Sparks - Mar-Apr 2009

Transcription

Newsletter of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers  Local 46
Bit by 277
Volume 23, Issue 4
Jul-Aug 2009
Business Manager &
Financial Secretary
Virgil R. Hamilton
virgil@ibew46.com
President
Archie Van Valkenburg
archie@ibew46.com
Vice President
Guy C. Hawkins
guy@ibew46.com
Recording Secretary
Tony Doll
tonyd@ibew46.com
Treasurer
Sean D. Winchester
sean@ibew46.com
IBEW Local 46
19802 62nd Ave S
Kent, WA 98032
Tel: 253 395 6500
Fax: 253 872 7059
www.ibew46.org
Comments?
Email us at:
margif@ibew46.com
opeiu#8/afl-cio
Hello sisters and brothers. I'm writing
this article to let you know about what happened to me on Wednesday, June 17, 2009. I
was working at the new business building at
the UW. The building connects to an existing
library and it was my job to demo out that area
that day.
I locked and tagged out the two circuits
that I was going to be working on, got on top
of the ladder to pull out a fixture whip from
a j-box up in the ceiling. Ten minutes earlier I
had used my tick tracer in a receptacle to see
if I could plug in my task lighting. I stabbed
my tick tracer in three of the four spots of the
j-box and didn't get anything. I then pulled
out the wires that were attached to the whip
that I was demoing and tick traced it. Nothing. I untwisted the wire nut for the hot, took
out the wire from the whip and twisted back
on the wire nut. Then I untwisted the bunch
of neutrals and pulled the neutral from the
whip away. I was wearing gloves and my left
hand had the bunch of (I think) four neutrals.
My right hand had the wire nut. When I put
them together I felt the jolt of current flowing
from my left hand, through my arm, across my
heart, down my other arm, and through my
right fingers.
I didn't get hung up. I was only exposed
for a second. Although I was able to climb
down the eight foot ladder, I couldn't collect a
thought. I walked around in circles for a little
bit. My arms were tingling and shaking, my
heart felt crazy and my legs were starting to
get numb. I thought, "Oh sh*t! I just got bit! It
just happened to me! Well, no one saw it." Then I
thought about my buddy Ryan, whose funeral
was just a little while ago. The autopsy report
hasn't come back yet, but it had been said
by Member Boo Torres
that he got bit at work and didn't tell anyone.
The next day he was found dead in his car. I
thought about Ryan and I called for my foreman over the radio. I was really slow in talking, moving, thinking.
My foreman came and so did the Aid car
shortly thereafter. I was really dazed and had
a hard time focusing and my body got really
numb. They were able to call my partner,
Joanne, so she could meet us at the UW hospital. They got me into the ER where it took
five people to strip me down in one minute.
They took blood, hooked me up to an IV,
attached an automatic blood pressure cuff on
me, and hooked up all these clamps onto these
stickers all over my body to monitor my heart.
What they found was that my heart had an
irregular beat. My foreman stayed in the ER
with Joanne and I for a while until the doctor
came in again to say that it's fluctuating and
that I'm staying overnight. My heart worked
it out, all on its own. My beat is still irregular,
but it's not harmful. The fluctuating stopped,
which means my heart beat has stabilized, and
they released me late Thursday afternoon.
continued on page 2
continued from page 1
I was released to go back to work on the following
Monday. After I got out of the hospital, I was under 24hour surveillance, care of Joanne.
Now, because I'm still unsure of EXACTLY what
happened, here are a few things that I MAY have done
wrong and a few things I KNOW I did wrong:
1. I DIDN'T LOCK OUT THE 3RD CIRCUIT.
This was a 3-phase system. I locked out only the
two circuits I was demoing.
2. I RELIED SOLELY ON MY TICK TRACER
My foreman took my tick tracer and found that it
had a delay on it. I could have been moving too fast
in the box before I detected anything. (I was using the
style that has an on/off button.) I am very open to
exploring the possibility that it may have been operator
error. There were also a lot of wires in that box. If I
had taken the time to look at all the wires and I might
have noticed that there was a full boat running through
that box, it would've been a red flag.
he'd be there in 10 minutes. I just walked in
circles and hoped that someone would come
soon.
The reason for this article is to let
everyone know what happened and how it
could have been avoided. We all know that
we need to watch for shared neutrals, work
everything like it’s hot and never solely rely
on your tick tracer. This isn’t new to any of
us. But I know I’m not the only one who’s
ever been bit. Too many of us have these
stories. My hope is that after knowing of
our recent fallen sister and brother (Kat and
Ryan) and reading of my close call and hearing of other close calls, we will all make the
choice to be a little safer at work.
3. I DIDN'T WORK IT LIKE IT WAS HOT
It was all solid wire in that box. When I opened up
the neutrals, they kind of frayed apart from one another.
They didn't stay bound like stranded wires do. I don't
believe that I touched the bare copper with my hands in
order to guide them into the wire nut, but there was no
other way for me to get bit. I must have touched it.
4. I ALMOST DIDN'T TELL ANYONE
If Ryan's funeral hadn't been just a couple of weeks
ago, it might have taken me a lot longer to realize that
I needed to get checked out right away. A lot of times
we hear the worst stories about someone getting bit. I
didn't pass out. I didn't fall off the ladder. I didn't
foam at the mouth. I didn't have strange noises coming from me. Besides being really slow, dazed, numb,
and shaky, I felt all right. But my heart was doing weird
things. Some people get weird about not wanting to be
'that guy that got hurt on the job'. They don't want to lose
their job over it. But, what good is the job if you don't
have your life?
5. I DIDN'T TELL THE PEOPLE AROUND ME
There were two Auburn Mechanical guys right there.
I wasn't thinking clear enough to tell them.
6. I DIDN'T ANNOUNCE THE EMERGENCY
OVER MY RADIO
I called for my foreman. The general foreman said
she didn't have a radio on her right then. So I asked
if he could come by where I was working and he said
Page 2 • SPARKS • vol 23, iss 4 • JUL-AUG 2009
HERE AT THE HALL!
WASHINGTON STATE
D E PA R T M E N T O F
VETER ANS
A FFA IR S
“Serving Those Who Served”
2009 Women Veterans Summit
“Celebrating Women Veterans Legacy of Service”
The Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs,
Women Veterans Advisory Committee is hosting
a Women Veterans Summit.
Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center
Tacoma, Washington
Saturday, September 12, 2009
7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Join us to celebrate a legacy of proud military service,
renew old acquaintances and form new ones.
This Summit will provide comprehensive information
regarding federal and state benefits and managing the
challenges women veterans of all ages and services face
today. Registration is free for all veterans, but donations
and sponsorships will be glady accepted.
SAVE THE DATE!!!
Information is available at:
http://www.dva.wa.gov/women_vets.html
LOCAL 46 WILL HAVE TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE TO AND FROM CONFERENCE.
CONTACT SHANNON HAGEN @ 206-661-5703 TO SIGN UP.
mlf/opeiu8/afl-cio
JUL-AUG 2009 • vol 23, iss 4 • SPARKS • Page 3
Health & Welfare Trust
Update
By Health and Welfare Trustee Nicole Grant
Turn on the news and you won’t make it five minutes without hearing about healthcare. The topic of
America’s inadequate medical insurance system has been
a political hot-button for generations. It is a great tragedy that working families like yours and mine pay dearly
for what is considered a human right in the rest of the
industrialized world. IBEW Local 46 takes this issue
very seriously. The members of our Health and Welfare
Trust, and many other politically active members, work
hard to ensure that we get the best quality care and support the fight to bring affordable healthcare to all working class Americans.
At the last Health and Welfare Trust meeting we
voted to join the Health Care Cost Management Corporation of Alaska (HCCACA). This organization allows
us to band together with other health trusts, such as UA
Local 32, to negotiate lower prices by combining our
purchasing power. The HCCACA negotiates prices with
hospitals, physician groups, vision care providers, prescription drug companies and others. Most members of
the organizations are Union health trusts like ours; others include union-friendly public and private companies
and organizations. It is our hope that as more organizations from our region join, we will be able to lower costs
to members, improve the financial stability of the Trust
and increase benefits. It is a classic example of using our
strength in numbers to improve our quality of life.
As more Unions band together over our interest in quality healthcare, there is no limit to where our
power could lead us. Take this historical example: over
one hundred years ago railroad workers in the midwest created the Wabash Hospital Association to care
for themselves and their families. They had their own
hospitals and clinics which solely existed to serve them,
and not to generate profits for shareholders like much
of our healthcare system today. What if all of the building trades across the nation organized to build our own
healthcare system? If getting involved in the movement
for better healthcare sounds good to you, maybe it’s
time for you to become an activist on this issue and start
fighting for something big! Our Local’s Political Action
Committee (PAC) meets the third Monday of every
month at 5:00 p.m. and is open to all members who
want to participate in the political process
and support working people’s issues. This
would be a great place to start.
Or look for an opportunity to do what a
contingent of IBEW Local 46 members did
on May 30 -- Take it to the street! Our Local
was proud to join the dozens of Unions
from Washington State who endorsed the
rally and march for meaningful healthcare
reform. Over five thousand people gathered
that day in Seattle. Local 46 members carried our banners and marched from Pratt
Park to Westlake Center. The event was part
of a chain of rallies all over the country,
where real people spoke out for what we
need included in state and federal healthcare
reform. Now is the time for all of us to
hold President Obama to the task of bringing this essential human right to fruition. So
write the President and your Congressional
member an email and be on the lookout for
other ways to lead this struggle, because if
meaningful healthcare reform doesn’t come
from the best Union in the most progressive
region of the country, where will it come
from?
Business Manager's Organizing
Comments
By Organizers Bob Gorman and Greg Galusha
By Business Manager Virgil Hamilton
Jobsite Problems:
We have received many complaints
from members that Lunch Breaks are being
renegotiated on the job. This situation can
easily become precedent setting and must
not happen. If the majority of members
working under any of our Labor Agreements want to change the language of the
Agreement, then we will do our best during
negotiations to make those changes. I don’t
believe this to be the case regarding lunch
breaks. Therefore, any member who takes
it upon themselves to renegotiate the Agreement on the job is working against the will
of the majority, and the Hall is obligated to
address the situation and possibly even file
charges against the member(s) for breaking
down conditions.
Something for Management to consider
is that renegotiating the Agreement on the
job is a grievable offense, and regardless of
what the workers agree to, the Hall will file
a grievance and ask for those lunches not
taken to be paid at the overtime rate. We
have had many members tell us that Foreman are telling people that they must get a
little more flexible because there is a long list
of people at the Hall waiting to take their
job. The Labor Agreement has not changed,
and neither has the grievance procedure.
Video-ConferenCing meetings
We are currently looking for satellite
locations where we can video-conference the
General Meeting. These locations must have
access the internet with reasonable bandwidth, which means no WiFi or dial up. We
will investigate the use of Union Halls, but
in some instances this may not be a private
enough setting for our meetings. We are
looking for locations in North and South
King County, and Issaquah. We already have
satellite offices in Bremerton and Port Angeles. If you have a lead on a possible meeting
place, please let us know.
In our efforts to secure more work for our
members, we are ramping up our efforts in the
public works sector. We are either offering Market
Recovery funds or freezing existing wage rates in
order to compete with the many other electrical
contractors now bidding this work.
Through the IBEW/NECA Labor Management
Cooperation Fund (LMCC) we have jointly hired a
development director to make the case for higher
electrical standards and why they should be adopted
by agencies and private developers. For instance,
apprenticeship graduation rates and enhanced
electrical safety should all be included in all publicly
funded projects.
The Local began this effort when we started
contacting school districts in King County about
the apprenticeship and how we view our apprenticeship as an extension of the education system
and as such, districts should be promoting apprenticeship programs. With a development person on
board we can really make the case and begin to
build those important relationships with the districts and agencies.
Our 8(f) to 9(a) election at Netversant was
successful with 90% of our members voting for
the Union so we have that contractor under a 9(a)
Agreement.
In August Local 46 and 191 will be hosting a
Residential Electrical Services (RES) meeting for
the contractors in the program and for any curious
contractors who may want to join RES. We will
have an open discussion about the improvements in
the RES program and further ways to improve an
already improved system.
We currently have some Salts deployed and they
are keeping in touch with the Local. Salting classes
are the first Monday of the month at 5:00 p.m. here
at the Hall. If you have a chance to Salt please let
us know where you are salting; we prefer that members take the salting class, but if an opportunity
arises, then call us and let us know what is going on
and where you are working.
Marine Unit
By Business Representative Harry Thompson
Time has been moving on; work has come and
gone, and the marine industry keeps going. The
work picture has been up and down; the new ferry
work has started but it will take some time before
the electrical part of the job begins, with the exception of planning. M.D. Marine has the bulk of the
electrical work, with Todd doing some parts as well.
This is the first of the 64 Car Ferries to be built,
with two or three more being put out for bid to
follow. The 144 Car Ferry is still being developed
with no set start date at present. We look forward to
this being the start of a continued building of new
ferries.
We have had two of the Shipyard contracts
negotiated starting in June. Pacific Ship and Fabrication negotiations were completed in one day
bringing their Wage and Fringe package equal to
Todd’s with the Company adding another $0.20 to
the apprenticeship contribution from the Employer.
Lake Union Dry Dock is the other negotiations and
for now we have an agreed on proposal to have the
shipyard workers vote. The proposal was voted and
passed on August 3, 2009, which includes double
time after 12 hours, Monday through Friday, $5.00
over the three year contract, $0.10 Apprenticeship
contribution from the Employer, and grandfathered
Holiday and Vacation pay rates. This was the best
financial package for Lake Union Dry Dock Company or any shipyards since I have been in the industry to date. This contract will be a good starting
point for the other Small Boat Yards since we will
go into Contract Negotiations next year.
The IBEW Pacific Coast Pension Plan has had a
set-back with the fall in the Market. We had a dollar
set aside to improve the plan without any accrual.
This was starting to work until the Market drop.
Now we find the plan in critical status and the Pension Protection Act requires the Fund Managers to
come up with corrective measures to get the Fund
back in good standing. The Fund Managers have
come up with three possible plans to help fit the
Pension plan. I am in the process of have the Pension Trust Fund Representative come to the Local
to talk about the condition of the plan and how the
plan will be put back in good standing. We will put
notice out to Members so they can attend meeting
to get answers to questions they have.
FOOD BANK
With over 700 on the out of work
list, there is certainly a need for the food
bank again. Fortunately, the membership has continued their generosity. We
haven’t thanked the many members or
job sites that have been donating for the
past several months so here goes . . .
and sorry if we’ve missed your name or
job site. . . sometimes the notes are not
totally clear!
Thanks to John Boadle, Robert
Larsen, Gerald Anderson, Martin Wade,
Carl Boe & his job site, Deborah White,
Matthew Kirby & his job site, Christian
Page, Bill Baker, Dick Nelson, Jim Tosh,
Greg Galusha, Bill Hayden, Archie Van
Valkenburg, Gerry Boawn, Sequoyah
NJB Building, Retirees' Club, and the
Annual IBEW 46 Golf Tournament.
Donations also come to the food bank
via the door prizes from the various
meetings here so that means that members write down the food bank as the
beneficiary instead of themselves . . . so
thank you to those nameless members!
Broadcast News
By Broadcast Representative Angela Ryberg
These are busy times here for the
Broadcast Unit. Seahawks season is fast
approaching. To prepare for this, I am
holding a pre-season meeting on August
10th at noon and 6:00 p.m. here at the
Hall. It’s open to all tech and utility crew.
We will be talking about crewing, schedules, and providing paperwork for those
who need to come back from honorary
withdrawal.
We are currently in negotiations with
KING. The largest request on the company’s end is that of PTO benefits. We
are looking at where we can meet the
company’s needs in regards to the PTO
changeover, while maintaining our current benefits and standards when it pertains to vacation, holidays and sick leave.
Our KOMO Engineer’s contract has
just recently been opened up for negotiations. A better update on the progress is
sure to come in your next Sparks issue.
A grievance arbitration with KIRO is
scheduled for August 7th. We are currently in the process of preparing the
case and interviewing witnesses. More
information is sure to follow, as well, in
your next Sparks article.
Some of our KIRO members as well
as some freelance members are doing a
great job on that SeaFair coverage. Keep
it up and I hope you are all having a great
summer. Stay cool out there and enjoy
the sun!
S a lt i n g C l a s s e s
are given
on the first
Monday
at 5 : 0 0 p. m .
in the
Kent Hall
mlf/opeiu8/afl-cio
Want to Get More
Involved?
By Political & Special Projects Coordinator
Shannon Hagen, 206-661-5703
For any 5th Year apprentice interested in becoming
more involved and attend a Union conference, please
submit a letter of interest to Shannon Hagen at the Local. Your letter of interest should include your experience thus far, the reason you wish to become involved
and the changes you would like to see in our Local.
There are a lot of very talented Organizers and
Representatives waiting to be discovered and developed;
they just need an opportunity. This offer is not limited
by time and anyone within their 5th year who is eager
and enthusiastic, will be chosen for a variety of conferences and training over the next year. Good Luck, and I
look forward to your letters.
Puget Sound
Labor Agency
Making a Difference . . .
In King & Snohomish Counties.
Formerly King County Labor Agency.
The Puget Sound Labor Agency's mission is to
improve the quality of life for people needing
assistance and to provide an avenue for Unions
and their families to assist.
FOOD BANK
HOUSEHOLD GOODS
WHEEL CHAIR RAMPS
EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE
(Operation Shortfall)
PSLA Food Bank
Seattle Office - Open Every Monday & Friday
2800 First Avenue, #126, Seattle, WA 98121
8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
www.pslaonline.org
Puget Sound Labor Agency is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
Teledata Negotiations
Update
By Representative Jim Tosh
Most of you are aware that NECA’s last offer was
ratified by the members on July 14, 2009. This contract
will run through to July 31, 2013, within two months
of the Wire contract expiration. The package includes a
wage and benefit increase of $7.00/hour during the life
of the contract.
The first wage increase went into effect on Monday,
July 27, 2009. Of the $1.75/hr, the members decided to
allocate $1.70 went to a wage increase and $0.05 went
to NEBF. The NEBF contribution was increased because it is set up as an employer contribution of 3% of
your gross wage. The same night the membership voted
to accept the proposal, they also voted to increase the
vacation deduction to 6% from the previous amount of
3%. For those who have their dues deducted by their
employers, or pay their dues monthly, this will mean having a fund large enough to cover Holidays and a week’s
vacation time. If you pay your dues out of the vacation
fund you should have enough in there to cover a week’s
worth of vacation. The difference between our plan and
the non-Union’s vacation pay is we get to keep the interest earned instead of the employer.
Some other changes of note are: the removal of a
mill file and flush cuts from the tool list and changing a
6” crescent wrench to an 8” crescent wrench; notifying
your supervisor by 10:00 a.m. on Monday if you haven’t
received your paycheck - this should allow sufficient
time for your employer to deliver a replacement check
to the job before the end of the shift on Monday; for
Apprentices, the number of months in the program has
been removed as a requirement for your next wage progression; language to enable the use of “Short Calls” has
been added; increase the stub up to 20 feet for high bay
jobs, and the inclusion of the Ninth District’s Occupied
Premise language.
The Ninth District language allows the employer to
assign a shift for one night to accommodate a customer’s
need for off shift work. This shift will pay a 10% premium and guarantee the worker eight (8) hours of pay.
This means you’ll receive eight (8) hours of pay with the
10% premium as a guarantee even if you’re finished in
six or seven hours.
We’ve also included a new section for the Labor
Management Cooperative Committee (LMCC) and
language for the National LMCC. These are
funded by the employers at $0.01 per hour
worked. The local LMCC will be used in our
jurisdiction to promote the use of Union
Electricians and Technicians; the Electricians
already have their LMCC.
The Benefit Bond, which each contractor is required to carry, is being increased
from $5,000.00 to $10,000.00 for employers
with less than ten employees. For companies
employing ten or more, their bond amount
is increasing to $20.000.00 from $10,000.00.
A huge “Thank you” goes out to each
of you for your unrelenting support during
negotiations. And a special “Thank you” to
the members of the negotiating committee: Bill Baker, Damon Barnett, Jim Hunter,
Henry Mayrhofer and Josh Thorson.
Continue to work safe!
Inside Negotiations
By Staff Writer
The Negotiation Team for the 2010
Inside Construction Agreement negotiations was voted on by the membership at
the July 2009 Unit meetings.
The membership voted for the following members to represent them on
the Negotiation Committee: Jim Flynn,
Nicole Grant, Bill Hayden, Robin Pope
and Scott Sty. We thank them for their
willingness to serve. Staff members on
the Committee will include Virgil Hamilton, Janet Lewis and Greg Galusha.
Training is being scheduled for all
Committee members to attend, after
which we will work on the opening letter
and initial proposals. Membership input
is extremely valuable when it comes to
negotiations so an email address has been
set up here at Local 46 for you to help us
in the process.
Please email your ideas, concerns,
proposals, comments to insidenegotiations@ibew46.com. Emails will be
distributed to all Committee members.
JATC Report
By Trustee Jim Tosh
IBEW Local 46 would like to welcome
back to the JATC, Bill McCartan. Bill started
as the Training Director on July 6, 2009. We
look forward to working with Mr. McCartan
and our NECA Board members in continuing to making improvements to our Joint
Apprenticeship program for the betterment
of the Apprentice and Journey level training.
IBEW Local 46 extends a huge
“THANK YOU” to Michiko Starks for her
service as the Interim Training Director.
Michiko has resumed the position of Assistant Training Director.
A “THANK YOU” also goes to Bob
Book for his assistance during the same
period of time. Bob filled the position of
Interim Assistant when not performing his
duties on Craft Certification.
For the past nineteen years our JATC
instructors have taken training on teaching
techniques in Knoxville, Tennessee at the
University of Tennessee. This training program is called the National Training Institute
or NTI for short. Started as a vision by then
NJATC Executive Director, A. J. Pearson,
NTI is moving forward under the current
NJATC Executive Director, Michael Callanan.
This year marks the twentieth year NTI
has been held, but this year also marks a
change in the program. NTI was held in
Ann Arbor, Michigan at the University of
Michigan. What a great location and city for
the next twenty years. Ann Arbor's businesses and residents were very friendly and
genuinely happy to have the participants in
their town. Michigan has long been regarded
as the birthplace of “Middle Class America” with the founding of the Ford Motor
Company and Henry Ford’s belief in paying
his assembly line workers a wage that would
allow them to buy one of the vehicles they
were building. It seems fitting to be in such
an area for the education of our Union’s
best instructors. When you see one of our
instructors ask him/her about the experi-
ence and education they received there.
Congratulations to the graduates of our different
programs. This year we graduated eighty-six (86) apprentices from the Commercial program, ten (10) from the
Sound and Communication program and four (4) from
the Residential program. When you see these new Journey
level members (listed below) on the job or around the hall
please extend your congratulations and best wishes for a
long, prosperous and enjoyable career to them.
2009 COMMERCIAL GRADUATES
Ryan Baker
Alex Bashinskiy
David Bath
Jeremy Beaty
Douglas Best
Bryan Bigler
Timothy Blanchette
Adam Boen
Chris Boling
Mark Bowers
Stephen Bowser
Kimberly Briar
Jared Brown
Damont Cain
Mike Christensen
Christopher Contreras
Albert Cox
Michael Creegan
Hans Diffner
Yimin Du
Brent Ellerton
Michelle Esguerra
Eric Foldvik
Christopher Garner
Rafal Gasior
Matthew Goodnow
P. Kailean Gorman
Zachariah Graishe
Corey Green
Keith Grosso
Patrick Gunter
Jarrett Hager
Justin Hagood
Joseph Hands
Andrew Harris
Timothy Haslett
Benjamin Ivanek
Brian Janku
Winston Jolly
Jesse Kimmerling
Matthew Kinne
Todd Kleinbrook
Aman Krishna
Jason Kyle
Jeremy Langley
Joni Lee
Siobhan Lennox-Purcell
Micah Macgurn
Mathew Martin
Shane McDonald
Christopher McFarland
Randy Mitzner
Nic Myhrberg
Pasquale Nardone
Michelle North
Phillip Nugent
Eric Nyland
Victor Oliver
Taylor Otto
Jake Pahlman
Douglas Parker
Tam Phan
Michael Poor
Steven Price
Jason Regis
Van Reilley
Patrick Ritter
Lance Roberts
Aleksandr Rubakha
David Santiago
Benjamin Scott
Zlatko Selimovic
Michael Shimek
Cameron Sloboden
David Slonecker
Julie Southwick
Cory St. John
Thad Swanson
Neal Swinton
Napoleion Thaha
Eric Tilkens
William Trubac
David Waterman
Nicholas White
Aaron Wilson
Timothy Wise
2009 SOUND AND COMMUNICATION GRADUATES
Kurt Bonholzer
Sean Hughes
Milinganyo Byakumbu Steven Kibbie
Michael Caffee
Richard Mack
Stanley Dawson
Landing Manneh
Jennifer Ogg
Amy Woods-Smith
2009 RESIDENTIAL GRADUATES
Beneyam Ashenafi
Garrett Cayson
Bryan Hansen
Zhen Huang
Labor History to
Motivate and Inspire
ment takes our Unions FORWARD. It’s not
a fight for ‘this’ contract, it’s a fight for our
future. Please join me!
By Member Stephanie Curry McPherson
I had the opportunity to go to the Labor History
Conference on June 12 - 13, 2009 at the Labor Temple
here in Seattle. It was an eye opening event. The passion
of our labor forefathers was quite obvious, a passion I
fear we have lost.
Stories were told about the battles our Unions have
had to wage, to get the benefits that we enjoy today.
Stories like the General Strike here in Seattle, when
60,000 Union workers went on strike. The strike started
with 35,000 shipyard workers closing down the yards, in
protest of wage lowering. In support, Seattle’s other 110
local Unions, 25,000 men and women, joined in a sympathy walkout. 60,000 workers of ALL Unions standing
together, shut down the city. These were hard battles,
clashes between families, cops, bosses, co-workers;
people who thought that we should just accept what we
are given. Thankfully, our forefathers had other ideals.
Ideals of more family time, good wages, and benefits.
Ideals that WE need to continue to have and pursue.
Ideals to fight for, to better our lives and the lives of our
Brothers’ and their families.
Our way of life is constantly under attack, and being
threatened by those who think we should work more for
less. We need to continue to fight. And not to take for
granted the benefits that we have, but work for the ones
we do not have. Benefits such as paid healthcare, paid
vacation time, paid parking, and wages that can support
a higher quality of life for our families.
Some eye opening StatiSticS from around the globe:
~In Finland, all overtime is DOUBLE TIME.
~Europeans work 8-9 weeks less than Americans.
~USA has a higher infant mortality rate that China.
~Only four countries don’t provide, by law, maternity leave: USA, Liberia, Papa New Guinea, and
Swaziland.
~Only two countries don’t require some vacation
time by law: USA and Burma.
It is truly amazing that, as the richest country in the
world, we don’t have benefits which are required by law
in Third World countries around the Earth.
We need to motivate and inspire each other to fight,
to attend Union meetings, to participate in our future.
To Motivate and Inspire creates a Movement. MovePage 10 • SPARKS • vol 23, iss 4 • JUL-AUG 2009
41st IBEW Family
Reunion
June 21-28th, 2009
I had the honor of being one of the delegates to be chosen to attend the 41st IBEW
Reunion in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee; an
experience not soon to be forgotten.
The event started out with us arriving
on Saturday, checking in to the picnic on
Sunday. The site was the typical camping
location, RV hookups, tent sites, cabins to
be rented, real plumbing, and even laundry
facilities. On arrival, we heard the count of
campers was around 550 people, not bad
for the first day. The entire picnic functions
off of volunteers. People who cook, people
who do dishes, people who take out garbage,
watch the kids, fill soda tubs, and refill the
ice. On my first day, I jumped in to wash
tables and offered to help serve lunch. Of
course, any chore there is quite a chore, the
heat is unbelievable! In days to follow, I expanded my volunteer duties into other areas.
I rose at 4:30 a.m. to help serve breakfast for
600 people, to refilling the ice in the beverage tubs. I also became a shuttle to help
people go from one side of the site to the
other, which was quite big. More volunteers
were needed every day, and the day I left, the
attendance was up to 1,200 people.
The people I met where very hospitable and welcoming. Although the group is
known to be a ‘Boy’s Club’, they did appear
to be very happy to see me there. They all
wanted to help answer any questions I had
and to get me anything I may have needed.
I admit, I went to the picnic with a certain
perception of the group already in mind, but
throughout my time there, my perception
started to evolve.
The ‘Boy’s Club’ obviously has views not
quite in line with the demographic that our
Local Union has. To be told I am welcome,
but cannot join, was a bit of a shock. To
think society has come so far, only to be
met face to face with a group where I am
not allowed in, was an eye opener. This is
a realization that I came across some nine
years ago, so not a new one. Although my
appreciation for the movement of the group
is new. I have always known it to be about
‘Brotherhood’ and strength of the Union,
but the networking is amazing. If one Brother knows of work, they all do. Plus, making
connections for when a Brother needs to
travel, he/she has a place to stay in a new
city.
The Reunions are a place of relaxation,
as long as you like camping. Yes, there is
beer available 24 hours a day, but left to
one’s discretion. In my 6 days there, I did
not witness one fight or tension of any kind.
There was a lot of Brother helping Brother,
whether someone needed a place to sleep
(I did one night, the last shuttle left without
me knowing) or their truck jumped. Personal
belongings were left out and untouched. I
saw a purse and camera sit in the same place
on a table for 2 days, never once disturbed.
People are there to have fun and connect
with old friends. All ages are present. I saw
babies only a few months old to people in
their late 60s and 70s. There was quite a
range of ages and experiences, all there for
simple reasons, relaxation and solidarity.
I am still upset about the separation
amongst the group, but the best way to
change something is to get involved and
change it from the inside. The more involved and active we are in the movement,
the more likely we are to be accepted for
being like-minded. I am greatly in favor of
the donation part of the money, the Sick
and Needy fund is a wonderful thing to have
available to those in need, although not quite
sure about sending delegates to the event.
In conclusion, I feel that the reunions
are a valuable thing, and anyone who can,
should go.
CONGRATULATIONS
TO OUR
HAWAII TRIP WINNER
ISAAC HANKS
a LOCAL 191
APPRENTICE
WITH
ELCON CORPORATION
mlf/opeiu8/afl-cio
IBEW 46's
Social
Network
Wondering who's doing
what, when and where? Try out
our spaces on the web to keep in
touch with Local members - both
far and near! Remember: you must be a member of the
following networks in order to attend!
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/
IBEW-46/84649194580?ref=ts
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/ibew46
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IBEWLocal46
Ning: http://ibew46.ning.com/
Bulletin Board: http://www.ibew46.org/
phpBB3/index.php?sid=92014186ad978dac5e0c
7df89800bc95
IBEW Local 46’s social networking sites share news,
events, labor issues, and many other pertinent information for our members and fans. Follow us on these sites
and get links from ALF-CIO, WSLC, MLKCLC, and
many other labor organizations. Quick Links are also
available online at www.ibew46.org.
PATRONIZE OUR UNION SHOPS
My recent attendance at the Summer School for Union Women in Olympia has revamped my passion for
supporting ALL unions. Spending 5 days with union sisters from a wide range of unions, opened my eyes to the
strength we posses together.
I visited Unite Here Local 8’s and UFCW’s websites to compile the following list of union shops and hotels.
Please use the list for as many of your needs as possible. Please use the ‘Union Dollar’ to show that you are supporting that shop BECAUSE it is union, by giving one to an employee every time you shop. The more we support
each other the stronger we become.
“Change can come from the power of many; But only when the power of many can come together and create
the invincible….the Power of One.”
UNION BUSINESSES
A & H Drug
Albertsons
Allenmore Hospital
American Linen
Aramark Uniform
Ashley House
Auburn Regional Medical Center
Ballard Plaza Pharmacy
Bartell Drugs
Byrnie Utz Hats
Capital Medical Center
Central Washington Hospital
Childhaven
Cornell Pharmacy
Cornerstone Pharmacy
Cost Cutters
Covington Pharmacy
Del-Teet Furniture
Des Moines Drug
EB Management
Ekman, Bohrer & Thulin
Evergreen Hospital Medical Center
Forks Community Hospital
Fred Meyer
Gai's/Franz Family Bakeries
Good Samaritan Hospital
Grays Harbor Community Hospital
Group Health
Haggen - Top Food & Drug
Harbors Home Health & Hospice
Harrison Medical Center
Highline Medical Center
HMS Host
Houghton Market
Hudson News
Jefferson County
Jefferson Healthcare
Jefferson Mental Health Services
Jim's Pharmacy
KC Foods Thriftway
Keiro Nursing Home
Kent Valley Optical
Kitsap County Rural Library District
LabCorp
Lafferty's Pharmacy
Lakemont Thriftway
Macy's
Macy's Furniture Gallery
Madison Market
Manhattan Pharmacy
Mardix Pharmacy
Mary Bridge Children's Health Center
Mason General Hospital
Medical Center Pharmacy
Metropolitan Markets
Mid-Valley Hospital
Morton's Unified Drug
MultiCare Clinics
North Mason School District
North Valley Hospital
Northwest Administrators
Olympic Medical Center
Olympic Medical Home Health
Oroweat/Entemann's (Bimbo Bakeries
USA)
Ostrom's Drugs
PCC (Puget Consumers Co-op) Natural Markets
Planned Parenthood of Western Washington
Providence Everett Medical Center
Puget Sound Labor Agency
QFC
Red Apple
Regional Hospital for Respiratory and
Complex Care
Rite Aid
Roger's Market Place
Rose & Associates
Saar's Market Place
Sacred Heart Medical Center
Safeway
Sand Point Pharmacy
Seattle Children’s Hospital
Sequim School District
Service Linen
St. Joseph Medical Center
Summit Trading Company
Sunrise Dental
Sunset Markets
Superior Linen
Swain's General Store
Tacoma Family Medicine
Tacoma General Hospital
The Doctor's Clinic
Tomlinson Linen
Town & Country / Central Market
U & I Pharmacy
United Way of King County
Valley General Hospital
Valley Medical Center
Vanguard/National Car Rental
Vashon Thriftway
Washington State Liquor Control
Board
West Seattle Thriftway (Cap Foods)
Whidbey General Hospital
White Center Pharmacy
Wonder Thrift Store/Interstate Brands
Woodside Braseth Gallery
Zenith Administrators
WASHINGTON STATE UNION RESTAURANT
SEATTLE:
Brellas @ Best Western Executive Inn
200 Taylor Ave N.
Athenian Inn @ Pike Place Market
1517 Pike Place
Chelan Café On Harbor Island
3527 Chelan Ave SW
Six Seven @ Edgewater Hotel, Pier 67
2411 Alaskan Way
Skycity Restaurant @ The Space
Needle
203 6th Ave N.
Top Of The Hilton And Lobby
Lounge
@ Seattle Hilton, Downtown
1301 6th Ave
Hagerty's And Torchy's @ Washington
Athletic Club
(Private Club)
1325 6 Th Ave
Cold Water Grill And 5th Ave Corner
Cafe@ Westin Hotel
1900 5th Ave
The Tacoma Club Restaurant
1201 Pacific Avenue # 1601
NEAR SEATAC AIRPORT:
Gregory’s @ Red Lion Hotel
18220 International Blvd S.
Hilton SeaTac - Spencers Steaks &
Chops
Coffee Garden @ The Doubletree
Hotel
NORTHERN PUGET SOUND:
Bellingham Golf & Country Club
(Private Club)
3729 Meridian
O’Brien’s Manor
2310 State Route 530 Ne
TACOMA:
Altezzo’s And Broadway Grill @
Sheraton Hotel
1320 Broadway Plaza
Public Utilities Cafeteria
3628 S. 35th
Seafarers Sports Bar 3878 S. Center
Street
OLYMPIA:
Red Lion Olympia Restaurant
2300 Evergreen Park Dr.
WENATCHEE:
Roaster Ale House @ Coast Wenatchee
Center
201 N. Wenatchee
Igloo Tavern
WASHINGTON STATE UNION HOTELS
Longview / Kelso
Monticello Hotel
Longview, Wa 98632
Olympia
Governor Hotel
Olympia, Wa 98501
Red Lion Hotel Olympia
Olympia, Wa 98502
Downtown Seattle
Best Western Executive Inn
200 Taylor Ave. N.
Best Western Loyal Inn
2301 8th Ave.
Eighth Avenue Inn
2213 8th Ave.
The Edgewater
2411 Alaskan Way – Pier 57
Hilton Seattle
1301 6th Ave.
The Westin Seattle
1900 5th Ave
SeaTac Airport
Doubletree Hotel Seattle Airport
18740 International Blvd .S.
Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference
Center
17620 International Blvd
Red Lion Hotel Seattle Airport
18220 International Blvd
Tacoma
The Hotel Murano (Formerly Sheraton
Tacoma)
1320 Broadway Plaza
Wenatchee
Coast Wenatchee Center Hotel And
Convention Center
201 N. Wenatchee
UNITE HERE! LOCAL 8 MAINTAINS ITS OWN DO NOT PATRONIZE LIST.
WE REQUEST THAT YOU DO NOT PATRONIZE THE FOLLOWING HOTELS:
SeaTac Airport:
Seattle Airport Marriott Hotel*
Tacoma:
Courtyard By Marriott - Tacoma Downtown*
Olympia:
Phoenix Inn Suites*
*Employer does not have a contract with UNITE HERE Local 8.
If you know of any Unions, politicians or other groups patronizing these hotels,
please call UniteHere at 206-728-2326 ext 24 to let them know.
PRE-CONVENTION WORKSHOPS
FRIDAY - SEPT 11
• SignificantChangestoNFPA70E2009(PW1)
• SneakPeekatthe2011ProposedNECCodeChanges(PW2)
• LeanConstructioninElectricalContracting(PW3)
• EnergyAuditing,ThePortaltoGreenEnergyProjects(PW12)
• Grounding&BondingUpdate(PW4)
• See What No One Else Can See & Do What No 0ne Else Does - Thermal
Imaging(PW6)
• HowLEDTechnologyCanChangeYourBusiness(PW5)
SATURDAY - SEPT 12
• EnteringtheGreenIntelligentBuildingMarket(PW7)
• FundamentalsLEED®(PW8)
• NFPA70E:TheElectricalPPEComplianceSolution(PW9)
• KeystoBusinessSuccessintheSolarPVIndustry(PW10)
• SignificantChangestoNFPA71-2010-ProfitingfromChange(PW11)
MANAGEMENT SEMINARS
SUNDAY - SEPT 13
• Business Development for the Design Build Market
• Data Center Business Opportunities
• SilverBulletsImproveProjectProfitability
• How the Stimulus Can Electrify Your Business
• Energy Audits - A Portal to Green Energy Projects
MONDAY-SEPT14
• Building Green: Buildings and Lives
• Green Contracting: Federal and State Methods for Green Building
• Surviving the Market
• VendorPartneringforBetterProfitandPerformance
• Energy Roadmap Guiding Electrical Contractors: Energy Independence
Opportunities
TUESDAY - SEPT 15
• Counterfeit Electrical Products Can Destroy Lives, Property and Your
Business
• The State of Multi-Employer Pension Plans - What are the Legislative
or Regulatory Solutions?
• Great Tools for Your Business: NAED's Green Guides and TED's Green
Room
• Emerging PV Market Guide
• What are Social Media and How Can They Help Your Business?
TECHNICAL WORKSHOPS
SUNDAY - SEPT 13
• Selective Coordination in Low Voltage Applications
• A New Paradigm in Paperless Estimating Emerges
• Gain the Competitive Edge in Seven Simple Steps
• Finding Green Projects
• TheBenefitsoftheHelmetstoHardhatsProgram
• Increase Productivity and Reduce Risk
• Quit Feeding the Monsters: New Techniques to Create a Positive Safety
Culture
MONDAY-SEPT14
• On Screen Estimating
• Cordless Tool Productivity and Innovation
• The Arc Flash Hazard and Changes to NFPA 70E
• Launch and Grow Your Solar Business
• Innovative Ideas Save Time and Money
• Lightning Protection Systems
TUESDAY-SEPT14
• Tools and Techniques for Getting the Best Material Prices
• GoGreenbyAchievingEnergyEfficiencyintheDataCenter
• Surviving or Thriving . . . Market Outlook and Opportunities
The 2009 NECA Show Brochure is available at www.
ibew46.org for more information and to register. Local 46
members can contact IBEW Local 46 for free tickets to
the Technical Seminars and NECA Show. Limited Supply.
Get yours now!
IBEW Local 46 Annual Golf Tournament
Lake Wilderness Golf Course
September 19, 2009
Lake Wilderness Golf Center
25400 Witte Road SE
Maple Valley, WA 98038
Phone: 425.432.9405
Lake Wilderness Golf
Course is a public golf
course, maintained by
the City of Maple Valley
and managed by Premier
Golf Center, LLC.
The 18 Hole Course
offers short, narrow
fairways that test all skill
levels as well as reward the
accurate shot maker.
The large fir trees
surrounding the course
create a beautiful setting.
For More Information,
Please Contact:
Dwayne Hawkes 425-228-6232
Rich Riotto
425-277-0152
Jack Coble
253-854-0306
George Duncalf
425-392-7496
Lake Wilderness Golf Center, Maple Valley, WA
September 19, 2009
4 Person Scramble Format ~ Best Ball
8:00 a.m. Shotgun Start
This year’s event will be held Saturday, September 19th at the beautiful and
well-manicured Lake Wilderness Golf Center in scenic Maple Valley, Washington.
DROP DEAD DATE TO REGISTER: September 9, 2009
Cost: $260 per Team (4 players) / $65 per Person - Limited to the first 100 people
Includes: Lunch (BBQ Chicken & Ribs), Golf & Golf Cart,
and various Awards/Prizes for All Attendees.
Golf attire is required. Collared shirts and slacks or shorts. No steel spikes are allowed on the course.
All participants must be at least 10 years of age.
Name: ________________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________
City/St/Zip: ____________________________________________
Phone Number: _________________________________________
TEAM MEMBERS
1) _____________________________________________ Handicap _____
2) _____________________________________________ Handicap _____
3) _____________________________________________ Handicap _____
4) _____________________________________________ Handicap _____
We will put you with a Team if needed.
Handicap will be assigned if needed.
mlf/opeiu#8/afl-cio
Please return filled out form with check payable to one of the following:
Rich Riotto, Dwayne Hawkes or Jack Coble
and mail to:
IBEW 46 Golf
POB 102, Renton, WA 98057
SIGN UP FOR OUR NEXT SMALL BUSINESS CLASS TODAY!
SEPTEMBER 15 - 17 & 21, 2009
5:30 P.M. 9:00 P.M.
COST: $50.00
INSTRUCTOR:
John E. Schaufelberger, Ph.D., P.E.
Dr. Schaufelberger is the Chairman of the Department of Construction Management,
College of Architecture & Urban Planning at the University of Washington.
All Classes will be conducted at the Hall.
Please complete this form and return with a check payable to: IBEW Local 46.
Mail or Hand Deliver to: IBEW Local 46, 19802 62nd Ave S, Kent WA 98032
NAME:
ADDRESS:
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP:
PHONE:
mlf/opeiu8/afl-cio
You may sign up at the Hall
or contact Greg Galusha.
If you cannot afford the class fee
ask about a scholarship.
CONTACT:
Greg Galusha
206-354-6626
gregg@ibew46.com
IBEW Local 46 19802 62nd Ave S Kent WA 98032 253-395-6500
Key Facts
working people the freedom to form unions and bargain collectively is key to
1 Giving
turning around the economy and rebuilding America’s middle class. Union members are
52 percent more likely to have job-provided health care, nearly three times more likely to have
guaranteed pensions and earn 28 percent more than nonunion workers. No matter what else
we do to turn around America’s economy and rebuild the middle class, we will not have broadly
shared prosperity until we restore workers’ free choice to bargain with their companies for a
better life—without corporate intimidation. The Employee Free Choice Act will do that.
workers want to form unions. Research shows nearly 60 million would form
2 aAmerica’s
union tomorrow if given the chance.
workers are able to form unions and bargain because companies routinely block
3 Tootheirfewefforts—and
our current legal system is too broken and dominated by corporations
to help them. A worker in an organizing campaign has a one in five chance of being fired for
union activity.
wouldn’t work a day without contracts to protect their outrageous pay and perks. But
4 CEOs
they routinely deny workers the same opportunity. Although U.S. and international laws
are supposed to protect workers’ freedom to belong to unions and bargain, employees are on an
uneven playing field from the first moment they begin exploring whether they want to form a
union, and the will of the majority often is crushed by brutal management tactics.
Free Choice Act would allow workers, not corporations, to choose whether
5 Theand Employee
how they want to form a union. It would give workers a fair chance to form unions to
improve their lives by:
• Guaranteeing that if a majority of workers wants a union, they can have one, allowing
them to form unions by signing cards authorizing union representation;
• Providing mediation and arbitration for first contract disputes; and
• Establishing stronger penalties for violation of employee rights when workers seek to
form a union and during first contract negotiations.
The Employee Free Choice Act has widespread support, including bipartisan backing in
Congress and President Obama’s pledge to sign it into law. Nearly three-quarters of the
public—73 percent—support the Employee Free Choice Act. Hundreds of respected religious,
academic and business people and organizations have signed on in support.
6
Corporate front groups have mounted a massive campaign to block the Employee Free
7 Choice Act. As former Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott has said, “We like driving the car and we’re
not going to give the steering wheel to anybody but us.” The core of their campaign is lies and
distortions about the Employee Free Choice Act—especially the lie that it takes away “secret
ballot” elections. In fact, the act would let workers choose whether to decide on a union through
majority sign-up or an election.
sign-up is a long-established way to form a union, dating back to the passage of
8 Majority
the National Labor Relations Act. It is used today by major employers, such as AT&T and
Harley-Davidson, as an important part of their successful high-road business plans.
AFL-CIO • January 2009
M L KING JR COUNTY
LABOR COUNCIL, AFL-CIO
2009 PRIMARY ELECTION
ENDORSEMENTS
ADDITIONAL LOCAL 46 ENDORSEMENTS
(not necessarily a Labor Council Endorsement)
CITY OF SEATTLE
Seattle Mayor
Greg Nickels (NP)
Seattle City Council, Pos. 2
Richard Conlin (NP)
Sally Bagshaw (NP) & David Bloom (NP)
(DUAL) Dorsal Plants
Nick Licata (NP)
(Dual) Bobby Forch & David Miller
PORT OF SEATTLE
Port Commissioner, Pos. 1
John Creighton (NP)
Rob Holland (NP)
Max Vekich (NP)
KING COUNTY
King County Executive
Dow Constantine (NP) & Larry Phillips (NP)
(Dual)
RENTON CITY COUNCIL
Jim Flynn
KIRKLAND CITY COUNCIL
Brad Larson
BURIEN CITY COUNCIL
Jack Block
Rain or
shine...
We’re celebrating Labor Day!
M. L. King County Labor Council Labor Day Celebration
Monday, September 7th
11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Lower Woodland Park - Shelters 1, 2 & 3
Face painting
Clowns
Games
Raffle prizes
Live music
Ice cream
Hot dogs
Soda
It’s all free! Join us!
Please bring a can of food for the Puget Sound
Labor Agency Food Bank. For more information or
to be part of our volunteer crew, call 206-441-8510.
For raffle information, call 206-448-9277.
For electronic transmission only. Do not reproduce.
assisting organized electrical labor
and ALL building trades to expand
our current workforce, which is the
‘green work force’ the media has
been speaking of. They are talking
about you!
A few weeks ago, the Mayor
of Seattle unveiled his progressive
agenda for Seattle’s next four years.
This plan includes the installation
of over 1,000 electric vehicle charging stations in neighborhoods and
workplaces across the city. The City
of Seattle and the Mayor's office
have been working with Nissan
Corporation on this plan for some
time. Other organizations, like Zip
car and Tesla, have plans to build
and expand their electric vehicle
presence in our region.
IBEW Local 46 Alternative Energy Director Sean Bagsby, with Jennifer & Jason Williams of
Artisan Electric with their children, IBEW Local 46 RES Director Greg Galusha and Phil Lou of
Alternative energy is far more
Artisan Electric at the new solar/green building, Land Trust located on Vashon Island.
than just solar photovoltaic and
wind. Energy efficient commercial
and residential lighting retrofits are currently
underway. Some of our larger contractors
Alternative Energy Director Sean Bagsby
are aggressively pursuing these projects,
which are assisted by the federal rebates
Sisters and Brothers,
to the extent that the cost to consumers is
It has been a long time coming for the majority of
negligible.
our society to accept the necessity of alternative and
We have seen an increase in solar phorenewable energy. Various forces from our national adtovoltaic installations in the residential and
ministration, local governmental agencies, to grass-root
social justice and environmental groups, have played ma- commercial sectors. With the rebate and
incentive language almost exclusively stating
jor roles in assisting this change in America’s focus. I’ve
said for some time that
the primary positive aspect
of the current recession
is that EVERYONE is affected. There is NO sector
of global society that is
immune. The only way out
of this crisis is by working
together for the common
good. Alternative energy is
a vital cog in this process.
We are fortunate in this
area to have forward-thinking leadership working
hard to push this agenda
ahead. This cooperation
New 9.4 kw solar photovoltaic installation on Vashon Island.
is necessary and critical to
The Future is Now
solar, this area has seen the most growth. Areas such as Vashon Island,
Shoreline, and West Seattle have shown an increase of solar photovoltaic installations. A large part of our responsibility is to dispel the myths and rumors associated with alternative energy and to explain the
many benefits. This will aid our contractors
to secure this work and for us to perform the
installations.
Those of you who attended the General and Wire Unit meetings in the past few
months have heard me mention the importance of our members to be trained on the
specifics which pertain to our scope of work.
If you have taken the solar photovoltaic
classes offered at our J.A.T.C., I suggest dusting off the materials and review them. If you
haven’t taken the class, please move it up your
‘to do list’. As more training opportunities
become available through other organizations,
I’ll pass the information on to you.
If you are interested in additional training
in alternative and renewable energy and have
not signed one of my sign up sheets at the Hall in the past, please send
me an e-mail (seanbagsby@ibew46.com ) so I can add you to the list.
Also, if you are working on a project incorporating these technologies,
please share your experiences so we all can benefit.
This is an exciting time to be alive. Our industry has embraced
drastic changes and we’ve only scratched the surface. We will lay the
groundwork to a road not yet traveled. By taking a pro-active, not reactive, approach, we shall secure a cleaner electrical generation model
for the future.
Thank you for your time!
Above: Solar hot water (far left)
and photovoltaic array on Vashon
Island.
Left & Below: Examples
of photovoltaic DC
disconnects and system
metering from various
installations.
Retirees' Corner
By Member Karl Krull
SHAME! I bought two made in
China TV digital converter boxes from
Target store (French company). GE sold
their name to somebody to put on the
box it came in. Both are defective. Neither the manufacturer's reference phone
number nor Target would do anything
because it was over 90 days since we
bought them. Last GE branded thing I'll
ever buy!
Thanks to Margi, who makes sense
of my ramblings before they are printed.
Many dogs will eat cat litter. Think
about it. Nuff said.
Good News! According to the
Building Trades office in Olympia, the
Wright-Runstad 362,000 sq. ft. building project in Olympia for Washington
State Government offices will be paying
prevailing wage and using at least 15%
apprentices. Why? Because our state law
requires it!
Don't let them tax your health insurance! It will COST you!
We are trying to get a sort of carpool of people who are willing to volunteer to drive members, or their family
members, in cases of emergency (car
won't start, broke down, short notice,
and other transportation available, etc.)
Or, scheduled important appointments
and no other transportation available. If
you might be available to help with this,
please leave your name and phone number with dispatch.
Love Karl 206-937-4757
We had a very successful pot luck lunch,
included dogs, burgers, pop, water and chips
furnished by the Local. George Samson (?),
Debra Boawn, a younger member whose name
I don't know, Shannon Hagen, Kathi Scott and
several more people whose names I wasn't smart
enough to write down, worked to make it happen successfully. Virgil did most, maybe all, of
the barbequing and Margi took pictures. I didn't
count, but there must have been 50 people all
together. Thanks to everyone who brought food,
helped out and paid for it. I think we'll try to
close the season next June with another party
like this.
Virgil said the $2.00 the members voted to
put in the pension fund brought the fund back
over 80% funding. Thank you!
MSC, the Local 46 Retirees' Club retain
the existing slate of officers. Thanks to Gerry
Boawn, who does more than any of us to operate our club.
One of our members said the US Olympic
Committee is soliciting for money. Someone
called him and said for a $20.00 donation they
would send him a souvenir jacket, which is made
in China. What a real good way to get US workers to give away their money, huh? Talk about a
slap in the face!
HEALTH TIP: Drugs, such as Actonel,
Boniva, and Fosamax, can KILL your jawbone. New England Journal of Medicine for
more information. Seattle Times, 18 Jan 09, P I5.
Karl's Pearls of Wisdom: To solve our economic mess, go to the bottom of the economic
pay scale, find the people who do the WORK
and cut their pay. Actually, that idea is not new
or mine.
In Seattle, if a storm drain appears to be
Name
blocked below the surface, call 206-386-1800.
Bruce Bachman
Quaint old proverb: "Them as has, gits."
Paul A Dorstad
National Poison Hotline: 800-222-1222.
George F Maier
Initiated
Date of Passing
3/11/92
8/9/00
4/1/53
6/16/09
6/30/09
7/4/09
UNION MEETING SCHEDULE
OFFICERS
Effective: May 1, 2006
Building Managers
Executive Board
General Meeting
1st & 3rd Tue
1st & 3rd Tue
2nd Wed
5:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
Executive Board Room
Auditorium
Business Manager &
Financial Secretary
Virgil R. Hamilton
virgil@ibew46.com
President
Archie Van Valkenburg
archie@ibew46.com
Vice President
Guy C. Hawkins
COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Exam Board
2 Tue/4 Thu
EWMC
PAC
Retired Members - Seattle
Retired Members - Peninsula
Retired Members - Sequim
Salting
Safety Committee
Sick & Visitation
Unity Committee
1st Thu
3rd Mon
2nd Wed
2nd Thu
3rd Thu
1st Mon
2nd Wed
3rd Thu
1st Wed
nd
th
guy@ibew46.com
*5:30 p.m.
Classroom 2
*Exams start at 6:30 p.m.
5:00 p.m.
Classroom 4
4:30 p.m.
10:00 a.m.
Classroom 3
9:30 a.m.
Silverdale
10:30 a.m.
Sequim
5:00 p.m.
Classroom 2
4:30 p.m.
Conference Room 1
5:00 p.m.
Classroom 2
After Unit Meeting
Recording Secretary
Tony Doll
tonyd@ibew46.com
Treasurer
Sean D Winchester
sean@ibew46.com
EXECUTIVE BOARD
MEMBERS
Bill Baker
b.baker@ibew46.com
Margaret (Maggie) Ely
Ebby Ghojiei
ebby@ibew46.com
William (Bill) Hayden
UNIT MEETINGS
EJB
2nd Mon
4:00 p.m.
Marine
1st Wed
5:00 p.m.
Marine Apprenticeship Classes Every Mon1, Tue, Wed & Thu
(Summers Off)
5 - 8:30 p.m.
Motor Shop (No Meetings June - August)
1st Thu
5:00 p.m.
HVAC (No Meetings June - August)
1st Thu
6:00 p.m.
Residential
1st Wed
5:00 p.m.
Stockman
1st Wed
5:00 p.m.
Teledata
1st Wed
5:30 p.m.
Wiremen
Bremerton
3rd Wed
7:00 p.m.
Port Angeles
4th Wed
6:00 p.m.
Seattle
1st Wed
5:30 p.m.
Effective January 5, 2009
Office Hours
Kent Dispatch Office Hours
Bremerton Dispatch Office Hours
Wiremen Dispatch - Book 1
Tradeshow
All other Books & Units Dispatch
No Lunch Closure
billh@ibew46.com
Rich Lehman
Silverdale
Classroom 4
Classroom 2 & 31
Classroom 2
Classroom 2
Classroom 2*
Classroom 4*
Classroom 1 & 2
Bremerton Hall
Port Angeles Hall
Auditorium
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
6:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
6:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
7:00 a.m.
7:30 a.m.
8:00 a.m.
You Must Re-Sign Your Number within Thirty (30) Days - DO IT TODAY!
Check out the WEB CALENDAR for Events, Meetings, Classes, Room Schedules at
www.ibew46.org - click on Calendar.
*Depending on amount of members showing up, Unit meeting may be moved to Conference Room.
rlehman@ibew46.com
Steve Murphy
stevemurphy@ibew46.com
BUSINESS
REPRESENTATIVES
Bud Allbery
Sean Bagsby
Elwood Evans
Shannon Hagen
Ebby Ghojiei
Guy Hawkins
Janet Lewis
Kyle Katzmann
Nancy Mason
Brett Olson
Angela Ryberg
Mark Samuelsen
Harry Thompson, Jr.
Jim Tosh
ORGANIZERS
Greg Galusha
Bob Gorman
EXAMINING BOARD
MEMBERS
Carl Boe
Debra Kidd
Frank C Forman
Mark Samuelsen
Steven Schmele
JOB LINE
253-395-6516
Call the Job Line directly, any time of day. It is updated by 5:00 p.m. weekdays.
Online at www.ibew46.net
LOCAL CONTACT INFORMATION
JOBLINE
253-395-6516
MAINNUMBER
253-395-6500
FAX
253-872-7059
DISPATCHFAX
253-395-6539
TOLLFREE
866-651-4600
JATC
425-228-1777
WPAS-PSEW
206-441-4667
ORGANIZERS
GregGalusha
BobGorman
253-395-6515
253-395-6513
REPRESENTATIVES
Wire/Dispatch
Bremerton
Broadcast
Maintenance
PLA
Teledata
Schools/Training
AlternativeEnergy
SpecialProjects
Marine,Motor,HVAC
BudAllbery
MarkSamuelsen
GuyHawkins
KyleKatzmann
AngelaRyberg
JanetLewis
ElwoodEvans
JimTosh
NancyMason
EbbyGhojiei
SeanBagsby
ShannonHagen
BrettOlson
HarryThompson
253-395-6517
253-395-6511
360-373-0808
360-373-0808
253-395-6520
253-395-6519
253-395-6527
253-395-6528
253-395-6526
253-395-6512
253-395-6500
253-395-6514
253-395-6521
253-395-6522
OFFICEMANAGER
KathiScott
253-395-6524
DUES
TaniHealey
SueSmithson
ReneeArrisola
253-395-6501
253-395-6502
253-395-6503
DISPATCHSECRETARY CharlotteGitchel
253-395-6530
IBEW Local Union No. 46
19802 62nd Ave S
Kent, WA 98032
Virgil R. Hamilton, Business Manager
253-395-6500
www.ibew46.org
IN THIS ISSUE
Bit by 277......................................................................................... 1
Upcoming Steelhead & Salmon University ...................................... 2
2009Women'sVeteransSummitFlyer ........................................... 3
Health & Welfare Trust Update ........................................................ 4
Travel Card Applicants .................................................................... 4
Organizing Report ........................................................................... 5
Business Manager's Comments ...................................................... 6
Marine Unit ...................................................................................... 6
Food Bank ....................................................................................... 6
Broadcast News .............................................................................. 7
Teledata Negotiations Update ......................................................... 8
Inside Negotiations .......................................................................... 8
Want to get more involved ............................................................... 9
Puget Sound Labor Agency Ad........................................................ 9
Labor History to Motivate and Inspire ............................................ 10
41stIBEWFamilyReunion............................................................ 10
IBEW46'sSocialNetwork ............................................................. 11
Patronize our Union Shops....................................................... 12-13
NECAShow2009 ..................................................................... 14-15
Annual Golf Tournament ................................................................ 16
Small Business Class .................................................................... 17
EFCA Fact Sheet ........................................................................... 18
MLKjrCounty Endorsements ......................................................... 18
MLKjrCLC Labor Day Celebration ................................................. 19
The Future Is Now .................................................................... 20-21
Retirees' Corner ................................................................... 22
Union Meeting Schedule ...................................................... 23
NoN-Profit org.
U.S. PoStage
PaiD
Seattle, WaShiNgtoN
PerMit No. 1162

Sparks - Mar-Apr 2009

Transcription

Similar documents

Haddon Hall - Plymouth Housing Group

Offering Group Trips by Bus to Olympia, Tacoma

pdf - Pallett Valo

JIM PAGE …

KTBW March Manager`s Monthly Report

Enhancing Wright`s Legacy in the Pacific Northwest

Joel N. Bodansky Joel N. Bodansky

How to Open an Account with Great Lakes Credit Union (GLCU)

onesheet - Into The Cold