L.U. 6 (c,i,st&u), SAN FRANCISCO, CA — I would like to thank all of our clubs that have been established here at Local 6. They have demonstrated their passion and dedication to help not only our members but also the community.

It is crab season, and with that said, the Senior Sixes hosted a Crab Cioppino Luncheon and there wasn't an empty seat in the house. Hats off to those retirees who helped put this event together.

Tom O'Rourke, A.B.M.

L.U. 12 (i,o&se), PUEBLO, CO — The Pueblo Community Soup Kitchen was in the dark. Literally. It had quite a few fluorescent fixtures that were not working. Anytime someone went into the storeroom, they had to take a flashlight.

Someone from the soup kitchen called a friend for advice; that friend happened to be Jim Ozello, former IBEW Safety Dept. director. Jim placed a call to IBEW Local 12. We contacted the wholesale house and bought energy efficient ballasts and arranged for the lamps to be donated. Then we called on our members to come help. And boy did they! We swarmed on the Soup Kitchen like locusts on a wheat field and had the place bright and shining in record time. Thanks to everyone who showed up to help. Participating in a community project always helps put things in perspective. We have much to be thankful for, and helping others is a perfect way to show it.

Our 114th Anniversary/Awards Banquet was Feb. 22. We acknowledged the graduating apprentices from last year and awarded service pins and retirees watches. We will have details in the next newsletter.

Susan J. Johnson, P.S.

L.U. 16 (i), EVANSVILLE, IL — Jan. 1 marked the successful completion of the 20th Annual Fantasy of Lights. The Fantasy display is the magical mile of holiday lighting that IBEW Local 16 members voluntarily install for the Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center's Christmas fundraiser. Despite a shortened season that was hampered by bad weather, the attraction still raised $141,824. These funds help children and adults receive services regardless of their ability to pay.

Local 16 would also like to honor Rick Will and Mounts Electric for their work at Gilda's Club. By partnering with supplier Kirby Risk, they were able to provide numerous lighting upgrades through the Small Business Energy Solutions program. Thank you for showing that the IBEW provides the best electrical workers and contractors, who are willing to go above and beyond to improve the community.

Once again, Indiana's Common Construction Wage law is under attack. Current legislation mandates high quality work and a base for wages on state and local government projects. In the last two years, it has already been weakened from a floor of $150,000 to $350,000, and now faces a total repeal. Please contact your state representatives to oppose this change.

Donald P. Beavin, P.S.

L.U. 26 (ees,em,es,govt,i&mt), WASHINGTON, DC — At last — springtime in Washington, D.C.! It was a long winter, but we're hopeful that employment opportunities will start to bloom just like our annual cherry blossoms do!

Our annual Dollars Against Diabetes Golf Outing is Monday, June 2, so submit your registration form as soon as possible. Registration forms can be found in our quarterly magazine or on our website www.ibewlocal26.org under the "current events" section. Thanks again to Bro. Butch Ramos for a terrific job coordinating this great event every year! Also, mark your calendars for this year's picnics: the Manassas, VA, picnic will be June 21; and the picnic in Edgewater, MD, will be Aug. 2.

The Local 26 Scholarship Committee is reviewing the many scholarship applications and will soon make a decision. Winners will be announced in our quarterly magazine, In Charge, as well as in an upcoming Local 26 article in The Electrical Worker.

Local 26 is sad to report the loss of former business manager Ralph H. "Skip" Kemp.

We also mourn the recent passing of: Bros. Charles F. Kennedy, Charles R. Stanley, David E. Abbott Sr., Donald E. Imlay and William J. Khoury. They will be missed.

Best wishes to new retirees: Edgar D. Bourne, Donald L. Brown, Calvin G. Campbell, Gary D. Cross, Victor E. Freeman Sr., Paul E. Gibbons, Paul Houchen, Eduardo E. Parris, Harvey Samuels and Timothy B. Scott.

Charles E. "Chuck" Graham, B.M.

L.U. 34 (em,i,mt,rts&spa), PEORIA, IL — Newly organized Local 34 members who are employees of the Quincy School District's maintenance staff were sworn in at the December 2013 unit meeting in Quincy.

This success completes a yearlong effort by the retiring business reps, Rich Jones and Mike Hall, as well as by the new Local 34 staff. We also thank Sixth District Int. Rep. Paul Noble for all he has done to help us with this endeavor. Thanks to everyone's efforts, the men who work in the maintenance department for Quincy School District will now have a united voice and quality representation and will be treated with the respect they deserve. It was not easy and there will still be bumps along the way, but fortunately now they have a contract to guide them. Congratulations and welcome to these new brothers.

Our spring golf outing will be May 17; I hope to see you all there. For any questions about the event, please call Local 34. Thanks a bunch to Bro. David Ramsay for putting it all together.

Lastly, our sympathies go out to the family and friends of departed Bro. Larry G. Waterfield. He will be missed.

Marc Burnap, P.S.

