Tax Fraud Days of Action 2022: Kentucky

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Indiana Kentucky Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters Representatives spoke with state and local officials on April 13th and 14th to learn more and speak out about construction industry tax fraud in Kentucky. Events were held by IKORCC across the three states and sponsored by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters across the United States and Canada.

More than 50 Senate and House Representatives stopped by our setup in the capitol building in Frankfort on April 13th. The statehouse was in session and full which opened the door for IKORCC to make new introductions with lawmakers who were unaware of construction industry tax fraud were made. All 200 meals and toolboxes were handed out.

On April 14th, over 25 officials including area mayors, State Representatives, judges, code enforcement officers, tax clerks, and local business owners attended a lunch and learn about tax fraud.

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Tax Fraud Days of Action 2022: Ohio

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In four events across the state, regional legislators visited the Indiana Kentucky Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters Training Centers on April 12th and 13th to learn more and speak out about construction industry tax fraud. Events were held by IKORCC across the three states and sponsored by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters across the United States and Canada.

On April 12th, the IKORCC held events in Rossford and Monroe.  On April 13th, events took place in Richfield and Columbus.  All four events brought in legislators from both sides of the aisle some with little knowledge of the dangerous practice in the construction industry. Read more

Out of Work List – How to Register

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Out of work? Don’t forget to register for the Mix 2020 Job Dispatch System. As a member of the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters, you have access to Mix 2020 Dispatch if you become unemployed. To register for Mix 2020, please follow the steps below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learning from the Past, Looking Towards the Future

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This year both the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Southwest Ohio’s own Local 2 celebrate their 140th birthday.  In 1880, carpenters in Cincinnati were making just $1.50 a day for their over ten-hour days.  The founding members realized their strength as a joint body was no match for “scabs” without a national union’s support.  During the formation of the UBC at the Chicago convention in 1881, Local 2 was granted a charter with the second most delegates in attendance – making it the longest continuous carpenters local charter in the UBC today.

 

Cincinnati was settled by a majority of German immigrants in the early-mid 1800s so every other meeting’s minutes were transcribed in both English and German language, according to Art Galea Junior. The former Local 2 President and former Southwest Ohio’s training center director spoke about what the history means to him, “it means quite a lot…some of the strife those guys went through made me really appreciate what we had.” “I appreciate it, I’ve been a member over 50 years…I’ve got a lot of memories.”

 

Art, one of seven in his family who would eventually join the Carpenter’s Union, started his apprenticeship program in 1968. Upon graduation he served in the Vietnam War, returned home, and led the apprenticeship program into where it’s at today. They transitioned from classes at the college to the hands-on facilities you see today.   He led the programs through several buildings until it landed in its current home.

 

Thanks to these advanced training centers, even one of the oldest unions can build projects with the newest technology. Multiple union contractors landed the project to install a state-of-the-art grid system for a Kroger Co. Fulfillment Center. Right in Monroe Ohio, UBC Millwrights installed a robotic vertical grid system in the 375,000 square feet facility. The first of its kind, the grid or “The Hive”, has over 1,000 robots flying through the air, up and down, to pick online grocery orders for deliveries up to 90 miles from the hub location. Up to 100 Millwrights were on the project at a time.

 

Trained Scaffold Erectors Needed in Toledo

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In northwest Ohio, representatives are preparing for big calls of labor. With large-scale concrete tilt-up projects in manufacturing facilities, Murphy Tractor, Whiteford/Kenworth, and distribution spec buildings members will be kept busy over the next year.

Members with scaffold training certification are needed for a large call-out at the BP Refinery in Spring 2022.  The Rossford JATC will be holding additional classes for anyone in need of their refresher or interested in getting certified.  Contact the JATC at 419-872-4651 for upcoming classes or to check your status.

