Boston, MA – At an awards gala hosted by Boston Harbor Now, contractor T.J. McCartney, Inc. and members from the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades DC 35 were recognized for their long-standing commitment to renovate and revive facilities on the Boston Harbor Islands.
TJ McCartney, with the help of apprentices from the Finishing Trades Institute of New England, volunteered countless hours to the maintenance of several Boston Harbor Islands, including years of pro-bono work with the creation of three gazebos on Spectacle Island and the rehabilitation of many different projects on George’s Island.
“The Painters Union has been our partner in this initiative since the beginning. We are excited to partner together on this project because it benefits not only the people of Boston but is a wonderful experience for all those that visit this city.” Said Tom Steeves, President of TJ McCartney. “We are honored to accept this award from Boston Harbor Now for our work at the Boston Harbor Islands, and we look forward to continuing the collaboration with more projects in the near future.”
“We have the best-trained apprentices in the industry. Our partnership with TJ McCartney has provided an excellent opportunity for them to gain work experience and contribute towards a better Boston,” said Jeff Sullivan, Business Manager, IUPAT DC 35.
“Our apprenticeship program recently received national accreditation as a post-secondary educational institution and we are working towards receiving college degree-conferring authority. Our students will soon be receiving Associates Degrees when they graduate from the program, increasing their ability to embark on successful careers in the finishing trades. We are thankful to Boston Harbor Now for recognizing the work of our apprentices and our partner TJ McCartney.”
The volunteer efforts of TJ McCartney and IUPAT DC 35 contribute immensely to Boston Harbor Now’s goal of re-establishing Boston as one of the world’s great coastal cities. These efforts also serve as a primary example of how Labor/Management partnerships in the construction industry work together to improve the parks and communities for the people of Boston. Both organizations were honored alongside The Fallon Company and Massachusetts Port Authority for their contributions to Boston Harbor.
The Painting and Glass Employers’ Association of New England and the Painters and Allied Trades DC #35, who together, helped build the New England Holocaust Memorial, presented a $10,000 donation to support further upkeep and maintenance of the memorial. Boston Mayor Martin Walsh was on hand to accept the donation with Jewish Community Relations Council director Jeremy Burton, Combined Jewish Philanthropies board chair Cindy Janower, and Holocaust survivor Israel Arbeiter.
GEANE President, Richard Carver, of HUB Glass and Secretary Treasurer, Larry Miller of Salem Glass Co. in attendance to present the donation
Holocaust Memorial along Union Street in Boston
The Massachusetts union labor and management communities came together for the 3rd annual “Girls in the Trades” conference. More than 500 young women came for a day of workshops, demonstrations, and a job fair to learn more about opportunities in the building trades. The goal is to increase young women’s interest in productive, rewarding careers in the trades, and to grow their ranks in the industry long term.
“Today was great! More than 500 girls got to hear from women in the industry that the trades are not just for the boys,” said Hannah LaCivita, of the Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School.
(Jeff Sullivan, Business Manager of District Council #35, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, and Tom Gunning of the BTEA were all in attendance.)
In addition to sponsorship from the BTEA, our affiliate the Paint and Glass Employers Association of New England (PFEANE/GEANE) were well represented. Sharon Tankel, President of Hub Glass Services, a contractor member was invited to address the conference. “If girls are thinking of going into the trades, my message to them is simple: go for it! The industry is changing and more women are joining all the time,” said Ms. Tankel.
(Sharon Tankel of Hub Glass Services after her speech)
Lt. Governor Karyn Polito offered support on behalf of the Baker Administration. “The work that I can do along with Charlie Baker is to make sure that each one of you has the opportunity, equal to everyone else, to work at whatever career, whatever job, whatever industry, and at whatever place in this great Commonwealth.”
Check out our video from the MA Girls in Trades Conference:
Continue reading “MA Girls in Trades”
The Massachusetts Operational Service Division (OSD) has asked BTEA again to promote the 3 Tradespersons Statewide Contracts. They want to identify union contractors available to bid on some small to mid-size state contracts for trade services required by state facilities.
Interested in this opportunity? If you are, please read over the flyer below!
Continue reading “MA Statewide Contracting Opportunities Still Available!”
The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 35’s Finishing Trades Institute accept Apprenticeship applications 10 months out of the year. Below are the eligibility requirements:
*IMPORTANT NOTE* – ONLY 25 APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED PER MONTH.
BEFORE BEING ACCEPTED AS APPRENTICES, applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Complete the application form furnished by the Finishing Trades Institute of New England
- Be 18 years of age or older
- MUST PRODUCE A VALID DRIVERS LICENSE
- Be an American Citizen or be lawfully permitted to work in the United States of America
- Produce a copy of his/her high school diploma or GED or Job Corps Completion Certificate
- Be physically able to perform the work required of the trade
- Complete a favorable interview with an assigned DC #35 Interviewer
- Attend, and successfully complete, Apprentice Information Session
- Pass a drug screening
Each applicant who meets all minimum requirements will be evaluated for acceptance.
