| May 28, 1999 (Mailed)
TO: ALL INSIDE AND OUTSIDE CONSTRUCTION
LOCAL UNIONS IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA
Dear Sisters and Brothers:
At the April 1999 Construction and Maintenance Conference,
one of the workshops introduced a new Canadian Worker
Entry Program endorsed by both NECA and the IBEW. This
new program is a supplement and an alternative to
the 1996 NECA/IBEW "Guide to Acquiring Alien
Employees." The new program is called "Construction
Workers Inc. (CWI)."
Procedures for utilizing this program
have been finalized and this letter is to inform
all of our Construction Local Unions of its availability.
Enclosed for your review are the handouts from the
Construction Conference. Seven Building Trades International
Unions now endorse the CWI program, including the
Iron Workers and Elevator Constructors who recently
decided to participate.
This process will be initiated by
requests from contractors who will be required to
complete an Agency Agreement, a Service Agreement,
Projected Staffing Needs and a U.S. Department of
Labor - Application for Alien Employment Certification.
The IBEW Local Unions in the related geographical
area will be asked for written support for this application.
The application process requires the employer to
advertise their job openings. It will be critical
that Local Unions be involved in the screening of
qualified respondents and take this opportunity to
extend IBEW membership to those American workers
who rightfully belong in our union. CWI will work
closely with both the employer and the Local Unions
through this process.
Canadian IBEW members will be required
to register for participation in this program through
the IBEW First District Office. International Vice
President Lounds will be responsible for creating
a fair and orderly procedure for referring groups
of qualified workers to fill requests from CWI. A
separate notice of the registration process will
be mailed to Canadian Local Unions from Brother Lounds.
Canadian members are urged to direct all questions
about the CWI program through the First District
Office. Success of this program is anticipated to
provide incentives for both organizing and retaining
members in our Canadian Local Unions.
Qualified manpower requirements
in the U.S. through the near future are anticipated
to strain our current Local Union capacity. Even
as I urge all of our Local Unions to seize this opportunity
to organize, I also urge all of our Local Unions
to take this additional opportunity to express internal
International Union solidarity by supporting this
program to facilitate entry of our Canadian Sisters
and Brothers to help build America. We need and have
the capability to do both.
If you have any questions relative
to the CWI Program, please contact Mark Ayers,
Director of the Construction and Maintenance Department,
telephone number 202-728-6075.
Best wishes.
Fraternally yours,
J. J. Barry
International President
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