New officers attend virtual training session
A group of newly elected Local Union Officers were supposed to have training in Maryland at the end of 2020.
A group of newly elected Local Union Officers were supposed to have training in Maryland at the end of 2020.
As the U.S. and Canada continue to face significant health and economic challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is not easy to envision better days ahead. This is especially true in the U.S. after the attack on the U.S. Capitol and our democratic institutions on Jan. 6.
Steven Markowitz, MD, DrPH, a physician specializing in occupational and environmental medicine, directs the Barry Commoner Center for Health and the Environment and is a professor of environmental sciences at Queens College, City University of New York (CUNY). The Insulators Union has been working with Dr. Markowitz for many years and appreciates his expertise on issues that matter to our industry and our members.
A historic hospital that served New Orleans residents for centuries, only to be shuttered by Hurricane Katrina, is coming back to life. The bold $300 million project is covered by a Project Labor Agreement, which is already benefiting HFIAW Local 53.
Building trades members, including those from HFIAW Local 7, struggled through numerous roadblocks and protests as they performed work to get a new Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) refueling port in the Tacoma/Puget Sound area up and running.
The storm in Texas this winter caused unthinkable damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure, leaving many without running water and electricity. The International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers are continually promoting mechanical insulation and the many benefits.
In a letter to President Biden in support of the Build Back Better Clean Energy Infrastructure Plan, Insulators Union General President Gregory T. Revard reminded President Biden and his administration of the green benefits from mechanical insulation.
The mechanical insulation industry won’t be going anywhere, anytime soon. Our Union’s joint labor and contractor effort, the Mechanical Insulators Labor Management and Cooperative Trust (LMCT) Executive Director Pete Ielmini explained how mechanical insulation jobs will be created on a labor-focused podcast.
Insulators Local 18 Business Manager Jason Smith talked about an Indianapolis, Ind. project on the labor-focused America’s Work Force Union Podcast.
With the new year approaching, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management and Cooperative Trust Executive Director Pete Ielmini explained the importance of a new job-creating climate initiative on a labor-focused podcast.
HFIAW Local 18 Indianapolis is proud to be working on the new Marion County Criminal Justice Complex project with signatory contractors Fargo Insulation and Performance Contracting (Insulation Division).
Insulation Industry International Apprentice and Training Fund Administrator Thomas A. Haun is set to retire at the end of 2020, after 22 years of leading the International Training Department, and 46 total years of industry experience.
International Representative Rob Hall recently announced his intent to retire at the end of 2020. Over the past 12 years, many Insulator Brothers and Sisters have come to know Brother Hall through his position as International Representative.
Just ahead of Thanksgiving, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management and Cooperative Trust Executive Director Pete Ielmini discussed the importance of labor unions and outlined some of the most important accomplishments of the labor movement on a labor-focused podcast.
Although the building trades are a traditionally male-dominated field of work, women are breaking barriers and finding success and equality in the industry, including within the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers.
On Veterans Day, Navy veteran and Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers General President Gregory T. Revard appeared on America’s Work Force Union Podcast to tell his story and explain what the Insulators Union is doing to recruit veterans.
The dedication and commitment so many of our Insulator Brothers and Sisters have demonstrated by defending the U.S. and Canada is unparalleled.
In the runup to the election, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management and Cooperative Trust Executive Director Pete Ielmini informed union members where they can find reliable election information on the Oct. 30 episode of America’s Work Force Union Podcast.
Thanks to the efforts of the Building Trades of Alberta (BTA), so-called “Right to Work” laws will not be instituted in the province.
Mechanical Insulators Labor Management and Cooperative Trust Deputy Director Gina Walsh appeared on the Oct. 12 episode of America’s Work Force Union podcast to give a preview of the North America’s Building Trades Unions’ Tradeswomen Build Nations Conference.
With rising unemployment and a construction industry workforce continuing to shrink, one former Insulators Union Business Manager has stepped up to help create meaningful career opportunities.
In late June, 26 Insulators attended an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 502 training event via digital conferencing.
The Insulation Industry International Apprenticeship and Training Fund (IIIATF) held a successful virtual website training event in August.
In the middle of August, Phillips 66 announced they will begin a four-year process of campaigning and gaining approvals to transition their 124-year-old San Francisco Refinery into the world’s largest renewable fuels plant.
It is often said the next election is the most important and consequential in our lifetime, and the 2020 U.S. General Election is no exception. To help our U.S. members cast an informed vote, it is necessary to review the past four years.
Newly appointed International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers General President Gregory T. Revard detailed his career thus far and shared his mission and goals as the new General President on the Oct. 2 episode of America’s Work Force Union Podcast.
Missouri State Sen. Gina Walsh, a member of the Insulators Union, was honored by her fellow state senators in mid-September.
Mechanical Insulators Labor Management and Cooperative Trust Executive Director Pete Ielmini appeared on the Sept. 23 episode of America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss how worker safety has improved within the insulation industry throughout the years.
The International Executive Board elected Douglas N. Gamble to be the HFIAW’s new General Secretary-Treasurer.
On Aug. 26, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management and Cooperative Trust Executive Director Pete Ielmini appeared on America’s Work Force Radio Podcast to discuss the inclusion of mechanical insulation language within the Invest Act.
Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 95 Director of Government and Community Relations Brother Adam Melnick was recently appointed to serve as a youth advisor to the Ontario Government.
On Labor Day, General President James P. McCourt retired, ending a 45-year career as a proud member of the Insulators Union.
For Gregory T. Revard, Labor Day will mean even more to him than ever before.
In the U.S., Election Day will be here before you know it, but are you registered to vote?
Spring Hill, Tenn. —Third-generation union insulator, Gary Payeur of Florissant, Missouri, heads to Colorado, where he encounters “Frank the Tank” during his first western mule deer hunt on the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance’s (USA) Brotherhood Outdoors TV episode airing the week of August 24.
Democratic Party Presidential Nominee Joe Biden promised to support key issues important to the Insulators Union.
Today, the Executive Board of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers voted unanimously to endorse Democratic Party presidential nominee Joe Biden for President of the United States.
When Laura Goff of Circle Pines graduated from Inver Grove Heights schools in 1998, she did what was advised at
the time.