The Painters and Allied Trades Finishing Trades Institute of New Engalnd is an Equal Opportunity Training Program. We encourage woman and minorities to apply.
ACCEPTED APPLICATION PROCESS:
Apprentices who are accepted in the program will be required to complete 6000 hours of on the job training together with 450 hours of related Classroom Instruction. The classes are from September through April.
All Boston FTI-NE Apprentices will attend 4 Full Time, One week training sessions, spread out over a one year time period between the months of September and April.
APPRENTICE STANDARDS:
Once a member beings work they will be required to join the union soon after their first day of work. The apprentice initiation fee is $100.00 and is non-refundable. They then are initiated into their local. Apprentices receive a 1000 hour probationary period.
APPRENTICE PAYSCALE:
Apprentices receive an increase in their pay every 750 hours of work performed. The apprentice is responsible for turning in their pay stubs each 750 hours in order to receive that increase.
REQUIRED TRAINING:
- 10 Hour OSHA (Occupational Health & Safety)
- Scaffolding
- First Aid/CPR
- PFT (Pulmonary Function Test)
- ALTA (Ariel Lift Training)
- Fall Protection (FP)
PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO ACCESS THE FTI-NE ONLINE APPLICATION:
https://fti.unionlogic.net/fti-ne
In addition, Suffolk Construction and Wynn Casino are looking for active union members. They can submit an application for employment at the link below.
If you know of someone already in the union, please have them go to our website at www.surveymonkey.com/r/3WJRY66 to submit an application. We will notify unions and subcontractors of their availability. Help spread the word!
Given the increasing focus on safety, you would expect OSHA had a busy year. However, continuing an ongoing trend, OSHA inspections dropped to the lowest level in 20 years. This marks the 4th consecutive year that inspections have fallen.
In the Northeast, inspections of construction contractors have fallen by more than 30% over the last 5 years from about 6,800 to about 4,700 total.
The graph above illustrates the Northeast average compared to the average with its three biggest states. These declines in the Northeast make up about a third of the overall decrease in construction inspections nationwide.
The OSHA budget peaked in 2012, but was down by about 3% in 2016. OSHA has cited budget cuts as causing the decrease in inspections. However they have found citations 5% more often than in 2015. In addition, appeals of OSHA citations were roughly equivalent in 2015 and 2016 at around 9%. BTEA recommends our members always work with our legal safety consultant before settling a case with OSHA.
Kindly be advised that the Massachusetts Operational Service Division (OSD) has informed the BTEA about Tradespersons Statewide Contracts coming March 1st! The aim is to provide regional coverage for trade services required by state facilities. This process will begin by soliciting bidders for the services below (UNSPSC codes in parentheses):
- Boiler Services (72-15-10)
- Drain Services (70-17-18)
- Electrician Services (72-15-15)
- Fencing (72-15-40)
- General Contractors (72-11-11)
- Generator/Turbine Services (72-15-43)
- Glass/Window/Doors (72-15-24)
- HVAC/Sheet Metal Services (72-15-12)
- Painting Services (72-15-13)
- Plumbing Services (72-15-11)
OSD will be posting this initial Tradespersons Statewide Contract TRD01 bidding opportunity by March 1st in COMMBUYS, the state’s online procurement portal. TRD01 introduces this first wave of Statewide Contract trade categories, with many additional trade categories to be posted in the coming months. Attached is an informational flyer on TRDO1.
Interested in this opportunity? If you are, please follow the steps below so you are notified when the procurement process begins.
- If you are new to COMMBUYS:
Interested vendors must take action toward becoming a Statewide Contractor by registering as a vendor in COMMBUYS. Set up a COMMBUYS business profile – free of charge – to be able to receive solicitation notices in your areas of interest; submit quotes; and, if awarded a contract, transact business with the Commonwealth and other public entities. For assistance, download the vendor registration job aid. For businesses that may be eligible to participate in the Small Business Purchasing Program (SBPP), be sure to review the SBPP application job aid.
- If you are already registered in COMMBUYS:
Ensure that your profile is current and representative of the services you provide in order to receive related notifications. Find guidance to update your vendor profile.
- To receive updates about the Statewide Contract TRD01 bidding opportunity:
This step is critical to receiving additional information. Interested TRD01 bidders must acknowledge the bid in COMMBUYS to receive future TRD01 email updates from COMMBUYS. Notifications will include the posting of the TRD01 Request for Response (RFR) documents, expected over the next few weeks. To acknowledge the bid, vendors must login to COMMBUYS, navigate to the TRD01 posting (Using the Advanced Search, enter TRD01 in the Bid Description field), and select “Yes” on the Acknowledge Receipt and View Solicitation window.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us or the Operational Services Division directly and speak with either the COMMBUYS Help Desk or Contract Manager Betty Fernandez at (617) 720-3133.
