Volunteers from the Carpenters Union were part of a very special project in South Boston, transforming the home of Sydni Pecevich into a space where she can learn and grow.

Sydni was diagnosed with a grapefruit-sized malignant brain tumor when she was just two months old. She had nine months of chemotherapy and eighteen surgeries in her first two years of life. She is now eight years old, and although cancer-free, she was left with disabilities that require 24-hour supervision.

As Sydni got older it became apparent that the tight quarters of her family’s home were not sufficient to accommodate all of her needs. The Carpenters Union, along with other Building Trades volunteers, stepped up in a big way to help her family turn her home into a space for her and her siblings to grow.

The Ledwell family, many of whom are Local 56 members, has organized a motorcycle run in memory of Caitlin Ledwell. All proceeds from the event will go to a scholarship in her honor.

Saturday, June 29, 2013 
Motorcycles | Hot Rods | Antique Cars

Run Starts: A Dancer’s World, 150 Industrial Drive, Halifax, MA  See Map
Run Ends: Upland Club, 67 Upland Road, Plympton, MA See Map

Registration will be held from 8:00 AM – 10:30 AM
$20/rider and $15/passenger (includes t-shirt and cookout)
$15 at the door
Kick stands up at 11:00 AM

A benefit will be held after the run beginning at 1:00 PM at the Upland Club.
*Food
*Raffles
*Live entertainment
*Silent auction
*And much more!

All proceeds from the day’s events will go to the Caitlin Elizabeth Ledwell Memorial Scholarship Foundation. For more information click here.

A group of union carpenters from Local 275 in Newton recently got together to help out another local playground. The members built a new perimeter consisting of four side walls at the Franklin Playground as a UPP event in coordination with "Newton Serves."

Pictured are members that came out to lend a hand. Back row, left to right: Kevin Kelley, Matt Matheney, Desmond Trainor and Keith Farley. Middle Row, left to right: John McClintock, Rick Scales, Eric MacKinley, John Burrows, Steve Donnelly and Robert Tedeschi.Front row; William Newton.

Local 624 Brother John Costello helped organize the Hardhats for Hunger food drive on a jobsite in Bridgewater, MA. Read more about his story here. 

An exciting project for one of Boston's neighborhoods and some of the carpenters who live there.

NERCC Executive Secretary-Treasurer Mark Erlich was recently invited to speak at Brooksby Village, a senior living community in Peabody, MA. Erlich was invited to speak to the Brooksby Village Current Events Discussion Group by Phil Mamber, a retired union leader from IUE 201 at the Lynn GE plant. Erlich gave a PowerPoint presentation titled: The Disappearing American Middle Class: Economic Inequality and Labor. Seventy-five residents attended the event, which was very well received. Check out a PDF of the presentation by clicking here.

Local 26 Brother Mark Brings and his family started C.A.P.T.S. (Calling All Patriots Troop Support)
in an effort to support military service members deployed overseas. Check out his story here: 

 To see more stories like this, visit the Meet Our Community page. 

The 5th Annual New England Carpenters Ice Fishing Derby will be held Sunday, February 17 from 7am-2pm at Singletary Lake in Millbury, Massachusetts.

Organizer Joe Broderick will be set up at 5am at the lake, which can be accessed by West Main Street in Millbury. Look for a banner with the carpenters emblem by the boat ramp. There is a $20 fee to enter. Twenty-five percent of proceeds will be donated to the Valley Tech Educational Fund

Power augers will not be allowed before 7am and no tickets will be sold after 9am. Awards and a shore drawing will be held at the boat ramp at 2pm. Prizes will be awarded to the heaviest fish of any species, with 40% of proceeds going to the winner, 25% to 2nd place and 10% to 3rd place. Ties will be broken by fish length. All fish must be brought in alive.

For questions, please call Joe Broderick of Local 535 at 781-983-1383.

The following video story about Local 210 Brother Kevin Smith was recently posted in the Meet Our Community section of nercc.org. To see more stories like this, visit the Meet Our Community page. 

John Leavitt, the Business Agent for Local 1996 in Portland hit the airwaves this week to promote the union and help a disk jockey fill time as he stays on the air for four consecutive days. The Mark-a-thon is an annual event held by WCYY's Mark Curdo to raise money for the Center for Grieving Children. CYY is one of the radio stations on which NERCC and the New England Carpenters Labor Management Program place ads to promote the union and industry standards. They also carry radio broadcasts of New England Patriots games, on which the union advertises. Leavitt was on air with Mark on Tuesday afternoon at 3pm.

