May 2006 May 2006 · 2006. 5. 5. · May 2006 Volume 105 Number 4 FOR THE LATEST NEWS VISIT IBEW ®...

www.ibew.org May 2006®

May 2006www.ibew.org

Sticking With the Union

I would like to reply to Brother Daniel Nicholas’ letter in the April Jour-nal, based on my 40 years in the trade. Sometimes the fair distribution ofjobs is accomplished through job referral systems. But no matter what therules, someone finds a way to make it work in their favor. Furloughs are amajor problem and headache for all of us. So you think [the contractor]owes you something? WRONG! He needs you as long as he has work anddecides to continue in the business. Imagine working for a contractor for 30-35 years and one day the owner comes out on the job and says, “I’m closingup.” It’s back to the hall. Let’s not forget, this where you started and whereyou will finish one day. Keep your name clean and be loyal to your local.They are the ones who will be there in the end with your pension. No one Iknow ever got “The Golden Umbrella” from a contractor. I don’t knowabout anyone else, but “I’m Sticking With the Union.”

James E. Kennedy,

Local 103 retiree, Exeter, New Hampshire

Call This Bilge?

According to retired Brother Thomas R. Hall, my letter to the editor inthe December issue of the Journal was a “despicable bucket of bilge.” Ichallenge Mr. Hall to show statements or charges in my letter that wereuntrue.

President Bush did attempt to bypass the Davis Bacon Act in the GulfCoast areas after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. His administration hasdone virtually nothing to stop illegal immigration. He has added two conser-vative justices to the Supreme Court who probably will not be on the side oforganized labor. The only political statement that could possibly upset Mr.Hall was that we could “elect pro-labor Democrats over anti-labor Republi-cans.” It is my recollection that in the IBEW Constitution we are required to“seek a higher and higher standard of living.” It is my opinion that member-ship in the IBEW requires us to do all we can to improve the working con-ditions of members and to improve the social standards under which welive. If my statements are “despicable buckets of bilge,” I plead guilty.

Robert E. Fritz

Local 35 retiree, Hartford, Connecticut

Keeping the Peace

It was heartening to see a mention of the Peace Corps on page 4 of yourApril issue, since both Habitat for Humanity and the Peace Corps are vitalcommunity service and volunteer organizations. But that mood was com-pletely destroyed by your use of the “Peace Corps” tag on page 16 todescribe a military battalion. As the 200,000 citizens who have served theircountry in peace celebrate the 45th anniversary of the U.S. Peace Corps, theone-to-one diplomatic work we have done should not be linked to the mili-tary in any way.

Charles Greer

Local 283 member, Boise, Idaho

LETTERS EDITORTOTHE

INTERNATIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS

First District

PHILIP J. FLEMMING1450 Meyerside Drive, Suite 300

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5T 2N5

Second District

FRANK J. CARROLL, JR.4 Armstrong Road, 2nd Floor

Shelton, Connecticut

06484

Third District

DONALD C. SIEGEL500 Cherrington Pkwy.

Suite 325

Coraopolis, Pennsylvania 15108

Fourth District

PAUL J. WITTE8260 North Creek Drive, Suite 140

Cincinnati, Ohio 45236

Fifth District

JOHN F. SCHANTZEN100 Concourse Parkway

Suite 300

Birmingham, Alabama 35244

Sixth District

JOSEPH F. LOHMAN8174 Cass Avenue

Darien, Illinois 60561

Seventh District

JONATHAN B. GARDNER320 Westway Place, Suite 531

Arlington, Texas 76018

Eighth District

TED C. JENSEN2225 West Broadway, Suite H

Idaho Falls, Idaho 83402

Ninth District

MICHAEL S. MOWREY2500 Venture Oaks Way, Suite 250

Sacramento, California

95833-4221

Tenth District

ROBERT P. KLEIN5726 Marlin Road, Suite 500

Chattanooga, Tennessee

37411-4043

Eleventh District

LINDELL K. LEE6601 Winchester Avenue

Suite 150

Kansas City, Missouri 64133

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

EDWIN D. HILLInternational President900 Seventh St., N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20001

JON F. WALTERSInternational Secretary-Treasurer

900 Seventh St., N.W.Washington, D.C. 20001

INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

Chairman

ROBERT W. PIERSONc/o IBEW Local 9

High Point Plaza Office Ctr.

4415 W. Harrison St. #330

Hillside, Illinois 60162

First District

JOSEPH P. CALABROc/o IBEW Local 1158

1149 Bloomfield Avenue

Clifton, New Jersey 07012

Second District

MYLES CALVEYc/o IBEW Local 2222

122 Quincy Shore Drive

Quincy, Massachusetts 02171

Third District

SALVATORE J. CHILIAc/o IBEW Local 38

1590 E. 23rd Street

Cleveland, Ohio 44114

Fourth District

LONNIE PLOTTP.O. Box 181

Dacula, Georgia 30019

Fifth District

STEPHEN SCHOEMEHLc/o IBEW Local 1

5850 Elizabeth Avenue

St. Louis, Missouri 63110

Sixth District

GREGORY LUCEROc/o IBEW Local 66

4345 Allen Genoa Road

Pasadena, Texas 77504

Seventh District

PATRICK LAVINc/o IBEW Local 47

600 N. Diamond Bar Blvd.

Diamond Bar, California 91765

Eighth District

JOSEPH FASHIONc/o IBEW Local 353

1377 Lawrence Avenue, East

North York, ON, Canada

M3A 3P8

May 2006 Volume 105 Number 4

FOR THE

LATEST NEWS

VISIT

www.ibew.orgIBEWJOURNAL®

8 IBEW On the Job At the United NationsCover photo: Local 1212 member Jane Marino-Gordon adjusts a microphone at the speaker’s podium in the U.N. General Assembly.

Photo by Local 1212 member Philip Mango.

IBEW JOURNAL

Edwin D. Hill, EDITOR

C. James Spellane, DIRECTOR

Carol A. Cipolari, MANAGING EDITOR

Carol M. Fisher, SR. EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Malinda R. Brent,COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

Len Shindel,COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

ARCHIVES

Mike Nugent,INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

HOW TO REACH USWe welcome letters from our readers.

The writer should include his or her name,address and, if applicable, IBEW local unionnumber and card number. Family membersshould include the local union number of theIBEW member to whom the Journal ismailed. Please keep letters as brief as possi-ble. The Journal reserves the right to selectletters for publication and edit all submis-sions for length.

Send letters to:

Letters to the Editor, IBEW Journal,900 Seventh Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001

or send by e-mail to:[email protected]

©2006 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

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

IBEW Journal (ISSN: 0897-2826) Publishedmonthly, except January/February and Octo-ber/November, which are combined issues,by the International Brotherhood of ElectricalWorkers, 900 Seventh Street, N.W., Washing-ton, D.C. 20001. Subscriptions prices in theUnited States and Canada, $4 per year inadvance. Periodicals postage paid at Wash-ington, D.C., and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes toIBEW Journal, 900 Seventh Street, N.W.,Washington, D.C. 20001. This Journal willnot be held responsible for viewsexpressed by correspondents. Paid adver-tising is not accepted.

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40011756Return undeliverable Canadian addresses toB&M Mailing Services Limited, 35 VanKirkDrive, Unit 15, Brampton, Ontario L7A1A5. E-mail: [email protected]

COVER

FEATURE

SDEP

ARTMENTS

BEST PLANTS WINNER7

PUBLIC SERVICE10

AT THE UNITED NATIONS8

2 President’s Message

3 Secretary-Treasurer’s Message

4 IBEW Currents

17 Local Lines

28 In Memoriam

7 Tennessee Plant Is World Class

10 IBEWin PublicOffice–Dan Gardner

14 Job Training–FreshStart or New SetbackPart 2 in a series

IBEWJOURNAL®

If you would like toreceive your IBEWJournal via e-mailinstead of in your mailbox—contact us at [email protected] us your name, IBEW local unionnumber, card number and e-mailaddress and we will send you the linkto access the Journal electronically.1

Get Connected!

2 IBEW JOURNAL, MAY 2006

ack in the 1990s, the labor movementhailed the IBEW for the creation of itsinnovative organizing programs, knownby their initials COMET and MEMO.

Construction Organizing Membership Education andTraining (COMET) is still around, and it served as thefoundation for building our mem-

bership in the construction branch to thehighest level in the history of the Brother-hood, some 330,000 members. Member-ship Education for Mobilization andOrganizing (MEMO) also got off to a greatstart, being well received by many locals inthe utility, manufacturing, telecommunica-tions, broadcasting, railroad and govern-ment branches. While MEMO increasedinterest in and enthusiasm for organizingand helped spur some success stories, theprogram and others that followed werenever able to harness that spirit to makewidespread membership gains. Instead, acombination of bad trade policies, down-sizings that cut jobs, technological changeand plain old corporate greed took a tollon industrial jobs affecting union membersand unorganized workers alike. This realityis reflected in years of decline in overallunion membership with the resulting ero-sion in wage rates, heath benefits and pen-sion coverage for millions of workingpeople.

The time has come for new tactics.Secretary-Treasurer Walters and I have

worked with the International Vice Presi-dents and the staff to develop a new concept in membership development in our utility, telecom-munications, manufacturing, broadcasting, railroad and gov-ernment branches. We are going to start in selected states anddivide them into regions that make sense from a geographicand economic perspective. In each region, we will create anorganizing council headed up by a lead organizer and staffedwith organizers on the International payroll.

Organizing councils is our working name for these groups.Let me make it clear that this is not a mandate to merge locals.Nor is this going to force any local into a system council that isnot already in one. Local autonomy—a rich and worthy tradi-tion in the Brotherhood—is alive and well.

These organizing councils are a structure to create actionwhen it comes to organizing and unify the Brotherhood ineach region to support our critical mission of growth.

The organizers’ job in each council will be to identify tar-gets compatible with our expansion goals. How many timeshave you heard me say—and how many of you know it tobe true—that while you are fighting battles in your own plantor with one employer, a company in the same or similar

industry down the road goes on its merrynonunion way? While our local leadershipworks hard to represent its membershipwithin the workplace, including bargain-ing and political mobilization, there is lit-tle time or energy left over for organizing.This is a much different situation thanexists in our construction locals whereorganizing, expansion of market shareand survival go hand in hand. And evenso, it has taken a mighty effort to create astrong organizing culture in construction.

Our lead organizers in each council dis-trict will be calling on our locals to helpidentify targets and collect information thatcould help in our membership develop-ment. They may request help from localunion staff and will definitely be askingrank and file members—the people doingthe same jobs and speaking the same lingoas those we are trying to organize—to helpout in campaigns with house calling, ral-lies, or whatever it takes. If you are read-ing this and think you would like to help,you will soon get the chance.

I see these councils as the solution to adilemma that has been hindering ourorganizing efforts for many years—thelack of the right structure to get the job

done. I also see this as the answer to requests that havecome in from many of our industrial locals over the years—namely, that the International devote more resources andtake a stronger lead role in organizing. That is exactly whatwe are doing.

There are no more excuses for failure. The time is right.Our future is at stake. And action, not talk, is now the watch-word in industrial organizing. 1

BNewChallenges,NewTactics

“ACTION IS THE

WATCHWORD IN INDUSTRIAL

ORGANIZING.”

EDWIN D. HILLINTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT

IBEW JOURNAL, MAY 2006 3

n 1957, George Romney saved AmericanMotors by developing the Rambler compact car as an alternative to Detroit’sgas-guzzlers. His fame vaulted him to thegovernorship of Michigan.

Today, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, George’s son,is being praised for initiating a health

care law which some say is as visionaryas his father’s Rambler. It is a plan whichrequires that individuals who are not cov-ered under an employer health care planpurchase their own coverage. The poor—defined as families who are below 300percent of the poverty level—will receivesubsidies for purchasing health insurance.

Unfortunately for the people of theBay State, Mitt’s plan does resembleAmerican Motors’ Rambler, and we allknow where they are today.

The Boston Globe reported recentlythat the average cost of health care underthe plan for a single worker would be$350 a month. For someone earning$28,000 a year (the amount at which stateassistance and subsidies become unavail-able) that would mean paying 15 percentof pre-tax income toward coverage. For afamily, that’s a huge bite.

The bill passed by the legislaturerequires companies that do not providehealth care coverage to contribute $295per employee per year to the state to off-set the cost of insurance. The governorused his line-item veto power to cut eventhat minimal annual requirement, but, asof this writing, it appears that the statelegislature will override the veto.

My skepticism brews when the “freemarket” purists at the Heritage Foundation,a conservative think tank, do cartwheelsover the measure. These are the samefolks who criticized the Maryland Legisla-ture for passing a bill that requires Wal-Mart to spend at least 8 percent of its immense profits onemployee health care.

Robert Kuttner, writing in The American Prospect, says theMassachusetts bill is based on three dubious assumptions. First,

that quality health care can actually be bought for $2,400 peryear. Second that “market reforms” could reduce the cost ofhealth care insurance. Third, that health insurance is like autoinsurance; government should just make everyone buy it.

Good health care insurance costs around $4,000 per year.Lower priced policies soak individuals with higher out-of-pocket payments. The Progressive Legislative Action Networkin New Jersey says, “As long as private insurers remain domi-

nant to take their cut—for profit, market-ing, the costs of cherry-picking healthycustomers, second-guessing doctors, andspewing paperwork—the savings of mar-ket reform will remain modest.”

One also doesn’t need to be an econo-mist to understand that an employer,faced with rising health care costs, wouldsimply be tempted to terminate theirhealth care coverage and make theiremployees pay under the requirements ofthe law. They have every incentive to dothat since the bill requires companies topony up only a minimal amount for eachworker.

As the Bush administration burns scarcebudget dollars trying to explain the detailsof an ineffective Medicare prescriptiondrug plan to seniors, political momentumon health care has shifted to the states.Frustrated citizens and state political lead-ers are seizing on any new idea that lookslike a step in the right direction.

I’m open to a discussion on how to befair to both businesses (big and small)and to working folks, but I can’t buy theMassachusetts plan. Real reform thatserves the greatest common good wouldlook more like our IBEW/NECA nationalhealth care plan that was covered in theMarch issue.

There’s only one certainty in thisdebate. Only by better organizing on thepolitical front and in the workplace canworking families win health care for all,not just for those at the top and the bot-tom. 1

IAHealth Care Rambler

“ONE DOESN’T NEED TO

BE AN ECONOMIST TO UNDER-

STAND THAT AN EMPLOYER

WOULD BE TEMPTED TO

TERMINATE THEIR HEALTH

CARE COVERAGE AND MAKE

EMPLOYEES PAY.”

JON F. WALTERSINTERNATIONAL SECRETARY-TREASURER

T R A N S I T I O N S

“The men and women that have servedour country deserve the chance to have greatcareers after returning home from battle,” saidretired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Matthew P.Caufield, executive director of the nationalHelmets to Hardhats program. “A signing ofthis kind will help speed up the process toplace candidates into quality constructioncareers throughout the state.”

The March 10 event, which drew AFL-CIOBuilding and Construction Trades PresidentEdward Sullivan, Massachusetts SenatorsEdward Kennedy (D) and John Kerry (D), stateLt. Gov. Kerry Healey (R), members of Congress

and other leaders, solidified the state’s supportfor the Helmets to Hardhats direct entry pro-gram. Once the proclamation is signed, buildingtrades apprenticeship programs can immediatelyaccept the veterans and provide them withcredit for their military training and experience.

Nearly 128,000 former military membershave registered with Helmets to Hardhats,whose Web site (www.helmetstohardhats.org) matches candidates with careers.

Massachusetts was the 16th state to com-mit to the program. Delaware will be next inearly May, at a ceremony at the hall of Wilm-ington Local 313. 1

Helmets to Hardhats—Now Working in a State Near YouBoston Local 103 hosted a high-level proclamation-signing ceremony cementing the state’s commitment to a program linking former military personnel to jobs in the trades in March.

IBEWCURRENTS

The IBEW is pleased to an-nounce the April 1 pro-

motion of Jan Schwingshakl asdirector of the newly reconsti-tuted Education Department atthe International Office. AnInternational Representativewho had been heading theIBEW’s education effort forthe past three years in theI.O.’s Education and ResearchDepartment, Schwingshaklhas new authority over anincreasingly vital IBEW mis-sion: using education toenhance the present and pre-serve the future throughincreased member activism.

Sister Schwingshakl wasinitiated into Milwaukee Local2150 in 1994, when the inde-pendent union she hadbelonged to since 1975merged with the IBEW. As amember of a now defunctMilwaukee-based utility unionat WE Energies, Schwingshaklserved as steward and as amember of the finance com-mittee. For most of her careerat the utility, Schwingshaklwas an accounting analyst inthe company’s finance depart-ment.

Schwingshakl continued toserve as a steward as a newmember of Local 2150. Shealso served on the local’s orga-nizing committee. She served

A P P O I N T E D

Jan Schwingshakl

Local 103 Helmets to Hardhats ceremony included, from right to left, Thomas Gunning,executive director, Building Trades Employers Association; Joseph A. Dart, president,Massachusetts BCTD; retired Maj. Gen. Matthew Caulfield, executive director, Helmetsto Hardhats; Edward Sullivan, president BCTD, AFL-CIO; Sen. Edward Kennedy; Sen.John Kerry; state Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey; Brig. Gen. Oliver Mason, Adjunct General,Massachusetts National Guard; Thomas Kelley, secretary, Massachusetts Department of Veterans’ Services; U.S. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch; William Mooney, executive director, Apprenticeship and Training Directors’ Association; Dan Caulfield, president, Helmets to Hardhats.

4 IBEW JOURNAL, MONTH 2006

I T I O N S


extended the role of educa-tion into the political and leg-islative process.

In 2003, Schwingshakl wasappointed International Rep-resentative to head the educa-tion section of the Educationand Research Department,where she has developed andfacilitated training programsin organizing and strategiccampaigns. In her role asdirector of the Education

Department, Schwingshaklwill be developing and imple-menting several new trainingprograms addressing member-ship development and politi-cal organizing. She said shelooks forward to continuingher challenging work motivat-ing members.

“It’s great when you cansee the light bulbs go on,”Schwingshakl said. “That’s thebest part, when you realize

you made a difference, andsomeone got it.”

A member of the UnitedAssociation of Labor Educa-tors, Schwingshakl is continu-ing her own education at theGeorge Meany Center-National Labor College in Sil-ver Spring, Maryland.

The IBEW staff, officersand members wish SisterSchwingshakl the best of luckin her new position. 1

Roland E. Gawf, a retiredEighth District Interna-

tional Representative, passedaway on February 28 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Hewas 79.

Brother Gawf, born in Sal-ida, Colorado, was initiatedinto Grand Junction, Col-orado, Local 969 in 1949. Hebecame the local’s businessmanager in 1960. Gawfserved as secretary of theWestern Slope Joint Appren-ticeship and Training Commit-tee and president of theWestern Slope Building Trades.

I n 1 9 6 5 , Gaw f wa sappointed an InternationalRepresentative. His daughter,Gina Ruhl, recalls traveling

with her fa ther to visit membersworking in hydro-e lec t r i c powerplants where shewas enthralled bymassive generatorsand equipment.

“My f a t h e r ’ sfr iends told methat, because hewas so well-liked,he was broughtinto negotiations ororganizing when other leaderswere having trouble,” she said.Ms. Ruhl, who works as anurse in Mountain Ranch, Cali-fornia, added that her fatherused to joke about going outWest to organize nurses. Her

husband, Lee, is aline clearance treetrimmer for PacificGas and Electricand a member ofIBEW Local 1245.“My father liked thefact that my hus-band was a goodunion man,” shesaid.

Gaw f wa s amember of the Col-orado Labor Com-

mittee on Apprenticeships,secretary of the Colorado Con-ference of Electrical Workersand a member of the Moun-tain States Line ConstructorsEmployee Benefit Board.

