Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters

Restoring the Virginia V

May 21st, 2013

The crew working on the Virginia V at Pacific Fisherman are (from top to bottom, left to right): John Hutchison, Foreman Chris Woodard, George Meserve and Helper Taylor Tunison. Not pictured are Jim Leonard, Tim Webber, Jesse Bernhard, and Nels Lindgren, all members LU 30

The Virginia V has sailed the waters of Puget Sound for over 90 years. As a historic, steam-powered wooden vessel, she requires routine maintenance and from time to time more than that. Currently, she is in dry dock at Seattle’s Pacific Fisherman, on the ship canal in Ballard. The scope of work is of the more extensive nature. The bowstem is being replaced, along with some of the futtocks and about 30 planks and other work as needed. Foreman Chris Woodard explained that the scope of work changes from day to day as repairs proceed and other issues are discovered and addressed with the board that oversees all aspects of the Virginia V.

“The biggest challenge though,” said Woodard, “is getting the manpower to do the work.”

In an earlier Virginia V renovation The Northwest Carpenter covered twelve years ago, many of the shipwrights brought in to do the work were nearing retirement. Now they are retired and fewer workers are available with the skills needed to do this kind of work.

“The solution was to use a smaller crew,” said Woodard who is a shipwright by trade. Woodard began his career in the early 90s and has been able to work on a fair number of wooden boats. He started out as a helper working on boats in Alaska and at Ward’s Cove. This is not the first time he’s worked on the Viriginia V.

“We brought on a helper for this job,” said Woodard. “Taylor came directly from the Marine Carpentry Program at Seattle Central Community College. With the smaller crew, it has been interesting to teach Taylor the tasks we need done, and at the same time, keep the job moving along.

“Every single crew member has had a hand in teaching Taylor the trade,” continued Woodard. I have to say, I’ve enjoyed the teaching process and I think the other journeymen have as well.

“Attracting young people to this trade is hard,” mused Woodard. “Shipyard work is regarded as seasonal even though all kinds of shipwright and marine carpenter work is available year round. We work on wooden boats like the Virginia V and others, fishing boats, ferries, yachts, and interior renovations. We have a wide diversity of work that differs from vessel to vessel. You never get bored.”

Helper Taylor Tunison, took the six quarter boat building course at Seattle Central’s Wood Technology Center and is really glad to be part of the crew on the Virginia V restoration. He said he wasn’t feeling the whole college thing, and thought he would look into cabinetry work. Then he took a tour of the Wood Technology Center and he knew right then and there what he wanted to do.

“Working with the crew on the Virginia V has been great,” said Tunison. “I look forward to going to work every day. The guys are good about sharing their knowledge and this experience has tied it all together for me. I can definitely see myself doing this work as a lifetime career.”

Gordon Sanstad, a 40-year member of Shipwrights LU 1184, now part of Carpenters LU 30 is the boat building lead faculty member at Seattle Central’s Wooden Technology Center. He notes that theirs in the oldest boat building program anywhere in the nation going on 76 years. Originally Edison Technical School, and then Gompers, it was funded by Shipwrights Union 1184 and it’s employers until 1992. The union contracted with the college to keep the classes going.

They teach wooden boat building, new construction and repair, lofting, spar, mast and boom making, interior joinery, planking and spiling, caulking, and a host of other wooden boat building and repair techniques, some little changed in hundreds perhaps thousands of years.

“In the 70s we started to teach composites and laminates, first with standard open molding and then in 2000 we added closed molding and resin infusion, which the industry is now using in modern yacht building and repair,” said Sanstad who steered Tunison to Pacific Fisherman and the Virginia V. “The industry remains strong and most of our students get jobs.”

UNION SHIPWRIGHTS HAVE BEEN IN THE NORTHWEST FOR 100 YEARS – SINCE 1913!

