SIB lends a hand to RTB
Posted by NERCC on May 17, 2012 at 02:21 PM

Congratulations on a job well done to eight union carpenters who pitched in a lot of time and effort to help the Rebuilding Together Boston Program on their National Rebuilding Day. The women members, who participated through the Sisters in the Brotherhood program, worked on three sites in the city, adding experienced, skilled hands to the effort.

Rebuilding Together Boston works on an annual basis to repair and renovate the homes of economically disadvantaged homeowners (including the elderly, veterans, families with children, single parent households, the physically challenged and others in need) as well as non-profit-owned facilities (community centers, schools, worship centers, etc.) in the City of Boston. RTB provides its services at no cost to recipients due to the generous support of foundations, corporations, individuals and vendors.

This year's projects on National Rebuilding Day included: six homes in Mattapan, Dorchester and Roxbury; Pine Street Inn Veterans’ housing, a residence for formerly homeless women, and the Nazareth Residence for Mothers and Children.

Members involved in the effort included: Joan Bennett, Local 33; Theresa Haymon, Local 33; Maureen Owen-Ewings, Local 67; Marcia Williams-White, Local 33; Karen Blandino, Local 67; Judy Sullivan, Local 67; Mikey Myles, Local 67 and Liz Skidmore, Local 118.

 

 

The Union connection in Haiti
Posted by NERCC on April 11, 2012 at 10:42 AM

For over a year, union carpenters and other trades workers in New England have been lending their time and valuable skills to assist in the construction of a hospital in Mirebalais, Haiti. After the devastating earthquake, the hospital is a source of hope in many ways. NERCC's Mark Erlich recently visited Haiti and wrote a piece for CommonWealth magazine about this amazing project.

Click here to see pictures taken by Mark Erlich during his trip.

Members organizing motorcycle ride
Posted by NERCC on August 22, 2011 at 12:00 AM

A group of union carpenters are organizing a motorcycle ride to benefit lung cancer research. The "New England Carpenters Ride For Research" will take place October 2, rain or shine.

Registration will take place from 9-11am at Slaters in Bolton, Massachusetts. The ride will start promptly at 11:30. The cost is only $15 for riders and $10 for passengers.

For more information email necarpentersmcride at gmail dot com or contact the American Lung Association at 781-314-9005 or via ehicky at lungne dot org.

Boston neighborhood celebrates success
Posted by NERCC on July 28, 2011 at 12:00 AM

A Boston neighborhood struggling to fight off longstanding problems with crime, exacerbated in recent years by foreclosure, may be starting to make lasting change thanks to coordinated neighbor activity and housing improvements fueled in part by union carpenters.

Two years ago union contractor Bilt Rite renovated four buildings on Hendry Street in Dorchester, largely with the help of union carpenter apprentices as part of city program to initiate change. More on those efforts here.

This weekend, the Hendry Street Neighborhood Watch will celebrate efforts to improve the neighborhood and seek greater resident involvement. The Dorchester Reporter published a story on the event, putting it into proper context regarding work in the neighborhood.

This event follows the neighborhood watch group’s June 6 meeting, which attracted 47 new Hendry Street resident members. Saturday’s block party will be a way to gather even more members and commemorate the club’s work since its inception last summer, said organizer Beto Rosa, community organizer at the Dorchester Bay EDC.

In many ways, Saturday’s event will act as a backdrop to the work done by the Dorchester Bay EDC in relieving foreclosure pressure in the area. The area around Coppens Square had been known as the “hotbed of the foreclosure crisis,” says Jeanne DuBois, executive director of the Dorchester Bay EDC.
DuBois says that a key part of neighborhood stability is to ensure that invested residents own and occupy houses. This, combined with the community organizing efforts of the Hendry Street Neighborhood Watch, can improve the neighborhood.

“This area had a history of crime and lawlessness,” DuBois said. “Little by little, the Hendry Street Neighborhood Watch is taking it back.”

Congratulations to the residents of the Hendry Street neighborhood and union carpenters who played a part.

Fall River carpenters get kudos
Posted by NERCC on July 28, 2011 at 12:00 AM

Congratulations to members of Local 1305, who are getting a well deserved pat on the back from the Fall River Herald News for their volunteer work to build a concession stand and restrooms for Durfee High School. The paper featured the union's work in a front page story and praised them in an editorial piece.

Haiti Hospital project seeks carpenters, volunteers
Posted by NERCC on May 18, 2011 at 12:00 AM

Partners in Health is looking for volunteer union carpenters and other trades workers to assist in the construction of a badly needed hospital in Haiti, which was devastated by an earthquake last year. Background information about the project, which is being spearheaded by Jim Ansara from Shawmut Design and Construction, is available in an article published in the New England Carpenter magazine last winter. All travel and in-country expenses would be covered by the program and power tools would be provided. They are asking volunteers to commit to only 8-14 day trips between September and February and to bring their own hand tools.

