W W W . I B E W . O R G

More than 200 leaders of the AssociatedBuilders and Contractors— “one of theleading organizations representingAmerica’s business community and

the merit shop construction industry,” as the groupdescribes itself—met in Phoenix last February towelcome leading Republican presidential contenderMitt Romney, who was given a prime speaking spot

at their meeting.“If I become president

… I will curb the practice wehave in this country of giv-ing union bosses an unfairadvantage in contracting,”he told the aggressivelyanti-union crowd, bringingthem to their feet. “One ofthe first things I will do—actually on Day One—is to

end the government’s favoritism towards unions incontracting on federal projects and end projectlabor agreements.” Romney went on to endorsenearly every item in ABC’s legislative platform, froma national right-to-work amendment to the elimina-tion of Davis-Bacon wage laws and workplace safetyand environmental regulations.

“The election of Mitt Romney as president is[our] top priority,” said National Chairman EricRegelin, in a statement announcing that ABC wasplanning to go all out to defeat President BarackObama in November.

Energized by the 2010 midterm elections—which saw ABC allies grab more than 600 state andfederal legislative seats and 11 governorships—theorganization sees the 2012 elections as its chanceto radically remake labor policy in the construction

I N T H I S I S S U E

F IRST PUBL I SHED I N 1 893

Printed in the USA I N T E R N A T I O N A L B R O T H E R H O O D O F E L E C T R I C A L W O R K E R S Vol. 6 | No. 5 | May 2012

ABC’S LOW-ROAD AGENDA continued on page 2

3 | Labor community mourns Mark Ayers

3M partnership boosts NJATC training

4 | North of 49°

5 | Transitions

Circuits

6 | Local Lines

14 | Retiree Local Lines

17 | In Memoriam

18 | Editorials

19 | Letters to the Editor

Who We Are

20 | Fox Sports contract ratified

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� The anti-union Associated Builders andContractors is gearing up to get its allies intooffice in 2012—from the White House ondown—to push its low-road agenda on theconstruction industry.

EXPOSING ABC’S BIG MONEY, ANTI-WORKER AGENDA

industry, making its vision of a low-paidand union-free work force a permanentreality across the country. Instead ofsupporting the high-quality jointapprenticeship training provided by thebuilding trades, ABC would have thegovernment throw its support to its ownslipshod training.

“ABC really came alive after theGOP took power in the House and inmany state capitals, doubling down onefforts to hold politicians’ feet to the fireon banning PLAs and eliminating Davis-Bacon,” says Political and LegislativeDepartment InternationalRepresentative Dan Gardner.

Founded in 1950 by a handful ofopen-shop contractors in Baltimore, ABChas evolved into one of the most influen-tial groups in the big money, right-winganti-union network, which includes theU.S. Chamber of Commerce and theCenter for Union Facts.

As National Labor College professorThomas Kriger puts it in his recent studyon ABC, the group is an “astro-turf politi-cal organization with a well-funded PRand lobbying machine, and a limitedcapacity for work force development.”

While ABC has traditionally kept alower profile on Capitol Hill than some ofits ideological counterparts, the last fewyears has seen it ramp up its communi-cations and political efforts, launchingnumerous aggressive multimedia cam-paigns targeting everything from PLAs toworkplace safety regulations. And lastSeptember it set up the Free EnterpriseAlliance, a political advocacy group com-

mitted to fighting “union bosses andfederal bureaucrats.”

The alliance hawks a worldviewthat sees the free enterprise systemunder constant attack by unions and leg-islators, describing President FranklinRoosevelt’s New Deal reforms—whichinclude Social Security and minimumwage laws—as the beginning of the gov-ernment’s assault on “freedom.”

And on ABC’s “Halt the Assault”Web site, visitors can access sample let-ters to the editor and opinion pieces tosubmit to local newspapers attacking“big labor” and workplace regulations.

Local PoliticsABC’s increased visibility is not onlyapparent online, but in numerous statecapitals, where its lobbyists have becomefixtures at key legislators’ offices.

“Every time I was in Indianapolis tomeet with elected officials, [state ABChead] J.R. Gaylor was there,” says SouthBend, Ind., Local 153 Business ManagerMichael Compton.

Indiana has been home to some ofthe most heated labor battles in the lastyear, with the state legislature passingright-to-work legislation in February. Andbehind the scenes helping to make ithappen was ABC’s state affiliate.

“They met with legislators, heldfundraisers, got in tight with GOP Gov.Mitch Daniels,” says Local 153 Businessand Membership Development DirectorTroy Warner.

ABC’s other two goals—weakeningthe state’s version of Davis-Bacon andbanning PLAs on publicly funded proj-ects—stalled before the GeneralAssembly adjourned last March, butWarner says he expects both items toreturn when the legislature reconvenesthis summer.

In more heavily Republican states,ABC’s influence is even stronger. Lastyear Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Ottersigned into law two association-spon-sored bills: one that bans the use ofproject labor agreements on publiclyfunded projects and a second that banssignatory contractors from using unioncontributions to subsidize wages, a com-mon practice that helps contractors sub-mit more competitive bids.

The “Open Access to Work Act”was struck down by a federal judge inJanuary, but that did not stop ABC’sallies in the Idaho statehouse from rein-troducing similar legislation in March.

The group has also successfullypushed anti-PLA ballot initiatives innumerous jurisdictions across the coun-try, most notably in California. (See“PLAs in the Crosshairs: In Calif., D.C.,the Right Pushes ABC’s Agenda,” theElectrical Worker, Sept. 2010)

“It is on the local and state levelwhere ABC flexes most of its muscle,”says Political and Legislative DepartmentInternational Representative Bruce Burton.

ABC often gets its foot in the door byclaiming to be “the voice of the construc-tion industry,” representing 80 percent ofthe industry. But in his analysis of theABC, the NLC’s Kriger finds these claimsto be grossly exaggerated.

Looking at Bureau of Labor statis-tics, he writes:

“ABC’s entire membershipamounts to only 0.03 percent of all U.S.construction businesses. A state-by-state analysis of ABC’s density amonglicensed or registered contractors showsa similar picture: in no state does thepercentage of ABC’s member-contractorsexceed 6 percent of the total number oflicensed or registered contractors in anyof the states where ABC operates.”

As a member of the Oregon legisla-ture and state labor secretary, the IBEW’sGardner says he saw firsthand ABC’s effortto artificially inflate its membership num-bers as a way to boost its lobbying clout.“They’d go to the secretary of state’soffice, find registered nonunion busi-nesses and claim them as members.”

The Apprenticeship GapEven as the organization beefs up itsspin machine and lobbying efforts, thereis one area where ABC’s investmentscontinue to lag far behind that of itsunion competition: training.

Despite its claims to represent themajority of construction contractors, from2002 to 2011, ABC training programsenrolled only 22,260 apprentices—com-pared to more than 420,000 for the build-ing trades.

Even in states with low union den-sity rates, like Texas and Florida, build-ing trades’ apprenticeship enrollmentsfar outstrip ABC’s.

The building trades also boasts ahigher graduation rate, with nearly 10percent more apprentices graduatingfrom union programs compared to ABC’s.

The group’s low enrollment corre-lates to the relatively small resources ABCdevotes to training—only $28 million com-pared to the building trades’ $750 million.

The reason, according to Kriger, isthat ABC’s low-wage, low-benefits labormodel has meant there is little interestby member contractors in investing inany kind of extensive apprenticeshipprogram. “Open shop contractors, withtheir focus on lower costs, have typicallypursued a short-term, low-costapproach to training,” he writes. “Theyhave little incentive to develop longterm training programs, especially ifworkers seek better pay and benefitsonce they are trained.”

And ABC’s slipshod training drivesdown both the quality and speed of itscontractors’ work.

“With guys coming out of an open-shop operation, the foreman has to keepa close eye on them at all times to makesure the job is done right, adding unnec-essary man-hours. With IBEW workers,all you need to do is to give them a blue-print and let them at it,” says Compton.

ABC’s attempts to legitimize its owncraft training program have so far fallenshort. In 1995, ABC set up the NationalCenter for Construction Education andResearch, providing open-shop contrac-tors with training programs and material.

The problem is that the center—unlike most universities and apprentice-ship programs—has no third-partyaccreditor, meaning it isn’t recognizedby either the U.S. Department ofEducation or the Council for HigherEducation Accreditation as a recognizedinstitution of higher learning.

All which leaves students enrolledin ABC’s for-profit education programsvulnerable to abuse by unscrupulousforces, like the former students at DeckerCollege in Louisville, Ky. The school shut-tered its doors in 2005 after beingaccused by the FBI and the Departmentof Education of providing shoddy trainingand engaging in shady education prac-tices, including grade inflation and pro-viding test answers to students. (See“For Profit Decker College Left WorkersJobless and Broke on Path to Ruin,” IBEWJournal, January-February 2006.)

Headed by ABC Executive VicePresident and former NCCER PresidentDan Bennet, the for-profit vocationalschool had deep ABC ties. And despiteDecker’s students being on the hook forthousands of dollars in debt, a local ABCchapter walked away with more than$300,000 in profit because of theschool’s $22,000 a year tuition.

ABC ExposedMuch of the anti-worker legislationpassed in 2011 was directed at publicemployees, but increased ABC influenceover the Republican Party could very wellmean that construction workers will seetheir rights next on the chopping block ifthe party increases its numbers onCapitol Hill and in legislatures acrossthe country this November.

Workers are already feeling the pinchof ABC’s successful pursuit of its agenda.

“Where construction jobs onceexisted as an entry point to the middleclass and as the backbone of localeconomies, it has been observed thattoday’s construction workers—unionand nonunion alike—now tend to workharder, for less money, and underharsher conditions,” writes Kriger.

ABC’s growing influence alsothreatens one of the most successful jobtraining programs in the country—unionapprenticeships—which observers fearcould create a skills shortage in the nearfuture if the open shop movement con-tinues to grow at the expense of thebuilding trades. The Construction UsersRound Table admitted as much when itissued a report saying “the open shopsector as a whole has not supported for-mal craft training and assessment to theextent necessary to affect real, meaning-ful and lasting change.”

Local 153’s Compton says the grow-ing number of under-trained workersundermines quality construction in thestate, with many big employers choosingto stick with union contractors becausethey say they can’t afford to pay for sub-par work.

He points to Local 153’s long-termrelationship with the University of NotreDame, which continues to use unionlabor for its maintenance and construc-tion needs because of the high skillspossessed by IBEW members.

“ABC for too long has misrepre-sented itself as an advocate for the con-struction industry,” says InternationalPresident Edwin D. Hill. “The truth is it is apolitical action operation, whose goal is todrag safety standards, wages, trainingand benefits back to the 19th century.Every member needs to be an educatedvoter because it’s our jobs and our futuresthat are at stake if ABC gets its way.” �

2 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r | M a y 2 0 1 2

Exposing ABC’s Low-Road Agenda

Continued from page 1

F rom city councils to the White House, the anti-union Associated Builders andContractors sees 2012 as its chance to make its agenda the law of the land.ABC’s wish list includes:

Eliminate Davis-Bacon/Prevailing Wage Laws: ABC wants to eliminate the federalDavis-Bacon Act, which requires contractors on federal construction projects to paytheir workers no less than the prevailing wage rates in the local area. It also looks toweaken and/or eliminate state-level prevailing wage laws.

Roll Back Safety and Other On-the-Job Protections: Under the guise of regulatoryreform, ABC has been lobbying Congress to roll back a whole series of workplaceprotections instituted by the Obama administration, from an Occupational Safetyand Health Administration rule designed to help reduce the number of workplacemusculoskeletal injuries to a National Labor Relations Board rule requiring employ-ers to inform their employees of their rights under labor law.

Ban Project Labor Agreements: ABC backs federal legislation which would overturnPresident Obama’s 2009 executive order requiring the use of project labor agree-ments on federal projects. The group also supports PLA bans on the local and statelevel as well.

Repeal the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act: ABC has denounced the Lilly Ledbetter FairPay Act, which provides women with more legal channels through which to pursueequal pay for equal work.

Ban Market Recovery Funds: ABC supports banning signatory contractors fromusing union contributions to subsidize wages, a common practice that helps con-tractors submit more competitive bids. �

What ABC Wants

Along with a set of Klein pliers,a black roll of 3M ’s ScotchSuper 33+ electrical tape is amust have item in any electri-

cian’s tool box.“It’s the best out there,” says

National Joint Apprenticeship TrainingCommittee Curriculum Developmentdirector Marty Riesberg. “You can’t findbetter quality.”

Now the St. Paul-based companyand the NJATC are joining forces to helptrain the next generation of electricians.

3M announced its multi-yearstrategic collaboration with the NJATCApril 10. The company will work closelywith the NJATC to develop an online cur-riculum to expand the committee’salready extensive classroom and on-the-job training program, bringing electricaltraining fully into the 21st century.

“The IBEW, NECA and the NJATCare proud to work with a company like3M, a leader in quality manufacturingwho works closely with our organiza-tions to develop and maintain a skilledwork force,” says NJATC ExecutiveDirector Michael Callanan.“Collaboratively, we will develop onlineinteractive training material which willhelp create a domestic work force of themost highly skilled electrical workers inthe industry.”

3M will also sponsor a scholarshipfor the continuing education of instruc-tors through the NJATC’s NationalTraining Institute and provide trainingmaterials and equipment for the morethan 300 local JATCs across the country.

Part of the appeal in teaming upwith 3M, says Riesberg, is that its elec-trical tape is still made in the U.S.A.

“3M remains loyal to its employ-ees and the American worker, which isall too rare these days,” he says.

Made in Hutchinson, Minn., formore than 60 years, 3M ’s vinyl electri-cal tape was developed in 1946 when3M scientists discovered an advancedplasticizer system that gave the tape thestrength, durability and flexibilityneeded for high quality electrical work.

Lab technicians at the plant contin-ually test their products, subjectingthem to extreme pressure, cold and heatto guarantee they will perform in eventhe roughest elements.

Scotch 33+ will keep its elasticity intemperatures as low as zero degreesFahrenheit and as high as 221 degrees.

“Even in the worst of the cold, itwon’t crack and cause a short,” saysBrian Wright, production team advisor atthe Hutchinson plant.

The company will also producetraining videos instructing electricianson the proper use of their products.

“When an apprentice asks a jour-neyman how much tape he should use,the answer usually is ‘until you haveenough,’” says Steve Anderson, directorof line construction curriculum develop-ment and training for the NJATC. “Butnow electricians can get a more preciseanswer on how to properly use Scotch33+ tape.”

3M is also working with the NJATCto develop Online Jobsite Applicationexamples, which allow apprentices tocheck their work against online models.

The committee estimates that start-

ing next year approximately 6,000 electri-cians will have completed the 3M OnlineJobsite Application training modules.

“Providing the most state-of-the-art electrical training and making it eas-ily available to the next generation ofAmerican workers is absolutely vital tothe future growth of our economy,” saysIBEW International President Edwin D.Hill. “Teaming up with a company like3M, which is committed to providing thebest quality products and training, is animportant step towards moving the elec-trical industry forward.” �

We are saddened to report that Building and Construction Trades, AFL-CIO, President Mark Ayers died April 8 at the age of 63, a sudden blowto the labor community, where he was highly respected for his innova-tion, generosity and dedication to working families.

“I can’t think of anyone who worked harder to build our common movement,”says International President Edwin D. Hill. “His steady hand and activist spirit steeredthe IBEW and the building trades through some of the toughest times we’ve everfaced. He has left us much too soon, but his legacy will continue to be felt by futuregenerations of working families. But more than that:Mark was my friend, whose kindness was felt by all. Iwill always be thankful for having the opportunity towork with a brother like that.”

A 38-year member of the IBEW, Brother Ayerspreviously served as director of the IBEWConstruction and Maintenance Department, a posi-tion he held for nine years.

An Illinois native, he joined Peoria Local 34 in1973. He worked his way up the ranks, serving astreasurer and business representative before beingelected business manager. A veteran, Ayers servedas a U.S. Navy aviator for more than four years,including a tour of duty in the Vietnam War.

As business manager, Ayers co-founded the Central Illinois chapter of theNational Electrical Contractors Association—Local 34 Quality Connections, and servedas trustee and chairman of the NECA-IBEW Welfare and Pension Trust Funds.

“Mark was a leader in labor/management relations and earned great respectfrom electrical contractors and labor leaders alike,” says Local 34 Business ManagerMike Everett, who served as assistant business manager under Ayers for 10 years.“He also wanted labor to be recognized as a positive force in the community, helpingto get our union involved in charity work, including Habitat for Humanity and othercommunity activities.”

Appointed Construction and Maintenance Department Director in 1998, Ayersbrought many of President Hill’s policies to fruition, including the Code of Excellence,a renewed commitment to high quality work that has been adopted by nearly all ofthe other building trades unions.

“He pushed the value of the IBEW Code of Excellence, always encouraging mem-bers to be up on the latest technology and recognizing the value of professionalism,”says Construction and Maintenance Director Jerry Westerholm, who worked closelywith Ayers for seven years.

Retired Special Assistant to the International President for MembershipDevelopment Buddy Satterfield says he remembers not only Ayers’ intense dedicationto the labor movement, but his friendship, grace and warm personality.

“He was probably the hardest working person I’ve ever met,” he says. “At thesame time he was always a lot of fun to be around. I know a lot of people said ‘I’vejust lost my best friend,’ when they heard the news of his passing.”

Elected building trades president in 2007, Ayers’ commitment to excel-lence went to making sure the 2 million-member organization remained the No. 1choice for quality, skilled labor in the construction industry.

As president, he pioneered new labor/management models in the energyindustry, including nuclear, oil and natural gas, while serving as the voice for con-struction workers and their families on Capitol Hill.

Brother Ayers was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the BlueRibbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future. He also served as the labor co-chair for the Helmets to Hardhats Program, on the Board of Trustees for the AFL-CIOHousing Investment Trust, Chairman of the National Coordinating Committee forMulti-Union Plans, Secretary-Treasurer of the Union Labor Life Insurance Companyand the Chairman of the Center for Construction Education.

Deeply disturbed by the decline of the middle class and growing power ofgreedy special interests, Ayers became a passionate voice for restoring the Americandream for working families. In rousing remarks to the 38th International Conventionlast September, he said to great applause:

“I didn’t spend nearly six years of my life during the Vietnam era protecting acountry that I loved, to hand it over to a bunch of greedy right-wing bastards. And Iknow many of you in this room di dn’t either. I never imagined that my last battlecould possibly be fought right here in my homeland, to protect the very values Ifought for in faraway lands. But if it has to be that way, then I say let’s get it on.”

The officers and staff send our deep condolences to his wife Deborah, children,grandchildren and many friends. �

T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r | M a y 2 0 1 2 3

W W W . I B E W . O R G

Building Trades President Mark Ayers Dies

Ayers, shown here with President Hill, joined fellow IBEW membersand friends for motorcycle rides.

NJATC Joins With 3M to Boost Online Training

For more than 60 years, 3M’s electrical tape has been the tape of choiceamong IBEW members.

Conservative Prime MinisterStephen Harper came to powerpromising to cut regulationsand shrink big government.

But a new bill backed by the Tories prom-ises to substantially expand federalauthority in at least one area: the internalworkings of Canada’s labour movement.

Bill C-377 would force labourunions to publically disclose all theirfinancial transactions to the federal gov-ernment—everything from office supplypurchases to salaries—creating onerousreporting requirements for union lead-ers and staff.

“It targets one group in our societyand singles it out for unfair, burdensometreatment with no apparent reason otherthan to make mischief, attack unionsand drive them out of our communities,”said New Democrat MP Robert Chisholmduring floor debate on the bill.

In addition to creating piles of extrapaperwork for union staff, opponents saythe bill would violate the privacy rights ofthe many individuals and companies thatdo business with labour organizations.

“Nearly every transaction a unionmakes will be posted on a governmentWeb site,” says First District PoliticalAction/Media Strategist Matt Wayland.“Companies we do business with will beforced to make the details of their con-tracts available for anyone to see, givingtheir competitors—who will still be able tokeep their paperwork a secret—an edge.”

Most galling, says Wayland, is thefact that the legislation won’t apply toother dues-paying membership organiza-tions, including C-377’s biggest boosters,the open-shop contractor’s associationMerit Canada and the anti-union CanadianFederation of Independent Businesses.

“That makes it pretty obvious thatthe Tories are more interested in harass-ing unions than guaranteeing trans-parency,” he says.

Union financial statements arealready publicly available to members, andmost provinces have some union reportingrequirements as part of their labour codes.The IBEW’s policy and practice has alwaysbeen complete transparency.

