SMW17 UPDATE SPRING 2020
DELIVERING RESULTS IS WHAT WE DO
• COVID-19 Updates & Guidance • Spotlight on Concord Hospital • Local 17 Gives Back
TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 BUSINESS MANAGER’S REPORT 4 COVID-19 UPDATES & GUIDANCE 5 NEWS 10 PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: CONCORD, NH 12 APPRENTICE CONTEST 13 TAKING ACTION 14 HONORING ED MARENBURG AND JOHN HEALY 15 IN MEMORIAM
Sheet Metal Workers Local 17 is a building trade union representing more than 2,700 skilled and licensed workers throughout Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. We stand together as the most highly trained professionals in the industry, bringing the top safety standards and quality to every project. Local 17 was formed in 1896 so that men and women working in the sheet metal industry could bargain collectively for better work standards. Today, our members enjoy dignified contracts, industry-leading wages and healthcare, and a sound pension plan they can count on after retirement. 1157 Adams Street, Dorchester, MA 02124 (617) 296-1680
FROM THE BUSINESS MANAGER’S DESK Brothers and Sisters, We've built one of the strongest unions in the industry — and together, we can withstand any storm. Though we face some uncertainty in the coming weeks, we're standing strong at Local 17 to protect our members and your families. We're making sure that workers don't get left behind right now. HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: •
We successfully worked with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of Maine to waive the one-week waiting period for unemployment assistance. All members who have been separated from work due to COVID-19 are immediately eligible for benefits.
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We've also worked with our friends in Washington to make those unemployment checks bigger. Most members will get an extra $600 a week for unemployment, on top of a one-time check depending on your earnings from your latest tax return. Review page 4 of this issue for key tips when you apply.
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We helped pass new legislation on paid leave, so if you or your family member gets sick with COVID-19, you'll be guaranteed two weeks of paid sick time.
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With our industry partners, we're making sure that members who are still on the job, but need to take care of a child or ill family member, are in no way penalized for missing work.
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We've put together a COVID-19 Online Resource Center, which we're updating daily with key information on unemployment, your benefits, and other resources. Visit SMW17Boston.org to review.
We know this isn't enough. That's why we're working with our federal delegation to ensure that any new legislation covers our health insurance and pension plans, too. On the national level, SMART and the Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA) are monitoring day-today operations and will continue to communicate with members as developments progress. All of us in the building trades are eager to get back to work. Your safety remains our top priority. With our partners, we're developing best practices and new protocols to ensure the safest job sites possible, both for some projects in Boston and Cambridge opening in the coming weeks and for all projects when it's feasible to return. We might not have all the answers right now, but you have my word: Local 17 has your back, no matter what. We'll continue to update you regularly with important news and developments. If you don't receive emails and text messages from us, please take a moment to sign up now by texting SMW17 to 77222. Our Facebook page will also be updated constantly, so if you don't already follow us, please do at @SheetMetalWorkersLocal17. And of course, our phone lines remain open, and we're here to answer your questions. We’re already strong because of our commitment to each other, and we'll come back from this stronger than ever as a region, as a country, and as a Union. In solidarity, Bob Butler Business Manager Sheet Metal Workers Local 17
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COVID-19
UPDATES FEDERAL RESPONSE AND STIMULUS PACKAGE Most Local 17 members who have lost work due to the virus will be eligible to collect one-time, direct payment checks. If you haven’t filed your taxes in recent years, it could affect your ability to receive this payment. Individuals earning up to $75,000 annually will receive a check for $1,200. The check value will decrease respectively as your annual income increases, up to the limit of $99,000 annual income. Folks who earn more than $99,000 are ineligible for a check. Similarly, married couples who earn up to $150,000 will receive $2,400, which decreases up to a $198,000 joint annual income. Both individuals and couples will receive an additional $500 per dependent 16 years of age or younger. Members who have lost work due to the virus are also eligible to collect expanded Unemployment Insurance (UI) through the State of Massachusetts. See below for details.
