It’s a three-peat for Local Lodge 363 (Belleville, Illinois), as the lodge won the 2023 Charles W. Jones award. The award honors the local lodge demonstrating the highest use of specified MOST programs during the preceding year.

MOST programs considered for the honor include OSHA 10/30, Common Arc, Substance Abuse, Scaffolding, Steel Erection, Rigging, Field Leadership and the Boilermaker Code. Program administrator Mark Garrett stressed that participation is based on percentage calculations, so size of a local does not influence the award outcome. He said the award was created to encourage local lodges to stay involved and best prepare apprentices for safety on the job. He said participation has increased every year since the award’s inception.

Boilermakers International President Tim Simmons presented the award to L-363 Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer William Mulconnery.

“The reason this has happened three years in a row is because I’m surrounded by people who actually care,” said BM/ST Mulconnery. “And they always ask ‘What can we do better?’ So, that’s the people who really deserves this award, so I’m going to take the recognition back to them.”