News

Members of Carpenters Local 326 are building a mass timber addition to the historic Osborne Memorial Laboratory on Yale University’s campus in New Haven, Connecticut.

The work is under a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) that includes residency requirements, which have been met by the Carpenters union. Under the requirements, 12% of the 45% apprentices hired must live in New Haven. “This job is a snapshot of the goals and missions we are fighting for here in Connecticut and across the UBC. This project highlights the strength and reach of an organization of our size in both elevating people, standards of living and expanding our market share and ability to capture it,” says Local 326 Council Representative David Jarvis.

This project, which is expected to be completed at the end of 2027, also provides opportunities for new apprentices and journey-level carpenters to learn and enhance their mass timber skills. “I’ve been a member of the Carpenters union for almost 40 years. It’s an exciting time sharing in the re-emerging experience of mass timber work and its evolving technology in the construction industry,” says Bill O’Brien, Local 290 member and superintendent, Midland Tech.

Xavier Diaz, Local 326 first-year apprentice and recent Job Corps graduate, is also working at the Yale project — his first job as a union carpenter. “I love carpentry. I love building. I love working with my hands. I love creativity. I decided to take this path because of that,” Diaz shares.

The successful partnership between the Carpenters union, employer partner Suffolk Construction, installation company Midland Tech and mass timber supplier South County is also exemplified through this project. “The timber frame addition erection was safe and flawless – the South County team was very professional – safety conscious and detail-oriented. Suffolk is appreciative of the relationship we have with trade unions and looks forward to many projects together in CT,” says Michael Moore, superintendent of Suffolk construction.