Reporter the Boilermaker Sep • Oct 2001 Vol. 40 No. 5 · PDF file · 2011-07-12completed their fabrication. ... said California Governor Gray Davis visited the job site, ... tem

Four members of Local 5, sitting at right, head home to Staten Island on the ferry after helping clear debris caused by theSeptember 11 terrorist attacks in New York City. Photo by Ruth Fremson/The New York Times.

Sympathy and support awe-inspiringIN THE AFTERMATH of the attack on the World TradeCenter and Pentagon, American workers did what we dobest — we went back to work, repairing, rebuilding, andadding a new chapter to American history.

Boilermakers from Staten Island were among the firstworkers called into New York City to begin clearing thedebris and looking for survivors. Local 5 Bus. Mgr. JerryConnolly said that offers of physical and financial assis-

tance came from Boilermakers from all over the UnitedStates and Canada.

The Boilermaker Reporter received letters of sympathy forthe victims and support for the recovery workers from indi-viduals and unions all over the world. All of the letters paidtribute to the undefeatable American spirit that will keep usunited in these difficult times.

The war against terrorism will challenge Americanresolve to protect our way of life. Boilermakers will rise tothat challenge. We will not only survive, we will prevail. ❑

MICHAEL ANTHONYof Local 502,Tacoma, Wash., is the Boilermakers’top apprentice of the year.Representing the Western States AreaApprenticeship Program, Anthonyearned the top marks at the 14thannual Boilermakers NationalApprenticeship Program’s (BNAP)outstanding apprenticeship competi-tion, held Sept. 9-13, 2001, at the BNAPtraining center in Kansas City, Kan.

Michael Patterson of Local 85,Toledo, Ohio, representing the GreatLakes Area Apprenticeship Program,placed second.

Western States Area representatives,Anthony and Adam Crider (Local 627,Phoenix, Ariz.), won the BNAP teamcompetition award. This is the secondyear that each participating apprentice-ship area sent two contestants to thenational competition, who were thenjudged individually and as a team.

Dan Everett, asst. to the Intl. pres.and BNAP national coordinator,announced the winners at a banquetthat followed four days of intensecompetition. He called each of thisyear’s eight contestants a winner, aseach had to place either first or secondin his area’s competition in order toparticipate in the national contest.

Also competing this year were

Southeast Area representatives K.Alan Biddle of Local 40,Elizabethtown, Ky., and Michael L.McCoy of Local 667, Charleston,W.Va.; Great Lakes Area representa-tive Michael Dufour of Local 647,Minneapolis, Minn.; and NortheastArea representatives Kirk Muscio ofLocal 7, Buffalo, N.Y., and George G.Taylor III of Local 28, Newark, N.J.

All of the national contestantsreceived plaques recognizing theirparticipation in the competition.

As first-place winner, Anthonyreceived the Boilermakers NationalApprenticeship Award, a sculpture ofan apprentice by John T. Cody, and acheck for $1,000.

Second-place winner Pattersonreceived $600; each of the remainingcontestants received $300.

Each year, the home local of thenational award winner also receives aframed picture of the national award,which includes an engraved plaque ofthe winner’s name and winning year.

As winners of the team award,Western States representativesAnthony and Crider each received acrystal plaque, as did their areaapprentice office.

The national competition began onSunday, September 9, with a written

exam on all four years of related stud-ies and on-the-job training (OJT) mod-ules. The contestants were also testedon their knowledge of referral rules,national agreements, laws that affectthe boilermaker industry, contractorresponsibilities, and labor history.

On Monday, the hands-on testingbegan as contestants were judged onsuch skills as rigging, blueprint read-ing, layout, tube rolling, rope splicing,knot tying, welding, and burning.

Michael Anthony of Local 502,Tacoma, Wash., wins first place in thenational apprentice competition.

http://www.IBB.workingfamilies.com http://www.boilermakers.org

Reporterthe Boilermaker Vol. 40 No. 5Sep • Oct 2001

The Official Publication of the InternationalBrotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship

Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers, andHelpers, AFL-CIO

Charles W. Jones, Editor-in-Chief

Continued on page 4

For the second year in a row, the Western Statesarea apprentices earn team prize

Apprenticescompete for national award . . . .4

Bryan Costernamed regional director . . . . . . .6Six Liesabout Social Security . . . . . . . . .7WTO agreementspull down wages, safety . . . . . . .8SettlementsNew contract summaries . . . . 12Annual summaryreports of national funds . . . . . 13

IN THESE PAGES L-502’s Michael Anthony earns first place

Local 5 members help with rescue efforts

the Boilermaker Reporter2 Sep • Oct 2001

G O O D J O B


Reporterthe Boilermaker The Boilermaker Reporter is the official publi-cation of the International Brotherhood ofBoilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths,Forgers, and Helpers, AFL-CIO. It is publishedbimonthly to disseminate information of useand interest to its members. Submissions frommembers, local lodges, and subordinate oraffiliated bodies are welcomed andencouraged. This publication is mailed freeof charge to active members and retiredmembers holding a Retired Members Card.Others may subscribe for the price of $10 forthree years. Standard Mail (A) postage paidat Kansas City, Kan., and additional mailingoffices. ISSN No. 1078-4101.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:

The Boilermaker Reporter753 State Avenue, Suite 565Kansas City, KS 66101(913) 371-2640; FAX (913) 281-8104

Web sites: IBB.workingfamilies.com and www.boilermakers.org

PUBLICATION AGREEMENT No. 40010131

Printed in the U.S.A.

A prize-winning newspaper

Sep • Oct 2001 Vol. 40 No. 5

Charles W. Jones, International President and Editor-in-Chief

Jerry Z. Willburn,Intl. Secretary-Treasurer

International Vice PresidentsLawrence McManamon, Great LakesMichael S. Murphy, Northeast

Newton B. Jones, Southeast George Rogers, Central

Don Lacefield, Western States

Richard Albright, Western CanadaAlexander MacDonald, Eastern Canada

Jim Hickenbotham, At-LargeOthal Smith Jr., At-Large

Editorial staffDonald Caswell, Managing Editor

Carol Dillon, Asst. to the Managing Editor

NTL crew completesEnerfab job on schedule,accident freeSEVENTEEN MEMBERS of theNational Transient Lodge (NTL) havecompleted the erection of twenty 46,000-gallon fermentation tanks at the GalloWinery in Livingston, Calif.

NTL member and general foremanMike Phaff reports that his crew beganthe five-month job for Enerfab in March2001. The modular tank sections arrivedon site where the field construction crewcompleted their fabrication.

Working with stainless tanks duringthe summer months is hot and hardwork. Food and beverage tanks man-date perfection. Even grinding becomescritical, as all internal tank welds mustbe polished to a 120 (food-grade quality)finish. Once completed, the crew sets thetanks on their foundations using a 100-ton crane.

The NTL crew finished the job onschedule and 100 percent accident free.Phaff attributes the job’s success to hiscrew. He says half of his men are from

Jamestown and Greenville, Pa., andtheir neighborly demeanor affected thewhole crew.

“The crew mix is an excellent combi-nation of seasoned mechanics andyoung novices who are energetic andwilling to learn,” said Phaff. “Perfectexamples are Tim and Todd Floch, sec-ond-generation mechanics, and TimFloch Jr., a third-generation helper justentering the trade.“

They say the Floch family work ethicswere established many years ago byTim Jr.’s grandfather, Russell Floch, aretired NTL member whose work expe-rience includes 30 years of tank erection.Phaff says proper work ethics areimportant on every job and he hopes hiscrew’s efforts will win Enerfab contin-ued employment at Gallo.

Crew members included general fore-man Mike Phaff, Steve Simpson, TimFloch Sr., Tim Floch Jr., Todd Floch,Mark Mayer, Glen Parks, Kelvin Wash-ington, Denny Rhodes, Wayne Hogen-miller, Chad Stear, Josh Verrill, JohnGram, Gerald Gram, Dave Moore,Harry Parker, and John Williams. ❑

NTL members are in the process of erecting twenty 46,000-gallon fermentation tanksat the Gallo Winery in Livingston, Calif.

Celebrating the success of their ISO 9001 certification are members of Local 1012and Engineered Air Systems, Inc. (EASI). Pictured, l. to r., are Ed Snow, productassurance mgr.; Gerald Potthoff, ESSI pres.; Dave Dickerson, vice pres. of quality;Larry Maxwell, quality assurance engineer; Thomas Cornwell, EASI pres.; BillAlmstedt, ISO quality mgr.; Ken Brock, L-1012 pres.; and Michael Shanahan, ESSIchrmn. and CEO.

No sour grapes at Gallo Winery

Local 92 members sharesuccess at SunriseBuilding trades completepower plant 32 daysahead of scheduleMEMBERS OF LOCAL 92, Los Ange -les, Calif., along with members of otherbuilding and construction tradeunions, have completed the first phaseof the new Sunrise Power Plant in KernCounty, Calif., 32 days ahead of sched-ule, earning Edison a $1 million com-pletion bonus.

Over 200 union members worked onthe $180 million, 320-mega watt powerplant, logging in over 600,000 man-hours. Crews worked around-the-clock during the project, bringing thenew plant online in less than sixmonths. It was a smooth-running joband the project was completed withouta single grievance hearing, reportedDoug Zimmerman, president of a tri-

county building trades council insouthern California.

“Building and construction tradesmembers are building California’senergy supply for decades to come,”said Local 92 BM-ST Ed Marquez. Hesaid California Governor Gray Davisvisited the job site, where he congratu-lated and praised the Boilermakers fora job well done.

Local 92 members will soon beginwork on phase two — a combined cycle— that will increase the power plant’scapacity to 550 mega watts of power.

The power plant is being built undera project labor agreement (PLA). Forover 70 years, PLAs have been used toconstruct major public and privatework projects throughout California,including Disneyland, the San Fran-cisco Giant’s ballpark, municipalwater works, and power plants allover the state. ❑

Local 1012 and EASI earnISO 9001 certification

MEMBERS OF LOCAL 1012, St. Louis,Mo., and Engineered Air Systems, Inc.(EASI) have earned ISO 9001 certifica-tion for their quality management sys-tem in design and manufacture ofenvironmental control systems.

The ISO 9000 set of conformancestandards defines the principles forestablishing, documenting, and main-taining an effective quality system. ISO9001, the most comprehensive of theISO 9000 series, is the model for qualityassurance in design and development,production, installation, and servicingthat requires a vendor to ensure prod-uct conformance to specified needsthroughout the entire product cycle.The certification assures the global

market that a company meets interna-tional standards for quality, design,performance, and safety of productsand services.

EASI, in business since the 1940s,designs and manufactures custom airconditioners, heat exchangers, and airhandling equipment, as well as varioustypes of equipment and systems thatsupport the U.S. military — nuclear,biological, and chemical defense sys-tems; environmental control systemsand water storage; and purificationand distribution systems.

Local 1012, chartered in April 1900,has represented workers at this St.Louis facility since 1957. ❑

Award reinforces labor/management commitmentto quality and continuous improvement

How to apply for a BoilermakerScholarship— Boilermaker scholarshipsare open to high school seniors who will beentering their first year of a two- or four-year academic program at a degree-grant-ing, accredited college or university withinone year of their high school graduationand are dependents of Boilermaker mem-bers in good standing (includes son,daughter, legally adopted child or depend-ent of active, retired, disabled, ordeceased members).

Applications for the 2002 awards will beavailable from your local lodge at the endof this year. Some local lodges have theirown scholarship programs. Scholarshipsare also available through the Union Pluscredit card program and some state andregional labor councils. For information ontheir scholarships, contact these organiza-tions directly.

How to apply for a Union PlusScholarship— Applications for the 2002Union Plus Scholarship Program are nowavailable. Applications can be down-loaded at http://www.unionprivilege.org.To receive an application through the mail,send a postcard, with your name, returnaddress, telephone number, and interna-tional union name clearly printed on it, to:

Union Plus Scholarship Program, P.O. Box34800, Washington, D.C. 20043-4800.

Union Plus must receive applicationsby January 31, 2002; winners will beannounced May 31, 2002. Due to the vol-ume of applications, only winners willbe notified.

Applicants must be members, theirspouses, or dependent children (asdefined under IRS regulations; includesfoster children, step children, and anyother child for whom the member providesgreater than 50 percent of their support) ofunions participating in the Union PlusCredit Card program. Having a Union PlusCredit Card is not a requirement. One yearof continuous good standing union mem-bership is required at the time of theaward. The individual must be acceptedinto an accredited college or university,community college, or recognized techni-cal or trade school at the time the award isissued. Graduate students are not eligible.

The scholarship program is open to stu-dents attending or planning to attend afour-year college or university, a commu-nity college, or a technical college/tradeschool. Applicants are evaluated accord-ing to academic ability, social awareness,financial need, and appreciation of labor.

It’s time to think about union scholarships

3 Sep • Oct 2001the Boilermaker Reporter

N E W S M A K E R S


Working 20 months without a contract, members of Boilermaker Locals 249 and1633 join other crafts of the rail industry in an informational picket on Labor Day.

Employers load pensionplans with company stock Widespread practiceputs workers’ retirementfunds at riskDON’T PUT ALL your eggs in one bas-ket. That proverb is widely acceptedby financial managers, who alwaysadvise their customers to diversifytheir holdings.

Except when it comes to companyretirement accounts. Lisa Tantalo, aproperty damage coordinator inRochester, N.Y., learned that lesson thehard way. Her employer, Global Cross-ing, contributes only its own stock toher 401(k). In the 1998-99 Wall Streetbubble, Global Crossing reached a highof $58. Now it sells for less than $1.

Fortunately, Lisa will have benefitsfrom a defined benefit plan and a Taft-Hartley pension plan her local unionbattled for in the late 1990s. “A 401(k) islike gambling and a pension is like asecurity blanket,” she toldAmerica@Work.

Yet many major corporations areloading their pension plans with theirown stock. Eighty-five percent ofPfizer’s pension plan is their own stock,and Coca Cola stock makes up 81.5 per-cent of their workers’ pension plan. Butno company gambles with their work-ers’ retirement money like Procter &Gamble; nearly 95 percent of their pen-sion plan is made up of Procter & Gam-ble stock.

That’s not good news for the workerswho rely on these pensions for retire-ment. Procter & Gamble stock hasdropped 38 percent since January of2000. Pfizer is down 20 percent sincespring of 1999. And Coca Cola has beendeclining for over three years and isnow down about 45 percent since itshigh in mid-1998.

A study of 197 large companies byDC Plan Investing, a newsletter of theInstitute of Management and Adminis-tration in New York, reveals that one-third to one-half of assets in workers’retirement plans consists of theiremployer’s stock. Although this per-centage has not changed in recentyears, this year’s stock market crash hasbrought attention to the risk involvedin such an unbalanced nest egg.

Sometimes employees choose to loadup on their own stock, but many, likeLisa Tantalo, don’t have a choice. Com-

panies often match employee 401(k)contributions with their own stock;others contribute only company stockto profit-sharing plans. What’s more,some companies prevent or sharplylimit employees from shifting their sav-ings into other investments.

Forty-eight percent of Gillette’s retire-ment-plan assets are in Gillette stock,and workers are not allowed to diversifyuntil they reach age 50. During the pastfive years, Gillette stock has dropped 20percent, while the Dow Jones IndustrialAverage has gained 50 percent — evenafter the post Sept. 11 crash.

Stephen Brayton, a spokesman forGillette, defended his company’s401(k) policies, telling the Wall StreetJournal that owning Gillette stock “is agreat way for employees to share finan-cially in the long-term growth of thecompany.” He failed to point out anobvious advantage to the company:matching contributions with stockimproves their cash flow.

