International Brotherhood of Boilermakers - The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers, and Helpers, AFL-CIO

  • Urgent: Boilermaker action needed to defeat anti-union bill
    The Boilermakers union is calling on all Boilermakers, especially those who live or work in Mississippi, to help defeat an anti-union bill. In its current iteration, Mississippi SB 2849 would deny funding to businesses that voluntarily recognize unions. Known as the "anti-voluntary recognition bill," SB 2849 is now in a joint conference committee. S.B. 2849 would ban any businesses receiving state funding from voluntarily recognizing a union that has demonstrated majority support in their workplace. A union contract with good wages and quality benefits provides families in Mississippi with a pathway to the middle class, but lawmakers are trying to make it more difficult for working people to achieve this. This legislation strips workers of essential freedoms, takes away the rights of Mississippi business owners to make their own workforce decisions, and violates federal labor law. To ensure that harmful labor provisions are not passed in the state, the Mississippi State AFL-CIO urges union members and allies to contact conference committee members immediately and urge them to defeat the bill entirely or to support a House-amended version. The Senate initially passed SB 2849 with language that barred companies receiving state funds from agreeing to neutrality or card check with labor unions, but the House removed this language. The Senate rejected those changes, and now a six-member conference committee will decide the bill’s final version. Take a moment to call the following legislators ask them to vote to defeat SB 2849 in committee or keep the House-amended version: Senate Conferees: Sen. Robin Robinson (Forrest) – (601) 359-2220 Sen. Brice Wiggins (Pascagoula) – (601) 359-3237 Sen. Chris Johnson (Forrest) – (601) 359-2220 House Conferees: Rep. Lee Yancey (Rankin) – (601) 359-4000 Rep. Billy Calvert (Meridian) – (601) 490-0652 Rep. Trey Lamar (Lafayette) – (601) 359-3343   Please share this message especially with your contacts who live or work in Mississippi. — Mar 26
  • M.O.R.E Work Fund ‘elevates’ Boilermaker work
    Before the 1980s, Boilermakers were the craft that constructed most elevated water towers in cities and municipalities. That was before nonunion contractors stepped into the market with rock-bottom bids. Now, thanks to the M.O.R.E. Work Investment Fund, Boilermakers are regaining some of that work. And even better, the next five years look promising for additional projects. “We had a great portion of that work, and it’s slowly gone away over the last 30 years,” said Local 1 BM-ST Eric Davis. “I don’t even know the last time Local 1 has sent one of our members out who wasn’t a traveler.” Ray Moen, a sales manager at CBI Services, is working on a project where Boilermakers are building a water tower for the village of Grayslake, Illinois. Moen said a lot of elevated water tower work used to go union. “When some of [the cities] contract low price work, this process is repeated by other cities,” he said. “Since the ’80s it’s been a tough market for a union contractor.” But that’s changing. According to Moen, Grayslake wanted a union contractor to do the work. And thanks to the M.O.R.E. Work Investment Fund, the CBI Services bid was competitive enough to secure it. “Having an owner that actively wants union labor helps,” Moen said. Davis said he gets bid notifications through associations that alert the local of governmental work, and when he saw the request for bids for the water tower, he jumped at the opportunity. Initially he called CBI Services’ labor relations manager to alert him to bid the project. The manager met with engineers and the village, then created a proposal. “I do not believe we would have gotten the [Grayslake] job without the help of the M.O.R.E. Fund,” Davis said, noting the M.O.R.E. Work Fund also secured the bid for an elevated water tower in the village of Gardner, Illinois, completed around three years ago. Moen said he appreciates the cooperation between CBI Services and Local 1 to find work. “They help us sell the work. They help me see some of the other prospects.” The good news is that union work on elevated towers will continue. “I think there’s a lot coming out,” Moen said. “We have a lot with L-1 in the Chicago area. Over the next five years, for elevated water tanks, there’s a lot to look at.” That’s work Local 1 apprentice, David Dishman, can get behind. He’s currently working on the Grayslake tower project with around seven travelers, tankies from the National Transient Division, and an operating engineer. He worked nonunion for 10 years, so he’s not new to tank construction. He indentured into the Boilermakers three years ago because he wanted better working conditions, better tools and better benefits, and he said he found all these in the Boilermakers. On this job, Dishman’s first elevated tower work, he’s found that working up high comes with unique working conditions. He said it’s essential to be focused and deliberate when working, especially when workers are 150 to 200 feet in the air. “A huge part is communication,” he said. That’s why he appreciates the daily safety meetings. It’s why communication is essential, so everyone can go home at the end of the day. Boilermakers