COOPERSVILLE - Plumbers, Pipe Fitters and Service Trades Local 174 is open for business in a beautiful new union hall and training center.

On May 19, the local welcomed United Association General President Martin Maddaloni and a bevy of other union officials, contractors and guests to an open house at the new facility, nestled along westbound I-96 with signage so big that the building itself is almost a billboard for union labor.

"This is a very proud day for all members of Local 174," Maddaloni said. "I share your pride, and everyone in your community appreciates your commitment to training the finest craftspeople in the industry. The consolidation of the local has made the UA a more influential presence in Western Michigan, and this facility is the proof."

Local 174 Business Manager Doug Bennett said completion of the new $1.7 million union hall and training center is the culmination of the merger of Grand Rapids UA Local 70 and Muskegon UA Local 154, which was instituted on July 1, 1998. The buildings of the old unions were sorely lacking in serving the combined local that now has more than 900 members, and is continuing to grow with successful organizing efforts.

"We combined resources so we could best serve our customers," Bennett said. "This facility will help our skilled tradespeople lead the way in productivity and training into the 21st Century."

The new 22,000 square-foot building is in Coopersville, between Grand Rapids and Muskegon. It includes union offices, a meeting hall, and a state-of-the-art training center.

The school "is awesome, it's an instructor's dream," said Local 174 Training Coordinator John Barry, who said the local can now offer members distance learning with computers, as well as computer-aided design and new tooling and other instructional equipment. "It's a great opportunity and I feel lucky to be a part of it."

Recognizing the quality of Local 174's training program, Maddaloni presented a five-year International Union accreditation from the United Association to the local's Joint Apprenticeship Committee.

"Back in the 1950s," said Western Michigan Mechanical Contractors Association President Jerry Holwerda, "we were taught in a classroom that was just a storage room with tables. We've obviously come a long way in training over the last 40 years. I give a lot of credit to Doug and his side of the table, and a lot of credit to our own contractors, to make this beautiful facility happen. We're all coming together to make this a better industry, and it will help make us work smarter, better and faster." 

IN FRONT OF THE new Local 174 union hall during the May 19 open house are (l-r) UA International Rep. Joe Sposita, Local 174 Business Manager Doug Bennett and UA International President Martin Maddaloni.