Laborers 310 Terry Joyce Receives Irish Labor Award

Laborers Local 310 Business Manager Terence P. Joyce was recognized with the Irish Labor Award by the nation’s oldest Irish American newspaper.

On Dec. 18, Joyce was honored by the Irish Echo newspaper during the 10th annual Irish Labor Awards. For the past decade, the New York-based newspaper has recognized the contributions of men and women of Irish heritage who have made a major contribution to the labor movement.

This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event honoring Joyce and several other members of organized labor took place virtually. The online event included keynote speaker Terry O’Sullivan, General President of the Laborers’ International Union of North America.

For Joyce, the fact O’Sullivan presented the award makes it more special, as the two labor leaders are close friends. 

“Our fathers were real close, and we grew up together,” said Joyce. “Terry called me and said, ‘I know you don’t want this award, but you deserve it.’”  

While not someone who is big into awards, Joyce admitted it would have been nice to attend the Irish Echo event and meet other Irish Americans. However, he is hopeful he may be able to go to New York for next year’s event. 

Until that time comes, he is content with leading Local 310. 

 A first-generation Irishman, Joyce has helped transform labor in the 21st century by doing something his father loved doing – telling labor’s story. 

“Terry is well known throughout northeast Ohio and Columbus. He is one of the most respected labor leaders throughout the state and it really stems from his professionalism and approach,” said Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council Executive Secretary Dave Wondolowski. “People regularly rely on his advice and counsel, which is always well thought out.”

 A second-generation labor leader, Joyce followed in the footsteps of his father Terry Joyce Sr., who served as a business agent for Local 310 from the mid-1960s through 1991.

 “I’m blessed to follow in his footsteps and learned from the examples he set,” said Joyce of his father. “He taught me it is always important to tell labor’s story.

“It’s great that we (the Irish), as a nationality, have such an award. My dad would be so proud of it,” Joyce added. 

In addition to serving as Business Manager of Local 310, Joyce currently serves as President of the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council. He also sits on the board of The Labor Citizen, serves on the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Board, is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District and was appointed by the Ohio Supreme Court to serve as a Member of the Commission of the Ohio Judicial Center.

A St. Ignatius High School graduate, Joyce attended Loyola University in Chicago and was a member of the Leadership Cleveland Class of 2007. 

He has helped spread the influence of labor into organizations, where years ago, organized labor did not have a powerful influence. 

“In Cleveland and in Columbus, we have done a good job of consistently telling our story, whether it has been to a bipartisan group of politicians in Columbus or for using pension funds to make a project a reality,” Joyce said. 

“Terry has been an integral part of the leadership team at the building trades for over 20 years. He has great institutional knowledge of the trades and that is important when key discussions are underway,” Wondolowski said. “Those discussions often lead to decisions that impact everyone, so having someone involved with his experience is vital.”

Besides his numerous contributions to labor, Joyce has a passion for his heritage. 

Known as Terry Og, Gaelic for “Small Terry,” he tries to visit Ireland every year or two, if possible. Thanks to social media, he is able to keep in touch with his relatives in Ireland on a regular basis. 

Since 2010, he has helped put together a group of local musicians to record a live CD at the Harp. Proceeds from the CD, called “Sending It All Back Home,” are donated to the Pope John Paul Center, a home in Galway City, where his cousin Brian Joyce lives.

In 2014, Joyce spearheaded a project to build a Purple Heart home in South Euclid for the family of a serviceman injured in an explosion while he served in Afghanistan. Local 310 members donated their time in building the house.

So many members wanted to volunteer, some were turned away because they could not all fit inside the house to perform the work, he said.

Joyce, a former member of the Irish-American Archives Society’s Board, also helped provide assistance, in coordination with Vintage Development Group, for the installation of the Johnny Kilbane statue in Battery Park. Again, there were more 310 volunteers than work to be done.

Kilbane, born in Cleveland to Irish parents, held the World Featherweight title from 1912 to 1923. 

“We are so blessed at Local 310 to have such an active Local,” Joyce said. “All the accolades go to our members. We have bred a culture of activism.

“One of the best things I can do is to put a good face on in the community, so when they see me, they see our members,” he added. 

Wondolowski called Joyce’s latest award well deserved. 

“This has not been the first award he has been honored with, and it will not be the last,” he said.