Recently retired Local 112 Bro. Bill
Wilcoxson (center) receives a service
plaque presented by Local 112
member John Skinner (right) and
retired member Ken Harding (left).
L.U. 112 (c,i&st), KENNEWICK, WA—Bro. Bill Wilcoxson recently retired after 41 years of service to the IBEW. Bill was a journeyman wireman and he served the local in many capacities—as business manager, president, apprentice instructor and training director.
At a retirement party, Bill received a service plaque from the local (see photo). Congratulations, Bill, on your retirement and thank you for all your service to Local 112.
L.U. 124 (ees,em,i,mar,rts,se& spa), KANSAS CITY, MO—2005 brings a milestone year to Local 124. Labor Day weekend we will celebrate our 100th anniversary. Big plans are in the making for a weekend long celebration. With new officer elections in June and contract negotiations soon following, 2005 promises to be a busy year.
Congratulations to 25-year member Lindsey Hammons. Lindsey resigned as Executive Board secretary to accept a full-time position in the Organizing Department.
Now that the dust has settled around bidding on Kansas City’s new downtown sports arena, the Sprint Center, contracts should be awarded by press time. It’s been a long dry spell for brothers and sisters of Local 124. Many of us have been on the road and welcome a return to working in our local area.
Stay in contact with your political representatives. Social Security and labor issues are being challenged daily. Our future depends on involvement in the political arena. Union representation in school board and city council meetings can secure job contracts and change negative attitudes toward organized labor.
We remember the following deceased members: William Cochran, Lawrence Pickett, Adolph Streit and John Thompson.
Congratulations to the following retired members: Frank Brancato, George Horton, Charles Jones, Darwin Place and Theodore Snell.
L.U. 136 (ees,em,i,rtb&u), BIRMINGHAM, AL—It seems the new year will be a busy one here in Birmingham. A big shutdown at Alabama Power’s Wilsonville Steam Plant began in February. We have two contractors, Cleveland/Sacs and Advanced Diversified Technology, working out there. Also, Honda in Lincoln, AL, is expanding again. Atlas Industrial is bidding on the work there. In addition, Inglett and Stubbs are bidding on work at Bell South’s Data Center.
Our local union election of officers will be held in June. All members are encouraged to fill out their ballots and mail them in.
Our thanks to Bro. Lee Johnson, who served as Local 136 business rep for the Gadsden area for the past 2-1/2 years. We also wish the best of luck to Jerry Keenum, who will be taking Lee’s place in the Gadsden area.
Best wishes for a happy retirement to Bro. W.D. Sanders, business representative, who retired March 31, 2005. Bro. Don served the local as financial secretary for nearly 30 years. Thank you, Don, for your dedicated service to our local. Good luck in retirement.
We extend support and congratulations to Bro. Bill Blackman Jr., who is taking the place of Don as business rep.
L.U. 158 (i,mar,spa,mt&it), GREEN BAY, WI—For a report on a Local 158 project to support our brave service men and women stationed in Iraq, please see "IBEW On Duty" in this month’s IBEW Journal. Local 158 Bro. Kurt Nimmer is stationed outside Baghdad.
Closer to home the generosity continues. With the economy such as it is, the members of our local pulled together and donated a pickup truckload of gifts and toys for the Salvation Army’s "Toys for Teens" campaign. Community efforts continue with seasonal light displays at the Botanical Garden and the new Zoo.
The annual membership banquet will be Saturday, April 9, 2005, at the KI Convention Center. Watch the newsletter for details.
L.U. 164 (c,i,o&t), JERSEY CITY, NJ—For the more than 4,000 members of Local 164, the high rate of unemployment being experienced throughout New Jersey and the nation’s construction industry has touched home. Acknowledging that only an upward trend in the marketplace will prompt construction starts, Local 164’s highly efficient welfare trust fund has rendered the union well prepared for the negative impact unemployment can have on its members and their families.
Recognizing that the construction boom of the late 1990s would eventually decline, Local 164 established a welfare fund contribution of 16 percent. This contribution, which includes 2 percent for supplemental unemployment benefits and 1 percent for long-term care, is significantly less than other New Jersey locals whose contributions in some cases exceed 22 percent, with no supplemental unemployment benefits or long-term care offered. In addition, our welfare trustees raised the unemployment benefit from $100 to $250 and lowered the eligibility requirement from 1,000 hours to 500 hours for those members "actively seeking employment."
"Local 164 had the vision to structure its self-administered, self-insured health and welfare fund in a manner that would serve the financial and medical needs of our members during poor periods of employment," said Bus. Mgr. Richard Dressel.
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