L.U. 38 (i), CLEVELAND, PA — The Plain Dealer has refused to meet with us; therefore, the jobs it awarded to nonunion contractors will not be turned around. I believe the company must be made aware of subscribers' objections to its use of nonunion contractors who exploit workers.

If we don't make our objections known, the company will do it again. I know it's tough because it's the main Cleveland newspaper, but as one union member said, "We owe it to our [forefathers] and to each other to cancel [the paper]." I hope you all consider calling to stop home delivery, stop buying the paper and stop using Cleveland.com. We need to make this sacrifice at least until any profits the company hoped to make by using nonunion contractors are offset by our lack of patronage.

Hundreds of our members have already cancelled and you can join them by calling (216) 999-6000; simply say you cancelled because the company is using nonunion contractors. Other area newspapers are available to you and other websites, such as the Channel 3 website www.wkyc.com. Remember: if you use Cleveland.com, the company can track your use of it. Thanks to everyone who has sent e-mails and attended demonstrations.

Demolition has started on the site where the new 600-room Hilton Hotel will be built, which will create many job opportunities for our members. More job opportunities for the membership this year will be at the next phase of the East Bank Flats project and at Crocker Park.

Dennis Meaney, B.M./F.S.

L.U. 40 (em,i&mps), HOLLYWOOD, CA — Local 40 celebrated its 90th anniversary on Oct. 26 last year. Special thanks go out to all those who donated and contributed their time and effort to make the celebration a success.

Well-deserved congratulations go to our 2013 apprentice graduates: Daniel Aranda, Jacob Ball, Daniel Fischer, Christopher Gonzales, Ray Kaplan, Eric Lefebvre, Damoun Moghaddam, Charles Newman, Sander Smith, Jeremy Todd, Frank Trampus, Alex Weiss and Neal Wilmot. Also, special congratulations go to apprentice of the year, Ray Kaplan. Good luck, graduates, and continued success to you all. Job well done!

Local 40 also wishes to recognize a few of our eldest members who were in attendance at our 90th Anniversary Celebration, including Nick Moran and Eric Curson, for all their service and longtime commitment to Local 40 and the IBEW.

Hope 2014 is a year of prosperity and success for all IBEW members and their families.

Marc Flynn, Pres.

L.U. 42 (catv,em,govt,lctt&o), HARTFORD, CT — The work picture for Local 42 is slow at the time of this writing. We are waiting for approvals to go ahead on other outstanding jobs.

To all Local 42 members, make sure that you are all up-to-date with your certifications including: First Aid, CPR, Bucket Rescue (and Pole Top Rescue, if you're a lineman/apprentice). This is mandatory in order to sign the book and go out to work. Call the Local 42 O.S.H.E. Dept. at (860) 643-4048 and sign up for a class.

Congratulations to the following members for their years of service with IBEW Local 42: With 50 years of service–James D. Fraser; 40 years of service–Michael Riben; 30 years–Dennis West, Glenn Schlehofer, James Laferriere; 25 years–Joseph McCormack, Ronald Rothenberger, William Tuohy; 20 years–Dana Morse, Marion Osmanski Jr., Sandra Green; 15 years–Derek Santa Lucia, Doreen Degenova, Frank Gugliotti, Frederick Sharpe, Henry Travis, Joseph Adams, Lon Lebel, Mark Fusco, Michael Treadwell, Paul Ali, Thomas Lang, Wesley Dupont; 10 years–Christopher Ripley, Donald Bandy, Justin Evans and Robert Timberlake.

We also congratulate members who recently received their Retiree Award: Leonard Roberts, Russell Moffitt and Robert Berger.

We thank everyone for all of your hard work. Be safe out there.

Jacquelyn Moffitt, P.S.

L.U. 46 (as,c,cs,em,es,et,i,mar,mo,mt,rtb,rts&st), SEATTLE, WA — IBEW members are cordially invited to attend the IBEW Local 46 100th Year Celebration event at the Westin in Seattle on Aug. 16. First enjoy the sites and rides at the Museum Of Flight from 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Then join us at the Westin for dinner, dancing and festivities. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. Please contact Local 46 to purchase tickets or for more information.

Angela Marshall, B.R.

L.U. 48 (c,em,i,rtb,rts,st&tm), PORTLAND, OR — The brothers pictured in the accompanying photo are part of a team of six IBEW contractors that have joined to build Portland's new multi-modal bridge. It will be the first bridge in the U.S. to accommodate light rail, street car, bus, bicycle and pedestrian traffic, but not private autos. At 1,720 feet long, 72 feet wide, and with a $134.6 million TriMet budget, it is a truly striking "cable stayed" design.

Local 48 is again taking a leadership role in building Portland's green future. O'Neill Electric Inc. has been working on the bridge project since March 2012 and has been joined by Tice Electric, Affordable Electric, Team Electric Company Inc., HMS Construction Inc., and Elcon Corp. — for an all IBEW electrical team. This exclusively union built bridge is scheduled to open in 2015 after signal and power electrical systems for light rail are installed and connected.

Bob Blair, P.S.

