As COVID-19 cases spike in states across the South (see more information below), let’s work together this holiday weekend and beyond to keep our families and communities healthy and our worksites and local union offices open.

We can do this by practicing preventive measures both on and off jobsites and by encouraging each other to follow guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state and local health officials and governments, and employers.

To make the best choices, you need to understand how COVID-19 spreads, know what activities increase risk and what measures reduce risk, and be aware of the level of COVID-19 spread in your community. Many answers can be found on this CDC web page and through COVID-19-related resources referenced later in this newsletter.

The CDC offers this basic advice:

Face masks are part of life right now and are necessary on many jobsites. OSHA and the CDC have some great information and tips on properly wearing and maintaining masks. Check it out here .

CDC: Why cloth face coverings help prevent COVID-19 spread

Recent studies  show individuals with COVID-19 can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms or even if they never develop symptoms. Wearing a cloth face covering will help protect people around you, including those at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

Most local unions in the SSMRC's district will hold July meetings as scheduled. Local 1192's meeting has been moved to July 9 at 7 p.m.

Face masks and social distancing will be required at all meetings.

Seven HYTORC hydraulic bolting kits purchased by the SSMRC have begun arriving at training centers across the council’s 11-state district. Previously, training centers had to rent such kits from the United Brotherhood of Carpenters International Training Center and arrange classes according to equipment availability.

 

“Each area having one of these kits will allow us to continue our up-to-date training on our schedule,” says Ed Wright, training director of the Arkansas/Oklahoma Carpenter Apprenticeship Training & Trust Fund. Wright spearheaded the kit purchases.

 

Instructors and students are using the HYTORC kits at training centers in Nashville, Tennessee, Moss Point, Mississippi, Tampa, Florida, Russellville, Arkansas, Arlington, Texas, Houston, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Augusta, Georgia.

 

While hydraulic-bolting skills are important in all industries millwrights serve, they are critical to disassembly and reassembly of turbines in the nuclear and petrochemical fields. The two-day HYTORC course is one of three courses that are prerequisites for attending GE gas turbine training at the ITC in Las Vegas. That training is required for millwrights working at certain jobsites.

Why continue your training?

Success today means doing new things and embracing new ways to keep pace with the evolving construction industry. We are known for responding quickly to industry innovations, and it all starts with training. Our training programs are developed so that our millwrights meet any challenge or opportunity encountered by our employers. Southern States Millwrights are the only construction professionals in this region with access to this consistent, standardized, quality training.

Click here to locate a training facility in your area and see course schedules. (Please note schedules are subject to change due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.)

With a 5-2 vote, the La Vergne, Tennessee, City Council approved construction of the new Nashville training center on Tuesday. An architect presented plans for the facility, and SSMRC EST Wayne Jennings, training director Greg Williams, and Local 1554 business agent Steve Williams attended multiple meetings to address city council concerns.

Slated for completion in mid-2021, the new Nashville training center will host mechatronics classes. Staff also plan to add light-conveyor classes and props to the center's curriculum.

The Harvard Global Health Institute released a new tool today that allows you to see a COVID-19 risk rating of green, yellow, orange, or red for the county where you live. Click the map above, then hover over a county for detailed information.

COVID-19 cases are increasing in all 11 states the Southern States Millwright Regional Council covers. Click here to learn more about case numbers, deaths, and the rate of increase in your state.

Due to rising COVID-19 case counts, several states in our region are pausing or reversing plans to re-open. Click the map above for details about your state's status and restrictions. Be aware city and county orders are affecting many areas as well. Check with your local governments to find out if additional rules apply.

Western Region:

 

Local 216

There is a project kicking off at Good Year in Oklahoma this week. We did have some projects postponed due to COVID issues. In Arkansas the major expansion at the Nucor steel mill will kick off on July 8th. This project will eventually have over 40 millwrights on site.

 

Local 729

Work is slow at the moment but Local 729 is preparing for the upcoming nuclear outage at Waterford so members who are interested should contact Mike Hines.

 

Local 1421

A project for Owens Corning is finishing up this week and another is about to kick off. The MHS project at the United Parcel Services facility in Arlington is still going strong as well.

 

Local 2232

Local 2232 will be placing over 150 millwrights out at Toyota for a July shutdown. There are still some petrochemical projects ongoing and maintenance work seems to be picking up although most projects are working modified schedules to increase social distancing with the crews.

Central Region:

Work has been slow, but is picking up. The July 4 holiday is upon us, and automotive outage work will be ramping up across the region. If you are available for work, please put yourself on the out-of-work list and contact your local business representative.

Eastern Region:

 

Local 1000

Local 1263

Additional information for Vogtle workers:

Local 2411

We know keeping up with email is tough. If you would like to receive text messages with links to SSMRC Member E-News and other member information, please text SSMRC to 855-57-SSMRC (855-577-7672).