Some workers choose to purchasetheir employers’ stock almost exclu-sively even when other investmentoptions are available. Workers at DellComputers have many investmentoptions, yet Dell stock makes up nearly98 percent of their retirement plans.That was fine while Dell was one of thehighest-performing stocks on WallStreet, but in the past 12 months thestock is down 45 percent.

A good example of the risk associ-ated with putting all your retirementmoney in your employer’s stock comesfrom auto-parts maker Federal-MogulCorp. For years, they contributed onlytheir own stock to their employees’401(k) accounts. Beginning in 1998, aseries of asbestos-related law suitsdrove the stock’s price down from $78to about $1 a share.

As of July 31, 2001, Federal-Mogulstopped matching employee contribu-tions with stock and will not let employ-ees use their own contributions to buycompany stock. Though well-inten-tioned, their actions came too late tohelp those long-term employees whoinvested heavily in their employer’sstock over the past 20 or 30 years. Byway of illustration, if you invested $100in Federal-Mogul stock on the first trad-ing day in September each year since1970, your $3,100 investment wouldnow be worth about $230. ❑

Judge orders Avondaleto rehire 22 workersShipbuilder must also pay Navy $5.4 million in legal fees

ADMINISTRATIVE LAW Judge(ALJ) Philip McLeod has ordered theNorthrop Grumman Avondale ship-yard to reinstate 22 workers fired ille-gally between 1994 and 1997, and topay back the U.S. Navy more than$5.4 million in related legal fees.

ALJ McLeod ordered the rehiring ofemployees who were allegedly termi-nated because of their union efforts. Healso ordered the company to purgerecords of anti-union disciplinaryactions from the employment files of 12other workers and to compensate all ofthe workers — those who lost their jobsas well as those who were disciplined— for lost pay, benefits, and seniority.

In addition to paying back $5.4 mil-lion in legal fees it wrongfully billedthe Navy, Avondale must also paythe legal costs incurred by the laborboard and the New Orleans MetalTrades Council, when the AFL-CIOaffiliate first filed unfair labor practicecharges against the company in 1994.If the order is upheld, it is not yetknown how much more Avondalewill have to pay in legal fees to theNational Labor Relations Board(NLRB) and union lawyers.

In 1999, workers at three Avondalelocations — New Orleans, La.,Gulfport, Miss., and Tallulah, La. —won a six-year organizing battle whenLitton Industries purchased the ship-yard and recognized the union. InApril 2001, Avondale became a sub-sidiary of the Northrop GrummanCorp., when the huge defense contrac-tor purchased Litton. Now the newowner must pay for the sins of the past.

The shipyard may contest the order,but the ruling sends a clear message— that this conduct should never haveoccurred and will not be tolerated.

When Avondale learned of theorganizing campaign in 1993, it“waged an aggressive counter-cam-paign that was broad in scope, recklessin implementation, and is likely to havea continuing coercive effect on the freeexercise of employee rights for sometime to come,” wrote ALJ McLeod.

Asst. to the Director of OrganizingDave Bunch, who played a key role inthe organizing campaign, said he was“glad to be part of these cases.”Boilermaker Local 1814, New Orleans,now represents a significant numberof the 10,000 shipyard workers undera Metal Trades agreement. ❑

Oklahoma bans union securityVOTERS IN OKLAHOMA have cho-sen to ban union security clauses incontracts throughout the state. Votersturned out in surprisingly large num-bers for an election with only oneissue on the ballot.

The so-called “right-to-work” initia-tive had support from the governor,the business community, theRepublican party, the news media,and many other groups. Oklahoma

became the 22nd state to pass thisanti-union measure.

Right-to-work laws don’t guaranteeany new rights or create any new jobsor economic benefits. In fact, by deny-ing workers and employers the right tonegotiate union security clauses, theselaws take away rights. In the 21 stateswith such laws, wages are lower,poverty levels higher, more peoplehave no health insurance, and educa-tion spending per pupil is lower. ❑

Wal-Mart bans flag stickersWHILE WAL-MART boasted recordsales of American flags from its storesfollowing the Sept. 11 attack, workersat Sam’s Club 6382 (a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) in Las Vegas, Nev.,were forced by managers to removeAmerican flag stickers from theirname badges.

“I can’t believe Wal-Mart would beso insensitive and unpatriotic duringthis crisis,” said Linda Gruen, a six-year employee with Wal-Mart andstore 6382. “It made me sick to my

stomach when they were telling peo-ple to take their flags off.”

Wal-Mart managers not only upsetthe employees, they also angered cus-tomers in the store who were shockedand appalled to see employees beingforced to peel off American flags.

Why did they do it? The flag stick-ers were given to employees by aunion. Evidently Wal-Mart believesbusting unions is more important thansupporting our country. ❑

Boilermakers greet CSX employees, retirees,families with informational picket on Labor DayWorkers lobby for newcontract during companyopen house and picnicFORTY-FIVE MEMBERS of three rail-road unions greeted employees,retirees, and families as they arrived forthe CSX Transportation Company’spicnic and open house on Labor Day inHuntington, W.Va.

Boilermakers from Huntington Local249 and Local 1633 in Raceland, Ky.,were joined by members of the Interna-tional Association of Machinists andthe International Association of SheetMetal Workers at the west entrance tothe CSX locomotive shop to make thepublic aware that they have worked 20months without a contract.

The picketers passed out leafletsexplaining that the railroads haverefused to give serious consideration toany of the employees’ issues sincenegotiations began on Dec. 15, 1999.

When the workers refused the rail-roads’ last proposal — to cut wages andrequire the workers to pay for theirown health care — the railroads, repre-sented by the National Carriers’ Con-ference, left the bargaining table andhave not come back, said TommyTrent, president of Machinists L-104.

He said the picket was not designedto disrupt the Labor Day festivities.

“We don’t want to jeopardize or hin-der our company from being a goodcompany,” Trent said. “We just want tomake them better.” ❑

Source: The Herald-Dispatch

First-place winner Michael Anthony of Local 502, at right, and Adam Crider of Local627, representing the Western States, lift an equalizer beam during the riggingexercise. They went on to win the team award.

Everett and James Horkay, a retiredcompany representative from theNortheast area, served as test coordi-nators, and each area had two dele-gates serving as judges — a union andan employer representative.

Representing the Western States asjudges were Darin McCarthy of Local500, Salem, Ore., and Robert Pike ofPSF Industries.

Tony Jacobs of Local 169, Detroit,Mich., and Michael P. Rother ofPhillips, Getschow represented theGreat Lakes Area.

Representing the Southeast wereIntl. Rep. Barry Edwards and C.Randall James of B & W.

Representing the Northeast wereJack Multerer of Local 7, Buffalo, N.Y.,and Horkay.

Representing the National TransientLodge were Asst. to the Intl. Pres.Tony Gallo and Lester Perkins of CBIServices.

The contest concluded with anawards banquet on Thursday night,where Everett explained that theBoilermakers’ national competition isheld annually as a way to motivateapprentices and local, area, andnational training programs.

He said the contest not only recog-nizes the outstanding apprentices, butit also provides a way to determinewhether the proper skills are beingtaught correctly.

“The national competition is a wayto encourage proper training, putpride in the locals and areas, and addambition for the apprentices whilethey are serving their apprenticeship,”explained Everett. “The more atten-tion given to quality training, the morecompetitive our apprentices and jour-neymen will become throughout theBoilermaker industry.”

This was the second year that thecontestants were judged individuallyand as part of a team. Everett hopesthis will continue. “Boilermakers workas a team in the field,” explainedEverett, “so testing how well theapprentices work in teams is a logicalstep for the national competition.”

This was Everett’s last year to serveas the banquet’s master of ceremonies,as he plans to retire on January 31,2002. Pat Smith, BM-ST of Local 40,will be his replacement. To show hisappreciation for Everett’s many yearsof service to the union, Intl. Pres.Charles W. Jones presented him withthe Boilermakers’ highest award —the Distinguished Service Award.

Everett joined Local 40 in 1962, and

completed his 8,000-hour TVAapprenticeship in 1967. He workedseveral years with the tools beforebecoming Local 40’s business managerin 1976, a position he held for nineyears. In 1985, he was appointednational apprentice coordinator.

Gallo and Spencer earnnational recognition awardsTONY GALLO, asst. to the Intl. Pres.,and Marty Spencer, apprenticeinstructor for Local 7, Buffalo, N.Y.,have each earned this year’s BNAP’sNational Recognition Award.

Both Gallo and Spencer are gradu-ate apprentices who have been instru-mental in improving their area’sapprenticeship programs. Gallo servesas recording secretary for the WesternStates area’s apprenticeship program;Spencer coordinates the combinedNortheast and Great Lakes area com-petitions.

The BNAP board established thenational recognition award in 1988 tohonor those individuals who giveunselfishly of their time and knowl-edge in order that the skills of theBoilermaker craft can be passed on tofuture generations by means of theoldest-known learning process — anapprenticeship.

Nominations for the award aremade by Boilermaker employers andunion members and voted upon byarea. Names of those individualsreceiving the highest number of votesper area are then submitted to thenational board for final selection. ❑


A P P R E N T I C E S H I P


BNAP hosts annual national apprentice competition

Continued from page 1

AIP Tony Gallo, at right, and L-7 instructor Marty Spencer congratulate each otherfor receiving a National Recognition Award. BNAP Coord. Dan Everett is in center.

Southeast Area representatives, l. to r., Michael McCoy of Local 667 and AlanBiddle of Local 40, remove a tube during the welding/burning exercise.

Second-place winner Michael Patterson, at left, of Local 85, and Michael Dufour ofLocal 647, representing the Great Lakes Area, check their measurements during thesmall boiler/layout exercise.

George Taylor III of Local 28, at left, and Kirk Muscio of Local 7, representing theNortheast Area, participate in the tube rolling competition.

BNAP Coord. Dan Everett, right, got aDistinguished Service Award from Intl.Pres. C. W. Jones for his 39 years ofservice to the union and the trade.

Gallo and Spencer earn national recognition awards,Everett receives distinguished service award


SA F E T Y & H E A L T H


Even ‘low-voltage’shocks can be fatalEVERY YEAR, over 1,000 peopleare electrocuted in accidentsinvolving voltages of less than600 volts. Some of these fatalities,and many shocks, occur on volt-age as low as 120 volts.

It is not a well-known fact thatcontact with so-called “low volt-age” can be fatal. Too many peo-ple don’t realize how dangerousa frayed or broken electrical cordcan be until it is too late.

Working safely withelectricityTHE “WORKPLACE”covers abroad spectrum of working envi-ronments. Office buildings, indus-trial plants, construction sites, off-shore oil platforms, undergroundmines, and retail businesses are afew examples that illustrate thespan of what can be consideredthe workplace. Even your homeand child’s school is a workplace.

While the working environ-ments differ, they all depend onelectricity and electrical systemsfor energy, control, communica-tions, and data for virtually everyaspect of operations. Electricalaccidents can and do happen inall workplace environments,although the frequency or severi-ty may vary.

The following list of safetyreminders is a brief compilationof generally accepted practicesand should be adapted or modi-fied to address the uniqueaspects of your working environ-ment, your company policies,and local and/or state andFederal codes. The intent of thislist is to stimulate your thinkingon what are the important electri-cal safety considerations for thepeople in your workplace.

Working on or nearenergized equipment

• Treat deenergized electricalequipment and conductors asenergized until lockout/tagout,test and ground (where appropri-ate) procedures are implemented.• Work electrical equipment andconductors deenergized unlessyour employer can demonstratethat deenergizing introducesadditional or increased hazardsor is unfeasible due to equipmentdesign or operational limitations. • Lockout/tagout, and ground(where appropriate) before work-ing on equipment.• Wear protective clothing andequipment, and use insulatedtools in areas where there arepossible electrical hazards. • Deenergize and visibly guard(where possible) whenever con-tact with uninsulated overheadpower lines is possible. • Check and double check thesafety regulations when a ladderor parts of any vehicle ormechanical equipment structure

will be elevated near energizedoverhead power lines. Call yourlocal electric utility for assistance.People standing on the groundmay be particularly vulnerable topossible injury.

Cord powered tools andequipment, cords, andtemporary wiring

• Protect flexible cords andcables from physical damage. • Keep slack in flexible cords to pre-vent tension on electrical terminals. •Check cords for cut, broken, orcracked insulation. •Make sure the insulating quali-ties of a splice are equal to orgreater than the original cord. • Extension cords are for tempo-rary use. Install permanent wiringwhen use is not temporary.

Equipment and toolgrounding

• Verify that all three wire toolsand equipment are grounded. • Water, electrical equipment,and power cords do not mix! UseGFCI protection in wet or dampenvironments. • Ground exposed parts of fixedequipment that could becomeenergized.

Other considerations

• Verify location of all buried orembedded electrical circuitsbefore digging or cutting. • Determine the reason that a fuseoperated or circuit breaker trippedbefore replacing or resetting. • Know where your overcurrentdevices are (i.e. circuit breakersand fuses) so they can be easilyand quickly reached in case ofemergency. • When replacing lamps andbulbs, verify replacement match-es fixture requirements. • Adapt this list of reminders tofit your working environment! • Establish a written electricalsafety program for implementingthe above.

Source: National Electrical SafetyFoundation

DON’T TAKE UNNECESSARY RISKS.ALWAYSPLAY IT SAFE.

AND WHEN YOU ARE AT WORK,MAKE IT SAFE!

MAKE IT SAFEWorkplace Safety Awareness

CPWR’s web site is agreat source for safetyVisit www.elcosh.org tolearn more about workersafety and health concernsTHE CENTER TO PROTECTWorkers’ Rights (CPWR) offers a website with access to its ElectronicLibrary of Construction OccupationalSafety and Health (elcosh).

The web site — www.elcosh.org —allows access to important safety andhealth information by hazard, trade,and job site, and to training informa-tion by material, requirements, and

topic. It includes links to other sitesthat offer safety and health informa-tion, including the AFL-CIO, theDepartment of Energy, and otherunion, business, state, and internation-al web sites.

The CPWR elcosh site is available inSpanish, and includes links to materi-als in Spanish and Italian.

CPWR is a research and develop-ment institute of the AFL-CIO’sBuilding and Construction TradesDepartment and is partially funded bythe National Institute for OccupationalSafety and Health (NIOSH). ❑

Local 558 celebrates 215days without injuryUpset by past three-year safety record, Local 558 andWestinghouse work together to improve work environment

A CONSTRUCTION Boilermaker writesthat he purchased work boots at his jobsite that were labeled ESD. He worethem on the job and when he tried toweld, he got a shock. Later research

told him that ESD stands for “electro-stat-ic dissipative,” meaning that the shoes

ground the wearer instead of insulating him. Heasked that we print a warning about these shoes.

ESD shoes are required in environments where static electricity is notdesirable, such as computer clean rooms. The static electricity our bodiesbuild up just in normal activities is enough to destroy sensitive computerparts, so the dissipative effect is essential.

Boilermakers rarely work in environments requiring ESD shoes. If you everdo, your employer will notify you. Although ESD shoes are not considered dan-gerous for use in welding, there are situations in which a welder can receive ashock because of them.

So if you see ESD on the label, you probably ought to buy a different boot. ❑

Could you repeat that?I didn’t hear it the first timeMANY OCCUPATIONS can be badfor your health. The connectionbetween a specific occupation and aspecific illness or injury often leads to adisease or syndrome being named afterthat occupation.

Coal miners had it rough. Not onlydid many of them develop Miner’sLung, a fatal disease, but they mayhave suffered from Miner’s Elbow orMiner’s Back for years while still work-ing. Anemia caused by hookwormsused to be known as Brickmaker’s ane-mia, because hookworms lived in the

brick-making material. Painter’s Colicwas actually lead poisoning.

If you’ve been around Boilermakerswith 20 or 30 years of experience, youwon’t be surprised to learn that deaf-ness has been referred to as Boiler-maker’s Disease. Shipyards, railroadshops, power plants, and other placesBoilermakers have traditionallyworked are very noisy places. It doesn’ttake long to do serious damage to yourears. Usually, the full extent of the dam-age doesn’t show for several years.

