Pipefitters Union Holiday Charity Drive Provides Food and Toys for Boston Families

In light of surging COVID-19 rates, record-high food insecurity, Union’s donations bring joy to families facing economic and health impacts of the pandemic    

BOSTON, MA — Pipefitters Local 537, one of Boston’s largest unions, held a charitable drive Saturday at their Union Hall to collect donations to aid struggling community members this holiday season. The initiative comes at a time when thousands of families are facing food and financial insecurity with the impact of COVID-19. 

“This has been a challenging year for many working families, and it can be even harder during the holidays,” said Pipefitters Local 537 Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer Tom Kerr. “Giving a bag of groceries or a brand-new toy to a child this holiday season is the least we can do for our neighbors.” 

Local 537 collected an estimated $20,000 of brand-new toys for Marine Toys for Tots, including Lego sets, games, dolls, and sports equipment, in addition to hundreds of pounds of non-perishable food items for Catholic Charities Food Pantry in Dorchester. 

“I’m blown away by the donations and kindness shown by our fellow members this weekend,” said Local 537 Organizer and Toys for Tots Coordinator Chris Brennan, whose one son is an Air Force veteran and the other is currently serving in the U.S. Navy. “As parents, we always want our kids, and every kid, to have a great, fun holiday.” In the coming days, Brennan, Marine veteran and Local 537 Inside Guard Danny O’Brien, and a team of union members will work as Santa’s helpers, coordinating with Toys for Tots to distribute the toy donations. 

Dorchester, East Boston, and Hyde Park have some of the city’s highest rates of COVID-19. The severe economic impact of the pandemic has left many families without the income they depend on to pay daily living expenses. As food bank visits remain at an all-time high, Massachusetts has the highest percentage of residents facing hunger in the country, nearly one million people.

Throughout the pandemic, Local 537 has been working to help local communities. Its Charitable Foundation donated $20,000 to the Greater Boston Food Bank ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, which provided 60,000 nutritious meals to at-risk residents across the Commonwealth. The Union also donated much-needed PPE (gloves, goggles and face shields) to Quincy’s Manet Community Health Care Center.

About Pipefitters Local 537: 

Pipefitters Local 537 represents over 3,000 members across Massachusetts and is affiliated with the United Association. From medical campuses to area universities, we are proud to have worked on pipefitting, welding and HVAC-Refrigeration projects of all shapes and sizes throughout the region for over 100 years.

Building trades unions issue statement supporting Mayor Walsh on construction shutdown

From a press release by 617mediagroup.com

-Brian Doherty, General Agent, Building Trades Unions

“We support Mayor Walsh’s decision to take every step necessary to keep our communities safe. This is a worldwide pandemic and our public health community has made clear that social distancing is the only way to combat this virus. We support Mayor Walsh’s decision to take action and to put the health of the public first. We will be working with our unions and with our contractor partners to make sure every worker is safe and secure, and we are confident that by working together as a community, we will get through this difficult time.”

The Building & Construction Trades Council of the Metropolitan District represents 35,000 working families in the Metropolitan Boston region. The building trades unions advance social and economic justice by providing family-supporting wages, healthcare benefits and dignified retirement benefits to workers and their families in the construction industry.

The Building and Construction Trades Council, an umbrella group of 20 local construction unions, in partnership with more than 3,300 union contractors, provides the highest standards for workers in the construction industry. It is through collective bargaining and the Labor-Management partnership that workers achieve the highest levels of training, safety and economic security throughout their careers. The Council strives to create a more fair and just environment for all workers in the construction industry.

Source: 617Mediagroup.com

Mayor Marty Walsh and Pipefitters Local 537 Unveil Free, State-of-the-Art Training Center for East Boston Residents

Job-seekers Urged to Avoid Tuition Debt – Visit Pipefitters537.org to Learn More About Free Training, Industry-Leading Wages & Benefits; Hundreds of Union Construction Jobs Available

Welding instructor Pete Elwood demonstrates at Pipefitters Local 537's open house.

DORCHESTER, MA – Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Pipefitters Local 537 urged East Boston residents to take advantage of the union's new FREE state-of-the-art training facility to jump start their careers in construction without going into debt on Saturday.  

They were joined at the facility's unveiling by hundreds of job-seekers, community members, union contractors, Local 537 members and families. 

“This facility is more than a training center,” said Mayor Walsh. “This is about getting trained for world-class jobs and a changing industry and being able to adapt and change in the industry. That’s what this facility represents.” 

Hundreds of event attendees toured the facilities, met with instructors and current apprentices, and learned about life-changing job opportunities in the region. 

Brian Kelly, Business Manager for Pipefitters Local 537, noted that training at the union’s facility provides debt-free, world-class instruction.

