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Jason B. Engels has been appointed Southern District Vice President for the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Engels served as an Executive Secretary-Treasurer (EST) within the UBC for over 18 years. Most recently, the Central South Carpenters Regional Council.

The Western Region has many working opportunities available to its members that will continue through June.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I am pleased to report on the first quarter of 2023 for the Eastern Region of the SSMRC. As we have forecasted, the employment opportunities have been endless. Our district is on track to shatter our previous years' hours worked, which is great news for our brotherhood. We are alive and well and growing exponentially. There has never been such a great time to be a union millwright in the South.

Local 1554 has welcomed a familiar face as the newest business agent for Local 1554 out of Nashville. In January, Jesse Beilig assumed the business agent role covering middle and West Tennessee, replacing former Local 1554 business agent, Steve Williams, who has since taken a position as the Nuclear Representative for the SSMRC.

SSMRC President and Nuclear Representative, David Bonds is retiring after nearly 45 years of service to the brotherhood.

From a young age, Local 1000 member Ethan Neville, knew he was destined to work in the construction industry. Growing up, Neville kept himself busy working on cars and finding ways to expand his knowledge of the construction industry. After graduating high school, he used his knowledge to begin working as a heavy machinery rigger, traveling the country before making the courageous decision to become a union millwright. While learning the millwright way of things has posed some challenges for Neville, he has adjusted well and excelling quickly in his career.

A bill in the Tennessee Legislature would micro-manage how votes for union representation are conducted at private businesses. The bill would make a secret-ballot election the only option for forming a union for employees who work for an employer who has received economic incentives from the state of Tennessee.

March and April work is already on the books for the Western Region. Power Gen industry work is picking up with multiple projects kicking off through the end of February and the first week of March. The Gulf Coast market has been full speed ahead with one Petro Chem project after another. Conveyor and Manufacturing work […]

The Southern States Automotive Contractors Association, a group the SSMRC was instrumental in creating, is hosting the Auto Focus 2023 summit March 1-2 at our Charlotte, North Carolina, training facility. The event is aimed at confronting – and finding solutions to – challenges in the automotive industry.

Childcare expenses account for 8% to 19% of family income per child and present barriers to employment for many parents, according to a new, county-level database of childcare prices the U.S. Labor Department released in January.

High school students at Fayetteville High School participated in mock interviews as part of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Week.

The percentages of women and Black and Latino workers signing up for union-affiliated registered apprenticeships are significantly higher than the percentages of those workers joining non-union apprenticeships, according to a study by the independent Institute for Construction Economics Research.

The Western Region of the SSMRC has another extremely booked spring season.

President Biden announced on Dec. 8 the release of $36 billion to prevent drastic cuts to the pensions of more than 350,000 union workers and retirees. Funded by the American Rescue Plan’s Special Financial Assistance Program, this is the largest award of federal financial support for worker and retiree pension security.

Congress has approved the first funding increase for the federal labor board since 2014, averting a budget crisis but falling short of what’s needed given a dramatic rise in unionization and unfair-labor-practice charges.

Apparel-maker Carhartt, Inc. awarded a $25,000 grant in November to support the United Brotherhood of Carpenters’ Military Veterans Program, which helps service members transition from the military to civilian careers as millwrights and carpenters.

The outlook for work in the Eastern Region in 2023 is very promising. We are seeing a variety of opportunities that will be kicking off early next year. Our outage schedule is going to be one of the busiest we have ever seen.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the federal agency that enforces U.S. labor law in relation to collective bargaining and unfair labor practices, is struggling to do its job due to a budget crisis that only Congress can correct.

The SSMRC Sisters in the Brotherhood and two of its partners presented a scholarship tool package on Dec. 6 valued at more than $1,000 to Alisha King, a recent graduate of the Moore Community House Women in Construction Program in Biloxi, Mississippi.

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

Central Region Work Update from Regional Director, Jeff Smith.

The Labor Department has announced a final rule that ends the Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Program, adding it will direct its resources toward Registered Apprenticeships. (Union apprenticeships are registered apprenticeship programs.)

For the past 11 years, Jeremy Gonzales, a member of Local 2232 has dedicated himself to a career as a union millwright. Being a millwright comes with a lot of challenges, in which a lot of people do not talk about until they have walked in the shoes of a millwright. No job is ever the same and each day presents a slate of new challenges. Being a millwright is not for the faint of heart. But with a whole lot of faith and a lot of hard work, it is a rewarding career.

Construction should be complete before the end of the year on a 25,000-square-foot training center in La Vergne, Tennessee. This property is in a high-traffic area surrounded by residential subdivisions, which will greatly enhance our recruitment efforts.

In the state of Arkansas, the new 35,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art training center located right off Interstate 40 in Russellville was completed in May. The proximity of this facility to a major interstate has given us more visibility with contractors, state and local leaders, and the general public.

Western Region Work Update from Regional Director, James Rowland.

