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A woman’s place is in our union By the time you receive your copy of the Boilermaker Reporter, Women’s History Month will have concluded its annual March observance. That doesn’t mean we stop considering and celebrating the vital role of women in our Boilermaker workforce—their role in shaping our history and, more importantly, their role instigating our union’s future success. As women have proved throughout our union’s history, they are a quality, dependable labor force ready and equipped to weld, rig and work as equals alongside their Boilermaker brothers. Consider women’s impact in the trades in World War II—particularly in shipbuilding. Women stepped in to fill the gaps in industrial and manufacturing work as the men who traditionally held those jobs entered the armed forces efforts. Notable in our union’s history, women helped build the nearly 750 WWII ships produced at Kaiser Shipyards in Richmond, California. You can read more about that in "World War II opened the door to women Boilermakers." In fact, that era was the catalyst for the Boilermakers’ decision to officially begin admitting women members in 1942. Some 80 years later, however, women in our union’s construction sector make up just a small percentage of membership. Yet, among the women who join our union, we often hear stories about how their Boilermaker career positively impacted their lives. From members like Marissa Collins who, before joining Local 549, struggled financially as a single mom. And members like L-146’s Kayla Vander Molen, who talks with a contagious enthusiasm about the spark she felt for her new career when she struck her first arc. We hear these stories time and again and know that women belong in our trade and in our union. We also know that while our union contracts ensure equal pay, women sometimes face a disproportionate amount of harassment and unnecessary challenges on some jobsites. It's up to us—men, women and allies in the union—to bring more women into our trade, welcome our sisters as equals in our Boilermaker family, help them—as we would any new Boilermaker brother—to excel on the job, advocate for them and defend them—again, as we would our Boilermaker brothers, and give them the paths to leadership they deserve. The Boilermakers union is in a prime time of great opportunity. With an increase in infrastructure projects amplifying the demand for a skilled and trained workforce, our contractors and employers need more Boilermakers to fulfill the glut of prospective work materializing in the United States and Canada. We need all hands on deck. And in this critical moment of opportunity, women are imperative for our union to take full advantage to the benefit of all Boilermakers. Now, Boilermaker work isn’t for all women. It’s not for all men, either. But the women we call our sisters are as dedicated to the safety and quality of work they do as is any man on the job. They are as committed to our union and the labor movement as is any union brother. They are, after all, Boilermakers. In solidarity, Warren Fairley International President — Apr 22
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Rosie the Riveter receives Congressional Gold Medal Rosie the Riveters were honored with The Congressional Gold Medal on April 10 in Washington, D.C., at the United State Capitol building, for their significant contributions to the nation during World War II. To date, fewer than 200 Congressional Gold Medals, which is the highest U.S. award for civilian accomplishments, have been bestowed since the nation began. During World War II, Rosie the Riveter became an iconic symbol of female empowerment in aviation, shipbuilding and other industries. As men enlisted into the armed forces, women joined the industrial workforce to fill labor shortages. Shipbuilding, a vital industry for wartime efforts, saw a surge in female workers, many of whom took on roles reserved for men. Riveting became synonymous with Rosie, representing the thousands of women who joined the workforce to support the war effort. Their contributions were pivotal in maintaining the production of aircrafts and ships, essential for transportation and maintaining supply lines during the conflict. Rosie the Riveter not only symbolized women’s capabilities in male-dominated fields but also started a societal shift in the perceptions of gender roles and work. Women proved their competence in shipyards across the nation. And the surviving women of the Rosie generation wanted that contribution recognized. The Congressional Gold Medal was the culmination of years of relentless advocacy by two iconic Rosies: Mae Krier and Phyllis Gould, who initially campaigned for a federal Rosie the Riveter Day. Those efforts led to the establishment of the National Rosie the Riveter Day on March 21, coinciding with Women’s History