For details about the current status of the project, please download and view this Powerpoint presentation by Partners in Health. To contact Partners in Health about becoming a volunteer, visit this page.

Worcester members build a garden for the village
Posted by NERCC on May 10, 2011 at 12:00 AM

This weekend, members of Carpenters Local 107 and YouthBuild lent their skills to a garden project at the Plumley Village housing development. Raised garden frames were built by YouthBuild and then installed by members of Local 107. The project was supported by numerous city and state groups. Twenty-four families living in Plumley Village have already signed up for plots in the new garden.

The carpenters' work drew the attention of wrcstr.com, which posted about the project complete with photos.

Helping out on the project were Brothers Fred Taylor, Wayne Johnson, Sean Peek, Jim Turner, Luis Tirado & Manny Gines

All photos courtesy of Mike Benedetti.
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Play ball!
Posted by NERCC on March 10, 2011 at 12:00 AM

Carpenters from Local 424 volunteered their time to build a new snack bar at a local Little League field in Braintree, MA. The snack bar was built at Hollingsworth Park, which hosts over 700 players a year. The volunteers saved the league an estimated $10,000.

“That’s money that we would have had to raise and pay off. It means a lot to the program,” said Steve Guilbault, the vice president for the League’s Board of Directors.

The donation drew the attention of Town Hall, who praised the union’s efforts.

“In these challenging times, this kind of volunteer effort is especially valued,” said Peter Morin, the chief of staff and operations for Braintree.

The volunteer carpenters completed the project in just 5 days. Permanent signage recognizing the efforts of the Carpenters Union will be hung on the outfield wall in the Spring.

The Local 424 volunteers were: Dave Curley, point person and project foreman; Steve Paker; Steve Singleton; Brian Knox; Tom Duncanson; Dave Shurtleff; Brian DuBois; Joe MacLellan; and Frank Baxter.

The Boston Globe ran a piece about the volunteer efforts, it can be read here.

Helping Hammers on the job in Grove Hall
Posted by NERCC on February 03, 2011 at 12:00 AM

Union carpenter apprentices in Boston are working with Community Labor United to make repairs to Boston homes so that they can qualify for weatherization improvements available through Renew Boston. One of the first homes they have worked on is Betty McGuire's house in Grove Hall. Thanks to the effort, it will soon be one of 150,000 homes Renew Boston hopes to serve in the next ten years.

Lending (skilled) helping hands
Posted by NERCC on July 28, 2010 at 12:00 AM

Carpenters Local Union 275's Volunteer Organizing Committee volunteered to build the deck and install the chairlift to help a struggling family in Natick.

The family has a fourteen year old boy Dougie with Autism and Duchene’s Muscular Dystrophy and has been wheelchair bound since January 2008. They needed a deck built on to the back of their house and a chairlift to take him down to the backyard so he could enjoy the yard with his brothers and sisters. Prior to the chairlift being build he had to be carried down by two adults which was very difficult and sometimes impossible as he is growing up.

The following members volunteered over a combined 150hours!! Bruce Whitney, Ricky Scales, Ron Brown, Mike Rogers, Brian Rogers, Rick Mills, John Brennan, Tyler Brenan, Kelly Calkins, Shane Rosenquist, Dorson Ace, Phil Frank, Mike Cormier, Jason Linton, TJ Gallant and Rick Ilsley with organization and George Benjamin with taking all the pictures.

The V.O.C. believes it is very important to be active in our own communities and our members participate in several Volunteer activities throughout the year!





More pictures available here.

Also, see coverage in the MetroWest Daily News.

Local 1996 Participates in Day of Caring
Posted by NERCC on May 21, 2010 at 12:00 AM

As reported in the Portland Herald Press

PORTLAND — Two dozen volunteers descended on the Children's Museum and Theater of Maine on Thursday. They went to work weeding flower beds, freshening the paint on a scaled-down pirate ship, applying finish to picnic tables and dismantling the aging Taj Mahal clubhouse.

"We have plenty of stuff for them to do," said Matt Chamberlain, a member of the museum's exhibits and operations staff.

The volunteers were among more than 1,000 people from various companies and organizations who turned out for the United Way of Greater Portland's 18th annual Day of Caring.

After gathering for a kickoff breakfast at Back Cove, the volunteers fanned out to 90 projects at 60 nonprofit organizations. They did chores ranging from yard work to public relations consulting to painting. And yes, they did windows.

Day of Caring was a small event when it started in the early 1990s, with only about 10 projects, said Suzanne McCormick, president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Portland.

"Over the years," she said, "the nonprofits have come to depend on this day for their capital improvements," and the event has grown.

At a playground for PROP's child care program, several men from Local 1996 of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters took apart an old play structure. The agency has wanted to do the job for several years, but every year something more pressing has come up, said Kevin Dean, who supervises PROP's child and family services field staff.

"It's pretty simple for us," said Dana Goldsmith, the local's training coordinator for northern New England. "At the onset, we didn't know what we were going to be facing. A few of us brought our own tools."

About 70 volunteers helped the Salvation Army sort food that had been collected by the National Association of Letter Carriers.

When the volunteers arrived at the warehouse, they found mail totes containing 50,000 pounds of food, said Capt. Penny Shaffer of the Salvation Army in Portland. The volunteers worked in assembly-line fashion, sorting and boxing the donated food.

"People are coming with a willing spirit to do whatever needs to be done," Shaffer said.

After most of the volunteers had finished, three teens from Long Creek Youth Development Center were still loading boxes -- marked for categories like "BEANS," "MAC & CHEESE," "BAKING" and "SAUCE" -- into a trailer attached to a pickup truck.

"I just asked who wanted to go. Today's our first time here," said Jeff Bachelder, juvenile program manager for the unit, which is geared toward boys who are nearing release and includes regular community service activities.

In the museum's back yard, L.L. Bean human resources employees shared their adventures of the morning.

Heidi Baughman, a department coordinator, revamped the museum's birthday room with light yellow and turquoise paint.

"We're having a blast today," she said.

Tim Wachtl, an interviewer, helped to take down the Taj Mahal. The volunteers took off the foam dome and knocked off pieces with sledgehammers.

"We found out we're not men of steel," he said.

The influx of volunteers at the museum meant that its backyard -- a difficult spot to maintain because of its exposure to the elements -- would get some dramatic improvements quickly, said Chamberlain, the staff member.

Normally, the three members of the exhibit and operations staff would have to chip away at such a project, sometimes with help from one or two volunteers. But by lunchtime Thursday, Chamberlain was optimistic that the work would be finished in time for a members party on the deck in the evening.

"Whenever we get a group like this, it's really a big help," he said.

Green area renamed
Posted by NERCC on December 03, 2009 at 12:00 AM

The Carpenters Union worked in conjunction with neighbors in the area to spruce up the pedestrian cut-though located on the corner of Dorchester Ave. and Howell Street.

The park has been renamed Paul’s Triangle in memory of long time Howell Street resident and community advocate Paul Markilis. Mr. Markilis’ family still resides on the street.

The neighborhood surrounding the park and the Carpenters Center is known as the ‘Polish Triangle.’ In this area, Dorchester Avenue, Boston Street and Columbia road converge, literally, into a triangle that extends out into South Boston.

The triangular design of the pergola built by the Carpenters Union is part of an effort to brand the Polish Triangle neighborhood.

Desmond Rohan, neighbor and member of the McCormick Civic Association, which is involved in various beautification efforts throughout the community, including Paul’s Triangle, recently thanked the Carpenters Union saying, “Your efforts will certainly make it possible to continue improving the area and without your support we would not have made the progress we have to date.”

The McCormack Civic Association, through the support of local merchants and businesses, recently hung wreaths for the holiday season along Dorchester Ave. To learn more about this group, visit their website at www.mccormackcivic.com.

Neighborhood improvement project
Posted by NERCC on November 25, 2009 at 12:00 AM

The Carpenters Union has joined efforts with neighbors in the community to spruce up the pedestrian cut-through located on the corner of Dorchester Ave. and Howell Street.




A set of stairs were installed in the green area connecting Dorchester Ave to Washburn Street. Members of Piledrivers Local 56 fabricated the treads in the piledrivers shop. The the treads were cut to size, holes were predrilled, and the hardware to hold the treads in place was fabricated at the shop.

RDA Construction donated the greenheart timber used for the stair treads. This eco-friendly timber is used in dock and pier construction. The dense timber won’t rot when placed directly on the ground, as water cannot permeate it.

Other volunteers assembled a pergola in the green area. The douglas fir was donated by the Carpenters Union.

“Angels” from LU 210 get kudos
Posted by NERCC on September 04, 2009 at 12:00 AM

Congratulations to Brother Mike Robinson and members of Local 210 in Connecticut. They recently helped a Bridgeport woman by building a wheelchair ramp on her home after another contractor had delayed, overcharged and then left her with a ramp that failed inspection twice.

The woman, who is blind and suffers from multiple sclerosis and renal failure was forced to live in a nursing home at a cost of more than $25,000 before she could have a ramp put on her house. A local contractor took 3 months and charged her more than $7,000 for shoddy work. She contacted a local television news program whose promotion of the story caught Robinson’s eye. With materials donated by Home Depot, union carpenters tore down the old ramp and put up a new one in two days.

The story can be watched on Channel 8’s website here.

