b"wageandbenefitincreases.Intheshortrunwecannotafforda longstrike,andinthelongrunwecannotlivewithanymore restrictions.Moreimportantly,subjectsmorerelevanttothe needsofourroofersandourcompanywerenotpresented.These includeapprenticeship,aworkmake-upday,betterinsurance coverage,areductioninhighunioninitiationdues,betterpay andbenefitsforforemen,reducingpayandbenefitsfortemporary summerhelp,andsupportforcompanysafety,attendance,and qualitycontrolpolicies. Inmyopinion,theunioncannolongerlagbehindtherapidly changingandgrowingroofingindustry.Ourcompanywillnotgive uptherepairandmaintenancemarketaswewereforcedtodowith theresidentialandshingledivisionsixyearsago.Inaddition, theunionhierarchymustadequatelyrepresentitsyoungermembers andofferaprogramthatencouragesnewmembership. Inconclusion,we,thecontractors,shouldberewritingthis year'scontractsandmakingthedemands.Anotherunioninour areasupporteditscompaniesandmembershipbyestablishinga separatecontractwithalowerscaleandfewerrestrictionsfor generalresidentialandcommercialmaintenanceincludingblacktop. Myfatherwrotetheinternationalroofingunion'spresident severalmonthsagoconcerningourproblemsandhasreceivedno response.Wehavelittlechoicebuttoconsideradualshopoperationasanalternative.Withtheadventofelastomericroofing systems,ourexpandingmaintenancemarket,andworkerdiscontent, thismaybeaveryintelligentalternative. LABORNEGOTIATIONS Multi-craftnegotiationshaverecentlybeenconcludedinDayton,Ohio, between16tradesand7employerassociationscallingforathree-year contractand85-centperyearincreases.Theroofersrefusedtosettle withtheothertradesandelecteda6-year,onedollarayearagreement. Thenewroofers'wagerate,includingaonedollarincrease,is$11.50, with80centshealthandwelfare(anadditional25centstransferredfrom thepensionfund)and50centstopensions(a25-centreduction).The explanationgivenfortheroofers'onedollarperyearout-of-linesettlementisthattherewerevariousmitigatingfactors- theroofershad demandedpremiumpayforworkingwithhotpitch,ademandtheemployers successfullyresisted;theroofingcontractorsnegotiatedanextended helperclausewhichmeansfewerjourneymenwillberequiredonajob;and therationaleforthesixdollar-sixyearsettlementwasthatifpresent trendssuchasinflationcontinue,threeyearsfromnow,aonedollarper hourpayincreasemaylookgood. Agreementshavebeenreachedwithsevenbuildingtradesunionsin Milwaukeeforanaveragefirst-yearincreaseofaboutadollar.Thenew roofers'rateis$10.70forcompositionroofers(45-centincrease),51 centsforvacations(nochange),$1.10tohealthandwelfare(a20-cent increase),90centstopension(a10-centincrease),and7centsfor apprenticeship(nochange).OnJune1,1979,wageswillincreaseby70 cents,healthandwelfareandpensioncontributionsby10centseach,and anadditional20centswillgotovacations."