-
Local 647’s Kerkaert captures Apprentice of the Year title Mark Kerkaert from Local 647 (Minneapolis) took home the top honor at the U.S. 2024 Apprentice of the Year Competition held at Local 26 (Savannah, Georgia) Aug. 5 to 8. Coming in as this year’s runner-up was Galin Favors from Local 108 (Birmingham, Alabama). Team honors went to the Great Lakes duo of Christopher Lund and Kerkaert. Winners were announced at a dinner in Kansas City on Sept. 19. Other competitors included Dylan Hart, Local 28 (Newark, New Jersey); Robert Schweiss, Local 154 (Pittsburgh); Joseph Fasulo, Local 26; Brad Flanigan, Local 242 (Spokane, Washington); and Brandon Tyson, Local 502 (Tacoma, Washington). This year’s competition looked markedly different from other competitions due to Hurricane Debby, which swept up the United States to wreak havoc through flooding and storms throughout the Savannah area. Airports were closed as well as roads in some areas. Local 154 Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer and lead judge Mike Stanton said half of the judges couldn’t make it to Local 26, so the coordinators stepped up. Boilermakers National Apprenticeship Program National Coordinator Mark Wertz said the group that made it to the competition before the hurricane rallied together to get the job done, despite the weather. “Every contest presents its challenges, but a tropical storm was a first. But like any Boilermaker job, everyone put in the extra effort that made it a great success.” To reach the national competition, sponsored by BNAP, contestants had to finish in the winner or runner-up spot in their respective area competitions. In addition to the hands-on competition, candidates competed on a written exam covering their four years of related studies and on-the-job-training. The hands-on portion included a difficult rigging exercise, layout and fabrication, tube rolling, knot tying, hand signals, reeving and equipment use, along with welding, buddy welding and cutting. Judges scored contestants on blueprint reading, safety, overall knowledge and demonstrated skills. BNAP Chairman Michael Bray, from Riggs Distler, spoke at the awards dinner and praised all the competitors. “You’re all winners. We also want to thank the significant others,” he said. “Because you are what we’re about. You guys are the best of the best and your opportunities are endless.” Kerkaert, the winner of the 2024 competition, thanked everyone from his local lodge. “This is not for me, it’s for them,” he said. “I put a lot of training into the competition because I wanted to represent my local well. I wanted to represent the [apprenticeship] program, and I wanted to represent my mentors through the years that taught me a lot. Everything I did during the competition is something I learned from someone on the job.” Judges for the event included: Jason Hettel, GLABAP; Carey Kowalski, GLABAP; Mark Wertz, National Apprenticeship Coordinator; Eric Olsen, SAJAC; Collin Keisling, WSJAC; Jason Dupuis, NEAAC; L-154 BM-ST Michael Stanton, lead judge; Stephen Murphy, NEAAC; Myron Richardson, Chattanooga Boiler and Tank; Chuck Harvey, Babcock and Wilcox; Mike Nelson, Central Maintenance & Welding; IR Mike Autry and Dave Englund, Local 11 (Helena, Montana). Wertz thanked everyone from Local 26 and their entire staff and helpers, including BM-ST Johnathon Bates and Apprenticeship Coordinator Herman Gibbs. — Nov 1
-
Philly Shipyard christens the Patriot State The Maritime Administration and Philly Shipyard have christened the Patriot State, the second National Security Multi-Mission Vessel and the new training ship for Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Local 19 Boilermakers helped build the 160-meter multipurpose vessel, which can carry up to 8,500 tons of cargo. The ship was designed for both maritime training and disaster relief missions and features a hospital, helipad and roll-on/roll-off capability for up to 1,000 people. — Oct 24
-
Boilermakers host successful USA clay shoot, youth day In partnership with the Boilermakers union, the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance raised more than $120,000 in the annual USA Boilermakers Kansas City Sporting Clays Shoot and hosted more than 60 youths at a Boilermakers Get Youth Outdoors Day in separate events this past September. Now in its third year, the youth event doubled attendance from previous years. Kids enjoyed the day Sept. 15 at Powder Creek Shooting Park in Lenexa, Kansas, learning gun safety, skills, blasting clays and fishing under the guidance of Boilermakers and other union volunteers. All supplies—from fishing gear to protection and ammunition—were provided, as well as lunch for all. IVP-Northeast John Fultz was among the event volunteers. He spent the day baiting hooks, taking fish off the hooks and watching kids’ smiles light up with each catch. “I really enjoyed it—it was like being with my grandkids when they caught their first fish,” he said. “It makes you happy to see them so successful and to watch the moms and dads get excited for their little ones.” Fultz said being covered in worms for a day was worth it. He noted that IBB staffer Mallory Smith volunteered all day fixing fishing poles, baiting hooks, helping kids however she could—and also covered in worms. “This is what we’re supposed to do as a union. We stick together and take care of each other, and we stick together to take care of our community—and that’s the youth.” The following Saturday, on Sept. 22, 116 men, women and youth met at Powder Creek for USA’s popular sporting clays competition. Twenty-five teams competed, each firing 100 rounds