The Electrical Worker June 2011

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

Alabama was ground zero for April’sdisastrous twisters, where morethan 230 people died. Nearly half amillion residents were left without

power, making the state’s 3,000 IBEW utilitymembers a key component in its recovery.

“We had pretty much every single personwe’ve got at Alabama Power out there working24/7,” says Casey Shelton, business managerof the U-19 coordinating council, which repre-sents nine utility locals at Alabama Power.

They were joined in the recovery effort by10,000 utility and out-side line constructionworkers from 17 states,including Michigan.Detroit Local 17 BusinessManager Kevin Shaffertold WWJ-TV that DTEEnergy let employeesborrow some of the util-ity’s trucks to help trans-

port IBEWmembers to Birmingham.“They’ve decided to donate their semis,”

Shaffer says. “As many semis as we need, wewill fill as many as we can … and send themdown.”

The sheermagnitude of the damagemadethe job daunting. “We’re talking 200 transmis-sion towers down,” Shelton says. “There werepoles and lines that were literally blown away.”

There were some towns he says where“there was nothing left to restore power to.”

“Cities started to look identical, the dam-age was so bad,” he said.

Alabama Power estimates that more than

I N T H I S I S S U E

F IRST PUBL I SHED IN 1893

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. 5 | No. 6 | June 2011

SOUTH’S STORMS continued on page 2

AfterSouth’sStorms,IBEW to the Rescue3 | New owners at Northrup Grumman

shipyards

Regulators urged to address utilityworker shortage

4 | New classifications win work in Calif.

5 | Tree trimmers key to IBEW growth

6 | Sign erectors light it up

7 | New software means more tools fororganizers

8 | Philips closes another U.S. plant

2010 PBF Summary Annual Plan

9 | North of 49°

10 | Organizing Wire

Transitions

11 | Circuits

Safety Corner

12 | Local Lines

18 | Editorials

19 | Letters to the Editor

20 | In Memoriam

Go “Green!”with our e-Edition

Get your Electrical Worker delivered eachmonth via e-mail. It’s convenient & helpscut down on paper waste.Go to www.ibew.org and sign up today!

Please recycle this newspaper.

Thousands of IBEWmembers from 17 states helped restore power to Alabama.

Photocredit:PhilFree

2 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r | J u n e 2 0 1 1

South’sStorms

Continued from page 1

Despite the massive scope of the damage, the IBEW and Alabama Power wereable to restore power to most customers in only five days.Photo credit: Marvin Gilmore

5,200 poles and more than 400transmission system structures weredamaged or destroyed, while morethan 300 substations lost power.

The massive scope of the disas-ter meant that in many areas line-men had to literally rebuild thesystem from scratch.

“This wasn’t a repair job, it wasreconstruction,” Shelton says.

But despite the numerous obsta-cles, it only took five days to restoreelectricservice to all of the utility’s cus-tomerswho could still receive power.

Shelton credits the fast recoveryto the IBEW’s professionalism andtraining and to the union’s collabora-tive partnership with the utility.

“It is a classic example of howemployees andmanagement canwork together to confront a major cri-sis,” he says. “Alabama Powermadesure we had everything we needed—from places to stay to the right equip-ment—to get the job done.”

The utility has been in partner-ship with the IBEW since 1940, andmanagement has consistentlyworked with employees to makehigh-quality training and on-the-jobsafety a priority.

“We are extremely fortunate tohave a positive, collaborative andproductive relationship with unionleadership,” says Alabama PowerChief Executive Charles McCrary.

Despite the risky nature ofstorm work, Shelton reports that—outside of a few cuts and scrapes—there have been no major injuries.

MobilizingtoHelpVictims

While IBEW linemen were busyrestoring power, members ofBirmingham Local 136 have beenvolunteering to help tens of thou-sands of Alabamans who have beenleft homeless by the twisters.

The local, which includes mem-bers from the construction, broad-casting, manufacturing and otherbranches, set up a massive bar-beque—along with dozens of volun-teer cooks—at their hall to providefood for needy families around thestate. “We’ve got volunteers whocome here by 9 a.m., load up theircars and trucks with food and otheritems, and go to the communitiesthat could use a helping hand,” says

Business Agent Jeff Morris.The local has become the hub

for the labor movement’s recoveryefforts, he says.

“We’re collecting diapers,clothes, water, anything—and tryingto get it to the people who needthem,” Morris says. “And we’ll keepdoing it as long as the donationskeep coming in.”

Hundreds of volunteers,including union teachers andsteelworkers, also mobilized tohelp people in need.

Terry Davis, the AFL-CIO com-munity services liaison for CentralAlabama, told the AFL-CIO blogthat “I’ve been in the labor move-ment since 1998 and seeing …union brothers and sisters cometogether to help one another andtheir communities is the proudestmoment of my union life.”

Union Plus is offering finan-cial assistance for union membersaffected by the storms. To find outmore about Union Plus DisasterRelief Grants, go towww.unionplus.org/disaster-relief/april-2011-storms. �

T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r | J u n e 2 0 1 1 3


NorthropGrummanShipyardSpinoff BuildsIBEWHopes

Corporate spinoffs oftenpump new uncertainty intoalready trying times forworkers. Sometimes, how-

ever, their insecurity is softened bythe hope that new owners will be animprovement over the ones packingtheir bags. Such is the case for 1,800IBEWmembers who build U.S. Navyships in Pascagoula and Gulfport,Miss. and New Orleans, La.

InMarch, NorthropGrummanannounced that its shipyards in thosestates, anothermassive facility inNewportNews, Va., and a smaller oneinSanDiegowould be spunoff to anewentity, Huntington IngallsIndustries. The new company, nowupand running, expects to bring in $6.7billion in annual revenueswith a back-log ofmore than$17.3 billion ofwork.

Founded by Ingalls IronWorks,theMississippi andNewOrleansyards opened on the east bankof theMississippi River in 1938. CharlesHuntingtonwas the original owner ofthe Newport News yard, built in thelate 1800s. TheNewport News yard isorganized by the UnitedSteelworkers.

“Workers never stopped usingthe name, Ingalls. We’re going backto our roots, with long-serving man-agers we know and respect,” saysIBEW Government EmployeesDepartment Director Chico McGill.

Already, the Huntington Ingalls’managers have set up an unprece-dented meeting to discuss safetyissues between union representa-tives and a company vice president.

The Navy immediately startedissuing some contracts for new workthat had been held back by theuncertainty of the prior entity’s sta-tus, including a $1.5 billion projectbuilding the 10th in a series ofamphibious transport docks. Talksare underway on the yards receivingothermajor work, including re-designed guidedmissile destroyers.

Since their purchase by LittonIndustries in 1961 and byNorthropGrumman in 2001, says PascagoulaLocal 733 Business Manager JimCouch, “the shipyardswere on thebackburner of those huge companies’holdings.” Now, he says, experiencedand respected shipbuilders, led byCEOMike Petters, will be in control.

“We will fly by our own steer-ing, not by an outside corporateentity,” Couch says.

McGill, a former businessman-ager of Local 733, has deep concernsover the future of IBEWmembers andothers at the company’s Avondaleshipyard on the west bank of the

Mississippi—which NorthropGrumman had announced would beclosed in 2013. McGill hopes thatactive discussions with Petters andother executives over the potential to

bring new work into the yard, willbear success. (A video on theAvondale struggle can be viewed onthe IBEW’sWebsite—www.ibew.org.)

McGill credits the former presi-

dent of Ingalls Shipbuilding, Jerry St.Pé, with improving labor relations atthe yard after a bitter six-year fightbetween the metal trades and thecompany that ended with a success-ful 1999 representation election.

In a recent op-ed in TheMississippi Press, St. Pé said, “Ienvy those who will be aboard thejourney of restoring the fine traditionassociated with the name Ingalls.”

At the 19,000-worker NewportNews yard, hundreds ofmid-levelmanager jobs have been cut since thespinoff, but no union jobs, says USWInternational Staff RepresentativeWilliamHarriday.

“Northrop Grumman kept somemanagers around mostly as a con-tingency,” says Harriday, who sayshis dealings with Petters havealways been “open and upfront.”

In a May 5 meeting, Petters toldrepresentatives of the metal tradesand the IBEW that Adm. KevinMcCoy, the commander of Navy seasystems, had visited Pascagoulatwice to look at quality issues.Petters said McCoy was satisfiedwith the quality of construction andsaid he had no plans to return. �

The USS New Orleans leaves the Avondale Shipyard in 2007.

PhotoCredit:PhotousedunderaCreativeCommonslicensefromFlickrusermashleymorgan.

California Local ProdsRegulators toConfrontUtilityWorkerShortage

Unemployment is running in the double digits in Nevada, butstaffing levels at Sierra Pacific Power Co. are creeping dangerouslylow as more and more utility workers hit retirement age.

In 2008, more than half of the hourly work force at SierraPacific—a subsidiary of NV Energy that services the northern half of thestate—was over 50, with more than 20 percent eligible for immediate retire-ment, reports the Utility Reporter, Vacaville, Calif., Local 1245’s newspaper.The local represents workers at NV Energy.

“It’s a bad situation,” says Local 1245 Business Representative RandyOsborn. “The company has closed almost all of its walk-in customer service cen-ters, and outside of themajor cities, there are virtually no line crews available.”

Local 1245 filed a petition with the Public Utilities Commission ofNevada to investigate staffing levels at the utility last winter. Despite resist-ance from the company, an investigation got underway in April.

The problem, says Osborn, is that for years NV Energy boosted its profitmargins by cutting corners on training and recruitment.

“It posted record profits last year and CEOMichael Yackira even treatedhimself to a $1 million bonus—on top of his $4.5 million salary—all while notputting any efforts toward recruiting new workers to the industry,” he says.

The shrinking work force is beginning to be felt by NV Energy’s cus-

tomers, as long wait times for customer service personnel drive down theutility’s approval ratings.

The Utility Reporter says that JD Power and Associates, which surveysutility customers, rated NV Energy as dead last among all mountain stateutilities in terms of customer satisfaction.

Only 733 workers are assigned to cover a 60,000 square-mile servicearea, down from 813 in 2009. It is a work force that, Osborn says, is nowherenear sufficient to adequately service and maintain the system.

Sierra Pacific isn’t unique. The utility industry as a whole is facing askilled worker shortage, while an aging work force and years of underinvest-ment in recruitment and training are leaving utilities unprepared.

Nearly a third of the country’s utility workers will be eligible for retire-ment by 2013. (See “Will Utilities be Prepared to Face Uncertain Future?” TheElectrical Worker, November 2009.)

Increasingly, utility worker unions are pushing state officials to get seri-ous about confronting the skilled worker shortage.

“We have to use the regulatory process to bring all parties to the tableto address the planning needs,” says Utility Department Director Jim Hunter.“The safety and reputation of union members are at stake, as well as thequality of service.” �


California RecoveryAgreementWinsSkechersDistribution Center Project

As North American-basedmanufacturing hasdeclined and importedproducts have flooded our

shores, the construction of large-scale distribution centers to receivethose products and dispatch themto the marketplace has created jobsfor construction workers. For IBEWmembers, the question is: Who willget the work?

Leaders of Riverside, Calif., Local440 and signatory contractorDynalectricheard thatSkechers, thetop-selling U.S. footwear company,was building a half-mile-long distribu-tion center inMorenoValley to handleimports coming through the port ofLong Beach.Working in a highly com-petitivemarket, the parties knew thejobwould go nonunion unless theycould structure awinning bid.

Dynalectric, a subsidiary ofEMCOR, had built a solid relationover the years with WynrightIntralogistics for installation of thecompany’s automated conveyor andsorting systems which were des-tined for the Skechers facility.

Bernie Balland, Local 440 busi-ness andmembership developmentrepresentative, praises the close tiesbetween the two companies. But, hesays, “A relationship will not alwaysguarantee the award of a contract.”

Three months ago, asDynalectric’s window of opportu-nity was closing on the Skechersproject, the signatories sat downand decided to put the union’srecovery agreement to work to fash-ion a competitive composite rate.Their efforts were successful.

Today, Dynalectric’s crew onthe distribution center project con-sists of two general foremen, fourforemen, 12 journeyman wiremen,seven apprentices, three construc-tion wiremen, eight constructionelectricians and one material han-dler trainee. All trainees are regis-tered with the state. All constructionelectricians are state-certified.

Everyone on the composite crewis contributing tomeeting completionmilestones on the job. And the com-pany ismaking contributions onbehalf of all workers to the local’straining, health andwelfare funds andtheNational Electrical Benefit Fund, aswell as pension and annuity contribu-tions for thoseworkers eligible.

The distribution center is thefirst on the mostly-rural side ofMoreno Valley. At city council hear-ings considering the project, someresidents showed up in opposition,contending that horse trails wouldbe disrupted and the 100 truck-a-day traffic expected for the facilitywill add to smog.

With high unemployment anda still painfully highmortgage fore-closure rate formost residents ofMoreno Valley, “the real issue wasjobs,” says Local 440 President RogerRoper, who is also assistant businessmanager. He and Local 440 BusinessManager Robert Frost called on localmembers to speak up at the hearingsin favor of the project.

“We had up to 50 memberscome out,” says Roper. Some stayeduntil 1 a.m. to be heard. The citycouncil first voted not to support thedevelopment of the distributionfacility. After new council electionswere held, however, the incomingcouncil majority backed the project,with overwhelming support fromMoreno Valley residents who live inthe more thickly-settled areas out-

side of the rural section.Jim Brooks, a journeyman

wireman general foremanwith 28years in the Brotherhood, says,“We’re the only union contractor onthe project,” the first segment of theplanned 200-acre Highland FairviewCorporate Park. “Just the fact that weare here is a sign of success,” saysBrooks, who works for Dynalectric’sKDCSystems division.

Brooks remembers the dayswhenmarket recovery consisted ofthe IBEW offering contractors cuts injourneyman and apprentice rates tosecure new work. Employing theCW/CE job descriptions was a newchallenge, says Brooks. But, afterthree months, using the new classifi-cations, “we havemet and exceededour expectations,” he says.

Paul Aguilar, a 22-yearmem-ber and former Local 440 organizer,is working on the Skechers projectalongside workers assigned to thenew classifications. “They are goodguys. Most of them have a lot ofexperience,” says Aguilar, who previ-ously worked with Santa Ana Local441 Business Development

Representative C.J. Johnson as thatlocal expanded its market shareusing recovery agreements. (See“California Local Builds Consensuson NewClassifications,” TheElectrical Worker, December 2010).

Local 440 staff have tried toconvince contractors to employ asmall retail works agreement, butmany consider the program toounstructured for their needs. Therecovery agreement offers the poten-tial for upgrading workers’ skills overtime, enhancing contractors’ compet-itiveness. “And the new guys are real-izing that the IBEW is not just anotherjob, but a career,” says Aguilar.

Vince Ingalls, a third generationjourneymanwiremanwith 31 years inthe trade, hasn’t seen a whole lot ofwork over the last three years. Ingalls,whose daughter Vanessa Ingalls-Llamado is a Local 440 apprentice,says the bid on the distribution cen-ter project wouldn’t have been wonwithout lower composite rates. He isconcerned that use of newer classifi-cations be properly policed by thelocal to see that ratios between clas-sifications are appropriate.

“We have to do something toget more work,” he says. “But it’s allof our jobs to see that things aredone right.”

Balland knows that the recov-ery agreementsmark a culturalshift for manymembers, but hesees benefits from the programextending far beyond the present.

As Local 440members partici-pated in one of thousandsof rallies onApril 4 to commemorate the death ofDr.Martin Luther King anddefend col-lective bargaining rights, theywerejoinedby two constructionwiremen,AlfonsoBarajas andRicky Jensen.

Jensen had interviewed forthe Local 440 apprenticeship pro-gram twice, but was unsuccessfulbecause of the slow work forecast.He left his nonunion job immedi-ately when offered an opportunity towork as a CW. Jensen finally becamean indentured apprentice in Juneand will enter classes next year.

Says Balland, “Alfonso andRicky are showing that they are notjust in the IBEW for a paycheck, butwant to belong to something greaterand help make a difference.” �

Members of Riverside, Calif., Local 440 have gained jobs and a new competitive position for their local by working in composite crews. From left are Paul Aguilar,journeyman; James Torres Sr., construction electrician; Oswaldo Sanchez, construction electrician; and Jason Batte, journeyman.



BranchingOut:IBEWTreeTrimmersGo for Growth

It’s one of the most dangerous jobs in theBrotherhood. Clearing tree branches andother obstacles encroaching on powerlines may seem easy, but professional

tree trimmers and line clearance workers haveone of the most hazardous occupations in thecountry according to the National Institute ofSafety and Health.

When called in after major storms, treetrimmers cut away broken branches and felledtrees entangled in live transmission lines. Fallsand electrocutions are all too common.

“It’s very dangerous, working arounddowned or damaged equipment,” saysPittsburgh Local 1919 Business Manager DonKaczka, a 35-year veteran of the industry.

But despite being a vital part of any util-ity or outside construction crew, too often treetrimmers don’t get the respect they deserve,he says.

“There is a stigma attached to us that weare uneducated and unskilled,” saysMedford, Ore., Local 659 Assistant BusinessManager Lennie Ellis, who has worked as atree trimmer for more than 30 years.

