Partners in Progress Vol 13 No 12

SMACNA and SMART Building Boston Together By / Sheralyn Belyeu Wayne A. Greenwood, president of JEC Service Company in Boston, Massachusetts, built his business on a simple idea.

“He believes that if people are looking out for each other on the job, they can do anything,” says Sean O’Keeffe, JEC project manager. “When he’s hiring, Wayne isn’t looking for superstars. He wants employees who will do the right thing when no one is watching, people who are organized and have a sense of ownership. He looks for people who are respectful of others and professional, people who act like ladies and gentlemen.”

Local 17 Executive Board Member Mike Mathews is a field foreman for JEC. Mathews keeps an eye out for apprentices who fit Greenwood’s vision. “Wayne is picking a team that works well together and with other trades. That’s more important to him than being the most technically polished,” Mathews says. “He wants people who are going to help each other out in a pinch.”

“Our contractors are always in control of their workforce needs,” says Bob Butler, business manager for Local 17. “They can choose the employees they want.”

Hiring through the Local guarantees that every single craftsperson has the technical skills needed for success. “In the building trades, union sites are nearly five times more productive than non-union sites,” Butler says. “Our training program plays a big role in these partnerships. Local 17’s fiveyear U.S. Department of Labor-certified training program gives workers expertise in every aspect of sheet metal fabrication and installation, from stainless steel to the fabrication and installation of heavy metals and tanks. We also provide ongoing skills training for journeypersons at no cost to contractors.”

Training begins in JATC classrooms and continues on site.

“The experienced craftspersons give apprentices a little leeway in the field as they show them how to do the harder things,” says O’Keeffe. He sees mentoring each apprentice as an investment in the future.

“We hope these apprentices will stay with us and work their way up through the company. They do a good job.”

JEC isn’t the only company that recognizes the value that Local 17 labor brings to the industry.

“Our partnership with SMACNA Boston has won and built some of the most competitive jobs in the region, including the Harvard University Science Center, Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Boston Partners in Progress » December 2019 » 15