YSU gets $19,000 donation from building trades council

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State University has announced a $19,000 donation from the Western Reserve Building and Construction Trades Council, calling it a manifestation of the link between the university and labor.

The grant wil help pay for the 110,000-square-foot, $34.3 million Williamson College of Business Administration building, which crews broke ground on in March and will open in fall 2010.

“YSU is, I believe, the pillar of the whole Mahoning Valley. If our youth have somewhere to land, it will hopefully help the community,” said Don Crane, president of the council. “The steel mills aren’t coming back.”

The council represents more than 5,000 union members in trades ranging from bricklayers to plumbers, electricians to painters. Crane said the council asked its unions for donations before topping it off with $2,500 of its own, bringing the total donation to $19,000.

“It’s an indication of the building trade’s support of the university. Likewise, I hope it conveys our support for the building trades,” said YSU President David C. Sweet, who accepted the check from Crane.

Read more in Wednesday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com