“It’s in the IBEW’s constitution thatevery member has the right to check ourfinancial records,” says Wayland.

The Canadian Building andConstruction Trades Department esti-mates that the government will need tohire hundreds of new employees just toprocess the paperwork required by theproposed regulations. “This is from agovernment that has slashed workforces at key agencies like the unem-ployment office,” says First District VicePresident Phil Flemming.

While nominally a single-memberbill, which means fellow Tories are notrequired to vote for it, it passed a secondreading with unanimous Conservativesupport in March—a rare feat for a pri-vate member’s legislation.

“It was introduced by Tory MP RussHiebert so Harper and the rest of theparty could deny ownership of it,” saysWayland. “But it’s clear that this has theConservatives’ full support.”

The bill has now gone toParliament’s finance committee, whereit is expected to be reported back for afull vote this month.

“We can now see the real purposesof this legislation,” said MP ChrisCharlton. “It is not intended to improvetransparency or accountability. It isintended to deliver to the government’scorporate friends a cudgel with which tohobble Canadian unions as they seek to

represent their members.”The First District, which is mobiliz-

ing its members against C-377, is plan-ning a lobby day for May 15 in Ottawa.

“This bill is about political paybackagainst labour and it shows just how faroutside the mainstream the Harper gov-ernment really is,” Flemming said

Go to www.workersbuildcanada.cafor more information on how to getinvolved and to contact your MP. �

4 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r | M a y 2 0 1 2

North of 49° | Au nord du 49° parallèle

Les conservateurs cherchentà enterrer les syndicats sousla paperasse administrative

Le Premier ministre conservateurStephen Harper avait promis, àson arrivée au pouvoir, deréduire la paperasserie et la

taille du gouvernement. Mais voilàqu’un nouveau projet de loi ayant reçul’appui des conservateurs, prometd’élargir considérablement l’autoritéfédérale dans au moins un domaine : lefonctionnement interne du mouvementsyndical canadien.

En vertu du projet de loi C-377, pro-posé au mois de décembre dernier parle député conservateur Russ Hiebert, lessyndicats seraient obligés de rendrepublics tous les renseignements denature financière—allant des achats defournitures de bureau aux salaires,créant des obligations de rendre comptecoûteuses pour les dirigeants syndicauxet le personnel.

« Ce projet de loi cible un groupeprécis dans notre société. Il cherche à luiimposer des obligations injustes et lour-des sans aucune autre raison apparenteque de lui causer des ennuis, de s’atta-quer aux syndicats et de les chasser denos collectivités » a dit le député néo-démocrate Robert Chisholm au cours dudébat sur le projet de loi.

En plus de créer de la paperassepour le personnel administratif des syn-dicats, les opposants pensent que leprojet violerait les droits à la protectiondes renseignements personnels deplusieurs personnes et entreprises quifont affaire avec les organisationsouvrières, allant des entreprises de net-toyage aux entrepreneurs signataires.

« Presque toutes les opérationseffectuées par le syndicat seront pub-liées dans un site web du gouvernement.

Les entreprises avec lesquelles nousfaisons affaire seront contraintes de ren-dre accessibles les détails de leurs con-trats à quiconque les voit, donnant ainsiun avantage à leurs concurrents quipourront garder secrète toute leurpaperasserie » ajoute Matt Wayland,stratège en relations médiatiques etaction politique pour le Premier District.

« Le plus choquant, c’est que cettemesure législative ne s’appliquera pas àd’autres organisations dont les membrespaient des cotisations, notammentl’Association d’entrepreneurs à atelierouvert Merit Canada ainsi que le groupe-ment anti-syndical - la Fédération canadi-enne de l’entreprise indépendante - lesplus importants supporteurs du projet deloi C-377 » poursuit le confrère Wayland.

« Il devient assez évident que lesconservateurs sont plus intéressés àharceler les syndicats qu’à garantir latransparence » ajoute-t-il.

Certains croient que ce projet deloi représente une solution à un prob-lème qui n’existe pas. Les états finan-ciers du syndicat sont déjà accessiblesaux membres et le code du travail de laplupart des provinces prévoit une dispo-sition sur l’obligation des syndicats derendre des comptes. De plus, la FIOE atoujours assuré la transparence totalede ses politiques et de ses pratiques.

« Il est bien stipulé dans la consti-tution de la FIOE que chaque membre ale droit de vérifier nos états financiers »souligne le confrère Wayland.

Le Bureau canadien duDépartement des métiers de la construc-tion estime que le gouvernement devraembaucher des centaines de nouveauxemployés pour traiter la paperasse exigée

par le projet de règlement. « Cela vientd’un gouvernement qui a sabré ses effec-tifs dans les principales agences gou-vernementales, dont la commission del’assurance-emploi » dit Phil Flemming,Vice-président du Premier District.

Bien qu’un projet de loi émanantd’un député ne requiert pas que les autresconservateurs votent sur celui-ci, ce projeta passé l’étape de la deuxième lecture aumois de mars, avec l’appui unanime desconservateurs, un rare exploit pour un pro-jet de loi d’initiative parlementaire.

« Le projet de loi a été présenté parHiebert ce qui permet à Harper et au restedu parti de ne pas s’approprier telle initia-tive. Mais il est bien évident que ce projetde loi a entièrement l’appui des conserva-teurs » souligne le confrère Wayland.

Le projet de loi a donc été renvoyéau Comité permanent des finances quidevrait remettre son rapport qui serasoumis au vote de tous les députés de laChambre, dès le mois de mai.

« Nous voyons maintenant le véri-table objectif de cette loi. Elle n’est pasdestinée à accroître la transparence et laresponsabilisation. Elle vise plutôt àdonner une matraque aux amis du gou-vernement du secteur de l’entreprise quileur permettra de faire entrave aux syndi-cats canadiens dans leurs démarchespour représenter leurs membres » adéclaré la députée Chris Charlton.

Les membres du Premier Districtsont appelés à se mobiliser contre le pro-jet de loi C-377 et la Fraternité tiendra unejournée de lobbying le 15 mai à Ottawa.

Visitez le www.workersbuild-canada.ca. pour apporter votre partici-pation en communiquant avec votredéputé. �

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HourPowerIn our latestedition of NewsBriefs, we takeyou to theMissouri ValleyJATC on a tour,and discuss the Code of Excellence in Omaha.Check it out on www.IBEWHourPower.com

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Tories Move to Bury Unions in Red Tape

DECEASEDWalters Eli

We are sorry to report that retired Ninth District InternationalRepresentative Walters Kalahiki Eli, 92, died on February 22 inKaneohe, Hawaii.

A veteran of the National Guard, Brother Eli, a utilityworker, was initiated into Honolulu Local 1260 in 1944. He wasappointed to the International staff to assist organizing andnegotiations in 1950 after serving as business manager. Heretired in 1975.

During his long tenure, Eli was a major leader of the labor movement in Hawaii,serving as president of the Honolulu AFL-CIO Central Labor Council, as secretary-trea-surer of the Metal Trades Council and organizing director of the Building andConstruction Trades Department.

Honolulu Local 1260 Business Manager Brian Ahakuelo says Eli was a visionarylabor leader who helped re-charter Honolulu Local 1357 in 1970 to represent telecom-munications workers across all Hawaii islands.

The first IBEW International Representative born in Hawaii, Eli established areputation for working well with the Operating Engineers and other building tradesunions, says Ahakuelo.

On behalf of the members, officers and staff, we send our condolences toBrother Eli’s wife, Rosalie, and his children, stepchildren, 11 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and nine great-great grandchildren. �

Transitions

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Volunteers Bridge the Gap for South Dakota Outdoor EnthusiastsUnion members from SouthDakota recently took America’sfailing bridge infrastructure intotheir own hands by volunteeringinvaluable skilled labor to helpthe South Dakota Department ofGame, Fish and Parks rebuild anew hiking trail bridge just southof Hill City on the Mickleson Trail.

Part of the UnionSportsmen’s Alliance’s Boots onthe Ground program, 22 unionmembers from Rapid City Local1250 and members from the Sheet Metal Workers, Plumbers and Operating Engineersteamed up for the conservation project, which helped bridge the gap between out-door enthusiasts and access to public lands.

One of more than 100 converted railroad bridges along the trail, the 100-foot bridgeneeded significant repairs to the base and handrails. Volunteers worked over a busy four-lane highway during wintery conditions while demolishing portions of the existing bridgeand installing new planks and a pre-fab handrail system they developed.

Through teamwork and dedication, they were able to cover more than 50 feet onthe first day alone, wrapping up the project by the end of day two.

“The new bridge will greatly improve community access by providing a bettersurface for hiking and biking,” said Local 1250 Business Manager Randy Stainbrook,who helped coordinate the project.

Stainbrook said such community projects are “a great way to get outdoors, andit helps put unions in a good light in the public’s eyes.”

For more on the work of the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance, visit www.unionsportsmen.org. �

South Dakota union members rebuild ahiking trail bridge.

It’s the determination in a lineman’sface when he climbs to vertigo-inducing heights. It’s the glint ofsunshine reflecting off an icytransmission tower. It’s in theimages all around you, that you see

in your day both on and off the job.And we want you to share them.

The popular competition is back after lastyear’s hiatus when leaders, members and

staff were gearing up for the 38th International Convention inVancouver, B.C. So grab your camera and see what develops!

Contest rules are available at www.ibew.org.

IBEWPHOTOCONTE

ST2012

FIRST PLACE$200

SECOND PLACE$150

THIRD PLACE$100

HONORABLEMENTIONS$50

DEADLINE: OCT. 31, 2012PRIZES

CONTEST ENTRY FORM

Name ________________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________________

City & state ____________________________________________________

Zip code________________________________________________________

Phone number __________________________________________________

E-mail address __________________________________________________

Local union number ______________________________________________

IBEW card number ______________________________________________

Photo description ________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

IT’S BACK!

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Members Approve Ad CampaignL.U. 1 (as,c,ees,ei,em,es,et,fm,i,mt,rts,s,se,spa,st&ws), ST. LOUIS, MO—Earlier this year, membersoverwhelmingly approved an aggressive advertisingcampaign designed to help regain market share inthe region. To fund the program, a $10 fee will beissued every quarter, to those members who areactively employed, for the next 24 month period.

Subsequently, KSDK-TV News Channel Five inSt. Louis began broadcasting commercials featuringIBEW Local 1. These commercials, filmed by mem-bers of IBEW Local 4 in St. Louis, will total morethan 290 during the year. Fifty of the commercialswill promote a one-hour, prime-time Thursday nightspecial on the history of IBEW Local 1. This uninter-rupted special, which will have aired on April 19, iscertain to receive high viewer ratings.

Additionally, 20 commercials per month willbe aired in conjunction with the First Alert Weathersegment, the most watched news segment. These15- and 30-second commercials will be followed bythe Local 1 logo being highlighted every 10th day forthe entire seven-day forecast.

Thanks to everyone who worked so diligentlyto provide a mechanism to advertise the qualitiesand history of the IBEW in St. Louis.

Local 1 mourns the following members’deaths: William Pfingsten, Guy O’Neill, OscarCrouther, Armin Richmond, James Greubel, MilfordLowry, Leonard Bolhafner, Michael Evola, JohnPepper, Edna Tenholder, Bernard Yenzer, RobertWallace, Frank Marciante, Thomas Bianchi, DelmarStevenson, Homer Briggs and Frank Mika.

Matt Gober, P.S.

Action to Save a LifeL.U. 9 (catv,govt,lctt,o&u), CHICAGO, IL—Two of ourLocal 9 brothers were presented with a Local 9Service Award for their actions in saving a youngman from the frigid waters of Lake Michigan. Bros.Sean Doyle and Tracy Centano, both street lightrepairmen for the City of Chicago, were delayed byequipment problems at the start of their job on Jan.11. According to Bro. Centano, this delay put them inthe right place at the right time. When they arrived attheir jobsite, they noticed a young man walking dan-gerously close to the water’s edge. In an instant theyoung man disappeared. Bros. Doyle and Centanoran to where they last saw the young man, but therewas no sight of him. A few moments later the youngman surfaced and Bros. Doyle and Centano, alongwith other members of the crew, were able to pull

him to safety. They gave him their jackets while theywaited for Emergency Services to arrive. We com-mend Bros. Doyle and Centano for their action.

The 46th Annual Old Timer’s Dinner was heldApril 20. Over 1,000 people attended to honor 31members of Local 9 who retired during 2011. Wecongratulate these new retirees and thank them fortheir many years of service to our local.

Mary Beth Kaczmarek, P.S.

City Council Approves ProjectL.U. 11 (i,rts&spa), LOS ANGELES, CA—We are happyto report that the Los Angeles City Council approvedthe giant Village at Westfield Topanga project. The1-million-square-foot expansion is expected to bring$450 million into the community. Westfield agreedto use signatory contractors to build the project.

The plan is to incorporate a mixed-use develop-ment between two existing malls, with shops, restau-rants, office and hotel space. We thank our memberswho volunteered to attend planning hearings and citycouncil meetings to ensure approval. Your work paidoff. Construction could start as early as this summer.

In March, Local 11 sent a delegation, includingmembers of the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus, toparticipate with a contingent of labor and communitygroups in retracing the historic 1965 Selma toMontgomery, AL, march. The recent march was sup-ported by the AFL-CIO and focused attention on newattacks on voting rights, workers’ rights and educa-tion. The five-day march commemorated the 1965“Bloody Sunday,” when 600 marchers were brutallyattacked by police as they marched for justice.

With banks putting the squeeze on workingfamilies through restrictive lending policies andhigh fees, it’s nice to know Local 11 members haveaccess to a credit union. L.A. Electrical WorkersCredit Union has served members since 1953. Forinformation about services available to Local 11members go to www.laewcu.com.

Work safe, brothers and sisters. Your familyneeds you.

Bob Oedy, P.S.

ComEd Agreement RatifiedL.U. 15 (u), DOWNERS GROVE, IL—Midwest Generationunfortunately has announced that, because of multi-ple factors, it will close the Fisk and Crawford coal-fired power stations located in Chicago, whereapproximately 120 Local 15 members work.

On Feb. 23, Local 15 Bus. Reps. Dave Sergenti

and Bill Phillips attended a meeting at the NuclearRegulatory Commission headquarters in WashingtonD.C. regarding the Fatigue Rule. Members from theindustry Fatigue Management Task Force met withthe NRC to discuss future rulemaking activities.

Local 15 members in the ComEd Undergroundoverwhelmingly ratified the Underground Reorganiza-tion Agreement, which includes: wage increases,clear-cut safe work practices, crew size flexibility, newjob titles (some with automatic progression), aclarified promotional series, Transmission UG staffingguidelines, a pay additive, SPOC duties, a four-dayworkweek pilot, and a four-hour-rest-time clause.

We had 10 members attend the IBEW ElectricalWorkers Minority Caucus Leadership Conference inOakland, CA. Over 250 delegates volunteered in thecity of Oakland for the EWMC’s Day of CommunityService Projects. We are proud to announce thatLocal 15’s first EWMC Chapter is underway.

Local 15 said goodbye and good luck to a goodfriend and tireless union advocate, Senior Asst.Bus. Mgr. Brian Loomis, who retired in March. Heworked 37 years for his union brothers and sistersand will be missed.

Doug Vedas, P.S.

Middle-Class WarfareL.U. 17 (catv,em,lctt,o&u), DETROIT, MI—We expect tosee more than 20 linemen retire from DTE Energy thissummer. DTE claims the company will hire 24 appren-tice linemen for the next several years to keep up withthe loss. We will be sitting down with DTE at the maintable negotiations in late June. Line Clearance is work-ing at full employment. The LCTT work picture is verygood for 2012; many contractors are working overtime.On the Construction agreement, we are at full employ-ment also. The 120 mile, 345kv Thumb Loop project isin full swing. We just acquired the maintenance workfor three of our newly constructedwind farms and started work on ourfourth wind farm this spring.

The Republican establish-ment in Michigan is out to cripplethe middle-class lifestyle by taxingour pensions, gutting our work-men’s comp law, and pushing“right-to-work” for less down ourthroats. This November’s election iscritical to our way of life—vote!

Congratulations to RayBruneel on his retirement. Rayworked as a journeyman linemanfor 42 years and served Local 17 as

safety officer. Best of luck to you, brother!Congratulations also go out to Don Broughton,

Coyte Osborn, Bob Runstrom, Charlie Parmenterand Dave Cole for also making it to the finish line.

Dean Bradley, P.S.

A Life of Union ServiceL.U. 37 (em,o&u), FREDERICTON, NEW BRUNSWICK,CANADA—IBEW Local 37 is sad to announce thepassing of Doug Wallace on Feb. 6 at Saint JohnRegional Hospital. Recently retired, Doug was a val-ued, longtime member of the Local 37 family.

Doug began as a member of IBEW Local 2309 in1980 working at the Point Lepreau Generating Stationas a power plant operator. He served there as shopsteward for many years. When that local amalga-mated with Local 1733 to form Local 37 in 2000, Dougbecame chief shop steward at Point Lepreau andserved in that position until he retired in September2011; he was named senior steward in 2009.

Doug sat on the Local 37 Executive Board as anuclear representative for two terms. He representedLocal 37 at two International conventions, in SanFrancisco (2001) and Cleveland (2006). He was alongtime member of the Training Trust Fund commit-tee and chaired the Finance sub-committee. He alsoserved on: the Local 37 Bylaw Committee, Joint ActionCommittee for PLGS, PLGS Labour/ManagementCommittee, the Nuclear Negotiating team, and thePLGS Joint Health and Safety Committee. Doug actedwith a professionalism and dedication that made usproud to have him represent Local 37 members.

Doug is sorely missed as a colleague, mentorand loyal supporter of union rights. His influencewill long be felt. Rest in peace, brother.

Ross Galbraith, B.M.

Trade Classifications(as) Alarm & Signal (ei) Electrical Inspection (lctt) Line Clearance Tree Trimming (mps) Motion Picture Studios (rr) Railroad (spa) Sound & Public Address

(ars) Atomic Research Service (em) Electrical Manufacturing (lpt) Lightning ProtectionTechnicians

(nst) Nuclear Service Technicians (rtb) Radio-Television Broadcasting (st) Sound Technicians

(bo) Bridge Operators (es) Electric Signs (o) Outside (rtm) Radio-TelevisionManufacturing

(t) Telephone

(cs) Cable Splicers (et) Electronic Technicians (mt) Maintenance (p) Powerhouse (u) Utility

(catv) Cable Television (fm) Fixture Manufacturing (mo) Maintenance & Operation (pet) Professional, Engineers &Technicians

(rts) Radio-Television Service (uow) Utility Office Workers

(c Communications (govt) Governmentmow) Manufacturing Office Workers

(so) Service Occupations (ws) Warehouse and Supply

(cr) Cranemen (i) Inside (ptc) Professional, Technical &Clerical

(s) Shopmen

(ees) Electrical Equipment Service (it) Instrument Technicians (mar) Marine (se) Sign Erector

Efforts are made to make this list as inclusive as possible, but the various job categories of IBEW members are too numerous to comprehensively list all.

Local 37 member Doug Wallace (left) carries a placard at a 2009New Brunswick Public Service superannuation pension rally.

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NY State Training GrantsL.U. 41 (em,es,govt,i,se&spa), BUFFALO, NY—Latein 2011, the New York State JATC received a$350,000 grant from the New York State EnergyResearch and Development Authority (NYSERDA) topurchase equipment and train members on pro-gramming and installing new technology energymanagement systems.

In February 2012, after obtaining andinstalling our equipment, Training Instructor RickCataldo from Albany, NY, Local 236 came to Buffalofor three days to teach a “Train-the-Trainer” course.[See photo, below.] This course included instructorsfrom New York state IBEW Locals 41, 86, 106, 139,237, 241 and 840. These instructors will be able totrain members to properly install and programequipment from Lutron, Wattmiser, and Leviton.This training will be necessary for any installationon jobs that have incorporated the new ASHRAE90.1-2010 standard for energy management.

As a result of the rapid progression of this pro-gram, the NYS JATC was able to procure another$650,000 NYSERDA grant for the purchase of moreequipment! Thanks to Rick for coming to teach andthanks to all instructors who participated in theclass so that our members can continue to be edu-cated and trained with the latest technology.

Gregory R. Inglut, A.B.M.

Service to CommunityL.U. 43 (em,i&rts), SYRACUSE, NY—Work continuesto hold steady in our area. In April, Nine Mile II hadrefuel outage 12. Two months of pre-outage workgave employment to more than 60 journeymen,while we were able to provide employment to morethan 140 for the actual outage.

