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We held our Local 3 Apprentice Bricklaying Contest on April 18 at our school in Fresno.
The contest began at 8:45 AM, with sixteen apprentices competing for a chance to advance
to the 2009 Western States Apprentice Contest. Contestants for our local contest were
selected based on both, length of time in the apprentice training program and school
attendance. Competing this year were Tim Birmingham, Rodney Davis, Jose Del Toro,
Nasruddin Ghafoori, Chris Garcia, Francisco Garcia, Daren Hendryx, Kenneth Jones,
Marcelo Lopez, Felix Meza, Miguel Morales, Luis Ortiz, Sean Pengilly, Ceasar Pina,
Jose Robles and Rolando Robles. Congratulations to each of them for putting forth
their best effort.
At the conclusion of the contest, BAC Local 3 provided lunch for the contestants, judges
and guests. Much thanks to Union President, Tom Spear, Secretary Treasurer, David Jackson,
and Field Reps. Gary Peifer, David Danner, Randy Smith, Tony Santos, and Mario Delgado. We
appreciate their commitment to our training program.
Thanks also to our judges this year, Roger Walls, Don Wedel and Daniel Voolstra. They put
in a long day and did an excellent job of impartial judging. The scoring was very close
with only nine points seperating the top four finishers. In First Place was Kenneth Jones
who works for PTS Masonry. Second Place went to Chris Garcia with Stoney Masonry and in
Third Place was Marcelo Lopez with Pengilly Masonry. Also qualifying to advance to the
2009 Western States Apprentice Contest are Sean Pengilly with Pengilly Masonry, Rodney Davis
with Stone Tech Masonry and Jose Robles with John Jackson Masonry. Congratulations to each
of them for doing an excellent job on their brick projects and good luck in Portland.
Next year our local contest will be held at our new Training Center near Tracy in mid April.
Perfect Attendance
We would like to recognize six apprentices this year who have maintained perfect school
attendance during the 2008-2009 school year. The policy of the JATEC is to award
apprentices with perfect attendance with a check for fifty dollars.
Congratulations to PCC apprentices, Antonio Cortez, Oscar Jimenez, Yong Qing Lu,
Xian Man Miao, Samuel Thomas Jr., and Julie Torres, who attend school in Pleasanton.
Thank you all for your commitment to your future.
School Schedules
School Schedules will be mailed to apprentices and contractors in June. This schedule will
be for Saturday classes at our Fresno and Pleasanton schools, beginning in September and
running through December 2009.
We plan to transition to weekly training in early 2010. A schedule for weekly training will
be provided to all contractors and apprentices three months prior to implementing the new
training program.
Changes Ahead
A number of changes to our training programs will be implemented once we move into our
new training facility. We are committed to provide training for several trades that fall
under the BAC Local 3 craft jurisdiction, Bricklayers, PCC, Marble Masons and Finishers,
and Terrazzo Mechanics and Finishers.
The most immediately felt change will be a transition from our Saturday training to
year-round weekly training. We now hold class eighteen times each year, on Saturdays,
for all apprentices. In Pleasanton this year, due primarily to the current economic
conditions, our attendance is down. We now have about ninety students on a given Saturday.
The major drawback is that it is difficult to teach to a large group of students with
such a wide range of experience, knowledge, and skills.
The new training environment will be geared toward teaching to a group of apprentices at the
same pay level, with similar skills and knowledge of the craft. This is meant to be more
effective, with more direct interaction between the students and instructors and will also
serve to lessen the burden on the contractors, by requiring fewer apprentices to miss work
each week.
Advancement will be credit based, not based simply on OJT (work) and RSI (school) hours.
For advancement, from one pay period to the next, an apprentice will be required to
satisfactorily complete the hands-on training and the written tests for each progressive
week of training. If they do not, they will be required to re-test or, in some cases,
repeat the entire week of training. This should provide the incentive for self motivation
that some of our apprentices currently lack. The one week long classes, will vary based on
each particular craft, but will be scheduled at three to four month intervals throughout each
year. Some subjects will be taught to apprentices from combined crafts, Union History,
CPR / First Aid, OSHA 10, and Welding.
Pre-Apprentice training is being developed and will allow the students to gain exposure to
each of our crafts, enabling them to better decide which craft they like best. We will also
be offering more Journeymen upgrade classes.
Recently Certified Journeyman
Bricklayers
Francisco Ramirez
Michael Singleterry
Adaptable
Planning a construction project, requires a great deal of time and effort. The motivation
for this effort is that it will help create a low maintenance, beautiful building, or group
of buildings, that will be most suitable for those it is intended to serve. Prior planning
will also allow for greater efficiency, for the various crafts, when construction begins. An
additional benefit is savings, both during construction and in operating costs after the
project has been completed.
As individuals, we also put time and effort into planning a variety of things, family
activities, personal finances, health and nutrition, time management, and education, that
help provide us with convenience, comfort, and improved living conditions for our families.
Occasionally, we will find that new, changed, or varying circumstances have caused what
appeared to be well within our reach, seem no longer attainable. At these times we must
adapt, or learn to adapt, if we are to attain our objective. Adaptability, like other
character traits, can be practiced and improved upon to help us adjust to new situations.
We must learn to stay focused on the goals and objectives we set, and maintain the
flexibility to rethink, and decide on an alternate path, when necessary, to reach our
stated goals and objectives.
With practice and self discipline, we can develop the agility to not only react, but to
anticipate changes that will need to be addressed to keep our lives on track.
Zack Lambert
News from the Apprentice Office
Mason Coit
PCC
Jesus Perez
Daniel Jacome
Gabriel Gonzalez
Dave Steiner
Leonard Sardella
Raymundo Marin
Boris Lopez
Rudy Mojica
Congratulations for choosing a respected and rewarding craft.
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Zack Lambert