[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 50 (Friday, March 17, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E228-E229]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN CELEBRATION OF ALISE MARTINY FOR HER SERVICE TO THE GREATER KANSAS 
             CITY BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TRADES COUNCIL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 17, 2023

  Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Alise Martiny's 
service to the Greater Kansas City Building and Construction

[[Page E229]]

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.

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