Spotlight on Region 7

Variety of Projects Well-Served by Depth of BAC Trades

BAC members across Region 7 continue to strengthen communities by building the structures where families in America’s heartland live, work, go to school, and worship. Here’s a look at some of the projects and programs that BAC members are building across the Region.

Local 1 Missouri on Solid Footing in St. Louis

Local 1 Missouri Business Manager Don Brown reports high employment in the St. Louis area. Work continues on a variety of projects, with new school and large-scale commercial construction keeping members at work. The Local is in the third year of a five-year contract, and continues to control its market through diligent policing of its jurisdiction and aggressive organizing.

In addition to commercial work, Local 1 MO controls 98 percent of residential housing in the city, suburbs, and outlaying areas. Masonry materials, including rough limestone and brick, are frequently used in the area’s upscale housing market, which includes homes that measure up to 30,000 square feet.

In terms of future work, baseball fans and Local 1 members alike hope that plans for a new downtown baseball stadium and home for the St. Louis Cardinals come to fruition.

This Local 1 MO-built home by Jack Clark Masonry in Fenton, MO relies heavily on rough-face limestone and brick.	Situated on 78 acres outside Defiance, MO, this custom-built home by BAC signatory Reinhardt Construction boasts 20,000 feet of interior space and features an exterior of Rocky Mountain Rose, Sandy Creek, Golden Sunset, and Purple Chilton stone. A crew of 10 Local 1 MO craftworkers will spend an estimated 11 months on the job, laying block and hand setting 245 tons of stone. Rising from the midst of the rural home is a 63-foot stone-clad chimney replete with massive fireboxes and finely crafted details.
Supporting the home’s veranda, these stone-clad archways are built upon block back up and reinforced spans containing 14 yards of 7-bag mix concrete.

Local 15 Missouri/Kansas Capitalizes on Growing Tile/Marble/Terrazzo Market

Building on the strong demand for upscale flooring, Local 15 Missouri/Kansas has reinvigorated training and promotional efforts for the tile/marble/terrazzo industry. The Local inaugurated its Kansas City, MO TMT training program in October, and welcomed 46 participants to a new, centrally located training facility for upgrade and related training. The program will compliment major renovation work going on at Kansas City International Airport and a wealth of TMT work across the Local’s jurisdiction.

“We have about three years of tile and terrazzo work at the airport alone,” says Local 15 MO/KS Vice President Tom Murillo. “Although the work will be done in phases, allowing the other trades to catch up as the terminals are renovated and re-opened, theoretically, an apprentice who attends Saturday classes could finish his or her training without having to leave this job.”

Local 15 President Steve Mullen remains optimistic in spite of slowing economic growth and the mid-term elections. “Most of our Chapters are experiencing full employment and any current unemployment should be short-term as new projects get underway,” says Mullen. “Despite a general slowdown in the economy, we’re confident that masonry work will fare well. Our signatory contractors remain strong in the school construction market, and we’re rolling out an aggressive new organizing plan that promises to keep Local 15 well-positioned.”

Clockwise from left, Local 3 IA terrazzo mechanic Bob Augustus, and Local 15 terrazzo mechanic Drew Lawson, apprentice Joel Murillo, and terrazzo mechanic and instructor Ron Burnfin.	Completed terrazzo work at Kansas City International Airport replicates the celestial patterns of the galaxy and is accented by celestial-themed mosaic medallions, brass keys, and fragments of polished mirrors.

Gold-Domed Landmark Restored

Kansas City’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception has undergone extensive exterior restoration.

One of Local 15’s most high-profile restoration projects is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, a gold-domed landmark that rises prominently from downtown Kansas City, MO. Originally constructed in 1893, the Cathedral was tuckpointed by Local 15 members earlier this year and is now being retrofitted with marble and tile floors by BAC-signatory contractors Metro Tile and Carthage Marble. A restored altar will rest on marble slabs, while Cathedral floors will receive Bottocino, light and dark Emparador, and Rossa Verona marble. The interior portion of the restoration project is providing crews of tile setters, marble masons, and finishers with five months of work that will continue into December.

Local 15 marble mason and Carthage Marble Field Supervisor Mylan Rodgers cuts templates for a five-color, radius-patterned marble altar base at the Cathedral.	Local 15 father and son team, marble mason Tom Brunin, left, and finisher Phil Brunin, position a marble slab at the Cathedral’s altar base.
Larry Staats of Carthage Marble reviews bluprints with Cathedral architects and representatives of A.L. Hubner General Contractors.	Local 15 finisher John Mead grouts wall tile in the Cathedral’s basement lavatories.

Local 18 Missouri Volunteers Build Children's Hope Center

The tile/marble/terrazzo mechanics and finishers of Local 18 Missouri are proud of their recent contribution to a home that is providing safe harbor to abused children in Cottage Hills, Illinois. In February 2001, community leaders and activists called on Local 18 Business Manager Jim Hunnius for help in completing a new building that would temporarily house the children. The 5,500 square foot building was completely finished by Local 18 members with donated 12" x 12" ceramic tile. Local distributors and contractors also pitched in, donating thin set mortar and grout.

“We started the project on June 8, 2002, and by September 7, 2002, the job was finished,” says Hunnius. “Active members, retirees, and apprentices worked nine Saturdays, donating their time, skills, and hard work to complete the job.”

Now in operation, the Children’s Hope Center includes a nursery, day room, kitchen, office, bathrooms, hallways, and bedrooms.

Local 1 Nebraska Celebrates Retirees

Local 1 Nebraska celebrated the accomplishments and loyalty of its senior members this September, with retiree banquets held in Lincoln and Omaha. “As a Local Union, we are fortunate to have so many longtime members in our ranks, still living in our community and participating in their Union,” says Local 1 Business Manager Bob Bartak.

School and various public construction projects continue to provide Nebraska BAC members with work, and job prospects remain fair through the winter months, according to Bartak.

Local 1 NE President Bob Bartak welcomed retirees of the Local’s Lincoln Chapter to an awards banquet held in their honor in September. Standing, from left, BAC Region 7 Director Randy Kelly, 50-year Local 1 members Gerald White, Al Schneider, Alvin Pearson, Bob White, Richard Schneider, and retired IU Executive Vice President James Richardson. Seated, from left, Junior Woodcock, Wally Orth, Vance Salisbury, and George Statler.

Local 1 NE Lincoln Chapter 40-year members, from left, Floyd Ikerd, George Swim, Gerald Steiner, Kelly, and Richardson. See future issues of the Journal for more Local 1 banquet photos.