"With this new campus, we've more than tripled our hands-on training spaces, improving our ability to support members in every way possible," said Business Manager Brian Kelly. "This project is a true testament to our training program, curriculum, and world-class instructional staff. We're thrilled to be creating opportunities instead of forcing people to go into thousands of dollars of debt at a technical college

For more information about career opportunities with Pipefitters Local 537, visit Pipefitters537.org or call (617) 787-5370. 


About Pipefitters Local 537 

Pipefitters of Local 537 represents over 2,800 members across Massachusetts and is affiliated with the United Association. From medical campuses to area universities, Local 537 is proud to have worked on projects of all shapes and sizes throughout the region for over 100 years. Local 537 continues to provide career opportunities to apprentices and journeypersons in the industry and is determined to ensure the best wages and benefits for Pipefitters, Welders and HVAC- Refrigeration Technicians.

Source: Celeste Aguzino, 617-455-1498, celeste@617mediagroup.com

Local 537 Business Manager Brian Kelly addresses crowd

Local 537's new training facility in Dorchester

Mayor Walsh in pipe-cutting ceremony

Contractor TJ McCartney and Painters Union honored for their volunteer efforts in renovating and improving the Boston Harbor Islands

From left to right (first row): Tom Steeves, President, TJ McCartney, Jeff Sullivan, Business Manager, IUPAT DC 35, Instructor Jim Sullivan, FTI-NE, and Tom Gunning, Executive Director, BTEA, along with FTI-NE apprentices receiving the award.

In an ongoing partnership between industry leader TJ McCartney and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 35, countless hours have been devoted towards the maintenance and upkeep of the Boston Harbor Islands.

Special guests including State Senator Nick Collins, State Representative-Elect David Biele, State Representative Dan Hunt, and Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn were in attendance at the event. 

(Boston, MA November 28, 2018) - At an awards gala hosted by Boston Harbor Now, contractor T.J. McCartney, Inc. and members from the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades DC 35 were recognized for their long-standing commitment to renovate and revive facilities on the Boston Harbor Islands. 

TJ McCartney, with the help of apprentices from the Finishing Trades Institute of New England, volunteered countless hours to the maintenance of several Boston Harbor Islands, including years of pro-bono work with the creation of three gazebos on Spectacle Island and the rehabilitation of many different projects on George’s Island. 

"The Painters Union has been our partner in this initiative since the beginning. We are excited to partner together on this project because it benefits not only the people of Boston but is a wonderful experience for all those that visit this city.” Said Tom Steeves, President of TJ McCartney. “We are honored to accept this award from Boston Harbor Now for our work at the Boston Harbor Islands, and we look forward to continuing the collaboration with more projects in the near future."

“We have the best-trained apprentices in the industry. Our partnership with TJ McCartney has provided an excellent opportunity for them to gain work experience and contribute towards a better Boston," said Jeff Sullivan, Business Manager, IUPAT DC 35. 

"Our apprenticeship program recently received national accreditation as a post-secondary educational institution and we are working towards receiving college degree-conferring authority. Our students will soon be receiving Associates Degrees when they graduate from the program, increasing their ability to embark on successful careers in the finishing trades. We are thankful to Boston Harbor Now for recognizing the work of our apprentices and our partner TJ McCartney."

The volunteer efforts of TJ McCartney and IUPAT DC35 contribute immensely to Boston Harbor Now’s goal of re-establishing Boston as one of the world’s great coastal cities. These efforts also serve as a primary example of how Labor/Management partnerships in the construction industry work together to improve the parks and communities for the people of Boston. Both organizations were honored alongside The Fallon Company and Massachusetts Port Authority for their contributions to Boston Harbor.

About T.J. McCartney, Inc.: With close to 40 years of experience in the drywall industry, we provide our clients with the best project managers, estimators, and field personnel in the business. T.J. McCartney, Inc. is certified with SOMWBA, as well as with the city of Boston as a WBE. At T.J. McCartney, Inc. we have built a reputation for quality workmanship and exceptional performance.

For more information about T.J. McCartney, Inc. please visit https://www.tjminc.com/

About District Council 35: 
District Council 35 has a history of doing charity projects to support the community. Their organization branches and members have done work in public schools, organized hurricane relief, and collaborated in support of numerous community groups around New England. District Council 35 is an organization of approximately 4000 members in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island affiliated with the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. District Council 35 is committed to serving the interests of members and those unrepresented workers who hope to join. The DC 35 is determined to continue to ensure the best wages and benefits in the industries. The organization's mission is to represent members for purposes of collective bargaining, to organize workers in a variety of occupations, and to advocate for workers and their families. For more information about IUPAT DC 35, please visit http://iupatdc35.org/.