Debra Rada is the executive director of the Tri-County Construction Labor-Management Council (TRICON). Tricon is a joint labor-management organization of contractors and labor leaders in the union construction industry. In 1977, Rada began her 18-year career in employment and training at the City of Peoria/Private Industry Council. She worked in a variety of capacities including vocational counseling, management information systems, and as coordinator to the One Stop Career Center.As a single parent of twin boys, she recognized the need to return to school. Rada spent the next 13 years as a non-traditional student first at Illinois Central College receiving her associates degree in accounting in 1981.The next stop was Bradley University for a short stint, and finally completing her B.A. in business management in 1990 at University of Illinois in Springfield, formerly Sangamon State University, with a 3.68/4.0 GPA.During Rada’s tenure with the City of Peoria, she co-chaired the 1992 Central Illinois Job Connection. The event was conceived when the City Manager of Peoria felt the need to address the issue of unemployment in the central Illinois area. At that time, unemployment was still above the national average.The Job Connection was a live two-hour job telethon that linked area businesses with qualified residents who were ready and able to work. Ultimately, the effort went on to win one of the Governor’s Home Town Awards. Rada’s professional organizations include: Administrative Council Forrest Hill United Methodist Church; American Society of Training and Development; Association for Quality Participation; Central Illinois Community Quality Network; Central Illinois Education To Careers; Easter Seal-UCP; Mayor’s Senior Citizen Commission; and Peoria Area Labor Management Council.
Tell us about your background, schools attended, family, etc.
I have lived in the Peoria area most of my life. My formal education was received here, as well as raising my two children, twins Cory and Cary.
At the risk of dating myself, I attended a four-room country grade school where “reading”, “ritin” and “rithmetic” were the name of the game. This was long before the days of school consolidations.
Physical education, or P.E., was co-ed back then. The boys and girls played basketball and baseball in the field behind the school together.
There were no science or computer labs, just the threat of the principal’s wooden paddle if you didn’t tow the line. The paddle, by the way, had been made by my father, who was president of the school board.
My parents divorced when I was still in grade school. I remember being the only student in the entire school from a “broken home.” Little did I know I was just ahead of the times. I remember embarrassing my mother because I was always trying to fix her up on a date.
I graduated from high school in the top 10 percent of my class. But at that time, if you were a woman, you typically either got married or went on to school to be a nurse, beautician, or teacher.
Without any disrespect for those professions—thank goodness times have changed.
After completing just one semester at ICC, I opted for the “marriage and start a family route.” But by the tender age of 24, I was divorced, unemployed, and had two children to raise.
I would like to think I’m an employment and training program success story. Literally, I was a client first at the City of Peoria/Private Industry Council, then know as CETA, before becoming a staff member. So for those of you who think such social programs are a waste of tax dollars—think again.
That program gave me the one break I needed to get back on my feet, so I could begin supporting my family, and at the same time afford to return to school.
After years of single life, I accidentally met a terrific guy. We have been married less than one year and he is a blessing in my life. The ironic part was we met at a work-related groundbreaking near the riverfront. Thanks again to my office partner, who had to hit me over the head before I realized he was interested.
I am extremely proud of my sons. Cary is a graduate at Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas, and Cory works at a law firm in downtown Peoria.
You were a nontraditional student. How difficult is it to obtain a college degree while raising a family? What resources might a woman turn to for aid?
I look back now and wonder how I ever did it. But when I looked at the options of not pursuing my degree, it gave me the energy to keep going.
You have to remember, when I went back to school, there wasn’t even such a term as “non-traditional” student. Most of the time you were viewed as an inconvenience and tolerated at best because academia’s customer base was still dominated by traditional students.
Over time, as more and more adults began returning to school, educators realized another market was developing. I can remember being caught in the middle between ICC and Bradley.
Because the two institutions were not used to coordinating with each other, there was no accurate transfer information. An expensive dilemma, especially as a single parent.
