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The flat wind-swept plains of theDakotas are rich enough in windpower to meet half of our nation’senergy needs, while the sunny deserts

of Nevada could yield enough solar energy topower much of the Western United States.

But without thousands of miles of newhigh-voltage power lines than can bring it tothe areas where it is needed the most—thecities and suburbs—the United States’ richsupplies of renewable energy, found mainlyin rural and remote parts of the country, willremain untapped.

“Modernizing the transmission grid isthe major challenge we face to greening oureconomy,” said International PresidentEdwin D. Hill.

“The quicker we can build a network toget renewable energy to where it’s going tobe used, the faster we can meet our goals inreducing carbon emissions,” saidConstruction Department InternationalRepresentative Jack Heyer, who helps moni-tor the green energy sector for the IBEW.

The problem, says Utility DepartmentDirector Jim Hunter, is that our current elec-trical grid system, which in many cases datesback before the 1950s, is not designed tohandle large loads over long distances. “It’slike the connection between the D.C. gridand the Baltimore one is a one-way dirtroad,” he said. “If we want to get wind powerfrom Montana to Chicago, we’re going toneed to replace it with a six-lane highway.”

The grid’s limitations are already creat-

ing power backlogs that are restricting thegrowth of renewable energy. In Californiamore than 30,000 megawatts of solar energyare unable to connect to the grid, while morethan 40,000 megawatts of wind power goes towaste in the Great Lakes region each year,according to a new joint report from theAmerican Wind Energy Association and theSolar Energy Industries Association. “Themassive deployment of renewable generationenvisioned by President Obama cannot occurwithout a renewed investment in our coun-try’s transmission infrastructure.”

President Obama’s stimulus packageincludes more than $10 billion in funding for

new transmission projects across the UnitedStates, but the money won’t have muchimpact without guaranteeing utility compa-nies will have the proper authority to buildnew lines.

The main obstacle is the fragmentednumber of state and local authorities whichcan prevent the siting and construction ofnew power lines across the state boundaries.

According to a recent report issued bythe Center for American Progress, aWashington D.C., think tank, building a sin-gle transmission line can involve separateproceedings in multiple jurisdictions, addingyears of delay before construction can evenbegin.

To streamline the approval process, inMarch Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid(D-Nev.) introduced legislation giving fed-eral regulators greater power to approve theroutes of transmission lines. “We cannot let231 state regulators hold up progress,” Reidtold the Wall Street Journal.

Reid’s Clean Renewable Energy andEconomic Development Act would give thefederal government the authority to approveinterstate siting if local delays threaten theconstruction of new transmission lines thatwill connect renewable energy producingregions with the rest of the country. Reid’slegislation will likely become incorporatedinto a larger energy bill that is expected to beintroduced by Senate Democrats this spring.

In addition to more miles of transmis-sion lines, clean-energy supporters are push-ing for investment in smart grid technology.

A “smart grid” is an assortment ofadvanced computer technologies that helpmake the grid more productive and cost effi-cient. This includes advanced sensors whichallow utilities to automatically shift power

2Slump trumps construction growth

3Members fix bad wiring in Mideast

4Boston snags wage violatorsContractors attain prized OSHA status

5North of 49°

6Organizing Wire

7Circuits

8Local Lines

15Changes in communications program

16Green energy potential

17In Memoriam

18Joint officers’ editorial

19LettersWho We Are

I n t e r n a t i o n a l B r o t h e r h o o d o f E l e c t r i c a l W o r k e r s Vol. 3 | No. 4 | April 2009

Green Energy Supporters Call forTransmission Grid Overhaul

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Without thousands of miles of new transmissionlines, the United States won’t reach its renewableenergy goals, say green power advocates.

GREEN ENERGY continued on page 2

ment in a revamped grid system will necessi-tate increased support by federal and stategovernments for job training and recruitment.

Despite the political challenges andhigh price tag of a 21st century grid, support-ers say that the investment is long overdueand well worth the money – for the economyand the environment.

“The benefits of this kind of investmentby our generation will far exceed the costs,”said American Wind Energy Association CEODenise Bode. �

loads during times of highdemand and smart meters thatgive consumers daily updateson their power usage, allowingthem to set their energy levelsto decrease or increase depend-ing on the fluctuation of energyprices.

Smart grid technology alsoallows small green-energy pro-ducers, such as rooftop solarpanels and plug-in electric cars,to sell their excess power backto the grid.

“It’s like an Internet forutilities,” said National JointApprenticeship TrainingCommittee Executive DirectorMike Callanan.

More than $4 million of thestimulus money is slated toencourage utilities to work on smart grids.

Rebuilding a new transmission infra-structure will mean jobs – lots of them.Laying new lines would require tens of thou-sands of new linemen; wiring a smart grid isexpected to create 75,000 jobs in one yearalone, according to an alliance of smart gridadvocates. If those new jobs are good-paying,union ones, they can go a long way in leadingour nation to economic recovery, Hunter said.

But with the shortage of skilled utilityworkers already reaching crisis level, invest-

For the first time since data of its kindhas been collected, IBEW membersworking in construction have seentheir industry density increase while

their share of market wages also improved, arecent analysis shows.

In a report released by the NationalLabor Management Cooperative Committeein February, the most current statistics onunion density in the construction branchshow that the number of IBEW membersrose by more than 10,000 in 2007 – a 1-per-cent rise in the total number of employeesin the industry. At the same time, totalindustry wages leapt from $31.2 billion to$33.7 billion between 2006 and 2007. Duringthat period, IBEW members commanded anincreasing share of the industry wages, from35 to 36 percent of the total wage share.

This means that the IBEW is organizingmore members who are garnering a risingamount of wages in the construction sector.

“When you’re talking about billions ofdollars, a 1 percent increase is very substan-tial,” said Buddy Satterfield, Special Assistantto IBEW International President Edwin D.Hill for Membership Development. Satterfieldcredits the uptick to locals that are using cre-ative tools to keep competitive and break intopreviously impenetrable markets.

While that 2007 data are encouraging,they don’t mask the economic problems fac-ing many members today. The constructionindustry has taken severe hits in the eco-nomic downturn, and many IBEW membersare out of work.

“But though the pie has shrunken fornow, the research shows that we’ve gotten abigger slice overall,” Satterfield said. “Thiswill put us in a better position when theelectrical construction markets improve.”

That’s what Atlanta Local 613 BusinessManager Gene O’Kelley is waiting for. “I’vegot 320 members on the bench, and I’mtelling people how important it is to tightentheir family budgets while we weather thiscrisis,” O’Kelley said.

He cited frozen credit as one of thegreatest challenges his membership faces.Once that credit starts to thaw, he antici-pates numerous projects that have been puton hold will get rolling and put membersback to work. “Like any industry, construc-tion has peaks and valleys. We’re in a valleyright now, but I see us climbing out of it byyear’s end.”

For O’Kelley, who represents membersin a right-to-work state, employing somefresh tactics has helped break into the con-struction markets in the area. Adjusting jour-neyman-to-apprentice ratios has allowed thelocal to stay competitive by decreasing theoverall cost of man-hours while keepingwages for members high. This pulls morejobs to the union side and allows for thegrowth seen in the 2007 data.

Despite the present dismal forecast,IBEW International President Edwin D. Hillsaid that the statistics signify a trend thatcould look even better for the union in theupcoming years.

“Given the extraordinary economic chal-lenges facing our industry, it’s imperativethat we continue to organize not only work-ers and employers, but the actual work,” Hillsaid. “The fact that our members preformedan increasing share of the total electricalwork in 2007 means more job opportunitiesfor IBEW electricians down the line.” �

2 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � April 2009

IBEWHourPower.comYour “IBEW TV Network” delivered online

IBEWHourPower.com is your online source for IBEWnews and information.Right now on IBEWHourPower.com, hear from new Secretary ofLabor Hilda Solis during her visit to IBEW Local 349 in Miami.Solis wanted to check out the IBEW to see the future of America’swork force – and there to greet her was President Ed Hill.

ElectricTV.net is an online TV show for you, thebuilding owners and contractors.We talk to a well-known electrical contractor about what ownerscan do to save money and time by bringing their mechanicalsystems online. We then expand the topic, and bring it full circleby exposing the need for a new, updated electrical “smart grid.”

Green Energycontinued from page 1

Construction BranchSees Growth, But MarketSlump Today’s Reality

Credit: Center for American Progress

w w w. i b e w. o r g T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � April 2009 3

The Army is considering charging twounnamed KBR supervisors and the companyat large with criminal liability. No chargeshave been filed yet.

IBEW members who have worked forthe contractor in Iraq have helped shine alight on the myriad problems at KBR-runfacilities. Portland, Ore., Local 48 memberDebbie Crawford worked in Baghdad’s GreenZone from 2004 to 2006. She testified beforea Senate Democratic Policy Committee hear-ing last year about the poor management andshoddy quality of work she saw being per-formed by unlicensed, barely-trained employ-ees working alongside licensed IBEWelectricians. Maseth’s mother, Cheryl Harris,also testified (see “IBEW Urges ElectricalSafety at U.S. Bases,” October 2008, TheElectrical Worker).

“Some of us who went to Iraq were sostunned that we couldn’t in good consciencemove forward without trying to right somewrongs we saw on the worksites,” Crawfordsaid. “I feel strongly that it was our testi-monies that got the ball rolling on investigat-ing KBR’s actions abroad.”

Since then, Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.)and Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) have pressed thePentagon and the Army to conduct assess-ments of KBR-run facilities. “We must notonly ensure that full accountability is servedin this case, but that the Pentagon is alsodoing all that it can to prevent the futureelectrocutions of American personnel in bothIraq and Afghanistan,” Casey said.

Crawford warned members consideringwhether to sign up. “People need to go overthere fully informed, and know what toexpect – that they’re frequently on their

own,” Crawford said. Appearing on MSNBC’s“The Rachel Maddow Show” March 9,Crawford told 2 million viewers about watersystems yielding high voltage rates thatshocked many troops and civilians and howher foreman was not even an electrician.

“Things may not be perfect, but they areturning around,” says Savannah, Ga., Local508 journeyman wireman Henry Blount. Heworked for KBR in the Green Zone from 2004to 2006 then served as an electrical auditorfor Versar International Assistance Projects –a Colorado-based company – in Iraq. Hisrecent duties included eliminating hazardsin base infrastructures.

Blount was reassigned to Afghanistanlast month. He says that while challengesare considerable, he appreciates the oppor-tunity to help instruct Iraqi and Afghan elec-tricians as they strive to make a better lifefor themselves.

“The IBEW brothers and sisters overhere all support the troops, and we all sup-port a safe work environment,” Blount said.“I feel confident I’m helping make the situa-tion better each time I step on the job site.”

For Brashears, going to Iraq allows himto put the Code of Excellence to work in achanging and challenging environment.

“The fact that KBR turned to theIBEW when they needed more licensedelectricians shows what a safety-con-scious, efficient and professional workforce our union has,” Brashears said. “I’mdeeply saddened by the troop deaths andaccidents, and I hope some military fami-lies will rest easier knowing that theirloved ones are in the very capable handsof the IBEW.” �

After Base Electrocutions, IBEW Members HelpImprove Safety in Mideast

Boston Local 103 journeyman wire-man Kevin Brashears was fearful ofbecoming another statistic: onemore hardworking family man vic-

timized by the economic free fall. But after ayear of either sitting on the bench or scrap-ing by with stop-and-go work – and facingforeclosure on his mortgage – Brashears hitpay dirt in an unlikely place.

In March, Brashears shipped out to Iraqto work for nonunion military contractorKBR. He stands to make more than $120,000for his 12-month commitment. At the sametime, he looks forward to the chance toimprove safety for the troops stationed atKBR-run facilities, which have been plaguedby shoddy electrical wiring, leading to manytroop deaths.

“I’m trying to do right by my family andat the same time help serve my country,”Brashears said.

Mired in scandal and facing critical heatfrom U.S. investigators, KBR – the notoriousanti-union company that won Iraq contractsin a no-bid process under the Bush adminis-tration – is now attempting an about-face.Greater government scrutiny and heightenedexposure are forcing the contractor to recruita skilled work force, as opposed to outsourc-ing work to Iraqi locals or unskilled third-country nationals. The result: KBRrepresentatives are signing up licensed elec-

tricians in the U.S. at a rapid clip, many ofwhom are out-of-work IBEW members.

“For some members who are unem-ployed right now, working for KBR in Iraqlooks like a pretty good deal,” said BostonLocal 103 Business Manager Mike Monahan.He cited the high pay and numerous stalledlocal construction projects as reasons morethan 25 of the local’s members are slated tohead out to Iraq. “So far, the relationshipbetween KBR and our local has been good,and those members who signed up are happyto have the work.”

But even as IBEW members travel toIraq to fix the problems, the company contin-ues to pay the price for its past failures.

Following 18 troop deaths at U.S. bases –many of which are run by KBR – Army investi-gators in January recommended the manner ofdeath for Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth be changedfrom “accidental” to “negligent homicide.”Maseth was electrocuted in January 2008while taking a shower at his Baghdad base.

The Defense Contract ManagementAgency has documented 231 shock incidentsfrom September 2006 through July of lastyear – seven months after Maseth’s death.The agency said in its 45-page report thatKBR “failed to meet the basic requirementsto identify life-threatening conditions ontanks, water pumps, electrical outlets andelectrical panels.”

Savannah, Ga., Local 508 journeyman wireman Henry Blount, right, helped wire U.S. bases in Iraqand Afghanistan.

With 1,300 members on the bench,Boston Local 103 is stepping upefforts to keep nonunion con-tractors from undercutting the

wages and benefits that are the products ofyears of struggle. The local’s compliance ofprevailing wage laws is winning big results.

“We vigorously enforce all the laws onthe books,” says Business Manager MikeMonahan. “Our key tool is reaching out tononunion workers and making them aware ofwhat they are entitled to.”

In February, open shop electrical con-tractor George Wattendorf was fined $30,000and forced to pay $151,000 to six formeremployees who were improperly paid on anumber of public works projects, including aLynn police station.

In April, a complaint against SignetElectronics Systems, a nonunion control sys-tem and fire alarm-installation businessresulted in $1,700 in fines and back wages ofnearly $4,000.

Wattendorf pleaded guilty in SuffolkSuperior Court to charges that included fail-ing to keep accurate payroll records, and fail-ing to pay his employees prevailing wagesand overtime in after being indicted by agrand jury last year. He and his company areconstrained from contracting or working onpublic projects for one year.

Massachusetts Attorney General MarthaCoakley initiated an investigation in 2007

after a complaint from a Wattendorfemployee. Bill Lewis, one of the nonunionworkers who has since entered Local 103’sapprentice program, was called by the attor-ney general’s office to corroborate reports ofimproper pay.

Wattendorf asked Lewis not to cooper-ate, but he consulted a cousin who is anattorney, decided to answer questions andlater testified before the grand jury.

“Leaving the nonunion contractorbehind and joining Local 103 was a move Ishould have made years ago,” says Lewis, agraduate of Norwich University who hasworked in the electrical trade for eight years.“I get regular pay raises now without havingto go in an office and tell the boss how muchI deserve more money because of the favors Ihave done for him,” says Lewis.

Local 103’s compliance efforts have beenhoned through years of experience. First, theunion monitors all nonunion contractors whowork on jobs covered by state and nationalprevailing wage laws. Then, the local submitsa Freedom of Information Act request for pay-roll records from those projects, assemblingthe information in a database.

The local sends out letters jointlyaddressed to all of the nonunion workersand their spouses. The letters congratu-lates them on being hired to work on pre-vailing wage jobs. Local 103 remindsrecipients that union and nonunion electri-

cians successfully supported the prevailingwage law after it was threatened by BallotQuestion 2, which was introduced bynonunion employers in 1988 to eliminatethe protective legislation.

Then, Local 103 reports on the hourlywage rate that was declared by theiremployer and asks workers to notify the local

union or a lawyer—whose services are paidfor by the union—if the wages reported don’tmatch the wages received.

“Our method has worked,” saysMonahan. “We get right on the case if work-ers have been cheated; we win their respectand we protect the standards that we havefought so hard to win.” �

4 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � April 2009

Local 103 Compliance Efforts Snag NonunionLawbreakers

IBEW Workers HelpPioneer Industry Safety,Earn Elite OSHA Status

Colorado’s Sturgeon Electric andTennessee’s L.E. Myers Co. – whichemploy hundreds of IBEW membersin seven states – netted industry

firsts when the Department of Laborawarded the companies OSHA’s VoluntaryProtection Program Star Status for exem-plary safety on the job.

Sturgeon and L.E. Myers are the onlyelectrical companies of their kind to begranted such status since OSHA widened itsVPP scope several years ago to includemobile work forces such as construction con-tractors. Awards used to be given only tocompanies operating factories, manufactur-ing and power plants with fixed work forces.

“It feels great to be leading the way insafety,” Denver Local 68 Business ManagerDennis Whalen said. “With VPP status, work-ers, customers and the company all knowthat we have a system in place that is top ofthe line. Our members who worked for itknow it didn’t come easily and that it’s nottaken lightly.”

The oldest and largest electrical con-tractor in Colorado, Sturgeon alreadyboasted a solid reputation for safety on theirinside and outside construction projects.After a lengthy application process, an OSHAevaluation team examined many ofSturgeon’s job sites and crews last April.Members of the team conducted more than60 interviews with employees, managers,supervisors, support personnel and execu-tives at various sites. They pored over safetyrecords, inspected shops and vehicles, andexamined how safeguards are implemented.After passing scrutiny, Sturgeon received itsVPP award last August.

Chattanooga’s L.E. Meyers Co. – whichemploys IBEW members at 11 locals work-ing for the Tennessee Valley Authority –

had already been ahead of the curve insafety for years.

Company leaders in 2001 sought to cre-ate a “safety culture” for their high voltageline work that included trainings in poleclimbing, single person rescue techniquesand other aspects of the trade.

“We always want our members to knowthat they are protected to the best of thecompany’s ability on the job site,” said Local175 Business Manager Barry Key, who repre-sents dozens of members at L.E. Meyers.“Now we have the papers to prove it.” L.E.Meyers was awarded VPP status last summer.

IBEW leaders say that such status notonly reflects strict commitment to safety, buthelps keep members gainfully employed bykeeping contractors competitive in biddingprocesses.

“This award is a powerful tool that wecan use to open doors for the locals,” saidJim Tomaseski, IBEW Safety & HealthDepartment Director. “VPP status shows thatour safety programs are dynamic and thatour workers are taking great leaps in main-taining safety on employers’ property. Whencustomers recognize that, they feel moreinclined to hire union for their projects.”

