Painters District Council 22 held an open house at its new union hall and training center on March 19, and the building's layout said a great deal about the union's plans for the future.

"Eighty five percent of the building is dedicated to training," said International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) President James Williams, who was on hand for the dedication of the building. "That's appropriate. That's the direction we want to take. This is an A-plus facility, but it doesn't make any sense to build it unless our apprentices use it to full advantage and our journeymen take part in upgrade training."

Newly constructed in Warren west of Grosbeck and just north of I-696, the 25,300-square-foot facility includes office space for business agents and staff, a union meeting hall, and training areas for the four major crafts of PDC 22: painters, drywall finishers, glaziers and glass workers and sign pictorial and display workers.

The building has been occupied by the painters and allied trades since December, and gives them about four times more room than they had in the buildings they moved out of, two cramped and outdated buildings in Hazel Park - a union hall and training center.

"With the help of our members and our contractors, we built this facility from the ground up, and I think it turned our pretty well," said PDC 22 Secretary-Treasurer Robert Kennedy. "We love it. It's a great facility to do business in and it's something our members can be proud of."

A good economy in the 1990s and the paid-off status of their buildings in Hazel Park allowed Painters District Council 22 to pay $2.5 million in cash for the construction of the new building.

"It's a beautiful and impressive facility, and I'd say it's a little bit overdue," said Nick Atsalis, owner of Atsalis Brothers Painting. "This building is excellent for the industry because it provides the space that's necessary for training, and it can generate enthusiasm for the painting field."

Warren Mayor Mark Steenburgh, who attended the open house, told attendees that among the building trades, the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, IBEW and Millwrights have also chosen to locate facilities in Warren.

"I'm proud that another building trades union has once again decided to locate in our city," Steenburgh said. "This training center and the great neighborhoods of the city were built by workers making good wages who could look forward to a good future."

Williams said the commitment of contractors and the IUPAT to training is evident nationwide, as he has attended the grand opening of three union hall and training facilities this year alone. He said the IUPAT spends about $4.5 million a year on training more than 300 instructors every year, who in turn impart their knowledge on about 13,000 painter and allied trades apprentices across the nation. This year, the international union recently announced that it will contribute $100 to each local union for each apprentice that is currently enrolled.

"All that money we spend is so that we can provide the best qualified workforce for our contractors," Williams said. "We want to get paid the best, and to be the best, we have to have the best training."

ON HAND TO MARK the dedication of the new Painters District Council 22 union hall and apprenticeship school are (l-r) IUPAT General President James A. Williams, PDC 22 Secretary-Treasurer Bob Kennedy, and Greater Detroit Building Trades Council Secretary-Treasuer Patrick Devlin.