President's Message

Welcome to the home of The Coalition For United Community Action-ORTC, Inc. (CUCA-ORTC).

Our Coalition has reached another milestone of progress this year, working together hand in hand towards our common goal of building bridges of progress between labor, business, government and community. Our combined efforts have brought about numerous training programs, and there are thousands of minorities and females working in the building trades today because of your outstanding leadership, hard work and untiring commitments to those who are unskilled, underemployed and unemployed.

We are still a nation where too few have too much, leaving too little for too many. Some of our senior citizens have been reduced to less than second class citizens; millions of Americans have to survive without insurance and adequate health care; and entirely too many of our young people are poorly educated, underemployed or unemployed.

Our challenge is to continue to work together to create jobs and other economic opportunities for all Americans. Moreover, the Coalition realizes that economic development and future job opportunities will be very dependent on a good government, new training techniques and technological advances in business and the global economy.

More importantly, with your leadership and support, we have developed two long-term very successful programs, Project Upgrade, a Construction Management, Blueprint Reading, Estimating & Supervisory Training Program that concentrates on preparing today’s experienced journeymen construction workers for tomorrow’s management and supervisory opportunities; and, our Apprenticeship Preparedness Training Program (APT), which prepares young adults and others for apprenticeship opportunities, where they “earn while they learn”, and develop the important skills necessary for a rewarding career in the building and construction industry.

I would like to thank you for visiting our Website!

God bless you all…God bless our Coalition…and God bless America.

CUCA'S AGENDA

The Coalition for United Community Action-ORTC, Inc., (CUCA) works with community organizations, labor unions, contractors, and government agencies to develop construction training programs for unemployed and underemployed minorities and females. Since 1970 CUCA, in its own unique way, has evolved from using a direct action approach with labor unions and contractors, to becoming an integral structure of the labor force itself.

Over the years, the construction industry has undergone numerous transitions. It is facing overwhelming challenges from new technology and expanding competitively due to basic changes in the economic structure of this country. These changes, along with recent reforms and new initiatives in education, makes CUCA a key player in the development of effective and unique training programs for African Americans, Minorities and Females to link the world of education to the world of construction apprenticeship, and eventual supervision and management.

CUCA's training activities include the following programs:

Apprenticeship Preparedness Training Program (A.P.T)

This training concept was developed to provide inner-city youths and young adults with little or no marketable skills, an opportunity to become building trade apprentices. Using industry standard training concepts, students are assessed for academic barriers.

We provide classroom instruction to improve reading, math, communication, job readiness, and test preparation skills. In addition to classroom activities, the students learn how to identify and properly use the tools of the trades. This hands-on training approach instills safety disciplines, promotes team work, and provides on-the-job skills required for construction apprenticeship.

PROJECT UPGRADE -- "Solution for a New Era"

Project Upgrade is the first of its kind in the nation to prepare minority and female journey-level workers exclusively for supervisory opportunities in the construction industry. Moreover, it has received overwhelming support from labor, management, government, and business leaders. The training provided by Project Upgrade allows the participants an opportunity to upgrade and enhance their trade expertise by learning a variety of skills from the basics of communicating, problem solving, and blueprint reading to an overall view of construction supervision and management. Contractor representatives, union administrators, and business leaders are the instructors and motivational speakers who facilitate the class sessions.

Project Upgrade is governed by the Chicago N.P. Construction Committee, Inc.

Participating members are some of Chicago's most prominent construction industry leaders. Chair duties are shared by Tom Villanova, president, Chicago and Cook County Building and Construction Trades Council; William E. Dugan, president and business manger, International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150; and Daniel J. Walsh, president, Walsh Construction Company of Illinois.

Advisory Board members include major construction contractors and industry associates; Pentad, Inc., Black Contractors United, F. H. Paschen/S. N. Nielsen, Kenny Construction, Pepper Construction, McHugh Construction, Riteway Huggins Construction Services, University of Chicago Facilities Services and the Electrical Contractors Association.
Participating union representatives include the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters, the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers, Local 130, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 134, the Architectural and Ornamental Ironworkers, Loca163, the Structural Ironworkers, Local 1, the Sheet Metal Workers, Local 73, the United States Department of Labor, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and the Illinois Institute of Technology.

From Protest . . . to Programs . . . to .......

Economic Development and Employment Opportunities
In response to the glaring lack of minority participation on construction jobs and the growing tensions arising in various neighborhoods throughout Chicago, The Coalition for United Community Action-ORTC, Inc. (CU+CA) was founded in 1969.

When the demands of the neighborhoods were not met, CUCA protested and took to the streets demanding Equal Employment Opportunity for all citizens regardless of their race, ethnicity or gender. Yes, the 60's was definitely a period of unrest and protests.

During this period in history, there were numerous demonstrations demanding the right for the unemployed and underemployed to be able to earn a respectable and decent wage from unions and contractors in cities all across America. After taking to the streets protesting, holding sit-ins and demonstrations, the Chicago Plan was developed in 1970 as a result of these efforts. This voluntary recruitment, training and job placement Plan was chaired by Mayor Richard J. Daley, and included the Chicago and Cook County Building and Construction Trades Council, the Building Construction Employers Association and the Coalition for United Community Action. The Plan functioned as a clearinghouse for community groups city-wide to screen, interview and recruit minorities for training and job opportunities with union apprenticeship programs and employment in the Chicagoland construction industry. In 1976, six years after establishing a working relationship with the officials of the various unions and contractors from the Chicago Plan, CUCA was given the leadership role in developing and implementing pre-apprenticeship programs for the City of Chicago.

From 1984 through 1992, CUCA developed and coordinated Pre-apprentice training programs for Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) residents citywide, working with the Chicago and Cook County Building and Construction Trades Council. Successful program graduates were indentured with the Carpenters, Painters, Operating Engineers, Roofers, Electricians, and Plumbers as certified union apprentices with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship & Training. Many now function as journey level construction workers, foremen, supervisors, and contractors. This training program, which was called the CHA/Chicago Plan, served as a model for the CHA's Step-Up program, which was highly acclaimed by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

In 1995, CUCA developed and coordinated a joint Apprenticeship Preparedness Training program (A.P.T.) for the Chicago Public Building Commission and the Chicago Public Schools. The program was housed at the Chicago Vocational High School (Airplane Hanger) and the classroom instructors were union certified journeymen. Forty-five Chicago Public School graduates successfully completed the program and were certified as first year apprentices by the Bureau of Apprenticeship & Training.

I am proud to inform you that our current programs include Project Upgrade, which was developed in 1994 for the State of Illinois. This skill enhancement program was designed to train minority and female construction workers for management and supervisory positions with contractors and unions in the Chicago construction industry. We also administer an entry level Apprenticeship Preparedness Training program to provide inner-city youths and young adults with little or no marketable skills, an opportunity to become building trade apprentices.

It has been very gratifying to have worked with so many outstanding people over the many years that had the same commitment, desires and goals as CUCA. So it gives me great pleasure to salute them for their efforts:

ELECTED AND APPOINTED GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

CONTRACTOR ASSOCIATIONS, INDEPENDENT

CONTRACTORS, BLACK CONTRACTORS UNITED

SUBCONTRACTORS AND CONSTRUCTING CONSULTANTS,

AFRICAN AMERICAN CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION

LABOR LEADERS AND OFFICIALS FROM THE CHICAGO AND

COOK COUNTY BUILDING TRADE UNIONS

MAJOR CONSTRUCTION USERS FROM BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS

COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES, CIVIC,

BUSINESS, EDUCATIONAL, GOVERNMENT AND RELIGIOUS LEADERS

For we have truly come a long way since the 60's and with God's help and your assistance and support we will go even further designing more training programs for the unemployed and underemployed in the Illinois construction industry.

Project Upgrade is the first of its kind in the nation to prepare minority and female journey-level workers exclusively for supervisory opportunities in the construction industry. The program was developed in 1994 for the state of Illinois. Moreover, it has received overwhelming support from labor, management, government and business leaders. The training provided by Project Upgrade allows the participants an opportunity to upgrade and enhance their trade expertise by learning a variety of skills from the basics of communicating, problem solving and blue print reading to an overall view of construction supervision and management. Contractor representatives, union administrators, and business leaders are the instructors and motivational speakers who facilitate the class sessions.

Project Upgrade is governed by the Chicago N.P. Construction Committee, Inc. Participating members are some of Chicago's most prominent construction industry leaders. Chair duties are shared by Tom Villanova, president, Chicago and Cook County Building and Construction Trades Council; William E. Dugan, president and business manger, International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150; and Daniel J. Walsh, president, Walsh Construction Company of Illinois. Advisory Board members include major construction contractors and industry associates; Pentad, Inc., Black Contractors United, F. H. Paschen/S. N. Nielsen, Kenny Construction, Pepper Construction, McHugh Construction, G.M. Harston, Riteway Huggins Construction Services, Inc., University of Chicago Facilities Services and the Electrical Contractors Association. Participating union representatives include; the Chicago Regional District Council of Carpenters, the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers, Local 130, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 134, the Architectural and Ornamental Ironworkers, Local 63, the Structural Ironworkers, Local 1, and the Sheet Metal Workers, Local 73. The newest members of the team are the United States Department of Labor, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and the Illinois Institute of Technology.

This training concept was developed to provide inner-city youths and young adults with little or no marketable skills, an opportunity to become building trade apprentices. Using industry standard training concepts, students are assessed for academic barriers.

We provide classroom instruction to improve reading, math, communication, job readiness and test preparation skills. In addition to classroom activities, the students learn how to identify and properly use the tools of the trades. This hands-on training approach instills safety disciplines, promotes teamwork and provides on-the-job skills required for construction apprenticeship.

A Message from.....

MS. RENA A. LIVINGSTON

Vice President of Programs & Administration
Coalition For United Community Action-O.R.T.C., Inc.

The GOALS of the Coalition’s Annual Unity Testimonial Awards Banquet are to:

Honor those individuals whom we feel have made the greatest contribution to humanity by their inspirational examples, devotion, accomplishments, and their most demanding criterion is their leadership, dedication, commitment, and contribution to the community above and beyond the call of duty.

Provide a platform for those of diverse interest so that we can reaffirm our dedication to the rebuilding and further development of this great nation.

Raise funds to maintain the Coalition For United Community Action - O.R.T.C., as an independent conglomerate of people dedicated to job training and also providing the economic vehicle through which all minorities and African Americans will have access to economic resources that will make the “AMERICAN DREAM” a reality.

As we celebrate our annual banquet, we reflect back on all the very special people honored by CUCA over the years, the late A. Philip Randolph, Dean of Civil Rights; the late Congressman Augustus F. Hawkins, the late Civil Rights Leader Edwin C. “Bill” Berry; James W. Compton, president and Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Urban League; Dr. Margaret Burroughs, Director Emeritus, DuSable Museum of African-American History; Muhammad Ali; the “Peoples Champ”; Chicago Bears’ Walter J. Payton; State Representative Lou Jones; Illinois State Senate, President Emil Jones, Jr.; Thomas A. Nayder, President, Chicago and Cook County Building and Construction Trades Council; Mr. William A. Lee, President, Chicago Federation of Labor and Industrial Union Council; The Honorable Ray Marshall, U.S. Secretary of Labor; The Honorable Jesse White, Illinois Secretary of State; Harry Porterfield, News Anchor, WLS–TV; Clifford Kelly, Radio Talk Show Host WVON–AM–1450, “Talk of Chicago”; Lacy J. Banks, Sports Columnist, Chicago Sun–Times; Robert E. Johnson, Associate Publisher and Executive Director, JET Magazine, Johnson Publishing Company, Inc.; Matthew J. and Daniel J. Walsh, Walsh Construction Company of Illinois; Elton Brand, Former Chicago Bull, Rookie of the Year; renowned Hall of Fame Journalist, Vernon Jarrett; Chicago Defender’s Publisher; John H. Sengastacke; Educator, Paul Vallas; Contractor, Larry Huggins; Journalist and Author, Juanita Bratcher; Construction Leader, Paul King; Plumber’s Union Business Manager, Gerald M. Sullivan; and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, just to name a few.

The people we have honored through the years come from diverse backgrounds and yet have similar missions. They are of different races, creeds and colors, yet having one outstanding factor in common; they have all made a difference in our community, city and state. Our annual awards recipients follow in that very same tradition.

	Project Upgrade Enrollment Application Download This PDF Form
	Project Upgrade Enrollment Application Download This Microsoft Word Form

Mail, E-Mail, or Fax this form to The Coalition For United Community Action-O.R.T.C for processing.

Mail:
The Coalition For United Community Action-O.R.T.C
2925 S. Wabash, Suite 102
Chicago, IL. 60616
Attention Ms. Livingston

E-Mail: info@coalitionortc.com
Fax: (312) 225-6742

Download Adobe Reader

Download Open Office (Word Equivalent)

	Apprenticeship Preparedness Training Application Download This PDF Form
	Apprenticeship Preparedness Training Application Download This Microsoft Word Form

Mail, E-Mail, or Fax this form to The Coalition For United Community Action-O.R.T.C for processing.

Mail:
The Coalition For United Community Action-O.R.T.C
2925 S. Wabash
Suite 102
Chicago, IL. 60616
Attention Ms. Livingston

E-Mail: info@coalitionortc.com
Fax: (312) 225-6742

Download Adobe Reader

Download Open Office (Word Equivalent)