And while they work side by side withIBEWmembers, they often don’t get to share in the benefits of union mem-bership, Kaczka told attendees at the 2011 Construction and MaintenanceConference. He was invited back by popular demand to give his presentationon tree trimmers, following an appearance last year.

“We’re talking thousands of potential members, and a lot of businessmanagers are beginning to figure out that we need to go after them,” he says.

Organizing Challenges

More than 50 locals count line clearance tree trimmers among their member-ship, but the industry still remains unorganized in many parts of the country,making low pay, nonexistent benefits and shaky job security the norm formany of them.

Most utilities and outside construction contractors rely on subcontrac-tors for line clearance and in states like Pennsylvania that have low unionmarket share, it is hard for IBEW tree trimmer contractors to compete forwork. Many of the union contractors engage in double breasting, by runninga nonunion section of their shop.

“We are able to stay union largely because the management ofDuquesne Power and Light has had a longstanding relationship with theIBEW, but the same can’t be said for all utilities,” Kaczka says.

But despite the many obstacles, Local 1919—the only local consistingexclusively of tree trimmers—is making impressive organizing gains.

Last fall it successfully organizedmore than 100 tree trimmers at AsplundhTree in eastern Pennsylvania, who signed their first contract inMarch.

It wasn’t easy. Asplundh increasingly relies on Spanish-speaking,largely immigrant workers—as do many nonunion line clearance contrac-tors—driving a cultural and language wedge into the work force.

“Owners are trying to use culture to divide us, but at Asplundh it back-fired,” Kaczka says. “The company assumed the Latinos would be the mostanti-union, but it turned out to be the exact opposite.”

Management tried to conflate the IBEW with some of the corruptunions workers faced in their home countries and told them that the uniondid not care about Latino workers. But diligence on the part of Local 1919allowed Kaczka to build the trust needed to win their support.

“It just took one Spanish-speakingworker to publically come out for us for therest of them to feel comfortable enough to joinup,” Kaczka says. “You can’t let boundariesget in your way. If you build bonds withSpanish-speaking workers and gain theirtrust, you will open up new opportunities atother work sites because you have recruitedorganizers who can spread the word in theirown language,” he says.

Pacific Northwest

In contrast to Pennsylvania, the PacificNorthwest boasts one of the highest lineclearance market shares in the country, withmore than 80 percent of tree trimmers union-ized, says Medford, Ore., Local 659 AssistantBusiness Manager Lennie Ellis. He credits thisin part to state regulations requiring utilitiesto do routine tree maintenance near powerlines, which provides year-round work formost tree trimmers.

“It’s a lot easier to organize workerswhen they don’t have to travel every fewmonths,” Ellis says.

Stringent training requirements have also helped improve the image of theindustry in states like Oregon andWashington. Themajority of tree trimmersmust go through a Joint ApprenticeshipTrainingCommittee-sponsored program,which has increased productivity and dramatically lowered accident rates.

High union density also translates into higher wages and better bene-fits, creating a more stable and professional work force.

“By making sure the tree trimming industry is regulated and providingtraining opportunities, the IBEW has been able to provide tree trimmers withwages and benefits other utility workers enjoy,” Ellis says.

A commitment to training has allowed Detroit Local 17 to represent mosttree trimmers in its jurisdiction. The utility local runs a U.S. Department ofLabor-certified tree trimmer and line clearance apprenticeship program,which is mandatory for any tree trimmer working at one of DTE Energy’s lineclearance contractors.

“We not only guarantee a professional and skilled work force, but weget the chance to educate new tree trimmers on the benefits of union mem-bership,” says Local 17 Business Manager Kevin Shaffer.

Whatever their local situation may be, Kaczka says, it’s up to each localto develop a plan to organize tree trimmers. “Members work by them all thetime and they want the same things all workers want: a shot at the Americandream. But we need to step up our efforts because only the IBEW can providethem with that shot.” �

“Bymaking sure the tree trimmingindustry is regulated and providingtraining opportunities, the IBEWhas beenable to provide tree trimmerswithwagesand benefits other utility workers enjoy.”– Lennie Ellis, Local 659 Assistant Business Manager, Medford, Ore.

www.ibew.orgFrom breaking news tovideo stories, ourupdatedWeb site hasinformation not availableanywhere else. Visit us toconnect with the IBEWonFacebook and to followInternational PresidentEdwin D. Hill on Twitter!

Tell Philips:Keep the Lightson in SpartaWorkers in Sparta, Tenn.,are fighting to keep goodjobs in the U.S. Showyour support by going towww.tellphilips.com.

YouTubeIt's a dangerous jobhundreds of feet in theair. The IBEWYouTubeChannel takes you ona ride with a crew ofhigh-flying linemen.www.youtube.com/TheElectricalWorker.

HourPowerThe IBEW isfitting cost-savings, energyefficiency andnew jobs—in abright smallpackage. Check out thenewest LED technologyon IBEWHour Power!www. IBEWHourPower.com

ElectricTVWhat does a snake haveto dowith solar panels?Find out on our latestedition of ElectricTV,wherewe visit the Toledo Zoo.electricTV.net

IBEWMEDIAWORLD

Inaddition to yourmonthlyissue of The ElectricalWorker, check out thewealth of IBEW-relatedinformation in cyberspace.

IBEW locals across the country are taking up the challenge oforganizing tree trimmers into the Brotherhood.


In the world’s largest consumereconomy, their work is every-where. From the corporatelogos atop skyscrapers to the

scoreboards atMajor LeagueBaseball stadiums to vinyl letterssaying “open for business,” the workof the IBEW’s sign erectors bellowsand beckons across North America.When brands change and companiesmerge or fold, new signs herald thechange. That’s a major market for thesignatory companies and themenand women, jacks-of-all-trades, whomake their living digging, pouringconcrete, welding steel, maneuver-ing cranes and supplying power forsigns as loud as Las Vegas and asMiddle America as Kalamazoo, Mich.

Only 10 IBEW locals still carrythe symbol “se”—sign erectors—intheir jurisdictions. But dozens morehave, among their ranks, proud andexperienced sign erectors. Memberslike Kenyon Crouch.

“I enjoy the diversity of the signerector trade,” says Crouch, a LasVegas Local 357 executive boardmember whomastered the ropes inYoung ElectricSign Co.’s apprentice-ship program. He helped hone thecurriculum for newermembers andhas installed signs inside RockefellerCenter in NewYorkCity and at casinosin Louisiana, NewMexico and Peru.

“They say Las Vegas is the signcapital of our nation,” says Crouch, a22-yearmember, who helped erectsigns on the Hard Rock andworkedon the light canopy show on FremontStreet in old Las Vegas, where anLED-illuminated Thunderbird jet trav-els—with sound effects—across fourcity blocks. Crouch, who often oper-ates a 70-foot bucket truck or worksoff the kinds of platforms used bywindowwashers says, “Heights don’tbotherme. I skydive as a hobby.”

Once employing asmany as 500workers, Utah-based Young ElectricSign Co., one of four large sign outfitsin Las Vegas, is now down to 200.Computer-aided design, newmanu-facturing tools like plasma cutters

and the shift away from labor-inten-sive neon to LED displays havereduced job opportunities.

Crouch,whomigrated to LasVegas fromAlaska,where hewas incollege to becomeanaccountant, sayshe is often the lastworker the cus-tomer seeswhenhe supplies power toa sign. “I get the praise, but other peo-ple did the hard stuff on design andmanufacturing.” It takes a lot of talentto travel froma rough sketch bya cus-tomer to final production.

“Signmaking is an art. We areseven trades in one,” says Crouch.The apprenticeship includes classesin sheetmetal fabrication, rigging,layout, welding, electricity and evenglass blowing.

“Some IBEW electricians don’trealize that sign erectors are one ofour jurisdictions,” says BrianStobart,a St. Louis Local 1 shop steward, athird-generation Brotherhood signerector whose brother, brother-in-lawand son are in the trade.

Piros Signs, Stobart’semployer, is a 55-year-old companythat proudly promotes its IBEW andPainters work forces, union logosand all, on its Web site. Piros spe-cializes in signage on skyscrapers.Stobart recently was part of a three-man crew that spent six weeksinstalling a 120-foot-high LED dis-play on the side of Lumiere’s giantcasino facing the Mississippi River.The total weight of the sign, assem-

bled in the air in 50-by-80-foot sec-tions, was 250,000 pounds. The jobwas valued at $8 million.

Paul Regan, a member of RockIsland, Ill., Local 145, works for AcmeSign Co. in Davenport, Iowa. A shopsteward, Regan says his small “momand pop” employer is the only unionsign shop in the right-to-work state.Sometimes traveling as far asWisconsin and Illinois on jobs forcompanies like McDonald’s andHardee’s, Regan says competingwith large nonunion shops isdemanding, but so are the chal-lenges of modifying signs built byothers to suit their applications.

Regan recently worked on theinstallation of a 170-foot sign for abank in Moline, using a 200-ton

crane. He has also performed morethan 20 sign changeovers for GMauto dealers that have discontinuedselling Pontiac or Cadillacmodels.

BillWhitehead, owner of signa-tory AccelSignGroup in Pittsburgh,says the technology of signagehaschangeddrastically over the years. ButWhitehead,who foundedhis companyin 2002, says the obstacles in bringingjobs to completion are ever-present.

Manymunicipalities have out-sourced their permitting, draggingout approval for new signs. “I have toget the customer to understand thatthe sign can be completed in fiveweeks, but itmay take fivemoreweeks to get approval,” he says.

Whitehead, who employs mem-bers of Pittsburgh Local 385, takes

jobs as small as a vinyl sign saying“open for business” to 80- to-90foot-high signs on an interstatehighway. Getting work is like playingbaseball, he says: “You swing atevery pitch.”

“I can usually tell within thefirst few weeks if a new hire has thetalent for the job,” says Whitehead.“They have to gain competency inworking with cement, welding, set-ting steel and operating cranes andthey can’t be afraid of heights.”Rising costs to fill the gas tanks of55,000-pound bucket and cranetrucks take a bigger bite out of prof-its, says Whitehead, who often winssubcontracts from large, out-of-statecompanies, which tap his knowledgeof local permitting processes.

While they are a diminishingtrade, sign erectors cherish their iden-tity. A fewyears back,Crouchmetanotherworkerwho introducedhim-self as a “union carpenter.” After thatencounter,Crouch changedhis answerwhenasked abouthis career. “I tellfolks that I’maunion sign erector,”saysCrouch,whowaspart of a suc-cessful effort 15 years ago to get signerectors and other smaller units repre-sented on Local 357’s executive board.

Confronted bymembers of othertrades who feel his crew is encroach-ing on their jurisdictions, BrianStobart pulls out his union card andsays, “Anything that can be donewith a sign we do. It’s our work.” �

SIGNS,SIGNSEVERYWHERE

Niche Classification Lights It All

“Sign making is anart. We are seventrades in one.”– Kenyon Crouch, Local 357, Las Vegas

The sign business is rapidly changing, with more elaborate lighting displaysbeing erected, like the massive light canopy show on Fremont Street in LasVegas. Local 357 members Kenyon Crouch, left, Craig Rodery, Nick Jaeger,Brian Leming and Joe Groom install signs at Las Vegas International Airport.

PhotoCredit:PhotousedunderaCreativeCommonslicensefromFlickruserSnapMan.

If modern technology can tracethe paths of satellites andspace stations millions ofmiles away, when will tools be

available to track new constructionprojects in the planning stages toget members back to work? Andwhen will IBEW leaders and activistshave real-time information on ourorganizing efforts across the union’sbranches?

The answer: Now.Two exciting new software pro-

grams, the Project Tracker,designed for the Construction andMaintenance Department, and theOrganizer Accountability andReporting System, developed forthe Membership DevelopmentDepartment, will soon be availableto all construction local unions and,later, to all professional and indus-trial organizers.

Business development andorganizing are two sides of the samecoin, says International PresidentEdwin D. Hill. Encouraging delegatesto attend the workshops on the sys-tems at the Construction andMaintenance Conference inWashington, D.C., Hill told delegates:“Takemy advice—go to the work-shops—because there will be a test.It’s called your daily life. There is nogood reason to fail to utilize thesetools we are putting in your hands.”

Project Tracker

The most critical time for electricalconstruction locals and contractors

to aggressively pursue new work iswhen projects are still on the draw-ing board—in the design and plan-ning phase.

Project Tracker’s data onupcoming projects is drawn fromreporting systems at McGraw-Hilland Industrial Info Resources.McGraw-Hill reports on all projectswith a minimum dollar value of$100,000, IIR on projects at a mini-mum of $1,000,000. The programlists contact information for generalcontractors and owners.

While some locals have sub-scribed to those services in the past,the International will now providethem free of charge to all locals.

Project Tracker empowers con-struction organizers to gain an edgeby providing them with the informa-tion they need to visit customersand sell themselves. “It lets us put aface on the local union and ask cus-tomers what we can do for them andbuild new relationships,” saysConstruction and MaintenanceDepartment InternationalRepresentative Jim Ayrer.

Collecting data onwhich projectswere pursued by locals and signatorycontractors andwhat strategieswentright andwrong, saysAyrer, will go alongway to improving the union’smarket share and job prospects forunemployed electricians. “Puttingmembers back toworkwill be thepayback for our financial and timeinvestment in the system.”

OARS

At the IBEW’s InternationalConvention in Cleveland five yearsago, delegates voted to supportenhanced organizing efforts. With theOrganizing Accountability ReportingSystem, all levels of the union canassess progress daily on all aspectsof organizing and learn from eachother’s successes and failures.

That’s a big boost, especially toregional campaigns, or even nationalones, like the IBEW’s push to organ-ize Sears repair technicians.

“We can see when representa-

tion elections are being held, whattactics are succeeding from Alaskato Maryland and share informationon union busters, NLRB charges oreven order additional research infor-mation,” says Director ofProfessional and IndustrialOrganizing Gina Cooper. “Even if acampaign is lost, the data will allowus to come back stronger and moreprepared a year later.”

OARS will help increase IBEW’ssuccess by identifying problems andhelp organizers “tweak and makeadjustments in their methods andapproach,” says Kirk Groenendaal,

Special Assistant to the President forMembership Development.

“All leaders took an oath togrow this organization,”Groenendaal says. “We’ll never be100 percent successful.” But, hesays, “There is absolutely no excusefor not making the effort to establishvolunteer organizing committeesand build our strength in new nichesof our jurisdictions and markets.”

Amodern trade unionist, saysHill, needs themostmodern tools tosucceed. “The world is moving toofast. Our targets are harder to hit andcompetition is fiercer than ever.” �



NewSoftware ProgramsDesigned toBuild Union Power

New information tools Project Tracker and OARS will boost local unions’ efforts to organize and build market share.

PhotoCredit:PhotousedunderaCreativeCommonslicensefromFlickruserboellstiftung.


The doors were shuttered atthe Stonco Lighting factoryin Union, N.J., May 6 as theplant’s parent corporation,

Netherlands-based PhilipsElectronics, moved ahead with plansto outsource the work to its opera-tions in Mexico, eliminating morethan 60 manufacturing jobs.

“Philipswasn’t interested indoing anything to help keep theworkhere,” saysNewYork Local 3 BusinessRepresentative Anthony Esponda,who representedworkers atStonco.

“It was clear that they weren’tgoing to negotiate with us on keep-ing the plant open.”

Stonco was part of the GenlyteGroup lighting chain, which was pur-chased by Philips in 2007. Genlyteand its predecessor, Thomas, wereleading American producers of light-ing fixtures for decades.

The Economist reported at thetime of the sale that Philips’ goal wasto “use Genlyte’s relations with dis-tributors and retailers to increasesales of LED lighting in America.”

But while boosting sales in theUnitedStates, the company has beendownsizing its American work forceby taking advantage of existing freetrade agreements to shift productionto foreign Philips’ facilities, shuttingdown or dramatically downsizing four

formerly American-owned plants inless than three years.• Last December, Stonco’s Union,N.J., neighbor, Lightolier, wasshuttered, with the majority ofworkmoving to Mexico.

• More than 70 lighting glassemployees lost their jobs whenPhilips shut down its Danville,Ky., plant—purchased from

Corning Glass in the mid ’80s—because of competition fromPhilips foreign plants.

• In 2009, Philips shut down theformer Westinghouse lightingplant in Fairmont, W.Va., movingmost of the production to theNetherlands. Nearly 90 workerslost their jobs.

• More than 70 jobs at Philips OralHealthcare’s Snoqualmie, Wash.,facility—makers of the Sonicareelectronic toothbrush—were out-sourced to China in 2009. Philips

took over the plant in 2000 aspart of its acquisition of theWashington-based Optiva Corp.

More than 270 workers at thePhilips Lighting plant in Sparta,Tenn., are now fighting to keep theirworkplace open. The companyannounced it was moving the award-winning lighting fixture facility toMexico by 2012.

“Philips’ behavior is a perfectexample of what’s wrong with ourcurrent trading system,” saysInternational President Edwin D. Hill.“Philips uses our free trade agree-ments to get easy access toAmerican markets, while outsourc-ing good jobs in their quest for thelowest wages possible, devastatingcommunities—and all without con-sulting with their own employees orthe affected communities.”

Go towww.tellphilips.com formore on the campaign to keep theSparta plant open. �

Philips’ New Jersey plant is the fifth facility in the U.S. to be shut down since 2008.

Philips’ Playbook for U.S. Plants:First Acquire, Then Close

2010 Summary Annual Reportfor Int’l Brotherhood of ElectricalWorkers’ Pension Benefit Fund

This is a summary of the annual report for the INT’L BROTHERHOOD OFELECTRICAL WORKERS’ PENSION BENEFIT FUND, (Employer IdentificationNo. 53-0088380, Plan No. 001) for the period July 1, 2009 to June 30,2010. The annual report has been filed with the Employee Benefits SecurityAdministration, as required under the Employee Retirement Income SecurityAct of 1974 (ERISA).

Basic FinancialStatement

Benefits under the plan are provided by a trust (benefits are provided inwhole from trust funds). Plan expenses were $129,612,476. These expensesincluded $10,999,966 in administrative expenses and $118,612,510 inbenefits paid to participants and beneficiaries. A total of 445,041 personswere participants in or beneficiaries of the plan at the end of the plan year,although not all of these persons had yet earned the right to receive benefits.

The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was$1,508,775,682 as of June 30, 2010 compared to $1,390,780,853 as ofJuly 1, 2009. During the plan year the plan experienced an increase in its netassets of $117,994,829. This increase includes unrealized appreciation ordepreciation in the value of plan assets; that is, the difference between thevalue of the plan’s assets at the end of the year and the value of the assetsat the beginning of the year, or the cost of assets acquired during the year.The plan had total income of $247,607,305, including employee contribu-tions of $54,746,005, gains of $82,273,658 from the sale of assets andearnings from investments of $101,185,918, gains from foreign currencytranslations of $9,353,774 and other income of $47,950.

Your Rights to Additional Information

You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any partthereof, on request. The items listed below are included in that report:1. An accountant’s report;

2. Assets held for investment;

3. Transactions in excess of 5 percent of the plan assets; and

4. Information regarding any common or collective trust, pooled separateaccounts, master trusts or 103-12 investment entities in which the planparticipates.

To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call theoffice of the Plan Administrator

SALVATORE J. CHILIA,International Secretary-Treasurer900 7th Street, NWWashington, DC2000126-4085261 (Employer Identification Number)(202) 728-6200

You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, onrequest and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the planand accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the planand accompanying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the full annualreport from the plan administrator, these two statements and accompanyingnotes will be included as part of that report. These portions of the report arefurnished without charge.

You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual reportat the main office of the plan:

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 900 7th Street, NWWashington, DC20001 and at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington,D.C., or to obtain a copy from the U.S. Department of Labor upon payment ofcopying costs. Requests to the Department should be addressed to: U.S.Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, PublicDisclosure Room, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Suite N-1513, Washington,D.C. 20210. �

“Philips’ behavior is a perfectexample of what’s wrong withour current trading system.”– International President Edwin D. Hill

PhotoCredit:PhotousedunderaCreativeCommonslicensefromFlickruserDavidMcKFlit.

The first Ontario generalelection in four years isscheduled for October andthe stakes could not be

higher for working people. Jobs, work-ers’ rights, health care and educationfunding are all on the line as TimHudak’s Progressive Conservativeslook to unseat Liberal Premier DaltonMcGuinty’s government.

Hudak says his priority is pro-viding relief for hardworking families,but Working Families, a broad coali-tion of Ontario unions representingmore than 500,000 working people,is advising voters not to buy it.

“Hudak talks about standingup for the average taxpayer, but inreality his agenda is pure BayStreet,” says First District VicePresident Phil Flemming.

TheWorking Families Coalition—which is supported by the buildingtrades, including the IBEW, andapproximately 10 industrial and serv-ice unions—was formed in 2003 toeducate voters about policies thatthreaten workers and expose the truemotives of anti-worker politicians.

Alex Lolua, director of govern-ment relations for the IBEW’sConstruction Council of Ontario, saysmany union members were blind-sided by the last Tory premier ofOntario, Mike Harris, who wooedvoters with promises to cut taxesand reduce bureaucratic red tape,saying he would be a fighter for ordi-nary Ontarians.

But to the dismay of workingfamilies, Harris’ “CommonSenseRevolution” government of the mid-’90s ended up being one of themostanti-worker in the province’s history.Harris repealed anti-scab legislation,froze theminimumwage, slashedworkers’ compensation and allowedsome of the biggest contractors inOntario to rip up their contracts withthe building trades.

“It took a lot of us by surprise,”Lolua says. “We didn’t educate vot-ers on what Harris and the Toriesreally stood for. And now Hudakwants to follow in his footsteps.”

The big business-backed Torieshave promised major cuts to healthcare, education and public services,

which would lead to tens of thou-sands of layoffs.

Workers’ rights in the construc-tion industrywould also suffer undera ProgressiveConservative govern-ment. ToryMPP JimWilson told ameeting ofMerit Ontario in April thatshould his partywin power, it wouldabolish theOntarioCollege of Trades,give open shop contractors a leg up inthe bidding process and reduce the

journeyman to apprentice ratio from3-to-1 to 1-to-1.

“Hudak wants to do to Ontariowhat anti-worker governors likeScott Walker and John Kasich aredoing in the United States,” says PatDillon, business manager for theOntario Building and ConstructionTrades Council.

The Tories are also threateningthousands of jobs in the renewable

energy sector. Hudak has attackedMcGuinty’s green energy plan,which has encouraged new jobs inthe solar industry and investmentsin smart grid technology.

“We are focused on the issuesthat affect every working family inOntario: jobs, health care, schools,”says Lolua.

Strictly nonpartisan, Lolua saysWorking Families makes no candi-

date or party endorsements, focus-ing exclusively on educating voterson the issues.

“We are talking about jobs,wages, working conditions, educa-tion and health care,” he says. “Andeducating Ontarians about whichpoliticians will stand against work-ing families on those issues.”

Go towww.workingfamilies.cafor more information. �

North of 49° | Au nord du 49° parallèle

OntarioWorking Families ExposeTories’Real Agenda

La Coalition pour les famillestravailleusesde l’Ontario expose levéritable agenda des conservateurs

La première élection généraleen quatre ans est prévuepour lemois d’octobre enOntario et les enjeux de cette

élection sont des plus importantspour les travailleurs et les tra-vailleuses. Le progressiste-conserva-teur Tim Hudak tentera de déloger lepremierministre DaltonMcGuinty duParti libéral, ce qui mettrait en jeu lesemplois, les droits des travailleurs, lefinancement des soins de santé et del’éducation.

Bien que Tim Hudak affirmeque sa priorité est de venir en aideaux familles de travailleurs, laCoalition pour les familles de tra-vailleurs (Working families) qui re-groupe des syndicats de l’Ontario etreprésente plus de 500,000 tra-vailleurs, recommande aux électeursde ne pas se laisser berner.

« Hudak parle de soutenir lecontribuable moyen mais en réalitéc’est le « Bay Street » qui est danssa mire » déclare Phil Flemming,Vice-président du Premier District.

La Coalition pour les famillesde travailleurs, appuyée par lesmétiers de la construction, dont laFIOE, ainsi que par quelque dix syn-dicats industriels et de servicespublics, a été formée en 2003 dansle but d’informer les électeurs sur

les politiques qui pourraient être né-fastes pour les travailleurs et d’ex-poser les véritables motivations despoliticiens anti-syndicalistes.

Selon Alex Lolua, directeur enrelations gouvernementales duConseil de la construction de la FIOEde l’Ontario, un grand nombre desyndiqués s’étaient laissés aveuglerpar les promesses du dernier pre-mier ministre conservateur del’Ontario, Mike Harris, qui avaitcourtisé les électeurs en promettantde réduire les impôts et la pa-perasserie bureaucratique, tout enaffirmant qu’il se battrait pour lapopulation ontarienne.

Mais au grand désarroi desfamilles de travailleurs, la « révolu-tion du bon sens » du gouvernementHarris des années mi-90, s’estrévélée une des plus « anti-syndical-istes » de l’histoire de la province.Harris a abrogé la loi anti-briseursde grève et gelé le salaire minimum;il a considérablement réduit l’in-demnisation des accidentés du tra-vail et a permis à certains des plusimportants entrepreneurs enOntario de rompre leurs contratsavec les métiers de la construction.

« Plusieurs avaient été pris parsurprise. Nous n’avions pas informéles électeurs sur les véritables inten-

tions de Harris et des conservateurs.Et maintenant, voilà que Hudak veutsuivre ses traces. » dit Lolua.

Les conservateurs ont promisdes coupuresmajeures dans la san-té, l’éducation et les services publics,qui pourraient se traduire par desmilliers demises à pied favorisantainsi les grandes entreprises.

Advenant l’élection d’un gou-vernement progressiste-conserva-teur, les droits des travailleurs del’industrie de la construction pour-raient en souffrir. Lors d’une rencon-tre du «Merit Ontario » (une associ-ation d’entrepreneurs en construc-tion non syndiqués) qui a eu lieu enavril, le député progressiste-conser-vateur Jim Wilson a déclaré que sison parti était porté au pouvoir,l’Ordre des métiers de l’Ontario(Ontario College of Trades) seraitaboli, ce qui donnerait une longueurd’avance aux employeurs non-syn-diqués lors du processus d’invita-tion à soumissionner et que le ratiocompagnon-apprenti actuel de 3pour 1 serait diminué à 1 pour 1.

« Ce que Hudak veut faire enOntario est comparable à ce que desgouverneurs anti-syndicalistes telsque Scott Walker et John Kasich fontaux États-Unis » affirme Pat Dillon,membre du conseil d’administration

du Conseil provincial des métiers dela construction de l’Ontario.

Des milliers d’emplois dans lesecteur de l’énergie renouvelablesont menacés avec les conserva-teurs. Hudak s’est attaqué au pland’énergie verte de McGuinty, quiavait attiré la création d’emploisdans l’industrie solaire et des in-vestissements dans la technologiedu réseau intelligent.

« Nous nous concentrons surles enjeux qui touchent non seule-ment les syndiqués, mais toutes lesfamilles de travailleurs de l’Ontario,notamment les emplois, la santé etl’éducation » dit Lolua.

Rigoureusement impartial,Lolua précise que la Coalition pourles familles de travailleurs (WorkingFamilies) n’appuie aucun candidatou parti et se concentre exclusive-ment à l’éducation des électeurs surces enjeux.

« Nous parlons des emplois, dessalaires, des conditions de travail, del’éducation et de la santé et nous in-struisons la population ontarienneafin qu’elle soit enmesure de savoirquels politiciens s’opposeront aux at-tentes des familles de travailleurs surces enjeux » conclut-il.

Visitez le sitewww.working-families.ca pour en savoir plus. �




OrganizingWire

NewHampshire UtilityWorkersSign FirstContract

After nearly nine months of con-tentious negotiations, warehouseworkers at the New HampshireElectric Cooperative ratified theirfirst contract in March.

The four warehouse employeeshad first contactedManchester,Maine, Local 1837—which representsmore than 80 linemen and otheremployees at themember-ownedutility—last year. Management hadimplemented cutbacks, but onlyIBEWmembers had the power to sitdown at the table with the companyto negotiate the terms.

“Unionmembers ended upwithamuch better deal, whichmade theunion advantage crystal clear,” saysLocal 1837 organizerMatt Beck.

The workers quickly signed up,but management balked at negotiat-ing a first contract.

“They didn’t want them to beunder the master agreement with

the rest of the employees,” saysLocal 1837 Assistant BusinessManager Tom Ryan.

Both parties finally reachedagreement on a separate contract,which included a 3 percent wageincrease and formal pay scales.

“Pay was pretty much arbitrarybefore the contract,” Beck says.“Seniority didn’t count.”

At the same timeNewHamp-shire ElectricCooperative employeesfinalized their first contract, Local 1837members at theGranite Ridge powerplant near Londonderry successfullynegotiated their second, giving themamore than9percentwage increaseover the life of the three-year contract,an extra paid holiday, and streamlinedgrievance procedures.

The more than 20 employeesfirst approached Local 1837 in 2006because of poor working conditionsand abusive managers.

“Working conditionswerehorren-dous,” saysBusinessManagerCynthiaPhinney. “Managementkept changingthe rulesby theday, soanemployee

whowas told todosomethinga certainwayonedaywouldget in trouble fordoing thesame thing thenext.”

While it took a year toget their first contract, nego-tiations on its renewal tookonly weeks. “Things went alot smoother this timearound,” Ryan says. “Bothsides were a lot more com-fortable with the collectivebargaining process.” �

SearsTechniciansJoin IBEW in Alaska

When service technicians forSears in Alaska decided they neededa voice on the job, they “Googled” tofind the union right for them.

One of the first items to comeup on the Internet search was a2006 story on the IBEW’s Web siteabout Sears technicians in Coloradoand Wyoming who joined DenverLocal 68. (See “Big Win in West…Sears Service Workers Vote IBEW,”www.ibew.org, August 18, 2006)

“They read about employeesgetting a 3-percent wage increase,strong job security and, most impor-tantly, some say in their workplace,”says Anchorage Local 1547 LeadOrganizer Dennis Knebel. “That wasall they needed to check out theIBEW for themselves.”

Organizing the technicians—who install and maintain Searshome appliances—was a challenge.The 15 employees mostly workedfrom home, getting their serviceassignments from the company viacomputer each morning. Spread outfrom Anchorage to Fairbanks—a350-mile distance—they rarely inter-acted with each other, Knebel says.

Organizers relied on e-commu-nications to bring the unit together,creating an e-mail list and usingvideo conferencing to connect work-ers across the miles.

“Local 1547Business Represen-tative John Ferreewould get the guystogether in Fairbanks, set up a cameraandhook themupwith theAnchoragegroup online,” Knebel says.

After a few weeks, the workersvoted 9-6 in an NLRB-administeredelection. Negotiations on the firstcontract began in May. �

Recovery ProgramHelpsMichigan Local ThroughToughTimes

No state in the nation has beenslammedharder by the recessionthanMichigan, which is still strug-gling with double-digit unemploymentand a decliningmanufacturing sector.

Members of BayCity Local 692are not only dealingwith the economicdownturn but intense competitionfrom thenonunionAssociatedBuilders andContractors. NearbyMidland is a state center forABC, andnonunion shopsperiodically outbidsignatory contractors, keeping thelocal’smarket share under 50percent.

“We lost our ability to compete inalmost every sector—industrial, com-mercial and residential,” says Local692BusinessManagerMarkBauer.

But, Bauer says, things arebeginning to turn around, thanks tothe adoption of the IBEW’s recoveryprogram. The use of alternative clas-sifications has brought new work tothe local, putting dozens of out-of-work journeymen and apprenticesback on the job.

One of the biggest projects waslast year’s $30 million expansion ofthe Midland Country Club, a job thatput 20 Local 692 members to work.

“We absolutely would not havegotten that job without the use ofconstruction electricians and con-struction wiremen,” Bauer says.

CEs and CWs are alternative jobclassifications assigned to electri-cians who do not possess the skillsnormally held by journeymen wire-men and inside apprentices whose

multi-year course of study is set byNational Joint ApprenticeshipTraining Committee curriculum.

The project would have gonecompletely nonunion without the useof alternative classifications, he says.

“It made us competitive andput us in the game for the work,”Bauer said.

New classifications were alsokey in the local’s successful bid thiswinter to build a new $32 millionbusiness services center in Midland.

“We’re talking 30 jobs rightthere,” Bauer says.

The use of alternative classifi-cations isn’t new to the local, whichhad an intermediate journeymencategory for years, formally adoptingCEs and CWs four years ago as partof an aggressive effort to win backmarket share.

Responding to those who sayCEs/CWs take jobs that should begoing to journeymen Bauer says,“For us, the recovery program hascreated jobs for IBEW journeymen—bymaking us more competitive, ithas won us projects we wouldn’thave gotten without it.”

“We would have had more than30 members entering their secondyear of unemployment without usingCEs and CWs,” he says.

The recovery programhas alsogiven the local the opportunity to winover nonunion electricianswho aredoing thework the union should bedoing. InMichigan, novice electricianswho are not in an apprenticeship pro-gram can be licensed by the state asresidential electricians, but the tradi-tional two-tier journeyman/apprentice

DECEASEDJosephA.Maziasz

The IBEW regrets to announce that retired InternationalRepresentative Joseph A. Maziasz died March 14 at theage of 89.

Brother Maziasz, a native of Phillips, Wis., was ini-tiated into Milwaukee Local 663 in 1952. The local isresponsible for servicing and maintaining industrialfacilities throughout Milwaukee. Maziasz would work at

nearly every plant in the area during the height of the city’s manufacturingboom in the ’50s.

He was appointed International Representative in the OrganizingDepartment nowMembership Development—with a focus on organizingelectrical manufacturing plants. One of the biggest campaigns he wasinvolved in was at a 2,000-person GTE factory in Albuquerque, N.M. Assistinga 100-person volunteer organizing committee, Maziasz served as part of ateam that successfully organized the telecom plant in 1973.

