Spotlight on Region 3

Local 9 Members On the Job

Local 9 President David Donkin, Sr. reports that an already shaky economy and a severe winter slowed the area’s construction market. One high-profile project generating hours for Local 9 members is a large terrazzo job at Pittsburgh’s International Airport. The work, being performed by Patrizio Art Mosaic Company, includes the reproduction and installation of a compass that the contractor crafted for the former Pittsburgh Airport in the 1950s. Installed by Local 9 members and one member of Local 8 OH, the strip bending was performed by hand with the same care and craftsmanship used on the original work.

Local 9 PA terrazzo worker Sam Testa grinds a decorative inlay at Pittsburgh International Airport.	Bill Patrizio Sr., right, and Bill Patrizio Jr., are proud of their company’s more than 100 years of quality union craftsmanship.

Local 9 Pennsylvania Invests in Training

The Local 9 PA training center offers members training opportunities in a state-of-the-art facility.

Local 9 PA opened a new training center in Pittsburgh this winter and is using the facility to train all BAC crafts. The 30,000 square-foot former General Motors training center has already trained hundreds of Local 9 apprentices, and recently hosted BAC Construction Organizing Member Education and Training (COMET) and BAC Steward Training “train the trainer” classes for Region 3 officers. Conducted by Region 3 Director Don Hart and BACNET Implementation Director Tom DeGarmo, the two-day program prepared 25 Local Union officers from across Region 3 to teach COMET and Steward Training programs to their members and staff.
The new training center, which was the site of the regional apprentice contest, “is a great addition to our training system, and will benefit all of our members in Local 9,” says BAC Executive Vice President Gerald O’Malley.

Union Industries Show a Hit in Pittsburgh

From left, IMI National Training Center tile instructor Ron Becker, Local 9 PA Field Representative Glenn Smyers, and Local 9 Apprentice and Training Coordinator Ed Frieze demonstrated BAC know-how at the 2003 Union Industries Show in Pittsburgh.

Union members and the products and services they produce took center stage in April at this year’s Union Industries show. The show, sponsored by the AFL-CIO, was held at Pittsburgh’s new 330,000 square-foot David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

Members of Local 9 PA were there in force, demonstrating their craft skills and assisting visitors at the hands-on exhibits. Local 9 President David Donkin, Sr. reports that the show was a huge success. “We received excellent support from IMI, and the venue was great. The new convention center was a big producer of hours for us, and it was very fitting that the Union Industries show was the Center’s first large-scale event.”

In addition to showcasing BAC’s work, union-made autos, motorcycles, apparel, and sporting goods were also on display. More than 200,000 people visited the show to see the skilled work of BAC and other union members.

Local 1 Maryland/Virginia/D.C. on the Job in Richmond

Local 1 bricklayer Robert Mefford tools a joint at Short Pump Towne Center. He has been a BAC member in Richmond for more than 30 years.

Masonry is the material of choice in central Virginia, and members of Local 1 MD/VA/DC’s Richmond Chapter are meeting industry demand, restoring historic buildings in the city’s Shockoe Bottom district, and building new centers of commerce in the state capital. “All of our members are working and we’re putting together a new apprenticeship program with the assistance of the Richmond Technical Center,” said Local 1 Field Representative Byron Holley. With major projects scheduled across the Richmond area and west into Charlottesville, demand for bricklayers is good and the Local is using the International Union’s Job Information Center to meet the demand.

Retail Complex in Full Swing

The Short Pump Towne Center is the largest project currently underway. With a crew of 25 bricklayers, construction is moving ahead rapidly now that the severe winter weather is over. “We winterized this job as best as possible,” said Snow Jr. & King superintendent Ray Monday, “but a lot of the most demanding work was on the hundreds of piers on the project — elements that don’t lend themselves to easy enclosure.” Using 12 varieties of brick, five mortar colors, and four shades of pre-cast stone, the 1.1 million square foot open-air Towne Center promises to be a distinctive addition to Richmond’s masonry heritage. More work on the project’s island stores will be open for bidding soon.

Local 1 Field Representative Byron Holley, left, and Snow Jr. & King foreman Gary Pleveich discuss progress on the Short Pump Towne Center.	Local 1 apprentice Brian Mitchell, a new Union member, joined the Local for the benefits and work opportunities. “The Union will allow me to travel and be recognized as a skilled bricklayer,” says Mitchell.

Preserving Richmond’s Achitectural Heritage

In Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom, many of the city’s architectural treasures are being restored as part of an urban revitalization project. Anchoring these efforts is the restoration of the city’s first train station — Main Street Station. Built in 1901, the French Renaissance structure’s exterior of terra cotta, sandstone, and rare Pompeian brick is being restored by a team of BAC members working for signatory contractor Graciano Inc. Members on the project are removing, patching, and replacing the balustrades, decorative terra cotta units, and sandstone pieces. The contractor has gone to great lengths to match materials using pneumatic chisels and grinders to score and cup new sandstone to match existing pieces.

Local 1 member Fraser Pemberton uses a pneumatic hammer to remove damaged sandstone at Main Street Station.	Graciano Inc. foreman and Local 9 PA member Craig Zmenkowski points to a window dormer repaired with GFRC reinforced concrete at Main Street Station.