Mechanical Insulators Labor Management and Cooperative Trust Executive Director Pete Ielmini joined the America’s Work Force Radio Podcast on July 22 to discuss registered apprenticeship programs and the future of the mechanical insulation industry.
The Insulators Union is proud of our allies in the U.S. House of Representatives for including funding to complete the Mesothelioma Patient Registry Feasibility Study in their Fiscal Year 2021 Appropriations bill to fund the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education.
Brother Woodrow Smith, known to his friends as “Woody,” has been a pillar to generations of HFIAW Local 47 members. And his four-digit registration number is only part of the reason why.
Heavy rainfall in May and the failure of two dams caused severe to a portion of Michigan that impacted numerous members of Local 47 in Michigan. Similar flooding problems hit Local 110 members in the Fort McMurray area in Canada.
Winners were randomly selected for the 30th Annual Florence Bernard/Alta Miller Scholarship Drawing in mid-June.
A member of HFIAW Local 14 and Union Sportsmen's Alliance (USA), set a new Pennsylvania fishing record. Lifelong angler, Brother Jonathan Pierce, 34, of Roxborough, Pa., hauled in a 56.3-pound flathead catfish during the Memorial Day weekend.
After much effort and coordination, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an infrastructure bill, which includes mechanical insulation tax incentives.
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-De.) introduced legislation aimed at creating jobs and providing stimulus funding for infrastructure projects.
Since last November when we first secured mechanical insulation tax incentives into the House Ways and Means GREEN bill discussion draft, we have been optimistic that the Mechanical Insulation tax incentives would be included as part of a larger infrastructure bill that the U.S House of Representatives would consider and approve. Our optimism was further increased when the Joint Committee on Taxation contacted us to get information that they needed to complete their economic/budgetary analysis for the Mechanical Insulation tax incentives.
Mechanical Insulators Labor Management and Cooperative Trust Executive Director Pete Ielmini joined the America’s Work Force Radio Podcast on June 24 to discuss firestopping and infectious disease control.
Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust Executive Director Pete Ielmini joined America’s Work Force Radio Podcast on May 27 and spoke about Insulator apprenticeships during the COVID-19 pandemic and asbestos legislation.
Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust Executive Director Pete Ielmini recently spoke on America's Work Force Radio Podcast about apprenticeship and other topics.
The International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 7 Business Manager Todd Mitchell was interviewed on a daily labor-focused podcast on April 29.
The heads-up inspection of deteriorating insulation at a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) energy plant led to nearly four months of additional work for members of HFIAW Local 86.
Communiqué de presse // Pour diffusion immédiate
Dr. Tam provided an update on the number of cases in Canada: 15822 cases and 293 deaths. She says the most concerning news right now are the new outbreaks in hospitals and hearing of young people being hospitalized and people as young as in their 20’s dying from the disease. She shares this information as a reminder that this is a critical illness that may strike anyone at any age. She also gave an update on testing that Canada has now completed over 339 000 tests. She points to cautious optimism from British Columbia as they recorded a lower number of cases than last week showing that collective action can slow the spread of the virus.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau explained CERB opened for applications today, saying 240,000 people have already successfully applied and that the government is suggesting people apply according to their birth month. He said there are some who don’t qualify who still deserve help and that the government would expand access to CERB soon for gig workers, freelancers, those who have had hours reduced to below 10 hours per week, and others.
Eligible employers would be able to apply for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy through the Canada Revenue Agency’s My Business Account portal as well as a web-based application. Employers would have to keep records demonstrating their reduction in arm’s-length revenues and remuneration paid to employees. More details about the application process will be made available shortly.
(Toronto, ON) “Today’s decision by the government of Ontario to largely shut down private sector Industrial and Commercial construction in the province is a difficult but necessary one, given the growing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Patrick Dillon, Business Manager of the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario. Public sector infrastructure projects, together with the residential sector will largely remain open.
In response to the construction industry’s questions regarding the COVID-19 outbreak, the following are steps workers should be taking now:
• Don’t go to work if you are feeling sick.
• Don’t go to work if you have a fever.
• Don’t go to work if you have a cough or shortness of breath.
• Avoid contact with sick people.
• Don’t shake hands when greeting others.
• Avoid large gatherings or meetings of 10 people or more.
• Stay at least 6 feet away from others on job sites and in gatherings, meetings, and training sessions.
• Cover your mouth and nose with tissues if you cough or sneeze or do so into your elbow.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Clean your hands often by washing them with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. When hand washing isn’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with greater than 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol. Soap and water should be used if hands are visibly dirty.
• Clean your hands frequently, including before and after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.
• Bring food and water bottles from home to the job site and do not share.
• Drive to worksites or parking areas by yourself—no passengers or carpooling.
• Wipe down interiors and door handles of machines or construction vehicles, and the handles of equipment and tools that are shared, with disinfectant prior to entering. CDC has issued disinfection recommendations here.
Mechanical Insulators Labor Management and Cooperative Trust Executive Director Pete Ielmini represented the LMCT on America’s Work Force podcast on March 26.
In the last two weeks, Congress has passed one major piece of legislation and is poised to do the same in the coming days on a second bill. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) has been signed into law by the president. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) is scheduled to be voted on by the US House of Representatives as early as Friday, March 27 after already passing the US Senate on Wednesday, March 25. The House is expected to pass the bill and then it will head to the president who is expected to sign it into law.
Both of pieces of legislation were designed to provide economic relief for businesses and workers severely impacted by COVID-19. North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) lobbied very aggressively to ensure each bill contained policies that would help the working families of the construction industry as well as its contractors. The following memo is a summary of many of the key provisions impacting the building trades and its industry partners.
While Congress is expected to officially recess until mid to late April (possibly longer), plans for a fourth relief bill are already coming together. With the help of all the affiliates and our councils, the building trades will begin lobbying on it immediately. As you will read, we have unfinished business and our members and their families are depending on us to get it done.
On March 25, the Prime Minister announced a new taxable benefit that provides $2,000/month for up to four months for workers who lose their income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On March 19, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee approved legislation to regulate the amount of asbestos used in building materials and industrial facilities.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have announced a plan to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) has shared a brief on March 19 at 11:30 am with the following information to be shared as resources within their affiliated Unions.
