AR SKYWALK – DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY

“You don’t have any idea how fortunate you are to have the caliber of the subcontractor and worker that you do. I’d jump into a foxhole with any one of them. They’re great people.
We’re happy and lucky to be back.”

That quote by Dan Keating III, Chairman of Keating Building Corporation, general contractor for the new Pittsburgh casino, in the August 22, 2008 Pittsburgh Post Gazette says it all about the unique qualifications and skills of union building trade workers.

Professionally trained at some of the finest apprenticeship schools and training centers in the country and committed to excellence, union building trade workers are capable of successfully completing any type or size of construction project. Whether it’s a new casino, arena, hospital or multi-story office structure, union building trade workers can rise up to the task and get a project back on track.

That was never more evident than in the summer of 2008 when a financial crisis threatened to put a long term and possibly even permanent halt on the construction of the new casino. Following a nearly two month work stoppage while casino owners sought permanent financing, union building trade workers and their contractors were back on the job in late August scurrying to install the roof and get the building enclosed before winter and cold weather set in.

If unable to perform such tasks in a timely manner, interior construction would be halted, further delaying the opening of the facility and delaying much needed revenue for Pennsylvania, the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. At a time when the economy was beginning to falter and the city was trying to get out from under state financial oversight as a result of near bankruptcy, such a loss could have had a staggering affect on the region.

To meet the new aggressive schedule, contractors double shifted and work proceeded at a frantic pace. By December, the exterior of the building had been largely sealed and work continued uninterrupted throughout the winter months on the casino’s elaborate interior.

Upon its opening, the 400,000 square foot casino will include a 90 foot high drum atrium, a waterfall, 3,000 slot machines, five restaurants, and several lounges situated beside a 3,872-space parking lot. The two-story casino will feature a large glass façade, providing visitors with unencumbered views of the Ohio River, Point State Park and Mount Washington. It’s a facility that will help showcase Pittsburgh for its building, architecture and aesthetic achievements. It’s a facility that would not have been possible without the tiresome and collective efforts of some 2,500 union building trade workers.

Long Time Labor Leader
Pau l Quarantillo Retires

Paul Quarantillo, President/Business Manager of the Laborers’ District Council of Western Pennsylvania, has retired after 28 years of service as an officer of the union. A charter Executive Committee member of the Builders Guild of Western Pennsylvania, Paul provided outstanding leadership as one of the area’s distinguished labor leaders.

A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Paul joined the Laborers as a member of Local 373 in 1976. In 1986, he became the Assistant Business Manager, responsible for contract negotiations, labor and management relations, and grievance resolutions. He served in that capacity until May 2000, when he was appointed by the Executive Board to assume the duties of President-Business Manager.

Among other affiliations, Paul served as Chairman of the Laborers’ District Council of Western Pennsylvania Pension & Welfare Funds as well as Training and Apprenticeship committees. He was a Board member of the Three Rivers Labor Management Committee and Vice President and Executive Committee members of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO. In 2003, he was honored as Labor’s “Man of the Year” by the Allegheny County Labor Council.