President’s Messages

We have much to be thankful for. The brotherhood and sisterhood of our fellow members. The solidarity we possess. The training and safety protections our Apprenticeship and other programs provide. The wages and benefits we earn. The power we gain through collective bargaining. The fulfilling careers we build with the support of our union. And the fulfilling crafts we engage in each and every work day.

On Veterans Day 2019, the OPCMIA salutes our members — and all Americans and Canadians — who have served in our armed forces. Veterans deserve the thanks of two grateful nations for their sacrifice and service to preserve our security and our freedom. But they deserve far more than our words — they deserve our deeds.

September 11, 2019 marks the anniversary of a horrific event whose scars can still be felt 18 years later. Our nation and all it stands for was attacked. Nearly 3,000 innocent people tragically perished, and their families, friends and colleagues feel their loss each and every day.

This Labor Day finds your OPCMIA moving forward aggressively to stay ahead of the change curve, fighting back against the attacks coming in our direction, and working tenaciously to create our own bright future.

On this 243rd birthday of the USA, the OPCMIA celebrates our freedom — what makes America truly great. Thanks to the wisdom of our founding fathers, we have the freedom of speech — to express our opinions without fear of prosecution or persecution. Thanks to the wisdom of our founding fathers, we have the freedom of assembly — to gather together as union, to picket, to march, to hold rallies, to make our wishes known.

All of us owe our freedom to the brave Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. From the very founding of our nation through today, we are forever in debt to those who gave their lives so that our democracy could live on.

Everything your OPCMIA does — provide work opportunities with good wages and benefits, protect your health and safety, increase our market share, and supply the skilled plasterers and cement masons our industry needs — is underpinned by training. Simply put, it’s the foundation for your union and your well-being.

This Labor Day weekend is a time for OPCMIA members to reflect on what their union means to them, and on what it means to be a part of the North American labor movement.