Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Talk the TAUC
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Talk the TAUC
Talk the TAUC episodes
- NAWIC's Mission - A discussion with Joelle Salerno & Danielle Harshman
In this episode, we delve into the secrets to thriving as a woman in the construction industry with the inspiring insights of Joelle Salerno and Danielle Harshman. Together, we uncover the layers of support provided by the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), illustrating the varied paths women navigate within this male-dominated field.
You’ll hear about the pressing need for personal protective equipment tailored to women in the construction industry and the creative solutions being implemented. We discuss the impact of new OSHA regulations on PPE fit and how they are shaping a safer and more comfortable work environment for women. From the idea of a helmet designed with a ponytail slot to the broader issues of job site attire and childcare availability, we tackle the nuances that make a significant difference in the daily lives of women in construction. This episode is an eye-opener on the challenges women face, the growth opportunities that NAWIC provides, and how each of us can contribute to advancing women in this dynamic industry.
Joelle Salerno is the Assistant Executive Director for Chapter Innovation & Legislative Policy at Western Pennsylvania NECA chapter, as well as current vice president for the NAWIC Pittsburgh, PA Chapter.
Danielle Harshman is Executive Director at Ironworker Employers Association of Western Pennsylvania, and a Board Member at NAWIC Pitttsburgh, PA Chapter, showcasing her commitment to community impact.The Construction User 2.0 podcast is brought to you by The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC). Your host, Kirk Westwood, is Director of Marketing for TAUC. Kirk has helped many organizations tell their stories as a photographer, blogger, web-streamer, and consultant. In each episode, we’ll explore the latest labor trends, industry insights, and important issues in the world of construction. Our guests are industry leaders, subject matter experts, and innovative visionaries discussing how we are building the ‘world of tomorrow.’ TAUC is made up of more than 1,800 contractor companies that utilize union labor for their projects, as well as local contractor associations and vendors in the industrial maintenance and construction fields. TAUC’s mission is to act as an advocate for union contractors and enhance cooperation between all parties to achieve the successful completion of construction projects.
Discussion points:
- New songs stuck in head - it’s all Taylor Swift
- Insights from Joelle Salerno on diversity and workforce development
- Danielle Harshman shares labor and management perspectives
- Discussion on NAWIC's role in supporting women in construction
- Highlighting the need for gender-specific personal protective equipment
- An upcoming PPE women’s fashion show!
- Addressing practical job site challenges for women
- NAWIC initiatives like Women in Construction Week and Camp NAWIC
- Encouraging involvement in local NAWIC chapters for support
- Celebrating women's strength and resilience in building industries
Resources:
NAWIC
NAWIC Pittsburgh
Joelle Salerno LinkedIn
TAUC Construction Leadership Conference May 2024
Kirk Westwood TAUC
TAUC Website
Kirk Westwood LinkedIn
The Construction User Magazine back issues
Milwaukee Tool
29 min - Quarterly Settlements Report with Carey Peters
In this episode, host Kirk Westwood speaks with Carey Peters, Executive Director of the CLRC (The Construction Labor Research Council). The CLRC provides comprehensive consulting and research services to national associations and their regional chapters, contractors, owners, unions, labor-management cooperatives, and others in the construction industry. Carey and Kirk discuss variables within the construction industry’s union labor costs, contracts, workforce demographics, and related information. CLRC’s work is objective, accurate, and credible.
Carey has extensive experience in a wide variety of research, consulting and data analysis projects. While enhancing CLRC’s existing products and services, he has developed numerous new products that convey unique perspectives on labor costs and workforce needs. This includes the Market Share, Union-Nonunion Wage & Fringe Benefits Comparison, Benchmark Analysis, and Contract Costing reports available from CLRC. Carey has also grown the CLRC settlements database from a few hundred contracts to over 1,500. Organizations are often interested in CLRC’s research, so Carey presents the results at numerous conferences and seminars each year.The Construction User 2.0 podcast is brought to you by The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC). Your host, Kirk Westwood, is Director of Marketing for TAUC. Kirk has helped many organizations tell their stories as a photographer, blogger, web-streamer, and consultant. In each episode, we’ll explore the latest labor trends, industry insights, and important issues in the world of construction. Our guests are industry leaders, subject matter experts, and innovative visionaries discussing how we are building the ‘world of tomorrow.’ TAUC is made up of more than 1,800 contractor companies that utilize union labor for their projects, as well as local contractor associations and vendors in the industrial maintenance and construction fields. TAUC’s mission is to act as an advocate for union contractors and enhance cooperation between all parties to achieve the successful completion of construction projects.
Discussion points:
- New songs stuck in head - a Christmas classic
- This issue of the report covers the end of 2023
- How industry members use the report
- Trends from 2023 - settlement sizes increasing at higher rates
- Is there a political effect on these amounts?
- Reporting differences in reports
- Areas impacted in 2024 - High increases in Pacific Northwest and Southwest
- Union strongholds in the Northeast were low
- What’s the one big thing the average contractor or owner can use from the report?
- Order the CLRC reports in the link below
Resources:
Carey Peters
CLRC Reports
TAUC Construction Leadership Conference May 2024
Kirk Westwood TAUC
TAUC Website
Kirk Westwood LinkedIn
The Construction User Magazine back issues
Milwaukee Tool
24 min - Embracing AI - A conversation with Junaid Ahmed
Ever wondered how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the brick-and-mortar of the construction industry? Buckle up as we navigate through this dynamic transformation with Junaid Ahmed, a maven of video production and tech solutions. With a foundation firmly rooted in computer science and engineering, Junaid unveils his trailblazing strategies for streamlining workspaces, helping entrepreneurs and creators harness the immense power of AI. His tale is one of innovation, sharing how these digital experts on demand are reshaping tasks from user design to empowering budding entrepreneurs. And because we're not all work and no play, discover the catchy beat that recently hijacked Junaid's playlist, adding a human touch to our high-tech discourse.
Junaid Ahmed is a Tech Geek who loves helping people set up their Home Studios. He is also the host of the Hacks And Hobbies podcast where he invites like-minded entrepreneurs, speakers, writers, authors, actors, and producers and learns about their journey. The inspiration he got from Gary Vaynerchuk’s “Crush It! & Crushing It!” books led him to have 3 seasons of his podcast.The Construction User 2.0 podcast is brought to you by The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC). Your host, Kirk Westwood, is Director of Marketing for TAUC. Kirk has helped many organizations tell their stories as a photographer, blogger, web-streamer, and consultant. In each episode, we’ll explore the latest labor trends, industry insights, and important issues in the world of construction. Our guests are industry leaders, subject matter experts, and innovative visionaries discussing how we are building the ‘world of tomorrow.’ TAUC is made up of more than 1,800 contractor companies that utilize union labor for their projects, as well as local contractor associations and vendors in the industrial maintenance and construction fields. TAUC’s mission is to act as an advocate for union contractors and enhance cooperation between all parties to achieve the successful completion of construction projects.
Discussion points:
- Songs stuck in our heads
- Junaid Ahmed discusses AI in construction
- AI's creative applications for workspaces explored
- Music tastes and AI integration touched upon
- OpenAI's beginner adoption for executives explained
- Personalized AI usage for emails and tasks
- AI's potential in government project dashboards revealed
- AI's evolution and industry impact highlighted
- Concerns of data quality and security addressed
- AI's limitations and human expertise necessity discussed
- Roadmap for AI integration and problem-solving shared
Resources:
Junaid Ahmed
Kirk Westwood TAUC
TAUC Website
Kirk Westwood LinkedIn
The Construction User Magazine back issues
Milwaukee Tool
29 min - Innovation and ConTech - a conversation with Brianne Stewart and Matt Hedke
In this episode, host Kirk Westwood speaks with Brianne Stewart, Group Product Manager at Milwaukee Tool, and Matt Hedke, Director VDC Solutions at Barton Malow Company. The conversation covers the challenges and workarounds for connectivity at job sites, how the tech committee enables connections to industry people, companies, and resources, and what innovations the industry is working on for the future.
