ICC creates Labor-Management Advisory Committee

The International Code Council Board of Directors approved the establishment of a Labor-Management Advisory Committee (LMAC) at its 2005 Annual Conference. The LMAC will promote public health, safety and welfare in the built environment by serving as an international forum for labor and management to communicate and interact with the International Code Council.

"The involvement of labor and management in the code development process is critical," said International Code Council CEO James Lee Witt. "By putting this level of focus on the labor-management relationship the nation will benefit from improved public safety and better construction."

The LMAC will advise the International Code Council Board of Directors on matters that affect the working relationship or coordination of efforts of the International Code Council and the building industry. Other objectives include advising the International Code Council of methods to build and improve relationships with those interested in code development, training and enforcement and to advise the Board of Directors on policies and programs to address issues of concern in the labor and management communities.

"This is the first time labor and management have been brought together as equals to work with a code organization," said John Gaal, LMAC Chair and Director of Training and Workforce Development for the Carpenter's District Council of Greater St. Louis and Vicinity. "As representatives of the building construction industry, we must stress training, standards and the accreditation process. To ensure quality, we must work with common codes and standards across the building industry."

"We are excited to be involved in the LMAC to benefit our contractors and the workforce that they employ," said Jason Fell, Director of Technical Services for the Northern California Drywall Contractors Association and an LMAC member. "Being involved in the LMAC will allow our members to voice issues on building codes in a national forum and bring building codes information back to our contractors directly from the source. This is a winner for everyone involved - contractors, end users and public safety."

The LMAC membership will be approved by the ICC Board of Directors in 2006. For further information about serving on the LMAC, contact National Director of Labor and Management for the International Code Council at 714-960-2373 or Gaal at 314-678-1113.

The International Code Council, a membership association dedicated to building safety and fire prevention, develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools. Most U.S. cities, counties and states that adopt codes choose the International Codes developed by the International Code Council.