Local Lodge 500

GRADUATE APPRENTICE Blaine Coulter, Local 169 (Detroit), won first place at the 25th annual Boilermakers’ National Apprenticeship Competition, held Sept. 23-27 at L-169’s training center in Dearborn, Mich.

Lost-time injuries drop to record low

TO PREFACE THE NACBE awards presentation at the Boilermakers Construction Division Conference held at Marco Island, Fla., March 20-25, NACBE Exec. Dir. John Erickson congratulated all locals for driving the 2010 lost-time injury rate to an all-time low. “We could not have accomplished these numbers without the participation of each and every single Boilermaker,” he said.

Lost-time injury rate dips to lowest figure ever: 0.39

INJURY RATES FOR field construction Boilermakers continued to trend lower in 2009, according to John Erickson, executive director of the National Association of Construction Boilermaker Employers (NACBE), who presented his findings during the annual construction conference at Marco Island, Fla., March 4. One of the key safety indicators, the lost-time injury rate, dipped to 0.39, the lowest figure ever recorded by NACBE since it began a safety index in 1990.

Northeast & Great Lakes

Toth and Buskey win Northeast; Vodraska and Woods win Great Lakes

THE NORTHEAST AND Great Lakes areas held their 23rd annual joint graduate apprentice competitions May 4-8 at Local 5 Zone 197 (Albany, N.Y.). The top two finishers in each contest will represent their areas in the national contest in Kansas City, Kan., Sept. 27-Oct. 1.

Contract includes increases in wages and per-diem with new language for portability and mandatory safety training

CALLING IT THE “most progressive agreement in the nation,” Intl. Vice Pres. Tom Baca praised the Western States business managers and Intl. reps for their exceptional effort in reaching a three-year pact with their signatory contractors.

Rosas takes top spot, VanDam places second

JEREMY ROSAS OF Local 242 (Spokane, Wash.) won the James F. Precht Award as the top apprentice in the 21st annual Western States Area Outstanding Graduate Apprentice Competition held May 12-14 at Local 242. Brian VanDam of Local 182 (Salt Lake City, Utah) placed second.

Forty-one Boilermaker dependents earn awards totaling $50,000

THE BOILERMAKERS’ INTERNATIONAL Executive Council scholarship committee announced the winners of its 2008 scholarship program April 25. A total of $50,000 was awarded to 41 scholarship recipients: $38,000 to United States students and $12,000 to Canadian students.

Loan, health care assistance make tragedy easier to bear

DARIN MCCARTHY, 48, and his wife, Lisa, thought they were done raising kids. The business manager of Local 500 (Portland) has a grown, 27-year-old daughter, Jennifer, and a two-year-old granddaughter, Aliya.

NEARLY TWO DOZEN U.S. and Canadian business managers met in Kansas City, Mo., July 27-31 for new officer training. The event was hosted by Construction Division Services (CDS) in conjunction with the Education and Training Services Department.

“We had an excellent group that stayed focused the entire week on the curriculum we developed for new business managers,” said CDS Director Skipper Branscum. “Our goal was to introduce these leaders to the various programs and resources that are available to help them succeed.”