When Fire Hits, Whats in the Smoke

June 28th, 2017 6:30 PM

As I sat in my office this afternoon in Dorchester I could hear fire truck after fire truck going by the office on Massachusetts Ave. Knowing that something was going on we found out there was a major fire at a project under construction in the 1900 block of Dorchester Ave.

Hearing that the fire had reached 6 alarms in a short time I could only think that I was in that building just over a week ago. Members of Plumbers Local 12 have been on that job for about a year and thankfully were not on the site today. The building was just about finished.

Impressive gas meter installation at Ashmont Tire Project

As I started to get pictures of the fire texted to me I thought about the smoke that I was looking at. I was thankful to see our friend Boston Fire Commissioner Joe Finn saying that it was a job for them fighting the fire from the outside of the building. As of 6:25 pm thankfully there has been no injuries reported

As the firefighters fought the blaze from the high ladders I also thought about all of the PVC that had been installed in the building. When that product burns it turns into cyanide gas. Under more perfect conditions if the sprinkler system was working in an occupied building the fire may have been contained to its original source area.

View of the gas piping from the parking garage at job at the Ashmont Tire project

However in this case where the building is burning out of control with no sprinklers the firefighters/neighbors are getting some dose of hazardous material sent their way. Speaking with the leadership of the firefighters union we agree on the terrible toll that cancer has taken on their ranks.

In a state like Massachusetts we should not be looking to increase materials like PVC, in any way shape or form in building construction, not just because of the fact that the firefighters are exposed to the smoke, but to the chemical exposure to the plumbers and other tradesman that have to install these materials for a living.

It’s really too bad that the fire happened at this site today because it was another great plumbing job done by the E M Duggan Company and reflected the great workmanship of the men and women of Plumbers Local 12.

June 28, 2017 0

Plumbers Local 12 Recognizes National Apprenticeship Week

This week, November 14th through 20th 2016 is National Apprenticeship Week. At Plumbers Local 12 in Boston every week is apprenticeship week. There is no better trained plumbers in eastern Massachusetts than the ones at Local 12.

Layout class led by Instructor Darren MacDonald

Just this week in our day school program we have first year, second year, and third year apprentices doing everything from academic classes to shop classes. Classes from Use and Care of tools, Plumbing Code as well training in the latest layout and co ordination technologies have been going on every day.

Local 12 Instructor Gregg Peterson, teaching Use and Care of Tools

Plumbers Local 12 has almost 200 apprentices in our apprenticeship program working in shops that range in size from 2 employees to some that have in excess of 300 plumbers and apprentices. It is imperative that we supply the most highly skilled and well rounded mechanics in the industry to support our contractors.

Apprenticeship is a proven method of skills training that goes back hundreds of years. The plumbing trade is no different. Our apprentices do 1200 hours of training in our program almost double what the Massachusetts laws require for training. “All of this training pays off for us because when an apprentice does an apprenticeship here they are embarking on a journey that will require them to be the best” says Rick Carter Local 12 Training Director.

First year apprentices brazing in the shop, led by Instructor Joe Kyne

“Plumbing is a career” says Harry Brett, Business Manager of the Boston Plumbers Union, “we do not provide jobs we provide careers and a rock solid foundation is the success to that career”. So as the nation recognizes Apprenticeship Week we at Local 12 live it every week and are committed to continue the fine tradition of Apprenticeship.

November 17, 2016 0

The Plumbing Career

When one thinks of the word career, they usually equate it with a length of time at work. As young people go into the workforce they begin their careers, and if they are lucky its when they are right out of school. That career will have that beginning and an end, which will be over at retirement. At Plumbers Local 12 the career is a life long journey. We celebrate those careers annually at our Service Awards Banquet.

Just last week over 80 Plumbers from Local 12 were recognized for their years of membership. The “youngest” of which were celebrating 30 years of service, myself included. But this year had a very special guest, Brother George Cataldo, who celebrated 70 years of membership. Brother Cataldo joined Local 12 in 1946!

George is part of that great generation that after World War 2 helped bring the standards of wages and benefits up so that at the end of a working career a worker could retire with dignity. When I talk to people that inquire about the union I often ask them “Don’t you want to get the most out of your career?”. When they say yes, I refer to men like George who will tell you his career is not over yet. Local 12 is the vehicle for any plumber to get the most out of their career. Health insurance, training, brotherhood and most importantly the ability to retire. George has been collecting a pension since 1988, and he’s not the oldest retiree!

