FIRST PUBLISHED IN 1893

www . i b e w . o r g

Union members and leaders gatheredat halls, stadiums, TV studios andhome computers across NorthAmerica on March 27 to hear

International President Edwin D. Hill’s Stateof Our Union Message for the utility indus-try—a first-ever IBEW webcast. But theyweren’t just spectators to the multi-mediapresentation introducing the initiative.

The webcast, reaching 70 venues,included two question-and-answer segments,kicking off a dialogue on how to achieveexcellence on the job while building strongerrelationships with the utility companies. Thequestions came live from the studio audiencein Hollywood and by e-mail from as far awayas Fredericton, New Brunswick. The UtilityDepartment also set up a special State ofOur Union blog, which allowed members topost their comments and questions to theState of Our Union Web site.

“In these times of uncertainty it’s nice tofeel like there is more beyond the boundariesof our local,” said one member on the blog.

“I promised utility company CEOs thatthe IBEW would be putting down an internalchallenge to our members to be their bestand to embrace cooperation over confronta-tion,” said Hill, introducing the webcast. “ButI reminded them in no uncertain terms thatthe door swings both ways. I told them tomeet us halfway and to clean up problemsin their own backyards.”

Ron Delgado, president of Diamond Bar,Calif., Local 47, took the microphone in

Hollywood to ask what is being done toaddress the skilled labor shortage caused bya flood of baby boomer retirements. PresidentHill outlined the union’s ambitious plans toestablish five regional training centers. Heencouraged experienced members to volun-teer as instructors and asked newer membersto return to their high schools to recruityoung people who are willing to work hard forgood-paying union jobs.

FromHeinz Field in Pittsburgh, Rochester,N.Y., Local 36 Business Manager Richard Irishasked how the local can establish a workingrelationship with Rochester Gas and Electricwhile the company employs a union-bustingfirm to thwart an internal organizing cam-paign. “Don’t give up,” President Hill said. Hillencouraged Irish to take the union’s case to thecommunity and “let them know you are alive”if the employer doesn’t respect the union’sefforts to cooperate in pursuit of excellenceon the job and improved customer service.

Response to the webcast has been over-

whelmingly positive, said Utility DepartmentDirector Jim Hunter.

“It looked like an electronic union meet-ing,” said one member who e-mailed thedepartment. “I’m happy to see us take a leapforward into a new era of communications.”

Several utility CEOs and leaders of utilitylocals were featured in the State of Our UnionDVD, which is being distributed to all localunions. The message, says Hill, will be fol-lowed by the implementation of a Code ofExcellence for the industry. The Code, adaptedfrom the one already in effect in construction,is an agreement between utility managers andthe IBEW to increase labor-management coop-eration and professionalism in the industry.

“This was step one,” Hunter said. “Thenext step is to get every utility local talkingwith management about making the Code ofExcellence a reality.”

A link to the webcast and the State ofthe Union blog can be accessed throughwww.ibew.org. �

2Comcast campaign goes national

Carolinas Initiative making inroads

3Organizing wins across N. America

4Contractors go green with IBEW

GE closing side-by-side plant

5North of 49°

Safety spotlight

6Transitions

Circuits

7Local Lines

14Editorials

Letters to the Editor

Who We Are

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. 2 | No. 5 | May 2008

State of Our Union WebcastDraws Crowds, Stirs Dialogue

I N T H I S I S S U E

The March 27 live virtual event was described by one member blogger as an electronic union meeting.

IBEW Launches AggressiveNew Push to Organize Comcast

When you are overworked andunderpaid, toiling in an atmos-phere of fear and intimidation,somehow it’s hard to get excited

about the free cable service you receive as aninstallation technician for the biggest cablecompany in the country.

In the first concerted push in the past twoand a half years, the IBEW is hoping to turnthings around for these workers, despite thedifficulties of going up against one of the mostunabashedly anti-union companies out there.

Hundreds of job sites coast to coast weretargeted by IBEW organizers and member vol-unteers on March 12. Caught off-guard by thenationwide scope of the IBEW’s efforts, somemanagers nevertheless managed to intervene,confiscating leaflets distributed by the IBEW.

“If we are working for a company thatwon’t even let us take a look at a leaflet, thenmaybe we should be looking at a union,” saidInternational Lead Organizer Steve Smith,quoting a Comcast worker in Massachusetts,who added he hadn’t been interested in theunion’s urgings before that March blitz.

With 90,000 employees in 39 states andthe District of Columbia, Comcast pridesitself as a mostly union-free company. At thehint of worker rumblings, the union bustersare called in, captive audience meetings arecalled and the usual charges are made.

But this time, there is a sense that this isa movement too large for the company tosquash. “The workers asked us to help themand they are the foundation of this campaign,”said Telecommunications DepartmentDirector Martha Pultar. “Despite their bestefforts, Comcast cannot intimidate 75,000 ofits workers speaking in one voice.”

Aside from promoting the benefits ofunion membership, the IBEW’s handoutshave been directing workers to a new Website, www.comcastworkersunited.com. TheWeb site has received more than 80,000 hits;that and other spin-off sites constituteforums for workers to exchange informationand encouragement.

An anonymous entry from Vancouver,Wash., contrasts the company’s big profits withits treatment of rank and file workers. “Wow,Comcast made $33 billion in pure profit andall we get are bad raises, write-ups, a ton ofovertime, forced to work on the weekend,micro-managed ‘til we’re blue in the face, fired.If we speak up, a big smile from the boss as heputs the knife in your back, sigh ... I am readyfor a change and that change is the union.”

The IBEW represents approximately900 members at Comcast in Pennsylvania,Illinois, New Jersey and Alabama, a fractionof the company’s total work force. Thatmeans the company is ripe with targets fororganizers who have spent more than sixmonths putting this campaign together.

Philadelphia-based Comcast is the coun-try’s largest provider of cable services, broad-band phone service and Internet.

Organizers have been making contactwith Comcast employees every day sinceMarch 12, handing out leaflets, newsletters,T-shirts. “It’s been nonstop, but the thoughtof thousands of cable workers united togetherkeeps everyone pushing on,” said Telecommu-nications Department InternationalRepresentative Gina Cooper.

The workers have a host of grievanceswith their employer, including low wages, poorbenefits, unreasonable productivity standardsand lack of job security and respect on the job.

“They are exceptionally underpaid for thework they’re doing,” Pultar said. “They deserveto be fairly compensated for their experienceand skill.” �

2 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � May 2008

Every story out of the year-oldCarolinas Initiative contains thehope and opportunity that the IBEWis bringing to electricians who have

had little of either.Electricians in the Carolinas are among

the lowest paid in North America. “It has tobe a lot like it was when the IBEW gotstarted,” said Construction MembershipDevelopment Director Kirk Brungard, tyinglow wages to lack of union density.

So in city after city, when the union pullsinto town offering the opportunity for nonunionelectricians to meet with signatory employers inan industry night, there’s a great deal of inter-est, despite some initial skepticism.

“When you see people showing up intheir jeans and work boots, walking in withthe hope they are going to improve theirlives, you can sense that something big ishappening,” said Brungard, who attended anevent in Charlotte, N.C., on March 13. “Insome ways, it’s a glimpse into the IBEW’searly days. If you allow yourself, you can’thelp but feel the spirit of the dance hall.”

Boston Local 103 Organizer Bill Corley vol-unteered for blitzes preceding industry nights inRaleigh-Durham and Charlotte. The difference,he said, between the wages and working condi-tions in union-dense Massachusetts and right-to-work North Carolina, was like night and day.

“This area needs organizers to talk withworkers to help make their lives better,”Corley said. “I believe that people who workfor a living deserve a decent pay scale.”

The Carolinas Initiative, headed by vet-eran organizers who honed their techniquesin Florida, the birthplace of the IBEW’s mod-

ern construction organizing program, ischanging the nature of the industry in Northand South Carolina.

As of January 1, membership in Northand South Carolina is up 27 percent, a signifi-cant improvement in IBEW employmentshare, which stood below 2 percent before theeffort launched in April 2007. Back then, therewere few signatory contractors. But in the pastyear, the Carolinas Initiative staff has beensuccessful at convincing contractors fromother states to take a chance in the South.

“Before, the market share was so low,contractors didn’t think they could come inand be competitive,” said Carolinas InitiativeInternational Organizer Duane Moore.

Recruiting contractors is key, of course,because there is very little point in organiz-ing someone to sit on the bench. “Withoutthe contractors, we don’t have work,” Mooresaid. “The thing is to give the contractors theconfidence to come in and bid the work.”

Dan Zwahlen’s Chicago-area contractingbusiness opened a new office with a fewworkers in High Point, N.C. just in time forthe arrival of the initiative. “Now we have 40employees, and most of them have beenrecruited from the nonunion,” he said, praisingthe new construction wiremen and construc-tion electrician intermediate classifications.“We are the most aggressive contractor usingthe Carolina Initiative. It’s a success story.”

Zwahlen said his company has been tak-ing advantage of the small works agreement,which gives contractors more flexibility withstaffing and jurisdiction rules on smaller jobs.

“I’ve been in the union for 24 years andhave never seen a relationship work so well

between the owners and the IBEW,” he said.Signatory contractor Duckworth

Electric principal Gene Duckworth, a 55-yearCharlotte Local 379 member, said he isencouraged by the positive changes he is see-ing. “North and South Carolina are as bad aplace as any in the world to be a union con-tractor,” said Duckworth, 76, who attendedthe industry night in Charlotte. “PresidentHill has done more to try to get thingssquared away to make sure we are competi-tive than anybody I have seen in 55 years.”

The nonunion Associated Builders andContractors is even taking notice of theIBEW’s efforts with a warning that inadver-tently comes close to promoting them. “TheIBEW has been increasing its activity withelectrical industry nights (job fair),” theCarolinas chapter of the ABC tells its employ-ers on the “Union Watch” portion of its Website. “Their initiative is entice your employeesto an event with the promises of higher pay,more favorable work hours and environment,health insurance and retirement benefits.The event is a union organizing event.”

Zwahlen described the stark differencehis new employees are experiencing now in aunion shop. “I have heard terrible storiesabout guys who couldn’t get tools, their jobswere undermanned and they had no benefitsor company trucks,” he said. “It was almostthe same story everywhere I went. Now thatsame guy has an insurance card that covershis whole family, and he is a happy, produc-tive employee because he is being furnishedwith good tools and a clean truck and a goodwork environment. And he is making memore competitive.” �

IBEW members from Washington, California and Oregon leafleted workers outside a Comcast office inPortland on March 12.

Carolinas Initiative Turning Lives Around

w w w. i b e w. o r g T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � May 2008 3

Hard work is paying off for theIBEW’s professional and industrialorganizers, who closed out 2008’sfirst quarter with an 86-percent

winning record.Wins are coming hard and fast, from

rural Alaska to Palm Beach, Fla.

Following is a round-upof the victories.

Gretna, Va., Region 2Ten workers employed by FairPointCommunications voted unanimously in favorof representation by the IBEW on March 21.The telecommunications workers in south-western Virginia, a close-knit group, hadbeen falling behind in pay while kicking inhigher contributions for health insurancecoverage. Pre-election talks with manage-ment were cordial, said InternationalRepresentative Larry McGlamary. Workerswere looking for the security of a contract.“They felt that having terms and conditionsof employment would make life easier,”McGlamary said. “They liked the idea of hav-ing a voice on the job and in helping makedecisions that affect their livelihoods.”

Kingman, Ariz., Region 4A close NLRB election in late March amongpower plant workers employed by Dynegyended in favor of the 16 workers, who willnow be represented by Phoenix Local 769.The operators, mechanics and techniciansorganized themselves; IBEW representativesmerely met with them to answer questions,said Local 769 Organizer Jeff Carpenter. “Thecompany brought in their human resourcesguy from corporate, who said unions hadtheir place in the past, but no longer, but theguys saw through it,” Carpenter said.

West Palm Beach, Fla., Region 2In a NLRB election, workers at MasTec voted29-20 for IBEW representation on March 7.Fifty people, mostly DirectTV installationtechnicians and two warehouse workers, willbe members of the IBEW. Following an unsuc-cessful election in 2006, Lead Organizer KathySmith said the workers found out the com-pany didn’t keep the promises it made. Sothey reached out again to IBEW organizers.

“The company promised them higherpay and shorter hours and promised to listento their complaints,” Smith said. “They didn’tfollow through and things kept getting worse.They definitely needed a voice. They neededa contract. They are ecstatic.”

that union represen-tation is in their bestinterest, I respect this decisionand will help to support their effort,” saidGeneral Manager Jason Bronec in a pressstatement released jointly by the companyand the IBEW.

Laurel, Miss., Region 2Laurel, Miss., Local 1317 represents 2,300workers who build residential transformersfor Howard Industries. But eight miles downthe road in Ellisville, 80 more HowardIndustries employees who make substationtransformers have been struggling alongwithout the benefit of union membership,being paid $3 per hour less, paying more forhealth insurance coverage and working over-time without being compensated for over-time. On Feb. 1, a majority of those workersvoted for representation by Local 1317.

Lead Organizers Kenny Lett and MariaGonzales and Local 1317 Chief StewardJames Chancellor followed workers homeand on errands, talking to them on theirdoorsteps and at their banks and grocerystores. “That’s how we got our cards signed,”Lett said, adding that most of the Spanish-

speaking workers were scared. “They didn’tunderstand they have rights.”

The organizers also have a big internaldrive ongoing at the Laurel plant, where theyhave signed up nearly 500 more members,Lett said.

Mason City, Iowa, Region 3A few months after the IBEW lost a represen-tation election for the operators of Emerygenerating station last year, employer AlliantEnergy called on the union to help lobby thestate legislature for another power plant.Fine, said the IBEW, but only if the companyagrees to card check recognition. Now the 11employees of the natural gas-fired powerplant are members of Cedar Rapids Local204, said Lead Organizer Brian Heins.

