August 2021
PROJECT PROFILE
Millwrights from Local 1192 retrofit coal-mine conveyor system 12 stories below Earth’s surface
More than 1,000 feet underground, there was a problem inside Alabama’s largest coal mine. Material was free falling 8 to 15 feet at transfer points in the mine’s conveyor system, damaging the conveyor equipment. Power Techniques Inc., a contractor specializing in bulk material-handling equipment, had a solution – a proprietary transfer system designed in South Africa and manufactured in Kentucky – and in spring of 2021 Southern States Millwrights helped the company install three massive chutes comprised of 6 tons of steel. Read more about the project here.
COUNCIL NEWS
SSMRC developing Sisters in the Brotherhood committee
Several SSMRC sisters have begun building a Sisters in the Brotherhood (SIB) committee for our council. Our committee is part of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters’ SIB program, which supports members by: providing assistance in obtaining craft training and leadership skills; being advocates on women’s issues; and mentoring new and potential members.

Regional councils and local unions create and manage their own SIB committees. To learn more about the SSMRC’s SIB committee and how you can get involved, click the button below.
LABOR AND ECONOMIC NEWS
U.S. Senate passes $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill
The U.S. Senate has passed a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that would provide $73 billion for electric grid and power infrastructure, $110 billion for roads and bridges, $65 billion for broadband investments, $55 billion for water systems and infrastructure, $25 billion for airports, and more. Funding in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act would create work for union millwrights.

The House of Representatives now must approve the bill for it to be signed into law by the president. The United Brotherhood of Carpenters, our parent organization, has commended the legislation and is urging members of the House of Representatives to pass it. Read more about the bill and what potentially lies ahead. View fact sheets by state about the impact of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is part of the Biden administration's overall spending plan. A proposed budget reconciliation bill would fund additional components of the plan, which fall under the Build Back Better agenda. Read a UBC fact sheet about the Build Back Better agenda here.
Nuclear Power Production Credit Act would protect nuclear-industry millwright jobs
The SSMRC is supporting a bill in the U.S. Congress called H.R. 4024, the Zero-Emission Nuclear Power Production Credit Act of 2021. This legislation would help preserve thousands of union members' jobs in the nuclear industry.

The bill creates a new business-related tax credit through 2030 for the production of electricity from zero-emission nuclear power. It also requires a recapture of credit amounts for contractors who fail to pay their employees the prevailing wage rate. Contractors must ensure that at least 15% of their workforce is composed of qualified apprentices unless there is a lack of availability of qualified apprentices in the applicable geographic area.

Click here to contact your member of Congress and ask them to co-sponsor this legislation.
U.S. Labor Department rescinds Joint Employer Rule
The U.S. Department of Labor rescinded on July 29 the "Joint Employer Rule" issued under the Trump administration.

“This is a welcome decision,” said Douglas J. McCarron, general president of the UBC. “The 2020 Joint Employer Rule made it easier for employers to evade minimum wage, overtime, and record-keeping requirements.”

A federal court struck down most of the rule last year, stating that it was contrary to the Fair Labor Standards Act and was “arbitrary and capricious” due to its failure to explain why the DOL's Wage and Hour Division had deviated from all prior guidance and had not adequately considered the rule's effect on workers. Read more in a federal register alert and a UBC press release.
Project Labor Agreements under attack by special interests
Project Labor Agreements (or PLAs) are under attack by the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), an anti-union organization. The group is lobbying Congress against PLAs, calling them rigged and costly.

Project Labor Agreements are pre-hire contracts that help everyone on a construction site from developers to contractors to workers to taxpayers. PLAs make sure the playing field is level for all contractors and that construction companies pay a good wage and follow safety regulations. Creating good jobs isn’t rigging the system. The system should be creating good jobs.

You can tell your congressperson you support PLAs by clicking here. 
Unemployment rate drops to 5.4%
The economy added 943,000 jobs in July, and the unemployment rate declined by 0.5 percentage point to 5.4% as the nation continues to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reported that the number of unemployed people fell by 782,000 to 8.7 million. 
Workers at Alabama Amazon warehouse could get a second chance to vote on joining a union
The results of a vote not to unionize an Amazon fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama, could be thrown out after an official with the National Labor Relations Board determined Amazon violated labor law recommended a new vote. The NLRB's regional director must decide whether to accept the recommendation.

“Amazon cheated, they got caught, and they are being held accountable,” said Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), told AL.com. “Throughout the NLRB hearing, we heard compelling evidence how Amazon tried to illegally interfere with and intimidate workers as they sought to exercise their right to form a union.” Read more.
COVID-19 NEWS
Delta Variant 101: What to know about the COVID strain that's causing a rapid rise in U.S. cases
COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations are increasing rapidly in the United States as the highly contagious delta variant of the virus spreads. The situation is particularly dire in the South, where hospital intensive care units in many areas are nearing or reaching capacity.

The delta variant, which can make people sicker than the original virus strain did and is causing serious illness in younger people, can be contracted during "fleeting contact" of less than a minute.