Month. While their pursuit of a federal holiday fell short, they pivoted and set their sights on a Congressional Gold Medal instead. Through Gould’s and Krier’s persistent advocacy and bipartisan support in Congress, the Rosie the Riveter Congressional Gold Medal Act passed Congress in November 2020. Gould, an artist and one of the first women accepted into the Boilermakers union, envisioned a diverse representation of Rosies on the medal and her design concept influenced the medal's creation. Though Gould died in 2021, Krier continued the Rosie vision, contributing to the medal's design with Gould’s daughter, Lori Gould. At the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony, several lawmakers spoke including Speaker of the House Mike Johnston, Democratic Leader of the House Hakeem Jeffries, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, PA-1, Senator Susan Collins of Maine and Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania. Emancipation Hall was packed with Rosies and their supporters and families, with many dressed in red polka dots, the same that covered the hair of original model on the “We Can Do It!” poster printed during WWII. “Mothers, wives, sisters and daughters answered the call,” Collins said. “The can-do spirit of Rosie the Riveters has inspired generations of women ever since.” As Krier accepted the Gold Medal on behalf of the Rosies, she acknowledged their unwavering dedication to the nation during WWII and beyond. “This gold medal is for all Rosies. This medal represents millions of women who went to work during World War II. Up until then, it was a man’s world. Men didn’t know how competent we were until then,” Krier said with a laugh. “Remember these four little words: We can do it!” Local 549 (Pittsburg, California) members Rennae Ross and Angel Greer attended ceremony and celebration dinner, where they handed out replica medals, gifted to the Rosies from Local 549 and Local 92 (Los Angeles). Ross is chairperson and Greer is co-chairperson of L-549's Boilermaker Women At Work committee. Greer acknowledged a connection between the Rosies of old and women working in heavy construction and manufacturing today. “The impact of the Rosies is me standing here as a journeywoman. They went through so much in the field. People don’t understand that a lot of the jobs women hold today—men would have been holding those if it wasn’t for them,” Greer said. “They broke barriers without even knowing it. It’s because of these ladies that I’m here today. I’m a proud Boilermaker. And when I’m in the field and I’m having a hard time, I think about them. I think about what they went through, and I can’t give up.” She said she wants to continue to make way for the women coming behind her, just like the Rosie generation did for women like her who work in jobs historically done by men. The Rosies’ legacy lives on in this prestigious honor, a testament to the indelible mark these women left on history. — Apr 18
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CSO tackles recruiting and emerging technologies Construction sector lodge leaders and members of the National Association of Construction Boilermaker Employers met in Marco Island, Florida, for the annual Construction Sector Operations Conference Feb. 24-29. Under a banner with the theme “Better Together,” the conference highlighted the essential relationship between the Boilermakers and NACBE contractors. Session speakers offered deep dives into existing and emerging technologies, organizing and recruiting, and updates from across the union. International President Warren Fairley opened the conference, first addressing the relationship between Boilermakers, contractors and owners. “We want to prove to you, our contractors and owners, that we can come together, we can work, and we can do our best for both the industry, our members and your organizations,” Fairley said. He quoted the proverb: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. "That’s NACBE,” Fairley said. “For too many years it has been the neglected part of this organization. NACBE should get a little more credit than they do. Simply put, we’re better together.” Fairley said that union leadership is abiding by the principle of only acting on things that improve the lives of rank-and-file members. If something doesn’t serve the membership, it won’t happen. He also stressed the need for organizing and recruiting. “And as important as organizing is, that’s not the only way to add members to our union,” he said, noting there are a lot of smaller, independent unions that aren’t associated with a national union. “Organizing was neglected far too long in this organization. That ended in August, and the IEC has done nothing but support this.” Existing and emerging technologies Vice President of PBF Energy José Dominguez gave an overview of refining, PBF Energy’s story and working together with the Boilermakers. PBF Energy is a downstream, independent, domestic merchant refiner with subsidiaries owning and operating six highly complex refineries. Dominguez said that PBF Energy acquired small-to-medium refineries that were unattractive to large corporations. “The mighty PBF. We took over refineries the big ones didn’t want,” he said. “We have a very strong company now with 3,700 employees and a million barrels a day.” They also have a very strong relationship with the union building trades. Torrance was the first refinery to contract with 100% building trades’ workers and a project labor agreement effectively implemented through California’s SB 54. PBF is a friend to labor as they’ve testified in support of skilled workforce legislation in Ohio. They’re also working with building trades in the Gulf of Mexico to increase a union presence in refining. “I really want to emphasize we’re partners,” he said. “What we do together really is special. We play beyond our weight with the help of labor. We feel we have a good voice across the country.” IR Chris O’Neill offered a comprehensive look into the emergence of hydrogen and its jurisdiction, while Director of Government Affairs Cecile Conroy shared an overview of the U.S. government’s hydrogen tax credits. O’Neill said there’s huge investment being put into utilizing hydrogen as a fuel source for transportation and for electric grid infrastructure. Hydrogen can be used in a variety of sectors including cement, chemical plants, refineries and renewables. And there are Boilermaker man-hours in all the industries where members currently work. “What does this change mean for the Boilermakers? I see change as an opportunity,” O’Neill said. “We need to get ahead of it this time. Natural gas was a boon for some, but we missed it.” He said the equipment that’s going to be installed for hydrogen production is no different from what Boilermakers currently use. “Our jurisdiction needs to be protected,” he said. Conroy said both the U.S. and Canada have introduced tax credits for hydrogen but in the U.S., there are some governmental tangles around specifications on those credits. She said they need to be further defined, especially now that the Department of Energy picked seven clean hydrogen hubs last fall. IR Jonathan White gave a deep dive into the rise of small modular reactors across Canada. They’re poised to grow to a $150 billion industry by 2050. SMRs are small in size and capacity, which allows units to be added when there’s a need for increased electricity, process heat or process steam. White said SMRs are versatile, providing applications for remote sites. And they’re shop-assembled, allowing for higher quality control. Up to now, there’s been no North American grid-sized development of SMRs but that’s changing. Ontario Power Generation is building the future home of the first grid-scale SMR on an existing nuclear site in Darlington, on the north shore of Lake Ontario in Clarington, Ontario. Local 128 (Toronto, Ontario) forecasts nuclear work over the next three years to total 2.5 million man-hours, 55% of all the work that L-128 will see over the next three years. “All that work is performed union,” White said. Updates from Across the Union CSO Executive Director Marty Stanton gave a rundown on CSO employees that support CSO members and acknowledged the work that went into preparing for the annual CSO conference. He also discussed the CSO database—a one stop shop for everything a business manager might need including bylaws, referral rules, the jurisdiction database and contracts. Stanton mentioned a new energy initiative with IR Chris O’Neill and consultant Mike Murphy. It’s an initiative to get involved in the newer technologies on the horizon such as hydrogen and SMRs. IVP-Canada Arnie Stadnick shared lodge-by-lodge information on man-hour forecasts, noting most of Canada is at full employment. “Our primary focus is on recruitment,” Stadnick said. “We can, and we try to, supply the demand. Here’s an opportunity for the American brothers and sisters to come north, and some in Canada may want to come south.” He said Boilermakers continue to lobby the government on pension matters. And now they have a friend of government to help, Monte McNaughton, the previous minister of labor. “Before he resigned, he was active in unions and a friend of Boilermakers,” he said, noting past IVP-Canada Joe Maloney started the relationship with McNaughton and others have embraced it. “Monte has agreed to sit on our pension committee. He’s very influential as a former labor minister.” MOST Administrator Mark Garrett gave an update on training and safety numbers including drug testing, OSHA, steel erection, scaffolding and supplemental rigging. He said the new mental health program has been well-received among contractors and owners. MOST is also looking