Mambu Rasch senses opportunity as he takes reins at Building Advantage

Chris Mambu Rasch gained a first-hand appreciation of how the labor movement benefits workers by advocating for a large government-employees union in Chicago and a nurses union in Wisconsin.

Years later, he got a up-close view of construction development and project management while helping the medical group Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers build clinics in the Milwaukee area. It’s the combination of these experiences that make Mambu Rasch the perfect fit for the union-allied Building Advantage, says Dan Bukiewicz, co-chair of the organization’s board of directors.

Mambu Rasch says he was initially drawn to the labor movement by his “sense of justice.”

“It provides working-class people with an honorable life,” he said. “To me, it was a movement that’s about empowering people to improve their lot in life.”

Mambu Rasch’s first day as executive director of Building Advantage is Monday. He comes to the organization as the construction industry continues to deal with headwinds from a protracted labor shortage and new fears about inflation and supply-chain troubles. But he also finds himself on the threshold of many great opportunities as the trades start to pick up pace after nearly two years of uncertainty brought on by the pandemic.

Mambu Rasch said he plans to build on the work of his two immediate predecessors – Nathan Jurowski and Ken Kraemer – while also possibly setting out in some new directions. He and Bukiewicz recently sat down with The Daily Reporter to talk about his passion for unions, his thoughts on the current state of the industry and his plans for Building Advantage. (This article has been edited for brevity and clarity.)

Chris Mambu Rasch, the new executive director of Building Advantage, stands next to Dan Bukiewicz, co-chair of Building Advantage’s board of directors and president of the Milwaukee Building-Construction Trades Council. (Photos by Kevin Harnack)

The Daily Reporter: What do you think the coming year will look like for the construction industry?

Mambu Rasch: I would say the first thing is the pandemic is somewhat unpredictable. So I don’t want to go making any predictions about it subsiding this year. That said, the infrastructure dollars expected from the federal government are likely to keep the industry busy for some time. And even without those dollars, we are seeing plenty of projects with the Couture and the convention center expansion and the Trade Milwaukee Hotel.

Bukiewicz: If interest rates remain low, you’re not only going to see a resurgence in the construction of office space, but you’re starting to see many manufacturers moving here. So there will be great opportunities for a lot to people to enter apprenticeships and for contractors to grow.

TDR: What’s the likelihood of increased business mean for the labor shortage and inflation?

Bukiewicz: We are at a crossroads. We have a need for people but the pandemic may have led some people to re-evaluate their careers and possibly leave early. We partner with WRTP|BIG STEP to help people find and start apprenticeships. And we are fully confident that if employers need more people, we have people who are more than willing to train them.

As for inflation, there are still a lot of bids that went out prior to the recent price increases. And now these supply-chain restrictions have put a lot of pressure on our contractors. So we are working with them on how we can help correct that. In some cases, some of these projects might need second looks. But in Milwaukee – knock on wood here – the supply-chain shortages have not affected larger jobs. On a lot of those, they’re OK because they had the needed steel months if not years ahead of time. It’s the smaller jobs that could feel the pinch.

TDR: What is your stance on people in the industry getting vaccinated?

Bukiewicz: It’s obviously a little bit of a hot topic. But we are looking out for the best interests of our members. So we are encouraging everyone to do so.

Of course, we are used to having to have people vaccinated for the flu before they can work on projects in the medical industry. And if you are working for a health care company, it is fully the choice of that business for you to have to show a vaccination card. Of course, it’s also your right to say ‘no’ and go work elsewhere.

So we are also encouraging our people to understand the different points of view that people have on it. We encourage everyone to get it. But we also recognize it is a personal choice, and our contractors are doing the best what they can with what they have. We are proud to say that Milwaukee has not had any major projects shut down due to an outbreak.

TDR: What are your plans for Building Advantage?

Mambu Rasch: I’d like to continue to build on the programs of Building Advantage before we start thinking about adding or changing anything. What we have been doing now has been a lot of communication and getting a lay of the land. One of our first priorities is keeping folks informed on vaccination, making sure they are healthy. We also have our mental-health campaign that we have been engaging in for the past two years. And then there are women in construction and the EmpowHER group, and we’ll continue that work.

I also have tons of ideas. That’s of course the beauty of bringing in someone new. But I want to work with Dan and the board of directors to make sure we are building on past successes and to make sure I’m not getting ahead of folks.

I’ll also be meeting with government officials, unions, contractors, owners and developers to make sure we are getting on bids and jobs. I think it’s particularly important, now that we maybe are coming out of COVID after the omicron variant, to make sure we are out talking to folks in the field, because COVID has limited our ability to do that.