Local 275 Business Manager Kevin Kelley recently attended the 39th Annual Mayor's Community Prayer Breakfast held at Boston College. Attending the event with Kelley was retired Local 275 Business Manager Edward Gallagher, a 67-year member of the Local. The breakfast was held on May 29, which was Brother Gallagher’s 90th birthday.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren spoke at the event, which supports religious, ethnic and racial diversity and celebrates people who are making a difference through volunteerism.

Pictured (l-r) Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian, Newton Mayor Setti Warren, Local 275 Business Manager Kevin Kelley, Retired Local 275 Business Manager Edward Gallagher and United States Senator Elizabeth Warren

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.

Ten members of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters graduated during the 2013 Spring Commencement at Wentworth Institute of Technology. Five of the graduates received special recognition for academic achievement, listed below.

This group of carpenters is the first class to receive bachelor’s degrees.

Bachelor of Science Degree Graduates:

Building Construction Management
David Aldrich, Local 40
Chris Barcikowski, Local 67
Joseph Byrne, Local 33
Nicholas Cuzzupe***, Local 33
Katie Jenkins*, Local 33
Steven Monteiro, Local 26
Edward Rampans**, Local 67

Project Management
Eamonn Murphy**, Local 33
Marc Surprenant*, Local 33

In 2008, Wentworth Institute of Technology’s Division of Professional and Continuing Studies signed an articulation agreement contract with the NERCC to deliver an Associates’ Degree in Construction Management to members of the Carpenters Union. This was Wentworth’s first articulation agreement with a trade union.

The program has evolved in the short time since its first inception. The agreement now includes both the Bachelor and Master of Science Degree programs.

* Cum Laude (3.5-3.74 grade point index) 
** Magna Cum Laude (3.75-3.89 grade point index)
*** Summa Cum Laude (3.90-4.00 grade point index)

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.

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.

 On April 25, the New England Carpenters Training Center hosted a graduation ceremony for the 2012  New England Carpenters Training Fund Apprentice Graduates. 101 members, representing 15 Locals, completed their training in the apprenticeship program in 2012.  Keynote speakers included: Mark Erlich, Executive Secretary-Treasurer, NERCC; William Irwin, Executive Director, Carpenters International Training Fund; David Powell, Director, Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts; and Larry Carr, Dean, Wentworth Institute of Technology.

Congratulations to all of the graduates! 

Applications are now being accepted for the 2013 New England Regional Council Scholarship Program. Last year 148 students applied and a total of $50,000 was awarded, including the top prize scholarship of $5,000.

To be considered for an award, a completed application package must be received by 5:00 pm on April 12, 2013.

Please review the Eligibility and Guidelines for the program before completing the application. Applicants will be required to write an essay of between 500 and 1000 words on the following topic:

What impact does “Right to Work” legislation have on labor unions, economic development and the standard of living in a state that adopt the law?

To eliminate bias, the scholarship committee is blind to the identity of the applicant. Essays are numerically coded to prevent any reader from having knowledge of the writer. Winners of the top two prizes will be asked to read their essays at the June 2013 delegate meeting. Persons awarded first or second place in a prior year are ineligible for first or second place in subsequent years.

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. 

Earlier this month, the NERCC hosted an event at the Carpenters Center honoring the members and contractors who contributed their time, talents, and resources to the construction of the new National Teaching Hospital in Mirebalais, Haiti. Representatives from the hospital attended the event to thank the volunteers for their efforts. Dr. David Walton, Chief Operating Officer, and Jim Ansara, Director of Design & Construction, spoke at the event and shared updated pictures from the hospital, which was scheduled to open the next morning.

Representatives Martin Walsh and Linda Dorcena-Forry also attended the event, thanking all of the volunteers and contributors to the project and handing out citations to each of the members who volunteered on the project.

After the citations were awarded, there was a presentation of the video (below), “Helping Hammers: Carpenters in Haiti,” which outlines the massive donations of time, materials and skills that were needed for the project to succeed.

