As the director of a national training program for plasterers, I help develop and implement training criteria and curriculum materials for young people just entering the trade. So, nothing gives me greater pleasure than to witness young men and women, who’ve got a few years under their belt, excelling at the craft-especially in a down economy! 

In the last few weeks, I’ve been invited to or heard about a dozen or more of my friends’ and relatives’ kids graduating from high school. And eventually the subject of what “college” they are attending ends up driving the conversation. 

The battle cry of the GOP during the last presidential election has now come back to haunt us all as we watch the “mousse” roll ashore along the southern coastline (that’s what they official call the muck that washes ashore when oil and seawater mix). 

After the shouting “against” and the cheers “for” the recent passage of healthcare reform dies down, we must eventually get down to recognizing it’s no longer just a debate to argue over, it’s the Law of the Land and must be compiled with. So what does it mean for those of us who make our living in the wall and ceiling industry? 

As I listened to President Obama’s State of the Union Address and his bold meeting with the Republican Caucus a few days later, I found myself silently thinking, “Jobs, jobs, jobs. We need more jobs.” I sounded like the folks who chanted “Drill” “Drill” “Drill” at the Republican Convention. 

I was recently confronted by someone who believes this whole “global warming” thing is just a big lie. They said that we shouldn’t waste any time, effort or tax dollars on reducing our carbon footprint because “CO² is nothing but plant food …”

When I first began to learn how to plaster, if someone would have told me then that it would one day become necessary for me to learn to speak Italian, I would have chuckled and turned away.

Wow. There were 28,000-plus attendees from 75 different countries that attended GreenBuild Expo 2009 in Phoenix!

According to recently released reports from OSHA, the percentage of work-related fatalities in the construction industry is on the decrease. And while the numbers are adjusted to reflect the smaller workforce, it is not clear as to the cause of the decline.

In the wall and ceiling industry, approximately 20 percent of the workforce is unionized, and as a result of collective bargaining, those employed by union shops have medical insurance provided as part of their compensation.