PREMIER UNION CONTRACTOR ORGANIZATION LAUNCHES JANUARY 1ST

January 29 2007

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Union construction has had a positive impact on the American economy and will continue to play an important role in our nation’s future success in the global economy. That’s the message, and a new association has been formed to help spread the word about how union contractors and organized labor will work together to build a brighter future for us all. The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC), the largest association of multicraft union contractors in the United States “went public” on Jan. 1, 2007, with the aim of educating owners and the construction user community about the benefits of having union contractors and building trades craftsmen on their job sites. TAUC, represents more than 2,600 single and multiple craft union contractors who engage in steel erection, industrial maintenance and skilled construction. The acronym TAUC is pronounced, “talk.”

The organizers of TAUC believe the advantages of doing business with union contractors and craftsmen provides a compelling story. However, the historic challenge has been communicating an industry-wide message in an industry comprised of many independent, specialized crafts, each with their own voice and membership. Among the primary goals of TAUC is to unify a broad section of the construction industry into one cohesive voice that can weigh in on all things construction-related. “The fact is that union construction is safer, more productive and more reliable than the alternative over the long run,” said Stephen R. Lindauer, Chief Executive Officer of TAUC. “However, union construction has struggled over the years at getting the word out about the benefits and added value of skilled labor verses the open shop. That’s where TAUC comes in. The new association is staffed with labor relations, safety, and marketing professionals who will apply a more comprehensive and progressive business model to the task of recapturing lost market share,” added Lindauer.

“Union construction currently has around 13 percent of the market share. We certainly can do much better than that,” said Bill Brown, President of TAUC. “However, if we’re going to gain ground in the years to come, the industry as a whole must respond. TAUC’s mission is to serve as an industry-wide unifying force that helps its members compete more effectively in the marketplace by providing cutting-edge programs and services, opportunities for information exchange and by encouraging its members, whenever possible, to adopt a multiparty approach to solving industry problems,” added Brown.

TAUC grew out of the National Erectors Association (NEA), which was founded in 1969 by leading union steel erectors in the construction industry. Any organization or individual that is interested in advancing and enhancing the union construction industry is eligible for membership in TAUC.

For more information, visit www.tauc.org or contact the TAUC representatives below.

For membership information contact:

Mike Dorsey
Manager of Membership
The Association of Union Constructors
Phone: (703) 524-3336 ext. 122
mdorsey@tauc.org

For editorial information contact:

Tad Kicielinski
Manager of Communications
The Association of Union Constructors
Phone: (703) 524-3336 ext. 124
tkicielinski@tauc.org