Congratulations to all the union members who applied their skills to this transformative project that will benefit thousands of people for years to come.

Scott Berry, Local 111; Michael Biasella, Local 40; Eric Bickford, Local 2168; Joe Bickford, Local 2168; Peter Carroll. Local 111; John Colbert, Local 40; David Cormier, Local 43; Michael Costello, Local 40; Jorge DeBurgo, Local 2168; Ryan Donovan, Local 2168; Patrick Feeney, Jr., Local 67; Hans Gabriel, Local 40; Michael Jacques, Local 2168; Stephen Lavache, Local 40; David LeBlanc, Local 2168; Peter Leyden, Local 33; Bruce McKenna, Local 33; Stephen McKenna, Local 275; James Murray, Local 94; Mynor Perez, Local 2168; Michael Robinson, Local 210; Andrew Smith, Local 43; Timothy Sullivan, Local 24; and David Young, Local 2168.

Thanks to the following contractors who contributed to the project:
Contract Flooring Installations, Mark Richey Flooring, Shawmut Design and Construction, Shock Brothers, Central Ceilings, H. Carr & Sons, John Moriarty and Associates, Cheviot Corporation.

Congratulations to New Hampshire Local 118 member Gary Vermillion, who yesterday was elected to a two-year term on the Londonderry Budget Committee. 

See complete list of Londonderry town election reults 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. 

 A group of union carpenters were joined by senior citizens and others at a crowded meeting in Waltham to discuss the future of a former Polaroid site. The parcel is one of a handful of large projects slated for the Metro-West city. Union carpenters are watching closely to see if they will be the source of good jobs for local people or rampant fraud and profiteering by developers. With persistent action, they hope to ensure the former.

The Polaroid project--to be done in phases--will involve the construction of 180,000 square feet of retail space, 100,000 square feet for a Market Basket and another 100,000 square feet of office space.

Members of Local 275 were joined by members of other UBC locals who live in Waltham. Local 275 Business Manager Kevin Kelley was one of the few speakers at the meeting, expressing his desire for developers to make a commitment to decent standards on the project. The meeting was not open for everyone to speak, so carpenters made their feelings known by holding up and rotating small signs that read "Save The Middle Class"  on one side and "Build Union" on the other.

Members in Waltham plan to be active a other upcoming meetings, to discuss the Polaroid project as well as work at One Moody Street, with an eyee toward cementing Waltham as a strong union city. Members in and around Waltham who are interested in participating can contact Brother Kelley at Local 275's union  hall.

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.

On January 12, 2010, a catastrophic earthquake hit Haiti, devastating an already impoverished nation. With much of the country's medical infrastructure destroyed, plans that were in place to build a 110-bed community hospital had to be revamped. The Ministry of Health, along with Partners In Health, launched a far more ambitious plan to build a 320-bed state-of-the-art teaching hospital in Mirebalais, which is located thirty-five miles north of Port-au-Prince in the Central Plateau.

Haiti's building industry, however, was simply unable to meet the needs of the new building design. Massive donations of time, materials and skills would be needed for the project to succeed. Union carpenters and contractors stepped up to the challenge to help secure materials and volunteer their time and labor to help build the hospital while teaching Haitian workers valuable craft skills 

To learn more, check out the piece NERCC Executive Secretary-Treasurer Mark Erlich wrote for Commonwealth magazine about this amazing project following a trip to Haiti in 2012.

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.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2013 New England Regional Council Scholarship Program. Last year 148 students applied and a total of $50,000 was awarded, including the top prize scholarship of $5,000.

To be considered for an award, a completed application package must be received by 5:00 pm on April 12, 2013.

Please review the Eligibility and Guidelines for the program before completing the application. Applicants will be required to write an essay of between 500 and 1000 words on the following topic:

What impact does “Right to Work” legislation have on labor unions, economic development and the standard of living in a state that adopt the law?

To eliminate bias, the scholarship committee is blind to the identity of the applicant. Essays are numerically coded to prevent any reader from having knowledge of the writer. Winners of the top two prizes will be asked to read their essays at the June 2013 delegate meeting. Persons awarded first or second place in a prior year are ineligible for first or second place in subsequent years.

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. 

Through a partnership between Wentworth Institute of Technology and the New England Regional Council of Carpenters members can advance your career by earning an Associate of Applied Science in Building Construction Management. Courses are now being offered at the New England Carpenters Training Center in Millbury, MA.

* Classes held at New England Carpenters Training Center in Millbury, MA
* Convenient evening and weekend classes
* All members receive 33% tuition discount
* Graduates of the Apprenticeship Training Program earn 22 credits towards Associate degree
* The balance of 42 credits can be completed in as little as two years

The program begins on January 7, 2013. To complete an online application visit www.WIT.edu/apply.

To speak with an admissions counselor, please contact Ashley Roberts at 617-989-4651 or by emailing Robertsa2@wit.edu.

For more information about oppoturnities available through this unique program, click here. 

To all staff and local unions:

Yesterday was a good day for union carpenters across New England. Amazingly, all of the Council’s endorsed candidates won election. Obama swept the six states, including winning swing-state New Hampshire by a larger-than-expected margin. In the critical races -- Warren in Massachusetts, Murphy in Connecticut, Hassan/Kuster/Shea-Porter in New Hampshire, King in Maine, Cicilline in Rhode Island – our picks were all winners!!

There is no doubt in my mind that some of the credit for these outcomes belongs to all of you and our members. We worked as hard as we ever have in an election season. We used all the tools available to us – new and old techniques – to educate and mobilize our members. And they responded. Door knocking, phone banks, rallies, visibilities, robo-dials, tele-Town Halls. We had a good story to tell…and we told it well and often.

But it’s important to keep a clear-eyed perspective on where we stand the morning after Election Day 2012. In many ways, we “held serve”. We helped fend off the right wing Republican assault on the middle class. There should be a clear message to the nation’s anti-union forces that their philosophy is not welcome, that the voters do not buy an agenda that favors the wealthy over working families. Yet we still have a divided Congress; we still have a Republican Party that attacks unions. We have some new articulate champions but we also have some old foes. Paul Ryan is still chair of the House Budget Committee and there are no signs yet that the House leadership is prepared to move forward in terms of solving our country’s problems as opposed to scoring political points.

So, as much as all of us deserve to take a deep breath and feel a justified sense of pride in our efforts, we will need to remain vigilant. The economy will not fix itself; it will require more federal and state action to invest in jobs and people. And it will require our continued involvement. Our members need to work; that’s why we endorsed the candidates who understood that the best social program is a job.

Thank you all for your efforts these past weeks and months. It was worth it. Congratulations.

Mark Erlich
Executive Secretary-Treasurer
New England Regional Council of Carpenters
 

Only two weeks ago, an ad for Elizabeth Warren featured Local 107's Jack Donahue. It was the latest sign that Elizabeth Warren and union carpenters share the same vision for the future of Massachusetts and the United States. This week, Donahue takes a backseat to Brother Richard Brow, another Local 107 carpenter featured in an ad for Elizabeth Warren. In the ad, Brow talks about the importance of creating jobs and how Scott Brown has voted no on multiple jobs bills since arriving in the Senate. Take a look and remember to share with all of your friends and family.
 

Last night in Hartford, carpenters participated a pre-debate visibility in support of Chris Murphy, the union's endorsed candidate for United States Senate.

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.

United States Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren visited the Carpenters Center recently to speak with members about issues of specific interest to union carpenters. She took questions from members and spoke individually with members before and after the event. Thank you to Elizabeth Warren for coming by and thank you to every member who cared enough to come out and get involved.

Weather didn't deter members of Carpenters Local 26 on Massachusetts' north shore. They turned out and stood up for their friend, Congressman John Tierney, who is facing a tough re-election battle.

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. 
 

NERCC has reached a tentative agreement with contractors on a new collective bargaining agreement for Boston and Eastern Massachusetts. Details will be given and votes will be taken at meetings for members this Thursday night. Members who have not received a phone call with the time and location, should contact their local union hall.

New England Cable News last week reported on the work being done to rebuild Jackson Square in Boston. The piece includes an interview with the developer and also Charles Cofield. Cofield grew up in the area and is now working there as the carpenter steward and a member of Local 67.

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.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2012 New England Regional Council Scholarship Program. Last year 143 students applied and a total of $55,000 was awarded, including top scholarships of $5,000 and $3,000.

To be considered for an award, a completed application package must be received by 5:00 pm on April 13, 2012.

For details about the application process, click here.

The New England Regional Council of Carpenters has developed state-specific Resource Lists of agencies and programs that can help members who are experiencing long-term unemployment and may require emergency assistance.

The lists include services such as food, housing, employment, health care, counseling, fuel assistance and more.

In addition, the United Way has set up a phone service in all states that helps connect people in need with appropriate services. 2-1-1 provides free and confidential information and referral. Please visit 211.org for more information.

Click on the links below to find a list of resources for your state:
Connecticut
Maine
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Vermont

An exciting construction project is underway!

The New England Carpenters Union’s cyber home is undergoing major renovations and is looking for your input!

If you haven’t visited the site in awhile, check out the existing site by clicking here.

Have any suggestions for features you’d like to see incorporated into the new site? How about updates to the way existing information is presented? Is there a feature that you use regularly on the exisiting site that you want to be sure is included in the design of the new site?

Let us know! Send an email with the subject line “NECarpenters.org Redesign” to nerccweb@gmail.com.

Due to a deep and long recession, many members may be dealing with prolonged unemployment that has caused them financial hardship.

Massachusetts residents interested in learning more about fuel and energy assistance available should check out the online brochure "Keeping the Heat and Lights On" from Mass.gov.

In addition to the link above, 211.org is also a good resource developed by the United Way for people to find help. It is a resource for help with food, housing, employment, health care, counseling and more.

The Scholarship Sub-Committee of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters has established the guidelines for the eligibility, application, and awarding of scholarships for 2011.

The official guidelines and application can be found here.

Applicants should submit the completed essay, application form and most recent transcript of grades by 5:00 p.m. on April 15, 2011 to NERCC Scholarship, ATTN: Malerie Anderson, 750 Dorchester Ave., Boston, MA 02125.

Applications received after April 15, 2011 will be ineligible.

To eliminate bias, the scholarship committee is blind to the identity of the applicant. Essays are numerically coded to prevent any reader from having knowledge of the writer. Winners of the top two prizes will be asked to read their essays at the June 2011 delegate meeting. Persons awarded first or second place in a prior year are ineligible for first or second place in subsequent years.

• Join us to honor our brothers and sisters who were killed, injured or suffered from illness on the job last year
• Demand strong workplace health and safety protections for all workers
• Visit a legislator to voice your support for State Safety and Health legislation

The 2010 Workers’ Memorial Day Report will be released that day. Contact Katie Mae Simpson at (617)825-7233 x14 or katiemae.simpson@masscosh.org for more Workers’ Memorial Day information or other resources about health and safety in the workplace.

Sponsored by the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (MassCOSH), Massachusetts AFL-CIO, and Greater Boston Labor Council.

The Scholarship Sub-Committee of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters has established the guidelines for the eligibility, application, and awarding of scholarships for 2010.

Applicants should submit the completed essay, application form and most recent transcript of grades by 5:00 p.m. on April 16, 2010 to:

NERCC Scholarship, ATTN: Malerie Anderson

750 Dorchester Ave.

Boston, MA 02125.

Applications received after April 16, 2010 will not be eligible.

To eliminate bias, the scholarship committee is blind to the identity of the applicant. Essays are numerically coded to prevent any reader from having knowledge of the writer. Winners of the top two prizes will be asked to read their essays at the June 2010 delegate meeting. Persons awarded first or second place in a prior year are ineligible for first or second place in subsequent years.

Please read the following guidelines before submitting your application. After reading the guidelines, you can download the application by clicking on the link below.

2010 NERCC Scholarship Guidelines
2010 NERCC Scholarship Application

The House of Representatives’ vote to pass a Senate version of health care reform will lead to a dramatic change for many Americans, even some union members covered by one of the funds in New England.

The following information is provided by The Segal Company, a consulting company that works with benefit funds throughout the country, including carpenter union funds in New England. For even more information, visit this page.

Significant portions of the bill will not take effect right away—and some may still be modified—but there are some important changes that will benefit members and go into effect within the next year, such as:

• No lifetime benefit limits and only limited annual benefit limits
• Coverage for dependent children up to age 26, as long as they do not have access to other employer-sponsored health coverage (the reconciliation bill also assures that this coverage can be provided on a tax-free basis)
• No preexisting conditions for children under age 19
• No rescission of health coverage, except in cases of fraud (primarily an individual insurance policy issue)

Other items that are immediately effective include a Medicare Part D provision that provides that beneficiaries who are in a Prescription Drug Plan and who reach the doughnut hole in 2010 would receive a one-time $250 rebate, as well as a reinsurance program for pre-Medicare retirees (discussed below)

Additional reforms would be effective for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2014, including a ban on waiting periods over 90 days.

In 2011, Health Flexible Spending Arrangements, Health Reimbursement Arrangements, and Health Savings Accounts can only reimburse participants for over-the-counter drugs with a prescription written by their health care provider.

The Scholarship Sub-Committee of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters has established the guidelines for the eligibility, application, and awarding of scholarships for 2010.

Please read the following guidelines before submitting your application:

2010 NERCC Scholarship Guidelines

2010 NERCC Scholarship Application


Applicants should submit the completed essay, application form and most recent transcript of grades by 5:00 p.m. on April 16, 2010 to NERCC Scholarship, ATTN: Malerie Anderson, 750 Dorchester Ave., Boston, MA 02125.

Applications received after April 16, 2010 will not be eligible.

To eliminate bias, the scholarship committee is blind to the identity of the applicant. Essays are numerically coded to prevent any reader from having knowledge of the writer. Winners of the top two prizes will be asked to read their essays at the June 2010 delegate meeting. Persons awarded first or second place in a prior year are ineligible for first or second place in subsequent years.

Members of Local 107 and several other NERCC affiliates demonstrated at the Crowne Plaza in downtown Worcester last Thursday to alert the public that two out of state contractors have been hired to do renovations at the hotel. Local politicians and other unions also joined union members to show their support.

First Finish from Maryland was hired as the General Contractor and a company out of Virginia (!) is being used to do the drywall work. This is despite the annual presence of the Carpenters Union at the hotel for the New England Carpenters Apprenticeship Contest and Banquet and the use of the hotel for events by other unions, the Democratic Party and numerous other local groups.



Reports have been coming in that several large groups have canceled their events at the hotel as a result of the Crowne Plaza’s refusal to use even a local nonunion contractor for the project. The Apprenticeship Contest banquet is being moved to another location.

Worcester City Councilor Kate Toomey was one of the speakers at the rally, blasting the Crowne Plaza's one way version of partnership.

"For the Crowne Plaza to be a viable local entity, they need the patronage of Worcester and Worcester County residents. For Worcester and Worcester County to be viable, we need companies like the Crowne Plaza to reciprocate by using local contractors.

"Although the project is underway, I hope that [the Crowne Plaza's parent company] Lodgian and Crowne Plaza will reconsider and give local business3es and tradesmen the opportunity to work on this project."