New Union Hall L.U. 131 (i,rtb,rts&spa), KALAMAZOO, MIAt this writing,
we are in the process of moving to a new location. The new hall
is located on North 30th Street in Galesburg, MI. It is the location
of our old apprenticeship training school, which has been totally
updated with new phone and computer lines.
Our work picture remains steady. We have full employment at
this time and should remain so until spring. I am pleased to announce the
awarding of three school projects, all of which should start this spring. The
major credit is in part due to the combined effort of our local contractor, our
members in each school district and our leadership in the hall.
We offer our sincere condolences to the families of Bros. Ben
Viel, Earl Westcott and Terry Hamlin, who passed away.
Some Local 134, Chicago, IL, members who worked on the 500-megawatt
all-season peaker station in Elgin, IL, for Ameren Energy.
L.U. 134 (catv,em,
govt,i,mt,rtb,rts,
spa&t), CHICAGO, ILAt this writing in November, work continues
to be very slow, with about 1,100 Book I inside wiremen sitting
on the bench.
Local 134 members recently completed work on a 500-megawatt
all-season peaker station in Elgin, IL, for Ameren Energy. Both Dynamic Electric
and Fru-Con Construction were very pleased with the projects outcome. This
project once again proves that Local 134 members, working together as one, can
accomplish anything.
Some members who worked on the 500-megawatt all-season peaker
project are Project Mgr. Bruce Meiner, Rob Gisch, Jim Kane, Art Lara, Joe
Woodward, Steve Bigos, Jack Kries, Steve Ahrens, Bob Schwab, Mike King, Tom
Feely, Don Edwards, Jack Burgess, Mario Coletta, Bob Koehler, Steve Rogers, John
Ziemba, Bill Clark, Dwight Stachetti, Mike Gogolo, Shannon Roper, Carl Diesel,
Greg Meersman, Tom Felsenthal, Pat Cappy, Roland Bracher, Tim Zindrick, Bruce
Weslowski and Rich Weslowski.
Local 141, Wheeling, WV, retired members Paul Tepe,
left, and Fred Russell,
right, enjoy the 100th anniversary
celebration with their wives.
L.U. 141 (ees,i,o&u), WHEELING, WVWork remains slow in our
area, with many members on Book I. We are hoping that a few key projects need
more manpower soon.
Local 141 celebrated its 100th anniversary with a two-day
celebration on October 25 and 26 at the Ramada Plaza Hotel in downtown Wheeling.
The Friday night get together was casual, and a five-hour dinner dance was held
on Saturday evening. Wheeling Mayor Nick Sparachane proclaimed the week of
October 28 to November 3 "IBEW Week" in the city of Wheeling.
Distinguished guests and speakers included Int. Pres. Edwin
Hill, Int. Sec.-Treas. Jerry OConnor, West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise, Mayor
Sparachane, Fourth Dist. Int. Vice Pres. Paul Witte, Int. Rep. Chuck Graft, Int.
Rep. Greg Gore and a host of local political candidates.
The event was well attended by retirees and active members
alike. Members and guests dined beneath a banner proclaiming "IBEW 141100 Years
Strong." The food, drinks and music were excellent. Many thanks to the Ramada
Plaza staff and Bus. Mgr. John Clarke for their efforts.
Tom Conner, P.S.
Election Results L.U. 145 (em,i,o,rts,spa&u), ROCK ISLAND, ILOur Community
Services Committee has been busy helping local schools, and also got in the
holiday spirit by helping the surrounding communities decorate for the season.
Thank you to all who helped over the past year, and we hope to see some new
faces this year.
Local 145 held elections in June, and serving for the next
three years will be Bus. Mgr./Fin. Sec. Scott Verschoore, Pres. Kurt Donnelly,
Vice Pres. Jim Zerbonia, Rec. Sec. Carlton Wills and Treas. David Dau. The
Examining Board members are Harlan King, Mike Ellison and Tom Sikardi. The
Executive Board members are Rich Bump, Cindy Burke, Tom DeBo, Gary Hughes, Tim
Kavanaugh, Doug Olsen and Carl Robinson. Thank you to all who ran for a local
union office. Thanks also to all the members who volunteered their time for the
November general election and to all that voted.
Local 145 thanks all the traveling members who helped us man
the work at the Cordova IL, Nuclear Power Station outage.
Bus. Mgr. Verschoore recognized 40 Local 145 members for
attending the Internationals steward training class. Thank you for your
involvement and commitment to your union.
Gerhard Max Schemel, P.S.
Political Milestone L.U. 146 (ei,i&rts), DECATUR, ILNov. 5, 2002, was a great
day for the State of Illinois. Rod Blagojevich was elected as the first
Democratic governor in nearly 30 years. Congratulations are in order for the
countless individuals that were a part of this political milestone.
We held our annual Steak Fry on Oct. 5, 2002. We had good
weather, great food and excellent brotherhood with apprentices, journeymen and
many retirees.
The second-annual Local 146 Poker Run was held Sept. 14,
2002, with about 70 individuals attending the run. Thanks to all who
participated and to the members from other locals who came to ride with us.
Please join us next year.
Work in our jurisdiction is slow. On a positive note, we did
reduce our book number from three digits down to two. A warm thank you to all
the Locals that refer our members during these slow times. Please remember to
drive carefully this winter season.
Michael L. Anderson, R.S./P.S.
Great Job, Illinois L.U. 150 (es,i,rts&spa), WAUKEGAN, ILFinally, for the first
time in over 25 years, we have a Democratic governor who is a friend to the
working people of this state. We also set another historic precedent with the
election of our first woman attorney general. Lisa Madigan has promised to be a
much more proactive attorney general, especially on womens and childrens
issues. Great job, Illinois!
Work here has taken a not unexpected downturn. There are
fewer people on the book now than in 1994, when portability first hit us so hard
with imported unemployment and we had local brothers and sisters on the road for
most of the spring and summer. No one likes to see any of our local brothers and
sisters out of work, including the men who represent us at the hall. However,
unemployment is a reality in our line of work. Twenty years ago, our local
apprentices were going on the road to finish their apprenticeships. Unemployment
in industry is a fact of life, and the sooner one reconciles themselves to that
fact the better.
Related Articles
