FACILITY HAS WATER TOWER AND HIGHWAY BRIDGE ON SITE PAINTERS COUNCIL 53 OPENS NEW TRAINING CENTER NEAR WESTON ainters District crete floor. Gundrum, a 12-year veteran of will have 24 dormitory-style Council 53-JAC From cables rigged beneath the Joint Apprenticeship rooms to allow extended stays PisP currently retrofit- the bridge, containment tarps and Council’s training staff. for those in training. ting a former fac- safety techniques will be installed Training covers a number of Among those providing sig- tory building in in exactly the same manner as areas including a wide variety of nificant support are vendors like Lewis County into a they would on a “real job”. paint applications such as spray- Sherman-Williams Paints, gen- state-of-the art ap- “It’s much better to train in a ing and rolling, dry wall finish- eral contractor A.J. Vauter and prenticeship and controlled environment before ing, wall paper, sealers and var- the West Virginia Department of training facility. they get outside where things are nishes, and of course safety. Highways. The location, near Weston, not so controlled,” explained Another area of the building Continued on p. 3 had a ready-made training envi- ronment on site. “When we saw the 150-ft tall water tower just behind the main building, we were immediately attracted to the facility,” said VOLUME 18 NUMBER 1 Don Gundrum, Apprenticeship JANUARY 2009 Coordinator/Instructor. “We will use that tower to provide the skills and safety training our members need to be productive workers. It is a real bonus to what is a great building.” Inside the 96,000 square foot steel and metal building staff has A PUBLICATION OF sectioned off large open spaces THE AFFILIATED to providing very specific work CONSTRUCTION environments in which people TRADES FOUNDATION can train. One area contains a 65-foot long steel highway bridge sal- The ACT Foundation is a division LEARNING AT THE new Painters DC 53 training center near Weston are apprentices of The West Virginia State vaged from Ripley, then trans- Building and Construction (from left) Celeste Bivetto, Morgantown; Rachel Oliveto, Shinnston; Karen Novasat, Trades Council. Steve Burton, ported and reassembled eleven Fairmont; and Cindy Kelley, Philippi. The facility will train painters from West President; Dave Efaw, Secretary- feet above the building’s con- Virginia, Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky and Maryland. (Photo by Joy Stalnaker.) Treasurer; Steve White, Director. Charleston - (304) 345-7570 Toll Free - (800) 930-9675 2009 WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATIVE www.actwv.org SESSION STARTS IN FEBRUARY he 2009 legisla- through April 11. have health care. On public works construction tive session ACT and the State Building Health care costs remain one projects, money is allowed in TT Trades are working on a num- of the largest problems in the each contract to pay for worker INSIDE starts a month later I ber of measures to improve nation. One factor is uncompen- health care. However, some Tri-State Pg. 2 than usual. That’s because the state con- health care, crane safety and sated care - people without in- contractors don’t have health Sheet Metal 24 Pg. 2 stitution calls for a month delay construction job site safety. surance or money to pay for care plans. Unemployment Pg. 3 when there is an election for Another attempt will be made health care. Hospitals must of- The Trades proposal is to IBEW Local 596 Pg. 3 Governor. to pass a bill requiring contrac- ten shoulder this expensive bur- make each contractor show their Free Choice ACT Pg. 4 The session will still last 60 tors on public works projects to den and pass the cost onto those workers won’t show up on un- days running from February 11 show most of their employees who have insurance. Continued on p. 4 PAGE 2 THE ACT REPORT JANUARY 2009 500 THOUSAND STUDENTS REACHED IN 13 YEARS TRI-STATE BUILDING TRADES COUNCIL SPONSORS EDUCATIONAL SHOW embers of the be addressed, and the best way program. “He wrote that he still experi- testing for building trades mem- M building trades to address those problems is at One young man had been enced some bullying, but now bers. take pride in their an early age.” near suicidal over the bullying had the skills to deal with it.” “We pick up the tab for unions as commu- Garry Boothe, a retired busi- treatment he received, and found The Tri-State Building Trades “Character Counts” and are glad nity-oriented orga- nessman from Wayne, West Vir- help through the “Character sponsors Boothe’s work as part to do it,” said Burton. “We get nizations sponsor- ginia, designed and presents Counts” message. of their Labor Education And tons of letters from parents, ing scores of char- “Character Counts”, named be- “I got a letter thanking me for Development program. In ad- school officials and others thank- ity and service cause Boothe believes charac- teaching him that no one could dition to the educational program ing us for the sponsorship. That’s projects throughout ter issues like respect for others, make him feel bad without his in the schools, LEAD organizes something we feel very good the year. honesty, and trustworthiness are permission,” explained Boothe. safety training and certified drug about.” The Tri-State Building and what define successful people. Construction Trades Council Boothe uses several perfor- points with particular pride to a mance talents to draw his young free educational event for grade audience into the show - long schools about drug awareness enough to pick up on the mes- and safety sponsored for the past sage. He employs various magic 13 years. tricks, ventriloquist “dummies” According to Steve Burton, and unique balloon animals he Business Manager for the Coun- creates on-the-spot. Boothe’s cil, the “Character Counts” pro- show is sold to the students as a gram has reached over 500,000 reward for participation in char- children in 32 counties in West acter development programs in Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio the schools. with an entertaining and fun pre- “You build character in chil- sentation about a serious mes- dren, and they’ll have the skills sage. they need to stay away from “I would venture to say we’ve bad behaviors,” said Boothe. had the program is every el- “Good choices reinforce them- ementary school in our three- selves when positive and fun state service area,” said Burton. things happen as a result.” “Illegal drug use, abuse of pre- Bullying and the sometimes BOOTHE PERFORMS HIS “Character Counts” program, funded by the Tri-State scription drugs and alcohol tragic effects of bullying are also Building Trades, for an eager audience at the Matewan Elementary School in abuse are problems that need to addressed by Boothe during the Matewan, WV. LOCAL UNION OPERATES IN FOUR STATES SHEET METAL LOCAL UNION 24 JOINS ACT heet Metal resents Sheet Metal Workers in Local’s South Point, OH office industrial HVAC, metal roofing School which has training in S Workers Local five West Virginia Counties; along with fellow Business Agent and siding, and industrial lagging South Point and Columbus. 24 starts the new Cabell, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo, Charlie Whitt. work (cover insulation with light The Columbus area has about year off as mem- and Wayne as well as Kentucky, The Local is headed by Busi- gauge metal). 120 apprentices in their four year bers of the Affili- Ohio and Indiana. ness Manager Michael More Finley also serves as Record- program that also has a one year ated Construction Based in Dayton, Ohio the and has three bargaining areas; ing Secretary for the Tri-State pre-apprentice component. Trades and the WV local has around 1800 members Dayton, Cincinnati, and Colum- Building and Construction “We’re glad to be part of the State Building and and in addition to the WV terri- bus. Trades Council. WV State Building Trades and Construction tory covers 27 counties in Ken- Finley works in the Columbus In addition to his other duties ACT,” said Finley. Trades Council. tucky, 50 Ohio Counties and area. Finley is a Trustee on the Sheet “We’ve seen the good work According to Jim Finley, four in Indiana. Finley sees a wide variety of Metal Workers Local 24 Co- that has been done and want to Business Agent, the Local rep- Finley works out of the work including commercial and lumbus area Apprenticeship be a part.” JANUARY 2009 THE ACT REPORT PAGE 3 PA W ORKERS GET $85 MORE PER WEEK AVERAGE WV UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY BENEFITS LOWEST IN REGION any states tary-Treasurer Roy Smith. since the 1980’s and sooner or payments shows West Virginia’s pain caused by economic down- M face a budget According to Smith a close later the fund will go broke if we unemployed workers receive the turns. crisis and that is examination has been made don’t fix it.” lowest weekly amount in the re- Average Weekly Unem- being reflected in about Trust Fund revenue and Smith supports increasing the gion. ployment Benefit Amounts, 2nd their Unemployment expenses. $8000 wage base each year, The average West Virginia Quarter, 2008 Insurance Trust Current law requires employ- similar to the way the benefits are receives more than $85 per week PA $328.77 Funds. ers to pay into the Unemploy- figured. less than those on unemployment OH $295.13 Fortunately West Virginia is in ment Trust Fund for the first But employer groups would in Pennsylvania. Compared to MD $294.10 good financial shape currently, $8000 of wages for each em- rather freeze or lower benefits. Ohio, West Virginians get $50 KY $291.49 but officials are pointing to built ployee.