“Alliant got our help, and it worked outfor the workers,” said Heins, who added theemployees were anxious for representation toconfront favoritism and arbitrary work rulesenforcement. The cards were counted andcertified on Jan. 21. �

AR

TX

ME

VTNH

British Columbia

Alberta

Saskatchewan

Northwest Territories

AK

Yukon Territory

Nunavut

Panama

Puerto Rico

Caribbean Islandsand

Puerto Rico

MA

DE

NJPA

NY

WV

MD

CTRI

VA

INIL

KY

OR

WA

NV

5

76

2

13

4

CA

Hawaii(includes Guam and Saipan)

WI

NC

SC

ALMS

FL

LA

IANE

SD

ND

MOKS

NMAZ OK

COUT

ID

MT

WY

Ontario

QuebecManitoba

Prince Edward Island

Newfoundlandand Labrador

New Brunswick

Nova Scotia

MN

OH

MI

GA

TN

DC

IBEW Professional and IndustrialOrganizing Victories Span Brotherhood

Elk Grove, Calif., Region 5Employees of Aerotek, astaffing and recruiting com-pany, won a voice on the jobfollowing an NLRB election onFebruary 29.

The unit includes 46technicians who refurbish Apple laptops forFlextron. Lead Organizer Larrick McDowellsaid the technicians whose office is 15 milessouth of Sacramento have been making $10an hour for nearly 10 years, working manda-tory overtime and covered by an inadequatehealth insurance plan. Inthat part of the world, thewage was “unlivable,”McDowell said.

He characterized thecampaign as a tough con-test. “Power never cedeswithout a struggle,”McDowell said.

Alaska, Region 5In the month of February, Lead OrganizerChris Tuck and Anchorage Local 1547Membership Development CoordinatorDennis Knebel organized four units of servicecontract workers on the remote ShemyaIsland at Eareckson Air Station. The nearly 25new members come to the IBEW following anelection two years ago of powerhouse workers,who have been talking up the benefits ofunion membership to others at the base.

The workers, employed by contractorsChugach-McKinley and Del-Gen, organizedfor higher pay, Tuck said. “They recognized toget any wage increases, a collective bargain-ing agreement is the only way they’re goingto do it,” Tuck said.

Cut Bank, Mont., Region 5Twenty five employees of an electric coopera-tive in Cut Bank, Mont., are now members ofKalispell Local 768 following an overwhelm-ing vote in favor of affiliation by their in-house union.

Glacier Electric’s non-managementworkers agreed 18-1 to the affiliation, a deci-sion that did not require a National LaborRelations Board election. Managementagreed to recognize the IBEW following ahigh-road campaign that involved managersat other state cooperatives with IBEW-repre-sented employees calling those at Glacierabout their good labor-management rela-tions, said Lead Organizer Bob Brock.

Following the Feb. 6 vote, Glacier man-agement called a company-wide meeting andtold workers they were supportive of theirdecision. “Seeing that the employees feel

The IBEW’s Professional andIndustrial organizing regions.

The General Electric Co. added toIndiana’s manufacturing woes inMarch when the company announcedthat it would close the doors on its

side-by-side refrigerator plant in Bloomingtonby the end of 2009.

For more than 40 years, the massiveplant—one of the last in the city—was themainstay of manufacturing in Bloomington.“It’s the end of an era,” said IBEWManufacturing Department Director BobRoberts, who is a former business manager ofBloomington Local 2249. The plant employedapproximately 900 workers, the majority ofwhom are members of Local 2249.

GE made its intentions known inJanuary, saying that it had lost more than$45 million last year due to declining sales.They had moved production of their higherpriced models to Mexico years ago, leavingthe plant to produce low-end units whichweren’t profitable anymore, Roberts said.

“It’s symptomatic of the devastation ofthe manufacturing industry in Indiana,” saidSixth District Vice President Joseph Lohman.The state has lost more than 100,000 produc-tion jobs in the last 20 years.

The company rejected a cost-cuttingproposal by the local, which finalized GE’sclosure plans.

When the million-square-foot factorywas opened in 1967, it was the largest assem-bly line in the world, specializing in side-by-side refrigerator-freezer models that wereknown as the “Cadillac of refrigerators.”

Employment at the plant peaked atmore than 3,200 in the early 1990s. “It was agood place to work then,” said Local 2249Business Manager Bill Mitchell. In 1999 how-ever, the company began downsizing, movingwork to its facilities in Mexico.

“The problems started with NAFTA,”Mitchell said. “We began competing with work-ers who make far below the minimum wage.”

GE laid off more than 1,600 workers thatyear, cutting another 500 four years later.Both times the company rejected the local’ssuggestions for money-saving changes thatmight have kept the work in Bloomington.

“We gave the company a lot of options sothey could be more competitive, but it camedown to the fact that we can’t compete withsomeone who makes less than $4 an hour,”Mitchell said.

More than 60 percent of the work forcewill be eligible for retirement, with theremaining 40 percent eligible for severancepay based on years of service. Bloomingtonworkers have the right of preferential place-ment at another GE plant.

Laid-off workers are also eligible for upto $12,500 in tuition reimbursement for jobtraining from GE.

Other federal, state and local pro-grams will be available, including TradeAdjustment Assistance. “We are exploringevery option to help everyone make thetransition,” Mitchell said.

An economic development commissionsponsored by Monroe County—whose seat isBloomington—is looking at the possibility ofrunning the plant through an employee stockownership plan, but Mitchell is not enthusi-astic about the idea. “If I knew the plant wasmaking money, it would be an option, but it’snot and I would feel uncomfortable puttingmembers’ savings at risk.” �

4 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � May 2008

Santa Rosa, Calif., Local 551 is in theprocess of signing six new solarpower contractors after the non-signatory employers were invited to

attend a three-day solar installation trainingsession sponsored by the IBEW and NECA.

“The contractors saw firsthand what wehad to offer and that we could fill their needfor skilled electrical workers,” said Local 551Business Manager Jack Buckhorn.

Concerns over climate change and bigstate incentives have made California thebiggest producer of solar energy in the nation,with hundreds of small contractors—mostlynonunion—springing up throughout the state.

“Most of the companies are small start-ups who see the industry’s growth potentialbut don’t always have the skilled manpowerto make it happen,” Buckhorn said.

A signatory contractor out of Oakland hadcalled up Local 551 Membership DevelopmentCoordinator John Lloyd before the Januarytraining and mentioned that some local solarnon-signatory contractors were interested inattending the local’s training.

Normally the training sessions—whichare put on by members of Los Angeles Local11 and the National Electrical ContractorsAssociation of Southern California—arereserved for IBEW members and NECA con-tractors only, but the local “decided we hadnothing to lose and a lot to gain by openingthe doors to everyone,” Lloyd said. More than150 people attended the session.

The local also invited members of SolarSebastopol, a coalition of green energyactivists who advocate for more governmentfunding of solar energy. “IBEW needs to be aleader in this market, and you do that byreaching out and working with all like-minded people on the issue,” Lloyd said.

Ninth District InternationalRepresentative Greg Boyd said when thelocal announced that nonunion companiescould attend, “they got some flak, but theyended up signing everyone that came.”

“They stepped out of their comfort zoneto grow the IBEW,” Boyd said. �

California Local Signs Six Solar Contractors

More than 150 IBEW members and contractorsattended Santa Rosa, Calif., Local 551-sponsoredsolar training session in January.

GE To Shut Down Indiana Refrigerator Plant

w w w. i b e w. o r g T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � May 2008 5

based on a rotation list and skill specializa-tion. The customer is guaranteed a call backwithin 24 hours.

The local has promoted the site throughdirect mail and through ads on the radio, TVand at sporting events. “We want to makesure that if anyone thinks about electricians,they think www.yourlocalelectricians.ca,”Kuehl said.

“We knew that we needed a central loca-tion for everyone who wanted an electrician,”said Sean Strickland, executive director ofthe association. “The Web site is our gateway.”

The site, now in its second year of oper-ation, has been a success, with an average oftwo job requests a day. One contractor nowgets 30 percent of his work from the site,Kuehl said.

One of challenges the local faced in start-ing the program was convincing contractors tofocus more on residential work. “We knew it

would be, at least in the beginning, predomi-nantly residentially focused,” Strickland said.

The site has ended up helping the localincrease its market share in the sector,Kuehl said.

The trade association, jointly fundedby the local and its signatory contractors,has also conducted market research, min-ing data about future commercial andindustrial projects.

“Before a job is awarded we find outwhat is being planned to keep ahead of thecurve,” Strickland said.

The success of the association hassparked interest among nearby locals and con-tractors who are interested in expanding theprogram to cities throughout southern Ontario.

“Every time you do something to keepthe work flowing to union contractors, espe-cially on the small end of the market, you aremaking the IBEW stronger,” Kuehl said. �

Lorsque sa voisine qui cherchait un bonélectricien pour effectuer un petit tra-vail lui a confié qu’elle ne savait pasoù s’adresser et lui a demandé de lui

fournir une liste d’électriciens qualifiés, leconfrère Mark Kuehl, gérant d’affaires de lasection locale 804 de Kitchener en Ontario acompris qu’elle ne devait pas être la seule àignorer la façon de procéder pour obtenir desservices adéquats et qu’il fallait remédier àcette situation. Une des solutions envisagéespour y arriver : accroître la visibilité desentrepreneurs signataires.

Cette idée a mené au lancement d’uneorganisation professionnelle qui regroupe 40entrepreneurs électriciens comptant plus de1,200 membres de la FIOE à leur emploi dansla grande région de Kitchener. Le site de l’or-ganisation (www.yourlocalelectricians.ca)offre aux clients la possibilité de trouver,regroupés en un seul endroit, des électriciensqualifiés capables d’effectuer des travaux detout genre, que ce soit des réparationsmineures dans le secteur résidentiel auxtravaux de plus grande envergure dans lesecteur commercial et industriel.

Toute demande de service formulée surle site est dirigée à un entrepreneur de l’or-

ganisation, par rotation et selon la spécialisa-tion et la compétence. Un retour d’appel estgaranti au client dans les vingt-quatre heures.

La section locale a fait la promotionde ce site en utilisant le publipostage etpar des annonces à la radio, à la télévisionet lors d’évènements sportifs. “Nousvoulons nous assurer que la premièrechose qui vous vienne à l’esprit lorsquevous aurez besoin d’un électricien, soit lesite www.yourlocalelectricians.ca”déclare M. Kuehl.

“Je me suis inspiré de mon expériencepersonnelle en tant que consommateur et jesais combien il est difficile de trouver unouvrier qualifié. Nous avions besoin d’unemplacement central pour les personnesqui désirent obtenir les services d’un élec-tricien et le site web est notre porte d’en-trée” précise M. Sean Strickland, directeurexécutif de l’association.

Le site en est à sa deuxième année d’ex-istence et on estime qu’avec une moyenne dedeux demandes de services par jour, c’estune réussite. Selon le confrère Kuehl, 30% dutravail d’un entrepreneur provient desdemandes de ce site.

La section locale a dû relever certainsdéfis au début dont celui de convaincre lesentrepreneurs de s’orienter davantage versle travail résidentiel. “Nous savions que letravail serait principalement concentré dansle secteur résidentiel, du moins au début”,ajoute Strickland.

Selon le confrère Kuehl, le site a con-tribué à faire augmenter la part de marchéde la section locale dans le secteur.

“L’association commerciale, financée con-jointement par la section locale et les entrepre-neurs, a effectué une étude de marché pourconnaître les données sur les futurs projetscommerciaux et industriels.

“Nous nous renseignons sur les projets quisont prévus, afin d’avoir une longueur d’avanceau moment de l’octroi d’un contrat” poursuit-il.

Le succès de cette association a suscitél’intérêt des sections locales et des entrepre-neurs avoisinants lesquels ont manifesté ledésir d’étendre le programme aux villessituées dans le sud de l’Ontario.

“Chaque fois que vous aidez à maintenirle flot continu de travail aux entrepreneursqui emploient nos membres, plus partic-ulièrement chez les plus petits, vous ren-forcez la FIOE”, conclut le confrère Kuehl. �

Kitchener, Ontario, Local 804 BusinessManager Mark Kuehl knew that hislocal’s signatory contractors neededsome help with their advertising. His

neighbor was looking for an electrician to doa small job in her home and she didn’t knowhow to find one. “She had no idea,” Kuehlsaid. “She had to ask me for a list of goodunion electricians, and that’s pretty bad whenpeople don’t know where to go.”

That conversation led to the launch of atrade organization that represents 40 electricalcontractors employing more than 1,200 IBEWmembers in the greater Kitchener region. ItsWeb site,www.yourlocalelectricians.ca, is aone-stop shop for customers looking for quali-fied electricians for everything from small resi-dential repairs to big commercial andindustrial jobs.

When a job request is submitted to thesite, it’s sent out to the member contractors

North of 49°

Web Site Brings New Business toOntario Signatory Contractors

Au nord du 49° parallèle

Les entrepreneurs signataires font denouvelles affaires grâce à un site web!

Utility Industry PartnershipStudies Transmission PracticesLocated on the picturesque coast of northernOregon, Camp Rilea could be a nice place toenjoy the scenery and do some fishing. ButCollinsville, Ill., Local 309 Business ManagerJames Berger wasn’t there for a vacation, hewas there to do some safety research on out-side line construction procedures.

Berger visited the camp—home to theNorthwest Joint Apprenticeship and TrainingCommittee’s training center—last Novemberto watch linemen from Seattle Local 77 per-form outside line construction proceduresand take notes.

Two teams of linemen demonstrated toBerger how they do their jobs, with oneworking off a pole and the other working outof an aerial basket. Berger was particularlyfocused on how the linemen used rubberinsulated protective gear when working withlive equipment.

“I studied everything from how they car-ried out pre-job planning to the proper use ofequipment,” said Berger, who is a member ofan Occupational Safety and HealthAdministration-sponsored task team estab-lished to research the best safety practicesfor outside linemen working on electrifiedequipment and to make recommendationsfor new working standards regarding rubberinsulated safety tools.

The team is part of a joint partnershipformed four years ago among utility compa-nies, the IBEW, OSHA and the NationalElectrical Contractors Association to helpidentify and develop the best practices toreduce injuries and deaths in the electricaltransmission and distribution industry.

Many of the partnership’s recommenda-tions come from studying industry fatality andinjury data to discover the most commoncauses of accidents. So far the partnershiphas agreed to implement six best practicescovering everything from the pre-inspection ofequipment to the importance of job briefings.