Members in Rhode Island have been helping families faced with one of the harshest realities of a volatile economy, homelessness. For many years, members of Carpenters Local 94 have been raising funds for the Rhode Island Family Shelter, located in Warwick.

Carpenters Local 94 holds an annual Dollars for Food Drive to raise money for the shelter.In addition to the monetary donations, carpenters have volunteered time and labor on site to help with various projects throughout the facility. These projects include a complete renovation of the basement, creating meeting space and a large playroom.

Learn more here. 

Three years after a devastating fire forced the Stone Soup community center to close its doors, the rebuilding process has begun. On July 25th, the group held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site located at 4 King Street in Worcester, MA.

As reported in Worcester Mag, “Stone Soup’s organizers wanted the center’s values reflected in their rebuilding.” The organization wanted to find firms that “were community oriented, had policies that had them hiring a diverse group of workers and subcontractors and offered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship training.”

This was especially timely given the recent vote by Worcester City Council to move forward with a newly proposed Responsible Employer Ordinance for public construction.

“Stone Soup's main goal for the [groundbreaking] event was to thank all the partners for helping the community center rebuild by generating press about the value of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, the importance of the Worcester REO and the success of community-labor partnerships,” notes David Minasian, Local 107 member/NECLMP Researcher, and Founding Member of Stone Soup.

Stone Soup selected YouthBuild as the general contractor on the project. YouthBuild helps low-income young adults between the ages of 16-24 work towards their GEDs, while learning job skills through training and pre-apprenticeship programs. Before the fire, the community center housed various youth groups; the organization is pleased to present the opportunity to rebuild the facility to youth in the area, through the partnership with YouthBuild.

Carpenters Local 107 and the New England Carpenters Training Center (NECTC) are also an integral part of the efforts to help rebuild this community space. Apprentices from the NECTC are scheduled to start training on site in the coming weeks.

“It’s a great partnership between the Carpenters, UBC Job Corps, and YouthBuild Boston and YouthBuild Worcester,” said Minasian.

The groundbreaking event generated press in the Worcester area and was covered in the Worcester Mag, Go Local Worcester, and on the front page of the Telegram and Gazette. The project was also part of a broadcast on local television WCCA TV's Beacon Hill Chat with Senator Harriette Chandler.

Stone Soup is a non-profit organization that serves as a community resource center for various community-based groups in the city of Worcester. Learn more about the organization on their website.

Run & Ride at CambridgeSide Galleria
100 Cambrigeside Place
Cambridge, MA
Sunday, July 29th

Come out for a fun family day!

NERCC members and their families are invited to join in Free Family Fun at the CambridgeSide Galleria. 

The day officially begins at 8:30 AM with registration for the kids-only duathlon with biking and running in and around Cambridgeside Galleria. Registration starts at 8:30 AM and the event begins at 10 AM. While the racing competition is in the morning, the Mall and surrounding parks will have activities throughout the afternoon.

Event staff will be collecting new, unused school supply items for donation to the East End House the day of the event.

You can register online or onsite the morning of the event. For more information, check out this flyer  or visit ShopCambridgeSide.com.
 

Volunteer carpenters were an integral part of a United Way project in Framingham, MA, transforming the former Framingham RMV Building into the new United Way Pearl Street Cupboard and Café. The facility is capable of serving more than 1,000 customers a month.

Learn more about the project, including a video profile piece, by clicking here.
 

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 following video story about Local 33 Sister Theresa Haymon was recently posted in the Meet Our Community section of nercc.org. Take a look to see more stories on the "Meet Our Community" page.

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.

The Fifth Annual "Great 2012 New England Carpenters Ice Fishing Derby" has been scheduled for Sunday, February 12 at the Norton, Mass reservoir on Route 140. Organizers will be set up for registration with a NERCC banner by 5am. Power augers will not be allowed before 7 am, with awards and a shore drawing behind held at 2:10. Prizes will be awarded for the three heaviest fish of any species brought in alive. Registration is $20.

Part of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the Blackstone Valley Technical School Educational Fund.

For more information, contact Joe Broderick of Carpenters Local 535.
 

A group of carpenters at a jobsite in Jamaica Plain saved a young boy’s life and came to the aid of his mother who was struck by a car trying to protect him.

The incident happened last Friday in front of the carpenters’ jobsite at 365 Center Street. The group witnessed a young boy walking down with the street with his mother. Suddenly, the boy darted out in to the busy street. As the boy ran off it appeared he was unable to hear the yells from his mother warning him of the danger he was in.

