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Building Market Share & Community in Newburgh

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In the Newburgh area, 2021 was all about growing market share and building community – something members in this area excel at. Members worked on big projects, including the Evansville Aquatic Center, St. Vincent Hospital, Deaconess Hospital, a pool at University of Southern Indiana and on a bridge over Green River.

Next year’s work forecast looks solid. Members are working on an ongoing simple cycle project at Tennessee Valley Authority, where AZCO is installing three simple cycle gas turbines. This project kicked off in October. At its peak it will have around 60 carpenters and 15 Millwrights on the project.

Members are looking forward to the Toyota/Lexus line expansion, which is set to begin in early 2022. This $840 million-dollar project will create plenty of man hours. In March, Pratt Industries Paper Mill is coming to Henderson, KY. This $340 million-dollar project will also increase man hours.

In addition to growing market share, members in Paducah are also building the community. Local 357 members are finishing work on a McCracken County Habitat for Humanity home. This is the fourth home they’ve helped build for the organization that helps families and individuals in need of decent, affordable housing achieve their dream of homeownership. Carpenters did the framing, set trusses, roof decking and will set the windows and complete the vinyl siding.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, carpenters mobilized and held a canned food drive. The food drive was so successful, they’ve decided to do it again in 2021 and are currently taking canned food and Christmas toy donations for families in need.

Community Based Organizing

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Our country is experiencing an unprecedented labor movement not seen since the 1940’s & 50’s. Every labor union in the country should be capitalizing on this momentum, but at some point, every union member has to ask themselves…what can I do to help?


Members like you, have and always will be the UBC’s most valuable asset. To reach the UBC goal of 70% market share & the regional council’s goals, we need you engaged.

Throughout our history carpenter to carpenter & community-based organizing have been the most effective tools we have as a union. Many of you are familiar with the IKORCC M.A.C program. The regional council has set up Membership Action Committees and holds meetings in multiple areas in IN, KY & Ohio.

Unlike regular monthly business meetings, this is where you have the opportunity to get involved in our organizing efforts. Activities range from community events, helping our neighbors with small construction projects, but most importantly showing up in force to collectively voice our concerns on carpenter issues.

We are the community, and we will hold elected officials, owners and developers accountable when they let unscrupulous contractors come into our community and steal the work that puts food on our tables. We are putting a schedule of events together for the 2022 M.A.C. agenda & we need you there.

Please contact your local or regional council office for more information & how you can make a difference.

Fraternally,

Ken Lyons

Director of Organizing

Carpenters Build Community at Indiana State Fair

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Nearly a dozen carpenters spent Saturday building something a little different than usual. Instead of constructing buildings – they volunteered to build community and relationships at the Indiana State Fair.

Saturday, August 7th was Carpenters Day at the Indiana State Fair. Volunteers spent the day building keepsake toolboxes with families, recruiting new members and forming community partnerships.

When visitors came to the fair, the first thing they saw was giant banners that said “Welcome to Carpenters Day”. Fair staff wore “We’re Hiring” buttons directing them to our career application. All day long, radio ads for the Carpenters played over the loud speaker and our ads were on the back cover of the State Fair program. The sky ride also had recruitment advertising on the back of the cars.

Volunteers for the IKORCC were phenomenal. They set up four tents, showcased a new “Now Hiring” truck and had a large presence on the busiest corner of the fair. Volunteers handed out recruitment materials and built over 600 toolboxes. You couldn’t walk anywhere at the fair and not see the IKORCC and UBC logo in the hands of kids and adults. Hammy the mascot also made a few appearances!

In addition to building toolboxes, volunteers also sold raffle tickets for a playhouse with proceeds benefiting Carpenters Caring. Carpenters Caring is a non-profit that raises money for IKORCC members in need. This year’s playhouse was built by our partners at Central Nine Career Center. Students in the construction trades class completed the project. Special thanks to these students and their instructor Frank Wormann for their help.

Volunteers raised nearly $600 for Carpenters Caring thanks to raffle ticket sales and plan to continue selling raffle tickets until the drawing in late October.

To view all photos from the event, click here:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1esmj3cmm1qx369/AACQNHUnN78hqSh48noCKFaya?dl=0

To view a Facebook live video of the event, click here;
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=675898710474761&ref=watch_permalink

 

Good News — May 15: Carpenters volunteer to build playground for elementary school

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Published: May 14, 2017 – 10:06 PM
Members of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters Local 285 Members Action Committee recently donated their time and skills to build a playground for the elementary branch of Summit Academy on Leland Avenue in Akron.

Click here to read the full article.

Carpenters in Lafayette are helping change lives

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Sunday, May 14th 2017, 6:50 pm EDT by Kiyerra Lake

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) — Lafayette carpenters are offering free services to help people in the community. Those services were life-changing for one Lafayette family.

