Building Trades News

Laborers’ Rep Casts Only Union Vote to Approve Carpenters’ Program to Train Plasterers

Plasterers Local 200
Bob Pullen, Bus. Mgr.
1610 West Holt Avenue
Pomona, California 91768
(909) 865-2240

In early November the California Apprenticeship Commission voted 8-7 to approve a Carpenters Union plastering apprenticeship program for state funding.

The Carpenters' training program is a direct challenge to the Plasterers & Cement Masons and is seen as another clear signal that the Carpenters Union boss is stepping up his campaign to steal the members and the work of many other Crafts and Building Trades Unions in an attempt to dominate organized labor in the construction industry. "It was shocking that labor would turn on labor," said Dave Fritchel, Business Representative, Plasters Local 200. "It is a disappointment that a large money contributor can influence political appointees in this manner."

Commissioners casting the eight "yes" votes in favor of approving the Carpenters' training program were:

• Wayne Lindholm, Vice President and District Manager, Southern California Office of Hensel Phelps Construction
  
• Anne Quick, Director of Apprenticeship, Golden Gate Chapter, Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC)
  
• Dina Kimble, Vice President of Service Operations, Royal Electric Company
  
• Leo Garcia, Apprenticeship and Training Director, San Diego Chapter, Associated General Contractors from 1988 to 2001. Retired when appointed to Commission
  
• Cedric Porter, Business Representative, Northern California District Council of Laborers
  
• Max Turchen, Representative of the Public
  
• Jose Millan, Representative of California Community Colleges
  
• John Rea, Administrator of Apprenticeship and Acting Director, Department of Industrial Relations

Casting the seven "no" votes were:

• Carole Cresci Colbert, Owner Cresci Electric in San Francisco
  
• William Callahan, Executive Director of the Associated Roofing Contractors of the Bay Area Counties, Inc. and a member of the Roofers and Waterproofers Joint Apprenticeship Training Program of Santa Clara County
  
• Bert Tolbert, Apprentice Administrator, Southern California Operating Engineers Training Trust Local 12
  
• Neil Struthers, Chief Executive Officer, Building and Construction Trades Council of Santa Clara and San Benito Counties
  
• Richard Zampa, Jr., Apprenticeship Coordinator, Iron Workers Local 378, Oakland
  
• Marvin Kropke, Business Manager/Financial Secretary, IBEW Local 11, Pasadena
  
• Aram Hodess, Business Manager, Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 159, Martinez

In a failed raiding attempt last month, the Carpenters Union boss sent teams of his business agents from as far away as Colorado and Utah to Southern California to try to persuade about 1,500 drywall finishers who are members of the Painters & Allied Trades Union in District Council 36 to vote against ratifying a new contract. Hundreds of Painters Union and other Building Trades unions, as well as members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) rallied at the voting sites to show their support for the drywall finisher members of the Painters Union. The contract was overwhelmingly approved.

The Carpenters opened a new training center in Ontario in October. And at a recent meeting of the Western Council of Construction Consumers in San Diego, Mike D'Antuono, a representative of the National Construction Alliance, proudly announced that the Carpenters plan to expand the number of their apprentice training facilities in the Western U.S. to a total of 14.

The National Construction Alliance is the recently formed by the Carpenters, after it disaffiliated from the?organization National Building Trades Department of the AFL-CIO.

Many labor leaders are concerned about how this ruling will affect traditional craft lines, and the long term integrity and skill level of the Union construction trades.

"Local 200 was undermined by the committee that should have protected us." said Fritchel. "A precedent has now been set that any trade may now train any trade, furthering the Jack of all Trades and Master of None model. Every construction trade across the country will be affected by this."

There is a rumor that the Carpenters are expanding to take over the Laborers work next. In fact, they are training Plasterers Tenders work at their Whittier Training Center already.