Painters union calls for boycott of PPG

The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades is launching a consumer boycott of PPG brand paints —including Olympic, Glidden and Pittsburgh Paints — to protest a company-owned, web-based contracting service that the union claims undercuts wages for painters and other workers.

Union members and supporters are scheduled to hold a rally at noon Friday in Market Square near the global paint giant’s Downtown headquarters.

At the same time, they will fan out to PPG Paints retail stores nationwide to distribute information to consumers about the digital service that “threatens wages, standards and benefits of the painting industry,” said John Doherty, spokesman for the IUPAT.

The digital platform, PPG Services, was rolled out last fall to match commercial paint jobs to contractors.

The site allows PPG to coordinate project management for customers and assists them in selecting contractors and PPG paint products.

Mr. Doherty compared it to ride-sharing service Uber and other web-based platforms that are driving “a gig economy that’s positioned as giving flexibility to people and filled with buzzwords like innovation.”

IUPAT’s general president, Ken Rigmaiden, said in a statement PPG Services raises concerns about contractor training and safety.

“The model threatens to create a race to the bottom that will inevitably force painting contractors to cut corners to remain competitive,” he said.

Union and non-union contractors can apply to be listed on PPG Services.

The company could not provide a specific number of contractors that have signed on to date.

Jaime Irick, PPG vice president, architectural coatings for the U.S. and Canada, said there are currently hundreds of contractors represented and the majority are not represented by unions.

Only 1% of jobs posted on the platform are from customers seeking union painters, he said.

“That’s the customers’ choice and that determines the kind of crew we source to do the work,” said Divya Thadani, general manager of PPG Services.

Criticism by the painters’ union that the site resembles an Uber-like platform that will lower painting standards and wage rates “is a misconception,” Ms. Thadani said.

“You don’t just sign up for the platform with a few clicks of a

button,” she said.

To be enrolled as a vendor, contractors are required to meet a set of guidelines including proof of experience, state licenses, liability and workers’ compensation insurance, and criminal background checks, Ms. Thadani said.

The average payout to contractors, according to information supplied by PPG, is $50 per hour for “nonsignatory,” work meaning jobs performed by nonunionized contractors.

The payout increases for “union locations,” weekend work and emergency jobs, PPG said.

Mr. Doherty said the $50per-hour average pay rate provided by PPG doesn’t break out whether employee benefits and job materials are included and doesn’t account for wage fluctuations in different parts of the country.

“A lot of contractors can’t compete at that price,” he said. “It doesn’t meet our standards.”

The union represents 110,000 painters, wall coverers, floor installers, drywall finishers and others who work in the finishing trades in the U.S. and Canada.

The majority of its members are painters, Mr. Doherty said.

PPG Services evolved from Paintzen, an online site for commercial and residential paint services that PPG acquired in 2018.

Many customers using PPG Services are national retail and hospitality chains that want a quick, tech-based solution to roll out a new color scheme or logo at their properties nationwide, said PPG Service’s Ms. Thadani.

“There’s consistency across the system, time savings and efficiency,” she said.

Mr. Irick said the company doesn’t disclose specific customers, but believes the service provides the type of tech-driven model they demand.

“The paint industry is evolving and customer needs are changing,” he said. “We’re confident we’re on the right side of this industry transformation.”

PPG’s worldwide sales last year totaled $15.1 billion, down 1.5% from 2018.

Some of the drop reflected the loss of revenues from home improvement chain Lowe’s, which in 2018 named rival paint producer Sherwin-Williams as its exclusive supplier.

PPG operates about 850 PPG Paints retail stores in the U.S. and Canada.