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Armani 5th Avenue

superuser — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:23:13 -0400

It's located on the most celebrated street in New York: Fifth Avenue at 56th Street, the focal point of contemporary and historical architectural at its best. So, when Georgio Armani, one of the wealthiest and most successful image-conscious fashion designers in the world wanted perfection for his new megastore, he opted for the work of skilled union workforce.

The newest of the Armani Empire features what may be the most unique staircase this side of heaven. The skillful, work on this lath and plaster structure was achieved in a short 3 months-on-time and within budget-by uniquely trained members of Local 46 Metallic Lathers and Reinforcing Ironworkers Union.

In line with Armani standards, the structure is a centerpiece of ribbons of plaster and metal that connects like streamers to each level of the store.

Prefabricated in Italy, the staircase was shipped to New York in 75 sections ranging from 10 to 12 feet in length and unloaded by crane as barricades stopped traffic down 56th St.

Each section was rolled into the store on massive I-beams and hoisted into place with chain falls, said Bill Hohlfeld, coordinator of Local 46 Metallic Lathers and Reinforcing Ironworkers Union. Under the direction of the General Contractor Americon, a composite team of Locals 40 and 580 Ironworkers bolted and welded the pieces together, seamlessly assembling the puzzle into a work of art. Nastassi and Associates sent in a team of welders, led by Local 46 Foreman Sean Jennings, to bridge the series of 2 ft. gaps left at the seams, building the area out to within one-inch of what would be the finished plaster surface.

Union craftsmen with J. Rosen Plastering added the finishing touches, and Wire Lather Foreman Jerry Griffin and his four-man crew then spent the next several weeks meticulously removing tubular stops attached for shipping.

Hohlfeld said the curvature of the bead work needed to be an exact match to the already difficult design of the stairs and rails. With substrate properly set, Rosens professional team of plasterers finished with flawless plastering. To the untrained eye, its smooth finish appears as plastic.

A structure of rolled calender steel clad in plaster underscores its incomparable sculptural presence. Its overlapping bands give motion to the space while providing functionality and style.

Mets Citi Field

superuser — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:00:04 -0400

Sentimental favorites like Shea Stadium die hard, but when the Mets' take to the field on Opening Day in their new Citi Field, fans will find unprecedented amenities and comfort in an open-air ballpark built by union craftsworkers.

Tiered bullpens, indoor batting cages and pitching mounds, seating for about 42,000 fans, an exterior façade of red brick, granite and cast stone and the Jackie Robinson Rotunda were all inspired by some of the finest ballparks in the United States, including the historic Ebbets Field.

The highly specialized $850 million baseball stadium was a joint venture of Citi Field's construction manager Hunt-Bovis, the same contractor who brought baseball fans the St. Louis Cardinal's and San Diego Padres stadiums. Being good at what they do meant utilizing the skilled services of the lathers and reinforcing ironworkers of Local 46 who reinforced hundreds of tons of concrete and cast stone.

Overall, 700 of New York's union labor force constructed this world-class sports and entertainment complex, and at the same time created competitive strength.

After breaking ground in the spring of 2006, Local 46 Metallic Lathers and Reinforcing Ironworkers Foreman Ray Burt of BC Contracting supervised a crew of 50 during the first placement of more than 4,000 tons of steel.

Although the work of the Local 46 Metallic Lathers and Reinforcing Ironworkers Union is hidden in the depths of concrete, plaster and cast stone of Citi Field, the 360-degree concourse that circles the stadium is one of the more visible amenities created by these skilled craftsmen.

Building the New York Mets Stadium was a challenge, and hard-working members of Local 46 brought jobsite safety standards and precision to the forefront-a practice that has given New York union projects a reputation of being six times safer than non-union projects. Local 46 work crews were proud to attend OSHA-mandated scaffolding erection classes before the first couplings were set.

Bill Hohlfeld, coordinator of the Local 46 Metallic Lathers and Reinforcing Ironworkers Labor Management Cooperative Trust says that when organized labor comes together for projects like Citi Field, they raise standards, enhance product delivery and maintain educational requirements, creating effects that are astounding and far reaching.

The union-built Citi Field is a prime example of "value added" quality, Hohlfeld said. Union labor has been an asset to the project and an integral reason the outstanding architectural aspects were achieved. Using union labor has also helped put money where it counts-creating spending-power for local workers while benefiting from the years of training these craftsworkers have undergone.

Mets' ownership, Sterling Equities, has long been known for its expertise and experience in the development and management of premier New York City properties, minor league ballparks on Coney Island and the Mets' Spring Training Camp in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Mets Stadium is a noble addition to the list - completed on time and within budget.

Developed by Queens Ballpark Company, L.L.C. and designed by the internationally renowned architects of HOK Sport of Kansas City, Missouri, the Citi Field project is synonymous with quality union workmanship.

