Narrow-groove weldingagreement ups man-hoursON DEC. 17, Intl. Pres. Newton B. Jonessigned a pre-hire agreement with PCIEnergy Services LLC. Designated theBoilermakers National SpecialtyAgreement (NSA), this contract coversspecialty work performed in the UnitedStates. PCI signed a similar agreementwith the United Association (UA).

“This is a good agreement whichguarantees not only negotiatedwages and benefits, but also a sub-stantial increase in man-hours for our

Reporterthe Boilermaker Vol. 43 No. 1Jan • Feb 2004

The Official Publication of theInternational Brotherhood of

Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders,Blacksmiths, Forgers, and

Helpers, AFL-CIO

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

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ManufacturingSee what’s behind the tape . . . . . . . . . .5

Local NewsThe houses the Scotts built . . . . . . .17

IN THESE PAGES

Industrial Union Councilgives manufacturingunions a united voice MORE THAN A THOUSAND dele-gates from 14 labor unions representingmanufacturing workers met on Feb. 3in Washington for the second legisla-tive conference of the newly formedIndustrial Union Council (IUC).

AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer andIUC Chairman Richard Trumkaopened the meeting by commendinglast year’s delegates for their success inmaking America’s loss of manufactur-ing jobs an important issue in thisyear’s presidential campaigns.

“We sent 3,000 manufacturing work-ers to Capitol Hill to spread the word,to put Congress on notice,” he said.“You made a lasting impression.”

The extent of that impression can begauged by the passion from top Demo-cratic leaders of both the House of Rep-resentatives and the Senate, whoaddressed the gathering.

Like many speakers at the confer-ence, Democratic Senate Leader TomDaschle wasted no time in blamingAmerica’s manufacturing job crisis

on President Bush. “George Bush saysthe economy is creating jobs, but let metell you, China is one long commute.”

Daschle gave delegates a little historylesson, explaining the differencebetween corporate attitudes of 50 years

ago and those of today: “Fifty yearsago, Frank Abrams, the chairman ofStandard Oil, said the job of manage-ment was ‘to maintain an equitable and

See IUC CONFERENCE, page 4

IUC lobbies Congress on trade

Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle rallies delegates before they go toCapitol Hill, saying, “Real recovery means jobs, good jobs, manufacturing jobs.”

Cancer survivors, familieswalk 24 hours in Alaska‘Relay for Life’ fundraiserAT MIDNIGHT on May 17, a singlebagpiper led a procession around thedusky lanes of the Colony High Schooltrack near Palmer, Alaska. The onlylights glowed from 500 decorated lumi-naries lining the track’s course. Eachluminary represented the soul of aloved one, lost to cancer.

In 1995, cancer became real for JimMcPherson, a 30-year, second-gener-ation member of the Alaska branch ofLocal 502, Tacoma, Wash. His mother,Pearl LaVerne McPherson — wife of

retired member James B. McPherson— died of colon cancer. Nine yearsbefore, Jim’s wife, Janell, faced theloss of her father, Wyley Bennett, tolung cancer. In 2000, Janell wouldlearn that two of her sisters and hermother, Elsie Mayr, were diagnosedwith breast cancer. The three womenhave beaten the cancer so far.

But with heartache also came a grati-tude for life. With Jim’s support, Janelldecided to organize a team to partici-pate in the American Cancer Society’s(ACS) international communityfundraising effort, Relay for Life. Withthe help of local branches of the ACS,

Local 502 supports walk for cancer cure

Cancer survivors make the first lapto kick off the Matanuska Valley Relayfor Life, May 16.See LOCAL 502, page 16

Boilermakers sign with PCI Energy

Boilermakers IP Newton B. Jones (r.) joins hands with UA General PresidentMartin Maddaloni (l.) and PCI President Jim Noyes after signing new agreements.See PCI ENERGY, page 2

construction members,” he said. PCI,a wholly-owned subsidiary of Westing-house, performs specialty welding, pri-marily in the nuclear industry. In 2003they worked 800,000 man-hours — allnonunion. They project more than onemillion man-hours in 2004.