Blog created on March 19 at 2 p.m. EST: This is an update regarding the March 18 Canadian federal government response regarding the Emergency Funds being supplied to Canadian citizens during the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
President Trump signed into law a Coronavirus aid, which was overwhelmingly approved by Congress.
After months of delay, the U.S. Department of Labor released the final rule on Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Programs, otherwise known as IRAPs, exempting the construction industry from this rule.
Seattle Building Trades Executive Secretary and former Insulators Local 7 Business Manager, Monty Anderson led the way in securing an agreement to streamline the negotiating process for employees of King County.
On Feb. 19, Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Labor Management Cooperative Trust Executive Director Pete Ielmini joined Ed “Flash” Ferenc on America’s Work Force Radio to discuss mechanical insulation.
Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Ind. and Democratic Presidential Primary candidate, mentioned the Insulators and the insulation industry during a recent interview.
International Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers General President James P. McCourt recently wrote a letter to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson regarding the role HFIAW members can play in ensuring affordable housing.
The International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers has been making their voice heard lately on the legislative front.
The Labor Management Cooperative Trust (LMCT) made a presentation during the annual National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) meeting in California. Local 5 Business Manager Michael Patterson and Local 16 Business Manager Mel Breshears joined LMCT Interim Director Rob Hall for a panel discussion about energy and the benefits of Mechanical Insulation on systems. With attendees from across the United States, the exposure for our union was great with the potential to engage in more work opportunities across the county.
More than 2,800 attendees discussed, networked and learned about the importance of empowering tradeswomen during the 2019 North America’s Building Trade Unions (NABTU) Trades Women Build Nations (TWBN) Conference.
The 10th Annual Breath of Life Foundation golf fundraiser took place in late September at Stonewall Jackson Golf Resort in Roanoke, W.Va.
The Insulation Industry International Apprenticeship and Training Fund (IIIATF) held its annual New Local Union Officers Training event in late October. On Oct. 21, the IIIATF welcomed 30 newly elected officers to the week-long training, which was held at the Maritime Institute Conference Center in Baltimore, MD .
In September, HFIAW Local 53 New Orleans opened a brand-new state-of-the-art training center. Located in the lower level of the Local 53 Union Hall in Kenner, La., the building has 2,000-square-feet of training space, both interior and exterior, with additional external storage.
As the calendar year draws to a close, it is a good time for Insulators and their families to remember to perform some necessary maintenance around the house, such as change the battery in all smoke alarms, replace the furnace filter and shut off the water to the outdoor spigot.
On Oct. 25, 2019, Local 16 Retired Brother Robert “Spider” Cantley was presented with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) annual President's Award. Pictured is LLS President & CEO Dr. Louis DeGennaro (left) presenting Brother Cantley with the award at a ceremony held in San Francisco.
Apollo Beach, Fla. — Hundreds of local youth and their families gathered Saturday, Nov. 2, to celebrate the dedication of a new boardwalk and fishing pier at the Suncoast Youth Conservation Center (SYCC) in Apollo Beach, Florida.
On Oct. 7, Insulators Local 6 Training Coordinator Rick Rothwell and Brother Joe Gallagher met with a Democratic Presidential Primary candidate.
Dr. Michael Harbut, a world-renowned researcher and physician with several decades of experience treating asbestos exposed patients, leads a team of occupational hazard researchers at the St. John Providence Health System in Michigan. Harbut is the medical advisor to The Breath of Life Foundation since inception in 2009 and continues to be a trusted partner with the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers. Dr. Harbut is available if any members of our Insulators Union family have questions regarding diagnosis or the approach your doctor might be taking for as asbestos-related disease. Dr. Harbut can be reached at 248-849-3107.
The HFIAW Local Unions that make up the Central States Conference, in conjunction with their Contractors Association, hosted the 7th Annual Breath of Life Foundation Motorcycle and Classic Car Rally in Dayton, Ohio.
The Insulation Industry International Apprentice and Training Fund (IIIATF) held its annual Trainer Enhancement program for instructors from the U.S. and Canada at the Maritime Institute in Maryland.
This proved to be a busy summer, as we worked to ensure our priorities, especially those of Canada’s Insulators, who are featured in our federal election on Oct. 21. At the same time, our provincial representatives are busy ensuring Insulator priorities are front and centre, as provincial capitals wrestle with budget cuts and energy policies, which could impact the bottom line of the insulation trade.
The Seattle skyline changed this summer, when crews finished construction of a new skyscraper on the Amazon campus. Named re:Invent, the 37-story high-rise is the third tallest building on the internet retail giant’s main campus. Checking in at 1.2-million-square-feet, the high-rise can hold up to 5,000 employees.
On the first weekend in September, our Brothers and Sisters across the U.S. and Canada celebrated Labor Day in a wide variety of ways.
Labor unions serve a great purpose for their members, as they work to negotiate better pay, better health care and pension benefits and a safer work environment. In the case of building trades unions, including the Insulators, unions also train the next generation of skilled workers through apprenticeship programs.
The US House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee has developed a Subcommittee on Energy that will hear At Large International Vice President Tim Keane testify on Friday, September 20, 2019. The hearing is entitled “Building a 100 Percent Clean Economy: Solutions for the U.S. Building Sector" and will also include testimonies from American Institute of Architects 2018 AIA President Carl Elefante, FAIA, U.S. Green Building Counsel Senior Policy Counsel Elizabeth Beardsley and American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy Executive Director Steven Nadel.
Spring Hill, Tenn. — Union volunteers’ efforts to enhance visitors’ experiences at the nation’s first Urban National Wildlife Refuge earned the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) 2019 Project of the Year Award.
The Department of Labor has introduced draft language for regulations on expanding apprenticeships, including expanding Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs).
As someone who has helped build Seattle’s skyline and infrastructure, I know that each new construction crane on the horizon means thousands of jobs for construction workers. While there is some pain that comes with the historic growth we are experiencing, I believe it’s part of a shared path to a better, more sustainable future.
We have some challenges, but the problems we face shouldn’t be blamed on more jobs being created. The obstacles we face in balancing the needs of our city won’t be solved by slowing down our economy. It’s policy decisions that will help us create the community we want to build.
