COURT HOUSE — It’s been a tough year for those who work in the construction industry but Jeffrey Thiel, council representative of Carpenter’s Local Union 1743, said he hopes for a better 2011, based in part in a number of commercial and governmental projects in the works.
“It’s been slow but we are starting to see some movement,” he said. “It’s one of the slowest times I’ve seen throughout the course of my career.”
Thiel has been in the construction trades for 20 years. He estimated at least 25 percent of Carpenter’s Union members locally are unemployed.
Residential housing has been very slow, said Thiel.
He said he looks forward to county construction projects. Route 53 Causeway construction, financed in part by the federal stimulus plan, has been providing some jobs.
Thiel said he is hopeful the construction of a new Convention Hall in Cape May will provide a number of construction jobs as well as overpasses to be constructed on the Garden State Parkway.
“That’s basically the kind of work that we do, projects of that size,” he said.
Theil said carpenters were working on the Sea Isle City Library and St. Joseph’s Church.
“We’re looking forward to the future of Wildwood if the economy gets stabilized,” he said. “There are great projects planned.”
Wildwood’s Zoning Board approved two 25-story condotels on lots at Ocean, Spencer, and Spicer avenues in 2006. By May of 2007, the city had approved a total of six high-rise condotels.
In May 2008, the state Department of Environmental Protection issued a CAFRA permit for the 23-story Starlight Resort. None of the projects have been started due to the real estate bust.
Thiel said New Jersey has faired better than most of the country in the construction industry.
“We were actually the last ones to feel the impact,” he said.
Construction of the Grand of Diamond Beach in late 2008 into 2009 provided jobs locally, said Thiel.
In the realm of competing with non-union carpenters for jobs, he said it is a matter of “what you get for the dollar.” Thiel said union carpenters receive four years of training.
“I am hopefully optimistic that 2011 will be better,” he said. “We’re not going to go away, this local is 105 years old.”
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
