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620 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20004
202.783.3788 |
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Craft Awards
2004 Winners
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Image courtesy of Proex Photo & Print |
A Legacy in Ice
St. Paul, Minnesota
Signatory Contractor: Gresser Concrete Masonry
Demonstrating a rare combination of selflessness and a desire to serve their community, 135 members of Local 1 Minnesota/North Dakota volunteered their craft skills during the construction of the St. Paul Winter Carnival Ice Palace in early January 2004.
Cut from the frozen waters of Lake Phalen located on the east side of St. Paul, the first block was laid on January 2nd. For three solid weeks, members helped cut, trim, lift, place, and bond with a torch, over 27,000 blocks of ice – a medium not usually utilized on construction sites. Each ice block weighed at least 500 pounds and measured 22 inches in width, 44 inches in length, and 12 inches in height.
The enormous structure was over 240 feet long with the tallest turret nearly eight stories high. In order to complete the project, ten flatbed trucks each carrying 80 blocks of ice were needed to transport 20 loads from Lake Phalen to the construction site each day.
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Carl Grieco, a 25-year member of Local 5 New York, was raised in New York City, where he trained in ornate moldwork and plastering. After moving upstate to Hyde Park he took up restoration work. The extensive knowledge of stone, plaster, and related materials he gained along the way has fueled his creativity over the past 25 years.
Brother Grieco’s approach to his artwork has always been a visceral one, guided more by intuition than a predetermined final product. Often, he does not understand the emotion of a piece until it’s nearly finished. He challenges his audience to develop their own interpretation of his work, believing that the emotion each individual takes from the piece is as important as his own.
Brother Grieco has won multiple awards and hosted several exhibitions, including the 1987 and 1989 International Sculpture Award from BAC, and a solo exhibition at Local 5’s Union Hall in 1990. As a member of the Woodstock Artists Association, the Albany Center Galleries, and, most importantly BAC, his work inspires others to push the limits of stone.
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| Photos by William Tile & Marble Inc. |
Michael Klindworth, a 15-year member of Local 18 Missouri, possesses the qualities of a master craftsman. His experience in tile and stone installation encompasses all aspects of the craft, including ceramic porcelain, natural stone, and slab. Brother Klindworth’s strict attention to detail, his keen ability to envision a project from start to finish, and his ability to coordinate information and activities with owners, builders, and project managers make him a major asset to any project.
On a recent remodeling project in the historic Forest Park area of St. Louis, Brother Klindworth once again proved his mettle at confronting challenges as they arose. From remodeling multiple elevations to a single elevation to problems with substrate and structural cracking, he capably addressed and eliminated each obstacle that came his way.
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Richard Tolson, a 16-year member and Secretary-Treasurer of Local 5 New Jersey, has always been politically active, socially aware, and committed to the importance of giving back to his community. In 2003, Brother Tolson was instrumental in organizing Local 5’s Dad’s Day Golf Outing to further diabetes research. As Chairman of the event, he helped raise over $10,000, ranking Bordentown, New Jersey as the thirty-third largest contributing town in the United States. The next year, he raised $15,000 for the Foundation. He also helped establish the Joseph P. DiRenzo Scholarship Fund in memory of the late Local 5 officer, which benefits the children of Local members. This year, three $1,000 scholarships were awarded.
The dedication, service, and contributions of Brother Tolson cannot be confined to a single Local or community, but serve as a guidepost to all members. Just as the tallest building starts with one brick on top of two, public service begins with one small act of kindness.
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| Photo courtesy of Tammy Crockett - Timeless Images by Tammy |
Oklahoma AFL-CIO Addition
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Located in the Oklahoma State Historic Capitol Park Complex, the Oklahoma State AFL-CIO’s headquarters was in desperate need of renovation in time for the state’s centennial celebration in 2007.
In early 2004, the state federation entered into a design/build agreement that would double the size of the building at a cost of $400,000. The plans called for an entire exterior façade of brick and the construction of a parking lot. After a 60-day public notice and approval by the city, the cost had risen by $84,000. Since funds and a construction loan had already been approved for the project, any cost increase would need additional approval and cause delays and higher material costs.
Local 5 Oklahoma/Arkansas/Texas stepped in and arranged for apprentices from the Local 5 Apprenticeship Program to do the masonry work. Under the close supervision of their instructors, the apprentices – working hand-in-hand with Local 5 officers – exceeded the expectations of the Centennial Commemoration Commission, and did so in record time. Thanks to the efforts of Local 5 and their apprentices, the Oklahoma AFL-CIO was able to have the project completed on time and within budget.