Both companies are subsidiaries of theMYR Group, headquartered in RollingMeadows, Ill. Sturgeon employs Coloradomembers of Pueblo Local 12; Denver Local 68;Denver Local 111; Colorado Springs Local 113;and Grand Junction Local 969. L.E. Meyersemploys members of New Orleans, Local 130;Chattanooga, Tenn., Local 175; Oak Ridge,Tenn., Local 270; Nashville, Tenn., Local 429;Memphis, Tenn., Local 474; Sheffield, Ala.,Local 558; Knoxville, Tenn., Local 760;Paducah, Ky., Local 816; Corinth and Tupelo,Miss., Local 852; Kingsport, Tenn., Local 934;and Martin, Tenn., Local 1925. �

w w w. i b e w. o r g T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � April 2009 5

season in September. The facility will alsohouse the Hockey Hall of Fame, the oldestand largest archive devoted to the sport inthe world. At the height of construction, itwill employ more than 50 inside wiremen.

For Business Representative CameronCommandant, the greatest strength of theCode is the increased communicationsopened up between employees and contrac-tors. The local has scheduled monthly break-fast meetings with the contractors aboutprogress and problems with the job, whileincreasing the number of unscheduled dis-cussions held on site. “I think both sides feellike the other is listening and understandstheir concerns,” Commandant said. “Onceyou start the conversation, it takes on a lifeof its own.”

The Code of Excellence is also in use atanother major project for Local 353, the GTAYouth Center, a juvenile detention and reha-bilitation facility which is expected to becompleted by summer. The general contrac-tor, Bird Construction, is normally a nonunioncompany, but the Code proved to be such astrong selling point that the IBEW got thework. Currently 70 electricians are on the job.“That’s 70 jobs that we wouldn’t have hadwithout adopting the Code of Excellence,”said Local 353 President Barry Stevens.

The local is in discussions with contrac-tors about making the code an integral partof all future agreements. “It’s a great tool forour contractors to market themselvesbecause it puts the standards we live up to

Le Code d’excellence de la FIOEcompte maintenant de nouveauxadeptes parmi les membres de la sec-tion locale 353 de Toronto, en Ontario.

Les deux premiers projets réalisés sous leseau du Code d’excellence par la sectionlocale 353, ont permis aux membres d’ap-prendre de première main comment ce Codepeut contribuer à améliorer le professionnal-isme au travail et à recouvrer notre part dumarché dans l’industrie de la construction.

Parmi les choses qui leur tiennent leplus à cœur, les Torontois sont avant toutfidèles à l’équipe de hockey professionnellede leur ville, les Maple Leafs. D’où l’impor-tance de cette nouvelle pour les membres dela S.L. 353, lorsque les dirigeants de la S.L.leur ont annoncé qu’ils travailleraient auxnouvelles installations servant à l’entraîne-ment des joueurs de leur équipe.

Travailler sur un tel projet impliquantles Leafs signifie que la section locale estprête à faire des efforts supplémentaires afin

de respecter les normes élevées établies parle Code. «Cela démontre que nous sommessérieux à propos de notre professionnalisme»dit Steven Martin, représentant d’affaires dela section locale 353. Bien que ce projet aitété obtenu par la S.L. avant que le Code nesoit adopté, les membres étaient convaincusqu’en appliquant le Code, ils pourraient enretirer des bénéfices lors de la postulationpour de futurs emplois, en permettant auxentrepreneurs de constater que l’applicationdu Code pouvait améliorer le professionnal-isme et le rendement.

L’ouverture du nouvel Aréna LakeshoreLions, d’une superficie de 260,000 pieds car-rés, qui sera constitué de trois patinoires dedimension réglementaire pour l’entraînementet d’une patinoire de dimension olympique,est prévue pour la prochaine saison d’en-traînement en septembre. L’établissementabritera également le Temple de la renom-mée du hockey, où sont conservées les plusvieilles et les plus grandes archives mondi-

ales consacrées au sport. L’embauche de plusde 50 compagnons électriciens est prévue auplus fort de la construction.

Selon le confrère CameronCommandant, représentant d’affaires, la plusgrande force du Code réside sur le développe-ment des communications plus ouvertesentre les employés et les entrepreneurs. Lasection locale a prévu des déjeuners-causeriemensuels avec les entrepreneurs afin de dis-cuter des progrès et des problèmes au travail,tout en augmentant le nombre d’entretiensimprévus sur les lieux de travail.

“Je crois que les deux parties ont le sen-timent que l’autre est à l’écoute et comprendses préoccupations; il suffit d’entamer la con-versation”, dit-il.

Le Code d’excellence est égalementappliqué sur un autre gros chantier de la S.L.353, au Centre des jeunes du grand Toronto,un établissement de détention juvénile et deréhabilitation dont les travaux devraient êtreterminés avant l’été. L’adoption du Code s’est

avérée tellement “bon vendeur” que l’entre-preneur général Construction Bird, qui n’en-gageait que des travailleurs non-syndiqués, achoisi d’embaucher des membres de la FIOE.Quelque 70 électriciens travaillent présente-ment sur ce chantier. “C’est grâce à l’adop-tion du Code d’excellence que nous avons puobtenir ces 70 emplois” déclare BarryStevens, Président de la S.L. 353.

Des discussions sont en cours entre lasection locale et les entrepreneurs afin quel’adoption du Code devienne partie inté-grante de toutes les prochaines conventionscollectives. “Cela représente un outil promo-tionnel important pour nos entrepreneurscar la promesse de l’application continue desnormes est rédigée sur papier” ajoute lereprésentant Steven Martin.

“Nos membres appliquent déjà cesnormes au travail, alors pourquoi ne pas pro-mouvoir les qualifications qu’ils ontacquises”? conclut Joe Fashion, gérant d’af-faires de la S.L. 353. �

The IBEW’s Code of Excellence haswon new believers among membersof Toronto, Ontario, Local 353. Thelocal’s first two projects done under

the Code of Excellence seal have allowedmembers to witness firsthand how the codecan improve professionalism on the job andregain market share in the constructionindustry.

There are few things Torontonians aremore loyal to than their home town profes-sional hockey team, the Maple Leafs. Sowhen Local 353 found out it would be work-ing on the team’s new training facility, it wasbig news for members.

Working on a project that involves theLeafs means the local was ready to go theextra mile to live up to the high standardsset by the Code. “It said to everyone that weare serious about our professionalism,” saidLocal 353 Business Representative StevenMartin. While the local got the project beforeadopting the Code, members thought itwould help in bidding for future jobs, allow-ing contractors see what the Code can do forprofessionalism and efficiency.

The new 260,000-square-foot LakeshoreLions Arena, which will consist of three regu-lation training rinks and an Olympic size icepad, is expected to open in time for training

North of 49°

Code of Excellence Makes its Debut in Toronto

Au nord du 49° parallèle

Notre Code d’excellence fait ses débuts à Toronto

every day into writing,” Martin said.“Our members already work at these

standards,” said Local 353 Business ManagerJoe Fashion. “Why not promote the skillsthey already possess?” �

More than 100 Toronto, Ontario, Local 353 members went to work on the local’s first two projects doneunder the Code of Excellence seal this winter.

6 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � April 2009

Nebraska Local Welcomes NewMunicipal Members

Pat Gericke didn’t wantto give up her member-ship in Grand Island,Neb., Local 1597’smunicipal bargainingunit when she promotedfrom secretary toadministrative assistantto the city’s utility direc-tor. The city, the birth-place of legendary actorHenry Fonda, consid-

ered her a “confidential” employee, excludedfrom the bargaining unit. But it was commonknowledge that every time Local 1597 nego-tiated a raise, a member of the city councilwould suggest a lower increase for unorgan-ized staffers like Gericke, a 20-yearemployee.

“We had no guarantees on wages or per-sonal days and we were tired of being singledout,” says Gericke. “We needed a union.” InFebruary, after three previous failedattempts to organize, Gericke and otherworkers in Grand Island, including 911 oper-ators, custodians and building attendants,voted 36 to 6 for union representation.

“This organizing campaign was a classicexample of everyone working together,” saysMembership Development Department LeadOrganizer Ron Hug, who worked with Local1597 Business Manager Mike Semm and hisstaff to support a strong volunteer organiz-ing committee.

Gericke credits house visits to buildunion consciousness and solidarity among 24Grand Island workers who signed cards “onthe spot” when they were first presented askey to the union vote. The new bargainingunit comprises 58 workers.

Hug is optimistic that first contractnegotiations will go smoothly. There could bea high cost to both parties if they becomecontentious. Public employee organizing andbargaining in Nebraska is governed by thestate’s Commission on Industrial Relations. Ifthe parties reach an impasse, either side canrequest a survey of comparable municipalwages and benefits that can run up to$100,000 as experts are brought in to struc-ture a benefits package.

C.J. King, Region 3 MembershipDevelopment Coordinator, says that organiz-ing success at Grand Island underscores theimportance of winning even stronger publicemployee bargaining rights. The cost of CIRsurveys already helps push parties to settlefirst contracts, making the turf more favor-able to organizing than in other states.

Gericke is hopeful that, with GrandIsland’s population growing, a new census

will boost the bargaining unit’s case forenhanced wages and benefits with the citybeing compared to others of similar size andtax revenues.

Since the municipal workers’ organizingvictory, members of the road maintenancecrew in nearby Howard County have contactedLocal 1597 expressing interest in organizing.

Attorney Dalton Tietjen, who filed thepetition for Local 1597’s representation elec-tion, says that because of IBEW’s reputation,“the word is spreading in Nebraska thatunions aren’t made of people with hornscoming out of their heads.” Unions look outfor the best interests of both sides, saysTietjen. “It’s not in their interest to makeunreasonable demands and break the bank.”

Local 1597’s bargaining unit at GrandIsland was first organized in the utilitydepartment in 1976. Three years ago, work-ers in the city’s wastewater treatment plantvoted to join the local.

Texas Nuclear Plant WorkersJoin IBEWA majority of radiation protection techni-cians at the South Texas Nuclear powerplant in Wadsworth voted to be repre-sented by Houston Local 66 in January,joining more than 300 other plant opera-tors and electricians already covered by aunion contract.

“They were looking for some basicrespect and a say on the job,” said Local 66Organizer Mike Mosteit.

The more than 30 technicians, whomonitor radiation levels at the plant, werefrustrated about forced overtime andunscheduled shift changes.

They had discussed their problems withtheir co-workers in Local 66, who set up ameeting for the technicians with IBEWorganizers last summer. “It was clear that wehad majority support from the beginning,”Mosteit said.

The workers petitioned the NationalLabor Relations Board for an election inearly September, but the hearing wasdelayed due to Hurricane Ike, which devas-tated the Gulf Coast of Texas.

The workers hit another obstacle whenplant management argued before the NLRBthat the technicians weren’t covered by theNational Labor Relations Act because thecities of Austin and San Antonio own a major-ity share in the company. “They tried to claimthey were public workers,” Mosteit said.

The board rejected the company’s claim,setting the stage for the January election.

The technicians will be integrated intothe existing bargaining unit at South Texas.

Assisting with the campaign wereMembership Development Lead Organizer

Organizing Wire

Kitty Prouse, Membership DevelopmentRegional Coordinator Tim Bowden andSeventh District International Vice PresidentJonathan Gardner.

Local 66 Business Manager GregoryLucero is hopeful that the victory will inspire

other workers at the plant to check out theIBEW. More than 100 employees at theWadsworth facility are still nonunion.

“It’s going to open the door for othergroups,” said Lucero, who is also a memberof the International Executive Council. �

Workers at the South Texas Nuclear power plant celebrate their recent organizing victory. Houston Local 66members Mary Popek, left, Mark Griffin and Kim Danielski, senior radiation technician and lead member ofthe volunteer organizing committee.

Pat Gericke

TransitionsRetiredNathan C. Edgar

Tenth District International Representative Nathan C. Edgar retiredMarch 1 following more than four decades of service to the IBEW.

Born in Memphis, Tenn., Edgar moved to Jonesboro, Ark., toattend Arkansas State University, where he was initiated intoJonesboro Local 1516 in 1963.

As a journeyman inside wireman he served as recording sec-retary and was elected business manager in 1978. As businessmanager he represented members in both the construction andmanufacturing branches, helping to coordinate internal organizing

campaigns at local manufacturing plants that netted more than 500 members. Local1516’s construction membership also grew under his leadership.

He served as secretary-treasurer of the state Electrical Workers Association andsecretary of the Central Arkansas Labor Council. Brother Edgar was appointed by then-Gov. Bill Clinton to a newly formed state apprenticeship steering committee in 1989 andwas shortly thereafter elected its chairman.

“Organized labor hadn’t had a voice in job training issues in Arkansas before so itwas a big step,” he said.

Edgar was appointed International Representative for the then-Twelfth District in1993, which was soon after renumbered the Tenth. He served as the district organizingcoordinator, helping to bring construction membership to more than 10,000.

In addition to his wife, Lea, his family includes five children and six grandchildren.Two of his sons, Jeremy and Jim, followed him into the trade and are active members ofLocal 1516. He said he looks forward to getting off the road and spending some time athome. He also enjoys hunting.

He is actively involved with the Lafe Baptist Church, where he volunteers as aSunday school teacher, and is also a member of the Jonesboro Masonic Lodge.

The staff, members and officers of the IBEW thank Brother Edgar for his service andwish him a long and enjoyable retirement. �

w w w. i b e w. o r g T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � April 2009 7

Illinois Local Pickets Open Shop SiteGurnee Mills Mall near Waukegan, Ill., was built in 1990 by union labor. Now undergoing reno-vation and expansion, retail chains like Victoria’s Secret and Nieman Marcus have turned toan open shop electrical contractor.

That doesn’t sit well with members of Waukegan Local 150. Three hundred electriciansand apprentices out of the 1,100-member local are out of work.

More than 100 local building trades members—including many unemployed members ofLocal 150—picketed Gurnee Mills in late February, protesting against open shop contractorB&D Electric Co. Local 150 has 80 percent market share in commercial construction withinits jurisdiction.

“We live in Lake County, we work in Lake County, we pay taxes here, our kids go toschool here and we shop here,” Local 150 Business Manager Don Carlson told the ChicagoSun-Times.

In a letter to Neiman Marcus Group’s vice president, Carlson said, “It is your right to paysub-standard wages to build, but it will be my mission to convince anyone who will listen notto patronize your business.”

President Overturns Bush Ban on Federal PLAsConstruction workers across the United States won an important victory February 6 whenPresident Barack Obama issued an executive order that overturns a ban on project laboragreements on federally funded-projects put in place eight years ago by his predecessor,George W. Bush.

“Your action will now enable federal agencies to improve the efficiency, productivity andfairness of their construction projects, while also eliminating costly labor-related delays,”wrote Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO, President Mark Ayers in a let-ter to President Obama.

PLAs, which set work rules and wage rates through a collective bargaining agreementbetween contractors and the building trades before construction begins, had been in use fornearly 70 years on federal projects before Bush’s 2001 order.

The building trades, many contractors and state and local leaders argue that PLAs arethe most efficient and cost-effective way to complete large construction jobs. “It allows con-tractors to do serious long range planning,” said Denver, Local 68 Business Manager DennisWhalen. “It gives each side input into the project; it’s just a better and more productive wayto get the work done.”

Bush’s decision made it difficult for locals and signatory contractors to marketthemselves to state and local governments for large projects. “After 2001, we would hearabout city leaders who liked what a PLA could offer them in terms of time, money andsecurity for their job but turned it down because they didn’t want to lose out on federalmoney,” said Construction and Maintenance Department International RepresentativeKirk Groenendaal.

By setting fair wage scales and creating conflict resolution mechanisms, PLAs providestability and structure to future federal construction projects, a vital necessity with poten-tially billions of dollars of government-sponsored construction coming down the road as partof Obama’s economic stimulus plan.

The executive order also holds open the possibility for the expanded use of PLAs on fed-eral jobs. It calls on the Office of Management and Budget to make a recommendation in sixmonths on whether increased usage of PLAs would “promote the economical, efficient andtimely completion of such projects.”

The president’s action comes on top of three pro-worker executive orders he issued inlate January:• Reversing a Bush decision requiring federal contractors to post notices telling workers theycan limit their financial support for their union.

• Preventing companies under federal contract from using government funds for anti-union activity.

• Giving any worker employed by a federal contractor first-bid rights on their job if anothercompany takes over the contract.“Anyone who doesn’t think elections matter should take a look at what Obama has man-

aged to do for working families in only his first few weeks,” said International PresidentEdwin D. Hill. “These decisions go a long way to reversing the war on unions carried out bythe Bush administration.”

Florida Members’ SeaWorld Project Creates a Splash, Wins AwardMembers of Orlando, Fla., Local 606 helped earn their company an Associated Builders andContractors, Inc. 2008 Excellence in Construction Award for completion of SeaWorld’s $9 mil-lion dollar Aquatica water park.

More than 85 electricians working at ERMCO of Florida contributed 129,000 man-hoursto the 60-acre project, which included installing infrastructure for the park’s telecommunica-tions, electrical distribution and safety systems. Stop-and-go sensors at the park’s waterslidesprovide added caution for the thousands of daily visitors, and a lifeguard intercom systemensures safety is a top priority.

Workers installed more than 200 miles of wiring and nearly 70 miles of conduit on the proj-ect, which was completed in March 2008. Aquatica opened to the public the following month.

To create the thrills and excitement that the park’s slides, aquariums, tubes and wavepools offer visitors, workers encountered many special challenges along the way. To minimizeany potential exposure, miles of conduit had to be run underground. Orlando’s high watertable also posed a problem, as workers encountered water intrusion while performing excava-tion and trenching prior to installing wiring.

In addition to receiving the award, members said that the satisfaction of a job well doneyielded novel results.

“Having both worked on Aquatica and gone to the park as a visitor, it’s pretty satisfying tosee the end product of such a massive project,” Local 606 general foreman John Kennedy said.“I was proud to take my daughter there last summer and be able to say, ‘I helped build this.’”

ERMCO was the only union contractor nominated for the statewide award in the com-pany’s particular category.

USA Announces Truck GiveawayImagine climbing inside the cab ofyour brand-new 2009 Chevy Silveradoand heading off with your buddies onyour next hunting or fishing adventure.Thanks to a new partnership betweenthe Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA)and Chevrolet, that will be the futurefor one lucky USA member.

This giveaway is the latest in aseries of promotions from the USA, ahunting and fishing club for union mem-bers and their families. To be eligible towin the truck, a union member must bea member of the USA, which they canjoin at www.UnionSportsmen.org or877-872-2211.

A long-standing advocate for conservation, Chevrolet recently added the TheodoreRoosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) and the USA to its list of partners. ChevroletAssistant Regional Marketing Manager Kevin Messmer said, “Our partner groups represent thefolks who need a truck for their lifestyle. It’s how they live, how they work and how they play.”

“Our interest is providing products that fit the needs of people involved in the outdoors,”said Tom Gilbert, Chevrolet regional marketing manager. “We continue to work on technolo-gies to improve fuel economy and increase mileage, while still providing the power outdoorenthusiasts need.”

Perhaps no group appreciates an American-made vehicle with the capability and supe-rior fuel economy more than union sportsmen and women.

