Community

New instructor Dustin Bell values challenges and takes pride in the millwright craft and union

Dustin Bell of Atkins, Arkansas, joined Local 216 in 2015 and worked as a foreman for University Plant Services. “My specialty was reciprocating compressors, and I always enjoyed working on them,” he says. In April, Bell began teaching at the Russellville, Arkansas, training center.

SSMRC members learn to be better leaders through UBC training

One hundred and forty-five SSMRC members reached leadership milestones in June and July while attending Third-Year Apprentice and 212 Journeymen classes at the UBC International Training Center in Las Vegas.

Register to attend the July 25 Sisters in the Brotherhood meeting focusing on continuing ‘Pathways to Success’!

All women in the SSMRC are invited to attend a Sisters in the Brotherhood Committee meeting that will be held online Tuesday, July 25, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Central time. The theme of the meeting is "Continuing Pathways to Success."

Carpenters’ Helping Hands provides grant for Local 1192 member, who lost his home to a house fire

A brotherhood is often described as a relationship or bond that is so tight it can never be broken. It’s made up of a group of people that have each other’s backs no matter what, especially during a time of need.

Lending a helping hand – Local 1192 raises money for family in need

Being a millwright is more than just a career, it’s a brotherhood. It’s stepping up and rallying behind one of your own in a time of need.  On Sept. 24 while working a job in Flint, Michigan, Local 1192 member, Josh “Teddy” Mims suffered a medical emergency and has been in the hospital for nearly […]

Register to attend the Jan. 31 SIB meeting!

All women in the SSMRC are invited to attend a Sisters in the Brotherhood Committee meeting that will be held online Tuesday, Jan. 31, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Central time. The keynote speaker will be Wendy Chun-Hoon, director of the U.S. Labor Department's Women’s Bureau.

SSMRC West Texas business agent honors UBC Military Veterans Program in annual Veterans Day Parade

SSMRC West Texas business agent, Dwight Murrah, honored those who have served our country in New Braunfels annual Veterans Day parade in Texas.

Help us celebrate National Apprenticeship Week by sharing your story

National Apprenticeship Week is Nov. 14 – 20 and we want to celebrate by telling your stories. If you would like to participate, click here to fill out the questionnaire. Answers may be highlighted and shared across SSMRC social media platforms.

Inspire others by sharing your volunteer work!

If you or someone you know is an SSMRC member who does community-volunteer work, please send us a text at 855-577-7672. We would like to highlight the causes members contribute to, and we are using our Community Service Challenge Program to do that.

Register for the Oct. 25 SIB meeting

All women in the SSMRC are invited to attend a Sisters in the Brotherhood Committee meeting that will be held online Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m. Central time.

Local 1263 gives back to community on National Public Lands Day.

Eastern Regional Director, Logan Brown and members of Local 1263 celebrated National Public Lands Day by giving back to their community. On September 24, Thurmond Lake held one of its largest single-day volunteer projects. During the event, Brown and other volunteer members built four life jacket loaner stations for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. These loaner stations will be placed at various spots around the lake for people to access for free.

Local 1263 participates in annual Labor Day Parade in Charlotte

It was a rainy Labor Day but that did not stop members from Local 1263 from participating in the annual Labor Day Parade held in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Local 2232 adds new business representative

Monte Thompson, a 17-year millwright and member of Local 2232, which covers Houston and the Gulf Coast region of Texas, began working as a business representative for Local 2232 in early July.

Happy Labor Day!

Every year on the first Monday in September, Americans across the United States celebrate Labor Day. It is a day designated to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United States.

Get to know Hannah Hammonds, the newest SSMRC marketing and communications specialist

Hannah Hammonds, a seasoned multimedia professional, ABBY Award winning show host and graduated of the University of Alabama joined the SSMRC team in mid-August as a Communications Specialist focusing on Marketing and Member Recruitment.

SSMRC Regional director helps Georgia Boy Scout troop earn Labor Merit Badge

SSMRC Eastern Region director, Logan Brown met with members of Boy Scout Troop 8 in Augusta, GA at the beginning of August. Troop members worked toward earning their Labor Merit Badge, while being educated on labor history, apprenticeship requirements, and different types of labor unions and trades.

Local 1192 holds orientation for 20

Local 1192 held an orientation for apprentice and journey level millwrights on July 18 in Mobile, Alabama.  Twenty individuals attended this orientation as part of the fall and summer recruitment drive.  Most individuals completed the OSHA 10 course and is expected to start scheduled classes in January 2023.  Some will begin working in Moss Point, […]

Member Spotlight: Heather Pratt

Eager to learn, Heather Pratt dedicates herself to a successful career as a union millwright. When the alarm clock sounds early in the morning, Heather Pratt, a member of Local 1192 starts her workday with an analytical mindset, eager to face the ever-changing challenges that come with working as a millwright.

SSMRC sisters: Please register to attend the April 26 SIB meeting

All women in the SSMRC are invited to attend a Sisters in the Brotherhood Committee meeting that will be held online Tuesday, April 26, at 7 p.m. Central time.

Sisters throughout the South attend first SSMRC Sisters in the Brotherhood Committee meeting

The first SSMRC Sisters in the Brotherhood Committee meeting was a great success. Forty-three sisters from across the South attended the virtual meeting held on Jan. 4 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Central Time.

SSMRC Sisters: Attend the Jan. 4 virtual SIB meeting and get a free t-shirt

All women in the SSMRC are invited to attend the council's first Sisters in the Brotherhood Committee meeting. The meeting will be held online Jan. 4 at 7 p.m. Central time.

Apprentice Appreciation Day held at Savannah training center

Millwright apprentices in the Savannah, Georgia, area and their families celebrated a day of fun and information at the Savannah training center on Dec. 4. Forty apprentices and more than 25 family members, friends, and walk-ins participated in Apprentice Appreciation Day.

Local 1263 members receive service pins

Four members of Local 1263 received service pins during a ceremony held Dec. 14. Most of the members are from South Carolina and the Augusta, Georgia, area and are employed at Plant Vogtle near Waynesboro, Georgia, and at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina.

Community Service Challenge Award Winner: Mike Hines

The reason Mike Hines enjoys his job as a union business agent is the same reason he has been volunteering in his community since high school. Both undertakings allow him to practice his guiding philosophies: make things better than you found them and help provide equal opportunities.

Member Spotlight: Matt Bartles

Matt Bartles is helping young people get into good-paying jobs while also combatting a shortage of skilled welding professionals. Matt Bartles first heard the term “millwright” from a guest speaker at the technical college he was attending in 2010. A decade later – after completing the millwright apprenticeship, working in the field, and becoming a […]

Local 729 president and council delegate James Perniciaro passes away at age 61

Millwright Local 729 president and SSMRC delegate James Perniciaro passed away on Oct. 31 due to complications from COVID-19. He was a kind, compassionate, generous person and will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and union brothers and sisters.

Send a video to help us celebrate National Apprenticeship Week

National Apprenticeship Week is next week, Nov. 15-21. We want to celebrate by highlighting your stories. Please send us a short video we can post on SSMRC social-media platforms.

Member Spotlight: Jeffery Phillips

Jeffery Phillips, a recent graduate of the Millwright Military Veterans Program, has experienced a crash course in on-the-job training since he transitioned out of the Army in August.

Mitchell leading millwright training in Moss Point, Mississippi

Meet Robert Mitchell, the new millwright training instructor in Moss Point, Mississippi. Mitchell has been a member of Millwright Local 1192 since 2013.

Carpenters’ Helping Hands provides grant to Local 1554 member whose home was flood damaged

Flood waters rose so quickly on Aug. 21 in Waverly, Tennessee, that Michael T. Davis had to escape his home by climbing through a window and into his boat, which the water had pushed against the house.

Member Spotlight: Jessie Patterson

Local 1263 member Jessie Patterson has achieved goals quickly in her millwright career and has discovered a passion for helping others do the same. Finding the millwright trade after leaving the military in 2012 took Jessie Patterson several years, but she’s been on a fast track ever since.

Local 1263 Business Agent Michael Hamilton retires

After 45 years as a member of Local 1263 and 31 years as the local’s business agent, Michael Hamilton will retire on Sept. 30. Mike will be greatly missed, and we wish him the best in retirement! Michael Hamilton has held many leadership positions within the SSMRC, United Brotherhood of Carpenters, and UBC Millwrights. In […]

Local 1192 members earn SSMRC Community Service Challenge Award for leading effort to support striking miners

Mitchell Howton knows what it’s like to work at the Warrior Met Coal mine in Brookwood, Alabama. He hasn’t forgotten being underground 14 hours a day, seven days a week, with the promise that next week he would get Sunday off – a promise that never materialized.

Member Spotlight: Emerson Romero

After immigrating to the United States and working as a scaffold builder in refineries, Emerson Romero found a perfect career fit as a union millwright.

SSMRC developing Sisters in the Brotherhood committee

Several SSMRC sisters have begun building a Sisters in the Brotherhood (SIB) committee for our council. Find out how you can get involved.

Member Spotlight: Ben Higginbotham

A member of Millwright Local 2232 since 2013, Ben Higginbotham will begin serving as national millwright and pile driver recruiter for the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America on July 19.

Member Spotlight: Aaron Tapley

Twenty-nine-year-old Aaron Tapley has risen through the apprenticeship ranks and is now a foreman for industrial construction firm Milton J. Wood, based in Jacksonville, Florida.

Community Service Challenge winner: Dwight Murrah

Community service isn’t something Dwight Murrah does every now and then on a Saturday. It’s woven into his friendships, his marriage, his hobbies, and his relationship to the neighborhood where he lives.

SSMRC sponsors run benefiting Recovery Resource Council

The SSMRC was a major sponsor of the annual Unity Run, held in Whitney, Texas, and benefiting the nonprofit Resource Recovery Council, which provides mental and behavioral health care in 20 North Texas counties.

Millwrights and carpenters honor Arkansas’ fallen soldiers

Members of the Southern States Millwright Regional Council and the Central South Carpenters Regional Council helped create a tribute to fallen soldiers at the Veterans Memorial Park in Russellville, Arkansas.

Member Spotlight: April Crownhart-Swan

When April Crownhart-Swan was 7 years old, she told her mother she was going to be a race-car driver and a union member. She has accomplished both goals.

SSMRC members and Local 1192 provide meal for miners on strike in Alabama

Thanks to donations from SSMRC members, Millwright Local 1192 provided 100 meals on April 20 to miners striking against unfair labor practices in Brookwood, Alabama.

Local 1263’s James West retires after three decades

March 31, 2021, was the professional stopping point for a stalwart of Millwrights Local 1263 in Kennesaw, Georgia. James B. West officially retired on that date.

Mourning our losses

We are saddened by the loss of the following members, who passed away between Jan. 16 and March 15, 2021.

Member Spotlight: Mark Jones

Working for EthosEnergy, Local 2232 member Mark Jones has advanced from forklift operator to a vice-president position overseeing 300 employees.

Congrats to new journeymen

Click to see the names of members who advanced to journeyman status between Jan. 16 and Feb. 15, 2021.

Member Spotlight: Travis Harkey

Travis Harkey of Atkins, Arkansas, has been doing mechanical work since he was 14, but he didn’t find out what a millwright was until he was 27.

SSMRC appoints Thomas Brown to lead Local 1421 in north Texas

The SSMRC has selected Thomas Brown as business agent for Local 1421, which covers north Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area.

Local 216 swears in new members

Millwright Local 216 recently initiated new members. Welcome to Tabatha Voisin, Marcus Dorsey, William Reid, and Blaine Myers.

Member Milestones: Dec. 16-Jan. 15

Congratulations to members who advanced to journeyman status between Dec. 16, 2020, and Jan. 15, 2021.

Member Spotlight: Esther Freeman

Esther Freeman has always had a penchant for the mechanical. She enjoyed working on cars growing up. But her welding career started with art.

Saying Goodbye

The SSMRC mourns the loss of two members who passed away between Dec. 16, 2020, and Jan. 15, 2021.

Local 1192 member featured in Florence Times Daily

An article about Local 1192 member Joey Hildreth ran as the main feature on the front page of the Florence Times Daily. We're so proud of Joey and her career!

Member Milestones: Nov. 16-Dec. 15, 2020

Congratulations to members who recently became journeymen! Click the headline to read the list.

Local 2411 celebrates 70th anniversary and honors retiring Business Agent Paul French

In December, Millwright Local 2411 celebrated its 70th anniversary and honored Paul French, who is retiring as business agent after 12 years in that position and 50 years as a union millwright.

Local 216 presents service pins

In December, five members of Millwright Local 216 earned service pins. Click the headline to see who they were.

Paying our respects

The SSMRC is saddened by the loss of members who passed away between Oct. 15 and Nov. 15, 2020.

Local 1263 member earns 35-year pin

We are proud of Local 1263 member Jeff McCary, who recently received his 35-year pin.

Member Milestones: Oct. 16-Nov. 15, 2020

Congratulations to members who became journeymen or reached 50 years of service between Oct. 16 and Nov. 15, 2020!

Saying Goodbye

The SSMRC grieves the loss of the following members, who passed away between Sept. 12 and Oct. 21, 2020.

Member Milestones: Sept. 15-Oct. 15, 2020

Congratulations to members who became journeymen or reached 50 years of service between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15, 2020!

Local 216 presents journeyman certificates to six members

At Local 216's August union meeting, Business Agent Matt Nowlin presented journeyman certificates to six members.

Local 216 member Clay Sims will be deeply missed

We are saddened by the passing of Millwright Local 216 member Clay Marshal Sims, who died in a motorcycle accident Oct. 21.

Millwright Local 1000 swears in new apprentices

Congratulations to Jacob Koach, Tyler Mills, John Ham, and Coleman McDonough!

The SSMRC grieves the loss of Local 1192 member Jody Chapin

SSMRC is grieving the loss of one of its own, Jody Wayne Chapin, who passed away at age 38 due to injuries sustained in an automobile accident.