Maziasz also helped in the campaign that brought IBEW representationto thousands of workers at Washington, D.C.’s public utility, Pepco, in 1979.

“He was great guy and a real hard worker,” says retired InternationalRepresentative Don Mahoney, who was assigned to the TelephoneDepartment, now the Telecommunications and Broadcasting Department.“Hundreds of workers in the manufacturing branch becamemembersbecause of him,” he says.

Maziasz retired in 1987. He is survived by his son and daughter.The IBEW extends its deepest sympathy to his friends and family. �

Transitions

Sears technicians are negotiating their first contract after voting to join Anchorage,Alaska, Local 1547. From left are Josh Hoxie, Randall Estes, Raul Rodriguez, Garret VanEck, Dominic Comerate and Sergey Rossolov.



Circuits

IBEWTVPhotographersWinSan FranciscoAwards

As Jacob Jimenez, a photographerfor Fox Television affiliate KTVU inOakland, Calif., was filming a surfcompetition in Half Moon Bay lastyear, he noticed a number of specta-tors moving closer to the water to geta better vantage point on the partici-pants. As they ignored the pleas tomove back, an unexpectedly largewave rolled in, toppling a podiumand injuring some of the spectators.Jimenez, a member of HollywoodLocal 45 who trained in his craft atthe Art Institute of Seattle, capturedthe news-in-the-making.

In April, “Maverick’s Wave”won an award for excellence in videospot news photography from theSan Francisco Broadcast and PressPhotographers Association. Jimenez,who also won first- and second-place honors in other categories,was joined by several other Local 45photographers at the award dinner.

William Erickson, KTVU, wonfirst- and third-place awards.

Thomas O’Hair from KCRA inSacramento won first- and third-place honors. KCRA’s Steve Gonzalezwon a third-place award and anaward of excellence. MichaelDomalaog won a first-place honor,and Alan Fillipi, KTVU, won a sec-ond- place award.

“It may look to those outsideour industry like we just show upwith our cameras on our shouldersand shoot, but TV news is a rapidly-changing world of live trucks andcomputer technology,” says Jimenez,who has been nominated as videog-rapher of the year in the Associated

Press Television-Radio Association’s2011 MarkTwain Awards.

It’s challenging to shoot andthen quickly edit segments to fit intothe news frame. “You’re rushing,but wish you had more time to do aneven better video,” says Jimenez,who also was honored for a pieceentitled “Graffiti Artist” about a highschool student who turned his artand his life around, going from ille-gal spray painting to etching muralson the school walls. “I’m excited anytime I can put together a story with agood message that viewers willenjoy watching,” he says. �

job classificationmade it difficult torecruit theseworkers to the IBEW.

CEs/CWs are given the opportu-nity to boost their skills at Local692’s training center and advancethrough its apprenticeship program.

Andwith newCEs/CWsbringingalongwith them the names of friendsand family still working nonunion, thelocal is developing an extensive list ofpotentialmembers at nonunion con-tractors throughout its jurisdiction.

“The lousy economy limits howmany people we can take in right now,but as soon as thework starts to pickup, we have a networkof nonunionelectricians our organizers can starttargeting right away,” Bauer says.

“If we just sit back and wait forthe next big job to come along, that’swhat we’ll be doing, waiting,” saysLocal 692member Tom Bartosek.“The world is constantly changingand we have to change with it.” �

MunicipalWorkersChoose IBEW inNew Jersey

With all of the controversy surround-ing public employees and their ben-efits, are they more likely to seekunion representation or get scaredand run in the other direction?

Ifmunicipal workers in Kinnelon,awealthy northern New Jersey bor-ough, are any indication,more publicworkerswill be seeking the advocacyand protection of unions.

InMarch, the state’s PublicEmployees RelationsCommissiongranted 16 Kinnelon non-supervisorywhite collar workers their request tobe represented by JerseyCity Local164. Since their successful petition tothe commission,more co-workershave expressed interest in organizing.

The vote in favor of union repre-sentation came in response to an

ordinance passed by the KinnelonBorough Council that discontinuedhealth care coverage for two part-time workers who had been previ-ously promised such coverage.White collar workers were also upsetthat their wages were frozen in 2010,while unionized workers in thepolice and public works departmentwere entitled to negotiated raises.

Local 164 BusinessManagerBuzzy Dressel told NorthJersey.comthat he understood the financialpressures onmunicipalities but saidthat it isn’t fair or equitable for townsto “go after the employees who don’thave a collective bargaining unit.”Dressel added, “The union isn’t look-ing to hurt the town. We just want tohave a level playing field.”

Negotiations haven’t startedyet, but Dressel said he is confidentthat conflicts will be resolved oncethe parties sit down at the table. �

Hollywood,Calif., Local 45membersWilliamErickson, left,and JacobJimenezreceivedawards fromthe SanFranciscoBroadcastand PressPhotographersAssociation.

Safety Corner

Firefighters often face electrical hazards, so JATC instructors in Californiaare helping local responders gin up their electrical knowledge.

Electrical TrainingBoostsSafety for Calif. Firefighters

In the midst of an emergency, electrical problems can spell disaster for fire-fighters already performing risky work. When power lines tumble—leavinglive wires strewn across city streets—or when electricity needs to be cut off ata burning house, split-second decisions can save lives.

Or, they can put a first responder in a hospital. Each year, hundreds offirefighters are treated at burn centers nationwide due to occupational haz-ards like electrical accidents.

“The worst part is that most of these injuries could be avoided,” saidRiverside/San Bernardino JATC instructor Tom Ayers. As part of a new initiativein the Inland Empire area of Southern California, Ayers is helping members ofthe Redlands Fire Department beef up their knowledge of electrical safety.

“They show up on scenes where you’ve got downed lines, sometimeswith water thrown into the mix,” Ayers said. “You’ve got to be extremely care-ful about what to watch out for.”

Last month, Ayers and fellow JATC instructor Laura Vergeront beganoffering specialized trainings for the department. They augment their instruc-tion of OSHA electrical safety requirements—including how to handle arcflash—with tailor-made lessons on how to face newer challenges.

“In our presentations, we ask the firefighters what their concerns arewith specific electrical hazards they might have encountered,” saidVergeront, a Riverside Local 440 member. “One of the main concerns rightnow is about solar panel systems on roofs,” which can be tricky to bringoffline in rainstorms or at nighttime.

The firefighters are enthusiastic, too. “Doing that job means that you’reconstantly getting new information and you’re trained all the time,” Ayerssaid. “For them to like us, we knew we’d have to be pretty good—and thefeedback has been overwhelmingly positive.”

The safety presentations were coordinated by Jan Hudson, businessdevelopment director at the Inland Empire Labor Management CooperationCommittee—the group funding the trainings. Hudson began researchingaccidents involving first responders after conversations with a contact at theInland Empire Burn Institute. She connected officials at the fire departmentwith the JATC instructors to roll out the initial sessions.

“Shortly after our office established this program and delivered our firsttraining, my phone started ringing off the hook with calls from a variety offirst responders,” Hudson said. “I’ve been in talks with police and sheriff’sdepartments, other fire departments throughout the Inland Empire—manyorganizations want this type of training. It gives me additional opportunitiesto advocate for the IBEW/NECA partnership.

Local 440 Business Manager Bob Frost speaks highly of the trainers’expertise. “We’ve had such a great response, and our trainers have uniqueskills to pass along,” he said. “For first responders, the information is vitalfor their safety and for the people they’re trying to assist.”

For more information, visit the LMCC’s Web site atwww.ielmcc.com. �

Photocredit:PhotousedunderaCreativeCommonslicensefromFlickruserAM

agill.

Local Lines


Volunteers Aid HaitiL.U. 6 (c,i,st&u), SAN FRANCISCO, CA—Last year’searthquake in Haiti created such great destructionthat the people of Haiti are still struggling to over-come the devastation, andmembers of Local 6reached out to help. Volunteers ranging from retireesto apprentices traveled to Milot in Haiti to replacethe electrical infrastructure at Sacre Coeur Hospital.Jeff Rodriguez, who organized the volunteers, andJustin Connolly, Clare Heitkamp, Brett Schembari,Phil C. Farrelly, Bill Donohoe and Ian Rodriguez areall commended for taking action to improve the livesof those ravaged by the disaster. Our SFECA (SanFrancisco Electrical Contractors Assoc.) industry part-ners at Rosendin Electric are also commended forcoordinating a very generous donation of suppliesand equipment necessary to perform the work.

Local 6 membersmarched in the 160th annualSt. Patrick’s Day parade. Our local’s volunteers builta float depicting San Francisco’s iconicMt. Sutrotower. The float’s lights andmusicwere solar pow-ered. Many of our retirees rode in amotorized cablecar. The weather was fantastic and the event was agreat day of camaraderie and pride for ourmember-ship. Parade committee co-chairs Barrett Stapletonand Lou Sullivan, as well as the volunteers, are con-gratulated for winning 1st place float honors.

Phil A. Farrelly, Pres.

RepealOhioSenate Bill 5L.U. 8 (as,em,i,mar,mt,rts,s&spa), TOLEDO,OH—Theworkoutlookhas seen some improvementwith threebig projects in our area: theHollywoodCasino inRossford, the steelmill in Leipsic, and theGMFoundry.

The political arena in Ohio has been veryintense over the past few months, with workingfamilies under attack. Many Local 8 membersattended rallies in Columbus to protest state SenateBill 5, which essentially abolishes collective bar-gaining rights for public employees. SB 5 passed inMarch but a petition drive is underway to get a ref-erendum challenge on the November general elec-tion ballot. Gov. John Kasich also proposed thevirtual elimination of prevailing wage, includingraising the threshold for prevailing wage applicabil-ity from projects valued over $78,000 to $5 millionand above. He also proposed prohibiting prevailingwage on all K-12, college and university construc-tion, and he intends to render any state enforce-ment of prevailing wage meaningless.

Local 8 members are enjoying various sum-mer activities. Local golf and softball leagues are in

full force and upcoming IBEW bowling, softball andgolf tournaments are scheduled for this summer.These activities offer a great way to spend time out-doors with your union brothers and sisters in a fun,relaxing setting. As always, work safe, play safe.

Terry “Shorty” Short, P.S.

Photovoltaic TrainingL.U. 14 (i), EAU CLAIRE, WI—Local 14 recently addedan additional photovoltaic array at our union hall totrain our members in this ever-evolving technology.This 1.4 kW ground-mounted array compliments the2.8 kW dual-axis tracking array that the localinstalled in November 2009. Both arrays were con-structed with volunteer labor from the local. Local14 also has two PV trainers who can instruct themembers about photovoltaic systems.

An added benefit of having the solar arraysinstalled at the hall is that when not being usedfor training, they are producing renewable energyfor the building. Our tracking array has producedmore than 6,000 kilowatt hours of electricity sinceit was installed.

The PVmarket in Wisconsin continues to growevery year, despite challenges of the recent econ-omy. Because of this growth, our members need tobe ready when contractors look to enter this marketto better diversify their businesses. Local 14 hascontinued to develop additional training opportuni-ties for apprentices and journeymen to stayinformed of continuing advances in renewableenergy and other emerging technologies.

Kevin Kuderer, Instructor

Fighting forWorkersL.U. 16 (i), EVANSVILLE,IN—Dedicated membersof IBEW Local 16 havebeen actively fightingback against the torrentof anti-labor legislationpushed on working peo-ple by right-wing extrem-ists. Attacks have comeon unemployment insur-ance, “right-to-work” (forless), project labor agree-ments and common con-struction wage laws.Union members havemade phone calls, e-mailed, written letters

and held personal visits with their representa-tives—and rallied repeatedly both locally and at theIndianapolis statehouse. It is imperative that every-one who benefits from a collective bargainingagreement do their part in these attempts to protectthe hard-won standards enjoyed today.

Thankyou to thosewhohave agreed to serve theIBEW in an elected position.Congratulations to JudgeRickKoressel, andTellers RickRush Jr. and Jeff Turpin.

Local 16 is indebted to the IBEW locals thathave employed its members during the extendedeconomic downturn.

Local 16’s newWeb site is now up and run-ning. To access restricted information, you mustenter your last name andcard number. For the latestinformation regarding bookstatus, work outlook, pic-tures, political news,upcoming events andrelated links, visitwww.ibewlocal16.org.

Donald P. Beavin, P.S.

Green EnergyTraining LabL.U. 22 (i,rts&spa), OMAHA,NE—We send a big thank-you to our members whotravelled to Wisconsin inMarch for the rallies. Wewere there the weekendthat the 14 Wisconsin legis-

lators came back, and the solidarity was impres-sive. It is extremely important to stand togetheragainst the anti-union, anti-middle class policiesthat are sweeping this nation. Solidarity will prevail,but the fight is not over.

Since 2009 we have trained more than 300members (both local hands and from other jurisdic-tions) in our Utility Wind Training Program. We arewaiting for that work to pick up again in theMidwest. Local 22 is also moving forward with plansto install a Green Energy Training Lab. This willinclude a solar pavilion, wind generating tower,building automation lab, and electric car chargingstations. This new lab will be open to the public andindustry to showcase the technologies and teachabout the benefits of green power.

We were able to host some travelling brothersand sisters this spring at a nuclear plant shutdownnorth of Omaha. It is short term, but every bit helpsas the economy recovers. Visit our newWeb site atwww.ibew22.org.

Chris Bayer, P.S.

Solar Project atGMCPlantL.U. 24 (es,i&spa), BALTIMORE, MD—Our work pic-ture is still slow at this time.

One of our bright spots is a solar panel instal-lation on the roof of the General Motors AllisonTransmission Plant in White Marsh, MD. UnionElectricCompany was the successful contractor onthe project. The job includes the installation of morethan 5,300 solar panels generating 1.2 megawatts of

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 14 installed solar arrays at the union hall.

At GMC solar installation jobsite are, from left, back row: Local 24 Bus.Mgr. Roger Lash Jr., Chuck Bradley, Jason Kruse, Marty McLaughlin,Foreman Jim Simon, Union Electric owner Glen Hastings, Brent Gant;front row, Mike Taylor, Randell Finney, Ian Baxter, Bob Blumberg, CarlHerb, Jerry Rice and Matt Sikorsky. Not pictured: Wayne Wenderoth,Will Morton and Shawn Bard.


power. The job started in March and is scheduled tobe completed in mid-June 2011. The $1 million jobpeaked at 15 men, and Union Electric owner GlenHastings said he was pleased the job was on sched-ule and on budget. He stated that he was bidding onother solar projects in the area and had landed a jobat the Brandon Shores Power Plant.

At this time we are experiencing sustainedrecord unemployment and our contractors are bid-ding on several large jobs projected for our area.

Roger M. Lash Jr., B.M.

Dollars Against DiabetesL.U. 26 (ees,em,es,govt,i&mt), WASHINGTON, DC—We have finalized plans for the Manassas picnic onJune 18, and we hope you have your tickets and areplanning to attend. The annual picnic in Edgewater,MD, will be Aug. 6. Be sure to order your tickets soyou don’t miss out on this day of brotherhood,health awareness and fun!

Thanks to all those who are participating inour Dollars Against Diabetes Golf Outing on June 6.This event is always a huge success and we are ableto make a generous donation toward the fightagainst diabetes.

The Scholarship Committee should beannouncing the winners of this year’s scholarshipawards soon. Congratulations to all the applicantson your outstanding academic achievements!

The following members passed away since ourlast article: Thomas A. Miller, Steven D. Pitkin, KevinR. Nowakowski, Gary M. Hayre, George C. Starkey,Charles F. Mauer III and Raymond C. Mansfield.

Best wishes to recent retirees: Eugene W.Burroughs, Billy J. McGill, Gilmer E. Dowdy, CharlesL. Dursee, Michael E. Ferguson, Christian T.Fitzgerald, Werner C. Grabner, Eugene R. Hord,James D. Horstkamp, Paul J. Trainor, John L. Jensen,Fred J. Merchant III and Clinton J. Wilson.

Charles E. Graham, B.M.

Drive to RepealSB 5L.U. 38 (i), CLEVELAND, OH—Thanks to all the IBEWmembers who have attended the Anti-Senate Bill 5Rallies being held at the state Capitol in Columbusand across the state of Ohio. [Photo, below.]

This proposed anti-union legislation wasrecently passed by the Republican dominated OhioHouse and Senate and signed by Gov. John Kasich.

Our next move has been to launch a referen-dum effort seeking repeal of Senate Bill 5—by craft-

ing a petition and working to collect the signaturesof approximately 231,000 Ohio voters to place themeasure on the November general election ballot.

Senate Bill 5 is a right-wing initiative that stripspublic union workers of their collective bargainingrights. The governor has only just begun his anti-union campaign with SB 5. He is also writing into hisbudget the decimation of Ohio’s prevailing wage law.

The IBEW is working to stop the right-wingagenda by gathering petition signatures. We are alsospeaking with and educating our state lawmakersabout the detrimental effects of repealing prevailingwage—but we will also need the help of every IBEWmember in the state of Ohio.

All members and their families need to sign thepetitions being circulated. We also need all membersto individually call, write or e-mail their state repre-sentatives and senators about these issues.

More information will be forthcoming on howyou can help.

Dennis Meaney, A.B.M.