As previously reported, Local 43 has deeproots in our community. Continuing with that com-mitment, we recently presented the United Waywith a pledge for its 2012 campaign for $25,000(see accompanying photo). Smaller pledges andchecks were also presented to the United Way inour local’s Oswego and Mohawk Valley areas.

On another note, Pres. Pat Costello wasrecently honored to be grand marshal for the St.Patrick’s Day parade in Utica, NY. His years ofdevoted service for working men and women, alongwith his deep Irish roots, made Pat a great choice.Congratulations, Bro. Costello!

Jim Corbett, P.S.

Labor Round-Table EventL.U. 47 (lctt,mo,o,u&uow), DIAMOND BAR, CA—Congratulations to IBEW Ninth District Int. Rep.Arthur D. Murray, who retired March 1. Best wishesfor a happy retirement!

U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the Houseminority whip, visited southern California in aneffort to rally support for Democrats in thisNovember’s election. He asked Local 47 to arrangea Labor Round Table event with union leaders in theRiverside/San Bernardino area. He fielded ques-tions and discussed the upcoming elections.

All IBEW membersshould make sure they andtheir families are regis-tered to vote.

Organizing remains apriority. We will soon com-mence negotiations withArborMetrics, a line clear-ance, tree-listing enter-prise that Local 47organized late last year.

A successor agree-ment was negotiated andratified by the skilled craftworkers the local repre-sents at Angel Stadium,home of the Los Angeles

Angels. The five-year agreement includes wageincreases each year and all benefits were preserved.

We are sad to report the passing of memberTimothy Dietiker and Marianne Lavin, stepmother ofBus. Mgr. Patrick Lavin. Our thoughts and prayersare with their families and friends.

Work safe, live well, work union!

Stan Stosel, P.S.

‘Get Your MedicalCheckups’L.U. 53 (lctt,o,rts&u), KANSAS CITY,MO—Pamela Robins, Unit 6 steward,said: “One skipped year can make adifference.” Brothers and sisters,stay on top of your medical checkupsand mammograms. Members of Unit6 had a “Day to Show You Care” bywearing scarfs and the colors pinkand black to work showing our sup-port for Sister Robins, who empha-sized the importance of breastcancer awareness. You can help sup-port her also in another way. Getyour checkups. Sister Robins hasshown tremendous strength and

courage. And on behalf of our local, we want her toknow we love and support her. Our prayers are withyou, Pam.

Recent retirements: From New Madrid PowerPlant—Frank Sanders, journeyman machinist/mechanic, retired March 1 with 20 years of service;Tommy Sides, journeyman mechanic, retired March 9with 39 years of service; and Terry Hadder, journey-man welder/mechanic retired April 30 with 34 yearsof service. Congratulations!

Passing On: Carl Stahl, long time active mem-ber, passed away Feb. 2. Carl will be greatly missed.

The annual party for the West Central Co-opgroup was Feb. 25 at the bowling alley inHigginsville, MO. We had a nice turnout with mem-bers and spouses; all enjoyed the evening of goodfood and fun.

Hope all finds and keeps you well … Local 53!

Tracy A. Riley, V.P.

Agreements RatifiedL.U. 57 (lctt,mo,o,t&u), SALT LAKE CITY, UT—The localhas been very busy the last few months. A two-yearagreement was ratified with Osmose, a four-yearagreement was ratified with Trees, Inc. and theIntermountain Line Construction agreement was rat-ified for a three-year term. Two agreements withFrontier Communications, one in Idaho and one inUtah, were also ratified. The Idaho Falls Poweragreement should be close to a vote by the timethis article is posted. May and June will bring con-tract negotiations for the Rocky Mountain PowerGas Turbine and Laramie agreements.

The local has also launched a new Web site.The intent is to enhance our communication struc-ture and to provide information in a more efficientmanner. The new site will also feature member par-ticipation in various surveys, etc.

The work outlook for outside constructionremains steady. Work should pick up toward latesummer or early fall as projects are currently out forbid. There is a potential for some large transmissionprojects to break ground in the next year or two.

Scott Long, P.S.

Spring Work PictureL.U. 71 (lctt,o&rtb), COLUMBUS, OH—Local 71’s newlyelected officers are: Pres. Larry Moore, Vice Pres. ToddKessler, Treas. Kurt Williams, Rec. Sec. H. NelsonDuncan, Bus. Mgr./Fin. Sec. Bryan Stage andExecutive Board members Kelly Williams, Jonas Plank,Dave Sugerik, Jason Doran and Brian “Chip” Curtis.Congratulations and thanks to all who participated.

Our work in both transmission and distribu-tion has remained strong over the winter months

with station work starting to show signs of life herein early spring. Give us a call—we should be work-ing book II as you read this article.

Congratulations to all our new journeymen fortheir successful completion of the apprenticeshipprogram. Your hard work, dedication and desire toseek knowledge is appreciated and respected byeveryone in our trade.

Bus. Rep. David Gabrovsek recently presentedretired Bro. Jack “John” Leslie his 50-year servicepin. Bro. Leslie was initiated into Local 411 in 1962.

Our deepest sympathies to families of recentlydeceased members: James L. Butler, Elmer G. Wine,Mark Reagle, Charles Gosnell, Elliott Marcum andNoel Barney.

Always work safe and attend your union meet-ings. United we will … Divided we won’t.

Bryan Stage, B.M./F.S.

Newly Elected OfficersL.U. 99 (govt&i)), PROVIDENCE, RI—Local 99 newlyelected officers, installed in June 2011, are as follows:Bus. Mgr. Mike Daly, Pres. James Jackson, Vice Pres.Robert Lowe; Examining Board member Eric Munson;Executive Board members Mike D’Amico, Anthony DeMambro, Robert Furlong, Joe Manzi, Pat Marchetti,William Smith Jr. and Paul Stromberg. Organizer: JoeWalsh Jr. Delegates to International Convention: MikeD’Amico, James Jackson and John Shalvey.

Work remains slow in the area although sev-eral jobs are hoped to start soon.

Organizing remains an ongoing battle, with Bro.Joe Walsh Jr. picking up where Bro. John Shalvey leftoff. Let us hope we can turn more shops and start torecapture much-needed employment opportunities.

S. P. Callaghan, P.S.

Training Instructor Rick Cataldo (left) with IBEW members programmingsoft switches.

Local 43 Pres. Pat Costello (left), Helen Hudson, labor liaisonto the United Way, and Bus. Mgr. Don Morgan present pledgeto United Way Syracuse Area Dir. Frank Lazarski.

Local 53 members in Unit 6 participate in a “Day to Show You Care.”

Local 71 retired Bro. Jack Leslie receives his 50-year pin.

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Wellness Program & Blood DriveL.U. 103 (cs&i), BOSTON, MA—Local 103 held a blooddrive at the union hall on Feb. 16 to benefit theAmerican Red Cross. There was overwhelming supportfor this event, which kicked off Local 103’s WellnessProgram implemented in January. Kaitlyn Gambino,Wellness coordinator, and the women from our Healthand Welfare did an excellent job making this eventhappen. Kaitlyn was in disbelief with the blood drive’ssuccess, which far exceeded the number of Local 103participants they had hoped would attend. Workingmembers, families of members and members of theDorchester community came to donate blood. Theblood drive is part of a new approach Local 103 is tak-ing toward wellness for its members. Officers said thekey to this new system is prevention and gettingmembers to recognize warning signs before biggerproblems arise. Representatives were on hand at theevent from the Local 103 Employee AssistanceProgram to make members aware of the mental,physical, and financial assistance opportunities avail-able to them through the union.

Our Local 103 Hockey Team held their annualcomedy night at the union hall in Dorchester on Feb.25. The event presented two headliners, Joe Yannetty,a Boston native, and Patty Ross. In addition, therewere three other comedians, P.J. Thibodeau, fromBoston, and Mike Baker and Mike Roberts, bothDorchester natives. The more than 400 people whoattended the event overwhelmingly agreed that theannual comedy night was a great night for all.

Kevin Molineaux, P.S.

‘The Greatest Electrical Union’L.U. 105 (catv,i&o), HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA—Lorne Newick, the newly elected business manager,and his team are off to a great start. Bus. Mgr.Newick and assistant Bus. Mgr. Brad Gold haveestablished a Work Rules Committee, which is prov-ing to be very effective. Congratulations to newlyelected pension committee trustees Joe Brogley andDave Berta. Asst. Bus. Mgr. Steve Fox has been busybringing up to date our local Web page and hasdone an excellent job; check it out atwww.ibew105.com.

On a more poignant note, appreciation goesout to our dedicated union brothers who unselfishlyput themselves out there to help the soldiers whotirelessly serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom andAfghanistan in Theatre. We all know if it wasn’t for asoldier or vet we wouldn’t have the freedom of reli-gion, press, speech, assembly, fair trial, vote and aflag to salute.

Phil Brown, P.S.

Staff Member AppointmentsL.U. 111 (em,govt,lctt,mt,o,rtb,spa&u), DENVER, CO—In January 2012, two new assistant business man-agers came aboard the agent staff of Local 111 tostrengthen and more evenly distribute the workload.Bro. Duane J. Lawlor has a long history with Local111. Besides serving as president from 2005 to 2010,as treasurer on the Executive Board, and serving onvarious committees while employed with PublicService Company of Colorado (PSCO) as a workingforeman in the Gas Emergency Repair Department,he also gained experience and knowledge partici-pating on several negotiating committees. Despitehis extensive experience, Lawlor still finds his newjob challenging. He represents a wide variety of unitsand classifications with different departmentalrules. This extensive experience will serve Lawlorwell as he takes on the challenge of representing awide variety of units and classifications with differ-

ent departmental rules. Looking ahead,Lawlor sees a need to “instill and build asense of cohesiveness” within the mem-bership.

Bro. Eppie Martinez also comesfrom PSCO with extensive knowledge asa journeyman lineman. With previousservice on various committees, as a newagent he is gaining experience in negoti-ations for several groups and will be onthe negotiation committee for the PSCOwage opener. “It’s like taking anotherapprenticeship,” Martinez said. “I’mdoing everything I can to get as muchexperience and exposure as possible. I

am grateful that I have great teachers here.”

Mike Kostelecky, P.S.

Ideas for Interactive MeetingsL.U. 125 (lctt,o,t&u), PORTLAND, OR—Many units arerequesting ideas for improving attendance at meet-ings. During your next meeting, consider addressingthree topics: a social event, training, and contractinterpretation. Each of these items can generatesubstantial dialog among attendees and set thestage for interactive meetings.

Make a motion to host a family-friendly socialevent this year. Propose possible locations and datesthen vote at the following meeting. Get it scheduled!

Discuss your unit’s training needs. Some areashave inquired about the local developing foremantraining. Others want more information about collec-tive bargaining as well as training for prospectiveunit leaders and shop stewards. If you have ideas orneeds, contact your business representative.

Organize a committee to prioritize the articlesand sections of your collective bargaining agree-ment that provide the most confusion or disagree-

ment. Prioritize these topics then discuss one perunit meeting. By reaching resolution within the unit,you can provide a unified reply when addressingmanagement. This is an excellent way to supportyour shop steward while displaying solidarity asprofessionals. Remember, it is not your manager’sresponsibility to interpret the CBA for you.

Marcy Putman, P.S.

Welcome to New MembersL.U. 145 (em,i,o,rts,spa&u), ROCK ISLAND, IL—Formore than 10 years, Bro. Jon Pohl has organized ourannual Local 145 Blood Drive. With his efforts, plusthose who took time out of their Saturday morningto donate, this year’s blood drive was a success—over 50 units of blood collected!

2012 is a very busy year for contract negotia-tions. This year the following CBAs will be negoti-ated: Inside Wireman, Outside Utility, Residential,Sign and the Low Voltage & Communications(Teledata). Thank you to all those who are, or willbe, involved in negotiating for these contracts.

The March regular union meeting is alwaysone of our highest attended meetings of the year.The March meeting is also known as “Pack the HallNight” and serves as the induction night for newmembers. We welcome the 11 new inside wiremanapprentices, two newteledata apprentices andthe two new constructionwiremen to our local! Theregular union meetingsfor Local 145 are held thefirst Thursday of everymonth at 7 p.m. Come tothe meetings and stayinvolved with your local!

Our thoughts andprayers go out to thosewho have been injured orhave lost someone.

Justin M. Giem, P.S.

Walker RecallElectionL.U. 159 (i), MADISON, WI—Our efforts to recall anti-union Republican Gov. Scott Walker continue. Over 1million signatures supporting a recall election forWalker were submitted to the Wisconsin GovernmentAccountability Board. We expect the recall to be suc-cessful with elections to go forth in June.

On March 10, our big Rebuild/ReclaimWisconsin rallies were a great success. Please visitour Web site www.ibew159.org to see updatedinformation and pictures.

We should see an improved work outlook thissummer. The scrubber project is not projected tohave calls until late summer. We still have 180 onbook I and over 200 on book II. Some good projectsare coming up but we won’t know how those willaffect our book until summer.

Joel Kapusta, B.A.

100thAnniversary CelebrationL.U. 197 (em&i), BLOOMINGTON, IL—Attention allmembers and retirees: Save the date for Oct. 13—itis our local’s 100th Anniversary Celebration.

Festivities will take place at the Marriott Hotel andConference Center in Normal. The hotel was build100 percent union. Special committees have beenformed and help is needed for the event. Please callthe hall if you wish to help. Before the event moreinformation will be distributed to members; the bestsource of information is at union meetings.

Special thanks to retiree Dale Leman for vol-unteering on providing power and lighting to theImmanuel Heath Center, a charitable group that willprovide health care to low-income individuals.Thanks to all retirees, members and apprenticeswho have volunteered their help.

Congratulations to Tom Peasley, who com-pleted a Union Community Activist Network (UCAN)class, held for all McLean County union tradesmen.We all know how important it is to give back to thecommunity and be involved.

At press time, a “Right to Work—Won’t Work inIllinois” (RTW-WWII) rally was scheduled for April 19in Champaign. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, whosigned so-called “right-to-work” legislation on Feb.1, was scheduled as keynote speaker at theChampaign County Republican dinner. Union work-ers from across our state planned to turn out to letall politicians know that RTW will not be tolerated byour hard-working families in Illinois.

Remember to get involved and stay involved!

Mike Raikes, P.S.

Important Election YearL.U. 223 (em,govt&i), BROCKTON, MA—As this is animportant election year for the country, we need towork as hard as possible to ensure that friends oflabor and the middle class are elected in November.

This year in Massachusetts we have an opportu-nity to take back “the people’s seat” from incumbentRepublican Sen. Scott Brown, who has been no friendof the middle class and organized labor. Also, there isa return of a Kennedy to the political scene. JoeKennedy III is running for U.S. Congress as a candidatefor the seat held by retiring Rep. Barney Frank. Rep.Frank will be missed and we thank him for all his sup-port through the years and wish him well in the future.

With springtime upon us, solar projects areunder way; Brayton Point Power station continues toemploy members on their projects. The gaming bill,which was signed into law last year, is allowing theMashpee Wampanoags to move forward with theirresort casino project. The sooner the better, for itwill create much needed jobs for the southeasternMassachusetts area. Let us hope that the past fewyears are truly history and we begin this year andyears to come with plenty of work opportunities.

Doug Nelson, B.A.

Local 103 blood drive to benefit the American Red Cross.

Local 111 Asst. Bus. Mgrs. Duane J. Lawlor (left)and Eppie Martinez.

Local 197 member volunteers provide Immanuel Health Center with powerand lightning: from left, Dale Leman, Mike Osterburg, Nathan Feit, MitchKarr, Cody Batty, Jacob Goar, Josh Linton, Ahmad Manns, Troy Prescott, JoshScaggs, Mike Russell, Aaron Liming, Alan McKimmy and Jim Suppan.Bernie Eszienski snapped the photo.

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Safety Makes the CaseL.U. 229 (em&i), YORK, PA—”They pay us well to dosafe and sound work” has become my mantra. Thiswas said to me by a local journeyman as I offeredmy admiration of his Intermediate Metal Conduit(IMC) run. His words have carried with me as Iapproach my third year of apprenticeship. From the-ory to practice, safety is our focus.

What the political powers in charge are failingto see is that the IBEW ensures a safe project—notonly in theory but in practice. Just like the journey-man’s words, we understand the relationshipbetween the value of our skills and the associatedcosts to our customers. Our commitment beginswith a comprehensive five-year apprenticeship andcontinues throughout our careers with ongoing train-ing and application. It’s deeper than just a hand-shake and a promise of quality. For us, safety is builtinto everything we do from day one. Utilizing IBEWlabor is a down-right guaranteed pledge to safety.

Brothers and sisters, safety is always the big-ger picture. Would you want your teeth worked onby someone of questionable credentials? Have asurgical operation be performed by someone otherthan the most qualified for the job? Why shouldyour electrical project be any different! And it’s fromthe standpoint of safety that we can make the casefor our continued employment and success.

Tony Palermo, P.S.

Looking ForwardL.U. 269 (i&o), TRENTON, NJ—With the winter (or lackthereof) behind us, the membership hopes forclearer skies and an improved jobs forecast. At presstime we were getting ready for the St. Patrick’s Dayparades, which always provide a much needed lift inspirits for our New Jersey and Pennsylvania mem-bers while providing momentum to leave the winterdoldrums behind. Of course an empty bench wouldboost everybody’s morale and with the help of mul-tiple solar projects under way or ready to start, cou-pled with several more traditional constructionprojects, the immediate future looks brighter thanmany would have predicted in the not-too-distantpast. With members now able to track their progresson the out-of-work list via the local’s Web site, theadded transparency has taken some of the uncer-tainty out of the “back to work” process.

Even with both political and economic head-winds to overcome, we all realize the need to pushforward and continue to fight for the way of life thatthe ones before us created and that we must pre-serve. With major elections coming fast upon us, wemust not only hold gains but aggressively expandour agenda of family, jobs and quality of life.

Brian Jacoppo, P.S.

Career Expo for StudentsL.U. 309 (i,lctt,mo,mt,o,rts,spa&u), COLLINSVILLE, IL—The week of Feb. 27, the Southern Illinois ConstructionAdvancement Program in conjunction with theSouthern Illinois Builders Association hosted aConstruction Industry Career Expo at the GatewayConvention Center in Collinsville, IL. [See photo, topleft.] The slogan for this expo: “Organized Labor,Management and Education Working Together.”

The career expo was attended by high schooland college students seeking opportunities in theconstruction field. Our apprenticeship programs

need to continue to search for the best and thebrightest talent. Expos such as SICAP’s support edu-cational development and allow our industry to grow.

At this writing, Ameren negotiations werescheduled to begin in April. This will impact a largepercentage of our membership. With our members’help in the passage of Illinois Senate Bill 1652, pro-viding more funds for the utility, we are optimisticfor a positive outcome.

We welcome the latest addition to our staff,Bro. Chris Hankins. Chris’ role will be inMembership Development. Chris has been anactive member as an instructor, as trustee on vari-ous trusts, and as the electrical inspector for theVillage of Pontoon Beach.

We need to ask ourselves from time to time:What are we doing to strengthen our local union?

Scott Tweedy, A.B.M.

Miami Members Speak OutL.U. 349 (em,es,i,mps,rtb,rts,spa&u), MIAMI, FL—On Feb. 15, the anti-worker governor of Wisconsin,Scott Walker, came to Naples, FL, for a $500 per-person luncheon fundraiser to help fight the effortto recall him. The hard-working, middle-class citi-zens of Collier County came out in full force onWednesday at noon to show Walker that they don’twant him or his Koch brothers’ ideology in Florida.

So, Florida Southwest Chapter AFL-CIO had itsown fundraiser. For $5 you received a bologna sand-wich, a bottle of water and your picture taken with acostume rat, which symbolized Gov. Scott Walker.All the proceeds went back to Wisconsin to help getGov. Walker out of office. Nearly 270 citizens partici-pated in the protest. Twenty-eight of our IBEW Local349 West Coast Division members took time off fromwork to tell Gov. Scott Walker to get out of Florida!

This is an election year. With November 2012elections coming soon, we need all members to beregistered to vote. We need all members to get out

and vote for union-friendly, union-backed candi-dates. We can’t afford to lose.

Remember to attend your union meetings. It isvery important for you to be there.

Frank Albury, P.S./Exec. Brd.

‘Bowling for Brotherhood’L.U. 357 (c,i,mt&se), LAS VEGAS, NV—Local 357’sBrotherhood Welfare committee hosted its firstBowling For Brotherhood tournament Saturday,Feb. 25. The event took place at Gold Coast Hotel &Casino and was a great success!