EXPANDED UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE Follow these steps to quickly receive unemployment benefits: • Submit your application on or after the Monday following your layoff. Your application may be disqualified if you apply for unemployment assistance prior to the Monday after your layoff. • Apply online. State-run call centers and offices are closed or operating with limited staffing. The fastest way is to apply online by following instructions at Mass.Gov and Maine.Gov. • Do NOT enter a “return to work” or “recall” date. Although some public officials have identified plans to re-evaluate suspensions of construction work, this is not a guarantee that work will resume at that time. If you've been laid off, please notify the Union Hall so we can update your records. If you have made several attempts to apply for UI and your claim has not been initiated, please contact the Union Hall. It is important to note that even if you were not fully laid off, if your hours/pay were CUT, or you were forced to QUARANTINE due to the virus, you are STILL ELIGIBLE to collect unemployment. When you fill out your initial claim, you will have the option to withhold federal and/or state income tax, or you can choose to not have income tax withheld. If you choose to not have tax withheld, do keep in mind that you will owe that money when you file your 2020 taxes next year and be sure to plan accordingly.
QUESTIONS?
Call the Union Hall at (617) 296-1680, or visit our COVID-19 Resource Center at SMW17Boston.org. We're updating it daily with the latest news and resources.
LOCAL 17 CONVERTS CONVENTION CENTER INTO COVID-19 FIELD HOSPITAL April 13, 2020
WBZ 1030 AM and SportsHub featured our work converting the Boston Convention Center into a COVID-19 field hospital. We’re proud of all those who answered the call during this crucial time. Here are the project details. BOSTON, MA ― Union construction workers are answering the call for more hospital beds, converting the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center into a 1,000 bed field hospital in just 3 days. With the state's health care system facing a shortfall of thousands of beds, members from Sheet Metal Workers Local 17 worked around the clock to adapt the convention center's air system for the enormous temporary hospital.
“We’re proud to stand with our neighbors and communities during these tough times,” said Bob Butler, Business Manager of Local 17. “We will continue to help expand our healthcare capacity, so everyone can get the care they need.” As the demand for hospital beds grows, Local 17, along with other building trades unions, is already planning additional field hospital construction throughout the region.
Local 17 members working at J.C. Cannistraro had just days to complete the project before patients arrived. They jumped into action, adding filtration, modifying the rooftop ventilation units, and preparing isolation rooms to keep everyone safe. "Sheet Metal Workers Local 17 went above and beyond what’s expected of them," said Ray Martin, Project Manager at J.C. Cannistraro. "This isn’t part of their normal job. They did it for the people that are sick."
Local 17 member Dan Morency adds filtration to the air circulation system to prevent the spread of COVID-19
THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING THE CALL!
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COVID-19
POWERING THE FIGHT We're going door-to-door across New England delivering a simple, critical tool to fight COVID-19: thousands of thin, metal strips. These strips are a key ingredient to making homemade masks effective at preventing COVID-19. As volunteers across the region sew homemade masks, we're backing them up by producing, donating, and hand-delivering metal nose strips. Together, we're fabricating and donating over 5,000 strips a day, which allows volunteers to produce just as many quality masks to fill the shortage faced by medical workers. Renee Walker-Tuttle, a volunteer mask-maker in Portsmouth, RI, was 37 weeks pregnant when she received her delivery of metal nose strips. She was sewing the masks for the maternity ward she would give birth in. She shared the delivery from Local 17 on a Facebook mask-making group, writing, "While this interaction lasted five minutes, I will always remember this act of kindness." Together, we donated over 130,000 nose pieces in April, and we're preparing to make even more. Thank you to all our members who are stepping up to fill this critical need.
Taken by volunteer mask-maker Renee Walker-Tuttle of Portsmouth, RI. She's 37 weeks pregnant and sewing masks for the maternity ward she plans to give birth in.
From Mary Ann Guillette of Providence, RI: "Who would've thought this many tiny pieces of metal could make me so happy."
From Ann McEvoy of North Attleborough, MA: "Thank you so much for these nose pieces. We’re thrilled with the smaller, coated, and rounded-edge nose clips. We’ve made 4,000 masks to be sent out to first responders, healthcare personnel, and other essential workers."
From Sarah Cohen of Brookline, NH: "Thank you to Local 17! They have been so generous to us mask makers across the country."
From Briana Auclair-Leddy of Attleboro, MA: "Thank you to Local 17 for supplying the ladies and I with nose pieces. I am overwhelmed at how many groups are coming together to be the good the world needs right now. - THANK YOU <3"
From Maria Apholt at IATSE Local 11: "A huge thank you to Local 17 for their wonderful donation of nose pieces! We are all in this together and we are union."