“We’re honored that Chevrolet recognizes the importance of the TRCP’s mission and itsunion-dedicated hunting and fishing club,” said Fred Myers, USA Executive Director. “We’reproud to call Chevy the official truck of the USA.” �

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8 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � April 2009

Facilitate Future GrowthL.U. 8 (as,em,i,mar,mt,rts,s&spa), TOLEDO, OH—With the arrival of sure signs of spring, flowers inbloom and birds singing, we hope that the jobsbegin to blossom, too. As the Obama administra-tion soon completes its first 100 days in office, weanticipate future growth. With the interest of theenvironment in mind, along with less dependenceon foreign oil, we look forward to utilizing solarand wind technologies to our advantage. We wintwice – jobs and a better environment!

To help facilitate that growth, you may wantto invest your time in the JATC’s journeypersonclasses. New technology courses were added to theroster – the solar voltaic class and the instrumen-tation class. We anticipate needing more peoplewith this knowledge, as job opportunities of thistype hopefully are on the horizon in our jurisdic-tion. Please keep an eye out for class schedules.

Normally at this time of year I would askyou to mark your calendars for the summer pic-nic, but this year is different. It was decided thatwe will combine the picnic and the Labor Dayactivities this year. So the summer/Labor Daypicnic will take place on Labor Day. There will bemore information in the coming months.

Ben “Red” Tackett, P.S.Jim Kozlowski, B.M.

May 4 Golf Outing PlannedL.U. 26 (ees,em,es,govt,i&mt), WASHINGTON,DC—It’s springtime in Washington, D.C., andthat means cherry blossoms and final prepara-tions for our golf outing. Butch Ramos is coordi-nating the event again this year and, hopefully,you sent in your registration if you are planningto join us on May 4.

The Local 26 Scholarship Committee isreviewing the many scholarship applications andwill make a decision on this year’s two recipientsvery soon. The winners will be announced in ourquarterly magazine, In Charge, as well as in anupcoming Local Lines article. Thanks to themany outstanding applicants!

Reminder: This year’s annual picnic will beheld Sat., Aug. 29, at Camp Letts. (This is achange from our normal first Saturday in August.)

The following brothers passed away sinceour last article: Albert Bauserman, Francis Cook,Virgil A. Beamer, John E. Failes, Wade H. SheriffJr., John C. Shymansky Jr., John HenryPendleton and Ronald J. Abe.

Best wishes to the following new retirees:William J. Boyle Jr., Roland L. Bernier, EdwinFarrari, William L. Koennel, Stephen T. McNally,Bart J. Myers, Joseph M. Poore, George E. RiesettSr. and Stephen L. Taylor.

Charles E. Graham, B.M.

February ForumL.U. 38 (i), CLEVELAND, OH—Local 38 officersand the Cleveland Building Trades held a meet-ing Feb. 9 with our U.S. congressmen, senators’representatives, and staff from Gov. TedStrickland’s office. Several area developers wereinvited and participated in the forum.

The objective was to provide informationto Congress and exchange ideas on how fundsprovided by the economic stimulus bill shouldbe distributed. We made it clear that infrastruc-ture spending is necessary. The meeting wasvery productive.

We presented our plan for our “shovel-ready” construction projects, and the developersurged Congress to get the banks that receivedbailout money to provide construction loans.Some of these projects that are shovel-readyinclude: the Wolstein Group’s $522 million EastBank Flats project, K&D Group’s AmeritrustTower renovation, the Corral Group’s Solon proj-ect, and the Ferchill Group’s VA hospital project.

Lake Erie Electric was awarded the newCleveland State University Student Center project.Doan/Pyramid Electric was awarded the new CancerCenter at University Hospital’s main campus.

Tribute to ServiceL.U. 16 (i), EVANSVILLE, IN—During theDecember 2008 holidays, the membership wasactively involved with Ritzy’s Fantasy of Lights. Thisworthwhile cause has funded more than 60,000hours of rehabilitation therapy for tri-state residentswho otherwise could not afford it. Everyone presenton the set-up day was inspired by the courage of 8-year-old Owen George, whose Christmas wish was tobe able to walk, without canes, to his mom and dad.

Many thanks to committee members TerryBennett, William Diehl, James Jones, Lee Stock,Bus. Mgr. Paul Green and Pres. Gary Stute fortheir hard work toward a fair and equitable con-tract that will provide for the needs of this unionwell into the future.

On Feb. 27, John D. Brenner passed from thisworld. We greatly appreciated and benefited fromJohn’s hard work and dedication to Local 16 as astaff member and throughout his many years of serv-ice. His determination and strength of characterwere well-known among the membership and will bemissed. His strong belief in unionism and the IBEWwas powerful. John helped to make better membersand a better local. We are honored to claim him as apersonal friend, a dedicated employee and an out-standing member. He will be greatly missed.

Donald P. Beavin, P.S.

Than you to Pres. Obama for correcting ahuge injustice to American workers when hereversed the Bush II executive order banningproject labor agreements on federal projects.

If you are traveling or working under porta-bility, remember to register at the hall for theERTS program to insure that your benefits willbe transferred back to your home local.

Dennis Meaney, A.B.M.

Never a Better Time to Be UnionL.U. 46 (as,c,cs,em,es,et,i,mar,mo,mt,rtb,rts&st),SEATTLE, WA—We have the political luxury tonow expect a change in the way we invest ourmoney as a nation, not only on the federal levelbut at the state level as well. Here in the greatnorthwest we have fought the good fight andrenewed opportunity for thousands as a resultof our political activism. Union candidates haveencountered significant success and each of youwho voted deserves a “Right On.” This is onlyhalf the battle; we must now deliver on ourpromise that investing in us is the right thing todo. Our way promotes and lifts all working citi-zens to a standard becoming of our nationalheritage. Let’s not degrade our victories by notfinishing the race; let’s show them that we areready and able to deliver on our promises. Wewill not fail. American workers are the greatestpeople in the world and we have proven it overand over. Congratulations, you all should bevery proud.

New Year’s Eve was ushered in by 200 unionfolks down at the union hall, and the Super Bowlparty was also well-attended. I encourage partic-ipation and especially enjoy tales of remarkablecourage and brotherhood, where harmony andopportunity produce champions like Local 46member and IBEW Int. Rep. Laura Robinson. Weare all very proud to call her our own.

Kevin Quinlan, P.S.

Labor: ‘Part of the Solution’L.U. 48 (c,em,i,rtb,rts&st), PORTLAND, OR—I hadthe treasured opportunity to join 2 million newfriends at President Obama’s inauguration. I wasinspired as Obama took the oath of office. Thatmoment confirmed the American dream – “anythingyou dream can be accomplished with hard work.”Now I know the opportunity to achieve that dreamhas become a reality for all Americans.

Local Lines

(as) Alarm and Signal

(ars) Atomic Research Service

(bo) Bridge Operators

(cs) Cable Splicers

(catv) Cable Television

(c) Communications

(cr) Cranemen

(ees) Electrical Equipment Service

(ei) Electrical Inspection

(em) Electrical Manufacturing

(es) Electric Signs

(et) Electronic Technicians

(fm) Fixture Manufacturing

(govt) Government

(i) Inside

(it) Instrument Technicians

(lctt) Line Clearance Tree Trimming

(lpt) Lightning Protection Technicians

(mt) Maintenance

(mo) Maintenance and Operation

(mow) Manufacturing Office Workers

(mar) Marine

(mps) Motion Picture Studios

(nst) Nuclear Service Technicians

(o) Outside

(p) Powerhouse

(pet) Professional, Engineers and Technicians

(ptc) Professional, Technical and Clerical

(rr) Railroad

(rtb) Radio-Television Broadcasting

(rtm) Radio-Television Manufacturing

(rts) Radio-Television Service

(so) Service Occupations

(s) Shopmen

(se) Sign Erector

(spa) Sound and Public Address

(st) Sound Technicians

(t) Telephone

(u) Utility

(uow) Utility Office Workers

(ws) Warehouse and Supply

Trade Classifications

Local 38 Executive Board member Ross Conforto(center) receives a plaque at his retirement partyheld Feb. 27. Bro. Conforto is a 37-year memberand served as an officer of the local and as shopand job steward. Also shown are Bro. Conforto’scousin, Bro. Joe Ozello, (left) and son, Bro. VinceConforto (right).

IBEW Int. Rep. Laura Robinson, a member of SeattleLocal 46, receives congratulations on her first dayas a new I.O. Broadcasting & Recording Departmentrepresentative. Press Secretary Kevin Quinlan (right)extends support from the Seattle faithful.

held every third Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. As a Local58 member you have the opportunity, everymonth, to tell our local union officers your opin-ions and ask them questions.

The election of officers is coming up soon,and union meetings are a great way to find outwhat’s going on, introduce yourself to the candi-dates, find out where they stand on the issues,and join discussions about where our organiza-tion is headed.

The Benevolent Fund held its sixth annualKen Fitzhenry Memorial Fundraiser on SuperBowl Sunday. As usual, it was a great event – lotsof good food and plenty of refreshments, bigscreen TVs around the hall, and door prizes. Hugethanks to the Benevolent Fund committee mem-bers, who worked so hard on this enjoyable event!

Michael Curran, P.S.

Politics & JobsL.U. 68 (i), DENVER, CO—With over 500 insidewiremen on Inside Metro Book One as of thiswriting, we here at Local 68 welcome passage ofthe economic stimulus package. Of course thebest stimulus package we could have here wouldbe jobs for all our members.

We may sometimes forget that politicalissues affect us. A case in point: When bidding,the success of our contractors frequentlydepends on a level playing field. Local 68’sretired Bro. John Soper is also a Colorado staterepresentative for House District 34, and Bro.John has introduced legislation that would helplevel the playing field. House Bill 09-1208 con-cerns the payment of prevailing compensationfor workers on public works. The federal versionof such a law has been on the books since 1931and is known as the Davis-Bacon Act. Laws ofthis nature are intended to protect a local econ-omy, and sometimes our public officials need tobe educated and reminded that a fully employedlocal work force will provide a strong, stable andviable economy. Indeed if it is good for the localworkers, it will be good for the local businesses.

We extend deepest sympathy to the familiesof our lost brothers: Kenneth F. Hathaway,Vernon L. Elling, Timothy S. McCall, William D.Bobby and John Imerzel.

Ed Knox, Pres.

Dedicated IBEW ServiceL.U. 76 (c,i,rts&st), TACOMA, WA—Congratulations and thank you to Sister TracyPreazeau for her dedicated IBEW service. Tracyis the local’s recording secretary and was hired in2004 as Local 76 political coordinator. As politi-cal coordinator, her duties included increasingvoter registration and educating members on theissues and candidates.

Subsequently, Tracy began working in thelocal union office as membership developmentdirector. She took the lead in community serviceprojects, organized local union functions, actedas retirees liaison, organized many shops and newmembers into the IBEW, and since 2005 helpedincrease our residential market threefold. In July2005 Tracy was appointed to the WashingtonElectrical Board to help represent the IBEW.

In 2008 she was hired by the WashingtonState Association of Electrical Workers as politi-cal coordinator for IBEW locals. In that post,Tracy helped train registrars to strengthen exist-ing programs, increase voter registration andcampaign contributions, and participate in theAFL-CIO “Labor 2008” campaign.

With all her hard work and the success ofthe 2008 Washington state political campaign,Tracy was hired as executive director of theCertified Electrical Workers of Washington bythe inside construction locals. Tracy will advanceour political interests and opportunities at thestate level. Again, congratulations and thank you,Tracy, for your dedication to the IBEW.

Mac McClellan. P.S.

Jobs on the HorizonL.U. 80 (i&o), NORFOLK, VA—At this writing, workhas remained slow through the winter months,with few calls for manpower. Several jobs are onthe horizon in our jurisdiction, which shouldgreatly increase our employment. Hopefully, withour labor friendly president and Congress, workacross the country will continue to grow.

We thank Jimmy Vaughn, Louis Ricks,Kenny Bunting and Bus. Mgr. Matt Yonka fortheir hard work on negotiating a fair contract.All the hours spent working truly paid off.

We recently awarded service pins for mem-bers with 20 to 65 years of service. We again thankall of these members for their longtime dedica-tion. A special thank-you to Edward Miller andRobert Walls for 60 years of service to the IBEWand to Herman Smith for 65 years of service.

Dennis Floyd, P.S.

AppointmentsL.U. 102 (c,catv,i,it,o&t), PATERSON, NJ—Bus.Mgr. Lou Baram recently appointed BernardCorrigan as president of our local. Bernie will fillthe vacancy created by retiring Pres. Alan Schell.Bernie is well-known in our local, as he was ourrecording secretary and referral agent. He has been

an active member of Local 102 for over 20 years.Bernie serves as a trustee on our health and wel-fare committee and as an officer of the JATC.Bernie’s leadership and support in other areas,including our bowling team and the golf outing, saya lot about his dedication to our local. Tom Kellywill fill the vacated position of recording secretary.

Robert McBride was appointed as ourlocal’s political liaison. Bob is well-known in ourlocal, as he is Executive Board chairman and hasserved on many committees; and he’s a goodbowler. Bob did a spectacular job during therecent presidential election season. He organizedpolitical events, labor walks and telephonebanks, and helped win in a crucial swing state.We at Local 102 wish our newly appointed offi-cers the best in their new positions.

Ed Fredericks, P.S.

‘A Union Card’L.U. 124 (ees,em,i,mar,rts,se&spa), KANSAS CITY,MO—I carry a union card because it associates mewith millions of others with lifestyles and everydayissues like my own. My card guarantees me adecent wage, working conditions and time to enjoymy family. It lets me share knowledge with fellowcraftsmen; gives me social contacts I enjoy; andpromotes solidarity through honest work and fairbargaining. It means sharing when times are tough.It stands for mutual advancement and progress.

We can start the cycle to bring back goodsand services made in America. Tell greedy corpo-rations, manufacturers and Wall Street: “Enoughis enough.” Let us as American union membersturn this economy around. American labor needsto harness its mighty potential of buying power.Look at the label; look for the union “bug,” thesymbol of craftsmanship that will guarantee yourfuture prosperity and that of a nation.

We remember deceased members: Albert E.Abel, Steven P. Boyer, Larry L. Bott, Roy V.Jackson, Robert I. Jewett, Roy G. Schaaf, RusselF. Stuart and Francis M. Tarry.

Congratulations to newly retired members:Robert L. Bricker, Fred Cascone, Thomas Koehly,Richard Lohe, Glenn D. Mallott, Joseph W. MallotJr., Frank C. Mascaro, Ed Myska Jr., Kenneth D.Newhouse, Alfred Olson, Arthur Salmon, Vincent J.VanCamp Jr., William E. Walker Jr. and Gary Wilkie.

Frank D. Mathews Jr., P.S.

2009 ‘UCAN’ GraduatesL.U. 146 (ei,i&rts), DECATUR, IL—Recently, fivemembers of Local 146 completed Union CommunityActivist Network classes. UCAN is an eight-weekcourse designed to educate working men andwomen on the values of giving back and improvingworkplace conditions and the community. Topicsincluded basic worker rights, labor history and localservice agencies. Congratulations to the 2009UCAN graduates: Susan Varvel, Mary Sapp, RonCummings, Joe Paradee and Rich Underwood.

We congratulate Fred Clausen and JimDaughtery Jr. on their recent retirements andthank them for their many years of service.

Our condolences to the families of ourrecently deceased members: 66-year memberPaul Berroyer, 44-year member Alva Stafford,and 41-year member Larry Gregory. We extendcondolences to their families.

Happy Easter and here’s hoping that springbrings a much brighter work picture.

Rich Underwood, P.S.

w w w. i b e w. o r g T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � April 2009 9

The crowd was overwhelmed with theawareness that history was being made. The col-lective kindness was reminiscent of a huge laborcelebration. This respectful crowd was enjoyingthe historic celebration, while sharing an aware-ness of the huge challenges ahead.

Along with the joy of that celebration, I alsohave a deep sense of responsibility to help Pres.Obama make that dream a reality for all workingfamilies. After the perfect storm of deregulation,unprecedented greed and a lack of respect for hardworking Americans, we have witnessed a turn-around. Pres. Obama recently said, “I do not view thelabor movement as part of the problem. To me, it’spart of the solution.” Vice Pres. Biden joined in towelcome labor leaders back to the White House.

Our hard work to elect the Obama/Bidenticket was an excellent beginning. Now let’s workharder than ever to make the dream a reality forall working Americans.

Donna Hammond, P.S.

Charity Rockfish TournamentL.U. 50 (u), RICHMOND, VA—The 5th AnnualIBEW Local 50 Charity Rockfish Tournament heldNov. 14-15, 2008, was a huge success. Over $5,000was raised for the United Way of South HamptonRoads. (See photo below.) Event organizers, Bros.Bill Peoples, Raymond Cassidy and Bus. Rep. DougWilliams, collected entry fees, sold T-shirts and tick-ets to the weigh-in cookout, and conducted a raffleto raise funds. Anglers from across the Tidewaterarea participated in the tournament to help raiseawareness for their local United Way. Plenty of food,fun and great fishing were the order of the day.Local 50 E-Board member Hector Arroyo, whocaught the biggest fish, won the tournament.

Bus. Mgr./Pres. Jack Wells was there tojudge the tournament and enjoy the activities.Virginia Natural Gas Vice Pres. Robert Duvallalso attended to support the day’s events. Bigthanks to each of them for their support of thetournament. Local 150 also thanks Bros. Peoples,Cassidy and Williams for all their hard work.Thanks also to all the tournament anglers and toall IBEW members who supported the event.

Many thanks to Nancy Cobb of Cobb’sMarina in Norfolk, VA, where this event is heldevery year. The support of people like Nancy andher staff make this event possible. We look for-ward to the 2009 tournament!

Mike Barclay, R.S.

Fitzhenry Memorial FundraiserL.U. 58 (em,i,rtb&spa), DETROIT, MI—At theDecember membership meeting, IBEW servicepins were given to 124 members with 25 to 35years of membership. Congratulations to all!

Speaking of membership meetings, I encour-age everyone to come down to the meetings –

Shown are some of the Local 58members who received service pinsat the December 2008 membershipmeeting.

Local 50 Bus. Rep. Doug Williams(right) and Bro. Raymond Cassidy(left) stand outside the United Wayof South Hampton Roads regionaloffice in front of Doug’s newVirginia Natural Gas line truck with“Labor Lady” Desi Nichols (center).They hand delivered results of thesuccessful fundraiser.

95th Anniversary CelebrationL.U. 150 (es,i,rts&spa), WAUKEGAN, IL—Pleasedon’t forget that April 29, 2009, is the 95thanniversary of Local 150. A celebration and pinparty will be held from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at thenew Lake County Fairgrounds. Please join us toremember this important date and receive yourservice pins. The 95th anniversary commemora-tive pins will also be given out to all who attend.This event is for members only.

There has been much discussion regardingpossible upcoming changes to our health and wel-fare coverage. Remember that it should not beapproached as to how this will affect each of usindividually, but rather as how will this affect us asa brotherhood. We, collectively, are a group of peo-ple who are supposed to assist each other in timesof sickness and distress and elevate the social con-ditions of our members, their families and depend-ents in the interest of a higher standard ofcitizenship (according to our IBEW Constitution).Let’s remember that during the discussion.

