Author: paul

Over 3,000 delegates attended the opening session of the two-day, 2016 Legislative Conference of North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU).
In a rousing opening keynote address, NABTU President Sean McGarvey noted the continued and steady growth that has occurred under the Obama Administration since the 2008 economic recession.  He emphasized that continued success and growth will require partnerships with businesses and whole industry segments and with the expansion of apprenticeship programs.
On Tuesday, April 19, Secretary Hillary Clinton addressed convention delegates and noted the work she has done in promoting apprenticeships and securing new work opportunities.  Clinton has already been endorsed by the Building Trades.
“There is only one candidate who has taken the time to understand us and our values,” said McGarvey.  “And not just in 2016, but for decades.  And that candidate is Hillary Clinton.  Every candidate for president may think they know the building trades, but only one candidate has shown respect for Building Trades members, their jobs, and their families.  And that’s Hillary Clinton.”
During the Monday session, delegates heard from Chris Crane, President and Chief Executive Officer of Exelon; The Honorable Gina Raimondo, Governor of the great state of Rhode Island; and the Honorable Donald Norcross (D-NJ), US House of Representatives.
On Tuesday, April 19 delegates paid tribute to the building trades members who volunteered their time and energy to assist the residents of Flint, MI with the installation of new equipment and water systems in their residences.  After that they heard from Secretary Hillary Clinton who gave a rousing speech detailing her plans to help address America’s infrastructure and energy needs along with her detailed plan to promote union apprenticeship programs.
Clinton rebuked Donald Trump, the Republican front runner, for saying wages were too low and called out Ted Cruz for supporting a nationwide right-to-work law. She promised attendees that organized labor would have a seat at the table in her White House and affirmed support for the Davis-Bacon federal prevailing wage law and project labor agreements, which establish working conditions and wages on specific construction sites. She also detailed her plans to refurbish America’s crumbling infrastructure and discussed how she was going to address energy efficiency in her infrastructure plans.

