L.U. 2 (catv,lctt,o,t&u), ST. LOUIS, MO — Local 2 held its election of officers in the spring. The officers were sworn in at our July 10 meeting, and we have three new Executive Board members and a new vice president.

Elected officers are: Bus. Mgr./Fin. Sec. David Heidbreder, Pres. Michael Greene, Vice Pres. Kenneth Peebles, Rec. Sec. Steve Banderman, Treas. Jeff Lauridsen; and Executive Board members Bryan Coats, Dennis "Lee" Simmons and Tracy Timmerman.

Bus. Mgr. David Heidbreder shared that he was very appreciative of the support from the local and is excited about our future. Heidbreder said: "I'm excited to focus on what the next three years has in store for our local. I'm looking forward to working with the officers, E-board, and members to continue improving the local and growing the activism within the membership."

Our RENEW committee continues to build momentum and gain members. They just completed a parade float to use in community parades through our territory along with the labor parades in St. Louis and Jefferson City, MO. Please call the office if interested in joining the RENEW committee.

Greg Benton, A.B.M.

L.U. 8 (as,em,i,mar,mt,rts,s&spa), TOLEDO, OH — Congratulations to the 38 journeymen who recently graduated from the Toledo Electrical Training Alliance. The class of 2016/2017 consisted of 29 inside, five voice-data-video, and four residential wireman graduates. Special recognition goes to Colton Shammo, Outstanding Apprentice awardee, and Jason Badenhop, Apprentice of the Year, 2017.

Toledo continues to maintain better than full employment for our members and those traveling sisters and brothers who decided to make Local 8 a temporary home. Chrysler-Jeep, GM Powertrain and ProMedica are heavily manned projects now, with additional new plants coming to Oregon Clean Energy and Cliffs Natural Resources, to name a few.

Local 8 fielded three teams in the 46th IBEW Midwest Softball Tournament, hosted by Louisville, KY, Local 369. Although our "A" team made it to the semifinals, the young guns will be in the Windy City next year with full vengeance. Thanks, Louisville, for an awesome weekend.

Stay safe out there and attend your local meetings.

Mike Brubaker, P.S.

L.U. 16 (i), EVANSVILLE, IN — IBEW Local 16 congratulates graduates of the 2017 inside wireman apprenticeship program.

The graduates are: Cody E. Abney, Christopher R. Adams, Jody A. Bauer, Joshua R. Board, Tyler F. Boyle, Jason R. Dean, David A. Duncan Jr., Austin M. Hauser, Jason M. Hickerson, Damien T. Jones, Lance M. Keith, Jason W. Libbert, Benjamin J. Maas, Charles W. Marler Jr., Jonathan R. Meunier, Travis J. Morrow, Joshua J. Puertzer, Brian L. Rexing, Adam A. Ricketts, Michael W. Robinson, Kevin L. Smith, John M. Stevens, Johathan B. Taylor, Evan B. Watson and Michael W. Wilkerson. This year's academic award winner is Michael W. Robinson, and the John D. Brenner Memorial Award went to Benjamin J. Maas.

The membership recently elected Local 16 officers, as follows: Bus. Mgr./Fin. Sec. L. Paul Green, Pres. Greg Hebbeler II, Vice Pres. Benjamin Ipock, Rec. Sec. Daniel P. Gretler, Treas. Nick Vaught; Executive Board members Donald P. Beavin, Ryan McRoberts, John W. Brady Jr., Brandon S. Gretler and James Stidham; and Examining Board members Ray Pritchett, Jeff Brady and Scott Woolsey. Thanks to all who agreed to serve.

Donald P. Beavin, P.S.

L.U. 24 (es,i&spa), BALTIMORE, MD — We wish Bro. Carmen D. Voso, former president, a well-deserved long and happy retirement. Carmen was initiated into the IBEW in June 1971. He served the local at many levels including most recently as president, a job he did well and enjoyed. Carmen's vast knowledge of traveling the road looking for work served our members well when times were tough. Thank you, Carmen.

On Friday, July 14, the local union's JATC held an apprenticeship graduation ceremony for this year's class of 50 graduates. We congratulate these new journeymen.

At the graduation, Bus. Mgr. Pete Demchuk spoke on the importance of getting involved and staying involved, to make the local stronger not only for their future, but also for those who will follow. He also reminded the new journeymen to be productive members of the local and build a good reputation for themselves as well as the local. Recognized for highest grade point average were Bros. Timothy Bouthner and Stuart Molnar. Perfect Attendance Awards went to: Bros. Timothy Bouthner, James Chwirut and Edward Heagy. Congratulations, brothers and sister.

Peter P. Demchuk, B.M.

L.U. 26 (ees,em,es,govt,i&mt) WASHINGTON, DC — What an amazing summer Local 26 has had! The annual Edgewater, MD, picnic was Saturday, Aug. 26, at Camp Letts and everyone had a good time.

