After a roughly 15-year hiatus, the Ohio State UA Softball Tournament was restarted thanks to the efforts of members of Pipefitters Local 120. Hosted by Local 120, the games were played on July 25 at Kennedy Park in Brook Park. Seven teams from six Ohio Locals competed in one-day tournament.
Read MoreA new study of California public works projects found that those built by union signatory prime contractors were completed faster and with significantly smaller cost overruns than projects led by non-union contractors. The report, “Union Contractors Deliver,” was released in July by NorCal Construction Industry Compliance, a joint labor-management organization known as NCIC. It was written by Matthew Hinkel, an economist at Alma College in Michigan, and Larissa Petrucci, a policy and research analyst at NCIC who holds a doctorate in sociology.
Read MoreU.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) introduced a bill on Aug. 8 to study the prevalence of construction worker deaths by suicide and to better understand the mental health crisis the industry faces. The Constructing the Path to Suicide Prevention Act, Senate Bill 5327, would authorize U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to conduct a national study through The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Read MoreAs affiliated members of the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council perform site prep work for the new Cleveland Browns domed stadium in Brook Park, the current stadium will host the awards ceremony honoring the top union construction workers, contractors and projects.
Read MoreAn initiative by IBEW Local 38 to help members feel more comfortable discussing their mental well-being added an additional twist to also incorporate a physical health component as well. The IBEW Local 38 Member Assistance Program (MAP) offers members a powerful, peer-led resource dedicated to supporting the well-being of Local 38 Brothers and Sisters.
Read MoreMembers of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6 overwhelmingly elected Jim Black Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer on June 13. Black took roughly 77 percent of the votes, as he defeated John Kintyhtt, according to results provided by DC 6.
Read MoreOhio state senators unanimously passed the state’s biennial capital budget bill on June 3. Senate Bill 450 includes about $3.7 billion bill, about $500 million less than the capital budget passed in 2024. The previous capital budget contained about $700 million in unused COVID funds. The one-time spend was dubbed the “Super Duper Fund.”
Read MoreThe Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council recently learned that William Obbagy, the former managing editor of both the Cleveland Citizen and the Ohio Labor Citizen passed away. Obbagy, 78, from Lakewood, passed away on Oct. 29, 2024. He was the third managing editor of The Cleveland Citizen, which published its first edition on Jan. 31, 1891.
Read MoreThroughout Ohio, building trades leaders are working to overcome public misconceptions about
data centers and the growing “not in my backyard” (NIMBY) mentality of some Ohio residents. Ohio is home to the sixth-most data centers in the country (232), with 137 located in central Ohio. There is the potential for more data centers to be built in the Buckeye State, creating
thousands of good-paying jobs for building trades members.
In a June 19 letter to Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne, Cleveland Building Trades and Construction Council Executive Secretary/Business Manager Dave Wondolowski strongly criticized the county’s recommendations for managing future data center construction.
Read MoreA historic manufacturing plant that has sat vacant in Cleveland for four decades is finally set for a new life. The project developers were joined by a broad coalition of public and private stakeholders on June 2 to celebrate the official groundbreaking of the Warner & Swasey redevelopment project. While sitework has been ongoing since winter, the ceremony officially launched construction on the long-awaited adaptive reuse of the historic part of Cleveland’s Midtown neighborhood.
Read MoreIronworkers Local 17 member Brian Poindexter and former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown both won their Democratic primary races on May 5 and will now prepare to face their Republican opponents in the November General Election.
Read MoreThe Cleveland Browns held a groundbreaking ceremony for their new domed stadium project, which will be the largest megaproject in Northeast Ohio. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, numerous politicians, representatives from Haslam Sports Group (HSG), Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam and team front office personnel, coaches and players were on hand for the April 30 ceremonial start to the $2.6 billion construction project.
Read MoreOne of the more unique Cleveland construction projects held a groundbreaking ceremony on April 16. Located on Huron Road, directly across from Rocket Arena, work is officially underway to build the 70,229-square-foot Cosm entertainment venue.
Read MoreIn three regions of Ohio, building trades members will be on the Primary ballot.
Read MoreOn April 1, Jim Sherwood retired as Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6.
Read MoreThe Greater Cleveland Council of Tradeswomen (GCCT) capped off Women in Construction Week with the largest celebration dinner in the organization’s history.
Read MoreThe number of Americans who are union members increased by slightly more than 400,000 in 2025 compared to the previous year. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ annual union membership report, the number of workers belonging to unions was 14.6 million in 2025, compared to 14.2 million the prior year.
Read MoreCleveland Clinic CEO and President Dr. Tom Mihaljevic provided an update on many of the hospital system’s construction projects during his annual State of the Clinic address. “We will never stop searching for opportunities to sustain our mission,” Mihaljevic said. “Every life deserves access to the best treatments available. Cleveland Clinic will continue to grow across regions, markets and specialties.”
Read MoreDespite a January blast of arctic air and more than a foot of snow in many parts of Ohio, outside construction work carried on for numerous journeymen and apprentices. In the wake of the massive storm that created havoc for a large swath of the U.S., much of Ohio has only recently started to recover from the piles of snow and freezing temperatures that dipped below zero in some areas.
Read More