As 2008 drew to a close and the New Yearstarted, we lost several retired members. Bros.Robert Dusek, Bill Jenko, Dick Cerk and DanMurtagh passed away. They were all fine unionmembers and will be sorely missed.

See you on April 29.

Wendy J. Cordts, P.S.

‘Code of Excellence Works’L.U. 164 (c,em,i,o&t), JERSEY CITY, NJ—Local164 held our annual dinner dance in honor ofretired members in December 2008 at theSheraton Crossroads in Mahwah, NJ. Six hundredparticipants enjoyed the festivities, featuringgreat food, entertainment and holiday cheer. Thisfirst-class event receives high praise from all whoattend. Congratulations to all retirees and thanksfor their hard work and commitment to Local 164.

The work picture, while slow, holds promise.Two large projects in our jurisdiction are Xanadu andthe new Giants/Jets football stadium, both located inEast Rutherford, NJ, in the heart of the Meadowlands.Xanadu is a 2.5 million square foot entertainmentdestination. Each of its three floors is one-half milelong. The job is estimated at $2.26 billion.

The new Giants/Jets football stadium,directly across Route 120 from Xanadu, is a Codeof Excellence job and is valued at $1.6 billion. All164 members who report to the job site receiveCode of Excellence training from on-site COEofficer Ray Manfred. The job is running verysmoothly and is ahead of schedule – proving thatthe Code of Excellence works and should be fol-lowed on all projects!

John M. DeBouter, Pres.

Partnering for GainL.U. 180 (c,i&st), VALLEJO, CA—The increasingseverity of the economic downturn seems to havemany running for cover, which, in our industry,carries the risk of curbing joint dialogue preciselywhen it’s needed most. Credit markets have tight-ened, and businesses and municipalities havefound it increasingly difficult to finance spending.Consequently, numerous projects in our area haveeither been cancelled or indefinitely postponed.

Operating under the old adage that “this,too, shall pass,” we initiated a dinner/partneringmeeting with our signatory contractors, duringwhich we re-examined our Vision and Missionstatements, took stock of our local situation,what is within our control, and what we can dotogether to best position ourselves to be the pre-mier choice for electrical work when the marketrebounds. As is typical, certain individuals advo-cated wage cuts as the linchpin to fix what ailsus. Others, whose minds are more centered onmutual gain, began to focus on creative ideastoward entering emerging markets associatedwith California’s mandate to curb carbon emis-sions and increase energy efficiency; puttingmore muscle behind our training; strengtheningrelationships with current and prospective cus-tomers; and aggressively advertizing the fact thatwe consistently deliver projects that both meetand exceed customer expectations.

Kevin Coleman, B.A.

Local Welcomes Gary PrinceL.U. 280 (c,ees,em,es,i,mo,mt,rts&st), SALEM,OR—At this writing, spring is just around the cor-ner. Hopefully some work that has been rumoredto start will begin manning up, such as the $80million Sanyo project in Salem and the $200 mil-lion Knight Arena in Eugene. There has been noreport yet on the hospital projects to date.

Local 280 welcomes Gary Prince to theExecutive Board, as current member Mike Davisis retiring. Gary brings a lot of energy to theboard and has taken an active role. All of us wishBro. Davis a good retirement and thank him forhis outstanding service to his local!

The Executive Board encourages discussing

the Health and Welfare “Flex-plan” that Local 48has. This will be taking place at our union meet-ings, so please make sure to attend and haveyour voice heard. The CIR decision puts $1.50 anhour on the check and 50 cents to H&W for 2009and again for 2010. We need to vote as a local totake part in the plan and if we do, how much.

With sadness, we mourn the passing ofretired Bros. Manny Downey and Jessie Alvarado.They will be missed.

Jerry Fletcher, Pres.

Local Union OfficersL.U. 294 (ees,em,i,rts,spa&u), HIBBING, MN—Proudly serving the officer positions in Local 294are: Bus. Mgr./Fin. Sec. Greg Topel, Pres. CareyYoung, Vice Pres. Don Gustafson, Rec. Sec. BarbaraStaudohar; Executive Board members Dave Baier,Duane Lorenz, Matt Lavoi, Dan Murden; andExamining Board members Tony Folstad, BrianLovejoy and Joe Mann. We thank these brothersand sisters for their dedication to Local 294.

The work picture in northern Minnesotaremains slow as of this writing, with some of ourlarger projects still under the permafrost.Remember to buy “Made in USA”!

Dan Aho, P.S.

Senior Members HonoredL.U. 306 (i), AKRON, OH—Service Awards werepresented to 36 brothers at our December 2008meeting. Receiving awards were: for 60 years ofservice – Richard Donley, James Ess, DonaldKromer and John Webb; for 55 years – GeorgeAbraham, Richard Knepp and David Westlandreceived 55 Year Awards; and for 50 years – HarryBryner, George Cooley, Kenneth Dias, JackDutton, Leonard Eddy, Richard Glatz, DanielGourley, Ross Hammel, David Haught, DonaldHeffner, Charles House, Rodney Hubbard, ThomasKempel, Robert Martz, Robert McMullen, PatrickMcShane, Russell Pease Jr., Eugene Puglia, AlfredSander, Jerry Seals, Charles Stoltz, GeorgeUnbower and Joseph Vatovec. Presented 25-yearservice watches were: Dennis Allen, Randal Ealy,

Bernard Jenior, Todd Michl, James Scott andRichard Stewart.

With great sadness, I must report that thevery next day after celebrating the achievementsof those mentioned above, Bro. Danny Dretar, whotopped out last year, was killed in an auto accidentat age 28. The silence around the hall was deafen-ing. We send our condolences to Danny’s family.

We also mourn the loss of friend and retiredBro. Dale McGough and extend condolences tohis family.

We handle lightning every day and areaware of its hazards. We may sometimes dismissother life hazards as minor compared to ourtrade, but let’s be careful out there.

Bob Sallaz, P.S.

Milestone Safety RecordL.U. 320 (catv,t&u), POUGHKEEPSIE, NY—As ofJan. 1, 2009, the members of Local 320 workingat Central Hudson Gas & Electric set a record of16 consecutive months with no lost-time injuries.This significant accomplishment includes theentire calendar year of 2008. (See photo below.)

This was no small feat, considering that a dev-astating ice storm hit the area in December 2008that was estimated to have left millions of homes inNew York and New England without power. Thecrews continued to work safely while battling bro-ken poles, fallen trees and miles of downed wire.

Bus. Mgr./Pres. Frank Maher commendedthe members for their continued commitment toworking safely. The IBEW has always been a pro-ponent of ensuring safety in the workplace andthis achievement exemplifies how one of thecore beliefs of the union is as important today asit was over 100 years ago.

The milestone was recorded for CentralHudson’s corporate history with group photo-graphs in front of each of their five headquarters.Shown in the photo below is the group from theMain Office in Poughkeepsie, NY.

Diane Imperiale, P.S.

Inauguration CelebrationL.U. 332 (c,ees,i&st), SAN JOSE, CA—We all couldnot attend the January presidential inaugurationfestivity in Washington, D.C., but we still partiedlike Washington D.C. IBEW Local 332 opened itsmeeting hall so that local volunteers and IBEWLocal 332 members could have a celebration. Andwhat a party they put on! This party even madethe news on two of the local TV stations. (Seephoto on next page.)

Gerald Pfeiffer, Pres.

10 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � April 2009

Attending the Local 164 annual dinner dance in honor of retired members are, from left: Bus. Mgr. RichardK. Dressel; 55-year members William C. Lambert, Donald P. White, William G. Malthaler; 50-year memberRobert Connelly; and Pres. John M. DeBouter.

IBEW Local 320 members employed by Central Hudson Gas & Electric set a milestone safety record.Pictured here is the group at the Central Hudson Main Office in Poughkeepsie, NY.

Proud members of Salem, OR, Local 280at the Albany Wastewater TreatmentPlant take time out for a group photo.From left are: Larry Decew, Chris Bate,Mark Esary, Steve Babcock, SteveAllnutt, Rich Lofton, Greg Michaels,Jeremy Bate, Tyler Davidson, JohnPayne, Mark Stewart, Tom Baumann andCurtis Crane.

New Attitudes!L.U. 340 (em,i,rts&spa), SACRAMENTO, CA—Wehave a new president in Washington, DC, thanksto all of you who voted for change! The adminis-tration of Pres. Barack Obama promises changeeven in the midst of this poor economy, but thepresident stresses that change requires the coop-eration and hard work of many.

We are feeling the results of this poor econ-omy. Work in Sacramento, at the time of thiswriting, has slowed down as it has elsewhere.But despite current conditions, I remain opti-mistic. This is mainly because members who nowhave more time on their hands are volunteeringtheir services with the local, participating in CityCouncil meetings, attending continuing educa-tion classes, etc.

In the last few months alone, 83 Local 340members completed a Construction OrganizingMembership Education Training class. After tak-ing the COMET class, members understand thatorganizing is not a one- or two-person project.We are all organizers for the IBEW and the waywe represent our local does make a differencewhen we are working alongside non-representedworkers. COMET-trained members now have thetools and knowledge to help our union grow.

We mourn the passing of retired Bros.Thomas R. Broff, Steven Forsyth, Harry G. Morris,Clarence Noring, Carmelo “Chito” Sanchez; andactive member Bro. Mauri Hopkins. Rest inpeace, brothers.

A.C. Steelman, B.M.

Bus. Agent Kindred RetiresL.U. 364 (catv,ees,em,es,i,mt,rts&spa), ROCK-FORD, IL—A business agent and organizer for 20years and a 35-year member, Bro. Tom Kindredretired in March, ending a very productive career.

Bro. Kindred was first elected to theExecutive Board in 1986, and then as presidentin 1989. He served in that capacity for a yearbefore he was appointed business agent andorganizer by then-business manager Bro. MikeFenger. Bro. Kindred served the Brotherhood asassistant business manager for former businessmanager Tom Eschen for three years, then as anagent and organizer again under current Bus.Mgr. Darrin Golden.

Those who were asked to tell us about Bro.Kindred described him as a very special and car-ing individual, who would go to the ends of theearth to help a brother or sister in need. Manythankful members attended both his final unionmeeting in February, and his retirement celebra-tion in March to help celebrate his long, noble

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and selfless accomplishments working toimprove the lives of the brothers, sisters andfamilies of Local 364.

Bro. Kindred has touched the lives of thou-sands of IBEW members and positively influ-enced a good majority of them. We all wish him ahappy retirement and will truly miss him!

Ray Pendzinski, P.S.

Village Pavilion RestorationL.U. 388 (em,i,rts&spa), STEVENS POINT, WI—IBEW Local 388 Bus. Mgr. Dave Northup pre-sented a $5,000 check to Village of RothschildPres. Neal Torney for new stage lighting andother electrical restoration of the RothschildPavilion. The donation is made possible throughthe IBEW Local 388 and NECA Labor-Management Cooperation Committee Fund.

Also in attendance for the presentationwere: NECA Chapter Pres. Bob Van Ert, owner ofaffiliated contractor Van Ert Electric; PatPalecek and Paul Palecek, owners of affiliatedcontractor K&M Electric; Local 388 master elec-trician John Klosinski, employee of K&MElectric; Local 388 journeyman electrician LarryWendorf, employee of Van Ert Electric; and JeffCampo, Rothschild Pavilion RestorationCommittee chairman.

Bro. John Klosinski has taken the lead,along with help from numerous other Local 388volunteers, in upgrading the pavilion’s electricalsystem while maintaining its original characterand nostalgic aura. This effort would not be pos-sible without the help of the affiliate electrical

contractors who allow electrician volunteers theuse of company trucks, tools and donated materi-als for the electrical portion of the RothschildPavilion Restoration Project.

Guy LePage, B.R.

COMET & Training ClassesL.U. 424 (as,ees,em,es,i,mo,o,ptc,rtb,rts,spa&u),EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA—Obviouslythe world-wide recession has slowed employmentin all sectors considerably. In Alberta, where somuch of our work pivots around the petrochemi-cal industry, the effects are compounded by therelatively “low” price for oil.

The union and its members have beenthrough slow periods before. This one won’t be as“soul crunching” as the five-year National EnergyProgram recession in the mid 1980s. IBEW peo-ple will weather this one better than ournonunion counterparts because of employer con-tributed RRSPs and medical/dental benefits thatusually continue for several months after layoffs.

With work slowed, many members havesome forced “downtime.” Now is a good time totalk with an organizer about finding work, and tobook for a three-hour COMET course, presentedmonthly in Edmonton and Calgary. COMETexplains why we must organize and how it isdone, resulting in more choices of employers.Local 424 Pres. Jim Watson has directed that jobsteward courses be presented regularly to thosewilling to assume a steward’s responsibilities, aswell as Code of Excellence courses, recom-mended for all members.

Also, our new training center offers manytrade-related upgrading courses, usually threehours an evening twice a week, from 21 to 32hours total, depending upon the course; they arefree to members with benefits coverage.Information and phone numbers are available atWeb site www.ibew424.net.

Dave Anderson, P.S.

Union Brothers RememberedL.U. 488 (i&mt), BRIDGEPORT, CT—On Dec. 23,2008, Local 488 lost a longtime officer, memberand friend in John DePeano. Initiated in 1959, heheld the office of president for 21 years andserved on numerous boards and committees. Aquite, soft-spoken gentleman, his actions wereloud and went far for the membership he served.John will be sadly missed. Our thoughts andprayers go out to his family.

In this fast-paced world of “me first,” Local488 was shown the true meaning of brotherhoodand caring with the recent passing of retiredmember Frank Beran. Bro. Beran was thankfulfor the opportunities he had to achieve a careerwith the IBEW; and as a result of his generousaction, our Education Fund was privileged toreceive a bequest from Frank’s estate to be usedin the training of our members. Our thanks toFrank for his generosity.

Congratulations to Michael D’Amico on hisrecent appointment as InternationalRepresentative with the IBEW’s EducationDepartment. We will miss Michael’s dedication toour JATC, but know we are in good hands withthe appointment of Thomas J. Sportini as JATCdirector. Our best wishes to both Mike and Tomin their new positions.

Anthony M. Soter, P.S.

Improving Market ShareL.U. 508 (i,it&o), SAVANNAH, GA—In an effortto improve the market share of Local 508, we areworking to implement a new and improvedResidential Program. IBEW International LeadOrganizers Robert Sample and Dave Corneliusare teaching us the particulars of a program thatis a success in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.Savannah is still growing and building aroundevery corner, and the nonunion sector is capital-izing on a market untouched by a union contrac-tor in nearly 50 years. Seventy percent of thetotal electrical market encompasses this seg-ment of our industry and we are resolved torecapture our fair share with the help of our sig-natory contractors and our IBEW members.

TWIC is the new federally mandated ID foranyone who requires unescorted access to secureareas of the port system. Issued by theTransportation Security Administration, TWIC isa “Smart Card” embedded with fingerprint infor-mation that links the card to the person. It’sgood for five years. The process takes four weeksfrom start to finish. Applicants must providebiographical information, sign a disclosure form,provide a complete set of fingerprints, sit for adigital photograph, provide the necessary iden-tity verification documents, and pay an enroll-ment fee of $132.50.

Judith U. Sheahan, P.S.

Work Has SlowedL.U. 530 (i,o&rtb), SARNIA, ONTARIO,CANADA—As with all of Ontario, work here inSarnia has slowed dramatically. We have hadplant closures and cutbacks, jobs stalled, put onhold and/or pushed back.

Our hospital project is rolling along and weare hoping to receive more calls for it as thebuilding is closed in. Some other institutionalwork is being talked about and hopefully Local530 will be there, as we have many membersseeking employment.

Al Byers, P.S.

Hope for Jobs StimulusL.U. 538 (i), DANVILLE, IL—The local cele-brated Christmas 2008 with a roller skating partyfor the families. The children enjoyed meetingSanta, having their photo taken with him andreceiving a gift. The annual Christmas party heldafter the December meeting was a success.Thanks to Mike Noel for bringing the karaoke; itwas very entertaining.

With regret, I report the passing of DonaldLee Fowler. Don was a union contractor, who mostrecently installed water tower lighting. He was

IBEW Local 388 Bus. Mgr. David Northup (fifth fromleft) presents check to Village of Rothschild Pres.Neal Torney (third from right). Shown from left are:Jeff Campo, Rothschild Pavilion RestorationCommittee chairman; Pat Palecek and Paul Palecek,K&M Electric owners; NECA Chapter Pres. Bob VanErt, owner of Van Ert Electric; Northup; Torney; Local388 master electrician John Klosinski; and Local388 journeyman electrician Larry Wendorf.

The San Jose, CA, Local332 union hall was thesite for a big celebrationof the presidential inau-guration. Shown with acutout figure of Pres.Obama are, standing,from left: Rec. Sec. AlanWieteska, Bus. Mgr. BobTragni, retiree and for-mer assistant businessmanager Jay James,Vice Pres. KevinKavanaugh, and Exec.Board member MarkCosentino. Seated atfront is Asst. Bus. Mgr.Sal Ventura.

Local 538 three-generation family members passthe torch. From left are: Scott Price, second-yearapprentice inside wireman; Gene Price, retiredinside wireman; and Mark Price, fifth-year appren-tice inside wireman.

still climbing the 150-foot structures late into his70s. Don devoted his time to his family and tohelping others. Our condolences go to his wife,Lela, sons Gene and Brad and daughter Sherry.

The work situation continues to decline. Wecurrently have journeymen and apprentices laidoff, with a bleak work outlook. At press time, wecontinue our optimism for the stimulus package,with hopes for creation of new jobs for our mem-bers and other hard-working Americans.

Kathie Porter, Training Dir.

OSHA ClassesL.U. 540 (i), CANTON, OH—Today’s economicclimate in our country is affecting Canton, OH.Here in Local 540 work is slow. We thank otherlocals that have employed our members.

We held our children’s Christmas party lastDecember and it was again a success. Some 150children along with their parents and siblingsenjoyed the morning party. Thank you to allwho volunteered.

Membership Development CoordinatorMike McElfresh, along with Political RegistrarMark Kindel, were busy this past presidentialelection. They organized IBEW members andfamilies for help with “get out the vote” walksand phone banks.

The JATC was busy in 2008. Eighty Local540 members received their OSHA cards as aresult of two 30-hour OSHA classes and a 10-hour OSHA class. We held a 30-hour OSHA classwith 30 participants in February, and are expect-ing a full OSHA class in September.

Remember to work safely out there.

Jerry Bennett, P.S.

Service Pin PresentationL.U. 558 (catv,em,i,mt,o,rtb,rts,spa&u),SHEFFIELD, AL—Local 558 held a service pinpresentation during the Dec. 8, 2008, regularunion meeting. Members present and receivingservice pins were: for 25 years of service – RobertRobert E. Smith, Wade Strait; for 30 years –Michael D. Campbell, Edward R. Carpenter, GaryR. Dickerson, Larry L. Gray, William T. Hines Jr.,Kenneth J. Hines, Larry G. Lewis, Ralph P. Mayes,William M. McKay; for 35 years – Charles W.Nance Sr.; 40 years – John T. Ashley, Johnny D.Bailey, James W. Davis Jr., Michael Stevenson; andfor 45 years – Robert R. Ashley. Congratulationsand thanks to these members for their service inthe IBEW.