Seventy-five bowlers participated in an after-noon of fun and competition. There were raffles forgift cards, movie tickets and other prizes. Bro. ScottHughes had the high game of the day with a score of255. Logan Daley won the 12-and-under age groupwith a high score of 193. And Bro. Nick Taintingerwon the mystery game.

Look forward to seeing everyone next year atthe 2nd Annual Bowling For Brotherhood!

Aaron L. Jones, P.S.

USA Sporting Clays ShootL.U. 359 (u), MIAMI, FL—InJanuary the local sponsored twoteams to participate in the UnionSportsmen’s Alliance sportingclays shoot at Fort Lauderdale’sMarkham Park. Participantswere: Bernie Bischoff, ClintonCash, Steve Flynn, JeanForacappa, Frank Lewis, JoseMartinez, Mike Ochoa,and JustinStockton. These shoots are fun

for all. Funds raised help preserve the hunting envi-ronment for families who enjoy the shooting sportsand benefit conservation projects.

We congratulate the 28 recent nuclear jour-neyman graduates. A dinner was held for thosewho graduated in the three journeyman fields ofNuclear Mechanic, Nuclear Instrumentation andNuclear Electrician.

Always keep safety in your thoughts when out onassignment; check your clearances and work safely.

We encourage all members to get involved inthe local’s Political Action Fund (COPE), to start con-tributing and be informed in the political arena. Sowhen it is time to vote, you and your families cancast your votes for candidates who will work to ben-efit your wallet and prolong the survival of workingfamilies. Those on the ultra-conservative side donot have our interests at heart; they are gunning todestroy working families by trying to eliminate thebenefits of working families. Get involved when theleadership asks: work the phone banks and helpwith door-to-door neighborhood canvasing.Elections are coming up soon.

See you at the hall the first Tuesday of eachmonth.

Steve Flynn, F.S./P.S.

PLAs Secure WorkL.U. 363 (catv,em,govt,i,t,u&ws), NEW CITY, NY—“Plenty of work at 363. …” I am glad that got yourattention. The job situation could be much better,and we have much work to do. First, I want to thankBus. Mgr. Samuel Fratto and his agents for thehours spent securing project labor agreements.Members, if you are called about PLA meetings,please attend—future jobs depend on it.

Numerous town meetings are held to see ifthe community supports future projects. Get outthere and be heard now. We need those jobs. If afew of these projects are approved, we will have themuch-needed work we are looking for. Having thesame 10 guys at the meetings doesn’t carry theweight we need.

Brothers and sisters, we don’t work with apunch clock where all our responsibilities end at3:30 p.m. There are union meetings to attend withdiscussions about your job, your benefits, yourfuture. Come and have some input, don’t just talkon the jobsite about your future. There are theunion outings, golf, clambakes, dinner dances—come join a committee. The key word in all of this is“future.” Come be a part of yours.

Kevin Keeley, P.S.

Students take in a JATC exhibit at a Construction Industry Career Expo.

IBEW Miami Local 349 West Coast Division members protestWisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s luncheon/fundraiser held in Florida.

Top bowlers Logan Daley (left) and Local 357Bro. Scott Hughes (right) with BrotherhoodWelfare Committee member Richard Work.

IBEW Local 359 teams participate in a Union Sportsmen’s Alliance sportingclays shoot.

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Membership Service AwardsL.U. 375 (catv,ees&i), ALLENTOWN, PA—We recentlyheld a retirees breakfast at which membership serv-ice awards were presented by Bus. Mgr. BrettHelfrich. Members receiving 50-year awards wereJoseph F. Birchak and, posthumously, Robert P.Breiner. Members receiving 55-year awards wereRobert N. Parks and Raymond C. Stoudt. John C.Gaumer received a 65-year award. And Joseph Zellerreceived an award for 70 years of service to the local.

We also acknowledge members who receivedtheir union watches for 35 years of service: pastpresident Karl J. Geiger, Andrew Bednar Jr., JosephA. Duld, Timothy J. Figura, Robert C. Hennessy Jr.,Donald R. Keirn II, George Hertzke, Jeremiah G.Burnhauser, Gene A. Coken, Donald E. Didra,Andrew J. Kubik, Donald R. Miller and Barrie Moyer.

Congratulations and thank you to all for youryears of service to our local!

Dave Reichard, Pres./A.B.M.

‘The Brotherhood Gives Back’L.U. 387 (em,lctt&u), PHOENIX, AZ—The 2012United Way Community Service Fund campaign hasclosed successfully. IBEW Local 387 membersdonated $604,829—with 385 members donating atthe leadership level of $1,000 or more. We areproud of our role in our communities.

The Brotherhood Gives Back Committee con-tinues to be active. The committee held a motorcy-cle ride for charity on March 31, from the hall toPrescott, on to Rock Springs then concluding atConnelly’s Pub (I-17 & Carefree Hwy.). Proceeds weredonated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

We settled our contract with the ArizonaWater Company. The contract includes a 1.3 percentwage increase.

Arizona seems to be the next state to jump onthe radical bandwagon to take away bargainingprivileges from public sector workers. At this writ-ing, there are no less than four bills pending in thestate legislature to remove rights. We need to sup-port our fellow workers and defeat these bills.Remember, if opponents of workers are successfulthere, they’ll be after our rights next. We need to beinvolved in politics in order to survive.

The summer heat is upon us; please be safeout there.

Edward A. Ford, P.S.

100Year AnniversaryL.U. 405 (em,i,rtb&spa), CEDARRAPIDS, IA—On Dec. 3 last year,Local 405 celebrated its 100 yearanniversary. Many good friends anddignitaries came to help us cele-brate. We were honored to haveU.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, U.S. Reps.Bruce Braley and Dave Loebsak,and Int. Pres. Edwin D. Hill as ourspeakers. Cedar Rapids Mayor RonCorbett started the evening with aheartfelt thank-you to the local forits volunteerism and participationin community affairs. It was a greatevening that honored the local’sfounders, retirees and active mem-bership for their continued involve-

ment and dedication to community service, trainingand professionalism. Attendees enjoyed a video pres-entation highlighting our first 100 years in the CedarRapids/Iowa City corridor. Thank you to Chad Campionfor making the video. Congratulations to every mem-ber, past and present, for making the first 100 yearspossible. As we begin our next 100 years, we mustnever forget those who came before us and made thisall possible, and we must make sure that those whofollow know the history of their union.

The political season is in full swing in Iowa andas expected, with a Republican governor and an out-of-control majority in the House, a large number ofanti-labor bills have been introduced. There seemsto be no limit to how far these guys will go in theirattempts to weaken and destroy organized labor.

Bill Hanes, B.M.

2011 JATC GraduatesL.U. 429 (em,i,lctt,o,ptc,rtb&u), NASHVILLE, TN—Congratulations to our 2011 apprentice graduates.As IBEW members, you are the best educated somake us proud.

Thanks to Elbert Carter for 20 years of serviceas our JATC coordinator. Enjoy your retirement, Bro.Carter. Good luck to our new JATC Coordinator RobertM. “Bobby” Emery Jr., former business manager.

Our work picture is good with the HemlockSemiconductor project, Convention Center project,Omni Hotel project and General Motors plant inSpring Hill, TN.

Thanks to Tenth District Int. Vice Pres. RobertP. Klein and staff for their part in helping to arrangefor Int. Pres. Edwin D. Hill’s attendance at theTennessee Valley Authority/Building TradesConference and for facilitating Pres. Hill’s visit to our

new Nashville Convention Center. The IBEW mem-bers and Conti Electric thank Pres. Hill for his visit.

Thanks to our Brotherhood Committee fortheir support and service in helping our member-ship. We appreciate their efforts on: a successfulEaster Egg Hunt with cookout, our local’s Christmasfloat in the Nashville Christmas parade, andfundraisers to assist those in need. Brothers andsisters, please participate and get involved in sometype of local union function and you will be amazedhow much difference it will make in your life andthat of others.

Gerald A. Grant, B.M./F.S.

Getting the Word OutL.U. 441 (as,i&rts), SANTA ANA, CA—At its annualCareer Day for high school students, Edison HighSchool in Huntington Beach welcomed Local 441Training Dir. Dave Lawhorn and BusinessDevelopment Rep. Rick Hecht, who visited to sparkstudents’ interest in the IBEW and our apprenticeshipprogram. Student interest was high, thanks to severaldisplays showing various electrical applications.

In the city of Costa Mesa* the AssociatedBuilders and Contractors has been active spreadingits anti-PLA/anti-union message. ABC representa-tives have been spotted at city council meetings insupport of Costa Mesa’s decision to become a char-ter city that does not pay prevailing wage. The citywould like to outsource hundreds of city jobs cur-rently covered by union agreements. The LosAngeles/Orange County Building & ConstructionTrades affiliates, including Local 441, have been atthe council meetings as well, strongly opposing thecouncil’s position. To hear the public and ABC’scomments, visit http://costamesa.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=4&clip_id=1858.

*Costa Mesa is hometo the city worker who

recently jumped to his death off of the City Hallbuilding after receiving his pink slip. His job hadrecently been outsourced.

Rich Vasquez, B.R.

Update from PocatelloL.U. 449 (catv,em,i,o,rtb,rts,spa&u), POCATELLO, ID—As we progressed through the winter months, thework picture was shrinking and the books loading up.

The Areva/Eagle Rock project was postponed.French energy company Areva suspended the plant

project as a result of the falling euroand the financial crisis in Europe.However, preconstruction and engi-neering still continue, so we stillhave optimism concerning the proj-ect.

Chobani yogurt is building anew plant in the Western Counties;this project will employ a large num-ber of our members. Some othersubstantial projects are coming upwith market recovery available andhopefully we can put more of ourmembers to work.

Local 449 Bus. Mgr. RodneyJames has been busy with negotia-tions, settling contracts with some ofour utilities, InteGrow Malt, and theWestern Counties. Upcoming are nego-

tiations on the Eastern side, Motor Repair,Residential, Sun Valley and VDV agreements.

At press time, our awesome Local 449Auxiliary is planning a garage sale, which will takeplace soon and will give members an opportunity tobe rid of unwanted items. Proceeds will be donatedto the Idaho Food Bank.

Congratulations on retirement to Bro. JamesFacer.

The local extends condolences to the familiesof deceased Bros. David Miles and Jay Beasley.

Kirk Edge, Mbr. Dev. Rep.

‘4x4Club Event’ a SuccessL.U. 477 (i&rts), SAN BERNARDINO, CA—Greetings,brothers and sisters, from IBEW Local 477’s first 4x4Club off-road event in the Calico Mountains of thesouthern California desert (see photo). The CalicoMountains are also home to Calico ghost town,once a thriving mining town in the late 1800s. Ourone-day event was full of fun, dirt and history.

This is the first of many clubs our local will behaving—a fishing club, sports club, car club andeven a gold-hunting club, to mention a few. I do

Local 375 Pres. Dave Reichard (left) and Bus. Mgr. Brett Helfrich(right) present membership service awards to: Raymond Stoudt(second from left), Joseph Zeller, Robert Parks and Joseph Birchak.

Local 429 JATC 2011 apprentice graduates: standing, David KoKai (left),Travis McNabb, Justin Stutts, Ryan Barker, T. Daniel Holley and ShawnCiesliga; front row, kneeling, Rufus Williams III and Kipp Cavalier. Notpictured: graduates Christopher McQuillen and Geoffrey Iverson.

Training Dir. David Lawhorn staffs IBEW Local 441 exhibit at ahigh school career day.

Local 477’s first 4x4 Club event in the Calico Mountains.

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believe that clubs like these are not only a good wayto get to know each other, but also a good way topromote brotherhood and solidarity. It is also agreat way to get the family outdoors and remindthem of this great country we live in. That’s all fornow and you will be hearing from us soon.

Kenny Felts, Pres.

‘Projects on the Horizon’L.U. 551 (c,i&st), SANTA ROSA, CA—Some work hasslowly been trickling in for our members, and all ofour apprentices are now working. The last two yearswere the worst this local has ever seen with severalapprentices out of work and our inside book at 100 ormore. So all apprentices working is a trend we hopewill continue with our journeymen. With good projectson the horizon we hope to see our “100” book clear.

We just started escrow on a building that willbe our first-owned Redwood Empire TrainingFacility. We all look forward to having a state-of-artfacility to train the best of the best.

Campaign season is upon us. To all brothersand sisters, it is of utmost importance to getinvolved with your local union and help to get ourlabor-friendly candidates elected. Get active—ourjobs depend on it now more than ever.

We at Local 551 “remove our hardhats” for thepassing of Bro. Kurt Mathia. He was a great brother.We extend condolences to Bro. Mathia’s family.

Denise D. Soza, P.S./B.R.

Work Picture Picks UpL.U. 553 (i,mt,o&ws), RALEIGH, NC—The work in ourjurisdiction has picked up a little bit. As of this writ-ing, the Highway 540 loop around Raleigh is pro-gressing. The local has one of our new contractorsworking on the lighting on the loop and all involvedare doing a fine job.

On Saturday, Feb. 18, a joint venture of painters,glaziers and electricians participated in a first-aid/CPRclass for our union contractors. We are professionalcraftsmen, so we should be certified in skills that pre-pare us to help other workers in the event of accidentsand emergencies in the construction field.

Local 553 also has members working on vari-ous projects at the Fort Bragg Army base to helpprovide our troops with up-to-date facilities.

As the work has picked up in the jurisdiction,the local has had funds come into the local. So, wedecided to remodel and make some improvementsat the local. The business manager and the organ-izer are directing the remodel of a few rooms andour electrical upgrade. So, the local can now leaseout a few rooms to other area trade unions.

We members need to continue to strive forexcellence in order to meet the challenges of a fast-paced industry and changing times.

David A. Ingram, P.S.

Members Receiving TrainingL.U. 595 (c,govt,i&st), DUBLIN, CA—At this writing,our Inside Wireman Book 1 is the lowest I’ve seen itin my 39 years in the local. We are blessed with anumber of projects and happy that we will be ableto help put some of our travelling members to work.We have also put more than 20 apprentices to workfrom our sister locals where work has been slow.

We are preparing our members for these busy

times by holding educational trainings taught byI.O. Rep. Tracy L. Prezeau. Tracy recently held a two-night stewards class and a one-evening Code ofExcellence training at our hall in Dublin; the classeswere very well-received. We will continue utilizingthe I.O. Education Department as a resource toenhance our local training.

We are going into negotiations in our SanJoaquin/Calaveras jurisdiction, and in AlamedaCounty we have a wage allocation that will be dis-cussed at upcoming general membership meetings.

In February, we had a well-attended BenefitsFair at our hall. Our pension and health and welfaretrustees and professionals updated members onthe status of our Health and Welfare and Pensionplans. On hand was George Dijeau, who will receivehis 75-year pin in December. George came lookingfor some of the brothers he worked with, and “ByGeorge!” he found a few who remembered him! Itwas a great Benefits Fair!

Tom Mullarkey, B.R.

Retiree Service AwardsL.U. 611 (catv,es,govt,i,lctt,o,spa,t&u), ALBUQUERQUE,NM—As of this writing there is not much activity otherthan a few calls here and there, mainly for Eunice.In March several retiree pins were presented at aunit meeting in Farmington (see photo). Theseretirees have served a combined total of 570 years.Congratulations to all retirees who received pins.

Some of you may have received a Visa cardwith the word “Benny” at the top. If you received thecard, it means you still have a balance from the HRAFund; it can be used to pay your co-payments, dentalexpenses, vision services and eyeglasses, and bal-ances owed for prescriptions, but only up to the bal-ance that is left in your account. If you didn’t receivea card, it just means you have used all of the $1,200that was allocated to you from the HealthReimbursement Arrangement Fund that was given toyou in 2008 and 2009. Any questions should bedirected to the benefit fund at 1 (800) 527-0320.

Adam Wysong was recently added to the staffto take care of the Outside Line division. Welcome

aboard, Adam.The local extends condolences to the families

of recently deceased members Donald O. Sparks,Jerry G. Kelley, Angelo A. Villareal, Larry G. Matthewsand George E. Hughes.

Remember to attend union meetings, held thethird Saturday of each month.

Darrell J. Blair, P.S.

Union Brothers RememberedL.U. 625 (ees,em,i,mar&mt), HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA,CANADA—It is with great sadness that I report thepassing of my friend Bro. Lawrence Boudreau onFeb. 7. He was 64. Larry was a big community volun-teer, first responder, fireman and deputy fire chief.He will be missed by many.

Retired member Bro. Robert Slaunwhite, 84,passed away on Feb. 20 at Camp Hill Home forVeterans. Bob was the last known member to haveworked with a charter member of Local 625. A 60-plus year member, he will be missed by the count-less brothers he worked alongside.

Our condolences to the families of Bros.Boudreau and Slaunwhite.

In our previous article, it was missed that Bro.Larry Coolen retired in September 2011. Larry was afounder of Bond & Coolen Electrical Contractors, oneof our largest employers. Bro. Herb Watters alsoretired last November, and Bro. Blaise MacNeil retiredin January 2012. Good Luck to all in your golden years.

Hopefully by print time the independent MPs’Bill C-377 will be stopped. If not we will need to rattlethe chains of our members of Parliament to wake upand see the bill for what it really is. It is a desperateattempt to hinder union organizing efforts by strap-ping down unions with a burden of reporting reamsof information to the public—information that isalready available to our members and private infor-mation that should be kept in confidence with ourindividual members. If you haven’t already, contactyour MP today or go to www.workersbuildcanada.caand register your name in opposition to this bill.

Tom Griffiths, Pres.

Labor Leader AwardL.U. 639 (i&rts), SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA—Local 639Bus. Mgr. Mark Simonin was recognized as LaborLeader of the Year by the San Luis Obispo CountyDemocratic Party at its first “Dinner with the Stars”event on Feb. 24 featuring California Lt. Gov. GavinNewsom. Simonin was recognized because he hasworked to strengthen the ties between labor andthe SLOCDP, supporting Democratic candidates byhosting meet-and-greets and encouraging financialsupport. He has a firm understanding that workingfamilies and Democrats must work hand-in-hand tomake this a better country for all working people.

Bus. Mgr. Simonin was presented the awardby California Secretary of Resources John Laird andCalifornia Assembly member Bill Monning, who isrunning for the California Senate.

John Ponzetti, P.S.

Work SafeL.U. 659 (c,catv,em,i,lctt,o,st,t&u), MEDFORD, OR—This year the local has had two separate, very seriousjobsite accidents. One resulted in a fatality and theother resulted in an amputation. These accidentshave gone beyond the workers involved. These acci-dents have affected everyone—family, friends and co-workers. We all need to pay extra attention to safety atwork and in our everyday lives. The consequences aretoo great if we do not. Check your egos at the door!Look out for your co-workers! Do not cut corners or belazy! Doing things the safest possible way sometimestakes that extra step. Make sure you utilize the propertools for the job. Leave the off-the-job problems off thejob. Focus on the job at hand at all times. Your life orthat of someone else may depend on it.

On Saturday, June 30, we will have the annualLocal 659 Union Picnic. This year the event will behosted by the Roseburg Unit at River Forks Park inRoseburg, OR. This is a family event with a lot ofgames, food and fun for everyone. This year willmark the retirement of Bus. Mgr. Ron Jones. Pleasecome out and share some stories and wish Ron wellin his retirement.

Tom Legg, Pres.

Local 595 staff, officers and stewards graduate from the Code of Excellence training conducted by I.O. Rep. Tracy L. Prezeau.

Local 611 presents retiree service awards. From left, standing, Bus. Mgr. Chris Frentzel and retireesWeldon Hambrick, Jimmy Tucker, Joel Fogelman, Owen Thomas, Kenny Vaughn, Prentiss Putman,Lee Truitt, Chester Ahlgrim; seated, Jerry Billings, Elmer Beebe and Troy Amburn.

IBEW Local 639 Bus. Mgr. Mark Simonin(center) receives award presented by CaliforniaSec. of Resources John Laird (left) and CaliforniaAssembly member Bill Monning.

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Work Picture UpdateL.U. 673 (catv,i,rts,spa,t&u), PAINESVILLE, OH—Securing work in our area is still a battle. Challengesfrom the nonunion, from fearful school boards, unin-formed city councils, and politicians who are anti-labormake landing every job a major struggle. We need tostay active in our communities supporting politiciansand board members who are friendly to our cause.

While this battle can be frustrating, there aretimes when I am out recruiting at local schools andfind myself offering up stories of brotherhood to thestudents—stories that remind me how great ourorganization is. For instance, after a recent fire at aLocal 673 retiree’s home, members quicklyresponded with financial support to help a wid-owed member. She was overwhelmed by the sup-port from many younger members she hardly knew.This is a great organization to be a part of.

