KEEPING UP THE PRESSURE BY RAY PICKUP

To say the team at District Council 35 has hit the ground running would be an understatement. Over the last six months, our entire team has punched above their weight class. We have added key positions to the roster that are being baptized by fire as it seems every situation possible is happening at the same time. We have now had two trial boards, contentious battles with out-of-area contractors, another 10k NLRB hearing coming up for glaziers, multiple contracts expiring this June, and signing new contractors across all trades. All our staff have embraced their roles and bring a true team mentality day in and day out.

BM/ST Christian Brennan is leading the helm by example and continues to build the staff from the ground up. We recently added some new additions to the Political Department and Organizing Department and elevated some people to the position of Business Representative/Organizer. It is of the utmost importance that we don’t let up on our pursuit of gaining more market share while taking care of our home base. All the recent changes and additions have been put in place to make sure that our members get the most out of our team by protecting working hours and benefits for our members.

Opportunities across all our trades are paramount as we look to the future. The construction industry is not slowing down anytime soon. We have reintegrated our Steward Program post-COVID and have seen an uptick in hours. We have an incredible roster of Stewards that patrol job sites day in and out looking out for each trade. Our Union is strong because of that solidarity. We will continue to expand the Steward Program as our membership and opportunities continue to grow.

Longer term growth north of the Massachusetts border has also begun. The Business Representatives and Organizers have been extremely busy creating new opportunities as the doors open in Maine and New Hampshire. They are also organizing new members at the shipyard in Portsmouth as a major focal point for Local 1915 as they grow with more opportunity. The future is full of opportunity for all our members as we head into an extremely busy couple of years!