Talk the TAUC

A veteran worker with white hand syndrome said he couldn't hold his newborn grandchild — until the right glove changed everything. What are hand injuries really costing the workers on your site? Host Kirk Westwood sits down with Joe Geng, Vice President of Superior Glove and author of Rethinking Hand Safety, to tackle one of the most persistent and underestimated risks on every construction jobsit...

If the best plan doesn't survive contact with reality, what actually separates the teams that adapt from the ones that fall apart? Host Kirk Westwood sits down with Becky Chahal, Operations Leader at DPR Construction in the San Francisco Bay Area, to dig into what actually happens when a project moves from preconstruction into execution. Becky brings over two decades of field experience across hea...

at would happen if both sides walked into bargaining looking at the same data? CLRC has it — and it's completely free. In this episode of Talk the TAUC, host Kirk Westwood sits down with Carey Peters of the Construction Labor Research Council (CLRC) — the organization behind the most comprehensive database of union craft wage rates in the United States. Peters, who has spent years tracking collect...

"Hope is just as contagious, if not more so. If you can see that Joe got help and Joe's like me, it makes it a lot less daunting to ask for help." — Wendy Farmer Construction is one of the most safety-driven industries in North America — yet one of the most significant risks facing our workforce often goes unaddressed: suicide . In this episode of Talk the TAUC, host Kirk Westwood sits down with W...

Why are construction companies considered "low-hanging fruit" for cybercriminals? Kirk Westwood sits down with Mike Hamilton, founder of PISCES International, a nonprofit providing no-cost cyber monitoring for small governments and public utilities. With decades of experience as former Chief Information Security Officer for the City of Seattle and managing consultant for Verisign Security, Mike br...

What's the real impact of immigration enforcement on construction sites—and why are a third of contractors already affected? In this episode of Talk the TAUC, host Kirk Westwood sits down with Ken Simonson, Chief Economist for the Associated General Contractors of America, to discuss why construction feels more constrained despite strong demand and investment. Ken, widely cited by national and tra...

What's the one thing about PPE that could mean the difference between going home and never coming back? In this powerful episode recorded live at STUC, host Kirk Westwood sits down with Ike Pritchett, a Kansas City ironworker with Local 10 who survived a catastrophic jobsite accident. Ike shares his journey from starting in construction at 14, through losing his brother Mack in a bridge accident i...

Could a simple helmet upgrade reduce your skull fracture risk by 66%? In this episode of Talk the TAUC, host Kirk Westwood sits down with Dr. Barry Miller, Senior Director of Outreach and Business Development at the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab, to discuss the groundbreaking construction helmet safety study released in September. Dr. Miller, a national authority on head protection and injury biomechan...

Did you know construction workers are 5 times more likely to die by suicide than from workplace injuries? In this powerful episode of Talk the TAUC, host Kirk Westwood sits down with Sonya Bohmann, Executive Director of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP). With over a decade in construction and a deeply personal connection to suicide prevention as a loss survivor, Son...

Why are we losing 20 times more construction workers to suicide than job site accidents? In this important episode of Talk the TAUC, host Kirk Westwood sits down with Justin Azbill of Tribal Group to tackle one of construction's most critical challenges: building safety cultures that actually save lives. Justin brings decades of frontline experience—from Marine Corps service to ironworker, firefig...

How did one mechanical contractor president turn a pandemic idea into 51 camps across North America in just five years? In this episode of Talk the TAUC, host Kirk Westwood sits down with Angie Simon, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Heavy Metal Summer Experience (HMSE). With 35 years at a union mechanical contractor—including 14 as President—and a term as SMACNA National President (2019-2...

How is IMPACT tackling the construction workforce shortage that everyone's talking about? In this episode of Talk the TAUC, host Kirk Westwood sits down with Aaron Bast, the incoming CEO of IMPACT—the Ironworkers Management Progressive Action Cooperative Trust. A 30-year ironworker veteran and former business manager of Ironworkers Local 5, Aaron brings firsthand perspective from both the field an...