We recently started a new tradition that has the most senior award recipient get up and reminisce about THEIR recollections of THEIR time in the business. George did not disappoint. He spoke about 1946 when the union operated out of an office with one creaky chair down on Essex St. downtown to an organization, that he is so proud of, that has grown to having its own building and beautiful training facility. “I can’t believe how far we have come as an organization, I am so happy!”

Our Service Awards Banquet also serves as our “Class Reunions”. All of us remember the day we started our apprenticeships or the day we came in as new journeyman into Local 12 and its a great night for everyone to catch up. Last week we had over 200 people in attendance.

Over the past few years we have opened our doors and have brought in many new members, apprentices and journeypeople alike, and I know that future memories are being created everyday as time marches forward and there will be plenty of Service Awards Banquets in the years to come. Congratulations All!

pin-night-2016 — 2016 Local 12 Service Award Recipients

November 1, 2016 0

You Won’t Read About This!

Dateline 5/13/2016

Location IBEW 103 Union Hall Boston

As I write this post I think about all of the kids across not only the Boston area, but across the country, attending awards nights getting scholarships that will help them with the costs of college. Creating many happy parents as well.

As parents we sit in these awards nights and wonder “where does all this money com from?” Imagine if you went to an award night where they gave out almost $590,000 in one setting. Well one happened today. Given the amazing amount of money given out you would think that maybe the press would be curious.

You see today was the 58th Annual Massachusetts AFL-CIO Scholarship Breakfast and indeed all of that money was given out to hundreds of children of union members. Through the hard work of the fundraising of its members their college “Dream” is a little bit more achievable.

I am happy to say that just my union, Plumbers Local 12, was able to give out over 30,000 dollars to our deserving college bound children. These amazing hard working students are headed to community colleges right up to ivy league institutions.

This is just another way that unions give back. As being part of the solution to give access to college we are helping to keep the middle class dream alive. I think we can all agree that the college dream is becoming harder to achieve because of the crushing debt that these young men and woman are being saddled with.

For many of the proud tradesman and tradeswoman in attendance today college was never part of their plan but being able to send their children to college, the dream of having their next generation do a bit better is very rewarding. Totally Amazing Morning.

Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Steve Tolman with the scholarship awardees in attendence today, Good Luck!

May 16, 2016 0

On the road again

7:15 I have to be on time for this. As we enter the parking lot for the Hanson Commuter Rail station I am thinking this because I live one minute from the station. After a usual night before of helping make sure we are ready we pull in with 10 minutes to spare.

Moving here twenty-five years ago there was no way to get to South Station other than driving to a connector station. Although every time I have seen the tracks, anywhere I might say, i think about where they come from and where they go. This will be the beginning of a day on the rails that starts from one minute away.

There is something. to me anyway, that draws me to the trains. Growing up on the Red Line I learned quickly that you can get around pretty good by rail. Once again having this available at a young age also lets the mind wonder.

Like many other people part of this nostalgia comes from the stories i heard from my very dearly missed grandfather about his days on the old Boston and Maine railroad. Once again it was the trains that brought that part of my family to Boston from Bath Maine. The freight lines that he spoke of readily moved so much of the domestic commerce of New England.

Riding in the coach today I think I could stay on here right across the country. The scenery that is available is second to none but it is the fact that these trains ride on the same tracks that millions have ridden before across these states. That rails allow the imagination to roam. I think everyone has the urge to roam. When you are in a car or an a plane your senses are trained to pay attention to other things. On the train you are allowed to roam, to the cafe or in your mind.

Another great thing about this ride is the whole northeast corridor. It is a rolling education of where America has been, where it is, and where its going. I love this rolling history lesson. One the about this track, it is a testament to the middle class. Places. Some old, some new, some just stuck. Looking at different sites, doing 50 mph, gives me just enough time to think about “What happened to that place?, Trade agreement, depression, no succession plan, who knows but you can’t think about these things from 35,000 feet or the middle lane of Interstate 95.

Today as we head to DC, I look at my beautiful wife and daughter and see that like everything else I see going by on the train it seems like a snapshot in time. I am not crazy about the snapshot of my daughter because it stunning to think of her when she was just my baby as to what she is now and that my wife and I were seemingly just kids when we got married. But time is just that and while seeing the snapshot of the geography of the train is nice it is the slow steady ride of my family that my has been and is the best ride.

April 18, 2015 1

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