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Craft Spotlight – Brandon Huffman

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Brandon Huffman was introduced to the world of the Central Midwest Carpenters nearly 18 years ago when a friend referred him to the shop outside Columbus, Ohio, where he worked that produces Tectum soundproof panels for auditoriums, recording studios, and more. Ohio is not a ‘Right to Work’ state, so workers on a job vote to be unionized, and the only people who can perform work onsite are union members.

“Being a union shop is necessary for negotiation of contracts,” Brandon said. He sees other shops throughout the state that don’t get the benefits that Huffman receives. Whether it’s negotiating for higher wages or employer-funded insurance, the Central Midwest Carpenters fight to get the most possible for its members. The Tectum plant where Brandon works was bought by Armstrong World Industries, a production company specializing in ceiling and wall paneling, and the transition was made easier because the shop was unionized prior. Before the acquisition, it was understood that Armstrong would honor the previous contract and uphold what Tectum had started.

Huffman has held nearly every job possible at Armstrong. From offloading truckloads of wood chips, packing those chips to create the panels, and cooking silicate to coat them, Brandon knows the inner workings of the entire process. “It’s like a puzzle,” Huffman said about how every worker fits together. Each piece is essential to the end product; if one person is behind or underperforming, the entire assembly line can falter.

Brandon is a steward for the Central Midwest Carpenters. He is a voice for his fellow union members inside the shop. He understands how the shop operates, so his insight is invaluable to the union, his coworkers, and management at Armstrong. Even though being a steward can be a thankless job in the shop, Brandon takes solace in the fact that he can make a difference in his brothers’ and sisters’ working experiences.

Being a steward has its challenges, however…

Discerning what he wants and can do for his fellow members was one of the bigger learning curves of becoming a steward. “I want to be able to fix any problem that comes up, but there are some things that come up that I can’t help with,” Brandon said about the hardest part of being a steward. It is still rewarding for Brother Huffman, though. Having a situation that he can help with and being successful keeps him coming back.

Brandon’s mentality embodies the spirit of the union. He tells his kids, coworkers, and himself, “You have to work hard for what you want in life.” With the hard work our members do on a daily basis, the Central Midwest Carpenters and its stewards are there to strengthen the communication between members, the council, and to help make sure the job runs smoothly

Craft Spotlight – Ron Heimel

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Nearly 17 years ago, Ron Heimel found himself with a child on the way. He knew he needed to make a change in his life to pursue stability and consistency. Heimel had a friend in the Carpenters Union who worked in floor covering, so he decided to see what the union had to offer.

“Joining Local 364 was the best decision of my life,” Ron said about deciding to become a union floor coverer. Not only was the stability a selling point, but the union benefits appealed greatly to Brother Heimel with a newborn. The work of floor covering was naturally appealing to Heimel, as he linked the camaraderie in the craft to the stability he was seeking.

“Everyone looks out for each other. The brotherhood is the best part of being a floor coverer,” Ron said about this togetherness among the trade. This familiarity goes well beyond Heimel’s local, however. He says he has a unique view of the relationship between the different crafts because he’s a floor layer.

Floorcovering is the finish line; according to Ron, “The other crafts go in and get a building up, but we make it habitable.” Floor layers have a lot of respect for other crafts and vice versa. Without both working in complete harmony, the overall goal wouldn’t be achieved. However, that’s not to say there aren’t hiccups along the way that floor coverers encounter.

With flooring being one of the last things done on a job, floor layers are often at the mercy of how the rest of the job has progressed. Depending on this, the conditions of each jobsite vary and are unpredictable. Ron said there have been summer jobs where air conditioning wasn’t operational yet and winter jobs where heat wasn’t working correctly – creating an environment where the sealants and materials used by floor coverers aren’t as effective as they normally are. Rolling with these struggles and adapting on the fly is crucial to success in this craft.

Since joining the union, Ron has become quite accomplished. It all started when he went to his first union meeting to network and get to know the other members in his local. From there, he decided to take on an executive board position while being a 3rd-year apprentice, which ultimately led to him becoming the president of his local. As president, Ron tries to keep attendance up, be there for apprentices who need guidance, and be supportive of every member in Local 364. Ron even goes as far as to pick members up for meetings who need a ride just to ensure each voice is heard and valued.

