Union contractors are winning work and getting reliable manpower from the District’s four Regional Councils. Training programs are hosting full classes and piloting innovative programs to keep pace with — and anticipate the needs of — employers and project owners.

UBC Southern District Vice President Dennis Donahou recently hosted more than 250 of those contractors and key leaders from the Florida, Southeastern, Central South, and Southern Millwright Regional Councils and Training Programs at a Labor-Management Conference, designed to keep the momentum rolling. Read more about the conference here.

Representatives from the SSMRC attended the PowerGen International 2022 Conference to promote the benefits of union-millwright labor. Pictured, from left, are: David Bonds, president and nuclear representative; Rick Halford, political director; and Jeff Smith, Central Region director.

The exterior walls are erected and ceiling insulation is being installed in the $5 million, 25,000-square-foot training facility that is being constructed in Nashville, Tennessee. View the latest progress on the project here.

Each quarter, the SSMRC recognizes members who go above and beyond in their communities. Members who are recognized receive the Community Service Challenge Award and gifts including a lunch cooler, T-shirt, and $250 gift card. If you know someone who should be honored with the Community Service Challenge Award, please send a text to 855-577-7672.

The SSMRC will send you a free t-shirt after you complete the online course "101 Constitution: U.S. Government and Labor Law," which is hosted in the United Brotherhood of Carpenters Department of Education and Training's Learning Management System. Learn more about the course here.

Vernon House

The latest updated hurricane forecast was recently released by National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, which lists an increase in the chance for an above-normal hurricane season: https://www.noaa.gov/.../noaa-predicts-above-normal-2022...

UBC Southern District Vice President Dennis Donahou offered a series of tips to make sure you are prepared should any of our 11-states get hit with a hurricane this year. Read DVP Donahou's full message here.

“The difference between UBC training and non-union providers… is first and foremost the feeling of brotherhood, the genuine desire to trade knowledge, to pass it on.”

The UBC shared a video in May highlighting some of the benefits that the union's training offers to members. Watch the video here.

A recent report surveying the construction industry published by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute based on publicly reported OSHA data found that union worksites are 19% less likely to have an OSHA violation and had 34% fewer violations per OSHA inspection than non-union worksites. Overall, while unions represent 14% of the construction industry employees, their employers account for only 5% of the industry’s OSHA violations. Read more about unions and worker safety here.

May was Mental Health Awareness Month, and we'd like to remind members to check out the mental-health resources available in the Members section of our website. Learn about mental-health challenges associated with our trade and how you can improve your quality of life by focusing on eight domains of mental wellness.