Representatives of the Southern States Millwrights and Southeastern Carpenters, along with state and local officials, broke ground May 24 on a $5 million, 25,000-square-foot training center near Nashville. The training center will be built on 4 acres located on Veterans Memorial Parkway, which connects to highly visible U.S. Hwy. 41 in La Vergne, Tennessee. The SSMRC provided a $300,000 grant to help purchase the property and is donating approximately $300,000 worth of training equipment. Read more.

Community service isn’t something Dwight Murrah does every now and then on a Saturday. It’s woven into his friendships, his marriage, his hobbies, and his relationship to the neighborhood where he lives. Murrah, a business agent for Millwright Local 2232, volunteers individually, with friends, and with groups, including cycling and Jeep-enthusiast groups he’s a member of and groups organized by his wife’s employer. Read more here.

Nominate someone to be the next Community Service Challenge winner. Let us know how you or another SSMRC member is volunteering in the community, helping other members, etc. Send an email to omcmurrey@ssmrc4070.org or call/text 1-855-57-SSMRC (1-855-577-7672).

Twenty-nine-year-old Aaron Tapley has risen through the apprenticeship ranks and is now a foreman for industrial construction firm Milton J. Wood, based in Jacksonville, Florida. A member of Millwright Local 2411, Tapley grew up in Nahunta, Georgia, and currently resides in Jacksonville. Read more about Tapley here.

Members of the Southern States Millwright Regional Council and the Central South Carpenters Regional Council helped create a tribute to fallen soldiers at the Veterans Memorial Park in Russellville, Arkansas. Read more.

With summer here, be on the lookout for signs of heat illness in yourself and co-workers. The poster below shows what to watch for and what to do if someone has symptoms. Click the image to see a larger version.

National Forklift Safety Day was June 8, and this month is a great time for a quick refresher on safely operating forklifts. Click the button below to see the OSHA Quick Card.

Bi-partisan majorities in the Illinois General Assembly have voted to place a constitutional amendment before voters in 2022 that would ban “right-to-work” laws. By contrast, the Tennessee Legislature has agreed to a 2022 ballot initiative to ADD a right-to-work clause to that state's constitution. Tennessee is already a “right-to-work” state, but legislators want to make it as difficult as possible to repeal the law by enshrining it in the state constitution. A recent study shows right-to-work states under-perform Illinois on wages, income growth, workforce productivity, poverty, and workplace safety. Read the report here.

Falsely named right-to-work laws, which are in place in 27 states, allow workers to opt out of supporting unions while unions remain legally bound to represent them. This robs locals of the resources they need to bargain well, enforce contracts, build solidarity, and survive labor disputes.

Much information and a wealth of resources surrounding COVID-19 vaccinations are now available. Check out some of them below.

Free vaccines are now readily available for adults and kids 12 and older throughout our Southern District. In many cases, no appointment is needed. Click the button below to enter your ZIP code, find nearby vaccination sites, and make an appointment (if required).

You also can text your ZIP code to 438829 or call 1-800-232-0233 to find vaccination sites and possibly access free Uber/Lyft rides to vaccine sites and free childcare to help you or your family members get vaccinated.