Spirit of giving: Egan donates 100K

GRAND RAPIDS - Mechanical contractor and fabricator Andy J. Egan Co. has completed the Egan $100k Community Giveaway – its pledge to donate $100,000 to area charities in 2019. More than 200 charities applied and 10 were selected to each receive $10,000. 

Egan, a long-time union contractor, announced one of the recipients each month from February through November as part of the company’s yearlong celebration of its 100th anniversary.

The 10 charities include the Heartside Gleaning Initiative, Camp Sunshine, Covenant House Michigan Grand Rapids Campus, The 3 Mile Project, St. Luke’s Diaper Bank, the YMCA’s Back to School Bash, Rise Community Center, Access of West Michigan, Susan Mast ALS Foundation and Folds of Honor.

“For 100 years, the West Michigan area has blessed us with continuous work, and because of that, we’ve had a hand in constructing so many of the region’s iconic buildings,” said Tom Jasper, chairman of Egan. “But we recognize that physical structures are not the only way to build a community. There are so many organizations doing amazing work to make this region a wonderful place to live and work. We want to thank them for their contributions and help make an even bigger impact.”

Egan has been a part of the Grand Rapids community since its establishment as a heating company in 1919, by Mr. Andy Egan. After Mr. Egan’s death in 1932, the company’s Vice President and longtime employee, Harold Jasper, purchased the company. Since that time, it has remained family-owned and today is led by the fourth generation of Jaspers. The past 100 years have added a suite of services to the business, including mechanical contracting, Design-Build, fabrication, controls, construction technology and 24/7 service. 

Egan and its union workforce have installed and renovated the mechanical systems of some of the region’s largest and most complicated projects, including the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, JW Marriott, Grand Rapids Art Museum, Van Andel Institute and DeVos Convention Center.

Statistics say NYC union jobs are safer

It may not be news to those in the business, but new numbers back up what IBEW and other union construction members already know: there’s safety in working union.

New York’s Building Trades Employers Association, which represents more than 1,300 contractors in New York City, recently released new statistics using data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. It found that union construction workers in the Big Apple are five times less likely to suffer a fatal accident compared to their nonunion counterparts.

“IBEW members and employers have safety baked into every aspect of the job; it’s par for the course for us,” said International President Lonnie R. Stephenson. “It’s always great to see our experiences backed up with solid data.

According to the data, there were 18 fatalities in 2018, with only four on BTEA sites. The union contractors also received 33 percent fewer violations per project than their nonunion counterparts, and 25 percent fewer stop work orders.

“[This study] shows that year in and year out, union construction firms are the safest in New York City. That’s because when you have a skilled and experienced union workforce, the quality of work is better and safety is not just prioritized – it’s part of the culture. These statistics make that clear,” said Building Trades Employers Association CEO Lou Coletti in silive.com.

(From the IBEW, Dec. 3).