Nuclear Update – May 2023
The Nuclear fall outage season will not be as robust as the spring season but will have plenty of working opportunities for our members.
Eastern Region Update – May 2023
Work in the Eastern Region will continue to be plentiful throughout the remainder of 2023.
Western Region Update – May 2023
The Western Region has many working opportunities available to its members that will continue through June.
Central Region Update – May 2023
Work across the central region has been plentiful this past Spring within the Automotive and Power-gen industries. Millwrights are in high demand across the eleven state-footprint, recruitment is a high priority, and we need members to accommodate all upcoming projects. Bottom-up organizing is an excellent way of recruiting within our organization. If you know of any mechanically inclined individuals who want a lifelong career, put them in touch with your local business representative, and let’s get them to work.
Technical school partnership helps grow membership in Tennessee
On May 17, Local 1554 business agents William Condon and Jesse Beilig spoke with Lincoln Technical Institution graduates about career opportunities available in the millwright trade. Current students from the welding, diesel, and automotive programs were also in attendance with these graduates.
May Member Spotlight – Jeremy Kastberg
Growing up, we tend to look up to our parents and grandparents, as positive influences, and mentors. We often strive to follow in their footsteps, as we walk through normal, everyday life. That was no different for Local 1192’s Jeremy Kastberg. He is a fourth-generation millwright, who for the last 8 years, has been devoted to building a prosperous career in the industry that has given so much to his family for many decades. Being a millwright is a tough career, filled with many rigorous challenges, but Kastberg is no stranger to hard work. Before joining the millwright trade, he served 10-years in the United States Army National Guard.
Western Region Director Update – April 2023
The SSMRC’s motto is “Safe, Productive, Professional”. Safety is always first in everything that we do, and we should not only adhere to that standard, but we should educate others on our jobs and speak out when there are issues that need to be addressed. No millwright wants to be injured on a job and no employer wants someone on their job to be hurt. As union members you should not fear retaliation from pointing out safety concerns or taking the time to ensure the task is safe for everyone involved. We expect that from every member. From the brand-new apprentice to the seasoned journeyperson. You will always have the support of SSMRC representatives and leadership if there are ever safety issues.
Eastern Region Director Update – April 2023
Most Locals have nominations and elections that are coming up for their local union. I encourage you to nominate and vote for someone who will represent your local in those positions to a higher standard. If running for a position in your local union, I ask that you read the constitution and fully understand the duties of the position that you are campaigning for. If elected, I encourage you to perform your duties that are assigned by the constitution and to take these positions seriously.
Central Region Director Update – April 2023
First, I would like to thank you all for doing the quality job that you do. Work throughout the Central Region have been plentiful for our members and contractors alike.
Nuclear Update – April 2023
After listening to comments and concerns with the current dispatch methods utilized by the SSMRC Nuclear Office, we have decided to work toward improving the system for our members.
SSMRC director promotes our workforce to auto-industry leaders in Tennessee
SSMRC Central Region Director Jeff Smith promoted our recruitment and training capabilities April 13 when he met with leaders of the Tennessee Automotive Manufacturers Association and Ford’s BlueOval City project under construction near Memphis. The meeting took place during TAMA’s Spring Conference.
We’re standing up to construction-industry tax fraud — here’s why and how
Tax fraud hurts everyone – workers, including our members, and their families, law-abiding contractors, communities, school children, veterans, and all taxpayers. That’s why we unite with the UBC and other regional during Tax Fraud Days of Action every year.
April Member Spotlight – Levi Gleason
Being a millwright comes with a lot of hard work. Working conditions are not always pretty and are sometimes tough, but that doesn’t stop the dedicated individuals, who have made the decision to pursue a career in the millwright trade from getting the job done. Local 1554’s Levi Gleason is no stranger to hard work and dedication.
Support labor-friendly nominee to continue Marty Walsh’s pro-union work as head of U.S. Labor Department
Marty Walsh, a former union member, has led the U.S. Labor Department with policies and initiatives for strengthening workers’ rights, unions, and union apprenticeships. The nominee to be his successor is equally qualified and just as committed to defending working people’s rights and holding corporations accountable under the law.
SSMRC Sisters in the Brotherhood Committee prioritizing recruitment
Recruitment is a vital part of growing and strengthening the union, and the SSMRC Sisters in the Brotherhood Committee has made recruitment a top priority for its 2023-2024 goal cycle. Through collaborations with local business agents and training directors, several SIB members have been able to attend conferences and job fairs to reach out to young adults and working men and women.
Nashville-area training center ready for equipment installation
Construction of a 25,000-square-foot training center in La Vergne, Tennessee, near Nashville, is complete. The next step is installing training equipment, and a grand opening is slated for May. The new building consists of 20,000 square feet of training space and 5,000 square feet of office and administrative areas.
Solar-panel-manufacturing expansion creating union millwright work in Georgia
Union millwrights are already working on a $2.5 billion expansion announced yesterday of solar-panel manufacturing facilities in northwest Georgia. Those millwrights and others will be needed at the Dalton factory during the next year, and opportunities for SSMRC members to work at a similar factory in Cartersville, Georgia, are likely, said Robert Strickland, business agent for Millwright Local 1263, which covers Georgia and the Carolinas.
Q1 – Nuclear Update
It has been a busy spring season for the nuclear industry. Nearly all seventeen projects for the spring of 2023 season have started or will be starting soon. These projects are expected to end at the middle or end of May.
The spring season produced a lot of work for our members, requesting manpower of around 800 millwrights.
Halford to speak at Labor Spring in Arkansas
SSMRC Political Director Rick Halford will be among the speakers at an event aimed at highlighting ways unions and collective action by workers can alleviate the most pressing problems facing northwest Arkansas residents. The Northwest Arkansas Labor Council and the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville Education Association/Local 965 will host the Northwest Arkansas Labor Spring Teach-In…
SSMRC staff network with elected officials, contractors, manufacturers at automotive summit
SSMRC leaders networked with elected officials, contractors, and manufacturers at the 2023 Auto Focus Summit hosted by our training center in Charlotte, North Carolina, March 1-2. The Southern States Automotive Contractors Association, an organization the SSMRC was instrumental in creating, held the event.