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The U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee has released a study showing that, compared to their non-union peers, union members earn 10.2% higher wages and are 18.3% more likely to have employer-sponsored health insurance.

Primaries are happening across the South; make a plan to get out to vote. Voting laws across some of the Southern states have changed. Here’s what you need to know.

Since he became a union millwright in 1994, Ellis Griffin has worked across all 11 of the council’s states in nearly every industry that the SSMRC serves, and while he mainly sticks to turbine work these days, he takes pride in serving as a mentor to the apprentices working alongside him.

Regional councils and locals that make up the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, our parent organization, participated in more than 200 events and initiatives across the United States and Canada during construction-industry Tax Fraud Days of Action, April 11-16, 2022.

A proposal by a Republican U.S. senator from Florida would increase income taxes for the lowest-earning 40% of Americans and allow all federal legislation to "sunset" within five years, meaning programs including Social Security, Medicare, and more would end unless Congress reauthorized them.

Local 1192 member Andrew Sims has been a member of the SSMRC for nearly 20 years and a field superintendent for nearly a decade, and his commitment to safety for his fellow millwrights has led to recognitions from Atlantic Plant Maintenance.

The White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment has released a report with nearly 70 recommendations that promote worker organizing and collective bargaining.

Representatives of the Southeastern Carpenters Training Trust recently attended a career expo at Savannah Technical College to talk to more than 40 high school juniors and seniors and their parents about opportunities within the SSMRC and UBC.

The new millwright and carpenter training center in Russellville, Arkansas is about 85% complete. With square footage between 20,000 and 30,000, the new center will provide two-to-three times the space of the existing facility.

A bill in the Georgia House of Representatives would change the definition of "employment" to include "services performed by an individual for wages" unless the individual is free from control or direction over the performance of such services.

The Office of Labor-Management Standards has rescinded a Trump-administration rule that imposed unjustified and burdensome paperwork requirements on labor unions.

Efforts continue in the U.S. Congress to pass Build Back Better legislation that would assist working families with child- and elder-care costs, reduce health-care costs, housing, and education costs, and invest in union apprenticeships, rural communities, and union-built clean-energy projects including wind-turbine installation.

The members of Millwright Local 1000 recently honored Tim Hurd with a plaque to recognize his craftsmanship, attention to detail and years of dedicated service to the local’s membership and to the Millwrights Apprenticeship Training Program.

Three SSMRC representatives discussed the benefits of our workforce with Alabama political and industry leaders during the Manufacture Alabama Annual Legislative Reception and Dinner held in Montgomery on Jan. 11.

On Jan. 13, the Supreme Court of the United States blocked a mandate from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that would have required all employers with 100 or more employees to require those employees to either be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or to be tested weekly and wear masks at work.

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.

The Labor Department is seeking comment on a proposed rule that would eliminate the Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Program started under the Trump administration so the department can direct its resources toward Registered Apprenticeships (union apprenticeship programs are "registered apprenticeships").

During the past month, the National Labor Relations Board ordered a new union election at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, and, for the first time, workers at a Starbucks store voted to unionize.

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.

The UBC's Military Veterans Program is wasting no time prepping our nation’s heroes to hit the ground running as professional union millwrights or carpenters once they complete their military tours.

The SSMRC will send you a free t-shirt after you complete the online course "101 Constitution: U.S. Government and Labor Law," which is hosted in the United Brotherhood of Carpenters Department of Education and Training's Learning Management System.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced on Nov. 4 an Emergency Temporary Standard on COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing. Two days later – after multiple lawsuits were filed – the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals put the new rule on hold until the court system decides its legality.

Millwright Local 1263 members Jeremy Rentz and Derek Igou tell about their work as foremen for TurbinePros on the Units 3 and 4 construction project at Georgia Power's Plant Vogtle nuclear station.

To meet the demands of contractors, the UBC has launched an online portal to upload proof of COVID-19 vaccination through Training Verication Cards. The portal can be accessed through the UBC Mobile App or from your TVC Card.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced on Sept. 20 the appointments of 29 members to serve on the newly reinstated Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship, which will provide advice and recommendations on issues related to registered apprenticeship (union apprenticeship programs are "registered apprenticeships").