While the practices are not officialOSHA regulations, all the signatory compa-nies in the agreement have agreed to imple-ment the partnership’s findings.

The latest best practice recommenda-tions that Berger is helping to develop couldbe adopted by partnership by the end ofApril, said IBEW Safety Department DirectorJim Tomaseski.

“There were too many accidents andfatalities when the partnership started,”Berger said. “We’ve come a long way sincethen and we are hoping our team can con-tinue to set new standards for the industryto make it even safer.” �

Spotlighton Safety

DeceasedPhilip Robinson

We regret to reportthat former ThirdDistrict InternationalRepresentative PhilipRobinson died onMarch 20. He was 76.

Initiated intoLocal 1049, thenlocated in Hicksville,

N.Y., in 1951, Brother Robinson served as achief steward, executive board member andassistant business manager of the local thatlater moved to nearby Hauppauge.

A cable splicer at Long Island LightingCo., Robinson was appointed as a temporaryInternational Representative in 1975 toassist in organizing the Pennsylvania Powerand Light Co. His appointment became per-manent the following year.

“Phil was a man who I liked, loved andrespected,” says retired Third DistrictInternational Representative Jon Henrich,who was a member of an independent unionat PP&L when Robinson arrived as a lead

organizer. After winning the organizing cam-paign, Robinson helped the new members ofBethlehem, Pa., Local 1600 to elect officersand negotiate a first agreement.

“Phil was no-nonsense, but was as fair ashe could be,” says Henrich, who served asLocal 1600’s president from 1983 to 1989. “Henever steered me wrong, and I don’t knowanyone else he steered wrong.”

“I always marveled at the meticulousquality of Brother Robinson’s records,” saysThird District International RepresentativeRich Redmond, who first took on some ofRobinson’s duties as a Local 1049 businessrepresentative before succeeding him on thedistrict staff. Redmond credits Robinson’shard work with achieving wage paritybetween linemen, journeymen, cable splicersand welders. During his tenure, Robinsonnegotiated contracts in all four states of theThird District, which includes New Jerseyand Delaware as well as New York andPennsylvania. He retired in 1997.

“If my dad could have torn himself intofive pieces, he would have,” says TomRobinson, a Local 1049 member with almost30 years of IBEW service who says that his

father was immersed in community affairs inaddition to his children’s activities. He helpedfound the Oyster Bay Little League, the OysterBay Knights of Columbus and was activelyinvolved in his church and the Boy Scouts.

“Dad would drop what he was doing tohelp a neighbor,” says Tom Robinson. “No jobwas too small.” The elder Robinson stillfound the energy to build his own house.

Philip Robinson attended FordhamUniversity for two years and served six years

in the Reserve Officers Training Corps. Heattended classes at Cornell University andwas a director of the Nassau Health andWelfare Council. Robinson represented theLong Island Federation of Labor at theCommunity Services Institute.

The officers, staff and membership ofthe IBEW convey our deep condolences toBrother Robinson’s widow, Norma, and to hischildren, James, Bonnie Lee and Tom. �

6 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � May 2008

Transitions

Circuits

Arkansas Linemen Rescue Mother, Baby From BlazeIt started as just another day in the field last September for Southwestern Electric Power Co. sen-ior lineman Troy Merle and his four-man crew. The Texarkana, Ark., Local 386 members werepulling in underground cables at a junction box near the new high school they were building forthe city of Rogers, when Merle saw billows of smoke coming out of the roof vent of a nearby house.

Merle, linemen Richard King, Brandon Guyll, Rex Kell and Rob Gary dropped everythingand ran to the house. A young woman answered the door. “She had no idea there was a prob-lem,” Merle said. It was a chilly day and she had just started a fire in the living room fireplaceafter putting her three-month-old son to bed.

“She thought we just saw some smoke from the chimney, that’s all, but I knew it wasmore serious than that,” Merle said.

King rushed to their truck for a fire extinguisher after convincing the woman and herchild to leave, while the rest of the crew investigated the source of the smoke. Opening a ventto the attic, they found it ablaze. The flames were growing rapidly.

“We then heard a boom like a bomb was going off, and the fire engulfed the whole roof,”Merle said. They rushed out of the house and called 911.

No one was hurt and the firefighters’ quick response saved the house. Later examinationby investigators indicated that embers from the fireplace penetrated the decaying chimney,igniting the attic’s insulation.

“We just did what we think anyone would have done in that situation,” Merle said. “Wedidn’t think about the dangers.”

In recognition of their action, American Electric Power Chairman Mike Morris awarded thefive employees with the AEP Chairman’s Life Saving Award in January. AEP owns SWEPCO.

“It says a lot about our union that our members are willing to put their lives on the linelike that for the community,” said Local 386 Business Manager Jeff Hale. �

This month onIBEWHourPower.com:

See how IBEW training isdelivered right to thedoorstep of our membersworking the massive oilsands project in Alberta.

Also, if you weren’t a winner ofan exotic hunting or fishingtrip courtesy of the TRCP, atleast we’ll take you alongand show you!

This month on ElectricTV.net:

He was a founder of Greenpeace; now he’s a leading advocate ofbuilding nuclear power plants. ETV sits down with Dr. Patrick Moore.

IBEWHourPower.comYour “IBEW TV Network”delivered online

AEP Chairman Mike Morris, center, presents an award to Texarkana Local 386 members. From left are RobGary, Troy Merle, Brandon Guyll, Richard King and Rex Kell. Photo credit: SWEPCO Corporate Communications.

w w w. i b e w. o r g T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � May 2008 7

Appointments AnnouncedL.U. 1 (as,c,ees,ei,em,es,et,fm,i,mt,rts,s,se,spa,st&ws), ST. LOUIS, MO—In early February, Local 1Bus. Mgr. Steve Schoemehl made several newappointments. Bro. Steve Licari was appointed as anew business agent. Bros. Frank Jacobs, Bob Taylorand Bill Woodfinn were appointed as organizers.

Bro. Tony Buffa was appointed to theExecutive Board. Bros. Dan Nilica and MikeKinloch were appointed to the Examining Board;and Bro. John Kahrhoff was appointed as record-ing secretary. Congratulations and good luck to all.

2008 is a big year for working people.November elections are right around the corner,and now is the time to get involved in the fight tosupport candidates who work for the men andwomen of labor and their families.

On the first Saturday of June, the Local 1election of officers will be held. Remember toexercise your right to vote.

Please be advised of the following members’deaths: William Radcliff, Paul Spindler, NeilHelle and Albert Doerhoff.

Matt Gober, P.S.

Success StoriesL.U. 15 (u), DOWNERS GROVE, IL—On April 1,Treas. Rick Balthazor retired. We thank Bro.Balthazor for his longtime service and wish hima happy retirement. Appointed treasurer wasBro. Sam Studer, a crew leader and steward.

Illinois passed Utility Worker Protectionlegislation that makes it a potential felony tothreaten or harm a utility worker.

The IBEW and the Illinois AFL-CIO helpedelect Democratic candidate Bill Foster to fill the14th Congressional District seat vacated by for-mer GOP House Speaker Dennis Hastert. Fosterwon the March 8 special election.

The union plans to have copies of the newcollective bargaining agreements with DominionEnergy Co. and Exelon Nuclear Co. distributed tothe membership in May.

The collective bargaining agreement withExelon’s ComEd Energy Delivery Co. and itsBusiness Services Co. expires Sept. 30, 2008. Alsoset to expire at the same time are the health ben-efit plans and the pension agreement for bargain-ing unit employees at all Exelon companies innorthern Illinois.

We’ve had several success stories at MidwestGeneration in discussions with its senior-level man-agers. The parties are working toward shift selectionpreference based on seniority; have established ajoint committee to address a more uniform trainingprocess for Operating Department employees; areworking to improve the safety program and more.

Get out the vote! Elect our friends of labor!

Ronald V. Welte, P.S.

New Appointees Sworn InL.U. 25 (catv,i,o&rts), LONG ISLAND, NY—Pres.James Plant resigned Feb. 29. Vice Pres. WilliamStarke was appointed to fill the position.

Bro. Plant served as president for nine years,business representative for six years and on numer-ous committees. His dedication will be missed.

Newly appointed Pres. Starke has been anofficer for 27 years. Bill brings a bachelor’s degree

Defending Our WorkL.U. 11 (i,rts&spa), LOS ANGELES, CA—Over 75IBEW members of various locals, InternationalRepresentatives, business managers and staffcrowded the tiny meeting room to defend thestate’s electrician certification language. Theywere there to defend our trade and our workagainst ridiculous claims that certified electriciansare only required to make up final connections ofwires and cables, not run conduits, raceways, setpanels, etc. IBEW members came out in force withvery little advance notice to attend. Thanks to allwho attended for your passionate support.

The Los Angeles Community RedevelopmentAgency project labor agreement passed with supportfrom labor, community, clergy and low-income devel-opers. Next stop will be the Los Angeles City Council.This PLA, if adopted by the city council, will result in$15 billion of construction work. Thanks to all whoattended the meeting to support the measure.

Members are encouraged to participate onLocal 11’s organizing committee, which meetsthe first Tuesday of each month at District 4San Fernando at 4:30 p.m.

We regret to report that longtime, active mem-ber and former business rep Gene Corsini passedaway. Gene served on the Pension and Health Trustfor over a decade. He will be greatly missed.

Bob Oedy, P.S.

in labor studies and an advanced degree fromCornell University School of Labor Relations. WithBill’s impeccable work ethic, innovative ideas andexperience on committees and as funds trustee,he will serve our local well as president.

Filling the office of vice president isExecutive Board member James Malley. Jim hasan advanced degree in labor studies from CornellUniversity. With his education and experience,Jim will serve with dedication as vice president.

Sean Plant, son of former president JamesPlant, was appointed to the Executive Board. Athird-generation IBEW member, Sean chairs theVoluntary Unemployment Fund Committee andserves with dedication on several committees.

Executive Board member Jack Majkut willtake the helm as press secretary. Jack chairs ourTravel Committee and is a dedicated, third-gen-eration trade unionist.

Congratulations to all the new appointees!

Rich Kammarada, P.S.Jack Majkut, P.S.

‘Working Together’L.U. 31 (govt&u), DULUTH, MN—2007 was a busyyear for our local, with the election of officers (seephoto, next page) and many new contract negotia-tions on the agenda for the business manager, assis-tant business manager and respective negotiatingcommittees. Once again, our 2007 summer picnicwas a great time with good weather, great foodand solidarity.

The outlook for 2008 is even more challeng-ing with more contracts to be negotiated andupcoming political races heating up. It is a do-or-die situation to stand up and elect pro-union can-didates to public office, and that’s where the focuswill be in upcoming months. We are also activelysearching for targets for future organizing efforts.The union staff, officers, Executive Board, stew-ards and members look forward to workingtogether to make 2008 a safe, prosperous year.

Tim J. Ryan, Pres.

Local Lines

IBEW members, officers and International Representatives attend meeting at the California Dept. ofIndustrial Relations to support California electrician certification language.

Local 25 outgoingpresident JamesPlant (left) adminis-ters oath of office tonewly appointedPres. William Starke,Executive Boardmember Sean Plantand Vice Pres.James Malley.

(as) Alarm and Signal

(ars) Atomic Research Service

(bo) Bridge Operators

(cs) Cable Splicers

(catv) Cable Television

(c) Communications

(cr) Cranemen

(ees) Electrical Equipment Service

(ei) Electrical Inspection

(em) Electrical Manufacturing

(es) Electric Signs

(et) Electronic Technicians

(fm) Fixture Manufacturing

(govt) Government

(i) Inside

(it) Instrument Technicians

(lctt) Line Clearance Tree Trimming

(lpt) Lightning Protection Technicians

(mt) Maintenance

(mo) Maintenance and Operation

(mow) Manufacturing Office Workers

(mar) Marine

(mps) Motion Picture Studios

(nst) Nuclear Service Technicians

(o) Outside

(p) Powerhouse

(pet) Professional, Engineers and Technicians

(ptc) Professional, Technical and Clerical

(rr) Railroad

(rtb) Radio-Television Broadcasting

(rtm) Radio-Television Manufacturing

(rts) Radio-Television Service

(so) Service Occupations

(s) Shopmen

(se) Sign Erector

(spa) Sound and Public Address

(st) Sound Technicians

(t) Telephone

(u) Utility

(uow) Utility Office Workers

(ws) Warehouse and Supply

Trade Classifications

Agreements ReachedL.U. 51 (catv,lctt,o,rtb,t&u), SPRINGFIELD, IL—Local 51 recently reached agreements withAmerican Line Builders (NECA), Henkels &McCoy, Nelson Tree, Wright Tree and Verizon Plus.All are renegotiated contracts with the exceptionof Verizon Plus, which is a first-time collective bar-gaining agreement. Local 51 thanks all the mem-bers who participated in the negotiations processinvolving all above mentioned agreements. Thelocal also welcomes our new members fromVerizon Plus. Negotiations continue for our mem-bers at Aqua Illinois, WEEK-TV, City of Princeton,Corix Utilities, Menard Electric, MJM Electric andthe University of Illinois.

On the organizing front, campaigns areongoing at the City of Geneseo and the City ofPeru. Bus. Reps. Tom Peterson and Rod Brandtare heading up both efforts and are acknowl-edged for their hard work as we continue toincrease our membership through organizing.

Local 51 thanks recently retired Int. Sec.-Treas. Emeritus Jon F. Walters for his many yearsof dedication to the Brotherhood. We wish him along and healthy retirement.

The work scene for our outside membershipcontinues strong. For information on our man-power needs, you can go to the jobs board atwww.ibew.org. Remember to work safe and attendyour union meetings, for this is where it all begins.

Dan Pridemore, B.R.

Food Drive VolunteersL.U. 57 (lctt,mo,o,t&u), SALT LAKE CITY, UT—Jason Erickson, Local 57 union steward for theShelley, Idaho, Unit, organized a food drive in sup-port of their local food bank this past Christmas.The union members in the Shelley office of RockyMountain Power came through with turkeys, hamsand cases of nonperishable goods for the project.The community food bank was able to feed over1,500 families this past Christmas season. We thankall the members for their hard work and support.And thank you, Jason, for your generous efforts.