To see answers to the questions below, along with links to relevant studies, click here.

  1. What is the delta variant?
  2. How is delta different from other variants that we've seen so far?
  3. Does the delta variant make people sicker than the original COVID-19 strain did?
  4. How is it spread?
  5. What are “aerosols” in relation to COVID-19?
  6. How long do you have to be near someone with delta to catch it?
  7. What are the most common symptoms of the delta variant?
  8. What are the potential long-term effects of COVID-19 infection?
  9. What prevention measures are doctors and public health experts recommending?
  10. How effective are vaccines against the delta variant?
  11. Can vaccinated people get long-haul COVID?
  12. How bad is the current COVID-19 surge in the United States?
  13. What is the outlook for the future?
WORK UPDATES
Nuclear Office
With the delta variant of COVID-19 cases rising, minimizing exposure to the virus is top of mind for utility companies and our employers. Report dates for our fall outage season are still one to two months away, and we are already seeing some adjustments and new requirements being put into place. While protective procedures have not changed much, vaccines have now come into consideration. We must all bear in mind that our partnering contractors' and customers' intentions are to help protect everyone and prevent the spread of the virus. We are the SSMRC millwrights, and we are, as always, going to get the job done! Our partnering contractors and customers depend on us to be the professionals we are.

Here are the fall outage requirements we have been notified of so far:


This fall there are 10 outages. Vogtle, ANO, Browns Ferry (small crew to do rotor preparation for the spring 2021 outage), Oconee (small crew for utility maintenance support), St. Lucie, Turkey Point, Sequoyah, Comanche Peak, South Texas Project (STP), and Watts Bar. Given the number of outages, one would think individual millwrights would have the ability to work at least two outages. However, five of the outages start within one week in October, and the other outages overlap into that week. This makes the transfer of millwrights almost impossible. The only outages where the crew will be transferred are St. Lucie and Turkey Point. As frustrating as this is to me, I know it is more frustrating for the members.

As we go into the fall season, let's remember we need to have patience and be respectful of our contractors, utilities, and each other. We are all in this together, and team effort and thinking are what we need during these unprecedented times. Let's be safe and productive and get the job done as we always have in the past!
Eastern Region
Local 1000:
  • We have been working power-generation jobs with SGS, APM, and TOPS Field Services.
  • We're still working on the Miami Transit Project with Sissco Hoist.
  • We are working in Orlando Airport with Commercial Contracting Corporation.
  • We are working at Orlando Airport with Vanderlande.
  • We're also working at Miami and Ft. Lauderdale airports with Jordim.
  • We are working in the phosphate industry with Central Maintenance, Gulf Coast Industrial, and Preferred Maintenance.
  • A&B maintenance work at Gopher Recycling is ongoing.
  • We have members working full-time maintenance with Central Maintenance at GAF shingle plant.
  • We are working at Pepperidge Farms with W. Soule & Co.
  • At Florida Can, we are doing new conveyor installs with Superior Rigging.
  • We are working with Stickney Equipment on installing lifts in garages and car dealerships.

Local 1263:
  • Griffin Industrial is working at Amazon in Mebane, North Carolina.
  • Western Industrial is working at a FedEx facility in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
  • Work is ongoing at the Savannah River Site in Aiken, South Carolina.
  • There is ongoing work at Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro, Georgia.
  • Fabco is working at NFI in McDonough, Georgia.
  • CR Meyer is at Irvin Tissue in Macon, Georgia. 
  • Walbridge is at Amazon in Lithia Springs, Georgia.
  • IAM is working at a can plant in Rome, Georgia.
  • IAM is at Creative Flooring in Adairsville, Georgia.
  • Western Industrial is working at a bulk mail center in Atlanta.
  • Trademark is at Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Georgia.
  • Cleveland Electric has ongoing work at Toyo Tire and Budweiser Brewery in Cartersville, Georgia.
  • Action Electric is at Good Year Tire in Social Circle, Georgia.
  • McAbee is at International Paper in Rome, Georgia.

Local 2411:
W.W. Gay
  • Work is ongoing to restore the dredge that sunk at the mine in Macclenny.
  • August is looking promising for many projects, with the bulk of work starting the second week October.
  • W.W. Gay is looking to get back into millwright work at JEA Northside for the first time in quite a while.

MJ Wood
  • This contractor is keeping its regulars busy and looking to pick up its work load in September.

Coker
  • Coker is ramping up and getting ready for the upcoming outage season.
  • Members are working in Tampa at CSX.
  • Various pop-up jobs are occurring around north Florida.
  • The company is looking to pick up one highly skilled journeyman and one hard-working apprentice.
 
J Williams Services
  • This contractor is working various pop-up jobs around north Florida.
  • GP Cellulose is looking for two members to do full-time maintenance.
  • August and September look to be busy as J Williams is starting to pick up purchase orders locally.
    
Cogburn
  • Cogburn is working on a few projects around north Florida.
  • This contractor is looking to add a supervisor-type journeyman millwright to train.
   