SSMRC Political Director Rick Halford and A.J. Starling, secretary-treasurer of the Tennessee AFL-CIO, are working with the Tennessee Workers' Alliance to fight back against the falsely named "right-to-work" amendment that Tennessee voters will consider on Nov. 8.

High school students in Savannah, Georgia, expanded their knowledge of the opportunities available to them after graduating high school at a job fair hosted by the Savannah Chatham County Public School System Public Affairs Department.

Given the high vaccination rate in the U.S. and Canada, combined with effective treatment methods and lower infection rates, the requirement that participants be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to attend programs at the International Training Center has been rescinded effective immediately.

Watch a video of pump expert Randal Therman telling why millwrights and their knowledge are important and why people throughout the pump industry need to be connecting with the millwright workforce.

Brothers and Sisters, We are preparing to move into the Mix 20/20 system, utilizing a secondary list for nuclear millwrights. The transition will be in place for the spring 2023 outage season. Please click the link below and fill out the form to be added for eligibility. This will not affect the general industry work […]

Several candidates running for office in Oklahoma spoke about labor issues during our September staff and delegate meeting in Oklahoma City. The candidates included Joy Hofmeister, who is running for governor, U.S. Senate candidates Kendra Horn and Madison Horn, and labor-commissioner candidate Leslie Osborn.

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.

From a young age, Local 216’s Austin Bryant knew he was destined to work in the construction industry. While in high school, Bryant completed two machine shop classes where he learned how to run lathes and mills along with designing and manufacturing components. After taking some time to attend community college and the economic collapse in 2008, Bryant chose to pursue a career in machining with a tool and dye mechanic shop. After working under a master machinist for two years, Bryant decided it was time for a career change.

Working in the construction industry comes with a great deal of sacrifices. Many long hours, travel, and time away from family and friends. However, it also comes with a great deal of rewards. This past week, Local 2411 business agent, Robert Jeffers, presented James D. Moore with a “70 Year” membership pin recognizing his dedication to the UBC.

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.

Twelve sisters represented the Southern States Millwright Regional Council at the 2022 United Brotherhood of Carpenters Sisters in the Brotherhood Conference, where they attended workshops, networked with approximately 525 sisters across the United States and Canada, and gained skills and knowledge to take back to their locals and jobsites.

Harris County, Texas, Commissioner Adrian Garcia visited the Houston training center Aug. 10. He toured the facility, met with apprentices, and discussed with SSMRC staff issues that are affecting union millwrights.

In the next year, $1 billion in airport-terminal-improvement projects will begin at 85 airports across the country. Funding for the projects comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and represents the first year of a five-year program to invest $5 billion in terminals.

For the first time in 40 years, the U.S. Labor Department is proposing comprehensive updates to the Davis-Bacon Act. The changes would speed up prevailing wage updates, improve efficiency, and ensure prevailing-wage rates keep up with actual wages.

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.

aluminum-recycling mill in Bay Minette, Alabama, will provide a wealth of opportunities for SSMRC partnering contractors and millwrights to install robotics and other equipment at a 3,000-acre site.

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.

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.

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.

Two SSMRC staff members were among a small group of union leaders who met with the U.S. vice president and labor secretary in Durham, North Carolina, on March 2, sharing concerns about unfair competition from law-breaking contractors and about the need for government policies that support contractors who hire skilled workers and provide good wages and benefits.

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.

Focusing on a case that began in Iowa with the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters giving aid to six construction workers who were starving, NBC Nightly News broadcast a special segment on wage theft in the construction industry.

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.

In November of this year, members who live in Tennessee will have the opportunity to vote on a proposed amendment – Amendment No. 1 – that would add a falsely named “right-to-work” clause to the state constitution.

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").

The SSMRC recently purchased compressors worth approximately $30,000 each for the Moss Point, Mississippi, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, training centers.

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.

Jeff Smith, director of the SSMRC's Central Region, introduces Teresa Harmon, the new office manager for Local 1554.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Southern States Millwrights helped contractor Power Techniques Inc. install three massive chutes to prevent free-falling material from damaging conveyor equipment in Alabama's largest mine.

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.

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.

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.

During the National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, we're sharing information about fall hazard awareness in oil and gas industrial settings.

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 2021 spring outage season has had its challenges, but is wrapping up as a success.

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.

A $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill called the American Rescue Plan became law on March 11.

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.

The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act would strengthen federal laws that protect workers’ rights to join unions. Learn more through a fact sheet.

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.

Siemens Energy has released a video recognizing the importance of union millwrights to the success of its customers in the electric-power-generation industry.

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.

The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, our parent organization, released a statement regarding events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Click the headline to read the statement.

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.

Thank you to all the apprentices who helped us celebrate National Apprenticeship Week by telling us why they chose to become union millwrights.

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.

States have different rules and deadlines regarding early in-person and mail-in voting. Know your what to do to make sure your ballot is counted.

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.