Family Picnic CelebrationL.U. 48 (c,em,i,rtb,rts&st), PORTLAND, OR—OnSunday, July 10, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Local 48 willhost a special annual picnic at Oaks Park. OaksPark is located on the banks of the Willamette Riverin Milwaukie, OR. With six exciting thrill rides andacres of fun, the park is a great setting for workingfamilies to meet in union brotherhood. Each IBEWfamily will receive four free amusement park ticketsper child under 16. The food and drinks providedare prepared by an all-volunteer picnic staff. Pleasecontact Nancy Cary at the local union office to volun-teer. Plan to stay for the 2 p.m. gift drawing.

This will be a special picnic, as it begins thecountdown to IBEW Local 48’s centennial event in2013. Bus. Mgr. Clif Davis looks forward to all mem-bers joining us to begin the Local 48 celebration.

Robert Blair, P.S.

OrganizingNewMembersL.U. 50 (u), RICHMOND, VA—A number of eventshave had an impact on the size of our bargainingunits among the five employers where we representworking men and women. The voluntary separationpackage at Dominion, retirements, and promotionsoutside the bargaining unit reduced our member-ship numbers significantly in the latter part of 2010.

Thanks to the hard work of our business rep-resentatives and shop stewards, we have added

well over 80 newmembers since those milestoneevents. By building relationships and educatingnew employees, we are restoring those numbers.

Reminder to members: As you see newemployees reporting to your location, please intro-duce yourself, welcome them and let them knowthey are covered by a collective bargaining agree-ment. They can join our Brotherhood on day one!!

In addition, if you encounter unorganizedgroups in and around our areas, spread our mes-sage. If there is interest on their part for additionalinformation, contact the local union office.

Mike Barclay, R.S.

‘Stepping up to the Plate’L.U. 68 (i), DENVER, CO—In the accompanying photo,Cliff Sterling greets fellow IBEW Local 68memberTomRutherford prior to canvassingDenver’sDistrict 8.When Tom first decided to join the race for CityCouncil, he was one of only three or four candidates.Within a week however, there were 39 write-in candi-dates! Tom had the endorsement of Local 68, alongwith Local 111 and the rest of Colorado’s StateConference of Electrical Workers. Additionally, Tomhad the endorsement of Amalgamated TransitUnion’s Local 1001; United Transportation Union;Pipefitters’ Local 208; SheetMetal Workers Local 9;Denver Area Labor Federation; Rev. Daniel Klawitter;and Colorado State Representative John Soper, aLocal 68 retiree. Tom’s enthusiastic devotion to hisDenver District far outweighs notmaking it into therun-off in the election, and he’ll continue to be ourLocal 68 registrar and political director. When yousee him, please thank him for stepping up to theplate, and ask how you can assist next time in assur-ing his success.

Local 68 Summer Picnic reminder: Aug. 20—noon to 3 p.m.

Ed Knox, Pres.

Standing inSolidarityL.U. 80 (i&o), NORFOLK, VA—At the March meeting,Pres. Kenny Bunting announced his resignation aspresident effective March 31, 2011, due to medicalreasons. He has served as president since July2002. Local 80 extends sincere gratitude to Bro.Bunting for his hard work and sacrifice for the goodof the local. We extend best wishes for a smoothtransition into his retirement.

Work in the jurisdiction remained steadythrough late winter and early spring, with nearly allmembers employed as of this writing. The PrincessAnne Hospital project in Virginia Beach is almostcomplete. This project employed manymembersand showed that Local 80 provides the most skilledelectricians, who give their best day in and day out.

With recent attacks on working class familiesand unions inWisconsin, Ohio and other states, wemust stand together as unionmembers and let ourvoices be heard. We don’t have the deep pockets likethe businesses that are pillaging workers’ rights forcorporate bottom lines, but we do have the solidarityof ourmembership and that of all the unions in thisgreat country. Wemust let our state and federal rep-resentatives know that we as unionmembers will beheard and respected for our hard work—and that wewill not let a politician strip our collective bargainingrights and hard-earned benefits under the lie ofneeding to do this to balance the budget.

W. Dennis Floyd, A.B.M.

Dayat the Races in JuneL.U. 94 (lctt,nst&u), CRANBURY, NJ—Despite chal-lenging times, Local 94 members have continued towork with no layoffs. Last year our membershipunited together and passed a contract extensionthat kept everyone working. Some jobs were movedaround, and not everyone was happy, but we pre-served jobs and decent wages.

We’ve also had some exciting social events. InFebruary we had our annual ski trip to Lake Placid.Thanks, Ernie and Big Joe, for getting it all togetherand for another successful trip. The annual golf out-ing at Ramblewood Country Club was May 7. Theusual suspects were there and as always everyonehad a good time.

Family Day at the Races is June 18 atMonmouth Park. Please come out and join yourunion brothers and sisters for this family fun event.Who knows, we may even be playing a little softballin the Local 102 tournament again this year.

Wishing all our IBEW brothers and sisters agreat summer.

Carla Wolfe, P.S.

NewSecondDistrict ApprenticeCoordinator

L.U. 104 (lctt,o&u),BOSTON, MA—IBEW Local104 wishes to congratulateBro. PatrickCasey onbeing appointed as thenewSecond Districtapprentice coordinator forthe NortheastApprenticeship andTraining (N.E.A.T.). He willbe in charge of the train-ing of apprentices forIBEWmembers and fellow trade unionists rally at the state Capitol in Columbus, OH, to protest SB 5.

Newmember Jon-Michael Stead (left),Shenandoah District groundman, is swornin by Local 50 Bus. Rep./Treas. John Albert.

Local 68 member Cliff Sterling (left) greets Bro.Tom Rutherford.

Local 104 memberPatrick Casey, 2ndDistrict apprenticecoordinator.


Local Lines


Local 104’s and Local 42’s outside apprentice pro-gram. His duties will include the subcommitteemeetings for both locals, also scheduling of trainingclasses and instructors for these classes, and theboot camps for new applicants for the apprenticeprogram. Also he will be rotating apprentices to dif-ferent jobs to make sure theymeet all their require-ments for the apprenticeship program.

Patrick Casey is a journeyman lineman fromLocal 104 and a graduate of the N.E.A.T. program.Good luck on your new position, Bro. Casey, and welook forward to working with you.

Chris Blair, P.S.

Fight forWorker JusticeL.U. 124 (ees,em,i,mar,rts,se&spa), KANSASCITY,MO—Our nation is beautiful—the U.S. sets the stan-dard for freedom and justice worldwide. Our unionsare beautiful—we set the standard for the workingclass across our nation. Just as our nation is fightingfoes abroad, we too are fighting attacks by thosewho wish to see unions crushed and defeated.

The union cause is the working-class cause,for both union and nonunion. The anti-workerRepublican ideology is attacking working-classrights won by union members’ struggle. Take astand. Your union and your nation need you.

We remember deceased members: LeonardBaggett, Jackie Baldwin, Gregory Barber, GustavBarnes, Joseph Bedsaul, David Briggs, WilliamBrunsky, Frederick Davey, Donald Dolton, JamesFamuliner, Raymond Ford, Larry Gladman, NigelGraham, Andy Gruver, Harvey Henry, ChesleyJohansen, William Joyce, Thomas Lacy Jr., EugeneMerys, Kenneth Newhouse, Joseph Piranio, StanleyRatliff, William Richardson, James Shaw, HarryStockton, Jason Thornton, Kenneth Troutwine, JayTutorino, James Wacker, Delbert Walters, JohnWetzig Jr., Glenn Williams and Kirby Woods.

Congratulations to recent retirees: MichaelAlfrey, Daniel Avila Jr., James Beem, Steven Brucker,Charles Cole, Peter Cooper, Kenneth Cook, GaryEthington, Steven Fabish, A. C. Haulmark, DanKiefer, Gary Kiefer, John Lozier, Kenny Lupardus,Elvin Lynn, WilliamMalone, Grover Martin, RobertMartin Jr., Michael Muller, Shawn O’Donnell, OttoRau, Peggy Resch, Bill Shepherd, David Titus andCharles Twenter.

Steve Morales, P.S.

Solidarity RalliesL.U. 146 (ei,i&rts), DECATUR, IL—We hope all arehaving a good summer and work is plentiful in yourarea of the country.

In recent months members attended rallies toshow solidarity against assaults on union familiesin Wisconsin, Indiana and here in Illinois. We mustwin this fight!

We also represented Local 146 at the IllinoisState Conference, the joint meeting of the statewideBuilding and Construction Trades and Illinois pre-vailing wage meeting, and the IBEW Constructionand Maintenance Conference.

On May 7, Local 146 graduated the followingapprentices to journeymen at our annual banquet:Ryan N. Bailey, Douglas R. Bierman, Craig M.Danneberger, Thaddeus J. Dittamore, Yancy L.Dittamore, Corey A. Hoene, James E. Howard, Alva E.Jordan, Clinton R. Robbins, Kurt T. Roley, Mark D.Shriver, Patrick F. Turner and Dennis W. White.

Congratulations to all.Congratulations to Bro. Curt Young, an 18-year

member and former three-term executive boardmember, on his appointment as assistant busi-ness manager.

Also, congratulations to former assistant busi-ness manager Jim Underwood for his appointmentas executive director of the Illinois CapitalDevelopment Board.

Our condolences go out to the families ofrecently deceased members Charles Weatherford,Jerry Chestnut and Robert Thompson. We are grate-ful for their longtime service to the IBEW.

Rich Underwood, R.S.

‘DoNot Patronize’L.U. 150 (es,i,rts&spa), WAUKEGAN, IL—Don’t forgetthat voting for delegates to the IBEW InternationalConvention takes place at the June 2011 unionmeeting. Please be sure to attend and vote for thedelegate of your choice. Mark your calendar: theAnnual Picnic will take place Aug. 20 at LakewoodForest Preserve in Wauconda.

Recently one of our members was in theTuesday Morning store. Tuesday Morning is a storethat sells home accessories and decorations—mostof which are NOTmade in America. One of the storeemployees told our member to leave the store andthat Tuesday Morning does not need any Local 150members’ business. I, for one, will never step footin another one of their stores.

Please do not take any call for an employerunless you know you can fulfill the requirements tobe hired by that company. Especially since you arenot just wasting your time and the company’s time,but you are also affecting every member who is onthe out-of-work book. If you take a call knowing thatyou cannot fulfill the requirements you are not dis-playing brotherhood.

Wendy J. Cordts, P.S.

Local Celebrates 110YearsL.U. 180 (c,i&st), VALLEJO, CA—OnMay 6, the localcelebrated 110 years. At our Old Timer’s AwardNight, we awarded 120 service pins for service rang-ing from 20 to 60 years. We also had a moment inmemory for eight deceased brothers, who had from40 to 73 years of service.

This is also a time to reflect and think not ofwhat we want today, but rather how do we repay thedebt to members who came before us. Thinkingonly of today and of one’s self interest harms thenext generation. It is a disservice to those who gaveus what we have today.

That is why we keep fighting for our fellowworking families and sharing our 110 years of institu-tional knowledge. Joining with others for the “We AreOne” unionmarch and working with our elected offi-cials to support working families are all part of theeffort. Working on project development and workingwith the end users. Working on the skills needed tostay one step ahead in the clean and greenmarket.

When future generations review the greatrecession and the attack on unions, they must feelthat the past supported their future. And thus wepass the desire to the next generation.

Michael Smith, B.A.

‘Strength in Numbers’L.U. 196 (govt,mt,o,t&u), ROCKFORD, IL—As of thiswriting, there are several critical pieces of legisla-tion at the Illinois state level that directly affect ourmembers. We must remain politically active yearround so that our legislators hear our voice when itneeds to be heard.

One of the first things we (as unionmembers)tell the nonunion we are trying to organize is thatthere is strength in numbers. Many voices have animpact, while a single voice goes unheard. We betterstart listening to our own principles and apply themin a political manner. By the time this is delivered Isure hope that we do what is best for theBrotherhood by supporting legislation that createsjobs for ourmembers, our communities and our fam-ilies. Here is a quote I wrote down at the ConstructionConference from Jim “The Rookie”Morris: “You caneither live up to or down to theexpectations put upon you bythose you choose to surroundyourself with.” Who are we sur-rounding ourselves with? Arewe associating ourselves with“dreammakers” or “dreamkillers”?We need positivechange and it is up to each ofus tomake it happen.

Work safe.

Eric Patrick, B.M.

Utility ProjectsProjectedL.U. 222 (o), ORLANDO, FL—Our tree trimming grouprecently approved a two-yearextension to its current agree-ment. While the gains weremodest, we all feel goodabout the final results. This was our fifth collectivebargaining agreement since the unit was organizedin June 2002 and we are all pleased with theaccomplishments of the last nine years.

We look forward to a busy and hopefully pro-ductive 2011; the two largest utilities in the stateare projecting some good sized projects starting inlate spring to mid-summer. We started negotiationson our Outside Line Agreement in May, our localelections are in June and the InternationalConvention is in September.

We are just weeks away from the Fourth ofJuly, our Independence Day. That is a day we cele-brate for getting out from under a government ofRoyals and elitists who believed workers (the termback then was peasants) should be seen but notheard, and couldn’t come and go without their per-mission. I hope as you celebrate with family andfriends this July Fourth, you all agree that type ofgovernment is still not for us in the U.S.

William “Bill” Hitt, A.B.M.

Local Fights for LaborL.U. 280 (c,ees,em,es,i,mo,mt,rts&st), SALEM, OR—With the assault on the working class going on inWisconsin and other states, Bus. Mgr. Tim Frew andhis staff are not taking this sitting down. Rallies atour state Capitol have been well attended, withLocal 280 leading the way to fight for workers’rights. Discussions with Gov. John Kitzhaber and

members of the state House and Senate havehelped make clear that labor will not stand for anyattack on middle-class workers and their families.

Clearly, those who promote the agenda of cor-porations and the wealthy want to blame unions forbudget deficits—when in fact tax cuts for the rich,shipping of jobs overseas and lax banking regula-tions are what caused this crisis.

To blame the unions is just a diversion from thereal reason for union-busting tactics—and this is apower grab, similar to what some 20th century dicta-tors did. Powermongers do not like to negotiate on acollective bargaining basis; they would rather negoti-ate one-on-one so they have all the power. This iswhy unions came into existence in the first place!

Please volunteer for a union rally—andremember this attack at election time!

Jerry Fletcher, P.S.

NewTraining FacilityL.U. 300 (govt,i,mt&u), MONTPELIER, VT—Local 300is proud to announce the completion of its newtraining facility equipped to train both inside andoutside construction workers in renewable energyequipment. The training facility is equipped to trainmembers in the areas of wind and solar construc-tion, fall protection, certification in high voltagesplicing, and other green energy initiatives. We areworking with contractors, utility companies and sis-ter locals to keep us busy. Inquiries can be made toJean Watkins, training director.

Local 300 wishes everyone a prosperous andsafe construction season. Cheers.

Jeffrey Wimette, B.M./F.S.

Local 280 Instructor Dan Blondell (left) speaks with apprenticesBobby Eli, Caleb Robbins and Chris Brown at a YouthBuild housebeing remodeled.

Local 300recentlylaunched itsnew trainingfacility.



Spirit of GivingL.U. 302 (i,rts&spa), MARTINEZ, CA—To quote SirWinston Churchill, “We make a living by what weget; we make a life by what we give.”

“Give” is what IBEWmembers did by steppingup to the call for volunteers to rewire the WillowsTheatre. Union volunteers included: Ron Bennett,Bob Lilley, Jerry Phillips, Nicholas McDaniel andRachel Shoemake.

The Willows Theatre had been closed for eightyears with only the shell of the building remaining.The seats, lights and wiring had been removed. Theelectrical was a very challenging job. With IBEWworkers on the job, the Willows Theatre received afirst-class electrical installation.

Willows Theatre general manager DavidFaustino was so impressed by the Local 302 work-ers, he told his staff: “The IBEW people are so welltrained they can do anything!”

IBEW Local 302 received wonderful press for ajob well done by the union volunteers. The commu-nities of Concord and Martinez, CA, expressedtremendous gratitude to IBEW Local 302. Our mem-bers’ efforts along with 150 volunteers and 2,500man-hours from both communities helped create aworld-class theatre to be enjoyed by everyone.

Pete Smith, P.S.

WorkPictureGoodL.U. 304 (lctt,o&u), TOPEKA, KS—We had a goodwinter, cold and wet, but most members have beenemployed and the work picture looks good. Wehave somemajor jobs starting and our wind genera-tion is promising if we can keep it fair. Our twolargest contracts are open, with Westar Energy andOutside Construction, along with some RuralElectric Cooperatives.

Congratulations to Ginger Smoot on her long-time service. Ginger has worked in the Local 304office since 1984. She started with our sister Local226 in 1971, for a total of 40 years of service. A sur-prise reception was held March 18 honoring her andthanking her for her dedicated service to the cause.

We lost a longtime member and good friend,Wallace Bow. May he rest in peace. He mentoredmany journeymen and apprentice linemen alongwith groundmen, teaching many the trade. He willbe remembered and his touch will live on.