Deanna Gill, P.S.

Largest PV System in StateL.U. 99 (govt&i), PROVIDENCE, RI—Local 99 ismoving to the forefront with promotion of renewableenergy in southern New England. With completionat Local 99 headquarters of the largest solar energyarray in Rhode Island, we can not only demonstratea working photovoltaic system, but also offer thetraining to install and maintain such a system. Ourapprentice curriculum will reflect this capability.

This PV system includes three separate arrayswith a total capacity of 50 kilowatts. The first array,completed last year, has 42 panels and will be usedfor training purposes. The second array is on theroof and contains 100 panels. The third is a free-standing array with 100 panels. To date, this entiresystem has generated 59 megawatt hours of elec-tricity and cost savings are considerable. Bus. Mgr.Allen Durand is lobbying the utilities to pay the fullretail rate on its buyback program.

The efficiency of the system can be moni-tored in real time, on our Web site atwww.ibew99.org. We are encouraging areaschools to become involved using our system aspart of their studies. We also held an open houseon Earth Day, April 22. Area politicians and busi-ness people were invited to attend, creatingincreased publicity for the IBEW and Local 99.

Stephen P. Callaghan, P.S.

2007 Cushing-Gavin AwardL.U. 103 (cs&i), BOSTON, MA—The 41st AnnualCushing-Gavin Awards ceremony, hosted by theLabor Guild, was held Nov. 30, 2007. The LaborGuild presented its 2007 labor award for excel-lence in labor-management relations to our own

Bus. Mgr. Michael P. Monahan. Previous honoreesfrom Local 103 have included Don Berry, hon-ored in 1967; Joe Nigro in 1992; and Fin. Sec.Chuck Monahan in 2000.

Bus. Mgr. Monahan also received an awardfrom Julie’s Family Learning Program, a serviceorganization that helps Boston families break thecycle of poverty.

Sadly, the Rev. Ed Boyle, S.J., director of theLabor Guild of the Boston Archdiocese, passedaway last November. Father Ed, as many 103 mem-bers called him, sought economic justice for work-ers in the Boston area. The Labor Guild, or school,is open to all faiths and provides trade unions withcourses, technology and training in labor relationsto combat assaults on unions. Father Boyle isgreatly missed by the labor community.

At the Liberty Cup hockey game held Nov. 12,2007, Local 103 Boston again defeated New YorkLocal 3, by 7-5. The MVP award went to Jim “Soupy”Campbell. After the game, everyone returned to thehall for dinner and brotherhood building.

Bill Molineaux, P.S.

100th Anniversary CelebrationL.U. 111 (em,govt,lctt,mt,o,rtb,spa&u), DENVER,CO—On Dec. 8, 2007, over 600 people gatheredat the Colorado Convention Center to celebratethe 100th anniversary of IBEW Local 111.Festivities included a cocktail party, dinner, doorprizes, and a dance with the band Home Slice.Members and guests renewed old friendships,greeted former co-workers and retirees, andshared good times with friends.

Bus. Mgr./Fin. Sec. Michael Byrd and Pres.Duane Lawlor presided over the evening’s stirringprogram. AFL-CIO Organizing Dir. Stewart Acuff,a fiery orator, presented the keynote speech torousing cheers. Then-IBEW Int. Sec.-Treas. Jon F.Walters, now retired, and Eighth District Int. VicePres. Ted C. Jensen addressed the anniversaryaudience. The Local 111 “Ambassador of the Year”award was presented to Bro. Jerry King, a 47-yearmember and former president, senior assistantbusiness manager, Executive Board member andrecording secretary. Byrd expressed gratitude toleaders and members who have been a part of thehistory of Local 111. He urged those present to

Project Labor AgreementsL.U. 35 (i), HARTFORD, CT—Work in the area isstill good. The MGM Grand Hotel and Casino atFoxwoods is nearly completed and the MoheganSun Casino expansion has started.

As vice president of the Hartford BuildingTrades, Local 35 Bus. Mgr. John Sardo is involvedin negotiating project labor agreements on threenew schools in the Hartford area along with St.Francis Hospital and a powerhouse in Middletown.The work picture looks promising for the summer.

I wish to thank all our members and thevarious building trades, along with Helmets toHardhats, who donated their time and skills torenovate Sgt. Barry “Pappy” Albert’s house afterhe was injured in Iraq. Special thanks to ourApprenticeship Dir. Brian Canny for coordinatingthe work and getting area supply houses todonate materials.

Reminder to our members: Our 3rd AnnualFamily Outing will be held Sat., Aug. 16. Everyonehad a great time last year. There was plenty offood as well as raffle gifts and entertainment. Itwas a great chance to see old friends. Hope to seeeveryone there in August.

Bruce Silva, Pres./P.S.

Tehachapi Transmission ProjectL.U. 47 (lctt,mo,o,u&uow), DIAMOND BAR, CA—A ground-breaking ceremony was held in Mojave,CA, on March 7 for the new Tehachapi RenewableTransmission Project. Bus. Mgr. Pat Lavin andseveral officers and reps attended on behalf ofIBEW Local 47. The project will consist of 250miles of new and upgraded transmission lines.

Local 47 co-hosted the 18th AnnualLeadership Conference of the Electrical WorkersMinority Caucus at Universal City. Pat Lavin waspresented the Lifetime Achievement Award byEWMC Pres. Robbie Sparks, business manager ofAtlanta Local 2127.

After years of effort, the local was success-ful in getting a union line clearance contractorat the city of Riverside. Asplundh Tree ExpertCo. is the new contractor.

The City of Banning general unit ratified anew three-year agreement that will increase healthcare benefits by 98 percent. Employees who residein the city will also receive a utility allowance thatwill be $150/month by the end of the agreement.

We are gearing up for the November presi-dential election. We encourage all of our mem-bers to make sure they are registered to vote andsuggest that they register as “permanent absen-tee” voters, so they can vote by mail.

We mourn the passing of Bros. BruceBuckner and Felipe Chavez.

Stan Stosel, P.S.

8 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � May 2008

Local 31 officers and E-Board members, from left: Vice Pres. Paul Makowski, Bus. Mgr. Mark Glazier,E-Board member Dale Torma, Pres. Tim Ryan, Asst. Bus. Mgr. Dick Sackett, Treas. Dan Leslie; E-Boardmembers Brian Campbell, Karen Bergren, Rick McDonald and Mike Stingle; and Rec. Sec. Bob Fonger.

Local 47 Bus. Mgr. Pat Lavin (left) receives LifetimeAchievement Award presented by EWMC Pres. RobbieSparks, business manager of IBEW Local 2127.

IBEW Local 51 Verizon Plus members meet withLocal 51 Bus. Rep. Rod Brandt (second from left).Shown, clockwise from left, are: Chad Lommatsch,Bus. Rep. Brandt, Eddie Bonilla, Jennifer Moore,Palmer Blevins and Beverly Baker-Muhammad.

IBEW Local 99 hosts Rhode Island’s largest photo-voltaic system at its local union headquarters.

Members of IBEWSalt Lake CityLocal 57 at theShelley, Idaho,Unit donate itemsfor communityfood bank.

Local 111 Bus. Mgr. Mike Byrd (left), Pres. DuaneLawlor and then-Int. Sec.-Treas. Jon F. Waltersdisplay 100th anniversary plaque at the local’scentennial celebration.

w w w. i b e w. o r g T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � May 2008 9

continue as active union participants to helpbuild a strong legacy for the next 100 years.

Thanks to Mary Gibson, Local 111 newslettereditor, for information provided for this article.

Dennis Z. LeTurgez, P.S.

Purple Heart AwardL.U. 125 (lctt,o,&u), PORTLAND, OR—OfficerScott Hays, Local 125 member and employee ofthe City of Milton-Freewater, Oregon, policedepartment received the Purple Heart Award onFeb. 11, 2008.

Police Chief Doug Boedigheimer presentedthe award to Hays in recognition of his efforts toapprehend a suspect in a stolen vehicle. As Haysapproached the vehicle, the suspect hit him withthe stolen pickup truck as Hays fired off 10rounds as the driver fled.

“I certainly did not expect an award but amglad that I was alive to accept it,” Hays said.Maintaining his positive outlook, Hays believesthat the situation will make him a better officer.Hays has returned to duty and plans on sharinghis experience with others in efforts of peer-to-peer education between officers.

Marcy PutmanMembership Development Coordinator

Labor Hall of Fame InducteeL.U. 145 (em,i,o,rts,spa&u), ROCK ISLAND, IL—Local 145 retiree Ron Jordan recently was hon-ored at a local Labor Hall of Fame dinner as aninductee into the Hall of Fame. Ron served as aninstructor for apprentice and journeyman classesand was an Executive Board members for 26years. He retired in 2002 and received his 40-yearservice pin in 2005. Ron and his wife, Judy,recently revitalized the Retirees Club, which nowhas over 70 members. Thank you, Ron!

We encourage younger members to becomeactively involved in Local 145 activities.

2007 was a good year for Local 145, with fullemployment and some travelers working in ourjurisdiction. 2008 has started out strong with 190journeymen needed for an outage at the Quad CityNuclear Plant in Cordova, IL. The work outlook forthis year appears positive with the $200 millionplastic plant being built in Clinton, IA, and a $150million gambling casino in Rock Island. We are opti-mistic about the proposed $175 million East Moline,IL, hog processing plant scheduled for 2008.

We pray for families of recently deceasedmembers.

Local 145 wishes to boost union meetingattendance. Everyone is invited to attend! Meetingsare the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m.

Alan Anderson, P.S.

Work OutlookL.U. 159 (i), MADISON, WI—Work in our area isslow. We expect work to pick back up this sum-mer and be fairly steady. At this writing, ourInside Book I has 72 members, and 105 are onBook II. Our Residential sector has been slow andwill hopefully rebound by summer. The VDV sec-tor is holding its own. Record snowfall slowed theconstruction industry. We look forward to spring.

Our Inside working agreement expires thisMay and we are working hard on negotiations.We will do our best to reach a settlement thatwill help our members increase their standard ofliving and provide for their families.

We are sad to announce that our local’spresident, Michael Mueller, is relocating to St.Paul, MN, where his wife has a new job opportu-nity. Our loss is Local 110’s gain. Good luck, Mike!

Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle signed theElectrical Licensing requirement into law onMarch 5. Although it will be a while before it takeseffect, it will enable us to compete for jobs on alevel playing field with the nonunion sector.

Joel Kapusta, B.A.

Gov. Gregoire Plans VisitL.U. 191 (c,i,mo,rtb&st), EVERETT, WA—Local191 is pleased to report that Washington Gov.Christine Gregoire, who recently launched herbid for reelection in November, is scheduled toattend our May 12 monthly union meeting.

This is exactly this type of cooperationbetween our local/state government and unionlabor that creates the type of working environ-ment that makes Washington a great state forbusiness, and a great state for working families.Local 191 wishes every local the same type ofsupport that we have from our elected officials.

Never forget that your vote is what makes theworking environment in your state good for your-self, your family and every other working family.

Marcus Abarcus, P.S.

Springfield 193 UpdateL.U. 193 (i,lctt,o,rts,spa&u), SPRINGFIELD, IL—The Illinois State Conference was held in Springfieldon March 19-20. Focus was on the Capital SpendingBill, all important to trades and labor.

City Water Light & Power’s Dallman 4 powerplant addition has 50 wiremen on site, with 30-40more expected this spring. CWLP’s new waterplant project, for high and low service pumpreplacement, is proposed at $80 million. Due toan explosion, Dallman 31 is still down, with con-tractor Egizii Electric doing several repairs. Local193 members are performing electrical repairwork at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, which isclosed down because extensive faults on primarycircuits must be replaced.

The Springfield Home Builders Show wasFeb.1-3. We thank all who attended and dis-played products. Thanks to Neil Hervey for hiswork on a fund-raiser for Computer Bank; $3,000was donated to a great cause.

Reminder: Our Retirees Club meets the sec-ond Wednesday of every month at the Parkway Café.

Condolences to retired Sixth District Int. Rep.Bill Norvell, a former Local 193 business agent, onthe death of his wife, Laura. Condolences also tothe families of Local 193 members Donald Werriesand Jim “Buzz” Smith, who passed away.

Don Hudson, P.S.

Scholarship RecipientsL.U. 197 (em&i), BLOOMINGTON, IL—Workstarted out slow in our jurisdiction this year. Welook forward to spring for some projects to startand get our membership back to full employ-ment. We are pleased that we have had goodturnouts for continuing education classes. Ourmembers have shown their professionalism anddedication by attending a stewards class and acode update class. Local 197 Bro. Don Shieldstaught the code update and did an outstandingjob. Don helped write the 2005 NEC and is cur-rently working for Underwriters Laboratories(UL). We thank Don for giving back to the local.

Congratulations to apprentices Trace Brim,Anthony Williams and Ben Walker on winning the2007 John Moss Scholarship. The winners wereselected based on their written essays and judgedby the Bloomington-Normal NECA Chapter. A cashscholarship was awarded to each apprentice. TheJohn Moss Scholarship is named in honor of anapprentice who was killed in a job-related accident.

We are saddened by the loss of Bros.Elmond Purkey and Larry Dale Gray. Let’s keeptheir families in our thoughts and prayers.

Remember to work safely. We want everyoneto leave the job site with everything they came with.Take pride in your local union and be involved!

Mike Raikes, P.S.

Volunteers Wire HomeL.U. 223 (em,govt&i), BROCKTON, MA—Volunteers from Local 223, along with KinsmanElectric, donated their time and wired a home inPlymouth, MA, for a disabled Iraq war veteran.This project was completed in conjunction withHomes for our Troops. The house was roughed induring December 2007 and the finish was com-pleted in March. We thank the volunteers and wishSgt. Brian Fontaine the best in this new home.

This election year we have an opportunity toelect a president to the White House who will lookout for the best interests of organized labor. Weneed a president who will sign the Employee FreeChoice Act and allow workers the freedom to joina union. We need to support the Democratic nomi-nee and do all we can to make sure we have apresident in the White House who is labor-friendly.

David Fenton, A.B.M.