Hendry Street video posted
Posted by NERCC on July 07, 2009 at 12:00 AM

A video of renovation work done by union carpenter apprentices on homes on Hendry Street in Dorchester has been posted at NERCCBuildingNewEngland.com

Menino cuts ribbon on Hendry Street
Posted by NERCC on May 12, 2009 at 12:00 AM

The Mayor and media came out to Hendry Street in Dorchester again yesterday for a ribbon cutting on two formerly foreclosed properties that have been rehabilitated by union carpenter apprentices and union contractor Bilt-Rite. The event also served as a kick-off for the 30th season of "This Old House," which will film a similar project being done by a community group in Roxbury.

For five months, groups of carpenter apprentices have been volunteering their time and skills to completely redo the three family properties on one of Boston’s hardest hit streets. Rather than going to Millbury for their required one week training session at the New England Carpenters Training Center, they have been working on Hendry Street under the supervision of Instructors Dana Bean and Brian Austin.

Next door to the two completed buildings are two more that are nearing completion. Bilt Rite, which is serving as the developer and general contractors, will sell the two completed properties soon. They are scheduling an open house for the properties to take place in the coming weeks.

Samuel Richards, who have lived in the neighborhood for close to 30 years, came out to watch the ribbon cutting and praised the efforts of the Mayor, Bilt-Rite and the apprentices.

"When I moved here, the buildings were in pretty good shape, there was only one bad one in the neighborhood," he said. "Things have gotten bad. This is a good start [for rebuilding the neighborhood].People don't get scared when they come by and see this work being done. It's beautiful."

Mayor Tom Menino, who's been a close partner with the Carpenters union on many projects in the community, noted how important the project was both for Hendry Street and symbolically, for the city.

"In the past, we've seen the bad spreading int he neighborhoods. Now we're seeing the good spreading," he said. "It's our dream to have them owner-occupied and affordable. We want them to have a good effect on people wo live next door. The caprenters did a great job. Today we'll have placed where poeple hcan live and have a very good home."

The properties are being offered with low interest rates and tax incentives. The intent is to have them sell as owner-occupied, which will enable a buyer to use two rental incomes to pay the mortgage and be on site to maintain the property. For more information, contact the company at 617- 541-9777.

The Hendry Street project is one of close to a dozen that union carpenters have completed in the neighborhoods of Boston and other communities in recent years. By volunteering their time and work, union apprentices make help cities and towns affordably build or rehabilitate properties in need of serious TLC. The union also demonstrates its commitment to building communities where members, and the future generation of trades workers, live.

Carpenters help Boston Shine
Posted by NERCC on April 27, 2009 at 12:00 AM

On Saturday, Carpenters Local 67 joined Boston City Council President Mike Ross and hundreds of other volunteers to help spruce up the Boston Common for "Boston Shines" a city wide cleanup program to spruce up the city for the upcoming tourist season. Forty rank and file members joined executive board members to lend their valuable skills to the effort.

On the event and the Local's relationship with Councilor Ross, Chris Shannon commented: "Mike Ross' district covers a lot of Local 67s jurisdiction and so we've gotten to know him well in the community and in regards to City of Boston business. His district covers the Longwood Medical Area, Fenway Park and Kenmore Square, Northeastern University and into Mission Hill. City councilors play key roles in bringing new construction projects through the neighborhood process and have a huge influence on how these projects get built. Mike's position as president of the city council means he is involved with projects throughout the city. He has been a great friend of Local 67 and has worked diligently to make sure that union carpenters participate in City of Boston construction projects. We're happy to cooperate with him on the business side, but also when it comes to helping out in the community, where we both try to play leading roles."

Local 67 Executive Board members Chris Shannon, Jay Glynn, Vic Carrara, Mike Kerin, Pat Sugrue and Pat Donavan were joined by rank-and-file members Greg Rouse, Allen McCoy, Modesto Osario, Lorenzo Rusconi, Mike Lavoie, Terence O’Connor, Jimmy Moran, Pierre Calixte, Brian Sugrue, Don Gillis, Albert Robinson, Jeff Glynn, Brandon Lewis, Wayne Thompson, Richard Attardo, Jesus Silva, Daniel Bruto, Trevor Harrigan, Erica Ross, Wendell Sinaise, Erik Goodrich, Al Briggs, Steve Buckley, Dave Lewis, Paul Teahan, John Joyce, Yusif Ali, James Hendricks, Mario Kennard, Richard Diangio, Rob Clarke, Mathew Ward, Steven Feeney, Mark Dellascio, Paul Hagberg, Latisha McQueen, Issiah McQueen, Reggie Joseph, Devon Clark, and Almarie Condry.

Who We Are - Union Town
Posted by NERCC on October 09, 2008 at 12:00 AM

This video, first intruduced at the 2008 NERCC Convention, is titled "Union Town," features members who are active community members.