per person along the course’s stations. Union partners, Boilermaker local lodges and other unions sponsored the stations to offset event expenses. The 2024 Kansas City shoot winners were: Highest overall team score: Callender Printing Class A high score: Boilermakers Local 363 Class B high score: Mark One Class C high score: IBEW Local 226 Top overall shooter: Austin Post Top senior shooter: Clinton Shipp Top youth shooter: Charlie Jenkins Top female shooter: Kym Savage “I want to especially recognize Kym Savage for her work organizing Boilermakers, volunteers, donations, and all the effort she put into the youth event and shoot coordination,” Fultz said. “And it was fun to have her on our team to enjoy the hard work she’d put into the event. Winning as the day’s leading female shooter was well earned.” Profits from the shooting event support U.S.A.’s mission to “unite the community through conservation to preserve North America’s outdoor heritage.” This was the 15th year for the Boilermaker-sponsored event. The Boilermakers union is a charter member of the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance. Free membership is available to all Boilermaker members. — Oct 24
-
Donation sparks TIG welding instruction for high school Southeast Area recruiter Lee Aurand-Hosey and a Lincoln Electric representative worked together to secure a significant donation for the welding program at Fannin County High School in Blue Ridge, Georgia. After Aurand-Hosey brought the issue to the attention of Lincoln Electric, the company donated a state-of-the-art, multi-process welding machine to the high school’s welding program. This donation will improve the school’s welding curriculum, giving students access to advanced technology that will enhance their practical skills. The TIG or Tungsten Inert Gas machine allows students to perform precision welding, expanding their career opportunities. Aurand-Hosey said the contribution from Lincoln Electric is more than just a machine; it’s a commitment to the future of skilled trades. The equipment will ensure students are prepared with the knowledge and tools they need for success in the welding industry. FCHS welding instructor Terry Flowers said this donation will improve the program. “We're incredibly excited and grateful for this donation,” said Flowers. “The TIG machine gives our students valuable hands-on experience with advanced welding techniques that are in high demand. It’s a game-changer for our program.” — Oct 22
-
Chicago member bounces his way to gold Earl Pote, a Local 1 Boilermaker from Chicago, discovered a fascination for pogo sticks at age 12, after seeing one at a local carnival. Decades later, his passion and dedication have secured him the 2024 Tech Pogo Stick World Championship, earned at the Pogo World Championships in Pittsburgh last summer. He previously won gold in Tech in 2009 and 2010 and claimed silver in 2011, despite competing with a broken foot. Pote said that from 2009 to 2011, he also competed in the Big Air competition, as well as in the Tech. He had to stop because he joined the military in 2012, and said he couldn’t risk getting severely injured while in the military. Pote’s most recent victory came in the Tech category, which requires participants to use steel spring pogo sticks. The tech style keeps pogoers closer to the ground and focuses on technical skills, unlike other categories, like Big Air, which allow for pneumatic pogo sticks that are lighter and can bounce higher. “Pogoing requires a lot of balance,” Pote explained. “The tech side, especially, requires a lot of balance. There are a lot of tricks that demand precise control. It comes with time and hours of practice.” Watch Earl Pote practice pogoing! Although his love for pogoing came first, joining the union gave him the freedom to practice the hundreds of hours needed to become a champion. Pote's journey into the Boilermakers began in February 2019, after serving six years in the United States Air Force. He discovered the union through Helmets to Hardhats, a program that helps military veterans transition into civilian trades. His military experience involved working on aircrew egress systems. Joining the union opened new doors for him and gave him a trade he could use to support himself and his pogo ambitions. Before indenturing into the Boilermaker’s apprenticeship program, Pote had no welding experience. “I hadn’t even struck an arc,” he said. “I put a lot of time into learning how to weld. I’d be at the hall for eight hours a day practicing when I was laid off. I also learned layout, something I didn’t know how to do before becoming a Boilermaker.” His new boilermaker skills made it possible for Pote to begin crafting his own brand of pogo stick called The Reaper. He began fabricating them out of his garage after the company that originally produced tech pogo sticks stopped making them. He decided if he couldn’t buy the pogo stick he needed, he’d design one himself. “I’m a Boilermaker at the end of the day, and I can make a pogo stick,” Pote said. The biggest challenge he faced in creating The Reaper was sourcing the right spring. After struggling to find a manufacturer, he finally located one in Chicago. They produced a prototype, which he tested and approved with the help of a friend. Pote used his own creation, The Reaper, to win the 2024 championship, a victory driven by skill, hours of practice, and the benefits of the union way of life. “Working in the union gives me the freedom of lifestyle,” Pote said. “If I was working a regular job, I wouldn’t be able to train the way I did for this competition.” — Oct 16