Ethanol Plant ProjectsL.U. 231 (i,rtb,spa&u), SIOUX CITY, IA—We’vebeen fortunate since this past winter to havethree new ethanol plants going up to helpemploy most of our members and many travelers.According to the contractors, we should be look-ing forward to a busy spring and summer as well.

With sadness we report the deaths of Bro.Douglas Blakely and retired Bro. Robert Balentine.Both were inside journeyman wiremen. Bro.Blakely became a Local 231 member in 1992. Heworked at various locations around the country,including at a large windmill project in Iowa. Bro.Blakely passed away Jan. 13, 2008, at age 53.

Bro. Balentine became a member of our localin 1970. He worked for Casler Electric, BauerElectric and Thompson Electric before retiring in1991. Bro. Balentine passed away Feb. 27, 2008. Hewas 84. Our deepest sympathy to the families ofthese fine men. They are greatly missed.

Debby Spencer, P.S.

Annual Venison DinnerL.U. 237 (i), NIAGARA FALLS, NY—Thanks toour members who volunteered for the annualUnited Way Holiday Lights Of Niagara display inNiagara Falls. They braved the elements, tack-ling everything from assembling displays tocabling large generators.

In January representatives from theCooper Connector Company visited our local togive a seminar on high voltage load-break ter-minations. This course was instructional first,then hands-on as we built our own 90 degreecable kits. In the end, the entire class receivedcertifications for a job well-done. (The roastbeef wasn’t bad either.) Coming soon: a stew-ard’s training course and an AWS welding certi-fication course.

Local 145 retiree Ron Jordan (center) is honored ata Labor Hall of Fame dinner. Extending congratula-tions are U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley (left) of Iowa andU.S. Rep. Phil Hare (right) of Illinois.

IBEW service pins were awarded at a Local 193retirees breakfast. From left are 60-year pin recipi-ents Harry Paul Jr. and Ray Lemme, and 50-yearpin recipient Patrick Kodrich.

Local 197 John Moss Scholarship recipients for2007 are, from left, Anthony Williams, first-yearapprentice; Trace Brim, first-year apprentice; andBen Walker, fifth-year apprentice. Extending con-gratulations is Dan Wilcox (right) of NECA.

Local 223 members volun-teer to wire a home for adisabled Iraq war veteran.

February brought our annual venison dinnerat LaBrushetta Restaurant. This event is a memberfavorite, as it raises money for our Sick Committee.When a member or their family needs assistance,this money is available for them. The dinner fea-tured venison and pheasant dishes. After dinnerthere was a tool drawing and a 50/50 lottery won byAlbert Allen. We were also joined by Ben Marohnfrom the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance. Our Pres.Kurt Bingham coordinated the participation of theAlliance. Marohn raffled off a Remington rifle, wonby Local 237 member Tim Smeal.

Jeff Plache, P.S.

Hats Off to MembersL.U. 245 (govt,lctt,o,rtb&u), TOLEDO, OH—Utility members at Davis Besse completed the15th refueling outage successfully. Memberspassed 8 million man-hours without a lost timeaccident. The Bayshore plant has been quiet.Hats off to Energy Delivery members and allmembers who work on the outside; they havebattled all kinds of weather.

Outside Construction branch work is nowslow; we hope it will pick up with warmerweather. On the TV scene everything is quiet;only Channel 30 will be negotiating this year.

This is an important election year.Democrats have two serious presidential candi-dates. Both seem to have a good handle on laborproblems and plans to fix them. Then there’s theRepublican side, which offers John McCain, whopromises more of the same—making permanentthe tax cuts for the rich and continuing the warin Iraq while basically ignoring NAFTA andhealth care issues.

It’s about time for Republicans to roll outtheir “propaganda machine” flooding the airwayswith issues like abortion, gun rights and gay mar-riage so they can avoid talking about issues thataffect working people. Don’t be fooled by thisrhetoric. You know the old saying: “Fool me onceshame on you—fool me twice, shame on me.”When considering whom you will support, askyourself: Are you and your family are better offtoday than you were eight years ago?

Ray Zychowicz, P.S.

Helmets to HardhatsL.U. 269 (i&o), TRENTON, NJ—Serving ourcountry in Operation Enduring Freedom is SisterKristina Davenport, a fifth-year apprentice in ourinside program. She is also part of the nationalHelmets to Hardhats program, which helps serv-ice men and women transition and attain careersin the construction industry. As air transporta-tion specialist with the U.S. Air Force 514th AirMobility Wing, 35th Aerial Port Squadron,Kristina makes sure that troops receive equip-ment and supplies. She is also a mother of threechildren, ages 16 to 11. As we recognize Sister

Davenport’s sacrifice, dedication and service letus not forget all the servicemen and women awayfrom their families. Letters and e-mails, or snip-pets of local news, are greatly appreciated by ourmen and women serving in Iraq.

Local 269’s Good of the Union Committeeserves our community through its many projects.Two Adopt-a-Highway groups met in March—onein Pennsylvania led by Bros. Sean Cullen andSean McSherry, and one in New Jersey led byBros. Mark McTamney and Rick Donovan.Members volunteer to clean up our town’s high-ways. A blood drive was held March 6 at theunion hall with The Community Blood Councilblood bank, which supports 24 area hospitals inNew Jersey and Pennsylvania.

D. Brian Proctor, P.S.

Local Hosts CandidatesL.U. 305 (i&spa), FORT WAYNE, IN—On Jan. 17,we had the pleasure of hosting Indiana guberna-torial candidate Jill Long Thompson for a townhall style Q-and-A meeting in Auburn.

On Feb. 13, we conducted a similar meetingin New Haven, IN, with Michael Montagano, acandidate in the 2008 U.S. congressional elec-tions for the 3rd Congressional District ofIndiana. Roger Clayton, a Local 305 member whoserves on the New Haven City Council, alsoattended. These meetings are outstanding oppor-tunities to speak with legislators in a person-to-person environment.

Our union hall received an alternativepower grant from the state of Indiana, and willinstall a photovoltaic system on the roof.Installation was begun this spring by the fifth-year apprentices, after extensive book work. Thisis an open market in northern Indiana and anexcellent opportunity for our local and contrac-tors. Special thanks to our JATC.

Brian H. Carroll, R.S./P.S.

Persistence PaysL.U. 357 (c,i,mt&se), LAS VEGAS, NV—TheImperial Palace Hotel/Casino had operatednonunion since 1979. Thanks to the hard work ofour organizing department, along with theInternational Union of Painters and Allied Trades(IUPAT)-District Council 15, the maintenance work-ers at the hotel/casino now have representation.

In May 2007 our organizing departmentfiled a RC petition with the NLRB for certifica-tion as representative of the maintenance elec-tricians. The company argued it was not anappropriate bargaining unit. The petition wasdismissed and the employer thought the organiz-

ing campaign was over.IBEW Local 357 and IUPAT filed a joint

petition in August. The operating engineers andthe carpenters filed a motion to intervene withthe NLRB and the company argued joint repre-sentation was not appropriate. The NLRBordered an election for Sept. 7 in which theemployees would vote to be represented by: (1)the IBEW/IUPAT jointly, (2) OperatingEngineers or (3) No Union. The carpenters pro-vided no basis for their motion to intervene.

Election results: 25 for IBEW/IUPAT, 14 forO.E., and 26 for no union. IBEW/IUPAT filed for arunoff election. The company initially filed anobjection, but later withdrew its objections. TheNLRB ordered an election for 79 maintenanceemployees for Dec. 14, 2007. IBEW/IUPAT wonthe election and have begun the process to bar-gain the first contract! Don’t give up the fight.

Timothy W. Bolton, P.S.

Coca-Cola Park ProjectL.U. 375 (catv,ees&i), ALLENTOWN, PA—Wehope all will enjoy a day at the “old ball game” atthe recently completed Coca-Cola Park, home ofthe Triple “A” affiliate of the PhiladelphiaPhillies, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs! All electri-cal, CATV, teledata, sound, security and lightingwere done by IBEW members. Remember, it isalways beneficial to support those who supportand employ our members.

As reported at recent union meetings, therehas been much positive feedback from our com-munity regarding our participation in communityservice. Community service is a vital tool bywhich we can not only give back to the commu-nity but also present our organization in a posi-tive way. So, when called upon to participateplease step-up and volunteer. Our livelihoods willbenefit from this essential but often overlookedaspect of our local union’s many involvements!

Upcoming events for the summer include:the family picnic at Dorney Park, clambake andgolf tournaments, continued safety training, andcommunity service events such as Mayfair.Please contact the local union office for times,dates, etc., or check our Web site:www.ibew375allentown.org.

Roger D. Gaydos, P.S.

NASCAR & PGA WorkL.U. 379 (i,o&rtb), CHARLOTTE, NC—The localhas been fortunate to secure work with televi-sion networks to assist with NASCAR races andalso to assist with the Wachovia ChampionshipGolf Tournament. These events provide ourmembers with work opportunities and theopportunity to promote the IBEW image. Werecently had members trained and certified atour union hall by then-Int. Rep. Robert “Ro”Wratscko, who is now interim director, IBEW

Broadcasting and Recording Dept. The localthanks Ro for his expertise.

The work situation continues to look good.The Carolina Initiative is still working to assistlocals throughout the Carolinas to increase mar-ket share. We are gaining in market share, but wecan do much more. A lot of construction work isgoing on in the Carolinas and we need to be doingmore of it. There are contractors and manpowerhere that need to be organized, but we also needmanpower and contractors from outside theCarolinas to really make an impact. I encourageIBEW journeymen who are looking for a changeand want to relocate, to join us in this growth.Contractors are always looking for someone to putin a leadership role, and you could be the one.The Carolinas are a great place to live and work.

Bob Krebs, B.M.

New Two-Year AgreementL.U. 415 (c,govt&i), CHEYENNE, WY—Hats offto our negotiating committee on a new two-yearcollective bargaining agreement with our NECAsignatory contractors. Our members received afair wage increase along with other items thatwill strengthen the agreement.

In January the Wyoming JATC, instructedby T.J. Woods, put on an NFPA 70, Arc Flash classwith 95 attendees from the membership and con-tractors alike. It’s very important for our mem-bers to have the correct information andeducation to work safe.

Our work picture remains very strong.Modern Electric was awarded the sub-structure atthe new Dry Fork Power Plant, and ColstripElectric was awarded a small wind turbine project.

We look forward to hosting the EighthDistrict Progress Meeting in June.

Mike “Bear” Stanage, P.S.

EWMC ConferenceL.U. 441 (as,i&rts), SANTA ANA, CA—Local 441Organizers Abe Meda and Claude Johnsonattended the 18th Annual Leadership Conferenceof the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus hostedin Los Angeles this year by IBEW Locals 11 and47. [See “Electrical Workers Minority CaucusCharts Advances,” The Electrical Worker, April2008.] The caucus advocates increased minorityparticipation in the IBEW and provides trainingand networking opportunities.

To begin the conference, IBEW caucusmembers volunteered for a day of communityservice at various locations in the Los Angelesarea. EWMC volunteers painted walls, repairedelectrical installations, and renovated a churchpantry that serves the needy.

Participants attended educational work-shops on immigration, mentoring programs, coali-tion building and political action. IBEW Int. Pres.Edwin D. Hill addressed the conference and

10 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � May 2008

Local 237 Bros. Dan Snickles (left) and JerryMojeski prepare their cable for termination atJanuary seminar.

Local 269 Sister Kristina Davenport (pictured atright of IBEW emblem and in inset) serves in the514th Air Mobility Wing, U.S. Air Force. SisterDavenport is a fifth-year Local 269 apprentice.

IBEW members ofAllentown, PA,Local 375 andReading, PA, Local743 working forPagoda Electricshown at Coca-Cola Park, homeof the LehighValley Iron Pigsbaseball team.

w w w. i b e w. o r g T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � May 2008 11

spoke about challenges we face in the labormovement. He reaffirmed the IBEW’s commit-ment to meet those challenges and its continuedcommitment to increased minority participationat every level of the union.

Bros. Claude “C.J.” Johnson and Abe Medaagreed that, “Attending the Electrical WorkersMinority Caucus was very worthwhile, both per-sonally and as IBEW leaders. We greatly appreci-ate the members of our local and Bus. Mgr. DougChappell for giving us this opportunity to repre-sent Local 441.”

Steve Igoe, P.S.

Promising Work PictureL.U. 449 (catv,em,i,o,rtb,rts,spa&u), POCATELLO,ID—There was so much snow last winter, it’s“snow” wonder that many 449 members hadthoughts of strapping a snow shovel to the frontof the truck and going south until someoneasked, “What’s that?” With a promising work pic-ture, many stayed to do what needs to be done.

Local 449 hosted the first-quarter 2008Eighth District Organizers Meeting in January atour new hall. Thanks to all for their attendanceand input. We are pleased to have AaronWitherspoon as our new organizer. Aaron bringsa welcomed enthusiasm to the position.

In February, the LMCC hosted an indoorwinter activity of cosmic bowling, which manymembers and their families attended. Plans forthe 3rd Annual Fishing Derby are in the works,so get ready.

With Idaho’s largest presidential caucusattendance in recent history, a greater hope for amore progressive and worker friendly leadershipis taking place. Please make sure that you areregistered and get busy with politics!

Congratulations to retiring Local 449 membersInt. Sec.-Treas. Emeritus Jon F. Walters and Bro.Morgan P. Hall. Live long and prosper, brothers.

With sadness we report the passing of mem-bers Robert Allen and Howard Bevins.

Laurie Watters, R.S.

George Meany AwardL.U. 453 (govt,i,rtb,rts&spa), SPRINGFIELD,MO—Keith Jones, longtime member of Local453, received the George Meany Award for unionleadership in scouting. Presenting the award wasBrad Stokes, president of the Greater SpringfieldCentral Labor Council and business manager ofSpringfield, MO, Local 753. The awards ceremonywas attended by Bro. Jones’ wife, Jeanine, andtwo scouting sons, Zachary and Andrew.

Local 453 Bus. Mgr. Jack Bauer andOrganizer John McGill held an organizing barbe-

cue at the union hall for employees of MissouriState University on Sat., Feb.2. Everyone had agood time and several new members were signedup. IBEW Int. Rep. James H. “Jim” Pelley was theinvited speaker. All those in attendance tookmembership applications with them with theintention of everyone signing up one new member.