After his retirement in 1991,

Brother Gawf spent 15 yearscaring for his wife, Betty,before she succumbed to mul-tiple sclerosis. Three yearsago, Gawf married Carol VanZandt, of Rockport, Texas,who cared for him after heendured numerous surgeries.

Besides his wife, daughterand son-in-law, Gawf is sur-vived a grandaughter, CarolRuhl of Mountain Ranch, Cali-fornia; a step-daughter, Karen(Paul) Smith, and step-grand-sons Kenneth and Chris Smithof Cypress, Texas.

The officers and membersof the International Brother-hood of Electrical Workersexpress our deep regrets toBrother Gawf’s family. 1

D E C E A S E D

Roland E.Gawf

C a r l “Corky” Brown,a retired Eighth District

International Representative,died on January 13 in Casper,Wyoming. He was 81.

An electrician’s mate in theU.S. Navy during World WarII, Brown returned home toattend Colorado A&M Col-lege, working as an electricalapprentice during summers.

In 1948, after graduatingfrom college with a Bachelorof Science degree, BrotherBrown completed his appren-ticeship. A member of Casper,Wyoming, Local 322, he servedon the executive and examin-ing boards before being

elected businessmanager in 1958.

Brown was ap-pointed Interna-tional Representa-t i v e i n 1 9 6 1 ,assigned to servicelocals in Wyomingand Idaho. In 1962,he was assigned to the S ta te ofWyoming Rura lElectric Associationand the Region 7Bureau of Reclamation. Heretired as an International Rep-resentative in 1983.

Brother Brown flew hisown airplane, skied and

enjoyed golf. Alocal obituary re-called how he usedto wake his chil-dren at 3 a.m. to gocamping and fishingin the Big Hornsand Wiggins Forkrecreation areas.

Active in theDemocratic Party,Brown also was amember of theElks and the VFW.

He was a supporter of theNicolaysen Art Museum.

Brother Brown and hiswife, Norma, were marriedfor 56 years. Ms. Brown died

in 2002. He is survived bythree children, Carla Brown,Ben Brown and Tina Jonesand her husband, all ofCasper; and two grandsonsand three grandaughters.

The officers and membersof the Brotherhood conveyour deepest sympathies toBrother Brown’s family. 1

D E C E A S E D

CarlBrown

on the Wisconsin AFL-CIO andthe Milwaukee County Councileducation committees.

In 1998, she was appointededucation, research and train-ing coordinator at Local 2150,where she developed andprovided training for stewards,members and staff and further

AMERICA WORKS WHEN WE SAY...

In the spirit of true labor-managementcooperation, a delegation from the planttraveled to a facility that had been retro-fitted to adapt to the changing car mar-ket and adopted a Japanese philosophyof productivity enhancement.

Last fall, the Athens facility wasdubbed one of the top 10 manufacturingplants in North America by IndustryWeek magazine. This is a significantaccomplishment for a plant whoseresponse time for orders had been aslong as 60 days, but whose customersreceive their orders for commercialwiring hardware in a matter of hours.

“We’re always hunting methods andways to be more efficient and to improvequality,” said Local 175 Assistant BusinessManager Roger Thompson. “It boils downto having more job security in this dayand time of globalization. You just never

know what tomorrow brings, especiallyin the manufacturing industry.”

The five-year plan that won the facilityindustry-wide recognitionfirst involved minimizingwasted time, material andeffort. Their “lean manu-facturing” concept elimi-nated the need for forkliftson the site, instead usingsmaller metal containersdropped off at work sta-tions with calculated quan-tities of components. Thecompany reduced thenumber of raw materialsuppliers, cutting down on red tape. Andthey adopted the practice of “kaizen”—aJapanese word for improvement—thatcalls for eliminating waste (defined as“activities that add cost but do not add

value”), just-in-time delivery, production,standardized work, paced moving linesand right-sized equipment, among otherstreamlining techniques.

“Just look at the numbers,” DarrellDumont, manufacturing engineering man-ager, told Industry Week. “We’re a 40-year-old plant and some of ourequipment is older than 40 years. We’re aunion shop and a mature work force, yetwe can compete with anybody around.

We can compete withChina. We can competewith India. We’re notafraid of those folks.”

Plant sales volume hasincreased by 23 percentand the value of produc-tion per person has risenby 38 percent.

In honor of the Indus-try Week designation, theplant celebrated with alunch for all 250 IBEW

workers, management and guests. Local175 Business Manager Paul Gass pre-sented Plant Manager Herb Bradshaw aplaque recognizing the 40-year labor-management partnership. 1

When nearly half the work at the Thomas & Betts plant inAthens, Tennessee, moved to Mexico five years ago, theremaining workers, represented by Chattanooga Local 175, and company officials knew their future depended on turningthings around.


“We can compete

with China.

We can compete

with India.

We’re not afraid

of those folks.”

Dubbed “the global town hall,” theUnited Nations is a forum promotingunderstanding and peace among the inter-national community. But none of the dia-logue and diplomacy would be possiblewithout the behind-the-scenes technicalexpertise of IBEW members manning thecomplex web of communications neces-sary for the debate to take place.

Serving as the eyes and ears of theworld, approximately 70 IBEW membersrecord, archive, facilitate and disseminateall official communications at the UnitedNations. With a cacophony of languagesas their daily soundtrack, they are thesilent witnesses to world events, sentries

with microphones and cameras guardingthe official record of one of the most pow-erful international diplomatic organizationsin the world.

“It’s a job that can’t be compared toanything else in the outside world,” saidJane Marino-Gordon, a senior sound engi-neer and Local 1212 executive boardmember. “I’ve been inches away frompeople like the pope and Rod Stewart. Inthe next room right now is the presidentof Pakistan.”

In 2002 and 2003, the United Nationswas center stage in the run-up to theUnited States’ invasion of Iraq, with theU.N. Security Council debating whether

Saddam Hussein posed a threat to interna-tional peace. Today, the Security Coun-cil—a 15-member body with the power toimpose economic sanctions or order anarms embargo—plays a central role intricky diplomatic maneuvering in hot spotssuch as Iran and North Korea.

“You get to see the politics of theworld happening before your eyes,” saidVincent Butler, a sound engineer and 33-year veteran of the United Nations whoworks in the audio recording department.Butler followed in the footsteps of hisfather, a Local 1212 member who recordedthe Nuremberg Trials in post-Nazi Ger-many before coming to work at the UnitedNations. The father and son, both namedVincent, worked together from 1973 untilthe elder Butler retired in 1981.

The IBEW shop at the United Nationsis a “news making” organization, as

Sitting on 18 acres in east Manhattan is a unique internationalterritory, a place where the flags of nearly 200 countries fly anddiplomats from every corner of the world come to develop policy.

IBEW Members are the Eyes and Ears of the World

8

Onthe Jobat the U.N.

Danny Barronconnects videofeeds.

Radio EngineerRosie Starr mas-ters a radio showfor transmission in another part of the world.

opposed to a news gathering outlet, likecommercial or even public radio, televi-sion and print journalism. “We are thebroadcast engineers that supply the worldwith U.N. news feeds,” Marino-Gordonsaid. “At critical moments in history ouraudience is literally billions of people.”

The videotape department records andpreserves the video and film archives andsends recorded and live television andradio programs to hundreds of stationsand into the World Wide Web via theU.N. webcast. The video and audio main-tenance staff maintains the intricate net-work of simultaneous translationequipment. The radio engineers techni-cally master recordings in Swahili, Russ-ian, French, Bengali, Indonesian, Chineseand Arabic.

The IBEW has represented the profes-sionals doing this work since the foundingof the United Nations in 1946. All Local1212 members at the United Nations areemployed by contractor Venue ServicesGroup, and work under the on-site IBEWsupervisor Jan Hall.

“Anything that you see on televisionbroadcast from the United Nations is pro-vided by IBEW engineers,” Butler said.“That’s our camera crew bringing you andthe world the United Nations at work.”

The U.N.’s radio production operationstill relies on short-wave in many countries,but they also integrate new Internet tech-nology to disseminate information moreefficiently. Broadcasting news in 29 lan-guages—including Urdu, spoken widely inAsia—the broadcasts have transcendedborders, dictators and language barriers.

“We have been responsible for chang-ing the world,” Marino-Gordon said.“During apartheid in South Africa, theU.N. did seven shows a week. Half werejammed by the government but half gotthrough. We do radio broadcasts to theparts of the world that are cut off fromthe rest of the world.”

One of the most important tasks of theU.N. sound engineers is to ensure thatthe delegates in the 2,000-seat GeneralAssembly get the proper audio feeds ofsimultaneous language interpretationsduring debate. Wearing headphones thatare plugged in to a control room mannedby Marino-Gordon, the delegates hearreal-time interpretations of floorspeeches.

This is done by highly trained inter-preters who translate during the speech,usually into one of the six official lan-guages spoken at the U.N.: French, Eng-lish, Spanish, Russian, Chinese andArabic. While a delegate is addressing theassembly, these professionals simultane-ously interpret the speaker’s words into alanguage that can be understood byanother interpreter. Then others willinterpret into the other official languages,meaning some delegates listening willhear an interpretation that has been trans-lated from two languages.

The work of a U.N. interpreter waspopularized in the 2005 thriller, “TheInterpreter,” with Nicole Kidman andSean Penn. Four IBEW members workedas consultants on the film, the firstallowed clearance to film on the groundsof the U.N. complex. A key opening

scene was filmed in Gordon-Marino’ssound booth overlooking the GeneralAssembly hall.

Outside observers may be familiarwith the public face of the workings ofthe United Nations: debates in the Gen-eral Assembly, the domed, cathedral-likeparliamentary hall that accommodates all191 member countries, or the smaller,high-level, roundtable meetings of theU.N. Security Council.

IBEW members also work where fewwill ever go—smaller conferences of keynegotiators, where deals are hashed outbehind-the-scenes. “There are many timeswhen we are the only people in a closed-door room,” Marino-Gordon said. “Youhave the rare opportunity to see thepower brokers of the world in both pri-vate and public moments.”

Also making the job exciting are thesteady stream of U.N. goodwill ambas-sadors. IBEW members have recordedpublic service announcements for starslike Angelina Jolie, Michael Douglas andRoger Moore.

“When the General Assembly startsup, it’s amazing that the whole world isthere,” said IBEW Broadcast DepartmentDirector Peter Homes, who is a formerbusiness representative of Local 1212.“And they can’t do it without the IBEW.”

The IBEW has been adept at negotiat-ing labor peace at the U.N. Members giveLocal 1212 Business Manager Peter Quar-anta credit for capably negotiating con-tracts that can be sensitive consideringthe complications inherent in the three-party relationship. 1

9

Sheryl Tayloredits a piece forU.N.Television.

Victor Tom mansthe audio board fora live broadcast.

All photos courtesy of Philip Mango

Gardner’s energy on the campaigntrail was nothing new. In 1997, he visited9,000 households in a successful Democ-ratic campaign for the state’s House,becoming minority leader two years later.Long before Texas Democrats fled theirstate to deny Republican legislators theopportunity to unfairly redraw legislativedistricts, Gardner effectively used thesame tactic in Oregon.

Some in Oregon are now talkingabout Gardner, 47, as a future candidatefor U.S. Congress or governor.

Dan Gardner, a third-generation IBEW local leader,

traveled across Oregon in 2002 performing 58 different

jobs—from bellhop to baker—in his successful campaign

for Oregon State Commissioner of Labor and Industries.

“Just don’t ask me to birth a calf again,” jokes Gardner,

a member of Portland, Oregon, IBEW Local 48.


Dan Gardner (front row, wearing tie)and Oregon state Rep. Gary Hansen(second from right) at an Oregon unionjobsite with members of UA Local 290.

Gardner heads a bureau with a staff ofover 100 and a yearly budget of $10 mil-lion charged with enforcing state lawsrelating to wages, hours, terms and con-ditions of employment, apprenticeshipsand non-discrimination. He says his IBEWbackground taught him “a lot about beingfair to both employees and employers.”He adds, “It does me good to see bademployers lose.”

As a legislator, Gardner was a co-chiefsponsor of Oregon’s ballot measure thatincreases the state minimum wage bylinking it to the Consumer Price Index. Aslabor commissioner, he fought againstrepeal of those annual cost-of-livingincreases. He changed rules to providerest periods and meals for the state’s farmworkers and has defended prevailingwage laws.

Gardner’s advocacy for workers wasinherited from his grandfather, CharlesAlva Gardner, the twelfth member of Peo-ria, Illinois, IBEW Local 34, who was alsoa long-time member of the local’s retireeorganization. Gardner’s father, Paul Gard-ner, was assistant business agent andexecutive board member in Local 34before his retirement in 1990. Gardnerlearned about responsible business deal-ings from his uncle, who owned Peoria’slargest signatory electrical contractor,Oberlander Electric.

At age 8, his father, a Democraticprecinct committeeman, asked him tocover one side of a street in a door-to-door campaign. “I was hooked,” he says.

“My father would always tell us the dif-ference between working under a collec-tive bargaining agreement and at thewhim of an employer,” says Gardner. Inhigh school, the family went without cableTV because Paul Gardner wouldn’t pay toinstall a nonunion service. Dan Gardnerwas registered to vote at the kitchen table;his father checked “Democrat” before hisson signed the card.

After Gardner completed Local 34’sinside wireman apprenticeship in 1985,work opportunities slackened in the Mid-west. He traveled to Oregon to be near hisbrothers, including Tom, an IBEW mem-ber, and transferred his ticket to IBEWLocal 48. He continued his education atPortland Community College, Mt. Hood

Community College and the University ofOregon’s Labor Education Research Center.

Gardner’s activism was rebornovernight when a ballot measure wasintroduced in the state Legislature callingfor the repeal of “little” Davis-Bacon legis-lation, threatening to set aside the prevail-ing wage for construction workers inOregon.

After a labor-led campaign, the repealwas rejected by 67 percent of the state’svoters.

Gardner’s hard work lobbying againstthe ballot measure won him appointmentas chairman of the local’s political actioncommittee. He was elected recording sec-retary in 1995, re-elected in 1998 andbecame vice president in 2001.

“I always preached to political action

committee members about the need to runfor office,” said Gardner. When Sen. BobPackwood (R-Ore.) resigned in 1995, hewas replaced by Rep. Ron Wyden (D).Other political candidates repositionedthemselves and the southeast Portland seatin the Oregon House came open. Mem-bers told Gardner, “Now, it’s your turn.”Gardner agreed to run, knocked on 9,000doors in a heavily Democratic section ofPortland and won with 67 percent of thevote.

At the time, people worried he couldnot reach beyond his base of labor. Buttwo years later, Gardner ended up break-ing fund-raising records from businessesand unions alike as minority leader. Heattributes his ability to find commonground between unions and businesses

(Continued on next page)


to his experience with mutual gains bar-gaining in the IBEW, adding that busi-nesses—contrary to stereotypes—oftendiverge in their political outlook.

Gardner, as state representative, isbest remembered for the 2001 battlewith Republicans—who controlled bothchambers of the Oregon Legislature—over redistricting. Then-Democratic Gov.John Kitzhaber had threatened to vetoany redistricting plan that favoredRepublicans. In retaliation, the Republi-cans introduced a resolution on redis-tricting that, under House rules, couldnot be vetoed.

Gardner denounced the Republicanresolution as unconstitutional and con-vinced 25 Democratic members to stayaway from the capital for a week, deny-ing Republicans a quorum. The redis-tricting plan ended up with Oregon’ssecretary of state, who devised a fairerplan that was adopted.

“A lot of folks in Washington, D.C.,make the mistake of not paying attentionto state issues,” says Gardner. “Whatstarts in the states ends up in D.C.”Looking back to his redistricting battle in2001, Gardner says that the edge in thenext presidential election will go to theparty that controls enough state legisla-tures to establish voting district lines thatstrengthen their electoral base. To unionmembers who are reluctant to run foroffice, Gardner says, “Be part of makingchange for working families or risk let-ting someone do it for you.”

Prevented by term limits from servingin a fourth legislative session, Gardnerdeclared his candidacy for state laborcommissioner. Oregon is one of onlyfour states with an elected labor commis-sioner. The elections are non-partisanand require a candidate to get over 50percent to win office.

Gardner faced three opponents includ-ing an entrepreneur, who sold healthvideos, and an attorney. His third oppo-nent was a wealthy businessman whoentered the race late, hoping that no can-

didate would get a majority so that hecould bankroll a victory in a runoff.

“I enjoyed every minute of my cam-paign,” says Gardner. “The best way tolearn about the needs of Oregon’s work-ers,” said his campaign flyer “is to getinto their shoes and work alongsidethem.” Gardner wrote, “I’ve worked in afish processing plant in Astoria, visitedMedford lumber mills, worked on assem-bly lines in Sandy and Eugene and puttogether Oregon-madeproducts, from com-puter chips to shoes.”

In late May 2002,Gardner was electedcommissioner with 57percent of the vote. Hisleading opponent mus-tered only 23 percent ofthe vote, with the oth-ers running behind at15 and 6 percent. Gard-ner won all 36 countiesin Oregon.

Oregon’s economy isdrawing favorable attention. Job growth istwice the national average for all indus-tries. Manufacturing has increased bynearly 5 percent. Construction jobs are up18 percent, more than four times the rateof national growth. Funding for appren-ticeship and training programs hasincreased by 11 percent. Gardner hasappeared on “Lou Dobbs Tonight” andtestified on the minimum wage before theNevada Legislature. Gardner relishesopportunities to redress inequities in fed-eral policy at the state level. When theU.S. Department of Labor eliminatedwage and hour protections for somewhite collar jobs, Oregon, under Gard-ner’s leadership, retained them.

Gardner has gone to court to chal-lenge large local governments to upholdprevailing wage laws. He appointedmembers of labor, industry and govern-ment to a Prevailing Wage Rate Public-Pri-vate Task Force. The body will makepolicy recommendations on how the pre-vailing wage rate law should be appliedto complex new public-private partner-ships and mixed-use projects. Ninth Dis-trict International Representative KeithEdwards is a member of the task force.

“Dan is great to work with,” says

Edwards. “He’s level-headed and, as aformer legislator, he knows the law. Danknows the sacrifices that were made byunions and he respects and honorslabor, but he is fair and makes decisionson what is best for Oregon.”

Gardner supervises a technical assis-tance unit that fields 25,000 calls eachyear from employers who need informa-tion to conform to state law. His agencyholds more than 120 technical assistance

seminars each year,training 5,000 to 6,000managers in regulationsgoverning labor andindustry. While extend-ing a hand to responsi-ble employers, Gardneris not afraid to make anexample of lawbreakingbosses.

The Bureau of Laborand Industries has theauthority to levy puni-t i ve pena l t i e s onemployers. In one case,

Gardner secured $50,000 in penalties fora worker whose employer illegallydenied her family and medical leavecoverage. In another case, he reversedthe layoffs of four family members whoworked for the same employer. Theemployer was found guilty of discrimina-tion on grounds of familial status byretaliating against one of the familymembers who filed a workers’ compen-sation claim.

His years of experience in state officeleave many Oregonians wondering ifGardner will someday end up runningfor Congress or governor, but heardently promotes the need to elect stillmore progressives and union membersto statewide offices.

With no opposition, Gardner is set tocoast to re-election on May 16. “Stay trueto your core beliefs,” says Gardner,explaining his success in public office.“Know where you are going. Always sur-round yourself with people who shareyour values.”

Another not-so-secret ingredient, hesays, helps clinch his electoral victories:“I owe everything I have done to theIBEW—the finest organization on theface of the earth.” 1


“Be part of

making change

for working

families or risk

letting someone

do it for you.”

