Minnesota Building & Construction Trades Council

Building Minnesota with Quality and Pride

Minnesota Pipefitter’s Energy Impact: Exploring Deanna’s role at a Nuclear Plant

Deanna Thomas’ career as a pipefitter for St. Paul Local 455 has taken her to places that she had never imagined — such as the control room of a nuclear power plant. “It’s a rare experience that I’m very proud of,” Thomas said. “I get to work on or in some of the coolest places that most people just overlook on their drive home.” Most recently, Thomas worked at the Flint Hills Pine Bend Oil Refinery in Rosemount, Minnesota. The refinery ... View Article

Statement on Unemployment Insurance Special Additional Benefits Passed by the Minnesota Legislature

December 14, 2020 - On behalf of union construction professionals across the State, the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades would like to thank the Legislature and Governor Walz for their work in passing 13-weeks of special additional unemployment benefits. According to DEED, more than 87,000 construction trades workers have applied for unemployment insurance since March 2020.  This is more than any other occupation in our ... View Article

Brock, first year Apprentice, Operating Engineers

Brock is in his first year as an Operating Engineer Apprentice. After graduating with a four-year degree, he couldn’t work in his field of study. “I bounced around from one dead end job to another,” he says. In the beginning of 2020, Brock learned about a program called Building Strong Communities, an apprenticeship readiness program sponsored by the union construction industry, the Metropolitan Council, the McKnight ... View Article

Bre Ana, a first year apprentice with the Iron Workers

Bre Ana is a first-year apprentice with the Iron Workers. She says the best part of being an apprentice is getting to see the results of your work. “Even after an 8-hour shift, you can see your work. The beams you raised, the welding you finished. I never dreamed there was a job like this out there.” Bre Ana is currently working at the Metro Transit Rail Yard on Hiawatha Avenue and says it is her favorite job so far. “When I ... View Article

Mahaila, 3rd Year Apprentice

Mahaila, a 3rd year registered union apprentice with the Operating Engineers from Cloquet, is 1,000 training work hours away from becoming a journeyworker. The majority of Mahaila’s work has been on the road in International Falls rebuilding roads from the Canadian border. “I like to travel, and this job has me travelling a lot. I like going to new places, enjoying the scenery,” Mahaila says. The best part of being a 3rd year ... View Article

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