Brianne Stewart is trusted industry voice and University of Iowa-trained mechanical engineer. She started her career in manufacturing as a process engineer at Procter & Gamble before shifting into new product development (NPD) at John Deere, working in diesel engines. As a trusted industry voice, she was featured on BuiltWorld’s coveted Adoption Leaders 50 List for the past two years (in 2022 and in 2021), has been profiled by the same organization, and recently spoke at their E&C tech adoption leaders forum.
Matt Hedke, has been with Barton Marlow for 18 years, and serves as the Senior Virtual Design and Construction Manager. Matt is focused on how Barton Malow leverages technology to improve quality, safety, work flow efficiency and field productivity for all the trades Barton Malow self performs. (I.E. Civil earthwork, concrete, reinforcing steel, interiors, structural steel, boilermaker, Equipment setting).
The Construction User 2.0 podcast is brought to you by The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC). Your host, Kirk Westwood, is Director of Marketing for TAUC. Kirk has helped many organizations tell their stories as a photographer, blogger, web-streamer, and consultant. In each episode, we’ll explore the latest labor trends, industry insights, and important issues in the world of construction. Our guests are industry leaders, subject matter experts, and innovative visionaries discussing how we are building the ‘world of tomorrow.’ TAUC is made up of more than 1,800 contractor companies that utilize union labor for their projects, as well as local contractor associations and vendors in the industrial maintenance and construction fields. TAUC’s mission is to act as an advocate for union contractors and enhance cooperation between all parties to achieve the successful completion of construction projects.
Discussion points:
- Songs stuck in our heads
- How Brianne and Matt got connected with TAUC
- Connectivity and tech solutions to common industry pain points
- Job site creativity for wifi and cel service
- The Milwaukee Tool approach
- The tech committee and its benefits to accessing resources
- Collaboration and learning about others’ pain points
- Looking forward - what’s next?
- Data management and AI
- Strategies and processes for tech testing and scaling
Resources:
Brianne Stewart
Matt Hedke LinkedIn
Kirk Westwood TAUC
TAUC Website
Kirk Westwood LinkedIn
The Construction User Magazine back issues
Milwaukee Tool
30 min - Third Quarter Settlements Report with Carey Peters
In this episode, host Kirk Westwood speaks with Carey Peters, Executive Director of the CLRC (The Construction Labor Research Council). The CLRC provides comprehensive consulting and research services to national associations and their regional chapters, contractors, owners, unions, labor-management cooperatives, and others in the construction industry. Carey and Kirk discuss variables within the construction industry’s union labor costs, contracts, workforce demographics, and related information. CLRC’s work is objective, accurate, and credible.
The Construction User 2.0 podcast is brought to you by The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC). Your host, Kirk Westwood, is Director of Marketing for TAUC. Kirk has helped many organizations tell their stories as a photographer, blogger, web-streamer, and consultant. In each episode, we’ll explore the latest labor trends, industry insights, and important issues in the world of construction. Our guests are industry leaders, subject matter experts, and innovative visionaries discussing how we are building the ‘world of tomorrow.’ TAUC is made up of more than 1,800 contractor companies that utilize union labor for their projects, as well as local contractor associations and vendors in the industrial maintenance and construction fields. TAUC’s mission is to act as an advocate for union contractors and enhance cooperation between all parties to achieve the successful completion of construction projects.
