Cleveland-area Locals Raise $84,000 for Up Side of Downs
$84,000. That’s how much Cleveland-area locals and the IKORCC have helped raise for The Up Side of Downs in seven years. The Up Side of Downs’ mission is to provide support, education and advocacy for individuals with Down syndrome, their families and communities.
They share a common goal with the IKORCC, a community where all people have limitless opportunities and the ability to pursue their dreams. Check out this video to learn more about our partnership with this wonderful organization.
Stadium Super Bowl
It’s Super Bowl week and we are celebrating by looking at the amazing NFL football stadiums union carpenters, millwrights and floorlayers have built in Indiana and Ohio. 🏈
Check out First Energy Stadium (home of the Cleveland Browns), Paul Brown Stadium (Home of the Cincinnati Bengals) and Lucas Oil Stadium (Home of the Indianapolis Colts).
Fast Facts:
First Energy Stadium home of the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland, Ohio
Completed in 1999, renovated in 2013
Turner Construction, General Contractor
Cost: $283 million
Capacity: 67,895
Suites: 143
Square Feet: 1.64 million
Paul Brown Stadium home of the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati, Ohio
Completed in 2000
Turner Construction, General Contractor
Cost: $385 million
Capacity: 65,535
Suites: 144
Square Feet: 1.85 million
Lucas Oil Stadium home of the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis, Indiana
Completed in 2008
Hunt Construction, General Contractor
Cost: 720 million
Capacity: 67,000
Suites: 139
Square Feet: 1.8 million
Korey Luttman Inspires Crowd at Graduation
For Local 301’s Korey Luttman, the things he learned in his apprenticeship weren’t just a way to make money, they were a metaphor for his life. He shared his inspiring story of courage and perseverance at the Indiana/Kentucky graduation in October.
“It’s important to build your life on a solid foundation and have structure to keep you stable. When all the weight of the world is on your shoulders, this will keep you firm and stable in your life,” Korey said.
Korey’s foundation was not solid. He was raised in a broken home with parents that suffered from drug addiction. He jumped from school to school, without guidance he was angry and eventually started using drugs and getting into trouble with the police. By the age of 20, he was in prison. “During this point in my life, I was so lost and confused. But I knew I wanted more for myself.”
When he was released from prison, he focused on that goal. He got his life together, married his best friend Lindsey, had a baby girl and started building a future. Despite the better direction, he struggled with supporting his family. His landscaping job had low pay and no benefits. Then, a friend introduced him to Gary Trout, an IKORCC business rep.
Korey was nervous on the way to his interview. “It’s hard to find a job when you’ve served time,” he said. Then, Gary told him what the union is about and that was, “not judging people from their past, but accepting who they are in the present”.
Shortly after Korey started his apprenticeship, but the stresses of having a new baby, attending school and working sent him down a bad path. “During the 2nd year of my apprenticeship, the cracks of my foundation started to show and I turned back to alcohol and drugs to help me cope. I was putting a band-aid on something that needed stitches,” he said.
Korey said it was at this time God intervened. He joined a church, found his true identity and truly started building his life on a solid foundation. In February, Korey will celebrate three years of sobriety. Today, he gives back to the community by helping people overcome their addictions and find meaning in their lives.
His graduation speech was truly moving. We encourage you to watch the full video below:
COVID-19 Update with EST Todd Pancake
IKORCC’s EST Todd Pancake updates members on COVID-19. EST Pancake answers commonly asked questions and gives tips to members dealing with the coronavirus.
Applauding America’s Essential Workers
In these trying times, the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters would like to applaud America’s Working Class Heroes. From EMTs, police, nurses, and firefighters to carpenters, millwrights, drivers, grocery store clerks, cooks, and more, YOU ARE ESSENTIAL. Thank you for keeping America moving!
Thank You Healthcare Heroes
As states continue to reopen and coronavirus cases surge in many areas, healthcare workers are still battling COVID-19.
To show our appreciation for their continued dedication, we’ve thanked over 60 hospitals across Indiana, Kentucky, & Ohio. To our current and future ICRA (Infection Control Risk Assessment) partners, thank you for working on the frontlines. The importance of infection control during hospital construction has always been an integral part of our training & we are proud to partner with so many amazing facilities that put patient safety first.
Learn more about our Infection Control Risk Assessment training or our 8-hour ICRA classes at ikorcc.com/ICRA
Carpenters Build COVID-19 Surge Hospital
As COVID-19 cases hit the second wave in many places, hospitals search for space for the influx of patients. Normally, it takes years to plan & build a new hospital. With help from union carpenters & Turner Construction, the Cleveland Clinic did it in 18 days.
Carpenters converted a medical education building into a COVID-19 surge hospital. Union carpenters built the 477,000 square-foot facility years earlier. Now, they’ve transformed it into a 1,006-bed hospital for COVID-19 patients.
It took 10,000 man-hours & 65 craftsmen working in two shifts 24/7. Union carpenters constructed 30 patient restrooms, converted 50,000 square-feet of shelled space into 360 medical surge beds, converted 300,000 square feet of educational space into 640 medical surge beds, and installed 326 headwalls feeding 1,000 beds.
Hope Hospital opened in April & was a big step toward reopening the economy in Cleveland, Ohio.
“I think it’s important to play your part in the community. I just want to make sure I’m doing mine.” David Charon, Local 373
Thank you to our union carpenters, Turner Construction & the Cleveland Clinic for doing this essential work.