Today. Delaware Trades INSIDE. 2 The President s Message Legislative Agenda. 5 The Data Centers, LLC.

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1 Delaware Trades Today Volume 1 / Number 1 / 2014 INSIDE 2 The President s Message Legislative Agenda 5 The Data Centers, LLC 7 Building a Skilled Workforce

2 Officers Harry Gravell President James Maravelias Vice President Robert Carl Recording Secretary Joseph Schorah Treasurer June Ewing Office Manager Delaware Building & Construction Trades Council 911 New Road Wilmington, Delaware Phone: (302) Fax: (302) COVER The Data Centers plan to build their Wolf Technology Center I on the University of Delaware s STAR Campus. This 288,000 square feet facility, which is expected to cost more than $1 billion to construct, will be a globally unique data management and storage facility. Delaware Trades Today Volume 1 / Number 1 / 2014 Featured In this issue The 2 President s Message An introduction from the DBCTC President to the current priorities and issues facing the council. 5 The Data Centers, LLC The plan to build their 288,000 square foot facility on the UD s STAR Campus. 11 News & Noteworthy 2013 DBCTC Apprenticeship Dinner recognizing the individuals graduating from their union s apprentice programs. Delaware Trades Today INSIDE 2 The Presidnt s Message Legislative Agenda 5 The Data Centers, LLC 7 Building a Skilled Workforce DBCTC Building Today online at: The Delaware Building Construction Trades Council, representing 24 affiliated local unions, is a professional organization advocating for the use of local, skilled tradesmen with developers, builders, contractors and Delaware s business community. We accomplish these goals through strategic partnerships with private enterprises, effective lobbying and legislative efforts. All of these efforts focus on creating good paying jobs for our members, benefiting our local communities and growing Delaware s economy.

3 The President s Message W elcome to the inaugural issue of Delaware Building Trades magazine. This publication will be one way the Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council shares with its business partners, Delaware government officials, the community and its friends topics and issues important to our local union affiliates and the more than 4,000 building trades households statewide. Our first issue includes a feature article about the extensive training program union apprentices undergo. This rigorous training program ensures that contractors have a pool of skilled labor available to complete projects in a productive, safe and cost-efficient manner. In this issue you will also read about the Building Trades 2014 Legislative Agenda. As we begin another session of the General Assembly, the Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council felt it was imperative to develop a document that clearly states our priorities in Our priorities come down to this: creating union jobs. We will be sharing our agenda with our elected officials in Dover and actively working on behalf of our members to enact policies that help our members and all of Delaware when General Assembly reconvenes in January. On behalf of the Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council, I thank you for your support. To learn more about the Delaware Building and Constructions Trade Council, please visit our website at Sincerely, Harry Gravell, President Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council I 2

4 2014 Legislative Agenda Legislative update At its November 7, 2013 membership meeting, representatives of the 24 member local unions unanimously adopted the following Legislative Agenda for The economy has not been kind to the more than 4,000 families of the Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council (Building Trades). The unemployment rate in the construction industry hovers at 30% while new local construction and renovation projects are manned by unskilled, non-union labor from outside Delaware. During the last Legislative Session, the Building Trades tracked a host of legislation as well as recorded the votes and publicly stated positions of State Representatives and State Senators on issues important to its members. A few times, the Building Trades voiced its support for bills and policies that would be helpful to the economy and, by extension, to its members. Other times, we fought against legislation and policies that would put our members at a disadvantage. In 2014, we say enough. In 2014, we will no longer stand on the sidelines. The General Assembly must focus on creating union jobs The following outlines the legislative priorities of the Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council for The Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council Agenda for Union Jobs 2014 Strengthen Delaware s prevailing wage law. Oppose all right to work efforts and legislation. Ensure an unbiased and transparent bidding and procurement process for construction projects. Require all State funded construction or renovation projects including those found in the annual Bond Bill and those projects funded either by Strategic Fund grants or other DEDO loans to pay wages at the prevailing wage rate. Ensure that the Building Trades are properly represented on any legislatively created committees, task forces or advisory bodies that deal with the construction industry or other economic development opportunities Protect Delaware workers and ensure quality construction and a safe worksite. a. Implement background checks for contractors working on all publicly funded construction projects and school construction. b. Enforce drug testing regulations on all publicly funded construction projects and school construction. c. Implement e-verification Encourage and support economic development initiatives that are compatible and comply with the highest standards of environmental protection and sustainability. These objectives provide a broad outline of the areas that the Building Trades will focus its efforts in The members of the Building Trades expect that our elected representatives in the General Assembly do the same. In 2014, more so than ever, the votes, actions and stances of members of the General Assembly are of critical importance to the Building Trades. The Building Trades will be vigilant and monitor adherence to these objectives. 3 I Delaware Trades Today

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6 The Data Centers, LLC When Gene Kern, CEO of The Data Centers, LLC, decided he wanted to site his new project in Delaware, one of the first calls he made was to The Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council. I decided to use union labor on all my projects, said Kern, due to the fact that they are the best trained and have the best safety record of any workers in the areas in which we work. The Data Centers plan to build their Wolf Technology Center 1 (photo on cover) on the University of Delaware s STAR Campus. This 288,000 square feet facility, which is expected to cost more than $1 billion to construct, will be a globally unique data management and storage facility. Its tenants will be organizations like banks, other 5 I Delaware Trades Today financial institutions, universities telecommunication companies that need to manage and store vast amounts of data around the clock in a technologically advanced, 100 percent reliable environment. To help ensure 100 percent uptime, the center will be supported by an energy hub built using the Combined Heat & Power (CHP), also known as cogeneration. Kern adds, Our facilities use high voltage electrical generation and distribution and we cannot afford to have an unsafe environment or to have mistakes made during construction of the project. During the two to three years it is expected to take to build, The Data Centers anticipate approximately 5,000 union construction jobs will be created. Once construction is completed, The Data Centers expects to hire some 290 full-time

7 employees, with an average salary of $63,000, and about 50 part-time workers. Additionally, The Data Centers estimate that its customer companies will need about people onsite at Wolf Technology Center 1 for data management positions. We talk all the time about the need to combine economic development with protecting the environment, said Harry Gravell, President of the Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council. Here is a perfect example where we can do that while providing good-paying construction jobs. This is a win for the State of Delaware and the City of Newark. Sustainability and environmental protections and are part of The Data Centers overall design and operating philosophy. The Wolf Technology Center I will use Lowest Achievable Emission Rates (LAER) technology for nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compound emission control. Likewise, they will install Best Available Control Technology (BACT) for particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide emissions. Ultimately, the Wolf Technology Center I will achieve Platinum LEED Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, the highest level possible. In addition to the positive environmental and economic impacts The Data Center brings, it is a company owned by armed forces veterans. Its senior leaders have publicly stated that every effort will be made to employ military veterans throughout its business as well as participate in the Helmets to Hardhats program. Helmets to Hardhats is a national, nonprofit program that connects National Guard, Reserve, retired and transitioning active-duty military service members with skilled training and quality career opportunities in the construction industry. The Data Centers offer many positive benefits to Delaware and the members of the Delaware Building Trades. The members of the Delaware Building Trades fully support this project and look forward to seeing The Data Centers become Delaware s newest corporate citizen. Did You? Know What is the Delaware Building Trades? The Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council is a professional organization which advocates for the use of local, skilled tradesmen with developers, builders, contractors and Delaware s business community. The Building Trades Council accomplishes these goals through effective lobbying and legislative efforts and strategic partnerships with private enterprise. All of these efforts create good paying jobs, expand health insurance coverage and offer a defined pension for our members and communities and stimulate the economy in Delaware. The Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council represents 24 affiliated local unions. Do I save any money using union tradesmen? Yes. Using a workforce comprised of members from the Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council can benefit your project in a myriad of ways lower worker compensation costs, higher productivity levels and a higher rate of projects completed on time and under-budget than our less skilled competitors. How does skilled labor benefit my project? A Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council workforce benefits your project in many ways by reducing worker compensation costs; experiencing higher levels of productivity; completing projects on time and under-budget at a higher rate than our less skilled competitors; and creating a safer, more efficient work environment. For more information, please call the Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council at or visit us at www. debuildingtrades.com. Can the union help me with regulatory or government issues? Yes. The Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council employs a President and a lobbyist who are available to work with you. The Council s 24 affiliates each have Business Managers and government relations teams. Our priority is to educate Delaware elected officials at all levels of government about economic development, job creation and construction industry issues. I 6

