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 job well done to five union carpenters who volunteered on a Saturday in late April to help Rebuilding Together Boston as part of their National Rebuilding Day. The members, who participated through the Sisters in the Brotherhood program worked together, alongside 30 other volunteers, on the house of an elderly Dorchester resident. 

The Rebuilding Together Boston program works throughout the City of Boston 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. The program also assists non-profit-owned facilities- community centers, schools, worship centers, etc. Services are provided at no cost to recipients due to the generous support of foundations, corporations, vendors and individuals like the carpenter volunteers.

Volunteers on the Dorchester project rebuilt a bulkhead, replaced a number of windows and two doors, patched walls, hung drywall, rebuilt a portion of the kitchen, replaced window and door trim, rebuilt latticework around the foundation, poured concrete for a new sill to the bulkhead, and much more.

Members involved in the effort included Karen Blandino, Local 67; Mary Ann Cloherty, Local 40; Mary Muhler, Local 67; Liz Skidmore, Local 118; and pre-apprentice Kaitlin Medeiros.

May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day, commemorates the 1886 Haymarket Massacre in Chicago. Four demonstrators and several police officers were killed during a general strike for the eight-hour workday when an unidentified person threw a bomb at police who were trying to disperse the gathering of people. Police reacted to by firing at the crowd of workers. Today, International Workers’ Day is celebrated in more than 80 countries around the world as a day to commemorate the ongoing fight for workers’ rights.

Boston-area gatherings will be held this afternoon in Revere, Everett, Chelsea and at Boston City Hall (start times vary by location). Participants will march from each of these locations to a combined rally at 5:00 PM happening at Liberty Plaza, Central Square, which is located off of Bennington and Meridian Streets in East Boston.

NERCC, with help from local community groups, created this video as a promotion for local area International Workers’ Day events. The piece gives Boston-area workers, including Piledrivers Local 56 member Fran Kotak, a chance to share their stories. Check out the full length version of this video here. 

Visit nercc.org/mayday for detailed information about Boston-area gatherings.

With roots in the American struggle for the 8-hour work day, International Workers Day is celebrated in more than 80 countries around the world as a day to commemorate the ongoing fight for workers' rights.

Below, Boston-area workers share their stories as part of International Workers' Day, which takes place on May Day (May 1st). May 1st commemorates the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago, where workers stood for the eight-hour workday.

Join labor unions, faith organizations, immigrant rights groups and community allies as we march and rally for workers' rights. For information about Boston-area gatherings, visit nercc.org/mayday. 

To see the full-length version of this visit, click here.

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.

Brother Richie Trahan checked in to report on the Holiday Party held at the Carpenters Center for NERCC's Boston Retirees Club last month. Members from the four Boston locals were invited to attend and several dozen did. A group of retired members from Carpenters Local Unions 33, 40, 67 and 218 began meeting  last fall to develop a club for members who had hung up the tools, but not their desire to stay connected to each other and the union.

The group is meeting regularly on the 2nd Monday of the month at the Carpenters Center and hopes to schedule social, educational and union-building activities. The time for the meeting has not been made permanent. For more information or scheduling, contact Richie Trahan at 781-848-9597.

The 2012 Carpenters Expo and Apprenticeship Career Day was held on Friday, October 19, at the New England Carpenters Training Center in Millbury, MA.

705 high school students, representing thirty-three schools, toured the facility and learned about the opportunities available to those who pursue a career as a member of the Carpenters Union.
Vendors, retailers and carpenter organizations were on hand with exhibits and informational handouts.

The small group guided tours of the training facility gave students and their instructors the opportunity to see professional union carpenters and apprentices showcasing their skills in the following areas: flooring, interior systems, infection control risk assessment, exterior siding, residential wood framing, scaffold erector certification, cabinet installation, door hardware, finish carpentry, stair layout & framing, concrete formwork, structural insulated panel systems, insulated concrete forms, pile driving and under water welding.

A committee of retired members from Boston-area local unions affiliated with the New England Regional Council met today to discuss establishing a retirees group. Preliminary discussions involve inviting retired members to participate in social, educational and union-building activities. Stay tuned for more information on how the group will operate and how retired members can get involved.

More than 75 carpenter stewards in Connecticut from Locals 24, 43 and 210 gathered last night to talk about upcoming elections in the state that could have a significant impact both locally and nationally. A United States Senate race between Congressman Chris Murphy and second-time candidate Linda McMahon of the WWE wrestling company is one of a handful of races in the country that could tilt the balance of power in the Senate. Members are also active in other races in the state.

After discussing issues of importance to union carpenters, the conversation turned to getting as many members active as possible. Stewards returned to jobsites today armed with information and schedules. The information is to educate fellow carpenters about the issues and the candidates, the schedules were for events at which members will reach out to even more members. Between now and Election Day on November 6, members will be participating in phone banks to contact registered members and talk to them about the importance of the election to their families, our union, the economy and the construction industry.
Members interested in participating in scheduled activity should contact their Local Union hall for dates and times.

Come find out about the Wentworth program!

Wentworth will be presenting information about registration, fees, and other requirements to participate in their Construction Management Associates and Bachelor degree programs. Graduates of our apprenticeship program will receive 22 college credits toward their degree. All carpenter participants will receive one-third off of their tuition at Wentworth. Participants at either session may register with Wentworth.

 The sessions will be held at the Carpenters Center in Boston, MA, and the New England Carpenters Training Center in Millbury, MA.

New England Carpenters Training Center -- October 13th 2012 @ 9:00 a.m.
RSVP at (508) 792-5443 no later than Tuesday, October 9th

The Carpenters Center (2nd Floor) -- October 17th 2012 @ 5:00 p.m.
RSVP at (617) 782-4314 no later than Tuesday, October 9th

New England Carpenters Training Center -- November 7th 2012 @ 5:00 p.m.
RSVP at (508) 792-5443 no later than Wednesday, October 31st

For more information about this partnership click here. 
 

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.
 

Workers' Memorial Day
Mourn for the Dead and Fight for the Living
Thursday, April 26, 2012

Seven months after a tornado struck Western Massachusetts in 2011, the storm claimed its final victim. 19-year-old college freshman James Ivanov was on winter break putting up a West Springfield house destroyed by the storm when he fell four stories to his death. That same year, Luis Tenezaca Palaguachi, a 25-year-old roofer, was working on a triple-decker home in New Bedford, when he lost his balance and fell three stories, later dying of his injuries. The employers of these young men failed to provide life-saving fall protection – a grave safety violation that costs lives.

To call attention to needless workplace injuries, illnesses, and deaths, please join MassCOSH for:

Workers Memorial Day Public Commemoration
Thursday, April 26, 2012

12:00 – 1:15 PM
In front of the State House
24 Beacon Street, Boston
(rain location call 315-546-6391 for info.)

There is still time to participate in MassCOSH’s first annual Roses to Remember.

By participating in Roses to Remember, you can honor workers who lost their lives and support efforts to halt unsafe conditions by contributing $15 or more to MassCOSH today. For every donation received, MassCOSH will place a rose at the foot of our Workers’ Memorial Day memorial in your name. Your donation will directly fund MassCOSH’s efforts to ensure that every working person can return home to their loved ones from work healthy and sound each and every day.

Learn more about making a donation by visiting the Mass COSH website by clicking here. 

Donations made by the deadline on April 21 will be recognized with a rose in that donors name. If you have any questions, please contact Membership Coordinator Jeff Newton at jeff.newton@masscosh.org.

Information sessions are being held for members who would like to learn more about degree programs available through the union at Wentworth Institute of Technology. Two sessions are scheduled in the coming weeks.

Saturday, April 21 at 10AM: 750 Dorchester Ave., Boston, MA

Saturday, May 5 at 9 AM: 13 Holman Rd., Millbury, MA

Learn more general information about the program by clicking here.

Union carpenters will join with church, student and community groups to hold a news conference today at 3pm at the Community Church of Durham (NH) at 17 Main Street to release information about serious violations of state and federal law--including non-payment of wages--at the "Cottages of Durham." The "Cottages of Durham" is a new student housing development for students of the University of New Hampshire. It is being developed by Capstone Development/The Cottages of Durham.

Please read this and consider visiting the Cottages of Durham Facebook page and politely ask them to do right by these workers.

Construction workers at the Cottages of Durham describe multiple and flagrant violations of state and federal labor law.

These workers say that they worked long hours for many weeks without pay. When they complained about nonpayment of their wages, they were terminated and evicted from their housing.

Union carpenters stand in solidarity with these exploited workers and demand that Cottages of Durham/Capstone Development promptly pay these workers what they are owed in wages and overtime.

Carpenters in Boston will be holding an area standards demonstration on Thursday, February 1 from 11a-1p against Continental Construction. The company, which has been hired for renovation work at the Radisson Hotel does not meet area standards for carpenters' wages and benefits on all of its projects. The demonstration will take place at the Boston Radisson, located at 200 Stuart Street.

Carpenters in Boston will be holding an area standards demonstration on Tuesday, January 31 from 3-5pm against Baystate Services, Inc. The demonstration will take place at the Marriott Copley Place on Huntington Avenue.

More information about Baystate and Marriott Copley Place.

Connecticut Carpenters will be holding an area standards demonstration against BAKER CONCRETE on Thursday, February 2nd from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at Commons Park on Crosby Street across from 201 Park Place in Stamford.

More on Baker Concrete demonstrations.
 

Carpenters in Connecticut will be holding and Area Standards demonstration against ALLSTATE INTERIORS on Tuesday, January 31st, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at Storrs Road Route 195 (Corner of Dog Lane) Storrs Center, Mansfield.

December 16, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Mark Erlich

Carpenters continue mass demonstrations at Marriott Copley
Members of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters, Painters District Council #35 and other Boston Building Trades unions will be demonstrating at the Marriott Copley Place this Saturday, December 17 from 11am-1pm to call attention to substandard conditions for construction workers renovating 1100 hotel rooms. Demonstrations featuring as many as 200 members have been held two to three times a week for the last month and will continue indefinitely.
 

Host Hotels, the owner of the downtown hotel, hired Baystate Services, Inc as a general contractor. Baystate and its subcontractors pay substandard wages, and minimal or no benefits. In addition, many of the subcontractors illegally misclassify their employees as "independent contractors", a violation of state and federal tax and insurance laws. Three subcontractors on the site, RB Wallcovering, of Jacksonville Beach, Florida, Jayson Connor, a Marshfield, MA flooring contractor and Installation Plus, a Corona, CA contractor were issued Stop Work Orders (attached) by the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents within the last five weeks for failure to properly cover employees with workers’ compensation insurance.
 

“Host Hotels is part of an unfortunate trend to drive standards down and jeopardize middle-class careers in construction," says Mark Erlich, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters. "Host is taking advantage of the recession to bring in low-waged out-of-state workers and hiring contractors that participate in the growing underground economy.”
 

“If guests used the same logic as Host Hotels—that price was the only issue for making a decision—would any of them stay at the Copley Marriott?" asks Jeffrey Sullivan, Business Manager of Painters District Council 35. "Guests pay up to $400 a night while these trades workers make as little as $12 an hour. With room occupancy in Boston back to pre-recession levels, Host has no excuse for these kinds of choices."
 

Video of past demonstrations can be viewed in the nercc.org video gallery under the “Workers Rights” heading. 

Demonstration for area standards at the Boston Copley Marriott.

Right to work supporters are planning a major event in Concord on Wednesday to coincide with a vote on Right to Work legislation for New Hampshire. There are rumors that Republican Presidential Candidates will attend this rally.

We have beaten back this efforts before and need to do it again. But we need to ensure that our voices are heard and our faces are seen. Please join us Wednesday at 8am in front of the State House for a demonstration in support of workers, in support of unions and against Right to Work.

Again, that’s this Wednesday, November 30 at 8am in front of the State House in Concord. Thank you.

On Saturday, November 5, 2011, representatives from Wentworth Institute of Technology will be hosting an informational session at the New England Carpenters Training Center (NECTC) located at 13 Holman Road, Millbury, MA. Representatives from Wentworth will be discussing their associate’s and bachelor’s degree programs for Construction Management. The program is now being offered at the NECTC and the Boston Training Center, 750 Dorchester Ave, Boston.

The information session will cover registration, fees, and the various courses offered. Members will have the opportunity to ask questions. Representatives will be on hand to assist any member interested in registering for the program that day.

This specially tailored program allows members to transfer up to 22 credits from apprenticeship training and journeyman upgrade courses that have been accredited by Wentworth. Members also receive a 33% discount off the normal tuition rates. To learn more about the program click here.

The session will begin at 9:00 am. Meals will be served.

Please contact the NECTC at 508-792-5443 if you are planning to attend.