Nearly eight out of 10 construction employees in the United States are not members of a labor union. They work in what's come to be know as "merit" construction.

Simply put, merit construction contractors base their hiring and contracting decisions on their ability to perform the job, not labor affiliation. Those with the best skills and greatest initiative get the job.

Sounds simple, but the thinking behind the philosophy, which emerged in the 1950s, was revolutionary for its time. Back then, as the merit construction philosophy began to gain popularity, union contractors held 75% of the market vs. 25% for non-affiliated contractors. Today, those numbers are reversed.

Moreover, four out of five construction workers work on merit construction projects. (In Kansas, it's more than nine of 10.) Some of our nation's most high- profile and interesting projects have been built by merit construction contractors, including the post-September 11 repairs to the U.S. Pentagon).

There are a number of reasons why merit contractors have become the dominant force in the construction industry. Instead of facing outdated restrictions and costly union rules that add duplicative employees, unnecessary overhead and overtime to the job, merit construction craftspeople work in much more cost- efficient and productive ways. They use the latest technologies and innovative construction methods.

Merit shop construction principles drive down building costs 5% to 30%. Discrimination is costly as well as wrong.

Merit construction craftspeople perform a variety of tasks on the job site rather that only one. Multi-tasking allows the craftworker to perform tasks as the job demands it, and to grow professionally as they develop skills and expertise in a variety of areas.

Merit construction craftworkers receive incentives based on productivity and performance, not seniority. This fuels a spirit of entrepreneurship and teamwork that encourages workers to give their best and to continually improve. Craftsmen have come out of our Associated Builders and Contractors apprenticeship programs and advanced quickly into project supervision and management. Several now own their own companies. It's the American way, and a system that breeds tomorrow's business leaders.

Merit craftsmen are not "units of production" to be returned to a hiring hall when a job is completed. Merit contractors must keep their team together by keeping them working. The more efficient work practices seen on merit construction job sites generally lead to savings that are passed on to construction buyers. Owners are not forced to subsidize an outdated and inefficient system that results in inflated costs. On public projects, that means savings for taxpayers, something we all deserve.

Political pressure to abandon competitive bidding and impose union-only "project labor agreements" on government projects costs the taxpayers and cheats the citizens. The blatant discrimination against 80% of taxpaying construction workers is reason enough to eliminate the agreements from public construction.

In addition, merit shop construction principles drive down building costs 5% to 30%. Discrimination is costly as well as wrong.

State and federal "prevailing wage" laws effectively mandate costly union job classifications, wage structures and benefits on taxpayer-funded construction. An Ohio study showed that repealing prevailing wage requirements on school construction resulted in weighted average savings of 10.4%--monies that could be spent on computers, more classrooms and athletic facilities--or lower taxes.

In Kansas City, craft union members and merit craftsman work side by side. It's not a matter of "either-or," but "both" for merit shop general contractors. Discrimination is simply not a part of the merit process.

Merit construction contractors have revolutionized the construction industry with their common-sense, efficient approach to building. They will continue to do so in the years to come.

Karl Sigler is chairman of Associated Builders and Contractors' Heart of America Chapter, and part-owner of Enterprise Interiors in Blue Springs, Mo. He can be reached at karl@compuservices.com or 816.228.9197.