Some signs indicate that things may beimproving. More jobs are showing up on the DodgeReports and our contractors go after every one. Whilewe anxiously await word on a major school job. weare slowly putting a few members out to work at thePerry Nuclear Power Plant for various projects.

The nuclear plant and our JATC have workedhand-in-hand to get our members certified at a varietyof skills. Recently, a class was held to certify our mem-bers in rigging, allowing us to perform our work withno jurisdictional issues. One job we completed at ourlast outage was moving an 8-ton booster-pumpmotor—event and error free. Hats off to our members.

Jim Braunlich, P.S.

‘Stand United & Vote’L.U. 683 (em&i), COLUMBUS, OH—Brothers and sis-ters in the Columbus area are seeing a fair amountof work at this time. The casino and “racino” jobshave staffed up, and continue to represent the finequality of workmanship expected in Buckeye County.

As of this writing, we are gearing up for posi-tive outcomes from primary elections on “SuperTuesday” for all candidates who support workingfamilies. If you’re not a registered voter, please reg-ister and exercise your right to vote. Politics affectpaychecks; corporate CEOs may have deep pockets,but they only get one vote. Let’s stand united andsave the middle class. Volunteer at your local unionwhen the call comes.

Eric M. Evans, V.P./P.S.

Register & Vote!L.U. 697 (c,es,i,mt&se), GARY AND HAMMOND, IN—The labor movement in Indiana was ignored by themajority party controlling state government inFebruary. The House and Senate passed a so-called“right-to-work” bill that was signed by Gov. MitchDaniels, totally ignoring thousands of union mem-bers who gathered inside and outside the Capitolbuilding to protest its passage.

The majority party senators and representa-tives refused to consider the voice of labor, showingthe citizens of Indiana that those who considerthemselves “true royalty” do not have to listen toanyone, much less working men and women.

As the enormous mass of union members stoodin protest for hours and days and weeks precedingthe final vote, I wondered just how many of thesethousands of citizens are even registered to vote, letalone actually voted in the last election. If you assume

a good percentage were married and had some adultchildren and brothers and sisters and other extendedfamily, I wonder how it is that so many anti-labor leg-islators get elected in the first place.

The other side has more money; we havemore people, but it only matters if those people reg-ister and vote. Register and vote! Take back theIndiana House, Senate and the governor’s office.

David A. Soderquist, P.S.

Verizon Announces Layoff …L.U. 827 (catv&t), EAST WINDSOR, NJ—When negoti-ations started in June 2011, Verizon never hinted atthe bargaining table of its need to downsize.Verizon Connected Solutions Inc. is a subsidiary ofVerizon, which has been in the bargaining unit ofLocal 827 since 1995. Over the years this bargainingunit grew as high as 1,100 members. As of Jan. 1,2012, we had 356 members. They work on the cop-per plant, installing and repairing customer facili-ties. On Feb. 2, 2012, Verizon announced the needto lay off 336 employees who report to Boonton,Plainfield, Ewing, Freehold and Egg Harbor. Some ofthese employees have more than 15 years. Allbecause of a bottom line. The off-date was April 3,2012. Verizon kept only 20 employees.

Last year Verizon profits were $12 billion andVerizon paid zero in taxes. The company spent morethan $34 million in lobbying. A practice that corpo-rate America lives on. Lining the pockets of legisla-tors and destroying the middle class. At this writing,negotiations continue with Verizon. The companyhas become the poster child of corporate greed. Thecompany continues with concessionary bargaining,putting demands on the table that diminish ourhealth benefits and working conditions and lowerour standard of living. Our fight continues.

Bill Huber, B.M./Pres./F.S.

Work Party VolunteersL.U. 915 (i&mt), TAMPA, FL—Our annual Local 915work party in February was well-attended by ourlocal members donating their time on a Saturday todo a few chores around our grounds. We completedour tasks this year in record time thanks to all thehard work of these members. Bro. Bruce did a greatjob on the grill afterward. It is always a good daywhen you can fellowship with each other and enjoythe day together. Thanks to all who helped makethis year’s work party a success.

This being an election year, I would like toreaffirm to everyone the importance off being regis-tered to vote. If you or any members of your family

are not registered to vote, contact the union hall toget the appropriate contact information for thesupervisor of elections in your area, or go to ourWeb site home page www.ibew915.org and lookunder the links section. Our legislators have tough-ened the guidelines under which one can register,shortened the days for early voting and even madeit harder to get an absentee ballot. So make sureyou start early so when the time comes you can besure your vote will count.

Theresa King, P.S.

‘Changes Abound’L.U. 949 (em,t&u), BURNSVILLE, MN—Changesabound at Local 949 in Burnsville, MN. The unionhall had much-needed remodeling done in 2011.

Changes in the Executive Board also put newofficers in place. Phil Ottens replaces recentlyretired R. Scott Darsie as president; and KellyDuggan replaces treasurer Joe Rother, who resignedfor health reasons. Mark Fischer is vice presidentand Anna Brush is secretary. Joining board mem-bers at-large Jeff Wiseman, Bill Gordon and RickMartin are Jon Sitzman and Kelly Ruddle.

Sadly, Local 949 says goodbye to Ray Turner,retired business representative who passed away inDecember 2011.

Cy Grover, P.S.

Welcome to New MembersL.U. 965 (em,govt,ptc&u), MADISON, WI—On Feb. 29,the newly organized workers at the Stoneman Plantin Cassville, WI, ratified a first agreement. We senda big welcome out to our 24 new members.

Join us in congratulating Bro. Ray Hansen,who recently received his 60-Year Service Award.

Recent incidents involving our members havepainfully highlighted the importance of safety in theindustries where we work. Looking out for our co-workers as well as ourselves is critical in everythingwe do. As Bus. Mgr. Tony Bartels wrote earlier thisyear: “We have seen the establishment of manyrules and regulations that protect workers that areenforced through OSHA. With all of that said andwith all of the safety related tools and equipment,there is still one line-related fatality every nine daysin the United States. … The time is now for each ofus to take the time to make sure the work is donesafely. This is the key to our survival.”

Kurt Roberts, P.S.

Community Service VolunteersL.U. 1049 (lctt,o,u&uow), LONG ISLAND, NY—Local1049’s Community Affairs Committee helps to betterthe lives of many of our fellow Long Islanders. Throughthe contribution of time, services and in some cases,money, Community Affairs helps those in need. Thecommittee works with numerous charitable organiza-tions and events such as the Postal Workers FoodDrive, St. Baldrick’s Foundation, Long Beach PolarBear Plunge and Local 1049’s Annual Car Show andChili Contest. These events raise money and resourcesfor our neighbors in need. The committee also sup-ports our members who assist community volunteerorganizations. Our members volunteer as coaches,Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Boy and Girl Scout leaders,firemen and EMTs. Our members are proud to serve incommunities where they live and work.

My grandfather used to say, “Many handsmake light work.” The Community Affairs Committeeneeds more hands to make their workload lighter. Ifyou can donate some time to help, please contactco-chairmen William Roulette or Kevin Quinn at theunion hall.

At the January general meeting, Long IslandPower Authority (LIPA) chief operating officer MikeHervey reminded our utility members that the tran-sition to PSE&G is a two-year process. We will keepmembers informed as decisions are made.

On behalf of Bus. Mgr. Donald J. Daley Jr., Istrongly encourage members to attend the generalmeetings the third Tuesday of every month.

Thomas J. Dowling, R.S.

‘Forging New Union Bonds’L.U. 1245 (catv,em,govt,lctt,o,pet,t&u), VACAVILLE,CA—Let’s face it: Unions are not connecting to ourcommunities as much as we did in the old days—when thousands marched in Labor Day paradesand attended union picnics. But now Local 1245 isborrowing a page from organized labor’s glory daysand forging new bonds among our members andwith our communities.

Members at NV Energy began raising cash in2009 for the Evelyn Mount Food Program in Nevada,starting a tradition that has continued. Sacramentoarea members organized a bowling tournament tobenefit the Shriners Hospitals for Children.Members at Turlock Irrigation District and PG&Estaffed a booth at the Pacific Coast Safety Fest, pub-licizing the local’s new First Responder TrainingProgram, which trains police and firefighters aboutsafety issues in responding to emergencies involv-ing electricity or natural gas.

Local 915 volunteers at February work party.

Local 965 Bus. Mgr. Tony Bartels (left) presents60-year award to Bro. Ray Hansen.

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Recent union-sponsored events create oppor-tunities for union members to connect in sportingevents. These include Local 1245’s Nor-Cal SportingClays Shoot, a Bowling Tournament hosted by ourunits at Turlock and Modesto Irrigation Districts, theGold Cup Soccer Tournament and Family Picnichosted by our local’s line clearance tree trimmers,and the 25th Annual Local 1245 Perry ZimmermanGolf Tournament. Our local also sponsors journey-men and apprentices to attend the annualLineman’s Rodeo in Kansas City.

We’re seeing a lot of enthusiasm for theseevents.

In other news, PG&E apprentice lineman JasonTucker was nominated for the IBEW Lifesaving Awardfor aiding an elderly woman who fell in the middle ofa busy thoroughfare. Bro. Tucker stopped his truck,called in for help, comforted the woman anddirected traffic safely around her until help arrived.

Eric Wolfe, P.S.

New Journeyman WiremenL.U. 1253 (i), AUGUSTA, ME—Congratulations to JohnLibby and John Reynolds on their upgrades fromapprentice to journeyman wireman. Likewise, wewelcome journeyman wireman Dallas Parmenter toour membership.

We were pleased to host the first quarter 2012AMPS meeting of all Maine IBEW locals on Jan. 18.

Welcome to new signatory contractors MatrixServices and Michels Power. We look forward tolong working relationships with both.

The future of working men and women inMaine is again in jeopardy during the 125th legisla-tive session. Bills that would further erode the frag-

ile safety net includeattempts to weakenworkers’ compensation,unemployment benefitsand trade licensing reg-ulation as well as intro-duction of public sector“right to work.” Thanksto the Maine AFL-CIO forthe tremendous coordi-nation effort in schedul-ing the Feb. 9 LaborLobby Day and districtmeetings throughout thestate. Also thanks to theEastern Maine LaborCouncil and the non-profit organization Foodand Medicine for spon-soring the March 3 leg-islative breakfast; andthanks to Central MaineLabor Council for spon-

soring the March 22 legislative breakfast. Theseevents were all well-attended by IBEW members aswell as other affiliates. We urge all to stay involved.The future of our children is at stake.

Timothy G. Bickford, P.S.

Local Recognizes RetireesL.U. 1307 (u), SALISBURY, MD—Local 1307 wishes torecognize recent retirees. The following membersretired from Delmarva Power in 2011.

Bro. John Rayne retired as a journeyman line-man with 27 years of service. Bro. Ronald Atkinsretired as a meter reader with 30 years of service.Bro. William Waller retired as a lead lineman with 28years of service. Bro. Curt Hudson retired as a leadlineman with 28 years of service; Curt also servicedon the Local 1307 E-Board for several terms. Bro.Paul Harmon retired as a senior substation techni-cian with 38 years of service. Sister Mildred Fisherretired as an engineering fieldman with 38 years ofservice. Bro. Robert Beckett retired as a trouble serv-iceman with 40 years of service. Bro. Greg Hitchretired as a senior draftsman with 37 years of serv-ice. Bro. Randy Jones retired as a lead lineman with34 years of service. Bro. Ronald Gray retired as atrouble serviceman with 40 years of service.

Due to a change in the Delmarva PowerHuman Resources Dept., I am unable to get theinformation needed to be able to recap the careersof these retirees, as I have done in the past.

Save jobs, limit imports.

Edward D. Sparks, P.S.

Work Picture ImprovingL.U. 1393 (catv,lctt,o,t&u), INDIANAPOLIS, IN—As ofthis early spring writing, IBEW Local 1393 membersrecently participated in the “We Are Indiana” rally atthe Indiana statehouse, joining thousands of unionsisters and brothers protesting anti-union legisla-tion in the 2012 Indiana General Assembly.

Mark Norton, a longtime member from Local1393, is running as a candidate for the office ofIndiana District 64 state representative to help fightanti-worker legislation like the “right-to- work” forless bill that went into effect March 14.

The local recently won a representation elec-tion for employees at Shambaugh & Son. We arefocusing on more organizing in our trade.

The work picture on the books is improvingdaily with all members working who are qualified forthe skill requested. We expect the work to increaseas the year goes on and next year to be even better.

Robert C. Fox, P.S.

Spring in St. LouisL.U. 1439 (u), ST. LOUIS, MO—Local 1439 is prepar-ing for upcoming contract negotiations withAmeren MO.

A solidarity rally and otherevents are being planned. Wehave set dates for our two charitygolf tournaments; plans are alsounderway for Lineman Rodeos inDuQuoin and Bonner Springs;and who could forget Labor Day.All events are expected to be big-ger than last year, and to helpwith all these events, we are initi-ating various committees to makesure things go off without a hitch.

The TomKraus MemorialGolf Tournamentis June 9 with a 1p.m. tee off. The

Local 1439 South Guy “Boomer”Barton Charity Golf Tournament isAug. 18 with a 1 p.m. tee off.

Winter was mild in our areawith only a few of our linemancrews helping out with stormrestoration in other states.

In November 2011, ourlargest employer, Ameren MO,announced a voluntary separationpackage. Sixty-six of our memberselected to accept the incentive andretired before January 2012. This

puts an even greater level of stress on an alreadyunderstaffed workforce.

Congratulations to member Nick Bauer, whoreceived our union’s highest honor, the IBEWLifesaving Award.

Mike Walter, B.M.

A Tribute to ServiceL.U. 1501 (ees,em,mo,pet,rts&t), BALTIMORE, MD—The local’s office manager/administrative assistant,Mrs. Margo Milliken, recently celebrated her fifthyear of employment. Hers is the voice that membershear when they contact the office. Margo’s prede-cessor, Mrs. Sharon Chrisman, had been with us foralmost 30 years when she suddenly passed away.

The Local 1501 office is a busy place, with mul-tiple bargaining units; Jackson & Tull and Qinetiq atNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt,MD; Amtote contracts in both Canada and theUnited States (being in the gaming industry andhaving jurisdiction in the United States, Mexico andCanada) with a union administered Rx and VisionPlan. With the loss of Sharon, we suddenly realizedhow many tasks she performed. We also realizedthere are not many office managers with experiencein running union offices seeking employment. Butfate intervened when news of Sharon’s passingreached the Metropolitan Baltimore Council of AFL-CIO Unions. Margo, who had worked with theLaborers for 26 years, was interviewed and hired asSharon’s replacement. She achieved a smooth tran-sition, performing all duties well.

I join with Bus. Mgr./Pres. Dion F. Guthrie inacknowledging the contribution the office managermakes to local union operations. For her part,Margo says she enjoys working with our officersand members.

Thomas J. Rostkowski, R.S.

Prestigious Safety AwardL.U. 1547 (c,em,i,o,t&u), ANCHORAGE, AK—The U.S.Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety andHealth Administration recently recognized the IBEWLocal 1547 employees of Bechtel National Inc.’sGround-Based Midcourse Defense Project, at FortGreely in Alaska, for excellence in the employeesafety and health program.

The work site was designated a “star,” thehighest honor in OSHA’s Voluntary ProtectionPrograms. More than 90 Local 1547 membersworked for Bechtel on this project, including jour-neyman wiremen, communication workers andapprentices. The project began in 2002 and began

Local 1245 apprentice lineman Jason Tucker wasnominated for the IBEW Lifesaving Award.

Work has begun at the new substation in Leeds, Maine,employing Local 1253 members with signatory contractorMichels Power.

Local 1439 member Nick Bauer receives IBEWLifesaving Award.

Local 1501 Bus. Mgr./Pres. Dion F. Guthrie (left), Int. Pres. Edwin D.Hill, Local 1501 Office Mgr./Adm. Asst. Margo Milliken and formerInt. Sec.-Treas. Lindell K. Lee.

60-Year Service AwardBogalusa, LA, Local 1077 retired Bro. James Elbert Parker (third fromleft) receives his 60-year service award. From left: Local 1077 Bus.Mgr. Scott Brumfield; Fifth District Int. Rep. Michael W. Pace, formerLocal 1077 business manager; Bro. Parker; Local 1077 journeymanwireman James Craig Parker, son of the recipient; Local 995 Bro.Robert Torrence; and retired Local 1077 Bros. George Williams andKenneth Crawley.

Local Lines

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winding down in January 2011. The project encom-passed nearly 66,000 man-hours and the installa-tion of more than 180,000 linear feet of conduit.

Melinda Taylor, P.S.

Much News to ReportL.U. 1579 (i&o), AUGUSTA, GA—As previouslyreported, Bus. Mgr. Kenneth Ward continues tomeet with Department of Energy representativesand political officials on upcoming missions forSavannah River Site. The business manager wantsto make sure there are jobs available for IBEWmembers even after we are done with our currentprojects. So far, everything looks very promising.

By the time this article is printed, the newtraining facility should be completed. There will bemany opportunities to further the local’s educationand I encourage the membership to take advantageof this new facility.

Thanks to all the traveling sisters and broth-ers who are currently working in our jurisdiction onvarious projects. We are glad that we are finally get-ting to repay other locals for their help putting ourmembers to work in the past.

The work outlook appears good. As most peo-ple know by now, the Vogtle Project was officiallyissued a work permit to go vertical with the two newreactors. This is a massive project and is closelywatched as these are the first nuclear reactors builtin the United States in approximately 30 years. Thesuccess of this project will be very important tofuture construction of other nuclear plants.

Until next time, God bless.

Will Salters, A.B.M.

Register for TrainingL.U. 1701 (catv,ees,i,o&u), OWENSBORO,KY—The Examining Board gave the jour-neyman wireman exam recently to BradAnthony, Quentin Dunn and Scott Searcey.The board reports all passed. Welcome,brothers.

The JATC reminds all members to getregistered for Passport Training forKentucky Utilities, ARSC training for Alcan,and six-hour continuing education forrenewing your Kentucky State ElectricalLicense. Call the hall for more information.

Service pins were awarded at our

January monthly meeting to eligible members with20 to 60 years of service. We also recognized the fol-lowing, who retired in 2011: Coy Atwood, BillO’Bryan and James Kamuf. Congratulations to all.

Pres. Scott Coleman appointed Bro. JeremyAnderson as our representative to the OwensboroCouncil of Labor to replace retired member RichardThompson. Congratulations, Bro. Anderson. Wethank Bro. Thompson for the many years he servedon the council.

Bus. Mgr. Larry Boswell reports contract nego-tiations are set to begin in May for the Big RiversElectric “BA” members. Good luck to the negotiat-ing committee.

Membership Development Coordinator MikeVanWinkle reports he is still talking with severalnonunion contractors in the jurisdiction in hopes ofsigning them on. Good luck, Mike.

Tim Blandford, R.S./P.S.

Tribute to a BrotherL.U. 1739 (i&o), BARRIE, ONTARIO, CANADA—Pictured in the accompanying photo at a recentLocal 1739 retirees breakfast are: members BillCarson, Ray Moreau, Randy Jamieson, DaveDesroche, John Hawkins, Art O’Hara, DaveCarruthers and Bob Newburn.

On a sad note we regret to report that Bro. JimTownes has passed. Jim was a longtime member ofour local. Jim’s family includes several generationsof IBEW members. Our sincere condolences go outto the entire Townes family.

Local 1739 wishes all the locals a great summer.

Frank Kastle, P.S.

March Meeting UpdateRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 1, ST. LOUIS, MO—Local 1retirees enter 2012 with high hopes of a good yearof employment and an improving economy.

Our first 2012 meeting was held March 21, abeautiful spring day. Members enjoyed an informa-tive meeting and lunch afterward.

The usual order of business was followed,with a communication from Joplin Local 95 thankingour members for their generosity and help in tor-nado recovery efforts.

It was announced that transportation wouldbe provided for all who wished to attend a March 27labor rally at the Missouri state Capitol in JeffersonCity. Thanks to all who participated in the rally.These are dark days for unionism in our state, withthe legislature dominated by conservative represen-tatives. At this writing, threats of so called “right-to-work” (for less) and attacks on prevailing wage loom.

A presentation was made by Project VeteranAid. The speaker was David Seitzer, from theNational Organization of Veterans Advocates.

Local Pres. Tom George reported on the still-dismal work situation. At least some larger jobs areanticipated.

We encourage all retirees to attend our meet-ings and renew friendships with your old work bud-dies. Much is to be gained from these get-togethers.