Angela McMeans has been bound to her wheelchair for seven years.

“I have a hard time getting in and out the house,” she said. “I mean, I had to wait until my husband gets off work to do anything.”

Her husband, Steve McMeans, said it would take around 30 minutes to get her out of the house, down the stairs and in the car.

He said, “It was a chore of having to pick her up, carry her and then have to come back and get the scooter.”

But now, that time has been cut down. It’s all thanks to Carpenters Local 215. They built a ramp outside the home.

Union Worker Don Brightwell said, “When we help someone like that and they show their gratitude, as they did with all the hugs and the tears and everything, it’s wonderful.”

Brightwell and his team take on community service projects for free.

He said, “If for some reason we aren’t able to do it, we can contact, ya know, get you to the right people to be able to do that.”

The crew wants to help people who may not be able to pay for their construction projects.

Steve McMeans said, “We never would have been able to afford it.”

Brightwell said, “They go for months and sometimes years struggling and we’re here to help — all you have to do is ask.”

After years of depending on her husband for help, Angela gained back her independence.

She said, “I can do about anything. If I want to look at my flowers, I can look at my flowers.”

“It’s just been a real blessing no matter how you look at it,” Steve McMeans said.

Floor Covers volunteer for Indy 500 Festival Parade

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If you ever get a chance to visit the Indianapolis 500 Festival Parade during the race weekend, you may want to take notice of the carpet installation that is a city block long and on both sides of the main grandstands. For the last 15 years, Superior Carpet and union floor covers have had a long standing tradition of volunteering the installation of the carpet runs. “The guys like being part of the Indy community and part of the 500.” said Roger Berlin President of Superior Carpet. Thank you to Roger and Susie Berlin, Chad Weber, Parker Dillion, Dave “Boo” Dillion, Evan James, Kelsey Biggs, Doug Weber, Levi Setters, Josh Berlin, and Mike Judd for being a vital part of the community.

  

Carpenters assemble Valentine’s Day care packages for US Military

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In preparation for the upcoming holiday, Local 200 of the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters (IKORCC) volunteered to assist in the assembly of Valentine’s Day care packages for military members.

Earlier this year, Brenda Bishop Young of Buckeye Military Families reached out to Local 200 regarding its third annual Operation Sharing Hearts project. The project focuses on assembling and sending 50 Valentine’s-themed care packages to service members who are deployed and stationed overseas.

In addition to presenting Buckeye Military Families with a $500 donation, five Local 200 members and their families were more than happy to assist with Operation Sharing Hearts and dedicated a Saturday and a total of 20 volunteer hours to the project. Assembled at the Local 200 office, eachcare package contained Valentine’s Day cards, candy, batteries, sports and auto magazines, toiletries and small Valentine’s Day cakes.

“I have to thank Local 200 for the use of their office – the facility was perfect for our event,” commented Bishop Young. “The help we received from their members was so awesome! They jumped in and made us feel right at home. I know this is a long-standing relationship we can look forward to in years to come.”

Michael Freeman, IKORCC Representative and Local 200 Recording Secretary and Political Advisor, commented, “We have four veterans in our Columbus office. Having served in the military, it makes me so proud to be involved with an organization that truly cares about our nation’s heroes – veterans and active duty alike. Being stationed away from family and friends can be very tough, and we know how much a small gesture like these care packages will be appreciated. They’re also a small token of our appreciation for everything our military does for our country.”

Buckeye Military Families is the Ohio chapter of Semper-Fi Sisters, which consists of individuals with a loved one who served or is currently serving in the military. Their mission is to support the families of those currently serving, the service member themselves and Ohio veterans.

Carpenters donate over 100 toys to Toys for Tots

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In an ongoing effort to give back to the community, Local 1005 of the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters (IKORCC) collected and donated toys to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program this past holiday season.

The Toys for Tots Program collects new, unwrapped toys for children each year. Local businesses serve as collection sites where community members can drop off toys, and the collected toys are distributed to less fortunate children within the community so they can experience the joy of Christmas.

Working with Reggie Hess, Marine Corps League District 1 Vice Commandant, Local 1005 collected over 100 toys and gift cards. “We are so appreciative of the support from Local 1005. We had a very successful holiday season, and it could not have been done without their generosity,” commented Hess. “This past year, we provided over 2,400 Christmas presents to children in Porter County, and in some cases, we were able to give out up to five toys per child. It’s because of generous people like those in Local 1005 that we are able to bring happiness to kids and families on Christmas day.”

Throughout the year, IKORCC members volunteer in their local communities in countless ways, including collecting donations for local charities. “It’s all about giving back to the community and to those who may be going through a tough time,” commented Eric Yuhasz, Local 1005 Secretary and IKORCC Representative. “We have so many members who willingly volunteer time, talents and donations without hesitation. There really isn’t a better feeling than witnessing the joy and graciousness of the families receiving our volunteer services.”

