Local 557 members
Maynard Whitman
(left) and Brent Behm
at work on Saginaws
Veterans Plaza project.
Members not pictured
who also worked on
the project include:
John McKay, Scott
MacArthur, Mike Tilot,
John Clemens and Jim
Schoen.
L.U.
557 (i,mt,rts&spa), SAGINAW, MIOur Organizer Dale Wehner
recently had surgery on his cervical spine. Prior to surgery, he
helped kick off an advertising planwhich, as of this writing, was
expected to appear in the media in February, due to monies donated
by Briggs & Stratton and Cutler Hammer home products.
Contractors tell us work is scant, and the bid lists show that
we are not the only area affected; companies bidding for work are
from all over. The late fall annual crunch to get work done created
some short-term employment, but that didnt affect many hands. The
out-of-work list didnt change much, and 60 percent of local members
are unemployed.
Safe 2 Work safety classes required on some local factory jobs
continue. The online aspect of that testing allows for individual
training at ones personal convenience. The OSHA class in November
was well attended. The state instructors enjoyed having older members
with years of experience in the class, those who have encountered
many of the hazards covered by the training. Thanks to Democratic
friends, we still have access to that programconcern with job safety
benefits workers.
L.U.
577 (em&i), APPLETON, WIAs 2004 begins, the length
of our out-of-work list remains unchanged. Thanks to Local 388 for
employing some of our members in January on the paper machine rebuild
in Wisconsin Rapids. Because the employer required an OSHA 10 certificate
to work on this project, Local 577 members were prepared in advance
for the work. The safety-training program these two locals embarked
on in 2002 has paid off for those who complied with language in
the inside agreement.
In early January, M.J. Electric had four members at the Fox Energies
project working on temporary power. Calpine and the Northeast Wisconsin
Building Trades have met to discuss terms of a project labor agreement.
There still is no resolution on an agreement for this project. This
customer would be best served to hire union contractors to complete
the powerhouse on time and on budget with highly skilled union craftsmen.
Wisconsin voters will have indicated their preference for our next
president by the time the March Journal is published. Local 577
is forwarding your voluntary contributions to the IBEW Political
Education Department to help elect pro-worker candidates. If you
havent yet authorized this deduction from your weekly paycheck,
please reflect on the recent history of unemployment with the Bushites
in control. Are a couple of dollars a week too much to pay to elect
representatives who keep working families a first priority?
Local 595 members John Small,
Matt
Murchison, Herman Tovar and Wes Andrews
take pride in their work on a rooftop
photovoltaic installation at California State
University, Hayward.
L.U.
595 (c,govt,i,o&st), DUBLIN, CAOn an icy morning in
Hayward, CA, IBEW 595 members posed with their banner to show their
work on the largest photovoltaic system in the California State
University system.
Local 595 members John Small, Matt Murchison, Herman Tovar and
Wes Andrews have been working on a 1.05-megawatt system, where the
rooftop arrays cover 75,600 square feet on four of the largest buildings
at Cal State University, Hayward. The system will deliver 30 percent
of the campus peak electricity demands, enough to power more than
1,000 homes annually.
The work has been challenging, noted Red Top Electric foreman
Wes Andrews. One of the roofs is circular, and we had many 15 degree
bends to get the job looking right.
Many runs of conduit, combiner boxes, inverters and isolation transformerswith
final connections to the utility companydemanded the best skills
of Local 595s finest. Congratulations to all involved on a great
job!
Local 611 volunteers at the Youth
and
Technology Rehabilitation Center in Espanola,
NM. From left, Marvin Velarde, Joe Blea,
Leonard Quintana, Frankie Serano, Richard
Mendoza, Will Segura, Victor Rios and,
kneeling, D.R. Romero.
L.U.
611(catv,es,i,lctt,o,spa&u), ALBUQUERQUE, NMAs of
this writing, we have more than 300 members on Book 1 and about
the same number on Book II. Work in our jurisdiction has been slow
for some time.
In December we had both our annual childrens Christmas party and
IBEW party. Both were a huge success. Thanks to all of you who attended.
I would like to remind our members that 2004 is an election year.
If you are not registered to vote, please do so by calling the hall
and someone there will get you registered.
Local 611 extends sincere condolences to the friends and families
of the following brothers who passed away recently: Eugene Trujillo,
Robert B. Bridges and Ted M. Lopez.
Dont forget to attend your union meetings and support COPE.
Local 617s first-ever VDV Graduating
Class,
joined by the training director, teachers, and
NECA and local union representatives.
L.U.
617 (c,i,o&st), SAN MATEO, CAPictured in the accompanying
photo is the first graduating class of Local 617s VDV (voice-data-video)
apprenticeship program.
The VDV graduation marks an important milestone for Local 617 and
highlights our locals commitment to the industry, to education
and to organizing. Historically these members would have attended
classes and received training in other neighboring locals while
retaining their membership with Local 617.
We salute the graduates: Mario Barrera, Christopher Brust, John
Caldwell, Brian P. Clark, Adolfo Galeano, David Gelman, Hugo Hernandez,
Brian J. Smith, Gene Uriza, Joseph Mendiola, Patrick Gallagher and
Gary Javier.
These members are now lifetime assets to our workforce and a reflection
of the joint commitment by the IBEW and NECA to provide quality
state-of-the art training.
Hats off to Training Dir. Kathleen Barber and instructors Amanuel
Yikunoamlak and Patrick Cahill.
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