Discussion points:
- Carey’s physical therapist daughter likes Taylor Swift
- The 80,000 foot view of the Settlements Report
- Reasons for the radical growth include inflation
- Trends in settlements
- Where the CLRC data comes from
- The mode, stats and percentages, wage increases
- Read the new CLRC report in the link below
Resources:
Carey Peters
Kirk Westwood TAUC
TAUC Website
Kirk Westwood LinkedIn
The Construction User Magazine back issues
Milwaukee Tool
29 min - Ransomware And How To Fight It: A conversation with Carole House
In this episode, Carole House, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center, joins Kirk to discuss cybersecurity basics, the ways that cybercriminals target companies to extort, and some simple basic protections that you can implement to make your company less attractive.
Carole House previously served as the Director for Cybersecurity and Secure Digital Innovation at the White House National Security Council, and spent time at the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), where she led policy efforts on cybersecurity, virtual currency, and emerging technology. She is a former Army Captain, having served in chemical defense and military intelligence until November 2014. During her service, she undertook a deployment to Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, from 2012 to 2013 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. She is a respected figure in the fields of cybersecurity and technology policy.
The Construction User 2.0 podcast is brought to you by The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC). Your host, Kirk Westwood, is Director of Marketing for TAUC. Kirk has helped many organizations tell their stories as a photographer, blogger, web-streamer, and consultant. In each episode, we’ll explore the latest labor trends, industry insights, and important issues in the world of construction. Our guests are industry leaders, subject matter experts, and innovative visionaries discussing how we are building the ‘world of tomorrow.’ TAUC is made up of more than 1,800 contractor companies that utilize union labor for their projects, as well as local contractor associations and vendors in the industrial maintenance and construction fields. TAUC’s mission is to act as an advocate for union contractors and enhance cooperation between all parties to achieve the successful completion of construction projects.
Discussion points:
- The song - sea shantys from D & D
- Carole’s background in government defense, the White House, Homeland Security
- What is ransomware?
- The disruption of ransomware and extortion relating to construction
- Cybersecurity hygiene - what can be done
- Basic precautions that should be in place
- Which companies are ‘attractive’ targets for cybercriminals?
- The lack of reporting of cybercrime and payouts
- If you pay, you become a more attractive target
- The Colonial Pipeline attack
- What can your company do - the basics
- These crimes are not going away
Resources:
Carole House Money 2020
Carole House Profile
Carole House Crypto Article
Kirk Westwood TAUC
TAUC Website
Kirk Westwood LinkedIn
The Construction User Magazine back issues
Milwaukee Tool
26 min - Building a Safety Culture with John Burke
In this episode we chat with John Burke, Vice President at The State Group Inc. We explore his insights and dive deep into The State Group Inc.'s award-winning safety culture, recognized as the 2021 Zero Injury Safety Awards (ZISA) Top Gold Star winner, achieving a remarkable 1,219,776 craft hours without a single recordable injury on-site.
Larry Bradley worked with the Penn-Del-Jersey Chapter, NECA for 27 years in virtually every capacity of association management, serving as Executive Director for 18 years. His work positively impacted the lives of thousands of IBEW members and their families. He was inducted into the Academy of Electrical Contractors, NECA’s highest honor to recognize exceptional and outstanding service to the electrical contracting industry. Bradley has worked to ensure that funds are wisely managed, ensuring that the benefits offered to workers are available to them throughout their lives.
The Construction User 2.0 podcast is brought to you by The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC). Your host, Kirk Westwood, is Director of Marketing for TAUC. Kirk has helped many organizations tell their stories as a photographer, blogger, web-streamer, and consultant. In each episode, we’ll explore the latest labor trends, industry insights, and important issues in the world of construction. Our guests are industry leaders, subject matter experts, and innovative visionaries discussing how we are building the ‘world of tomorrow.’ TAUC is made up of more than 1,800 contractor companies that utilize union labor for their projects, as well as local contractor associations and vendors in the industrial maintenance and construction fields. TAUC’s mission is to act as an advocate for union contractors and enhance cooperation between all parties to achieve the successful completion of construction projects.