The 125th Anniversary Party was at MGM National Harbor on Sept. 23. This event was well-attended and I would like to thank all the members, guests, sponsors and volunteers for making this historic milestone happen.

Congratulations to the four 2017 scholarship winners. We wish them the best in their future. The scholarship recipients are:

Several members passed away since our last article: Jeffrey G. Brady, William Savannah Jr., John C. Eason III, Jominique A. Burgess, Michael E. Delonge, Micah T. Billingslea, Anthony P. Epperhart and Robert F. Hinkins. They will be missed.

Best wishes to new retirees: Michael L. Shaklee, William G. Gross, Jeffrey M. Gonzalez, Charles P. Davis, Michael A. Cusin, David P. Rovaldi, Roger A. Wrisley, John T. Tolson, John C. McCauley, Richard A. Long, James W. Schiffhauer, Bradley K. Paterno, William F. Noel, William A. Myers, Clyde D. Watts Jr., Ronald F. Hibbard, Charles R. Watson, Leander L. Smith, Glenn J. Phillips, Emanuel Malqui and David C. Fritz.

George C. Hogan, B.M.

L.U. 38 (i), CLEVELAND, OH — The Fourth District Progress Meeting held this year in Cleveland was a big success. The district includes Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland and The District of Columbia. It was great to be able to bring delegates from all over the district to the new 30-story Hilton Hotel, which was built by 100 percent union labor under a project labor agreement (PLA). They were impressed with the hotel, the growth of the city and the number of venues on East Fourth Street, the Warehouse District and the East Bank Flats.

Gateway Electric was awarded the 24-story Beacon apartment building on 5th and Euclid Avenue. Two more high-rises appear to have most of their financing in order and may start this year, including the 34-story apartment building at Playhouse Square and the 48-story nuCLEus building across from the Q Arena.

Congratulations to Local 38 Pres. Walter O'Malley, who retires on Oct. 1 after 34 years of service to Local 38, including 18 years as a full-time officer.

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

L.U. 40 (em,i&mps), HOLLYWOOD, CA — Local 40 held its annual golf tournament this year promoting solidarity within our membership and helping those who are in the greatest need.

Local 40 is proud to be able to contribute to the programs at St Jude's Children's Hospital, which not only provide medical care for sick children, but also help lift their spirits as well. We at Local 40 are blessed to be able to be give back to these children by using our golf tournament as a platform to raise funds and toys.

A special thanks to our co-chairs Dustin Little and Tyler Lane for organizing this event and helping make it a reality. Local 40 also thanks all the sponsors who helped make the event possible, including: Coast Benefits, Teamsters Local 399, Pacific Data Electric, Plumbers Local 78, Apollo Electric, Los Angeles County Chapter NECA; and IBEW Locals 6, 47, 332, 477 and 639.

Golf tournaments and charity events such as these are an important part of what it means to be a member of the IBEW. Our community service also shows those who have not been exposed to union ideals that we as an organization represent the good and decent ideals of America.

Marc Flynn, B.M./F.S.

L.U. 46 (as,c,cs,em,es,et,i,mar,mo,mt,rtb,rts&st), SEATTLE, WA — Fueled by the growth of Amazon and tech companies Google and Facebook, Seattle has been named the crane capital of America for the second year in a row. Seattle had 58 construction cranes towering over the city at the beginning of July. Our work picture will remain strong for at least another two years. Currently, Seattle has 50 major projects scheduled to begin construction in 2017.

In June, Local 46 held elections, with a run-off election in July for business manager/financial secretary. Congratulations to Local 46's elected officers: Bus. Man./Fin. Sec. Bud Allbery, Pres. Sean Bagsby, Vice Pres. Warren Shill, Rec. Sec. Tony Doll, Treas. Michelle North; Executive Board members Nicole Anderson, Damon Barnett, Steve Murphy, Eric Vane and Pat Vaughn; Exam Board members Gillian Burlingham, Rodney "Steve" Cross, Frank Elduen, David Khbeis and Rick Oreskovich.

Thanks to our local's organizing efforts and our dedicated membership development staff, the membership of Local 46 continues to grow! We are adding between 40 to 60-plus new IBEW members every month! Our membership is at its largest point since World War II, when the local was a marine electrician local building ships for the war effort. Our membership currently exceeds 5,200 and will continue to increase!

Warren Shill, V.P.

L.U. 60 (i), SAN ANTONIO, TX — The South Texas Electrical JATC held its annual graduation banquet on June 28, 2017.

This year's graduating class totaled 30 inside wireman apprentices and four telecommunication apprentices — each poised and prepared to enter the advanced stages of their career as journeyman inside wiremen and installer technicians, respectively.

Several distinguished guests attended this year's graduation banquet, including IBEW Seventh District Int. Vice Pres. Steven M. Spear, Electrical Training Alliance Exec. Dir. Todd Stafford, and Texas Workforce Commissioner of Labor Julian Alvarez.

Additional recognition and thanks go out to the training partners of the South Texas JATC who helped make the night a success. Thank you to all those who have enriched the educational experience of the apprentices, including: the JATC committee, contractors, local leadership, on-the-job trainers, training partners, instructors and staff.

Lastly, the South Texas Electrical JATC wishes to recognize our Inside Wireman Apprentice of the Year, Nicholas Yuker, and our Telecommunication Installer Technician Apprentice of the Year, Emilio Trejo.

John L. Martin, Tr. Dir.

L.U. 70 (lctt&o), WASHINGTON, DC — Local 70's election of officers took place June 27 this year. Bus. Mgr./Fin. Sec. Bill "Tip" Tipton Jr. was overwhelmingly re-elected to office, by a vote of 199-2, with a great turnout by our membership. Some members traveled from as far away as Long Island, NY, for the election of officers.

Bus. Mgr. Tipton has done a great job in his first term as business manager. He has worked to better the work environment and benefits for all the members of Local 70 on all our contracts. Pres. Paul Carter also decided to run for another term. Pres. Carter ran unopposed and has done a great job. Election results indicate that the membership likes the strides that have been made in the last three years. We thank our members for their support of the local and the leadership.

Local union meetings have a great turnout every month, and our union continues to grow stronger. Everyone at the union hall looks forward to serving our members for the next three years and continuing to grow a stronger union and brotherhood.

Jimmy Horton, P.S.

L.U. 80 (i&o), NORFOLK, VA — Local 80 would like to congratulate all its recently elected officers and board members. Also, a special thank you to all members who came out and voted and showed their support for all candidates.

Elected officers are as follows: Bus. Mgr. W. Dennis Floyd, Pres. Robert W. Kilgore, Vice Pres. Terry McPhillips, Rec. Sec. Spencer Henderson and Treas. Carey Rumpf. Executive Board: Jimmy Huban, Ervin W. Gregory Jr., Debbie Kawaloski, William Hammond, Nathan Fancher and De'Sean Rice. Examining Board: Michael Iacobellis, R. Alan Lamb, Javier Butler, Keith Ryan and Allan Frasier.

Wil Morris, A.B.M.

L.U. 124 (ees,em,i,mar,rts,se,spa&t), KANSAS CITY, MO — In Missouri, anti-union Republican Gov. Eric Greitens signed into law a so-called "right-to-work" bill in February, less than a month after taking office.

The IBEW and its allies are fighting back on behalf of working families. Organized labor gathered more than 300,000 petition signatures to put the issue on the November 2018 ballot so the voters can decide if Missouri should be a right-to-work state.

Gov. Greitens continues his attack on labor and has signed legislation banning local governments from adopting prevailing wage agreements on public construction projects. Standing next to Gov. Greitens at this signing was union-busting Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. This should be concerning to every union member.

In other news, our Kansas City mayor and the City Council, together with a local engineering firm, are developing a plan for a new Kansas City airport. This would replace our three-terminal airport with a new one-terminal airport. Organized labor is in full support of this and will work hard to insure the work goes union.

Steve Morales, P.S.

L.U. 146 (ei,i&rts), DECATUR, IL — We experienced two great weekends celebrating the American labor movement. The weekend prior to Labor Day was spent at Fox Ridge State Park in Charleston for the annual Mid-Eastern Illinois Labor Council picnic. The next weekend was the parade in Decatur, followed by the Building Trades picnic at Fairview Park. The two events were awesome ways to bond with our brothers and sisters and their families.

Congratulations to Jerry Dittamore, Marian McVey and Willie Singleton on their recent retirements. Hope they enjoy long and happy retirements.

Our work picture is still pretty good despite the near completion of Illinois' second-largest windmill farm.

The new apprenticeship classes are in full swing. First-year apprentices are: Cody Beckman, Zachary Culp, Garrett Hockman, Matt Lewis, Thomas Lutrell, Andrew McWhorter, Cory Meyer, Brock Oyler, Brandon Presnell, Joe Risby, Joseph Rotz, John Sexton, Drake Todd and Patrick Utter.

There is also a new addition to the apprenticeship staff. We wish the best of luck to new instructor Dillon Lewis and hope he enjoys his work with the apprenticeship program.

Steve Tilford, R.S.

L.U. 150 (es,i,rts&spa), WAUKEGAN, IL — Recently, the following members' children (in alphabetical order) were awarded $500 scholarships: Kaylie Gesky, Laura Kaimakis, Nicholas Kaimakis, Natalie Knurek, Skyler Morley, Miranda Murray, Molly Robbins, Alyssa Soliday, Lillian Torres, Lisa Torres, Miranda Ulrich and Jessica Weiderin. Congratulations to all!

The following recently became journeyman wiremen: Neil Chattin, Tom Caiston, Drew Degler, Joe Emon, Joe Montori, Brandon Fritsch, Tom Schon, Rod Scott and Shaun Stevens. Shaun Stevens was the outstanding apprentice (highest grade point average for five years!) and received a 12-volt Milwaukee drill, full set of Ideal tools with bag, engraved Klein lineman pliers and Klein backpack. He also received a watch from the JATC and his administration fee back ($500). Neil Chattin won second-highest GPA award for $300. Drew Degler won third-highest GPA award for $200. The highest GPA monies are given from the Robert C. Hansen Award. The other GPA awards are given from the Yukna fund (endowed by Tom Morton of LLD). Brandon Fritsch and Joe Montori have each completed two JATC training programs. They were VDV apprentices who crossed over to the inside JW. Rod Scott also completed two JATC training programs; Residential and then crossing over to the inside JW. Tools are donated by dealer representatives. Congratulations!

Wendy J. Cordts, P.S.

L.U. 222 (o), ORLANDO, FL — Greetings from the Sunshine State. We have made it through the dog days of summer. The work has stayed steady and we have had the opportunity to put quite a few travelers to work — even in the heat of summer.

In July, Int. Vice Pres. Joseph S. Davis held the annual Fifth District Progress Meeting in Jacksonville. As always, the meeting was productive and well-attended. As part of the event, attendees had the privilege to attend a retirement celebration for retiring Jacksonville, FL, Local 177 business manager Russell Harper.

Vice Pres. Davis also took time out of his busy schedule to swear in the officers of Local 222. Local 222 officers are: Bus. Mgr./Fin. Sec. William Hitt, Pres. William Dezayas, Vice Pres. John Harrell, Treas. Shelby Mathis, Rec. Sec. Fred Morgan; Executive Board members Danny Powell, Brent Ruedeman, Bob Pitts, Jim Puzon; and Examining Board members Patrick O'Connor and Scott Gedeist. Congratulations to all our officers.

William Hitt, B.M.

L.U. 234 (i&mt), CASTROVILLE, CA — Success demands celebration. Today we celebrate the efforts of the IBEW to fulfill our mandate to organize every electrical worker. Yes, it may be easy to say, "well these are good economic times." Good economic times however, demand we throw in extra effort to extend the benefits of union membership to our fellow workers laboring under often less than desirable working conditions. Working conditions all too often set by contractors willing to compromise safety, working conditions, classification, and benefits or sometimes all of the above.

We are thrilled by the outcome and success of Local 234's June 6 Job Fair that our Organizer Paul Gutierrez put on with the support of organizers throughout Northern California. There were over 180 interested attendees. As a direct result, we brought into membership and put to work 13 journeymen and two construction wiremen.

We thank our Organizer Paul Gutierrez, all our neighboring Northern California locals that assisted, State Organizing Coordinator Billy Powell, the contractors that participated, and the National Labor Management Cooperation Committee (LMCC), for giving these unrepresented workers a better opportunity.

Stephen Slovacek, P.S.

L.U. 254 (ees,em,mo,o,rts&u), CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA — Retired charter member Charlie Dyson recently received his IBEW 80-year service award, presented by Bus. Mgr. John Briegel.

Charlie was born Nov. 23, 1915, in Calgary, Alberta, and has lived in Calgary for all his 101+ years. He started working with the City Electric Light Department as an electrical apprentice in 1936 and joined then-Local 348 in 1937. He was later promoted to In-Charge Foreman of all electrical construction, as a power lineman; Charlie helped to build the electrical system inside the City of Calgary.

William Dyson, his late father, and Henry Bellingham, his late father-in-law, were early presidents of then-Local 348.

In 1956, Charlie became a charter member of Local 254.

He retired at age 60 with 40 years of service, and jokes that he has been receiving his pension longer than he received a pay cheque. Charlie is reportedly the oldest active member of the Shriners in North America. He is an associate member of the Royal Canadian Legion.

Charlie is putting the IBEW on notice — get your 85-year pin ready.

John Briegel, B.M.

L.U. 270 (i&o), OAK RIDGE, TN — Local 270 recently had its election of officers. We would like to thank all outgoing officers for their service and welcome our newly elected officers. Newly elected officers were sworn in at the July 24 union meeting.

Our work outlook is very promising. Recently, Local 270 Bus. Mgr. Don Russell, Membership Development Coordinator David Garcia, and 10th District Int. Rep. Charles Rains toured the future site of the Uranium Processing Facility (UPF) project at the Y-12 National Security Complex on the Department of Energy reservation in Oak Ridge. The UPF is reportedly the largest construction project in Tennessee's history. Local 270 looks to slowly start manning this project around springtime of 2018. The project will peak with about 400+ electricians in 2021.

IBEW Local 270 congratulates our newest journeyman wiremen. These recent Oak Ridge Electrical JATC graduates are top notch and have a bright future in store. The graduates are: Dustin Kimbel, Jared Duncan, Boyd Cathey, Zach Barber, Kevin Tidwell, Justin Powers, Caleb McCuiston and Daniel Fortin.

Kevin Webster, R.S.

L.U. 292 (em,govt,i,rtb,rts&spa), MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Local 292 election results have been tallied and elected officers are as follows: Bus. Mgr. Pete Lindahl, Pres. Dan Ferguson, Vice Pres. John Kripotos, Rec. Sec. Todd Huttner, Fin. Sec. Jennifer Gaspersich and Treas. Dave Frary. Executive Board: Anthony Carter, John Hall, Myles Lembke, Dan McConnell, Jeff Orth, Rick Ramberg and Kurt Tulp. Examining Board: Chris Arendt, Mark Lindquist, Severin Molitor and Christine Ulm. Congratulations to all.

Eric Peterson, P.S.

L.U. 300 (govt,i,mt&u), MONTPELIER, VT — I hope everyone enjoyed their Labor Day celebrations and summer vacations. Congratulations to the construction unit and their attendance at the annual summer picnic. Congratulations also to Dale Kunkel, who received the 2016/2017 apprentice of the year award.

Multiple agreements were ratified this year, including a five-year agreement for 295 members employed by Green Mountain Power. Negotiations took three days. This feat bestows great credit upon the members of both the IBEW and management committees.

The IBEW construction workforce has been stretched thin this year due to an abundance of work, and not enough members to support such demand. We have been blessed with the work opportunities — however, we continue to face the problem of a shortage of qualified manpower and electrical contractors. The shortage of workers is not just at the local level, but at the national level as well. The valued members and contractors we do have are not numerous enough to meet the demand.

The Army has a style of training and leadership called "Be, Know, Do." If we as IBEW sisters and brothers could adapt and improve on our ability to be better at the "Be, Know, Do" model, we would be a stronger union and a better country. To learn more about the "Be, Know, Do" philosophy, google it. Or stay tuned for more.

Keep the faith and keep smiling. Be well and be safe, and have an amazing holiday season.

Jeffrey C. Wimette, B.M./F.S.

L.U. 302 (i,rts&spa), MARTINEZ, CA — This recent summer has been very kind to Local 302. We are at full employment with plenty of work for our journeymen and apprentices. So far this year we have started four Sound apprentices and have selected 24 apprentices for the Inside program. With the work available, calls have been regularly getting into Book 2. We thank our traveling IBEW brothers and sisters who have helped us fill our calls.

On July 29, our local had its annual picnic. It was an enjoyable day for all those who were at the park. There were activities for the kids and plenty of shade for the members to socialize. This year the annual horseshoes competition winners were Brian Frawley and Aran Rodgers. The grand prize winner of the raffle was Stormy Malone; she is a proud owner of a brand new 60-inch TV. The local thanks the Recreation Committee and their chairman Steve Jelich for all their hard work to make it another great picnic for the local.

Tom Hansen, B.M./F.S.

Hannibal, MO, Local 350 retired member Bill Tate (left) received his 50-year service award in July 2016. With him are his son, Bus. Mgr. William R. Tate (center), and his grandson Jared Tate, Local 350 member. The three Tate family members have a combined total of 101 years of IBEW service.

L.U. 364 (catv,ees,em,es,i,mt,rts&spa), ROCKFORD, IL — IBEW Local 364 held its 100th Anniversary Celebration on Sept. 16 and it was historic. Over 500 people attended, including many of our local members and their spouses, several elected public officials, special guests and IBEW officers. Attendees included IBEW Int. Pres. Lonnie R. Stephenson, Sec.-Treas. Kenneth W. Cooper, and Sixth District Int. Vice Pres. David J. Ruhmkorff. All enjoyed a very special night.

Work remains strong in Local 364, and heading into this fall we anticipate continued strong work opportunities for our members as our two hospital projects are rolling right along.

Our fall outage work at the Byron Nuclear Station is underway. Many thanks to all the local and traveling brothers and sisters who helped and continue to help make these outages a success.

Brad Williams, P.S.

L.U. 400 (es,i&o), ASBURY PARK, NJ — Local 400 had another very successful Military Appreciation Day at Lakewood BlueClaws stadium. The event took place June 15 this year. The membership helped the Military Committee raise 700 pounds of donations for members of the armed forces. Volunteers from Local 400 carried the American flag to the field with members of the armed forces, creating a beautiful display to honor our great country while the national anthem was sung.

The upcoming Stride and Ride Relay is a benefit scheduled for Oct. 7-14. The event is a 911-mile distance relay to honor the men and women deployed on Oct. 7, 2001, following the 9/11 attacks. Notably, 100 percent of all donations go to military families. At the time of this writing, members are building a team to participate in the relay. More information can be found at the meetings about this event or at www.strideandride.com.

The annual Easter Egg Hunt & Breakfast last spring was a fun day for the kids and had a great turnout.

Local 400 will hold its 100th Anniversary Dinner Dance on Oct. 28 this year.

Raven Morris, P.S.

L.U. 424 (as,ees,em,es,i,mo,o,ptc,rtb,rts,spa&u), EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA — Greetings, brothers and sisters. Local 424 calls have slowed down the last couple of months, but there is light on the horizon.

Construction of the Stantec Tower in downtown Edmonton's Ice District, the West Valley Light Rail Transit, and Stanton Hospital (in the city of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories) as well as other commercial projects are expected to provide some employment for our members until 2018.

Local 424 submitted three resolutions at the Alberta Federation of Labour convention in April: "Right to Work," "Double-Breasting in Construction," and "Fair Wages." All resolutions passed unanimously. A rally was held outside the Alberta Legislature on April 30 to protest the continued unfair labour practice of Dual Shop/Double-Breasting. The rally was a strong showing of solidarity with close to 700 people there.

Local 424 established three Political Action Committees, in Fort McMurray, Calgary, and Edmonton. Meetings are to be held monthly. The work of the committees allowed us to meet with dozens of the members of the Legislative Assembly and tell them our concerns before the Alberta government passed Bill-17 in the legislature on June 5. The committees' work is far from over — municipal elections in fall 2017 will give us the opportunity to elect progressive candidates.

Local 424 has moved our Fort McMurray office to a new location at 258 Gregoire Drive. The office will be shared with the Operating Engineers Local 955. One year after the fire in Fort McMurray, life is starting to return to normal for Local 424 Fort McMurray residents, with some of them moving into their new homes. We wish them well and hope that the rest of our members will be joining them by the end of the year.

Scott Crichton, P.S.

L.U. 474 (em,i,lctt,o,rtb,rts,spa&u), MEMPHIS, TN — We had a big time at our Local 474 Fish Fry to benefit the sick and needy. The event raised $3,800. Over 100 pounds of catfish, 80 burgers, 80 hotdogs, 50 pounds of french fries, and countless hush puppies were eaten. Six hours of water fun in the June Memphis sun were enjoyed by the children in attendance. Horseshoes were thrown until the contestants could no longer see. Journeymen, apprentices, retirees, and members from other units were all well-represented.

New officers — Vice Pres. James Davis, Rec. Sec. Allen Wood, Treas. Michael McDonald, Executive Board members Cole Glover, Greg Reasons and Noel Sherman, and Examining Board member Matt Dean — were elected by acclamation in May and began their terms at the end of July. Re-elected to another term in their current positions were: Bus. Mgr. Paul Shaffer; Pres. Glenn Greenwell; Executive Board members Allen Anderson, J. DeWitt, Lee Jolly, John E. Jones III; and Examining Board members Nick Densford and Jimmy Hill.

Congratulations to Kristen Helms and Randall Booker, daughter and son of Memphis wiremen, who were awarded the Tate Scholarship through the local union hall.

Memphis work is thriving this summer with calls coming in every day. Unfilled calls are being managed by the busy organizing office and examining board.

Jay DeWitt, P.S.

L.U. 480 (em,i&mt), JACKSON, MS — For the past several years, Local 480 has enjoyed continuous construction growth in the Jackson, Mississippi, area. The "old timers" will say that the nation is in a 30-year cycle of expansion or "construction boom." Pretty much everyone on Book 1 who wants to work is doing so.

One area in particular where work has been good are the health care facilities. The accompanying photo shows the crew who wired the School of Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. This was one of two five-story structures being built at the same time, both using union electricians.

These additions to the UMMC campus incorporated state-of-the-art LED lighting, building management HVAC, fire alarm, and security systems. The hospitals in this area realize that it takes skilled workers to install such systems and this is why union electricians do much of it.

Stephen Magee, R.S.

L.U. 494 (em,i,mt,rts,spa&t), MILWAUKEE, WI — Local 494 has an active campaign to educate and certify members for the IBEW Code of Excellence.

Two projects in Milwaukee — the Northwestern Mutual Tower and the new Milwaukee Bucks Arena — are asking for all members to take this class, and more projects are also finding value in the Code of Excellence.

As of this publication, five of the local's signatory contractors have taken this one step further, partnering with the IBEW, by having all their employees, both out in the field and in their office, be C.O.E. certified.

Electrical Energy Experts and High Voltage Maintenance, both electrical testing contractors; Miller Electric; Preferred Electric; and Bentley Electric are all certified Code of Excellence contractors.

C.O.E. posters were signed and presented to the contractors by Local 494 Bus. Mgr. Dean Warsh to be displayed in their offices, along with Code of Excellence decals for their service trucks, gang boxes and equipment.

The local is getting close to having half of the membership C.O.E. certified. If you haven't received the Code of Excellence certification, you may want to do so in the future.

Kurt Jante, B.R.

L.U. 530 (i,o&rtb), SARNIA, ONTARIO, CANADA — Sunday, June 9, saw our members and their families attend our annual Local 530 Summer Picnic. This event was held at Canatara Park, with a barbecue and games for the children.

Our annual Local 530 Golf Tournament was Aug. 11 at Huron Oaks Golf and Country Club. Golf was followed by a great steak dinner and everyone left with a prize.

At the time of this writing, we are experiencing full employment and would like to thank the members from sister locals who are helping us man jobs.

Local 530 is saddened by the recent passing of Bros. Dale Cuthbertson and Lorne Acton.

Al Byers, P.S.

L.U. 558 (catv,em,i,mt,o,rtb,rts,spa&u), SHEFFIELD, AL — We hope everyone had a great Labor Day this year. Local 558 proudly participated in the Labor Day Rally hosted by the Shoals Central Labor Council. It is billed as the "nation's longest running Labor Day rally in North America." This annual event, held every year since the early 1920s, provides an excellent time for families to come together and celebrate the foundation of the middle class.

Work has begun to pick up in our jurisdiction. We have some long-term construction projects that, as of press time, were scheduled to start in late summer and continue throughout 2018.

By the time this is published, we should be manning up at the Target Distribution Center in Limestone County and the Bunge Plant in Decatur. Additionally, TVA has multiple projects that will be needing manpower throughout the valley, and manpower will also be needed at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant.

Our work picture was slow for the past year, and we do appreciate all the locals that have provided employment for our members during the down time.

Congratulations to the lineman class of 2017, pictured (at bottom, left) along with instructors. The Outstanding Lineman Apprentice of the Year was Chad Cabaniss from Florence Electric Department.

We send our best to everyone and hope 2017 closes out with unprecedented numbers for the IBEW.

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

L.U. 584 (ees,em,es,i,rts, spa&u), TULSA, OK — IBEW 584 has hired a new organizer. Bro. K.J. Payton, who earned Apprentice of the Year honors, has come onboard as our new organizer. Brothers and sisters, please give Bro. Payton your support as he begins his new role!

Jeff Sims, B.M./F.S.

L.U. 602 (i,o&u), AMARILLO, TX — Amarillo is working to revitalize its downtown area, and Local 602 and its members are working to make that happen.

Our brothers and sisters have completed two out of the three main catalyst projects to bring new life back to our downtown area.

The Xcel Energy building, built by A-1 Electric, and the Amarillo City Parking garage, built by American Electric, stand proud and tall. Both jobs were brought in on time and look very professional.

Many more jobs downtown are being built, with most going to our union contractors as this revitalization is ongoing. We will soon have a AA baseball stadium with state-of-the art equipment that we are pushing to be built with union labor. Our brothers and sisters have proven they can get the job done. Work in our jurisdiction looks very promising for the next few years and Local 602 and its members will be there to make it happen.

Robert Melton, B.M./F.S.

L.U. 640 (em,govt,i,mo,mt,rts,spa&u), PHOENIX, AZ — Greetings, brothers and sisters. Our election results were announced in June, and Brother Dean Wine was re-elected as business manager/financial secretary for his fourth term.

Also elected were the following: Pres. Delbert Hawk, Vice Pres. James Crutchfield, Treas. Richard Stewart; Executive Board members Tim Wilson, Frank Cissne, Christopher Speer, Dale Loggins and Greg Kelly; and Examining Board members Fred Cooke and Eric Rice. At the time of this writing, the office of recording secretary was vacant; there was no candidate for that position at election time.

Our work picture is very strong. We have had a walk-through for a couple of months, and expect it to continue this year, with multiple data centers, hospitals, water treatment plants, and various other projects keeping our members busy.

I would also like to acknowledge and welcome our newest business representative, Lionel Webb, to the staff of Local 640.

Tim Wilson, B.R./P.S.

L.U. 654 (i), CHESTER, PA — Members of Local 654 have had a busy summer working on several large projects in our territory.

Mariner East Phase 2 is coming to an end down at the Sun Logistics' Marcus Hook Plant. There are several other projects along the Delaware River that are steadily providing man-hours for our members as well as the other building trades in the area. We look forward to the continued success of the industrial base in southeast Pennsylvania.

In addition to the continued man-hours, we have processed more applications for the apprenticeship than ever before and, at the time of this writing, we're in the middle of selecting the incoming class. We're always looking to do our part to train for our future.

John Bondrowski, P.S.

L.U. 692 (i,mt&spa), BAY CITY, MI — Greetings, brothers and sisters.

With the cool breezes of autumn upon us, thoughts go back to summer. The Michigan Wireman's Golf Association State Tournament was hosted by Local 692 at the Nightmare Golf Course in West Branch, MI. Congratulations to Brothers Don Horner and Gabe Gransden, winners of the tournament. Kudos to the event organizers and participants on a job well done.

Now comes our fall and winter sports hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling in our "Great Lake State" of Michigan. We have to be safe out there. Tie off to your tree stand, use the buddy system, look out for each other. Play hard, but smart. Come home safely because we need you.

Work should be picking up soon, like in the rest of the state. Nice to see in our sister locals not only a job but your choice of multiple jobs. Thanks to our sister locals for the opportunities.

Welcome to Season Holdwick, our new office manager. Best of luck to her.

We regret to inform you of the passing of retired Brother Chester "Chet" Adams, who passed away June 30. He was 87.

Mark Thompson, 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,uow&ws), WEST FRANKFORT, IL — The local successfully defended its title against 31 other teams by winning the Upper Division of the IBEW Midwest Softball Tournament held July 29-30 in Louisville, KY. Local 369 hosted the tournament and did a fantastic job.

Earlier in July, we welcomed over 20 new members into the IBEW from the City of Poplar Bluff, MO. These new members are employed at Municipal Utilities in the Water and Sewer Departments.

We have a new one-year contract agreement with the City of Sikeston for the Street and Park Departments that includes a wage increase of $1 per hour for all classifications. This marks the first full agreement with gains for these employees and with such, they joined the local in August.

We welcome Corey Jarrett to the staff of the local. He replaces organizer Dennis Peterson, who retired after a long and successful career with the IBEW. We thank Bro. Peterson for all that he did for the movement and his undying loyalty to the local, and wish him the best in his retirement.

As of this writing, our referral books are as follows: Inside Construction – 107, Outside Construction – 30, Line Clearance – 1.

Mark Baker, B.R.

L.U. 704 (catv,em&i), DUBUQUE, IA — Work is steady here, with full employment as of this summer writing. Thank you to all the brothers and sisters who have traveled to our local to help us with the work to meet our goals.

We are happy to be working with H&H Electric of Madison, WI, and Alliant Energy on Iowa's largest solar complex. This project consists of 1,5624 solar panels and can generate 5 megawatts of energy, which can power up to 727 homes. The solar complex is built on a 21-acre site in Dubuque. It is a $10 million project.

Local 704 is also very proud to accept another graduating class of apprentices into our pool of skilled journeymen. A celebration was held at the Hilton Inn here in Dubuque.

We ended the month of July by raising money for the Labor Harvest Food Program, a great program that assists families in the community who are in need. This community service effort was achieved by the building trades and union members working together for a good cause. Union volunteers donated their time to help direct parking at the Dubuque County Fair, and in return for our hours of labor contributed, the fair donates to the food program. This year the fair donated $2,750 to Labor Harvest. These volunteer actions and donations remind us that community service is an important part of being a union member.

Dave Becker, P.S.

L.U. 1466 (u), COLUMBUS, OH — It's gearing up to be a very busy time of the year at Local 1466.

We have been meeting with the other IBEW locals that represent the employees of American Electric Power as part of Utility System Council U-9. We will be working together to negotiate a new three-year "master agreement" with AEP. After that, Local 1466 will move into negotiations on our local agreement with the company. This is a process that will take us into the new year. We encourage all our members to attend the monthly union meetings so you can stay updated and cast an educated and informed vote once we reach a tentative agreement.

With the holidays coming up, please remember to stay focused and look out for your brothers and sisters on the jobsite. Thank you for all you do!

Jimi Jette, P.S.

L.U. 1988 (mo), ALBUQUERQUE, NM — IBEW Local 1988 is part of the Metal Trades Council that conducts contract negotiations on behalf of metal trades union members employed at Sandia National Laboratories and Kirtland Air Force Base. We are a small local, but with the notable addition of newly organized members at Kirtland Air Force Base, we have increased our membership by 10 percent within the last two years. This organizing campaign was started by former MTC president Bill Sena of the Teamsters and former MTC treasurer James Jaramillo, a past president/business manager of IBEW Local 1988. The final contract was signed by the current MTC officers and also gained membership for several other affiliated locals under the umbrella of the MTC. This proves that together we can stand strong!

Local 1988 recently presented an IBEW 55-service pin to retired member Ronald Young, former business manager/president of Local 1988 and former MTC treasurer. The award presentation took place at a general membership meeting and all in attendance extended hearty congratulations to Bro. Young.

Ceasar B. Maestas, B.M./Pres.

L.U. 2032 (u), MASSENA, NY — Local 2032 adopted a two-mile stretch of highway on Route 131 in Massena, NY. This stretch of highway is en route to the St. Lawrence FDR Project, one site of The New York Power Authority where the majority of our members work.

Local 2032 was looking to cultivate community spirit and at the same time contribute to a cleaner environment. What better way to show a sense of pride where members work and live than to be caretakers for the roadsides we drive by to work every day.

We had a terrific turnout of 65 people, including spouses and children of members, on highway cleanup day. It was encouraging to observe not only group participation for our community, but also to have the youth involvement, which is pivotal for their development toward being future stewards of our surroundings. Some of the participants remarked on the amount of plastic waste collected along the highway. This was indeed a learning experience and a lesson on the positive environmental impact we can have on keeping our roadsides clean.

The Adopt-A-Highway program requires a twice-a-year clean-up, so Local 2032 will be back out there this fall.

William "Bill" Brown, B.M.