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Boilermaker delegates elect union leadership at 35th Consolidated Convention IMMEDIATE RELEASE Boilermaker delegates elect union leadership at 35th Consolidated Convention Kansas City, Mo. (July 29, 2026) — The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers convened its 35th Consolidated Convention July 20-23 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, where delegates representing local lodges throughout the United States and Canada elected the international union’s leadership. Delegates overwhelmingly voted to reelect Timothy Simmons to a full five-year term as International President. Simmons had been elected by the union’s International Executive Council to serve the unexpired term of the preceding International President immediately upon his retirement in 2024. “It is an honor and a privilege to serve the men and women who call themselves Boilermakers,” Simmons said to enthusiastic Boilermaker delegates upon his election. He used the moment to reemphasize the union’s priorities and set a bold goal: “We cannot stop now. We have got to take this energy back to our local lodges and fire them up as well. With organizing, recruiting and training, we can triple in size before our next convention!” Also reelected to five-year terms were: J. Tom Baca, International Vice President-Western States; John Fultz, International Vice President-Northeast; Arnie Stadnick, International Vice President-Canada; Jeff Campbell, International Vice President-Southeast; and Clint Penny, International Secretary-Treasurer. Joining the union’s International leadership team is Eric Davis, who was elected to a five-year term as International Vice President-Great Lakes. Prior to his election, Davis was the Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer for Local 1 (Chicago). The International President and five International Vice Presidents comprise the International Executive Council. Learn more about each of the elected International leaders. ### Established in 1880, the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers & Helpers is a diverse union representing workers throughout the United States and Canada who are employed in industrial construction, maintenance and repair; ship building; manufacturing; railroads; cement; mining and related industries. — Jul 29
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Portsmouth Consortium Data Center to employ skilled trades SB Energy and Softbank Group recently announced a unique public-private partnership to construct the world’s largest artificial intelligence data center. The PORTS Technology Campus will be constructed on leased land at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Portsmouth site in Ohio. Work is now underway on one of the largest infrastructure and energy projects ever announced in the United States. The project is being developed at the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant site in Piketon, Ohio. Currently, the DOE is performing a $5.87 billion environmental remediation and demolition project at the 3,777-acre site. The operation, managed by the Office of Environmental Management, must remediate 400 contaminated facilities along with extensive soil/groundwater cleanup before data center construction begins. The future development includes a planned 10-gigawatt data center campus paired with 9.2-gigawatt natural gas-fired units. SB Energy is investing $4.2 million in grid upgrades and new transmission lines, with a promise not to raise electricity rates. Phase one of the data center project is projected to cost between $33 to $40 billion which could grow to a $500 billion investment, potentially making it one of the most expensive construction projects in the world. The scale of the project is expected to create significant long-term demand for skilled union labor across multiple crafts, including Boilermakers. According to the DOE, early estimates project approximately 10,000 construction jobs during phase one, with 2,000 permanent operational positions. Local 105 (Chillicothe, Ohio) BM-ST Joe Ledford said the local will need help with all the upcoming work. This isn’t the only new project coming to the region, but it is the biggest. He said they’ll man the job with current members, travelers and new recruits. “The data center work, we won’t get much with that. But the power generation— that’s us,” Ledford said. “We’re going to have to recruit and bring in more members to fill this job. We have a lot of other new work starting in the area as well. I can see our membership doubling, if not more, in the next two to three years. If the full project moves forward as proposed, long-term estimates indicate the project could ultimately support as many as 35,000 construction jobs and 2,500 operational jobs over multiple decades of development and maintenance work. Bechtel has been selected for the data center portion of the project, and Kiewit is the contractor for construction of the power generation facilities. In addition to the initial construction buildout, data centers typically require major equipment refreshes and upgrades approximately every five years, creating the potential for ongoing maintenance, retrofit and expansion work well into the future. — Jul 28