(Continued from page 11)

GotYourCookbook AndApron?After a hard day at the International

Office, Construction Department

Director Mark Ayers likes to unwind

in the kitchen, making recipes like

480 volt chili. You can too by ordering

your copy of “Taste of IBEW” with

more than 900 tasty recipes. Don’t

forget the spiffy denim chef’s

apron, perfect for the

backyard barbecue

season. 1

4 slices hickory cured bacon strips

4 pounds sirloin steak tips2 pounds sweet Italian sausage2 large white onions, chopped2 large sweet green peppers,

chopped, cored and seeded4 cloves garlic, chopped2 10-ounce cans diced

tomatoes3 8-ounce cans tomato sauce2 teaspoons chicken bouillon2 cups hot water1/2 cup honey2 cans dark red kidney beans

2 tablespoons cayenne pepper5 tablespoons chili powder2 tablespoons cumin4 teaspoons oregano2 teaspoons coriander1 teaspoon black pepper2 teaspoons salt1 cup finely shredded mild

cheddar cheesechopped jalapeños

1/4 cup masa flour (you mayneed more or less dependingon how you like your chili)

*1/2 cup sugar (sugar reducesthe acid in the tomatoes)

480 Volt Chili

IBEW APRON & COOKBOOKORDER FORM

Name ________________________________________________

Local Union ____________________ District _______________

Address ______________________________________________

City __________________________________________________

State _____________________________ Zip ________________

Phone _______________________________________________

E-mail _____________________________________

IBEW Aprons Qty: ________ Total: ___________(Price: $30.00 Each)

IBEW Cookbooks Qty:________ Total: ___________(Price: $25.00 Each)

Grand Total:_______________________

All Orders include: Taxes, Shipping & Handling

Mail To:IBEW Fourth District • 8260 Northcreek Drive,

Suite 140 • Cincinnati, OH 45236Make Checks Payable To: IBEW 37th International Convention Fund

ALL PROCEEDS Go to the 37th International Convention Fund

In a large pot, fry bacon until crispy. Remove bacon (leavegrease) and set aside to cool. Using a food processor, chop up 2 lbs. of steak tips. Cut the other 2 lbs. of steak tips into 1/2 inch cubes. With the pot used to prepare the bacon, fry thesteak, sweet sausage (casings removed), onions, peppers andgarlic together. When the meat is brown and the pepper, onionand garlic are cooked well, add the next 6 ingredients and bringthe chili to a slow boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.Stir in, one at a time, each of the next 7 spices. Add cheddarcheese and stir until melted into chili. Add jalapeños, adjustingamount to preferred heat. Use masa flour to thicken. Stir and let slow cook over a low heat for 11/2 hours, stirring occasion-ally. Crumble cooked bacon over top. Enjoy!

You can also order online at:http://www.4ibew.com

Work prospects didn’t always seemso promising to Priest, 22, who recentlybought his first home in suburban Mary-land. When Priest graduated high school,a cousin convinced him to work for anonunion electrical firm. After a fewweeks, Priest’s supervisors convinced himto join the firm’s apprenticeship program.He paid $700 and traveled over an hour,twice a week, to class.

Dissatisfied with the management atthe nonunion shop after three months,Priest quit and visited Local 26’s office inNortheast Washington. The local’s orga-nizing director, Joe Dabbs, introducedPriest to Larry Greenhill, Sr., a Local 26business representative and formerchairman of the Maryland Apprentice-ship Training Council (MATC).

Greenhill informed Priest that Local26 would consider his status as anonunion apprentice if Priest could pro-vide proof that he was registered with astate apprenticeship agency. Priest wastold to contact his former employer andrequest a copy of his apprenticeshipregistration form. The firm’s managerinformed Priest that they never regis-tered him with the state.

Local 26 found work for Priest andadvised him to continue attendingclasses since he had already paid forthem. He never missed a session andgraduated with the third highest gradepoint average in his class. However,because he was not registered as anapprentice with the state, Local 26could not offer him credit for his

Part 2: JOB TRAINING—FRESH START OR NEW SETBACK?

As the loss of industrial jobs and the economic restructuring of the NorthAmerican economy continue, thousands of workers share an urgent need tolearn new skills to return to employment at jobs that pay decent wages withfamily-sustaining benefits.

In part two of this series, we report on the current state of job training programsnationwide. We consider alternatives to the status quo of diminishing state fund-ing, lax regulation of for-profit institutions and government-sanctioned hostilitytoward union apprenticeship and training programs that has left far too manyworkers behind. The current landscape shows that training at unionized work-places, including the labor-management administered apprenticeship programsfor IBEW members, is a worker’s best bet to receive high quality training. 1

Thomas Priest, a first-year apprentice in the Joint

Apprenticeship and Training Committee program of

Washington, D.C., IBEW Local 26, considers himself a

lucky man. “It’s like a big family here. The instructors care if

you don’t understand the material. They offer tutoring and

look out for your safety.”

As Government SupportLags, Workers Face Training

Challenges


Job Corps graduatesJoel Torres (fore-ground) and ThomasNgiraked on the jobwith Pascagoula,Mississippi, Local733’s journeymancandidate program.

prior work and classroom experience.With the support of Greenhill, Priest

appealed to the MATC for “after the fact”registration,” hoping the council wouldmake up for his former employer’s fail-ing. Priest’s appeal was denied, but atten-tion was drawn to his problem. Ratherthan cooperate with the MATC, however,Priest’s former employer chose to dereg-ister its apprenticeship program. “Whathappened to Thomas Priest was travesty,”Greenhill said. Had the nonunionemployer simply registered Priest withthe state, he might now be a second-yearapprentice, earning a higher hourly wage.

Priest’s losses don’t match the damagesuffered by former students at DeckerCollege and other for-profit institutions,where individuals lost thousands of dol-lars in fraudulent schemes that werefinanced with federal funds. (See “For-Profit Decker College Left Workers Job-less and Broke On Its Path to Ruin,”IBEW Journal January/February 2006).His journey, however, reveals the hugedistance between legitimate trade trainingand fly-by-night scams.

Federal Budget Cuts Sidetrack Careers

Only four years out of high school,Priest represents just one of the keygroupings who require training to survivein a dynamic labor market.

Hundreds of thousands of workerswho are approaching middle-age, or arealready there, continue to lose job oppor-tunities due to international outsourcing inindustries from manufacturing to computerservices. With more years to work beforeretirement, they need skills to maintaintheir standard of living.

A third group consists of people whohave never been trained for jobs aboveentry-level service occupations, includingfemale single heads of households, at-riskyouth and immigrant workers.

Experts in worker training say thateach segment has special needs—fromtransportation to child care, to remedialmath and English classes—to becomesuccessful learners.

But the reality is that federal programsfor each group—which should be provid-ing a leg up and a strand of hope—are

scheduled to be slashed in the 2007 fed-eral budget proposed by President Bush.Even if some of the cuts are restored byCongress, workers who need trainingmust seek solutions elsewhere. State-funded, employer-funded and jointemployer-union job programs becomeeven more essential. Private trainingschools can help to fill the gap, butmany—like Decker—prey on the peoplethey are supposed to be helping.

The administration’s budget stripsfunds from the Workforce Investment Act(WIA), which provides federal supportfor state programs to offer services foradults, laid-off workers and youth. It alsoslashes money from the Job Corps, a pro-gram that has sent hundreds of thousandsof workers into good-paying jobs withdecent benefits.

Privatization Threatens Training and Job Counseling

Most job search programs are funded,in part, by federal dollars. President Bush’sbudget outline calls for outsourcing theprograms. The “honest broker function” ofcivil servants, with years of experiencehandling the concerns of unemployed citi-zens, will be replaced by for-profit con-tractors. Private firms, say experts at theAFL-CIO, are more likely to engage in“creaming,” that is servicing populationswho are easiest to place in new jobs. Vet-erans, Hispanics and African-Americans,who often face discrimination in hiring,will be at an even greater disadvantage.

The administration’s privatizationsplurge goes even further. The budgetestablishes “personal re-employmentaccounts.” Workers who would have qual-ified for $10,000 for retraining under WIAwill now be limited to $3,000. The Depart-ment of Labor’s own research has deter-mined that personal accounts are a baddeal.

Cuts Undermine TradeAdjustment Assistance

The Trade Adjustment Assistance(TAA) program, which supports workerswho lose their jobs or work reducedhours due to foreign imports, is curtailedin the 2007 budget. The program pro-vides stipends, job retraining and quali-

fies workers for tax breaks for healthinsurance coverage. Hundreds of IBEWmembers have entered the program—likethose in Bloomington, Indiana, Local2249, who lost their jobs at General Elec-tric’s refrigerator plant when their produc-tion line moved to Mexico. (See “IndianaManufacturing Local Fights for Retrain-ing,” IBEW Journal, December 2005).

Republicans and Democrats who sup-port free trade agreements like NAFTAhave always touted TAA to answercharges that trade treaties destroy good-paying American jobs. Now displacedworkers have fewer avenues to re-enterthe work force.

IBEW Boosts MississippiTraining Partnership

The IBEW is at the center of severalefforts to constructively address workertraining to reverse the damage from fed-eral de-funding. In Pascagoula, Missis-sippi, IBEW Local 733 has teamed upwith the local Metal Trades Council, theMississippi Department of RehabilitationServices and Northrop Grumman in aprogram to train youth for jobs in theshipbuilding industry. The Gulf CoastShipbuilding Partnership’s TransitionsProgram, focusing on youths with devel-opmental disabilities, combines classroominstruction and on-the-job mentoring forthe students—while they are employed atNorthrop Grumman ship systems.

The trainees earn $7.88 per hour andreceive full benefits, including health careand retirement. Once they complete theirtraining, employment is at wage rates sig-nificantly higher than the median wage inthe state, eventually reaching as high as$16 per hour. The program’s rate of com-pletion is 98 percent.

Northrop Grumman receives a 50 per-cent wage subsidy from the MississippiDepartment of Rehabilitation Services tocover workers during on-the-job training.

William “Chico” McGill, IBEW Govern-ment Department director, is a formerbusiness manager of Local 733 and a“proud 1967 graduate of the Brecken-ridge Job Corps Center in Morganfield,Kentucky.” He said the average age ofworkers in Gulf Coast shipyards is 42


(Continued on next page)

years old and opportunities are growingas more workers retire.

“This exciting program offers afuture to local youth and helps ouremployer increase competitivenessthrough streamlined recruitment of newworkers and reduced turnover,” saidMcGill.

Pascagoula’s success in using state taxdollars to promote job-sustaining pro-grams is unique. Greg LeRoy, executivedirector of Good Jobs First, a resourcecenter for grass-roots groups and publicofficials, says that states give more than$50 billion a year in taxbreaks and subsidies tocompanies, some of whichthreaten to relocate withoutthem. But many still end upmoving, says LeRoy, sug-gesting that most of theinducements should be putto worker training.

Pascagoula’s partnershipis proof. IBEW Local 733’scommitment to training isfurther reflected in its rela-tionship to programs thatplace Job Corps graduates inworkplaces. Some graduatesare working at Ingalls Ship-yard in a journeyman candidate programfor marine electricians.

Activism Needed To Enhance Trades

Several studies have demonstratedthe success of union apprenticeshipprograms, particularly when comparedto nonunion training. Unfortunately, thecurrent administration’s anti-union ide-ology has skewed policy in favor ofnonunion models that undermine good-paying construction jobs, says AllenSmith, the Building and ConstructionTrades Department’s senior strategicresearcher. The administration “steersmore money to their friends in businessand the religious community than toworkers who need training,” addsSmith.

Mike Callanan, director of theNational Joint Apprenticeship TrainingCommittee (NJATC), believes that attract-ing new workers to construction careersis intertwined with the IBEW’s organiz-ing efforts to improve the industry’swages and benefits.

Federal policy should strengthen, notweaken, apprenticeship programs, saysCallanan. A progressive agenda wouldinclude updating the 1937 Fitzgerald Act,which regulates the programs. Perfor-mance criteria, he says, should be tight-ened to help close the gap that permitsoperators like Decker to proliferate.“We’re stymied in making those changesbecause of the political climate,” saysCallanan. He adds that the NJATC is the

result of the IBEW and National Electri-cal Contractors Association takingresponsibility for training their industry’swork force and does not depend on fed-eral money.

IBEW Markets Decent Training

While the Building Trades lobby totransform the political climate, theNJATC is working to strengthen its mar-keting and recruitment programs. Forexample, the national body provideslocal training centers with kits to send tohigh school guidance counselors tointerest students in trade careers. But,Callanan says, most of the importantwork starts in the localities.

In 1992, the Central Florida JATC

joined in an effort by union andnonunion contractors to address trainingneeds. The program provides for stu-dents to begin taking courses in electri-cal theory in the 11th grade and workingfor electrical employers during the sum-mer break before their senior year. Thehigh school credits are then applied tothe apprenticeship program. Some of thesame students end up with enough cred-its for associate degrees.

“Whenever vocational technicalschools advertise for instructors, we sendour best members to apply,” says JimSullivan, Central Florida Electrical JATCdirector. “That’s the best way to have thefirst contact with young people whowant to be electricians.”

The Florida marketingprogram includes rewards of$150 for IBEW memberswho recruit apprentices.They get another $150 whenthe apprentice returns for thesecond year. JATC billboardsfeature toll-free telephonenumbers for citizens whowant to look into careers inthe trade.

Like other JATC’s, theCentral Florida affiliate hasstirred interest in electricalcareers among youth wholack math skills. Students areencouraged to enroll in

online math courses.The wide variety of efforts to replen-

ish the union’s base of skilled workers—to recruit more apprentices like ThomasPriest—has support from all levels of theorganization. The IBEW and NECA worktogether under the National Labor Man-agement Cooperation Committee(NLMCC) to market the unionized elec-trical construction industry to customersand to reach out to young workers look-ing for a rewarding career. Many IBEWlocals and NECA chapters have formedlocal LMCCs to do the same.

“The IBEW will never capitulate tothe open shop model of training or tothe callousness of political leaders,” saysPresident Edwin D. Hill. “True success inthe trades can only be achieved by rein-forcing skills training with the power oftrade unionism.” 1


Training Challenges(Continued from page 15)

An ad placed by the Central Florida JATC.

(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(mt) Maintenance(mo) Maintenance and

Operation(mow) Manufacturing Office

Workers(mar) Marine(mps) Motion Picture Studios(nst) Nuclear Service

Technician(o) Outside(p) Powerhouse(pet) Professional,

Engineers and Technicians

(ptc) Professional, Techni-cal 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

17

Fight For WorkersL.U. 1 (as,c,ees,ei,em,es,et,fm,i,

mt,rts,s,se,spa,st&ws), ST. LOUIS,MO—In February Republican-spon-sored Missouri Senate Bill 849 soughtto undermine the union constructionindustry in our state. The billattempted to institute “right to work,”abolish prevailing wage conditions,outlaw project labor agreements, andeliminate target funding. The Democ-ratic minority in the Senate realizedthe catastrophic consequences of thisbill and knew drastic measures wererequired to preserve the rights ofworkers. Led by Sen. Tim Green, anIBEW Local 1 wireman, severalDemocratic senators staged a fili-buster to prevent passage of the bill.Sen. Green spoke until 12:30 a.m. onValentine’s Day, discussing theimportance of qualified, trained,well-paid labor. Eventually the fili-buster succeeded—for now. Thisattack shows how important it is forall of labor to get involved.

Thanks to more than 70 Local 1members who traveled to the stateCapitol over the two-day period con-tacting senators and showing supportin the Senate Gallery. Your effortscertainly made a difference.

We mourn the deaths of the fol-lowing brothers: William CrittendenSr., Earl Kempf, Carter Mundell,Thurston Worley, Robert Moeller,Dawn Rose, Irene Reed, Keith Gray,Gabriel Conde, Alvin Dunnavant,Alfred Siebel, Robert Thompson,Kenneth Gradle, Richard Freist, JohnPrice, Gerald Bryan, Richard Schnei-der, Billy Kopp, Lawrence Rosenthaland David Murphy.

MATT GOBER, P.S.

Contracts RatifiedL.U. 15 (u), DOWNERS GROVE,

IL—In February our local lost twomembers: Overhead crew leadersWilliam “Jake” Holloway (Rockford)and John Nowacki (Glenbard). We

extend condolences to their familiesand friends. Our brothers will begreatly missed.

Our members at Midwest Genera-tion Company ratified their contractFeb. 24. The four-year deal calls for 3percent wage increases each year,improved travel allowance and addi-tional enhancements.

Exelon/ComEd Energy Deliverystarted schools in March for newapprentice linemen. Additionalschools are planned throughout theyear for apprentices in the Overhead,Underground and the System Ser-vices departments.

The Exelon Generation nuclearpower stations plan to increasestaffing levels in the Electrical,Mechanical and Instrument Mainte-nance departments, as well as Radia-tion Protection, Chemistry andOperating.

March and April saw implementa-tion of an arbitration award thatordered the recall of 195 employeeswrongly “bumped” or laid off in 2002by the Exelon companies. Affectedemployees are eligible for back pay,COBRA reimbursements, bonuses,401(k) contributions, etc.

This is an election year in Illinois.We must: Support Friends of Labor.

RONALD V. WELTE, P.S.

Overhead Line WorkL .U . 17 (ca tv ,em, l c t t ,o&u) ,

DETROIT, MI—The work picture inour jurisdiction (southeast Michigan)looks very good for the foreseeablefuture in overhead line work. Manylinemen are still working down Southto repair the damage to the electricalinfrastructure caused by multiple hur-ricanes. This has left a void in ourwork force. As of March 1, 2006, wecould use 25 additional crews to staffthe work. Many employers are offer-ing steady overtime.

We are looking ahead to the elec-tions in November already. We needto elect office holders who under-stand what unions are all about andwhy we need them. Only 12 percentof the U.S. work force is unionized;that’s why it is so important for everyunion member to vote and contributeto the IBEW COPE fund. The road toincreasing union market share startswith fair and just laws, and the lead-ers we elect in November will be theones to make those laws.

With sadness we report the loss ofBros. Kelly C. Dryer, Donald. L. Mar-low, Jose Llano, Leland E. Shores andCharles Gibbs.

MICHAEL KOZLOWSKI, P.S.

Safety FirstL.U. 21 (catv,govt&t), DOWNERS

GROVE, IL—Earlier this year, mem-bers Tom Schmidt and RobertVanSpankeren were detailed to theGulf Coast area, helping to restorephone service on the outskirts of NewOrleans after the devastation createdby Hurricane Katrina. While followingproper safety procedures, they discov-ered with their “188-A” test equipmentthat facilities serving a mobile homewere “energized.” Their discoveryefforts led to the realization that thelocal power company had reversedthe electrical feed when they restoredelectrical service to the mobile home.Robert and Tom’s thorough workpractices and adherence to goodsafety procedures helped to avoid apotentially disastrous situation.

This incident is just one of hun-dreds of unsafe working conditionsfaced by members every workingday. Protection of human health andsafety on the job and at home is criti-cal. Remember the long-establishedSafety Creed, which reads, “No job isso important and no service is sourgent that we cannot take time toperform our work safely.” Don’t cutcorners on the job. Always worksafe. Our lives depend on it!

THOMAS HOPPER, P.S.

36th Softball TournamentL.U. 25 (catv,i,o&rts), LONG

ISLAND, NY—As summer approaches,plans and preparations are again inmotion for our annual softball tour-nament. As usual this will be a three-day tournament (bracket play). YourTournament Committee will againhost a two-day barbecue. Come joinus Aug. 25-27, 2006, at Baldwin Park,Baldwin, Long Island.

Any IBEW team interested in par-ticipating in playing ball, kindly callthe Local 25 president’s office at(631) 273-4567, Ext. 241.

ED O’DONNELL, P.S.

August Golf TournamentL.U. 41 (em,es,i,se&spa), BUF-

FALO, NY—The work picture is slowin our area as of this writing; how-ever, projects are starting this springthat will put some of our members towork.