8 Together, Journeymen and apprentices from Laborers Local 199 go through hands-on training to build a hydraulic scaffolding unit at the Laborers training facility in Newark. Building a Skilled Workforce by Jodi B. Frank More than 20 years ago Joe Frick found himself frequently changing jobs without a clear career path. He didn t feel like he was advancing in terms of his responsibilities, pay, or plan for a future. Today, he serves as the Training Coordinator of the Sheet Metal Workers Local Union 19 of Philadelphia and Vicinity Apprentice Program, where he manages the full and part time staff and students enrolled in the Sheet Metal program. I, like many people, originally thought the union was something you were born into, said Frick, but I was wrong. I m the first from my family in a local union. By enrolling in and completing the Sheet Metal Workers apprentice program, I finally found meaningful and consistent work, rather than holding several odds and ends jobs. Two-dozen trade unions comprise the Delaware Building and Construction Trade Council. Each offers a combined classroom and in-the-field apprenticeship program for new union members to become skilled in their respective trade. Field 7 I Delaware Trades Today

9 work is performed alongside a team of other apprentices and journeylevel workers (individuals who had already graduated from the apprentice program) on a job site. The State of Delaware sets a ratio of apprentices to journey-level workers to ensure the apprentices are supervised and can learn from their mentors. Like other apprentices, Frick attended school once a week and worked at a construction site the other four days. He furthered his career by competing in regional and national contests. After completing the apprentice program, Frick was invited to teach. Over the next four years, he worked as a journeylevel worker by day and taught at night. He then became a full time instructor. This past October, he was promoted to training coordinator. I chose this path because I wanted to share my knowledge and give back to the trade and I am honored to show today s students how to be successful and employable in the field, while obtaining good wages and benefits. Most of the trade crafts require apprentices to complete the equivalent of four or five years of training, although Toby Lamb, the Business Agent for the Laborers International Union of North America Local 199, said his union s apprentice program measures time in hours. We had one apprentice who was a very ambitious student with a positive attitude and completed the apprentice program in two years and 10 months, said Lamb. The apprentice attended day and evening classes. He showed up every day, was willing to work, took accountability, and asked for help when he didn t understand something. I chose this path because I wanted to share my knowledge and give back to the trade Joe Frick Apprentices perform many of the same tasks as their journeylevel counterparts while mastering their skill. They also get paid for their work according to a wage scale set forth by the union based on the number of hours/years an apprentice or a journey-level worker has completed in his trade. Most apprentices also receive a stipend for the time spent in the classroom. According to Danny Crowe of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 74, each year his union invests between $10,750 and $11,300 per apprentice in teaching staff, books, and shop materials. The Local 74 apprentice program takes place over five years and includes 1,100 hours of instruction combined with 8,500 to10,000 hours of on the job training. In order to ensure that apprentices are progressing and mastering their skills at a high level, each trade union program has a similar evaluation process for their apprentices. Evaluations include written tests, overall performance in the classroom and field, attitude and interest, learning ability, dependability, and number of hours worked versus the number of hours of work that was offered to them. Because of the investment that a union makes in educating apprentices, the published wage scale, and the contract negotiations for workplace betterment, a union often attracts non-union tradesman who have experience working in the construction industry. Rick Tulowitzki worked as a non-union trade craftsman for five years before becoming a member of the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers of Local Union 1 PA/DE in 1990 and completing a modified apprentice program, due to his previous experience. I ve met a lot of good people and dispelled false stories I was told about union members, said Tulowitzki, who is currently the Delaware State Field Agent for his union. The union recognized my skill set and investment that I had made in my career to that point, so I didn t start at the bottom of the wage scale. Prior to joining the union, I realized that I wasn t being rewarded with spelled-out raises or benefit protection when I 8