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SOLIDARITY IN ACTION
HONORING TONY PAPA'S LEGACY We're in tough times, and solidarity is more important than ever. We're continuing to stand up and support each other, no matter what. That's who we are at Local 17. So it's no surprise that one Local 17 family recently stepped up in a big way.
Tony Papa on his boat Eight Days A Week
This year, the Papa family established a scholarship fund in honor of longtime Local 17 member Tony Papa, who was a foreman at Walsh Mechanical in Abington, MA.
With COVID-19 surging and leaving members out of work, Tony's wife Mary Ellen and daughter Kara allocated this year's funds to award eight $500 scholarships to Local 17 apprentices who need an extra boost. Kara noted that her father would have applauded the decision; he was temporarily laid off in 1991. "With so many people worried about providing for their families, we’re glad to be able to lend a hand,” said Kara. "I know it’s exactly what my dad would want." At Local 17, we always look out for each other. We're proud to count Tony Papa among the greats, and we're grateful to his family for upholding his legacy and paying it forward.
Tony Papa with his daughter Kara
FIGHTING COVID-19 IN RHODE ISLAND Local 17 members across Rhode Island are stepping up to support their neighbors and communities. In Providence and Cranston, members are going into the field and building temporary hospitals to fight COVID-19.
Local 17 members install new ventilation at Rhode Island Convention Center to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
EXPANDING NEW HAMPSHIRE'S MEDICAL SYSTEM
When Governor John Sununu announced urgent plans to expand New Hampshire's healthcare capacity, we answered the call. Members with Northeastern Sheet Metal converted New Hampshire Institute of Technology dorms into vital hospital rooms to fight COVID-19 in Concord, New Hampshire. We're proud of our members who stepped up to make sure everyone can get the care they need.
Members improved the dorms' ventilation systems to better circulate clean, healthy air.
Members installed brand-new HVAC ductwork.
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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
CONCORD
Over 200 New Hampshire towns and cities will receive life-saving medical care this year, thanks to the hard work of Local 17 members in Concord, New Hampshire. Our crew is constructing Concord Hospital's new expansion. The $56 million project, which covers four stories and 153,000 square feet, is expected to be completed this spring. The addition will add specialty services for patients, including new areas for cardiology, neurology, orthopedics, internal medicine, and surgery. RIGHT ABOVE: Journeyperson David Kolehmainen BACKGROUND: A Local 17 member welding ductwork at the Blouin facility
Concord Hospital has been drawing a growing number of patients in recent years, because many smaller rural facilities are closing or shrinking. Thanks to the hard work of our members, these families will get the care they need.
HOSPITAL
ABOVE: Local 17's crew building Concord Hospital
BELOW: Local 17 members at Blouin in Seabrook, NH, who are pre-fabricating materials for Concord Hospital
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TRAINING
2020 APPRENTICESHIP CONTEST
Kyle Lotti-Wilson
Thank you to everyone who helped make this year's contest a success, and congratulations to the winners!
Derek Cooke
5TH YEAR CLASS
4TH YEAR CLASS
3RD YEAR CLASS
1ST PLACE: BARRY DURNIN McCusker-Gill, Inc.
1ST PLACE: KEVIN KNAPP C.P. Blouin
1ST PLACE: ALEXANDER SEELIG JEC Service Company
2ND PLACE DEREK COOKE J.C. Cannistraro, LLC.
2ND PLACE: MATTHEW PACHECO McCusker-Gill, Inc.
2ND PLACE: CHRISTOPHER MCBREEN Worcester Air Conditioning
3RD PLACE NICHOLAS ROCHE
3RD PLACE: MICHAEL MOON Walsh Mechanical Contractors
3RD PLACE: JOHN R. GILDEA Bryant Sheet Metal & Construction
Former Training Instructor Dennis Dellascio and Kerry Sampson
2ND YEAR CLASS
1ST YEAR CLASS
1ST PLACE: NICHOLAS DICKINSON C.P. Blouin
1ST PLACE: JEFFREY RICHARD Excel HVAC, Inc.
2ND PLACE: STEPHEN HIGGINS Cox Engineering
2ND PLACE: DANIEL HATFIELD J.C. Cannistraro, LLC.
3RD PLACE: ANDREW RICHARDS Excel HVAC, Inc.
