Local 1150 Celebrates
2003 Mentoring Program

On Wednesday, September 3, 2003, Teamsters Local 1150 and Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation of Stratford, Connecticut celebrated the successful completion of their 2003 Teamsters/Sikorsky School-to-Career Union Mentoring Program at a dinner at the 500 Blake Street Café.

The event provided Local 1150 and Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation the opportunity to express their thanks and appreciation to the more than 100 guests who were either directly or indirectly involved with the planning and execution of the program. Guests included students, parents, mentors and alternate mentors, representatives from schools, and community leaders. The event also afforded the hosts an excellent opportunity to market their program and promote an awareness of the Teamsters involvement with young people and the world of work.

“As the lead coordinator for this project, I was truly humbled at the vast number of individuals who assembled at the 2003 School to Career Union Mentoring Program's Closing Ceremony," said Joseph Grabinski, Chief Environmental, Health and Safety Steward at Local 1150. "I realized that many folks were involved in the program, but I was inspired. I look forward to working with these folks again as we expand our program further next year.”

“The 2003 School to Career Union Mentoring Program's Closing Ceremony provided me with a wonderful opportunity to thank all those who were involved in its success," said Rocco Calo, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 1150. "From the schools that provided us with the student interns who were well prepared to work and learn, to the company who shared our vision of sustaining this partnership and finally to the sisters and brothers of our great local who were the mentors for this program and proved again that as union members we are committed to the communities where we work and live. These folks are true heroes and have made an impression on the students that will last for the rest of their lives: a positive image of unions.”

A Sikorsky Aircraft statement said, “The closing ceremony for the Sikorsky/Teamsters Local 1150 School to Career Program provided a wonderful venue to express the success, pride, and appreciation in the eight-week program. All of the participants in the program: students, mentors, parents, supervisors, school, union and company officials, have truly embraced the program as evidenced by more than three times the number of interns this year versus last year.

"Sikorsky is committed to developing and maintaining a talented and highly skilled workforce to embrace the challenges of our customer's needs. The high school interns played an essential role in our success. The closing ceremony demonstrated our commitment to the interns and we trust they realize the value their presence added to the Company.”

Local 1150 has been working closely with the Teamsters’ Skills For Tomorrow project by reaching out to young people and teaching them about the Teamsters Union and the world of work.

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