Gen Industrial
  • Gen Industrial is picking up a few small contracts around north Florida.
  • This contractor will go after more projects if it can sustain manpower to support them.
Central Region
This past spring outage season went well. Much of the industry's work that was postponed during the COVID pandemic has come back to reality. Millwrights are in high demand. Please reach out to your business agent and put yourself on the out-of-work list if you are available. If you are traveling outside of your home local jurisdiction for work, check in with the local that has jurisdiction where you are procuring work.

Please take advantage of all opportunities to enhance your skill sets (for example forklift, welding, aerial lift, rigging) through the training department. As always, let's do things right the first time, on time, every time while being safe, professional, and productive!
 
Local 1192:
  • The Mazda Toyota Manufacturing project went well and is ramping down.
  • Trademark has started a project at the Mercedes Battery Plant that will do a 6/10 schedule for approximately 6-10 weeks.
  • Atlantic Plant Maintenance has started a project at the R.D. Morrow, Sr. Generating Plant doing a conversion project.
  • Atlantic Plant Maintenance is currently doing a motor change-out at Plant Christ in Pensacola, Florida.
  • Fluor is gearing up for a Barge unloader project at Plant Barry.
  • The Mammoet project at the Destin Airport is going very well.
  • Plant Wilsonville is doing a couple of balance-of-plant projects with APM and Day & Zimmerman.
 
Local 1554:
  • General Motors in Springhill, Tennessee, has kicked off a project.
  • Superior Electric continues its project at Bridgestone.
  • Siemens is working at TVA-Brownsville.
  • Siemens has kicked off a project at Southern Mississippi Electric Power.
  • Turbine Pros has kicked off a project at Hiwassee Hydroelectric Dam. The duration is approximately two months with a 6/10 schedule.
  • Millwright Services is continuing its project at Bridgestone in Morrison, working for approximately seven months.
Western Region
Local 216:
Arkansas has picked up a couple of projects at Kimberly Clark in Maumelle. We are wrapping up a project at Amazon by the Little Rock Airport and will be starting the first of several Walmart distribution center jobs soon. We also have some power-gen work on the schedule at Independence Generating Station and possibly Magnet Cove. A nuclear outage at ANO is upcoming as well.
 
Currently things look slower in Oklahoma. We’ve had a few projects at Koch in Enid and some small projects at various facilities, but the majority of the fall work that is scheduled is on the Arkansas side.

Local 729:
Local 729 has turbine work coming up in Westlake and Baton Rouge. We have picked up a few maintenance positions at CF Industries as well. There will also be work starting this month at Cameron LNG. The work outlook for September is extremely busy in the petrochemical industry, with a large need for additional experienced journeyman millwrights. 

Local 1421:
There are several turbine outages scheduled in North Texas as well as the upcoming Comanche Peak nuclear outage. Tesla in Austin is ongoing, with several employers continuing their current projects and being awarded new work.

Local 2232:
Local 2232 has had several projects in the manufacturing industry and ongoing work at Toyota that is wrapping up. Petrochemical work will be picking up exponentially in September, with labor being slotted for some projects already to prepare. The South Texas Nuclear Project will have an outage beginning in September as well.
 
Overall, the Western Region of the SSMRC is clipping along at a decent rate, but September will bring about a serious need for additional millwrights to fill projects on the schedule. Major projects are occurring across the region, with start dates from mid to late September. Please contact your business representative and, if you are available to work, make sure you are on the available-for-work list. 
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Mike Hines places in cook-off to raise scholarship funds for Louisiana kids
Mike Hines [left in the photo above], business agent for Millwright Local 727, placed 11th in the ribs category of the Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival cook-off. Entry fees for the cook-off raise scholarship funds for kids in south Louisiana. Hines' prize was a homemade blueberry cheese cake made by Mrs. Elsinore, widow of the retired marine who started the cook-off.
BUSINESS ETIQUETTE
When to avoid the 'reply all' email function
According to a career-development article at Indeed.com, understanding when to "reply all" to an email and when not to "helps inboxes stay free of clutter and optimizes workplace communication channels." Arden Clise, founder of Clise Etiquette, writes in a blog post that most of the time, other people on the email list do not need to see your response. Here are some tips from the article and post:

  • The reply all function means your response will go to both the sender of the previous message and everyone who received the original email. Contacts in both the “To” field and the “cc” field of the preceding messages receive your email.
  • Some email systems default to reply all. Checking the recipients in the “To” and “cc” fields before you send a response is always a smart decision.
  • If your response is relevant only to the original sender and not everyone on the message thread's contact list, then send your email only to that person.
  • “Reply all” is not necessary to state that you received or will take action on an email. That’s between you and the sender and not everyone else.
  • “Reply all” is not necessary in response to congratulations or happy birthday emails for one person. If you want to send your good wishes, do so by emailing just the person being congratulated, not the whole group.
  • Nix using “Reply all” to thank the sender. Everyone on the email does not want to receive a million “thanks” emails.
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