Eugene (Gene) George was the President of GA Masonry (formerly George and Asmussen), which for most of the last four decades has been the largest union (sometimes largest overall) red brick contractor in North America. To support that company, he also owned Patene Building Supplies and founded CareLift Equipment, which manufactures rough terrain forklifts.

Gene never met an obstacle he couldn't bust through with authority. He started manufacturing forklifts to meet his own needs, but ended up developing such a great product that the company grew to be one of the main suppliers of rough terrain forklifts. The gas station in Breslau, ON wasn't open when GA trucks needed to be fueled up, so Gene bought the place and kept it open 24 hours. He met every challenge with the same kind of grit and determination. Read full tribute.

Gene George and James Boland

Gene was not only an astute businessman, he was a perennial student of the trade. He continually kept abreast of the latest materials, techniques and equipment. And he brought that same passion and perseverance to the many roles he performed so brilliantly on behalf of our industry, whether as President of ICE, Co-Chair of IMI or International Fund trustee. Perhaps most important was his dedication to labor-management cooperation in principle and in practice. No one was more committed to the ongoing process that brought labor and management together to build and grow our industry to the benefit of contractors and skilled BAC craftworkers alike. There's no doubt in my mind that his legacy will remain with us for many years to come. He was a true original. ~ James Boland, President of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers 

Gene George and Joan Calambokidis

It is impossible to overstate the impact Gene had on the masonry industry and IMI had the benefit of his strong guidance as co-chair for many years. Here are just a few of my favorite Eugene George-isms:

ICE Attendees. Back row (left to right): George Hardy and Paul Nysewander. Front row (left to right): Matthew Aquiline, Maria Dorsett, Carol Ciesielski, Laina Aquiline, Ben Capp, Jim O'Connor

The Quality Construction Alliance (QCA) National Issues Conference was held in Washington, DC April 27-29, 2015 with over 160 attendees from all over the country. They represented various construction trades from five premier specialty contracting associations: ICE, Finishing Contractors Association International (FCA International), the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA), the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA), and The Association of Union Contractors (TAUC).

The agenda included several notable speakers, including Senator Stabenow (MI), Norm Coleman, Rep. Phil Roe (TN), Rep. David McKinley (WV), Rep. Jim Renacci (OH), Rep. Donald Norcross (NJ) and others. They participated in discussions regarding the important topics of the union construction trades with a focus on multiemployer pension reform. Click here for issue papers from the conference.

Left to right: Fred Kinateder, Jr., Carol Ciesielski, Michael Schmerbeck, George Hardy

The conference culminated with meetings on Capitol Hill to further discuss these topics with legislative members. Attendees visited almost 150 Senate and House offices.

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All of the reports from the BIM-M Symposium can be viewed here.

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The International Masonry Institute (IMI) is holding a masonry education webinar series. These webinars are intended for designers, facility managers, construction managers, owners and members in good standing of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, and their signatory contractors. All webinars are free but registration is required. 
Register here.

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In an effort to continue to offer members high quality health and welfare benefits at an affordable contribution rate, the Board of Trustees of the Florida Trowel Trades (FTT) health and welfare plan has voted to merge into the BAC International Health Fund (IHF) effective February 1st.  Members who participate in the Florida Trowel Trades plan will be joining the majority of Local 8 Southeast members now covered by IHF.

With this important merger, IHF now covers more than 2,200 members and their families throughout the country. Local 8 Southeast's newest participants have access not only to medical and prescription drug coverage, but also to dental, vision and life insurance. In addition, IHF's more favorable eligibility rules mean more coverage for more members as compared to their previous plan. Read more.
 

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In May, OSHA issued a final rule on confined spaces in construction. All provisions of the rule will go into effect August 3, 2015.

There are five new requirements and several areas where OSHA has clarified existing requirements. The five new requirements include:

1. More detailed provisions requiring coordinated activities when there are multiple employers at the worksite.  
2. Requiring a competent person to evaluate the work site and identify confined spaces, including permit space
3. Requiring continuous atmospheric monitoring whenever possible. 
4. Requiring continuous monitoring of engulfment hazards. 
5. Allowing for the suspension of a permit, instead of cancellation, in the event of changes from the entry conditions list on the permit or an unexpected event requiring evacuation of the space. 

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