What shocking trend is claiming more construction worker lives than falls and electrocutions combined? In this episode of Talk the TAUC, host Kirk Westwood sits down with Chris Cain, Executive Director of CPWR (the research and training arm of North America's Building Trades Unions). With her background as an industrial hygienist and years in OSHA enforcement, Cain brings unique expertise to const...

Why do most construction apps fail the eight-minute test for field workers? Kirk Westwood sits down with Ryan Posnikoff, Vice President of Product Management at Contruent, who brings a unique dual perspective to construction technology. Starting as a union member with UA Local 488 in Edmonton following his father's footsteps, Ryan completed his apprenticeship in Alberta's oil and gas sector before...

Why is Western Pennsylvania becoming the unexpected center of America's AI revolution? Host Kirk Westwood sits down with Shawn Steffee, Business Agent for Boilermakers Local 154 and seasoned union leader in the energy sector. A Homer City native who became a boilermaker in 2002, Steffee was elected Executive Board Trustee in 2017 and appointed Business Agent in 2018, gaining national recognition f...

From the Empire State Building to the Panama Canal, history is full of examples where massive projects were built at astonishing speed. So why does it feel like construction today takes longer than ever? In this episode of Talk the TAUC, host Kirk Westwood sits down with Connor Watumull, Co-Founder and CEO of Miter, for a wide-ranging conversation on the pace of building. Together, they trace how...

Construction industry pros, welcome back to your favorite podcast. Host Kirk Westwood introduces "Talk the TAUC," formerly known as Construction User 2.0, with this Season 2 trailer highlighting powerful Season 1 moments. "What unions have afforded my family is economic security," shares Michigan State Senator John Cherry. Ever wonder how military veterans are finding their place in union construc...

Join us as Dr. Barry Miller, Director of Outreach and Business Development at the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab discusses cutting-edge research on protective headwear for the construction industry. Learn about the Helmet Lab's innovations, helmet rating processes, and how they aim to enhance worker safety.     You’ll hear the fascinating origin story of the lab, starting from its groundbreaking 2007 in...

In this episode, Kirk speaks with Nicole Schwartz, Executive Director of TradesFutures, exploring her career journey and the organization's mission to bolster the trades. They delve into strategies for enhancing recruitment and retention, addressing labor challenges within the construction industry.     Nicole shares her unique career journey, transitioning from a Spanish teacher and pastry chef t...

Do you know what AI can do for your construction business right now?   In today’s episode, host Kirk Westwood welcomes Document Crunch team members Kyle Dungca, Head of Industry Solutions; Maegan Spivey, Construction Contracts Specialist; and Chad Waite, Sr. Channel Manager. Document Crunch is a software program designed specifically for the construction industry that uses artificial intelligence...

In this episode, we delve into the secrets to thriving as a woman in the construction industry with the inspiring insights of Joelle Salerno and Danielle Harshman. Together, we uncover the layers of support provided by the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), illustrating the varied paths women navigate within this male-dominated field.  You’ll hear about the pressing need for pe...

In this episode, host Kirk Westwood speaks with Carey Peters, Executive Director of the CLRC (The Construction Labor Research Council). The CLRC provides comprehensive consulting and research services to national associations and their regional chapters, contractors, owners, unions, labor-management cooperatives, and others in the construction industry. Carey and Kirk discuss variables within the...

Ever wondered how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the brick-and-mortar of the construction industry? Buckle up as we navigate through this dynamic transformation with Junaid Ahmed, a maven of video production and tech solutions. With a foundation firmly rooted in computer science and engineering, Junaid unveils his trailblazing strategies for streamlining workspaces, helping entrepreneu...

In this episode, host Kirk Westwood speaks with Brianne Stewart, Group Product Manager at Milwaukee Tool, and Matt Hedke, Director VDC Solutions at Barton Malow Company. The conversation covers the challenges and workarounds for connectivity at job sites, how the tech committee enables connections to industry people, companies, and resources, and what innovations the industry is working on for the...

In this episode, host Kirk Westwood speaks with Carey Peters, Executive Director of the CLRC (The Construction Labor Research Council). The CLRC provides comprehensive consulting and research services to national associations and their regional chapters, contractors, owners, unions, labor-management cooperatives, and others in the construction industry. Carey and Kirk discuss variables within the...