The IBEW Leadership Conferencein Buffalo March 15-17 was a greatsuccess. Thanks to all our brothersand sisters who participated

We thank the following negotiat-ing committees for their hard workgetting their contracts ratified: Vol-land Electric, Se-Mar Electric and Nia-

LOCALLINES

ATTENTION PRESS SECRETARIES:

The Journal has an e-mailaddress dedicated exclusively toreceiving “Local Lines” articlesfrom press secretaries. If you wishto submit your articles via e-mail,please forward them directly [email protected]. This willhelp expedite the productionprocess. As always, inquiries of a general nature or letters to the editor should still be sentto [email protected].

gara Transformer Corp. We are innegotiations with NECA for theInside and Residential wireman’sagreements.

Special thanks to James Devany IVand his committee for coordinatingthe local’s 2005 children’s Christmasparty, which was a huge success.

The second annual Charity GolfTournament to support Mercy Flightwill be held Aug. 12. Last year weraised over $2,100 for Mercy Flight.We look for an even better turnoutthis year, so mark your calendars andplan to attend.

Be Strong, Stand United!KENNETH C. ZACK, P.S.

Stewards ConferenceL.U. 47 (lctt,mo,o,u&uow), DIA-

MOND BAR, CA—Local 47 held theannual Stewards’ Conference Feb. 25,2006, in San Diego. Keynote speakerwas Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, for-mer governor and candidate for Cali-fornia attorney general in theNovember 2006 election. IBEW NinthDistrict Int. Vice Pres. Michael S.Mowrey thanked the stewards andstressed their significant role in sup-porting trade unionism. Int. Rep.Arthur Murray explained the IBEW’sCode of Excellence. Chris Blass,Kaiser Permanente, discussed the lat-est trends in healthcare. Scott Wetch,our lobbyist, reported on the positiveeffect Local 47’s efforts have had inSacramento.

On Jan 24, 2006, we held a pinpresentation dinner for our OutsideConstruction Unit. Harold “H.E.” Jonesreceived his 55-year pin. Congratula-tions and thanks to all the honorees,whose dedicated service has guidedthe trade through the years.

We are currently in negotiationswith Reliant, Davey Tree, Angels’Baseball, and Bear Valley Electric.

We are saddened to report thepassing of Gary Brown, PatriciaStewart and Allen Walton. Our con-dolences go out to their families.

STAN STOSEL, P.S.

‘We Lead the Way’L.U. 51 (catv,lctt,o,rtb,t&u),

SPRINGFIELD, IL—If jobs with goodwages and benefits are to survive inour great nation, we as union mem-bers must lead the way. American

workers are the most productiveworkers in the world, but too oftenwe purchase items without lookingat the label. A great American oncesaid, “I pity the man who wants acoat so cheap that the person whomakes it has to live in poverty.” Somake the effort to “spend it whereyou earn it.” Buy American, buyunion! Our future depends on it.

Our work outlook is good withfull employment on outside powerand line clearance trimming, withteledata work hopefully picking upwith the arrival of spring and the“fiber to the premise” work.

On the utility side a project toinstall an Automated Meter Reading(AMR) system is scheduled to beginwith the eventual goal of 1.4 millionelectric and gas meters to be con-verted. Local 51 is working to ensurethat the work to install and maintainthis system will remain IBEW work.

Congratulations to Chuck Billman(substation tech), Bob Colby Jr. (sub-station tech), George Pence (journey-man lineman) and Steve Trout(journeyman lineman) on completingtheir apprenticeships.

DAN PRIDEMORE, B.R.

Lineman RodeoL.U. 77 (lctt,mt,o,t&u), SEATTLE,

WA—Sadly, Local 77 recently losttwo beloved members. Both BillJohnson and his son Mike Johnsonpassed away early this year. On Jan.16, Mike suffered a fatal heart attackat home. Bill was with Mike at thetime and tried to revive him. Possiblybecause of over exertion, Bill alsosuffered a heart attack and died amonth later on Feb. 16.

Both Mike and Bill served Local77 in many ways—with contractnegotiations, grievance handling,labor-management committee work,etc. Both served on the NorthwestConstruction JATC. They are greatlymissed.

The Second Annual Andrew YorkLineman Rodeo will be held June 24at Rocky Reach Dam in ChelanCounty, WA. IBEW Local 77, ChelanCounty PUD and Douglas CountyPUD co-sponsor the rodeo.

Andrew York, a Chelan CountyPUD journeyman lineman, died in2000 after he was struck by a drunkdriver at a work site. All rodeo pro-ceeds go to the Andrew York Memo-rial Scholarship Fund. For moreinformation about the rodeo contactIBEW Local 77 Bus. Rep. Steve Hen-drickson at (509) 665-0110.

At press time our spring confer-ence was scheduled for April 7-8,2006. Gov. Christine Gregoire andU.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell were sched-uled to attend.

DAVID WHEELER, P.S.

Contract AgreementsL.U. 97 (u), SYRACUSE, NY—2005

was a busy year for our local. Local97 contracts with four companiesexpired in 2005. Negotiations wereheld with St. Lawrence Gas, PSE&G,

the Town of Worcester, and Entergy.All four were difficult contracts tonegotiate; however, Pres. Dave Fall-etta and staff successfully retainedmost of the benefits and work prac-tices for our members.

Local 97 is very concerned withpension bills in the House of Repre-sentatives (HR 2830) and in the Senate(S 1783). We are working with ourlegislators to keep our pensions intact.These bills affect all of us and weurge everyone to call their senatorsand congressmen to voice their con-cerns on both of these bills, whichwill change our pension formulas.

Local 97 is endorsing Elliot Spitzerfor governor of New York. We needa change in Albany, and Elliot Spitzeris the right man for the job. Mr.Spitzer has been attorney general ofNew York state for four years. He hasa proven record of standing up forworking people. We feel confidentthat as governor he would bargainfairly for working men and womenof the state.

JOHN SATUNAS, P.S.

Reclaiming Our WorkL.U. 99 (govt&i), PROVIDENCE,

RI—Work in our area has slowedsomewhat, with about 10 percentunemployment. The outlook forspring and summer seems encourag-ing with large projects in Providenceunder way and the ongoing expan-sion of Lincoln Park.

A contingent of Local 99 membersattended the Human Rights Festivalin Boston Dec. 8, 2005, sponsored byLocal 103 of Boston.

Local 99 members, joined bySheet Metal Workers Local 17, set upan informational picket outsideMiriam Hospital in Providence. Thejoint effort is to protest work going toout-of-state, non-union contractors.With continued efforts like these, wemay soon reclaim what is ours.

We thank Bro. Mike DiMico forhis effort organizing the “Christmas inApril” event.

The IBEW Local 99 Gold Leaguegets to start off a new year, thanks tothe hard work of Bros. William Smithand Cliff Smith.

The annual Local 99 Gold Tourna-ment for Charity will be held July 15at Triggs Memorial Golf Course. Welook forward to your participation.

STEPHEN CALLAGHAN, P.S.

Call For ConstructionL.U. 103 (cs&i), BOSTON, MA—

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Meninorecently called for construction ofthe city’s tallest building ever—a 70or 80 story tower in the downtownBoston Financial District—to trum-pet the city’s future. On another bigday for the city, Harvard Universityjoined Mayor Menino in unveilingplans for the first building in itslong-anticipated new campus in All-ston—a 500,000 square foot sciencecomplex.

Local 103 Bus. Mgr. Mike Mona-han said, “These are the reasons wesupported Tom Menino, a guy withvision who understands how to spureconomic growth. Whether it’s a sky-scraper, main streets, affordablehousing, municipal harbor plan,Boston State Hospital land, schoolsunder PLA’s, WiFi connections … hegets it!”

There is talk of a natural gas ter-minal in the outer limits of BostonHarbor and also the Cape Cod WindProject, both of which would createjobs for Local 103. An E-Activist Alertwas sent out on the Cape Wind Pro-ject so we can voice our support.

Massachusetts Democratic Partycaucuses were held Feb. 4. Congratu-lations to members and spouses whowere elected to attend the 2006Massachusetts Democratic PartyNominating Convention June 2. It isimportant that we as labor influencepublic policy decisions.

BILL MOLINEAUX, P.S.

Lobby DayL.U. 111 (em,lctt,mt,o,rtb,spa,govt

&u), DENVER, CO—More than 250unionists, including a contingentfrom Local 111, converged on thestate Capitol Feb.13 to lobby legisla-tors on labor issues. In the first oftwo “Lobby Day at the Capitol”events sponsored by the ColoradoAFL-CIO, the halls beneath the golddome were flooded with union mem-bers. “It was impressive,” said Local111 Bus. Mgr. Mike Byrd. “Labor wasout in force.” The goal was to lobbyall 100 members of the General


Local 47 Bro. Harold “H.E.” Jones(left) receives 55-year serviceaward from Bus. Mgr. Pat Lavin.

Local 97 Bus. Rep. Jim Card atwork in his office.

Local 99 members joined an informational picket at Miriam Hospital inProvidence, RI.


Assembly, both Democrats andRepublicans. Most legislators werewilling to talk with the union lobby-ists. Bus. Mgr. Byrd testified beforethe House Business Affairs and LaborCommittee on House Bill 1079,which would change the workers’compensation law to allow aninjured worker a one-time change inhis or her treating physician.

Bus. Mgr. Byrd reports that con-tract negotiations with Public ServiceCompany of Colorado/Xcel Energyhave, at best, been very difficult andare now concluded. We are proceed-ing to interest arbitration with a neu-tral arbitrator concerning threeunresolved issues: wages; medical/dental/vision premiums and co-pays;and term of agreement.

DENNIS Z. LeTURGEZ, P.S.

Class of 2005L.U. 141 (ees,i,o&u), WHEELING,

WV—The class of 2005 was honoredat our annual completion dinner.Congratulations to the graduates:Todd Blakely, Darrin Borsos, DavidCantrell, Doug D’Aquila, John Drake,John Hehr, Jake Hileman, KevinKendzerski and Aaron Pollock.

The Fourth District OrganizingConference was held at OglebayPark, Jan. 16-20. Members attendingincluded Doug Giffin, John Clarke,Randy Miller and Tom Conner.

Bus. Mgr. John Clarke and Orga-nizer Randy Miller attended theCOMET refresher class. Doug Giffinand Tom Conner attended the Trainthe Trainer course.

Clear you calendars, members!The social committee is gearing upfor the annual Local 141 summer pic-nic set for July 22. Activities willinclude the annual golf scramble,kid’s activities, food and plenty offun. Hope to see you there!

JUSTIN KLEMPA, P.S.

Lifesaving AwardL.U. 153 (em,i,rtb,rts,se,spa&st),

SOUTH BEND, IN—Local 153 VicePres. Mark Ruppert has received theIBEW’s Lifesaving Award. Mark wasworking with Bro. Roger Wood dur-ing a school remodel. Roger was in aceiling closing a junction box when aneutral came loose and he instantlybecame part of the circuit. Rogerattempted to free himself by kickingoff his ladder but was unable breakfree. Fortunately Mark heard thecommotion and was able to pullRoger from the ceiling by grabbing

his boot. When receiving the awardMark credited his training in theIBEW for knowing what to do in anemergency.

MIKE TAFF, P.S.

Community ServiceL.U. 159 (i), MADISON, WI—Once

again last winter holiday season,IBEW Local 159 apprentices did anoutstanding job setting up the annual“Fantasy in Lights” display at OlinPark. The contributions to the com-munity are twofold. The displays pro-vide great joy for families who viewthem and also generate substantialdonations that benefit local facilities inneed of community support.

Retired Bro. Lynn Michaelispassed away Jan. 9, 2006. Lynn hadrecently received his 50-year servicepin. Very active in our local over theyears, he was an ApprenticeshipCommittee member and served aslocal union president and businessagent. He was a member of theSouthern Wisconsin Labor Council.Lynn was also the spark that ignitedour Fantasy in Lights project. Whilein Peoria, IL, in the late 1980s, Lynnsaw a community lighting displaythere and thought it would be a greatidea to bring to Madison. The rest ishistory.

BILLY HARRELSON. B.M.

Home Builders ShowL.U. 193 (i , lct t ,o,r ts ,spa&u),

SPRINGFIELD, IL—+5 ResidentialContractors of Local 193 participatedin the 2006 Home Builders ShowFeb. 24-26 passing out literature andpromoting their +5 Home OwnersElectrical Protection Plan. The showwas a huge success for the contrac-tors, who were able to talk one-on-one to potential customers who willbe building or purchasing newhomes as well as those with remod-eling projects. Local 193’s efforts tobrand the +5 guarantee through localradio and TV advertising was evidentat the show, as almost all visitors toour booth were familiar with our +5contractors and realized the valueand integrity that our +5 contractorscan provide. Many thanks to CarmeanElectric, Egizii Electric, Birdsley Elec-tric, Hohimer Electric, and A/C ScottElectric, our Home Builders Show2006 participants.

Work scene—Approximately 80are on Book I. CWLP states it mayonly take 10 apprentices. New insideapprentices are tentative.

Please check with your ExecutiveBoard to learn about the pro-laborcandidates and the issues theyuphold.

With great sadness we mark thepassing of Warren Adams, past presi-dent of our local, a great friend tolabor and a fine fellow.

DON HUDSON, P.S.

Red Cross DriveL.U. 197 (em&i), BLOOMINGTON,

IL—Since the New Year, employmenthas picked up in our local area.Most of our members are currentlyworking. As of this writing five mem-bers are on Book I. We hope thistrend holds on and keeps us busyinto spring and summer months.

Local 197 recently hosted a suc-cessful blood drive for the Red Crossat our hall. Over 50 units of bloodwere received in a few hours. Weappreciate our members and familiesfor donating blood. Special thanks toRich Veitengruber and Jayne Adamsfor volunteering serving refreshmentsto the donors.

It is very important to be involved

Some of Local 141’s class of 2005 graduates at the completion dinner:Aaron Pollock, Jake Hileman, Darrin Borsos, Doug D’Aquila and KevinKendzerski. Not pictured are Todd Blakely, David Cantrell, John Drake andJohn Hehr.

Local 153 Vice Pres. Mark Ruppert(left) receives IBEW LifesavingAward presented by Bro. RogerWood (center) and Sixth DistrictInt. Rep. Michael E. Daugherty.

Local 159apprenticesset up the2005“Fantasy in Lights”holiday display atOlin Park.

Local 193’s +5contractorsRuss Carmean(left) andShawn Jacobsat HomeBuildersShow.

Local 197 service award recipients with Bus. Mgr. Lance Reece (front row,kneeling, left) and Pres. Rich Veitengruber (far back row, left). Receivingservice pins were: Bernie Uszcienski and Mark Wagner (10 year members);Beth Sylvester (15 years); Todd Curtis and Gary Eichelberger (20 years);Cliff Birkey and Greg Potter (25 years); and James Maginel (30 years).Honored retirees included Duke Durham, Newt Meizel, and Mike Franks.

in our local unions. We must neverbecome complacent and alwaysstrive to better our local within thecommunity. We must not allowanother trade to claim our work. It isnot only the business manager’sresponsibility, but also the responsi-bility of every member to upholdthis. So many former brothers andsisters fought for our rights on thejob and we must not forget this. Takepride in your local union!

MIKE RAIKES, P.S.


PLA ProjectsL.U. 223 (em,govt&i), BROCK-

TON, MA—Superior and appealscourts in Bristol County upheld a PLAfor five new and renovated schools inFall River, MA. Mayor Edward Lambertresearched the use of PLA’s in othercommunities and saw the benefits forthe City of Fall River. Mayor Lambertwas the target of the ABC and Meritshop alliance during his reelection bidbut did not back down. All of thesoutheastern Massachusetts buildingtrades thank him for his support ofusing a trained work force from withinthe local community. We would alsolike to recognize Bus. Agent ErnestCorreia, who was elected vice presi-dent of the Southeastern Massachu-setts building trades. Bro. Correiaplayed a major role in helping securethe PLA and work for our members.We are fortunate that projects wereable to move forward through thewinter months. Brayton Point PowerStation has been putting our membersto work on the SCR project, Fly Ashproject, and general construction andmaintenance at the plant.

DAVE FENTON, B.A.

‘A United Group’L.U. 231 (i,rtb,spa&u), SIOUX CITY,

IA—For the past two years Local 231has been fortunate that most of ourwiremen and many travelers wereworking. Some jobs we had go unionwere two large windmill projects, alarge corporate office building, a largestrip mall and an addition to a packingplant, to name a few.

Three members are currently serv-ing in Iraq with their Iowa NationalGuard unit. They are Steven Dirks,Nathan Johnson and Russell Steffen.We are proud of these men who areserving their country and we anx-iously await their safe return.

In 2005 we negotiated a three-yearcontract with Northwest Iowa PowerCooperative of LeMars, IA. We willsoon enter negotiations with NorthWest Rural Cooperative of OrangeCity, IA.

Since August of 2003 the followingLocal 231 members passed away: JackO’Dell, Warren Hansen, John Coates,Thomas Berry, William Meacham,

W.L. Diltz, Sage Gray, Jerry Bagley,Lorne Shook, Ray Hulce and BurnellHaugen. We extend deepest sympathyto their family and friends.

Now is the time to get involvedwith your union. We need a strong,united group or we will lose all wehave gained by being union.

DEBBY SPENCER, P.S.

Negotiations UpdateL.U. 245 (govt,lctt,o,rtb&u),

TOLEDO, OH—Spring is in the air—stop by the hall and see how thelandscaping is changing.

On the TV side, negotiations withChannel 13, our ABC affiliate, havebegun. Channel 24-NBC remains forsale by Raycom Media. Negotiationswith Channel 30-PBS begin thisspring. Negotiations will begin thisfall at Channel 11-CBS.

Members ratified a new three-yearagreement with the City of Bryan.

On the utility side, Bayshore isinvolved with Fossil Generationrestructuring. Davis-Besse shouldhave completed their 14 refuelingoutage by this printing. In the EnergyDelivery area Toledo Edison enteredan agreement with Florida Powerand Light to be the “first responder.”This status is based on our ability torespond rapidly in storm situations.

In Outside Construction we needjourneyman linemen. We are inden-turing apprentices at a record pace.Our work is very good and projectsare long term. Kudos to members forbeing accident free. Local 245 com-pleted prerequisites for commencingour Signal and Lighting Apprentice-ship with the Ohio/Michigan Chapterof NECA. We will soon indentureapprentices into this new program.

June 17 is the tentative date for aLocal 245 family picnic. For moreinformation attend a union meeting,ask your steward or check our Website www.ibew245.com.

RAY ZYCHOWICZ, P.S.

Education UpdateL.U. 257 (em,i,rtb,rts,spa&t), JEF-

FERSON CITY, MO—We have beenworking toward continuing journey-man education here at Local 257. Werecently completed our first OSHA 30class and are in the process of hold-ing our second. We also started ourCode Update class and have moreclasses on the way. Education isextremely important to keeping theIBEW on top.

Sadly, we mourn the loss of oneof our own. Paul Polly passed awayJan. 18. He was a past local presi-dent, successful contractor in thislocal and a 65-year member of thislocal. He is sadly missed and oursympathy goes out to his family.

TRAVIS HART, P.S.

Hy-Electric WelcomedL.U. 265 (i,mt,rts&spa), LINCOLN,

NE—An innovative approach was thekey to Local 265 and Hy-Electricreaching agreement, making Hy-Elec-tric the newest signatory contractor inLincoln, NE. Although there had beengood communication between thetwo organizations for a good numberof years, it wasn’t until Bus. Mgr. ClintBurge and Organizer Glen Isaacswent to Hy-Electric’s owners with aproposal to allow a 60-day trial periodof journeyman Paul Scheel that a bigimprovement in progress was made.Owners Jim Young and Paul Heiman,as well as their employees, seemedimpressed with Scheel, and Scheelwas impressed with Hy-Electric aswell. The agreement was signed Jan.11, 2006, and employees of Hy-Elec-tric were sworn in at the monthlymeeting on Feb. 1. Local 265 wel-comes Hy-Electric and their employ-ees and looks forward to a long andprosperous relationship. Congratula-tions to all on this success.

