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NEWS RELEASE December 21, 2004 For more information, contact Steve Houston at 314/721-2828. St. Louis Construction Industry Honors Joseph W. Rinke – First PRIDE Owner Co-Chair ST. LOUIS – Joseph W. Rinke, the first owner co-chair of PRIDE of St. Louis Inc., has been honored for his service to the venerable labor-management organization. Rinke recently completed more than nine years of volunteer service as PRIDE co-chairman where he represented the buyers of construction in advancing harmony and teamwork in the St. Louis union construction industry. “For almost a decade, Joe Rinke has constructively provided the owner’s perspective to the union construction industry,” said Gerald T. Feldhaus, PRIDE labor co-chairman who represents the St. Louis Building & Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO. Rinke, who became owner-co chair in 1995, received a plaque inscribed: “In gratitude for your outstanding commitment, leadership and service to PRIDE.” “It has been fun and exciting working with all the members of our industry over the last decade,” noted Rinke. “I believe we've accomplished a lot – particularly maintaining PRIDE as an effective forum for communication that has led to a healthy environment for all parties. As for the future, I believe we need to elevate the level of trust among us in order to form a comprehensive, industry-wide substance abuse testing program that a majority of our members can embrace.” Richard Schaefer, director of design and construction for Washington University School of Medicine, will succeed Rinke as owner co-chairman. Scott Wilson serves as management co-chair. Wilson is president of St. Louis-based general contractor S.M. Wilson & Co. Rinke worked for AmerenUE for 46 years prior to his retirement in 2003. He ended his career as manager of construction and engineering services. PRIDE, founded in 1972, is an acronym for Productivity and Responsibility Increase Development & Employment. For more than 30 years, PRIDE has worked to maintain harmony and build cooperation among St. Louis area AFL-CIO construction craft workers, contractors, construction buyers, architects, engineers and suppliers.
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