DON’T COUNT THE DAYS, MAKE THE DAYS COUNT

Since my last newsletter article, I have continued to assist our Business Manager on the day-to-day operations of our District Council. I have diligently assisted our Representatives, Organizers and have lent a hand with every department of our Union when asked.

Over the past few months, I have worked with our membership and dealt with representational responsibilities from treatment and discipline issues to overtime compensation. I have buttoned up a few outstanding Collective Bargaining Agreements that were due.

This will likely be my last newsletter article and some may ask why, simply said I am retiring!

Speaking the universal language of numbers, I am eligible for retirement and speaking of numbers here are a few:

I started in the trades at the age of 14 and still remember the first job I worked on.

I have been elected more than 10 times and served in appointed positions within our District Council and nationally by the IUPAT.

I have been a member for nearly 50 years, I have served this membership in just about every capacity from Business Manager, Assistant Business Manager/ Secretary-Treasurer, and Contract Administrator to Business Representative. I have served on my Local Union Executive Board in numerous capacities.

I have logged over 1 million miles representing our membership in 5 states.

I have written well over 400 monthly delegate reports and roughly 150 newsletter articles over a 34-year leadership career and I am not aware of anyone that has served that long at DC 35.

I have served as lead negotiator on over 200 collective bargaining agreements. I have been instrumental with Project Labor Agreements that covered The Big Dig, Power Plants, Offshore Wind, Casinos, and Patriots Stadium just to name a few.

I have served as a Trustee for over 34 years and I am proud of my ability to make things happen or introduce policies and programs that enhance the quality of life for our membership and our plan participants.

With that being said there is no I in TEAM and I am grateful to have worked with so many great people and leaders. Thank you to the Executive Board of my home Local Union, leaders like Joe Bechard, Paul Hadzipanajotis, Joe Bohmbach, Joe Warren, Frank Grilo, Ken Jillson, Dan Mejia, Dave Buresh, Ted Cronan and so many others who always had my back and the wellbeing of our members.

I am thankful for the leaders both past and present at District Council 35, names like Damery, Simmons, Hogan, Dutra, Carter, Doherty, Guliano and long-time coworker and retired BM/ST Jeff Sullivan just to name a few.

I am thankful for the Trustees that I have worked with over the years that helped bring our funds from under 100 million to over 1 billion in assets to serve our participants. Trustees like Sullivan, Guarino, Doherty, Carter, Canning, Itri, Guliano, McCreary, Marshall, Gunning, Steeves, Kasow, Kennedy, Patch, Miller, Townsend and so many more helped bring our accrual rate and pension plan to what it is today. They monitored and enhanced our plan of health benefits that our members rely so heavily upon.

I am grateful for the work and commitment our Trustees have had with our Finishing Trades Institute, which is now an accredited college under the guidance of FTI Director Eric Redding and our team of instructors. The enhancements to our training programs are second to none.

Brothers and Sisters, we embark on a new chapter for District Council 35 and I am grateful to have worked with your latest Leadership Team under the direction of Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer Christian Brennan.

The names may have changed as all things do with time. Now it is names like Brennan, Guarino, Nardelli, Badaro, Cabral, Coughlin, Desmond, Pickup, Rivera, and the entire Team of Organizers and Representatives.

Thank you all and I am confident that our District Council will thrive and grow under the Leadership Team that is at the helm right now.