We have 80 apprenticesworking on construc-tion, 40 or so in the utilities, and another 40 in ourRural ElectricCooperatives.We’ve had good participa-tion and success in promoting the trade andmakingthe job expectations known to the next generation ofworkers. Good reception has been shownby the tradeschools, community colleges andmost utilities.

Paul Lira, B.M.

VotersNeed to KnowL.U. 306 (i), AKRON, OH—On the political front, one-by-one city electrical inspection departments areclosing and turning everything over to SummitCounty. Contractors love it—as they will only needone license to do work anywhere in the county andhave only one permit fee schedule to deal with.Logistics still need work, but we shall see if this cansatisfy everyone.

Ohio’s new governor doesn’t think votersneed to know what is going on in Columbus. “Leaveme alone,” he chants. “You elected me to fixthings.” The effort to outlaw public sector collectivebargaining (You can’t strike against the King!) wasGov. John Kasich’s first order of business. Prevailingwage, PLAs and Lord knows what will follow. Itseems that Kasich, like the governor of Wisconsinand other foes of labor, knows no limits in hisattacks on working people. Will Rogers once said,“Every guy looks in his pocket and then votes.”

Several Local 306 members volunteeredat Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary, Inc. Forinformation about the rescue farm seewww.happytrailsfarm.org.

Wemourn the loss of Bro. Scott Roberson andretired Bros. Joe Vatovec, Ed Repp Jr. and DanielBocko. We also note the passing of Edmund Romit,who was an apprentice instructor and a driving forcecreating our Pension Annuity Plan. Our sincere con-dolences go out to the families of these brothers.

Bob Sallaz, P.S.

Workers’ Right to BargainL.U. 340 (i,rts&spa), SACRAMENTO, CA—OnMonday,April 4, Local 340members wearing red shirts, IBEWstickers and holding IBEW signs were joined byNinth District Int. Vice Pres. Michael S. Mowrey andhis wife, Nanci, at a “We Are One” rally inSacramento. We rallied to show support for workingpeople in Wisconsin and 21 other states where well-funded, right-wing corporate politicians are trying totake away our basic right to collectively bargain.

Rallies were held across the U.S. that day andwe proudly stood with fellow trade unionists toshow we have just begun to fight and that “We AreOne” in this fight to keep unions alive. We cannotlose our basic right to bargain collectively. We can-not let them win. It will take greater member partici-pation in the months and years ahead to get ourmessage across, but we will!

With the sunnyCalifornia weather, we have hada little movement on our out-of-work Book 1, but notmuch. Likemany other locals, our work picture is veryslow. We are climbing to 400 on our Book 1 andwedon’t see toomany big jobs coming. Hope it turnsaround soon for all of us. Thank you to the locals thatare helping our traveling Local 340members.

We mourn the passing of retired Bros. BertHarbert and Al Romitti. Rest in peace, brothers!

A.C. Steelman, B.M.

WorkersMarch onMadisonL.U. 388 (em,i,rts&spa), STEVENS POINT, WI—If youhave been watching the news, you know what isgoing on in Wisconsin regarding Gov. Scott Walkerand his so-called “Repair Bill.”

IBEW Local 388 along with thousands of unionmembers and their families have protested to putan end to this union busting bill.

The March on Madison was something I willnever forget. We witnessed the greatest protestsince the VietnamWar. One phrase says it all: “Gov.Walker and his right-wing minions have awoken asleeping giant not only here in Wisconsin but acrossthis great country.”

Local 388 is saddened by the death of Bro.Dave Iverson, who passed away at age 52 on March31 after a sudden illness. Dave was a proud mem-ber of Local 388 for many years. He enjoyed racingmotorcycles and was active in various clubs revolv-ing around his love for motorcycles and was alsoinvolved in many charitable ride events. Dave was apleasure to work with. He was a great electricianand frequently took classes to better both himselfand the IBEW. Dave will be missed by all.

Guy LePage, P.S.

ApprenticeGraduatesL.U. 412 (u), KANSAS CITY, MO—OnMarch 18, 10 apprentice mechanicsturned out. The new 2011 journey-man mechanics are: Kelly Grogan,Eric Downs, Ryan Bennett, ShawnEdwards, Chris Dame, ShaneO’Bryan, Rick Swart, JeffBrownsberger, Bryan Nold andMatt Kramer (not pictured).

We currently have nineapprentices in training.

Congratulations to you all!

Debi Kidwiler, P.S.

Kudos toSoftball TeamL.U. 440 (i,rts&spa), RIVERSIDE, CA—Local 440 hashad a softball team for quite a few years now, andthey have participated in the International SoftballTournament. Though they have never brought homethe trophy at the International level, they did takefirst place in our local Reid ParkMajor LeagueSoftball Fall 2010 season. Congratulations, fellas.Keep supporting the local and putting the IBEWname out there.

Bernie J. Balland, Organizer

Local 304 mourns Bro. Wallace Bow.

Local 388 members rally to support collective bargaining rights. From left, front row: Donnie Karl,Amber Starr, Jeff Starr, Jim Rausch; back row, Bill Skees, Brock Kohel, John Siegel, Bus. Mgr. DaveNorthup and Organizer Guy LePage.

Local 412 congratulates new journeyman mechanic members.

Local 440 softball teamchamps: front row, DannyAnderson (left), BrianBartle, Bernard Garcia,Johnny Andrews; backrow, Phil Garcia, RichMelton, Eric Garcia, MattMabie, Brad Long, RubenMercado, Jason Wood,Matt Tito and Cliff Homan.

with NECA. At this writing, the local has not receiveda ruling. For more information on the Local 520negotiations/arbitration and the arbitrationprocess, visit our Web sitewww.ibew520.org andclick on the Special Announcement page.

Lane Price, P.S.

Summer Projects AnticipatedL.U. 530 (i,o&rtb), SARNIA, ONTARIO, CANADA—Withwork in Sarnia very slow at the time of this writing,there is not much to report. We are currently lookingforward to working on two new solar farms thissummer, another 40 megawatts of green energy,and the several construction jobs that go with it.

With our slow times Local 530 would like tothank Locals 2038 Regina, 804 Kitchener and 303St. Catharines for continuing to keep our membersemployed on the road.

Local 530 is saddened to report the loss ofBro. Don Ostrum and Bro. Brent Merrick.

Al Byers, P.S.

Local Lines


UnionSolidarityL.U. 490 (i&mt), DOVER, NH—IBEW Local 490 isproud to announce that we showed solidarity withour brothers and sisters in Wisconsin at a rally onSaturday, Feb. 26, in the fight to keep our collectivebargaining rights.

More than 100 members of our local, as wellas several hundred more tradesmen, firefightersand police showed up at Market Square inPortsmouth, NH. We had a great turnout, and manywho passed by showed their solidarity with us.

The right-wing, partisan war on the workingclass was dealt a blow in our state thanks to Local490 members, the community and severalWisconsin union members who joined our cause.

[Editor’s Note: For articles on the union fightagainst a so-called “right-to-work” bill in the state,see “New Hampshire: The Toughest Fight Yet,” TheElectrical Worker, April 2011; and “New HampshireActivists Defend ‘Fair Share’ Dues Check-Off,” onthe IBEW Web site www.ibew.org. In late April theNew Hampshire Senate passed a “right-to-work”bill, which previously passed in the House inFebruary. As of press time, Democratic Gov. JohnLynch has pledged to veto the anti-union bill, whichwould send it back to the House.]

Jaye P. Yanovitch Jr., P.S.

Contractor BusinessCourseL.U. 520 (i&spa), AUSTIN, TX—IBEW Local 520hosted its first Electrical Contractor Business coursein January 2011. The three-day course was pre-sented by Matt Kolbinsky, president of Pro UnionConsulting (www.prounionconsulting.com).

Matt is also a member of IBEW Local 212. Thepresentation included an in-depth course onbecoming an electrical contractor.

Included in the course were speakers from thebanking industry, inspections, insurance and bond-ing, accounting, as well as personal experiencesfrom a local contractor. The course presented thepositive aspects of “growing our own contractors”and regaining market share. Congratulations to the26 IBEWmembers attending this course.

Local 520 opened negotiations in February2010 since the collective bargaining agreementexpired May 31, 2010. Out of 42 signatory contrac-tors, eight have signed new CBAs, eight NECA con-tractors opted not to have NECA represent them,and NECA is representing the remainder. Arbitrationcontinues with the seven independent NECA con-tractors. At press time, Local 520 has concluded twoarbitration cases, one with an independent and one

ApprenticeGraduating ClassL.U. 570 (i,mo,spa&u), TUCSON, AZ—Congratulationsto the graduating 5th Year Apprenticeship Class.Local 570 and the Tucson Electrical JATCare proud topresent our 2011 graduating class. [Photo, atbottom.] Top honors of “Apprentice of the Year” go toKevin Wolstenholme.

Scott W. Toot, Organizer

UnitedWeBargain,DividedWeBegL.U. 636 (as,catv,em,spa&u), TORONTO, ONTARIO,CANADA—As our sisters and brothers “South of the49th” continue their struggle for justice, dignity andrespect against legislators targeting not only unionsbut the middle class as well, we encourage ourmembers to do whatever we can to let them knowwe are standing with them in solidarity.

As we have seen, gains earned on the strug-gles and sacrifices of generations can be lost in thestroke of a pen held by the wrong government—andno passport is needed for such actions to cross theborder. For those who do not believe in politicalaction—we ask you to consider the cost of inaction.

To protect our members in battles that may lieahead, the Executive Board is looking into the via-bility of a strike fund; be sure to let your representa-tive know where you stand.

In other news, we said goodbye to a personwe were proud to have in our corner to stand up forworkers’ rights and social justice. After serving withhonour at Hydro Ottawa and as our local’s recordingsecretary, the time has come for Linda Larocque toturn the page. We know Linda will remain a friend oflabour. We thank her for her many years of dedi-cated service and support, and we wish her happi-ness and success wherever her journey leads.

Paddy Vlanich, P.S.

‘KnowYour Numbers’L.U. 654 (i), CHESTER, PA—Changes in our BlueCross policy are aimed at educating members onthe importance of getting a free, annual physical.Knowing your cholesterol levels, triglyceride levelsand blood pressure numbers can provide insightinto your overall health. Early detection and treat-ment of a developing condition can often preventthe onset of a serious illness. The new systemrequires you to record those basic numbers on theconfidential Blue Cross Web site in order to main-tain your lower copayment. If you do not get a physi-cal and input the information on the site, yourcopayments increase. Not everyone’s, just yours.Schedule a physical today.

I can’t stress enough the significance ofobtaining a TWICS card. You cannot work in ourrefineries without it and it can take a few weeks toreceive it. Registration can be done online to speedup the process, and photo centers are nearby.Register today.

The local economy has seen improvement thisyear and should provide some opportunities for ourmembers leading into summer.

Jim Russell, Pres.

A FewAreaProjectsL.U. 684 (c,i,rts&st), MODESTO,CA—Acouple of projects in ourarea have allowed us to putsome of ourmembers to workwho have been unemployedfor up to 24months. The jobsare not big andwill not lastlong periods of time, but it isgood to have something.

Wewill have our fifth-yearapprentice graduation dinnerJune 24.Congratulations to ournew journeymen: JohnBargas,JohnBaughman,ChrisBowden, Kyle Ensmenger,JoshuaGrider,MatthewHay,Peter Jeffery, Benjamin Lopez,JasonOverton, JeremyQuinnett, DerekSchell, JustinTerry and EdwardYap.

Our yearly picnic will beJuly 23 at Lake Yosemite inMerced. It’s always a funtime for the kids. Make plansto attend.

Richard Venema, Rep.

Local 490 apprentices join solidarity rally, from left: Andrew Kleczek, Keith Fillion, Nate Lavoie,Ben Constantine, Michael Chalue and Drew Richardson.

Local 570 congratulates apprentice graduates. Front row, Instructor Jim Redzinak (left), Matthew Eason, CorrynBrunenkant, Craig Thompson, Bryan Pennington, Jose Lopez, Luke Mackness; back row, Kevin Wolstenholme, TaylorGrenfell, William Bettis, Anthony Ambrutis, Daniel Hanson and James Browning Jr.

Local 636 bids farewell to a friend, Sister LindaLarocque, longtime IBEW activist.



Fundraiser Aids FamilyL.U. 702 (as,c,catv,cs,em,es,et,govt,i,it,lctt,mo,mt,o,p,pet,ptc,rtb,rts,se,spa,st,t,u,uow&ws), WESTFRANKFORT, IL—Local 702 Bros. James Sanchez,Wes Edwards, Adam Brinker and Kerry Howtonorganized a fundraiser for young Tyson Kretz, the 11year-old son of Local 702 member Wade Kretz.Tyson has been hospitalized in an induced comasince January. A total of $10,000 has been raised forthe Kretz family. This money comes from individualcontributions and the sale of 600 sides of ribscooked and prepared by volunteers. We thank thenumerous volunteers and contributors who helpedwith this endeavor of support for one of our own.

Our local is blessed to have work for ourbrothers and sisters and a great membership whoreminds us what being in the IBEW is all about.

Marsha Steele, P.S.

Anti-Worker LegislationL.U. 756 (es&i), DAYTONA BEACH, FL—Floridians arefacing the same attack on the working class as ishappening in the Midwest. The politicians in ourstate capital city Tallahassee have put job growth onthe back burner for “more important” topics thathave nothing to do with benefitting workers. First,newly elected Gov. Rick Scott squashed the high-speed rail, which was expected to create more than24,000 jobs. Then the Tea Party-run legislators, whohave a super majority, quickly jumped on draftinganti-union bills. Their argument is these bills areneeded to stimulate the economy and balance thebudget, but in reality they do the very opposite.

Local 756 has secured work at the SpaceCenter that looks promising but is getting off to aslow start. We hope to obtain full employment asthe work down there unfolds. We recently signed acompany, TP Electric, which is securing work build-ing Super Wal-Marts. This is a market the local has-n’t been in for some time and the relationship withthis new company is coming along well. OurApprenticeship Dir. Scott Jarvis has just recentlystarted a “boot camp” hands-on training course forCWs. This will give them a preview of first-yearapprenticeship expectations.

Dan Hunt, P.S.

NewWebSites&TVAdsL.U. 760 (i,lctt,o,rts,spa&u), KNOXVILLE, TN—We arepleased to announce the launch of Local 760’s newWeb sitewww.ibew760.org.

Also please visit the newWeb site for the

Electrician TrainingAcademy of Knoxville atwww.etaknox.org. TheETAK is jointly sponsoredby IBEW Local 760 andthe EastTennesseeChapter of the NationalElectrical ContractorsAssociation (NECA).

Local 760 alsorecently sponsored newtelevision commercialsthat ran on WBIRChannel 10.

George A. Bove, B.M.

‘Rally for aMoral Budget’L.U. 776 (i.o,rts&spa), CHARLESTON, SC—OnMarch12 the labor unions of South Carolina supported ourstate educators at the “Rally for a Moral Budget.”

Approximately 2,500 people marched onto theStatehouse lawn to let our governor and legislatorsknow that the budget is not just about cuts butabout people’s lives and how they are affected, inevery sector and day to day.

The IBEW as well as all other Building &Trades locals had a good showing. Local 776 thanksColumbus, SC, Local 772 member Jamie Steele andCharlotte, NC, Local 962 member Jerry White fortheir solidarity by participating with us.

Chuck Moore, B.M.

Training for ArmyBrigadeL.U. 910 (ees,i&t), WATERTOWN, NY—In late FebruaryBus. Mgr. Dennis Affinati was approached by officersof the U.S. Army 3rd BrigadeCombatTeamwith arequest to provide some basic electrical training formaintenance and support elements of the brigade,which was scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan inMarch. The soldiers’ mission will take them to remoteparts of Afghanistan and theywill maintain tempo-rary operation centers. They will be running nearlyentirely off generators and will need to be self-suffi-cient regarding electrical installations and problems.

Two groups of 40-plus soldiers participated inthe training, which included basic safety, wiringtechniques, and some hands-on applications. Withvery short notice Bruce Rosebrook, John O’Driscoll,Ben O’Brien and Vinnie Degennaro from City Electric

put together an excellent program of instructionwith demonstration board, test equipment andhand-out materials the troops could take for refer-ence while in the field.

The soldiers were enthusiastic and their feed-back was extremely positive. Our local is proud thatwe could assist our troops. By sharing our expert-ise, we played a part in aiding the soldiers’ safety.We hope the brigade leadership at Fort Drum willcontinue to call on us if needed.

The Local 910 membership voted at the Marchregular meeting to allocate the scheduled April 1,2011, wage increase as follows: $1 to pay, $0.25 toHealth and Welfare; and $0.25 to Annuity.

Roger LaPlatney, P.S.

DivisionSafetyAwardL.U. 1116 (em,lctt&u), TUCSON, AZ—We are con-stantly talking to the company about manpowerthroughout the entire company because we feelthere is a need for hiring people before we lose theknowledge of our retiring members. The CorporateSafety Committee has a new charter and thingsseem to be progressing; this local feels a unionworker is a safe worker.