GLEN ISAACS, ORG.

Politically ActiveL.U. 269 (i&o), TRENTON, NJ—

Local 269 suffered a long 2005 with astruggling economy and long boutsof unemployment. With the arrival ofspring, members remain hopeful thatsome of the work on the books willbreak with warmer weather.

By keeping active in area politicsLocal 269 has successfully positionedmembers in council spots, thereforeenabling more say in the placementof project labor agreements through-out our jurisdiction. The local contin-ues its efforts to organize NeshaminyElectric. This nonunion shop has sev-eral jobs within our jurisdiction andin surrounding territories. We hopethat within the year Local 269 and itsneighboring locals will finally bringthis company, its work and itsemployees to the IBEW.

Local 269 members participated inthree St. Patrick’s Day parades, inMercer, Bucks and Burlington coun-ties. Our members were joined byother trades in the march represent-ing the power of organized labor inand around the Trenton area.

The local is offering a New JerseyElectrical Licensing preparation classas well as National Electric Code(NEC) update classes to keep ourmembers on top of their game in theevolving electrical trade.

TREVOR MARCIANTE, P.S.

President AppointedL.U. 319 (u), SASKATOON, SK,

CANADA—Local 319 appointed anew president, Sister Betty Rolleston,after former president Pat Hydeaccepted a position at SaskatoonLight & Power as capital and opera-tion project manager. We thank Bro.Hyde for his service to the local.Congratulations, Sister Rolleston!

In its long history, Local 319 hashad a successful apprenticeship pro-gram. Over 70 percent of trade per-sonnel have gone through in-housetraining. This year we have threepower electrician apprentices andtwo lineman apprentices. Powerelectrician apprentices are: Bros. Dal-ton Varga, Justin Poitras and RickToh. Lineman apprentices are Bros.Cam Thachuk and Bob Sullivan.

NINKO OSTOJIC, P.S.

Achievement RecognizedL.U. 357 (c,i,mt&se), LAS VEGAS,

NV—Retirees service awards werepresented Dec. 8, 2005, by Bus. Mgr.David Jones and Pres. Charles Stet-son at the Local 357 Christmas din-ner. Those honored are specialmembers. They helped build muchof Las Vegas and are the foundationof Local 357.

Honorees included: 40- yearmembers William R. Fritchley,William L. Vasconi, James R. Sander-son; 45-year members: Paul G.Willis, Larry J. Hornyak; 50-yearmembers Robert L. Autry, Arthur L.Avant, James M. Bledsoe, Karl S.Brown, Hugh L. Jenkins, Richard A.Koeb, Donald G. Moore, Robert E.Price Jr., Richard H. Pullan, Robert R.Schomer, Charles R. Scott, Russell A.Scott, Earl “Bud” S. Sheff, Charles M.Taney Jr., Elton E. Thompson, GordonB. Wood, Richard E. Zeiter, Bertram B.Bauer, Gilbert Firmenich, Lawrence F.Miller, Jaye D. Sharp Jr., Charles J.Yates; 55-year members William V.Choate, John E. Cotton, William D.Ellis, Fred K. Lucas, Robert L. Procter,James C. Thompson, Donald I. Wren,Blayne J. Hawkes, Doyen C. Smith,Edward V. Turner; 60-year membersDale F. Farr, Jack E. Harrity, Robert W.

Local 231 third-year apprenticeShannon Brown terminates ser-vice equipment at the $30 millionWells Dairy Blue Bunny office inLeMars, IA.

Local 257 OSHA 30 class.

Local 265 welcomes Hy-Electricemployees,from left: TroyYoung, AaronMason, JimYoung andPaul Heiman.

Local 319 apprentices, from left:Dalton Varga, Rick Toh and CamThachuk.


Turner, Earl S. Willard; and 65-yearmember Harold R. Montgomery.

Thanks to volunteers who helpedmake this a special occasion.

TIM BOLTON, P.S.

Victorious in KentuckyL.U. 369 (em,es,i,lctt,o,rtb,rts,spa

&u), LOUISVILLE, KY—Once againour way of life was under attack bythe Republican administration inFrankfort. The anti-union forcesagain took aim on the working peo-ple in the great state of Kentucky.Gov. Ernie Fletcher tried to rally sup-port for a “right-to-work” bill and torepeal prevailing wage legislation.

We held several union ralliesaround the state and at the Capitol.On March 7, 2006, roughly 4,000-5,000 union members converged onthe Capitol. That same day, March 7,the proposed right-to-work legisla-tion and repeal of prevailing wagewas voted down in committee. (See“United IBEW Effort Helps Beat BackKentucky Right-To-Work,” in the

April issue of the IBEW Journal.)It is amazing what we can accom-

plish when we all stick together. Wemust continue working together tolet elected officials know we will notaccept such attacks! Not only are wefighting at the bid tables to get jobs,we are also at war to keep the wagesand benefits we have.

If called upon by your local politi-cal action committee, please do whatyou can to help. The battlefield isnot just on the jobsite anymore, it isat the polls on Election Day! Unitedwe stand, divided we fall!

JOHN E. MORRISON JR., P.S.

Upcoming ProjectsL.U. 375 (catv,ees&i), ALLEN-

TOWN, PA—Greetings, brothers andsisters. I am pleased to serve as Local375’s press secretary. I hope to be

able to inform everyone as to newsand events affecting all of us.

During the past 21/2 years manyof us experienced extended periodsof unemployment, but the futuredoes appear to be somewhatbrighter. The long anticipated cementindustry projects finally appear to becoming to fruition. Our Safety Com-mittee has been diligently working tocertify all Local 375 members inMSHA training and certification tomeet the requirements for this projectand others with much success. Wehope this project and many upcom-ing hospital projects will help toemploy the majority of our laid-offmembers.

The need to be politically vigilantand civically aware was learned at arecent school board meeting. Manythanks to those who attended. Notonly do we have to sell our work-manship on the job every day, butalso in the public forum. This act ofparticipation in supporting friends oflabor helps lay the groundwork for

future negotiations leading toincreased employment. Let’s all getinvolved, be aware and remember:“United we bargain, divided we beg.”

ROGER GAYDOS, P.S.

Workers NeededL.U. 387 (em,lctt&u), PHOENIX,

AZ—At press time, we are in negoti-ations for our Tree Trimming mem-bers. Things seem to be going well.

Our coal plants continue to setrecords in producing megawatts andin safety.

Local 387 members donated$358,064.92 to the United Way.Thanks to all for supporting a goodcause.

With all the growth in the valley,we need linemen and substationelectricians. Call the hall if you areinterested. We are also looking for

experienced tree trimming foremen.Thanks to the brothers and sisters

at our Four Corners Power Plant fortheir care packages and donations forour troops fighting for freedom.

Special thanks to Bro. Bill Zawickifor all his help as a business repre-sentative. Bill went back to Prescottin February.

SAM HOOVER, P.S.

‘Take-Off Time’L.U. 445 (catv,i,spa), BATTLE

CREEK, MI—The work picture for2006 is improving with some schoolprojects, a plant retooling, and anethanol plant that will keep the localbusy. It looks as if spring will be thetake-off time for these projects.

The local welcomes Pat Stevensinto the office as he steps up andanswers the call to become the newbusiness representative. Good luckand best wishes to Pat on thisendeavor. Local 445 also welcomesPhil Clemence as its newest PensionCommittee member. And, bestwishes for a happy retirement tolongtime member Lynn Everling.

The local will enter negotiationsthis summer for a new contract.Please contact the hall with yourideas.

Attend your local monthly meet-ings. Attendance numbers are gettingbetter, but there is always room formore. You cannot be heard if you donot attend. We are only as strong aswe want to be.

KEVIN HAGELGANS, R.S./P.S.

Negotiations SuccessfulL.U. 449 (catv,em,i,o,rtb,rts,spa&

u), POCATELLO, ID—Negotiationssuccessfully concluded for two of ourREA’s and Outside ConstructionAgreement. My thanks to all whoparticipated on the negotiating com-mittees. Committee members were asfollows. Fall River Electric Co-op—Trent Yancey and Jeff Beard; SalmonRiver Electric Co-op—Mark Hobbs;and Intermountain Line ConstructionAgreement—Bud Gamett and ScottHadley. Thanks, brothers, for repre-senting your fellow members well.

The Eighth District ElectricalHealth and Welfare Plan institutednew improvements effective Jan. 1,2006. Please contact the local unionor the Eighth District H&W offices fora list of the new benefits. Idaho isstill under the CCN preferredprovider network.

Congratulations to members whoattended stewards classes in Januaryfor the Pocatello and Twin Falls areas.

Our LMCC sponsored a class on“Effective Project Supervision.” Theclass was filled, with over 30 attend-ing. Almost all the signatory contrac-tors had members attend. Thanks foryour participation.

Local 449 congratulates Bro. MikePeck on his retirement. May youkeep active, Bro. Peck, and havemany more productive years.

ROBERT J. BODELL, B.M.

2005 Food DriveLocal 459 (ees,em,so&u), JOHN-

STOWN, PA—Members of Local 459were very generous during our 2005Food Drive. The drive begins inNovember and runs through the endof the year. Members and some ofour employers contributed $8,074toward last year’s drive. A portion ofthis money and food is sent out to afew of our members who may be offwork for some reason. The rest isdivided among Food Pantries inareas where our members work.Thanks go to our stewards who col-lected the food and monies, and alsoto the members and employers whodonated. Special thanks to Rec. Sec.Mary Perdew, who chaired the 2005Food Drive.

KENNETH L. RICHARDS,PRES./B.R.

100th Anniversary L.U. 481 (ees,em,i,mt,rts,s&spa),

INDIANAPOLIS, IN—IBEW Local 481celebrated its 100th anniversary Feb.25. Local 481 thanks Int. Pres. EdwinD. Hill, Int. Sec.-Treas. Jon F. Walters,IEC Chmn. Robert W. Pierson, IECmember Salvatore J. Chilia, Sixth Dis-trict Int. Vice Pres. Joseph F. Lohman,international representatives andbusiness managers who attended thecelebration. Local 481 Bus. Mgr.Thomas J. O’Donnell and Asst. Bus.Mgr. Sean Seyferth worked tirelesslyplanning the event and it was a greatsuccess. Nearly 3,000 peopleattended and all were awed by thesize and setting of the event.

The Indiana State Legislature hasintroduced bills that would takeaway rights of union members. Theproposed legislation would: makethis a “right-to-work” state, outlawproject labor agreements, eliminatecommon wage, and restrain unionsfrom educating members on legisla-tive issues important to labor. Thebottom line: Educate yourself on pol-itics in your area and make yourvoice heard. Get out and vote!

The local’s organizing effort is uti-lizing salts to gather information fromthe open shops. Salts have been find-ing wage, specification and code vio-

Battle in the Bluegrass: Local 369 members rally at the Kentucky Capitol inFrankfort.

Int. Pres. Edwin D. Hill (left) andLocal 481 Bus. Mgr. Thomas J.O’Donnell.

Local 357’s retirees service awards presentation. Front row, (L-R), Bros.Fred Lucas, Gordon Wood, James Bledsole, Paul Willis, Russell Scott,Harold Montgomery and Pres. Charles T. Stetson; back row, Bus. Mgr.David R. Jones and Bros. James Sanderson, Bob Price, Hugh Jenkins,Charles Taney, Richard Pullan, Richard Koeb, Earl Sheft and Bill Fritchley.

lations on many jobs in our jurisdic-tion. This form of salting has helpedour local sign contractors.

Visit our Web site at www.ibew-481.org.

STEVE MONTGOMERY, P.S.

Graduates RecognizedL.U. 531 (i), LaPORTE, IN—Con-

gratulations to our 2004 and 2005apprenticeship classes.

Class of 2004: Douglas S. Bab-cock, Shane D. Buck, Jim Clarida,Keith Conn, Wayne Cory Jr., RachidElhidaoui, Christopher Fanselow,Suzzette Herring, Eric Jackson,Danny Lowe, William Mshar Jr.,Matthew Nelson, Jason Pritchard,Lawrence Ray, Clayton Redlin, DaleRuzbasan, Bryan Sandy, JoshuaSkalka, Christopher Torres, MarloWahlman II, Kevin Warth and AdamWoodside. Residential 2004 Class:Lucas Harris, Jason Walters, JustinKletz.

Class of 2005: Michael Ferch,Brian Firanek, Brian Glisic, MatthewJesko, Todd Long, Matthew Rose-berry, Lawrence Sepanski, Jason Shei,Neil Tillema. Residential 2005 Class:Jason Howard and Michael Mattice.VDV Class: Robert Hoyle

Congratulations also to graduatesof our Ivy Tech Degree Program. Thefollowing people received an associ-ate’s of applied science degree. 2004Graduates: Geoffrey Banic, RobertCavanaugh, Dennis Matheny, VincentTalerico, Wayne Cory Jr., George Elia,Clayton Redlin, Joshua Skalka andChristopher Torres. 2005 Graduates:Douglas S. Babcock, Brian Busse,Brian Firanek, Jim Hawkins, JasonHoward, Eric Jackson, Todd Long,Michael Mattice, William Mshar Jr.,Lawrence Sepanski, Jason Shei andPhil Watterson.

Local 531 congratulates recentretirees: Danny Ohime, William Sny-der, Chuck Edson, Louis Gorski,Joseph Roderick, John Trojanowski,Roger Parker and Marvin Busse. Bestwishes, brothers.

WILLIAM MSHAR JR., P.S.

Certification SuccessL.U. 551 (c,i&st), SANTA ROSA,

CA—Congratulations to both fifth-year apprenticeship classes that grad-uated this year. We are happy youhave done well on the CaliforniaState Certification—that goes for allof our Local 551 journeymen whoare certified. Remember to keep upthe training so you don’t have to takethe test again! Contact our Appren-ticeship Dir. Bill Campbell aboutjourneyman upgrade classes.

The Member Assistance Program(MAP) and the Drug-Free Workforceprogram are established now; anyquestions or concerns should bedirected to the union office. Wehope these new programs will be abenefit to Local 551 members andtheir families.

Summer is coming and that meanslots of work. It also means softball,the summer picnic and fun in the

sun! But remember to set some timeaside to lend a helping hand—Char-lie O’Neil can always use extra handsfor Habitat for Humanity.

JENNIFER GREENWOOD, P.S.

Opportunity AheadL.U. 557 (i,mt,rts&spa), SAGINAW,

MI—Our local is optimistic for abright job outlook this summer, withaging schools being updated andsome high-tech manufacturing plantexpansion.

Maybe our eloquent Gov. Jennifer

Granholm’s speech about educationand technology has already reachedmid-Michigan and will put manyhands to work this year. Our gover-nor’s ability to articulate the popula-tion’s needs has relevance beyondstate lines and should be embracednationally. Her skill compares favor-ably to that of national leaders, andwith upcoming fall elections we havea great opportunity to elect a friendlyDemocratic Legislature in Michiganso working families can start movingahead. A union buster who ownsAmway has treated workers poorlyand shipped lots of work out. Whywould he change and try somethingelse, as indicated by his expensivecommercials?

Local 557 observed a moment ofsilence for Al Hubert in February.Our condolences to his family.

JOHN E. CLEMENS, P.S.

Photovoltaic InstallationL.U. 569 (i,mar,mt,rts&spa), SAN

DIEGO, CA—Staff members C.J.Towner and Danny Machain deftly

orchestrated our local’s first involve-ment with San Diego’s 26th annualMartin Luther King Jr. parade indowntown San Diego. On Jan. 14,2006, our local’s members and theirfamilies walked in remembrance ofDr. King’s great contributions to theAmerican civil rights and labormovements. Local 569 participantsproudly displayed a message boardwith one of Dr. King’s famousquotes: “Injustice anywhere is a threatto justice everywhere.” Our contin-gent received great support and

enthusiasm from the diverse crowd.Local 569 is pleased to announces

completion of our 75 kw photo-voltaic system, now serving our hall’selectrical needs. What better way toprove that the IBEW is the leader inthis important technology, than byinstalling this technology on our ownbuilding? Combined with our Train-ing Center/Trust Office building’s 85kw system, our photovoltaic systemis now one of the largest in thecounty. With pride and craftsman-

ship, one of our signatory contractorscompleted the project on time andon budget. Please feel free to comeby and tour this new system.

NICHOLAS J. SEGURA JR., P.S.

Safety TrainingL.U. 577 (em&i), APPLETON,

WI—Members and guests enjoyedthe annual Spring Banquet heldMarch 4 at Liberty Hall in Kimberly.Honorees included recent retireesRon Poleshinski, Ron Sedo, RoyDiess, Robert Paesssler, Les Ellis,George Warden, Robert Miller, DanSippl, Carl Wolfinger, Norb Krupkaand Jack Kugler. Also honored fortheir years of IBEW service were: 60-year members Robert Meyerhofer,Gilbert Thiel and Dewayne Wruck;55-year members Robert Anderson,William Lindloff, Richard Rohde,Hilary Seidl, Victor Weber andWilliam White; and 50-year membersJames Murray, Ward Neuenfeldt,Roger Perkins, Arnold Reis and TomWoods. We thank Tom Van Heuklonand Social Committee members MikeParker, Doug Schulz and JerrySchraufnagel for making this eventan annual success.

Safety training topics recom-mended by the committee this yearwill include safe use of testing equip-ment. Five local members attended atrain-the-trainer course in February.Instruction to the membership beginsimmediately. In 2005, 557 membersattended 2,711 hours of safety train-ing. Check your local newsletter tosign up for a class. If we all worktogether, we can make 2006 anothersafe work year.

GREG BREAKER, B.M.

Participation is KeyL.U. 595 (c,govt,i&st), DUBLIN,

CA—Congratulations to 75 recentlyturned out wiremen and installers ofLocal 595! Graduating apprentices,

family and friends celebrated at theCastlewood Country Club in Pleasan-ton. Keynote speaker was Ninth Dis-trict Int. Vice Pres. Michael S.Mowrey. Special recognition to theOutstanding Apprentices of eachclass: Gary Hesterberg, AlexGregersen and Angela Waggener.

Continuing the cycle of training,Local 595 welcomes many newlyindentured apprentices. The locallooks forward to your participation inbuilding the union. Many important


Local 569 members and their families participate in San Diego’s MartinLuther King Jr. parade.

Local 551 congratulates its mid-year apprentice graduates. Front row,standing, (L-R): Training Dir. Bill Campbell, graduates Alex Trevena, RyanBuffington, Dave Luna and Miguel Paredes, and Instructor Gary Giuliani.Back row: graduates Ron Crandell, Mark Raccanello, Cameron DeBaeke,Ed Brady, Marco Ruggio, Chris Cornilson, Joshua Glaze and JustinHovsepian. Kneeling, at front: Instructor Tom Ritch.

Local 557 journeymaninside wiremanapprenticegraduates.Front row, from left, TerryJablonski, MarcJohnson, ScottKern and JustinSmith; at rear,Jim Ostrander,high honorsstudent.


state and city elections are comingup in June. Make sure you are regis-tered to vote. California has a goodchance of electing representativeswho will truly represent workingpeople and their families. Gettinginvolved will bring us all closer toour vision for the future.

Local 595 members anticipate abig year in 2007 with the celebrationof our local’s 100 year anniversary.Folks who want to get involved withthe planning, share pictures or storiesshould look for committee planningdates in our local newsletter.

MARTA SHULTZ, P.S.

Promoting Our UnionL.U. 617 (c,i,mo&st), SAN MATEO,

CA—Local 617’s union hall wasdesigned to demonstrate the longhistory of our union’s rich contribu-tion to the community. Starting withthe exterior, the entrance of thebuilding looks like our charter, withthe names of great electrical pioneersand inventors appearing on each sidecolumn. The words “InternationalBrotherhood of Electrical Workers”are etched into the large entranceglass doors.

