Peterides addresses PowerGen Conference
In February, the Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust participated in both the Annual CURT Conference and PowerGen Conference.
The 2025 Construction Users Roundtable National Conference took place in Tuscon, Ariz., from Feb. 10-12. It provided a unique opportunity to network with colleagues, learn current best approaches and help improve industry performance. The conference is attended by leaders in the construction field, making it vitally important for the Mechanical Insulators LMCT to have a presence and offer energy sustainability solutions for the construction industry.
At CURT, the LMCT had a booth that focused on the value of the Mechanical Insulation and Firestop industries. The fact is, there can never be enough promotion of the Mechanical Insulation industry because it is by far the most overlooked and least recognized craft trade. This is the purpose of attending these types of trade shows as much possible – to sell the industry.
“We are not selling a product by promoting an industry, but educating the people who make the business decisions that hire our contractors,” said Mechanical Insulators LMCT Executive Director Pete Ielmini.
The Insulators have a good story, but only exposure and a presence at these conferences can offer the platforms.
The value of trade shows
We should not ask, “What is the value of trade shows?” Instead, the question should be, “Where is the exposure if we were not there, and then what is our value?”
Other trades crafts do not need the exposure that Mechanical Insulation does. Ask anyone to tell you what kind of work an electrician, carpenter or plumber performs. Odds are they will be in the ballpark. Now, ask them what an Insulator is, and they will not know. Ask people who you think should know, i.e., architects, engineers, energy auditors, building or facility managers, etc. Unfortunately, you will soon realize the need for exposure and promotion for the Mechanical Insulation and Firestop Industries.
Value of Union Labor
Ielmini attended CURT and found it interesting to sit in a room of union and non-union contractors for the presentation of The Value of Union Labor – An IAP Study by the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA).
The Independent Project Analysis (IPA) study expanded on an earlier study that found that union labor is more productive than open shop labor, and projects that employ union labor cost less despite the higher average all-in wage rate paid to union labor.
The current study confirmed the findings from the earlier IPA study and examined some underlying differences in union labor versus open shop labor that may explain the differences in productivity and the overall effect on project outcomes.
The study was conducted nationwide and included a diversity of projects and crafts. The results may not be shocking to those within the union construction industry, but the study’s actual value offers credibility that vindicates the value of union labor from a non-biased source.
This information may be helpful to you on many levels.
Below are the 10 highlights of the study.
- Productivity for union labor is 14 percent higher versus open shop labor.
- Projects that use a mix of union and open shop labor have 8 percent better productivity than projects that use all open shop labor.
- The use of union labor reduces the total cost of projects by an average of 4 percent versus when open shop labor is used.
- Union craft labor and supervisors have demonstrated a significantly higher level of skills versus open shop labor.
- Strong relationships exist between higher craft skills, lower project total costs and better construction schedule predictability.
- Projects are 40 percent less likely to experience a shortage of skilled labor when union labor is sourced versus open shop labor.
- Projects that are short on skilled labor are twice as likely to have a 10 percent or higher cost overrun and are more likely to have a schedule slip of 25 percent or higher.
- Turnover of labor on projects is one-third less likely when union labor is employed versus open shop labor.
- Turnover of labor is linked to worse project cost and schedule outcomes.
- Projects using a mix of union and open shop labor saw benefits from union labor in each performance measure versus projects that employ solely open shop labor.
This study was conducted for the Mechanical Industry Advancement Fund (MIAF), a national joint Labor-Management Cooperative Committee established and operated by trustees appointed by the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA) and the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA).
Click here to download the full report prepared by IPA.
Petrides addresses PowerGen
In addition to having a booth at CURT, the Mechanical Insulators LMCT also had a booth at the PowerGen 2025 Conference to gain industry exposure.
On Feb. 11, Mechanical Insulators LMCT Senior Mechanical Insulation Specialist James A. Petrides, CEM, CEA, CTII, CIEA presented on The Exceptional ROI of Mechanical Insulation and Why You Need An Inspection.
He explained to the audience how a Mechanical Insulation Energy Audit can benefit the power generation industry and spoke about the benefits of Mechanical Insulation and the savings it could provide.
Petrides and Insulators Local 21 Business Manager Monroe Norrid manned the booth and provided a hands-on demonstration to attendees, 80 percent of which were management level or higher, that demonstrated how Mechanical Insulation works.