John McGill, Organizer

Community Food DriveL.U. 459 (ees,em,so,govt&u), JOHNSTOWN,PA—The 2007 Community Service Food FundDrive had another successful year. Members andsome employers contributed over $7,700 worthof food and monies. All funds raised and fooddonations were equally distributed back to thecommunities where our members live. Thanks toall members who contributed and the stewardswho collected their generous contributions.Special thanks to our local food drive chairper-son, Mary Perdew.

The Southwest District held its generalmembership meeting at Aces Lounge on Jan. 25.The food was great and everyone enjoyed them-selves. The local received positive feedback frommembers who attended. Thanks to Joseph Oliverand his committee for making all the arrange-ments. I regret that no photographs are avail-able, as the batteries in the camera were dead.

Kenneth L. Richards, Pres./A.B.M.

Blue Chip Casino ProjectL.U. 531 (i), LAPORTE, IN—The accompanyingphoto shows an artist’s rendering of the new BlueChip Casino hotel and convention center; theinsert shows Local 531 members manning the jobsite for Martel Electric, electrical contractor onthe project.

Construction on the $130 million, 22-storyhotel and convention center began in spring 2007,and the project is scheduled to be completed latethis year. The hotel will be one of the tallest build-ings in northern Indiana, and it is going up withthe help of our union electrical force.

The hotel is designed with shades of blue

glass to reflect the sky and lake. LED-light band-ing will be on every other floor of the 286-foottall building. The 400-square-foot rooms will beequipped with smart controls allowing staff toset the temperature when guests are not in theroom. When guests punch their card in and openthe door, mood lighting will come on so visitorswill not have to enter a dark room.

Thought for the day: “Believe in yourself.Ignore those who try to discourage you. Avoidnegative people, places and habits. Don’t give upand don’t give in.”

J.J. Switzer, P.S.

Saginaw Work PictureL.U. 557 (i,mt,rts&spa), SAGINAW, MI—Ournorthern tier of states experienced snow over thewinter. The winter was tough on retired members.Retired Bros. John J. Hill, Franz Achard, ArtLosee, Bob Small and Bill Hooper passed away.Our sympathies are with their families.

Again we have members out of work and,with few calls, unemployment compensation maybecome exhausted for those who have been offbefore. Many elected public officials are so com-fortable they never have to worry about incomeand are not willing to extend unemployment ben-efits. They don’t realize this is the fourth year ofdepression. State leaders took more than a yearto figure out how to pay the bills. Workers don’thave deep slush funds to make temporary laws tofund the mortgage, pay fuel bills or transporta-tion costs to find work. It’s time to elect candi-dates who respond to our needs. Cutting taxesdoes not fix bridges that fall into rivers, or build

dikes to protect cities, or build water treatmentplants to protect our health. We need people inpublic office who will invest in the grass roots,and not across the border.

Let’s help elect labor-friendly people intogovernment.

John E. Clemens, P.S.

New Local 569 BuildingL.U. 569 (i,mar,mt,rts&spa), SAN DIEGO, CA—Ata special called meeting held Nov. 10, 2007, ourmembers ratified the purchase of a new unionoffice and training center in Imperial, CA, locatedapproximately 100 miles east of San Diego. Ourlocal jurisdiction encompasses not only San Diegobut also Imperial County. Our members whoreside and work in the Imperial Valley have beentraining in an undersized rented building and inthe past have commuted to San Diego to taketraining and apprenticeship classes. A large per-centage of the new IBEW 569 building will beused by the Training Center for the training ofapprentices, and for journeymen classes.

We have project labor agreements for twoethanol plants, one gas turbine power plant(almost completed), one repowering gas turbinepower plant and three geothermal plants, alllocated in Imperial County. We hope to have thefacility open sometime this summer.

Nicholas J. Segura Jr., P.S.

Three New ContractorsWelcomedL.U. 577 (em&i), APPLETON, WI—The annualspring banquet was held March 8 at Liberty Hallin Kimberly. Members and guests enjoyed excel-lent food and conversations. The SocialCommittee procured wonderful raffle prizes and$150 was raised for IBEW COPE. Recent retireesWayne Juedes, Jack Kelly, Carl Lambie, ThomasNotz, Arthur Plaster and Edward Steinert werehonored with a gift from the membership.Celebrating IBEW anniversaries were 55-yearmembers Thomas Gambsky, Rene Pauloski andRaymond Sanders, along with 50-year membersDavid Krueger and James Swenson. Thank you toTom Van Heuklon and Social Committee mem-

Local 441 Organizers Claude Johnson (left, fore-ground) and Abe Meda (right) with Int. Pres. Edwin D.Hill at the 2008 Annual Leadership Conference of theElectrical Workers Minority Caucus.

Local 453 member Keith Jones (right) receivesthe George Meany Award. Presenting the awardis Greater Springfield Central Labor Council Pres.Brad Stokes, business manager of IBEW Local 753.

Local 557 electricians are working on a new Saginaw,MI, Middle School project. From left, back row, RichMetiva, Chad Rockafellow, Craig Wark, Scott Hall,Mark Krieger, Rob Kotcher and John Booher; frontrow, Scott Gale, Joe Schmitt and Tom Haven.

IBEW Local 531 Martel Electriccrew working on Blue ChipCasino hotel. Pictured in insetare Joe Rehlander, Bob Ziesmer,Jim Hawkins, Bryan Mangan,Greg Engel, David Wright,Tony Kuczmanski, Jon Goodrich,Dave Kohler, Alan Amm, MikeOrlicki, Bob Fuller, Brian Firanek,Todd Long, Chris Torres, ChuckLink and Matt Jesko.

Imperial Valley members and families visit the new IBEW Local 569 building in Imperial, CA.

Local 577 Bus. Mgr. Greg Breaker (second fromright) congratulates several recent retirees. Fromleft: Wayne Juedes, Art Plaster, Bus. Mgr. Breakerand Jack Kelly.

bers Doug Schulz and Jerry Schraufnagel forhelping make this event a great success.

So far this year we have signed three newcontractors. Two of the contractors started out inbusiness with every intention of being signatorycontractors. One of the contractors is a longestablished non-signatory that made the choiceto be an IBEW contractor. Changes to the InsideAgreement and our ability to supply qualifiedand skilled workers convinced this employer toink an agreement. We welcome B&B Electric,Morris Electric, and Shea Electric andCommunications as partners with Local 577.

Greg Breaker, B.M.

New Contractors SignedL.U. 595 (c,govt,i&st), DUBLIN, CA—Our bookshave been slow recently, but the outlook for sum-mer is very promising. We’re hopeful for finalapprovals on the two power plants in Hayward,and Collins Electric is starting to man up on theethanol plant at the Port of Stockton. Throughthe Building Trades Council we continue to signproject labor agreements with the school dis-tricts and others, and we have large projectsupcoming at University of California, Berkeleyand the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.

Our organizing efforts are very successful.The local signed a number of new contractors tothe Inside and Sound and Communicationsagreements. Bus. Mgr. Victor Uno recently hiredSamir Kharufeh as a second organizer; he willwork in our San Joaquin and Calaveras Countiesto increase market. Welcome, Sam!

We look forward to electing a Democrat to theWhite House in November. We are working hard onmany other races also, one being the re-election ofU.S. Rep. Gerald McNerney (11th District).

We had a great benefits fair at our hall inJanuary. Active and retired members cametogether to hear about our pension and health andwelfare plans and ask questions of the trustees andplan professionals. We are proud of our retireesbenefits package and continue to make improve-ments to keep it strong for future generations.

Tom Mullarkey, B.R.

EWMC ConferenceL.U. 617 (c,i,mo&st), SAN MATEO, CA—InJanuary Bros. Joe Sweeting and IrvingHemingway attended the annual conference ofthe Electrical Workers Minority Caucus. TheEWMC conference is held every year over theMartin Luther King Jr. holiday. The EWMCserves both as a support and networking systemand to provide education and training for itsmembers. The members reflect a diverse coali-tion of dedicated IBEW women and men who,through the IBEW structure, work to forgechanges that will benefit minorities and theentire IBEW membership.

Any IBEW local can develop its own chap-ter. On Feb. 28, a meeting was held at the Local617 union hall to generate interest in forming aLocal 617 chapter. Flyers were posted at theJATC and at the hall promoting the meeting.Approximately 50 members attended. Anotherinformational meeting was also held at the hallon March 26. Refreshments were provided. Allmembers are always welcome.

Donna J. Siegman, R.S.

‘Ask Your Legislators’L.U. 625 (ees,em,i,mar&mt), HALIFAX, NOVASCOTIA, CANADA—Bros. John Sutton and FredRoss retired early in 2008. Also, in late 2007,Bros. Robert Greenough, Ron Samson andDonnie Joe MacDonald retired. We wish theseexperienced tradesmen all the best. In all, 15members retired from Local 625 in 2007.

We know that the Nova Scotia CommunityCollege graduates 220 pre-apprentices annually.We know that exactly 102 and 103 Certificates ofQualification were issued in 2006 and 2007,respectively. We also know that nonunion electri-cians cannot afford to retire before age 62 or 65.It would be reasonable to say that not more than50 electricians in total, union and nonunion,retire each year. So with more than 100 new jour-neyman electricians entering the work force eachyear, how can the government hand out electricaltickets to temporary foreign workers in Alberta

while hundreds of Nova Scotia electricians gowithout a job? How can the federal governmenthand out work visas to temporary foreign workerswhile Canadian tradesmen are unemployed andwithout Employment Insurance benefits?

We need to ask these questions and govern-ment needs to answer them. Contact your Memberof Parliament (MP) at www.gc.ca and ask.Provincially, ask your Member of LegislativeAssembly (MLA) at www.gov.ns.ca. It is your rightas a citizen and your obligation as a union member.

We accomplish nothing when we only com-plain to one another.

Tom Griffiths, Pres.

Ohio State ConferenceL.U. 683 (em&i), COLUMBUS, OH—The Retireesregular meeting was held Jan.19. They arerequesting that new retirees come down and signup for the Retirees Club. A blood drive was heldJan. 31 at the apprenticeship hall. Thanks to allwho donated blood.

The IBEW Ohio State Conference was heldFeb. 8 and hosted at the Local 683 union hall.Ohio State Conference Pres. Steve Crum, busi-ness manager of Marietta, OH, Local 972,presided over the conference. Local 683 Bus.Mgr. Mario Ciardelli, secretary/treasurer of theOhio State Conference, addressed the gathering.(See photo.)

Our condolences to families of the followingmembers who recently passed away: Robert L.Shaffer, Raymond Christian and James J. Smith.

We thank the locals that are employing ourtraveling members.

Remember: Local 683 union meetings areheld the second and fourth Thursdays of everymonth. Plenty of choice seats are available.

Rick Deime, V.P./P.S.

Tribute to A BrotherL.U. 697 (c,es,i,mt&se), GARY AND HAMMOND,IN—On Jan. 8, 2008, Local 697 lost one of itspromising new journeymen, Angel Alvarez Jr.Angel graduated from the apprenticeship in May2007 and had already taken extra training in hiscraft. He was killed as a result of an accidentwhile at work. We as a local offer our prayers andsympathy to his grieving family.

The union “brothers and sisters” we workalongside are like extended family members. Inthe IBEW we are connected by a common goalfor a better life.

The IBEW Constitution says it best. Amongthe objects of our Brotherhood are “to organizeall workers in the entire electrical industry.” We

are to “cultivate feelings of friendship amongthose of our industry.” We are asked “to assisteach other in sickness or distress” as we wouldany family member.

We “seek a higher standard of living,” andthe security that brings to members and theirfamilies. The last object is: “ … to elevate themoral, intellectual and social conditions of ourmembers, their families. …” Angel Alvarez Jr.was that kind of man and with God’s help we willalso be those kinds of men and women.

David A. Soderquist, P.S.

90th Anniversary GalaL.U. 773 (as,em,i,mo&o), WINDSOR, ONTARIO,CANADA—At press time, Local 773 was makingplans to celebrate its 90th anniversary with ahuge gala on April 19 in downtown Windsor.Service Pins ranging from 15 to 60 years will beawarded to members and retirees. A special con-gratulations to Bro. Gene Tighe on receiving his60-year pin. The banquet committee consists ofBus. Mgr. Sol Furer, Pres. Ed McDowell, JohnMcInnis, Karl Lovett, Jeff McPherson, SeanBristow, Pam Lawrence, Candice Burk, SueBechard, Norm Ball, Barry Ball and John Coulter.This committee has done a great job preparingfor the celebration and deserves our thanks.

Recently the collective bargaining processthat we use in the Province of Ontario has broughtus a significant and unexpected additional raise of$2.15 per hour, effective May 1, 2008.

Work is still slow in our jurisdiction, espe-cially in the auto sector. We have many membersworking out of town and we thank those localsfor putting our members to work.

David Spencer, P.S.

Organizing BlitzL.U. 915 (i&mt), TAMPA, FL—Local 915 alongwith Florida Initiative organizers recently con-ducted an organizing blitz. The IBEW team iden-tified open shop electrical contractors in theHillsborough County area and went to their busi-nesses, presenting them with a brochure statingthe advantages of becoming signatory contrac-tors. Letters from some of our current union con-tractors were also given to these open shopemployers with the union contractors’ list of rea-sons why they use Local 915’s labor. Our organiz-ers are currently doing follow-up meetings withthose employers who showed interest.

Miller Electric secured a project at theSeminole Powerhouse in Hardee County. This isa Code of Excellence project and is in full swing.As of this writing this job has incurred no lost-time hours and is running on schedule. It isemploying a good many local hands workingovertime. Keep up the good work in showing thatIBEW is the best.

12 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � May 2008

IBEW Local595 crew ona New UnitedMotorsManufacturingInc. (NUMMI)project.

Local 617 members attend February 2008 Minority Caucus informational meeting. Asst. Bus. Mgr. ChuckBearing snapped the photo.

Local 683 hosts February 2008 IBEW Ohio StateConference. Speaking at the podium is Ohio StateConference Sec./Treas. Mario Ciardelli, businessmanager of Local 683. Seated at table in fore-ground is Local 683 Pres. Dennis Nicodemus.