A first-class electrical historymuseum is located in the mainlobby. Exciting displays with interac-tive stations, “Jacob’s ladder” andothers lights and sparks are of inter-est to visiting schoolchildren and allvisitors young and old.

These installations are designed toadvertise and promote our union. Weat Local 617 have decided to makeour positive presence in the commu-nity felt. Given that Local 617 unionmembers have for nearly 100 yearshelped to build the San Mateo area

with volunteer and other projects, itis time to be recognized. As a resultof our awareness campaign, we havesuccessfully increased our share ofthe prevailing work as well as theresidential market.

PIERRE ST-CYR, P.S.

‘Where Credit is Due’L.U. 625 (ees,em,i,mar&mt), HALI-

FAX, NS, CANADA—Congratulationsto recently certified journeyman wire-men: Bros. Stephen Martin, FrankMcMaster and David Lindsay.

Special recognition goes to thefollowing members who contributedin a big way to assist the IBEW’sefforts to organize the electricalindustry:

In the Germain Mechanical &Electrical certification—Bros. BradBattiste, Norm Cotter, Mike Francis,Adam Gardiner, David Joyce, Mark

Kinslow, Rick Slauenwhite and MarkStanford. Power Electrical Systemscertification—Bros. Chris Boyle,Chris Graham, Mike King, ScottLegge, Joey Tobin, Arnold Maxwell,Dave Bellefontaine, Paul Kamper-man, Stephen Martin and LorinCarter, and Sister Elizabeth Cum-mings. J.S. Murray Electrical certifi-cation—Bros. John Cameron andJacob MacDowell. Some names wereomitted intentionally for confidential-ity purposes.

Special thanks to all these mem-bers, who took the necessary risks tofurther the IBEW’s goals to increaseour market share. Remember the firstobject of the IBEW: “To Organize AllWorkers in the Entire ElectricalIndustry.”

There are 4,200 certified jour-neypersons and registered appren-tices in Nova Scotia. We have a longway to go before the IBEW repre-sents all electrical workers in theProvince of Nova Scotia. Togetherwith our sister Local 1852 in Sydney,we will continue our efforts toachieve that goal.

TOM GRIFFITHS, P.S.

Wind Turbine ProjectL.U. 681 (i,o&spa), WICHITA

FALLS, TX—Congratulations to ourrecently retired bothers for their life-long commitment to the IBEW. Theywere honored at our October 2005awards banquet and 50-year servicepins were presented. These brothershad many stories to share about theindustry and the changes they haveencountered along their journey.

We thank all the traveling mem-bers coming in to work at the Calla-han Divide and Horse Hollow WindFarm projects in Abilene, TX. Thesetravelers helped make our first pro-ject worked under the National WindTurbine Agreement a great success,and enabled the employer (RosendinElectric) to secure the next two pro-jects under this agreement. The abil-ity to compete on these projects wasdue to the dedicated members whoworked under this agreement andbrought these projects in under bud-

get and on time. Thanks for a jobwell done.

JUSTIN BOONE, A.B.M.

Projected ProjectsL.U. 697 (i), GARY AND HAM-

MOND, IN—For work related injuriesit is imperative that supervision ismade aware of any incident that mayrequire treatment immediately. Fail-ure to report accidents or injuries canresult in lost benefits and large billsto the employee. Also, be aware thatif you are injured on the job and youhave treatment that may be delayed,as in the case of an eye injury wherecataracts will form one to three yearslater, you must file a demand forextension on time with the workmancompensation carrier.

The work picture remains tenta-tive with the possibility of some pro-jects being delayed. BP Amoco, theGary Regional Airport, the RegionalTransportation Authority and thedevelopment they will bring are greatpossibilities waiting on the actualdollars and contracts that will makethis a reality.

Local 697 has instituted the Inter-

national requirements for signing andcontinuing status on the out-of-worklist.

Continue to reach out to our com-munities and let them know thatunion members are the backbone ofthis nation.

DAVID A. SODERQUIST, P.S.

Pres. Skillas RetiresL.U. 759 (u), FORT LAUDERDALE,

FL—After nearly 20 years as ourLocal 795 president, George Skillasretired March 31, 2006. He was firstelected president in 1987 and was re-elected president six times! We thankGeorge for his longtime service aspresident and for his work on fivecontract negotiations. His experienceand expertise will be missed. Wewish George well in his retirement.

As the 2006 hurricane seasonapproaches, we look back at therecord 2005 hurricane season. OnOct. 24, 2005, Hurricane Wilma was759’s first direct hit in over 40 years.Some 99 percent of our customerswere without service; this affectedover 3.2 million customers. Over12,000 poles and 6,300 transformershad to be replaced. Over 1,000 milesof wire had to be replaced and 235substations were off-line.

Local 759 thanks the numerousutilities that assisted with the restora-tion. With their help we were able tohave 75 percent restored in eightdays, 90 percent in 13 days and com-plete restoration in only 18 days.

In 2005 we had 14 hurricanes,seven of which were major. Let’shope 2006 won’t be as active.

GLEN PLOCK, P.S.

Work PartyL.U. 915 (i&mt), TAMPA, FL—In

January we had a work party at thelocal union hall. We had a smallturnout with big results. A new ser-vice panel was put in to feed the out-door cooking facility. We also didsome cleanup in the general mem-bership hall. A big thank-you to allwho helped.

Work has slowed since the begin-ning of the year. With the phosphatemining facilities cutting backing themonth of February, contractors had toput a hold on expected hiring on pro-jects such as the new washer in FortLonesome. The condo project in Pal-metto being built with union pensionfunds has been building up slowly aswell. Travelers planning on headingthis way should call the office first.

A reminder to members: Stayinformed on upcoming elections.Unions are losing ground under the

Local 681retirees werepresented 50-year servicepins. Amongrecipientswere, (L-R):John Scott,Howard Youngand MacLovelace.

Local 595 hands at work on the new Bay Bridge. Wiremen confront “noth-ing square and nothing level” because of the design of the bridge andmust perform some very artful conduit bending.

Three views of Local 617’s unionhall. Top, the front doors; bottomleft, interactive stations; and, right,one of many displays.

St. Francis Xavier Universityin Antigonish, Nova Scotia,insists all construction workon its campus be doneunion. Pictured is the newcampus residence Local 625members employed byBond & Coolen are com-pleting. Photo Tom Griffiths.

current presidential administration. Inmid-term elections, we need to votefor changes in the U.S. House andSenate, at the state and local level,and also our state governor’s office.We can build momentum now for2008 elections.

THERESA KING, P.S.

Protecting Our MembersL.U. 1049 (lctt,o&u), LONG

ISLAND, NY—Our largest employer,Keyspan, recently announced it wasbeing purchased by National Grid.This is not 1049’s first transition to anew employer. As of this writingthere are questions that have yet tobe answered (i.e., the M.S.A. and theP.S.A.). In the short term our benefitsand wages are protected by our col-lective bargaining agreement. Wealso have successor language thatrecognizes 1049 as the sole bargain-ing representative. Just as in the past,1049 will be involved in every stepof this transaction. We will becomeactive interveners in all aspects of theapproval process. And we will con-tinue to protect and enhance theinterests of our members.

In our Outside branch, work hasbeen slowing for all of our craft divi-sions. We have been successful ingetting work for members who wishto and are eligible to travel.

On behalf of a consumer whowishes to remain anonymous, ever-lasting gratitude to Bros. Jim Magdi-son and Joe Mula. While on electricrestoration after a snowstorm, Bros.Magdison and Mula noticed a pair ofboots sticking out of the snow. Theyfound a man unconscious, adminis-tered CPR and called 911. They arecredited with keeping this man aliveuntil the ambulance arrived.

THOMAS J. DOWLING, R.S.

Negotiations CompletedL.U. 1055 (u), PENSACOLA, FL—

Contract negotiations are completedand a well-deserved “good job” goesout to the Negotiating Committee. Thecommittee especially thanks Fifth Dis-trict Int. Reps. Fielding Gurley andBrian Thompson for their guidance.Many issues were addressed at thenegotiating table. Hopefully eachmember who submitted a proposalheard back from the committee. If not,contact your committee representative.

At a recent E-Board meeting, thelocal was pleased to have newly

appointed Int. Rep. Danny Johnsonin attendance. The E-Board is updat-ing Local 1055 bylaws, as is requiredby the I.O. If you have suggestions,contact your local E-board member.

We are dealing with ARCOS issuesand the company’s implementation,without negotiation, of its “Call-OutResponse Guidelines.” The companyrefused to discuss these issues withthe union at the negotiating table. Weare following our processes to correctthis grievous unfair labor practice.

The local is seeking someone tohandle the press secretary position.The press secretary will report toPres. David Gaines and provide draftarticles for review.

We thank Bro. Ozzy Resto for agreat job on our Web site. Visitwww.ibew1055.org for unionupdates, and utilize the commentform to relay important issues toyour officers.

ROBERT A. FARROLL, B.M.

Union Meeting ChangeL.U. 1105 (i), NEWARK, OH—For

many years our union meetings wereheld the first Friday of every month.At our February 2006 union meeting,a motion was made to change themeeting night to the first Wednesdayof each month. After notification tothe membership of the proposedchange, a vote was taken at theMarch 2006 union meeting, wherethe motion was approved. Therefore,starting with the April 2006 meeting,our meetings will now be held thefirst Wednesday of each month. Thetime and place of the meetings willremain the same.

Negotiations are underway for ourInside agreement with the employ-ers. Negotiations have been difficultat best, given the current economicand political environment our area isfacing. However, the negotiatingcommittee is doing a great job withwhat they have to work with.

It is with great sadness that Iannounce the passing of John Komi-nar on Jan. 2, 2006. Bro. Kominar was83. He was a 58-year IBEW memberand will be sadly missed. Ourthoughts and prayers go out to hisfamily.

BILL HAMILTON, B.M./F.S.

MobilizingL.U. 1245 (catv,em,govt,lctt,o,pet,

t&u), VACAVILLE, CA—Local 1245

and Sierra Pacific Power remained farapart after five months of contractnegotiations, during which the utilityhired a notorious anti-labor consult-ing firm to help recruit replacementworkers. Despite the fact thatemployees exceeded performancegoals established by the company,management has pressed relentlesslyto reduce medical benefits for currentand future retirees. The company hasalso sought to roll back long-estab-lished work rules and to contract outbargaining unit jobs.

Elsewhere in Nevada, members atMt. Wheeler ratified a new agree-ment with Mt. Wheeler Power. InCalifornia, members in the genera-tion bargaining unit at Northern Cali-fornia Power Agency ratified a newagreement. Both agreements featurewage increases.

At Pacific Gas & Electric, the localinitiated a campaign to organize over3,500 employees eligible to be in theunion.

Local 1245 hired two new busi-ness representatives: Bob Dean, whowill represent members in the Bak-ersfield area, and Pat Waite, who willrepresent members in Nevada.

Local 1245 retirees are mobilizingin response to growing health carecosts. Plans are under way to launcha new Merced chapter of the Local1245 Retirees Club, which wouldbring the total number of chapters tofive, up from two a year ago.

ERIC WOLFE, P.S.

50-Year AwardL.U. 1307 (u), SALISBURY, MD—

Sister Catherine Snow was honoredat a recent union meeting for aremarkable 50-year milestone. Shebegan work as a full-time employeeat Choptank Electric Cooperative inDenton, MD, on Jan. 1, 1956, andshe is still going strong. Catherinesays she has seen a lot of changes

along the way and made manyfriends. She says she would do itagain and has no plans to quit any-time soon.

Bro. John Genga retired Feb. 1,2006. John started with DelmarvaPower as a janitor in 1966. He wasawarded an engineer’s helper job in1967, before advancing to engineer-ing fieldman in 1969. John held thatposition, while working out of sev-eral locations, for the remainder ofhis career. John served on the Local1307 E-Board and also served aslocal union vice president and onnumerous union committees. As aretiree he plans to remain active withthe local. Best wishes for a happyretirement, John.

EDWARD D. SPARKS, F.S.

AmTote AgreementL.U. 1501 (ees,em,mo,pet,rts&t),

BALTIMORE, MD—AmTote Interna-tional Inc., represented by our local,has entered into long-term agreementwith Charlson Broadcast Technolo-gies (CBT) and BLB Inc./WembleyUSA to provide the gateway neces-sary to commingle wagers fromsimulcasting outlets, and BLB willprovide content rights to U.S. horseand greyhound racing. In SouthAmerica, CBT secured exclusiveagreements with racetracks inVenezuela and Brazil and begansimulcast wagering in partnershipwith Carnegie Cooke Co. Inc. atCampos racetrack and its off-trackbetting network in Brazil. AmToteand its partners will provide horse-players in these countries the oppor-tunity to wager on internationalhorse and greyhound racing withunlimited wagering. Foreign curren-cies wagered will be converted intoU.S. dollars.


After five months of negotiations, the Local 1245 Bargaining Committee atSierra Pacific Power continued to resist concessionary bargaining propos-als from the company.

Local 1307 Sister Catherine Snowreceives 50-year plaque presentedby Pres. Mike Dennis.

Local 1501 Bus. Mgr./Pres. DionGuthrie addresses the membershipat a meeting on newly acquiredtechnology contracts with AmToteInternational Inc.

Local 915 work party crew. From left, standing, Bruce Barrow, DavidRainey, Doug Smolt, Bill Dever, Randall King and Russ Hammer; kneeling,Clyde Tucker, Kress Rodriguez, Michael Dearden and Tim Sandifer. Not pic-tured, Theresa King.


CBT has been an innovator in theracing industry, creating patentedtechnologies and software products.BLB Inc. comprises three of theworld’s most accomplished leisureand gaming operators, includingKerzner Int. Ltd., Starwood CapitalGroup and Waterford Group. Thesecompanies partnered in developingthe Mohegan Sun casino. Local 1501Bus. Mgr./Pres. Dion Guthrie statesthis agreement should provide jobstability for our members at AmTote,a Maryland-based company thatimplemented its first “totalisator” sys-tem in 1933 and continues providingunparalleled service to its customers.

THOMAS J. ROSTKOWSKI, P.S.

Sister Colborne HonoredL.U. 1505 (em), WALTHAM, MA—

Local 1505 proudly salutes Sister Col-borne for her 50-plus years of servicein the IBEW. Her tenure as an IBEWmember began in 1955. At the time,Beth lived in Newton, MA, with herhusband and a teenage daughter.Beth wanted to provide a few of “theextra things in life” for her daughterbut couldn’t afford it until she saw anemployment ad at the RaytheonCompany for a 5 to 11 pm “mothersshift.” The job requirements werenimble fingers and good eyesight.Beth was blessed with both and washired.

Sister Colborne believes her yearsworking in a union shop have beenvery fruitful for her and her family.She began work at Raytheon’sWaltham plant and remained thereuntil it closed. Beth currently worksat the Andover plant. She stood withher brothers and sisters through twostrikes. During her years of service asan assembler, she has worked onmany programs vital to our nationalsecurity including the Navy Polaris,16 Apollo modules that went to themoon and Patriot missiles. We con-gratulate our sister on her milestoneand commend her for dedication toour union.

BETTY LAPOINTE, P.S.

Arctic Ski Trails VolunteersL.U. 1547 (c,em,i,o,t&u),

ANCHORAGE, AK—Several IBEWLocal 1547 members performed hun-dreds of hours of volunteer laborinstalling lighting on a 5-kilometer

section of the Tsalteshi Cross CountrySki trails, in preparation for the 2006Arctic Winter Games held March 5-11. The Arctic Winter Games is thenorthern circumpolar region’s pre-mier multi-sport and cultural eventfor youth.

Transitions: The past few monthshave been a time of transition forLocal 1547. Sixty-year member andAnchorage resident Carl E. Jenkins,99, died Dec. 31, 2005, at the Anchor-age Pioneer Home. Bro. Jenkins wasborn July 25, 1906, in Mellon, WI, andmoved to Anchorage in 1945.

Journeyman lineman BruceMcDaniels retired after 31 years work-ing for Nome Joint Utilities in Nome.Bruce was instrumental in encourag-ing local residents to apply for theIBEW/NECA Line Apprenticeship.

LARRY BELL, B.M.

Tribute to a FounderL.U. 1579 (i&o), AUGUSTA, GA—

Local 1579’s charter is dated Feb. 1,1948. Twenty-five wiremen signedour first charter with a membershipof 36.

Bro. Lonnie E. Barton, the last sur-viving charter member, entered intorest Feb. 21, 2006, at age 83. We payspecial tribute in his honor. Our localsuffered through tough times in theearly days. But with the organizingefforts of our first business manager,Guy T. Solomon, and members likeBro. Lonnie Barton performing thework, our local union prospered andgrew. We owe special thanks to Bro.Barton and our early founders.

Promises, promises—future worklooks good. For all of you out ofwork, I know you tire of hearing“work is just around the corner.”There is no news to report on the bigprojects at SRP, just promises. PlantVogtle is still a way off also. Thenews is, they will work one reactorat a time and it is expected to startwork sometime between 2007 and2009. Local contractors are holdingtheir own against some tough com-petition from the nonunion sector.

Support your local: Attend unionmeetings held the third Monday ofeach month.

Local elections are in June; nomi-nations in May.

JOHNNY HUTCHESONA.B.M./ORG.

Workers’ VictoryL.U. 1701 (ctv,ees,i,o&u), OWENS-

BORO, KY—Work in the jurisdictionhas slowed, but we do have somework coming. Dynalectric landedsome commercial projects, andP.P.M.I. has the Henderson Hospitaland should be hiring soon. Three newcontractors signed letters of assent—McCormic Electric, Alva Electric andHis Electric. Welcome aboard and welook forward to working with you.

Thanks to all members who con-

tacted their Kentucky legislators tooppose “right-to-work” legislation andrepeal of our prevailing wage law.Our members again helped defeatthese proposed attacks on workers.Bus. Mgr. Gary Osborne and Asst.Mike Roby worked tirelessly keepingthe membership informed.

Bro. Terry Stearsman wasappointed to the Executive Board tofill the position vacated by Bro. KennyRafferty. Good luck, Terry, in yournew position. The Examining Boardgave the journeyman wireman examto Scott Troutman, Dennis Wilkersonand Doug Fultz. Chmn. Larry Boswellreports all passed. Congratulations,brothers.

Reminder: The JATC will offer con-tinuing education, passport and OSHA10 classes throughout the year. Con-tact the local union office for time anddates.

We mourn the passing of retiredmember Bill Rowland. Bro. Rowlandwas a past president and was well-known throughout the country. Mayhe rest in peace.

TIM BLANDFORD, PRES.

Union Spirit StrongL.U. 1739 (i&o), BARRIE, ON,

CANADA—IBEW Local 1739 thanksall the brothers and sisters fromIBEW Locals 894, 353, 1687 and 804who have travelled to help build the

new Bank of Montreal data facilityhere in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Pic-tured in the accompanying photo aresome of the members working onthe afternoon shift. The electricalcontractor is Guild Electric and thejob is being managed by PCL Con-tractors. As of this writing, there areabout 170 electricians on site. Thanksgo out to Bro. Frank Kastle, after-noon shift steward, who submittedinformation for this article.

BILL CARSON SR., P.S.

Local 1505 sister Beth Colborne, a50-year IBEW member, celebrateswith Jay Leno, who paid a visit tothe Andover plant.

Anchorage Local 1547 volunteers installed ski trail lighting for 2006 ArcticWinter Games. Front row, (L-R): Bobby Taylor, Dean Glick, Pete Leov,Jeremiah Holbrook and Tom Oslund. Back row: Daniel Lynch, Bill Forbes,Grant Marsh, Jeff Leete, Nathan Smith and Leigh Tacey. Not pictured: TomMcGhan, Tom Dougherty, Brandon Nichols and Gabe Alburto.