at training programs on the local level on how to identify mental health issues. Jason McInnis, Director of Health and Safety Canada also raised the issue of mental health and occupational health and their importance in the workplace. The goal with both is to improve Boilermakers’ long-term health, well-being and quality of life. “Stigma is the number one reason why people don’t get help,” McInnis said. “We need to end the stigma. Know the numbers to call. Plaster them in your lodge, bathrooms and jobsites.” Canadian Director of National Training j’Amey Bevan gave an overview of training in Canada, noting that training center coordinators meet quarterly to share information across training centers. “We really have a phenomenal collection of training coordinators.” She said in Canada, they’ve focused on fostering the next generations through project management and field supervisor training, which helps new journey people know what they’ll face in a supervisor role. They’re also focused on apprentice training, with 86% of apprentices in Canada completing their apprenticeship program. Canada has recognized its top graduates since 1994 and is bringing back the national apprenticeship competition. BNAP Coordinator Mark Wertz announced the National Instructor Conference and shared updates to training, including EPRI. The Learning Management System is continually being updated. BNAP is working on version 3.0, adding new training materials including financial literacy, operating a forklift, AutoCAD, aerial platform operation and clean energy. They’re also removing outdated and repetitive content. Marketing Manager Johnny Baca talked about strategic planning and the importance of data, especially involving growing the union. He said the union has lost 35,000 members since 2002 and that now is the time for strategic planning. That involves making goals and creating concrete steps to achieve those goals. “Don’t make the mistake of thinking your union will grow without thoughtful strategic planning; it won’t,” he said. “Growth will never occur by accident.” National Coordinator of State Legislative Affairs Martin Williams brought lodge leaders up to date on happenings across U.S. statehouses and efforts to pass safety and apprenticeship requirements for refineries, ethanol and chemical plants. The thorn in the side of the Northeast, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, is slow walking through the courts to its hopeful end. RGGI is a multistate compact of Northeast and mid-Atlantic states established to lower carbon emissions in the power generation sector. Boilermakers and others argued that RGGI lacked environmental or economic benefit. Litigation against RGGI was filed in April of 2022, with a preliminary injunction issued in November against RGGI. Williams said Boilermakers rejoiced for a hot minute before Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro appealed the decision to the State Supreme Court. General Counsel David Rosenfeld talked organizing and recruiting, and the law. He taught extensively on 9 (a) status in the construction industry and why unions should establish section 9 (a) status over 8 (f) in agreements. In essence, 9 (a) in contracts bars an employer from hiring another union or the nonunion, but 8 (f) doesn’t. Under 8 (f) there is no duty to bargain with a successor. An employer can make union workers leave a job site and then hire nonunion or a different union. Daniel Hogan, Impartial Secretary and CEO of National Maintenance Agreements Policy Committee looked at future opportunities for the industry. “We would not be here today if we did not know how to roll with the punches,” Hogan said. He said with 110 megaprojects that broke ground in 2023, and over $1 billion in investments, the future looks bright. And 2024 is adding to number, bringing it to 144 megaprojects. These include microchips, semiconductors, batteries, refining and energy generation. “Nearly every state in the union will have construction projects,” he said. There’s a trend in reshoring manufacturing as well and no shortage of work opportunities. But to meet the opportunities, the union needs members. “It is everyone’s responsibility in their room to find their replacement,” Hogan said. “Be a mentor. We must open our doors to future brothers and sisters.” — Apr 17
