The U.S. Department of Labor has granted the 32BJ Thomas Shortman Training Fund $2.8 million to expand green buildings training in New York City as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The grant, announced by Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, will help train 2,200 New York City building superintendents in energy efficiency through better operations & maintenance (O&M). Energy Efficient O&M can reduce building energy use by 10 percent at low capital cost, making it the cheapest, fastest way to reduce energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions.

"High-impact, cost-effective labor-management programs like Green Supers are vital to the success of President Obama's energy and environmental protection agenda," said Mike Fishman, President of 32BJ, the largest building services workers union in the country. "With nearly 80 percent of New York's greenhouse gas emissions produced by buildings it's imperative for owners, workers, environmental groups and the federal government to jointly tackle this environmental challenge."

The grant will help expand the Green Supers program, an innovative green building program supported by Mayor Bloomberg, real estate industry leaders, Urban Green Council (USGBCNY) and the Building Performance Institute. The program is a 40 hour class that provides building service workers with the latest, state-of-the-art practices in energy efficient operations and maintenance. The curriculum trains workers to identify and address wasted energy, create a green operating plan and perform cost-benefit analysis for building owners and managers.

"With most building service workers employed at the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations (RABOLR) buildings and represented by 32BJ, this labor-management partnership is uniquely positioned to give thousands of workers the skills they need to cut waste and costs at buildings across the city," said Howard Rothschild, President of RABOLR - which represents building owners and managers in New York City.

The DOL grant is part of a larger Recovery Act initiative - totaling $500 million - to fund workforce development projects that promote economic growth by preparing workers for careers in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. "By expanding Green Supers more building workers will learn how to air seal a building, improve heating and air conditioning performance and reduce overall energy use in a building's common areas," said Linda Nelson, Director of the Thomas Shortman Training Fund.

"By working together, 32BJ and New York's building owners have put into place a smart, practical and effective way to help make the big apple green," said Mayor Bloomberg at the program launch. "Green Supers, provides a low-cost way to make our buildings more energy and cost efficient, our environment cleaner and all while saving our city millions of dollars."

"Investments in green training are investments in our collective future and a win-win for property owners," said Jeffrey Brodsky, President of Related Management. "Related is thrilled to participate in 32BJ's green training program and helping to make a tangible difference in reducing our energy usage and 'greening' our real estate portfolio while also reducing operating expenses."

Green Supers is a program of the Thomas Shortman Training Fund - a labor management partnership that offers training to more than 80,000 32BJ union members working in the property services industry. The Fund's programs provide 150,000 hours of industry, academic, and computer courses at almost 30 locations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.

Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations is a multi-employer association serving the real estate industry in New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Connecticut and Northern New Jersey. With more than 120,000 members in eight states, including 70,000 in New York, 32BJ is the largest property services union in the country.

This grant also provides training for 200 Local 32BJ workers to attend specialized building training through the City University of New York.

1 Year: 1,000 Superintendents. This is not only the name of our ambitious program, but a real goal. In the next year, we aim to train 1,000 New York City supers to run their buildings more efficiency and in turn, leave less of a carbon footprint on our earth.

Our 100th student graduated on December 8th, with another 100 students anticipated to begin the program shortly thereafter. Already, 8 classes have been completed with building owners and property managers such as Douglas Elliman, Related, RY Management, Midboro Management and Colombia University. Additionally, we have 30 other management companies expressing interest in our project, with the confirmed commitment of 10.

NYC supers, resident managers and handypersons are at the forefront of the green building revolution, currently leading the nation in green operations and maintenance. 1,000 Supers will help secure that role as we all work to provide a better planet for us and our children.

"Marketers, politicians and consumers like to imagine a world of solar panels, wind turbines and cars fueled by wood chips. But none of that gadgetry packs the here-and-now punch of a decades-old option: plugging leaky homes with a caulk gun."
-Jeffrey Ball, Wall Street Journal Editor

Michael Wolfe, President of 2007's NYARM Management Company of the Year - Midboro Management, is one of the most active supporters of green operations and maintenance in New York City. Just sending his superintendents through the 1,000 Green Supers program is not enough for him. He decided that he wanted to shadow one of the classes and blog about his experience. Over the next three weeks Michael will be posting what he learns for Habitat Magazine.

Day 1: October 22nd, 2009
Day 2: October 29th, 2009
Day 3: November 5th, 2009

Bill Aristovulos, our friend, mentor, and all around dark-green superintendent has received the 2009 Green Award from Manhattan Media. We have known for some time that Bill is deserving of any and all accolades he receives for his green work and are happy that the wider community is starting to recognize the contribution to our city. A profile of Bill appears in Our Town.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined Realty Advisory Board President Jim Berg and 32BJ President Mike Fishman today in launching an ambitious green buildings program to train one thousand superintendents and resident managers in one year in the latest energy efficient practices. The launch of One Year, One Thousand Green Supers, which took place at a downtown apartment building, was attended by Jeff Brodsky, President of Related Management, and James O'Connor, President of Douglas Elliman, two of the first companies to have their employees participate in this labor-management green buildings program.

