Operative Plasterers' and Cement Masons' International Association
Encyclopedia
The Operative Plasterers' and Cement Masons' International Association of the United States and Canada (OPCMIA) is a trade union
of plasterer
s and cement
masons
in the construction industry in the United States
and Canada
. Members of the union finish interior walls and ceilings of buildings and apply plaster
on masonry, metal
, and wire lath
or gypsum
. Cement masons are responsible for all concrete
construction, including pouring and finishing of slabs, steps, wall tops, curbs
and gutters
, sidewalk
s, and paving. The organization is a member union of the AFL–CIO and Canadian Labour Congress
.
Patrick D. Finley of Philadelphia is the current General President.
, when an organization known variously as the National Plasterer's Union or the National Plasterers Organization attempted to unify the various local craft unions that represented workers in the trade. The new organization attempted to establish standard wages and working conditions, regulate the training of apprentices, establish a traveling card system to permit union members to travel from one local's jurisdiction to another, while excluding those unfit for membership.
The modern organization was formed in 1882, when a number of locals
who had supported the Cincinnati, Ohio
local in a strike
earlier that year met in St. Louis, Missouri
to reestablish a national organization. The new union endorsed the eight-hour day
while pledging to avoid "unnecessary strikes." The union amended its constitution in 1887 to include Canadian workers. In 1914 the union was renamed the Operative Plasterers' and Cement Finishers' International Association, and the following year it reached an agreement with the United Brotherhood of Cement Workers to bring those workers into the union.
In 1946 the union established a program in conjunction with the Contracting Plasterers' International Association and the Associated General Contractors
, to establish national apprentice training standards. The union trained a large number of veterans of World War II
in its apprenticeship programs, while curtailing the competition from non-union contractors. In the late 1960s, the union opened up its apprenticeship programs to allow more African-American and Latino
workers into its locals.
In 1960 the union followed many other U.S. unions in moved its headquarters, transferring them from Cleveland to the Washington, D.C. region
. It is currently headquartered at Beltsville, Maryland
.
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
of plasterer
Plasterer
A plasterer is a tradesman who works with plaster, such as forming a layer of plaster on an interior wall or plaster decorative moldings on ceilings or walls...
s and cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
masons
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
in the construction industry in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Members of the union finish interior walls and ceilings of buildings and apply plaster
Plaster
Plaster is a building material used for coating walls and ceilings. Plaster starts as a dry powder similar to mortar or cement and like those materials it is mixed with water to form a paste which liberates heat and then hardens. Unlike mortar and cement, plaster remains quite soft after setting,...
on masonry, metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
, and wire lath
Lath
A lath is a thin, narrow strip of some straight-grained wood or other material, including metal or gypsum. A lattice, or lattice-work, is a criss-crossed or interlaced arrangement of laths, or the pattern made by such an arrangement...
or gypsum
Gypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
. Cement masons are responsible for all concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
construction, including pouring and finishing of slabs, steps, wall tops, curbs
Curb (road)
A curb, or kerb , is the edge where a raised pavement/sidewalk/footpath, road median, or road shoulder meets an unraised street or other roadway.-Function:...
and gutters
Street gutter
A street gutter is a depression running parallel to a road designed to collect rainwater flowing along the street and divert it into a storm drain. Where a curbstone is present, a gutter may simply be formed by the convergence of the road surface and the vertical face of the sidewalk; otherwise, a...
, sidewalk
Sidewalk
A sidewalk, or pavement, footpath, footway, and sometimes platform, is a path along the side of a road. A sidewalk may accommodate moderate changes in grade and is normally separated from the vehicular section by a curb...
s, and paving. The organization is a member union of the AFL–CIO and Canadian Labour Congress
Canadian Labour Congress
The Canadian Labour Congress, or CLC is a national trade union centre, the central labour body in English Canada to which most Canadian labour unions are affiliated.- Formation :...
.
Patrick D. Finley of Philadelphia is the current General President.
History
The union traces its roots to the era of the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, when an organization known variously as the National Plasterer's Union or the National Plasterers Organization attempted to unify the various local craft unions that represented workers in the trade. The new organization attempted to establish standard wages and working conditions, regulate the training of apprentices, establish a traveling card system to permit union members to travel from one local's jurisdiction to another, while excluding those unfit for membership.
The modern organization was formed in 1882, when a number of locals
Local union
A local union, often shortened to local, in North America, or a union branch in the United Kingdom and other countries is a locally-based trade union organization which forms part of a larger, usually national, union.Local branches are organized to represent the union's members from a particular...
who had supported the Cincinnati, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
local in a strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
earlier that year met in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
to reestablish a national organization. The new union endorsed the eight-hour day
Eight-hour day
The eight-hour day movement or 40-hour week movement, also known as the short-time movement, had its origins in the Industrial Revolution in Britain, where industrial production in large factories transformed working life and imposed long hours and poor working conditions. With working conditions...
while pledging to avoid "unnecessary strikes." The union amended its constitution in 1887 to include Canadian workers. In 1914 the union was renamed the Operative Plasterers' and Cement Finishers' International Association, and the following year it reached an agreement with the United Brotherhood of Cement Workers to bring those workers into the union.
In 1946 the union established a program in conjunction with the Contracting Plasterers' International Association and the Associated General Contractors
Associated General Contractors
The Associated General Contractors of America is a membership organization dedicated to furthering the ever-changing agenda of commercial construction contractors, improving job site safety, expanding the use of cutting edge technologies and techniques and strengthening the dialogue between...
, to establish national apprentice training standards. The union trained a large number of veterans of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in its apprenticeship programs, while curtailing the competition from non-union contractors. In the late 1960s, the union opened up its apprenticeship programs to allow more African-American and Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
workers into its locals.
In 1960 the union followed many other U.S. unions in moved its headquarters, transferring them from Cleveland to the Washington, D.C. region
Washington Metropolitan Area
The Washington Metropolitan Area is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The area includes all of the federal district and parts of the U.S...
. It is currently headquartered at Beltsville, Maryland
Beltsville, Maryland
Beltsville is a census-designated place in northern Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 15,691 at the 2000 census. Beltsville includes the unincorporated community of Vansville.-Geography:...
.
External links
- Official website
- Official page on FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
- Anthem from YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- Profile of the work of plasterers and stucco masons from the Occupational Outlook HandbookOccupational Outlook HandbookThe Occupational Outlook Handbook is a publication of the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics that includes information about the nature of work, working conditions, training and education, earnings, and job outlook for hundreds of different occupations. The Handbook is...