In the summer, Toledo area members will be needed to work on the third solar module manufacturing facility for First Solar.  Work includes metal studs, drywall, ceilings, flooring, and Millwrights installing conveyors.  Between, this project and the new Peloton facility ongoing now, representatives expect 50-60 members on-site each respective facility at peak.

This past year the Rossford hub has maintained focus on its tax fraud campaigns.  They held several pickets over the year against a contractor that reported on by the local media.  This added attention, including a signed letter from Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, helped get carpenters on the job. The efforts are still developing but the hub is motivated by the progress made thus far.

 

 

Community Values in Youngstown

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Although the local JATC was unable to hold their annual open house, the Youngstown-Steubenville Hub still found a way to introduce high school students to the opportunities within the IKORCC apprenticeship program.

The Mahoning Valley Skilled Trades Expo hosted their second skilled trades event aimed at promoting union trades to seventh through twelfth-grade students.  Unfortunately, the event was canceled last year due to the pandemic but returned with new ways to promote careers in the trades.  The Hub partnered with local contractors like AP O’Horo, the Western Reserve Building Trades, and the area school’s Educational Service centers to host the two-day event.  The event launched with a public open house to recruit and educate members from the community outside of just schools. Students from three Ohio and two Western Pennsylvania counties were given a chance to experience hands-on activities at each of the craft’s stations. Splitting this year’s event into two days gave the over 4,500 students more time to visit with each craft.

 

The Youngstown-Steubenville Hub has also partnered with the United Way to build several wheelchair ramps and assist the team in bagging groceries for more than 350 families unable to reach a food pantry in person.  IKORCC members along with community members spent about three to four hours bagging groceries for United Way’s Satur-Day of Caring. The groceries were loaded into volunteers’ cars to be delivered to elderly members of the community.

 

 

Honoring Jerry Burke

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When you lose someone so vital to an organization and who has positively impacted so many lives, it is difficult to properly convey the legacy they leave behind. The work Indiana/Kentucky Director of Education Jerry Burke has done on behalf of the UBC will continue to positively shape the apprenticeship and union for decades.

 

It is with deep sadness we announce the passing of Jerry Noel Burke, who passionately served the UBC for over 22 years. Jerry passed away on November 17, 2021 at 55 years old.

 

Before his work as Director of Education for Indiana and Kentucky for the IKORCC, he was a dedicated teacher for Jefferson County Public Schools at Jeffersontown High School in Kentucky, where he was a Welding and Project Lead the Way instructor to many students who loved him dearly.

 

He was a proud member of Millwright Local #1076, the American Welding Society Section 048, the Honorable Order of the Kentucky Colonels, and played the saxophone for the University of Louisville Marching Band.

 

Jerry was devoted to his family, his work and his community. He worked tirelessly to ensure that everyone had equal access to opportunities within apprenticeship programs in Indiana and Kentucky, pioneering CTE program development in high schools with the Kentucky TRACK Program, and leading development of SEAL (State Earn & Learn) programs in Indiana.

 

His commitment to community was displayed by his dedication to programs like KentuckianaBuilds and groundbreaking partnerships with multiple recovery centers. He also served on the board for Junior Achievement of Kentuckiana.

 

In addition to the incredible professional legacy he leaves behind, Jerry will be missed for his sense of humor, passion, positivity, trademark smile and passion for music. Coworkers said, “You didn’t work for Jerry, you worked with Jerry. We weren’t a staff, we were family.”

 

EST Todd Pancake said, “Jerry had an unparalleled dedication and commitment to apprentices, members & the training fund. The incredible legacy he left behind will continue to grow through the many programs he shaped and the apprentices he was devoted to. He will be deeply missed by everyone at the IKORCC.”

