Three building trades labor leaders have been appointed to Governor-elect Jennifer Granholm's transition team.

Granholm has appointed Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council Secretary-Treasurer Tom Boensch, Greater Detroit Building and Construction Trades Council Secretary-Treasurer Patrick Devlin and IBEW Local 58 Business Manager Jeff Radjewski to the team, "to help us implement our blueprint for protecting families and educating children," stated a letter from Granholm.

The primary responsibility of transition team members will be to identify the "best and brightest" candidates for appointments to positions in state government.

"It's an honor to be named," Radjewski said. "And this isn't some rubber stamp position, there's a lot of work involved. I look at it as being a point man for union members around the state, keeping an eye out for the interests of working people and hopefully getting a government that will be friendlier toward us."

Much of the early discussions among transition team members has been how to blend the operations of the state government in with that of the new federal Department of Homeland Security. Devlin and Radjewski have also been asked for input on the operations of the Department of Consumer and Industry Services, and the office of the state fire marshal, which has authority over some building codes.

"I'm surprised at how much work there is to be done," Devlin said. "But you have to consider there have been 12 years of a Republican administration in Lansing, and people in state government have been used to doing things the way Republicans wanted them done. It's nice to be part of the process of promoting the causes of unions and working people." Added Boensch, "I think it's great that she's reaching out to all segments of the state, especially to organized labor."