Local 773 Bus./ Mgr. Sol Furer (right) congratulates60-year member Gene Tighe.

w w w. i b e w. o r g T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � May 2008 13

LOCAL LINES continued on page 16

Elections are upon us both nationally andlocally. If you are not registered to vote and needassistance on information on how to get regis-tered, go on-line to retrieve a registration sheetor contact your local union hall. This is a veryimportant time politically for our country. Getinvolved and volunteer where needed.

Theresa King, P.S.

Organizing AdvancesL.U. 953 (catv,em,ctt,o,spa&u), EAU CLAIRE,WI—With the start of my term in July 2007,Local 953 has continued to advance the IBEWmission to organize internally and externally.

Internally, we added Natural Gas workers tothe existing contract of Jo-Carroll EnergyCooperative and the street workers to the WestbyMunicipal. Externally, we filed a petition for Mid-West Natural Gas and we are waiting for a votedate from the NLRB.

Currently, cooperative and municipal con-tracts are averaging 3.5 percent to 4 percentwage increases with a three-year term. Our out-side construction is holding its own and lookinggood for the future.

Our annual fishing derby was held Sat.,Feb. 9, with a record turnout! Special thanks toour members for attending, and congratulationsto the winners!

2008 looks to be a promising year for Local 953.

Arlin E. Ziemann, B.M./F.S.

Rewards for OrganizingL.U. 965 (em,govt&u), MADISON, WI—If a mem-ber of our local provides the local union officewith contact information for individuals wishingto be organized into our union, that member maybe eligible for a cash reward. If we successfullyorganize the unrepresented individuals and theircoworkers into our union and negotiate a firstcontract, we will provide the referring memberwith a cash reward as stipulated in the localunion working rules.

In our continuing effort to promote solidar-ity among all union members, we will be startinga Retirees Club for our local.

Recently we were informed by our attorneythat Alliant has filed for summary judgment con-cerning the lawsuit that was filed in federal courtwhen the company discontinued living up to ouragreement that all pre-65 retirees would be treatedthe same as active employees in terms of medicalbenefits. We will file a response brief explainingwhy our lawsuit has merit and should proceed.

We plan to hold the first regional meetingconcerning the effects that Automated MeterReading (AMR) will have on the work force.

Kurt Roberts, P.S.

Uptick in Work PictureL.U. 1049 (lctt,o&u), LONG ISLAND, NY—Theamalgamations of Locals 1049 and 1381 was justthe beginning. With the amalgamation processcomplete, we can continue with the business ofimproving and maintaining the safety and wel-fare of the membership. At our February generalmeeting the membership overwhelminglyapproved the recommended bylaw changes. Onbehalf of Bus. Mgr. Bob Shand, I would like tothank the Bylaw Committee for a job well-done.

As of this writing we are preparing for nego-tiations with our NECA contractors. In prepara-tion for negotiations, a membership informationmeeting was held and there was a lot of healthy,positive dialogue between Bus. Mgr. Shand andthe members.

The work picture looks brighter for ourOutside Division. In the Gas Craft Division weare beginning to see an uptick in the work. All ofour members who were on the bench are backworking and we may be hiring additional mem-bers. In our Electric Craft Division we are hope-ful that many of our travelers will soon be homeworking in our jurisdiction. Our LCTT Divisioncontinues to be at 100 percent employment.

Going forward we anticipate changes; butwith 3,500 members engaged in the process we willovercome any challenges that may confront us.

Thomas J. Dowling, R.S.

Environmental Specialists UnitL.U. 1245 (catv,em,govt,lctt,o,pet,t&u), VACAVILLE,CA—Local 1245 has successfully organized itsfirst group of employees under a neutrality agree-ment with Pacific Gas & Electric. The newEnvironmental Specialists Unit, with 33 mem-bers, was certified in a card check election moni-tored by Restructuring Associates Inc. on Feb. 1.

The Environmental Specialists, who handlehazardous waste and other environmental impactissues, first approached the local about representa-tion in December 2007, according to Local 1245Bus. Rep. Landis Marttila. Major concerns includedlack of control over their work hours in particularand their work life in general. Compensation wasalso an issue. “It’s one of the best informed unitsI’ve ever dealt with. They’re very self-motivated,

assertive and well-informed,” said Marttila. Thenew group will be folded into the union’s PhysicalAgreement with PG&E. Hours, job definition andsalary will be negotiated separately.

In other news, Local 1245 was pleased tohost a visit from Int. Pres. Edwin D. Hill andthen-Int. Sec.-Treas. Jon F. Walters in January.The visit included a meeting with PG&E Chmn.Peter Darbee and other top PG&E officers inwhich Pres. Hill discussed the IBEW’s “Code ofExcellence” initiative, among other topics.

Pres. Hill also met with the PG&E JointBenefits Committee and led a roundtable discus-sion with a delegation of Local 1245 stewards,Executive Board members and staff members.

Eric Wolfe, P.S.

Code Update/Industry NightsL.U. 1253 (i), AUGUSTA, ME—The local heldtwo code update/industry night events: one dur-ing January in Bangor with 33 members and 33nonmembers attending, and the other duringFebruary in Fairfield with 40 members and 23nonmembers. It was a good opportunity to shareour common trade issues in a neutral environ-ment. Each session was complete with food, ven-dors and door prizes. Thanks to NECA and to ourparticipating contractors and vendors.

Other JATC training has included a FirstAid & CPR course, held in February, with a com-bination of 28 apprentices and journeyman wire-men attending. A “man lift” training session forapprentices was also held in October.

We’ve held our own over the past winterwith a few ongoing projects. These include theHollywood Slots Racino in Bangor and theSomerset County Jail in Skowhegan, both suc-cessful Code of Excellence projects. As else-where in the country, the program has beeneffective in promoting job site excellence andcustomer satisfaction.

Retirees Club Pres. Reginald Dumont, cur-rently recuperating from knee surgery, wouldlike to hear from other retirees interested inbeginning regular meetings again.

William Gifford, P.S.

Three Members RetireL.U. 1307 (u), SALISBURY, MD—Congratulationsto three members who recently retired from NRGEnergy: Eldred Cress, Linwood Banks and LeroyCopes.

In 1968 Bro. Cress was hired by DelmarvaPower as a laborer at Indian River Power Plant.He advanced throughout his career, working asassistant control operator, relief operator andlaboratorian. He retired Aug. 31, 2007.

Bro. Banks started with Delmarva Power asa laborer at Indian River Power Plant in 1979.Over the years he held positions including fuelhandler and power plant machinist. He retired asa qualified machinist on Nov. 11, 2007.

Bro. Copes was hired as a meter reader forDelmarva Power in the Salisbury District in 1984.He transferred to Indian River Power Plant andheld positions including power plant mainte-nance helper, stock keeper and qualifiedmachinist. He retired on April 30, 2007.

We wish these retirees a long and happyretirement.

Edward D. Sparks Jr., F.S.

Contract NegotiationsL.U. 1357 (t), HONOLULU, HI—Local 1357 willenter contract negotiations with HawaiianTelcom this spring. Formerly Verizon Hawaii,Hawaiian Telcom was purchased by The CarlyleGroup in May 2004.

Local 1357 Bus. Mgr. Scot Long, IBEW NinthDistrict Int. Rep. Harold J. Dias, Local 1357 Pres.Ted Furukado and the 1357 team are positioningfor the start of talks, anticipating some difficultdiscussions. However, Local 1357 members arecommitted to responsible behavior, excellence inservice and partnership in growing the business,and our team will not be shy about reminding thecompany of this throughout bargaining.

We recently concluded bargaining for a four-year contract with Pacific TelecommunicationsInc. on Saipan, where in difficult financial times,our members enjoy some of the best wages andbenefits in the Commonwealth of NorthernMariana Islands. The new contract includesincreases in wages, 401(k) matching contribu-tions and fixed holidays.

This will be a busy year for us, with local andnational elections and contract negotiations loom-ing. However, with the current White House admin-istration outsourcing jobs to foreign countries, it isprudent that all of IBEW pick up the ball andaggressively organize the unorganized. Local 1357will continue to make this a priority in 2008.

Karenann Wedge, P.S.

Local 915 members atwork on the SeminolePowerhouse in HardeeCounty, Florida.

Local 1253industry nightevent inFairfield, ME,draws 63participants.

PG&E electric crew fore-man and longtime unionactivist Willie Bouzek (right)joins in the roundtable dis-cussion between Int. Pres.Edwin D. Hill (left fore-ground), Local 1245 Bus.Mgr. Tom Dalzell (center,blue shirt), and IBEW stew-ards, staff and ExecutiveBoard members.

Iwant to thank the thousands of IBEW members whogathered to watch the State of the Union message for theutility industry last month. If you haven’t seen it yet, goto www.ibew.org and watch it. Then let me know what

you think on our State of the Union blog.The live webcast, our first ever, was a stellar example of

IBEW professionalism, and I thank everyone who made ithappen. It managed for one evening to bring together mem-bers of our utility branch from across North America for a realtime discussion on how to strengthen our collective future.

I have to agree with one member who described it as an“electronic union meeting.” The frank talk and constructiveback and forth reminded me of my days running local meet-ings at the Local 712 hall in Beaver, Pa.

That so many members took the time to tune in and send in their questions and com-ments shows that you know how important this dialogue is. And we can keep it going on oursite. The utility industry faces big challenges and it’s up to every one of us to meet them.

From recruiting and training a new generation of workers to ensuring that North America’senergy infrastructure remains the most modern and efficient in the world, the IBEW needs toactively demonstrate that we are committed to the survival and growth of this industry. And itstarts with a commitment by every member to excellence on the job each working day.

Adoption of the new Utility Code of Excellence is the first step to demonstrating thiscommitment. By raising the bar, we are opening the door to a new day in labor-managementrelations and guaranteeing good, union jobs for utility workers now and in the future.

The dialogue we started last month is the beginning of a movement in our union to renewour commitment to excellence and build the kind of future we want for ourselves. I look for-ward to hearing your ideas on how to best push this movement forward. �

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

HOWTO REACH US

We welcome letters from our readers. The writer should include his or her name, address and, ifapplicable, IBEW local union number and card number. Family members should include the localunion number of the IBEW member to whom The Electrical Worker is mailed. Please keep lettersas brief as possible. The Electrical Worker reserves the right to select letters for publication and editall 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: publications@ibew.org

©2008 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 views expressed by correspondents.

Paid advertising is not accepted.

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

The Electrical Worker was the name of the first official publication ofthe National Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in 1893 (the NBEWbecame the IBEW in 1899 with the expansion of the union intoCanada). The name and format of the publication have changed overthe years. This newspaper, along with the IBEW Journal magazine,now published quarterly, now constitute the official publications ofthe IBEW and seek to capture the courage and spirit that motivatedthe founders of the Brotherhood and continue to inspire the union’smembers today. The masthead of this newspaper is an adaptation ofthat of the first edition in 1893.

The General Electric Co. added to the decline of theAmerican manufacturing sector this March when itofficially announced its plans to close its massiverefrigerator plant in Bloomington, Ind., by the end of

next year. The plant’s closure will add another 900 Americanjobs to the nearly 300,000 manufacturing jobs that have beenalready lost in the previous year.

Our current trade policies act as an open invitationfor companies to move anywhere to find the cheapest labor,aided and abetted by many of our own leaders in Washington.

The most recent shameful example of this comes fromthe presumptive Republican presidential candidate, Sen.John McCain, who personally intervened to help steer a $35billion Air Force tanker contract away from Washington-based Boeing and to Airbus, a European aircraft company.The move could end up costing more than 44,000 new and existing American jobs.

Despite receiving billions in no-risk loans from the European Union, Airbus got the con-tract—one of the largest military contracts ever awarded to a foreign company—thankslargely to McCain’s efforts to convince the Department of Defense to waive the Buy Americanlaw that guides the awarding of military contracts. Not coincidentally, the Arizona senatorhappens to employ two former lobbyists for Airbus on his campaign, and had received $28,000in contributions from American employees of EADS—Airbus’s parent company.

At the same time that our economy faces a recession, and thousands of good paying man-ufacturing jobs continue to go overseas each month, McCain and President Bush are financ-ing the creation of new jobs—in Europe—with taxpayers’ money.

One union member in Wichita, Kan.—a city that would have performed much of thetanker work for Boeing—summed up how many working Americans feel: “I’m so mad I couldspit … I feel truly betrayed by the U.S. government.”

The Airbus fiasco is another reminder that the labor movement needs to stick by candi-dates who support American workers, not foreign lobbyists. �

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

EXECUTIVEOFFICERS

Edwin D. HillInternational President

Lindell K. LeeInternational Secretary-Treasurer

INTERNATIONALEXECUTIVECOUNCIL

ChairmanRobert W. Pierson

First DistrictJoseph P. Calabro

Second DistrictMyles J. Calvey

Third DistrictJohn R. Clarke

Fourth DistrictJackie E. Goodwin

Fifth DistrictStephen Schoemehl

Sixth DistrictGregory A. Lucero

Seventh DistrictPatrick Lavin

Eighth DistrictRick Dowling

INTERNATIONALVICE PRESIDENTS

First DistrictPhillip J. Flemming

Second DistrictFrank J. Carroll

Third DistrictDonald C. Siegel

Fourth DistrictSalvatore J. Chilia

Fifth DistrictJoe S. Davis

Sixth DistrictJoseph F. Lohman

Seventh DistrictJonathan B. Gardner

Eighth DistrictTed C. Jensen

Ninth DistrictMichael S. Mowrey

Tenth DistrictRobert P. Klein

Eleventh DistrictCurtis E. Henke

THE ELECTRICALWORKER

EditorEdwin D. Hill

C. James Spellane

Mark Brueggenjohann

Mike Nugent

Malinda Brent

Len Shindel

Carol Fisher

Alex Hogan

Lucas Oswalt

Elizabeth Pultar

Lindell K. LeeInternational Secretary-Treasurer

Putting Workers—Not Lobbyists—First

Coming Together for Excellence

14 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � May 2008

Edwin D. HillInternational President

John Klosinski, a Wisconsin journeymanwireman, couldn’t have dreamed that hislocal’s help in restoring an old pavilion

would bring tears to the eyes of elders in the vil-lage of Rothschild, let alone an award from thestate’s AFL-CIO.