TheUniSourceDivisionSafetyAwardwaspre-sented toTEPEnergyResourcesDepartment for theirsafety improvement; theSundtGeneratingStation hasmore than 450dayswithout an accident and theSpringervilleGeneratingStation cut their number ofaccidents in half. Congratulations to ourmembers at

those stations for their hardwork,which earned them theUniSource EnergyDivisionSafetyAward for 2010.

SGSChmn. RickRyanthanks everyone for theirgreat efforts inmakingSGSasafer place towork.

UNS Gas Chmn. FrankGillis congratulates thelocal union and its mem-bership for their tremen-dous victories in the 2010and 2011 arbitrationsregarding health care andworking rules.

Local 1116 wishes tothank Bro. Jeff Martin forhis years of service as pres-ident, as he recentlyannounced that he will notseek to run for president inthis year’s election.

R. Cavaletto, P.S.

AttendUnionMeetingsL.U. 1466 (u), COLUMBUS, OH—OnMarch 18, the localunions thatmake upSystemCouncil U-9, includingLocal 1466, gave final approval to acceptAmericanElectricPower’s wage offer of 3 percent, across theboard. For our local the newwage rateswill take effectJune 30 for Units 1 and 2, July 15 forCSP andApril 1 forthe newly organized DolanChemical Lab.

In other news, we plan to conduct a steward’straining session at the union hall sometime in June.This will be beneficial to our newly appointed shopstewards. Hopefully the training will also give vet-eran stewards a chance to share their experiencesand maybe gain some new insight as well.

Preliminary discussions with AEP began in Mayregarding our full contract, which expires in 2012. Besure to try to attend your local unionmeetings, tostay updated and have a say in what issues we wantto address. Thanks for all you do and as always, besafe out there.

James Jette, P.S.

Jobs&Purchasing PowerL.U. 1908 (u), COCOA, FL—I saw the sign picturedbelow on the back of a GMCpickup truck inTitusville, FL. The truck was being towed by a motorhome heading back to New Jersey and it really hithome and made me think about all the jobs andmoney that have been lost to countries outside theUSA. Buy American products.

Michael D. Holland, F.S.

Contributors and volunteers attend the Local 702 Tyler Kretz Fundraiser.

IBEW Local 776members attend rally at the South Carolina Statehouse.From left: Bus. Mgr. ChuckMoore, Joel Yon, Lenny Cooper and son.

Local 1116 Pres. JeffMartin (right) swearsin three newmembers at Aprilmeeting: NormaMartinez, DoreenOrtega and Joel Risk.

Sign spotted on the back of a vehicle by a Local1908 member sends a message.


HOWTO REACH US

We welcome letters from our readers.The writer should include his or hername, address and, if applicable, IBEW local union number and cardnumber. Family members should include the local union number of theIBEW member to whom The Electrical Worker is mailed. Please keepletters as brief as possible. The Electrical Worker reserves the right toselect letters for publication and edit all submissions for length.

Send letters to:Letters to the Editor, The Electrical Worker, 900 Seventh Street, N.W.,Washington, D.C. 20001Or send by e-mail to: [email protected]

©2011 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. on Union-made paper.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Electrical Worker,900 Seventh Street, N.W.,Washington, D.C. 20001.

The Electrical Worker will not be held responsible for viewsexpressed by correspondents.

Paid advertising is not accepted.

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40011756.Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:P.O. Box 503RPOWest Beaver CreekRichmond Hill, ON L4B 4R6

After President Barack Obama’s announcement of thekilling of Osama bin Laden, our nation, for a brief moment,revisited the national unity that was forged out of thetragedy and pain of 9/11.

Democratic and Republican leaders praised the president, theU.S. national security team and the courageous Navy SEALs whobrought down al-Qaeda’s diabolical leader.

President Obama’s bold order and his refusal to “spike the foot-ball” after bin Laden’s killing made Americans proud. And for thoseof us who are sick and tired of the lies of the “birthers” and unprinci-pled attacks on the patriotism of the president or his political party,the historic events brought a measure of vindication.

National unity ebbs and flows. In the wake of times when ourcohesion swells strongest, we question what it would take to sustain

that sense of our common destiny—to right other wrongs and lift our hopes for peace and prosperity.That was the aspiration that moved millions of men and women—our proud ancestors—to summon thecourage and make the sacrifice to build our nation’s labor movement after the Great Depression.

Every day we see new assaults on our movement and all working families, funded by powerful cor-porate interests who see national unity as a relic of the past. With so many North Americans still out ofwork, they continue to shift operations offshore.

As the U.S. moves toward another presidential election, Congress is considering a plan thatincludes a series of bills that would offer more federal support for rebuilding America’s manufacturingbase in return for guarantees that investments will be made here at home.

Our elected leaders, including President Obama, are under great pressure from selfish corporateinterests to take a hands-off approach and let them continue to outsource at will.

President Obama has shown great leadership and courage as a commander-in-chief. We will savoranother moment of national unity if our president calls upon the same courage and determination tostand for all working families against those powerful interests who would betray us from within. �

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

The Electrical Worker was the name of the first officialpublication of the National Brotherhood of ElectricalWorkers in 1893 (the NBEW became the IBEW in 1899 withthe expansion of the union into Canada). The name andformat of the publication have changed over the years.This newspaper is the official publication of the IBEW andseeks to capture the courage and spirit that motivated thefounders of the Brotherhood and continue to inspire theunion’s members today. The masthead of this newspaperis an adaptation of that of the first edition in 1893.

No one ever said that developing a framework to reducepollution while supporting good jobs and affordableenergy would be easy. For too long, Capitol Hill haspunted the issue, putting off the hard decisions we need

to make about our energy future. But time is running out.Proposed Environmental Protection Agency air standards for

coal-burning utilities go into effect by 2014. While we fully supportthe goal of reducing emissions, the limited three-year time frame forutilities to retrofit plants for coal-scrubbers and close aged facilitieswould have a disastrous effect on jobs and energy prices, dramati-cally slowing our economic recovery.

The new rules could potentially eliminate more than 50,000utility and other related jobs, with more than 200,000 in indirect joblosses. Many of those lost jobs would be in the industrial belt—including Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia and Pennsylvania—a region that has been particularly hard hit bythe recession.

While the IBEW has been active in efforts to help reduce our dependence on coal by developingalternative energy sources such as solar, wind and nuclear, the reality is we are still very far from beingable to rely on those sources for most of our energy needs.

The EPA itself was forced to admit in May that its proposed standards were based on faulty math,leading it to underestimate the effect they would have on jobs and the economy.

But at this point the agency has no freedom to alter the timeline. A 2007 Supreme Court rulingordered the EPA to implement the Clean Energy Act’s emissions guidelines within a three-year period,which means the job of crafting a more realistic implementation schedule now lies with Congress.

Finding the right balance between our energy needs, defending good jobs and cutting carbonemissions is a challenge that all of us—elected officials, industry leaders and union members alike—need to take up. �

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

EXECUTIVEOFFICERS

Edwin D. HillInternational President

Salvatore J. ChiliaInternationalSecretary-Treasurer

INTERNATIONALEXECUTIVECOUNCIL

ChairmanRobert W. Pierson

First DistrictJoseph P. Calabro

Second DistrictMyles J. Calvey

Third DistrictJohn R. Clarke

Fourth DistrictWilliam W. Riley

Fifth DistrictMichael Walter

Sixth DistrictGregory A. Lucero

Seventh DistrictPatrick Lavin

Eighth DistrictJohn F. Briegel

INTERNATIONALVICEPRESIDENTS

First DistrictPhillip J. Flemming

Second DistrictFrank J. Carroll

Third DistrictDonald C. Siegel

Fourth DistrictKenneth Cooper

Fifth DistrictJoe S. Davis

Sixth DistrictLonnie R. Stephenson

Seventh DistrictJonathan B. Gardner

Eighth DistrictTed C. Jensen

Ninth DistrictMichael S. Mowrey

Tenth DistrictRobert P. Klein

Eleventh DistrictCurtis E. Henke

THEELECTRICALWORKER

EditorEdwin D. Hill

C. James Spellane

MarkBrueggenjohann

Malinda Brent

Len Shindel

Carol Fisher

Alex Hogan

Lucas Oswalt

James H. Jones

Len Turner

Tim Prendergast

Curtis D. Bateman

John Sellman

Salvatore J. ChiliaInternational Secretary-Treasurer

WeNeed Clean Air and Jobs

Edwin D. HillInternational President

The Courage to Rebuild Our Economy



DavidM. Grief, aretiredmember ofPaducah, Ky.,Local 816, isn’t

one to tuck his politics, hisunion ties and his religionaway in separate pouches.When his former parishpriest, Rev. AnthonyShonis,suggested in 2005 that itmight be a good idea to con-nect the teachings ofCatholicismwith the strug-gles of labor, Grief didn’tneed a lot of convincing.

“AsCatholics, we aretold to read papal teachingson the rights of workers,” saysGrief, who beganworking fortheTennessee Valley Authorityin 1978 as amember ofChattanooga Local 721. “Theytell us that people should notbe treated likemachines. It’s a justiceissue,” he says.

Shonis, the son of a baker and agarmentworker—both unionmem-bers—suggested toGrief and twoother trade unionists that they start anewsletter, The Rankand FileCatholic.Now in its sixth year, withGrief servingaspublisher, the newsletter is distrib-uted twice yearly bymail and online toseveral hundred subscribers,most intheir region, but some in other parts ofthe nation andworld.

“We’ve had a great response,”says Grief—who credits Mike Roby,an Owensboro, Ky., Local 1701 organ-izer, who died last year, and ToddJohnson, a sprinkler fitter organizerand the newsletter’s editor, withhelping Shonis spread his pro-worker message.

In theMarch issue of the Rankand File Catholic, Johnson discussesthe recentmoves by governors inseveral states to strip workers of col-lective bargaining rights. Johnsonreflects upon the protests waged byworkers in Kentucky when formerGov. Ernie Fletcher attempted similarefforts in 2006. Then, Johnson liststhe accomplishments of currentKentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, electedwith strong labor support in 2007.

Grief, the son of a Teamster,

was a senior instrument mechanic,a foreman and instructor at TVAwhere he started out working inTennessee on simulators for nuclearpower plants. He retired in 2004.

“I miss my work,” says Grief,who took an 18 percent pay cut aftera reduction in TVA’s work force, butended up back in Paducah as aninstructor teaching instrumentationand EPA compliance procedures atthe Shawnee Fossil Plant.

Grief and his two brothers andtwo sisters spent 12 years in Catholicschools. He is a graduate of theNECA-IBEW National TechnicalInstitute and a member of theKnights of Columbus. “I’m happy todo what I can to raise awareness ofall workers, the general Catholiccommunity and the church itselfabout its role in labor,” he says.

Shonis doesn’t just talk the talk,he walks the walk, says Grief. Thepastor has helped to push the church

to better scrutinize its use of contrac-tors whowork on parish properties toensure that their employees are paiddecently and have adequate benefits.Shonis is highly respected in thestate. David O’BrienSuetholz, thegeneral counsel of the KentuckyLaborCabinet, also contributes arti-cles to the newsletter.

In a blog posting on AFL-CIONow, Shonis says, “Families are thebread and butter of the unionmove-ment in this country and they are alsothe social foundation of the church.”

Shonis visitsAFL-CIO centrallabor councilmeetings andparish-ioners’ worksites in every townhe isassigned to.

While the social justice tradi-tion in Catholicism goes back topapal teachings of the late 1800’s,says Shonis, Protestant and Jewishcommunities have also supportedthe right of workers to organize andbargain collectively. He says:

“Unionmembers are decent,hard-working, God-fearing peoplewho simply want a better life not onlyfor themselves and their families butalso for all American families.”

“I’m not an expert on unionstuff,” says Grief, “but I’ve alwaysbelieved that union members drivebetter trucks.”

Grief says he is “severely both-ered” bywhat is going on inWisconsin and other places whereworkers’ pension plans and collectivebargaining rights are under attack.

“I believe we should do thebest we can with what we have.That’s what God wants,” says Grief.“You don’t have to know how tobuild a bridge, but you should helpthe guy who is building it.”

To read The Rank and FileCatholic, visit the link on:www.catholiclabor.org �

Lettersto the Editor

If you have a story to tell about your IBEW experience, please send it [email protected].

WhoWeAre

Retiree Links Labor andReligiousTraditions

We regret to announce that 100-year-old JamesElsenheimer, a charter member of Traverse City,Mich., Local 498, whom we profiled in last month’sissue, passed away April 29. The IBEW extends itsdeepest condolences to his friends and family.

Editor’s note:

‘Catholic teachings tell us people should notbe treated like machines. It’s a justice issue,’says David Grief, retired member of Paducah,Ky., Local 816.

WhatDemocracy Looks LikeThe spark that was lit in Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio and other states continues herein Missouri, where workers are under attack by politicians who are paying backtheir CEO friends for their generous campaign contributions.

This unprecedented momentum and solidarity is coming from the groundup—not from any one person or organization, but frommillions of workers acrossAmerica. The labor movement realizes that an attack on any group of workers is anattack on all of us.

That’s why working people in our state and across the nation have joinedtogether in actions to keep our solidarity growing. Every concerned citizen is wel-come to join us as we rally in support of Missouri workers’ rights and those ofworkers in every state of this nation. We extend this invitation to all activists andsupporters throughout our community to participate in this struggle for humanrights and dignity for all working class citizens.

Let our revival of the labor movement continue by each of us joining in on theconcerted activity being displayed across the nation and show America what realdemocracy looks like.

Porfirio “Pete” RayaLocal 124 member, Kansas City, Mo.

Take theMoneyandRun?I have a question about the article on the Philips plant closing in Sparta, Tenn.(“Tennessee Community Challenges Plant Shutdown,” February 2011)

The story stated that Philips had received more than $7 million in U.S. fed-eral stimulus funds. Is there any federal law concerning a company that receivesfederal money, and then jumps ship and moves the plant to another country? Ifnot, I think there should be. That is also our taxmoney being “stolen” by a com-pany that only sees profit margins over its workers and a quality product.

And is there any state laws concerning the same issue? I’m sure this companyreceived state and local tax abatements for new equipment and training of employ-ees. Was any of this money recovered and put back into the local treasuries?

Imyself was a victim of NAFTA in the late 1990s. The company that I worked forthought it wouldmakemoremoney if itmoved operations to the DeepSouth andMexico. In the end, quality suffered and the companywas sold to another corporation.

If our government was really concerned about our deficit, maybe it shouldconsider going after these companies that take federal money and run.

Tammy CarterLocal 983 member, Huntington, Ind.

Misleading onNukes?I found the nuclear safety article in the May 2011 Electrical Worker (“U.S. NuclearIndustry Continues Safety with Eye to the Future”) to be misleading propaganda.This makes me wonder howmany of your articles are lacking factual statements.

“With more than 19 years of experience as a reactor operator at the station,Wagner is considered something of a nuclear expert by people in the community.”This is not relevant to industry safety.

“Every U.S. nuclear power plant has an in-depth seismic analysis and isdesigned and constructed to withstand the maximum projected earthquake thatcould occur in its area without any breach of safety systems.” The Japanese plantwas reportedly crippled by the tsunami, not the earthquake.

“The successful safety records at U.S. facilities come as no surprise to DaveMullen.” The U.S. nuclear safety record is quite poor compared to the Japanese.There are several descriptions of the training and regulations, but other countrieswould have similar requirements.

I haven’t been this frustrated reading a piece of journalism in some time.

Dave ScheppLocal 254 member, Calgary, Alberta

[Editor’s Note: The writer says that amember’s 19 years of on-the-job experience is “notrelevant to industry safety.” We consider amember with nearly two decades in one ofthemost demanding, high-pressure industry jobs to have safety expertise. He also saysthat the tsunami—not the earthquake—set inmotion the disaster at Fukushima. Weagree. We report the tsunami triggering the devastation, and the earthquake after-shocks exacerbating the problem—which is in accordance with press reports followingthe event. To reemphasize our own safety record: No U.S. nuclear plant has faced atsunami (thoughwe have safeguards), but our plants have withstood tornadoes, hurri-canes, flooding and other events. The worst, ThreeMile Island, had a profound impacton training and plant operation. Though Fukushima’s disaster was not on our shores,learning from it will strengthen our fleet’s ability tomeet future challenges.]

