Sheet Metal Workers Locals 24 and 33, with help from a SMART lobbyist and the Affiliated Construction Trades (ACT) West Virginia, defeated an attempt by state legislators to repeal HVAC licensing requirements in the state.
After two years of working with legislators, SMW Locals 24, 33 and 100 won a key victory in 2015, as the state enacted a law to require state licensing for all workers who perform work on HVAC/Fire Dampers in West Virginia. Continue reading →
Second-year Sheet Metal Workers Local 24 apprentices recently completed COMET training to help them better understand the role organizing plays in helping grow our union.
Construction Organizing Membership Education Training (COMET) was created in the mid-90s by what was then known as the Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD), now called North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU). The BCTD noticed an alarming trend as the number of building trades unions and affiliated members were both in rapid decline. Continue reading →
Following an early January Ohio Appeals Court ruling that cleared the way for Cincinnati to enforce its disputed Responsible Bidder ordinance, the city administration is now attempting to stall its implementation.
The ordinance requires contractors on certain public construction projects to have graduated at least one employee from a registered apprenticeship program every year for the last five years. This ordinance is to be implemented in conjunction with a local hire program as well. The Responsible Bidder ordinance essentially requires contractors to supply a union workforce for Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) projects over $400,000. Contracts under $400,000 are exempt from the ordinance in order to allow smaller businesses to bid on these projects.
By creating the ordinance, the city understood that a registered apprenticeship program produces a construction worker who, regardless of race or gender, works efficiently and can help save time and money on the jobsite. Continue reading →
A court ruling has cleared the way for the city of Cincinnati to enforce its Responsible Bidder ordinance.
In early January, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the ruling of a lower court, paving the way for the city to require contractors to have graduated at least one employee from a registered apprenticeship program every year for the last five years.
Allied Construction Industries, a not-for-profit construction trades group for non-union contractors, sued the city, saying the ordinance was a way to ensure only union signatory contractors could successfully bid on contracts. Continue reading →
Sheet Metal Workers Local 24 stands to benefit from a bill recently passed in the Ohio House.
House members voted unanimously to approve House Bill 98, the Ohio High School Career Opportunity Act, which gives equal opportunity for representatives from colleges and universities, the armed forces, skilled trades, businesses and charitable organizations to present information on future career and post-graduate opportunities to high school students.
HB 98 now moves to the Senate for possible committee hearings and floor vote. If passed by the Senate, it will become law and give the building trades more access to public schools to expose students to careers in the building trades. Continue reading →
Ohio’s 8th District Court of Appeals ruled House Bill 180, which banned residency requirements on public construction projects, as unconstitutional.
The ruling upheld a Cleveland residency law that requires contractors who successfully bid on certain public construction projects within the city, to guarantee 20 percent of the hours worked must be performed by Cleveland residents, and 4 percent of that 20 percent must be allocated for low-income Cleveland residents.
By striking down H.B. 180, the court has granted chartered municipalities the right to enforce hiring requirements on certain publicly-funded construction projects. This means cities such as Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati can require contractors hire a designated percentage of their residents to work on certain construction projects. Continue reading →
Gary Shinkle, who spent the last 18 years as Cincinnati Training Coordinator, has officially retired.
Following a staff meeting and lunch on Nov. 1, Business Manager Rodney French, with help from the Local 24 staff, presented Brother Shinkle with a proclamation from Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley. Continue reading →
The City of Columbus and the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council signed a historic Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) to partner together to ensure the work to construct Columbus Fire Station No. 35 is performed by the area’s building trades.
The CBA also requires the C/COBCTC to host apprenticeship-recruitment fairs and to contribute 5 cents per hour worked on the project, to be deposited into a scholarship fund for apprenticeship programs.
“This agreement includes many firsts for our city, all built on my commitment to expanding Columbus’ success to every person in every neighborhood,” said Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther. “This agreement offers the City and its residents many benefits.”
Hurricane Irma left its mark in mid-September, leaving a trail of death and destruction through Florida and parts of the southeast.
On the morning of Sept. 10, Irma hit the Florida Keys about 20 miles north of Key West as a category 4 Hurricane with sustained winds of 130 mph.
Several hours later, Irma came ashore on the mainland over Naples, as it made its way north through Florida.
The hurricane ravaged the Sunshine state, leaving cities under water, and according to multiple media reports, 60 percent of homes across Florida were left without power. Continue reading →
Our Columbus JATC represented Sheet Metal Workers Local 24 at a construction career fair in Columbus.
The Jan. 26 career fair was an opportunity for Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades affiliated unions, such as Sheet Metal Workers Local 24, to reach out directly to potential apprentice candidates.