As of this writing, work in our local hasslowed with a number of our members seekingemployment.

Steve Crunk, Pres.

Holiday Party & Service PinsL.U. 584 (ees,em,es,i,rts,spa&u), TULSA, OK—On Dec. 13, 2008, the spirit of the holiday sea-son was in the air, as over 200 Local 584members and their families gathered for ourannual Christmas party and service-pin cere-mony. (See photo above.) Activities included acatered barbecue dinner, with desserts and sidedishes provided by members’ spouses; children’sgames; door prizes; and a presentation of serv-ice pins to retired members. The grand-prizegiveaway among the door prizes was a week’svacation to Florida, complete with airfare, cour-tesy of Bus. Mgr. Mike Burton.

Retired members in attendance receivingservice pins included Bruce Gass and ZekeSecrist, each with 65 years of service; DonShaull, 60 years; Robert Anderson, 55 years; JessDinsmore, Bobby Wiles and Arlyn Fleming, eachwith 40 years of service. Each child in atten-dance received a gift, a bag of candy, and a bighug from our own Santa (Jack Tiger). Local 584members wish everyone a good year ahead.

Johnny Patterson, A.B.M.

Solar Project InstalledL.U. 640 (em,govt,i,mo,mt,rts,spa&u), PHOENIX,AZ—IBEW Local 640 members working withG&S Electric recently installed a solar photo-voltaic system on the roof of one of our mostprestigious universities. Two units were installed

on each roof, for a total of four units. The 150KW solar installation has 735 solar panels andtwo different tracking systems.

Local 640 members who worked on the solarproject include: Rong Zeng, Mike Hathaway, GeorgeIslas, Robert Gardunio, Shawn McMahon, MadaraWinters, Sean Foulk, Greg Christ, Manfred Failsand Jeff Weissinger.

Frank Cissne, B.R.

Tribute to A BrotherL.U. 654 (i), CHESTER, PA—The Christmas partylast year was a big success as usual. Santa handedout gifts to all the children, and the membersenjoyed an afternoon with their families at thehall. Christmas 2008 was extra special because ofwhat we were able to do for an organization thatprovides disadvantaged children with toys overthe holidays. Through fundraisers and contribu-

tions, we raised over $6,000 to ensure that manychildren, who otherwise would not have gotten apresent, received Christmas gifts. Thanks toeveryone who helped to make this possible.

On a much sadder note, I regret to reportthe sudden passing of Bro. Jeff Richardson. Agreat friend and mentor to me and many others,Jeff always took the time to teach the trade toour apprentices. His contributions to the local asboth a committee member and journeyman willlong be remembered. Our sympathies andprayers are with his family.

Jim Russell, V.P./P.S.

‘Leveling the Playing Field’L.U. 684 (c,i,rts&st), MODESTO, CA—Work in thejurisdiction remains slow. Many contractors arestill on work share, such as Mann Electric &Collins. Con J. Franke should be beginning insidework on the Oakdale hospital project andHamilton-Dillon’s Gallo project is off to a slow start.

Stimulus public works projects and a laborfriendly administration should improve the pic-ture as summer approaches. Northern CaliforniaElectrical Construction Industry (NCECI) com-pliance efforts are paying off and leveling theplaying field in public works in our area.

Congratulations to Mann Electric ownerDanny Mann and members Jeff Dunn, BrianMcClain and Allen Avalos on installing a newscoreboard at Turlock High School in service tothe community. This is the third scoreboardproject our local and contractors have donethis past year. The scoreboards were purchasedout of the Labor Management CooperativeTrust fund.

A preview of continuing education classes isavailable at Web site www.cvjatc684.org undermember resources. Please make note of someschedule changes.

Torrey Newton, P.S.

Celebrating IBEW ServiceL.U. 688 (em,i,t&u), MANSFIELD, OH—We cel-ebrated our brothers’ service at our December2008 meeting. Among those honored were: for25 years of service – Alan Freeman and MarkWelty; for 30 years – Floyd Davis, TerryHildebrand, Gary McKenna, Timothy Miller, D.M. Patterson, Al Smith and Paul Smith; 35 years– Bruce McCue, Steven Noble and RichardRingler; 40 years – Bob Crumm, Jack Haburn,Jim Herrick, Paul Knackstedt, Malvern Partinand Gregory Willis; 50 years – Bob Trout; 55years – Arthur Boyce, John Janes and HaroldEbersole; and for 60 years – the energetic TobyKelly, who jumped up on stage for his certifi-cate. Thank you all for your service and com-mitment to our industry.

Jim Herrick donated his time to provide much-needed repair of water damage at our union hall.

Local 688 wishes our brothers John Klineand Dan Schertzer well on their retirement.

We are saddened to report the loss of ourbrother Dick Jensen on January 1. We send ourcondolences to Dick’s family and friends.

Dan Lloyd, P.S.

Winter Ice Storm WorkL.U. 700 (em,i,o&spa), FT. SMITH, AR—We sendout a big thank-you to all the IBEW linemen whoworked around the clock helping to restore

12 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � April 2009

Local 584 retired membersreceive IBEW service pin awardsat the December 2008 holidayparty. From left, front row, are:Bobby Wiles, Arlyn Fleming,Bruce Gass and Zeke Secrist;back row, Jess Dinsmore, RobertAnderson and Don Shaull.

IBEW Local 640 members pause for group photo atsite of G&S Electric solar project. From left are:Rong Zeng, Mike Hathaway, George Islas, RobertGardunio, Shawn McMahon, Madara Winters andSean Foulk. Standing at back is Greg Christ. Notpictured: Manfred Fails, Jeff Weissinger.

Local 558 service pins are awarded at December 2008 union meeting.

power to all the unfortunate folks (includingmany IBEW brothers and sisters) in NorthwestArkansas after a big winter ice storm. Overall,more than 167,000 homes and businesses lostpower for several weeks.

IBEW Local 700 will host the Tenth DistrictProgress Meeting in Fort Smith, AR, in June.This will be the first time we have hosted suchan event, and we are very excited especiallysince we just remodeled our union hall and can’twait to show it off.

Congratulations to the journeymen andapprentices who completed the ElectricalProject Supervision Level 1 course sponsored byNECA. Special thanks to Burl Carter and RussellThomas for teaching the course.

With great sadness we report the death ofBro. Cliff Perkins, who passed away Jan. 22, 2009.

Debbie Carter, P.S.

Service Pins AwardedL.U. 712 (c&i), BEAVER, PA—Congratulations toall members who recently received IBEW serviceaward pins. (See photo below.)

Receiving 50-year service pins were: DavidH. Bender, Stanley D. Boden, George R. Bowser,Ronald E. Ehrhart, Harold T. Freed, Michael E.Hojdila, Charles A. Honaker, James H. Kolback,Benjamin W. Kossack, Monteford R. Powers,Louis Roscetti Jr., Fred N. Stark, Richard L.Umstead; 55-year pins – Richard W. Bender, PaulGilboy, Edward G. Reese, Harley J. Rust Jr; and60-year pins – Richard J. Halicek, Gerald F.Kelch, Wallace R. McCracken, Americo Montini,Albert C. Thompson, Robert V. Todd and MerleE. Vogus

The JATC is currently providing journeymanclasses in: First Aid/CPR, OSHA 10 and 30 hoursafety, NFPA 70E, Introductory Fire Alarm, LevitonTraining, and Asbestos Worker Refresher Training.The apprentices are just completing some addi-tional training in conduit bending, introductorywelding, and high voltage cable splicing.

See you at the meeting!

Larry Nelson, P.S.

‘We Are Back in Our Hall’L.U. 716 (em,i,lctt,rts&spa), HOUSTON, TX—Iam happy to report that after many months ofrepairs due to damages sustained fromHurricane Ike, we are now back in our hall!

Our thoughts and prayers continue for themembers, their families and other local unionsthat have also suffered from “Hurricane Ike”storm damage. Thanks to all our members fortheir patience and to Local 66 for the use oftheir hall.

The work situation in Houston slowed a bitduring the winter months; however, we expectwork to pick up through the spring and summerof 2009.

Our organizing efforts, along with ourContinuing Education and Code of Excellenceclasses, continue to provide positive results. The“Hands on Evaluation Test” that is administeredto every applicant is proving to be a valuable toolin determining their level of experience.

This is a time for labor organizations to cel-ebrate all their hard work, with Pres. Obamadeclaring, “I don’t see organized labor as part ofthe problem – to me it is part of the solution.”Pres. Obama also says, “You cannot have a strongmiddle class without a strong labor union.” Thismakes all our organizing efforts worthwhile. Wehave waited a long time to hear these words.

John E. Easton Jr., B.M./F.S.

The Time is RightL.U. 756 (es&i), DAYTONA BEACH, FL—Thesouth end of our jurisdiction, which includesCape Canaveral Air Force Station and KennedySpace Center, is planning for some majorchanges. The retirement of the space shuttlefleet and the newfound interest in future com-mercial space missions should provide a boon forthe industry and related interests.

Investment in the space industry was mini-mal during the Bush administration. That fact,

coupled with the almost nonexistent enforcementof prevailing wages under the Davis-Bacon Actduring the Bush years, has almost shut out legiti-mate contractors from being awarded projects.

The Building Trades of Central Floridawere just recently assured by the Department ofLabor that all labor laws, including Davis-Bacon, will be enforced. Interesting what achange of administration can mean for workingfamilies. That should make it clear where theObama administration’s priorities are. This ofcourse will not guarantee that future projectswill go to fair contractors, but it should at leastlevel the playing field. This may be the bestopportunity for the labor movement that work-ing Americans have had in many years. Let’s alldo our part.

Daniel Hunt, P.S.

TVA Bull Run ProjectL.U. 760 (i,lctt,o,rts,spa&u), KNOXVILLE, TN—Congratulations and thank you to all the brothersand sisters who helped complete the recent TVABull Run project. Two thumbs up to job stewardsBro. Larry Cole (DN Electric) and Bro. JackSpears (Gubmk Constructors) for their commit-ment to excellence. This success shows the prideand professionalism of our IBEW members, whileagain proving that we are the right choice.

Local 760 recently welcomed our new dis-patcher to the local. Asst. Bus. Mgr./DispatcherMark “Pee Wee” Long brings many years of experi-ence as a construction steward to the dispatcher’soffice. Mark’s positive attitude and dedicatedwork ethic will benefit us all. Welcome, Mark.

George A. Bove, B.M./.F.S.

$150,000 Training GrantL.U. 804 (i&o), KITCHENER, ONTARIO,CANADA—Members of Local 804’s JATC andPolitical Action Committee, along with Local MPPJohn Molloy (Minister of Training, Colleges, andUniversities), were among those in attendance ata recent gathering for the presentation of a$150,000 grant awarded to Local 804 to upgradetraining offered by the local. (See photo above.)

The grant was provided by the OntarioMinistry of Training, Colleges, and Universities.The award presentation took place at the UnitedAssociation of Plumbers, Steamfitters andWelders union hall.

The Local 804 Joint ApprenticeshipTraining Committee will use the grant money toupgrade our training centre and purchase equip-ment, including green energy technology, for atest lab to improve our training programs.

Glen Hicks, P.S.

Three Contracts RatifiedL.U. 816 (i,o,spa,t&u), PADUCAH, KY—Local 816recently negotiated and ratified contracts atthree utility companies. West Kentucky RuralTelephone signed a five-year agreement.Hickman Fulton Rural Electric CooperativeCorporation signed a six-year agreement. WestKentucky RECC signed a three-year agreement.

As of press time, we are negotiating ourInside Agreement. Thanks to everyone on all thenegotiating committees. Our picnic is June 20 atVenture River Water Park. The Spring GolfTournament is May 9 at Drake Creek Golf Course.The annual DAD’S Day Building and Trades GolfTournament is June 13 at Paxton Park.

Remember, Continuing Education Units(CEU) classes are offered every other monthstarting at 8 a.m. at the union hall, for renewal ofthe Kentucky state electrical license.

On Jan. 27, a disastrous ice storm hit west-ern Kentucky. Our thanks go out to the thou-sands of utility workers who came to restore ourpower. Approximately three weeks later, powerwas virtually restored to everyone.

Greg Hobgood, B.M.

Awards PresentedL.U. 890 (i), JANESVILLE, WI—IBEW servicepins were handed out at the annual Local 890holiday party last year. Among those honoredwere 55-year member Harold Tolley, shown in theaccompanying photo with Local 890 Bus. Mgr.Leo “Pancho” Sokolik, and 50-year memberCharles North. Bro. Tolley was initiated into theIBEW in 1953 and retired in 1989. Harold is cur-rently enjoying retirement in Janesville.

Bro. North was initiated into the union in1958 and retired in 2001. Charlie worked manyyears for W.J. Allen and is now enjoying hisretirement in Stoughton, WI.

Jason Heidenreich, A.B.M./Org.

w w w. i b e w. o r g T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � April 2009 13

Local 712 service award recipi-ents, from left: Stanley D. Boden,Charles A. Honaker, David H.Bender, George R. Bowser,Richard W. Bender, Richard J.Halicek and Ronald E. Ehrhart.

Local 890 Bus. Mgr. Leo F. Sokolik (left) presentsservice award to 55-year member Harold Tolley.

In attendance for the presentation of a $150,000 training grant to IBEW Kitchener, Ontario, Local 804 were,from left: IBEW Local 804 Asst. Bus. Agent Bob Morris; U.A. Local 527 Bus. Agent John German; MPP JohnMolloy (Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities); IBEW Local 804 Pres./JATC Chair Corina Hicks; Local804 PAC members Richard Hertner and Richard Kingsley; Mike Gemmel, Local 804 JATC; Jennifer Pigozzo,Local 804 PAC; Paul Reitzel, Local 804 JATC; and Dianne Roy, Local 804 PAC.

Economy Hits HardL.U. 894 (i&o), OSHAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA—Spring hopefully has arrived here in Oshawa, aswe have had a long winter. Economic woes havehit us hard here in the motor city. General Motors,always counted on in the past to keep many of ourbrothers and sisters working, has been quiet withonly a handful of our members on site.

Our members, even though many are in verytough financial straits, continue their charitablecontributions to our community. Raye West, ourvice president, deserves a huge round ofapplause for his dedication to the annual toy andfood drive. Over the many years Raye hasworked with the toy drive and has delivered hun-dreds and hundreds of toys to needy children.Thanks, Raye.

Our Web site www.ibew894.org, createdand maintained by our office administratorTammy Gould, is a great place to keep up to dateon current and past events, courses available,benefits, organizing and Local 894 news. Worksafe, come out to the general meetings and showyour pride, the pride we all share in the IBEW.

Darrell Scott, R.S.

Holiday Lighting ContestL.U. 988 (u), SIDNEY, MT—The Sidney Heraldnewspaper, in cooperation with IBEW Local 988,held its second annual holiday lighting contest withcash prizes provided by the local union of $100 and$50. The Sidney Herald is located in Sidney, MT.

The public nominates a home by calling,faxing, or e-mailing the newspaper. The list ofnominated homes then appears in the paper sopeople can drive by and enjoy the decoratedhomes and then vote for their favorite display.The home with the most votes receives $50 forthe People’s Choice award. In addition, theSidney Kiwanis Club selects the top winner, whoreceives $100.

Montana-Dakota Utilities and LowerYellowstone Rural Electric (REA) joined the pro-motion by supplying holiday safety tips through-out the contest to help residents remember thatsafety should always come first.

Randy Berndt, F.S.

Union Membership Is StrengthL.U. 1116 (em,lctt&u), TUCSON, AZ—In a“right-to-work” state like Arizona, some of our co-workers are “hitchhikers” who enjoy the benefitsnegotiated by the union without supporting it.We need to convince them that union member-ship gives us strength.

The last four months of 2008 proved justthat! Our local welcomed new members: KennethAdams, Joseah Tsethlikai, Larry Walker, DianaBaker, Nick Vicino, Patrick Reynolds, TravisPuklaveta, Jacob Chustz, Thomas Cox, DavidErickson, Jace Hicks, Thomas Putman, OrlandoRomero, Jonathan Shelton, Kyle Swesey, WilliamVan Story, Gene Zawacky, Andrea Mitchell,William Townsend, David Hunt, Chuck Amstutz,William Harris, John Cantrell, Timothy S. Eagar,Jonnie Breaux, Marissa DeLaTorre, Jon Hartnett,Michael Norris, Samantha Patton, Tanya Snyder,Juan Prieto-Quintana, Donna Milstead, RichardCaldwell, Alma Skousen and Marylou Murphy.

Our 2009 goal is to organize those who aren’tpart of our union family. We are over 700 strongbut organizing those nonmembers will add to ourmembership’s strength in the years to come.

Bro. Jesse Ramirez, Southwest EnergySolutions meter reader, has expressed his appre-ciation to the membership for their support anddonations made during his recent hardship andloss of his son.

R. Cavaletto, P.S.

IBEW Marathoner on Big IslandL.U. 1186 (as,catv,ees,govt,i,mar,o,rts&spa),HONOLULU, HI—Rob Van Geen was a computersystems administrator for nearly 25 years, butquit to start in the IBEW Hawaii Local 1186apprenticeship program in 2006.

As if that wasn’t enough to have on hisplate, Bro. Van Geen is a serious marathon ath-lete; has paddled for Kawaihae Canoe Club since2000; and began training for competitive swim-ming, cycling and running in 2005.

Van Geen has qualified and participated inthe Ironman World Championship every year since2006 and competed in the Ultraman WorldChampionship in 2007, which consists of a 6.2 mile

swim, a 261.4 mile bike race and a 52.4 mile run.His weekly training averages swimming for 7 miles,biking for 100 miles, and running for 20 miles.

Bro. Van Geen most recently competed inthe Hawaiian Ultra Running Team (HURT) 100-mile endurance run held Jan. 17-18 on Oahu.The grueling trail race features 25,000 feet ofclimbs and 25,000 feet of descents, with a 36-hour contest cutoff.

Donn K. dela Cruz, B.R.

Suppliers Support TrainingL.U. 1220 (rtb), CHICAGO, IL—Another year,another utility class, another thanks to JosephElectronics, WTTW, and the whole Fletcher fam-ily of Chicago.

Local 1220 could not conduct utility classeswithout the help of these organizations. But anorganization is only as good as its members, andStan Glapa, Fletcher rental manager; JohnCleary, vice president/operations, JosephElectronics; and Ron Yergovich, vice president,operations/productions at WTTW help maketheir organizations successful.

The class was held Jan. 26 in Studio D atWTTW with Rich Lanza as instructor and AndreaRandall as assistant. “We had some calls duringthe year about our utilities, so I thought it best tocall everyone together for a refresher course,”said Local 1220 Bus. Mgr. Madeleine Monaco. “Wehave this work because we do the best job. If wedon’t provide consistent quality, we can lose it.”

“This training emphasizes the cooperativeeffort of union members,” Monaco added. “Theyhelp each other complete their tasks.” In theclass, newcomers were assisted by experiencedLocal 1220 members.

It is through such cooperative effort thatLocal 1220 provides the quality broadcast demands.

Our thanks to all who pitched in to get thejob done. Within 24 hours, the rental equipmentwas returned in good order. “We want producersto look forward to coming to Chicago becausethey know everything runs smoothly,” Lanza said.

Jim Sterne, B.R./P.S.

Officers Sworn InL.U. 1600 (catv&u), BETHLEHEM, PA—IBEWLocal 1600 held its election of officers inNovember 2008 and conducted swearing-in cere-monies Dec. 1, 2008.

Sworn in to office were: Pres./Fin. Sec.Lester S. Ettl, Vice Pres. Frank E. Graboski, Rec.Sec. K. Cas Riepensell, and Treas. Joseph C.Reilly. Executive Board members sworn in were:Ronald J. Zemlansky – Unit 1, Michael J. Mannix– Unit 2, John Paul III – Unit 3, John Clausius –Unit 4, Alfred J. Onushak – Unit 5, JohnDeSanto, Jr. – Unit 6, Richard J. Sopko – Unit 7,and Darleen Lefever – Unit 8.

Local 1600 represents members from PPLElectric Utilities, Ephrata Borough, Comcast andSunbury LLC, totaling approximately 3,800 workers.

Mary Ann Anthony, P.S.

14 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � April 2009

IBEW Honolulu, HI, Local1186 apprentice Rob VanGeen is a world-classendurance athlete andmarathon runner.

IBEW Local 988 representative Terry Hockenbary (left) awards top prize for holiday lighting contest to RogerMarker (second from left); and Local 988 Pres. Larry Anderson (right) presents People’s Choice Award toRichard and Luella Buxbaum.

Local 1600 officers, from left: Pres./Fin. Sec. Lester S. Ettle, Vice Pres. Frank E. Graboski, Rec. Sec. K. CasRiepensell and Treas. Joseph C. Reilly. At right is IBEW Third District Int. Rep. Paul J. Simon.

w w w. i b e w. o r g T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � April 2009 15

Cost savings, environmental concernsand the need for rapid reporting ofinformation in a fast-paced worldare issues that affect every commu-

nications outlet from the mainstream mediato organizations of all stripes. The IBEW’sleadership grappled with these topics anddeveloped a plan of action that balancesthese concerns with the union’s obligation tokeep members informed.

Since 2007, the IBEW has had two offi-cial publications, this newspaper and theIBEW Journal, a quarterly magazine that wasthe latest incarnation of the Brotherhood’sline of print vehicles that started in 1893. Asreported in the Winter 2009 issue of theJournal, the IBEW will no longer publish itsmagazine. The mantle of serving as theIBEW’s official flagship publication will nowbe taken up by The Electrical Worker andshared by the IBEW’s Web site.

“We know that this is a big change, andthat the Journal had become a traditionamong the members,” said InternationalPresident Edwin D. Hill. “Times change, andso do the needs of the IBEW in confrontingthe challenges of the 21st century. In thisera, the officers felt that the quarterly mag-azine consumed resources that could bestbe devoted elsewhere, while also commit-ting the Brotherhood to an enhanced news-paper and greater use of Internettechnology.” Hill noted that the officerswere also conscious of the savings in paperand ink that elimination of the Journalwould make possible, both in terms of costand the impact on the environment.

The Electrical Worker was the name ofthe IBEW’s original publication in 1893. Instarting the newspaper, the name was resur-rected to hark back to days when the unionplayed a strong role in the social and cultural

lives of members as well as job site represen-tation. The masthead of the current newspa-per recalls the original artwork from 1893.

With this issue, The Electrical Workerexpands to 20 pages in order carry somethe features that were covered in theJournal, including longer articles of inter-est to the membership. Later this year, thenewspaper will have an upgraded design.As a monthly, The Electrical Worker repre-sents a continued strong commitment bythe IBEW to print communications at atime when many unions have cut their pub-lications to six or four times a year, or elim-inated them entirely.

For two years, IBEW members have alsohad the option of not receiving a paper edi-tion of the publication, choosing instead toreceive a monthly e-mail with a link to thepublication online. The officers encouragemembers to take advantage of this option asanother way to conserve financial and envi-ronmental resources. Currently, those whohave an online subscription receive a link toa PDF file of the publication on the Web site.Soon, the IBEW will unveil a version of TheElectrical Worker with the same content asthe print edition, but designed specificallyfor the Web. Members can activate the onlineonly option by clinking on the special link on

the front page of www.ibew.org.The IBEW’s communications program

also features a stronger commitment toWeb-based communications. The IBEW’sWeb site unveiled a totally redesigned sitethat features new stories about the activi-ties of the Brotherhood on an almost dailybasis and regular video news content. Thesite also continues to serve as a repositoryfor information about the IBEW. A numberof stories and video clips produced by theMedia Department have been featured onnews and discussion blogs in the broaderInternet community.

“It’s a new world out there, and theIBEW must keep pace,” President Hill said.“In this economy, we must use our resourceswisely while doing all we can to keep ourmembership informed and active. At a timewhen union membership requires a strongercommitment on the part of every man andwoman in the IBEW, we will use the technol-ogy at our disposal to spread the word. Ourprogram will be constantly evolving.” �

Got a comment? Send it to media@ibew.orgor write to us at:

The Electrical Worker900 Seventh Street, N.W.Washington, DC 20001-3886

Electrical Worker, Web Carry on IBEWCommunications Tradition

Twelve years ago, telecommunicationsunions and employers came togetherto create online education programs toprepare workers for a technical career

in the field. As a founding member of theNational Coalition for TelecommunicationsEducation and Learning (NACTEL), theIBEW continues to see a steady stream ofmembers taking advantage of the wide rangeof technical education certificates anddegrees available through NACTEL. Not onlydoes it offer marketable skills in a growingfield, it also comes with the bona fides ofacademia, the degree from Pace, an accred-ited university.

NACTEL has consistently seen womenrepresent approximately 40 percent of thestudents enrolled in the program since thebeginning. At the same time, women repre-sented only up to 15 percent of the studentsin a typical training program offered by atelecom company. Why?

Laura Townsend was working full time

as a customer account specialist at AT&T inDyer, Ind. She knew she wanted to moveahead in her career and thought about goingback to school. But with a demanding joband two children, attending a traditional pro-gram would mean time off work, child careand commuting to a college campus – noneof which she could afford. She needed a pro-gram that would fit her schedule.

When she learned about NACTEL’s pro-gram, she decided to give it a try. Laura, whois pursuing a bachelor of science in telecom-munications, is part of an online “classroom”with 18 other students and an instructor. Shehas assignments that are due each week, butLaura is able to create a schedule that fitsher family and work responsibilities. Shenever has to set foot on a campus; her com-puter is her “campus.”

Stories like Laura’s have become com-monplace among NACTEL students.

TELECOM WORKERS continued on page 20

Online Program TrainsTelecom Workers

16 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � April 2009

This is the first article in a series on how theIBEW is working within our states, commu-nities and in the federal political arena toexpand the market and the benefits ofrenewable energy technologies.

Darryl Thayer, a member ofMinneapolis Local 292, hardlyreceived a visionary’s welcome whenhe addressed the Minnesota legisla-

ture in 1968 about the need to develop solarenergy and wean the state from fossil fuel-based sources. Worse yet, says Thayer, manyof his fellow workers “thought I was nuts.”

How climates have changed. Forty-oneyears later, the legislature has a green energytask force. And Thayer, a 53-year memberwho teaches solar classes at Local 292’sJATC, is a hero to young members like RayZeran, one of 600 members on the bench whoare looking to benefit from billions of dollarsof state funds and federal stimulus moneyfocused on renewable energy projects.

In February, Zeran, who topped out of hisapprenticeship last July, joined 150 IBEWmembers from across Minnesota for a lobbyingday in St. Paul, where renewable energy was amain focus. “I participated because I realizedearly on in my electrical career that just show-ing up at work every day is not enough—thereare too many factors going against us as unionworkers,” says Zeran, who needs one moreinstallation to become certified as a solar spe-cialist by the North American Board ofCertified Energy Practitioners.

Local 292’s training center, featuring oneof the nation’s best solar labs and its ownsolar array, has a waiting list for students. Butthe local isn’t taking an exclusive approach totraining. Training Director Jim Nimlos hasworked with his counterpart, Andy Toft,LeSueur, Minn., Local 343, to develop a stu-dent exchange between LeSuer’s wind tur-bine training and 292’s solar curriculum.

While Minnesota may appear to be animprobable generator of sun power, Nimlossays that the 45th parallel is primed for har-nessing solar energy. Residing on a latitudesimilar to Germany’s, where solar power iswell-developed, Minnesota’s lower tempera-tures keep panels operating at maximum effi-ciency. And the state’s clear skies make itcompetitive with Jacksonville, Fla., SanFrancisco and Houston.

IBEW participates in the U.S. Departmentof Energy’s Solar America Cities project, whichtargets 25 metropolitan areas for sun powerdevelopment. Thayer—who earned a B.A. inphysics over 13 years working as a journeymanwireman and has nearly completed his master’sin engineering—has written curriculum for theproject. Fully half of all Minnesota solarinstallers who have achieved NationalAssociation of Certified Energy Practitioners

qualifications are Local 292 members.Wind power has been expanding rapidly

in the southwest quadrant of Minnesota.Local 343, in the southeast, is aiming to bethe labor supply of choice on wind projects.The local is completing climbing and rescueprocedures on turbines in conjunction withan NJATC wind power curriculum and build-ing a 60-foot climbing tower for practicinghigh-voltage safety. Toft, who sets a priorityon making signatory contractors more com-petitive in wind projects, expects to see1,700 towers erected over the next few years.

The IBEWMinnesota State Council’sefforts to promote new training and encouragegrassroots political activism to set high stan-dards for renewable energy workers are return-ing results that could reach far into the future.

The state has some of the strongestenvironmental and energy laws in thenation—including a mandate that one-quar-ter of Minnesota’s electricity come fromrenewables by 2025.

Bill Heaney, IBEW Minnesota StateCouncil’s legislative and political director,sees a two-pronged approach to theBrotherhood’s political efforts—maximizingrenewable energy jobs and standards understate laws and ensuring that the federalstimulus money is not used to supplant exist-ing spending, but to create new, preferablyprevailing wage-regulated employment.

The two goals are not mutually exclusive,says Heaney. IBEW is supporting state legisla-tion to include more money to cover the laborcosts of relocating existing power lines tomake way for new highway and rail projectsthat will be financed by the federal stimulus.Some state bills supported by environmental-ists hold promise for significant manpowerdemand for electricians.

State Sen. Ellen Anderson (D-St. Paul)

said that investing in the new non-fossil fueltechnologies will result in 70,000 new orretained jobs. Minnesota will receive $9 bil-lion in tax cuts and new federal aid throughthe $787 billion stimulus bill.

In a state that mandates the licensing ofelectricians, IBEW is challenging the percep-tion that solar and wind energy require entirelynew careers. Local 292 Business Representa-tive Dan McConnell meets with community col-lege educators who are setting up renewableenergy training. “I ask them what will happento students who are only trained in renewableenergy installations if the bubble bursts in anyspecific sector,” says McConnell.

McConnell proposes to educators and leg-islators that the demand for solar workers befilled by journeymen and apprentice electri-cians who receive supplementary training inhow to properly design and angle panels andcalculate their efficiency. “Solar panels are livewhen they come out of the box,” saysMcConnell. Safety should not be taken forgranted. And better-trained workers, he says,“are far more recession-proof than workerstrained exclusively on renewable installations.”

In spite of the positive internal condi-tions—progressive union locals and contrac-tors, supportive politicians and even theblessings of nature—the development ofrenewable energy in Minnesota faces a hurdlethat seems as daunting as the nation’s energypolicy. The obstacle is cost. Minnesota’s elec-tric bills are low relative to costs in Californiaand on the East Coast, challenging the sup-porters of renewable energy to win more pub-lic support to change the state’s energy mix.

In the next article in our series, we willexplore this challenge and the wider publicpolicy considerations and technologyrequired to change the nation’s energy mix. �

Minnesota Locals Harness GrassrootsAction on Renewable Energy

Minneapolis Local 292’s JATC has a waiting list for members to train in solar installation. Veteran memberDarryl Thayer, kneeling, instructs Bradley Kanis, left, Claude Clavette. Instructor Kelley Benyo stands at right.

Spotlighton Safety

Fighting for the Living: UnionsPress for Workplace SafetyMore than three decades ago, Congresspassed the Occupational Safety and HealthAct, promising every worker the right to asafe job. Unions and our allies have foughthard to make that promise a reality, winingprotections that have saved hundreds ofthousands of lives. Nonetheless, the toll ofworkplace injuries, illnesses and deathsremains enormous. In 2007, more than 4 mil-lion workers were injured and 5,488 workerswere killed due to job hazards. Another50,000 died due to occupational disease.

After eight years of neglect and inactionby the Bush administration, the challengesare great. Major hazards remain unaddressedand many workers lack basic protections andrights. But now we have the opportunity tostrengthen job safety protections and tomake sure that workers’ voices are heard.

On April 28, we observe WorkersMemorial Day to remember those who havesuffered and died on the job and to renewthe fight for safe workplaces.

In 2009, we must fight for:• Full OSHA coverage for all workers.More than 8.8 million state and local pub-lic employees, flight attendants and otherworker have no protection under theOSHA law.

• Stronger criminal and civil penalties forviolations. The average penalty for a seri-ous violation of the OSHA law is woefullylow, only $960. The median penalty inenforcement cases involving a worker’sdeath was only $3,675.

• New workplace safety and health stan-dards. In 38 years, OSHA has set stan-dards for only 29 toxic substances; formany hazards standards are out of date ornon-existent. There is a huge backlog ofstandards that need to be issued includingrules on silica, beryllium, cranes and der-ricks, diacetyl and combustible dust.

• Protections against ergonomic hazards.Musculoskeletal disorders remain thebiggest job safety problem, responsible for30 percent of all workplace injuries andcosting billions of dollars each year.

• Complete and accurate reporting ofworkplace injuries and illnesses. Eventhough the toll of workplace injuries ishigh, recent studies have found that thosereports may miss as many as two out ofthree workplace injuries. Increasinglyworkers are being discouraged from report-ing job injuries, often facing discipline ortermination when they are injured. �

w w w. i b e w. o r g T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � April 2009 17

Local Surname Amount1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .McIntyre, S. M. . . . . . . . . 6,250.001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Price, S. T. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,250.001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rodgers, K. . . . . . . . . . . 6,250.001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Steffan, F. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stillman, E. W. . . . . . . . . 3,000.003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Abramowitz, A. . . . . . . . 3,000.003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bongiorno, D. J. . . . . . . . 1,000.003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carlozzi, J. G. . . . . . . . . . 2,944.523 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Collier, G. W. . . . . . . . . . . 2,962.523 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Comeau, E. J. . . . . . . . . . 2,916.503 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Egan, R. J. . . . . . . . . . . . 6,250.003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Feingold, H. N. . . . . . . . . 5,906.043 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Frank, S. J. . . . . . . . . . . . 2,906.003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Graff, K. M. . . . . . . . . . . 12,500.003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Martin, C. E. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mc Laughlin, K. J. . . . . . 5,402.963 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pantelides, N. . . . . . . . . 6,250.003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Schrager, L. Z. . . . . . . . . 1,500.003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Urban, D. M. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Vinocur, S. A. . . . . . . . . . 6,250.005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Drummond, D. B. . . . . . . 3,000.005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Faulkner, T. D. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hursen, J. J. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Felter, D. H. . . . . . . . . . . . 2,938.756 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Porter, G. W. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Schoenrock, B. R. . . . . 12,500.0011 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Balos, D. C. . . . . . . . . . . . 6,250.0011 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Knickrehm, A. F. . . . . . . . 3,000.0011 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lubarsky, S. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.0011 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rea, D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.0015 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Marshall, H. C. . . . . . . . . 3,000.0016 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Schultz, M. P. . . . . . . . . . 6,250.0017 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dernberger, R. J. . . . . . . 3,000.0018 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sadler, R. A. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.0020 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wyatt, C. E. . . . . . . . . . . . 2,940.9222 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fox, C. E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,952.1122 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Grabenstein, E. J. . . . . . . 3,000.0024 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kendrick, R. M. . . . . . . . . 3,000.0024 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Simmons, T. W. . . . . . . . . 3,000.0024 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tester, R. L. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.0025 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Katzel, H. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.0025 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kraker, W. J. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.0025 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Reck, R. F. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,000.0026 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Failes, J. E. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.0026 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Keelan, F. A. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.0034 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Garls, R. E. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,125.0034 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hartzell, W. G. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.0034 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Maynard, J. L. . . . . . . . . 1,469.6638 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sinclair, J. L. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.0038 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Smithers, R. C. . . . . . . . . 6,250.0043 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Delmonico, L. D. . . . . . . 2,937.5843 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ross, J. G. . . . . . . . . . . . 6,250.0046 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gratias, G. W. . . . . . . . . . 2,941.0646 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lee, Y. S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,250.0047 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Slife, D. D. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.0051 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Roberts, O. F. . . . . . . . . . 2,964.7951 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stubblefield, D. E. . . . . . 1,475.0053 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brawner, L. K. . . . . . . . . . 6,250.0056 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Huntley, J. H. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.0058 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Edmonds, W. D. . . . . . . . 3,000.0058 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jones, J. A. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.0060 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stanukinos, T. . . . . . . . . 3,000.0066 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alvarez, F. . . . . . . . . . . 12,500.0068 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Elling, V. L. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.0068 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Forbes, R. L. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.0070 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Adams, S. H. . . . . . . . . . . 2,926.0070 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jones, J. J. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.0076 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Baard, A. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.0077 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Baker, L. G. . . . . . . . . . . . 2,851.1777 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Baker, J. H. . . . . . . . . . . . 2,932.7877 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Behm, L. A. . . . . . . . . . . . 2,203.5077 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Clark, F. N. . . . . . . . . . . . 6,250.0077 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kowalski, J. A. . . . . . . . . 2,875.9677 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Yoakum, A. C. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.0082 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Swope, D. G. . . . . . . . . . 5,160.7883 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Elwood, C. E. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.0084 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Arrington, C. H. . . . . . . . . 3,000.0084 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Martin, V. A. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.0090 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ventura, A. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.0098 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Logan, D. M. . . . . . . . . . . 6,250.0098 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pote, D. D. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00

