It’s June already and we seemed to have skipped spring. As I recall we were supposed to have a few nice days sprinkled in over the last few months. Hopefully, our Rose Festival weather will soon pass. Local 1 has been busy on a number of fronts. Our Pin Dinner was held on April 5th and it was a great time. We had 195 members and guests for an afternoon of camaraderie and fun. We honored Leonard “Shorty” Pardue with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his 72 years as a member of the Bricklayers Union, and also for everything he has contributed to the masonry industry. Shorty turns 100 years old on September 13 of this year. We also had four pin recipients present. Greg Neilson and Kelly Smith received 25 Year Pins, Scott Cronholm received his 40 Year Pin and Del Perkins received his 50 Year Gold Card. We had several members receiving awards who were unable to attend. I hope to see you at next years’ Pin Dinner, which will be held earlier next year, on February 21, 2009.
The Tilesetters and Finishers met in April to split their negotiated raises. The Tilesetters raise was $1.40. The Finishers raise was $1.05. Both groups directed some of the money to the Defined Contribution Pension, with the Finishers voting to start participation in the D.C. Plan at $.50 an hour. I commend them for their foresight in funding their future.
I also sent out a communication regarding amending our Local Constitution and Bylaws. The amendment was to allow Apprentices the right to vote and make nominations at our meetings. The last completed revision of our Local Bylaws was in 2006, and for whatever reason the revised version prohibited Apprentices from voting. I felt that there should not be any obstacles to the participation of our Apprentices in our Union Meetings, and our Journeymen attending the May meeting felt the same way, because the Amendment passed handily. I want to thank our members for voting to allow Apprentices to vote, and I hope that this will encourage our Apprentices to participate in the Local meetings.
At the May meeting we also split the negotiated raise of $1.35 for the Bricklayers and Marble Masons. I presented a proposal at that meeting that had already been approved by our Tilesetters at their earlier meeting for a Disability Plan. This was something I felt strongly about and that was seriously needed for our members. The cost for our Trust to self-fund this Disability Plan was $.10 an hour, and I am pleased that it was approved. Much of the credit needs to go to Trudy Horn, our Administrator. It’s one thing to hatch an idea, but making it function is the real work. Trudy deserves a big thank you for taking time out of her evening to attend our meeting and help present the Plan. (Please see the adjacent article for an overview of the Plan.) Also at the May meeting we tried something new by having a Tele-Conference call with our members in the Bend area. They had requested to participate in the splitting of the raise at the Union meeting and, I agreed with them that the three hour, one way drive from Bend was a hardship. I thought it went good, but also thought we could improve on the process. Our members who work for Pioneer Waterproofing also met in May to split their $1.35 raise and approved the Disability Plan as well.
As Business Manager, I am always looking to improve our Local in as many ways as I can. I am lucky to have qualified and dedicated help from Matt Eleazer, Joe Luna and our secretary TJ Tucker. Add our team of Apprentice instructors, Dan Bonife, Steve Chambers, Mark Bader, Mark Roddy and Denis Faris. This is a group effort and I’m proud and happy with the way things are going. A new first rate Website, that Matt and TJ have been working on, and TWO FIRST PLACE FINISHES! at the Western States Brick and Tile Contest, accent everyone’s efforts. I also want to recognize the people that serve on Local 1 Executive Board and Apprentice Committee. Local 1 Executive Board members are Matt Eleazer, Joe Luna, Steve Chambers, Scott Groza, Bart Jensen, Rocky Hanes, Terry Fuhrer, Nick Zorn. Local 1 Apprenticeship Committee members are, Joe Luna, Matt Eleazer, Miles McCary, Mark Roddy, Dan Bonife, George Rice, Bill Bloomquist, John Carlson, Ric Thompson, and Fred Bromley. I just want to say “Thank You” to these people and to our loyal Local 1 members.
Politics and Your Future
Election year is on us again. The importance of your participation cannot be emphasized enough. As Union members and part of the shrinking middle class in America, we need to stand tall and united to continue the wages and benefits we enjoy. Just like freedom isn’t free, the wages and benefits we have were not given to us, they were earned. We cannot sit idly by only to let unfriendly legislation and administration wipe out what we have earned. That is why we need to remember that we need to be part of the process, part of the voice that elects Presidents and members of Congress who understand the value of Labor. I don’t think that there are very many people out there that like getting political phone calls in the evening. A lot of times they come during dinner and they seem annoying. But you need to remember that it’s probably a good thing that your phone is ringing. It’s a good thing that some Union member is volunteering their time to call their Union brothers and sisters and engage them to be part of the fight to keep our way of life intact. Face it, your phone will ring this summer and fall, and it will be someone calling to secure your support of a labor candidate or issue. You should not only accept it and be courteous, you should thank that person for the investment they are making in the Labor Movement and our right to participate in the political system.
I hope that you may even go a step further and be one of the Union members that volunteer to do some phone banking. The people at the phone banks are very appreciative of your time and you find out it’s actually fun. So, at the very least, when that phone rings and someone asks you if you or your family is registered to vote, or if you will support a candidate or issue, give ‘em a break, they only trying to help us all.
Straight Talker not a Straight Walker
We now have a clear picture of the Presidential candidates with the capitulation of Hillary Clinton’s nomination bid. Barak Obama is the clear choice of candidates to support Labor. Barak will support our rights to organize, protect prevailing wage and oppose right to work laws. On the other hand, John McCain, aka the “Straight Talker” has no intention of walking the talk when it comes to labor issues. He has a rubblefield of labor issues he’s opposed in his wake. McCain’s own assertion that no one supported George Bush more than he does, should send a shiver down your spine as a Union member. The Bricklayers Union or any other labor organization cannot afford four more years of the bashing we received under the Bush administration. John McBush will be there to deliver as many setbacks to the labor movement as he can if elected President. John McCain’s record does the straight talking when it comes to our issues:
McCain supports the Bush idea of taxing your health insurance benefits as income. In our case if you worked 1800 hours in a year, you would have $10,800 in added taxable income on your tax return in which no taxes were taken out.
McCain supports “Right to Work (for less) Laws”.
McCain supports free trade agreements that have proven disastrous for labor.
There are some things that John McCain opposes that you should know:
He opposed allowing a vote on the Employee Free Choice Act that would allow Americans more rights to join Unions.
He opposes Prevailing Wage Laws. He even opposed that Prevailing Wages be paid to Federal Disaster Sites such as Katrina, so that low wage workers could be imported to do the rebuilding.
John McCain opposes extending Unemployment Benefits.
John McCain opposes protection of overtime rights.
Let’s face it, John McCain opposes Unions.
We need a friend to Labor in the White house. We cannot afford four more years of abuse. Please join me along with our International Union in supporting Barak Obama for President.
