Welcome to Constructing Connections!

In this first episode of the Constructing Connections Audio series, listeners are introduced to the Constructors Association of Western Pennsylvania (CAWP) and its Executive Director, Rich Barcaskey. This episode serves as a foundational overview of the audio series and the value it aims to provide to its members in the highway construction industry.

Tune in as we talk about the motivation behind launching Constructing Connections, what it has to offer to members, highlight some of the core services provided by the CAWP, and give some sneak peaks into what listeners can expect in the future! 

Transcript

Susan Matson: [00:14 – 00:23] Hello, everyone, and welcome to the first episode of Constructing Connections. My name is Susan Matson, and with me today is CAWP's Rich Barcaskey. Welcome to the show, Rich. 

Rich Barcaskey: [00:24 – 00:24] Thank you. 

Susan Matson: [00:24 – 00:37] For this first episode, I wanted to give a little backstory on the show and announce its host moving forward, Rich. So Rich, let's start off with you. What is your role within the CAWP? 

Rich Barcaskey: [00:37 – 00:43] So I am the Executive Director of Constructors Association of Western Pennsylvania. 

Susan Matson: [00:43 – 00:50] Fabulous. So why did the association start this audio series? What can listeners expect? 

Rich Barcaskey: [00:51 – 01:03] So why we started this audio series is to provide an additional way for our members to learn what it is that we're doing for them on their behalf in the highway construction industry in Western Pennsylvania. 

Susan Matson: [01:03 – 01:08] So what kind of value do we hope to bring? Who exactly is it for? Is it for the members? 

Rich Barcaskey: [01:09 – 01:49] Yes, it is definitely for the members. We send out a weekly newsletter via email each week, but we understand that email inboxes get loaded with all kinds of newsletters and different things, so what we wanted to do was provide some short audio version, five to ten minutes long, where we could highlight something that our association is doing and allow our members to just quickly listen to that. And if they need additional information, again, we have other resources, but this is just a way to quickly provide some updates on what we're doing. 

Susan Matson: [01:49 – 02:00] Nice. Short, sweet, succinct. I like it. For those who are not totally familiar with everything the CAWP has to offer, can you give our listeners a quick rundown? 

Rich Barcaskey: [02:01 – 02:28] So, CAWP's main service is negotiating and administrating the CAWP labor agreement, and we do that with six different unions. Our labor relations services are comprehensive, and they range from furnishing accurate wage rates to ensuring that the labor agreement is interpreted properly. We work with each of our labor partners to build and strengthen those partnerships for the benefits of the entire industry. 

Susan Matson: [02:28 – 02:37] So, you kind of started to talk about that, but can you just expand a little more? What are some of the key benefits that member companies get from the CAWP? 

Rich Barcaskey: [02:37 – 03:27] So, one of the things is just having that ability to call someone and get the information that they need, especially in a high-paced industry like highway construction. Issues arise out on the job, questions are asked, and need answered. So we act kind of as a firehouse for our members. Whatever issues they're having in a particular day, they can call and get answers to those questions. And for the most part, the issues revolve around labor relations, but we also provide services in the areas of safety, workforce development. We provide education and training regularly to our members. We provide EEO and HR support. And finally, what we also do is provide opportunities for our members to network, get to know each other through our various events that we have throughout the year. 

Susan Matson: [03:27 – 03:40] Wow, that really is a lot that they get. No wonder that you have a great membership. So let's talk about Constructing Connections. What kind of topics, who are the guests that you're going to bring into the show in the future episodes? 

Rich Barcaskey: [03:41 – 03:38] Yes, so our future episodes, again, they will concentrate on either things that are upcoming, maybe events that have occurred and we just want to highlight. They might involve some sort of government relations issues, whether that's legislation that's pending. or maybe regulations that are coming through to our members, we want to be able to provide updates on that. Some of the topics we're looking at, we might have our lobbyists talk about the governor's budget, how that impacts construction. We belong to a national association, the Associated General Contractors of America. They provide the services on a federal level. And right now there's a lot of uncertainty as to what the federal government is doing, whether it's grants and funding. So we'll have regular updates from them. And then finally, promoting our events and letting people know some of the more fun things that are coming up on our schedule. 

Susan Matson: [04:38 – 04:55] Sounds like it's jam-packed. And the really nice thing for all the listeners, this isn't going to be a long thing. It's only going to be about 10 minutes in length. So really nice, easy to consume information. So before we wrap it up, Rich, any final thoughts you want to give to our listeners? Let them come back again.  

Rich Barcaskey: [04:56 – 05:31] So, the final thoughts is, again, as an association, we're always working hard to provide our members with important updates and also ways that our members can give back to the industry by participating in the association's efforts, whether that's committees, serving on training programs or pension and medical funds, helping out at events. We're always trying to find ways to engage our members We're really hoping that this audio series being short, providing highlights on certain topics will attract and promote more volunteerism in our industry. 

Susan Matson: [05:31 – 05:46] Perfect. Thank you so much, Rich, and for taking the time. Actually, what I really want to do is thank you for taking over this hosting seat. So much appreciated there. This is Susan Matson and you have been listening to the CAWP's Constructing Connections. See you around.