 

In his own words:

 

Everything we do is 100% attitude. When it comes to our future, you are all stakeholders in this organization. You have a direct impact on our success. So please keep that positive attitude, even in bad circumstances. It’s your turn to lead, we need you to step up. Where will you take this organization? It’s time to find out.” – Jerry Burke

Partnership Helps Build Membership & Community

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A new partnership in Louisville is breaking down barriers & growing membership. This innovative partnership with the Louisville Urban League’s Kentuckiana Builds Program reduces the time it takes to enter the apprenticeship from six months to only six weeks for participants. Students will gain direct entry to the apprenticeship once they complete a six-week construction training program that includes: First Aid/CPR, OSHA-10 and the core construction credential.

 

One week of the program is hosted in the IKORCC Training Center where students learn hand and power tools, soft skills and safety. “The partnership between the IKORCC and the Urban league is important for everyone to know that there are endless opportunities to build your future and your family’s future,” said Kentuckiana Builds Instructor and Local 175-member Michael Greathouse. Two cohorts of classes have completed this program with more classes scheduled in 2022.

 

There couldn’t be a better time to grow the membership in the Louisville-area. Louisville Senior Business Representative Waylon Isaacs says the work forecast for 2022 is strong. He’s estimating a large growth in manhours with work on projects like Baptist Hospital, Blue Grass Army Depot, Joint Forces HQ, Nucor, Ford Battery Plant and the VA Hospital in Louisville.

 

In addition to growing membership, the Louisville hub continues to build their community. They are currently working with the Jefferson County Public Schools and Louisville Metro Council on building community lending boxes to place in neighborhoods across the city. The boxes will be filled with food, toiletries, books and more.

 

Building Boom in Columbus

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Central Ohio carpenters and millwrights are busier than ever with some of the most well-known organizations around town.  With ongoing projects for Ohio State Medical Center, Ohio State University, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Facebook, Google, Amazon, Hilton  and more; members working in central Ohio will be plenty busy for the next five years plus.

If you’ve been to the Ohio Apprenticeship graduation, you know the Convention Center Hilton hotel.   To meet the needs of the growing city, Hilton is expanding to a second tower, known as Hilton 2.0.  The standalone tower will add another 463 guest rooms, making the total occupancy 1,000 rooms.  This will be Columbus’ first and only hotel of that size.  Area-members are working on the piling, micro-piling, concrete, metal studs, drywall, doors, acoustical ceilings and roofing.  The $210 million project is being completed with union carpenters and is expected to be opened by June 2022.

Representatives are kept busy recruiting from non-union job sites and career fairs while competing with the countless now hiring signs around town.  With huge projects approaching for both carpenters and millwrights, they are actively hiring experienced journeypeople and apprentices.

“It’s important our members know how effective their testimony is.  They’re the best organizers we’ve got”, Senior Representative Troy Woodyard said.  “They have inspiring stories to tell and we’re hoping everyone can do their part to grow our Brotherhood”.

If you know someone with experience or looking to get into our trades, visit www.ikorcc.com/contact to get in touch with us.

 

Recruitment and Retention: Cleveland Nails It

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The “Great Resignation” is hitting the country hard especially with the baby boomer generation retiring in waves.  Now more than ever it is crucial to bring in and retain new members.  The Cleveland Hub has organized over 60 new Hispanic members throughout the year with the help of bilingual representatives. The Hub has also signed two new minority contractors along with several other new signatory contractors. More contractors mean more future work and more advancement opportunities for members.

 

Renewed attention on apprentice retention from locals out of their office has proved successful with retention rates in the 90th percentile. A focus on mentoring, maintaining a strong relationship between the Hub and the JATC, and attentive job placement assistance keep these apprentices busy working and coming back year after year.

 

Fourth-year apprentice Savannah Engelman is one of these returning stars. “Joining the Carpenters’ Union and Apprenticeship Program has been a rewarding and fulfilling experience, as there are so many skills to be learned and mastered.  With numerous opportunities around every corner and at every level of our profession, there are always new goals to work towards and new skills to learn!”, she said about her journey so far.

 

The biggest project out of the Cleveland hub this year has been the mass timber frame mixed-use project across from the historic West-side market in downtown Cleveland.