The phrase “lifelong learning” is a common one, but it can be especially important for the men and women whose work—and work-hours— can change all the time. Gaining special skills and certifying your expertise can be a vital mechanism to keep up with— and keep working in—the varied sheet metal industries.
In our fast-moving trade, the materials, tools and techniques evolve every day and the need for skilled labor does, too. As with anyone entering today’s volatile job market, the most highly-sought workers are those who not only master a subject or trade, but also continue learning so they expand their skills and keep the knowledge of their chosen career up to date.
For sheet metal workers, that ongoing education is as important for journeymen as it is for apprentices.
“No time on the bench.”
Jason Bowers is four years into his five-year apprenticeship at SM Local 206 in San Diego. He is eager to learn all facets of the trade, which means he takes as many classes—and earns as many certifications—as he can. He treats certifications like upper-level and graduate courses in college.
“It’s free, and it’s obviously a strength,” Bowers said. “It’s a good thing to have. It’s just as good, if not better, than college.”
Bowers currently is a certified Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Bureau (TABB) technician and holds certifications in both AutoCAD and Title 24, California Acceptance Testing.
With nationwide demand soaring, he also is brushing up on his welding skills, because the work class for various specific certifications.
Bowers was working for an architectural sheet metal company when hours began to wane. Because he also holds TABB certifications, he was able to jump ship and go right to work for a local TABB firm.
“I want to lead by example,” he said. “I don’t spend any time on the bench, laid off.”
“As valuable as possible.”
John Roberts, currently the balancing division manager for APS Air Balancing, a division of Art Push and Sons, Inc. in Omaha, NE, started out as a sheet metal apprentice in Los Angeles, where he learned first-hand how certifications can not only save your job, but also jumpstart your career.
More than a decade ago, Roberts had been laid off from two jobs when he transferred to SM Local 3 as a third-year apprentice. Determined to never be laid off again, he took the opportunity to earn every available certification.
“I wanted to make myself as valuable to an employer as possible,” Roberts said. “If I was to get laid off or if the company was to fail, I would go back and take whatever was available. Whatever class I could take, I took. And it worked. I haven’t been laid off in nine years.”
Valuable for employers
Today, as a manager, Roberts also knows the employer’s perspective.
“If a contractor is looking at two equally qualified people, they aren’t going to lay off the person with a pile of certifications compared to the person without them,” he said.
“I don’t like our technicians to be pigeon-holed. The more certifications they have, the more valuable they are. That way, no matter what job comes up, I can take any guy on my crew and send him on any job. So I encourage people to get as many certifications as possible.”
Even as a manager, he hasn’t grown complacent about maintaining his own skills and certifications.
“If something happens, you could be back on the street with 50 other air balancers,” Roberts added. “I always want to stand out.”
“More and more jobs require more and more certifications.”
Even when work is slow, most contractors say they don’t enjoy laying off their workers. They want the work. They want the employees. So when contractors have a good reason to keep them, all the better.
“It gives our union sheet metal workers better opportunities to keep their jobs,” said Tim Martin, President of T.H. Martin, Inc. in Cleveland. “We always tell our employees the more certifications you have, the more likely you are to keep and maintain your position.
“From welding to safety to fire life safety,” he added, “more and more jobs are requiring more and more certifications. It’s advantageous of them to continue their educations.”
“The way things have been done is changing course.”
One highly visible example is how energy efficiency is now being required by code. Pat Pico, veteran TABB instructor for SM Local 104 in Northern California, said the way things have always been done is changing course. There now is a driving force behind certifications that was absent a decade ago.
“If you don’t take these classes and earn these certifications, you’re a sheet metal worker with one tool in your tool box,” he said. “Why not have more tools?”
When Pico took up the trade 25 years ago, there was one TABB certification. Today, there are 14: eight specialized certifications for technicians and six for supervisors. The certifications most in demand are Fire Life Safety Technician, Levels I and II; Energy Audit Technician; and Mechanical Acceptance Testing Technician (MATT). Although required for California only, the latter is being examined for adoption in other states across the country, Pico said.
“You definitely want to get it now,” he said of the MATT certification. “Once the opportunity shows up, you’re ready to go.”
Some certifications take less time than others. A journeyman sheet metal worker can complete an HVAC Fire Life Safety class in 8 to 16 hours, while the MATT program can take 20–160 hours of training, depending on experience, before the certification exam. After that, continuing education units are required to verify a technician or supervisor remains current in the industry.
“Keeping up to stay current and in peak performance.”
“A lot of these certifications can help generate more hours, more jobs,” Pico said. “Having certifications has allowed me opportunities to get more work. They’re door openers. You get [on a job] and you can find [other] issues that allow for job opportunities and increased hours. You can turn a 10-hour job into 100 hours” on multiple jobs.
Another booming market is health care. Curriculum and certification is currently being developed for Infectious Control Risk Assessment (ICRA), used in construction active areas where patients are nearby. ICRA standards were born out of high client demand for an ICRA‑certified work force.

The SMART mobile app won the Campaigns and Elections magazine’s Reed Award on February 18 for Best Mobile App of 2015. This is an industry award for political, non-profit and Government Affairs agencies that vendors submit on behalf of their clients.  The vendor in this case was Revolution Messaging who worked with SMART staff in designing and building the new app.
 
The SMART Union App is available for download through both apple and android stores.
Apple –  https://appsto.re/us/I6tz7.i
Android – : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.smart_union.smart