Alice Tully Hall

superuser — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:45:48 -0400

If you like the sound in Alice Tully Hall's new auditorium, you can thank the union labor of Lathers Local 46. The 1,000-seat venue, which just underwent a $159 million renovation, is the home of the New York Film Festival and noted for the Starr Theater, the chamber music venue of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

In the theater, it was the Lathers who installed the sound isolation panels in the main performance space. Computer aided design complemented the lathers skills. To get the exact acoustic effects desired, a computer determined each sound isolator's size. Those isolators are attached to the sheet rock and covered with acoustic panels. As important, the ceiling panels in the auditorium can change position to adjust to different acoustical needs.

The work of the Lathers is also essential for the achieving the new look of the building. Creating the open, sweeping structure of the lobby required a specially designed system of struts to hold each of the inch-thick, 75-pound cement ceiling panels by bolting them directly to the steel decking. In some areas the angles were not your standard 45 or 90 degrees, and a set of smaller panels were attached with a swivel mechanism.

New methods and materials meant the lathers had to master newer tools and technology, and had to keep worker safety at the top of their agenda. That's one reason the foreman on the project was a veteran with over twenty years of experience. The local always insures high standards through its Apprenticeship program, which every member must complete in order to attain Journeyman status.

Lathers Local 46 has nearly 1,600 members, who have worked on projects as diverse as Yankee Stadium and the new World Trade Center. Their craftsmanship helped to make Alice Tully Hall's first renovation in its 40-year history into a unique and beautiful addition to the landscape of the Upper West Side.

Yankee Stadium

superuser — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:29:21 -0400

Completing Yankee Stadium, an $800 million premier building project and the largest project the Bronx has seen in 50 years, was no easy feat. But putting hundreds of union craftsworkers on the project meant overcoming challenges of an aggressive schedule and completing the project on-time and within budget.

Bronx Water Filtration Plant

superuser — Mon, 04 May 2009 13:57:14 -0400

One of the most massive reinforced concrete projects in recent years is taking place in the North Bronx where the New York City Department of Environmental Protection is building one of the largest water filtration plants in the world in a 10-story-deep hole blasted from bedrock.

The big hole was dug in late 2004, and members of Local 46, Metallic Lathers and Reinforcing Ironworkers continue to be at the center of the process with a crew of 62 lathers responsible for cutting, bending and placement of more than 21,000 tons of reinforcing steel.

When finished, the Croton Facility will be hidden under a driving range and will include enough concrete to build a sidewalk from New York to Miami and enough pipe to reach the top of the Empire State Building 140 times.

Union laborers have dug enough dirt from the ground to fill more than 100,000 dump trucks. Union crane operators situated 10-stories into the earth relay iron to the Local 46 members.

The $3 billion facility, slated for completion in July 2011, will treat hundreds of millions of gallons of drinking water daily, or approximately 10 percent of the city's demand.

Strict quality control and tight security imposed by the Department of Environmental Protection hasn't hampered the work of the skilled craftsworkers of the Metallic Lathers and Reinforcing Ironworkers who work almost non-stop at the project.

State-of-the-art computerized bending machines are being used by Local 46 journeypersons to enhance production and ensure perfection. A "handle man" runs a computer, punching appropriate codes into a keyboard while the union labor force loads and unloads high-tech machinery for the project.

Construction Managers Robert Barnes, Community Outreach Director for DEP and Jim Mac Donell, Project Manager for URS Malcolm-Pernie say the use of union craftsworkers at this massive project is means an "Added Value" opportunity for economic and educational growth within the community.

Requiring a strong union labor force for the project created new job opportunities for young New Yorkers. About 30 students completed 20 weeks of training in the construction trades, enabling those would may otherwise be unemployed to link to apprenticeship programs with area building trades unions.

The DEP is partnering with BCC's Project H.I.R.E. (Help in Re-entering Employment), a training and development program to prepare men and women for careers in the construction trades. Graduates of the program have been referred to union apprenticeships and employers in the property maintenance industry. Project H.I.R.E. has already begun testing and interviewing candidates for the next training cycle. Nine students from the current class have already been accepted into apprenticeships in various construction labor unions.

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superuser — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:56:19 -0400

We have a bid out for 8 Service Reps at 5 Davis Farm Rd. Initial tour is 8:30 to 5:300. Job vacancy # is B138. To bid this job, call 877-375-6271. This bid closes Sept. 23rd.

Open enrollment for benefits will be coming up in October. You will need to make an election.

The automatic rollover option will not be available because of new systems being put in place by Fairpoint in the transition from Verizon.

Be sure to be looking for your open enrollment package in the mail.

The James Mayo Scholarship Committee is holding a raffle for 2 tickets to the New England Patriots/Jets game on Thursday, November 13th at Gillette Stadium. Tickets are 5 dollars each. See your E-Board rep or call the Union hall for tickets.

The winner will be drawn October 20th.

kjsd

superuser — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:43:12 -0400

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