The person who was the driving force in establishing the Boilermakers Local 169 Training Center now has his name on the building.

The "Ed Rokuski Boilermakers Local 169 Training Center" is the same building in Dearborn, Michigan that the local union has used to train journeymen and apprentices since 1989. Only the name has been changed to honor Rokuski, the local's former business manager, who retired Jan. 1 as an International Union representative.

"Before we had this building, we basically did training on the job," said Local 169 Business Manager John Marek. "Now, we're in a different league. Ed initiated the training center. He led the union in negotiating money for the building, he made sure it was equipped, and that instructors were hired. That's why we're honoring Ed. He took the bull by the horns."

Rokuski, 62, has been in the trade for 42 years. He became assistant business manager of Local 169 in 1976, and was business manager from 1984 to 1994. That's when he became an International Union representative, a post he held until he retired Jan. 1.

"It's a great honor to have your name put on a building," Rokuski said. "It feels good, but it's hard to explain why. I guess it's nice knowing that your name will be on something that will be here for a long time - unless they put a for-sale sign on the building," he added with a laugh.

Rokuski's legacy at Local 169 includes more than a name on a building - the son of a boilermaker, Ed's four sons also took up the trade and are journeymen.

The 4,000-square-foot training center operates day and night with three full-time instructors, and is currently serving more than 200 apprentices. On the curriculum are welding certification courses, journeymen upgrading, rigging exercises and safety. Marek said he knew the training program was on the right track in 1999, when then-boilermaker apprentice John Vardon won the Boilermakers' National Apprentice Competition.

"When it comes to training, this building has been a tremendous plus for our organization," Marek said, "and we're grateful to Ed for all he did to make it happen."

LOCAL 169 OFFICERS and instructors stand in front of the re-named Training Center. From (l-r) are instructors Jim Howard and Tom McKinney, honoree Ed Rokuski, Local 169 Business Manager/Sec.-Treas. John Marek, President/BA Tony Jacobs, BA Don Cochran, Data Systems Manager Larry Bittner, Executive Board members Jim McDonnell, John Vardon, Dwight Tobaison, Greg Covetz, Ed Wlodyka, Jr., Doug Erngren and instructor Ed Kowalski.