'Spring training' for union members

Meriden, Conn. (WTNH) - Many construction jobs come to an end when winter arrives in Connecticut, leaving workers with some time off. But members of one Connecticut union don't sit around and wait for the spring. They stay busy.

They're pushing around snow in the parking lot of Local 478 training center in Meriden. They may as well do something with it -- because in many cases, winter weather keeps the union members from working. This is kind of like off-season training for the union members, which represents Connecticut's operating engineers, a group that does quite a few different jobs.

"Gives them an opportunity to come in here, take some additional classes, some upgrade classes and diversify their skills," Scott Swick from Local 478 said.

This training is hands-on work. Whether those hands are turning the steering wheel of a front-loader, twisting the knob of a welding a torch, or whether they're typing on a keyboard in the union's state of the art computer lab.

The members may also handle the controls on the training center's crane simulator. This thing is designed to be just like the real thing, instructor Charlie Crook said.

"So you want to put that spot, right over the top of the load," Charlie said during a demonstration.

Fortunately, the consequences aren't as costly when you make a mistake.

"This is a mess - BAM - I think I just broke the crane."
"You tipped it over," Charlie said.

But while this may look like a virtual reality video game, these guys aren't playing. They're trying to stay sharp.

"We don't want the members to wait until they need something," Swick said. "We want them to be proactive."

And they want them to be ready when winter exits and the construction jobs return.