President's Message
Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC) Local 9 represents approximately 2400 members working in the various trowel trades throughout the state of Michigan. Effective October 1, 2007 Local 9’s jurisdiction was expanded to include the Upper Peninsula area and we now represent members in 78 of Michigan’s 83 counties. Local 9 is designated a mega-local union within the construct of our International Union and is the result of a very comprehensive restructuring, which occurred in 1993.
The restructuring was designed to pool union resources, provide proper representation, strengthen its position in the construction industry, and change the outdated tradition of adversarial relationships with our employers. The configuration of Local 9 allows a path for cooperation and accommodation for both union and contractors and moved us off the worn out path of confrontation, strikes, and industry shutdown. When labor and management view each other as equals it provides an arena of respect, which in turn, provides an environment for working together. The strengthened BAC now comes to the table with an equal interest in our industry and our employers recognize that interest.
Local 9 members enjoy some of the best wages in the industry plus excellent health insurance. Working families deserve the assurance that their health benefits will cover the cost of a major illness - not to mention the day-to-day health care costs of a growing family. The Local 9 - Michigan BAC Health Care Fund - meets those needs.
As workers grow older they need and deserve the security that a good pension plan can provide. They need to know that after a lifetime of employment they will have a secure and adequate income to provide for themselves and their spouses. Local 9 has accomplished this with the creation of the Michigan BAC Pension Fund. This Fund dispenses hundreds of pension checks every month to our members. Our members are secure in knowing that when they reach retirement age they will receive an income that will provide for an honest and dignified retirement.
In regard to training, Local 9 provides on-going training to all our members through the Michigan BAC Apprenticeship & Training Fund that operates our training center. We have trained, and continue to train, new apprentices for our employers so that they can meet their manpower needs. Our journeymen and employers have access to on-going training, which assures we continue as the very best in the masonry industry. Up-grade and cross-training classes provide our members the necessary skills to further enhance their employability. By doing this, we not only meet our members' needs but also our employers' needs for skilled manpower.
If you are a contractor in the masonry industry and would like to find out more about what the Union can offer, please contact our Central Administrative office, or any of our respective Chapter offices.
If you are interested in the masonry industry and are looking for a good career, please look through the rest of this web site. In it, you will find specific information on apprenticeship and training, wages, health insurance, pensions, plus other information that you may find useful. If you are already a skilled trowel trade worker and would like more information and would like to become a member of BAC Local 9, please feel free to go to the How to Join page.
Also, you will find links to other industry-related sites, as well as links to a listing of our employers and their sites. Please take the time to look them over. Thank you for your interest.
Nelson C. McMath, President
