Bricklayers Local 1 sets high standards for apprentice school.

"When I was 20 years old, my father-in-law said to me, 'I'm going to give you something that nobody can ever take away from you. ..a skilled trade'," said John Phillips, President and Business Manager of Bricklayers Local 1, as he leaned over his desk during an informal interview. That statement seems to have been the inspiration behind Phillips' long journey to where he is now. ..and to what he is trying to achieve for the future of his industry.

Phillips started as a bricklayer in 1970 and in 1973 completed an apprenticeship through Local 12 in Chester, Pennsylvania. He continued working in the trade until 1995 and eventually became a business agent for Local I, then assistant business manager for three years prior to his current position.

BUILDING A SKILLED WORKFORCE

Phillips eyes gleam with pride as he tells me about the BAC (Bricklayers & Allied Craftsworkers) Apprenticeship school, located just down the street from the Local's business office.

"Our school is just two years old, but we have a very strong program with 161 apprentices currently in training," says Phillips. Before that, the apprentices trained at a school on Venango Street off Erie Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia. Phillips credits Wes Lawrence, the Local's president before him, and the Management Committee for building the new school. "We needed the facility to accommodate all of the different trades that are now part of Local 1," he added, "In 1993, the International merged eight industry locals and that was the new Local 1 in Pennsylvania until 1997 when the State of Delaware merged with us." The eight trades Phillips is referring to are the bricklayers, caulkers, pointers, cleaners, tilesetters, finishers, stone and marble masons, and tarazo workers.

The apprenticeship school is a three year program which consists of training as well as classroom instruction, including safety training and blueprint reading. The students attend classes on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and all day Saturday. The school has eight instructors and an Apprenticeship Director, Bob Powers.

"Right now, I'd say the most interesting thing about our program, and the trade in general, is the amount of cross training." "We have pointers, caulkers and cleaners training in brick- laying and vice versa. And all trades are taking welding and blueprint classes," says Powers. "The apprentices that are skilled in more than one trade are a huge benefit to the industry," he added.

INTERNATIONAL MASONRY INSTITUTE (IMI)

BAC Local I works closely with IMI which is an entity of their International. IMI helps them with their international training certifications as well as promoting the trade to engineers and architects. Recently IMI held an open house at the apprentice school for architectural students from the University of Pennsylvania and for architects from local firms. The purpose of the event was to give the students and architects a "hands-on" opportunity to learn about the skills required by the trade.

IMI also held a "meet and greet" at the Philadelphia AlA office for its members to meet the management of BAC Local 1 as well as representatives from IMI.

TECHNOLOGY

As with any industry, technology plays a key role in the training and management of apprentices. The school has a computer that tracks the apprentices progress, most importantly their safety training.

"At any point, I can pull up one apprentice's OSHA 500 card or their PSM certification," says Powers. PSM is the Process Safety Management course required to work in any refinery.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Phillips has some very strong ideas on what direction he would like to see his Local and the apprenticeship school go in the next few years. "We have made some very key decisions for the school based on the over- whelming importance that safety plays in this industry," said Phillips. "Most recently, we have developed a two- point suspension scaffolding certification program along with Safeway Steel Scaffold Company for restoration work," "Until now, workers were unable to get this type of training, but now, with standards changing, we realize this is something very necessary for their education."

"An actual tower is a year or two down the road, but until then we'll use our existing building," he added.

When asked about the future of his trade, Phillips says, "If we can control the towns in this area, we can control the destiny of our trades." By this he means that if they have control of the industry, they can control the working conditions for their workers, including safety issue as well as wages.

"This is something we have to do together with our contractors associations," says Phillips, "It's definitely a goal that requires a team effort."

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