Trades mourn death of Local 333’s Tim Haggart

Condolences are extended to the family and friends of Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Local 333 Business Manager Tim Haggart, who died Sept. 5, 2010 after a motorcycle accident. Tim was 51.

A 32-year member of Local 333, Tim had been business manager of Local 333 since 2007. Mr. Haggart served on the Michigan Pipe Trades Executive Board, the City of Lansing Plumbing Board, the Executive Board of the Michigan AfL-CIO and the Lansing Community College Foundation Board.

“I always enjoyed dealing with Tim,” said Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council Secretary-Treasurer Patrick Devlin. “He was just a nice, decent, dependable guy who served his members well. He was also a great resource for all of us, he was always willing to provide a helping hand when it came to solving issues for all of the building trades. It’s very sad to lose him.”

Tim is survived by children Eric and Sarah, his parents Lawrence and Joan Haggart, and former wife Nancy. He was preceded in death by his brother Chris Haggart in 1999.

A memorial service was held at the Local 333 hall in Lansing.

Construction jobless rate grows in August

The U.S. construction industry added 19,000 jobs in August, but the sector’s 17 percent unemployment rate was the highest August rate ever, according to a new analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of federal employment data released Sept. 3.

The industry’s 17.0 percent rate was higher even than the 16.5 percent rate a year earlier.

“Construction began losing jobs four years ago, more than a year before the rest of the private sector, and the industry remains stuck in neutral at best, nine months after other industries started adding jobs consistently,” said AGC Chief Economist  Ken Simonson.