You wouldn’t weld without a hood.Have as much consideration for yourears as you have for your eyes. Useappropriate ear protection. ❑

MEMBERS OF LOCAL 558, Windsor,Conn., recently celebrated the comple-tion of 215 work days — 109,000 man-hours — without an injury atWestinghouse Electric LLC. Their pre-vious record was 160 days.

But there’s more to this story thansetting a new record.

It’s the story behind the celebrationthat is the real news — the membersof Local 558 saw a need to improvesafety at their workplace and theytook the steps to improve it.

Over the past three years, the safetyrecord at the nuclear fuel manufactur-ing plant was not what it could havebeen, said Local 558 PresidentMichael Welsh.

Local 558 wanted to change that. So

did Westinghouse Electric. Workingtogether, they have made safety theirnumber one concern.

“Most companies say safety comesfirst. But when push comes to shove,they want the job done no matter whatit takes. They end up putting the jobfirst and safety second.

“Westinghouse and the manage-ment of Addison Road go against thispattern of behavior,” said Welsh. “Notonly with words, but also with actionsand policies, they have given theBoilermakers the full support neededto accomplish our duties in the safestpossible way.

“We are proud to be Boilermakers,but more importantly, we are proudto be Westinghouse Boilermakers.” ❑

Do you suffer fromBoilermaker’s Disease?

ESD shoe warning

Local 1, Chicago, Ill.,presents membership pinsJOHN SKERMONT, BM-ST of Local1, Chicago, Ill., reports presentation ofpins for continuous years of member-ship to the following Local 1 members:40 Years – Henry Blaha, WilliamMcCarthy, and Gary Metcalfe; 30Years – Arthur Matelski, JeromePetralia, and John J. Skermont.

Local 151, Erie, Pa., presentsunion membership pinsCHARLES GOODMAN, presidentof Local 151, Erie, Pa., reports pres-entation of pins for continuousyears of membership to the follow-

ing Local 151 members: 30 Years –John Ames, George Aulenbacker,Ron Caldwell, Walter Kanonczki,Humberto Santiago, RobertThompson, Charles Tillich, BobWasson, and Richard Wurst; 20Years – Ken Moore; 15 Years – RayArmel, Charles Hovis, Scott Miller,Todd Morton, and Benny Woodard.

Local 531, Amarillo, Texas,presents membership pinsGARY ADAMS, BM-ST of Local 531,Amarillo, Texas, reports presentationof pins for continuous years of mem-bership to the following Local 531members: 20 Years – RonnieNemoede, Jackie Speed, Jimmie A.Toler, and Rodger Whisenhunt.

BRYAN S. COSTER, a 29–year memberof Local 193, Baltimore, Md., is the newsuburban regional director for theMaryland Department of Business andEconomic Development (DBED).

DBED Sec. David S. Iannucci said,“Bryan will provide a vital liaisonbetween the business community andstate and local government. His abilityto understand the needs of businessand link them with an array ofresources will serve to strengthen thebusiness community and the economicviability of this area of the state.”

Coster will assist Maryland busi-nesses with retention, relocation,expansion, and training needs by pro-viding project management, technicalassistance, information, and referralservices. His region includes Frederic,Howard, Montgomery, and PrinceGeorge counties.

“My new job will allow me to maxi-mize the skills developed in my experi-ence with both business and labor in mycurrent work at the DBED,” said Coster.

Coster served as Local 193 businessmanager from 1984 to 1990, when hebecame a business and legislative rep-resentative for the Baltimore Buildingand Construction Trades Council, aposition he held for eight years. He

then served two years in various capac-ities at the state government level,including the governor’s office of busi-ness advocacy and the department ofbudget and management. In October2000, he became a business develop-ment specialist for in-state businessservices. He was appointed as a DBEDacting suburban regional manager inApril 2001, and was promoted toregional manager on August 7, 2001. ❑


N E W S M A K E R S


Tripartite effort pays off forAllegheny Energy and Local667 at American Boiler

A MONTH HAS PASSED since thebeginning of the pilot program startedby Local 667 (Charleston, W. Va.),Allegheny Energy Supply, and Amer-ican Boiler and Chimney, where ateam of Boilermakers handle the emer-gency outages at several of our WestVirginia stations.

I would like to take this opportunityto thank you (L-667 BM-ST GeorgePinkerman), (Local 667 ABM) SamCanterbury, and the members of Local667 for the excellent performance atboth the Pleasants and Harrison sta-tions during critical outages early inthis program.

We at Allegheny Energy Supply aregrateful for your help and support inour efforts to minimize our outage

downtime, while providing more con-tinuous work for your members, andare pleased to be involved in the devel-opment program for your apprentices.

The true tripartite effort we areinvolved in can only be successful if allparties are interested and enthusiasticabout it. We appreciate the perform-ance of the members of Local 667 whohave been involved in the early stagesof the pilot program, and hope that thenext few months are as good as thefirst. Please express our thanks toyour members at your next gather-ing. We would also like to thank(AIP) Jim McCormick for his leader-ship in this effort. Thanks again formaking the first four outages in theprogram as successful as possible.

GEORGE J. FARAH, manager of project implementation

PHILIP L. STEWART, director offield services

Allegheny Energy Supply

Teamwork results in happycustomer for Monarch, L-169

MONARCH WELDING& Engineer-ing, Inc. would like to thank the Inter-national Brotherhood of Boilermakers,and especially the membership of Local169 (Detroit, Mich.), for their dedicationin completing a most difficult project.

This project was completed fromMay through July, in a building withtwo operating boilers, and continuedsteel production. Although we didhave a labor issue during this project, itwas handled in a professional andexpedient manner. Together, we havea grateful longtime customer.

In our mutually beneficial relation-ship, it is sometimes forgotten to thankthe International Brotherhood of Boil-ermakers and the membership of Local169. We wanted to be sure the opportu-nity was not lost this time.

BRIAN R. WIMMER, Vice PresidentMonarch Welding & Engineering, Inc.

Words of solidarity fromunions worldwideIN THE WAKE of the Sept. 11tragedy, trade unions and tradeunionists around the world showedthe solidarity of working peopleeverywhere. The BoilermakerReporter received so many letters ofsympathy and support we cannotprint them all, but can only acknowl-edge and thank the following unionsfor their words of solace:

European Metalworkers FederationFederation of German EmployersGerman Trade Union FederationIntl. Fed. of Chemical, Energy, Mine Intl. Metalworkers FederationIstanbul Metalworkers UnionJapan Council of MetalworkersMetalworkers Union of CroatiaPortugal MetalworkersRumania Natl. MetalworkersUkrainian Trade Union of DefenseUnion of Salaried Employees, Finland

LETTERS OF PRAISE

No health care co-payments for two yearsMINUTES BEFORE AN arbitrationhearing was set to begin, members ofLocal 158, Peoria, Ill., accepted a settle-ment offer from Komatsu MiningSystems, Inc. that provides them withtwo years of free health care coverage.

Local 158 filed a grievance againstKomatsu alleging that the companyhad broken their 1994 contract, a 1986company policy, and an agreementwith their healthcare provider thatlimits the amount an employee’shealth care co-payment can increase.

“It took 18 months and a lot ofdetermined effort to get the informa-tion and documentation needed toprove our case,” reported Local 158Pres. Kevin Kocher. “The bargainingcommittee and I did a lot of extensive,and sometimes frustrating research.

“In a ‘courthouse step’ effort, Intl.Rep. Howard Cole used his years ofexperience in negotiations and arbitra-tions to reach a settlement literallyminutes before the hearing started,”said Kocher. “I am proud of the help Ireceived from the bargaining commit-tee, Cole, Brauer HealthcareConsulting, and all of the Local 158members in reaching the biggest mon-etary grievance settlement in ourlocal’s history.”

This settlement will save each Local

158 member at Komatsu over $800 in2002 and 2003 healthcare premiums —an initial savings of over $320,000.Since the settlement was reached, itwas announced that 2002 premiumswould increase 17 percent — or anadditional savings of $17,200. If 2003premiums increase, the members willexperience even more savings as aresult of this grievance settlement.

Over 400 Local 158 members workat Komatsu where they produce min-ing equipment. Chartered in 1940,Local 158 signed their first contractwith the company in 1941, when it wasknown as R. G. Le Tourneau, Inc. ❑

L-158 Pres. Kevin Kocher (l.) talks withIntl. Rep. Howard Cole about savingmembers over $330,000 in premiums.

Bryan S. Coster is the new suburbanregional director for the Maryland Dept.of Business and Economic Development.

L-158 settles their largestmonetary grievance ever

Locals 582 and 693 winarbitration casesMembers are reinstatedwith seniority, benefits,and back payINTL. REP. DENNIS KING reportsthat Local 582, Baton Rouge, La., andLocal 693, Pascagoula, Miss., haverecently won arbitration cases for theirmembers, earning back their jobs, ben-efits, seniority, and wages.

John Anderson, former president ofLocal 582, was terminated for allegeddisorderly conduct. “By good team-work we were able to win this case,”said King. “Thanks to Local 582 BM-ST John Simoneaux, ABM John Kelly,and the hard work of the Local 582office staff, Brother Anderson was

reinstated with the benefits and backpay he deserved.”

When former Local 693 BM-ST JamesLove was terminated, Local 693’s BM-ST Frank Ludgood and Chief Steward J.J. Criddell went to work with their officestaff to get Love reinstated. “Their hardwork obtaining information assisted mein winning Love’s arbitration case,” saidKing. “Brother Love was reinstated withseniority and benefits.”

Not only did Love win his arbitrationcase, but Ingalls Shipbuilding alsoagreed to settle another grievancerather than go to arbitration. “As aresult of Local 693’s hard work inpreparing Brother Love’s case,Rongigues Shaver was also reinstatedwith all benefits and seniorityrestored,” said King. ❑

Local 193’s Bryan Costeris new regional directorFormer union leader to rely on labor, managementskills to strengthen business, economics in Maryland

Members earn service pins

SOCIAL SECURITY is 66 years old thisyear, and the President’s Commissionto Strengthen Social Security wants toforce it to retire. They are waging a mas-sive campaign to convince the Ameri-can public that Social Security is inserious and immediate trouble and thatthe best way to “strengthen” the pro-gram is to privatize it.

Wrong. Privatizing will weakenSocial Security, not strengthen it.Higher administration costs willrequire benefit reductions. But Bush’sprivatization panel are using six lies totrick Americans into supporting thisscheme to transfer their Social Securitymoney to Wall Street. These politiciansare making claims that financial ana-lysts call ridiculous.

1. The Lie: Social Security is in a crisisand needs “fundamental restructuring”immediately.

The Truth: Financial analysts agreethat today’s system is fundamentallysound, although over the next 75 yearsit will face a shortfall of 1.86 percent oftaxable payroll — a small problem thatcan easily be fixed without restructur-ing the program.

2. The Lie: The crisis will come to a headin 2016, when Social Security will be run-ning annual deficits.

The Truth: In 2016, Social Securitywill have reserves of $5 trillion. Thisreserve was intentionally created totake care of the baby boomers when

they retire. It is hardly a crisis to spendmoney exactly as you planned to do so.

3. The Lie: The Social Security TrustFund holds “only promises that future tax-payers will have to redeem” and “is not anasset” to our government.

The Truth: Analysts consider themore than $1 trillion of federal treasurybonds in the trust fund a considerableasset. So do financial managers; nearlyall pension plan funds hold treasurybonds, as do millions of privateinvestors and corporations. They areconsidered the safest investment. For-mer Federal Reserve Governor AlanBlinder says, “Blood would run in thestreets if Wall Street believed that Trea-sury bonds were worthless.”

4. The Lie: The Social Security programdoes not help Americans save for the future.

The Truth: Social Security’s sur-pluses have lowered taxes and interestrates, leaving Americans more moneyto save for the future. Reducing thosesurpluses in order to allow directinvestment of Social Security taxes willraise taxes and interest rates, loweringthe returns Americans see from theirinvestments and savings.

5. The Lie: With privatization, SocialSecurity can be used to pass wealth fromone generation to the next.

The Truth: Survivor benefits alreadydo that, with no risk to the beneficiaries.About 20 percent of Social Security

payments are survivor benefits. Sur-vivor benefits are indexed for inflation;private plans aren’t.

6. The Lie: Because of their shorter lifeexpectancy, African Americans receivenearly $21,000 less on a lifetime basisfrom Social Security than whites withsimilar income.

The Truth: Social Security paysworkers with very low incomes ahigher percentage of their income thanit pays workers with higher incomes.Because on average African Americanshave lower incomes than whites, as agroup they receive disproportionatelyhigher benefits from Social Security.

Also, African Americans make uponly 12 percent of the population, butaccount for 17 percent of Social Securitydisability beneficiaries and 22 percent ofall people receiving survivors’ benefits.

Don’t fall for the privatization lie. Wedon’t need it, and there is no way todivert money away from Social Secu-rity into private investment accountswithout lowering benefits.

Even its supporters admit that. Thebill proposed by Reps. Charles W. Sten-holm, D-Texas, and Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz.,would divert only three percent of pay-roll taxes into private accounts, but ana-

lysts say it would require cutting bene-fits by 19 percent, doing away with theannual cost of living adjustment, andmoving the retirement age to 67.

It would also divert billions every yearinto the pockets of Wall Street financialmanagers. Is that where you want yourSocial Security money to go? ❑

Based on an article in the August 2001AARPBulletin.


L E A P I S S U E S


Contact your senatorsand ask them to pass itA HANDFUL OFRepublican senatorsare moving to block passage of a bill toreform the Railroad Retirement Act,despite its overwhelming support byboth parties in both the House of Rep-resentatives and the Senate.

This legislation makes much-neededchanges to the Railroad RetirementAct, including provisions to increasebenefits paid to surviving spouses,reduce the number of years needed forvesting from ten years to five, and pro-vide a mechanism to ensure that theRailroad Retirement fund remainsstrong under all economic conditions.

H.R. 1140 passed the House by amargin of 384 to 33 in July. Its compan-ion bill in the Senate, S. 697, has 75cosponsors, ensuring passage.

But Senators Don Nickles (R-OK),Phil Gramm (R-TX), John Kyl (R-AZ),and Craig Thomas (R-WY) are trying toblock its passage. They have writtenSenator Max Baucus (D-MT), chairmanof the Senate Finance Committee, ask-ing him to delay consideration of thelegislation so the committee can holdhearings on it.

Hearings would make sense if no onehad seen the bill before now, but thisbill is nearly identical to one the SenateFinance Committee passed last year.That bill also had enough cosponsors toguarantee passage, but then-Senateleader Trent Lott (R-MS) — at the insis-

tence of these same senators — kept itfrom coming to the floor for a vote.

It appears that because the Republi-cans are now in the minority and can’tblock the bill from coming to the floor,they are hoping to delay it in committeelong enough to find a way to kill it.

We must not let them succeed. Con-tact your senators and urge them topass Railroad Retirement reform dur-ing this session.❑

Railroad retirementbill held up in Senate

YOU DON’T HAVE to wear yourheart on your sleeve.

Your chest will do just fine.Members who donate to the Boiler-

makers Campaign Assistance Fund(CAF) can now receive high-qualitypremiums with the BoilermakersLEAP into Action logo (pictured atright) embroidered on them.

Donate $15 or more, and you canreceive an embroidered tote bag. For adonation of $20 or more, you canreceive a t-shirt. A donation of $32 ormore warrants a golf shirt. And if youdonate $35 or more, you can get along-sleeve denim shirt.

All premium items are made in theU.S.A. with union labor. Supplies arelimited. Make your donation today.