Local Surname Amount98 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ricci, G. F. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,041.6798 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Smith, J. F. . . . . . . . . . . . 4,481.0098 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sparks, T. J. . . . . . . . . . . 2,893.88100 . . . . . . . . . . . .Hord, D. W. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00102 . . . . . . . . . . . .Denny, G. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,916.78102 . . . . . . . . . . . .Dwyer, J. A. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00102 . . . . . . . . . . . .Parcell, G. S. . . . . . . . . . . 2,962.39103 . . . . . . . . . . . .Adams, M. A. . . . . . . . . . 5,359.00103 . . . . . . . . . . . .Gorman, P. F. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00103 . . . . . . . . . . . .Puliafico, R. G. . . . . . . . . 3,000.00105 . . . . . . . . . . . .Wittic, P. D. . . . . . . . . . . . 6,250.00110 . . . . . . . . . . . .Avenriep, T. W. . . . . . . . . 2,930.38110 . . . . . . . . . . . .Kohout, R. R. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00110 . . . . . . . . . . . .Peterson, R. D. . . . . . . . . 1,000.00111 . . . . . . . . . . . .Dunham, J. D. . . . . . . . . 6,250.00112 . . . . . . . . . . . .Halla, J. F. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00112 . . . . . . . . . . . .Rayburn, G. R. . . . . . . . . 2,935.98115 . . . . . . . . . . . .Davis, J. G. . . . . . . . . . . . 2,883.16124 . . . . . . . . . . . .Schaaf, R. G. . . . . . . . . . . 5,638.00129 . . . . . . . . . . . .Wickham, N. W. . . . . . . . 3,000.00130 . . . . . . . . . . . .Boasso, E. J. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00130 . . . . . . . . . . . .Donnelly, J. B. . . . . . . . . 3,000.00131 . . . . . . . . . . . .Gay, F. H. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00134 . . . . . . . . . . . .Boudolf, A. H. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00134 . . . . . . . . . . . .Cullinan, D. A. . . . . . . . . . 6,250.00134 . . . . . . . . . . . .Derbyshire, E. J. . . . . . . . 3,000.00134 . . . . . . . . . . . .Hoye, H. P. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00134 . . . . . . . . . . . .Kalesz, W. P. . . . . . . . . . . 2,896.36134 . . . . . . . . . . . .Kotowski, M. A. . . . . . . . 6,250.00134 . . . . . . . . . . . .Ormsby, E. D. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00134 . . . . . . . . . . . .Powell, V. J. . . . . . . . . . . . 6,250.00134 . . . . . . . . . . . .Sullivan, J. L. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00136 . . . . . . . . . . . .Williams, C. M. . . . . . . . . 1,500.00145 . . . . . . . . . . . .Gomez, R. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00145 . . . . . . . . . . . .Viaene, R. L. . . . . . . . . . . 2,968.84146 . . . . . . . . . . . .Stafford, A. E. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00150 . . . . . . . . . . . .Murtagh, D. P. . . . . . . . . . 6,250.00150 . . . . . . . . . . . .Sowa, D. F. . . . . . . . . . . . 6,250.00158 . . . . . . . . . . . .Basche, W. E. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00160 . . . . . . . . . . . .Schelske, M. D. . . . . . . . 3,000.00163 . . . . . . . . . . . .Hughes, D. T. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00175 . . . . . . . . . . . .Austin, B. G. . . . . . . . . . . 2,654.00175 . . . . . . . . . . . .Buffington, J. W. . . . . . . . 2,877.57175 . . . . . . . . . . . .Newell, J. M. . . . . . . . . . 3,577.00175 . . . . . . . . . . . .Pickard, R. J. . . . . . . . . . 5,440.00175 . . . . . . . . . . . .Whittenbarger, D. . . . . . 6,250.00176 . . . . . . . . . . . .Emery, E. D. . . . . . . . . . . 2,968.66193 . . . . . . . . . . . .Burris, J. L. . . . . . . . . . . . 2,920.94196 . . . . . . . . . . . .Olson, L. E. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00212 . . . . . . . . . . . .Gerke, J. P. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00213 . . . . . . . . . . . .Corbett, J. W. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00213 . . . . . . . . . . . .Goldsmith, R. P. . . . . . . . 3,000.00213 . . . . . . . . . . . .Stienstra, H. . . . . . . . . . . 3,968.20213 . . . . . . . . . . . .Woronchak, W. . . . . . . . 3,000.00226 . . . . . . . . . . . .Luttrell, D. G. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00238 . . . . . . . . . . . .Lackey, K. J. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00242 . . . . . . . . . . . .Madsen, W. C. . . . . . . . . 3,000.00245 . . . . . . . . . . . .Powell, F. L. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00246 . . . . . . . . . . . .Zapolnik, S. A. . . . . . . . . 6,250.00252 . . . . . . . . . . . .Gould, M. K. . . . . . . . . . . 2,940.79258 . . . . . . . . . . . .Tarumoto, S. S. . . . . . . . . 3,000.00275 . . . . . . . . . . . .Deboer, J. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00275 . . . . . . . . . . . .Schoon, P. J. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00280 . . . . . . . . . . . .Alvarado, J. L. . . . . . . . . 2,667.00288 . . . . . . . . . . . .Rex, E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00291 . . . . . . . . . . . .Brownlee, B. G. . . . . . . . 6,250.00292 . . . . . . . . . . . .Ekmark, W. D. . . . . . . . . . 2,935.99292 . . . . . . . . . . . .Laudner, M. D. . . . . . . . . 2,909.58292 . . . . . . . . . . . .Skjervold, D. H. . . . . . . . 2,912.00292 . . . . . . . . . . . .Wall, D. L. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,948.79295 . . . . . . . . . . . .Dale, P. L. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,250.00302 . . . . . . . . . . . .Pendleton, M. A. . . . . . . 12,500.00304 . . . . . . . . . . . .Dillon, A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,803.14304 . . . . . . . . . . . .Green, L. E. . . . . . . . . . . . 2,945.59305 . . . . . . . . . . . .Romero, P. A. . . . . . . . . . 3,037.00306 . . . . . . . . . . . .Dretar, D. D. . . . . . . . . . 12,500.00306 . . . . . . . . . . . .McGough, D. T. . . . . . . . . 3,000.00306 . . . . . . . . . . . .Thomas, J. . . . . . . . . . . . 4,234.00307 . . . . . . . . . . . .Lehman, C. M. . . . . . . . . 6,250.00309 . . . . . . . . . . . .Eck, J. J. . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500.00309 . . . . . . . . . . . .Rogers, C. H. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00

Local Surname Amount340 . . . . . . . . . . . .Forsyth, S. R. . . . . . . . . . 2,932.56340 . . . . . . . . . . . .Hopkins, M. A. . . . . . . . . 6,250.00340 . . . . . . . . . . . .Morris, H. G. . . . . . . . . . . 2,901.40340 . . . . . . . . . . . .Sanchez, C. C. . . . . . . . . 2,916.00349 . . . . . . . . . . . .Kovach, J. P. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00349 . . . . . . . . . . . .Wood, T. L. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00351 . . . . . . . . . . . .McLaughlin, J. C. . . . . . . 2,844.00353 . . . . . . . . . . . .Azzoli, L. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00353 . . . . . . . . . . . .Begley, D. . . . . . . . . . . . 2,958.86353 . . . . . . . . . . . .Coulton, J. F. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00353 . . . . . . . . . . . .Lawrenson, A. . . . . . . . . 3,000.00353 . . . . . . . . . . . .Pinder, G. A. . . . . . . . . . . 6,179.00353 . . . . . . . . . . . .Shojaei, A. . . . . . . . . . . . 6,250.00354 . . . . . . . . . . . .Carlson, K. V. . . . . . . . . . 6,250.00357 . . . . . . . . . . . .Hawkes, B. J. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00369 . . . . . . . . . . . .Schmitt, G. L. . . . . . . . . . 6,250.00375 . . . . . . . . . . . .Frederick, W. C. . . . . . . . 3,000.00375 . . . . . . . . . . . .Kleppinger, T. A. . . . . . . . 4,302.14375 . . . . . . . . . . . .Siegfried, R. . . . . . . . . . . 2,936.00379 . . . . . . . . . . . .Brooks, D. E. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00380 . . . . . . . . . . . .Pucci, R. G. . . . . . . . . . . . 6,250.00386 . . . . . . . . . . . .Sullivan, K. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00387 . . . . . . . . . . . .Jonovich, D. . . . . . . . . . . 2,948.79387 . . . . . . . . . . . .Karkula, R. . . . . . . . . . . . 2,827.17401 . . . . . . . . . . . .Bellopatrick, N. J. . . . . . . 3,037.00402 . . . . . . . . . . . .Raivio, M. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00424 . . . . . . . . . . . .Zeleny, L. M. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00426 . . . . . . . . . . . .Smith, A. L. . . . . . . . . . . . 6,250.00429 . . . . . . . . . . . .Burns, D. E. . . . . . . . . . . 6,250.00429 . . . . . . . . . . . .Erwin, J. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,250.00446 . . . . . . . . . . . .Martin, J. W. . . . . . . . . . . 2,872.00466 . . . . . . . . . . . .McGraner, B. L. . . . . . . . 3,000.00477 . . . . . . . . . . . .Gildart, W. C. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00477 . . . . . . . . . . . .Terceira, J. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00479 . . . . . . . . . . . .Sanford, R. E. . . . . . . . . . 2,932.00481 . . . . . . . . . . . .Green, L. . . . . . . . . . . . 12,500.00481 . . . . . . . . . . . .LaChar, L. E. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00488 . . . . . . . . . . . .Boshek, W. C. . . . . . . . . . 2,419.09488 . . . . . . . . . . . .Gabianelli, J. J. . . . . . . . . 3,000.00488 . . . . . . . . . . . .Harbanuk, S. E. . . . . . . . 3,000.00488 . . . . . . . . . . . .Keiser, R. L. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00490 . . . . . . . . . . . .Lucas, W. P. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00494 . . . . . . . . . . . .Hadrian, R. O. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00494 . . . . . . . . . . . .Taylor, L. R. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00494 . . . . . . . . . . . .Tillich, H. F. . . . . . . . . . . . 4,540.00494 . . . . . . . . . . . .Zillmer, H. R. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00498 . . . . . . . . . . . .Taylor, D. M. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00502 . . . . . . . . . . . .Hansen, R. J. . . . . . . . . . 2,935.00529 . . . . . . . . . . . .Kornaga, M. S. . . . . . . . . 6,250.00532 . . . . . . . . . . . .Girardot, T. . . . . . . . . . . . 4,166.66558 . . . . . . . . . . . .Saxon, R. D. . . . . . . . . . . 2,960.05559 . . . . . . . . . . . .Johnson, A. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00568 . . . . . . . . . . . .Soucy, A. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,940.00568 . . . . . . . . . . . .Stjean, S. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00569 . . . . . . . . . . . .Fox, W. K. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,250.00569 . . . . . . . . . . . .Schmidt, E. G. . . . . . . . . . . 600.00569 . . . . . . . . . . . .Wright, J. E. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00584 . . . . . . . . . . . .Gann, S. T. . . . . . . . . . . . 2,898.60584 . . . . . . . . . . . .Pursell, B. E. . . . . . . . . . . 6,250.00584 . . . . . . . . . . . .Reed, T. E. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,377.00586 . . . . . . . . . . . .McGarry, H. . . . . . . . . . . 6,250.00595 . . . . . . . . . . . .Clifton, P. M. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00613 . . . . . . . . . . . .Knox, F. M. . . . . . . . . . . . 2,861.32613 . . . . . . . . . . . .Lackey, J. M. . . . . . . . . . 2,935.18613 . . . . . . . . . . . .Wesson, C. E. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00613 . . . . . . . . . . . .Williams, R. F. . . . . . . . . . 2,947.19625 . . . . . . . . . . . .Byrne, W. J. . . . . . . . . . . . 6,250.00640 . . . . . . . . . . . .Hoffman, J. A. . . . . . . . . . 6,250.00640 . . . . . . . . . . . .Seiss, F. B. . . . . . . . . . . . 2,891.18649 . . . . . . . . . . . .Lyons, J. L. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00659 . . . . . . . . . . . .West, H. D. . . . . . . . . . . . 6,250.00666 . . . . . . . . . . . .Lee, T. W. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00683 . . . . . . . . . . . .Cooley, G. M. . . . . . . . . . 2,898.78683 . . . . . . . . . . . .Peck, E. W. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00683 . . . . . . . . . . . .Shaw, G. A. . . . . . . . . . . 12,500.00688 . . . . . . . . . . . .Jensen, R. M. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00692 . . . . . . . . . . . .Koenig, O. A. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00697 . . . . . . . . . . . .Young, J. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00702 . . . . . . . . . . . .Thomas, D. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00704 . . . . . . . . . . . .Cahill, M. M. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00712 . . . . . . . . . . . .Christy, W. R. . . . . . . . . . 2,942.39

Local Surname Amount714 . . . . . . . . . . . .Boyd, J. C. . . . . . . . . . . . 2,876.00714 . . . . . . . . . . . .Dean, F. M. . . . . . . . . . . . 2,883.04716 . . . . . . . . . . . .Foster, G. T. . . . . . . . . . . . 2,925.46716 . . . . . . . . . . . .Johnson, W. M. . . . . . . . . 3,000.00716 . . . . . . . . . . . .Kennedy, J. L. . . . . . . . . . 6,250.00716 . . . . . . . . . . . .Sanders, G. H. . . . . . . . . 6,250.00728 . . . . . . . . . . . .Muse, I. L. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00728 . . . . . . . . . . . .Sutter, H. R. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00743 . . . . . . . . . . . .Matthews, E. O. . . . . . . . 3,000.00743 . . . . . . . . . . . .Matthews, J. D. . . . . . . . 3,000.00756 . . . . . . . . . . . .Harrison, J. S. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00756 . . . . . . . . . . . .Jackson, H. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00760 . . . . . . . . . . . .Caldwell, S. L. . . . . . . . . 3,000.00760 . . . . . . . . . . . .Dower, P. H. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00760 . . . . . . . . . . . .Green, H. E. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00760 . . . . . . . . . . . .Morgan, N. P. . . . . . . . . . 2,912.71760 . . . . . . . . . . . .Pritchard, R. L. . . . . . . . . 3,000.00760 . . . . . . . . . . . .Worsham, D. O. . . . . . . . 2,868.76814 . . . . . . . . . . . .Pugh, R. A. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00861 . . . . . . . . . . . .Fontenot, L. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00861 . . . . . . . . . . . .Judice, W. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00861 . . . . . . . . . . . .Montalbano, J. . . . . . . . 2,938.43894 . . . . . . . . . . . .Dowdall, M. W. . . . . . . . . 3,887.50915 . . . . . . . . . . . .Abbott, R. E. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00942 . . . . . . . . . . . .Ercanbrack, C. A. . . . . . . 3,000.00948 . . . . . . . . . . . .Jenniches, M. H. . . . . . . 6,250.00952 . . . . . . . . . . . .Vandelinder, C. E. . . . . . . 3,000.00953 . . . . . . . . . . . .Plihal, O. O. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.001049 . . . . . . . . . . .Mitchell, J. J. . . . . . . . . . 2,949.201105 . . . . . . . . . . .Stevens, E. K. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.001106 . . . . . . . . . . .Bolt, G. R. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,250.001139 . . . . . . . . . . .Bourque, F. I. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.001141 . . . . . . . . . . .Smith, J. M. . . . . . . . . . . 2,897.501249 . . . . . . . . . . .Phelps, D. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.001319 . . . . . . . . . . .Monks, D. B. . . . . . . . . . . 2,861.001393 . . . . . . . . . . .Richards, P. W. . . . . . . . . 2,855.961464 . . . . . . . . . . .Houghton, G. E. . . . . . . . 2,808.001547 . . . . . . . . . . .Harkovitch, P. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.001547 . . . . . . . . . . .Siverly, R. A. . . . . . . . . . . . . 600.001547 . . . . . . . . . . .Wright, H. E. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.001600 . . . . . . . . . . .Richhouse, L. E. . . . . . . . 3,000.001753 . . . . . . . . . . .Linton, G. A. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.001928 . . . . . . . . . . .Stewart, T. G. . . . . . . . . . 2,946.262265 . . . . . . . . . . .Williamson, B. K. . . . . . . 1,886.002330 . . . . . . . . . . .Horlick, T. S. . . . . . . . . . . 6,130.00I.O. (3) . . . . . . . . .Orlando, T. . . . . . . . . . . 12,500.00I.O. (405) . . . . . . .Ehrenberger, G. L. . . . . 12,500.00I.O. (886) . . . . . . .Bennett, M. C. . . . . . . . . 3,481.80Pens. (404) . . . . .Tulk, H. A. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (629) . . . . .Lutes, M. W. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (637) . . . . .Beamer, V. A. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Astorg, P. K. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Barham, J. R. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Bell, R. P. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Blankenship, R. . . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Cockeram, N. I. . . . . . . . 2,296.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .De Guilmo, J. M. . . . . . . 2,948.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Doyle, M. P. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Greene, V. D. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Hixon, V. M. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Hogan, W. H. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Kellar, J. A. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Kingrey, R. S. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Kirwan, B. W. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Konwick, W. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Kucharyski, R. A. . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Murray, J. P. . . . . . . . . . . 2,920.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Nemeth, S. F. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Nimmo, R. W. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Rapp, J. W. . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Reade, C. F. . . . . . . . . . . . 2,949.02Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Sanders, B. R. . . . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Tarver, L. B. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Vanfossen, C. J. . . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Vibber, H. C. . . . . . . . . . . 2,940.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Wagner, D. H. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Walker, L. H. . . . . . . . . . . 2,947.26Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Weimer, D. R. . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Whitrock, F. M. . . . . . . . . . . 750.00Pens. (I.O.) . . . . . .Ziegler, A. R. . . . . . . . . . . 3,000.00

Total Amount $1,205,988.55

PBF Death Claims Approved for Payment in February 2009

In Memoriam

HOWTO REACH US

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

Send letters to:Letters to the Editor, The Electrical Worker, 900 Seventh Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001Or send by e-mail to: media@ibew.org

©2009 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

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

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

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

Paid advertising is not accepted.

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

Millions of Americans are growingangrier by the day as bonuses arebeing paid to financial sectorexecutives who are soaking up

government bailouts—even after they nearlybrought down our entire economic system.

But the stench of their audacity waftseven wider. Some big banks—like Citibankand Bank of America, which survive onlyupon the largesse of taxes paid by hard-working Americans, are putting anotherthumb in our collective eye by using ourmoney to spread lies about the EmployeeFree Choice Act and our unions.

We say enough to the spectacle of thesame greedy executives who refuse to giveup bonuses even as their companies fail—because they say they are “covered by con-

tracts”—standing in the way of a bill that would make it easier for hard-working Americans tojoin unions and win their own collective bargaining agreements.

The IBEW has a critical role to play in this national debate. That’s why we have circu-lated a DVD to all locals in the Brotherhood with ammunition to overcome the hypocriticalrhetoric and talk some common sense to millions of working Americans, and through them, tomembers of Congress who will vote on the bill.

Within every local of our union are men and women who have the ability to eloquentlycounter the misinformation about the Employee Free Choice Act through personal visits withtheir legislators, talk radio, letters to the newspaper, the Internet or face-to-face with co-workers and members of our communities. This effort is the next step in the growing grass-roots political mobilization that helped to elect the Obama-Biden ticket last November, amovement to restore fairness to American workers.