Thank goodness learning institutions recognized the value in partnering. We all benefit.
Besides the usual financial aid avenues my best support came form fellow students. We formed “study buddy” groups and met at the library or at someone’s home.
Since you have time for little else, the study buddy group people also become your social outlet and emotional support group.
How do you balance work and family?
Now that my family is raised, it’s much easier. But still it’s a juggle by the time you do work, family, church, community efforts, and friends—what’s left?
Sometimes you have to play coach and call a time out for yourself. Taking care of me means I can take better care of those I love. Truly, I don’t know how some families do it. Hats off to them.
Tell us about the history of TRICON, its purpose, etc. Why should people choose union contractors vs. non-union?
TRICON was created in 1984 by key members of the union construction industry who realized the benefit of working together to promote the industry.
As I understand, the industry has sustained almost 18 years of cooperation without a strike or lockout.
Leaders in the industry were determined to overcome the negative image that existed around other union industries in the area.
TRICON members work to: create new business opportunities for union contractors thereby creating new jobs; provide a framework for dialog on common issues; allow counterparts to meet on a non-adversarial basis; organize safety trainings; maintain common contract language; support charitable causes; and sponsor annual industry awards.
Most recently, TRICON teamed up with Dave Koehler of the Peoria Area Labor Management Council (PALM), to provide collaboration training.
The training is framed around the Harvard Negotiating Project and the resulting book, Getting To Yes, by Harvard Law School professor Robert Fischer.
Before working at TRICON, I never realized how critical safety and quality are to a construction project.
Here in central Illinois the construction industry apprentice programs are operated by the skilled trade unions in cooperation with the union contractors.
If you’ll excuse the pun, it is because of the training received in those apprentice programs that puts union construction at the top of the ladder.
We are now beginning to see the concept of apprentice programs, combining work-based learning and school-based learning, in some of our more recent school reform efforts.
Who benefits the most from you services—contractors, labor, union leaders, or the public? How so? Do people have to “join” your organization to receive your services?
There are multiple benefits to TRICON and the industry it represents—union construction. Clearly, the contractors benefit by having a well-trained, qualified workforce. Labor and its leaders benefit by having jobs in which they can support their families.
The entire community and local economy benefit from a higher standard of living created by the impact of people who can make a family-supporting wage created by the union wages and benefits.
TRICON is a non-profit organization. Board membership consists of 12 labor representatives from the West Central Illinois Building and Construction Trades Council (WCIBCTC) and 12 contractor representatives from the Greater Peoria Contractors and Suppliers Association (GPSCA).
The board has two co-chairs, one labor and one management, as determined by the directorship of the WCIBCTC and the GPSCA. Currently, Don Noe of the WCIBCTC, and Kerry Rice of the GPSCA serve as co-chairs.
There really is no joining, per say, of TRICON. Construction industry members and/or their views are simply represented through their respective labor or contract leaders.
There are monthly “discussion meetings” focused around an industry related topic. Those are open to the public or other interested parties.
What are your responsibilities as executive director?
I am responsible for a broad range of activities—training, planning, budgeting, reporting, public relations, fund raising, grant writing, event coordination. Every day is different, which keeps my job challenging and interesting.
The tri-county construction and management have always worked well together. To what do you attribute this?
Simply put—hard work and dedication. The key players are committed to improving the image of a unionized industry. Members long ago recognized that it’s not an “us versus them” kind of mentality that keeps the industry strong.
It takes both labor and management to meet the customer’s needs. Most of us are all too familiar with what can happen to a community and its families if we hang on to an antiquated philosophy about labor-management. Everybody loses.
TRICON simply provides the framework for the hard work.
You were employed for 18 years with the City of Peoria in employment and training. What is your perspective of employment opportunities in central Illinois?
I think our community deserves a pat on the back for recognizing what it will take to position ourselves for the future.