It’s worth remembering that not so long ago, unemployment in King County hovered around 10%. Many workers and their families suffered greatly.
Today’s booming economy has its benefits. Take Amazon for instance. Instead of contributing to more sprawl, Amazon made a conscious decision to locate in the densest part of the region. Since 2010, the company has invested $4.5 billion in the heart of Seattle, building 11 million square feet of office space to house 45,000 workers across 47 buildings.
Almost all of that work has been done by union members who make a family wage and receive important benefits such as health care and contributions to retirement. Despite what some critics say, Amazon has been a strong partner for the women and men in the construction trades. Amazon hires union contractors who have apprentices that get training and career opportunities, helping transform many lives for the better and supporting the middle class in our region.
That hard work, innovation, and economic activity is creating a robust and growing budget at the city of Seattle. The city of Seattle’s annual budget this year is $5.9 billion. In 2012 that number was $3.9 billion.
So why do so many Seattleites feel a disconnect between the economic opportunity around them and the reality they face when they walk the streets downtown or in their neighborhood? Because along with these good economic numbers come some challenges.
Like many cities today, we are facing serious problems with issues such as homelessness and public safety. Some have wanted to play a blame game that targets the people and organizations who are investing in this city. I’m tired of that game. Let’s preserve the things we like about Seattle and implement sustainable solutions for the things we don’t.
When you’re part of a construction crew, 20 floors up, hanging off the skeleton of a building, everybody’s got to do their part to keep everyone safe and get the job done. Everyone has their role. You don’t have time for excuses — you either build the building safely or you don’t. If you don’t finish your work, you don’t get the job the next time around.
We have a chance this year to elect new leadership to the Seattle City Council. We need to elect council members who will work in partnership with Mayor Jenny Durkan, who is committed to growing jobs and supporting working people. With seven seats up, four of which have no incumbent, we have a chance to elect a council that brings people together to focus on solutions rather than dividing them.
I’m ready for a city government that understands not just the challenges we face, but the unique opportunity that we have
today. I’m ready for leaders who will find ways to further collaborate with unions, the private sector, philanthropy, nonprofits and education partners, and leaders throughout our diverse community to build foundations that will allow our region to continue to thrive and invest in those areas that are not.
I hope those are the people we’ll elect.
Monty Anderson is executive secretary of the Seattle Building & Construction Trades Council, which includes 19 affiliate unions and more than 20,000 construction workers.
Spring Hill, Tenn. — The Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) invites outdoors enthusiasts to catch the excitement as its award-winning Brotherhood Outdoors television series whisks hardworking union members away on action-packed hunting and fishing adventures.
Insulation Industry International Apprentice and Training Fund (IIIATF) Administrator Thomas A. Haun announced during the 2019 Combined Local Union Officers Meeting/Joint Apprenticeship Conference/Master Apprentice Competition of his retirement slated for December of 2020. Following the announcement, the IIIATF Trustees accepted applications and interviewed all candidates, with the selected replacement to work with Haun for an entire year.
Brothers from HFIAW Local 94 completed a colorful project at the Francis Tuttle Technology Center in Oklahoma City. Members did such a masterful job on the colored PVC project, that it was publicized on the front page of The Oklahoman newspaper earlier this year.
To help offset costs to continue their education, 20 students with a direct connection to the HFIAW will receive $5,000 scholarships this year.
This year, the International Insulation Industry Apprenticeship and Training Fund (IIIATF) presented the 2019 W. F. Pablo Blieker Award to Local 14 Instructor and Master Apprentice Competition Proctor John Sullivan.
The Insulation Industry International Apprentice and Training Fund (IIIATF)’s 44th Annual Joint Apprentice
Conference (JAC) took place in Arizona this May, and for the first time, it was combined with the annual Local Union Officers Meeting.
The first annual Insulators Tissue Bank and Asbestos Research Charitable Trust Golf Fundraiser raised more than $200,000 to help finance much-needed research for asbestos-related diseases.
Dating back to 2012, Beaver County, Penn. knew there would be a construction boom on the horizon after the Shell Oil Company announced plans to build an Ethane Cracker plant along the Ohio River.
Delegates heard from multiple politicians hoping to become the Democrat candidate to run for President in 2020 during the final day of the to the North America’s Building Trades Unions 2019 Legislative Conference.
At the North America’s Building Trades Unions Annual Legislative Conference, NABTU President Sean McGarvey and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calf.) both discussed the need for lawmakers to pass laws that create good-paying jobs for union construction workers.
Les questions portant sur l’ouvrage et les élections fédérales étaient au centre de la Conférence législative Canadienne de L’industrie de la construction et une saine conversation politique ont rempli le calendrier lors de la conférence législative de 2019 des Syndicats des métiers de la construction du Canada (SMCC)
Issues critical to the Canadian Construction Industry and a healthy dose of political conversation filled the schedule during the Canada’s Building Trades Union (CBTU) 2019 Legislative Conference.
Summer is here, and in Canada, the political scene is truly heating up with only a couple months left before the next federal election on Oct. 21. Members of Parliament and candidates from all parties are pounding the pavement, knocking on doors and pitching themselves and their party’s policy agenda to Canadians.
For the first time in the 116-year history of the union, the Insulators held the Local Union Officers Meeting, the Joint Apprenticeship Conference and the Master Apprentice Competition (MAC) at the same time and same location.
For the first time in competition history, an apprentice from HFIAW Local 119 earned the Master Apprentice Competition (MAC) title.
The HFIAW is a proud charter union of the Union Sportsman's Alliance (USA).
In Phoenix, Western States Conference International Vice President Doug Gamble and Local 16 Business Manager Mel Breshears provided an update on the enactment of 2013 California state legislation (SB 54), which requires workers at all California refineries to have appropriate training.
Spring Hill, Tenn. — A popular fishing pier on Champion Lake in the Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge received a much-needed face-lift thanks to union volunteers, the Union Sportsmen's Alliance (USA) and the Lower Trinity Basin Master Naturalists.
