A strong sense of altruism and a desire to help his community has driven Sean Counihan throughout his life, and it’s led to him receiving the 2019 Volunteer of the Year Award from Local Union 25 Plumbers and Pipefitters. Counihan will be honored for his community efforts in putting on multiple career fairs and outreach programs to help recruit students into the skilled trades during the Local 25 Awards Banquet in February. A third-year apprentice with Local Union 25, Counihan moved to Rock Island three years ago from Boston, where he was a transportation coordinator for special needs children.... Read More

In celebration of National Safety Month, the ILLOWA Construction Labor and Management Council awarded 31 area contractors with safety excellence awards during a recent luncheon at the Milan Camden Community Center. Five of those contractors are signatory to the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union 25. Since the late 1990s, ILLOWA has gathered statistics on the number of hours worked and the number of site incidents during the prior calendar year. Each year, awards are presented to the contractors who achieve the lowest injury/illness incidence rate. “This year was by far our largest group of... Read More

The Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union 25 in Rock Island regularly encourages apprentices to “Be Your Best Self.” In the union, it’s more than a slogan — it’s a way of doing business. And one plumbing apprentice in particular is living up to the motto. Carter Hagen, fifth-year plumbing apprentice, recently gained international attention during the United Association’s annual International Apprentice Contest in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Hagen competed against 32 of the top apprentices from across the United States, Canada and Australia to become the plumbing division champion, marking the... Read More

Whether you are looking for a gift for that special someone, some unique décor for your home or maybe even a treasure you didn’t know you needed – make your way to the 61st Annual Rock Island Antique Show this weekend! The Quad Cities’ longest running antique show takes place this Saturday Feb 9 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday Feb 10 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Local Union 25 Plumbers and Pipefitters (4600 46th Ave. Rock Island). Featuring quality dealers from four states, the 61st Annual Rock Island Antique Show offers a wide selection of vintage merchandise, including; glassware, pottery,... Read More

On September 14-15, more than 200 golfers and volunteers participated in the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 25 annual golf outing at Indian Bluff Golf Course in Milan. “After having to turn members away again last year, we decided to make this a two-day event to make room for everyone who wants to participate,” said Brett Swanson, Local 25 business agent. “With this year being as successful as it was, we plan to keep it a two-day event, and will continue to do what we can to make room for everyone.” The event raised $3,000 in support of one-to-one mentoring at Big Brothers Big Sisters of... Read More