Growing Membership & Market Share in Warsaw

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The United Brotherhood of Carpenters was founded with the mission to stand strong with our members and business partners to help them achieve success. When it comes to focusing on this core goal, the Warsaw hub is thriving.

 

Not only has the Warsaw hub increased membership, they’ve also worked with contractors and increased manhours. They expect to see an additional seven percent increase in manhours in 2022.

 

To grow the Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) market share in the area, the Warsaw team hosted ICRA Awareness trainings and signed a new ICRA partnership with Concord Community Schools. This adds an ICRA agreement to eight schools, ensuring that contractors who perform the work in schools are properly trained to control contaminants and students are protected during school construction.

 

To grow and protect market share in the area, the team has focused on increasing Responsible Bidder Ordinances and getting contractor licensing in place. They successfully signed an RBO in Gas City, Indiana and with Concord Community Schools, bringing the total RBOs in the area to nine, which includes four municipalities and five school corporations.

 

In another win for union members and contractors, the South Bend/Saint Joseph County Building Department has recently hired a compliance officer to visit job sites, inspect and gather information regarding licenses and permits, issue violation notices and follow up to ensure future compliance. The officer will also track and report results to the Building Commissioner, legal department and others to help with compliance issues. This new role will help protect workers and level the playing field for signatory contractors.

 

Finally, the Warsaw team has worked hard to develop the next generation of IKORCC members through strategic partnerships throughout the area. The team has worked with high school and 8th graders to promote our trades through Junior Achievement’s programs. In addition, they’ve continued to work with the Fort Wayne Boys and Girls Club on Project Blueprint. Project Blueprint exposes kids to careers in skilled trades. The idea is to show kids career options after high school other than the traditional four-year college pathway.

 

MAC Members Build Food Pantry Following Tornado

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On December 10, 2021 a devastating tornado impacted a large portion of Western Kentucky. Many homes were damaged or suffered total losses, and many families lives were changed within an instant.

MAC (Member Action Committee) members of Locals 224, 357, and 1076 set out on Saturday December 18, 2021, at the request of Deacon Ricky Sleigh of Powers Chapel General Baptist Church. This church is located two miles up the road from Bremen, KY which suffered a major impact from the tornado.

In total, we had 14 members representing each local working diligently to build approximately 100 feet of shelving to be used as a temporary food pantry for those affected.  All material was donated by Lowes, and each member brought out plenty of their own tools to insure a job well done.

Union Carpenters to Build I Promise Housing Complex

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AKRON, OH – Home to the one-of-a-kind I Promise School initiated by a partnership with the LeBron James Family Foundation and Akron Public Schools, the I Promise complex is ready for the next big phase of their innovative learning model.  The LeBron James Family Foundation has been working with the East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation or EANDC to develop affordable housing for families.

This new phase of the I Promise Network will offer housing with affordable rent expected to range from $350 to $850.  Families qualifying to live in the complex will be those earning 30% to 60% of Akron’s median household income of between $11,259 to $22,519, according to data reported by cleveland.com. Read more

IKORCC Partners With Louisville Urban League

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A New Partnership to Remove Barriers

An exciting new partnership is underway at the IKORCC. Jerry Burke, IKORCC’s training Director for the Indiana and Kentucky training centers, announced a new specialized construction training program in partnership with the Louisville Urban League’s Kentuckiana Builds Program as well as an articulation agreement to add IKORCC’s pre-apprenticeship Career Connections curriculum to the Kentuckiana Builds curricula.

This partnership will allow students currently enrolled in the Urban League’s Kentuckiana Builds program to lessen the barriers of entering IKORCC’s apprenticeship program by reducing the enrollment time that is typically 6 months long, down to just 6 weeks. The students will also gain direct entry to the apprenticeship once they complete their 6-week construction training program.

During the 6-week program with Kentuckiana Builds, students receive career-focused management, expert job placement, and work-related incentives to recruit and prepare them for the construction industry. Once they graduate from the program, they leave with three credentials First Aid/CPR, OSHA-10, and the Core Construction credential from the National Center for Construction Education and Research.

During the program, The Louisville Urban League’s cohort will be hosted at the IKORCC’s Louisville training center for a 5-day hand and power tool training module. While the students are with the IKORCC for the 5 days of classes, they will learn soft skills, an introduction to construction, and tool safety among other topics both in the classroom and via hands-on techniques. Read more

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

 

Carpenters Build Wheelchair Ramps for Community

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Carpenters Build Wheelchair Ramps for Community By Nick Pollock A couple of weeks before Thanksgiving, Local 1485 learned that a lifelong resident of LaPorte, Indiana had been enduring some health issues for several months. He’d been in the hospital and after a difficult recovery was on the path to coming home. The family was excited […]

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Member Builds Park to Honor Son

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September 21, 2020 the unthinkable happened for David Sweeney.  David is a 1st year floor-laying apprentice out of Local 171 in the Youngstown area.  He answered his door to learn the news that his 4-year-old son, Rowan, was senselessly murdered.  His life was changed forever.

In the next few months, his family had to figure out how to pick up the pieces of their life after their tragedy.  They wanted a way to honor and memorialize their playful, energetic, happy son.  After much thought, the

family landed the vision to build a park in his honor.

Plans for the park include quality, accessible equipment for everyone to enjoy.  Their hope is that this park will serve as a memorial for other families experiencing similar loss or tragedy, too.

Local 171 has been helping share the fundraising events to help the family meet their goal and when they do, they plan to help build the park as well.

When area representatives learned of the possibility to get help through Carpenters Care, they applied for help.  Carpenters Care intends to plan a fundraising event to benefit the Rowan Memorial Park Trust, (more details will be provided to locals across the council in the coming months).

If you are interested in donating directly to the cause, you can do so at www.rowansmemorialpark.com/donation.

Cory Hudson Wins Don Sherry Achievement Award

Cory Hudson Receives Don Sherry Achievement Award

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Few people have left the impact on the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters as Don Sherry did. Don Sherry tragically passed away in 2017. His list of accomplishments is vast, and his impact on our union is unprecedented.

Don Sherry passionately served the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters for nearly 20 years as a business representative and Director of Organizing. He was the President of Carpenters Local 175 and a dedicated advocate for worker’s rights and unions. Colleagues said his dedication to this organization was second to none.

Don Sherry Achievement Award

To honor his legacy, the IKORCC gives the Don Sherry Achievement Award annually.

To honor Don’s service and dedication, each year since his passing the IKORCC has given The Don Sherry Achievement Award. The award recognizes a rank and file member who has gone above and beyond in their service on the job site, with contractors, in MAC meetings (Member Action Committee), and in their community. In addition to giving an award in his honor, IKORCC delegates raise money each year during their annual conference and donate the proceeds to the Diabetes Foundation in Don Sherry’s honor.

Past recipients of the Don Sherry Achievement Award include:

2018 – Glenn Downs, Local 599
2019 – Raymond Poer, Local 599

Of all the nominations received in 2020, Cory Hudson’s stood out. That’s why the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters is proud to present Cory Hudson with the 2020 Don Sherry Achievement Award. Cory is an active member of Carpenters Local 285, military veteran, and served as the lead instructor at the Richfield Ohio Carpenters’ Joint Apprenticeship & Training Program for years, until recently accepting a new role as a superintendent for a union contractor. Cory’s leadership, training, and tireless dedication will serve him well in that role.

“We take the Don Sherry Award very seriously and have many very qualified applications submitted each year. I had the privilege to know and work directly with Don for many years and saw his commitment and dedication to our Brotherhood first hand. I’ve also been fortunate to know Cory Hudson and have seen his commitment to our Union and how he always puts the UBC at the forefront. His dedication to our craft helps keep our standards above the rest and he has a “care factor” not just for apprentices or our membership as a whole, but for all people. It was an honor and privilege to present the award to Cory Hudson this year,” said IKORCC’s EST Todd Pancake.

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Akron Fire Department

Carpenters & Millwrights Donate Smoke Detectors For Homes in Need

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For the third consecutive year, the Members Action Committee of Local 285 of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America –- supported by brothers and sisters from Carpenters Local 373, Carpenters Local 435, Carpenters Local 735 and Millwright/Piledrivers Local 1090 — participated in fundraising aimed at providing smoke and fire detectors to increase community safety for those unable to afford such protective devices.

Read more about last year’s donation: https://cmwcarpenters.com/carpenters-union-donates-170-smoke-detectors-to-local-fire-station/

This year, more than 200 smoke detectors were presented to Captain Mike Haas of the Akron Fire Prevention Inspector Bureau and other officers of the Akron, Ohio Fire Department including Chief Clarence Tucker on Thursday June 4th, 2020. The smoke detectors were delivered by Aaron Wright, Mike Freeman and Abram Bruner, business representatives of the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters. The presentation was made at the newly constructed Akron Fire Station 4 on 25 E. Thorton Street.

 

Akron Fire Department

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Ohio Carpenters community

GIVING BACK: Members Support Up Side of Downs Fundraiser

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Brotherhood. Unity. Compassion. Last weekend the IKORCC joined 4 Cleveland-area locals to support The Up Side of Downs. The organization raises money for Down’s Syndrome advocacy. Locals 1090, 285, 373 & 435 have raised nearly $70,000 for the organization. We are incredibly proud of the amazing work these carpenters & millwrights have done in the community!