Sixty kilometers east of Turin, Italy, nestled on the shore of the Po River sits the Italian town of Casale Monferrato. For centuries this community has been the important centre of the Piedmont Region of Italy and today boasts a beautiful bounty of rich history and beautiful architecture. However, for over 80 years Casale Monferrato and all its’ citizens were buried in clouds of asbestos fibres from the manufacturing of fibre cement products by the Eternit factory. For those eight decades the community was destroyed by the cynicism of those who, for the sake of profits, did not hesitate to put in danger the health of the employees, their relatives and of all of those, who by simply living in the town, were forced to breath this dust of death. The last century has resulted in Casale Monferrato being known as the epicentre of mesothelioma and asbestos disease.
Spring Hill, Tenn. — The Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) has honored International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers (Insulators) Local 14 Member John Stahl with the 2019 Insulators Conservation Steward of the Year Award for his exemplary commitment to conservation and community service.
Cambridge, UK, and Lanham, MD, USA June 05, 2019: Owlstone Medical, a global diagnostics company developing a breathalyzer for applications in early disease detection and precision medicine, announced today the formation of a partnership with the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers (IAHFIAW), formerly known as the Asbestos Workers, a building trades union in the United States and Canada, to identify and verify breath-based biomarkers for the early detection of malignant mesothelioma.
On March 18, Rep. John Katko, a Republican from New York’s 24th District, introduced the Mary Jo Lawyer-Spano Mesothelioma Patient Registry Act of 2019 (H.R. 1824) into Congress.
Training coordinators and instructors from all the Building Trades attended the third annual Apprenticeship Conference, hosted by the North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, MI.
BALTIMORE (March 14, 2019) – The Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation today announced new registered apprenticeship programs and apprenticable occupations, expanding opportunities for Maryland workers in high-wage skilled trade jobs and non-traditional apprenticeship industries. At the March meeting of the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council (MATC), two new sponsors became part of the state’s apprenticeship program, three existing sponsors added a new occupation, and one sponsor reactivated an occupation within its program.
Government decisions impact many aspects of our daily lives (the taxes we pay, our ability to secure work, the health and safety of our workplace, health care and retirement benefits), and as such, our union has, and continues to emphasize, the importance of electing candidates who support the union construction industry, specifically the work of the Insulators.
For roughly three weeks in January, a few dozen instructors attended advanced training classes at the HFIAW Local 17 Training Center in Chicago to help better equip them to teach specialty crafts that make our trade an art form.
Created and disbursed by the Canada's Building Trades Unions.
Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA)
CBTU Commends Federal Government’s Commitment to Workers Health and Safety
- Banning Asbestos important step forward to protecting Canadians and reducing workplace death and disease -
January 3, 2019– Canada’s Building Trades Unions are pleased with the Federal Government’s steps to close out 2018 with a ban on the use of asbestos and products containing asbestos. Canada now joins 55 other countries that have banned the use of asbestos.
“The Federal Government’s announcement to ban asbestos reflects their commitment to the health and safety of the Canadian workforce, and shows they have delivered on another one of their commitments since coming to office,” said Robert Blakely, Canadian Operating Office, Canada’s Building Trades Unions. “The CBTU has been lobbying on this issue for years, because workplace exposure to asbestos is one of the leading causes of workplace-related death within our affiliated unions. We now need governments at municipal, provincial and territorial levels to work with the Federal Government to develop a comprehensive strategy to account for and remove – safely – this substance from our existing buildings to lessen the impact on future generations of workers going forward.”
Mesothelioma, the cancer related to asbestos exposure, can take 20 to 40 years to develop and begin causing symptoms. The mortality rate is devastating, about 60 per cent of those affected die within a year of diagnosis, and the five-year survival rate is less than seven per cent.
Blakely went on to say, “While this announcement will reduce the chances for asbestos exposure in the next generation, we still have a lot of work to do around the legacy of asbestos which includes a public registry of buildings with asbestos, regulations around asbestos exposure, safe removal and disposal of asbestos from current buildings and compensation for victims.”
Les SMCC appuient les engagements du gouvernement fédéral au profit de la santé et de la sécurité des travailleuses et des travailleurs
- L’interdiction de l’amiante est une étape importante vers la protection des Canadiens et la réduction des maladies et des décès au travail -
A new resort planned for the Las Vegas Strip will create a nice jackpot of work for members of HFIAW Local 135.
The Insulation Industry International Apprentice and Training Fund (IIIATF) gathered instructors from across the U.S. and Canada to conduct its annual Trainer Enhancement training program. The IIIATF holds the Trainer Enhancement program as a way to better instructors by improving their teaching techniques.
The Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) funding bill for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that Congress passed in September includes $100,000 to begin work on developing a National Mesothelioma Patient Registry. This funding will be provided through the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and specifically through the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
The HFIAW was well represented at the 2018 North America’s Building Trade Unions (NABTU) Women Build Nations Conference. Held in Seattle in mid-October, more than 100 members of the HFIAW attended the conference.
For Immediate Release
November 2, 2018
USA Sponsors Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
First Shot Mentored Deer Hunt
Cambridge, Maryland — Twenty-three aspiring hunters gathered to learn how to pursue big game and provide food for themselves and their families at the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge Oct. 26-27 during the refuge's inaugural First Shots deer hunt.
The hunt was sponsored by the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA), Maryland Department of Natural Resources and National Wild Turkey Federation. More than 60 applications were received for the 23 available opportunities to be mentored by an experienced hunter and learn hunting basics including scouting, stand placement, biology and field care. The individuals selected were all new adult hunters who did not have a support network to help them develop a new lifelong passion.
Applicants were also eager to harvest their first deer, and at press time the apprentice hunters had harvested a total of 17 deer, with additional hunting opportunities set for later in the week.
In September of 2017, the USA partnered with the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge to conduct a sika and white-tailed deer population survey using infrared imaging technology. The long-term goal was to provide necessary population data to the refuge—allowing for more opportunities for sustainable deer hunting.
USA put out a call to local members asking them to consider volunteering as a mentor. International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 24 Training Coordinator Brian Cavey wasted no time applying to be a mentor.
“I was honored and privileged to take part in Maryland’s Mentored Deer Hunting Program,” said Cavey. “What a way to introduce new hunters to the wonderful world of the outdoors and hunting.”
During the week of November 12, the Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers and the Insulation Industry International Apprentice and Training Fund will celebrate the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Apprenticeship Week, which is a week dedicated to show appreciation and bring awareness to apprenticeship programs.
