Pipefitter Kevin Van Horn, McKenney's, Inc. second from right, and HVAC service technician John Freeman, McKenney's, Inc., far right, recently took top honors in the UA District 3 apprenticeship competition and will move on to represent LU 72 and MCAG at the UA national apprenticeship competition. Shown with Van Horn and Freeman are state plumbing competition winner Nathan Merritt, Merritt and Sons Plumbing, far left, and state welding competition winner Dillinger McCue, K&B Mechanical Contractors, second from left.

LU 72 and MCAG apprentices Kevin Van Horn and John Freeman, both of McKenney's, Inc., have moved on to the UA national apprenticeship competition after winning their divisions in the District 3 competition in New Orleans earlier this month.

Kevin Van Horn won first place honors in the Region 3 pipefitting competition.

John Freeman won first place honors in the Region 3 HVAC competition.

The UA national apprenticeship competition will take place in Ann Arbor, Michigan the week of August 15, 2011. 

JOHN YALE SPOTLIGHTS  

"STANDARD FOR EXCELLENCE -- TAKING THE NEXT STEPS" AT MCAG QUARTERLY MEMBERSHIP MEETING  

MCAG President John McKenney, McKenney's, Inc., right, welcomed speaker John Yale, left, to the June quarterly membership meeting of MCAG.

MCAG's June quarterly membership meeting featured a special presentation by John Yale, who spoke on implementing the UA Standard for Excellence.

A resident of Scottsdale, Ariz., John graduated from the UA Local 469 Apprenticeship Program as a Steamfitter in 1970. He was a partner in J.B. Rodgers Mechanical Contractors, Phoenix, Ariz., from 1980 to 1998 and was CEO/President of TriMega, a joint venture between Kinetics and Air Products and Chemicals from 1998 to 2005.

John is a Past Chairman of MCAA Education Committee.

Presently, John is assisting the UA's ITF program by presenting the United Association Standard for Excellence and how to implement it.

Yale showed UA General President Bill Hite's video explaining the UA Standard for Excellence which can be viewed at:  http://www.ua.org/standard_excellence.asp.

Yale began by saying the UA Standard for Excellence is a single minded focus to gain market share for Local Union 72 and its contractors.  The UA Standard for Excellence policy not only outlines the obligations of UA members on the job; it also spells out the obligations of signatory contractors as well.  In this way, it is clear to all parties, including construction owners, that we are dedicated to doing the best job possible.  Under the UA Standard for Excellence it is understood that members, through the local union, and management, through the signatory contractors, have duties and are accountable in achieving successful problem resolutions.  Yale closed noting that the UA Standard for Excellence also is a commitment to safety as well as quality work in developing a non-adversarial relationship with employers.

The UA Standard for Excellence has been a part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between Local Union 72 and the Mechanical Contractors Association of Georgia since 2007. 

A large crowd representing a cross-section of the MCAG membership was on hand for the June quarterly meeting to hear guest speaker John Yale talk about implementation of the UA Standard for Excellence.

Above left: Andy Sumpter, Player and Company. Above right: George Head, LU 72.

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