Working under a Community Benefits Agreement [CBA], affiliated members of the Cleveland Building Trades completed Phase I of the $200 million Progressive Field renovations in time for the Guardians home opener on April 8.
Read MoreNearly 400 men and women attended the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council apprenticeship fair on March 27. Attendees were able to meet with members of the trades and learn about apprenticeships and career opportunities available through the trades.
Read MoreAmid a construction boom in Northeast Ohio, affiliated Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council unions are hosting a career fair to encourage more men and women to join their apprenticeship programs.
On March 27 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council will host a career fair at the Pipefitters Local 120 Union Hall, located at 6305 Halle Drive in Cleveland. Women, Cleveland residents and people of color are encouraged to attend.
Cleveland Tradeswomen celebrated Women in Construction Week with a dinner on March 8 at the Plumbers Local 55 Union Hall. More than 75 tradeswomen, including a few from states outside of Ohio, attended the second annual event.
Read MoreCleveland Building and Construction Trades Council Executive Secretary/Business Manager Dave Wondolowski normally watches the State of the Union Address on television. He had to change his plans this year, as U.S. Rep. Max Miller (R-Rocky River) invited Wondolowski to be his guest on March 7 for President Biden’s the State of the Union Address.
Read MoreThe Cleveland Building & Construction Trades Council Endorsements as of 03-06-2024 for he March 19, 2024 Primary Election are listed below. Early and in-person voting is underway.
Read MoreOne of the two Bricklayers and Allied Crafts Local 23 apprentices from Northeast Ohio who participated in a national apprentice competition last month at the World of Concrete/World of Masonry in Las Vegas placed in the top three. On Jan. 24, Scott Schooley competed against other apprentices from across the nation in the MCAA Skills Challenge and took third place. Fellow Local 23 Bricklayer apprentice Steve Berlin also competed in the competition.
Read MoreOn Nov. 9, by a 5-2-1 vote, the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority Board of Directors voted to repeal its Prevailing Wage provision. The Cleveland-Cuyahoga Port Authority is a public agency that provides financing solutions for economic development projects in Cuyahoga County and beyond. The Port Authority partners with economic developers, government entities and banks to provide funding options for projects in the private, non-profit and public sectors. According to its website, since 1993, the agency has funded 150 projects, issued $4.5 billion in bonds and leveraged $6.1 billion in construction.
Read MoreActing U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Julie Su visited Cleveland in mid-December to announce details related to the final rule to implement President Joe Biden’s Executive Order requiring Project Labor Agreements for most large-scale federal construction projects. This rule will help ensure large federal construction projects are completed by union construction workers, who will earn good wages and excellent healthcare and retirement benefits in exchange for performing quality construction work efficiently and on time, helping to complete the project on or under budget.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Labor announced a long-awaited final rule regarding the misclassification of workers. On Jan. 9, the DOL officially stated it would rescind an independent contractor rule put in place during the Trump Administration. Among the industries the rule is expected to affect are construction, healthcare, trucking and housekeeping.The new final rule will help employers and workers better understand when a worker must be considered an employee and when they qualify as an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Read MoreCleveland Building Trades Executive Secretary, Dave Wondolowski. “In repealing its wage-protection policy, the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority Board of Directors has violated its mission to advance the economic interests of Cleveland residents in favor of protecting profit margins for a handful of developers.”
Read MoreIt was a busy year in most regions
Read MoreCuyahoga County Council voted on Dec. 14 to extend the County’s sales tax to pay for the new jail, set to be built in Garfield Heights. Taxpayers will pay the County’s 0.25 percent sales tax for an additional 40 years, which local leaders estimate will create enough revenue to fund the construction of the new county jail. The tax, which was set to expire in 2027, passed Council by a 6-5 vote and will stay on the books until 2067. The sales tax revenue has funded large downtown projects since 2007, according to The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Read MoreAfter years of battles over permits and environmental concerns, the Lake Erie Energy Development Corp. (LEEDCo), announced it was pausing efforts to construct a freshwater wind farm in Lake Erie, citing delays and rising costs. The Icebreaker Wind project was supposed to be the first freshwater wind farm in North America.
Read MoreThe Sherwin-Williams global headquarters project in downtown Cleveland celebrated an important construction milestone on Dec. 4 with a Topping Off ceremony. Two weeks ahead of the scheduled ceremony date, Sherwin-Williams leaders were joined by elected officials, construction workers and others associated with the project to mark the installation of the final piece of structural steel on the 36-story tower (616 feet high), which when completed, will be the sixth tallest building in Ohio. “It’s really a special day for us and for all of Northeast Ohio,” said Sherwin-Williams Chairman and CEO John Morikis. “We’ve been proud to be a part of Cleveland since 1866 and call this home.”
Read MoreThe North America’s Building Trades Unions’ annual Tradeswomen Build Nations Conference shattered its attendance record from the previous year. The 13th annual event was held from Dec. 1-3 in Washington, D.C., at the Washington Hilton Hotel. More than 4,000 people attended, including over 3,700 union tradeswomen.
Read MoreDespite the calendar reading October, a feeling of jolliness and goodwill engulfed the members of IBEW Local 38, who volunteered their weekend time to decorate Downtown Cleveland’s Public Square for the upcoming Christmas season. On Oct. 21, from 7 a.m. until noon, members of Local 38 brought their electrical expertise with them as they helped transform Cleveland’s Public Square into a winter wonderland of holiday lights. According to IBEW Local 38 President Mike Muzic, 84 members volunteered their time on a Saturday morning, joining fellow Union Brothers and Sisters, to give back to the community.
Read MoreIronworkers Local 550 Business Manager William Sherer II won a landslide victory to become the next Mayor of Canton. Sherer, the current Canton City Council President, beat Republican challenger Roy Scott DePew by more than 30 percentage points, according to unofficial election results. He will begin leading the eighth largest city in Ohio on Jan. 1
Read MoreSince the end of the COVID pandemic, building trades leaders across Ohio have been forecasting tremendous work opportunities for union construction members. These predictions were affirmed when numerous building trades councils reported record man hours in 2021 and again in 2022.
Read MoreCanton City Council President and Iron Workers Local 550 Business Manager/Financial Secretary William Sherer II heads the list of endorsed building trades members who are running for public office. Besides Sherer, several other Northeast Ohio building trades members are either seeking re-election to their current elected position or running for a seat. Each has received the endorsement of the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council.
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