Local Carpenters walk in city’s annual Welcome Santa Holiday Parade

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A relentless drizzle and temperatures in the low 40s weren’t enough to knock the Christmas spirit out of about 3,000 parade-goers Saturday morning in downtown Akron.

Spectators lined both sides of Main Street, three or four deep in some places, as more than 75 units slogged through the rain in the city’s annual Welcome Santa Holiday Parade.

Although the event is a longstanding local tradition, there was nothing remotely provincial about it. Among the spectators was a woman from Cleveland Heights who said she makes the trip often because nothing in Cleveland matches up.

“We come here because it’s a very nice family occasion for the Christmas holidays,” said Kathie Demetz. “We have a lot of nice Christmas activities in Cleveland, but we don’t have a nice parade like this.”

She was sitting in a folding chair between her grandchildren, Sammy Grace, 4, and Bear Grace, 2. All three wore Santa caps. Bear wasn’t quite as enthusiastic as the other two, occasionally nodding off in his stroller.

Older kids along the route scampered around in the rain, fishing candy out of puddles.

Parade announcer Jasen Sokol of WAKR (1590-AM) noted early on that the day coincided with the big Ohio State-Michigan football game. His call of “O-H” elicited a boisterous “I-O” response from those near the main stage, located in front of KeyBank, directly across from Lock 3.

Someone else suggested adding a cheer for another hometown favorite. “What about the Zips?” yelled out a woman across the street.

Sokol immediately jumped onboard, pointing out that the University of Akron is bowl-bound after Friday’s win over archival Kent State. The enthusiastic Zip fan also was an out-of-towner — the mother of redshirt freshman Hayden Grover, a long snapper from upstate New York.

Grover’s mother, Kim, and father, Jeff, made the 5½-hour drive not only to watch Friday’s game but also to watch their son sing with Nuance, UA’s all-male a capella group, which took the stage at the close of the parade.

The Grovers have become huge fans of the school and the city.

“We’re thrilled,” said Jeff. “Coach [Terry] Bowden’s done a great job. We’ve fallen in love with the city of Akron and the whole Akron community. It’s been an overall positive experience for our son here.”

Nuance performed briefly before hiking across the street with Santa. Yes, Santa arrived on schedule despite the absence of snow.

Although no reindeer were visible, the hourlong parade included horses and dogs and elves, oh my.

The units spanned the spectrum, from unicyclists to police and fire to private contractors to classic automobiles to public officials to dancers and marching bands of all ages.

Source: ohio.com

Kids Caring for the Community program awards funds to local elementary school

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For the past four years, the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters (IKORCC) has been partnering with local elementary schools to promote volunteerism and giving back to the community through its Kids Caring for the Community service program. Participating schools throughout Northwest Indiana complete service projects and are entered in a drawing to receive a monetary award as recognition for their community service.

Each year, Kids Caring for the Community awards $9,000 total to participating elementary schools in Lake, Porter and LaPorte Counties. One winner from each county is chosen. There are four total Kids Caring for the Community sessions throughout the academic year, giving local elementary schools multiple opportunities to be selected as winners.

Local 1485 IKORCC Representative John Carr is proud to see the IKORCC families involved in the program. “Many students participating in the Kids Caring for the Community program are children of IKORCC members,” said Carr. “It is so rewarding to know the impact this program will make for many generations to come. When we teach our children to serve, we know the results will be far-reaching.”

LaPorte County schools that participated in Session 1 include Crichfield Elementary, Westville Elementary, Indian Trail Elementary, Kingsford Heights Elementary, Knapp Elementary and Rolling Prairie Elementary.

Last month, Crichfield Elementary was selected in a blind drawing of participating schools as the Session 1 winner for LaPorte County. As their service project, students collected pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House. The Ronald McDonald House supports families of children being treated for cancer and other serious illnesses or trauma while the child receives treatment at a nearby hospital or medical treatment center. To reach their goal of collecting 100 gallons of pop tabs this school year, students made posters and gave speeches about their service project.

Donna Biggs, Principal of Crichfield Elementary School, was thrilled to see the kids’ hard work being recognized. “Our student council and K Kids Club are very active in the community, and we love helping the students get excited about giving back.” Biggs said the school plans to use the awarded funds for a Buddy Bench for their playground, which is a place where students can go when they don’t have anyone to play with. The goal of the bench is to eliminate loneliness and encourage friendship on the playground. Additionally, Crichfield Elementary will be starting a Striders Club in the spring to promote more physical activity.

For more information, please contact John Carr, IKORCC Representative, at jcarr@ikorcc.com.