Upcoming 2012 meetingsare: May 16, July 18, Sept. 19 (lun-cheon) and Nov. 21.

Don Appelbaum, P.S.

‘Exciting 2012Itinerary’RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 3, NEWYORK, NY, NASSAU CHAPTER—Atour September 2011 meeting, abanner was dedicated to the mem-ory of Local 3 members who diedon 9/11. They were: ThomasAshton, James M. Cartier, Joseph DiPilato, SalvatoreA. Fiumefreddo, Harvey R. Hermer, Ralph M. Licciardi,Michael W. Lowe, Charles P. Lucania, Lester V. Marino,Jose Martinez, Joseph M. Romagnola, AnthonySegarra, Jeffery J. Shaw, Steven R. Strauss, Glenn J.Travers Sr. and Kenneth W. White. They are gone butwill not be forgotten. Piper Richard Doherty, a mem-ber of the Local 3 Sword of Light Pipe Band, per-formed tomark theoccasion.

Aftermany yearsof service aspress secre-tary, EugeneMcGrath hasturned overthe positionto BobCooper.Thank you,Eugene, fora job well-done.

Congratulations to Joe Franco, who celebratedhis 95th birthday.

The club has an exciting itinerary for 2012—looks like a lot of fun ahead for the coming months.

Bob Cooper, P.S.

Barbecue at Delray BeachRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 3, NEW YORK, NY, NORTHFLORIDA CHAPTER—Our chapter held its annualChristmas/Hanukah/New Year’s party at Benvenuto’sin Boynton Beach on Jan. 13. The food, excellent one-man band and dancing were fun! All the brothers andsisters had a great time. Thanks to Sandy Rosenhoughand her helpers who made the arrangements.

A barbecue was held in Delray Beach South CivicCenter on March 12. Many Local 3 retirees and our pastbusiness manager Tom Van Arsdale attended.

Our meetings include informative talks byinvitees. Currently we are having lively discussionsabout employment and various union benefits.

The chapter meets the second Friday of eachmonth at 10 a.m. in the Delray Beach South CivicCenter from October to May. Many of our membersare “snow birds” and we welcome all Local 3retirees to our affairs and meetings.

Dick Dickman, P.S.

Honoring a 101-Year-Old RetireeRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 3, NEW YORK, NY, WESTCHESTER/ PUTMAN CHAPTER—On Jan. 17, fourWestchester/ Putman Chapter Local 3 retirees vis-ited William “Bill” Krell at his Osborn Home resi-dence in Rye, NY. For 76 years, Bill has been anIBEW member; his initiation was July 1935.

Born Nov. 22, 1910, Bill celebrated his 101stbirthday in 2011. When asked what contributed tohis longevity, Bill replied: “Love my work, always onthe go, active in many organizations, eating right, nosmoking, exercising and mostly my daughter wholooks after me.” Heredity is also in Bill’s favor; hehas a brother age 102 and a cousin 103 years old.

Bill is shown in the accompanying photo (onpg. 15) holding a “Gold Member’s Club Certificate OfSpecial Recognition,” for members at least 80 yearsof age. The award was given to him on Jan. 5,because he was unable to receive it at ourChristmas/Hanukkah luncheon.

John Rich, P.S.Bob Cuneo, P.S.

IBEW Local 1547 members at Bechtel National Inc. Kneeling (l to r), Joe Lavorgna, Reece Burke, AndyMirales, Alan Wilde; standing, Robert Alford, Michael Kendall, Joe Campbell, Kathleen McCreary,Roger Tiech, Steve Patrick, Tim Wallis, Konstantin Misyuk, Thomas Vice, Richard Huddell, MichaelSullivan, Tom Buotte, Tell Burger and Patrick McMurrough.

Members attend a Local 1739 retirees breakfast.

Retirees

Piper Richard Doherty, Local 3Sword of Light Pipe Band.

Local 3, North Florida Chapter, Retirees Club holiday party atBenvenuto’s.

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Upcoming Summer LuncheonRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 11, LOS ANGELES, CA—Congratulations to our Club Pres. Marty Cohen andhis bride, Nancy. The couple were married inNovember. We wish them the best of luck in theirnew life together.

The Local 11 Retirees Club meets the secondWednesday of every month, 10 a.m., at theElectrical Training Institute in the city of Commerce.All Local 11 retired members are invited to join ourclub. Please attend an upcoming meeting.

Best wishes to our friend Richard Dulac. Wehope he will make a quick recovery and comeback soon.

We are busy finalizing plans for our upcomingSummer Luncheon to be held Wednesday, June 13.Club Vice Pres. Harvey “Butch” Bachand and hiswife, Sharon, will cater the event.

We mourn the passing of longtime memberand friend Benjamin R. Laufer. Ben was initiatedinto Local 11 in 1956 and worked for many yearsdoing control work at the Bob Hope Airport inBurbank. He will be missed by all.

Bob Oedy, P.S

‘Join the Retirees’RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 42, HARTFORD, CT—TheRetirees Club invites anyone who’s a retired memberof Local 42 to come and join them. The club meetsseveral times a year at Local 42’s hall. The retirees gettogether and talk about old times; they share funnystories, enjoy each other’s company and have coffeeand donuts. The retirees wish to thank all the ladiesin the office for all their help and warm smiles. If youlike to get out for a couple of enjoyable hours, comeand join the retirees. The club would love to haveyou. If interested, call us at (860) 646-7297.

Local 42 wishes to recognize John Shane forhis 50 years of IBEW service and Charles Sharpe for55 years of IBEW service

Save the dates for upcoming union functions.

This year the fishing trip is July 21, and thefamily picnic is Aug. 4.

Jacquelyn Moffitt, P.S.

Annual Spring Pin PartyRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 58, DETROIT, MI—”Greetings and salutations, and how are wetoday?” Or so the quote from one of my favorite“old-timers” used to go as his hello greeting. I’llgive you the name of the better looking brotherhere quoted in the next article. Michiganweather has been anything but typical recentlyand some brothers have hit the links already.

At this April writing, our annual springPin Party was fast approaching. It is my under-

standing that Martin Streby and Robert Travis arereceiving 70-year service pins! At this writing 18members are eligible to receive 50-year pins. Our55-year service pin recipients total 37. Fifty membersare receiving 60-year pins. Thirty-four members arereceiving 65-year pins. Congratulations to all pinrecipients. You all have earned it.

We welcome Al Erickson and John Amrhein asnew members of the Retirees Association Board ofDirectors. To any member who wishes to become aboard member: the meetings are held the secondWednesday of each month in the Bill RushfordRoom at the union hall, 10 a.m. If the ladies wish tobecome a board member, the same applies.

If you wish to go on our Boston field trip, con-tact Rick Koerber through the union hall for bookinginformation. Seats fill up fast, so book as early aspossible. Take care and may God bless.

Frank A. Maisano, P.S.

Celebrating 30-YearCharterRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 60, SAN ANTONIO, TX—There is excitement in the air. In June, the Local 60Retirees Club charter will be 30 years young. Clubmembers elected to have a special celebration atthe May meeting/luncheon to honor their historybefore the summer break. Bro. John Weber and hiswife, Dorothy, will be present at the May meeting.Bro. Weber was initiated into Local 60 in December1940, making him the most senior retiree. Sharingmemories and shaking hands will be in abundance.It was once said by Sue Carney, American PostalWorkers Union director of human relations, that:“The union is not a free-for-all service organiza-tion—it is a family.” To all retirees of Local 60, puton your party hats and please join us.

Congratulations to Manual Velasquez, JoeBulness and Val Roessling on their recent retire-ment from Local 60. You are most welcome to join inon all the good food, good company and good fun atRetirees Club meeting/luncheons held the secondThursday of each month. The club meets at 12 noon,at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Training Bldg., 3630Belgium Lane. Hope to see you there.

Sandy Rogers, P.S.

Day Trip to MuseumRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 81, SCRANTON, PA—The Local81 Retirees Club took a day trip to Nazareth, PA, tovisit the C. F. Martin Guitar Company Museum. As thegroup toured the museum, they saw various dis-plays of guitars once owned by famous people,including Gene Autry, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash

and Elvis Presley. Their tour guide was ChristopherMartin, the great grandson of C. F. Martin.

The retirees then toured the guitar factory,where they saw from start to finish every phase ofmaking a guitar.

Gino Arcurie, P.S.

Holiday LuncheonRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 99, PROVIDENCE, RI—TheRetirees Club celebrated our annual Christmasluncheon last year at the West Valley Inn in WestWarwick, RI. We thank the local union for sponsor-ing this wonderful event. [See photo, at top.]

Our Pres. Robert Pierce introduced Bro. WalterChenes, a new club member. Bro. Chenes led us inthe saying of grace as well as a moment of silencefor our departed brothers.

After a very nice family-style meal, Pres. Pierceand newly elected Bus. Mgr. Michael Daley awardedservice pins and certificates to eligible brothers. Duringthe pin ceremony, Rhode Island Sec. of State RalphMollis stopped by to wish everyone a merry Christmas.

Our Christmas luncheon was a huge success; wehad the largest turnout in the club’s 25-year history.Everyone enjoyed seeing old friends and reminiscing.

After the luncheon ended the sunshine com-mittee met to discuss our annual trip to visit ourhousebound brothers. It’s always nice to stop byand brighten someone’s day.

We are saddened by the loss of two of ourretired brothers: Joseph Maguire and Albert

LeBlanc. May they rest in peace.

Raymond Germershausen, P.S.

Annual Luncheon for RetireesRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 110, ST.PAUL, MN—Local 110 hosted theannual luncheon for the retireesat the Prom Center on Oct. 6,2011, in Oakdale. Some 367retirees, spouses and guestsattended this great event.

A 60-year pin was awardedto Robert “Pete” Deeg. Awarded55-year pins were: Patrick Arntzen,

Robert Kobler, Stephen Reuter and Wayne Rolph.Awarded 50-year pins: Phillip Becklin, Russ Clymer,Leo Grzeskowiak, Manuel Rivera, John Thoemke andRoger Wackerfuss. Congratulations to our brothers.

Bus. Mgr. Jamie McNamara addressed thegroup and thanked the retirees for their dedicatedservice to our industry, the IBEW and the local union.

The Local 110 Retirees Club is a very activegroup with monthly meetings at which Pres. JohnHeuer presides. The retirees help out at our annualpicnic, Christmas party for kids and anything theyare asked to do.

Thank you to Local 110 for supporting theretirees. And to April Lyons, thank you for the great jobyou did in planning the annual luncheon, the servicepins and all the help you provided to the retirees.

Jack Buchal, P.S.

Local 3, Westchester/Putman Chapter Retirees, fromleft, standing, John Rich, Bob Cuneo, John Sarich,John Hansen; seated at center, Bill Krell.

Local 11 Retirees Club Pres. Marty Cohen andwife Nancy.

Local 81 retirees visit museum. Front row, from left, Tom Lavelle,Marty Zelsnack, Bernard Keisling Howard Owens and Bob Janes.Back row: Joe Simrell, Paul Lowe, Joe Nealon and Forest Janes.

Local 99 Retirees Club’s 2011 Service Pin Ceremony.

IBEW Local 110 congratulates service pin recipients. From left, front row: Manuel Rivera, Robert“Pete” Deeg, John Thoemke, Stephen Reuter, Robert Kobler. Back row: Russ Clymer, Phillip Becklin,Leo Grzeskowiak, Roger Wackerfuss, Wayne Rolph, Patrick Arntzen, Bus. Mgr. Jamie McNamara andRetirees Club Pres. John Heuer.

Retirees

16 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r | M a y 2 0 1 2

Candidates at March LuncheonRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 124, KANSAS CITY, MO—We hadmore than 50 attendees at our March luncheon. Thebrotherhood and the food were great. Jim Kice and BillNoel, two of our 90-plus-year-olds, attended. Thanks,fellows, for the shared memories, the good “ole”times. Bus. Mgr. Terry Akins updated us on local proj-ects and needs that we can address for the good of theunion. Retirees Club Pres. Dale Allen introduced TeresaHensley, Cass County, MO, prosecuting attorney, who isrunning for the U.S. House of Representatives, 4thCongressional District. Teresa, from a union family, hada wake-up call for all of us: “We must take the 1 per-cent to task. We cannot wait for another election year!”Also present was Patty Johnson, a union-raised lady,who is running for the Missouri State House ofRepresentatives, 56th District.

We remember the following deceased mem-bers: Strady Anastos, William E. Brown Sr., DonaldC. Comstock, Phillip A. Gravina, Thomas R. Horrell,Elizabeth J. King, Ralph T. Pemberton, Paul R.Roseworn and Derral W. Weber.

Congratulations to recent retired members:Tommy R. Cantwell, Steve D. Dickinson, Glen D.Garrett, Gerald D. Gambrill, Raymond E. Hurst, JerryS. Kimes, James W. Lacy, John M. Lindley, Kevin M.McConnell, Dennis McKinney, Everett McNutt, TomMaupin, George E. Morasch, Tavish Twiford andMark Womelduff.

Ken Starr, P.S.

May 3 Crawfish BoilRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 130, NEW ORLEANS, LA—OnMarch 22 we had our quarterly meeting, held in theAlexander Room. Despite the horrible rain, 50 peo-ple attended. Everyone enjoyed the food, drinksand one another’s good company.

We awarded Robert A. Marsh and Robert A.Rodriguez a watch for 60 years of service.Congratulations, brothers.

Please mark your calendars: We have our craw-fish boil on May 3. Hope everyone is able to attend.

At this writing, we were looking forward to ourbus trip to Hollywood Casino, which was scheduledfor April 5.

We mourn the loss of: Joseph F. Borel, Ronald R.Clark Sr., Donald Cousin, Edmund E. Federer Sr., CarolE. Hartley, Joaquin O. Sanchez and John D. Williams.

Until our next meeting, God bless America.

George Clesi, Pres.

Retirees Seminar/LuncheonRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 134, CHICAGO, IL—On March 14we had elections for Retirees Club officers. RichardSipple was elected club president. Jim Flirispresided as election judge. Local 134 former presi-dent Gary Niederkorn administered the oath ofoffice to newly elected Retirees Club officers.

The second retirees seminar for “C” (Communi-cation) members of Local 134 was held at the unionhall on March 10. A scrumptious catered luncheonwas served to all members and guests. Congratula-tions to all retiring Communication members.

Coming events for June include a celebration tohonor all our club’s retired members who havereached their 50-, 55- and 60-year anniversaries.Also, a neighborhood tour is scheduled of LincolnPark, Old Town, Wrigleyville, Lakeview and Uptownand a stop at the Elks Memorial Building in LincolnPark on June 5, with lunch at Orso’s Restaurant in OldTown. Check for details in our monthly newsletter.

In September, we will have our annual golfouting.

We welcome all Local 134 retirees. Noon to 1p.m.is “greet and meet” time at the Retirees Club meet-ing on the second Wednesday of the month. Theregular meeting continues until 2:30 p.m., at theunion hall, 600 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago.

Louis Rodriguez, P.S.

‘Lifetime Members’RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 212, CINCINNATI, OH—Newclub policy honors members of 20 years or more asLifetime Members by waiving annual dues.Congratulations to: Harry Schoettlekotte, Chuck Louis,Walt Lewis, Jack Keller, Frank Bader, Henry Abel, AdronRice, Bill Seay, Bud Brown, Fred Holthaus, Milt Binderand Jack Rothert. We lost Lifetime member FrankHochstuhl on Dec. 10 last year. Our deepest sympathyto his family. He will be missed.

Show appreciation to the men and womenwho serve in our military and protect our nationaland international interest. Do something meaning-ful. Ask the waitress for the check of a uniformedmilitary person and buy them lunch. It feels goodand doesn’t cost much to anonymously say,“Thanks for your sacrifice.”

Our annual club picnic for members andguests will be held July 11, at Fernbank Park on theriver, beginning at 11 a.m. Bring a door prize andjoin the fun. On Aug. 11, the annual Local 212 sum-mer picnic will be held at Stricker’s Grove. This isalways a fun time for our families with games, rides,drinks and food.

Our local is well on the way toward a newoffice and meeting hall in Sharonville. Hopefully,everything will fall into place for this to happen.

Bob Schaefer, P.S.

2011Annual LuncheonRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 236, ALBANY, NY—The Local236 retirees held their annual luncheon Oct. 25 lastyear at The Italian American Community Center.Many of our retired members and several widows ofretirees made this a very well-attended event. Some

of the current and former officers of the localsgraced us with their presence. Bro. Mike Ray did agreat job in scheduling this affair. Bro. Ken Hinckleyalso took many pictures of the event, as he has inthe past. We thank all who attended and helpedout. This is the 37th year for our luncheon.

Jim Porter, P.S.

Traveling Museum ExhibitionRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 257, JEFFERSON CITY, MO—The Retirees Club met for their monthlyluncheon/meeting Tuesday, March 27, at theKnights of Columbus in Westphalia, MO.

During Feb. 11 to March 10, a traveling exhibi-tion was held at the National Churchill Museum inFulton, MO, through a first-time partnership amongthe National Churchill Museum, the SmithsonianInstitution, the Missouri Humanities Council, andCallaway County.

The exhibition showed the changes that workand workplaces went through between the mid-19thand late 20th centuries. We were one of only six sitesin Missouri to host this exhibition. Some of ourmembers contributed vintage tools for the exhibitand helped with tours. [See photo, above right.]

Delores Melloway, P.S.

Luncheon MeetingsRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 291, BOISE, ID—The Marchmeeting was held in Nampa at the Golden Corral

with 30 in attendance. [See photo, top right.] Local291 Bus. Mgr. Aaron White brought good newsabout upcoming work projects in our jurisdiction.Although the weather was strange around here, westill had a good showing for the club. It seems thatwinter and spring switched places.

Membership update: With sorrow we reportthe recent loss of three more Retirees Club mem-bers: Bill Stith and his wife, Roberta Stith, and DaleHancock. Their service with IBEW was 63 years forBill Stith, and 54 years for Dale Hancock; a com-bined total of more than 100 years of service. Wow!They will be greatly missed.

Bill and Mary Shaw are proud great grandpar-ents of a baby girl, Dakota.

Prayers are being answered as the job marketis picking up. Continue to pray for our country andeveryone who is struggling in this economy. Defendand protect our rights to be union members, always!

Our luncheons are held the second Thursdayof each month. Please contact any club member fortime and location. Everyone is welcome!

Joe Sirani, Pres.

Anniversary PreparationsRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 611, ALBUQUERQUE, NM—Remember to vote when it’s time. Exercise your rightto vote for a candidate who supports working fami-lies of America. Believe it or not, two years ago only50 percent of our members were registered to vote.

Local 130 Retirees Club Pres. George Clesi(center) presents watches to 60-year membersRobert Marsh and Robert Rodriguez.

Local 134 Retirees Club Pres. Rich Sipple (left), Local 134former president Gary Niederkorn and Retirees Clubformer president Mario Coletta.

From left: former Int. Vice Pres. Donald Funk,past business manager of former Local 166; RoyVan Amburgh, past business manager offormer Local 724; and current Local 236 Bus.Mgr. Donald Rahm.

Local 257 Retirees Club member Willis Fischer(left) and Pres. Jerry Rehagen stand beside anIBEW exhibit at the National Churchill Museum.

Local 291 Retirees Club’s March luncheon: “Where is spring?”

Attending a Local 611 unit meeting are: standing, Bus. Mgr. Chris Frentzel (left), retirees WeldonHambrick, Jimmy Tucker, Joel Fogelman, Owen Thomas, Kenny Vaughn, Prentiss Putman, Lee Truitt,C. Ahlgrim; front row, retirees Jerry Billings, Elmer Beebe and Troy Amburn.

Local 611 is approaching our 100th year anniversary. Happy tosay, we have now completed 98 years of the local’s history, about 95percent. It’s up to the members to help with finishing touches—pleasedrop by the union hall, view the several books of Local 611 history andhelp identify hundreds of pictures displayed in the dispatch area,mostly graduating apprentice and banquet photos. I urge all membersto stay in touch and work with the history committee to complete thisproject. A company was contacted to produce a book of our 100 years,but they will need at least a year to complete this book. So, by late2012, we must have all our facts in order. Our 100 year anniversarydate is Feb. 17, 2014. Get ready!

Condolences to families of recently deceased members:Angelio A. Villareal and retirees Donald Sparks, Jerry G. Kelly, LarryG. Matthews, George E. Hughes and Arnold Tucker.

Attend local union meetings and vote!

Tracy Hall, Pres.

Summer LuncheonRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 654, CHESTER, PA—In July last year, Local 654retirees enjoyed a summer luncheon as guests of the Local 654membership. Thank you to the membership. More than 50 retireesattended. Our new caterer, Lia’s Catering, puts out a delicious meal.I can testify to the filet mignon.