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Welding etched a path to fulfill one woman’s dream Martina Taite walked into Ingalls Shipbuilding in 2008 as a 25-year-old welding apprentice, looking for a way to build a better life for her family. What she found surprised even her. She went looking for a job; instead, she found a calling. Today, Taite serves as president of the Pascagoula Metal Trades Council, representing thousands of workers at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi. She made history as the first woman and first African American ever elected to the position. “It feels amazing,” Taite said. “All I can think is, as a little girl, that was my dream. I wanted to grow up and be a nurse and care and nurture people. I’m still caring and nurturing people. I’m still helping people. I’m just doing it in a different trade.” Her election came at a pivotal moment. The Metal Trades Council was in the middle of negotiations for an historic contract for workers at Ingalls Shipbuilding, one of the nation’s largest military shipbuilders. When the former president retired in December, Taite was elected to replace him, despite some pushback from some affiliates. Her election was the culmination of years spent proving herself in a shipyard. “They’re not going to flat out say ‘no’ because you’re a woman,” she said. “But there were certain affiliates that didn’t want to see me get elected. It wasn’t that I couldn’t do the job. It was my ethnicity and my gender.” Taite’s path to the Metal Trades presidency was anything but easy. As a young wife and mother of three, she originally planned on a career in nursing. She worked at a call center for low wages while going to school but didn’t earn enough to support her family in the way she wanted. She knew there had to be a better way. “In Pascagoula, Ingalls Shipbuilding was the place to work,” she said. “I got to thinking if I could get on out there, we could really take off. I wanted better for my family and kids.” She applied for the welding apprenticeship program, attracted in part by the immediate pay increase. “It would give me a $4 raise from what I was making off the bat,” she said. Her father, himself a welder, was stunned at her decision on a career change. He tried to dissuade her. “He even told me to try electrical,” Taite said. “He knew the job. He was more concerned about me getting burned.” But once Taite had made up her mind to be a welder, she wouldn’t settle for anything less than success. “I was determined to learn,” she said. “I went straight to work and passed my test. I was so focused, I even got extra certifications including aluminum and stainless.” She quickly established herself as a productive, skilled welder and worked her way up to welding in a covered shop area. She was the lone woman in that shop and understood she had to excel if she wanted to keep her spot. “I knew if I wanted to stay, I’d have to do better than the guys,” she said. But her welds spoke for themselves. “I was putting out a lot of footage. It was good work that didn’t need to be reworked.” That work ethic eventually caught the attention of union leaders, including former L-693 steward Erica Stewart (now on International staff) and Local 693 Business Manager, Secretary-Treasurer Terrance Nellum. At first Taite thought she’d work up to becoming a shop foreman. But being a union leader was not part of her plan. She was focused on her work and continually improving as a welder. But Stewart encouraged her to attend union meetings and eventually pushed her to become a steward. Once she began helping workers with grievance cases, Taite discovered a different kind of purpose. “When I saw the importance of helping people with their livelihoods, I realized I could be a voice for people who are afraid to speak up for themselves,” she said. “It really is so rewarding.” As L-693 steward, her reputation quickly grew. Nellum started giving her more grievance cases. Soon Taite became known for her meticulous case work and relentless dedication. After gathering facts on grievance cases, she would turn them in and head straight back to work on the tools. Over time, her role expanded. She eventually served as assistant chief steward before becoming point of contact and chief steward for the Pascagoula Metal Trades Council in 2023—a position that traditionally led into becoming the Metal Trades president. At the same time, she continued serving as president of Local 693, a role she’s held for 12 years. “When past AFL-CIO Metal Trades President Jimmy Hart came down to visit and saw how I operated, some of the members nudged me on. That’s when I became point of contact for the Metal Trades,” she said. The transition came during a difficult period for the council. The previous Metal Trades president had served for more than 30 years. As the demands of the position intensified over time, the role eventually became too much for him. By the time he retired in November 2025, Taite was already handling much of the day-to-day operation of the council as its chief steward. Now, as president, she’s leading the council full time. Taite is focused on rebuilding trust among the membership. “Over the years, morale had gone down,” she said. “I wanted to strengthen this council and build the members’ confidence.” One of her first major initiatives involved overhauling the council’s dental and vision benefits program. Taite worked to identify better coverage options and streamline service for members after years of complaints about the previous system. “We started looking for agents and getting an idea of the benefits the members were looking for,” she said. “I mapped out everything they needed and was able to get members into a better plan.” The improved benefits package has already helped increase participation and affiliate membership throughout the council. After becoming the first woman and first African American elected president in the council’s history, Taite is still processing the moment. “I’m so in awe,” she said. “After I was elected, everyone on the company side came over and shook my hand and said congratulations.” But for Taite, the real reward remains the same as when she first stepped into the shipyard nearly two decades ago: helping her family and working people build better lives. — Jul 24
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Breaking union election news! Timothy Simmons has been elected as International President of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers. Also elected: International Secretary-Treasurer, Clint Penny; IVP-Western States, J. Tom Baca; IVP-Great Lakes, Eric Davis; IVP-Northeast, John Fultz; IVP-Southeast, Jeff Campbell; IVP-Canada, Arnie Stadnick. — Jul 21
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The right tools build better leaders Every Boilermaker knows the importance of having the right tools for the job. The wrong tools can mean slow progress or worse, deadly mishaps. The same principle applies to leadership. If we want stronger local lodges, which means a stronger union, we must ensure our lodge leaders have the right tools to succeed. One of the lessons I've learned while visiting local lodges across North America is our members want connection. They want leadership that listens and remains engaged long before an issue becomes a crisis. In the past, union leaders have been viewed as distant—uninterested in the day-to-day issues local lodges face. That approach doesn’t build trust. Nor does it build a strong union. At the heart of every union is its rank-and-file membership. Leadership sets the tone for this union. When leaders invest in relationships and training, those values spread throughout the Brotherhood. When leaders listen, members feel heard. When leaders engage, members engage. The example we set matters. The best leaders invest in people. They make time to visit local lodges, attend meetings, hear concerns and learn what is happening at the local level. For too long, leadership has been a one-way conversation driven by mandates “from above.” That’s unacceptable. That’s not leadership. Leadership must be a dialogue built on mutual understanding. It is critical for leadership to encourage communication and create opportunities for open dialogue. It means ensuring concerns are heard and acted upon. Shop stewards, foremen, business representatives and local lodge officers are often the first to recognize challenges facing members. Their voices matter. Listening may not seem like a traditional tool, but it’s the first step in understanding what’s working and what needs to change. Another essential tool is training. Many of us remember stepping into a local leadership role and learning the job through trial and error. We did our best, but too often we were expected to figure out procedures and policies on our own. That’s not a model for sustainable growth. A skilled Boilermaker receives training before taking on complex work in the field. Leadership should be no different. Whether serving as a local lodge officer, shop steward, or business agent, every leader deserves access to the knowledge and training needed to perform their responsibilities effectively. Local leadership today requires more than experience on a jobsite or in a shop. It requires understanding finances, labor law, communications, administration and member engagement. For some local lodge officers, it may mean learning how to work effectively with a CPA to manage the financial responsibilities of a local lodge. These are specialized skills that should not be left to chance. We already have valuable resources through programs such as BNAP and MOST, but we must continue working toward a more consistent and standardized approach to leadership development across our union. Every local lodge should have the confidence that its leaders are receiving the same high-quality training and support, regardless of location. Every local lodge needs the assurance that International leadership stands with them and wants them to succeed. Support is another critical tool. Lodge leadership can be challenging, particularly during times of uncertainty. No lodge officer should feel isolated when facing difficult decisions or unexpected challenges. Our responsibility as an organization is to ensure local leaders know where to turn for guidance and assistance. Finally, visibility matters, at both the local and International level. Members are beginning to see their union leadership actively engaged in the broader labor movement through events such as AFL-CIO conferences, Tradeswomen Build Nations and the NABTU Legislative Conference. When members see their leaders participating alongside labor allies and industry stakeholders, they know the Boilermakers have a voice and a seat at the table. This union is not an island unto itself. We work with a wide scope of other labor organizations, contractors, owners and union consortiums. Relationships with those outside the union help strengthen the Boilermakers, and creates opportunities for future work. This applies to the local lodge level, too. When new projects that will employ members are getting pushback from the community, it’s imperative that Boilermakers are in community meetings, providing a counterbalance. It’s often necessary to secure work. It’s important to support the wider labor community. The new Regional Legislative Coordinators can help lodges amplify their voice in local issues. Strong local lodges do not happen by accident. When we provide our leaders with the right tools and stay connected to the members we serve, we build a stronger organization for generations to come. The right tools build better leaders. Better leaders build stronger local lodges. And stronger local lodges build a stronger Brotherhood. — Jul 16