Union Iron Workers have resolved to provide the current signatory contractors and those contractors who have not worked with the well-trained Union throughout the state of Indiana with the most productive workforce available in the state's industrial construction market. More than 225 industrial projects totaling nearly $18.9 billion are planned to begin as contractors prepare for the coming year, according to Industrial Information Resources (IIR), a marketing information service specializing in industrial process, energy and financial related markets.

To address the coming work, Union Iron Workers throughout the state of Indiana are committing themselves to the development of a more productive workforce, which is the most significant benefit that Union Iron Workers provide. Additionally, Union Iron Workers offer flexible help, lower safety-related costs and the development of strong project supervision. Union Iron Workers also provide significant business benefits to contractors and owners, such as no benefits administration costs, savings from utilizing apprentices to lower overall crew costs and lower turnover.

"Our members continue to ask for more opportunities to work and as leaders of the trade, it is our responsibility to tell our story so that members have as many opportunities as possible," said Jeff Stinson, business manager for Iron Workers Local No. 22, Indianapolis. "Those opportunities begin with a well-trained workforce that leads to our ability to safely complete projects on time and within budgets. Not only is this a benefit to our membership, but also to the many contractors and owners who hire us."

As the economic downturn continues, productivity will be a more measured parameter as contractors and owners review projects and make bottom line decisions.

"As a Local we continually strive to provide the most productive workforce based on the Ironworkers' Standards of Excellence and the various agreements that we have with our current signatory contractors. As we continue to review our productivity we will continue to improve our metrics for contractors and owners, which results in a stronger bottom line for all of us," says Stinson.

For the Indiana industrial market, an estimated 225 projects will begin in 2009, requiring more than 9 million Iron Worker man-hours. Stinson adds, "We also re-evaluate our training programs to ensure that our productivity remains at such a high level. Our evaluation process not only includes reviewing our training materials, which were recently updated, but also improving our facilities and our instructor training. This allows us to be a valuable partner to our contractors and owners."