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Last summer, members of Local 20 Ontario responded after waters from a swift-moving and tumultuous rainstorm ripped through the front wall of Ethel Campbell’s home in Peterborough, Ontario.
The city informed the 81-year old resident that without an engineering report she would have to foot the bill for the demolition of her home. Her insurance company offered no financial help. Local 20 members volunteered time and resources to replace the masonry work on her house at no cost. An estimated $60,000 in time and materials was donated by members and suppliers – a remarkable act of kindness by all involved.
Simultaneously, members of Local 20 were working on another community project – the construction of a Grotto for the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Cemetery, in Douro, Ontario. Made from granite stones split by a stone hammer and hand chiesled in a local gravel pit, the floor, ceiling, interior, and exterior of the structure are all granite.
These are just two examples of a BAC Local and its members giving back to their community and neighbors.
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| Photo courtesy of Timothy W. Brown |
National World War II Memorial
Washington, District of Columbia
Signatory Contractor: Pagliaro Brothers Stone Co., Inc.
WWII veterans, their families, and visitors to Washington, D.C. have members of Local 1 Maryland/Virginia/District of Columbia to thank for their contribution to the construction of the World War II Memorial. The Memorial was erected on the National Mall and dedicated in May 2004 to the 16 million Americans who served their country over half a century ago.
Local 1 members, working for Pagliaro Brothers Stone Company, installed 17,000 pieces of stone and all flashing, weeps, and mortars. Two 42-foot tall solid granite and self-supporting arches with sandblasted lettering that read “Atlantic” and “Pacific” were also erected. In addition, members installed a rainbow pool with coping stone, 56 remembrance pillars, plaza pavers, ceremonial entry steps, flagpole bases, seat walls, a granite veneer comfort station, and an information center.
Working through the wettest year on record, Local 1 members completed the project on schedule by maintaining a six-day work week for eight of the fourteen months of construction.
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Rich King, a member of Local 9 Pennsylvania, has always been generous with his time and talent. An instructor since 1990, he received his ICP certification in 2002, and teaches bricklaying, Basic and Advanced Blueprint Reading, Trade Math, and Construction Layout. Brother King graduated with high honors in civil engineering technology, and with honors in fire science. He is certified in Red Cross Basic and Advanced CPR, OSHA Construction Health and Safety, Grout and Scaffold Safety, Self-Rescue, Substance Abuse in the Workplace, and is a Concrete Technician certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Brother King also teaches at the Community College of Allegheny County.
With many professional accomplishments to his credit, what makes this Local 9 Instructor truly outstanding is his love for teaching and desire to pass that knowledge onto the next generation of BAC craftworkers, instructors and leaders.
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During his relatively short tenure as Business Manager of Local 5 New Jersey, Michael “Chuck” Perrone has instituted a number of initiatives that have enhanced the lives of Local 5 members and their families.
One of those measures was the consolidation of the Local’s numerous benefit plans. Now, all members of Local 5 are covered under the same pension and annuity plans, which service 2,000 members and their families. Not only has duplication of effort and downtime been eliminated, but the plans have also realized significant annual savings and benefits have increased.
From his leadership role in helping to enact the New Jersey bill to protect workers from injury and exposure to dangerous levels of silica dust, to restructuring the Local’s Apprentice Program, which now has a 92 percent retention level, to starting an annual Retiree Picnic, Chuck Perrone gets results.
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Local 5 Pennsylvania President Glenn “Deeter” Garman, pictured above, left, was characteristically determined and low-key in spring 2004 when he donated one of his kidneys to fellow member and Field Representative Dennis Spidle. Brother Garman’s selfless act went far beyond the bonds of brotherhood and friendship.
After seeing firsthand the restrictions that dialysis placed on his colleague, a lifelong diabetic, Brother Garman quietly researched his compatibility as a donor. When he discovered that his blood and tissue were a match, kidney donation was the next logical step. To him, the decision was that simple.
In a world where acts of kindness seem too few and far between, this selfless act reminds us that concern for the well-being of our brothers and sisters is not only a stated principle of the labor movement, but a way of life.
BAC is proud to recognize Brother Garman for his extraordinary compassion and exemplary act of brotherhood. |
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