Local 1579 charter member LonnieBarton died Feb. 21, 2006.

Members manthe barbecue pitsat Local 1701’spicnic heldSeptember 2005at Golf Land inOwensboro, KY.From left, BruceLaney, Tim West,Nathan Rhodesand Byron Hunt.

IBEW members on the afternoon shift at Local l739’s Bank of Montrealproject. IBEW travelers from Locals 894, 353, 1687 and 804 have helpedwork on the project.

Memorial VolunteersRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 1, ST.

LOUIS, MO—We had a good atten-dance for our first Retirees Clubmeeting of the new year. We alwayswelcome more retired members toattend our meetings. It’s an enjoyableday with current information andconcerns being addressed. Local 1Bus. Mgr./IEC Fifth District memberStephen Schoemehl gives us anupdate on current events, legislationand retirees concerns.

In December we enjoyed theChristmas party the Ladies Auxiliaryhas every year. They do a wonderfuljob supporting the members andretirees.

The Heroes Memorial groundbreaking in Fenton City Park on Sept.11 paid tribute to the men andwomen who gave the ultimate sacri-fice. Local 1 retired electrical workersdonated approximately 240 hours ofwork on this beautiful memorial.

RICH KING, V.P.

Spring OutingsRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 3, NEW

YORK, NY, WESTCHESTER/PUTNAMCHAPTER—Our annual Christmas/Chanukah luncheon Dec. 13, 2005, atthe Lake Isle Country Club was ahuge success. More than 100 mem-bers and guests attended. Great food,great music. Thanks to Chmn. JimO’Donnell and his wife, Jane, foragain hosting this wonderful affair.

We enjoyed a luncheon at Silvio’sRestaurant in Yonkers on March 26.

Our upcoming events include: theannual golf outing at Beekman Coun-try Club on May 15, and the annualfishing trip out of Glen Island, NewRochelle on June 15. On the agendafor April 25 is an Italian Festival atMount Haven Resort, PA. Our “snowbirds” will be returning for these fun-filled events.

Our club meetings are wellattended. All new retirees are wel-come to join our meetings, held thesecond Tuesday of each month at theunion headquarters at 200 Blooming-dale Rd, White Plains, NY. For infor-mation call (914) 948-3800.

VINCENT PANZARINO, P.S.

Frank Franco MournedRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 22,

OMAHA, NE—On Nov. 30, 2005, theclub suffered a tragic loss when long-time Pres. Frank Franco lost his fightwith cancer. As we look around ourmeeting room, we are reminded ofthe many accomplishments Frank leftas a legacy to the club.

We see the “Photo Wall” with pic-tures of past Local 22 presidents andyearly pin recipients; we see and usethe kitchen he developed and helpedbuild, and the Electrical Museum ofthe Past. With Frank’s leadership,members donated funds so he couldcarry out his dreams to make thisclub an inviting place to meet.

Bro. Franco was a brother electri-cian first, a friend and fellow retiree.Born in 1926, he was initiated intothe IBEW in 1957. He retired in 1988and was elected Retirees Club presi-

dent in 1993. We extend condolencesto his wife, Terri, and family. Bro.Franco will long be remembered.

In February officers were elected.They are: Pres. Louis Masters Jr., Sec.Lyle Freeburg and Treas. Ed Bayer.Appointed were: Museum CuratorChris Bayer and Press Sec. Walt Zyla.

WALT ZYLA, P.S.

Spirit of BrotherhoodRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 99,

PROVIDENCE, RI—We all enjoyed avery nice December 2005 luncheonat the Café Nuovo in Providence.Among offers present were: Bus.Mgr. Allen Durand, Int. Rep. RichardPanagrossi, Pres. John Shalvey, Asst.Bus. Mgr. Ronald Leddy and TrainingDir. James Jackson.

At the luncheon we honoredbrothers who have attained 50 ormore years as IBEW members:Michael Carty, Richard Irace and

Kenneth Mathieu. We sent pins toFred Elsen, David Kelman andWilliam LePore, Jr. George Mollo willreceive a 60-year pin.

New members in attendance werewelcomed, and Bus. Mgr. Durand wasapplauded for his dedication toretirees. Pres. Shalvey thanked clubofficers Sam Bedrosian, Bob Pierce,John Ostrander and Joe McCarthy forall their service.

Bros. Lucien Hubert and RobertDunne, who live in Florida, travelednearly 60 miles to deliver a plant as abelated memorial to the family of ourlate Bro. Stephen Ide, who was a 65-year member. This was a spirit oftrue brotherhood on their part.

We visited our housebound broth-ers and presented them with Christ-

mas baskets and $50 gift certificatesprovided by the local. Again, truebrotherhood!

PAT COLUCCI, P.S.

Florida Golfing TripRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 103,

BOSTON, MA—Harsh winters causethe Boston Retirees Club to shutdown through the winter months.Quite a number of retirees go southto enjoy warmer temperatures.

A few hardy members of theRetirees golf club have attempted toplay golf in temperatures belowfreezing, when it is difficult just toinsert a tee in permafrost. The offi-cers got together this year andplanned a sojourn to Florida for aweek of golf in the Orlando area. Weplayed at three different courses infive days. We stayed in a gated com-munity with all the amenities. Thecost was about $1,000 including air-

fare. Everyone reported they woulddo it again next year in a heartbeat.Not a single complaint.

On our return, we were in timefor our St. Patrick’s Day dinner,where we shared our experienceswith the retirees returning north.Staying together in Brotherhood.

TONY CALVINO, PRES.LEO MONAHAN, P.S.

A Great YearRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 105,

HAMILTON, ON, CANADA—OurSeniors Club enjoyed a most success-ful year for 2005 and this year is offto a good start.

Our 21/2 hour boat cruise to Mid-land, Ontario, and the Casino Ramatrip was a great day. Euchre, played


RETIREES

BostonLocal 103retireesprepareto tee offat a golfcourse inOrlando,FL.

Officersattend theLocal 3,Westchester/PutnamChapter,Retirees Clubholiday lun-cheon heldDecember2005.

Local 22 Retirees Club longtimePres. Frank Franco passed away inNovember 2005.

Local 99 Bus. Mgr. Allen P. Durand (second from left) and Int. Rep. RichardJ. Panagrossi (second from right) present service awards to Retirees Clubmembers Michael Carty (left), Richard Irace (center) and Kenneth Mathieu.

Local 1 retiredelectricalworkers volunteeredtheir labor forthe HeroesMemorial pro-ject in FentonCity Park, St.Louis County,MO.


every Monday, fills 10-14 tables ofplayers. Bowling attendance hasgreatly improved. The seniors’monthly dinner meeting has beenseeing 80-90 members in attendance.Our three-day trip to Niagara Falls,Ontario, last November revitalized allseniors present. And we must notforget our 2005 Christmas dinner-dance. What a great time our seniormembers and their spouses had.

Thanks go to many for this suc-cess: our Board of Directors, all ourseniors and their spouses. Theyhelped make this all happen, but ourgreatest thanks must go to Local 105Bus. Mgr. John Grimshaw and allLocal 105 members, who show con-stant support for the Senior’s Club.We at the Senior’s Club thank you all.

JOE CAMPANELLI, P.S.

Club’s 35th AnniversaryRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 130, NEW

ORLEANS, LA—On June 15, 2006, ourRetirees Club will celebrate its 35thanniversary. Also at this function, threeRetirees Club brothers will be awardedIBEW watches for 60 years of servicein Local 130. They are: Ronald Clark,Alfred Deubler and Walter Gray. Thecelebration will begin at 11:30 a.m. inthe Alexander Room. Food andrefreshments will be served and mem-bers may invite one guest each.

We currently have 110 dues payingmembers, even after Hurricane Kat-rina. The hurricane left many mem-bers scattered across the country.

We congratulate Carol Ordes onher retirement from the Local 130office staff. She served nine years asa secretary for Bus. Mgr. Robert“Tiger” Hammond and welcomesJenny Reams, who filled the positionshe vacated.

We are saddened to report thepassing of: Bros. Jules Casanova,Heno Daigre, Peter Duvernet, GeraldEiermann, Fred Gallaty, TheodoreHageni, Patrick Howley, Harold Lar-son, Robert Rushing and Earl Suhre.May they rest in peace.

A big thanks once again to fellowIBEW locals and the InternationalOffice for the Katrina disaster fund.

BUDDY CARVER, P.S.

Keep the Union StrongRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 257, JEF-

FERSON CITY, MO—Last winterbrought some bad luck to theRetirees Club as well as nonmem-bers. We mourn the loss of Bro. PaulP. Polly. Paul was a past president ofLocal 257 and served faithfully onseveral benefit trustee committees.He was the father of Ken P. Polly,who recently completed two terms aspresident of Local 257.

Corine Linsenbardt, a faithful clubmember and wife of Rupert Linsen-bardt, passed on Dec 26 and is sadlymissed. Ron Scheuler, a retired Local257 wireman, also passed in Decem-ber. Ron was a good union member,a devoted husband, father, grandfa-ther and Christian.

Some better news: Dan Mellowayhas a new knee and is doing well.Don Douglas reports improvedhealth. Theresa Lang is recoveringwell after surgery and a broken arm.Chris Binggeli is back to meetingsand looking good. Dale Palmer lookswell after some health problems.Paul Gallatin reports he is in goodhealth and doing great. John Baxteris doing well after surgery.

Join our Local 257 Retirees Club—contact Gary Fischer at (573) 782-3617. Keep the union strong!

GARY FISCHER, P.S.

Officers ElectedRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 291,

BOISE, ID—The Feb. 9 Retireesmeeting was held at 1 p.m. at theGolden Corral in Nampa.

Following are the January electionresults: Pres. Stan Brassfield, VicePres. Don Harness, Sec. Lynn Brass-field and Rec. Sec. Denise Ivory.Executive Board: Warren “Bucky”Buchanan, Herb Endicott, Hal Fisher,Irene McMillin and Dale Hancock.

Our club is saddened to report thepassing of Lloyd Williams. Bro.Williams had recently been elected tocontinue his longstanding role asrecording secretary and ExecutiveBoard member. He was a 58-yearIBEW member and a past presidentof the Retirees Club. He also servedas the area supervisor of the Bureauof Apprenticeship and Training. Hiscommitment to the IBEW, his vitalityand humor are greatly missed.

Our March 9 Retirees meeting washeld at 1 p.m. at the Lotus Garden inMeridian.

LYNN BRASSFIELD, SEC.

Retirees LuncheonRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 654,

CHESTER, PA—The retirees luncheonheld Dec. 14, 2005, at the union hallsaw some 80 retirees and guests inattendance. As before, I passedaround a notebook and asked atten-dees to write about retirement, thelocal union, what they are doing, etc.A sample of the responses follows:

“Good time, and great to see every-one. Food was good. Enjoyed the fel-lowship.”—Bill Shaw. (At this writingBill is recuperating from hip surgery.)

“Really nice function, great to seethe guys and catch up.”—Phil Klein,recently retired.

“Great to see the old-timers get-ting together. God bless all.”—ChuckSimmons.

“These functions are wonderful!It’s so good to see all my buddies forthese happy occasions. You getyounger looking each year.…”—JoeFilippone.

My sentiments exactly, Joe. Theretirees wish to thank the local unionmembership for these retiree lun-cheons.

T. FRANCIS “JEEP” HANLEY, P.S.

Officers ChosenRETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 756,

DAYTONA BEACH, FL—Greetings!As of our October 2005 meeting, wehave new officers: Pres. Jimmy War-ren, Vice Pres. Bob Iler, Treas. FredDue and Rec. Sec. Hank Lammers.

Only 24 people attended our Jan-uary meeting and covered-dish lun-cheon. We sure would like to seemore of our retired members join us.We also extend an invitation to anyvisiting brothers and sisters fromother locals.

If anyone has information of sickor disabled members, please give usa call so that we can remember themin prayer. Bros. Frank Fusco andGeorge Chevreuil are on our list andwe hope you will remember them, aswell.

We held a “pot luck” covered dishluncheon meeting Feb. 9.

We hope to see more of you joinus for meetings.

HENRY LAMMERS, R.S.

Join the ‘Vagabonds’RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 970,

KELSO-LONGVIEW, WA—The “Vaga-bonds,” as we call ourselves, held amonthly luncheon-meeting Feb. 14 atthe Monticello Hotel.

It was noted that Bro. Jan Kerbywas working with a committee fromthe Central Labor Council and localtelevision station KLTV to make thecommunity more aware of unionismand organized labor.

All retirees of Local 970 automati-cally become Retirees Club membersas soon as they retire.

We invite all local union brothers,sisters and spouses, as well as anyIBEW travelers in our area, to visit uson the second Tuesday of eachmonth at noon at our local landmark,The Monticello Hotel, for lunch andcamaraderie.

ART HUNTINGTON, P.S.

Local 130 retired Bro. EdwardFenasci passed away at age 100.

At the Local 654 Retirees lun-cheon: Bro. Ed Martin (standing)tells Bros. Andy Anderson and BobMattote about his trip to Alaska.

Local 105 Seniors Club members and spouses enjoy an excursion toNiagara Falls, Canada: from left, Maria Koppensteiner, Gary Turner, TrudyTurner, Betty Ritchie and Fred Koppensteiner.

______________________________________________________________________________________NAME______________________________________________________________________________________NEW ADDRESS______________________________________________________________________________________CITY STATE ZIP/POSTAL CODE

PRESENT LOCAL UNION NUMBER ___________________________________________________

CARD NUMBER ______________________________________________________________________(If unknown, check with Local Union)

CURRENTLY ON PENSION ❏ Soc. Sec. No._________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________OLD ADDRESS (Please affix mailing label from magazine)

______________________________________________________________________________________CITY STATE ZIP/POSTAL CODE

FORMER LOCAL UNION NUMBER ____________________________________________________

Don’t forget to register to vote at your new address!

AD

DR

ES

SC

HA

NG

E?

Brothers and Sisters, we want you to have your JOURNAL! When you have a change of address, please let us know. Be sureto include your old address and please don’t forget to fill in L.U. and Card No. This information will be helpful in checking andkeeping our records straight. If you have changed local unions, we must have numbers of both. U.S. members—mail this form to IBEW, Address Change Department, 900 Seventh Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001. Canadian members—mail this form to IBEW First District, 1450 Meyerside Drive, Suite 300, Mississauga, Ontario L5T 2N5.All members—you can change your address on line at www.ibew.org


1 Bryan, G. J. 3,000.00 1 Gradle, K. A. 3,000.00 1 Kempf, E. H. 3,000.00 1 Kopp, B. C. 3,000.00 1 Moeller, R. J. 6,250.00 1 Murariu, V. C. 3,000.00 1 Niehaus, R. A. 3,000.00 1 Price, J. G. 3,000.00 1 Schneider, R. K. 5,179.00 1 Siebel, A. F. 3,000.00 1 Smith, M. D. 6,250.00 1 Stout, V. L. 3,000.00 1 Worley, T. M. 1,500.00 2 Schwartze, V. L. 3,000.00 3 Bandini, A. 3,000.00 3 Belarge, N. 2,972.19 3 Bremer, L. 3,000.00 3 Callaghan, J. M. 3,000.00 3 Cea, W. D. 3,000.00 3 Citto, R. 3,000.00 3 Djurkovic, Z. 6,250.00 3 Domagala, S. J. 3,000.00 3 Fusco, A. 6,250.00 3 Geritano, F. E. 4,334.80 3 Giancotti, M. 4,166.67 3 Graf, H. J. 3,000.00 3 Grossman, J. 3,000.00 3 Hogan, R. 2,966.94 3 Kelly, E. R. 2,000.00 3 Lerner, H. 2,935.86 3 Lintz, R. E. 2,932.78 3 Lopez, E. 3,125.00 3 Mayzik, J. J. 1,990.00 3 Mazza, E. 3,000.00 3 Mazzarella, G. A. 3,000.00 3 Oser, H. 3,000.00 3 Pace, J. L. 3,000.00 3 Santa Maria, M. V. 3,000.00 3 Schukin, H. 3,020.25 3 Sciara, L. L. 3,000.00 3 Slater, W. 3,000.00 3 Smolik, E. S. 3,000.00 3 Squitieri, L. M. 3,000.00 3 Troy, J. P. 3,000.00 3 Versace, A. 3,000.00 3 Weill, H. 3,000.00 3 Yellin, S. 3,000.00 4 Knapp, R. A. 3,000.00 4 Rustemeyer, G. L. 3,000.00 6 Allen, E. 3,000.00 6 Chaloux, R. J. 2,983.87 6 Frost, J. D. 3,000.00 6 McAndrew, J. F. 3,000.00 6 Nordstrom, C. E. 2,948.00 6 Salomaa, E. 2,954.37 7 Hinckley, N. R. 1,428.00 8 Geiger, V. E. 2,950.39 8 Murphy, H. A. 6,250.00 8 Roy, R. B. 3,046.00 8 Rusch, L. C. 3,000.00 9 Banning, J. 3,000.009 Boyle, J. P. 2,940.79 9 Burton, F. W. 3,000.00

9 Campbell, J. J. 3,000.00 9 Griffin, D. J. 3,000.00 9 Hammer, F. 3,000.00 9 Hlady, S. F. 2,950.39 9 Nielsen, B. M. 3,000.00 9 Peppard, G. E. 3,000.00 9 Rossow, F. P. 3,000.00 9 Stich, V. E. 3,000.00 9 White, R. P. 6,250.00 9 Widick, J. M. 3,000.00 11 Backe, L. E. 3,000.00 11 Berry, J. A. 3,100.00 11 Brio, R. J. 2,954.00 11 Clark, D. 2,937.59 11 Drew, D. S. 3,632.98 11 Evans, H. G. 2,975.64 11 Gomez, W. 3,000.00 11 Gray, E. T. 2,752.00 11 Jeffries, J. J. 1,332.00 11 Lippincott, D. S. 2,858.12 11 Mercado, D. 1,000.00 11 Reynolds, H. A. 3,000.00 11 Rickabaugh, W. E. 2,937.58 11 Sees, W. E. 2,911.41 11 Spittler, R. A. 2,942.00 11 Treder, W. A. 2,824.00 12 Smith, G. K. 3,000.00 13 Edwards, D. L. 2,864.76 13 Short, J. E. 2,856.00 18 Boyce, H. W. 3,000.00 18 Stevens, D. L. 3,000.00 18 Wild, R. P. 3,000.00 20 Allen, L. W. 3,000.00 20 Brown, C. J. 3,000.00 20 Miller, J. C. 3,000.00 24 Bush, A. T. 6,250.00 24 Hadley, F. R. 3,000.00 25 Hautsch, R. F. 3,000.00 25 Kurka, C. 6,250.00 25 Sapienza, D. J. 3,125.00 25 Warren, G. E. 3,000.00 26 Dean, J. A. 5,178.54 26 Lang, O. S. 2,936.00 26 Martz, G. A. 2,800.00 26 Owens, K. E. 4,830.01 26 Price, D. E. 3,000.00 32 Miller, J. D. 3,000.00 34 Schuely, R. A. 6,250.00 38 Dark, G. 2,937.59 38 Odonnell, C. L. 3,000.00 40 Traval, F. W. 3,000.00 42 Danylow, P. H. 3,000.00 43 Dodge, D. H. 2,960.88 43 Stenson, J. W. 2,854.36 45 Norton, P. L. 3,000.00 46 Stewart, G. G. 3,000.00 46 Vettlin, A. C. 3,000.00 46 Widger, R. A. 740.39 48 Hood, R. A. 3,000.00 48 Powell, M. C. 2,946.00 48 Rushton, M. J. 3,000.00 51 Aaron, J. F. 3,125.00 51 Stauffer, C. R. 3,000.00