But the Rothschild Pavilion, built in 1911, isno run-of-the-mill structure. Erected at the end ofan old electric trolley line, the one-and-a-half storyvenue served as a celebration of the developmentof the incandescent light bulb. In later generations,the pavilion hosted such musical luminaries asGuy Lombardo and Buddy Holly, welcomed rollerskaters, and lasted in the memories of local resi-dents as the setting of a first kiss, a family wed-ding or a golden anniversary celebration.

Despite the history, Klosinski was reluctantwhen David Northrup, business manager ofStevens Point, Wis., Local 388, told him that hehad offered the local’s assistance to Neal Torney,Rothschild’s board president who helped form avolunteer restoration committee.

“Memories connected to a particular placeare what bind a community together,” says Torney,explaining that the pavilion predated Rothschild’sincorporation and once served a population of80,000 in neighboring greater Wausau before beingshut down in 1997. In 2002, the structure waslisted on the National Registry of Historic Places.

As one of a handful of local union memberswho reside in the tiny village beside a paper mill,Klosinski volunteered for work at the pavilion ona frigid Saturday morning in February 2007. Hehad planned to stay half a day. Warmed only bya fireplace, he joined a crew ripping out drywalland suspended ceilings. Struck by the beauty ofthe structure that was laid bare behind the gyp-sum and fiberglass, Klosinski stayed all day andmany Saturdays and Tuesday nights beyond.

The renovation exposed rough-cut stonewalls and steel trusses that were representative ofthe Modern Movement in architecture. Klosinskimarveled at the dance floor covering nearly 7,000square feet, constructed of 11/2 -inch strips ofmaple, suspended on 24 large railroad springs.

Klosinski kept coming back, sometimes witheight or nine electricians, installing new servicepanels in the basement and in the kitchen. “Theelectricians had so much spirit,” says Torney, whowas amazed when Klosinski looked at old pic-tures of the pavilion and decided to replicate theoriginal lighting. The crew installed 36 lights onall six trusses. “It was the right thing to do, giventhe pavilion’s status as marking a turning point in

the history of electricity,” says Klosinski. Signatorycontractors K&M Electric and Var Ert Electricdonated electrical materials.

With the restoration nearly complete, theRothschild Pavilion is once again hosting rockand roll revival concerts, Oktoberfest, antiqueshows and other special events. Torney isencouraged that groups such as the Jayceesand local hospitals are already re-booking fornext year. Without the work of the volunteers, thefacility would still be closed, he says.

In late February, Klosinski and journeymanLarry Wendorf received the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Community Service Project of the Year awardfrom the federation’s president, David Newby.“The bigger picture,” says Northrup, “is that wewere able to give something back to the samecommunity where local businesses hire our affili-ated contractors and employ our members.”

“It feels so good,” says Klosinski, “when Isee 800 to 1,000 people dancing and having agood time and I know that 16 members of Local388 volunteered their time to make it possible.” �

IBEW Volunteer HelpsRestore a Village’s Memories

Lettersto theEditorLettersto theEditorNice Read!Thank you so much for sending the Electrical Worker to me. I enjoy reading all the up todate information that’s going on around our country.

I am so thankful and proud that I was able to enjoy a secure living by being a part ofa great organization as the IBEW Local 25.

Joe PagliaroLocal 25 retiree, Long Island, N.Y.

Show Your ColorsAfter completing a lighting installation at two home center locations, the contractor wewere working for was denied the same work at a third store near my home. This might bethe local store manager’s decision to use non-organized workers.

The employees there, who are referred to as associates, had their helpful, friendlygame face on, only the managers needed to work on people skills. (At least towards unionpeople.) At every service desk you’ll find a comment card that can be forwarded to thepowers that be. But we can’t stop there.

Just as the knights of old wore their armor, riders wear leather, or sports fans weartheir teams’ logo, we need to show ours. Whether shopping for groceries, or 2x4s, showoff your local’s pin, wear IBEW jackets, hats and shirts. We need to show the retailers whotheir customers are, who we are. Our jobs and livelihood depend on them using us, inturn becoming our customers.

Show your pride, wear our colors.

Terry SmolikLocal 176 member, Joliet, Ill.

Cancelled ContestI recently entered a video contest sponsored by the Building Trades [and ConstructionDepartment, AFL-CIO] for their 100th anniversary. The grand prize was $1,500 for a3-minute video telling the importance of the Building Trades in my family’s life. I spent awhole weekend working on the project and followed their directions to upload the videoto YouTube. I was then contacted by other IBEW members saying they were angry to findthat the contest had been cancelled. I contacted the office in Washington, D.C., to dis-cover the contest had indeed been cancelled, supposedly because of lack of interest.

Daniel L. HerrmannLocal 16 member, Evansville, Ind.

(Editor’s Note—The BCTD did cancel the contest after receiving very few submissions.All members are invited to participate in the first IBEW video contest. See notice belowor visit www.ibew.org.)

w w w. i b e w. o r g T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � May 2008 15

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

Who We Are

If you would like to receive yourElectrical Worker via e-mail insteadof in your mailbox, contact us atpublications@ibew.org. Give us yourname, IBEW local union number, cardnumber and e-mail address and wewill send you the link to access TheElectrical Worker electronically.

Get Connected

Stevens Point, Wis., Local 388 members JohnKlosinski, right, and Larry Wendorf, center, acceptthe Wisconsin State AFL-CIO’s Community ServiceProject of the Year Award from David Newby, statefederation president, for their work on theRothschild Pavilion, a local landmark.

IBEW PHOTO & VIDEO CONTESTIBEW PHOTO & VIDEO CONTESTAttention Photo & Video Buffs!Photographs have the power to inspire and motivate.With improved technology and the rise of video on theWeb, the ability to make moving pictures is accessibleto many. We have expanded our photo contest thisyear to include video productions.

Also new with this year’s contest is that the IBEWmembership will pick the winners on www.ibew.org.

Keep an eye on future issues of the Electrical Worker and the Web site forthe announcement of when the judging will begin.

Seewww.ibew.org for complete contest rules and entry forms.

DEADLINE

Oct. 24, 200

8

16 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � May 2008

Local Linescontinued from page 13

New 1501 Web SiteL.U. 1501 (ees,em,mo,pet,rts&t), BALTIMORE,MD—The local has changed our Web page againsince we last reported. We are no longer onMySpace, but Local 1501 has its own Web site atwww.ibew1501.com. Our page is still beingdeveloped but it’s looking great. The new site ismuch more professional than what we couldoffer on our previous Web page. The possibilitiesnow are endless, with links, information, senior-ity lists, benefit links, etc. You can now go to theIBEW Web site www.ibew.org directly from ourLocal 1501 Web page and get much more infor-mation, and even link to other local union Websites. We thank Bro. Robert Harmon for his help.We feel that we will be able to keep up with ourmembership better and also get their feedback.

We congratulate Bus. Mgr./Pres. Dion F.Guthrie on his recent victory in being chosen asa delegate to the Democratic NationalConvention to be held in Denver, CO, in August.

Thomas Rostkowski, R.S.

Welcome to New MembersL.U. 1523 (u), WICHITA, KS—Congratulationsand welcome to all our local’s new brothers andsisters. I know that some of you are previousmembers and some of you are new to the union.Joining a union is an exciting move and a greatstep toward better working conditions.

The proposal meeting held at the union hallFeb. 23 had a pretty good turnout. It was good tosee the attendance. As the NegotiatingCommittee reviewed the proposals, there was alot of thought and time spent putting togetherthe best package to present. As we stick togetherour solidarity grows stronger. Meeting atten-dance is at the heart of every union, and thosewho attend are the voices that get heard. Attendyour meeting so your voice can be heard. Let’snot forget where we are today as a union and thework it took to get here.

In this important presidential election year, besure to check out candidates for public office beforeyou vote because they’re the ones who enact thelaws that will make the difference for our unions.

Candy C. Cruz-Dodd, P.S.

Report From AnchorageL.U. 1547 (c,em,i,o,t&u), ANCHORAGE, AK—Local 1547 and Alaska Communications Systems(ACS) have been working to wrap up an agree-ment for the growth and expansion of ACS’s fiberfootprint. The placement of an undersea fiber-optic cable from Alaska to Oregon will create thisfootprint. This project also includes an aggres-sive in-state fiber build out that will connect thisnew submarine cable from south central Alaska(Anchorage) to the interior (Fairbanks).

Helene M. Antel joined our legal staff asexecutive counsel. Antel’s duties include strate-gic planning, contract negotiations and training.

Bro. Dennis Olsen of Unit 104 received theGeorge Meaney Award for his service to the BoyScouts of America. Bro. Olsen has been in scout-ing since age 12, and a member of IBEW Local1547 for 28 years. Congratulations, Bro. Olsen.

Patti Sherfick is retiring from the DuesOffice after working in Unit 101 offices for 27years. Enjoy your retirement, Sister Shefick. Wewill miss you.

Melinda Taylor, P.S.

Local Celebrates AnniversaryL.U. 1579 (i&o), AUGUSTA, GA—IBEW Local1579 celebrated its 60th anniversary on March 1.It is a great pleasure to report the celebrationwas a huge success.

Members should be proud when they lookback on the many projects Local 1579 has com-pleted with the highest quality workmanship andunder budget. Over the years, these projects haveranged from the gas station on the corner to oneof the largest projects taken on by any IBEWlocal at that time, the Savannah River Project.

Congratulations to all our members for theircontributions to 60 years of dedicated service tothe Augusta area. Happy birthday, Local 1579.

Will Salters, A.B.M.

A Busy Year for JATCL.U. 1701 (catv,ees,i,o&u), OWENSBORO, KY—Our JATC is busy this year. Continuing educationclasses at the hall are crowded. We offer a classonce a month. Welcome aboard to two additionalinstructors, Bros. Rick Thurman and Bob. Lee.We also thank instructor Jim Bishop, who hasdone an excellent job.

Make sure you are registered to vote. Notonly do we have a presidential race in 2008, wealso have a U.S. Senate seat held by MinorityLeader Mitch McConnell (R) up for grabs, plusseveral U.S. House seats as well, especially herein the 2nd Congressional District. U.S. Rep. RonLewis (R) announced that he will not run for re-election. We are excited that our own Kentuckystate Sen. David Boswell (D) and Daviess CountyJudge Executive Reid Haire (D) are running inthe May primary for the Democratic nominationfor that 2nd Congressional District seat. BothBoswell and Haire are very labor friendly; neitherLocal 1701 nor the building trades have made anendorsement for either candidate..

The Inside and Western Kentucky Energyagreements expire this year. Best of luck to ournegotiating committees.

Bus. Mgr. Gary Osborne reports that thebuilding trades are working to secure a PLA for thenew Owensboro Mercy Health Systems Hospital.

We mourn the passing of retired memberTom Hartz.

Tim Blandford, P.S.

Honda Plant ProjectL.U. 1739 (i&o), BARRIE, ONTARIO, CANADA—The union spirit is strong in Barrie. IBEW mem-bers proudly take part in the construction of thenew Honda engine plant in Alliston, Ontario. Thenew facility will begin building engines this fall.Electrical work began last year and is being over-seen by Sutherland & Shultz. Special thanks toSuperintendent Ken Ball for a good job. Local1739 would like to thank our fellow IBEW mem-bers from Locals 353 Toronto, 105 Hamilton, 586

Ottawa, 402 Thunder Bay, and 804 Kitchener fortheir valued contributions.

Frank Kastle, P.S.

Tribute to a BrotherL.U. 2321 (t), MIDDLETON, MA—With greatsadness Local 2321 announces the passing ofretired Bro. Thomas “Hap” Conway. Bro. Conwaypassed away Oct. 18, 2007.

Tom was assistant business manager for 17years, serving with five business managers. Hewas a veteran of the Korean War and was veryactive in his hometown of Billerica, MA, wherehe served on several committees and for manyyears was the chairman of the board of select-men. Tom leaves his wife, Connie, their six chil-dren and six grandchildren. Our deepestsympathies go to Tom’s family and friends.

John DeRosa, P.S.

Organizing & MobilizingL.U. 2325 (t), WORCESTER, MA—The IBEW cam-paign to organize our brothers and sisters atComcast has begun. Local 2325 is actively partici-pating in this campaign and we encourage all ourmembers to get involved. Tasks as simple asapproaching a Comcast worker doing an installa-tion at the same location as you and talking to thatworker about the benefits of union membershipcan be extremely helpful. Organizing other work-ers in the telecommunications industry helps tolevel the playing field and takes the pressure off ofus to give concessions to the company. Check outour Local 2325 Web site at www.ibew2325.organd the IBEW Web site www.ibew.org for moreinformation and please get involved.

Mobilization efforts have begun for contractnegotiations with Verizon. The current contractexpires in August 2008. The telephone locals ofSystem Council T-6 are coordinating our effortsin conjunction with our brothers and sisters inthe Mid-Atlantic region. Wear your red shirts onThursdays and check with the local for updateson bargaining and mobilization activities. Bus.Mgr. Dave Keating reminds all members to stayinformed, be prepared, be united—and remem-ber that we are ready and we are undefeated!

Paul Mark, P.S.

Local 1501 Bus. Mgr./Pres.Dion F. Guthrie (right)receives congratulations from Maryland Gov. MartinO’Malley and Ann Heton on his victory in the pri-mary election as a delegate to the DemocraticNational Convention; he is pledged to supportSen. Hillary Clinton.

Exec. Dir. Tom Millay (center), Southern IndianaChapter of NECA, presents Local 1701 JATC Sec.Mike Roby (left) and Local 1701 Bus. Mgr. GaryOsborne (right) a $10,000 check from NECA con-tractors for the local’s JATC training center buildingfund. The presentation was made at Local 1701’sDecember 2007 union meeting.

Local 1579 recently celebrated its 60th anniversary.Pictured is the anniversary program cover design.

Local 1739members, joinedby IBEW travel-ers, are workingon a new Hondaengine plant inAlliston, Ontario,Canada.

Local 2325 Executive Board member Doug Concannonplaces an IBEW handbill on a Comcast van.