They Built This Union. On Monday, We Celebrated Them.
There's something that happens when a room fills up with people who have given decades of their lives to the same cause. The stories start flowing. The laughs get loud. And you remember, really remember, what this union is made of.
That's exactly what happened this Monday when DC 11's Retiree Committee came together for a day that none of us will forget anytime soon.
A real day together.
This was a reunion. Members shared a meal, caught up on life, and traded stories from decades on the job, the tough days, the funny moments, the jobs they'll never forget, the friendships that outlasted the work itself. The kind of stories that only people who've truly lived this trade can tell.
The people in the room.
General President Emeritus Jimmy Williams Sr. presided over the gathering — a man whose leadership shaped this union for generations. Alongside him were GVP of Service Mark Komaromi and retired General Vice President of the Eastern Region Bill Candelori, two more pillars of our IUPAT leadership.
But the room was full of legends. Our former BM/ST Dominick Cieri was there. Retired instructors like Damian Maine, Bob Glass, John Goll, John Klemba. Retired Coordinators Wayne Daigle and Jim Bentley. Retired Business Reps Ed Fusco, Norbert Oliveria, and Peter Foote. Members who have been part of this union since the early 1960s and are still showing up, still laughing, still very much a part of this family.
Some of these brothers and sisters have been union members for over sixty years. Let that sink in.
Why this matters.
It's easy to focus on what's ahead, new contracts, new organizing, new members. And we should. But days like Monday remind us that this union has a deep, living history. The people who walked through that door didn't just work union jobs. They built the standards, the culture, and the foundation that every DC 11 member stands on today.
We owe them more than a pin ceremony. We owe them this, a seat at the table, a meal shared together, and the knowledge that they are still seen, still valued, and still very much part of this family.
To everyone who came out on Monday: thank you. You built this. And we don't forget it.
Charles Boughton and the cornhole boards.
Here's the detail that really got us. Member Charles Boughton, on his own, handmade an IUPAT DC11 cornhole set and brought it for the apprentices to enjoy during their break.
He thought of them. The next generation. While a room full of retirees was celebrating everything they'd built, Charles was already thinking about who comes next.
This is not a small thing to us. That's exactly the kind of union culture we want to carry forward, where the people who've given the most still have room in their hearts for the ones just getting started. A testament to truly how DC 11 is family.
More photos from our day:
In solidarity, Your DC 11 Family One Union. One Family. One Fight.
