The North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters (NASRCC) on Oct. 15 announced the appointment of James Mason, local 277 council representative, and Jomo Akono, local 276 council representative in the Buffalo area, to the executive board. Local 277 has offices in Syracuse, Utica, Binghamton, and Horseheads, per its website. The North Atlantic States Regional […]
The North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters (NASRCC) on Oct. 15 announced the appointment of James Mason, local 277 council representative, and Jomo Akono, local 276 council representative in the Buffalo area, to the executive board.
Local 277 has offices in Syracuse, Utica, Binghamton, and Horseheads, per its website.
The North Atlantic States Regional Council represents more than 28,000 people employed by residential and commercial general contractors and carpentry subcontractors in the region, per its Oct. 15 news release.
About Mason
Mason holds many positions within the carpenters union, including Central New York team lead, president of local 277, delegate to the NASRCC, trustee and financial committee member on the labor management fund, and trustee to the annuity fund.
Mason began his career as an apprentice for Diment Construction Co. of Oswego, earning the “Golden Hammer” designation when he graduated from his apprenticeship and leaving as a superintendent. He then went on to work for the engineering firm O’Brien & Gear for seven years as the sole superintendent on the Onondaga Lake cleanup project, where he built water treatment plants and installed collection systems. Mason was also part of the emergency communications restoration team at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
In addition to his work with the carpenters, Mason is a facilitator for the workforce-development committee for the Interstate 81 project in Syracuse, as well as a committee member on the City of Syracuse Residency Workforce Committee. He also sits on the OCM BOCES curriculum advisory committee for Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Board of Cooperative Educational Services (OCM BOCES) as well as the curriculum advisory committee for the Center for Instruction, Technology & Innovation (CITI BOCES) for Oswego County in Mexico.
Mason is a third-generation carpenter, a husband, and a father of five boys, two of whom are planning to follow in his footsteps to pursue a career in carpentry.
“As council representative for Central New York, Jim Mason demonstrates what it means to lead by example, expanding opportunities for others and showing up for the community,” Bill Banfield, assistant executive secretary-treasurer of NASRCC, said. “Jim exemplifies the values that drive our organization and we are pleased to welcome him to the executive board. We look forward to working with Jim to strengthen our organization and to empower the next generation of our workforce.”
About Akono
Akono is a council representative for NASRCC in Western New York. He has played an integral role in outreach efforts for the organization in that part of the state, “especially in the Buffalo community.”
He leads efforts to diversify local 276, to represent local demographics, and to increase the number of women in the trade through special pre-apprenticeship initiatives, such as the Sisters in the Brotherhood program.
Akono has established community relationships by working with organizations such as Juneteenth and the Urban League, to bring visibility to community members about the career opportunities that are provided throughout the organization.
As a second-generation carpenter who grew up in the city of Buffalo, the opportunity for Akono to become a union carpenter “changed his life and now he is giving back to the community and helping others to educate them about a possible life-changing career opportunity.”
In addition, Akono has a local, weekly community radio show called “Access to A-Free-Ka,” per the release.
“As Council Representative for Western New York, Jomo Akono embodies the future of the labor movement and the building trades. Over the years, he has taken on greater leadership roles within the organization and the community and we are pleased to welcome him to the Executive Board. Through his hard work and his commitment to the community, Jomo represents the best of the new generation of union leadership,” said Banfield.
About NASRCC
NASRCC says work performed by carpenters includes wood framing, concrete, interior metal framing and drywall, ceilings, window installation, flooring, doors and hardware, finish/trim, mill work and furniture installation, pile driving, marine construction, and diving.
The union “prides itself on offering the most comprehensive apprenticeship and life-long skills upgrade training to members at 18 locations,” per the release. Curriculum is developed by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters with industry experts and often shared with vocational-training programs.