DCA History Part One: The 60s – How It All Began

• To improve working conditions for contractors specializing in distribution construction.
• To keep the gas utility companies better informed on capabilities of these contractors and how they may be better utilized.

At the time, working rules were highly variable from site to site and often prevented contractors from fielding smaller crews where workers performed multiple duties, meaning only companies with larger rosters could work certain jobs even though the smaller companies were qualified.  Gas contractors would even be asked to work under the terms of a highway agreement or some other unrelated project.  Some form of standardization was desperately needed.

To achieve that goal, DCA sought to define a uniform set of working conditions through negotiations with the four major craft unions – the United Association, the Laborers’ International Union of North America, the International Union of Operating Engineers, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which was later dropped from the discussion.  To facilitate relations with the unions, a labor committee was elected with Deane Baker of Somerville Construction Co. as chairman.  Charter members of the DCA were surveyed to determine what other labor problems needed to be addressed.

Promoting the capabilities of contractors centered on  convincing utilities that contracting out was more economical than company force work, particularly with regard to installation of residential services, maintenance, and routine main extensions.  The contractors’ primary motivation was to even out the workload over the course of the year and to stabilize bid prices, reducing stress and uncertainty for everyone involved.

The DCA also decided early on that it would be a good idea to allow manufacturing and service companies as associate members.   Bringing their voices into the fold would strengthen their relationships with the contractors as well as bring additional credibility to the association in future negotiations.  Armon H. “Jack” Bost of Midwestern Engine & Equipment Co. agreed to chair the effort to solicit associate members and organize their role in the group.

Getting it Off the Ground
Its purpose defined and its foundation firmly in place, the DCA returned to Kansas City in February 1962 for its first annual convention.  Again, attendees had plenty of news to talk about:   Kennedy had just blockaded Cuba and committed U.S. troops to Vietnam, captured U2 spy plane pilot Gary Powers came home, bus boycotts began in Georgia, Jackie Robinson joined the Hall of Fame, John Glenn orbited the Earth, and the Beach Boys introduced the world to surf music.  Rooms at the convention hotel, The Muehlebach, ranged from $8-$12 a night.

In six short months the association had expanded to 51 members, established a permanent office in Tulsa and appointed its first executive secretary, E.L. Hagar.  Nearly 200 contractors and suppliers registered for the inaugural convention, which featured a trade show along with keynote speaker H. Roe Bartle, the nationally prominent mayor of Kansas City known for his flamboyant personality, generosity, and hands-on approach.  Later that year, Bartle would successfully lure the AFL Champion Dallas Texans football team to his city, where they would take on his nickname as the Kansas City Chiefs.  Dick Gump, executive secretary of the PLCA, was principal speaker.  Members re-elected the DCA’s original officers to continue in their posts for another year,  and Jim Upton was introduced as the DCA’s first full-time executive secretary.  Upton’s yeoman work behind the scenes would play a big part in getting the DCA through its infancy.  Unlike later conventions that promoted a family atmosphere, this first national gathering was primarily a boys’ club with few spouses present, and traffic at the hotel bar was reportedly heavy as the boys got together after the day’s work was done.

With its first full year now underway, , the Labor Committee began a series of meetings with the major craft unions to hash out beneficial  agreements.  Meanwhile, Fred Bunnell of Consumers Power Co. launched the DCA’s first drive to promote safety, and A.D. Schmidt of Northwestern Public Service Co. worked to unite contractors and utilities to present a better public image.  Mid-year meetings began around this time as well, with 15 or 20 members gathering informally in Tulsa to keep the organization’s business moving forward.

The 1963 convention arrived at a moment of heightened scrutiny on the industry.  On January 2, less than two weeks before the convention was to kick off, a Pacific Gas & Electric pipeline exploded in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, critically injuring nine firefighters and leading to the heart attack death of Battalion Chief Frank Lamey.  Subsequent investigation found the line riddled with cracked and incomplete welds.  Outgoing DCA president Emerson Clark argued that the single greatest problem facing association members was the appearance of competence, or lack thereof, to gas company customers.  Members also expressed concern that the DCA needed more recognition for representing distribution contractors.

As they gathered in St. Louis January 14-16, there was a great deal of contention in the ranks over labor negotiations.  Some contractors wondered what difference it would make, or worried that utilities wouldn’t hire contractors if labor agreements drove prices up.  Cooler heads persuaded them that the DCA’s efforts would benefit gas customers in the long run, however, and generally prevailed by the end of the conference.  The Labor Committee had progress to report in their ongoing negotiations with the craft unions, which helped calm the atmosphere a bit.  The event also featured another trade show, along with presentations on public relations, minimizing “extras” in contracts, and hold harmless provisions in insurance.  Wilbur Donaldson was elected the DCA’s  second president.

