NJMACC Announces 2024 Legislator, Employer, Community Leader, and Elected Official of the Year

Awards breakfast celebrates Senator Burzichelli, F&G Mechanical Corp., Monmouth Commissioner Arnone, and Ewing Mayor Steinmann for union support

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. –– The New Jersey Mechanical Allied Crafts Council (NJMACC) announced their 2024 Annual Awards in honor of community partners who have shown an unyielding commitment to the promotion, protection, and expansion of workers’ rights. The award winners were honored at a breakfast celebration with NJMACC members, including Executive Director Chuddy Whalen, President Wayne DeAngelo, and members of the NJMACC Board, this month. (Photos below)

Representing the South region, State Senator John J. Burzichelli was bestowed the NJMACC Legislator of the Year Award. Burzichelli was elected to the Senate this year after serving 20 years in the Assembly, but his track record of fighting for union jobs goes even further back to his time as mayor of Paulsboro. In Trenton, he played a key role ensuring union members have access to good-paying jobs and he has been a vocal leader for Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) on construction and development projects in his district.

Representing the North region, F&G Mechanical Corporation of Secaucus was awarded the NJMACC Employer of the Year Award. F&G Mechanical began 65 years ago as a two-man plumbing shop and is now one of the largest full-service mechanical contracting companies in the region. They consider union members partners on their projects, whether it be new construction, renovations, tenant build-out, or something on the fast track. They have a reputation for employing skilled workers, providing consistent results, and using quality materials and equipment whether they’re taking on high-rises, data centers, or hospitals.

Representing the Coastal region, Monmouth County Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone received the NJMACC Community Leader of the Year Award. Arnone is in his fifth term as Commissioner and oversees the County’s Department of Public Works and Engineering. His bond with labor unions started in his time as mayor of Neptune, when he was elected president of the N.J. Conference of Mayors. Now that he represents 53 municipalities across Monmouth County, his commitment to a strong labor movement has not waned. He has been dedicated to the revitalization of underutilized areas in the community throughout his career and is known for giving time back to organizations making a difference in the community, like the Salvation Army and Monmouth Ocean Foundation for Children.

Representing the Central region, Ewing Mayor Bert H. Steinmann was awarded the NJMACC Elected Official of the Year Award. Steinmann spent 35 years in the IBEW before retiring and dedicating himself to his second career as a government leader. He stands by union workers, as he did when breaking ground on the new Trenton-Mercer Airport Terminal Replacement Project, the largest public works project in Mercer County in more than fifty years. The project will utilize local union labor, under a PLA, ensuring investment in the project flows back into the local economy.

“We want to recognize our leaders in the community supporting our workers, the folks who stand by when times get tough. They are the ones making decisions of vital importance to our livelihoods, and we want them to know we appreciate it,” Executive Director Chuddy Whalen said. “We make sure our workforce is highly-trained and fairly compensated. Our partners recognise that commitment, they stand with union labor, and they protect against those seeking to weaken the protections and guarantees our unions provide.”

The NJMACC represents six trades and more than 30 local unions across New Jersey, providing a statewide presence to spearhead workforce training, safety compliance, and continuing education programs. They maintain federal and state-registered Junior Apprentice Training Centers and assist in recruitment efforts.

“As union leaders, we take our responsibility to our members seriously. We stand tall for our members when the rights that we hold dear are under attack,” said President Wayne DeAngelo. “These award winners are among those who respect our rights, those who make community projects safer, who make our collective lives better, and who make our unions stronger. They deserve this honor.”

The NJMACC represents Garden State union workers from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers; International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers; International Union of Elevator Constructors; United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada; and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades.