Illinois and Oklahoma Welcome New Plaster and Cement Members

Efforts to expand representation among plasterers and cement masons is paying off as word gets out about the good wages, benefits, and services available to BAC members. In February, J.P. Phillips’ employees overwhelmingly voted to sign with BAC thanks to the efforts of Locals 56 and 74 Illinois, and the Illinois District Council’s organizers. The firm, which is the largest plaster contractor in Northern Illinois, employs up to 100 craftworkers on residential and commercial projects across the Chicago area.

The win was the product of a concerted organizing drive led by Illinois District Council organizer Don Newton and plaster organizer Steve Nelms, with support from the IU’s Organizing Department. IU organizers Arturo Jurado and Frank Lozano, and Local 1 Michigan organizer Frank Rodriquez, helped communicate the value of BAC membership to the contractor’s Spanish speaking employees. “We came away from this campaign with some valuable lessons,” says Local 74 IL Business Manager Henry Kramer. “We succeeded through persistence, personal contact, and the work of a solid organizing staff.”

“The win at J.P. Phillips was the product of a sustained and cooperative effort on behalf of the District Council and the International Union,” says District Council lead organizer Don Newton. “Steve Nelms and everyone involved went the extra mile to get the job done.”

The District Council’s outreach to plasterers and cement masons is on-going, according to District Council President Pete Marinopoulos. The J.P. Phillips victory is being followed by a drive for BAC representation at another Chicago area plaster contractor, which, from initial responses, “looks very promising,” says Marinopoulos.

Connelly Paving Signs in Oklahoma

In Oklahoma, organizing efforts have led to the signing of Connelly Paving, the largest cement finishing contractor in the state. “We worked closely with Connelly’s crews and brought in a bilingual team to help with their Spanish speaking employees. In the end, we organized the contractors’ 23 employees and established a strong foothold in Oklahoma’s concrete industry,” says Local 5 Oklahoma/Arkansas President Ed Navarro.

This win is the first of its kind for Local 5. “We’ve never represented cement finishers in Oklahoma,” says Navarro. “We’re excited about the prospects of increasing the Local’s strength by organizing this largely non-union sector of the construction market.”

Local 5 is continuing its organizing activities within the industry and is now working with the IU’s Organizing Department to organize a large, nation-wide cement contractor.