Discussion points:
- The song - Easy Like Sunday Morning
- Award-winning power plant facility safety
- Top-down safety culture begins day one
- Client selection is key
- Why celebrating safety is important
- Employees appreciate the company’s top rate safety protocols
- Generational differences regarding safety
- 5 more award nominations for 2023 ZISA Awards - coming up!
Resources:
John Burke LinkedIn
The State Group
ZISA Safety Awards October 26
Kirk Westwood TAUC
TAUC Website
Kirk Westwood LinkedIn
The Construction User Magazine back issues
Milwaukee Tool
22 min - Healthcare Over Sick-care: A conversation with Larry Bradley
In this episode, we take a closer look at healthcare in the construction industry and question our traditional approach. Larry Bradley, an author, consultant, and former NECA executive director, shares insights on how our current healthcare system is more about "sick-care" than actual health management. Join us as we consider alternative perspectives and ways to shift this paradigm.
Larry Bradley worked with the Penn-Del-Jersey Chapter, NECA for 27 years in virtually every capacity of association management, serving as Executive Director for 18 years. His work positively impacted the lives of thousands of IBEW members and their families. He was inducted into the Academy of Electrical Contractors, NECA’s highest honor to recognize exceptional and outstanding service to the electrical contracting industry. Bradley has worked to ensure that funds are wisely managed, ensuring that the benefits offered to workers are available to them throughout their lives.
The Construction User 2.0 podcast is brought to you by The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC). Your host, Kirk Westwood, is Director of Marketing for TAUC. Kirk has helped many organizations tell their stories as a photographer, blogger, web-streamer, and consultant. In each episode, we’ll explore the latest labor trends, industry insights, and important issues in the world of construction. Our guests are industry leaders, subject matter experts, and innovative visionaries discussing how we are building the ‘world of tomorrow.’ TAUC is made up of more than 1,800 contractor companies that utilize union labor for their projects, as well as local contractor associations and vendors in the industrial maintenance and construction fields. TAUC’s mission is to act as an advocate for union contractors and enhance cooperation between all parties to achieve the successful completion of construction projects.
Discussion points:
- The song - Kind of a Drag by the Buckinghams and ‘linguistic opioids’
- The hurdles of healthcare and leadership
- Staggering stats on healthcare in America
- Larry’s books and practicing what he preaches
- Leadership is influence
- A Sunday morning service question became a book
- How can the construction industry work toward health?
- MESS cleanse and mitigating stress
- Stress in our industry
- Choosing kindness, plummeting test scores, mindset training
- Pharmacogenetic testing for drug efficacy
- The U.S. ranks 37th in the world for healthcare quality
- The pilot program using pharmacogenetics - food, supplements, medication
Resources:
Larry Bradley LinkedIn
Article: Larry Bradley Retirement
Book: Influence
Book: Wake the F Up!
Milwaukee Tool
Kirk Westwood TAUC
TAUC Website
Kirk Westwood LinkedIn
The Construction User Magazine back issues
33 min - Construction From a Bird's-eye View, a discussion with Marty Mulcahy
In this episode, host Kirk Westwood speaks with Marty Mulcahy, Managing Editor of The Building Tradesman - the Official Publication of the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council. The Building Tradesman has served the highly skilled men and women in Michigan’s building trades unions in Michigan since 1952. Marty’s decades of experience reporting on the building trades gives him special insight into the construction industry. Join us as Kirk and Marty delve into an alternative perspective on the building trades, discussing the industry's current challenges and biggest issues, emerging trends, and the ever-evolving landscape of union construction.