The third annual convention opted for the mountain views of Denver in February 1964.  Lyndon B. Johnson was now the president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the Beatles were storming the nation in their first American tour, and the Vietnam War was escalating fast.  The convention took on a theme for the first time that year: “How Distribution Contractors Can Sell Gas.”  The idea was to urge the public to increase its use of natural gas, which would of course require expansion of the system and generate more business for the contractors.  The DCA confirmed its support for privately owned utilities as government ownership of gas systems became increasingly common, and continued its efforts to encourage utilities to hire contractors for distribution construction instead of going in-house.  Negotiations with the labor unions continued, the organization held its third trade show, and Art Everham of Midwestern Contractors became the third member of the original organizing committee to serve as DCA President.  Later that year the DCA would join the National Safety Council and participate in a survey of their members.

The fourth annual convention in 1965 marked the beginning of the event as a family affair, with 77 wives choosing to accompany their (notably well-behaved) husbands to New Orleans as attendance hit a record of 254.  While the turbulence of the 60s raged on in the rest of the country – the night the convention opened, Malcolm X was assassinated in Manhattan – the members enjoyed a welcome respite from the chaos and some good news for their industry.  A Mardi Gras Krewe of more than 100 costumed performers entertained  at the annual banquet, and Joe Arrow, president of the Southern Gas Association, served as the convention’s principal speaker.  DCA noted its progress with the news that approximately 44 percent of gas distribution construction had been awarded to contractors in the previous year.  F.E. Everett became the first DCA President who was not one of the original founders, and the trade show was dropped from the schedule.  Months later, the years of labor negotiations finally bore their first fruit as DCA signed an agreement with the National Association of Welders and negotiated a statewide agreement with the Operating Engineers.

Building on Success
Attendance was up again in 1966 as DCA celebrated real progress toward their goals at the convention in Phoenix..  The newly added round table and panel discussions were an immediate hit with the members.  Jack Ray, president of the Pacific Gas Association, was the featured speaker, and Will Rogers Jr. served up amusing stories about his famous father.  Robert W. Burkhardt took over as DCA President.  The mood wasn’t entirely celebratory, however, as nearly all crafts in the country were facing a shortage of skilled labor at the time.  Negotiations with other craft unions showed positive signs, but still they dragged on.

The beat went on in 1967 as Sonny and Cher yielded the top of the charts to the Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields.”  Anti-war protests seemed to be everywhere.  Ronald Reagan was governor of California, the Green Bay Packers had won the first ever Super Bowl, and Muhammad Ali was the heavyweight champion of the world.  Meanwhile, DCA members gathered for their sixth annual convention at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego to address the ongoing shortage of skilled workers.  Panel discussions were lively and covered labor, company-contractor relations, and ways to increase market share, as well as “bread and butter” issues such as safety, cost control, and insurance.  Robert Burkhardt passed the presidential torch to R.E. Reutzel of R.E. Reutzel Co., Inc.

In 1968 the DCA convened just as news of the North Vietnamese Tet Offensive made the headlines.  DCA members met in conjunction with the National Association of Pipe Coating Applicators at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, where Sid Snider was elected DCA President.  The labor shortage had begun to ease during the previous year, and discussion shifted to the growing use of plastic pipe and pipe ploughing instead of backfilling.  1968 was an eventful year for the Labor Committee, as the United Association assigned John Kelly to work with DCA in administering the National Distribution Pipeline Agreement – a real victory in gaining national recognition of the DCA as a force to reckon with.  A number of formal and informal state associations of distribution contractors were also formed that year, helping to bolster DCA’s cause.

The final year of the decade was one of new heights for both the country and the DCA.  The space race was reaching its climax as three men from Earth had circled the moon at Christmas and three more were preparing to set foot on it in July.  The DCA staff brought the 1969 convention to Freeport, Grand Bahama, in late January, and attendance soared to 442.  Spouses were attending more regularly now, the entertainment was getting better, and members had begun bringing their kids along on a sort of mini-vacation.  Union leaders were encouraging the DCA to finalize a national labor agreement, believing it would reduce grievances significantly, and the labor panel discussion was a highlight of the convention.  Plastic pipe installation techniques were another hot topic, and Don Miller became the eighth president of the DCA.  Although distribution work declined somewhat in 1969, labor negotiations continued to improve.  The United Association reported that jurisdiction over distribution work had been assigned to locals in 24 states, and the DCA labor committee successfully concluded a national agreement with the Laborers’ International Union.

In just eight short years, what started with four men in Des Moines had become a formidable organization with real bargaining power and the concrete ability to improve its members’ lives and business prospects.  Thoughtful organization and clearly defined goals gave the new association firm bedrock for its foundation, and years of dedicated toil yielded recognizable accomplishments that members could be proud of.  The ditch diggers’ moonshot was finally paying off, and the fun and hard work was only just getting started.

Special thanks to 1981 DCA president and honorary member Dale Miller of Miller Pipeline for his first-hand insight into the early days of the DCA.