The efforts that are taking place through Education to Careers, the One Stop Career Center, and the RiverTech Center will put central Illinois out in front.
However, we should not forget that each of us ahs a personal responsibility to maintain our own employability. Education is an ongoing process.
We should never be done learning.
As a prior vocational counselor, developing relationships with local employers and older adults, what obstacles might and older job seeker have? An employer in regards to considering hiring an older employee?
The biggest obstacle was convincing the older job seeker to get out of their own way. Often they had convinced themselves they had little to offer or they were experiencing some self-esteem problems that kept them from selling themselves to the employer.
Older job seekers often assumed that the employer was going to discriminate and fulfilled that expectation in the job interview.
Most employers still want an employee with a good work ethic and a good set of skills, or at least the willingness to learn the skills to do the job. So the trick was to teach the older job seeker how to “repackage” themselves.
What particular concerns do the contractors and labor leaders have in this area in regards to working conditions? Pay scale? Non-union workers being hired instead of union contractors?
Probably the most significant concern is competition—non-union competition. Most contractors don’t have a problem with competing on a level playing field. It’s when they are bidding against the nonunion segment that it becomes impossible.
Secondly, quality training and ongoing safety programs are the cornerstones of a first rate construction industry. Without a framework in place, such as the union structure has, who provides it?
We all need to be cognizant of these issues because of the negative impact they could have on our local standard of living and economy.
Are more women entering the construction field? Why or why not? Are there sufficient opportunities for women in the construction field? Such as?
We are beginning to see some increase in female participation. But probably not as much as there could or should be. Traditionally, if you had a family member in the trades, you knew the ropes—how to apply for a particular apprentice program.
Therefore, the lack of female participation continued to foster itself.
We are working hard to reach not only women, but others who might not otherwise know about career opportunities in the construction field.
Efforts to date include: career fair participation, apprentice information posted on the Education To Careers Website, classroom presentations, video development, and last but certainly not least, the Construction Industry Career Expo (CICE).
The Construction Industry Career Expo was a partnership of union building trades, contractors, business, labor-management associations and educators joining forces to stage a two-day event aimed at building students’ awareness about the possible career choices within the professional construction industry.
The intent of the Expo was not only to explore the careers within the construction industry, but to actually perform some of the duties.
What was so outstanding about this event was the gender equity and ethnic diversity components. By providing a neutral environment via the mock construction sites, students of non-traditional demographics could receive industry exposure.
Four hundred and twenty-five students from 24 schools participated in the event, and plans are underway for a 1999 Expo.
The Chamber, ICC, and some employers in the area are particularly concerned about the shortage of skilled workers in the area. Is there a shortage of labor/construction workers in this area? How will the welfare to work program impact the construction labor supply?
We are extremely concerned about workforce shortages. The average of the skilled trades person is mid 40’s. What happens when they being to retire?
TRICON, in its strategic planning efforts, has made work force development our priority.
We recognize the need for some advance planning, the need to predict future employment and retirement levels, identify any skills shortages, expand recruitment efforts, etc.
As far as welfare to work impacting the construction industry, it’s important to stress construction is a career, not a second choice.
Certainly, welfare to work can have a positive impact on our labor supply, but only if it’s the right career choice.
Proper vocational assessment, including interest and aptitude components to determine appropriate job match, will be critical. I think we will all have to guard against the temptation to look for shortcuts, or quick fixes.
The Step Up Program, a partnership with the union construction industry, the PHA and others, is designed to provide exposure to the industry, enhance employability skills, and determine potential career interest.
Hopefully, this will offer some potential solutions to our workforce issues.
What was your biggest surprise about working for TRICON?
I am absolutely amazed at how much this industry contributes to the community.
The time and resources donated by the trades people, contractors, and suppliers would be unbelievable to most.
Just to name a few charitable causes: Christmas in April, United Way, Easter Seals-UCP, American Diabetes Association, Cancer Society, and Goodwill. TPW