MIKE FERA
Mike Fera joined the Cement Masons Local 592 as an apprentice on September 23 rd , 1971. He graduated his apprenticeship in 1974. Over the years he was a valuable asset to the reputation of Local 592, working on many projects in the Building and the Heavy Highway Field. In 1982 he was elected Union Trustee until 1983 when he was elected onto the Executive Board. In 1989 he was appointed as the first Organizer in Local 592's history. In this position, he built up a reputation as a fair but no nonsense union official. In 1993 he was elected Financial Secretary/Business Representative and in June of 1994 he ran unopposed as President and Business Manager and was re-elected in 1997, 2000 and 2003. He is head trustee to Local 592's Health & Welfare and Pension Funds, chairman of Cement Masons Local 592 PAC Fund and is chief negotiator for union contracts. He is Vice President of both the Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Building and Construction Trades Councils. Mike has been instrumental in expanding Local 592 from the original five county Philadelphia area to encompass all of Eastern Pennsylvania, Central and Southern New Jersey, the State of Delaware and Northern Maryland. Since becoming Business Manager, he has been responsible for building Cement Masons Local 592's Apprentice Program into the prototype training facility for all cement mason apprentice programs throughout the United States and Canada. He is a Deputy International Representative, Secretary of the very important Constitution Committee of the Operative Plasterers and Cement Masons International Association and sits on the Finance Committee. He is a partner with the Philadelphia Police Force and attorney Jimmy Binns in memorializing police officers who died in the line of duty by placing plaques in the ground where the police officers died. He is also on the Board of Directors of the Diversity Apprentice Program which opens the door for minority participation into various apprentice programs. In 1999, he was Page 2
named the “Friends of Labor” man of the year, in 2000 he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia, in 2001 was awarded Philadelphia Chapter of Unico's Man of the Year Medal and in 2003 received the March of Dimes Transportation Building and Construction award. In 2005 he was Man of the Year for USA Boxing's Middle Atlantic Association. Mike Fera has been involved in the Delaware Valley Youth Association, the South Philadelphia Athletic Association, the Juniata Park Boys and Girls Clubs, Habitat For Humanity in Lehigh County, St. Monica's CYO, the Bristol Township Lagoon Restoration Project, the Mount Moriah Temple Baptist Church Christian Youth League and St. Katherine's Day School for children with Down Syndrome and mental retardation. Over the years he has supported UNICO, Senator Shirley Kitchen's People Support Services, St. Francis's Inn Shelter for the Homeless, the Philadelphia Special Olympics, the Ancient Order of Hiberians and the Congreso De Latinos Unidos. Through Local 592's Apprentice Program, Mike has been able to donate concrete work to State Representative Bill Keller's neighborhood Beautification Program, Ukraniun Youth Club, Pyramid Temple, Yesha Ministries Church, Academy Sabres, Mayfair Holy Terrors Youth Organization, EOM Youth Club, Tacony Historical Society, St. Gabriel's Church, St. Timothy School for Autistic Children, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Annuciation Church, Potter House and Negro Baseball League Memorial. He has also done many wheelchair ramps for handicap people. Mike has been married to his lovely wife Karen since 1979 and they have three lovely children, Marissa , Michael and Stephanie .
MIKE FERA___________________________________EDUCATION George Meany Center for Labor Studies Organizing Completed 1999
George Meany Center for Labor Studies Negotiation Tactics Completed 1998
Penn State Continuing Education Programs Labor Law I Completed 1996
Cement Masons Local 592 Apprenticeship Program Completed 1974
Bishop Neuman High School Graduated 1971
OFFICES HELD (PRESENTLY)
Cement Masons & Plasterers Local 592 President/Business Manager
Operative Plasterers & Cement Masons International Association Deputy International Representative
Operative Plasterers & Cement Masons International Association Secretary – Constitutional Committee
Philadelphia Building & Construction Trades Council Vice-President
PA State Building & Construction Trades Council Vice-President
Allied Trades Assistance Program Board of Directors
Diversity Apprenticeship Program (DAP) Board of Directors
Operative Plasterers & Cement Masons International Association Northeast Conference Executive Board
Operative Plasterers & Cement Masons International Association Tri-State Conference (PA, NJ & DE) Vice-President
UNION ACTIVITIES Apprentice Training Committee Trustee Local 592 Pension Fund Trustee Local 592 Health & Welfare Fund Trustee Local 592 (Area 36-Wilmington, DE) Annuity Fund Trustee Local 592 Political Action Committee Chairman AWARDS & HONORS 2001 UNICO Salute to Labor Gold Medal Award (to be presented May, 2001) Outstanding Leadership 1999 “Friends of Labor” Man of the Year (Laborers Local 332)
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