CONTRACTOR SUCCESS STORIES : LUCKY DOG CONSTRUCTION
One local project which Lucky Dog Construction was particularly proud to have been part of was increasing the packaging and roasting lines for Phil ’ s Coffee , located in the heart of Oakland – this allowed Phil ’ s to increase the amount of coffee they produce and thus , increase their sales .
the paradox of having to go outside of their comfort zone in order to grow the business , while having to turn away from jobs which they had the know-how and workforce to complete , but which were financially out of their reach to take on . In the end , Steve and Amy learned to grow their business slowly , organically and at a sustainable pace and Steve decided to “ leaninto ” complex paperwork , taking it line by line and page by page until the task was completed .
Asked about the advantages of being union , Steve and Amy are quick to point out the high level of training received by apprenticing in a union . “ An apprentice spends 4 years which is 4,800 hours in the field , as well as 480 book hours – and the results are a highly certified employee who knows how to correctly and safely operate every piece of equipment and every tool ,” sums up Steve , “ The thought of going out and hiring someone and then doing all that training as a small business would add an enormous heap to my plate .” Another advantage of union affiliation is having access to skilled labor and a predetermined wage .
Steve elaborates , “ When you ’ re union , you make one phone call and have direct access to qualified , trained workers , and you know what the wages are – you don ’ t have to barter and negotiate because the wages are outlined in the collective bargaining agreement and it helps keep employee morale high when there is transparency around wages .” Steve acknowledges that one disadvantage is that because union wages are higher , it can make it hard to compete against non-union company pricing because non-union businesses have lower labor costs , but in the end , Lucky Dog Construction is glad to offer its employees livable wages with full medical insurance , even if that means losing out on some business . One local project which Lucky Dog Construction was particularly proud to have been part of was increasing the packaging and roasting lines for Phil ’ s Coffee , located in the heart of Oakland – this allowed Phil ’ s to increase the amount of coffee they produce and thus , increase their sales .