The 30 employees of Hautamaki Mechanical Inc. recently voted to go union in an NLRB representation election held in Bruce Crossing, about 80 miles west of Marquette.

Owner Joe Hautamaki recently completed signing collective bargaining agreements with the five crafts involved in the election. The petitioner for the successful election was the U.P. Building and Construction Trades Council.

Local unions involved in the multi-craft effort were Iron Workers Local 8, Laborers Local 1329, Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Local 506, Operating Engineers Local 324 and Carpenters/Millwrights Local 1510.

"This successful organizing campaign is an indication of the seriousness with which the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council and its local councils view multi-craft organizing," said MBCTC Field Rep. Jack LaSalle, who coordinated the organizing efforts. "The credit for our success goes to the individual organizers who spent the hours of time necessary for house calls, travel out of state, and all of the other tasks needed to win in this election. Don't let anyone tell you that the trades cannot work together at winning multi-craft campaigns."

The next step in the process is to administer a "no-fail" test to the new union members to determine the skill level of each person, and place them into apprenticeship training, if necessary.

Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Local 506 Business Manager Bill Retaski said Joe Hautamaki went along with unionization when he found out his workers wanted to join.

"We're glad to have them, they're a good size shop, and it's good not to have another competitor out there," said Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Local 506 Business Manager Bill Retaski. "The owner said he appreciates the opportunity to get qualified people and maybe get more work out of the area."