In Celebration of Alise Martiny for Her Service to the Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Alise Martiny's service to the Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council, and to congratulate her for becoming an International Representative with Operative Plasterers' and Cement Masons' International Association (OPCMIA). Having served as the Business Manager and Financial Secretary for the Greater Kansas City Building and Trades Council since 2012, Alise has used her influence to make the construction industry more welcoming to women and minorities while safeguarding the interests of over 25,000 union members throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area. As Alise prepares to assume responsibilities in her new position, let us take a moment to reflect on her illustrious career.

In 1980, following her decision to drop out of college, Alise heard an advertisement on the radio aimed at recruiting more women and minorities into the construction industry. Selected for a program funded by the federal government as part of an effort to diversify the trades, Alise completed a three-month pre-apprenticeship with the Kansas City Cement Masons' Local Union 518. From there, Alise became a Concrete Finisher Apprentice with Local Union 518, marking the beginning of a thirteen-year career working in the trade. Spending time at her family's firm, JJ Martiny Concrete Co. Inc., Alise became an expert decorative concrete finisher and a role model for other women pursuing jobs in the construction industry.

From 1993 until 1999, Alise served as the Apprenticeship Coordinator for the Kansas City Cement Masons before becoming Local No. 518's Business Agent. In 2012, Alise made history as the first woman ever elected to serve as the Business Manager and Financial Secretary for the Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council, which represents sixteen construction trades in the Greater Kansas City area. Earning the trust and support of thousands of union workers, Alise was re-elected to this position multiple times. In a field dominated by men, Alise advocated endlessly for the recruitment of women and minorities into the construction trades, using her platform to draw attention to the high wages and strong benefits that unionized workers have fought to secure. Hoping to empower other women through jobs in the construction industry, Alise developed the Mentoring a Girl in Construction (MAGIC) program sponsored by the National Association of Women in Construction.

Thankfully, the profound contributions that Alise has made to the labor movement have not gone unrecognized. Last year, Alise was honored with the first ever Trades Women Build Nations Lifetime Achievement Award from the North American's Building Trades Union (NABTU) during a presentation at that year's Trade Women Build Nations Conference. Alise proudly represented the Cement Masons as a Jobs Corps Instructor, and has achieved 25 year, 30 year, and 40 year milestones within the OPCMIA. Always committed to giving back to the union that offered her an apprenticeship, Alise has served Local Union 518 as an Executive Board Member, Vice President, and President. In each position, Alise has worked to ensure that other women are welcomed into the construction industry and properly recognized for their skills and contributions.

Alise has earned an Associate of Arts degree in Labor Studies from Ivy Tech Community College, has worked as a journeyperson on thousands of jobsites, and donates her time to several community organizations, including the Kansas City, Missouri Construction Workforce Board, the Kansas Apprenticeship Council, the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's Economic Advisory Council, the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City board of directors, the Kansas City, Kansas Chamber of Commerce President's Downtown Advisory Council, and the Labor-Management Council, where she served as Board Secretary for over a decade. As I read over this list, it becomes apparent that Alise's contributions to the construction industry, the labor movement, and the Greater Kansas City area cannot be overstated.

Now, Alise Martiny is preparing to lead her union on the global stage. As an International Representative with Operative Plasterers' and Cement Masons' International Association, I have no doubt that Alise will continue the tradition of excellence that she established so early in her career. Alise will continue opening doors for others, advancing the interests of workers in the trades, and bringing pride to all who know her. Mr. Speaker, please join me in applauding Alise Martiny for all the good work she has done, and all the good work she will do.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source