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Union Affiliations

Unions Benefit Employees and Employers

Many people understand unions to benefit the employee but the truth is, the employer and the community also benefit greatly from the union organizations. Lakeside is proud to employ union workers and has confidence in the training, skills, and safety knowledge unions provide their members.

Safety

On any construction site, safety is Lakeside’s number one priority. Unions also hold safety in the highest regard, and they work collaboratively with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to provide extensive safety training and oversight to meet or exceed OSHA safety standards and regulatory requirements.

Union contractors have a proven lower rate of injury. Unions also have their own safety experts for each industry, and they monitor safety practices to ensure there are never any shortcuts or questionable approaches.

Unions not only provide new employee safety education through OSHA, but they also offer ongoing training and refresher courses related to safety procedures and safe workplaces.

  • Improved safety standards
  • Fewer job site injuries
  • Workers equipped to perform critical duties
  • Increased worker confidence in identifying jobsite hazards and communicating concerns to supervisors

Research proves construction companies that employ union workers are more likely to perform health and safety best practices than non-union workers.1 Safety training decreases worker lost time, keeps worker morale high, increases jobsite productivity, and keeps project costs down.

Drug Free

Because construction job sites are inherently dangerous, unions promote drug-free work environments with scheduled and random drug testing. Workers who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol have a much higher risk of injuring themselves or causing an accident on the jobsite that could cause harm to another individual.

Union workers who return to work after an accident or employees who act in a manner that causes suspicion can be subject to random drug screening to ensure they do not have diminished capacity for their job requirements.

Beyond drug testing, unions offer appropriate discipline and corrective plans including counseling and rehabilitation services to help their employees return to work healthy.

Training and Advanced Skills

Unions challenge and inspire workers to seek long-term careers. Union’s established programs have resulted in a workforce that is most qualified in their industry. Unions invest in their workers, and their workers are committed to the union to expand their skills and knowledge.

  • Technical apprenticeship and journeyman programs 
  • Exams that validate qualifications
  • Exposure to the latest in materials, tools, and technology
  • Continuing education that updates skill sets with new instruction and advanced techniques
  • Competency of all trades

Focused and intense training results in a confident employee who takes pride in their work. This pride is translated into a worker who completes the job more efficiently, focusing on the task at hand and completing their work neatly and quickly.

Union contracted workers meet or even exceed project timelines because they already possess the required capabilities and experience to get the job done well. Unions advertise their skills specifically so owners can be assured that there doesn’t need to be any extra time built into the project to train or acquaint workers. Union employees diligently track their work so permits and paperwork can be processed quicker and the overall project stays on schedule. Working with a union allows owners to deliver on their promise to produce and construct a high-quality end product for their customers.

Unions also work on a local, regional, and statewide level to:

  • Establish a benchmark for safety, education, and ethics
  • Develop and advance their workforce

Lakeside values the relationships we have with Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan unions, and we know that hiring locally supports the economy. Unions are an advocate for the well being of their members, and their commitment to safety training, drug free practices, and producing workers with higher qualifications and technical expertise exceeds our, and our customer’s, expectations.

Union Affiliations

As a proud Union-based contractor, we value the quality training and accountability that our union affiliations furnish. Investing in relationships with our Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan union partners strengthens our commitment to delivering superior construction projects and developing motivated teams that are focused on customer service.