As we drove in that day and parked, I didn’t realize we were inthe celebrity parking—but retired Bro. Gordon “Andy” Andersonand his wife, Marion, parked next to us. Later during the festivities,he received his 60-year award. Congratulations, Andy.

Watches were presented to retired Bros. Al Kery, John Zelinski,Chris Poulides and Al Vandetty. Best wishes to all.

Retired Bro. Al Simeone and wife Angie attended along with hisson-in-law, recently retired Bro. Dan Malloy. Al recently celebrated his93rd birthday and it was good to see them all there together.

Our other 93-year-old and only living charter member, retiredBro. John Grasso, had planned to attend but that didn’t work out.Several retirees present sported new knees, new hips, new hearts… but, fortunately, some of the same old stories.

T. Francis “Jeep” Hanley, P.S.

‘An Excellent Turnout’RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 702, WEST FRANKFORT, IL—On April 4, weheld our Annual Retiree Luncheon at the Rend Lake Resort. We hadan excellent turnout of approximately 140 in attendance.

What a blessing it is to honor our retirees and to give back tothem for their many years of service with Local 702. We thank them forall their hard work and dedication toward making Local 702 successful.

We want to remind all our retirees about the Local 702 RetireeClub. The club meets on the first Thursday of the following monthseach year: February, April, June, August, October and December.Postcard notices are sent prior to club meetings to remind everyoneof the date, location and time. If you have not yet joined and areinterested, please contact the Local 702 union hall.

Marsha Steele, P.S.

IBEW Local 702 Annual Retiree Luncheon held April 4.

In Memoriam

1 Bolhafner, L. T. 2/5/121 Lowry, M. V. 1/21/121 O’Toole, C. P. 7/26/112 Hufty, J. C. 1/27/122 Jones, E. R. 2/1/123 Attison, G. N. 2/14/123 Barbera, E. G. 2/14/123 Bibko, J. 2/21/083 Bourazeris, C. D. 1/5/113 Cavaliere, D. J. 2/1/123 Chirles, R. J. 2/2/123 Clarke, C. 1/22/123 De Cristoforo, A. 3/1/123 Goldberg, C. L. 1/27/103 Gruber, E. H. 2/12/123 Heiss, E. J. 1/23/123 Jagde, T. C. 2/7/123 Kamean, R. 2/6/123 Madera, R. 5/18/103 Martin, D. E. 8/21/113 Meyers, H. 3/28/073 O’Neill, J. F. 2/7/123 Pennisi, J. 12/16/113 Raffio, L. J. 1/4/123 Reilly, T. A. 2/25/113 Strang, D. J. 1/13/123 Varela, L. A. 11/22/113 Wong, A. N. 2/26/125 Barie, R. A. 2/17/125 Draganac, M. J. 3/4/125 Foley, J. V. 2/3/125 Gould, D. E. 4/13/105 Mitchell, E. L. 2/28/115 Reynolds, F. A. 9/27/116 Brumfield, W. C. 1/28/126 Buckley, E. J. 2/2/126 De Lorenzo, M. M. 2/6/126 Smith, C. R. 2/4/107 Donah, H. W. 2/6/127 Stone, E. G. 1/16/128 Busdeker, N. W. 1/30/128 Edgar, D. V. 2/28/128 Hammer, R. A. 2/16/129 Pruchnicki, J. M. 2/18/129 Simmons, P. J. 2/1/1211 Alley, L. L. 11/10/1111 Crowick, R. A. 12/7/1111 Davis, E. R. 1/29/0811 Fox, A. G. 11/1/1111 Hardman, L. 2/28/1211 Jackie, W. 2/2/1211 Mathis, R. X. 12/28/1111 McCorkle, D. D. 10/5/1011 Murillo, A. 1/29/1211 Pittman, W. E. 4/15/1111 Snapp, C. D. 11/11/1111 Takayesu, S. S. 1/31/1011 Tanger, R. H. 1/31/1214 Lieffring, J. P. 11/16/1114 Roshell, J. E. 2/17/1215 Jolle, F. F. 5/26/0815 Mosier, G. W. 12/30/1116 Healy, J. F. 2/8/1217 Stanislow, B. 2/2/1220 Burcie, I. J. 2/8/1220 Taylor, O. E. 2/18/1222 Jorgensen, D. L. 2/20/1222 Vajgrt, A. B. 12/30/1124 O’Donnell, M. E. 1/9/1224 Ovelgone, W. T. 4/23/1024 Pettie, R. G. 6/27/1125 Dalton, R. 2/2/1225 Geremia, A. 1/4/1125 Jason, L. J. 1/29/1225 Lanzarotta, S. 2/4/1225 Libasci, P. A. 8/13/0826 Bell, J. R. 1/26/1226 Buete, G. E. 9/21/09

26 Lucas, R. D. 10/9/1126 Nicholas, E. W. 2/1/1226 Temple, J. T. 1/27/1234 Bartel, K. A. 10/8/1035 Trebisacci, J. V. 11/20/1138 Juliani, M. R. 11/17/1138 Wunderle, D. R. 10/22/1141 Keroack, R. A. 5/28/1142 Whitehouse, G. J. 2/14/1243 Kohles, E. A. 1/21/1243 Leisner, F. L. 3/27/1143 Olivia, P. A. 2/12/1243 Teesdale, J. H. 2/11/1244 Konesky, S. G. 2/24/1245 Llanes, P. C. 10/31/1146 Belmondo, M. D. 11/25/1146 Dean, B. C. 11/24/1146 Foss, M. A. 1/26/0946 Humphreys, G. E. 2/8/1246 Smith, F. R. 2/1/1246 St. Jacque, T. E. 1/27/1246 Watson, N. L. 1/13/1246 Watts, W. T. 1/2/1247 Condon, J. R. 11/3/1148 Andreas, F. D. 1/16/1248 Gardner, L. E. 3/8/1248 McLeod, R. L. 1/30/1248 Sadler, W. L. 1/16/1248 Simmons, G. E. 2/22/1248 Waldram, E. W. 12/11/1151 Fozzard, C. W. 2/12/1256 Porter, C. 2/13/1257 Deveraux, R. W. 1/28/1257 Downward, R. M. 12/18/1158 Faniel, C. L. 1/22/1258 Haynes, J. 1/29/1258 Mathews, J. A. 2/19/1258 Merritt, F. J. 2/6/1258 Miney, J. 12/17/1158 Slate, M. R. 2/5/1258 Toczylowski, J. T. 11/7/1158 Tonkin, W. G. 2/8/1258 Wagner, R. E. 2/6/1260 Haynes, J. R. 11/24/1160 Simmons, W. R. 1/27/1264 Wolz, A. A. 12/16/1166 Tidwell, D. B. 12/29/1168 Arnold, R. H. 11/12/1168 Dufour, R. D. 2/19/1268 Flynn, J. R. 8/8/0968 Prilika, A. 2/12/1268 Taylor, R. E. 2/13/1268 Tyler, R. J. 10/16/1070 Bouldin, C. F. 9/19/1170 Grove, H. R. 2/12/1276 Guile, A. C. 7/8/1076 Jacob, H. C. 2/10/1277 Ballinger, C. C. 2/5/1277 Hopson, K. K. 2/20/1277 Page, L. H. 9/20/1177 Perkins, K. W. 1/5/1277 Phillips, G. C. 2/7/1277 Shale, H. G. 2/19/1277 Taber, W. L. 2/29/1277 Vinish, E. J. 2/5/1280 Maltby, E. W. 12/22/1181 Matticks, P. J. 2/14/1281 Vandorick, R. J. 2/18/1284 Durrett, E. C. 1/28/1284 Whitlock, G. C. 6/11/1086 Helser, S. M. 10/30/1190 Zabski, F. S. 6/6/0896 Soter, M. 1/31/1297 Lange, M. T. 3/8/1298 Lindsay, G. L. 2/12/1298 Mason, C. J. 2/21/1298 Meister, K. J. 2/20/1298 Nees, R. N. 1/29/12

99 Leblanc, A. A. 2/7/12100 Santoni, J. 1/19/10102 Brown, A. 3/28/10102 Livermon, J. A. 6/21/10102 Rowe, E. D. 1/4/12102 Rowland, J. B. 2/23/12102 Trudnak, E. S. 2/4/12103 Bailey, T. 1/17/12103 Callahan, M. D. 1/18/12103 Hanlon, D. F. 11/1/11103 Iannazzi, M. J. 8/9/10103 Wedge, W. T. 8/9/11103 Wiederhold, A. J. 1/28/12104 McCann, T. A. 2/26/12105 Holland, T. E. 2/12/11105 Sohm, W. G. 11/7/11110 Troyer, H. C. 5/8/11110 Tyrrell, W. A. 1/23/12110 Weddington, M. W. 12/26/11111 Brown, R. C. 2/6/10112 Merrick, J. D. 12/2/11112 Reed, D. M. 1/26/12112 Swope, B. A. 2/21/12112 Wilcoxson, B. E. 1/20/12113 Gaber, D. A. 1/28/12113 Thompson, D. F. 2/13/12115 Macdonald, J. S. 2/22/12117 Creel, H. E. 1/3/12120 Murphy, L. R. 1/11/12124 Mills, H. A. 7/16/11124 Weber, D. W. 2/5/12125 Dobson, J. O. 3/2/12125 Sherban, L. N. 8/25/11126 Conaway, V. R. 2/22/12130 Clark, R. R. 1/23/12130 Cousin, D. M. 2/16/12130 Sanchez, J. O. 1/14/12134 Arndt, L. G. 1/28/12134 Berke, C. J. 7/23/10134 Calderwood, N. R. 1/26/12134 Dabrowski, R. 12/3/11134 Hilger, G. M. 1/18/12134 Hoffman, J. L. 8/28/11134 Iori, J. 2/9/12134 Kotarba, F. A. 3/1/12134 Kotowski, G. D. 1/21/12134 Larmon, T. E. 10/25/10134 Lary, R. W. 2/11/12134 Mavrinac, H. G. 10/8/11134 Meschler, G. E. 1/20/12134 Mihigan, L. 1/26/12134 Piasecki, R. J. 2/8/12134 Pink, F. J. 10/23/11134 Reasor, J. 1/31/12134 Steelman, R. E. 2/1/12134 Vitton, R. M. 3/20/10134 Walsh, R. P. 7/22/10143 Green, C. S. 1/26/12145 Yarolem, W. F. 12/1/11146 Fritts, D. D. 1/12/12150 Bradley, E. E. 1/1/11153 Good, L. M. 1/8/11159 Cushing, R. J. 3/6/10159 Libert, L. F. 2/6/12160 Otradovec, B. H. 2/19/12164 Masella, F. 8/15/10164 Stotz, R. W. 1/23/12175 Chauncey, B. E. 11/6/11175 Clore, F. E. 2/21/12175 Hall, K. C. 2/26/12175 Holder, R. E. 1/19/12175 Mansfield, B. M. 12/10/11175 Repass, R. 2/1/12176 Ahramovich, J. O. 5/3/10177 Sandel, R. 1/28/10191 Dick, K. R. 1/18/12196 Lincoln, J. M. 1/25/12206 Hurni, J. W. 12/14/11

210 Bolton, W. H. 1/25/12210 Hughes, R. S. 1/31/12212 Harry, F. J. 1/23/12212 Hochstuhl, F. E. 12/10/11212 Muthert, M. R. 1/19/12212 Shoupe, R. 2/14/12212 White, C. G. 1/24/12223 Mahar, A. A. 3/1/12223 Woodman, R. B. 1/28/11226 Brandle, C. H. 3/5/10229 Estright, G. H. 7/15/10233 Kummer, L. N. 10/10/11233 Monear, D. A. 1/29/12233 Shipp, C. J. 4/22/11236 Felter, V. A. 3/6/10236 Uhl, M. J. 12/15/11242 Maurer, B. L. 1/17/12245 Devore, J. L. 1/24/12252 Osmaloski, S. K. 12/21/11257 Specie, M. F. 2/3/12258 McCulloch, A. 11/23/11269 Marciante, C. H. 1/20/12270 Hutson, R. L. 2/6/10271 Ford, S. J. 3/7/11275 Schafer, S. F. 1/13/11278 Griffith, R. D. 2/8/12280 Coburn, B. E. 2/29/12280 Gourley, J. E. 11/13/11280 King, F. H. 2/12/12288 Miller, D. C. 1/12/12291 Cushing, G. A. 12/6/11291 Stith, W. C. 1/30/12292 Anderson, N. E. 1/10/12292 Gorney, M. K. 6/3/11292 Moore, J. I. 1/12/12292 Peterson, D. A. 12/23/11292 Seamans, W. E. 2/10/12292 Weise, W. J. 2/10/12294 Herzog, W. J. 11/5/11294 McGregor, H. J. 2/8/12295 Pack, G. F. 2/20/12295 Williams, W. L. 11/29/11301 Privitt, G. D. 2/19/12301 Smith, J. T. 2/15/12313 King, J. J. 2/18/12317 Carter, W. P. 1/16/12317 Wilks, J. D. 2/29/12322 Johnson, M. L. 12/10/11332 Ball, M. R. 1/5/12340 Gilchrist, D. D. 2/1/12340 Rogers, D. L. 1/24/12343 Nietz, A. O. 12/24/11347 Williams, R. C. 2/11/12349 Granger, S. 2/1/12351 Link, H. J. 12/30/11351 Sanderlin, W. J. 1/15/12351 Tarcaso, G. 8/15/11353 Carless, G. G. 8/4/10353 Curtis, W. R. 4/30/10353 Holt, E. 3/1/12353 Humble, A. W. 2/29/12353 Joala, H. A. 2/28/10353 Strachan, G. L. 8/6/10353 Vose, R. B. 2/12/12357 Edwards, C. S. 1/30/12357 McKay, L. R. 1/16/12357 Staples, A. E. 6/7/10357 Walker, J. E. 6/15/10363 Griffin, S. J. 1/16/12363 Millard, L. A. 1/14/12365 Carrier, G. O. 2/6/12369 Lee, K. W. 7/12/10369 Rutledge, M. K. 12/7/11369 Ward, B. B. 2/15/12375 Appel, R. R. 2/5/12

Local Surname Date of Death Local Surname Date of Death Local Surname Date of Death Local Surname Date of Death

Members for Whom PBF Death Claims were Approved in March 2012

W W W . I B E W . O R G

IN MEMORIAMcontinued on page 20

T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r | M a y 2 0 1 2 17

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18 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r | M a y 2 0 1 2

We’re going to close some of the unproductive tax loopholesthat allow millionaires to pay nothing while bus drivers pay 10percent of their salary.” Who said it? If you guessed PresidentObama or Nancy Pelosi, you’re wrong. It was Ronald Reagan,

speaking in support of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, a comprehensive biparti-san bill that simplified the tax code and shut down many of the shelters thatallowed the richest Americans to get out of paying their fair share.

Even a tax-cutter like Reagan knew that it’s wrong for an electrician or ateacher to pay more of their salary in taxes than a chief executive of a Fortune500 company.

But despite the Republicans’ continued rhetorical fealty to the former presi-dent’s legacy, the Gipper would be on the outs with today’s party leadership.

Last month, every single member of the Senate GOP caucus, with thelone exception of Maine Sen. Susan Collins, blocked tax reform legislationknown as the “Buffett rule” from even coming to a vote. Named after billion-

aire investor Warren Buffett, who has noted that he pays a lower tax rate than his secretary, the bill would requirethat those making $1 million or more pay at least a 30 percent tax rate—still far below what the rich paid during therelatively prosperous Clinton years.

That’s right. Tax rates on the top income earners are at historic lows, but the idea that the prosperous class—who are doing better now than before the 2008 financial meltdown—could kick in a little bit more to plug the deficitand invest in infrastructure and education is verboten among the GOP. Presumptive presidential nominee MittRomney says that rates on the top 1 percent should be even lower!

This is from a party whose dream budget includes slashing Social Security and dismantling Medicare as we knowit, a party that has put everything from work force training and highway funding to educational programs like Head Starton the chopping block, a party that from 2000 to 2007 blew a $237 billion surplus left over from the Clinton administra-tion on wasteful tax breaks for the rich—giveaways that have cost the federal government more than $1 trillion.

Even purportedly “moderate” GOP elected officials like Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown showed themselvesmore interested in appeasing Grover Norquist and his gang of anti-tax zealots than fixing the debt and creating jobs.

Admittedly, the Buffett rule is a drop in the bucket—estimated to bring in only $47 billion. But if the GOP can’teven handle that, how can we expect them to work across the aisle on the bigger issues confronting our economy?

We’ve learned the hard way that tax cuts for those least in need don’t create jobs, reduce the deficit or encour-age economic growth. The GOP’s near-fanatical faith in lessening the tax burden on the top 1 percent at theexpense of everyone else has made it clear it isn’t serious about any of those goals—a lesson I hope every IBEWmember will take to the ballot box next November. �

Over the past few months it has been revealed that a singleorganization known as ALEC has been the driving force behindhundreds of bills introduced in statehouses across the countrythat undermine working families. This is not some zany conspir-

acy theory. This is real and it is ugly.In the wake of the tragic Florida death of unarmed African-American

17-year-old Trayvon Martin on Feb. 26, the cloak of secrecy surrounding theAmerican Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative Washington-based leg-islative group, has been pulled back. George Zimmerman, the man chargedwith second degree murder for shooting Martin, initially used a law called“Stand Your Ground” as a defense. “Stand Your Ground” is one of many currentlaws that feature language nearly identical to sample language written by ALEC.

Now there is a spotlight on ALEC, showing that it has engaged in under-the-radar campaigns for decades to weaken voting rights, dismantle workers’rights and help corporations undermine workplace standards.

The group counts as members more than 300 corporations, which pay up to $25,000 annually to be part ofthe organization. Most of the bills ALEC prepares and delivers to state lawmakers can be traced directly to its mem-bers’ corporate interests.

This is putting even more power in the hands of the few and the wealthy, whose bottom lines are fuelingmany of these new laws.

When we elect leaders, we want them to fight for us and take our concerns and needs into consideration.When these lawmakers take their oaths of office, they promise to represent us. But ALEC is turning our democraticsystem on its head, allowing special interests to pay to play in our state governments under the guise of promoting“free markets, limited government, and federalism throughout the states,” according to ALEC’s Web site.

Now that ALEC has been exposed, more than a dozen major companies have cut ties with the organization,including Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Kraft Foods and Blue Cross Blue Shield. This is a victory for the 99 percent ofAmericans who need a responsible and responsive government in their corner.

We cannot allow companies to continue to hide behind shadowy groups like ALEC. We need to demand moretransparency from our elected officials and the truth about who is really writing our laws. �

F R O M T H E O F F I C E R S

Salvatore J. ChiliaInternational Secretary-Treasurer

Who Is Behind Our Laws?

Edwin D. HillInternational President

The War on Common Sense“

T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r | M a y 2 0 1 2 19

W W W . I B E W . O R G

Paul O’Connor, a second-genera-tion tradesman at thePortsmouth Naval Shipyard inNew Hampshire who helped

lead the successful campaign to preventthe yard from being shut down in 2005,says he was motivated by the empoweringmetaphor of New England’s revolutionarycolonists taking on the British Empire.

“We were armed with the truth,”says O’Connor, head of the Metal Tradesat the 5,000-employee facility, the old-est continuously operated naval yard inthe nation. “We were able to project thattruth to anyone we talked to. It was inour eyes, our voices and our hearts.”

Seven years later, the yard—located on a group of islands at thesouthern boundary of Maine where thePiscataqua River leads to the AtlanticOcean—is hiring up to 150 members ofthe metal trades every year.

Many of the new hires know thatorganized labor led the efforts to opposethe Department of Defense BaseRealignment and Closure Committee’srecommendation to close the storiedyard, which produced 70 submarinesduring World War II. They are signingunion cards as soon as they can.

But reverberations of the struggleagainst the closing—that mobilized 63full buses of determined citizens, sport-ing yellow “Save Our Shipyard” T-shirts,to travel to Boston and protest beforeBRAC—has gone well beyond the ship-yard gates. O’Connor, a father of six, hasbecome an influential voice in NewHampshire politics and in policy debateswithin the Department of Defense.

“I did what I did because it wouldbe too painful not to speak up whensomething is wrong,” says O’Connor ofthe campaign that reached across Maineand New Hampshire.

Building a foundation of relation-ships one nail and one board at a time,O’Connor, the former business managerof Local 2071—an electrician who builthis own home for his family—is a kind oflabor movement carpenter, connectingleaders with their constituents.