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NACBE partnership provides data, dialog and solutions Open communication and working well together are the keys to any successful relationship. And when it comes to winning more work opportunities and putting prepared Boilermakers on the job safely, those are imperative components in the relationship between union Boilermakers and the contractors who employ them. That’s the premise that built NACBE—the National Association of Construction Boilermaker Employers—back in 1975 and what keeps the partnership between NACBE and the Boilermakers union relevant and vital today, nearly 50 years later. “If we can’t work together, we can’t get anything accomplished,” says NACBE Executive Director Ron Traxler. “We’re nothing if we don’t work together.” Traxler explains that in the mid 1970s, as the anti-union movement tried to gain footing, no forum existed for Boilermakers and contractors to bring forth issues, discuss them and work together to solve them. Charles “C.W.” Jones, who was then IVP of the Southeast Section and had worked to establish the Construction Division, recognized the need and had an idea to bring the two entities together to do just that. “There was infighting back and forth and there was really no communication from local business managers to the Executive Council and contractors or drilled down to members,” Traxler says. “It was time for us to get together and say, ‘Look: We’ve got these issues; you’ve got these issues. The only way we’re going to fix this problem is to work together and talk about these issues.’” So NACBE was created—and just in time, as the anti-union movement began surging in the 1980’s, making joint problem-solving critical. There are currently about 80 NACBE contractor members, and over the decades, the NACBE partnership has increased safety, created efficiency and solved quite a few headaches along the way. Alan Howkin, who is retired from PMC, joined the NACBE board of directors in 1995 and was one of the longest serving board members, retiring from that role two years ago. “What I’ve always enjoyed,” he says, “is the ability to sit and meet with people who from time to time are almost opposed to your way of thinking. When NACBE was formed it brought us all into the same family.” As much as it is a discussion-based group, NACBE is data driven. Members are encouraged to share specific injury report data points, which allows the group to home in on priority problems and measure the success of programs, comparing statistics year over year. The more members share their data, the better the analysis to inform decisions. Members also get exclusive access to data they can use to highlight Boilermaker workforce safety as a means of winning work with employers. Safety is a top-priority issue for NACBE, which is why the organization’s Safety Committee is a top-priority program. Each contractor member sends a representative to Safety Committee meetings, which take place three times a year. The Safety Committee brings in relevant speakers, representatives from organizations such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and safety-gear vendors. The group has roundtable discussions to talk about what’s happening on jobsites, share concerns, identify ways to make positive change and create programs that increase safety. “They may be competitors as contractors, but when it comes to safety, there are no secrets,” Traxler says. “If you’re doing something on your site that will help another contractor with better safety on their site, there’s no reason not to share it. “We all have the same issues. Our issues are people issues: How do we work safer and not get hurt.” Data proves the Safety Committee model works. Recorded injuries and lost-time injury rates have generally decreased, sometimes dramatically, plummeting from 13.54% in 1990 to 1.23% in 1998 and down to .24% in 2022. while there was an uptick in 2023 injury rates, the overall trend remains downward (read Philadelphia Local 13 earns top NACBE safety award) . Just one of the big safety wins from the committee is the prescription safety eyewear program created in 1992, which remains in practice. Traxler explained that data showed an increase in recordable eye injuries, which made it a priority for NACBE to address. While standard eye protection is available from contractors and on site, it was up to workers to provide their own prescription eye protection if needed. The program makes prescription eye protection available at no cost twice a year to construction Boilermakers. “Before, about a third of injuries reported were eye injuries,” says Mark Garrett, Director of Health and Safety. “We can still improve, but we’re doing a lot better now.” Eye injuries have shrunk 62% since the program’s inception, with 30 compensable eye injuries (according to NACBE members' reported data) and one OSHA eye injury reported in 2022. The program is funded by MOST and contractors. In fact, MOST, which is the Mobilization, Optimization, Stabilization and Training trust, is itself a product of NACBE’s handiwork. The Boilermakers union and NACBE formed MOST in 1989 in a joint effort to create a funding mechanism to develop and implement the programs and solutions they, along with the National Tripartite Alliance, identified and continue to develop today. “This is such a good alliance with open conversations about what’s needed,” says Garrett, who is also the MOST Administrator. “Communication is the foundation for everything, and it’s refreshing to have that open communication with contractors.” New mental health resources are the latest in the works from the Boilermakers, NACBE and MOST (read Boilermakers embrace mental health awareness to support members). Common Arc is another important NACBE-conceptualized program—one that saves time and money for Boilermakers and contractors. In 1988, NACBE created Common Arc as a centralized welding test program, which essentially “prescreens” Boilermakers through mass testing events that qualify and certify those whose work passes the scrutiny of contractors representing multiple companies. The concept was based on a testing and certification program established by Local 169 (Detroit) in 1986. Before Common Arc was created, Boilermakers had to perform a jobsite administered welding test and additional training every time they went to work for a different employer—sometimes taking the same welding test for different contractors in the same week at the same facility. Traxler says it wasn’t uncommon that contractors would wind up with 20-25 who couldn’t pass the test, wasting time and money. According to Grace Under Pressure, the delays caused by testing and test failures also meant facilities sat idle: “An electric utility, for example, could lose as much as $5 million per hour during periods of peak energy needs.” “Common Arc creates efficiency financially and with timing. When Boilermakers go into the gate, they can go right to work,” Traxler says. “It’s a big cost savings to have men and women ready to go to work right away on the job site.” The program has resulted in a 95% annual average cost savings, not to mention reducing frustration for Boilermakers who had to endure redundant testing—or drive hours only to potentially fail a test on site and be turned away from the job. “NACBE is an integral partner to the Boilermakers union,” says International President Warren Fairley. “Through the data NACBE members provide and the dialog we have together, we’ve solved some important problems that have protected Boilermakers’ safety on the job and helped us provide the ready-to-work manpower our contractors need to be successful with the employers we both serve. “Everyone wins through our partnership with NACBE. We’re just better together.” Adds Howkins: “I think NACBE just brings us all closer and makes the table a little smaller to sit around to have a deep discussion—a deep conversation about what we’re facing. When things are clearly put on the table and friendship and respect are built, we achieve amazing things together.” Check out NACBE’s new website, and learn more about their programs Learn more about MOST programs, including the prescription eye protection program. — Apr 15
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Philadelphia Local 13 earns top NACBE safety award Northeast Area Local 13 (Philadelphia) earned the John F. Erickson NACBE Safety Award, announced Feb. 26, during the 2024 Construction Sector Operations Conference. The National Association of Construction Boilermaker Employers recognizes local lodges annually for their members’ dedication to making and keeping workplaces safe. NACBE names one nationwide winner and one winner from each of the remaining U.S. sections. The awards are determined by the lowest injury rates followed by the highest percentage of Boilermaker man-hours worked for NACBE contractors participating in the NACBE safety index. Top sectional winners were Western States, L-549 (Pittsburg, California); Great Lakes, L-107 (Milwaukee) and Southeast Area, L-433 (Tampa, Florida). NACBE Executive Director Ron Traxler said that safety is paramount for both contractors and Boilermakers. “A jobsite that has a safety culture is a well-run site. Belief in safety is a core principle that guides everything we do and create,” Traxler said. “When we have everyone looking out for each other, we all reap the benefit to return to our families.” Since NACBE’s formation in 1975, safety has improved under the organization’s watch, when compensable and OSHA-recordable injuries were much higher than they are today. Across the U.S. every day, NACBE carries out its mission to reduce injuries on job sites and reduce the cost of workers’ compensation claims for NACBE contractors. Traxler also presented the 2023 safety index with 28 contractors reporting on 32.5% of all Boilermaker work from NACBE contractors. Lost-time injury rates were up from .24 in 2022 to .40 for 2023. Compensable injuries were up from 2.72 in 2022 to 3.22 for 2023. The OSHA recordable injury rates were up slightly from 2022’s .78 to .92 for 2023, with OSHA recordable eye injuries up significantly from one in 2022 to seven in 2023. Compensable eye injuries were nearly unchanged from 30 in 2022 to 31 in 2023. — Apr 12