The Boilermakers Campaign Assis-tance Fund (CAF) lends financial sup-port to candidates for federal officewho support our issues. Unions arebarred by law from donating duesmoney to federal candidates. Supportfor candidates comes from voluntarydonations to CAF.

Help us elect candidates who sup-port our issues. Donate to CAF.

You can make your pledge andreserve your premium item by phon-

ing 703-560-1493. The BoilermakersCAF accepts Visa, MasterCard,checks, and money orders. Please donot send cash through the mail.

If you want a clothing premium, besure to indicate the size and color fromthe following choices:

T-shirts. Teal, L through XXL.Navy, M through XXL.

Golf shirts. Stone, M, L, XXL. Black,M through XXXL.

Denim shirts. Women’s sizes, Land XL. Men’s regular M throughXXXL. Men’s tall, L and XL.

Tote bags are Navy.

Show your supportfor legislative action

Tax-cut windfallfor cabinet CITIZENS FOR TAX JUSTICE usedthe financial information PresidentBush and his cabinet supplied to theOffice of Government Ethics (OGE) toestimate their potential tax breaks.They are pretty sweet.

Bush will net $23,000, while his vicepresident pockets $1.7 million, basedon his $36 million income for 2000.

Everyone in Bush’s cabinet will get asizeable tax cut, with the largest going toTreasury Secretary Paul O’Neill, whosaves between $3.2 and $3.5 million,based on income of $60 to $68 million.

But Defense Secretary Donald Rums-feld’s heirs do even better. Rumsfeldhas reported assets as high as $243 mil-lion, putting his heirs in position to rakein a windfall of $120 million once theestate tax is fully repealed.

Not a bad inheritance for the familyof a public servant. ❑

How much willprivatizing cost?A CONGRESSIONAL ResearchOffice study shows that keeping trackof privatized accounts will raiseSocial Security administrative costsfrom today’s $3 billion to anywherefrom $40 to $800 billion.

These higher costs, mainly fees forfinancial managers and stockbro-kers, will require Social Security toreduce guaranteed benefits. Thestudy projects workers who retireafter 2020 will receive 4.7 to 10.8 per-cent less than today’s retirees enjoy.

Current retirees and workersunder age 47 would not be affected.

Six lies people arespreading aboutSocial Security Wall Street distorts the pictures so they can get theirhands on the trillion dollar Social Security surplus

By Ralph Nader

THE FUNCTION OFNAFTA and thefar-reaching, powerful World TradeOrganization (WTO) is to deny the U.S.and other governments much of theircapacity to protect citizens and toharshly limit what domestic policiesthey may pursue.

Big Business has crafted these agree-ments to circumvent national and localgovernmental democratic processes, toundermine citizens’ ability to forceeffective regulation of corporate activ-ity, and to lock in the rules that enablecorporations to shut plants in one coun-try and move to another repressiveregime with virtually no restrictions.

The agreements have institutional-ized a global economic and political sit-uation that places every government ina virtual hostage situation, at the mercyof a global financial and commerce sys-tem run by international corporationsfavored by the enforcement powers ofthe WTO.

These are pull-down agreements:they pull down our accumulated victo-ries and achievements in the areas ofwages and hours, union organizing,food safety protection, consumer safe-guards and protections for our naturalenvironment, among others, and chillattempts at future advances.

Under the new global governancesystem imposed by WTO/NAFTA,many decisions affecting our dailylives are no longer made by our localand national governments, but insteadare dictated by a series of internationaltrade rules administered by a group ofunelected bureaucrats sitting behindclosed doors in Geneva. The unac-

countable bureaucrats who sit on thetrade tribunals issue decisions on mat-ters implicating issues ranging fromwhether or not people in California canprevent the destruction of their last vir-gin forests to whether the Europeancountries have the right to ban the useof dangerous biotech hormones intheir meats.

At stake is the very basis of democ-racy and accountable decision-makingthat is the necessary undergirding ofany labor and other citizen struggle forjust distribution of wealth and ade-quate health, safety, and environmen-tal protections.

Let me give an example to illustratethe point.

When NAFTA went into effect in1994, it included a provision requiringthe United States to open its border toMexican trucks. By 1995, the UnitedStates was to permit Mexican trucksinto border states, and by 2000 to per-mit Mexican trucks to travel through-out our country.

The problem is that Mexican truckingregulations and regulatory enforcementare not comparable to the protectionsafforded by the already inadequate U.S.rules. As Public Citizen notes in a reportcalled “The Coming NAFTA Crash,”truck safety rules are much weaker inMexico. Mexico does not limit the timedrivers spend behind the wheel. Somedrivers report being required to drive 36hours straight with just a six-hour breakbefore returning to the road. Mexico’shazardous materials control system is

much laxer than the U.S. system. Mexi-can truck carriers in 2000 were morethan three times as likely to have safetydeficiencies as U.S. carriers.

Of those trucks that are entering theUnited States from Mexico (more thanfour million a year), fewer than one per-cent are inspected at the U.S.-Mexicoborder, but 35 percent of those are takenout of service for serious safety failures(a rate 46 percent higher than for U.S.trucks). By contrast, 40 percent of U.S.trucks are inspected domestically.

Accidents involving Mexican trucksare rapidly rising in the Texas-Mexicoborder area. Public Citizen reports that,if Texas’ experience of increasing fatali-ties from Mexican trucks along the bor-der “were expanded to the entirecountry, an additional 530 peoplewould have died in crashes with Mexi-can trucks.”

Given the dangers and the record, theUnited States has sensibly refused topermit Mexican trucks total access tothe United States until greater safetyprotections are in place.

But that is not acceptable underNAFTA. To enforce NAFTA rules,Mexico has sued the United Statesbefore a NAFTA trade tribunal, whichhas ordered the United States to letMexican trucks in. The U.S. argumentthat the Mexican trucking regulatorysystem was inadequate didn’t carryweight. The tribunal’s position wasthat, to ensure safety, the United Statescould inspect Mexican trucks itself —even though everyone understandsthere is no chance of this ever occur-ring, given the enormous resources itwould require.

This presented the Bush administra-tion with the choice of refusing toenforce the ruling — in which case theUnited States will be obligated to payfines to Mexico — or opening the bor-ders and accept the near-certainty ofincreased crashes and preventableinjuries and loss of human life. Theadministration has decided to push tolet Mexican trucks on U.S. roads.

The NAFTA truck decision is repre-sentative, not exceptional. The veryrules of the international trade agree-ments institutionalize this pull-downeffect. Already WTO panels have ruledagainst U.S. environmental protectionsto promote clean air and protect dol-phins. WTO rules specify the standardswe can maintain for food safety andauto fuel efficiency — always establish-ing an effective cap on how protectiveour standards can be, while permittinglaxer protections. We can no longer befirst because we will go throughWTO/NAFTA harmonization com-mittees to standardize downwardthese safety conditions.

The pull-down effect is imposedthrough other means, as well.

U.S. corporations long ago learnedhow to pit states against each other in“a race to the bottom” to profit fromwhatever state would offer the lowerwages, pollution standards, and taxes.Now, through NAFTA and GATT,multinational corporations can playthis game at the global level, pittingcountry against country. After all,

externalizing environmental and socialcosts is one way to boost corporateprofits. It is a tragic lure that has its win-ners and losers determined before iteven gets underway: workers, con-sumers, and communities in all coun-tries lose; short-term profits soar andBig Business “wins.”

Under the WTO, the race to the bot-tom is not only in standard of livingand environmental and health safe-guards, but in democracy itself. Enact-ment of the free trade deals virtuallyguarantee that democratic efforts toensure corporations pay their fair shareof taxes, provide their employers adecent standard of living, or limit theirpollution of the air, water, and land willbe met with the refrain: “You can’t bur-den us like that. If you do, we won’t beable to compete. We’ll have to closedown and move to a country that offersus a more hospitable climate.” This sortof threat is extremely powerful — com-munities already devastated by plantclosures and a declining manufactur-ing base are desperate not to lose morejobs. They know all too well that threatsof this sort are often carried out.

Nowhere has the impact been moredevastating than in the area of collec-tive bargaining agreements and workerrepresentation.

Cornell University researcher KateBronfenbrenner, in a 2000 study spon-sored by the U.S. Trade Deficit ReviewCommission, found that more than halfof all employers facing union organiz-ing drives threaten to close all or part oftheir plant — even though such threatsare generally illegal. For mobile indus-tries — companies that could moreplausibly threaten to move, like autoplants, as opposed to hotels — theplant-closing threat rate approachedtwo-thirds.

Bronfenbrenner’s study, the mostcomprehensive ever undertaken andbased on 1998 and 1999 union organiz-ing efforts, concluded that the “threatsare even more pervasive than theywere in 1993-1995, and the threat ofcapital mobility has discernablyaffected union organizing strategies.”

Bronfenbrenner proved what everyworker knows: the threat to move aplant is among the most powerful tac-tics an employer can use.

“The data suggest that most workerstake even the most veiled employerplant closing threats very seriously,”she writes. “When combined withother anti-union tactics of employers,as they are in the overwhelming major-ity of employer campaigns, plant-clos-ing threats are extremely effective inundermining union organizing efforts,even in a context where the majority ofworkers in the unit seem predisposedto support the union at the onset of theorganizing campaign.”

Bronfenbrenner found that “unionelection win rates were significantlylower in units where plant-closingthreats occurred (38 percent) than inunits without plant-closing threats (51percent). Win rates were especially low(24 percent) in those campaigns whereemployers made specific threats tomove to another country.”

Since there is no stronger guaranteeof workers’ interests than belonging toa union, the harmful impact of tradeagreement-facilitated capital mobilityhas had a devastating impact on work-ers’ power — on their ability to bargaincollectively, and to demand safer con-ditions, better pay and benefits, andshorter hours.

How did we get to this point?Big corporations have worked hard

to shape the U.S. and other rich countrynegotiating positions for the tradeagreements. In many cases, they haveactually drafted the basic negotiating

Who writes our laws?Congress or the WTO?

Trade panels can force our government to throwout environmental, safety, and worker protections


W T O


Continued on page 9

WTO & TradeAgreements

We makethe rules

documents. They support lobbyists toadvocate for their positions; they fill upslots on advisory committees to the U.S.trade negotiators; they orchestrate let-ter-writing campaigns from employ-ees; and they contribute millions andmillions of dollars in campaign cash —and expect something in return.

Alongside their efforts to influencepolicy makers, corporations haveinvested in an array of think tanks andacademic enterprises to elaborate anentire theory — entirely divorced fromthe real world practice of the actuallyexisting trade agreements — abouthow trade lifts all boats, how tradedeals will help us all. The mainstreammedia has largely echoed the Alice-in-Wonderland “trade helps us all” theorythat the big corporations haveinvented.

In fact, that theory has served toobscure Big Business’s actual views.

Corporate interests share a common,perverse outlook: to them, the globe isviewed only as a common market andcapital source with governments, laws,and democracy as factors that restricttheir unfettered exploitation and limittheir profit.

From their perspective, a good sys-tem is one that eliminates market barri-ers on a global scale. From any otherhumane perspective, such barriers areseen as valued safeguards on unfet-tered economic activity — everynation’s laws that foster theireconomies, their workers’ rights, theircitizens’ health and safety, the sustain-able use of their land and resources. Instark contrast, for multinational corpo-rations, the diversity that is a blessing ofdemocracy and that results from dif-fuse decision-making is itself the majorbarrier to be bypassed or removed.

On rare occasions, promoters of theeconomic globalization agenda havebeen frank about their intentions.“Governments should interfere in theconduct of trade as little as possible,”said Director General GATT PeterSutherland, in a March 3, 1994 speechin New York City.

Anyone who doubts that corporateeconomic globalization has any under-pinnings except maximizing short-term profit, need only consider the caseof U.S.-China economic relations.When it came to human rights, in 1994the Clinton Administration ended thehistorical linkage between favorabletrade status and a country’s humanrights record. However, in early 1995,when property rights were in question,McDonald’s lease and Mickey Mouse’sroyalties were cause for $1 billion inthreatened trade restrictions againstChina. This threat resulted in Chinesegovernment policy changes to enforceintellectual property monopolies.

Similarly, economic globalization’sprimary mechanisms of GATT andNAFTA, do not target all “impedi-ments” on commerce for elimination.Rather, the agreements promote elimi-nation of restrictions that protect peo-ple, while increasing protection forcorporate interests. For instance, regu-lation of commerce for environmental,health, or other social goals is strictlylimited. Labor rights, which were to beincluded in the Uruguay Round undercongressional orders, were entirely leftout as inappropriate limitations onglobal commerce. But regulation ofcommerce to protect corporate prop-erty rights — such as patents on medi-cines — was expanded. The right forcapital to invest in any country in anyarea with no limitations was alsostrengthened.

One of the clearest lessons thatemerges from a study of industrializedsocieties is that the centralization ofcommerce is environmentally anddemocratically unsound. No onedenies the usefulness of some interna-tional trade. But developing societiesneed to focus their attention on foster-ing community-oriented productionand domestic trade. Such locally rootedoperations are more flexible and adapt-able to local needs. They are more sus-

ceptible to democratic control. Andthey are less likely to threaten tomigrate, and more likely to perceivetheir interests as more overlappingwith community interests.

Similarly, allocating power to lowerlevel governmental bodies tends toincrease citizen power. Concentratingpower in international organizations,as the trade pacts do, tends to removecritical decisions from citizen control todistant absentee owners. You can talkto your city council representative, butnot some faceless international tradebureaucrat in Geneva, Switzerland.

So long as local or state decisions canbe jeopardized by a foreign country’smere accusation that their standardsare a non-tariff trade barrier, so long asa country must pay a bribe in tradesanctions to maintain laws ruled to betrade barriers by foreign tribunals, solong as a company’s claim that the bur-den citizen safeguards would impose isso great that they would have to pickup their stakes and move elsewhere,then the standards of living worldwidewill continue to spiral downward.

Following the establishment of theWTO, the corporate globalizationprocess and its effects are continuing toexacerbate stagnant economic condi-tions for most of the world’s people. In

the United States, if we do not make theconnection between our local problemsand the multinational corporate drivefor economic and political globaliza-tion, then others will blame theseunavoidable and increasing problemson other causes. “It’s the immigrants!”“It’s the welfare system!” “It’s greedyfarmers or workers!” Allowing suchcamouflage for the real causes of theseproblems generated by the corporate-dominated economy divides citizensagainst each other to the benefit of theagenda of the mega-corporations.

What we face now is a race againsttime: How will citizens reverse the dev-astating corporate globalizationagenda while democratic instincts andinstitutions remain, albeit under attack.

Right now, our task is clear: We mustdefeat the Bush administration requestfor fast-track negotiating authority —blank-check authorization from Con-gress to negotiate new trade deals withvirtually no subsequent congressionaldebate and no ability of Congress toamend the resulting agreements.

The Bush administration wants touse fast track to negotiate a Free TradeArea of the Americas (FTAA) — aneffort to expand failed NAFTA modelto include all of Latin America and theCaribbean. Such an agreement willintensify the pain that NAFTA hasinflicted in the United States, whilespreading the pain it has caused inMexico to all of Latin America.

This manic corporate globalizationdrive must be stopped.

But we must do more as well. Even-tually, we will have to reverse NAFTA,GATT, and the other trade deals. Thatwill require a revitalized citizen democ-racy in the United States and abroad,and movement building acrossnational borders. The goal is replace theWTO with a pull-up, not a pull-down,system of global commerce, and toencourage the pursuit of creative dem-ocratic alternatives, at every level, tocorporate globalization. ❑

Ralph Nader is a consumer advocate, lawyer,and author. He publishes the MultinationalMonitor, a magazine devoted to world trade andmultinational corporations.


W T O


Continued from page 8

Ottawa wants to open its doors toimmigrant construction workers

A PROPOSAL TOoverhaul federalimmigration rules would allowOttawa to “fast track” tens of thou-sands of temporary immigrant con-struction workers into Canada withina few short weeks.

