Brothers and sisters,
First, I would like to wish you a joyous Christmas and holiday season filled with warmth, laughter, and love spent with family and friends, and that the new year is a prosperous and happy one.
As we near the end of 2024, it is an opportune time to reflect on the past year and all we have done, and consider what we can accomplish together in the year to come.
The International Union of Painters & Allied Trades District Council 82 and its 3,500 members served their communities across Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and western Wisconsin throughout the year, playing critical roles on a multitude of projects from skyscrapers to bridges, to residential buildings, and beyond. Members also volunteered for a variety of worthwhile causes. Each of you is a powerful example of what union solidarity means, and the amazing work we can accomplish together.
Members in Action
To celebrate Earth Day, dozens of DC 82 members came together to help improve and beautify their communities. At the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, members participated in the 38th annual Citywide Spring Cleanup, picking up litter and cleaning up snowmelt in our green spaces and neighborhoods. This Citywide Spring Cleanup effort was hosted by Saint Paul Parks & Recreation, Saint Paul Public Works, and other local organizations.
The DC 82 Women’s Committee gathered at Missions, Inc., in Plymouth, MN, to patch and paint the facility’s ceiling and walls in its common rooms. Missions Inc. provides housing, emergency shelter and supportive services to domestic abuse survivors and those seeking recovery from substance use disorders. That we could help the lives of these residents and help survivors feel safer and more comfortable while they’re healing is something we can all be proud of.
We stood shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in Centro De Trabajadores Unidos En La Lucha (CTUL) against greedy, unscrupulous developers who, despite repeated calls, continued to ignore workers’ request for a meeting to discuss labor rights on their project sites and across the industry. DC 82 members marched and held a rally in solidarity with CTUL and dozens of construction workers, union members, and concerned community members. At the heart of this March for Dignity was a demand for dignified work, good schools, stable housing, and a liveable planet.
Join a CORE Committee
I am very proud of our achievements, but I know there is much more we can and will do in 2025. Members can help by joining DC 82’s Core Committees. These multifaceted member ally groups serve our communities and members in a variety of ways, including:
- Camaraderie and friendship
- Fostering skill and career development
- Intersectional activism
- Community volunteering
- Amplifying member voices
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
- Leadership training, and much more
Anyone interested in participating can contact CORE Committees Director Art Hill via email at: [email protected].
Health Resources for All DC 82 Members
Moving Forward
While the holidays are often considered a joyful time, for many they can spur feelings of depression linked to increased social pressure, family issues, financial stress, and loneliness, leading to a heightened sense of isolation and sadness. Please know that the CARE Team is available if anyone is at all struggling. FTIUM Care Team provides access to life-saving mental health services, substance use counseling, health consultation, and more critical resources to DC 82 members; FTIUM students; DC 82 and FTIUM staff. This employee assistance program (EAP) exists to educate DC 82 members, reduce mental health stigmas, and encourage all craftworkers to seek help in times of difficulty and crisis.
Sign up now!
As your Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer, I will continue to ensure that every member will have their voice heard on the jobsite, with our elected officials, and in the community when it comes to fair wages, safe working conditions, good benefits, and strengthening our communities.
I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank the staff of DC 82 for all their efforts in contributing to making our union responsive to its members. Know that your efforts are greatly appreciated.
Finally, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of our union members for your unwavering commitment and solidarity. Let us carry the momentum of this last year into the new year, dedicated to achieving better conditions for all workers.
I wish you all a restful Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa to all who are celebrating, and all the best for 2025!
In Solidarity,
Jeff Stark
Business Manager / Secretary-Treasurer
IUPAT District Council 82