In Memoriam

1 Bales, J. E. 2/17/111 Eckelkamp, E. 7/11/101 Gowatch, V. J. 2/17/111 Jepsen, F. E. 1/24/111 Patrick, C. T. 1/26/111 Smith, O. E. 2/17/111 White,W. N. 2/23/113 Bodah, G. P. 2/25/113 Delise,W. 10/13/103 Evers, J. L. 2/12/113 Gennusa, J. 3/30/113 Giangarra, J. 11/22/103 Grant,W. A. 1/13/113 LaDuca, J. R. 2/15/113 Landwehr, P. C. 2/7/113 McDonough, J. T. 3/16/113 Murphy, S. K. 2/11/113 Oliva, F. A. 2/25/113 Palmieri, V. 3/5/113 Pantaleo,W. G. 1/27/113 Quaranto, P. 3/2/113 Singer, M. 2/18/113 Tarallo, L. C. 1/24/113 Tassi, J. L. 1/2/113 Williams, I. 2/7/115 Prementine, J. 3/1/116 Granneman, F. H. 3/1/117 LaRose, A. J. 12/24/108 Lesczynski, J. A. 5/11/108 Renard, T. D. 3/3/118 Rudisill, R. D. 2/6/119 Gilliam, J. E. 3/18/119 Kouchoukos, P. 1/8/1111 Alvarenga, M. R. 8/17/0211 Armstrong, R. M. 2/5/1111 Benz, G. F. 2/8/1111 Berner, R. K. 3/17/1111 Clark, M. E. 1/14/1111 Hart, R. R. 1/24/1111 Helmer, R. G. 3/3/1111 Mills, M. E. 2/28/1111 Rogerson, G. L. 1/23/1111 Salkeld, L. A. 1/28/1111 Seeley, H. A. 11/9/1017 Brown, D. L. 12/3/1017 Fishback, A. J. 12//1017 Jozwik, A. 3/13/1117 Wren, I. L. 1/24/1118 Rueda, G. 2/2/1120 Foster, H. C. 3/5/1120 Myers, P. D. 2/17/1120 Stephenson, A. H. 3/7/1122 Grasso, J. F. 3/1/1125 Malmsheimer, T. R. 5/22/0925 Mann, G. R. 2//1125 Parker, A. C. 12/3/1025 Petersen, H. 7/18/1025 Ryan,W. R. 1/25/1126 Hayre, G. M. 3/8/1126 Lehew, J. H. 2/16/1126 Pilipovich, G. G. 3/12/1126 Place, P. 12/6/1026 Starkey, G. C. 3/12/1132 Goettemoeller, H. J. 1/2/1138 Brice, J. K. 2/25/1138 Hlavaty, J. J. 3/6/1138 Koski, L. J. 2//1138 Novak,W. J. 3/1/1138 Wilhelms, J. L. 2/18/1141 Oconnor, J. M. 1/19/1141 Pressley, T. L. 2/4/11

43 Alguire, R. C. 2/26/1143 Chwalek, F. J. 2/24/1143 McQuinn, D. 2/19/1146 Bennett, D. D. 3/6/1146 Lavanway, D. L. 12/30/1046 Lester, J. H. 2//1146 Lindstrom, R. A. 2/16/1146 Persons, I. N. 2/1/1148 Benjamin, C. R. 3/27/1148 Johnson, R. D. 3/8/1148 McCleary, E. L. 3/3/1148 Roberts, L. J. 2/18/1148 Swierczek, S. 1/27/1153 Blackwell, N. J. 1/12/1156 Knight, R. L. 2/13/1157 Bainbridge, B. C. 1//1157 Williams,W. A. 12/23/1058 Barrett,W. C. 2/7/1158 Baytarian, T. H. 1/21/1158 Burch, T. T. 3/19/1158 Deriemaecker, A. 2/11/1158 Lindblom,W.W. 2/8/1158 Rock, D. L. 3/2/1158 Uchwal, E. S. 2/26/1164 Baumgardner, R. C. 3/1/1166 Silguero, R. 1/29/1168 Hartman, R. E. 1/2/1168 Hastings, K. L. 3/1/1168 Hayes, M. P. 1/30/1168 Nachtrieb, E. A. 3/1/1170 Blevins, O. G. 1/3/1170 Lindsey, R. V. 3/22/1176 Coffman, J. 2/3/1176 Johnson, L.W. 2/7/1177 Andler, J. 3/13/1177 Kuykendall, R. D. 2/15/1177 Rauen, F. T. 2/24/1177 Zehnder, R. J. 12/21/0981 Miles, J.W. 2/19/1182 Webster, J. D. 11/6/0882 Welles, R. F. 2/18/1184 Drude, E. H. 3/10/1186 Lingl, S. J. 8/17/1090 Carlson, J. I. 2/4/1195 Farren,W. T. 2/17/1196 Adams,W. C. 2/19/1198 Delaney,W. M. 12/9/1098 Mrowczynski, H. S. 2/19/1198 Sparks, J. J. 1/1/11102 Petti, E. V. 1/3/11103 Ecklund,W. R. 3/9/11103 Fitzgerald, J. E. 2/15/11103 Holland, G. J. 2/17/11103 Holmes, D. F. 10/6/08103 Mele, F. A. 1/26/11103 O’Rourke, M. K. 3/14/11103 Rowan, J. E. 2/16/11105 Anderson, J. C. 2/3/11105 Neal,W. D. 2//11108 Lenoir, R. L. 2/22/11110 Cassidy, G.W. 2/1/11111 Geist, L. K. 2/1/11111 Markley, D. C. 1/18/11111 Walsh, G. J. 3//11115 Contant, P. L. 2/24/11115 Langeveld, H. 2/7/11117 Schnulle, J. L. 2/11/11124 Bedsaul, J.W. 3/8/11124 Gruver, A. S. 6/7/10125 Flint, R. T. 1/29/11125 Gulleckson, G. J. 3/4/11

126 Gates, C. N. 2/13/11126 Gobrecht, J. E. 1/18/11126 Hartey, R. V. 2/23/11134 Benge, R. 1/14/11134 Cunningham, P. J. 2/19/11134 Grochowski, Z. 1/18/11134 Horvath,W. J. 2//11134 Lovergine, P. 3/5/11134 Mostacci, M. J. 2/11/11134 Mule, A. 12/2/07134 Nelson, R. L. 10/4/08134 Pappas, J. 1/1/11134 Puscheck, A.W. 2/19/11134 Richards, D. E. 10/2/08134 Rickman, D. H. 2/5/11134 Schwider,W. P. 3/2/11134 Stachura, R. R. 2/10/11136 Hardin, C. D. 2//11136 Youngblood, N. E. 2/13/11141 McDermott, J. E. 2/3/11143 Fasnacht, K. M. 2/19/11143 Schory, C. F. 2/12/11145 Thornton, F. L. 2/7/11145 Vensland, R. E. 3/9/11146 Allen, M.W. 1/1/11146 Rhoades, D. G. 12/28/10146 Thompson, R. M. 3//11153 Pelkey, G. L. 3/6/11158 Mijal, A. 1/31/11164 McNeil, C. P. 2/13/10164 Praml, H.W. 12/25/10164 Williams, E. S. 2//11175 Hobson, G. B. 2//11175 Johnson, A.W. 11/30/10175 Perry,W. B. 3/7/11175 Seagle, J.W. 3/1/11176 Hughes, A. B. 2/27/11210 Feldeisen, P. H. 3/1/11213 Lewis,W. A. 2/21/11213 McGill, C. C. 1/23/11213 Wendril, A. 12/4/10213 Wong, N. 10/14/10233 Gulbransen, F. E. 1/3/11233 Snyder, H.W. 12/16/10238 Hagan, P. E. 11/6/10245 Heidtman,W. E. 2/16/11252 Cummings, E. R. 3/9/11258 Pighin, B. R. 3/29/10258 Wellmann, G. 9/3/10265 Brase, D. D. 1/4/11265 Polak, G. L. 2/2/11269 Perpetua, G.W. 11/21/10271 Brown, L. R. 2/17/11271 Herrell, V. L. 8/2/10292 Claypatch, G. E. 12/19/10292 Hermanson, J. I. 2/26/11292 Piwoschuk, J. P. 3/13/11292 Pratt, E. E. 11/30/10292 Schmitz, L. P. 12/23/10294 Crep, J. M. 2/5/11295 Melton, E. L. 3/25/11295 Pizan, G. 3/25/11295 Salley, G. A. 1/24/11302 Cusick, G. C. 1/6/11303 Day, A. 1/31/11303 Mulligan, E. G. 1/16/11304 Childers, C. D. 11/3/10306 Roberson, S. R. 12/25/10307 Swain, A. E. 12/11/10312 Beck, K.W. 2/16/11317 Conley, D. 1/26/11

317 Virgin, J. H. 10/12/10322 Appleby, E. R. 1/19/11327 Harsch, M. J. 2/3/11332 Casey, R. A. 12/9/10332 Pearson, J. E. 12/9/10332 Smith, J. R. 12/31/10340 Martin, M. J. 11/10/10342 Armstrong, R. A. 2/12/11343 Lawler, D. F. 3/12/11353 Apanasenko, O. 3/11/11353 Della Penna, L. 1/23/11353 Gate, C. M. 3/21/11353 Gregory, R. A. 3/10/11353 Liougas, G. 3/10/11353 Martin, H. N. 12/28/10353 McCourt, F. P. 3/4/11353 Palmateer, T. E. 2/24/11353 Swarbrick, B. F. 3/11/11354 Bingham, D. M. 3/18/11357 Gagnon, M. R. 1/10/11357 Lionel, C. E. 1/9/11357 Newsom, D. G. 12/9/10357 Van Skike, R. C. 3//11364 Molstad, D. R. 1/13/11365 Tipton, A. J. 2/28/11369 Collins, H. J. 2/11/11369 Day, J.W. 2/13/11375 Beil, B. C. 11/30/10379 Bratton, B. R. 2/26/11379 Melton, V. 2/24/11397 Smith, R. O. 7/16/10400 Bryan,W. G. 3/16/11415 Morrow, J. E. 1/12/11424 Dorchak, K. A. 1/17/11424 Schwitzer, R. E. 1/11/11428 Chidgey, F. J. 3/11/11429 Brink, L. D. 2/17/11429 Francis, J. R. 9/10/10441 Biskup, E. J. 8/21/10441 Longson, V. L. 2/1/11441 Vieira, G. 2/14/11443 Holland, J. D. 1/8/11449 Campbell, E. L. 2/14/11449 Smout, B. D. 3/6/11466 Santrock, J. 3/11/11466 Snodgrass, D. L. 2/21/11474 Grant, R. B. 2/7/11474 McCarty,W. K. 12/27/10474 McGoff, L. R. 1/21/11479 Knost, E. L. 1/31/11479 Lockhart, E. E. 12/4/10479 Spittler, V. E. 11/26/10480 Bowman, J. N. 2/13/11480 Dry, R. T. 2/23/11480 Waldrop, R. E. 1/25/11480 Watts, T. G. 1/14/11481 Hutton, C. E. 3/5/11486 Kelleher, J. R. 1/7/11488 Rodriguez, G. 2/15/11494 Brawner, V. E. 2/12/11494 Jakubowski, G. J. 2/9/11494 Kijek, J. C. 12/29/10494 Pollack, R. F. 12/16/10494 Roepke, R.W. 2/27/11512 Locke, M. G. 1/28/11532 McCabe, D.W. 2/28/11538 Beddow, C. J. 2//11540 Yanice, J. A. 2/13/11545 McAndrews, R. L. 2/22/11547 Petrashek, E. G. 12/18/10553 Wiles, F. G. 9/24/10

558 Homan, J. T. 3/9/11558 Paden, C. G. 2/28/11558 Swallows, J. G. 2/26/11558 Wright, K. M. 1/25/11584 Stonecipher, M.W. 3/19/11595 Burke, J. J. 2/28/11595 Lane,W. H. 12/23/10595 Snider,W. H. 1/27/11606 Bayer, M. J. 2/23/11611 Gonzales, J. M. 3/7/11611 Noblitt, M. G. 2/4/11613 Chandler, R. D. 2/8/11613 Daniell, J. E. 2/26/11613 Evans, H. F. 12/4/10613 Gilbert, H. R. 2/26/11613 Saxon, B. D. 3//11617 Wetzel, L. R. 12/6/10640 Ashley, B. D. 1/11/11640 Diaz, R. 2/6/11640 Gates, J. E. 2/10/11640 Grabowy, R. J. 2/7/11640 Magnan, F. A. 3/1/11648 Minor, E. C. 3/3/11649 Kulp, R.W. 1/28/11659 Bolerjack, C. D. 1/7/11659 Childers, C. V. 3/13/11663 McCloskey, J. H. 3/2/11666 Roberts, R. M. 3/10/11668 Robertson, J. L. 3/10/11673 Treb, L. R. 12/26/10683 Kollmer, F.W. 2/14/11683 Miller, R. M. 2/21/11684 Cox, C. E. 1/29/11684 Morgan, S. O. 12/31/10692 Clements, P. T. 2/26/11697 Bielski, B.W. 1/11/11712 Twombley, D. O. 2/11/11716 Duoto, C. 3/13/11716 Michalsky, G. L. 3/25/11716 Morgan, K.W. 4/15/09716 Novotny, J. L. 2//11716 Phillips, B. G. 2/21/11716 Roy, L. H. 2/18/11716 Villamar, F. A. 5/25/10716 Wallen, D. A. 2/18/11716 Williams, C. 3/3/11725 Wolfe, J. J. 12/24/10728 Littrell, W. C. 11/26/10728 Miller, R. E. 1/22/11728 Nossa, L. A. 2/6/11728 Vecchio, D. J. 2/1/11731 Nelson, R. L. 2/11/11760 Clotfelter, T. R. 2//11760 Hanshaw, J. C. 2/23/11769 Allison, E. L. 12/9/10769 Grimes, J. D. 3/1/11769 McKinney, D. L. 3/3/11772 Fulmer, J. L. 10/26/10772 Magill, J. H. 2/7/11804 Nielsen, J. 10/31/10816 Wortham, R. B. 12/21/10852 Drew, J.W. 3/10/11852 McClung, K. S. 1/13/11861 Hebert, E. 3/22/11861 May, A. C. 1/21/11861 Menard, F. L. 1/24/11885 Meier, J. 1/29/11910 Weston, R.W. 2/4/11915 Gower, M. E. 3//11915 Sullivan, H.W. 12/25/10934 Payne, A. L. 10/15/10

952 Wilson, L. M. 2/27/11952 Yvarra, S. A. 2/19/11968 Kehrer, E.W. 3/15/11985 Pyles, H. D. 2/18/111002 Lewis,W. D. 2/6/101108 Stanton, A. S. 1/31/111141 Cooke, H. F. 12/22/101141 Dennis, R. 2/25/111141 Green, L. G. 12/27/101141 McDonald, H. 2/8/111141 Pence, G. L. 2/28/111186 Kimura, S. 1/26/111186 Medeiros, J. M. 3/1/111186 Sumida, T. 9/23/101205 Woodard, F. D. 2/3/111245 Callaghan, G. D. 2/12/101316 Crumpton, M. J. 2/15/111319 Burk,W. C. 2/28/111319 Darling, E. H. 9/5/101393 White, C.W. 1/4/111501 Sinatra, J. E. 2/23/111525 Faust, J. N. 11/25/101547 Savikko, B. M. 8/18/101583 Ford, J. D. 3/5/111629 Ezekiel, L. V. 2/13/111852 MacDonald, H. M. 1/15/111852 MacGillivary, R. 2/24/112286 Lopez, M. A. 3/1/112286 Richard, J. D. 1/9/112295 Meyer, L. C. 2/10/11I.O. (3) Chmielewski, J. F. 1/8/11I.O. (124) Shaw, J. O. 3/14/11I.O. (134) Neal, P.A. 11/27/10I.O. (784) Laue, J. R. 2/11/11Pens. (124) Ratliff, S. L. 3/15/11Pens. (409) Link, H. 3/6/10Pens. (637) Morris, N. F. 12/31/10Pens. (I.O.) Armstrong, J. R. 2/1/11Pens. (I.O.) Barbieri, F.A. 2/28/11Pens. (I.O.) Baumgardner, E. P.1/29/11Pens. (I.O.) Blasdell, H.M. 5/22/10Pens. (I.O.) Branson, I. E. 2/14/11Pens. (I.O.) Bray, G. J. 2/24/11Pens. (I.O.) Brewton, C.M. 2/25/11Pens. (I.O.) Buckel,T. P. 12/12/10Pens. (I.O.) Burkhart,W. E. 1/7/11Pens. (I.O.) Campbell, R.M. 2/24/11Pens. (I.O.) Evans, D. 2/6/11Pens. (I.O.) Garett,W.A. 1/13/11Pens. (I.O.) Gould,M. 2/26/11Pens. (I.O.) Handy, L. F. 10/28/10Pens. (I.O.) Hendricks, B. E. 3/8/11Pens. (I.O.) Johnson, D. R. 11/5/10Pens. (I.O.) King, D. E. 1/25/11Pens. (I.O.) Lane, G. S. 3/7/11Pens. (I.O.) Lasher, G. E. 9/9/10Pens. (I.O.) LeBlanc, L. J. 2/21/11Pens. (I.O.) Leto, G.T. 3/6/11Pens. (I.O.) Martin, L.M. 2/24/11Pens. (I.O.) Mazzeo,M. N. 12/19/10Pens. (I.O.) McClenahan, J. H.12/30/10Pens. (I.O.) McLemore,V. 2/12/11Pens. (I.O.) Reeder, R. R. 1/17/11Pens. (I.O.) Roberson,M. E. 2/14/11Pens. (I.O.) Torraco,A. 12/31/10Pens. (I.O.) Twigg, R. H. 2/3/11Pens. (I.O.) Vanek, R. 3/3/11Pens. (I.O.) Webster, J. 2/27/11Pens. (I.O.) Wirkus, D. F. 2/22/09Pens. (I.O.) Ziolkowski, E.M. 9/30/10

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

Members forWhomPBFDeathClaimswereApproved inApril 2011


The Electrical Worker June 2011

Documents

Transcript of The Electrical Worker June 2011