"By working together, 32BJ and New York's building owners have put into place a smart, practical and effective way to help make the Big Apple green," said Mayor Bloomberg. "One Year, One Thousand Green Supers provides a low-cost way to make our buildings more energy and cost efficient, and our environment cleaner, all while saving our city millions of dollars."

"With 77 percent of our city's greenhouse gas emissions generated by buildings, we must all work together to protect the environment," said Mike Fishman. "Making the Big Apple green starts with recognizing the vital role of building service workers."

One Year, One Thousand Green Supers, which is approved by the U.S. Green Building Council and the Building Performance Institute, is part of the Thomas Shortman Training Fund. The program is a 40 hour class that provides building service workers with the latest, state-of-the-art practices in energy efficient operations. The curriculum trains workers to identify and address wasted energy, create a green operating plan and perform cost-benefit analysis for building owners and managers.

"With most building service workers employed at RABOLR buildings and represented by 32BJ, this labor-management partnership is uniquely positioned to give tens of thousands of workers the skills they need to cut waste and costs at buildings across the city," said James Berg, President of the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations (RABOLR), which represents building owners and managers in New York City.

Energy savings from buildings is the lowest-cost method of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to the consulting firm McKinsey & Company. In addition, greener buildings could save the New York real estate industry as much as $230 million a year in operating expenses.

"Investments in green training are investments in our collective future and a win-win for property owners," said Jeffrey Brodsky, President of Related Management. "Related is thrilled to participate in 32BJ's green training program and helping to make a tangible difference in reducing our energy usage and greening our real estate portfolio while also reducing operating expenses. Our building staff are the best and the brightest in the industry, and this new training curriculum will go a long way to ensure that we pursue all avenues to reduce our impact on the environment. We look forward to continuing to work with 32BJ to expand their green training programs reach and impact."

With a growing demand for greener buildings, smarter management practices could reduce energy use in buildings by twenty to forty percent, according to a report from the Department of Energy.

"One Thousand Green Supers provides us with a low-cost green solution to satisfy our clients while lowering operating costs and helping to protect the environment," said James O'Connor, President of Douglas Elliman.

"REBNY applauds the Thomas Shortman Training Fund for its One Year, One Thousand Green Supers program," said Steven Spinola, Executive Director of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY). "Training supers in energy efficiency is good for our buildings, for the occupants of these buildings and for our city."

"Resident owners will benefit from greener operations by saving tens of thousands of dollars in yearly operating costs at their building," said Mary Ann Rothman, Executive Director of the Council of New York Cooperatives & Condominiums.

"What really makes a building efficient are the people running it," said Patrick Long, 32BJ member and a Resident Manager at Related owned building in Manhattan. "If we are going to make buildings more energy efficient, workers need to understand green technologies and practices, learn new skills and maintain complex equipment."

To date, supers and resident managers from 40 different buildings have completed the pilot program. Thomas Shortman Training Fund expects to train some 300 building service workers by the end of the year.

"By learning how to air seal a building, improve heating and air conditioning performance and reduce overall energy use in a building's common areas, graduates can achieve substantial savings at their buildings," said Linda Nelson, Director of the Thomas Shortman Training Fund. The third and final pilot class of building service workers in the program is set to graduate next week.

The second phase of the 1,000 Green Supers pilot training initiative began today with the participation of 10 superintendents from Related Management. This class of 32BJ supers manage very large buildings, including the 70 story behemoth Park Imperial at 230 West 56th St. All together, the class manages almost 2,800 total apartment units in New York City.


The 1,000 Green Supers program prioritizes practical skills to reduce building energy use. The 40-hour course pairs hands-on classroom work with on-site field exercises to ensure that the skills learned in the classroom can be put to good use in buildings on day one. Participants spend the first day of class (pictured here) learning the fundamnentals of building science and strategies for air-sealing large multifamily buildings.

John Sarich, superintendent of the William Beaver House, received a 2009 Urban Green Council Award for his contribution to green Facility Operation & Management. John, who has taken green building classes at the Thomas Shortman Training Fund, has since become an instructor at Shortman and one of New York City's greenest Superintendents.

The award ceremony was held at Greenhouse, the first LEED certified green nightclub in New York City.

Pictured above: Russell Unger (left), Executive Director of the Urban Green Council and John Sarich (right), superintendent of 15 William St.

The second of two pilot programs in our 1,000 Green Building Supers initiative has begun on the storied campus of Columbia University. Fourteen SEIU Local32BJ Superintendents who manage off-campus housing for the University participated in the week long training program.

The 14 Superintendents manage 35 buildings with almost 1900 housing units, the locations of which can be seen on the map above.

Pictured above: Uris Hall on Columbia University's main campus houses the Business School, but was used today to help green Columbia's residential building superintendents.

Pictured to the left: Instructor Tom Chartier teaches 32BJ Supers building science by simulating the stack effect with a stackolater, a device which simulates heat movement inside a building.