Members of HFIAW Local 86 have been working at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Gallatin Combustion Turbine Plant since October 2017. The plant, which houses four GE and four Westinghouse units that have a combined generation capacity of 600 megawatts, is located adjacent to the Gallatin Fossil Plant in Gallatin, Tenn.
Money raised from two recent Central States Conference fundraisers will benefit the Breath of Life Foundation. The sixth Annual Motorcycle and Car Rally, which took place on Aug. 11 in West Virginia at space donated by Harley Davidson, raised over $15,000. Donations are still coming in from the 10th Annual Mesothelioma Charity Golf Tournament that occurred on Sept. 10.
The 18th Annual New York/New England States Conference Charity Golf Tournament took place in June at the Capitol Hill Golf Course in Albany, N.Y. The annual tournament takes place the day before the New York/New England States Conference Meeting. So far this year, the tournament has raised more than $28,500.
The 16th Annual Roger Hamilton Memorial Mesothelioma Fund Raiser took place on June 25 at the Napa Valley Country Club, with 136 golfers in attendance. More than $50,000 was raised at the California golf outing fundraiser to battle mesothelioma this year. Since its inception, the tournament has raised over $1.5 million with all proceeds going directly to support The Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America.
In early June, North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) held the 32nd Annual Labor of Love Tournament and Softball Slam event in Philadelphia, PA. Members from all 13 of the affiliated building trades gathered for the three-day event and helped raise funds for the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) Foundation.
The Insulation Industry International Apprentice and Training Fund (IIIATF)’s 43rd Annual Joint Apprentice Conference (JAC) took place in California in late June congruently with the Master Apprentice Competition (MAC) and the bestowing of the 2018 W. F. Pablo Bleiker Award.
Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of working men and women. It was started by the labor movement in the late 19th century and became a United States federal holiday in 1894. Originally, Labor Day gave workers the chance to campaign for better working conditions and pay.
The Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers is proud to be part of the 2018 North American Building Trades Unions (NABTU) Women Build Nations Conference and have many of our Sisters slated to attend this conference.
In April, 44 Brothers and Sisters completed Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 502 training at the Maritime Institute in Maryland.
Due in large part to the need for additional training center space, HFIAW Local 5 Los Angeles moved its Union Hall and training center into a structure nearly four times as large as the former building.
In early 2018, Local 110 in Edmonton, Alberta donated materials and volunteered their expertise to re-insulate a 1913 steam engine locomotive at the Alberta Railway Museum, which is located outside of Edmonton.
The General Executive Board, along with more than 30 delegates from the Insulators Union, attended the North America’s Building Trades Unions 2018 Legislative Conference.
In late May, HFIAW Local 23 Business Manager Bill McGee co-authored an Opinion Editorial published in the local newspaper, The Morning Call. McGee is an elected Northampton County Councilmen who takes the time to further advance the labor issues that affect the Brothers and Sisters in the Harrisburg, Pa. area. Below is the op-ed McGee wrote with Tony Iannelli, president and CEO of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce and a co-chair of Nuclear Powers Pennsylvania.
In May, the Insulation Industry International Apprentice and Training Fund (IIIATF) held a four-day Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) worker trainthe-trainer course. The class was taught by Gary Gustafson and Steve Surtees from CPWR: The Center for Construction Research and Training.
The 28th Annual Florence Bernard and Alta Miller Scholarship Drawing was held during the 2018 Local Union Officers Meeting in St. Louis.
La Conférence législative canadienne promeut la diversité, l’inclusion et le respect. Cette année, les quatre jours de la Conférence législative pour les syndicats du bâtiment du Canada était axée sur la syndicalisation ainsi que les questions liées au travail, en faisant la promotion du thème ‘’Diversité, Inclusion et Respect.’’
Tout au long de la conférence, tenue à Gatineau (Québec) du 7 au 10 mai, les conférenciers et les panélistes ont souligné l’importance d’avoir un syndicat diversifié et inclusif, où les membres se respectent les uns les autres sur le chantier et dans la vie quotidienne.
En plus des discussions thématiques, la conférence a également fourni une possibilité pour les dirigeants canadiens de la FVSHA de rencontrer des membres du Parlement pour discuter des questions importantes
pour Leur Conférence locale, canadienne et l’Union internationale.
This year’s four-day legislative conference for Canada’s Building Trades Unions focused on union membership along with work-related issues, promoting a theme of “Diversity, Inclusion and Respect.”
More than 250 delegates, international union officers and invited guests attended the 2018 Local Union Officers Meeting in St. Louis.
Though, it is not yet required to provide construction workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) that fits properly, there are changes being made by employers to improve safety hazards in their workplace. These changes are specifically being made to accommodate women in the construction industry, considering the difference in height, weight, and body structure from men. The PPE program acknowledges these differences and considerations by implementing resources for employers.
A pair of two-day Thermography classes were conducted by the Insulation Industry International Apprentice and Training Fund in Canada and the United States.
The Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers (HFIAW) organized a two-day conference bringing together doctors, researchers and other professions the deal with the impact asbestos has played on multiple generations of mechanical insulators and other construction workers.
The North American Building Trades Union has joined forces with Michigan State University to administer the Building Trades Academy (BTA) to affiliated building trades members, including Brothers and Sisters in the Insulators Union.
It was a crowded field of candidates in the most recent Seattle mayoral race. Despite the numerous candidates, the Seattle Building Trades and HFIAW Local 7 made an early endorsement of former U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.
Over two weeks in February, 17 HFIAW members attended one or both of the Train the Trainer courses in Chicago to be better able to teach Advanced Pad Development and Advanced Metal Layout work.
Throughout the United States, Insulator Local Unions celebrated National Apprenticeship week through a variety of events and activities highlighting the value apprenticeship programs can provide the mechanical insulation industry.
When a prominent local contractor was tasked to help set up the display area for Johns Manville during the 2018 International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition in Chicago, Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 17 turned to two former Master Apprentice Competitors to handle the job.
In mid-December, 20 members and guests attended a two-day foreman training program held at Local 82 in Montana.
Saskatchewan is a beautiful province in the heart of Canada. It is bordered by the United States to the south, the Northwest Territories to the north, and Manitoba and Alberta to the east and west respectively.
The Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2017, as the non-profit organization continued to engage, educate and organize Union members, their families and like-minded individuals who share a passion for hunting, fishing, shooting and the great outdoors.
HFIAW Brothers and Sisters demonstrated their unwavering support and generosity during the 2017 holiday season. For the eighth consecutive year, the HFIAW has partnered with Helmets to Hardhats and the Toys for Tots drive, and as they have each year, our Locals surpassed all previous year’s charitable efforts. This year an organizational record was set when they donated a combined total of $13,556.91 of gifts.
Ten Insulator Training Coordinators attended the second annual North American Building Trades Union’s Apprenticeship Conference to participate in sessions that pertain to many of the training, retention and recruitment challenges that regularly face Local Unions.
For the second year in a row, the Insulators’ contractor association, iSave, worked with a group of HFIAW Local Unions to create networking opportunities centered around major college football games.
In October, 46 women Insulators were on hand to represent the HFIAW during the North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) seventh annual Women Build Nations Conference in Chicago.
In late October, 30 Brothers and Sisters holding newly elected offices attended the 2017 New Officers Training program. The multi-day training event was held at the Maritime Institute in Maryland.
With continued political involvement at the top-of-mind for the International Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers, General President McCourt penned a letter to U.S. House of Representatives Democratic Leader Hon. Nancy Pelosi.
With the holidays just around the corner, like the many organizations and volunteers whose mission it is to reach out to those less fortunate, our International Union will again be participating in the annual North American Building Trades Unions and Helmets to Hardhats campaign to support the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation donation drive.
Gustavo “Gus” Rodriguez, an Apprentice from HFIAW Local 27 Kansas City, was named the winner of the Master Apprentice Competition based on his performance in Toronto, Canada at the end of June.
General President James McCourt gave the Convention’s opening day keynote speech, providing his State of the Union address to delegates. It began with a review of the Insulators Union’s history, highlighting key milestones from over the decades.
An Important Message from General President James P. McCourt and General Secretary-Treasurer Gregory T. Revard:
The International Insulation Industry Apprenticeship and Training Fund presented the 2017 Pablo Blieker Award to Ken Jakobsson and posthumously to Jermaine Ray.
Training Coordinators from across the U.S. and Canada came together in late June to share ideas and discuss the latest training techniques during the 42nd Annual HFIAW Joint Apprenticeship Conference.
Washington, D.C. – House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Linda Sánchez (CA-38) and U.S. Congressman Tom Reed (NY-23), both members of the Ways and Means Committee, today introduced bipartisan legislation to create jobs and promote energy efficiency. The Mechanical Insulation Installation Incentive Act of 2017 would significantly reduce U.S. energy consumption by improving energy efficiency.
A great amount of our government advocacy is focused on improving the health of our membership and
their families.
HFIAW Local 95 in Ontario wanted to make sure the contractor for a major renovation project at Carleton University’s Life Science building knew their members are the most-skilled and highly-trained mechanical insulation workforce around.
The project involves renovating a specialized laboratory that supports experimental work in the biological, biochemical and behavioral sciences.
Including the promise that “America’s labor leaders will always find an open door with Donald Trump,” the new U.S. President was the final speaker to address the roughly 3,000 delegates attending the annual National Building Trades Legislative Conference in early April.
As Local Training Directors prepare to attend the JATC Conference in Toronto this summer, 10 highly-skilled HFIAW apprentices are getting ready to compete in the 2017 Master Apprentice Competition.
The International Master Apprentice Competition will be held in Toronto, beginning on June 25, with the JATC Conference starting June 28. Both events will conclude on June 30.
Most of the 10 apprentices coming to compete in Toronto have already competed and won similar competitions at the Local and then District Conference level. Here are the results from those competitions:
In January 2017, the International Organizing Department hosted an Organizing Conference where most of the training focused on a newly updated version of COMET. Labeled COMET III, the new material focuses on encouraging rank and file members to become union activists and volunteer Organizers.
It teaches them about strategic organizing campaigns and tactics, and emphasizes the importance of membership participation and involvement in their Local Union's organizing activities.
COMET training was created in the mid-90s, when the National Building and Construction Trades Department (NBCTD) realized unions were declining at a rapid pace. At the time, it appeared imminent that if something wasn't done, the majority of NBCTD Unions would be virtually nonexistent within 15 to 20 years.
Similar to the U.S. Conference, the Canadian Building Trades Conference featured an impressive schedule of presentations from national and provincial leaders from the major political parties, as well as updates from construction industry leaders on major Canadian infrastructure projects.
The highlight of the Canadian Conference was the dedication of the Building Trades Workers Memorial on May 16 to honor the men and women of the Canadian Building Trades. The importance of the dedication of this impressive memorial was evident for several reasons.
In late March, the Insulation Industry International Apprentice and Training Fund (IIIATF) sponsored an OSHA 510 course, a prerequisite class to both the OSHA 500 32-hour class and the OSHA 500 40-hour class. It was held at the Maritime Institute in Maryland and 20 instructors attended.
This course certifies that all of the trainers that completed the course are now eligible to teach the OSHA 10- and OSHA 30-hour classes for the next 4 years.
The instructors for the course were Training Directors John Stahl from Local 14 in Philadelphia, PA, Bob McGuckin from Local 17 in Chicago, IL and Brian Cavey from Local 24 in Washington, DC.
When it comes to performing mechanical insulation, the members of the Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers are the most skilled and highly trained workforce available.
HFIAW Local 95 in Ontario wanted to make sure that the decision makers for the Carleton University Life Science project know that our workforce is the most qualified workforce available, while sharing with them all of the benefits that HFIAW Insulators bring to every project on which they work.
The Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Organizing Department has been working with the North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) to have Local Union Organizers trained through the Building Trades Academy.
The mission of the Building Trades Academy is to provide educational programs that offer useful and practical skill building to Building Trades union staff as well as leadership training to help them strengthen their unions.
The annual North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) Legislative Conference was held in Washington, DC over 4 days in early April.
The conference was attended by all of the Building Trades Unions and delegates, including international administration from the Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers.
Before the conference began, the DC Friends of Irelandheld their benefit dinner and General President Emeritus James A. Grogan was in attendance. President Grogan was recognized for his continued support and dedication to this charity and received a standing ovation from everyone in attendance.
