Local 529, Saskatoon, SK, Canada, charter
member Paul Nachonechny, center, receives
his 55-year pin and certificate from Bus.
Mgr./Fin. Sec. Garnet Greer, left, and former
Bus. Mgr. Gus Gerecke, right.
L.U. 529 (c,em&i), SASKATOON, SK,
CANADAOur charter was issued on July 3, 1947. Then on Jan. 13,
1971, Prince Albert Local 1717 amalgamated with Local 529 and is
now Local 529 Unit II. Today we have a total membership of 273 strong.
The Local 529 jurisdiction is all electrical work north of latitude
51 degrees in the Province of Saskatchewan.
We now bargain provincially with Regina Local 2038
for a combined total of 575 members in Saskatchewan and growing.
Our local has experienced members in all facets
of the construction industry. We have built co-gens, heavy oil upgraders,
uranium mines and mills, pulp and paper mills, O.S.B. plants, potash
mines and mills, gold mines and even a diamond mine!
From left, Local 551, Santa Rosa, CA,
members Charlie Twichell, Bus. Mgr./Fin.
Sec. Steve Benjamin, Robert McKusick,
Greg Chaniot, Dan Choma, JATC Training
Dir. Bill Campbell and Jennifer Choma
manned phone banks for a holiday fund-
raiser.
L.U. 551 (c,i&s) SANTA ROSA, CAGreetings,
Brothers and Sisters. At this writing, it is cold and wet in Northern
California and work in the area remains slow. We hope that 2003
will provide more construction work than 2002. Many thanks to all
the sister locals that are providing work for our traveling members.
Our JATC recently switched to a day school format.
We now have two full-time instructors teaching our apprentices five
days a week. Despite some initial reservations from some of our
contractors, this seems to be working very well. The apprentices
no longer have to go to night school, and after working all day;
we now have space in our training center to allow journeyman upgrade
training courses in the evenings. We are hopeful that this change
will result in a more qualified workforce.
In November 2002, some of our members had a chance
to volunteer their time to our local PBS television station, KRCB
Channel 22. We manned the phones for a holiday fund-raiser and received
valuable airtime for our local union. This was the second time for
us, and we all had so much fun the first time that we decided to
do it again.
Community service is a valuable tool to reach out
and show that our organization truly cares about the area we live
in. Thanks to all the members who volunteered to help.
L.U. 553 (i,o&t), RALEIGH, NCLocal 553 mourns
the death of Sister Asenath McLeod, who passed away on Dec. 12,
2002, of lung cancer.
Sister McLeod was a longtime member of Local 553,
where she served in many positions throughout her career. At the
time of her death, she was serving as Local 553 office manager,
recording secretary and as a member of the Joint Apprenticeship
and Training Committee. Sister McLeod loved the IBEW and what it
stands for. She was a committed, dedicated trade unionist and represented
the membership with distinction. She was a tremendous asset to the
IBEW and we will sorely miss her.
Three retired members also passed away in December.
They are Bros. Edward Crabtree, George Jones and Martin "Toby"
West. Our heartfelt condolences to their families and friends.
We hope 2003 will be a great year for everyone.
Please attend your union meetings.
From left, Local 557, Saginaw, MI,
Bros. Brent Behm and Scott
MacArthur stand under the
dedication inscription to the Bronner
family at the newly completed
Frankenmuth High School
auditorium.
L.U. 557 (i,rts&spa), SAGINAW, MIWith
the holidays behind us, work opportunities are beginning to loom,
as some anticipated jobs begin to appear a reality.
With members seeing their unemployment benefits
expire, and bureaucrats not extending benefits to those not employed,
there is no surprise that the retail business had an undesirable
Christmas sales report.
Good union hands that guide United Airlines didnt
qualify for government support even after the unions gave concessions
to their employer. Amid all this, the expectation of work in the
area is positive in the short term.
Pres. Tom Winchell has initiated a Bylaws change
to add "high voltage" maintenance work to our jurisdiction.
A company has approached Local 557 about supplying people for maintenance
and repair of high voltage distribution equipment. There is a lot
of potential in this scope of work, and someone is doing it now.
Our contractors have been involved on an occasional and limited
basis, but this opportunity seems to have a full-time work expectation.
As always, our Local 557 Christmas gathering was
a well-attended event, and many retirees were acknowledged. Thanks
to all the volunteers.
Teamster Bus. Agent/Saginaw AFL-CIO Pres. Joe Smith
was recently elected president of the Saginaw County Democratic
Party. Please consider getting politically involved. We need member
involvement to give us a stronger leadership voice, and new groundwork
strategy is also needed for the 2004 elections.
L.U. 567 (i&mt), PORTLAND, MEWhile most
of the country succumbed to a Republican onslaught; Local 567 played
an important role in the election of the only Democratic governor
in New England and the first Democrat to occupy the governors mansion
in 16 years. In recognition, Governor-Elect John Baldacci appointed
Bus. Mgr. Milton McBreairty as a financial officer of his Transition
and Inauguration Team. Also, Democrat Tom Allen was re-elected as
First District U. S. Representative, and Democrat Michael Michaud,
a 27-year card-carrying union member, is our new Second District
Congressman.
The JATC held a Christmas party for the children
of our apprentices that was a big success. Santa arrived with presents
for over 40 future apprentices.
Organizer David Twitchell reports that High Street
Properties, Maine Automation and Wirenuts, Inc. have all recently
become signatory.
The Locals December union meeting was highlighted
by the presentation of a 65-year service award to Charles Phillips,
55-year service awards to Lawrence Burr, Romeo Huppe, Richard LaFontaine,
Morris Tucker, Medley Watson and Walter Wilkinson, and 50-year service
awards to Lucien Desjardins, Richard Joyce, Roger McPherson, Malcolm
Sykes, Ronald Thomas and Philip Welsch, Jr. Congratulations to all.
Related Articles