are welding and rigging on this project. On a typical day, following the safety meeting, three members stay on the ground working on assembly and sending tools and steel to the top to the rest of the crew. Dishman said there are challenges to elevated work, with the height of the tower being one. “We go over safety a lot because it’s always changing,” he said. “Every Wednesday we have a longer safety meeting.” Workers don’t have room for all their tools while working on the tower. If someone needs a tool they didn’t bring to the top, the ground crew needs to send it up. Dishman said it’s essential to think through the day’s work to determine what will be needed before climbing. Weather is unpredictable. Moen said if the wind is too high—and it’s always stronger on the tower than on the ground—they might have to shut down. They must be creative with ground assemblies if it’s snowing, raining, or the wind is too high. “You’re up 150 feet in the air so you’re really exposed,” he said. To get to the tower, members climb a ladder to reach the first floor before climbing a taller ladder 60 to 75 feet to a manhole that leads to three to five scaffolds. Then Boilermakers climb to the overhead cone ladder, a half oval that attaches at the top, so they can weld the vertical sections. When welding the outside of the tower, workers use a derrick—a machine that lifts heavy weights using a long beam with pulleys and cables—that connects to the shaft in the middle. “There’s so much going on and so many things that are dangerous,” Dishman said. “All the things that are dangerous on the ground are 10-fold more in the air.” Even so, he’s happy to be on the job. He’d heard for years that CBI Services was the “epitome of Boilermaker work.” And now on his first job with CBI Services, he understands why. “No one is questioning the need for safety or a need for tools to get the job done. And there’s no need to cut corners to get the job done [with CBI Services],” he said. Dishman is looking forward to more tower work in the future. It gives him a sense of pride to know the M.O.R.E. Work Investment Fund is opening the door to work the union hasn’t done for years. “It’s something we’ve been wanting to have back, and now we’re getting the chance to get that back,” he said. “It’s a motivating factor to get it done on time and do quality work.”  — Mar 21
  • Breaking Barriers: L-83 woman's journey into project management
    The MOST Project Management course was developed in 2003, with the first class held in 2004, and nearly all the participants have been men. Over the past 20 years, Jess Mendenhall of Local 83 (Kansas City, Missouri) is only the second woman to take the course since its inception. Gerry Klimo, a retired member out of L-154 (Pittsburgh) who teaches the MOST Project Management course, was impressed with Mendenhall.  “I saw in her a very strong desire to progress and be great as a Boilermaker. It was evident watching her in the group. She’s outgoing and knowledgeable,” he said. “I’ve taught 30 or more of the classes. Sometimes there are people who really stand out, and to be a female in a male world personifies her as a strong person.” Mendenhall’s journey into the Boilermakers began when her eyes popped at the cost of college. “When I was 18, I did a semester in college. Then I got the bill for the next semester,” Mendenhall recalled. “I told my parents I’d join the Navy instead, but my dad suggested I try [the Boilermakers], so I did—and I’ve never looked back.” In 2012, Mendenhall indentured into Local 83. “I didn’t know anything,” she admitted. “I’m thankful and grateful I was taken under a couple of wings, and they showed me the ropes. I’ve never struggled with any brothers.” One of her most memorable jobs was an emergency rebuild after an explosion in Toledo, Ohio. “It was a complete rebuild on the fly—no planning,” she said. “It took about a month to six weeks to get it online. We rebuilt a fin fan at a refinery. I was over the towers. When the explosion happened, the I-beams were damaged, and we had to rebuild them. Normally, something like this takes six months to plan, but we had no plan. We were there on Christmas.” She joined Local 92 (Los Angeles) briefly, working in California for a few years before returning to the Midwest and Local 83. In California, she rose to become a foreman, leading teams of up to 20 men. Mendenhall took the Project Management course to further her education and expand her knowledge. “What we’re learning in the course pertains to our line of work, but college is more general.” She’s also a Certified Associate Welding Inspector, a credential that allows her to inspect welds and perform quality assurance in the welding industry. In addition, she’s studying business management and is close to completing her associates degree, with an end goal of earning a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. “I’m able to pay for school in cash and do something I love,” she said. “I’m not in a losing situation whatsoever.” Mendenhall has primarily worked in refineries, but she’s also worked as a project coordinator for a subcontractor and the opportunity to be an instructor at the L-83 hall. She credits L-83 for being very supportive of women in the trade. Over the past three years, she has received strong support from IVP-GL Dan Sulivan; Tom Burgess, apprenticeship instructor at Local 83; Kayla Vander Molen at Local 146 (Edmonton, Alberta), pre-apprenticeship instructor and many brothers and sisters she has met locally and across the country. However, she acknowledges that challenges she’s faced have required perseverance. Her biggest struggle has been the lack of career progression and access to training opportunities. “While I’m passionate about this work, I believe mentorship for women should be a greater priority,” Mendenhall said. “Too often, my inquiries about educational opportunities go unanswered or are met with dismissal, while promised opportunities either never materialized or went to someone’s friend or relative.” She takes pride in seeing others succeed but finds it frustrating when advancement is based on connections rather than experience or commitment. “It’s even more disheartening when those who do move forward fail to support or uplift others in return.” Despite these challenges, Mendenhall continues to push forward, break barriers and advocate for greater opportunities within her trade. She believes that learning never stops in this craft. “There’s always something new or different to explore, whether it’s on the job or a type of work I haven’t done before.” Watch Jess's video on Boilermaker Brotherhood watch video Read more about the MOST Project Management Course. Read More — Mar 19
  • Urgent, immediate need for qualified Boilermakers: Shipyard work could boost Boilermaker work long term
    Bartlett Maritime needs 15-20 skilled, qualified flux core welders immediately to fulfill U.S. Navy work in Newport News, Virginia – and if the Boilermakers union answers the call, it could mean decades of solid work for members, in tens of thousands of jobs. “Through our partnership with Bartlett Maritime, we have been given the opportunity to help build America’s defense vessels for the U.S. Navy,” said International President Tim Simmons. “Our union has spent a significant amount of time and effort to develop this new opportunity, and we must do everything within our power to secure these new work opportunities for our members and strengthen our pensions.” Simmons said Bartlett Maritime needs to staff the work within the next few weeks. “Our success staffing this work will open the door for future sustainable shipyard work; however, we need to staff these jobs immediately,” he said. “We must prove to our contractors that we are a viable source of skilled labor. “It is time to remind our nation’s leaders and the U.S. Navy that, whether it be in times of peace or war, when the United States of America needs support in the shipbuilding industry, it is our union that answers the call.” Bartlett Maritime is looking for Boilermakers with the following criteria: Skilled, qualified flux core welder with a minimum of four years welding experience Willing to undergo a Department of Defense background check  Can successfully pass a hair follicle test The job pays as follows: Dayshift (1st shift) - $40/hour Evening/Nightshift (2nd and 3rd shifts) - $43/hour Daily stipend - $82/day (paid seven days a week, working or not) $500 incentive for completing the first week $1,500 incentive for 160 hours completed on the deck plates $2,000 to stay on the job until July Overtime may be available as needed Those interested in working this job or for more information should contact BM-ST Kevin Battle, L-45, directly at: 804-814-8603 or [email protected].  “We are not just proven partners in America’s shipbuilding but also historic partners, showcasing our ability by building fleets during both World Wars and repairing ships, such as the U.S.S. Cole damaged in a terrorist attack,” Simmons said. “I am urging Boilermakers to apply for this opportunity and to share it with other Boilermakers.” — Mar 17
  • Boilermakers celebrate organizing win at BWXT
    Workers at BWXT in Lynchburg, Virginia, voted overwhelmingly yesterday to unionize with the Boilermakers union. The union welcomes 145 machinists from BWXT’s machine shop micro-unit as new Boilermaker brothers and sisters, represented by Local 45 (Richmond, Virginia). Northeast Area organizer John Bland said the initiative all started when a BWXT worker reached out to Kevin Battle, Local 45 Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer. They were upset about working conditions and constantly changing rules, and they knew unionizing would give them a voice and a say through collective bargaining.  “As soon as Kevin got the call, everyone got moving on it,” Bland said. “He swung into action and started follow-ups immediately.” He said the workers were especially key in organizing at BWXT. Because BWXT is a secured nuclear operation, the massive facility is not accessible to visitors, such as union organizers. Even inside the facility itself, for security purposes, some units, areas and workers are off-limits to one another. “The workers really took the reins inside and got the ball rolling,” he said. “Over 30 people showed up for our first meeting. They wanted a union, because they had wanted a voice for many years and to have a seat at the table. Wages are usually an issue, but this was more about their conditions and how they were being treated at work.” Organizing efforts began in January, and M.O.R.E. Work organizing funds were invested to support the campaign. “This win will help grow our industry and show more workers another way of life,” Bland said. — Mar 14