This regionally-renowned, New Orleans-based industrial and heavy construction contractor partners with its workers to rebuild its hometown and the lives of its employees.

In Partnership With: IBT, IUOE, IW, LIUNA, OPCMIA, UBC

Working together to rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina

Touted by The Times Picayune as “one of the most significant local businesses in the reconstruction effort,” Boh Bros. has won well over a half billion dollars in high-profile, competitive-bid contracts to reconstruct canal floodgates, rebuild the Twin Span Bridge, and repair the electrical system powering the famous St. Charles Avenue streetcars.  And in the year since the hurricane, Boh Bros. has maintained its reputation of completing projects under cost and on time, if not sooner.

The secret to Boh Bros.’ success?  Both management and union-represented employees agree that partnership and mutual respect are key ingredients.  The company and unions work together in committees to set goals and address concerns.  Says Barry Kaufman of the Laborers International Union of North America Local 689, “We’ve had a relationship with Boh for so long that they see us as part of the solution and not the problem.  That is how we are often approached by management when they ask our opinion to solve issues.”

In an industry known for high rates of injury, Boh Bros. has worked with its employees’ unions to develop safety policies, guidelines, and training programs.  As a result, Boh Bros. has been recognized by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for its exemplary safety record.

“Boh Bros. has enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial working relationship with construction unions in South Louisiana,” says President Robert S. Boh.  “We look forward to continuing this partnership as we rebuild the New Orleans area after Hurricane Katrina.”

Boh and its workers’ union shared a common vision after Hurricane Katrina hit: to get workers back on their feet and back to work.  Boh Bros. voluntarily raised wages three months in advance of union contract renegotiations and encouraged all current and former employees to return to work.  Union officials and representatives visited shelters to find union members and their families.  In the storm’s aftermath, the company helped displaced employees.  As Willy Gibson, a veteran Boh Bros. employee, explains, “The company supported a lot of guys.  They provided housing and gave them three meals a day until they could provide for themselves.” 

Boh’s achievements prove that investing in your workforce, even in the face of unimaginable crisis, is a winning strategy in labor-management relations and corporate citizenship.