L.U. 68 (i), DENVER, CO — Greetings, brothers and sisters. The winter holiday season was survived yet again. Our children's Christmas party was a huge success with some 700 members, spouses and kids in attendance. Santa was a busy man.

January's general membership meeting included the presentation of service pins to members; pins presented represented a total of 815 years of service. Proud times seeing some brothers I hadn't seen for a while.

Jan. 16 brought the kickoff event for four new EV (electric vehicle) charge stations at Local 68. The stations came to us partially funded through a grant from the Regional Air Quality Council. Use of these stations is offered free of charge to the public. Dealerships and current owners of electric vehicles brought theirs to the event for a free "fill up." We had a good turnout and it was good exposure for IBEW and our NECA contractors. Big thanks to Sister Mary Broderick, our resident renewable energy guru/agent.

Work in Denver is still coming in; nothing huge, but small-to-medium jobs are still putting members back to work. Organizing efforts are bringing in new members via DJEATC and the CE/CW program. It's a good sign for the future.

Stay safe and take care of your fellow union members.

We extend deepest sympathy to the families of our recently deceased brothers: Dennis E. Werner, Michael A. Cieszlak and Ralph A. Doronzo.

Jack Cox, Pres.

L.U. 80 (i&o), NORFOLK, VA — The Young Brotherhood of Local 80 elected their first officers and have been working to advocate for the local. Derek Samuelson was elected YB chairman; Joey Weil, vice chairman; Joe Bertini, community liaison; and Spencer Henderson, recording secretary. Mike Caruana, Kendra Irving and Tyler Whitley make up the entertainment committee.

The Young Brotherhood recently took part in the Polar Plunge, raising nearly $1,000 for the Special Olympics; they took the plunge into the ocean on Feb. 8. More events are planned and information about the Young Brotherhood is on the local's website www.ibew80.com.

Local 80 extends our sympathy to the families of our brothers who passed away in the last year: Charles Ironmonger, Lawrence Wayne Williams, Edwin Ross, Edward Miller Sr., David Bell, Clifford Shuler, Carlton Gurganus, James Gates Jr., Robert Price, Jerry Byars Sr., John Harris and Robert Minson.

W. Dennis Floyd, A.B.M.

L.U. 82 (em,i,mt&rtb), DAYTON, OH — The work picture was slow for Local 82 in 2013. We hope work picks ups and the book starts moving in 2014!

We had successful fundraisers last year, raising money for the families of our fallen union brothers and sisters, as well as for our apprentices and for Local 82 softball teams.

The retirees had a successful service-pin dinner and received their years-of-service awards. Additionally, Charlie Toon Scholarship Awards were presented to eligible apprentices. Bridging the past to the future, everyone had a great time.

The Local 82 picnic was again fun for all. Everyone puts a lot of work into making the picnic a great success and it shows!

The Local 82 Christmas party, held at Boonshoft Museum, saw a great turnout and the kids had a wonderful time!

Reds excursions and dragon decks … who doesn't like baseball? Another great turnout.

All these events brought Local 82 brothers and sisters closer together. A big thank-you goes out to all the people who take the time to make it happen; they deserve it!

One last thing: remember the brothers and sisters we lost last year and keep their families in your thoughts and prayers.

Here's to a better 2014, both at this local and at all the locals across the country!

Doug Searcy, P.S.

L.U. 100 (c,em,i,rts&st), FRESNO, CA — Our Local 100 office has moved to 5410 E. Home Ave., in the Sheet Metal Industry Joint Apprenticeship building, on the corner of Rabe and Home, just blocks north of our JATC and general meeting hall.

Bro. Chuck Stanton, JATC administrator, recommends you sign up for 32 hours of training now, to renew your California state certification; most will expire in 2015.

A Stewards Training course was well-attended. As a steward, you play a very important role within our Brotherhood. You are the conduit to the workers. Twenty-seven members attended our local Stewards Training course. These brothers are to be congratulated. They will better our work relationship and communication with the employer, other crafts, and each other.

Attend your local union meetings, held the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

Think safety always.

M.A. Caglia, P.S.

L.U. 102 (em,govt,i,mt,o&ws), PATERSON, NJ — As the NFL began to roll into New Jersey leading up to the Super Bowl, IBEW Local 102 and Choose New Jersey Inc. took full advantage of the opportunity to market our great state. Local 102 sponsored a billboard on the New Jersey Turnpike just outside of Newark Airport. The digital sign, viewable day and night, was up for all to see as visitors from around the country piled into the state. This same sign was also part of a mobile billboard that was driven through Times Square during NFL week.

Choose NJ is an award-winning economic development organization under the direction of the lieutenant governor. The partnership is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that is 100 percent funded by private sector contributors.

Comprising several organizations — the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the NJ Business Action Center, the Commission on Higher Education and Choose NJ — the Partnership for Action's mission is to encourage and nurture economic growth throughout New Jersey.

In the first half of 2013 alone, the Partnership for Action closed on 19 projects generating 1,138 new jobs; 2,760 retained jobs; and $175 million in private investment. We are proud to partner with an organization that cultivates business growth because, quite simply, it has created construction jobs for our members and provides permanent work opportunities for our families.

Bernie Corrigan, Pres.

L.U. 124 (ees,em,i,mar,rts,se,spa&t), KANSAS CITY, MO — Greetings from Kansas City. The job market is holding steady with a positive outlook for this spring and summer.

As of this writing, elected officials at our state Capitol have advanced right-to-work-for-less legislation out of committee. This sinister effort to harm working people must not go unopposed. I am proud to tell you that our local is well engaged in this battle.

Local 124 Kansas City hosted the National Electrical Workers Minority Caucus Convention in January. Kansas City is where the EWMC was founded in 1974. The convention was a great success. The day of service helped many worthy causes at churches, schools, food banks and community centers. A special thank-you goes to Local 1245 for donating a vacuum cleaner to the Guadalupe center. The Greater Kansas City EWMC hosted a BBQ dinner and reception at the Negro League Baseball Museum, where IBEW Int. Pres. Edwin D. Hill visited with members.

Steve Morales, P.S.

L.U. 130 (i), NEW ORLEANS, LA — Local 130 hopes everyone had a happy Mardi Gras. We held a special meeting on Dec. 10 for our annual pin ceremony and it was well-attended. Many members and their families enjoyed food, drinks and especially the music by Local 130's brass band, "Livewire." The officers and members extend special congratulations to retired Bro. Gerard Tonglet, who received his 75-year pin.

Officers also thank the journeymen and apprentices who came out on Jan. 25 to help install 10 crime cameras in the Hollygrove neighborhood. IBEW Local 130 is committed to serving our community and enhancing our city.

At this time we have full employment and are working some travelers. We have major projects about to start and some coming to an end. The work outlook is good and hopefully will continue to improve.

A recent market-share report came out, and Bus. Mgr. Chet Held wishes to thank all of the members for helping to increase our market share to 29 percent. It's not 100 percent, but it is better than the 19 percent we had just three years ago. When next year's survey comes out, we expect it to climb again to around 32-33 percent. That's a move in the right direction. Thanks again to all.

Chad Lauga, Pres.

L.U. 134 (catv,em,govt,i,mt,rtb,rts,spa&t), CHICAGO, IL — As has been reported here over the last 2½ years, many positive changes have occurred at Local 134. A bylaw amendment proposal read at our December 2013 monthly membership meeting was voted on at our following meeting on Jan. 2, 2014. By a 2-to-1 margin, the long-standing practice of paying dues quarterly in advance was replaced by working dues based on 2.5 percent of weekly gross wages.

We once again addressed a difficult issue, and a historic and very necessary change took place. The bylaw amendment will be a culture change for many of our members but in the long run will help sustain our local and in the short run will help our unemployed, underemployed and members who are travelling.

In other news: Bus. Reps. Tony LaPorte and Don Finn, along with EJATT Asst. Dir. Harry Ohde and Code Specialist Tim Arendt, spoke at an Electrical Commission and successfully lobbied against the use of MC cable being installed at a new $130 million Assisted Living Facility in suburban Northbrook. The commission voted 4-0 in favor of a safer and more efficient pipe and wire installation.

Frank Cunningham, B.R.

L.U. 146 (ei,i&rts), DECATUR, IL — This will be a busy year for contract negotiations for Local 146. As of press time, the local is currently in negotiations on the Sign Shop Wage Opener, City of Charleston Inspector Agreement, Inside Construction Agreement and the Residential Agreement. All bargaining unit members should take the opportunity to provide feedback to the bargaining committee.

We are continuing to monitor the Cronus Fertilizer Plant project. We still hear encouraging comments from a vast array of sources but, as of this writing, still no formal announcement has been made.

In January a foursome of second-year apprentices — Kaleb Swarts, Bob Jonquet, Dillon Lewis and Tyler Pieszchalski — represented IBEW Local 146 in the 13th Annual UCP Miller Lite Barstool Open. By participating in this fundraiser, the apprentices helped raise more than $96,000 for United Cerebral Palsy. They even built their own putters out of conduit (LRs and LLs). What a great way to represent the local in such a positive way.

Congratulations to six members on their recent retirement: Warren Elder, Dirk Hyland, Denny Katz, Chris Wrigley, Mike Carrigan and Bob Bock.

Rich Underwood, R.S.

L.U. 150 (es,i,rts&spa), WAUKEGAN, IL — Local 150 will celebrate its 100th anniversary this year. I am still looking for photos and other memorabilia, particularly photos of old jobs. This is your last chance to contribute something to our 100th anniversary celebration and let all our members see these items so take a look at your old photos. Please see me at any union meeting or leave items at the hall in my name. Thanks for any and all contributions and just to clarify: all items will be returned to the owners.

The JATC has scheduled many journeyman update classes for the upcoming months ranging from conduit bending, CPR/first aid, PLCs, foremanship, license prep, NFPA 70E, OSHA 10, OSHA 30, building automation, troubleshooting, code calculations, Code NEC1-21, and significant changes to Code NEC1-21. What a great opportunity to brush up on our skills, review past course material and earn continuing education units. Please take this opportunity to check it out and sign up for a class or two. Many of these would be helpful if you plan on going on the road.

I am also looking for any photos our members might want to share with the membership of places they might have worked on the road in the past.

See you at the union meeting.

Wendy J. Cordts, P.S.

L.U. 158 (i,it,mar,mt&spa), GREEN BAY, WI — Local 158 apprentices along with many other statewide apprentices recently attended a presentation by noted motivational speaker Mark Breslin in Wisconsin Dells. The speech was well-received. Breslin spoke about the need for the contractors to succeed so that the employees too can benefit and succeed. He talked about the large numbers of baby boomers retiring and that there will be a shortage of manpower to replace them. The future work force of the IBEW was in that room.

Once again Local 158 along with our Tru-Pro contractors sponsored the 150,000-LED lighted caterpillar for the Green Bay Botanical Gardens Holiday of Lights. Despite some bad weather with subzero temperatures and lots of snow, more than 38,000 people attended in a six-week period. Our display is one of the people's favorites. This was our sixth year sponsoring this particular display. We receive quite a bit of recognition because of it.

Donald C. Allen, B.M.

L.U. 160 (lctt,o&u), MINNEAPOLIS, MN — 2013 witnessed some changes at Local 160 with the transition of several representatives.

Bus. Rep. Tom Arnold retired in late summer. Bro. Arnold represented members at Xcel Energy's generating plants in Local 160's jurisdiction. He was replaced by Bro. Kurt Zimmerman. Kurt came from Sherburne County Generating Plant, Xcel Energy's largest coal-fired plant, located in Becker, MN. Kurt is already negotiating new agreements with Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant. Kurt formerly served on Local 160's executive board, and was vice president for 12 years. Local 160's new vice president is Bro. Marty Carey.

Bus. Rep. Shawn Daly retired Dec. 31, 2013. Bro. Daly has been an IBEW member for 40+ years. He began his career as a ground man with the Missouri Valley Line Constructors. At Xcel Energy he worked as a logistics warehouseman; on a heavy equipment rigging crew; and as a system telephone installer. In 2007 he took a job with Local 160 as a representative. Shawn also helped negotiate contracts with several public utilities in Minnesota. We will miss Bro. Daly and wish him a happy retirement.

Bro. Daly will be replaced by Bro. Tom Cassidy. Tom was an Xcel Energy Minneapolis-area trouble man for many years. We wish both Bro. Cassidy and Bro. Zimmerman the best in their new roles.

Finally, the outside line work continues to be strong for Local 160. A number of large 345-KV and 115-KV lines are being built. Let's all strive for a safe and prosperous 2014.

James P. Brereton, P.S.

L.U. 164 (c,em,i,o&t), JERSEY CITY, NJ — Like many, since the Great Recession began in 2008, we in Local 164 have experienced substantial unemployment. 2013 saw our work picture begin to turn around with some good projects beginning to take manpower.

So far, 2014 has brought with it not only the hope for a happy and healthy new year, but also a continued turnaround in our work picture. We as a local look forward to that continuing throughout this year — which looks to have even more promising work opportunities for our members.

2014 thus far has seen our members working on such projects as: the preparation of MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford for the Super Bowl, the completion of a large solar project in Essex County and two large retail distribution centers in Hudson County. We have also seen the continuation of a number of different utility projects throughout our territory.

We anticipate a busy 2014 with more projects continuing to take manpower in the coming weeks and months.

Warren Becker, V.P.

L.U. 222 (o), ORLANDO, FL — Greetings, brothers and siters. The Local 222 year-end holiday party was a great success. Attendees enjoyed good food, good friends and a good time.

The Southeast representative from the National Sisterhood United for Journeyman Linemen (NSUJL), Terry Riffe, gave a presentation to the members and their spouses about the organization and its mission.

We held our first Corn Toss Tournament: first prize went to William and Donnie Dillashaw; second prize, to Joe and Jennifer Hanel; and third prize, to Teddy Neff and Matt Bauer. Money raised from the tournament was sent to the recently widowed spouse of a Local 222 retiree. A special thanks to Shelby Mathis and his family for running the tournament.

The work picture for 2014 looks strong, and we look forward to helping our traveling brothers and sisters find work in Florida.

A special congratulations to our recently topped-out journeyman linemen: Armando Ybarra, James Zellman, Tim Parsons, Tony Knowles, Adam Navarro, Nelson Giboyeaux, Gregory Sage, Robert Sparks and URD Tech Jason Purvis.

Congratulations to Bro. Earsel "Butch" Goff on his retirement following 52 years of IBEW service. Butch was an IBEW assistant business manager before becoming a successful electrical contractor. He never forgot where he came from.

Bill Hitt, Pres.

L.U. 234 (i&mt), CASTROVILLE, CA — Last October , after much public input, the City Council of Watsonville in Santa Cruz County voted 5-to-1 to approve a project labor agreement. The PLA, while still in negotiations, will cover all city construction projects costing more than $600,000 and involving three or more trades.

This was a real success that demonstrates what we can accomplish when working together. This was a concerted effort between the Monterey/Santa Cruz Building Trades and the Central Labor Council to further the cause of working families.

Stephen Slovacek, P.S.

L.U. 236 (catv,ees,govt,i,mo,rtb&t), ALBANY, NY — Spring is finally here, and not a minute too soon. After a long, cold winter with some of the coldest temperatures we have seen in recent years, we all look forward to warmer days ahead.

Thankfully, the cold weather did not prevent our previously announced projects from moving forward and allowed us to provide many work opportunities for both our Book I and Book II brothers and sisters. Thank you to our traveling brothers and sisters for their help in filling our calls when it was needed.

One way our members found to stay warm and help pass the time during the cold winter months was to take advantage of the continuous training opportunities that were offered by the JATC.

Some of the courses offered this past winter included: Structured Cabling, Code Refresher, OSHA 10 hour and OSHA 30 hour courses. All of these classes were well-attended and we look forward to providing more training opportunities soon. Please check our website, www.ibew236.org, regularly for upcoming class schedules.

Michael Torres, P.S.

L.U. 292 (em,govt,i,rtb,rts&spa), MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Eleven IBEW Local 292 members drove to Kansas City, MO, in January to attend the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus. They volunteered at the W.E.B. DuBois Learning Center, replacing lamps and ballasts for the nonprofit with the help of Local 124, and then attended three days of meetings and focus groups. Now, Local 292 is setting up its own chapter of the EWMC to encourage equal opportunity and empower minorities to become active leaders in the IBEW. Several members of the Local 292 Ladies Auxiliary attended and brought information back to their monthly meetings at Local 292's Guy Alexander Conference and Training Room.

Congratulations to Andy Snope, Local 292 business representative and political coordinator, on his election to the Golden Valley, MN, City Council.

The work picture is improving around the Vikings Stadium; the Metrodome is currently being demolished and the new Vikings People Stadium is rising around it. We have 500+ members on Book 1, and this stadium with surrounding projects should put most of those members back to work in their home local.

In March we held our 8th Annual IBEW Day on the Hill event in conjunction with other Minnesota IBEW locals. More than 100 members visited the state Capitol and met with their elected officials to discuss legislation important to our members.

For the sixth year Local 292, along with sister Local 110, hosted IBEW Holiday Lights in the Park, with all proceeds going to local charities. Around 50,000 visitors enjoyed the LED winter light displays.

Carl Madsen, B.R.

L.U. 300 (govt,i,mt&u), MONTPELIER, VT — Geoff Gadbois, 19, of Milton, VT, is training to drive the two-man bobsled for the 2018 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Geoff is one of only a handful of athletes who drive the bobsled in the United States. Geoff is also in the Vermont JATC electrical apprenticeship program with IBEW Local 300.

"I can't believe I have the opportunity to compete in this thrilling sport, and I can't thank the local and my employer, Peck Electric, enough for the time to pursue my dream," Geoff said. "This is my time and I have to go for it — and the support has been great." At the time of this writing, Geoff was scheduled to compete next in Calgary, Canada, in February 2014 for the Can Am Cup. Jeff is a product of our CW program. We are all very proud of this young man.

Timothy J. LaBombard, Mbr. Dev. Dir.

L.U. 340 (i,rts&spa), SACRAMENTO, CA — All IBEW locals have members who go over and above when it comes to living the union life. They and their families shop as often as possible in union stores in their local communities. When we call them, they phone bank, precinct walk and attend political events on behalf of the local for candidates in their communities. They work at jobs in their communities and they and their families donate their time for charities in their communities. In other words, they are good community-minded union members.

Those are the members we like to see honored and that is exactly what the Marysville/Yuba City Coalition did in late January. They honored Local 340 active member Bro. Marvin Ganske at their Salute to Labor event along with 18 other trades workers.

Thirty-five year IBEW member Bro. Ganske, named after his father, is a second-generation IBEW Local 340 member. It was with great pride that I attended this event to present a commendation given to Bro. Ganske from U.S. Rep. John Garamendi. Thank you, Bro. Ganske, for your dedication to Local 340 and the union way.

Rest in peace, Bros. Marvell Johnson, Richard McDonald, Thomas Souza and Chad Stevens.

Tom Okumura, B.M.

L.U. 412 (u), KANSAS CITY, MO — On Nov. 19 last year, Local 412 swore in the newly elected local union officers and Executive Board members for a three-year term ending in 2016.

Shown in the photo are, front row, from left: Vice Pres. Pat Devine, Rec. Sec. Theresa Harris, Treas. Debi Kidwiler, and Executive Board members Randy Berlekamp, Mick Vitt, Randy Adams and Eric Adams; back row, Pres. Jim Williams, Bus. Mgr. Bill McDaniel, and Executive Board members Rodney Tanner, Chris Wilson and Fred Fockler. Not pictured are Executive Board members Toby Randall and Ali Zangi.

Debi Kidwiler, P.S.

L.U. 530 (i,o&rtb), SARNIA, ONTARIO, CANADA — With a few jobs on the drawing board and not many shovels in the ground, Local 530 has many members as of this writing looking for employment. We would like to thank Sudbury Local 1687 for putting some of our members to work.

At press time, our hockey team is getting ready, recruiting and practicing hard for the upcoming tournament. We can't wait to put on the foil, yet again!!

Local 530 is saddened to report the recent passing of Bro. Vince Gruber.

Al Byers, P.S.

L.U. 558 (catv,em,i,mt,o,rtb,rts,spa&u), SHEFFIELD, AL — We are excited to announce the construction of an 80,000-square-foot training facility at Local 558 in Sheffield, AL.

The new facility will encompass different levels of training such as rigging, lifting, welding, and will include a conduit fabrication area as well. This should play a pivotal role in securing the necessary training that will keep our members fully certified to meet any requirements we are facing in the construction and maintenance industry. In a market that transforms daily, we believe this investment will pay off and ensure that we, as always, have the most qualified, highly skilled and efficient workers in the electrical sector.

Work appears to be solid for 2014. We are filling calls for our spring outage at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, and there will also be an outage in the fall. The Jack Daniels project is ongoing. The Toyota Engine Plant is in the final stages.

In closing, our Retirees Club held their annual Christmas banquet in December and had a great turnout. We are honored to have a day set aside to fellowship and thank them for all they have done for us. We are well aware that everything we have today is a product of their work, commitment and sacrifice.

Tony Quillen, Pres./A.B.M.

L.U. 640 (em,govt,i,mo,mt,rts,spa&u), PHOENIX, AZ — Local 640 would like to introduce Delbert Hawk as our new president. Delbert was appointed to fill the unexpired term of former president Shawn Hutchinson, who stepped down to focus on his new role as director of the Phoenix Electrical JATC. Delbert is a 14-year member and completed his apprenticeship in 1999. He currently is employed as the Industry Development representative here at Local 640. Delbert followed his father and uncle in becoming a journeyman wireman in Local 640. Congratulations to Delbert on his new position, and thank you to Shawn for his years of service to the local.

Local 640's work outlook is good with many projects going on here in the valley. A large technology company is currently building a manufacturing plant in our east valley that as of this writing has 450 members employed, and we are presently at full employment.

We are actively organizing new members with the use of our widely successful CW/CE program, as well as employing many of our traveling brothers and sisters who are in need of employment. We thank all of our fellow traveling IBEW members for helping us man all of our work. It looks to be a good year in the Valley of the Sun.

Jeff Sears, Mbr. Dev./P.S.

L.U. 654 (i), CHESTER, PA — Officers and members marched on the Capitol building in Harrisburg, PA, on Jan. 28 to protest House Bill1507 and Senate Bill1034 which, if passed, would be the beginning of so-called "right-to-work" legislation in Pennsylvania. We also face a tough challenge come November with a Republican governor determined to break down unions across the board, not only in the construction industry, but also in the municipal sector as well — teachers, policemen and all those in between are a target.

We cannot stand by and let this union-busting legislation be passed. Stand up, be strong, and let your voice be heard. Don't let Pennsylvania be the 25th "right-to-work" for less state. Call and write your state representatives and senators. Be involved, be union, and most importantly — vote!

James Thompson, P.S.

L.U. 666 (i,mt&o), RICHMOND, VA — We are sad to report the passing of Bro. James L. "Bubba" Gillend. Apprentice of the year in 1971, Bubba's 44 years of membership included service on the Examining Board, Executive Board, and as assistant business manager for nearly 20 years. We thank Bubba for his dedication to the local. He will be missed.

After the Member to Member training in January, a new initiative was started to get members actively involved in the local; you will be hearing from someone soon! The Volunteer Organizing Committee has been active for six months — and there are already results from their efforts to improve the local market. Thanks to everyone who has been a part of the effort!

Remember to check the "Announcements" section of our webpage www.ibewlocal666.com for news and information; it is updated every week. Under the "Journeyman Training" section, we list classes currently offered at the Richmond JATC. Classes are scheduled when enough members have called to get on the sign-up list. If you are interested in a class, give them a call.

Best wishes to recent retirees Julius K. Hawkins and William O. Minter!

Charles Skelly, P.S.

L.U. 692 (i,mt&spa), BAY CITY, MI — The wind farms will start up in April. This is good news for our local. Motor City is the contractor for the Cross Wind Farms.

The Michigan governor's race is this year. Let's not forget what the current state administration has done to the working class. Our governor started taxing our retired brothers' and sisters' pensions. We have a surplus of funds and the governor will not stop the tax on pensions. We need to be ready to get involved where we can to help the candidates who will act in the interest of working-class people. Please get involved in this election season and help elect friends of workers.

Our sympathy goes out to the family of retired Bro. Eugene F. LaDouceur, who passed away.

Tammy Gottleber, P.S.

L.U. 702 (as,c,catv,cs,em,es,et,govt,i,it,lctt,mo,mt,o,p, pet,ptc,rtb,rts,se, spa,st,t&u), WEST FRANKFORT, IL — A special thank-you goes out to all of our members who purchased 800 tickets in less than a month for a chance at one of four Union Sportsmen's Alliance special-edition pistols that were raffled off. We were the only local that was allotted four pistols. Congratulations to Bros. Kevin Tarr (HD Supply), Bobby Schott (Ameren MO), Jim Hester (Tri County Electric Cooperative) and Phil Pate (Vectren).

We have many contracts up for negotiations this year, including those with Ozark Border, Pemiscot Dunklin, and SEMO Electric Co-ops, along with Wabash, Egyptian, and Hamilton County Telephone Co-ops.

As 2014 is a midterm election year, we will once again be calling on our members to help elect labor-friendly legislators. In Indiana, officials are pursuing a bill that would allow employers to seize up to $2,400 of employee earnings to pay for personal protective equipment. In Missouri, the Republican Speaker of the House is fervently pushing an American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)-backed "right-to-work" for less agenda.

As of this writing, our referral books are as follows: Inside Construction–130, Outside Construction–15, Line Clearance–11.

To stay up on the latest Local 702 news and information, please visit us at www.ibewlocal702.org.

Mark Baker, B.R./P.S.

L.U. 1106 (catv,rtb&t), MASON, MI — Bus. Mgr. Mike Brousseau held a stewards meeting at Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville, MI, on Jan. 26-27. The meeting was attended by 19 stewards, representing members working at Frontier Communications, Verizon Business, and Century Link Telephone.

Also in attendance were Sixth District Int. Rep. Richard J. "Rick" Gessler and an IBEW lead organizer, Brian R. Groom. Stewards were given an update on the procedures and responsibilities of being a steward, as well as an update on the upcoming so-called "right to work" proposals that Michigan will be facing. Groom spoke on current organizing efforts and the need for all members to watch for opportunities for IBEW growth. Special thanks go to steward Ed Brush for his efforts in putting this informative gathering together. Be safe, be union.

Dave McCarthy, V.P.

L.U. 1116 (em,lctt&u), TUCSON, AZ — After approximately 45 years of leasing space from our brothers at Local 570, we have established a home of our own. We closed the deal in February and after a little paint and cleaning, we will have our own office and meeting hall to conduct union business, 1116 style.

This year we will be negotiating new labor contracts with Southwest Energy Solutions (SES), Trico Electric Co-op, and OPEIU Local 30 (the union that represents our office staff). Trico has shown some growth as the economy has improved in Tucson and surrounding areas. All three SES contract negotiations will begin while UNS Energy Corp. is in the middle of being acquired by a Canadian utility company. During this time, the union will continue to work with all groups–to try and keep it moving smoothly.

Congratulations and happy retirement to several longtime union members: Mark Sterling, Gilbert Bracamonte, Jimmy Quintero, Ron Brown, Elmo Jones, Dane Armijo, Kenneth Whitson, Wally Brumfield, Steve Reyes, Frank Lievanos, Jerry Maldonado and Rudy Urias. Enjoy your future years, brothers — you have earned it.

Local 1116 also extends congratulations to the five recently graduated Tucson Electric Power/Local 1116 line construction journeymen: Brian Marino, Brandon Baltierrez, Florencio Ortega, Dominic Trijillo and Christopher Hengsteler. After four years of classroom and on-the-job training, they are ready to get busy with their craft.

Our deepest condolences go out to the family of Bro. Sean Philips on his recent passing.

R. Cavaletto, P.S.

L.U. 1466 (u), COLUMBUS, OH — We would like to announce our recent successful organizing campaigns in two different American Electric Power (AEP) line garages in southern Ohio. As of Jan. 18, these new members are officially working under and represented by a contract. Let's welcome these newest members and roll the union on!

In other news, at press time, we are preparing to enter into wage negotiations with AEP. After that we will begin discussing the 2015 Master Agreement at the monthly union meetings. Please try to attend as often as possible to share your ideas and opinions.

As always, let's continue to have one another's backs … and to look out for our fellow brothers and sisters.

Jimi Jette, P.S.

L.U. 2324 (t), SPRINGFIELD, MA — On Dec. 14 last year, union brothers and sisters of IBEW Local 2324 partnered in a project with Wreaths Across America. The goal of the day was to place more than 1,800 wreaths on veterans' graves at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Agawam, MA. Wreaths Across America is a national nonprofit organization that sponsors wreath laying ceremonies for veterans' graves across the country.

It was a chilly December day at only 11 degrees, but members bundled up to get the job done. It is just one small way to honor the troops who fought and stood up for our country.

Christine Casino, Exec. Brd.