Under the present law, Canadianfederal government regulations makeit almost impossible for U.S. buildingtradesmen to enter the country. It cantake two years or more for a skilledU.S. worker to come to Canada as anindependent immigrant. Too long tohelp ease Canada’s skilled labour

shortage, which experts warn is grow-ing at an alarming rate.

Under the proposal, temporaryworkers could be “whisked” intoCanada once a labour shortage is iden-tified. The immigration departmentwould no longer try to select independ-ent immigrants according to their occu-pations, but would recruit people with“flexible” skills to meet urgent needs.

Intl. Vice Pres. Rick Albright fearsthis new “open-door” policy couldvery well devalue all that unions havefought for.

He believes skilled — not flexible —workers should be recruited throughthe AFL-CIO Building and Construc-tion Trades Department (BCTD) toease Canada’s labour shortage.

“We must demand that a fast trackU.S./Canadian construction workerexchange program be establishedwith the AFL-CIO Building and Con-struction Trades Department desig-nated as the official clearinghouse,”said Albright, who also serves aschairman of the BCTD CanadianExecutive Board.

“No immigrant construction workershould be allowed into Canada with-out BCTD clearance.” ❑

Proposal would change Canada’s immigrationrules to recruit ‘flexible’ instead of ‘skilled’ workers

IN THE LAST ISSUE of the Reporter,we provided a form you can use tocollect and organize the informationyou will need to process your griev-

ance. That form will not only help youorganize your evidence, but if you arethorough in filling it out, you will havecovered all the bases and be ready to goforward with a strong case.

But what is your case, exactly? Youwon’t know until you’ve sat down withall of the information and studied it.Don’t jump on the first issue that yousee — or think you see.

We cannot stress this point too much.It is very easy to listen to a member’scomplaint and immediately jump tothe conclusion that you know how thegrievance should be handled.

Remind yourself: You don’t knowanything until you’ve collected all ofthe facts and studied the complaint, theevidence, and the contract (or whateverforms the basis for the grievance).

One problem with jumping on thefirst issue that comes to mind is thatyou might not collect all the informa-tion you need to argue your case effec-tively. The second problem is that evenif you collect all of the information, youmight frame your argument in such away that it is impossible to win.

Let’s look at an example adaptedfrom an actual experience at one of ourlodges. The lodge has a reasonablygood relationship with their employer,but recently the company has hiredseveral new supervisors.

His first day on the job, one of thenew supervisors fires Joe M., a seven-year employee who is popular with hisco-workers. He can often be seen beforeor after work hanging out in the park-ing lot with several other employeeswho all ride motorcycles.

This group enjoys talking about theirbikes and can often be seen ridingtogether on weekends. Like a lot ofmotorcycle riders, they also enjoy longhair, beards, tattoos, earrings, andclothing with Harley logos and motor-cycle-related cartoons and pictures.

Joe immediately files a grievance, butbefore his grievance has even beenheard at the first step meeting, one ofJoe’s best friends, Bill B., is fired. Billalso files a grievance.

Word gets around the yard prettyquickly that the new supervisor doesn’tlike bikers. The workers who ride starttalking about how to get rid of him. Thesteward handling these two grievancesis not a biker, but he has long hair andwears an earring. He doesn’t want tohave a supervisor who is prejudicedagainst people who dress that way.

The steward, who is also new to thejob, isn’t sure how to get ready for thefirst-step hearing. Can he argue thatdiscrimination based on looks or inter-ests is against the law? How does heshow that the supervisor is prejudiced?

He spends a lot of time talking toother long-haired workers and bikers,asking them if the supervisor has eversaid anything to them about the waythey look or shown any favoritism forworkers who dress more conserva-tively. He hears quite a few things.

One biker says the supervisor some-times stands in the parking lot beforework, smoking and watching them.Another says he goes out of his way totalk to the workers with short hair, butignores the long-hairs. Several othersshare observations that seem to showprejudice, but none of them can relate aspecific statement or action where heclearly discriminated.

The steward takes down all of theirstatements, though, and goes into the

meeting planning to argue that thesheer volume of observations is enoughto show bias, even though there is no“smoking gun.”

At the first-step hearing, the supervi-sor wastes no time making his case.Both Joe and Bill have excessiveabsences and tardinesses. Both havesufficient violations that the previoussupervisor should have fired them.

The steward looks at the attendancesheets, which support the supervisor’sstatement. He realizes immediatelythat he was asking everyone the wrongquestions, but takes a shot anyway,saying people on the floor think thesupervisor is biased against bikers.

The supervisor smiles and opens hiswallet. He shows the steward a photoof a younger version of himself, withbeard and long hair, sitting on a Harleyat the rim of the Grand Canyon.

“You guys have me figured allwrong,” he says. “I just want to start offwith a clean slate here.”

It is always tempting to jump on thefirst issue that comes to mind, and prej-udice — either against individuals oranti-union prejudice — is often the firstissue that comes to mind.

But you need to let your investigationdecide how you’ll argue your case. Ifthis steward had done the properresearch with an open mind, he wouldhave known about Joe and Bill’sabsences and perhaps been able to dis-cover some mitigating circumstances.

Instead, he had no defense for theiractions and made himself appear fool-ish in front of the company.

It is not easy to keep an open mindthroughout the entire investigationprocess. We tend to think we see whatthe issue is and begin focussing ourquestions in that direction. Doing socan lead you to collect the wrong facts.

When you speak to the grievants andwitnesses, avoid the temptation todirect their answers. Don’t ask leadingquestions, like “When did the supervi-sor lose his temper?” Ask simple, directquestions, like “What did you see?What did you hear?”

Once you have all the facts, you canbegin looking for an issue. As you lookat the facts, look for a way to take thenegative argument. That is, let the com-pany make their claim, then force themto prove it.

The positive argument is alwaysmore difficult to prove, so avoid claim-ing company bias. ❑


S T E W A R D S S O U R C E B O O K


RANDY WILCOX, a nine-year mem-ber of Local 627, Phoenix, Ariz., isour most recent Star Steward.

In making the nomination, ZaneSimon, an asst. superintendent atDesert Fox Industrial, said Wilcox isan excellent steward.

“Wilcox is an 11-year craft veter-an. We have been on site at APSCholla for seven months and noproblems have arisen that Randyhas not immediately resolved,”reported Simon.

“We have a number of apprenticeson site and he makes sure all month-ly reports are current and filed ontime. He also maintains a record ofall modules completed or inprogress. At every layoff, he checks

the MOST line and posts jobs for themen who are leaving. I feel he is aStar Steward.”

Do you know a Star Steward?DROP US A LINE with the name of thesteward, the local, the company, and a fewwords about why you think this steward isso special. Send a photo if you have one.We’d like the world to see what a goodsteward looks like.

Send info to this address:Star StewardsThe Boilermaker ReporterBoilermakers International753 State Ave, Suite 570Kansas City KS 66101

★ ★ ★ Star Stewards ★ ★ ★

Local 627’s Randy Wilcox is a Star Steward

The Stewards Sourcebook

Don’t jump to conclusions — let the facts guide you

Members of the CLGAW Division from Locals D351, D472, and D480 participate in aone-day steward training program conducted by Len Beauchamp, standing at left.

Members attend stewardtraining in Alpena, Michigan

THERE WERE undoubtedly a numberof other ways to spend a Saturday, butmembers from three Cement, Lime,Gypsum, and Allied Workers(CLGAW) Division locals decided thebest way for them was to attend asteward training program.

Director of Research and CollectiveBargaining Services Len Beauchamp

conducted the one-day seminar inAlpena, Mich., on Sept. 8, 2001.

He covered such topics as stewardrights and knowing your collectivebargaining agreement.

Attending were members ofMichigan lodges, Local D351,Stoneport; Local D472, Alpena; andLocal D480, Charlevoix. ❑

GIFTS FEATURING THEBoilermakerlogo are being offered as a fundraiserfor the Boilermakers National Archives.

For donating as little as $2, you canreceive your choice of three different-styled window decals. Each three-inchcircle decal features a bulldog in the cen-ter with the word “Boilermakers” at thetop. Language choices at the bottom ofthe decal include Damn Straight, Do ItRight, or Solidarity Forever. For $5 youcan receive three decals of your choice.

For a $15 donation, you can choose aman’s or woman’s souvenir watch witha black leather band as your gift.

For a $20 donation, you can receive awall clock.

For a $30 donation, you can receive aman’s sports watch, featuring a stain-less steel band.

For a $40 donation, you can choose aman’s or woman’s dress watch, featur-ing a gold coin-die emblem face. (The

face of each watch style and clock fea-tures the Boilermaker logo.)

You may increase your donation andreceive more than one gift. For exam-ple, you can donate $55 and receivethree decals of your choice, a wall clock,and a men’s sports watch.

Only U.S. funds can be accepted.Please make checks payable to the Boil-ermakers Archives, indicate your gift

choice on the memo line, and mail to:Tom Wands, ArchivistBoilermakers National Archives753 State Ave., #570Kansas City, KS 66101All donations are tax deductible (less

$1 for each decal received; $7 for sou-venir watch; $10 for clock; $18 forsports watch; $20 for dress watch). TaxID #48-114-537.

Support the National Archives

Window Decals — $2 each or three for $5 10-inch clock — $20

Men’s GoldDress Watch

$40

Men’sSouvenir Watch

$15

Men’sSports Watch

$30

Ladies GoldDress Watch

$40

LadiesSouvenir Watch

$15

Even at 18 years of age,Bradford knew heneeded a unionJAMES DILLON BRADFORD, 91,vice president emeritus of the UnitedCement, Lime, and Gypsum WorkersInternational Union (UCLGWIU), wasonly 15 years of age when his father’sdeath forced him to quit school so hecould support his family.

He got a job at the Gager LimeCompany in Sherwood, Tenn. Threeyears later, he and other dissatisfiedemployees decided to form a union.Bradford wrote a letter to GeorgeMeany, then a plumbers’ businessagent in New York City, asking him tosend a representative to help themimprove their working conditions.Meany sent Paul Amon, and togetherthey organized the Federal UnionLocal #32 in 1933.

Bradford became the local’s firstpresident, a position he held untilbecoming an organizer for DistrictCouncil #5 in Birmingham, Ala. Helater switched his membership to thefirst local he organized for the council— Local 140 in Knoxville, Tenn.,which is now Boilermaker LocalD140 following the UCLGWIU merg-er in 1984.

When the council’s president waspromoted to assist UCLGWIU Pres.William Schoenberg, Bradford waselected council president. He held thisposition until 1956, when he was elect-

ed to serve as an international vicepresident of the cement workers union.

In 1971, Bradford retired. But henever did stop working. He continuesto be active in politics, something he’sbeen doing since before he was oldenough to vote, having worked on theAl Smith presidential campaign whenSmith ran against Herbert Hoover.Bradford is also active in his commu-nity, having served as president of hiscommunity association. He supportscivic improvements, such as parksand recreation, city improvements,and clean air and water.

At 15 or 91, when Bradford seesthat something needs to be done, hedoes it! ❑


L O C A L N E W S


Rep. Peter Visclosky (D IN-1st), back right, meets with, l. to r., Local 374 dele-gates Donald Armstrong and Mike Clift, Ed Carter of Local 524 (back center),Dan Fraley of Local 1252, and Terry Paris of Local 524.

Delegates visit Rep. Visclosky

WHILE ATTENDING theBoilermakers’ 33rd annual conferenceof the Legislative Education-ActionProgram (LEAP), March 19-23, 2001,delegates representing Indiana Locals374 (Hammond) and 524 (EastChicago), and Local 1252 (ChicagoHeights, Ill.) met with Rep. PeterVisclosky (D IN-1st).

The Boilermakers outlined issuesof importance to our members, suchas Title XI, and the Ship LoanGuarantee Program.

They also listened carefully asRep. Visclosky described a bill hehas introduced to help the steelindustry — H.R. 881. ❑

Enjoying a cook-out during EMS week are, l. to r., EMT Denny Byrne, ParamedicsScott Hedrick and Richard Turner, and EMTs Norman Byers and Jimmy Jones.

MEMBERS OF LOCAL P3, Owens-boro, Ky., participated in WalkAmer-ica, a walk for healthier babies, on April21. Emergency medical technicians(EMTs), paramedics, and members ofan emergency medical service (EMS)bike patrol participated in the walk-a-thon, raising $200 for the Wish Upon aStar Foundation. Not only did employ-

ees of the Yellow Ambulance Com-pany participate in the fundraiser, butthey also inspired the company todonate an additional $150.

Participants included Jenny Byrne,Heather Chubb, Crystal Crow, RuthDant, Mike Durbin, Debbie Jeffries,Jimmy Jones, Brook Taylor, and RichardTurner (not all pictured here). ❑

P3 members attend training

MEMBERS OF LOCAL P3,Owensboro, Ky., attended in-servicemeetings and training programs dur-ing the annual National EMS week,May 21-25. Co-sponsored by Local P3and Yellow Ambulance Services, theevent was attended by emergencymedical service (EMS) employees aswell as members of the Owensboroand Davies County coroner, fire,police, and sheriff departments.

As EMS workers must be recertifiedin CPR every two years, the eventincluded a class that reenacted a car-diac arrest using a mannequin. “In

addition to the training, we held abreakfast for all the departments,cooked-out hamburgers and hotdogs,had free coke and popcorn availableall week, and held a dinner and dancewith door prizes,” said Local P3President Kay Phillips. “This week notonly helps to provide the trainingEMS workers need to keep their certi-fication, but it gives us all a chance tomeet off the job and get to know eachother a little better,” she said. “Thetraining is open to all city and countyEMS workers, and this year included atour of the new Owensboro jail.” ❑

Local 7 builds repelling towerLocal hopes to use towerto teach Boilermakershow to repel on the jobMEMBERS OF LOCAL 7, Buffalo,N.Y., are building a repelling towerfor the Erie County sheriff’s specialweapons and tact (SWAT) team train-ing center. When they are done, theyhope they can use the tower in theirlocal lodge training program.

“Our members are using theirBoilermaker skills on a voluntary basisto erect this tower for the SWATteam,” reported Local 7 BM-ST PatLyons. “We hope we can use thistower to teach repelling classes to ourapprentices and journeymen to aidour contractors in stack and linerrepair and erection.”

Working on the tower are Local 7Pres. Joseph Brown, Inspector StevenAmbrose, journeyman David Shareno,and apprentices David Spencer,Darrin Drews, Paul Serio, JimSikorski, David Baumann, GreggKaczmarczyk, and Jeremiah Flagg. ❑

James Dillon Bradford has been anactive unionist and community leaderfor 68 years.

J. D. Bradford has been aunion member for 68 years

Retired and active members of Local 29, Boston, Mass., attend Local 29’s 13thannual golf tournament at the Country Club of New Hampshire.

Local 7 members are building thisrepelling tower for the Erie Countysheriff’s SWAT team.

L-29 sponsors golf tournament

LOCAL 29, Boston, Mass., sponsoredits 13th annual golf tournament onJune 24, 2001. Both active and retiredmembers of the shop and constructionlodge attended the tournament held atthe Country Club of New Hampshire.

Local 29 Asst. Bus. Mgr. PaulMeade credits the tournament’s suc-cess to Joseph Birolini, the local’schairman of trustees, who “did anoutstanding job of putting every-thing together.” ❑

P3 members in walk-a-thon


S E T T L E M E N T S


P3—Owensboro, KYHEATHER CHUBB, acting sec-retary-treasurer of LocalP3, Owensboro, Ky., reportscontract ratification, effec-tive July 1, 2000 to June 30,2003, for 70 Local P3 mem-bers who work in medicalcare and transportation forthe Yellow Ambulance Co.