Travel to oceanside communities in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle has increased tremendously in recent years, and millwrights from Local 1192 are helping expand the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport to accommodate the growth.

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 […]

All SSMRC members now have access to the United Brotherhood of Carpenters' online course "101 Constitution: U.S. Government and Labor Law," which is hosted online in the Department of Education and Training's Learning Management System.

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.

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

The SSMRC and two of its partners presented a scholarship tool package on Aug. 17 valued at more than $1,000 to Asia Lewis, a recent graduate of the Moore Community House Women in Construction Program

The U.S. Senate has passed a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that would provide $73 billion for electric grid and power infrastructure, $55 billion for water systems and infrastructure, $25 billion for airports, and more.

Union member and U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh (pictured first row, middle) met with regional executive secretary treasurers at the UBC's International Training Center last month.

The SSMRC's regional directors have made videos reporting on the first half of this year, highlighting upcoming work opportunities, and providing information on other important developments in their areas.

Much information and a wealth of resources surrounding COVID-19 vaccinations are now available. Check out some of them here.

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.

SSMRC staff operated a recruiting booth at a National Hot Rod Association event in Concord, N.C., in May. Business agents handed out hundreds of flyers and brochures.

Several governors in our jurisdiction have announced they will end participation in a federal unemployment program that gives workers an additional $300 per week.

The federal infrastructure proposal announced March 31 at a carpenters union training center would provide funding for power-generation projects the SSMRC is set to capitalize on.

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.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced last month it is making $31 million in grants available to create Registered Apprenticeship Technical Assistance Centers of Excellence.

The U.S. Senate confirmed Marty Walsh as secretary of the Labor Department on March 22.

Millwright Local 1192, which covers Alabama, Mississippi, and the Florida Panhandle, has purchased a 6,080-square-foot office building to accommodate rapid growth.

The Amazon election could signal the growth of labor unions in general, after decades of decline, if legislation such as the PRO Act were to become law.

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

Ground was broken March 8 for a $5 million, 35,000-square-foot millwright and carpenter training center in Russellville, Arkansas.

Rickey Moore has been named executive director of the Mid-South Carpenters Regional Council Training Trust Fund.

Congratulations and thank you to the SSMRC members who helped the Limetree Bay refinery in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, resume operations.

Thank you to the SSMRC members who have helped build Units 3 and 4 at Georgia Power's Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro, Georgia.

COVID-19 cases in the United States have dropped nearly 30 percent in the past two weeks, but public health officials say more contagious variants of the virus and relaxed precautions could lead to a resurgence.

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!

Construction of a $6 million training center in Charlotte, North Carolina, is now complete, and classes are scheduled to begin in February.

More than $20 million is being invested in new union millwright training centers and training-center upgrades across the Southeast. These investments will address the shortage of skilled industrial construction workers affecting many areas.

Members working at Southern Company facilities or considering employment at Southern Company sites should be aware of these COVID-19 quarantine/isolation guidelines released Dec. 30.

Guy Carter, training coordinator and Local 1000 president, began his career as a millwright at age 38 and discovered a love of teaching six years later. He also continued working through a cancer diagnosis and treatment in 2018.

The Arlington training center's exterior remodel is nearing completion! The new façade is part of an $800,000 upgrade that also includes new training equipment.

After Joey Hildreth began working as a millwright in 1974, she didn’t see another female millwright on a jobsite for at least four years. But that didn’t shake her confidence in her career choice.

After a year of construction, the new millwrights and carpenters training center in Charlotte, North Carolina, is nearing completion. The most recent work includes electrical wiring, plumbing-fixture caulking, painting, and installing of drop ceilings.

Members should be aware some CBD oils contain THC, and this can show up in a drug screening. Do your research before using any CBD product.

The SSMRC's parent organization, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, is holding a UBC Sisters in the Brotherhood Caucus Friday, Oct. 16, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Calder Manley, a military veteran and member of Local 1192, currently works at the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing plant in Huntsville, Alabama.

Union volunteers, including members of Millwright Local 1192, will soon complete site work and construction of a public fishing weigh-in pavilion at Alabama’s Smith Lake.