3RD PLACE: JACALYN SMITH Worcester Air Conditioning
TAKING ACTION
DEFENDING UNION APPRENTICESHIPS The Trump Administration should have known not to come after union apprenticeships. Boy, did we show them! In 2017, Trump's Department of Labor attacked our apprenticeship programs, and tried to replace them with Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs). IRAPs would've lowered training and safety standards, and flooded the market with low-wage, low-skill labor. It was President Trump's handpicked Labor Secretary Patrick Pizzella's first attempt to weaken the union building trades. United with our union Brothers and Sisters and industry partners across the country, we fought back ― hard. Nearly 350,000 of us
pushed back on the Department of Labor's proposal. We knew that IRAPs had no place in the construction industry, and thanks to our collective efforts, we were heard, loud and clear. Our campaign, which underscored the importance of top-notch, highly-skilled training, forced the Administration to reverse course and exempt the construction industry from IRAPs in their final ruling. Make no mistake. This win sends a clear message to the Administration: our apprenticeships are the gold standard, and they're here to stay.
FIGHTING FOR RESPONSIBLE CONTRACTING IN MAINE In Maine, we’re fighting for responsible contracting laws head on.
Basic safety and labor standards on publicly funded projects like schools and community centers should be the industry norm. Our public dollars should promote good-paying jobs, registered apprenticeship programs, and high-quality work.
ABOVE: From left to right Marc Dube, Local 17 Organizer Don Nazaroff, Rick Fecteau, Jason Smith, and Adam Wilson
That's why we joined AFL-CIO affiliates in Augusta at the State House's annual Labor Lobby Day. We called on our lawmakers to pass legislation that holds contractors and subcontractors accountable. Thanks to all those who turned out, and we'll keep fighting until it's passed.
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RETIREES
CONGRATULATIONS to Labor-Management Representative
ED MARENBURG JOHN HEALY and Training Coordinator
on your retirement!
Thank you both for all your years of service keeping Local 17 strong and building its future.
RIGHT: Marenburg, far left, with Local 17 members at the Stop and Shop rally
RIGHT: John Healy (center) taking thenU.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez (right) on a tour of the JATC
2019 IN MEMORIAM
JANUARY Paul Kavanagh, 1/17/19 George Moore, 1/18/19 Robert F. Boucher, Sr., 1/28/19 Glenn A. Fernandez, 1/30/19
FEBRUARY Renaldo “Ren” Mauritson, 2/27/19 MARCH Kenneth Henry Christiansen, 3/11/19 APRIL George C. Deveau, 4/12/19 Edward J. Hammond, 4/24/19 Gary Jarvis, 4/30/19 MAY Joseph Andrew O’Brien, 5/11/19 Michael R. Nelson, 5/18/19 Robert Mullikin, 5/26/19 JUNE William Henkel, 6/10/19 Norman J. Gregoire, 6/20/19 Brian D. Daigle, 6/26/19 JULY Frank E. Garland, 7/1/19 Ronald E. Morrissey, 7/6/19
AUGUST Donald W. Kay, 8/7/19 Raymond "Ray" Nash Jr., 8/9/19 Steven Proulx, 8/14/19 Edward M. Mack, 8/18/19 Scott Nilsson, 8/20/19 Michael P. Walsh, 8/27/19 SEPTEMBER Samuel P. Volpe, 9/27/19 James A. Painten, 9/28/19 OCTOBER Eugene A. Campatelli, 10/16/19 Brian P. Costello, 10/22/19 NOVEMBER Peter Belmonte, 11/4/19 Sean Lyons, 11/27/19 Robert Beausoleil, 11/29/19 James G. Boyd, 11/30/19 Kopel “Carl” Lajmer, 11/30/19 DECEMBER James Casey, 12/1/19 Kyle McGonagle, 12/2/19 Paul R. Moll, 12/3/19 David LeRoy Stewart, 12/22/19 Joseph P. Geary II, 12/23/19 Eric Janssen, 12/26/19
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Sheet Metal Workers Local 17 1157 Adams Street, Dorchester, MA 02124
Local 17 and SMACNA-Boston have been donating meals and PPE to frontline medical workers at hospitals across the region, including these nurses at Mass General Hospital in Boston. We’re proud to stand with our neighbors and communities during these tough times.
Stay Connected SMW17Boston.org
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