The Southwest States Conference held their Master Apprentice Competition during the last meeting in New Orleans at HFIAW Local 53's Apprenticeship Building.
The competition included Collin Gillis from Local 87, San Antonio, TX, Chris Nickel from Local 94, Oklahoma City, OK and Gustavo Machigua from Local 53, New Orleans, LA.Machigua prevailed in a very tight race to win the Southwest States Conference Master Apprentice Competition and the chance to represent the conference at the International MAC.
This story comes from Union Sportsmen's Alliance (USA), on a conservation project completed this past fall in Alabama. HFIAW Insulators Local 78, chartered in Birmingham, was heavily involved with this project.
USA VOLUNTEERS RENOVATE OAK MOUNTAIN HORSE BARN
For years, Alabama State Parks have been unable to afford many necessary repairs and updates. To offer support, Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) volunteers recently renovated a horse barn at Oak Mountain State Park, transforming a structure that had fallen into disrepair into a potential increased revenue source for the park.
Local 6, chartered in Boston, Mass., attended the second successful Massachusetts Girls in Trades Conference and Career Fair in March. The event was hosted by Massachusetts Girls in Trades Advisory Board and was held at IBEW Local 103.
The program is to introduce high school girls, as well as their Career Counselors and Educators, to the trades. This event was attended by more than 350 students and over 50 educators from 22 area high schools.
As we prepare for the upcoming 2017 Master Apprenticeship Competition and JATC Conference, Local 95, the host local, released event details.
For the first time, the MAC and JATC Conference will be held in Canada, not in the U.S. The MAC will begin on Sunday, June 25 in Toronto and the JATC Conference will begin on Wednesday, June 28. Both events will conclude on Friday, June 30.
The Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers understand the importance and impact that Organizing has on our union. As such, we value the opportunity to train our Local Organizers to the highest degree.
For the last several years, our International Organizing Department (IOD) has financially supported the training for Local Organizers to attend five different construction organizing classes conducted by the National Building Trades' Training Academy (BTTA).
In 2015, an additional class provided by the AFL-CIO's Organizing Institute (OI) was added to the list of classes the IOD provides financial support for our union’s Organizers to attend. The purpose of this class is not necessarily designed to teach organizing strategies, techniques and tactics; instead the primary focus of the OI's class is to assess a potential Organizer's skills and ability to effectively communicate and interact with people to encourage them to join or sign with our union.
Members of HFIAW Local 24 Baltimore/Washington are helping complete the largest construction project in the history of Maryland.
Dominion, one of the largest power suppliers in the U.S., is currently in the midst of the Cove Point project. Situated on Chesapeake Bay, this expansive project will convert the existing liquid natural gas (LNG) import facility into a bi-directional import-export facility.
Instead of just taking in LNG for domestic use in the 14 states Dominion covers, the facility will handle LNG coming into the terminal and shipping it overseas for international use.
The Insulation Industry International Apprentice and Training Fund would like to remind everyone that the 2017 Master Apprentice Competition (MAC) will be in Toronto, Canada from June 27 to July 1.
All Training Directors planning to attend and any Insulator Apprentices planning to compete in Local or Conference competitions should start preparing now to make sure you can travel to Canada, should you qualify for the 2017 MAC.
The Organizing Department for the HFIAW is sponsoring an Organizing Conference in late January.
Every HFIAW Local is required to send at least one participant to the conference, which will occur from Jan 21-27 at the Flamingo Hotels.
The conference is open to all local union Organizers, Business Managers and other Local Union Officers interested in attending.
Since September, members of various HFIAW Locals have been participating in the nationwide iSave program to sponsor the Saturday Football Game of the Week with Gino Torretta.
Torretta, a former quarterback for the University of Miami, led the Hurricanes to two National Champion titles in 1989 and 1991. He also won the 1992 Heisman Trophy, the Davey O’Brien Award, Johnny Unitas Award, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Chic Harley Award and was a consensus All-American.
After a successful college career, he was drafted in 1993 and ultimately found some success with the Seattle Seahawks. He now works with Sirius/XM and Touchdown Radio, producing the popular Saturday Football Game of the Week.
Recently elected leaders attend New Officers Training Program
The Insulators hosted 37 recently elected union leaders to a week-long event to help them carry out their duties as union officers.
The 2016 New Officers Training Program was held in September in the Conference Center at the Maritime Institute in Maryland.
Started in 2005, the training program is designed to educate the newly elected officers on all the various duties and responsibilities and help them serve to the best of their ability. Topics included LMRDA, jurisdiction and International agreements, political affairs, grievance filing procedures, fiduciary and trust responsibilities, organizing, apprenticeship, Roberts Rules of Order, and other pertinent items that our local union officers need to know.
Insulators attend inaugural NABTU Apprenticeship Conference
The concept of ‘we work better together than we do apart’ was the overarching theme of the first annual North
America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) Apprenticeship Training Conference.
More than 100 Apprenticeship Training Directors and key leaders from all the NABTU unions gathered in early October at Washtenaw Community College in Michigan for this inaugural event to discuss how everyone can develop and contribute additional ways to grow the apprenticeship workforce. Due to limited space, each NABTU union was asked to send 10 directors for this first time event.
The Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers are proud to be built upon a foundation of high-quality training, especially the education provided to our apprentices.
The HFIAW Insulators and the Local Joint Apprenticeship and Training Funds (JATC) are dedicated to growing our workforce through the apprenticeship program at the state-of-the-art training facilities located throughout the United States and Canada.
Many of our current Apprenticeship classes will be participating in events related to National Apprenticeship week. For more information, contact your Local Union.
Voters will also determine the control of the U.S. Congress. In the U.S. Senate, Republicans currently have a 54-46 majority, and there are 34 Senate races this year (24 seats are Republican and 10 are Democratic). If Hillary Clinton is elected president, Democrats will need to win 4 additional seats to win the majority (As Vice President, Tim Kaine would give Democrats the Senate majority if the Senate election was deadlocked at 50-50). In the U.S. House of Representatives, the Republicans have a 247-186 majority, and it is expected that House Democrats will gain seats, and there is the potential for significant gains for House Democrats.