Carpenters Almarie “Annie” Condry (LU 67), Michelle “Mikey” Myles (LU 67) and Joan Bennett (LU 33) saw the incident unfold and ran out to the street, scooping the boy up and out of harm’s way while stopping traffic. Unfortunately, in a panic, the boy’s mother ran in to the street and was struck by a car. Condry, a former medic in the US Army, lay on the ground next to the woman. Condry immobilized the mother while reassuring her that her child was not hurt and that she would also be ok.

The other carpenters called 911 and comforted the young boy while they waited for help. Paramedics leaving the scene told the group that the woman appeared to have only suffered minor injuries.

Jay Cashman, Inc. has been a union contractor for many, many years. The business--based in Quincy, Massachusetts and with offices in Boston, New York and Florida--does heavy civil and marine construction throughout the United States. Jay Cashman also acts as a developer and generous member of the business community and has been a sponsor of the "Carpenters Cure Fore Ovarian Cancer Classic."

His latest act of philanthropy was to donate more than 27 acres of company-owned land in Stoughton to a YMCA which it surrounds.

Union Carpenters were given a public pat on the back last week for work they're doing with area residents to winterize their homes. A woman who was the recipient of the good will effort wrote to the Portland Press Herald to give an enthusiastic thanks.

Local 424 Business Agent Rick Braccia checked in with some goings-on in his area...

--StreetWorks, the Master Developer of Downtown Quincy is presenting their proposal to the City Council on Monday night at City Hall at 7:00 P.M.
The plan was presented to the Building Trades last week. Although the project isn't a solution to our immediate needs for jobs, the potential for development in Quincy is unbelievable.

--There is a public hearing on Thursday night (March 5) at the former Watson Library in Braintree. This is a joint hearing by Braintree and Weymouth officials to explore infrastructure improvement as a means of attracting business development to Weymouth Landing.

--Last Tuesday night, there was a meeting of the Braintree Town Council Ordinance Committee at which NERCC Director of Organizing Brian Richardson, Local 33 President John Murphy, and Rick Braccia testified in support of a responsible employer ordinance (REO). The town currently has an REO Policy, but this is merely a recommendation to contractors doing public work in the town. If Braintree adopts this as an ordinance, it give legitimate contractors a more level playing field. The response of the committee was overwhelmingly positive. The REO is being proposed by Councilor Tom Bowes.

--The next VOC meeting is on March 11. On the same night, we are asking Quincy residents to attend the Planning Board meeting at City Hall at 7:00 P.M. The Planning Board is going to reject an application by anti-union, developer Michael Corcoran, and it would be beneficial to have some applause in the audience. A few years back, Corcoran was the developer of the Cliffwalk Apartments on Willard St that we held rallies and a six month picket line on. That was the job with Plumbhouse as a GC. In case nobody recalls, Plumbhouse is the guy who has his trucks lettered "Merit Shop Builds Best."

Sam Ellis, of the Boston Globe, wrote a piece yesterday on what could be the year of labor. He give significant play to the growing alliances between unions and churches.

Union apprentices have been helping the South Boston Neighborhood House build out new space.

The NERCC presence in cyberspace is growing. It's been many years since we created a website. About two years ago we started sending Council Updates to staff, delegates and local union officers by email. Since July, we've been playing with this Blog thing. We haven't really let anyone know it's here yet, but maybe soon.

The latest front in the effort to reach out to members, prospective members and the general public. I've generated a Facebook profile for myself and started a Facebook "group" for the New England Regional Council of Carpenters. They both link back to our website--necarpenters.org--and will have more content and news as we go.

Check it out. Generate a profile, then search for and join the New England Regional Council of Carpenters.

--Bert Durand

In Spring 2008, carpenters working for Auburn Construction broke ground at a special project on two acres of donated land located on the campus of Stonehill College in Easton, MA. The House of Possibilities (HOPe) began as the dream of Paula Kavolius, the mother of three sons. Her youngest son, Timmy, has FG syndrome, a rare congenital disorder with multiple symptoms, including mental retardation.
Kavolius quickly learned that caring for Timmy was a full-time job, one which left her with little time for the "normal" day to day activities of a family. She dreamed of a safe place where she could leave her son Timmy for a few hours to run errands or just spend time with her other children and husband.

Kavalius' dream turned into the grassroots group that is building the Yawkey House of Possibilities in Easton. The building will be a respite home for children with physical and cognitive disabilities and life threatening illnesses.

Auburn Construction is the General Contractor on site. Very early on in the process the company reached out to Local 624 and asked about collaborating on the community effort. The project has brought together both commercial and wood frame Locals as well as apprentices from the New England Carpenters Training Center in Millbury, MA.