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Apprentices Volunteer for Community Service
The Western States Apprentice Contest was held in Las Vegas on 10 May. This year a marble mason
category was added to the contest which has historically been for bricklayers and tile layers.
The winner this year in the bricklayer category was Jorge L. Reyes from Local 7 Colorado, followed
by Miguel Cabrera from Local 3. Daniel Ensslin and Jeff Tarpley, also from Local 3 finished in
fourth and seventh places respectively. The winner in the marble mason category was Stevor Clapp
from Local 1 Washington. Local 3 apprentices John Keeling and Howard Pfeifer finished in fifth and
sixth places in the marble mason category.
Competing this year there were 26 bricklayers from California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada,
Idaho, and Hawaii. Bricklayer apprentices from Local 3 who competed are, Jeff Tarpley, Miguel Cabrera,
James Brumley, Calvin Chess, Daniel Ensslin, K. C. Buongiorno, Doug Thompson, Pete Perez, and
Conan Moe. Local 3 apprentices, John Keeling, George Newbeck and Howard Pfeifer competed in a field
of 10 marble mason apprentices from California, Washington, and Nevada. Congratulations to each of
these apprentices for exhibiting dedication to their crafts.
The Western States Contest was the qualifying event for Regions 8 & 9 to the National Contest
Semifinals scheduled for August and September. The semifinals will take place at Fort Ritchie,
Maryland and include Plaster, Tile, Cement, Stone, Brick, and Marble crafts. The top five apprentices
from each craft will advance to the finals on 18 October at the National Building Museum in
Washington, D. C. The International Union and the International Masonry Institute are working
together to put on this event. If you’ve been thinking of going to Washington, D. C., this would be
a good time to go.
BAC Local 3 will have four apprentices competing in the semifinals at Fort Ritchie. Jose Cabrera
will be competing in the stonemason category the week of 8 September. His brother Miguel will compete
in the Bricklayer category the following week. Jose and Miguel are serving their apprenticeship with
Cornerstone Masonry and generally work in the Monterey and Salinas area. Two other apprentices from
Local 3, John Keeling and Howard Pfeifer will compete in the semifinals during the week of 22
September in the Marble Mason category. These four apprentices will be busy the next few weeks
practicing on their projects. We wish each of them the best of luck.
This past April we did a donation job at Peralta Elementary School in Oakland. The project was an
amphitheatre with accompanying landscaping built in the school yard. Our part was to set pavers for
two circular areas and a walkway. We started the day early with a good crew of apprentices, working
under the supervision of Al Knauer. We began by finish grading the setting bed for the larger circular
area. As one crew of apprentices began setting those pavers a second crew moved down to the lower
circle to begin grading it. Due to the rain the previous week and the fact that this circle was lower,
it was necessary to dig out several yards of fill. We spread it in the sun to dry. The dried fill
would later be replaced and tamped to achieve a firm base. As the fill was drying we concentrated
our efforts on the first circle and also created a curved walkway.
It was well into the afternoon when we completed the second circle and cleaned up the area. Thanks
to the apprentices who volunteered for this project, Doug Thompson, Brent Martin, Nick Thompson,
Russell Tellechea, Oscar Rubio, Daniel Ensslin, Jose Cabrera, Miguel Cabrera, Jose Robles, and Armando
Camacho. Thanks also to John Jackson Masonry for letting us use some of their equipment. Thanks to
Al Knauer for his planning, coordination and supervision which was a major factor contributing to the
success of the project.
We mailed out schedules on 16 June for the upcoming school year. The first class is scheduled for
Saturday, 6 September for all crafts. Any apprentice who did not receive a class schedule should
contact the apprentice office. You can check your schedule on this website.
Our bricklayer instructors this year will be Michael Height, Greg Miranda, Brent Kirkes in Pleasanton
and Larry Buranen teaching the Fresno area apprentices. For PCC we will have Troy Garland, Justin
Garland, Vince Schneider, William O’Connell and Jose Herrera teaching at the Pleasanton School.
Steve Kantoneimi and Charles Woodard will be teaching the marble masons and finishers in San Francisco.
In the month of June we registered eight new bricklayer and nine new PCC apprentices. This is up from
our average of four or five new apprentices each month in these two crafts. We currently have 79
Bricklayers, 83 Pointer, Cleaner, Caulkers, 23 Marble Finishers and 16 Marble Masons, for a total
of 201 registered apprentices.
During this past school year we certified 11 bricklayers, 21 Pointer Cleaner Caulkers and 1 Marble
Finisher. We expect to certify 42 apprentices during the current school year in our combined crafts.
Thanks to the contractors, foremen, journeymen, and apprentices for their dedication and commitment
to our crafts and training programs.
Recently Certified Journeypersons
PCC Bricklayer Congratulations to each of you for choosing a respected and rewarding craft.
The Western States Apprenticeship Contest is always an enjoyable experience. The contest is held
in a different place each year rotating among the participating local unions. This year the contest
was hosted by Local 13 Nevada, and held in the Pavilion at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas.
Apprentices from the Western United States are selected by their local unions to participate.
The contest can show the apprentices how they compare to contestants from other areas. The diligence
of the competing apprentices is always impressive. Many of them have their own supporters, wives,
girlfriends, family members, fellow employees, and employers, who come to support their favorite
contestant.
During the course of the contest the guests are able to visit with old friends and have a chance
to meet some new ones. The most common thing I find with people who have made masonry their life’s
work, is the true appreciation for the masonry craft and the desire to cultivate the talents of
these young apprentices.
The contestants and guests are invited to attend a banquet, held the evening of the contest. They
enjoy a nice meal and the contestants are recognized for their participation in the contest. The
close competition creates a great deal of anticipation as the winners are announced. From my
experiences at these contests, it is evident that the masonry craft is in good hands.
Zack Lambert
Apprentices Volunteer for Community Service
News From The Apprentice Office
Armando Avila
Jorge Escobedo
Chris Schnell
James Brumley
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Zack Lambert
Appreciation for Craftsmanship