Teamsters Local 142 Training & Apprenticeship Center

🚨🌪️ TRAINING CENTER WEATHER UPDATE – WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17TH 🌪️🚨

Apparently Mother Nature reviewed tomorrow’s schedule and decided she’d like to participate.

We’ve been watching the forecasts, meteorologists, weather models, tornado parameters, warm fronts, cold fronts, spinny things, angry clouds, and whatever else the weather experts are losing sleep over tonight.

The current outlook includes the potential for:
🌪️ Tornadoes
💨 Damaging winds
⛈️ Severe thunderstorms
🧊 Large hail
😬 General atmospheric bad decisions

At this time, Teamsters Local 142 Apprenticeship & Training Center intends to be OPEN for BCRC Random Drug Testing as scheduled.

That being said, we’re going to take tomorrow one radar update at a time.

While random drug testing is important, none of us are interested in earning a starring role in Twister 3: The Drug Test Collection.

If weather conditions become dangerous, we may adjust operations accordingly. We are not willing to risk the safety of participants, our staff, or anyone traveling to and from the Training Center.

If you are selected for the current monthly BCRC random and are unsure whether testing is being conducted, please call the office before making the trip:

219-756-1422

We’ll do our best to keep everyone informed should conditions change.

In the meantime:

✅ Charge your phone
✅ Have multiple ways to receive weather alerts
✅ Know where your safe place is
✅ Bring in anything that can become a neighborhood projectile
✅ Resist the urge to stand on your porch and say, “It doesn’t look that bad.” Which is the standard “Region” vibe.

Stay safe, stay weather aware, and hopefully tomorrow’s biggest emergency is deciding where to order lunch.

Teamsters Local 142 Apprenticeship & Training Center
9050 Mississippi Street, Merrillville, IN 46410

P.S. If you see Charlie chasing a tornado down Mississippi Street to “get a better look,” please send him back inside.

Volunteers Needed – Leon’s Triathlon at Wolf Lake

Teamsters Local 142 is once again looking for apprentices and members to volunteer at Leon’s Triathlon at Wolf Lake on Sunday, June 7th.

As we’ve done in past years, we will be assisting disabled veterans as they exit the water, along with helping cook and serve food during the event.

Volunteers will need to arrive no later than 6:45 AM, as the roads close at 7:00 AM and will not reopen until after 11:30 AM.

If you plan on helping in the water, please bring an extra pair of clothes and, if possible, water shoes.

Food will be provided.

This is a great opportunity to support an incredible event and give back to the veterans who have given so much. Please reach out if you are available to help.

Leon’s Triathlon:
https://leonstriathlon.com/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/leonstriathlon/

Leon’s Triathlon (@leonstriathlon) • Instagram photos and videos 389 Followers, 8 Following, 71 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Leon’s Triathlon ()

WHAT A NIGHT! 🔥🎉

Our Teamsters Local 142 Stewards Council Bingo & Chili Cook-Off was a HUGE success this Saturday! Thank you to everyone who came out, participated, cooked, played, and supported the event.

🥇Chili Cook-Off Winners:
1st Place Winner: Mark Toomer
2nd Place: Joyce Bell
3rd Place: Joshua Drake

🌶️ Bragging rights have officially been earned!

We had incredible chili, competitive bingo games, great laughs, and even better camaraderie. This is what union brotherhood and sisterhood is all about — showing up, supporting each other, and building something strong together.

Thank you again to our sponsors and every member who made the night special. We’re already looking forward to the next one! 💪

THANK YOU TO OUR INCREDIBLE SPONSORS!

The Teamsters Local 142 Stewards Council would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the amazing sponsors who supported our Bingo & Chili Cook-Off this Saturday!

Because of your generosity — through gift cards, donations, and prize contributions — we were able to bring our members together for a fun, engaging, and memorable event.

Your continued support of organized labor, our union members, and our local community does not go unnoticed. Events like this are possible because businesses like yours stand behind working families and support the mission of the Teamsters.

A special thank you to:
* Big Time Burgers & Brew
* Smith Ready Mix
* Emagine (Portage)
* T’s Pizza
* Stardust Bowl ( Merrillville & Dyer)
* Holiday Liquors (Cedar Lake)
* Bimbo Bakeries
* K&C Maintenance
* Pepsi
* Friends & Family 360 Photo Booth
* Five Guys Burgers and Fries
* Texas Roadhouse (Portage)
* TML Deals
* Smith Ready Mix
* CCS Canopies Rentals Sales & Services
* Jimmy Johns (Lowell)
* Subway (Lowell)

We are proud to partner with companies that believe in supporting unions and giving back.

Please help us show them some appreciation — like, share, and support the businesses that support labor! 💪

🔥🌶️ TOMORROW IS THE DAY! 🌶️🔥

Join us at the Teamsters Local 142 Stewards Council Chili & Bingo Cook-Off and don’t miss your chance to grab our 2026 Edition Premium Hoodie!

9.5 oz Softstyle
1/4 Zip Hood Pullover
Embroidered chest logo
Bold Teamsters 142 “Union Proud” back design
Sizes S–4XL

These are sharp, high-quality, and built to last — perfect for work, meetings, or repping 142 with pride anywhere you go.

$75.00
Cash, Check or Card accepted

9050 Mississippi St. Merrillville, IN
February 21st, 2026

Come hungry.
Come ready for bingo.
Leave with chili bragging rights and a brand-new hoodie. 💪🔥

Let’s pack the trainig center and make it a great night for Local 142!

40-Hour HAZWOPER – Mock Site Map Exercise!

Our class worked through a hands-on mock hazardous waste site mapping scenario. Students were given a situation and tasked with identifying and labeling key site control components including:

* Exclusion Zone
* Contamination Reduction Zone
* Contamination Reduction Corridor
* Contamination Control Line
* Hot Line
* Support Zone
* Access Control Points

We divided into three groups, and each team mapped out their site layout based on the scenario provided. Afterward, we reviewed each group’s map together and discussed the reasoning behind their zone placement, control lines, and entry/exit points.

This exercise really gets students thinking about site control, scene management, and how proper layout directly impacts safety and accountability on a hazardous materials incident.

They had a lot of fun with this one — and it sparked some great discussion and teamwork!

More 40-Hour HAZWOPER highlights coming soon!