P4—Youngstown, OHIN T L. REP . MIKE ZORDANI

reports contract ratifica-tion, effective March 19,2001 to March 19, 2004,for members of Local P4,Youngstown, Ohio, whowork in medical care andtransportation for GoldCross AmbulanceService Inc.

M18—Buffalo, NYINTL. RE P. ROCCO DEROLLO

reports contract ratifica-tion, effective Jan. 1, 2001to Dec. 31, 2003, for mem-bers of Local M18, Buffalo,N.Y., who work at theBastian Company, andeffective April 7, 2001 toApril 2, 2004, for Local M18members at Getinge/Castle, Inc.

D46—Santa Cruz, CAINTL. RE P. MICHAEL ATCHISONreports contract ratifica-tion, effective March 1,2001 to Feb. 28, 2004, for 85

members of Local D46,Santa Cruz, Calif., whowork at RMC PacificMaterials.

L-72—Portland, ORINTL. TRUSTEE JOHN YEATTSreports contract ratificationeffective Nov. 2, 1998 toSept. 1, 2002, for 35 mem-bers of Local 72, Portland,Ore., who manufacturemining vehicles at AtlasCopco Wagner, Inc., andeffective Jan. 1, 2001 toDec. 31, 2002, for 25 Local72 members who manufac-ture choppers (cable cut-ters) and plywood handlingequipment at SweedMachinery.

L-73—Halifax, NSMEMBERS OF LOCAL 73,Halifax, Nova Scotia,Canada, have ratified acontract, effective Oct. 10,2000 to Oct. 9, 2005, for 200members who make tanks,boilers, and perform cus-tom fabrication at BancMetal Industries(formerlyMM Industra Limited).

L-87—West ChesterINTL. REP. ROBERT HEINE JR.and Harry Williams, presi-dent of Local 87, WestChester, Pa., report con-tract ratification, effectiveJune 28, 2001 to June 27,2004, for 53 Local 87 mem-

bers who make monomerresins at the Sartomer Co.

L-107—Milwaukee, WIJAMES GARFIELD, BM-ST ofLocal 107, Milwaukee,Wis., reports contract rati-fication, effective May 1,2001 to April 30, 2004, for23 L-107 members whowork at Becker BoilerCompany, Inc.

L-117—Superior, WIINTL. REP . LEN GUNDERSON

reports contract ratifica-tion, effective June 1, 2000to May 31, 2003, for 60members of Local 117,Superior, Wis., who work atBarko Hydraulics.

L-151—Erie, PACHARLES GOODMAN, presidentof Local 151, Erie, Pa.,reports contract ratifica-tion, effective Aug. 14, 1998to Aug. 14, 2002, for 18Local 151 members whowork in the warehouse andfabrication shop at theArthur Louis SteelCompany.

L-159—Mountain TopINTL. REP . ROCCO DEROLLOreports contract ratifica-tion, effective Jan. 14, 2001to Jan. 13, 2004, for mem-bers of Local 159, MountainTop, Pa., who work at the

Ashley Machine & ToolCompany.

L-195—Kewanee, ILMEMBERS OF LOCAL 195,Kewanee, Ill., have ratifieda contract effective March31, 2001 to March 31, 2004for 160 L-195 members whomake boilers at theKewanee BoilerManufacturing Co.

L-295—York, PAINTL. REP . ROBERT HEINE JR.reports contract ratifica-tion, effective May 5, 2001to May 7, 2004, for 34 mem-bers of Local 295, York, Pa.,who produce mineral pro-cessing equipment, grind-ing mills, and ball mills atSvedala Industries, Inc.Negotiating committeemembers included Local295 Pres. Greg Clymer,Dave Frey, and Dick Getty.

L-482—Wood River, ILINTL. REP . JAMES PRESSLEY

reports contract ratifica-tion, effective Jan. 24, 2001to Jan. 23, 2002, for threemembers of Local 482,Wood River, Ill., who fabri-cate steel at Circle T Steel.

D579—Lantz, NSINTL. REP . ED MATTOCKSreports contract ratifica-tion, effective May 1, 2001

to Dec. 31, 2003, for 92members of Local D579,Lantz, Nova Scotia,Canada, who make clayand concrete products atthe Shaw Group.

L-698—Fitchburg, MAINTL. REP . ROCCO DEROLLO

reports contract ratification,effective April 25, 2001 toApril 24, 2004, for membersof Local 698, Fitchburg,Mass., who work at C & WFabricators, Inc.

L-1247—Chicago, ILINTL. REP. HOWARD COLEreports contract ratification,effective Feb. 17, 2001 to Feb.18, 2004, for eight membersof Local 1247, Chicago, Ill.,who perform maintenancework at Aramark UniformServices, Inc.

L-1603—Alliance, OHINTL. RE P. RON LYON reportscontract ratification,effective July 30, 2000 toJuly 30, 2004, for 120members of Local 1603,Alliance, Ohio, who forgesteel for truck, aircraft,and heavy equipmentparts at TWF Acquisition,Inc. (T&W Forge).

L-1622—Alliance, OHINTL. REP . RON LYON reportscontract ratification, effec-tive June 25, 1998 to June25, 2002, for 70 members ofLocal 1622, Alliance, Ohio,who work in the productionand manufacturing ofstamped steel oil pans andtransmission parts forautos and trucks at theTransue & WilliamsStamping Co., Inc.

New contract summariesA brief listing of recent agreements signed and ratified by Boilermaker local lodges

You don’t get what you deserve . . .. . . you get what you negotiate

UNION LEADERS, like these pictured here, work longhours to negotiate the best benefits they can forBoilermaker members.

Negotiating a three-year agreement for LocalD46 members at RMC Pacific Material, are D46officers, l. to r., Sec.-Treas. Boyd Cox, Pres. JimSerpa, and Vice Pres. Steve Dyer.

Negotiating a three-year agreement for Local1247 members at Aramark Uniform Services, Inc.are committee chairman Barry McPherson (l.) andBarry Williams.

Pictured above is the negotiating committee forthe 2000 Working Agreement between PacificMinerals, Inc. (formerly known as the Bridger CoalCo.) and Local S1978 of Rock Springs, Wyo. Thissettlement was reported in the May-Jun 2001 issue.

Negotiating a three-year agreement for Local 87members at the Sartomer Co., are, l. to r., JohnBecker, Joseph Lipko, Tim Broadhurst, Jeff Taylor,and Harry Williams.

Prepared by the Research andCollective Bargaining Departmentof the International Brotherhood ofBoilermakers

THIS ANALYSIS of the 21agreements outlined below isbased on information providedin the Contract Summary andTransmittal Report forms, andcovers approximately 1,377employees.

Wage IncreasesTWELVE FACILITIESreported pay increases in2000, averaging $0.50 perhour or 2.75 percent.Eighteen facilities willreceive pay increases in2001, averaging $0.55 perhour or 3.03 percent.Seventeen facilities willreceive pay increases in2002, averaging $0.59 perhour or 2.83 percent.Fourteen facilities willreceive pay increases in2003, averaging $0.59 perhour or three percent.

PensionTWENTY FACILITIESpar-ticipate in some type ofpension program. Nine par-ticipate in the Boilermaker-Blacksmith NationalPension Trust. Their contri-butions range from $0.10 to$1.98 per hour for the firstcontract year. Averagecents-per-hour contribu-tions are $0.87 in the firstcontract year, $0.88 in the

second year, and $0.90 inthe third year. One facilitycontributes an additionalthree percent.

Nine facilities offer a401(k); five have company-sponsored plans; two par-ticipate in a Profit Sharingprogram or EmployeeStock Ownership Program.

Shift DifferentialNINETEEN AGREEMENTSprovide a second shiftpremium, of which 16report a cents-per-hourpremium ranging from$0.15 to $1.00. The averageis $0.42 per hour.

Sixteen agreementsprovide a third-shift pre-mium, of which 14 providea cents-per-hour premiumranging from $0.20 to$1.00. The average is $0.48per hour. Of the remainingagreements, three providea percentage of pay asthe premium.

Sickness & AccidentSEVENTEENagreementsprovide weekly sicknessand accident indemnities.Of these, 26 pay a set dollaramount ranging from $100to $450 per week. The aver-age weekly rate for the firstcontract year is $302.21. Ofthe remaining agreements,two provide a percentageof the employee’s weekly

earnings as the benefit andone calculates a benefitaccording to “paid time off”accrual. The most commonis 26 weeks found in 11agreements. In addition,one agreement reports along-term disability planuntil the age of 65. Life Insurance/AD&DSEVENTEEN agreementsprovide life insurance.There is a set dollaramount ranging from$5,000 to $50,000 in 13 ofthese agreements. Theaverage benefit for the firstcontract year is $23,692.31.The remaining agreementsuse the annual wage asthe benefit, or multiplywages by 2080 hours forthe benefit amount.

Seventeen agreementsprovide Accidental Deathand Dismemberment(AD&D) insurance. There isa set dollar amount rangingfrom $5,000 to $80,000 in 13of these agreements. Theaverage benefit for the firstcontract year is $24,923.08.The remaining agreementsuse the annual wage asthe benefit, or multiplywages by 2080 hours forthe benefit amount.VacationSEVENTEEN agreementsprovide a one-week paid

vacation. Nineteen agree-ments provide a two-weekpaid vacation. Seventeenagreements provide athree-week paid vacation.Fifteen agreements providea four-week paid vacation;11 agreements provide afive-week paid vacation;four provide a six-weekpaid vacation; one providesseven weeks paid vacation.Of the above agreements,one provides vacation paybased on a percentage ofthe employee’s earnings.

Paid HolidaysALL OF THE AGREEMENTSprovide for paid holidays.The number of paid holi-days ranges from four to 13.The average is 9.88 days. Other ProvisionsTWENTY AGREEMENTSprovide funeral leave. Paidleave for jury duty is foundin 15 agreements. Unionleave language is found in14 agreements. Seventeenagreements provide all orpartial reimbursement forthe purchase of safetyshoes; 16 provide prescrip-tion safety glasses. Six pro-vide severance paymentpackages; five agreementsprovide paid leavefor thosepersons who spend twoweeks at military encamp-ment each year.

A summary analysis of these contract settlements

Boilermaker – BlacksmithNational Pension Trustsummary annual reportTHIS IS A SUMMARY of the annualreport for the Boilermaker-BlacksmithNational Pension Trust, EmployerIdentification Number 48-6168020, forJanuary 1 through December 31, 2000.

The annual report has been filedwith the Pension and WelfareBenefits Administration, as requiredunder the Employee RetirementIncome Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).

Basic financial statement

BENEFITS UNDER THE PLAN areprovided by the trust fund directly toparticipants or their beneficiaries. Planexpenses were $313,476,830. Theseexpenses included $26,007,864 inadministrative expenses and$287,468,966 in benefits paid to partici-pants and beneficiaries.

A total of 67,455 persons were partic-ipants in or beneficiaries of the plan atthe end of the plan year, although notall of these persons had yet earned theright to receive benefits.

The value of plan assets, after sub-tracting liabilities of the plan, was$6,245,592,852 as of December 31, 2000,compared to $6,160,657,479 as ofDecember 31, 1999. During the planyear, the plan experienced an increasein its net assets of $84,935,373.

This increase includes unrealizeddepreciation in the value of plan assets;

that is, the difference between the valueof the plan’s assets at the end of the yearand the value of the assets at the begin-ning of the year, or the cost of assetsacquired during the year.

The plan had total income of$398,412,203 (including employer contri-butions of $142,109,740, gains of$377,790,648 from the sale of assets, andlosses from investments of $123,145,631).

Minimum funding standardsAN ACTUARY’S STATEMENTshows that enough money was con-tributed to the plan to keep it fundedin accordance with the minimumfunding standards of ERISA.

Boilermakers NationalHealth & Welfare Fundsummary annual reportTHIS IS A SUMMARY of the annualreport of the Boilermakers NationalHealth and Welfare Fund, EmployerIdentification Number 36-6090694, forthe fiscal year ending December 31,2000. The annual report has been filedwith the Pension and Welfare BenefitsAdministration, as required under theEmployee Retirement Income SecurityAct of 1974 (ERISA).

The Boilermakers National Healthand Welfare Fund has committeditself to pay certain medical, dental,vision, and prescription drug claimsincurred under the terms of the plan.

Insurance information

THE PLAN HAS an experience-ratedcontract with Provident Life andAccident Insurance Company to pay alllife and accidental death and dismem-berment claims.

Because it is an experience-rated con-tract, the premium costs are affected by,among other things, the number andsize of claims. Of the total insurancepremiums paid during the contractyear which ended within the plan yearending December 31, 2000, the premi-ums paid under such experience-ratedcontract were $1,494,159 and the total ofall benefit claims paid under this expe-rience-rated contract during the planyear was $1,041,633.

Basic financial statementTHE VALUE OF PLAN ASSETS, aftersubtracting liabilities of the plan, was$176,831,371 as of December 31, 2000,compared to $178,230,879 as ofDecember 31, 1999. During the planyear, the plan experienced a decrease inits net assets of $1,399,508. Thisdecrease includes unrealized apprecia-tion or depreciation in the value of planassets; that is, the difference betweenthe value of the plan’s assets at the endof the year and the value of the assets atthe beginning of the year, or the cost ofassets acquired during the year. Duringthe plan year, the plan had total incomeof $131,139,648 (including employercontributions of $113,941,937,employee and retiree contributions of$12,269,848, realized losses from thesale of assets of $4,701,318, and earn-ings from investments of $8,760,525).

Plan expenses were $132,539,156. These expenses included $7,564,032

in administrative expenses and$124,975,124 in benefits paid to partici-pants and beneficiaries.

Boilermakers NationalAnnuity Trust summaryannual reportTHIS IS A SUMMARY of the annualreport for the Boilermakers NationalAnnuity Trust, Employer IdentificationNumber 48-1029345, for January 1through December 31, 2000. Theannual report has been filed with thePension and Welfare BenefitsAdministration, as required under theEmployee Retirement Income SecurityAct of 1974 (ERISA).

Basic financial statementBENEFITS UNDER THE PLAN areprovided from trust assets or throughinsurance or annuity contracts. Planexpenses were $29,924,026. Theseexpenses include $2,374,217 in admin-istrative expenses and $27,549,809 inbenefits paid to participants and benefi-ciaries. A total of 52,440 persons wereparticipants in the plan at the end of theplan year.

The value of plan assets, after sub-tracting liabilities of the plan, was$502,100,206 as of December 31, 2000,compared to $428,030,661 as of January1, 2000. During the plan year, the planexperienced an increase in its net assetsof $74,069,545. This increase includesunrealized appreciation in the value ofplan assets; that is, the differencebetween the value of the plan’s assets atthe end of the year and the value of theassets at the beginning of the year, or thecost of assets acquired during the year.

The plan had total income of$103,993,581 (including employer con-tributions of $72,913,446, realized gains

of $6,485,557 from the sale of assets, andearnings from investments of$124,538,771).

You may request acomplete copy of eachfund’s annual report . . .YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to receive acopy of the full annual report, or anypart thereof, for each of these funds onrequest. The items listed below areincluded in each report:

1. An accountant’s report;2. Financial information and informa-

tion on payments to service providers;3. Assets held for investment;4. Transactions in excess of five per-

cent of plan assets.In addition, the Boilermaker-

Blacksmith National Pension Trustsummary annual report will includethe following:

5. Information regarding any com-mon or collective trusts, pooled sepa-rate accounts; master trusts, or 103-12investment entities in which the planparticipates;

6. Actuarial information regardingthe funding of the plan.

The Boilermakers National Health& Welfare Fund summary annualreport will also include the following:

5. Insurance information including salescommissions paid by insurance carriers.

To obtain a copy of the full annualreport, or any part thereof, of each ofthese reports write or call the office of V.Keith Reed, executive administrator,754 Minnesota Avenue, Suite 522 (Suite400 and Zip Code 66101-2762 for theAnnuity report), Kansas City, KS66101-2766, phone - (913) 342-6555.

The charge to cover copying costs ofthe Boilermaker-Blacksmith NationalPension Trust Summary Annual Reportwill be $110 for the full annual report, or25 cents per page for any part thereof.

The charge to cover copying costs ofthe Boilermakers National Health &Welfare Fund Summary Annual Reportwill be $9.75 for the full annual report, or25 cents per page for any part thereof.

The charge to cover copying costs ofthe Boilermakers National AnnuityTrust Summary Annual Report will be$20 for the full annual report, or 25cents per page for any part thereof.

You also have the right to receivefrom the plan executive administrator,on request and at no charge, a statementof the assets and liabilities of each planand accompanying notes, or a state-ment of income and expenses of eachplan and accompanying notes, or both.

If you request a copy of the fullannual report from the plan executiveadministrator, these two statementsand accompanying notes will beincluded as part of that report. Thecharge to cover copying costs givenabove does not include a charge for thecopying of these portions of the reportbecause these portions are furnishedwithout charge.

You also have the legally protectedright to examine the annual reports atthe main office of the plan, 754Minnesota Avenue, Suite 522 (Suite 400and Zip Code 66101-2762 for theAnnuity report), Kansas City, KS 66101-2766, and at the U.S. Department ofLabor in Washington, D.C., or to obtaina copy from the U.S. Department ofLabor upon payment of copying costs.Requests to the Department should beaddressed to: Public Disclosure Room,N5638, Pension and Welfare BenefitAdministration, U.S. Department ofLabor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW,Washington, D.C. 20210. ❑

Participants can save bychoosing generic andpreferred medicationsEFFECTIVE OCTOBER 15, 2001,trustees of the Boilermakers NationalHealth and Welfare Fund implement-ed a new three-tier prescription drugco-pay plan that is designed to saveparticipants money when theyrequest either generic or preferredprescription drugs through a retail ormail-service pharmacy.

The amount a participant pays foreach prescription depends on

whether the drug is a brand or generic medication, whether it appears on aformulary (a list of preferred medications), and whether it is purchased at aretail or mail-service pharmacy.

The three-tier co-pay benefit makes preferred drugs available to participantsat more attractive co-payments. Participants can still use medications not onthe formulary, but at a higher co-payment amount.

By using generic and preferred medications, both the participant and theFund will save through lower prescription costs. You can receive a copy of theformulary by contacting the Fund’s office at 913 342-6555, Express Scripts at 1-800-655-0459, or by visiting their web site at www.express-scripts.com

The table below summarizes the new plan.


N A T I O N A L F U N D S


Annual summary reports of national funds

Trustees announce newthree-tier drug co-pay plan

Health & Welfare

Under the newthree-tierprescriptiondrug co-payment

plan, you canget 30-days of a

generic drug fromyour neighborhoodpharmacy for $5, or a 90-daysupply for just $10 through amail-service pharmacy.

AMOUNT OF CO-PAYMENTNetwork or Retail Pharmacy Mail Service Pharmacy

Medication Type 30-day supply 90-day supply

Generic $5 $10

Formulary $20 $20

Non-Formulary $30 $30


I N M E M O R I A M


NTL Breeden, Dudley5 Bungay Jr., James6 Cabreana, Irineo O.6 Craddick, William6 Dronet, Warren6 Maples, Eric L.6 Pierce, JohnD12 Bregant, Frank13 Hoster, Walter13 Jones, Howard26 Abel, Leon27 Ludwig, Gus27 Timlin, Joseph28 Murawski, Michael

29 Higgins, William J.29 Maynard, John29 McNeice Jr., Thomas29 Mitchelson, Alexander29 Petillo, Dominic40 Foster, Denver45 Seay, Robert72 Bennett, Orval72 Copeland, Harold72 Walsh, Hugh72 Young, Marvin R.83 Bobki, Charles83 Davis, Jasper83 Dill, James

83 Linscott, Ricky83 Miller, Charles83 Sage, Hugh83 Smith, Joseph92 Mickalson, Harold101 Riddle, Kenneth110 Mauldin, Harold132 Knapp, Lewis146 Johnson, Harold154 Altman, Robert154 Sample, Max154 Woten Sr., David169 Cawood, Charles175 Canale, Dominick

191 Allan, George193 Grayson, Victor193 O’Henley, Edwin295 Miller, Daniel316 Markey, Christopher317 Satchwell, Leo G.D324 Corey, Russell329 Henderson, HarryD345 Krajnc, Valenti363 Haas, Elmer363 Peoschel, James374 Degroot, Kenneth374 Randolph, Brooks374 Williams, Orvil374 Wilson, NorbieD408 Ebure, Francis433 Davis, Billy453 Ketchersid, Newell W.

453 Smith, Donald454 Beasley, Billy487 Thompson, MichaelD513 Jeschke, Bruno524 Sullivan, Terrance531 McCray, John549 Bickford, Leroy582 Bates, Leroy587 Nichols, Allen592 Ivey, Hubert599 Bowmer, Roy614 Charpentier, Walter627 Graves, Frank656 Stinnett, Max667 Hesson, Stanley667 Marshall, James667 Riffle, Charles744 Formet, Donald1618 Wiatrolik, Leonard

WITH DEEP SORROWthe International Brotherhood records the death of these members as reported to the InternationalSecretary-Treasurer’s office, and extends its heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved families.

Intl. Purduski, Ann $4,500.00NTL Bissonette, Pedro A. 1,519.08NTL Fleet, Herbert C. 4,500.00NTL McCarty, Walter R. 4,500.00NTL Mitchell, Marion E. 4,500.00NTL Seay, James H. 8,815.40NTL Smith, Delmar L. 4,500.00NTL Walker, Paul L. 4,500.00NTL Wilson Jr., Donald E. 4,500.00Pen. Kramer, Thelma 4,500.001 Dunn, John L. 4,500.001 Futrell, Cottlan 4,500.005 Bungay, James G. 4,500.006 Cowley, Vard M. 2,250.006 DelaCruz, Lope R. 6,000.006 Fontana, Carlo 4,500.006 Gillan, Alvin J. 4,500.006 Horne, Thomas W. 3,000.006 Johnson, Lloyd C. 4,500.006 Liufau, Save F. 4,500.006 Matraia, Lawrence 4,500.006 Pacheco, Luciano 4,500.006 Schmidt, Lloyd W. 4,500.006 Sutter, Russell P. 4,500.0013 Bandura, James M. 4,500.0013 Jones, Howard Dean 4,500.0013 Walker, Robert E. 4,500.0013 Yurkavage, George 4,500.0026 Murphy, Charlie W. 4,500.0026 Widener, Walter N. 2,250.0027 Barbe, Stephen S. 4,500.0027 St. Clair, Christopher 5,333.2027 Timlin, Joseph J. 4,500.0028 Corbridge, Joseph J. 5,000.0028 Fulco, Frank 9,500.01

28 Murawski, Michael 9,500.0029 Adonizio, Anthony J. 1,500.0029 Higgins, William J. 4,500.0029 Maynard, John W. 4,500.0030 Smith, David C. 4,500.0037 Gayle, Richard W. 4,542.4537 Tisdale, John W. 4,500.0037 Walden, James C. 4,500.0040 Adkins, Charles T. 4,500.0040 Babcock, Russell G. 4,500.0040 Bratcher, Troy P. 4,500.0040 Eversole, Larry D. 4,500.0040 Leach, Robin F 283.9445 Logsdon, Anthony 12,000.0045 Seay, Robert H. 4,500.0045 Smullen, Joseph E. 4,500.0072 Barnes, John H. 6,000.0072 Engstrom, James W. 4,500.0072 Fahlgren, Warner 4,500.0072 Gilliam, Justus E. 4,500.0072 Gustafson, William 4,500.0072 Hurd, Sedgwick L. 4,500.0072 Johnston, Robert B. 4,500.0072 Judge, James C. 4,500.0072 Lindell, Harold A. 4,500.0072 McCarthy, Raymond4,500.0072 Potreck, George 4,500.0072 Roberts, Charles B. 4,500.0072 Thompson, Donald 4,500.0072 Young, Marvin 4,500.0083 Bledsoe, Marvin E. 4,500.0083 Miller, Charles H. 4,500.0083 Oldham, Kenneth M.4,500.0083 Smith, Jo 4,500.0083 Smith, Ronald D. 4,500.0092 Bruner, Glenn M. 4,500.00

92 Gillanders, Harold K.4,500.0092 Hunt, Clarence C. 4,500.0092 Johnson, Gary L. 4,500.0092 Manning, Alvin H. 4,500.0092 Marquez, Richard V. 4,500.0092 Mickalson, Harold O.4,500.0092 Myers, Jess R. 4,500.0092 Rangel, Robert C. 4,500.0092 Turner, Edward E. 4,500.0092 Wiener, Josef 4,500.00101 Molton, Oscar 4,500.00104 Ferbrache, Charles K.4,500.00104 Jewett, Leonard E. 4,500.00104 LeVasseur, Hervey 4,500.00104 Sanchez, Steven B. 4,500.00104 Tibbatts, Robert R. 4,500.00105 Kyle, Patrick V. 9,555.59105 Oakes, Roy E. 4,500.00107 Osteen, James P. 4,500.00107 Ronkowski, John 4,500.00110 Mauldin, Harold K. 1,355.00112 Kyzer, Robert L. 4,500.00117 Stegman, Walter 4,500.00124 Clatt, James G. 4,500.00128 Clarkin, Clyde T. 7,728.38132 Powell, Gene L. 4,500.00132 Saenz, Manuel P. 4,500.00142 Fusco, Anthony A. 4,500.00154 Bergant, John D. 4,500.00154 Seaman, John W. 4,500.00154 Woten, David L. 4,500.00169 Brady, Charles D. 4,500.00169 Doerr, Henry C. 4,500.00169 Little, Chester S. 4,500.00169 Little, Lyle 4,500.00169 Palmer, John G. 4,500.00

169 Piskorz, John M. 6,550.86169 Sollinger, Robert L. 4,500.00177 Petri, Richard J. 4,500.00199 MacMaster, Donald 160.40204 Kaiu, David 4,500.00204 Walston Jr., Clifton 4,500.00263 Yarbrough, James L. 4,500.00374 Adams, Kevin M. 12,000.00374 Brown, Wilfred 4,500.00374 DeGroot, Kenneth J. 4,500.00374 Randolph, Brooks K. 4,500.00374 Reed, James H. 4,500.00374 Stafford, Nathon 517.73374 Williams, Orvil R. 2,000.00433 Bolin, Allen C. 4,500.00433 Buggica, Pete 4,500.00433 Buis, Jessie M. 4,500.00449 Hogan, William R. 4,500.00449 Zirbel, Elmer R. 4,500.00453 Wetherington, James 900.00454 Carter, John E. 4,500.00454 Frazier, Charlie Q. 4,500.00454 Smith, Wesley Glen 4,500.00455 Johnson, Charles W. 4,500.00455 Landres, Hulust B. 4,500.00469 Arauza, Jesse C. 1,500.00502 Eidsmoe, Ralph W. 4,500.00531 Bloodworth, Sol. 4,500.00531 McCray, John D. 4,500.00549 Bickford, Leroy 4,500.00549 Burnett, Jack V. 4,500.00549 Crummett, Russell 4,500.00549 Curtis Jr., Samuel E. 4,500.00549 Strong, Milton 2,066.73568 Long, Charles W. 4,500.00582 Ambrose, Jasper E. 3,749.30582 Bates, Leroy 4,500.00582 Burton, Willie Lee 4,500.00582 Collins, Delaina A. 4,500.00582 Felker, Larry P. 1,523.78582 Roberts, Grover C. 4,500.00583 Stephens, James D. 4,500.00587 Dies, Thomas H. 4,500.00587 McNeely, J. H. 4,500.00587 Nichols Jr., Allen 4,500.00587 Prater, Herman 4,500.00587 Smith, Bobby G. 3,925.71627 Dixon, Leslie W. 536.25627 Graves, Frank E. 4,500.00647 Holt, Joyce R. 4,500.00667 Huggins, Hoy B. 4,500.00667 Ross Jr., Joe 4,500.00679 Wright, Noah T. 4,500.00696 Wedig, John H. 4,500.00697 Bucknell, Hanford E. 4,500.00697 Krenz, Carl H. 4,500.00744 Satmary, Gary E. 101.08744 Schultz, Richard 22.80799 Monkoski, Joseph J. 4,500.00801 Rinaldi, Lewis 4,500.00802 Folks, Robert H. 4,500.00802 Gibbs, Nathaniel 4,500.00802 Ritchey, William B. 4,500.00893 Botbyl, Joseph R. 4,500.001086 McCane, Robert 4,500.001086 Szoke, Louis 4,500.001162 Mayne, Thomas E. 4,500.001509 Dorosz, Mikolaj M. 4,500.001592 Luers, Richard B. 4,500.001600 Griffith, Clifford W. 4,500.00

THE DEATH BENEFIT PLANunder the Boilermaker-Blacksmith National Pension Trust haspaid the beneficiaries of the following deceased members who were covered by the plansince the last issue of our publication.

IF YOU HAVE NOT yet been furnished this information, contact your local lodge, secure the beneficiaryforms, complete the required information and forward to the Administrative Office of the Pension Fund,754 Minnesota Avenue, Suite 522, Kansas City, KS 66101, at the earliest possible date. NOTE: These addi-tional death benefits can only be derived for members who worked under a collective bargaining agree-ment with an employer contributing to the Boilermaker-Blacksmith National Pension Trust.

LODGE, NAME & BENEF I T

D E A T H B E N E F I T S

LODGE & NAME

EMPLOYEES WORKING UNDER collective bar-gaining agreements containing union securityclauses are required, as a condition of employ-ment, to pay either monthly dues or fees to theunion. This is their only obligation to the union,regardless of the wording of the clauses.Individuals who are members of theBoilermakers pay monthly dues. Individuals whoare not members pay fees.

These dues and fees, which are authorized bylaw, represent your fair share of sustaining thebroad range of programs offered by theBoilermakers in support of you and your fellowworkers. The most important job right you canhave is the right to collective bargaining. Theworking conditions of all bargaining unit employ-ees are improved immeasurably when the uniongains higher wages, better health care and pen-sions, fairness in the disciplinary system, over-time pay, vacations, and many otherimprovements in working conditions at the bar-gaining table. Because they negotiate together,through their union, employees who are repre-sented by a union typically receive higher wagesand better benefits than nonunion workers doingsimilar jobs in the same industry. Strength innumbers is what makes this possible. Thestronger your union, the better your contract. We

urge all employees to participate and becomepart of your labor organization.

An objecting nonmember who is subject to aunion security clause has a legal right to fileobjections to funding expenditures which are notgermane to the collective bargaining process.Fee-paying nonmembers who choose to file suchobjections should advise the InternationalBrotherhood of Boilermakers in writing, in theform of a letter, signed by the objector, and sentto the International Secretary-Treasurer of theInternational Brotherhood of Boilermakers, 753State Ave., Suite 570, Kansas City, KS 66101. Theletter must contain the objector’s home addressand local lodge number, if known. Upon receipt ofthe objection, the International President shallprovide a description of the procedures to be fol-lowed. This objection must be filed every yearduring the month of November, or within the first30 days in which the objector is required to paydues or fees to the union, or within 30 days afterthe objector becomes a nonmember.

Examples of expenditures germane to the col-lective bargaining process are those made for thenegotiation, enforcement, and administration ofcollective bargaining agreements, meetings withemployer and union representatives, proceedingson behalf of workers under the grievance proce-

dure, arbitration proceedings, servicing the bar-gaining units that we represent, internal unionadministration, and matters related to these activi-ties. Examples of expenditures not germane to thecollective bargaining process are those made forpolitical purposes, for general community service,for charitable activities, for non-worker relatedlegislative activities, for members-only benefits,and for certain affiliation costs.

In considering these matters, you should beaware that only members have the follow-ing rights:• to vote on the terms of your collective

bargaining agreement• to participate in the development of con-

tract proposals• to nominate and vote for local union officers• to attend the International Convention as

a delegate• to participate in strike votes • to numerous other benefits available only to

members, such as those described on p.15. It is clearly to your advantage to continue to be

a full, active member of the InternationalBrotherhood of Boilermakers.

Only through unity and solidarity can we bet-ter our working conditions and reap benefits forourselves and our families.

A notice to employees subject to union security clauses


C O N S U M E R N E W S


Moving? Tell us where . . .Name

New Address

City

State or Province Zip

Local Lodge No. Register No.(Also please notify the secretary of your local lodge.)

Mail form to:Publications Department

753 State Avenue, Suite 565

Kansas City, KS 66101

(Allow five weeks for change of address.)

UNION PLUS CREDIT CARDCall: 1-800-522-4000

MORTGAGE & REAL ESTATEAlso open to your children &parents.Call: 1-800-848-6466

EDUCATION LOANS For college and job skills training. Call: 1-877-881-1022

PERSONAL LOANSAvailable for credit-qualifiedmembers. Call: 1-888-235-2759

MOTOR CLUB Towing and roadside assistance. Call: 1-888-330-8801

LEGAL SERVICEDiscounted legal help — first 30minutes are free. Call: 1-800-452-9425

LIFE INSURANCEFor members, their spouses. andchildren. Call: 1-800-899-2782

DENTAL & VISIONDiscount feesCall: 1-800-257-8352

ACCIDENT INSURANCECall: 1-800-899-2782

HEALTH SAVINGSSave on prescription medicinesand vision care.

Call: 1-800-228-3523

DISNEY WORLD DISCOUNTCall: 1-800-248-7890

CAR RENTAL DISCOUNTS Call and give the ID number:

Avis: 1-800-698-5685 AWD #B723700

Budget: 1-800-455-2848BCD#V816100

HEARING CARE Call: 1-800-766-3363

UNION-MADE CHECKS Call: 1-800-864-6625

FLOWER SERVICE Call: 1-800-667-7779

NORTH AMERICAN VAN LINES Call: 1-800-524-5533

For information on programs, phone

1-800-452-9425BOILERMAKERS UNION

PRIVILEGE BENEFITS*Includes retired members. Program

restrictions apply to members outside thecontinental United States. Phone 1-800-

452-9425 for clarification of eligibility.

The money-saving programslisted below are available onlyto Boilermaker members and

their immediate families.*

Members Only

New features will notincrease the program’slow annual fee of $29.95THE UNION PLUS HEALTHSavingsProgram has added two new featuresto address foot and ankle problems andhearing aid care. These new programfeatures will not impact the program’slow annual fee of $29.95.

With the foot and ankle care compo-nent, union members can receive highquality service from over 3,800 creden-tialed podiatrists nationwide, and saveat least 40 percent. Typical servicesinclude treatment for bunion removal,corns and calluses, heel spurs, ingrown

toenails, hammertoes, injury care, andcomplications from diabetes.

Over 28 million Americans currentlysuffer from hearing impairment.Nearly one in four people over the ageof 55 have some degree of hearing loss.Of those people, 90 to 95 percent wouldbenefit from the use of a hearing aid.

With that in mind, the Union PlusHealth Savings program hearing carecomponent will enable members to gethearing tests, hearing aids, repairs, andbatteries for a savings of up to 30 per-cent by credentialed audiologists atover 1,400 locations nationwide.

“I think members will find this to bea very valuable program,” said Leslie

Tolf, Union Privilege president. “Theseadditional features are great becausethey will help members save money onservices that are not typically coveredby insurance or Medicare.”

For a list of participating podiatristsand hearing aid offices, please call 1-800-228-3523.

For helpful information on hearingprotection, visit NIOSH’s electroniclibrary: http://www.elcosh.org.

The Union Plus Health Savings Pro-gram offers savings of up to 40 percenton prescriptions and vision care needs.Another key program feature is theNurse HelpLine, which is staffed byregistered nurses who offer personalhealth care advice 24 hours a day.❑

Union Plus Health Savings plan addshearing aid, foot and ankle features

Save hundreds ofdollars on your family’shealth careUNION PLUS HEALTH Savingsmakes health and vision-care moreaffordable for union members andtheir families. For just $29.95 a year,union members and their families(including parents) can instantlyreduce out-of-pocket expenses forprescriptions and vision care as soonas they enroll. Compare this programto similar programs, which charge asmuch as $129 annually, and it’s easy tosee the savings.

Union members who enroll inUnion Plus Health Savings save up to40 percent or more on generic orname-brand prescription drugs atover 26,000 participating pharmaciesnationwide — including Thrifty/Pay-less, Rite Aid, Safeway, and many oth-ers. And members may save evenmore when they use the program’sconvenient mail-order service.

The program’s vision-care benefitsinclude substantial savings on frames,glasses, and contact lenses at over9,000 independent optometrist shops.Union members who use the programtypically save about 30 percent (orapproximately $58) on a routine visitto the eye doctor, which includes anexam and a pair of single-visionglasses. And they can save as much as$100 on more costly vision-care items,

such as progressive eyeglass lenses orgas-permeable contact lenses.

Another key program benefit isdirect access to a special NurseHelpLine. Staffed by experienced reg-istered nurses who can offer personalhealth care advice and support as wellas general health information, theNurse HelpLine is available 24 hours aday. The Nurse HelpLine also offers alarge library of pre-recorded healthinformation.

And finally, the program also offersquarterly account activity summaries,making it easy to track how muchyou’ve saved.

With a free 30-day trial period, call1-800-228-3523 and receive: • Up to 40 percent savings on pre-

scription drugs • Significant savings on mail-order

prescription drugs • Savings of up to 40 percent on

frames, glasses, and contact lenses • Access to over 26,000 participating

pharmacies nationwide • Access to over 9,000 independent

optometrist shops • Quarterly savings statements that

make it easy to track how muchyou’ve saved

• Free access to the program’s NurseHelpLine

• Free access to the program’s HealthLibrary of pre-recorded generalhealth information

• A free 30-day trial period.

Union Plus Health Savings Union Privilegeresponse to

terrorist attacksUNION PRIVILEGE is providing avariety of relief measures for unionmembers who are impacted by theSept. 11 tragedy and who participatein a Union Plus program.

Members directly or indirectlyaffected by the attack may be able toskip payments, increase credit lines,or qualify for other assistance. Someprograms are also temporarily sus-pending collection calls to membersin the affected states: CT, DC, MA,MD, NJ, NY, RI, VA.

The Union Plus Credit Card andLoan programs have also establishedlayoff help lines to assist union mem-bers who may experience difficultiesmaking payments on their UnionPlus accounts because of a tempo-rary or permanent layoff. This newbenefit is available to credit card andloan program participants only.

For more information, call theappropriate phone number below:◗ Credit card — 1-800-622-2580◗ Credit card helpline for laid off

members — 1- 800-5512873◗ Loan program — 1- 800-343-7097◗ Loan program helpline for laid off

members — 1- 800-365-1328 ◗ Mortgage and Real Estate pro-

gram — 1-800-848-6466◗ Life and Accidental Death Insur-

ance — 1-800-899-2782◗ Education Loan — 1-877-881-1022.

Correction:IN LAST ISSUE’S Letters to theEditors, a headline misidentified Local13 BM Murray as Murphy. Our apolo-gies to Brother Joe Murray.

THE EDITORS

A message to my brothers andsisters in AmericaI AND MY FAMILYoffer our deepestsympathy and condolences for thehorrific act of cowardice unleashedupon your nation.

I have lived and worked with youmany times over the 30 years I havebeen a Boilermaker, and I thank you.

As I watch images of this attack onthe U.S.A., I feel your pain, I feel yoursorrow, I feel your anger. I, too, am anAmerican.

God bless you, God bless the dead,and God bless America.

SHANEST. CROIX , Local 128Ontario, Canada

Leonard Portman thanks L-40members for their helpI HAVE BEEN a member of Local 40(Elizabethtown, Ky.) for 20 years. InJanuary 2001, I suffered a brainaneurysm and stroke. My Local 40brothers and sisters collected funds,which allowed my family to travel toPaducah while I was in intensive care

and then rehab. Their contributionsalso helped with my truck paymentsand other debts.

I will probably never be able toreturn to the trade I love, but these menand women will always be my brothersand sisters. Their generosity shows thetrue meaning of brotherhood.

I thank everyone from the bottom ofmy heart. I will always remember allthat they did for my family and me.

LEONARD RAY PORTMAN, L-40Leitchfield, Ky.

Howard Jones’ family gratefulto Local 13 membersTHE FAMILY OF Howard Jones isgrateful to the exceptional Carlislefamily for their support, Local 13 forthe beautiful flowers, the crew atBrunner’s Island for their card andgenerous donations, and a megathanks to a special Boilermaker,Jimmy Heron, for his reading atHoward’s memorial service in Dublin,Md. At a time like this, you find outhow special some people can be.

THE FAMILY OF HOWARDJONES

Candy, Carson, Roxanna, and Lola

Heat Exhaustion — recognizethe symptomsTHANKS TO (Local 193 retired BM)Francis X. Duggan’s quick thinking, a

serious problem was prevented frombecoming worse. During an August2001 Common Arc Weld Testing forLocal 13 (Philadelphia, Pa.), in 95-degree weather, Francis noticed thatone worker (William J. Hamilton, whois on Local 13’s apprentice waiting list)was acting unusual. Some of hissymptoms included extreme sweating,nausea, and numbness of the finger-tips. Francis took the welder out of thetest booth and immediately placedplastic bags of ice behind hisneck. EMTs were called and thewelder was moved to an air-condi-tioned area, where he was treated forheat exhaustion. This welder returnedone week later to re-test successfully.

PHIL CLARKE SR. (L-28), QA QCBabcock & Wilcox Construction Co.

David Casson mourns passingof IVP Page Groton, DameronLIKE MANY OTHERS, I was sad-dened to read about the deaths ofPage Groton and Bob Dameron in theMay-Jun issue.

I have been inspired by Page’s “tellit like it is” mannerism since I was ayoung business agent working forLocal 27, St. Louis, Mo. His encourag-ing words helped make St. LouisShipbuilding the best union-mindedshipyard in this country.

Page was a Boilermakers’ boiler-

maker, a man’s man, and a brother’sbrother. There will never be anotherPage Groton.

I also had the pleasure of knowingBob Dameron, whose work benefitedBoilermakers everywhere. Pleaseextend my deepest sympathies toboth families.

DAVID CASSON SR., retiredInternational Representative

the Boilermaker Reporter16 Sep •Oct 2001

C O M M E N T A R Y


IN A MATTER OF MINUTES, ahandful of terrorists destroyed theWorld Trade Center and changed

our way of life forever. For the first timesince World War II, Americans havebeen forced to face the reality that weare vulnerable to attack by foreign ele-ments who wish to do us harm.

America’s response after the attackon Pearl Harbor was immediate andunmistakable. We declared war andmobilized our entire citizenry in thefight. Those who did not serve in themilitary served where they worked, asour nation’s factories and shipyardsrose to the challenge and built air-planes, ships, and guns at an unprece-dented rate. The United States becamethe “arsenal of democracy.” We builtand used more ships, more airplanes,more tanks, more guns, and moreammunition than any other nation.

And all of it was made right here athome. We could never have defeatedthe Nazis and the Japanese without theenormous contribution of the workingmen and women of America whonever left home. We owe our freedomtoday to the soldiers of that war, but wealso owe it to the workers at home.

Today’s war is different. Our enemyis not any particular nation, but thou-sands of fanatics spread across dozensof nations. Our goal is not to occupyhostile countries and establish pro-American democracies. We want onlyto bring those fanatics to justice andstop their murderous rampages.

The wars may be different, but thekey to victory is the same. We mustengage the entire citizenry in our waron terrorism. We have a good start.Polls show that Americans are moreunited than ever and willing to do whatis necessary to eradicate terroristswherever we find them. But first weneed to get workers back on the job pro-

ducing the kinds of products that keepan industrialized nation in business. Todo that, the U.S. needs an industrialpolicy that encourages American busi-ness to make those products.

We need a policy that will rebuild ourshipbuilding industry, our rail indus-try, and our manufacturing industries.We need an industrial policy that willkeep alive those industries that providegood-paying jobs to workers andwhich manufacture the hard goods thatthe entire world buys.

Members of Congress who opposeestablishing a strong industrial policytell us that government interferencedistorts the market, eventually causingeconomic hardship.

But this argu-ment is disingenu-ous. Congress hasoften providedeconomic assis-tance to selectindustries.

In the 1980s,President Reaganended all ship-building loan guarantees, saying thatwe cannot prop up a nonprofitableindustry. Then Congress voted to givethe Chrysler corporation $1.5 billion tokeep that one automobile maker inbusiness. In doing so, they gave moremoney to one corporation than theyhad given the entire shipbuildingindustry over the previous five years.

As a result, the U.S. shipbuildingindustry was all but destroyed by for-eign competition from nations thatincreased their shipbuilding subsidieswhen they saw the opportunity to takeover our market share.

We lost our railroad industry, too,because Congress did not want to pro-vide the kind of assistance it needed tobuild modern, high-speed passenger

trains. The near-paralysis that grippedthis country following the Sept. 11attack is clear evidence of how mis-guided this priority was. With airlinesgrounded, cross-country travel virtu-ally came to a halt.

The U.S. is the only industrializednation that does not have a viable pas-senger train network. An industrialpolicy could have prevented us fromlosing that vital industry. An industrialpolicy can bring it back.

Imagine what our passenger railscould do with the $15 billion Congressvoted to give the airlines. That figure ismore than half of the total amount setaside for our passenger rail industryover the past 30 years.

Congress is rid-ing high on anunprecedentedlevel of supportfrom Americans.Before that waveof strong supportdisappears, theyneed to do what isright for this coun-

try by passing an economic stimuluspackage that will truly stimulate theeconomy. The greatest stimulus to anyeconomy is to put money into thehands of those who will spend it —working people.

The Bush administration and mostmembers of Congress don’t seem tounderstand that. They passed the air-line bailout, but at the president’srequest, they blocked an attempt tooffer relief to airline workers laid off asa result of the attack.

The proposed $100 billion economicstimulus package is a wish-list of taxcuts for the wealthy, including a capitalgains tax cut. Congress has economicadvisors who tell them these measureswon’t work, but they are cynically

using the public’s strong support torepay their corporate backers, ratherthan put the money into the handswhere it will do the most good — thehands of the people who will rebuildthis nation — American workers.

President Bush has even gone so faras to suggest that giving him fast-trackauthority to negotiate trade agreementswould somehow counter terrorism.

We don’t need this kind of cynicalpolitics. We need a president and aCongress who will do what is best forthe entire country, not just a smallgroup of campaign donors.

We need leaders who recognize theimportant role an industrial policyplays in keeping our country the mostsuccessful industrial nation in history.

We can’t do that if Congress insistson chasing our best industries overseas.We can’t do that if the presidentopposes every piece of legislation thatbenefits workers.

The American people are ready tofight terrorism. We need to know ourgovernment will give us the economictools to do the job right. ❑

Charles W. JonesInternational President

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Letters to the Editors

Anti-terrorism starts with a strongindustrial policy that protects jobs

We need an industrial policy

that will rebuild our

shipbuilding, rail, and

manufacturing industries.

Documents

Reporter the Boilermaker Sep • Oct 2001 Vol. 40 No. 5 · PDF file · 2011-07-12completed their fabrication. ... said California Governor Gray Davis visited the job site, ... tem