NEWS
HOT ITEM
Recent News
The Carpenter | CMRCC 2024 MagazineDecember 30, 2024 - 2:19 pm
Union Carpenters Support Senator Sherrod Brown at RallyOctober 30, 2024 - 3:56 pm
It’s In Our Hands – 2024 EndorsementsOctober 25, 2024 - 1:26 pm
2025 CMRCC Scholarship Applications OpenOctober 3, 2024 - 1:33 pm
2024 Don Sherry Achievement Award AnnouncedJuly 22, 2024 - 1:57 pm
2024 Scholarship WinnersMay 29, 2024 - 10:29 am
Celebrating Ohio’s 2024 Apprenticeship GraduatesFebruary 20, 2024 - 4:00 pm
Honoring Vets at KY Derby Festival
/0 Comments/in Diversity, News /by IKORCCSaturday volunteers with the Indiana Kentucky Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters spent the day honoring our nation’s bravest at the Kentucky Derby Festival in Louisville. The festival gave free admission to vets and their families for their annual Military Appreciation Day & Tyler Farr county concert.
Volunteers from the IKORCC spent the day educating people about our Helmets to Hardhats program, which helps vets get a job after returning home, often within six weeks. Helmets to Hardhats helps military service members successfully transition back into civilian life by offering them the means to secure a quality career in the construction industry. Our federally-approved apprenticeship program allows vets to use their Montgomery G.I. Bill benefits to supplement their income.
Based on vet’s military occupation code, we can help leverage training and work-related experience during their time in the service for possible advanced placement in our apprenticeship program. With an honorable discharge, veterans can be working on a job site as soon as six weeks!
We’d like to thank all the brave men and women that serve our nation’s military. We’d also like to thank the many volunteers who spent the weekend helping our community.
Click here to learn more about our Helmets to Hardhats program.
IKORCC Hosts UBC Midwest District Olympics
/0 Comments/in News /by IKORCCSaturday carpenters and floor layers from across the Midwest battled it out in the UBC Midwest Drywall
& Flooring Olympics at the IKORCC headquarters in Greenwood, Indiana.
All competitors won regional drag races in order to advance to the Midwest finals. The participants all did amazing, but only one in each category advanced to the championships at the Carpenter’s International Training Center in Las Vegas, Nevada later this year.
Jose Reyes from the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters won first place in the drywall race, with an impressive time. Our own Manuel Banegas, Local 301, earned second place in the drywall contest!
Joshua Landis from the St. Louis-Kansas City Regional Council won first place in the flooring contest. The IKORCC’s Noel Johnson also had a great showing in the flooring competition.
Thanks to all who participated in the UBC Midwest Drywall & Flooring Olympics at the IKORCC!
Bullriders Build Lordstown Power Plant
/0 Comments/in News /by IKORCCOur members have been out and about making noise in Lordstown, Ohio! The Lordstown Energy Center (LEC) is a 940MW combined-cycle power plant. LEC is a 1-billion-dollar project that began in June 2016 and has an estimated completion date of mid-2018. The LEC project has produced over 1 million man hours 100% UNION building trades members. The carpenters have an important role within the project; building scaffold for all crafts safely and in a timely manner. The men and women of the UBC have the training and the determination to get the job done.
On the project are a group of carpenters that call themselves, “THE BULLRIDERS” of Vertical Access (Nate Tice 186, Mark Wells 171, Brandon Ates 186, Lucas McDowell 186, Levi Snodgrass 186 and Mike Schwartzmiller 186). Mark Wells from Local 171 commented on the history of the scaffold pictured below, “The Bull Riders crew battled cold weather combined with strong winds and heavy snowfall to get the job done. It was a challenge that they had seen before. We knew that safety and experience were the two key factors in getting this scaffold built.” The scaffold is 110 feet tall with 15 working deck levels. The load took 7 semi-truck loads of various scaffold components, including Beta Hoists to build. Mark said, “that’s why they call us the BULLRIDERS, because we are professionals that get in and get the job done and then we’re off to the next rodeo to do it again”!
By: Justin Rance, Youngstown
Carpenters Support Down Syndrome Awareness Event
/0 Comments/in News /by IKORCCDan Sivertson, member of Millwrights & Pile Drivers 1090, and his family have a special reason they celebrate World Down Syndrome Day.
He and his wife found out their daughter would be born with Down Syndrome 13 years ago. The two quickly made a connection with the local organization, The Up Side of Downs. The organization helped by providing them with support in learning about Down Syndrome and with books to guide them through the diagnosis.
The Up Side of Downs truly made an impact in their lives and they are forever grateful for the support. Their daughter Eve is now 13 years old thriving in the 7th grade. Eve is just like any other teenage girl and loves the time she spends with her friends!
In celebration of World Down Syndrome Day, the IKORCC would like to shine a light on an organization we take pride in supporting. The IKORCC was fortunate to be a Presenting Sponsor for The Up Side of Downs Gala/Raffle event on Saturday, March 10th for the fifth year in a row.
Between Carpenters Locals 373, 435 and Millwrights and Pile Drivers Local 1090 we have donated over $50,000 to the organization to help raise awareness and advocate for people with Down Syndrome. Over 570 people attended the Up Side of Downs Gala, 120 of them were IKORCC members.
If you interested in supporting the cause, there is a Buddy Walk on August 25th. Last year there were over 5,000 plus attendees at the event. Dan Sivertson in a leader of the beli-EVE N US Team and typically has around 75-100 family and friends walk together for the cause.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett Helps Fight Tax Fraud
/0 Comments/in Indiana Activism, News /by IKORCCIn March, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett visited the IKORCC to discuss the growing issue of tax fraud and the effects it has on responsible contractors,
the city, and taxpayers.
Tax fraud occurs when companies misclassify workers who should be employees in order to avoid paying their fair share of unemployment insurance and federal, state and local taxes. Companies that commit tax fraud are often able to give lower bids on projects since they aren’t paying their share of taxes – a practice which makes it difficult for responsible contractors to compete fairly.
“Everybody ought to have the right to compete fairly,” Mayor Hogsett said while addressing contractors. “I want to be clear – what the city seeks to do is not to pick winners and losers. Our job is to make sure everyone is operating on a level playing field,” Hogsett added.
Mayor Hogsett also acknowledged that the IKORCC has been at the forefront of the battle against tax fraud. “The carpenters have really taken a leadership role in this regard,” he said.
In response to the growing tax fraud problem in the construction industry, Mayor Hogsett says he put together a working group to explore the ordinances in place within the city and the means of enforcing these policies. “The ordinance is a bit vague in the enforcement area,” he said, adding that he hopes to have an enforcement officer in place in the future to cut down on tax fraud.
The IKORCC has seen an increase in the prevalence of tax fraud in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio and hopes to work with Mayor Hogsett and the working group to help curtail the issue.
Click here to learn more about tax fraud.