Responding to tragic and preventable house fires that caused three recent deaths and destroyed dozens of homes in Massachusetts, the state’s Board of Fire Prevention Regulations passed new regulations that will restrict the use of highly flammable wood floor finishing products.

ABC wants to do for America what it has already done for the construction industry.  Apparently not content with denying its own workers access to affordable health care, the anti-worker Associated Builders & Contractors has teamed up with its right-wing friends to fight President Obama's health care reform efforts.  See story in The Huffington Post December 8th

I’m proud of the hard work organized labor, and the building trades in particular, did to attract Plymouth Rock Studios. David Kirkpatrick and his team at PRS share our commitment to create good middle class jobs with good wages, comprehensive benefits and quality skills training.

The exhaustive reviews of individual PLAs by the courts has made it clear that PLAs, in certain circumstances and upon appropriate review by the government entity, are valid and beneficial to the government and therefore the taxpayer.  It is time for PLA critics such as yourself to put aside their uneducated, unfounded, emotional, philosophical, and rhetorical pleas and to consider PLAs on a rational, case-by-case basis, as the courts and private sector owners have found to be the most reasonable and responsible approach to the issue.

Read more in a Boston Herald article about the dozens of union carpenters and painters who volunteered to renovate, paint and weatherize the Dorchester home of a WWII veteran in need. “It’s a way to give back, and pay it forward, he's an amazing man,” said union carpenter Joseph Maloney of Jamaica Plain.

America’s Building Trades Unions have stepped up to support our veterans when they return home. Helmets to Hardhats assists National Guard, Reserve, retired and transitioning active-duty military members connect to quality career and training opportunities in the construction industry. Go to http://www.helmetstohardhats.org/ to learn more.

The Building & Construction Trades Department is a proud supporter of the Education Center At The Wall sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.  Take a moment on this Veteran's Day to watch the attached video by clicking the heading.  To learn how you can support the center go to: www.VVMFCenter.org

This weekend, the U.S. House will vote on H.R. 3962—the Affordable Health Care for America Act—a historic health care reform bill that includes a public option, makes employers pay their fair share and doesn’t tax our benefits. Click heading to read MBTC letter to the Mass. Congressional Delegation.

The United States Senate last night voted unanimously to extend unemployment benefits by as much as 14 weeks to out-of-work Americans who have exhausted their jobless benefits, or would do so by year's end.