News From IMI

Apprentices Compete for ‘Top Trowel’ Honors at Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers’ International Apprentice Contest

A select group of talented, relative newcomers to the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC) earned the distinction of top apprentices in eight trowel trades crafts at the BAC/IMI (International Masonry Institute) International Apprentice Contest, held in September at the BAC/IMI John J. Flynn International Training Center.

A total of 103 contestants competed in eight craft categories that included brick, cement, marble, plaster, PCC/restoration, stone, tile and terrazzo. BAC apprentices receive their training through Local Union training programs and the IMI.

1st place winners:

Brick:

Darren Tobolt, BAC Local 40 Ohio of the Ohio Administrative District Council

Terrazzo:

Michael Sell, Sr., BAC Local 7 New York/New Jersey

Marble:

Nikolajs Pastuhovs, BAC Local 1 Washington

Stone:

Ray Lowden, III, BAC Local 9 Pennsylvania

Plaster:

Christos Katechis, BAC Local 1 New York

PCC:

Daniel McInerney, BAC    Local 3 Massachusetts

Tile:

Rey Barrios, BAC Local 3 California

Cement:

Jesse Steger, BAC Local 11 of the Wisconsin Administrative District Council 

For more information, visit www.bacweb.org.

Sustainable Certification 

Developed by the IMI, the Sustainable Masonry Certification Program educates union mason contractors on the nuts and bolts of sustainability practices and their roles in the LEED certification process, making contractors a valuable part of LEED project teams.

The course addresses subcontractor responsibilities from estimating and project scope, to project management and documentation. It covers the LEED credits every mason contractor should know, plus green strategies like site use and construction-waste management. Contractors are tested to verify their abilities to fulfill LEED responsibilities.

For more information and reviews, visit www.imiweb.org.