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Afternoon Session

October/November 2001 IBEW Journal

President Hill opened the afternoon session with a video presentation of the IBEW/NECA Millennium Beacon installed by IBEW members atop a landmark Chicago building.

California Governor Gray Davis addressed the convention after being introduced by President Hill as "a rare example of a political leader who actually does in office what he promised on the campaign trail.

"Over the past two years, Governor Davis and all Californians have confronted an unprecedented energy crisis," said President Hill. "Through it all, Governor Davis has acted responsibly and as fairly as possible. He has governed with a fair and steady hand, standing up for working men and women in this state."

Governor Davis spoke of the earlier predictions of summer blackouts in the state and credited the "extraordinary work of IBEW members" as part of the reason those blackouts did not occur. He said IBEW members have helped put six new plants on the grid, a record for California. He emphasized that he counts union members as working partners who "have helped us create new policies and advance the interests of all Californians." [ Davis Speech ]

Art Pulaski, chief officer of the California Labor Federation, was introduced to the convention by President Hill as the head of "one of the nations biggest state AFL-CIOs, and one of the best. Art Pulaski is one of labors true national heroes," said President Hill. "Thats because he is one of the architects of a great organized labor victory, the 1998 defeat of Proposition 226 here in California," he said. "And we are especially proud of the role of our IBEW brothers and sisters in that historic victory of defeating the Paycheck Deception ballot at the polls."

Pulaski brought a message about labors strength in the face of the states energy crisis. He praised labor involvement in the campaign that organized public demonstrations against mostly out-of-state power generators for inflating wholesale prices, causing earlier widespread power disruptions and soaking the states treasury. He also credited the IBEW and other unions for keeping up the pressure on President George W. Bush and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission until they finally relented and imposed price controls on wholesale power prices. [ Pulaski Speech ]

"Our next speaker is a living display of solidarity and fighting spirit for San Francisco unions," said President Hill in introducing guest speaker Mike Casey, the president of Local 2 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees (HERE) in San Francisco. "Hes a leader of the fight for union recognition at the Marriott Hotel here," President Hill said. "Marriott lied to its employees about recognizing the union" and "for San Francisco unions, that fight became everyones fight."

Casey congratulated the IBEW for its role in pressuring the hotel to honor its employees wish for a voice on the job. He told the delegates that the IBEWs decision to pull out of the Marriott as its convention headquarters hotel was a major step forward for the local and has inspired other unions and organizations to stay out as well. He invited the delegates to join his local in picketing the Marriott on Wednesday, September 12, which drew rousing cheers.
[ Casey Speech ]

Secretary-Treasurer OConnor then announced the names of the members who served on the Law, Resolutions, Grievance and Appeals, International Presidents Report, International Secretary-Treasurers Report, International Executive Councils Report, Finance, and Sergeant-at-Arms committees.

He said that as of 2 p.m., there were 2,404 delegates registered and 209 alternates.

In his afternoon keynote speech, President Hill laid out a blueprint for a fighting future dedicated to overcoming specific obstacles to protecting and expanding collective bargaining, organizing, training and effective political action. [ Text & video of Keynote Address ]

Organizing is going to mean mastering technology, President Hill said, and he cited the new voice/data/video technology as "requiring an entirely new set of skills that will create a separate work force within the inside branch."

Too many public officials still get away with breaking their word after theyre endorsed, he said, and too many union members are still not registered to vote.

He stressed that "opportunity is just thata chance to succeed. It is not a guarantee. Being a part of a union means buying into an ideala belief in something larger and better than ones own self-interest."

After his keynote speech, four generations were represented on stage. First, President Hills daughter and two grandsons presented him with congratulatory balloons. Then came a reminder of the previous generation when his home Local 712 presented him with a framed copy of his 1956 apprenticeship credential signed by his late father, William Hill.

After an announcement that votes from the earlier election for IEC Chairman were still being counted, the afternoon session was adjourned and delegates went to their district caucuses to nominate candidates for International Vice President and International Executive Council.

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