51 Wallen, J. R. 5,568.22 53 Bolding, E. T. 2,891.18 55 Thomas, D. W. 3,000.00 58 Brough, R. E. 3,000.00 58 Clay, W. A. 3,125.00 58 Diana, N. R. 6,250.00 58 Holland, L. K. 6,250.00 58 Holliday, A. 6,250.00 58 Hukill, R. D. 3,000.00 58 Lezotte, R. J. 3,000.00 58 Ostrow, F. E. 2,814.00 58 Solovey, W. 2,940.79 58 Zahm, C. T. 2,937.58 58 Zapoli, W. 3,000.00 60 Besier, R. R. 3,091.04 60 Knibbe, R. L. 3,000.00 60 Stewart, C. H. 3,000.00 66 Bartkowiak, H. F. 3,000.00 66 Childers, E. W. 3,000.00 66 Hood, J. W. 3,000.00 66 Peschon, W. R. 3,000.00 66 Vandendries, F. R. 2,940.00 68 Livingston, M. G. 3,000.00 68 Martinez, G. A. 1,000.00 68 Thomas, L. J. 6,250.00 71 Bibb, R. F. 2,083.34 76 Celmer, M. H. 2,934.00 77 Huguenin, J. E. 6,250.00 77 Johnson, W. R. 3,000.00 77 Jones, L. J. 2,940.00 77 Kottkey, F. 3,000.00 77 Webb, R. H. 3,000.00 77 White, B. W. 2,937.50 80 Sheppard, E. 3,000.00 84 Burke, H. E. 2,950.39 84 Shirley, G. H. 3,000.00 86 Blair, R. L. 2,083.33 86 Brown, V. M. 3,000.00 86 Rodwell, R. J. 3,000.00 96 Connor, W. A. 3,000.00 96 Doherty, M. T. 3,000.00 96 Provo, D. W. 3,000.00 98 Brandhof, R. G. 2,928.00 98 Howe, E. J. 6,250.00 98 Stade, H. R. 1,000.00 99 Beaulieu, J. L. 3,000.00 99 Smith, V. J. 3,000.00 100 Monahan, M. M. 6,250.00 100 Roberts, T. O. 3,000.00 102 Darr, T. G. 3,000.00 102 Roark, P. D. 3,000.00 102 Saraco, M. 3,000.00 102 Stys, R. C. 2,880.00 103 Kennedy, A. J. 3,000.00 103 Kulakowski, V. R. 3,000.00 103 Meo, J. B. 2,945.86 103 Sullivan, R. D. 6,250.00 103 Wilson, S. R. 6,250.00 105 Mattice, R. G. 6,250.00 105 Woltman, R. 3,000.00 109 Cornwall, A. B. 3,000.00 109 Lenaghan, J. E. 2,826.43 110 Hayes, K. F. 2,941.59

110 Larson, R. T. 2,953.99 110 Scherer, J. R. 2,947.19 110 Vandeventer, E. E. 3,000.00 111 Brown, C. J. 2,912.00 112 Meyers, G. D. 12,500.00 113 Glesener, N. P. 2,984.16 121 Corcoran, L. L. 3,000.00 124 Coburn, E. T. 3,000.00 124 Cox, J. W. 3,000.00 124 Gordon, K. E. 3,000.00 124 Stanfield, G. G. 2,814.00 124 Stevenson, E. 2,775.00 125 Dorsey, H. A. 3,000.00 125 Foltz, T. M. 6,250.00 125 Gill, F. K. 2,912.00 125 Linn, J. P. 2,925.58 125 Newell, G. W. 3,000.00 125 Osborne, C. E. 3,000.00 125 Stevens, J. J. 3,000.00 125 Stupfel, E. J. 962.66 125 Taylor, W. N. 2,948.79 126 Bojarcheck, J. F. 3,000.00 126 Criswell, R. C. 3,000.00 126 Faingnaert, J. C. 3,000.00 126 Herb, C. M. 2,940.79 126 Mansfield, C. 3,000.00 126 Williamson, R. E. 3,000.00 130 Casanova, J. B. 3,000.00 130 Lagarde, M. E. 6,250.00 134 Clemons, B. E. 2,945.19 134 Czarny, E. V. 6,250.00 134 Davis, D. B. 1,500.00 134 Eirich, V. H. 3,000.00 134 Elliott, R. G. 3,000.00 134 Indovina, M. J. 3,796.57 134 Kane, D. J. 3,091.18 134 Koziarz, J. J. 3,000.00 134 Labarbera, J. 3,000.00 134 Lukes, R. 3,000.00 134 McLaughlin, R. P. 3,000.00 134 Mostaccio, F. 3,000.00 134 O’Brien, R. A. 3,000.00 134 Olsen, H. A. 3,000.00 134 Packer, J. 3,000.00 134 Rankin, G. F. 2,934.00 134 Rembowicz, J. H. 3,000.00 134 Schrandt, W. C. 2,960.46 134 Vitello, S. A. 2,968.08 134 Vodrazka, V. F. 3,000.00 134 Witte, H. F. 2,840.00 134 Youell, R. A. 3,000.00 136 Booth, W. G. 2,932.78 136 Butts, M. B. 6,250.00 136 Fuller, R. V. 1,000.00 136 Harris, C. H. 6,250.00 136 Jones, L. B. 6,250.00 136 Morris, P. A. 6,250.00 136 Stephens, J. M. 6,250.00 145 McLaughlin, T. D. 3,000.00 145 Tomasson, J. F. 3,000.00 150 Bousson, J. 3,000.00 153 Luke, T. 3,000.00 153 Phillips, D. 3,000.00

Local Surname Amount Local Surname Amount Local Surname Amount Local Surname Amount

INMEMORIAMPBF Death Claims Approved for Payment in May 2006


153 Schmucker, I. E. 600.00 159 Deneen, D. W. 1,968.00 159 Kleisch, H. W. 6,250.00 159 Michaelis, L. F. 3,000.00 159 Theobald, G. 3,000.00 163 Derenfeld, R. E. 2,944.39 164 Raab, R. A. 6,250.00 164 Tarullo, R. G. 3,000.00 164 Theuret, R. C. 4,031.16 175 Lee, E. A. 3,000.00 175 Minter, E. H. 2,888.00 175 Sasnette, M. L. 3,000.00 176 Ahramovich, S. 5,490.50 176 Jameson, R. R. 4,001.00 176 Slifer, J. A. 4,617.00 176 Swanson, E. C. 3,000.00 177 Cancilla, F. 3,000.00 177 Keene, R. C. 3,000.00 191 Bailey, A. L. 5,578.00 194 Barnes, M. N. 3,000.00 194 Beaty, H. M. 3,000.00 197 Doering, H. W. 3,000.00 206 Johnson, A. J. 3,000.00 210 Evans, C. R. 3,000.00 212 Beiderhake, C. H. 2,000.00 212 Grooms, G. D. 12,500.00 212 Rothert, W. J. 3,000.00 223 Morano, F. D. 3,000.00 230 Miklic, S. 6,250.00 233 Sundberg, R. W. 3,000.00 236 Rourke, E. J. 3,000.00 236 Seney, C. A. 3,000.00 237 Shomers, T. G. 3,000.00 252 Packard, L. D. 3,000.00 257 Polly, P. P. 2,906.00 258 Stanley, R. 2,961.36 265 Rogers, B. D. 6,250.00 275 Stel, E. G. 3,000.00 278 Krafka, C. E. 3,000.00 288 Davis, K. D. 2,941.75292 Anderson, D. E. 2,800.80 292 Kelley, P. W. 2,951.37 292 Mathiowetz, A. L. 2,950.39 292 Oliva, G. H. 2,924.00 292 Westerlund, D. O. 3,000.00 295 Barthol, J. P. 6,250.00 300 Aiken, E. H. 3,000.00 301 Davis, R. V. 3,000.00 302 Burlison, G. L. 3,000.00 302 Holcomb, R. J. 2,918.00 302 Welsh, J. H. 2,922.50 304 Thompson, M. L. 3,000.00 309 Cushing, T. F. 2,926.00 313 Lattanzi, I. 3,000.00 317 McCoy, O. M. 2,940.00 317 Ratliff, A. L. 2,667.16 329 McLendon, C. D. 3,000.00 332 Jackson, J. F. 3,000.00 332 Smith, K. L. 3,000.00 340 Barnard, L. L. 2,904.00 340 Carlsen, R. E. 3,000.00 340 Karlowsky, A. A. 2,933.58 340 Kernan, J. D. 3,000.00 340 Peck, E. B. 2,971.94 342 Gravley, D. D. 5,961.40 345 Manry, W. A. 3,000.00 349 Angles, M. L. 3,000.00 349 Dickson, R. R. 3,000.00 349 Ramsey, J. H. 3,000.00 349 Resha, E. V. 6,250.00 349 Wexler, M. 3,000.00 349 Wooddall, W. 3,000.00 351 Amadei, A. 2,849.19

351 Anderson, E. 3,000.00 351 Schulde, J. 3,000.00 352 Harpster, J. P. 3,000.00 353 Barnes, B. W. 3,000.00 353 Jones, C. E. 6,250.00 353 Kelly, W. J. 3,000.00 353 Paterson, W. R. 3,000.00 353 Tracey, R. A. 3,000.00 354 Gray, O. C. 2,000.00 354 Murray, F. E. 3,000.00 354 Tibbitts, K. A. 6,250.00 357 Cannon, M. K. 2,921.98 357 Clontz, E. W. 3,000.00 357 Jewett, L. P. 2,871.96 357 Webb, P. A. 2,961.93 357 Williamson, C. V. 3,000.00 357 Worts, R. B. 2,936.00 364 Bloom, R. E. 2,934.38 364 Deets, M. J. 3,000.00 364 Hedtke, G. W. 3,000.00 369 Albin, E. L. 3,000.00 369 Barker, R. E. 3,000.00 369 Kenney, R. P. 3,000.00 369 Shewmaker, C. W. 3,000.00 369 Smith, J. T. 3,000.00 369 Smith, P. A. 3,000.00 387 Gilbertson, R. 2,951.46 387 Mercado, S. P. 3,000.00 387 Rhyan, J. W. 2,936.50 387 Rutherford, M. F. 3,000.00 388 Ahles, J. R. 2,933.00 388 Hanson, H. C. 2,940.00 401 Graham, M. 3,000.00 405 Barske, D. S. 3,000.00 413 Armero, J. C. 3,125.00 413 Burch, F. C. 3,000.00 424 Kerr, A. W. 6,250.00 424 Laird, C. B. 6,250.00 424 Radis, G. A. 6,250.00 424 Riopel, R. A. 6,250.00 424 Vaugeois, R. M. 6,250.00 424 Wallis, S. R. 4,166.67 428 Jimenez, J. 2,934.12 429 Jennette, F. B. 3,000.00 429 Jones, J. A. 3,000.00 429 Roberts, J. R. 2,774.00 429 Vaden, S. R. 3,428.28 441 Goerlitz, W. P. 3,000.00 441 Hill, R. A. 2,951.99 441 Owens, H. M. 3,000.00 453 Maples, O. E. 3,000.00 453 Smith, R. R. 3,000.00 474 Coates, K. C. 6,250.00 474 Mayfield, J. T. 6,250.00 474 Rhea, T. E. 3,000.00 477 Radford, L. E. 3,000.00 479 Prejean, W. 3,000.00 479 Weldon, J. D. 2,860.00 481 Frakes, I. C. 3,000.00 481 Jackson, G. M. 3,000.00 488 Fraczek, B. 3,000.00 488 Martinsky, W. P. 500.00 494 Leasa, W. 3,000.00 494 Schneider, E. A. 3,000.00 499 Hagarty, P. L. 3,000.00 503 Thorpe, D. A. 3,000.00 505 Harrison, W. R. 3,000.00 505 Parish, K. R. 6,250.00 511 Langford, C. R. 3,000.00 520 Hastings, W. M. 3,000.00 527 Juarez, P. R. 6,250.00 531 Kamont, R. P. 6,250.00 532 Colton, D. D. 3,000.00

538 McDonald, J. L. 3,549.46 540 Netzly, R. E. 3,000.00 557 Hubert, A. J. 3,000.00 558 Bain, J. W. 3,000.00 558 Dugless, W. O. 3,000.00 558 Glover, U. L. 5,719.60 558 Holland, E. W. 3,000.00 567 McBreairty, V. H. 3,000.00 568 Karcich, A. E. 3,000.00 568 Panga, A. 2,948.00 569 Fontaine, J. J. 2,000.00 569 Mancuso, V. A. 3,000.00 569 Manroe, D. C. 3,000.00 569 Ohlig, G. H. 3,000.00 569 Sumber, M. 3,000.00 570 Holbrook, M. L. 3,000.00 570 Jones, B. H. 3,000.00 576 Amrhein, T. S. 3,000.00 577 Tomaras, A. C. 3,000.00 584 Coleman, G. K. 3,000.00 586 Williams, D. W. 6,250.00 595 Sudduth, S. C. 3,000.00 596 Berry, D. R. 3,000.00 601 Johnson, R. R. 2,945.59 601 Swaite, J. W. 12,500.00 602 Hobson, B. W. 3,000.00 602 Mixon, B. L. 3,000.00 605 Millis, W. L. 2,790.00 607 Rebuck, C. H. 2,955.72 611 Fox, C. K. 3,000.00 613 Cooper, C. A. 1,479.93 613 Montgomery, M. R. 3,000.00 613 Reynolds, L. M. 2,083.33 613 Shadix, J. W. 3,000.00 617 Kranc, J. M. 2,947.19 617 Losavio, J. R. 2,940.00 617 Quilici, E. O. 3,000.00 617 Siler, R. S. 3,000.00 633 Jesel, E. G. 3,000.00 640 Bell, D. R. 1,500.00 640 Burson, J. B. 2,965.97 640 Butler, G. E. 2,935.98 640 Cassells, C. D. 2,937.18 640 Deleon, J. T. 6,250.00 640 Dijulio, V. R. 3,000.00 640 Hewett, D. E. 6,250.00 640 McNamara, M. R. 3,000.00 640 Zittle, C. R. 3,000.00 647 Covington, A. E. 3,000.00 649 Strader, J. L. 3,000.00 659 Francis, C. M. 12,500.00 659 Millar, D. M. 3,000.00 659 Phillips, R. E. 3,000.00 661 Beck, L. E. 4,714.73 661 Brown, C. E. 3,000.00 666 Rigney, J. G. 6,250.00 667 Louderback, W. D. 3,000.00 668 Siegfried, J. P. 5,763.85 676 Williams, T. E. 3,000.00 681 Smothers, E. P. 3,000.00 683 Cox, D. E. 3,498.73 697 Mayor, T. J. 3,782.08 697 Pavich, N. A. 2,977.42 701 Ham, I. J. 2,978.37 702 Draper, R. M. 3,000.00 702 Grammer, N. L. 12,500.00 702 Johnson, J. V. 2,950.39 702 Montgomery, W. H. 3,000.00 702 Schaber, H. W. 3,000.00 702 Stanley, V. G. 3,000.00 702 Wilkerson, E. L. 3,000.00 712 Gamble, R. J. 3,000.00 712 Ruhe, E. C. 3,000.00

716 Davis, K. T. 6,250.00 716 Israel, J. L. 3,000.00 716 Lawrence, H. R. 3,000.00 716 Levine, D. S. 6,250.00 716 Rosenberger, B. G. 3,000.00 716 Ruvalcaba, H. M. 6,250.00 716 Wilkins, E. H. 6,250.00 728 Mounts, F. F. 2,951.00 728 Stocker, R. N. 6,250.00 738 Duncan, T. M. 2,936.50 738 Tiller, R. D. 3,000.00 743 Hack, L. A. 3,000.00 743 Head, A. S. 2,920.00 743 Howresko, J. 3,000.00 743 Silverman, P. 3,000.00 744 Urbanski, B. A. 3,000.00 756 Hale, J. L. 3,000.00 760 Bailey, J. 3,000.00 760 Hall, G. 3,000.00 760 Kirby, R. L. 2,939.18 760 Livengood, J. R. 2,766.34 760 Poston, W. A. 3,000.00 760 Price, J. R. 6,250.00 769 Merrill, D. E. 6,250.00 769 Waite, H. E. 3,000.00 776 Browning, S. C. 2,763.16 776 Meeks, C. A. 3,000.00 812 Plankenhorn, F. R. 3,000.00 814 Rooks, H. E. 2,951.30 816 Godsey, L. R. 3,000.00 816 Kelley, D. 3,000.00 816 Vaughn, W. H. 3,000.00 852 Hicks, O. J. 3,000.00 861 Abshire, L. J. 5,200.30 861 Guidry, T. G. 3,000.00 861 Naquin, S. B. 3,000.00 890 Gerard, H. E. 3,000.00 890 Hahn, J. E. 3,000.00 890 Norder, C. A. 2,971.95 898 Simpson, F. H. 3,000.00 903 Denison, O. J. 975.34 903 Freeman, J. C. 3,000.00 903 Ward, R. N. 12,500.00 903 Williams, H. R. 3,000.00 915 Allan, D. K. 6,250.00 915 Arnett, R. H. 3,000.00 915 Bull, L. R. 6,250.00 915 Hayes, H. H. 3,000.00 915 Lemanski, W. H. 6,250.00 915 Sampson, R. N. 3,000.00 932 Orynicz, J. 2,946.00 932 Pope, R. L. 3,000.00 952 Franks, G. A. 3,000.00 952 Wright, J. C. 2,942.79 965 Reed, D. N. 2,400.00 970 Clark, M. W. 2,944.00 970 Williams, E. H. 3,000.00 993 Bock, K. D. 1,475.99 995 Boyd, W. D. 2,960.00 995 Cutrer, R. W. 2,916.00 995 Edmonston, W. D. 3,000.00 995 McBride, L. W. 3,000.00 995 McEachern, M. 6,250.00 995 Vosburg, M. F. 6,250.00 1024 Goodwin, P. M. 3,000.00 1077 Byrd, M. L. 2,941.41 1208 Mew, J. R. 3,000.00 1220 Crum, P. C. 3,000.00 1245 Buzanowski, E. P. 3,000.00 1245 Druley, N. E. 3,000.00 1245 Olson, T. L. 3,000.00

Local Surname Amount Local Surname Amount Local Surname Amount Local Surname Amount

[Due to space constraints, we will publishadditional names in the next issue.]

Printed in the U.S.A.

The National Safety Council indicates that elec-

trical hazards contribute to at least one workplace

fatality every day.

Electricity is the cause of at least 140,000 fires

each year, resulting in over 400 deaths, 400

injuries and over $1.6 billion in property damage.

Total economic losses due to electrical hazards

are estimated to exceed $4 billion annually.

The Electrical Safety Foundation International

(ESFI) is dedicated to reducing electrically related

deaths and injuries by providing educational out-

reach programs focusing on both the public and

the workplace.

For more information on the National Electrical

Safety Month campaign and the Electrical Safety

Foundation International, visit the ESFI Web site

at www.esfi.org. 1

The National Safety Council indicates that elec-

trical hazards contribute to at least one workplace

fatality every day.

Electricity is the cause of at least 140,000 fires

each year, resulting in over 400 deaths, 400

injuries and over $1.6 billion in property damage.

Total economic losses due to electrical hazards

are estimated to exceed $4 billion annually.

The Electrical Safety Foundation International

(ESFI) is dedicated to reducing electrically related

deaths and injuries by providing educational out-

reach programs focusing on both the public and

the workplace.

For more information on the National Electrical

Safety Month campaign and the Electrical Safety

Foundation International, visit the ESFI Web site

at www.esfi.org. 1

May 2006 May 2006 · 2006. 5. 5. · May 2006 Volume 105 Number 4 FOR THE LATEST NEWS VISIT IBEW ®...

Documents

Transcript of May 2006 May 2006 · 2006. 5. 5. · May 2006 Volume 105 Number 4 FOR THE LATEST NEWS VISIT IBEW ®...