Fairness, after all, is what our labor movement is about. There is no better time for thisfight and there is no better group of bad guys than the corporate leaders and their supporterswho helped get our nation into this mess.

The last issue of The Electrical Worker discussed several of the myths about theEmployee Free Choice Act that are spread by employers, like the charge that majority sign-upwould be “undemocratic” by denying workers the right to decide whether they want unionrepresentation through a secret ballot election. The employers are now shifting to other argu-ments, and we need to respond.

“You see what power is—holding someone else’s fear in your hand and showing it tothem,” says novelist Amy Tan. And that’s just what the powerful opponents of the EmployeeFree Choice Act are attempting to do.

A group called the Alliance to Save Main Street Jobs has funded a study to scare workerswho already are unemployed or facing possible job losses by claiming that increasing uniondensity will result in higher unemployment. The study predicts that every three percentagepoints gained in union membership through majority sign-up and mandatory arbitration willincrease the unemployment rate by 1 percentage point and decrease job creation by 1.5 mil-lion jobs.

Larry Mishel, president of the Economic Policy Institute, says the study amounts to“crackpot economics.” Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic Policy andResearch, says that—if the study were true—Canada, where the unionization rate is 20 per-centage points higher than in the U.S., would have a higher unemployment rate. Yet Canada’sunemployment rate is lower.

If the fear tactics leveled at average Americans don’t sink in, our adversaries are alreadyzeroing in on members of Congress who are said to be on the fence concerning the EmployeeFree Choice Act. The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace—comprising more than 500 anti-union organizations and associations—is running ads telling Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), Arlen Spector (R-Pa.), Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and MichaelBennett (D-Colo.) that it’s time to line up with big business and leave the working folksbehind on Employee Free Choice.

Will working Americans and our political representatives embrace our dreams for a fairernation, or will we turn away and surrender to fear spread by those who benefit from injusticeand economic privilege? This is the defining question of the early 21st century for labor. Don’tsit on the sidelines at this historic moment. �

I n t e r n a t i o n a l B r o t h e r h o o d o f E l e c t r i c a l W o r k e r s

The Electrical Worker was the name of the first official publication ofthe National Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in 1893 (the NBEWbecame the IBEW in 1899 with the expansion of the union intoCanada). The name and format of the publication have changed overthe years. This newspaper is the official publication of the IBEW andseeks to capture the courage and spirit that motivated the founders ofthe Brotherhood and continue to inspire the union’s members today.The masthead of this newspaper is an adaptation of that of the firstedition in 1893.

18 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � April 2009

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

EXECUTIVEOFFICERS

Edwin D. HillInternational President

Lindell K. LeeInternational Secretary-Treasurer

INTERNATIONALEXECUTIVECOUNCIL

ChairmanRobert W. Pierson

First DistrictJoseph P. Calabro

Second DistrictMyles J. Calvey

Third DistrictJohn R. Clarke

Fourth DistrictWilliam W. Riley

Fifth DistrictStephen Schoemehl

Sixth DistrictGregory A. Lucero

Seventh DistrictPatrick Lavin

Eighth DistrictRick Dowling

INTERNATIONALVICE PRESIDENTS

First DistrictPhillip J. Flemming

Second DistrictFrank J. Carroll

Third DistrictDonald C. Siegel

Fourth DistrictSalvatore J. Chilia

Fifth DistrictJoe S. Davis

Sixth DistrictJoseph F. Lohman

Seventh DistrictJonathan B. Gardner

Eighth DistrictTed C. Jensen

Ninth DistrictMichael S. Mowrey

Tenth DistrictRobert P. Klein

Eleventh DistrictCurtis E. Henke

THE ELECTRICALWORKER

EditorEdwin D. Hill

C. James Spellane

Mark Brueggenjohann

Mike Nugent

Malinda Brent

Len Shindel

Carol Fisher

Alex Hogan

Lucas Oswalt

James H. Jones

Fight Fear with Facts

Edwin D. Hill, International PresidentLindell K. Lee, International Secretary-Treasurer

w w w. i b e w. o r g T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � April 2009 19

History is replete with firsthandaccounts of notable individualshailing from small towns whoselives were changed by a fortuitous

visit from the outside. For Shannon Skinner,president of 1,800-member Las Vegas Local396, one of a small contingent of women whohave made careers as utility linemen, herhorizon opened up during high school inBurns, Ore., when utility construction crewsarrived in town to construct a 500-kilovolttransmission line.

“Watching the towers go up sparked myinterest,” says Skinner, who marveled at themen who spent their lives in the outdoors,climbing and constructing and keeping dan-ger at arm’s length. She rushed to get sum-mer work sweeping floors in the contractor’smechanical shop and running parts out tothe line crews.

“Lineman work was in my heart,” saysSkinner, whose stepfather and three uncleswere in the trade. Skinner attended college,then trained in welding and traveled toCalifornia. She got a ticket from VacavilleLocal 1245 and spent the 1980s travelingacross the West as a groundsman on trans-mission and distribution projects beforeapplying for the lineman apprenticeship, top-ping out in 1991.

Today, Skinner is a respected foremanfor NV Energy (formerly Nevada Power) anda high-voltage ambassador for the utilitytrade. From appearing on TV public serviceannouncements teaching electrical safety toyoungsters, to demonstrating her skills inclimbing and handling dangers at job fairs, tochairing unit meetings and volunteeringhours of time to her local—Skinner is livingthe life she dreamed of back in high school.

International Representative GinaCooper, IBEW TelecommunicationsDepartment, first met Skinner when she wasa teen. “Shannon makes people focus onbrotherhood and working together. She isn’tshy about standing up to guys when they aredoing the wrong thing, first as a steward, nowas a foreman,” says Cooper.

“The best part about being a lineman isthe trailblazing effect—you’re right thereeven before a city is built,” says Skinner. It’s ametaphor for her place in the trade. “For awoman lineman, every day is a test,” saysSkinner, who was mentored by shop stewardsand was immediately appointed steward aftercompleting her apprenticeship. Her crew has

been filmed for National Geographic andDiscovery Channel specials.

Since being elected president last year,her best day was chairing a construction linemeeting where Skinner delivered the unionoath to one young member and gave a journey-man his 55-year pin. “I’ll never forget that feel-ing of excitement that came when I topped outand it’s an honor to spread that to others,” saysSkinner, who sat on the Cal-Nevada JointApprenticeship Training Committee and cur-rently is on NV Energy’s committee.

Skinner is frustrated by those who fail tosee the benefits of reaching out to young peo-ple. She laughs as she recalls bumping into ayoungster whose school she had visited.“There’s the power lady,” said the youth, whoremembered Skinner and a co-worker climb-ing a pole that they had set up on a trailer andgrilling hot dogs with their “hot sticks,” used inthe trade to safely handle high-voltage lines.

Business Manager Charles W. Randallsays Skinner’s voluntary participation in fooddrives and political fund-raising efforts alongwith her strong support of other unitsinspires others to serve.

Skinner spends time away from workfour-wheeling or riding her Harley in thefoothills of the Sierra Nevada mountainrange. A self-professed adrenaline junkie, sherecently bungee-jumped off a 350-foot bridge.

Skinner’s willingness to take on newchallenges is recognized at NV Energy, whereshe and her crew of five are often assignedspecial projects. Steve Hitchcock, an NVmanager who recruited Skinner to work forthe company says, “We can give her any kindof job and she can handle it.” �

Nevada Member Blazes Trail inLine Work

Lettersto theEditorLettersto theEditorCan a Good Trade UnionistSupport a Toyota?Dear President Hill,Last year, Kansas City, Mo., Local 124 welcomed, marketed around and showcased AlliOwens and the ElectrifyingCareers.com racecar. At that time, her manufacturer sponsorwas Chevrolet and the car was modeled after the Monte Carlo.

In looking at some recent press releases and pictures from her Web site, her car anduniform now boast the Toyota logo, and the car is now labeled a Camry.

While I understand the global market of auto manufacturing as well as Toyota’sefforts to produce some models in the U.S., I still find the sponsorship questionable atbest. Kansas City is home to two car plants—GM and Ford—that provide a great deal ofemployment opportunities for IBEW and other building trades members. I’m afraid of themessage that this sponsorship may be sending to our members, especially when thoseplants are struggling these days, economically speaking. I feel our sponsorship inthis case is in misplaced.

Please don’t misunderstand my intent here – I realize we have bigger fish to fry inthese challenging times. But as a local BA, this will no doubt surface as a question for meto answer from our members, especially if Alli and her new Camry show up in our parkinglot looking for support.

Fraternally,

Bryant Z. “BZ” ParscaleBusiness RepresentativeKansas City, Mo., Local 124

Dear Brother Parscale,First, thank you for your thoughtful letter and well-reasoned questioning of this action. Thiswas not an easy decision, but I believe there are valid reasons behind it.

We agreed to sponsor Alli Owens a while back when her car of choice was theChevy that you see in so many pictures. Ali has been a very strong advocate of theIBEW/NECA relationship and has been available to visit schools and other locations whereour potential members are to tell the story of the IBEW/NECA partnership.

As I am sure you are aware, her racing team provides the car she drives. Last year shecalled to tell us that the owner of her team was switching to Toyota for this season. I personallyfound that to be offensive – and being from a strong union background, the “Buy American,Buy Union” ideal has always been my preference. In the future, it will continue to be so.

However, in my position, this decision was not based on a personal preference, butrather on what is beneficial for the membership of the IBEW, which I am sure that youunderstand.

I am very much aware of the plight of the Big Three auto makers and the issues ofour brothers and sisters in the United Auto Workers. We have worked closely with the com-panies on the Code of Excellence for the auto industry to make our members more respon-sive to their needs, and I will continue to do all that I can to make sure that they survive.

With all of that being said, the decision was not whether to sponsor the car, butwhether to continue to sponsor the driver, who has done a good job on our behalf.

We based our decision on the fact that Toyota has supported the building trades—and more particularly, the IBEW—on all of their new construction throughout the UnitedStates and Canada, providing more that 9.8 million man hours for IBEW members. Whenyou equate this with dollars and cents, it comes out to be a substantial amount of moneyin wages and benefits to our brothers and sisters.

I believe the decision to continue our sponsorship of Alli Owens was, while difficult,the right course. I hope that our members understand that we still live by the old adage ofworking with those who work with us.

Thank you for voicing your concern. Like you, I would prefer that Alli still drove aChevy. It is clear that we may need some fresh dialogue moving forward regarding what itmeans to be faithful trade unionists and how we can progress as a movement.

Yours in Brotherhood,

Ed HillInternational PresidentInternational Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

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

Who We Are

Las Vegas Local 396 President Shannon Skinner,left, gives a student a ride in a bucket during acareer day.

get into technical fields. I would like to seemore women in these positions, and thisonline education program will help womenget into my field.”

NACTEL, (www.nactel.org/ibew), wasfounded 1997 by the IBEW, CommunicationsWorkers of America, AT&T, EMBARQ,Frontier, Qwest, and Verizon. Through theprogram, students can pursue certificates,associate’s degrees and bachelor’s degrees inthese areas:• Telecommunications, which provides anunderstanding of telecommunications con-cepts including solid state devices, andcircuit switched networking, includingDSL, built on copper landlines.

• Networking Technology, which provides anunderstanding of the packet switched net-working including operating systems, net-working technologies, fiber optics, cabling,and hardware maintenance.

20 T h e E l e c t r i c a l Wo r k e r � April 2009

IBEW® FOUNDERS’ SCHOLARSHIPAWARDED ONLY TO IBEW MEMBERS

The IBEW Founders’ Scholarships honor the dedicated wiremen and lineman who, on November 28, 1891, organ-ized the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Each year the officers of the IBEW are pleased to offer itsworking members scholarships on a competitive basis. It is hoped that the awards will not only contribute to thepersonal development of our members but also steward the electrical industry that our founders envisioned.

This award is for $200 per semester credit hour at any accredited college or university toward an associate’s,bachelor’s or postgraduate degree in an approved field. The maximum distribution is $24,000 over a period not toexceed eight years.

RULES FOR ENTRY

EElliiggiibbiilliittyy CChheecckklliisstt

Founders’ Scholarship competition is an adult program, to be used solely by IBEW members. It is NOT for the chil-dren of members.

1. Applicants must have been in continuous good standing and have paid dues without an Honorary Withdrawal forthe four years preceding May 1 of the scholarship year, or be charter members of a local union.

2. Each applicant must be recommended in writing by the local union business manager. If there is no office ofbusiness manager, then the recommendation must come from the local union president, system council chair-man or general chairman.

3. At least two additional letters of recommendation must be sent by individuals who are familiar with the appli-cant’s achievements and abilities.

4. Copies of all academic transcripts from high school, college, apprenticeship or other educational and develop-mental programs must be submitted.

5. A complete personal resumé is required. The resumé should outline education and work history, any specialhonors or awards, military service, plus involvement in union, local, civic, community and religious affairs.

6. Applicants are required to submit a 250-500 word essay. The title and topic must be: “How the Founders’Scholarships will benefit the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the electrical industry.” The essaymust be typewritten and double-spaced.

7. Applicants must submit a test score from the SAT I or the ACT. NO OTHER TESTING SERVICES ARE ACCEPTABLE.Archived scores or new test registration may be obtained by contacting: SAT (609) 771-7600,www.collegeboard.org, SAT Program, P.O. Box 6201, Princeton, NJ 08541-6201; or ACT Records (319) 337-1313, www.act.org, ACT Records, P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, IA 52243-0168. To send scores directly to the IBEWFounders’ Scholarship, the code numbers are 0485 for SAT and 0697 for ACT. It is strongly suggested that anynew test taken should be the SAT I.

8. Materials need not be sent at the same time but must be postmarked prior to May 1 of the scholarship year.

SSeelleeccttiioonn ooff WWiinnnneerrss

Awards will be based on academic achievement and potential, character, leadership, social awareness and career goals.

The independent Founders’ Scholarship Selection Committee will be composed of academic, professional andcommunity representatives. They will examine the complete record of each scholarship applicant to choose thewinners. All applicants will be notified, and the scholarship winners will be featured in the Electrical Worker.

RReessppoonnssiibbiilliittyy ooff EEaacchh FFoouunnddeerrss’’ SScchhoollaarr

Scholarship winners must begin their studies in their next term or, at the latest, in January of the following year.Each term’s earned grades must be sent to the Founders’ Scholarship Administrator, together with a Founders’Scholarship Progress Sheet. After the first calendar year in the program, and by each August 1 thereafter, theannual Founders’ Scholar paper is due. It must be at least 1,000 words on a labor-related topic, covering anyaspect affecting the current labor movement or labor history. Scholarships are not transferable and are forfeited ifthe student withdraws or fails to meet the requirements for graduation from the college. If a serious life situationarises to prevent continuation of studies, the scholarship winner may request that the scholarship be held inabeyance for a maximum of one academic year.

FFrreeee AAcctt ooff tthhee IIBBEEWW

The creation of thisscholarship program is afree act of the InternationalBrotherhood of ElectricalWorkers. The IBEW retains itsright to alter, suspend, cancel or halt the IBEW Founders’ Scholarship Program at any time and without giving anyreason, provided that scholarship winners already in college under the program will continue to receive thestipends until graduation or the receipt of $24,000 for undergraduate study under their IBEW Founders’Scholarships—whichever comes first.

APPLICATION (IBEW® Founders’ Scholarship Awarded Only to IBEW Members)

Name ________________________________________ Home telephone # (____)____________________(Please print or type)

Address _______________________________________________________________________________

City/State _________________________________________________ Zip/Postal_____________________

SS/SIN #_______________________ Birthdate _____________ Member of local #_____________________

Card # _________________________________________ Initiated into IBEW _________________________(On IBEW Journal Address Label or Dues Receipt) (Month/Year)

Most recent employer ____________________________________________________________________

Job classification __________________________________ Work telephone # (____)__________________

I wish to study for a ___________________________ degree in ___________________________________(Note: Field of study must contribute to the development and improvement of the electrical industry as determined by the Founders’ Scholarship Administrator.)

List your first and second choices for college:

1_________________________________________ 2 _________________________________________

Did you complete high school or the GED? Yes � No �(Send transcripts or other evidence to the Scholarship Committee.)Did you have the opportunity to take apprenticeship or skill improvement training? Yes � No �(Send transcripts or your courses to the Scholarship Committee.)Do you have any education certificates or professional licenses? Yes � No �(Send evidence to the Scholarship Committee.)Have you taken any college courses? Yes � No �(Send transcripts of all college courses to the Scholarship Committee.)

Name used on class records ________________________________________________________________

When did you take the SAT I or the ACT? (Month/Year) _____________________________________________(To submit new test scores, it is strongly suggested that you take the SAT I. We will use your highest score; therefore, it is in your best interest to retake the test.)

My signature is evidence that I understand and agree to all the rules governing the scholarship as listed on the backof this application.

___________________________________________ _________________________________________(Signature) (Date)

Mail application materials postmarked prior to May 1 to:IBEW FOUNDERS’ SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE900 Seventh Street, NW Form 172WASHINGTON, DC 20001 Revised 02/09

“I chose the online NACTEL programat Pace University because of the flexibilityit offered me,” Laura said. “I have twoyoung children and need the ability to doschoolwork when they are napping orasleep at night.”

Students also report these advantages ofonline learning: 1. Instructor-led. “I can ask questions 24/7 andknow that I’ll receive a quick response.”

2. Getting to know other students. “It’s hardto believe, but I really do get to ‘speak’ alot with the students in my class – I get toknow them, and they are often the ones tohelp me when I’m stuck.”

Telecom Workerscontinued from page 15

3. Ways to practice. “NACTEL online coursesoffer so many ways to learn – reading, lis-tening, video, practice quizzes, even labsthat I do in my kitchen! If I’m having ahard time with something, I can go back topractice as often as I need to.”

4. Everyone is equal. “Because we’re online,no one knows or cares if I’m a woman, andthere is no such thing as getting lost in the‘back of the classroom.’”

5. Technical skills. “I do not have a technicalbackground, but the NACTEL programprepares me to compete for the highestpaying technical jobs.”The industry and labor “stamp of

approval” was the final reason that Laura chosethe NACTEL program. “The Pace/NACTEL pro-gram was sponsored by the IBEW and AT&T, soI knew it was a good program.”

Local 21 member Luwanda Owens, atelecommunications specialist at AT&T,notes that men and women frequently havedifferent experiences in the telecommunica-tions workplace. “It is harder for women to

• Wireless Networking, which provides anunderstanding of the most current wirelessnetworking technologies including operat-ing systems, data transmission systems,wireless LANs, wireless network security,and technical communications.

• Video Technology, which provides anunderstanding of the concepts and appli-cations of digital television including homeand smart technologies, home wiring,“triple play” product offerings, and otheremerging technologies.

• Emerging Telecom Technology, at thebachelor’s level, which provides theoreti-cal, practical, and analytical experience inthe newest technologies to prepare for thetelecom business of today and tomorrow. For more information, visit

www.nactel.org/ibew. �