CASS IN THE NEWS!

Saint Damian, maintenance director Timothy Hoste last summer began seeking help with a general letter to area metal roofing businesses, seeking not a handout, but any assistance that could be provided in replacing a badly leaking asphalt shingle roof covering the school’s gymnasium. The leaky roof caused numerous basketball games, gym classes and other activities to be cancelled. The existing roof was improperly installed in 2002, and the company that did the work was unavailable to perform repairs because they had gone out of business.

Building trades workers and contractors displayed a generous spirit this holiday season, volunteering a considerable amount of time, money and materials to help two schools in Southeast Michigan. On Saturday, Dec. 15, C.A.S.S. Sheetmetal donated a new $42,000 metal gym roof to St. Damian church and school in Westland, and 20 Sheet Metal Workers Local 80 members donated their time to do the installation. And in a several day project that began after school let out Dec. 21, several Plumbers Local 98 members donated their time to renovate a boys’ bathroom at Holy Trinity Elementary School.

“Union members and our contractors show their generous side all the time by doing this kind of volunteer work, without getting recognized for it,” said Patrick Devlin, CEO of the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council, who volunteered time to help with the work at Holy Trinity. “Their work is appreciated, and it just goes to show how union workers and contractors come through time after time for their community.”

At St. Damian, maintenance director Timothy Hoste last summer began seeking help with a general letter to area metal roofing businesses, seeking not a handout, but any assistance that could be provided in replacing a badly leaking asphalt shingle roof covering the school’s gymnasium. The leaky roof caused numerous basketball games, gym classes and other activities to be cancelled. The existing roof was improperly installed in 2002, and the company that did the work was unavailable to perform repairs because they had gone out of business.

C.A.S.S. Sheetmetal owner Glen Parvin received the letter, and pledged to help with a substantial amount of the project’s cost. It took the company a few months to clear out the time to do the work – but the time came in December. Some prep work by C.A.S.S. a couple days ahead of time allowed the full crew to do the work in less than four hours on that Saturday morning. “Some of the guys came from as far away as Port Huron and Midland,” Hoste said. “They were great, and they knew what they were doing. I’m still amazed at how well they worked together. A few people from the church were there to help, too.

When they were finished, Glen Parvin of CASS Sheet Metal just told us, ‘Merry Christmas, it’s Free, NO Cost.’ We were very happy. There are very few people who would do that. They did a huge service to our school and our parish.” More than 20 Local 80 C.A.S.S. sheetmetal journeymen donated their time along with about 10 church volunteers, and gave St. Damian their new gym roof. C.A.S.S. Sheetmetal donated all the roof material, trim, and the preparatory labor to get the project under way and in position to support the larger crew that turned out. They installed 6,200 square feet of new metal roof. It was put on in the nick or time, as the area was blanketed with eight inches of snow that night.

Over at Holy Trinity in the Corktown area of Detroit, a handful of Local 98 volunteers gave their time to tear out and replace some 1960s-era urinals in a first-floor boys bathroom. After nearly 50 years of use by students at the school, the urinals “were trashed,” with some of the urinals cracked, said Principal Kathleen McBride. With no money budgeted for repairs, the school asked for help, and got it. Help came from Cougar Contracting, which provided tools to cut the floor, Bill James Mechanical, Mechanical Contractors Association-Detroit, and Local 98. The new urinals were installed in a week, along with a new wall to hide the new plumbing and new tile to cover the wall and floor. “These are just great people,” McBride said. “It’s a lot of work, but it really needed to get done. We’re very grateful for everything.”

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