Oregon and SW Washington AGC & GCCA Contracts

May 14th, 2013

There has been a tentative agreement reached between the AGC & GCCA and the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters. The negotiations committee, which is, comprised of Council staff and Rank and File members from Oregon and SW Washington, unanimously recommends a YES vote.

After carefully considering the online survey results the bargaining committee has negotiated a proposal, which reflects the results from the majority of the membership.

-This three-year agreement includes some minor language changes that will help expedite the evaluation process when bringing in new Carpenters.

-Proposed wage increases for the first year (June 1) is $1.00- which is a 2.2% increase

*COLA was at 1.7%

-The following two years (June 1, 2014 and June 1, 2015) wage increases will follow COLA (Cost Of Living Allowance).

-No old work protection on private projects

Historically our wage increases have generally followed COLA, and using the 30 year average of COLA increases, by the end of this contract we would be over $50/ hr total package.(based on a 2.87% average since 1983)

Again, your bargaining committee of Council Staff and rank and file members recommends we vote YES by May 30^th.

Please see the attached for the letter and chart that should be also be coming in your mail soon.Wage Package Vs. COLA OR AGC-GCCA Vote Mail Out Letter

Letter from GP Doug McCarron regarding Alaska Locals

May 1st, 2013

Please see the attached for the letter from GP Douglas McCarron regarding the closing of Locals 1501 and 2247 in Alaska. Local 1501 & 2247 Letter

Columbia River Crossing in jeopardy?

April 9th, 2013

Not if we can help it!

The Washington State Transportation Committee will be meeting today at 1:30pm to debate amendments to the State Senate Transportation Budget. One of these amendments could remove the $81 million currently in the budget to fund the Columbia River Crossing. If this amendment passes, the project ends on July 1, 2013. Please call the list below and-

“URGE THEM TO NOT SUPPORT ANY AMENDMENTS TO REMOVE THE $81 MILLION FOR THE COLUMBIA RIVER CROSSING.”

Thank you to everyone who made calls in support!

Columbia River Crossing Days of Action

April 5th, 2013

Dear Sisters, Brothers, and Supporters,

The Columbia River Crossing project is an important issue to our members. The state of Oregon has committed its half of the funding to get the bridge build, and now all eyes are on Washington. There are efforts to block the project by a minority of policy makers siting various reasons for their opposition, all of which are untrue. Read the facts here: CRC petition responses

The truth is that the current bridge is unsafe, and needs to be replaced. The bridge replacement will bring with it thousands upon thousands of work hours of good family wage jobs which are much needed to boost to our economy.

There are two days of actions surrounding the Columbia River Crossing project, and your help is both needed and appreciated.

April 8^th

The Carpenters are joining the proponents of the Columbia River Crossing in a day of action. We will be contacting our State Legislators and urging them to include the funding of the Columbia River Crossing in the upcoming Transportation Budget. To find your Legislator, please visit: http://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/

Call or Email on April 8^th to urge your Legislator to Build this Bridge! Talking points can include:

CRC will create 4,200 jobs bringing $231 million in wages to boost our local economy by 2030
The current project is built on wood pilings that are not deep enough to sustain the bridge should an earthquake hit
If Washington does not commit, we will lose $850 million in federal funding and $450 million from Oregon

April 9^th

On April 9^th the C-Tran Board of Directors will be holing their regular meeting at 5:30pm at the Vancouver Library located at Evergreen Blvd and C Street in downtown Vancouver. Opponents of the project are trying to pack the room for this televised meeting in an attempt to show that “most people oppose this project”. This is to try to sway those on the C-Tran Board who are in favor of the CRC, to vote against it. We know support of the CRC far outweighs the small minority of those against it, so lets show them. We need to fill the room, the hallways, and any other vacant space with those who know the CRC is good for jobs, good for Washington, and good for the local communities. Show up early, as space will be limited!

Thank you for your support of our economy, or community, labor, and the much-needed jobs the CRC will bring!

In solidarity,

Northwest Carpenters

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