< PreviousRight-to-Work laws are deeply complex, and politically divisive pieces of legislation. Adopted as far back as 1947 in some places, the laws are upheld in 26 states. They govern the right for an employee to choose or forego union membership in a unionized company. While that, in essence, may sound rational and fair, the laws also allow for non-members to avail of union benefits such as pay increases and representation during arbitration proceedings. According to the Economic Policy Institute, this has a detrimental effect on unions and their workers. “So-called right-to-work legislation entitles employees to the benefits of a union contract—including the right to have the union take up their grievance if their employer abuses them—without paying any of the cost. This means that if an employer mistreats a worker who does not pay a union representation fee, the union must prosecute that worker’s grievance just as it would a dues-paying member, even if it costs tens of thousands of dollars. Non-dues-paying workers would also receive the higher wages and benefits their dues-paying coworkers enjoy.” The EPI conducted research into the widescale effects on workers’ pay and conditions of RTW. Factors including cost of living considerations and up to date population surveys were used. The findings suggested that, rather than benefit individual workers in freedom of choice, RTW laws resulted in lower wages throughout RTW states. EPI concluded that this was, in part, caused by unions decreased ability to advocate on behalf of all workers. “Wages in RTW states are 3.1 percent lower than those in non-RTW states, after controlling for a full complement of individual demographic and socioeconomic factors as well as state macroeconomic indicators. This translates into RTW being associated with $1,558 lower annual wages for a typical full-time, full-year worker.” Meanwhile, advocates of Right to Work laws argue that forcing workers to pay dues amounts to “compulsory unionism.” They argue that the practice is immoral and dam- ages a state’s ability to attract new business. It is near impossible to pull the threads of these arguments apart. They are steeped in historical and modern political biases and the laws —or rejection of them— are political badges of honor. In a first on the American labor landscape, however, Michigan recently became the first state to repeal these laws. The state, one with a rich history of labor minded beliefs, rescinded the law that had been enacted in 2014 by Republicans. Michi- gan’s Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer believes that the “We are coming together to restore workers’ rights, protect Michiganders on the job, and grow Michigan’s middle class.” | 10 MARCH 2024repeal of this law is a positive thing for everyone in the state. “We are coming together to restore workers’ rights, protect Michiganders on the job, and grow Michigan’s middle class,” she said. Michigan State AFL-CIO is the state federation of labor. It currently represents over one million active and retired members of over forty unions across the state. Following on from Gov. Whitmer signing the repeal, President of Michigan AFL-CIO Ron Bieber said that the repeal affords a protective element to Michigan workers. “After decades of anti-worker attacks, Michigan has restored the balance of power for working people by passing laws to protect their freedom to bargain for the good wages, good benefits and safe workplaces they deserve.” Alongside the repeal of RTW, the vote gave workers additional rights in a number of key areas. Michigan also restored pre- vailing-wage protections for construction workers, expanded collective bargaining rights for public school employees, and restored organizing rights for graduate student research assistants at the state’s public colleges and universities. Ana- lysts believe that union numbers will gradually increase now that the bill has finally been signed into law. But what does this all mean in the wider context. Statistics seem to indicate that workers in RTW states enjoy salaries that are around 3% lower than unionized workers. Various metrics are used to calculate these figures however, and the metrics used can vary based on partisan leanings. On one hand, some claim that district lines are being drawn up with the specific goal of favoring a political allegiance which gives a skewed view on the view of people nationally. While pro-union voices in Michigan argue that a balanced outcome will always be in favor of workers and their rights. “That’s the difference between having a legislative majority that has your back and wants to expand workers’ rights, as opposed to being in the minority and having a legislature that was to suppress workers’ rights,” said Bieber. One thing is for certain, this issue is not one that is going away. Michigan, with its pro-labor stance and history of col- lective bargaining, is not the most surprising state to overturn this divisive law. However, some states, particularly in the south and west of the country, have RTW laws that are deeply entrenched, with some being enshrined in the constitution. It seems that, despite recent events in Michigan, is a long road ahead for both sides of the political divide. | 11 APEIRON CONSTRUCTION| 12 MARCH 2024WRITTEN BY AOIFE CHANEY P rofessional Excavators is a mid-sized construction company operating in the greater Calgary area since 1975. Its main line of work is on large tower building developments and earthworks projects in downtown Cal- gary. The mid-nineties saw this work expand into sewer and water work as well as concrete and asphalt paving, but always at the core of the company, if you can forgive the pun, is earthworks. It is this side of the business that remains consistent as Professional Excavators adapts, as construction companies must do, along with changing market trends. “Over the past ten years we’ve come in and out of the market- place through those avenues,” says President Darryl Conroy, “always settling back in with the earthworks side of the busi- ness. In the past two to three years the underground side has taken more of a predominant role, not only within the com- pany, but also within the market in the greater Calgary area.” | 13 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONwww.wmbeck.com 403-228-5888wecare@wmbeck.com “We Care.We Help.” Congratulations Professional Excavators & Construction Inc. on your continued growth and success! Your boutique Commercial,Surety & VIP Personal Insurance Advisors The ever-evolving Calgary market is a driving force behind my conversation with Conroy, who understands from twen- ty-seven years in the industry that it is the market that ulti- mately calls the shots. “So, we keep on diversifying that way,” Conroy says. “And in terms of where the market is in Calgary, it’s very buoyant. There’s lots of opportunity. Net migration is driving single family residential sales and multifamily sales. There’s new tech business filling the shoes of previous oil and gas sector companies that might have been here, or that have adjusted because of the marketplace they’re in. It’s a good time to be at Professional, it’s a good time to be a part of the team, and it’s a good time to take a good look at where our avenues of business are moving forward.” Construction industry success does not come without a market that fosters it, and so Professional Excavators has the Calgary marketplace to thank for a lot of its achievements over its life to date. But a thriving marketplace teeming with opportunity does not in itself propagate success. There is work to be done on the company’s part to take that oppor- tunity and run with it. Professional Excavators today comes with almost five decades’ experience of doing just that, while establishing that all-important balance between dreaming big and being realistic. For Professional Excavators that means understanding that the market can only be controlled so much, and as a company you must prepare to ride the wave. “One of the things about Calgary is that the market is very volatile,” Conroy says. “When it’s high it’s high, and then it comes down and it’s almost like a reset. It’s like you’re riding a wave and then it crashes, so you could say we’re cautious. We recognize the market that we’re in and we are strategic. We’re not just about roses and sunshine.” | 14 MARCH 2024People. Products. Pride. 9716 40 St. SE, Calgary, AB T2C 2P3 | P: 403-720-0288 EMCOWATERWORKSAB.CA Patterns of net migration are sweeping the greater Calgary area, and this particular market trend continues to have a direct and positive impact on Professional Excavators. This is evident in some of the multifamily developments that the company is involved in. “We’re doing 2 projects for Truman, a multifamily builder in the Greater Calgary area. They’re taking great strides and making sure that their product gets to mar- ket in some of the brownfield areas in Calgary. We’re doing primarily earthworks, with some underground concrete and asphalt to come in the spring of 2024.” Then there’s East Hills, a multifamily development located off 17th Avenue and Stoney Trail in the southeast part of Calgary, and a project for which Professional Excavators provided earthworks and underground services. The project included the installation of a stormceptor system, which is a treatment system that effectively removes pollutants from stormwater and snowmelt runoff. This is just one of the many environmental solutions that Professional Excava- tors offers to manage its clients and its own environmental impacts. The East Hills project was for Minto Developments and Unitii, a multifamily builder in the greater Calgary area. “It’s a relationship that we’re looking to grow and embrace with all levels of our business. A good relationship with the | 16 MARCH 2024Minto Unitii team when it comes to competitive pricing, timely construction schedules, and how that aligns with their business from a from a field and operations perspective. It’s just under $700,000 worth of work for us,” Conroy says, “and it all-encompasses everything that we do internally. It was a four-and-a-half-week program in 2023, and with the economy the way it is there’s going to be future opportunities up in Airdrie and all the inner-city lands in the greater Calgary area. That’s what we’re focusing on going into 2024.” Another project that highlights Professional Excavators’ strengths as a company is the Calgary Zoo. “We were working as a subtrade to Chandos Construction, who are the General Contractor on site. The structure of the contract is called IPD, which is a performance-based construction process where all the subtrades at every layer of the project come together, have very transparent meetings, talk about changes, cost controls and schedules, to make sure that they deliver the most cost effective, efficient project on behalf of the client. The Polar bear exhibit was the kind of mainstay of the project, and that’s what we call the Canadian Shield portion of the zoo.” The project saw huge volumes of dirt moved and pipe installed, and included earthworks, underground concrete, and asphalt paving. “And of course, being a zoo, it’s a very high-profile project. Very detailed. It was important that the project was delivered on a sched- uled basis with the expected arrival of the polar bears. It went through the winter of 2022 to 2023, making sure that we kept our schedule and our commitments as per the con- tract and as per the group.” | APEIRON CONSTRUCTION 17IPEX offers personalized pipe and fittings solutions and support from project conception to execution. It is the specific knowledge and experience of our team in the field that make all the difference to our customers, with whom we work closely to deliver reliable performance, for today and tomorrow. ipexna.com IPEX Municipal Solutions There’s light at the end of the project. IPEX by Aliaxis As I speak with Conroy I reminisce on my own travels to Alberta, in particular the Highway 93 route between Banff and Jasper, which is accessible via Calgary. He tells me that such attractions are part of why business in Calgary is where it is. “It’s because of those offsite attractions,” he says. “In my opinion if we were to ever adopt a European style of transport to and from those destinations, if we had the ability to move people in that way, Calgary would be world class. Right now, it’s still quite a challenge.” A challenge, perhaps, that will in time become an opportunity for companies such as Profes- sional Excavators, who Conroy describes as “a team with a lot of strength when it comes to tenure, and with a good his- tory in the Greater Calgary market.” Speaking of opportunity, Conroy tells me about Professional Excavator’s recent move to Java Group which places them under the umbrella of Java Holdings alongside seven subsidiaries. “It’s a great opportu- nity to reintroduce ourselves to the Calgary market. As part of that we’ll be updating our website, talking about all of our projects, and just doing a good refresh of everything we do. With the Java Group coming on board, it’s opened up a new avenue of business on the power transmission side of the of the industry, which we’ve never dabbled in before. Where we see Professional today may drastically change again with the Java Group. The overall arching umbrella for our seven subsidiaries, that’s going to be a big opportunity for growth and expansion. It’s a new lens, and as the market allows, we will grow in accordance with it.” “Always in the background of the work that Professional Excavators does is both environmental solutions and community engagement.” | 18 MARCH 2024Always in the background of the work that Professional Excavators does is both environmental solutions and community engagement. It specializes in evaluating and monitoring potential environmental risks, maintaining envi- ronmental awareness, and pollution prevention, while also offering services such as remediation, recycling, haulage, and disposal. As Conroy says, “environmental solutions are all-encompassing in all of the business units we have.” As for community engagement, this comes in many forms such as local charity donations like the CJAY92 Secret Wish. “Involvement with the community comes from every single team member, top to bottom and across all divisions of our business. We are a part of our community’s development, part of the establishment of it, and so we feel it’s our duty to give back support by donating our time, equipment and tools when required.” For Professional Excavators, the plans for future prosperity in the Calgary market are very clear. “We want to make sure that we find partnerships that are long term invested, not only in Professional Excavators but in the greater Calgary market, and we reciprocate that back to them. We’re focused on making sure there’s a great level of trust and transparency, so when our field team goes out and performs the work, we are adding value. We have great relationships with our stake- holders, vendors, and suppliers and that’s what’s going to allow us to take further steps in the future, to grow in different marketplaces and make sure we’re competitive. We want to have the highest quality and the safest work procedures in the industry, and to push ourselves to be leaders in the mar- ketplace regardless of where we are or what we’re doing. This is what will allow Professional to take the next steps for the next fifty years in the Calgary market.” | 19 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONNext >