BUILDING NEW ENGLAND FOR OVER 100 YEARS
2023
WINTER
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3 BUSINESS MANAGER’S REPORT
4 WORKSITE SPOTLIGHT
BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY
5 TRADESWOMAN HERO
6 LEADERSHIP TRANSITION IN OUR INTERNATIONAL UNION
7 WELCOME NEW APPRENTICES
Boston Plasterers and Cement Masons Local 534 represents over 400 skilled and licensed plasterers and cement masons across New England. We’re proud to set the standard for cuttingedge architectural design and durable construction. Thanks to our world-class training, benefits, and commitment to quality construction, we’ve been the trusted choice for plaster, cement masonry, and fireproofing for over 100 years.
BOSTON LOCAL 534 | WINTER 2023 2
BUSINESS MANAGER’S REPORT
Brothers and Sisters,
I hope the year has begun well for you and your families. 2023 will be a big year for our union, and we have many exciting things planned.
There’s no better place to see the union difference in action than at a Local 534 job site, where our members’ top-notch skills and expertise enable them to get the job done safely and efficiently. This quarter, we’re spotlighting the work Local 534 members are doing for the Boston Housing Authority at the Fidelis Way apartments in Brighton. Read more about the great work our members do to build affordable housing on page 4.
This month, the Operative Plasterers’ & Cement Masons’ International Association bids farewell to outgoing General President Daniel E. Stepano. President Stepano’s rise through the ranks of his Pittsburgh local is a shining example of the lifechanging opportunities unions provide.
New England and beyond. Read more about our outgoing and incoming international presidents on page 6.
Finally, we also want to warmly welcome our new Local 534 apprentices. As our members know firsthand, a union apprenticeship is the best way to set yourself up for success and stability by earning while you learn a trade. We’re excited to see what our new apprentices, who you can read about on page 7, will accomplish throughout their training and once they become full journeypersons of Local 534.
Thank you to our Local 534 members for all your hard work and dedication. You keep our union strong!
In Solidarity, John Sweeney Business Manager Plasterers and Cement Masons Local 534
We look forward to working with incoming General President Kevin D. Sexton to better the lives of Local 534 members and create more opportunities in our wonderful trade in
We thank him for his leadership and wish him the best in the future. 3 TRUST
“ ”
PLASTER. TRUST CONCRETE. TRUST LOCAL 534.
BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY WORKSITE SPOTLIGHT:
Every day, Local 534 works hard to build strong communities. We are proud to help the Boston Housing Authority provide quality affordable housing across the city, bringing stability and opportunity to thousands of families and individuals.
Take a look at the important work Local 534 members are doing at the Fidelis Way apartments in Brighton to ensure everyone has a decent place to call home.
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TRADESWOMAN HERO
Congratulations to Local 534 member Janelle Leone for being named Tradeswoman Hero by North America’s Building Trades Unions in January! This monthly award recognizes four tradeswomen across the U.S. and Canada, including two apprentices and two journey-level workers, who lead by example and perform their duties at an outstanding level.
Janelle has a passion like no other for her craft and her union, and we are so proud to have her hard work and dedication celebrated on a national level.
Janelle Leone
TRUST PLASTER. TRUST CONCRETE. TRUST LOCAL 534. 5
Tradeswomen Heroes Award Winner - January 2023
LEADERSHIP TRANSITION IN OUR INTERNATIONAL UNION
This month, Operative Plasterers’ & Cement Masons’ International Association General President Daniel E. Stepano retires from his six-year tenure as leader of the International Union. He will be succeeded by outgoing Secretary-Treasurer Kevin D. Sexton, who was unanimously elected as the next General President of OPCMIA. Local 534 congratulates both of these strong labor leaders.
Outgoing President Stepano is a shining example of what it means to live the union life. He began his career on the ground floor as a Plasterer in Local 31, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Over the next 24 years, his hard work and dedication to his fellow
Plasterers enabled him to rise through the ranks, ascending to the positions of Recording Secretary, Apprentice Coordinator/ Instructor, Executive Board Member, Business Agent, Fund Trustee, Business Manager and Financial Secretary.
In 2016, President Stepano was given the ultimate vote of confidence by members of our trade when we elected him President of OPCMIA, after he had previously held the roles of International Vice President, General Executive Board Member, and Executive Vice President and Director of Organizing. Under President Stepano’s leadership, OPCMIA became more diverse, brought new technological innovations to our work,
Outgoing OPCMIA General President Daniel E. Stepano
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Incoming OPCMIA General President Kevin D. Sexton
strengthened our apprenticeship programs, and exercised greater influence over legislation and politics than ever before.
President Stepano leaves our International Union in outstanding shape. We at Local 534 are grateful for his steadfast partnership in strengthening our union at the local and international levels. We wish him the best in his retirement.
Local 534 is proud to welcome new General President Kevin D. Sexton to his leadership role within OPCMIA. There is no one more qualified to lead our great union than General President Sexton, as demonstrated by his unanimous election to replace outgoing President Stepano.
General President Sexton came to the union from the particularly important and distinguished
pipeline of the U.S. Military, having served in the Army before becoming an apprentice with Local 518 in Independence, Missouri in 1985. He has held many leadership positions in his old local, from Executive Board Member and Business Agent to Business Manager and President. More recently, General President Sexton served as the General Secretary-Treasurer of OPCMIA, after previously having been its Vice President and Assistant to the General President.
We are excited to support President Sexton, and to work with him to bring about higher wages, stronger benefits, and better opportunities for Local 534 members and all Plasterers. We’re confident in his leadership and excited to be part of a new era of growth and progress for the Plasterers Union.
NEW APPRENTICES
Congratulations to the following new apprentices of Local 534! We can’t wait to see all they accomplish as plasterers and cement masons.
Shakina Bozeman
Antoine Brown
Alan Chamberland Jr.
Salvatore Coco
Billy Garland
LaGina Hampton-Boyd
Andraya Holmes
Kymauri Jean-Lestin
Bradley Ramos
Nadalia Rowe
Joseph Sullivan
TRUST PLASTER. TRUST CONCRETE. TRUST LOCAL 534. 7
Boston Plasterers and Cement Masons Local 534
7 Frederika Street
Boston, MA 02124 2023
534 MEETING SCHEDULE
The best way to have a voice in your union is to attend local meetings, where you can engage with fellow members, ask questions of local leadership, and stay informed. We’re pleased to share this year’s schedule for regular union meetings.
All meetings will be held at the Local 534 Union Hall unless otherwise noted.
Saturday February 25 9 AM
Tuesday March 28 6 PM
Tuesday April 25 6 PM
Tuesday May 23 6 PM
Tuesday June 27 6 PM
Tuesday September 26 6 PM
Tuesday October 24 6 PM
Tuesday November 21 6 PM
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