The Construction User 2.0 podcast is brought to you by The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC). Your host, Kirk Westwood, is Director of Marketing for TAUC. Kirk has helped many organizations tell their stories as a photographer, blogger, web-streamer, and consultant. In each episode, we’ll explore the latest labor trends, industry insights, and important issues in the world of construction. Our guests are industry leaders, subject matter experts, and innovative visionaries discussing how we are building the ‘world of tomorrow.’ TAUC is made up of more than 1,800 contractor companies that utilize union labor for their projects, as well as local contractor associations and vendors in the industrial maintenance and construction fields. TAUC’s mission is to act as an advocate for union contractors and enhance cooperation between all parties to achieve the successful completion of construction projects.
Discussion points:
- The song- B-52s Roam
- Background and guest intro
- Construction journalism and publications
- Strikes and other challenges in the industry
- Current major stories in the construction space
- Michigan and the change in legislature- a sea change in laws
- Looking forward - what is the outlook for dems vs. republicans?
- Staying current in the industry - what gets column space
Resources:
Marty Mulcahy LinkedIn
The Building Tradesman
IGI Conference Sept 6-7 2023
Kirk Westwood TAUC
TAUC Website
Kirk Westwood LinkedIn
The Construction User Magazine back issues
27 min - Becoming Future Proof with Geoff Colvin
In this episode, host Kirk Westwood speaks with Geoff Colvin, renowned author and longtime editor and writer at Fortune. Geoff reveals strategies for future-proofing your company through effective leadership, cultural transformation, and proactive technology adoption. Gain expert insights on staying ahead in an evolving business landscape. Tune in to elevate your business preparedness.
Geoff Colvin is an award-winning thinker, author, broadcaster, and speaker on today’s most significant trends in business. As a longtime editor and columnist for Fortune, he has become one of America’s sharpest and most respected commentators on leadership, globalization, wealth creation, the infotech revolution, and related issues. Geoff’s new book, just published, is Humans Are Underrated: What High Achievers Know that Brilliant Machines Never Will. As a speaker, Geoff has engaged hundreds of audiences on six continents.
The Construction User 2.0 podcast is brought to you by The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC). Your host, Kirk Westwood, is Director of Marketing for TAUC. Kirk has helped many organizations tell their stories as a photographer, blogger, web-streamer, and consultant. In each episode, we’ll explore the latest labor trends, industry insights, and important issues in the world of construction. Our guests are industry leaders, subject matter experts, and innovative visionaries discussing how we are building the ‘world of tomorrow.’ TAUC is made up of more than 1,800 contractor companies that utilize union labor for their projects, as well as local contractor associations and vendors in the industrial maintenance and construction fields. TAUC’s mission is to act as an advocate for union contractors and enhance cooperation between all parties to achieve the successful completion of construction projects.
Discussion points:
- The song- A western movie theme song
- How can companies keep up?
- A smart answer from GE’s CEO on culture
- How to think about tech- get some hands-on experience
- What small steps can an ‘archival’ construction company take?
- Succession management is critical
- It’s not what you know, it’s ‘who you are’ in leadership
- What Geoff sees on the horizon
- Reimagining business with tech - looking at electricity etc. in the past
- The upcoming IGI Conference
Resources:
Geoff Colvin
Book: Business at the Speed of Thought
IGI Conference Sept 6-7 2023
Kirk Westwood TAUC
TAUC Website
Kirk Westwood LinkedIn
The Construction User Magazine back issues
29 min
About Talk the TAUC
From the publisher's feed
Talk the TAUC podcast (formerly Construction User 2.0) is brought to you by The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC). Your host, Kirk Westwood, is Director of Marketing for TAUC. Kirk has helped many organizations tell their stories as a photographer, blogger, web-streamer, and consultant.
In each episode, we’ll explore the latest labor trends, industry insights, and important issues in the world of construction. Our guests are industry leaders, subject matter experts, and innovative visionaries discussing how we are building the ‘world of tomorrow.’
TAUC is made up of more than 1,800 contractor companies that utilize union labor for their projects, as well as local contractor associations and vendors in the industrial maintenance and construction fields. TAUC’s mission is to act as an advocate for union contractors and enhance cooperation between all parties to achieve the successful completion of construction projects.