Coletti spells out force of unionized construction industry.

The Construction Industry Partnership of New York City (CIP), a joint initiative between the Building Trades Employers' Association (BTEA) and the Building and Construction Trades Council (BCTC), hosted more than 400 attendees at it's most successful annual Winter Conference ever, held in Florida this past February.

Demonstrating the strength and commitment of New York City's construction and trade industries, the 10th annual conference marked a record turnout, a roster of high-profile and well-respected speakers, highlighted the industry's recent accomplishments and discussed some of the most pressing issues facing organized labor.

In his opening remarks, Louis J. Coletti, co-chairman of CIP and president and CEO of the BTEA, praised the industry's recent successes and touched on several initiatives that will ensure that the unionized construction industry remains a leading economic force in New York City.

"Our industry is gaining greater market share thanks to the strength of the partnership between the BTEA and BCTC," said Coletti. "We've come a long way during the ten years of our partnership and can be extremely proud of our accomplishments. But we also need to continue working closely together on mutual industry-wide goals."

Coletti said the industry is continuously seeking ways to stay competitive with the non-union sector through the collective bargaining process, PLAs and other types of agreements. He also stressed that once these changes are made, the industry needs to work harder at promoting its product and contributions to the city's economy, as well as it strong record on site safety.

Edward J. Malloy, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council (BCTC), also told conference attendees that many of the successes the industry has achieved could not have been possible without the strong partnership between labor and management in New York City. Malloy also stated that a number of successful PLAs and collective bargaining agreements instituted by the industry for projects such as the new stadiums for the Yankees and Mets, and the School Construction Authority have made the unionized industry more competitive.

The three-day conference offered several panel discussions and question and answer sessions with some of New York City's top political figures, including Deputy Mayor for Economic Development & Rebuilding Daniel Doctoroff, Denis Hughes, President of the New York State AFL-CIO and Patricia Lancaster, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings. Other speakers and panelists included New York City Comptroller William Thompson, and Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion.

Panel and discussions sessions included "Planning for New York City's Future," a discussion of plans and issues for sustaining the growth of New York City; "Build Safe Codes of Conduct," a panel focused on the safety records of new buildings and how to implement new safety initiatives; and "The Port Authority Role in Lower Manhattan Redevelopment," a panel featuring Port Authority Commissioners Angelo Genova, Esq. and Ray Pocino, that highlighted new security procedures for working at Ground Zero, minority and women participation and initiatives to ensure a strong working relationship between the agency and the industry.