As presidential candidates troop toNew Hampshire every four years seekingvotes from workers at one of the largestemployers in New England and anendorsement from the Metal Trades,O’Connor has even helped shape thepolitics of a nation.

“I don’t approach politicians likesome union leaders and immediatelyask for something,” says O’Connor. “I try

to get on with them personally.”That can mean some flashy show-

manship, like when he realized he waswearing a shirt commemorating the USSAlbuquerque, a submarine worked on atPortsmouth, while he was introducingNew Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson duringthe 2008 Democratic presidential pri-mary. He took the shirt off on thepodium and handed it to the presiden-tial candidate.

In 2004, with rumors about theyard’s future swirling, O’Connor partneredwith John Joyal, a former first vice presidentof the American Federation of GovernmentEmployees local at Portsmouth, to lead acampaign of lobbying and resistance.“Paul is thoughtful and intelligent andunderstands the pulse of the yard and thework ethic of the people he represents. Ihave his back,” says Joyal.

The Seacoast Shipyard Association,comprising community and union lead-ers, documented the yard’s annual eco-nomic impact—pumping $560 millioninto New Hampshire and southernMaine. Pride in Metal Trades members’skills and in the unique relationship theyhad built with the yard’s managementdrove O’Connor and Joyal’s activism.

O’Connor, whose children oftenaccompanied him to rallies and meet-ings, says a vivid 1963 childhood mem-ory symbolized the responsibility of thePortsmouth workers for the ships theyonce produced and now repair.

He was nine years old, watching TVwith his father, a Portsmouth pipefitter,when it was reported that the USSThresher, a submarine that his fatherhad worked on, was lost at sea. “I didn’tgrasp the magnitude of the event, butthe silence from my father was deafen-

ing,” says O’Connor, who recentlyaddressed some of the yard’s appren-tices and evoked the incident to remindthem that the quality of their work canmean life or death to those who staff thesubmarines that today are repaired andoverhauled in Portsmouth.

“I told Paul the morning of the clo-sure commission’s vote that, if the shut-down was reversed, our lives wouldchange,” says Joyal. With congressionalelections coming soon after the decision,the endorsements of the two leaderswould carry an extra premium.

Today, O’Connor is co-chairman ofthe Department of Defense Design Teamto replace the National Security PersonnelSystem and a member of the NewHampshire steering committee to re-electPresident Obama.

The passion and pride that fueledO’Connor’s opposition to Portsmouth’sshutdown is now directed at reversing thegains of the tea party in New Hampshire.

“We used to have a respected legis-lature,” says O’Connor. Now, he says,Republican legislators are introducingbills to carry concealed weapons in legisla-tive chambers while cutting school fund-ing, health programs, eliminating lunchbreaks for workers on the job and vilifyingfederal and state workers. “This is notwhat our members wanted,” he says.

As O’Connor’s co-workers retire,more than 90 percent of the newly hiredelectricians are joining Local 2071. ButO’Connor thinks that’s only a start atmaintaining the workplace’s legacy.

“We can’t just defend what wehave,” he says. “When our members areengaged, that creates excitement in theunion and it snowballs,” says O’Connor. �

Lettersto the Editor

If you have a story to tell about your IBEW experience, please send it to media@ibew.org.

Who We Are

Reflections on the Closure of Tenn.’s Philips Plant[Editor’s Note: On March 29, Philips, a multinational corporation, shut down its light-ing fixture manufacturing plant in Sparta, Tenn. As Philips shifts production to anewly constructed plant in Mexico, members of Local 2143—who had won awards forproductivity and quality in one of the last manufacturing plants to remain in theregion—are now looking for work. The IBEW joined the community and the plant’s localmanagers in rallies, letter-writing efforts and a social media campaign that reached allthe way to the corporation’s headquarters in the Netherlands attempting to convincePhilips to either reverse the shutdown decision or allow a group of managers and work-ers to purchase the plant. Tragically, none of these efforts were successful.]

To all,Yesterday was a very sad experience for me. I spent the day in Sparta with the

last remaining members of Local 2143 at the Philips Lighting plant. I must say itwas a very strange atmosphere, as the last of our members loaded up their per-sonal belongings before clocking out for the last time.

I could only compare the last day for me as attending a funeral of a closefriend. While I was at a loss for words, the 15 remaining members seemed almostrelieved it was over. A process to cease operations that started over 16 months agonow seems like a distant memory to all of us.

I have spent the past 12 months attending meetings looking around the roomat the faces of hard working people. It was tough to see them being told how toapply for assistance, knowing all the while they wanted to continue contributing tothe community, not ask for help.

The plant started in 1963 as Thomas Industries, changing to Genlyte-Thomasand three years ago to Philips. When Philips bought the plant, we were all excited.We thought it was a perfect marriage, a top builder of lamps and bulbs acquiring atop builder of fixtures.

Local 2143 always worked with management on new and innovative ways tocompete in a global economy. Shortly after I was assigned to Local 2143, the man-agement team proposed automated lines to the union, something that was notallowed by the contract.

After much debate, the members saw this as an opportunity to continue to becost competitive. It was a tough choice, but they stepped up to the challenge andchanged with the times.

For the next six years, our members worked closely with management to formone of the best labor/management relationships I have ever seen. They continuedon with it after Philips bought the plant, winning “Best Plant” awards for safety,reliability, attendance and quality. They also went on to be named one of the “TopTen Manufacturing Plants in North America” by Industry Week magazine. All thewhile, Philips was planning their demise.

It is ironic the closing was announced three weeks after they won all the com-pany’s top awards. In my 10 years servicing the local, we never had a grievance gopast the third step, let alone a strike. It is very unfortunate that Philips decided toreward a top plant with closure. That being said, when I hear talking heads com-plain about unions pushing jobs outside the United States, I know these peoplehave never been to Sparta, Tennessee.

The last order of business by the local union was to sponsor two $500 schol-arships to the county high school for studies in the electrical trade. I thought thiswas amazing knowing they were locking the gate yesterday with no idea wheretheir lives would lead today. Our members are truly “salt of the earth” people,always giving their best because that is all they know.

The members asked me to personally thank each and every one of you for allthe time and effort directed toward them through this ordeal. While we knew it was along shot to get Philips to reconsider, Local 2143 wanted to take a stand. Along withLocal 2143, I appreciate all the help and assistance from everyone. While we were notable to change the outcome, I know we made a difference in our members’ lives.

Brent E. HallTenth District International Representative, Nashville, Tenn.

The nowemptyPhilipslightfixtureplant inSparta,Tenn.

N.H. Shipyard Leader: ‘We Were Armed with Truth’

Paul O’Connor helped lead a community-based struggle to keep thePortsmouth Naval Shipyard from closing. He says, ‘I did what I did because itwould be too painful not to speak up when something is wrong.’

20 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r | M a y 2 0 1 2

In Memoriam continued from page 17

375 Getten, K. S. 1/30/12380 Long, G. A. 9/24/11380 McClure, T. P. 1/5/12387 Albers, D. L. 2/7/12388 Moore, C. E. 2/5/12401 Ross, L. B. 9/5/11405 McNair, D. L. 1/11/12424 Cushley, S. R. 11/11/11424 Nero, N. A. 5/1/11424 Thompson, P. J. 1/31/12424 Woolridge, G. J. 1/30/12428 Swoboda, G. D. 1/15/12429 Anglin, R. A. 1/3/12429 Fly, B. G. 1/22/12429 Stacey, R. R. 2/21/12430 Krahn, J. N. 3/4/12440 Crump, W. H. 2/8/12441 Spatz, K. D. 1/27/12445 Andrews, M. R. 10/22/10456 Halasz, S. A. 1/14/12477 Collins, C. E. 5/31/09479 Nevils, L. 2/16/12480 Magee, D. W. 1/6/12480 Penton, R. L. 3/31/10481 Stammer, J. J. 12/8/11481 Trimble, J. E. 11/24/11483 Nysen, J. C. 1/2/12488 Rawlinson, H. 1/24/12488 Sliva, S. F. 12/29/11494 Bilicki, K. C. 2/1/12494 Hunt, C. B. 2/5/12494 Janus, B. 2/10/12498 Hinds, O. L. 1/24/12499 Frakes, B. J. 2/2/12502 McFate, R. W. 2/7/12505 Harvill, C. 2/10/12506 Peterson, C. R. 6/3/11508 Harper, B. W. 12/14/07527 McCollum, R. N. 1/19/12531 Brown, R. S. 7/2/10531 Lee, R. E. 11/14/11

538 Aquino, J. M. 2/9/12540 Snyder, G. W. 12/26/11551 Mathia, K. D. 11/29/11551 McQuaid, J. M. 10/14/11558 Kimbrough, S. E. 2/5/12558 McMurtrey, D. C. 2/9/12558 Monceret, A. 12/8/11567 Weatherbee, R. C. 2/4/12568 Fortin, R. 1/31/12568 Germain, C. 12/26/10568 Gosselin, R. 2/1/11569 Jackson, H. 1/3/12569 Rubino, R. J. 9/2/11569 Wylie, J. L. 12/30/11576 Bowie, T. K. 1/26/12577 Dorn, J. P. 1/20/12577 Schmitting, A. J. 1/30/12583 Jackson, L. 10/17/11584 Campbell, L. D. 6/4/11584 Hefley, G. C. 5/22/10584 Wiles, B. G. 2/4/12586 Belanger, J. 3/1/10595 Brodie, H. A. 10/14/10596 Frederick, L. C. 8/27/11601 Jones, R. E. 1/31/12602 Chapman, J. L. 1/21/12602 Key, J. L. 10/10/11602 Pinales, H. 10/9/11606 Drew, F. 11/29/09611 Cuesta, E. A. 12/19/11613 Murdock, T. P. 2/6/12613 Oldacre, J. C. 7/19/10613 Ridgely, B. R. 11/27/09617 Davis, R. O. 1/8/12617 Ferrando, E. 1/15/10617 Williamson, R. A. 2/2/12624 Cruce, W. H. 11/25/11625 Boudreau, L. J. 2/7/12625 Mattatall, J. P. 12/18/11632 Stanford, J. L. 1/31/12640 Wortman, D. W. 6/26/10

647 Ingram, R. P. 2/1/12649 Davison, J. A. 6/27/10649 Walter, V. H. 8/20/11659 Allen, H. S. 2/8/12659 Mason, C. R. 11/22/11659 Nelson, B. A. 2/2/12659 Tudor, L. 1/23/12661 Jennings, C. F. 1/30/12663 Loeffler, F. W. 7/31/10665 Boedeker, S. A. 10/6/10665 Martin, W. H. 5/13/10668 Seekell, K. C. 2/15/12673 Hejma, E. J. 11/9/09682 Ryczek, F. A. 2/1/12683 Auxier, L. 12/1/11683 Henry, D. S. 11/25/11688 Rowland, K. G. 1/22/12692 Ramsden, R. G. 2/2/12697 Dahlgren, G. G. 2/22/12697 McCormick, E. J. 2/20/12697 Pelfrey, H. W. 1/20/12701 Michael, A. W. 8/19/11701 Norman, D. I. 1/12/12702 Belcher, J. W. 2/15/12714 Lonski, C. J. 1/12/12714 Maxwell, J. C. 2/23/12716 Campsen, F. C. 10/24/11716 Holt, K. A. 12/1/11716 McCandless, R. F. 2/8/10716 Reed, B. S. 2/24/12716 Smith, L. 2/2/12716 Thomas, T. H. 2/11/12728 Jones, B. W. 12/16/11728 Krakos, G. T. 1/16/12733 Price, H. A. 2/2/12756 Brown, K. H. 1/21/12760 Womac, J. A. 12/22/11763 Blankenship, K. W. 8/15/11763 Smith, D. B. 1/11/12765 Tyson, J. E. 1/20/12776 Cannon, J. D. 2/4/12

776 Craven, D. R. 8/15/11776 Parsons, A. E. 2/21/12812 Hiller, B. A. 10/2/10814 McElwain, J. 2/2/12816 Harris, W. L. 1/22/12816 Kerth, O. L. 9/27/10833 Craig, T. 11/4/11855 Shepler, M. 4/15/10855 Weiss, J. A. 2/17/12861 Mier, R. 2/27/12861 Phillips, T. E. 2/22/12861 Sirman, C. V. 1/21/12873 Vossler, E. A. 2/5/12889 Liska, G. J. 12/1/11903 Abel, C. B. 3/1/12910 Mosher, R. H. 1/18/12910 Soules, K. B. 9/12/10915 Addison, W. J. 5/10/11915 Gainey, M. E. 9/22/11917 Reede, W. D. 1/2/12942 Chapman, R. E. 1/13/12953 McNeill, E. J. 1/7/12965 King, G. G. 1/26/12968 Duerr, W. R. 12/21/11995 Holeman, W. J. 1/21/12995 Picard, B. D. 2/6/12995 Zerangue, J. 12/30/111002 Smithee, I. 2/3/121003 Picone, D. 11/20/111003 Smith, W. E. 12/10/111049 Flore, W. R. 1/12/121049 Piraino, P. 9/20/091055 Ritzman, W. C. 2/13/121108 Flood, R. M. 2/12/121141 Chronister, J. R. 1/31/121186 Ortiz, C. B. 6/25/091205 Tanksley, T. J. 3/4/121212 Ogur, M. 10/1/091212 Sussman, A. 1/29/121220 McKinstry, A. D. 2/22/121245 Barrette, R. M. 1/21/12

1245 Garcia, F. R. 2/10/121245 Metaxas, A. 2/28/101245 Peterson, D. R. 2/5/121245 Stillson, A. F. 1/25/121249 Eklund, G. R. 1/2/121253 Tivador, J. L. 2/12/121260 Akimseu, E. 4/19/101316 Jump, E. C. 2/11/121319 Emigh, T. A. 2/10/121377 Davis, R. 9/11/101391 McAuliffe, C. J. 1/6/121393 Hagberg, J. R. 1/25/121393 Sembach, D. H. 1/30/121426 Erickson, C. B. 3/6/121426 Jensen, D. W. 11/1/111426 Nelson, G. P. 1/30/121503 McIntosh, L. R. 2/26/121525 Bechdoldt, B. L. 2/7/121547 Kayton, R. S. 2/22/121547 Miles, N. B. 12/20/111547 Odom, B. L. 1/27/121547 Scott, D. L. 2/11/121547 West, J. T. 11/23/111579 Wells, G. A. 2/21/121739 Townes, J. L. 12/29/111769 Absten, R. V. 2/8/121837 Mason, C. L. 2/16/122085 Brazeau, P. 1/8/11I.O. (11) Hydinger, D. D. 4/1/09I.O. (98) Connor, J. J. 2/8/12I.O. (112) Sundquist, R. V. 2/17/12I.O. (134) Borkowski, K. J. 1/30/12I.O. (134) Harris, R. M. 2/3/12I.O. (134) McGady, J. J. 12/4/11I.O. (134) Morris, S. J. 11/23/08I.O. (324) McDowell, K. R. 1/21/12I.O. (363) Kuhl, G. E. 12/20/11I.O. (625) Rodgers, M. L. 2/19/12I.O. (765) Edwards, J. L. 12/1/11I.O. (776) Gleaton, B. D. 2/1/12Pens. (57) Gibson, R. H. 1/14/12

Pens. (77) Hendrickson, L. G. 1/28/12Pens. (558) York, H. L. 1/25/12Pens. (629) Burbridge, R. W. 1/12/12Pens. (1788) Graham, W. J. 2/16/12Pens. (I.O.) Bennish, C. L. 2/1/12Pens. (I.O.) Biscailuz, R. P. 12/22/11Pens. (I.O.) Blaskovich, M. A. 6/25/09Pens. (I.O.) Boenning, H. H. 11/30/11Pens. (I.O.) Brosky, J. E. 1/30/12Pens. (I.O.) Crockett, L. P. 12/1/11Pens. (I.O.) Deckard, C. 5/31/10Pens. (I.O.) Doberstein, P. G. 2/1/12Pens. (I.O.) Duffey, P. H. 6/15/08Pens. (I.O.) Fitzgerald, J. J. 9/18/10Pens. (I.O.) Griffin, D. D. 1/26/12Pens. (I.O.) Guthrie, J. 4/26/10Pens. (I.O.) Hammond, O. C. 2/7/12Pens. (I.O.) Helm, W. A. 12/21/11Pens. (I.O.) Hershman, C. M. 1/20/12Pens. (I.O.) Kudravi, J. R. 2/19/12Pens. (I.O.) Lamb, B. R. 11/13/11Pens. (I.O.) Lichtsinn, E. E. 2/29/12Pens. (I.O.) Maloney, R. R. 2/17/12Pens. (I.O.) McCourt, R. L. 8/31/09Pens. (I.O.) Moritz, W. A. 2/20/12Pens. (I.O.) Myrfield, W. H. 1/29/11Pens. (I.O.) Newberry, C. W. 12/11/11Pens. (I.O.) Nordin, D. S. 6/3/11Pens. (I.O.) Peluso, M. F. 2/10/12Pens. (I.O.) Peterson, A. R. 12/20/11Pens. (I.O.) Poiry, K. F. 1/30/12Pens. (I.O.) Pool, O. R. 3/19/11Pens. (I.O.) Sharman, J. H. 12/20/11Pens. (I.O.) Stephanick, J. A.11/26/11Pens. (I.O.) Stephens, R. K. 11/30/11Pens. (I.O.) Tate, J. E. 2/9/12Pens. (I.O.) Vivian, R. G. 10/12/11Pens. (I.O.) Watson, W. F. 1/22/12Pens. (I.O.) Wesson, C. W. 10/28/11Pens. (I.O.) Whitmer, C. E. 2/4/12

Local Surname Date of Death Local Surname Date of Death Local Surname Date of Death Local Surname Date of Death Local Surname Date of Death Local Surname Date of Death

IBEW Freelance Techs Ratify Contract with Fox Sports

On a typical day at work,IBEW freelance photogra-pher Mario Zecca worksfrom a suspended crane

about 15 feet in the air alongside thefield to get his shots, as players andballs whiz past his camera.

That’s one reason why the NewYork Local 1212 member—who was partof the IBEW bargaining committee withemployer Fox Sports—said he’s happythe new contract negotiated betweenthe two parties includes additionalsafety standards, among other wins.

“Fox and the IBEW have done avery good job making safety a priority,”said Zecca, a 17-year member. “It’s greatthat my union and my employer havesuch open lines of communication.”

About 1,200 IBEW freelancers bringthe high-octane power of NASCAR racesand record moments in the NFL and MajorLeague Baseball to millions of Fox Sportsviewers nationwide. The new agreement—which was overwhelmingly ratified on

March 31—means the members will con-tinue to showcase excellence behind thecamera for at least the next four years.

The new contract earns membersan 8-percent wage increase, additionalmedical benefits, a 24-percent increasein travel compensation and added jobsecurity. The agreement takes effectAug. 1 and expires July 31, 2016.

Members voted via mail-in ballotsafter reaching a tentative agreementwith Fox Sports on Feb. 17.

IBEW leaders said the negotiationswere amicable. Director of Broadcastingand Telecommunications Martha Pultarsaid the vote results were expected.

“Given the positive rounds of dis-cussion we had with Fox Sports inFebruary, it’s no surprise that this con-tract was widely embraced by the mem-bership,” she said. “It was a pleasure tonegotiate with a company that wasn’t atthe table to take advantage of the recenteconomic downturn. The network valuesthe professionalism of the IBEW free-

lancers whom they employ, and they werevery clear about that during bargaining.”

Chicago Local 1220 BusinessManager John Rizzo said that “an increasein travel was a top priority for members aswe headed into bargaining. We were glad

to be able to negotiate the 6 percentannual [travel] boost for the freelancers.”

TV viewers will see the members’skills on display during high-profileevents like this year’s World Series, theDaytona 500 and the 2013 Super Bowl.

“This is a great deal for both our mem-bers and Fox Sports,” said InternationalPresident Edwin D. Hill. “Sports fansexpect the best from their favorite play-ers when they take the field, and FoxSports expects the same from our tal-ented team of technicians. I’m happythat the company realizes and appreci-ates the fine job these men and womendo to help keep viewers tuning in, and Iknow this will continue to be a trustedpartnership for years to come.”

The employees covered by the con-tract are members of St. Louis Local 4;Hollywood, Calif., Local 45; WashingtonLocal 1200; New York Local 1212; andChicago Local 1220. They provide photog-raphy, graphics, audio, video and editingservices and perform other utility duties.Their current contract expires July 31. �

IBEW freelancers working for FoxSports approved a new agreementwith wage increases and otherbenefit improvements.