming labor shortage in the construction industry. A recent report by the Construction Labor Research Council (CLRC) projects that St. Louis could lose at least one-third of its construction workforce in the next five years due to advancing age. PRIDE works closely with high schools and technical schools to recruit the next generation of construction workers.

"We depend on PRIDE members for St. Louis County's future building needs," said St. Louis County Executive George "Buzz" Westfall. "Its anticipated that up to 7,000 construction workers will be needed for expansion of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. PRIDE's recruiting efforts are vital to ensure that there are enough workers for other equally important commercial construction projects in St. Louis County."

PRIDE has already laid the groundwork for future economic growth with a new manual that highlights career opportunities for skilled construction workers and local training programs. The PRIDE Careers in Construction manual describes entry-level requirements, training programs and work performed by members of 20 AFL-CIO building trades. In addition, PRIDE is continuing its funding of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) "Build Up!" kits to area grade schools.

Established in 1972, PRIDE has worked to maintain harmony and build cooperation among the key players in the St. Louis building industry. The organization promotes constructions productivity, cost-effective construction, safe job sites, and workforce training and development.