Contractor Page

“It is with great enthusiasm that I’m writing to you today re: my positive experience working with the Craftsman International Union (CIU) over the span of my 32-year career, and as eventual Director of Procter and Gamble’s North American Paper Products Division.
In the middle 1980s, I was assigned as plant manager at one of P&G’s largest paper manufacturing facilities which remains today among the company’s largest and most successful.
Prior to my arrival, the construction projects at this plant had suffered work disruptions on various aspects of construction and equipment installation every year for 16 years due to the general contractors’ work affiliation with aggressive unions like the Teamsters, S.E.I U. and A.F.L.-C.I.O.
In 1985, I met Fred Kelley, President and Founder of the CIU, who impressed me with his willingness to embark on a collaborative relationship between the needs of P&G, its general contractors and those of its workers, culminating most notably in a commitment to working tirelessly in preventing work stoppages.
P&G shifted their contractors to CIU workers, and the P&G plant hasn’t suffered a single work disruption since: no strikes, no pickets, no headaches, and importantly, the highest productivity via flexing crafts and flowing to the work in every effort to ensure the profitability of the sights.
I then continued to use CIU workers wherever possible, even after I was relocated to Cincinnati, OH later on in my career.
Should you find the unionizing of your employees at any of your facilities to be imminent, having them organized by CIU will be a much more pleasant and profitable experience than having to deal with other, more aggressive unions, in that:
1. The CIU is strongly committed to ensuring the success of the company’s business needs and goals: they have always been willing to make whatever amenable adjustments necessary to ensure the success of our company’s work.
2. When workers are represented by the CIU, it obviates the threat of those workers joining other, potentially damaging unions.
3. Flexing crafts flowing to the work and getting high-quality work done in the most effective means is a hallmark of what CIU stands for.
I know this has been brief and If you would like to discuss my experience with CIU in greater depth, I would be more than willing to speak with you via phone (cell: 937-548-9222), e-mail (robertempie@aol.com) or in person.
Best regards,”

“The Craftsman Independent Union has provided construction support for the Cape Girardeau Procter & Gamble plant since 1983. Their workers have been a key part of essentially every expansion and construction project since then. The help they have provided over the years is greatly appreciated.”

“I write today to comment the many craftsmen and craftswomen of this state who work everyday to build a better Missouri and in particular Craftsman International Union for its many endeavors to increase industrial growth and our quality of life in the Cape Girardeau Area. Craftsman Union has helped the city and county of Cape Girardeau, and the state of Missouri with praiseworthy examples of management and labor working together to achieve common goals. Congratulations on your many accomplishments.”

“The Craftsman Independent Union and Fru-Con Construction Corporation have enjoyed a strong working relationship for 23 years. The CIU has been instrumental in providing a safe, productive and cost effective labor source for Fru-Con in the Southeast Missouri region that is unparalleled to any other.”

“It is my pleasure to comment Craftsman Independent Union and the independent craftsmen and women who are dedicated to build a better Missouri. Your shared spirit, strength and determination are vital in helping the Cape Girardeau area realize continued growth and prosperity.”