“One thing I would tell anyone about myself; I still love my trade after all these years.” Ron, like most Central Midwest Carpenters members, values what he does. He also values the people he works with daily and wants to see the success of his local continue. He concludes each meeting by encouraging those in attendance to bring new members from their jobsites so they can continue to strengthen the bonds between brother and sister within the floor covering community.

 

Craft Spotlight – Frank Zagar

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Frank Zagar comes from a long line of Union pile drivers. He’s a third-generation union member and is honored to uphold the strong tradition in his family. He’s been in the union for over 20 years and is now dedicated to growing his craft by teaching the next generation of union members at our training center in Richfield, OH.

Simply put, piledriving is the foundation upon which the other crafts build. This relationship between crafts is something that makes the Central Midwest Carpenters so powerful Frank discussed this relationship by saying, “Everyone is working together – one craft starts, and another comes in and continues where they left off.” He alluded to the fact that this symbiotic relationship strengthens the bond he feels with his union brothers and sisters, regardless of their craft.

Piledriving is an extensive craft that runs deeper than most people realize. When people think of piling, they generally think of building the base of a building. Driving into the ground to build a strong foundation is, in fact, the crux of what piledriving is – but the areas, conditions, and objectives of each jobsite vary drastically. For instance, piledrivers build foundations for skyscrapers, set piles for piers and docks, and even perform ecological jobs like shore retention.

Frank’s favorite forms of piledriving are those in and along waterways, such as the Cuyahoga River and Cleveland Harbor, to name a few he’s worked on. The added layer of difficulty (and risk association) is something that Zagar has sought out throughout his career. According to Frank, successful jobsites are about mitigating risk, looking out for your fellow brothers and sisters, and teaching the next generation how to perform at the highest level.

This is precisely the reason Frank is an instructor at the Richfield Training Center in Ohio. He wants to expand the Central Midwest Carpenters’ reach when it comes to piledriving. “This is such a cool line of work. We just want more people aware of everything we do,” Zagar said when asked why he took on the role in the training center. He genuinely enjoys teaching people his trade.

“These kids coming up are self-motivated and hungry […] They want to get out there and make money doing this, so all I have to do is steer them in the right direction,” he said about the prospective pile drivers in the program currently. This attitude is precisely why he believes now is the opportunity to grow piledriving as a craft. The interest is at a high level, so all he has to do is generate awareness for what piledrivers do daily.

As is a common theme with all our fellow union members, the brotherhood is Frank’s favorite part about being in the Central Midwest Carpenters. He tries to instill this value in every apprentice he teaches: “Love your brother. They’ll be there when you need them the most,” Zagar said when asked what the most important advice he gives apprentices. From being on dangerous jobsites with heavy machinery suspended overhead to pep talks before you even get to the job in the morning, your union brothers and sisters are there for you.

 

Craft Spotlight – Chris Skidmore

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Chris Skidmore has held a variety of positions in his time as a union carpenter with Local 224. From working with cabinets to building scaffolding, and beyond – Chris has been doing his part to build his community. Being a 4th-generation carpenter, the evolution in and of his career is something that Chris’ predecessors also experienced, though maybe not to the same degree.

Over 30 years ago, when Chris joined the Carpenters Union, Chris worked in a cabinet shop offloading supplies from a truck. “That one didn’t last long,” Skidmore said when asked about what he thought of that job. That’s the beauty of the Union, however. Chris was able to find another union contractor in a different line of work that interested him personally. The network of contractors the union has at its disposal is a lifeline for anyone who is out of work or is looking for something they can connect with. Read more

Craft Spotlight – Kirk Foreman

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Kirk Foreman has been surrounded by union workers for much of his life. His brother joined the Carpenters Union at 18 and hasn’t looked back for the past 20+ years. After noticing the trajectory his brother’s life was headed, Kirk wanted in on the action too. He saw that his brother was getting ahead in life while he was remaining stagnant in his current situation. He decided to join the Laborers Union in 2019 – working on bridges for Beaty, a contractor out of central Indiana. Read more