10 unemployed. For every hour worked, a portion of one s pay goes into the union pool that covers benefits, such as health care. Union apprentice programs teach skills in a certain manner. They not only meet State of Delaware training standards, but also exceed them in the number of hours, both in classroom and field work. Additionally, apprentices earn the OSHA equivalent of 10 hours of safety training in the classroom. A union, and its respective apprentice program, is open to any individual who can meet the For every hour worked, a portion of one s pay goes into the union pool that covers benefits, such as health care. entry requirements and has reliable transportation to classroom and job sites. Prospective candidates must first pass an aptitude test, an interview, and a drug test. Overall, this process has allowed trade unions to recruit and develop a diverse and skilled workforce. For example, this past summer, the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers of Local Union 1 PA/DE accepted its first apprentice with a hearing impairment. Once an individual becomes a member of a union, there is no cost to enroll in the apprentice program. Even then, an apprentice trade program may not be for everyone. That s why many of the programs offer an extensive orientation program for those who are selected. 9 I Delaware Trades Today Time in the classroom is an important component of both the apprenticeship program and ongoing education. Here, journeymen and apprentices from Laborers Local 199 take a written test to become trained in CPR.

11 During the orientation program, students learn about that specific trade, the union and shown the tools of the trade. 1,100 The Local 74 apprentice program takes place over five years and includes 1,100 hours of instruction combined with 8,500 to10,000 hours of on the job training. For those who complete an apprentice program, opportunities exist to pursue college degrees. For example, Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan, can award an apprentice graduate with up to 32 credits towards an Associate Degree in Construction Supervision. Contractors who hire union apprentices are able to pull from a skilled labor pool at a reduced rate. In addition, once a contractor is paired with an apprentice, the contractor can groom that individual for future employment. Dave Zarrilli, a project manager and estimator for ID Griffith says the company has hired several of its employees directly from the apprentice program. We have many success stories. As apprentices progress through the program they become highly trained and skilled labor. Generally, if we have the work for them, we try to keep the same apprentices over the course of their program, he added. The slight upturn in construction within the State of Delaware has led to additional work for some union contractors. According to Tulowitzki, Delaware s growth around Christiana Mall has For the Building Trades, Public Service is Part of the Job In Delaware, a great deal of policy is formed through state, county and local boards and committees. The Delaware Building Trades believes in advocating first and foremost in the public interest. Members of the Delaware Building Trades serve in other capacities as well. They have been elected to boards of education, county government and to the General Assembly. This is our members way to give back in the form of public service. A sample of recent civic engagement from members of the Delaware Building Trades: Board of Directors The Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility New Castle County License Inspection and Review State Board of Architects Board of Directors, United Way of Delaware Riverfront Development Corporation of Delaware State Workforce Investment Board State Unemployment Advisory Board enabled the apprentice program to provide skills from the ground up, Tulowitzki added, stating that some of the new businesses understand the value of skilled workers and have specifically requested apprentices for construction work. It s a way to keep costs down, while still ensuring a well-built and codecompliant structure. State Health Care Advisory Panel State Workers Compensation Task Force State Blue Collar Task Force Delaware Health Resources Board Red Clay Board of Education Brandywine Board of Education Delaware Board of Nursing Delaware Board of Dentistry and Dental Hygiene I 10

12 & NEWS noteworthy 2013 Apprenticeship Dinner Last September, the Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council hosted a dinner recognizing the more than 100 individuals who graduated from their respective union s apprentice program. The Delaware Building and Construction Trades would like to thank Senator Tom Carper, Congressman John Carney, State Representative Michael Mulrooney, State Representative Ed Osienski, New Castle County Executive Tom Gordon and New Castle County Councilman Joe Reda for joining us that evening. 11 I Delaware Trades Today

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16 Delaware Building & Construction Trades Council 911 New Road Wilmington, Delaware Boilermakers Local 13 Office: Boilermakers Local 193 Office: Bricklayers Local 1 Office: Cement Masons and Plasterers Local 2 Office: Cement Masons and Plasterers Local 592 Office: Carpenters Local 626 Office: Carpenters Local 2012 Office: Electricians Local 313 Office: Elevator Constructors Local 5 Office: Floorlayers Local 1823 Office: Glaziers and Glassworkers Local 252 Office: Insulators Local 42 Office: Ironworkers Local 451 Office: Laborers Local 199 Office: Millwrights Local 1906 Office: Painters Local 921 Office: Plasterers Local 8 Office: Operating Engineers Local 542 Office: Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 74 Office: Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 782 Office: Sheet Metal Workers Local 19 Office: Sprinkler Fitters Local 669 Office: Roofers Local 30 Office: Teamsters Local 326 Office: