The Carpenters' District Council of Greater St. Louis and Vicinity has been in the area for more than 129 years. It was in St. Louis that Peter J. McGuire first
organized a city-wide carpenters' alliance and issued the call for a national carpenters' union in the first edition of The Carpenter, which remains the national
publication for the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. From its inception in 1882, the District Council has carried forward the traditions of Brother McGuire. As
times have changed, we have evolved to meet the needs of our members and the consumers who hire our Union Carpenters. The Carpenters' District Council of Greater
St. Louis and Vicinity consists of approximately 24,000 members with 34 Local Unions representing Missouri, Kansas, and Southern Illinois.
The District Council works for its members by:
- Negotiating fair wages and comprehensive benefit packages.
- Investing over $250 million in redevelopment projects to create MAN HOURS.
- Organizing the Home Building Industry in the St. Louis area.
- Stocking a food bank for members in times of economic distress.
The District Council reaches out to our community through various charitable organizations, schools, and volunteer activities. Some of the organizations who have
benefited from our efforts include:
Alzheimer's Association, American Cancer Society, Autism Speaks for St. Louis, Backstoppers, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Big Brothers/Big Sisters,
Boy Scouts, Boys and Girls Clubs, Girl Scouts, Habitat for Humanity, Kids Chance, Kidsmart Tools for Learning, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Living Lands and
Waters Project, Moolah Shriners, Muscular Dystrophy, Salvation Army, USO of Missouri, YMCA, various community clean-up projects. Our most recent contributions
provided over $120,000 in cash donations, building materials, work hours, food, and clothing to the Joplin Tornado Relief effort.
The District Council believes in providing our contractors with the most productive, highest-quality workforce available. We are constantly looking for advanced
training or technology that will give our members the competitive edge. Our District Council members are required to:
- Complete more than four years of hand-on training at our state-of-the-art training centers.
- Participate in a comprehensive continuing safety and skill advancement program.
- Undergo regular drug testing.
Terry Nelson is our current Executive Secretary-Treasurer who has served the District Council and its members since his election in 1993. An aggressive,
innovative, proactive, and progressive leader, Mr. Nelson's enthusiasm is contagious and has won the admiration and respect of workers and business associates
alike. Mr. Nelson constantly works with the Union's Executive Board and Fund Trustees to create improvements and generate MAN HOURS for the members. He is also a
major leader and contributor to the community as evidenced by the various committees on which he serves.
To be a member of the District Council of Greater St. Louis and Vicinity means being a proud part of one of the oldest and best labor unions in the nation. It is
a heritage to be proud of and one which deserves to be preserved for the consideration of future generations.
The Carpenters' Union builds our community!