Not long ago, the idea of online learning for sheet metal workers seemed unworkable. With hands-on skill at the heart of the trade, how could apprentices and journeymen learn without materials and an instructor in a live environment?
Yet the International Training Institute (ITI) has such a system, with numerous courses—and more in the works—available to any member in good standing. The site is a “Moodle,” short for Modular object-oriented dynamic learning environment.
The name is lengthy, but the idea is simple. “It’s just about workers going in and trying to bone up on their skills,” said Larry Lawrence, field representative for the ITI. “It’s also good for those who are in more rural areas.”
Simple, self-paced
Above all, Moodle is designed for ease of use. Members start by creating a member profile on the ITI website, sheetmetal-iti.org.
The portal brings original ITI courses directly to students and is free for all members in good standing. It runs on any operating system and web browser, including mobile devices.
Most important, it enables self-paced learning. Lecture-based classes work well in Moodle, allowing students to take section tests as often as it takes to pass them, Lawrence said.
“If we develop the courses, they’ll be free to our members and available anytime,” said Mike Harris, ITI Program Administrator.
“If a journeyman wants to take the foreman training course and doesn’t want to go to the training center, they can take it on Moodle,” Harris added.
Courses grow by demand
Moodle classes have included supervisor training, Fire Life Safety Level I and Level II Technician, foreman training, AutoCAD exercise, and safety classes such as residential safety, electrical safety and the Big 4 + 2.
Additional courses are in the works for 2016, Harris added. “We can put any type of class on there, as simple as video of a speech or lecture or as complex as you want it to be. It’s a pretty flexible system.”
Welding courses are already on the horizon, as well, including those to help certified welding inspectors (CWI) maintain their ratings.
“When you become a CWI, every nine years you have to have continuing education units—at least 20 units in the last three-year period,” Harris said. “We plan to put at least the last 20 units on the Moodle to help CWIs achieve that milestone.”
Once a course is finished, it’s up to the student to report it to their local’s training center coordinator to note it and record any continuing education units earned.
Member interest in online learning led to ITI’s use of the Moodle; demand also will dictate which and how many additional classes will be made available online.
“Now we’re seeing more need in this direction, and I think we’re going to push for it,” Harris said. “It’s being used in different ways. The more classes we get on the Moodle, the more people will use it that way.”

On March 10, 2016, NJ Transit Vice President and General Manager R.M. Lavell issued a notice to all NJ Transit employees represented by the Union Coalition. In his notice Mr. Lavell states that in the event of a strike the Carrier will take the following action: All existing positions will be suspended; all employees on sick leave will no longer receive sick leave compensation; and all striking employees will have their insurance benefits discontinued effective the first day of the strike. NJ Transit also submits an implied threat against Coalition represented probationary employees.
It is apparent that NJ Transit’s notice to the Coalition members represents retaliatory action and harassment of the Coalition members. This draconian action taken by NJ Transit while the Parties are engaged in the negotiation process illustrates NJ Transits unreasonable position and unwillingness to reach an amiable solution which is fair to both Parties.
The Union Coalition has engaged in ongoing negotiations with NJ Transit with the objective of reaching a settlement without the necessity of engaging in a strike.
Two Presidential Emergency Boards have issued recommendations which are consistent with the Coalition’s proposals; and of which the Coalition has fully agreed to comply with. Yet NJ Transit refuses to acknowledge these recommendations and continues its assault on our members.
We object to NJ Transit’s conduct in this matter while the Parties are fully engaged in the negotiating process. Such action on NJ Transit’s part is counterproductive to reaching an amiable solution through the negotiating process.

Working in partnership with the AFL-CIO Community Services Network, United Way Worldwide, our nation’s food security advocates and a host of other partners, the NALC gets food into the cupboards of those in need. The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is gearing up for its annual one-day event in May.  Each year, postal workers dedicate their time to the food drive, which benefits local food banks across the United States.
While underemployment and joblessness remains high, the need for food assistance for working families remains great. All people need to do is place a bag of unopened, non-perishable food next to their mailbox before their letter carrier delivers their mail on Saturday, May 14, and the carrier will do the rest. Once collected, the food is taken back to the postal station, sorted and delivered by union volunteers to area food banks or pantries for needy families. The NALC Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is the largest one-day food drive in the nation. Last year, more than 71 million pounds of food was collected, making it the twelfth consecutive year that collections reached over the 70-million-pound mark. Since the drive began in 1993, nearly 1.4 billion pounds of food have been collected.
This year’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive takes place on Saturday, May 14.