The majority of the work will uti-lize PCI’s proprietary narrow-groove

welding process. PCI will employcomposite crews — Boilermaker andUA — and application of the agree-ment must be approved on a site-by-site basis.

“The Boilermakers look forward to along and mutually beneficial relation-ship with PCI and with the United Asso-ciation,” Jones said. “Both UnitedAssociation General President Mad-daloni and I are committed to ensuringthat these agreements, and all work per-formed under them, are successful.” ❑

RESEARCHERS AT THE University ofSouthern California’s Keck School ofMedicine are completing Phase I trialsof a new anti-cancer drug, Veglin, inpatients with a wide variety of cancer. Ifthe drug tests safe and effective, it couldbe a savior for patients suffering from arare cancer, mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lin-ing of the lung caused by exposure toasbestos. Only about 4,000 people con-tract the cancer every year; most areworkers in the construction trades,including Boilermakers.

Because mesothelioma is such a raredisease, any union member, family, orfriend with mesothelioma who is inter-ested in participating in clinical trialsshould contact the research center.

“Mesothelioma is a very good dis-ease on which to test this drug,” saidDr. Parkash Gill, professor of medi-cine and pathology at the USC/Nor-

ris Comprehensive Cancer Center. “Iexpect it to have a direct effect onboth tumor growth and productionof fluid.”

Phase II and III trials are expected tobegin over the next year. In Phase II,researchers will test Veglin’s effective-ness in shrinking the tumors ofpatients with advanced cancers.

To place your name on a list for thisand other trials, e-mail Gerry Gorospe,research nurse for the clinical trials, atgorospe@usc.edu, or call 323-865-3923.

This research is being funded, inpart, by the Mesothelioma ResearchFoundation of America. To speak toDr. Gill about the trials, or to make adonation to mesothelioma research,contact Elizabeth Paul, executivedirector of the Mesothelioma ResearchFoundation of America, at 800-909-MESO or visit the Web site atwww.mesorfa.org.

THE 2004 AFL-CIO Union IndustriesShow rolls into the St. Louis America’sCenter April 23-26. For four, free, fun-filled days, the public can see, touch,and even taste virtually everything U.S.union members make or do.

“This show has everything fromunion-raised, union-trained seeing-eye dogs to union-made weddingcakes, motorcycles, and blue jeans,”says Charles Mercer, president of theAFL-CIO’s Union Label and ServiceTrades Department.

Show visitors can expect demon-strations such as “high-iron” con-

struction work, silk-screening, andhair cutting. There will be raffles fornew cars, Harley-Davidson motorcy-cles, and appliances. Students and jobseekers can meet and discuss varioustrades with apprenticeship coordina-tors and representatives from dozensof industries.

Except for during World War II, theshow has visited one U.S. city everyyear since 1938.

Show hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Formore information, or to become anexhibitor, visit the show’s Web site,www.unionindustriesshow.org. ❑

Ship repair Boilermakersget boost from PugetSound facility WITH THE HELP OF Intl. Rep. DavidBunch, Seattle Local 104’s Noel Bul-lock and Dick Wolf nailed down a con-tract with Lincoln IndustrialCorporation’s new marine divisionlast year that puts Local 104 membersback in a union shop.

The small, family-run company islocated in Port Angeles, Wash., at themouth of Puget Sound, a prime loca-tion for picking up repair work. SomeLocal 104 members had been workingfor Lincoln on various jobs, but with-out a contract.

Wolf has worked as a crew superin-tendent with Lincoln on many jobsover the years. When the companydecided to open the marine division,Wolf said, they knew right away theywanted a contract with Local 104.

“More work is coming into our portfrom tanker companies and with gov-

ernment contracts with the CoastGuard and Navy,” says Will Possenger,president of Lincoln Industrial. “Thequalified Boilermakers in Port Angelesdidn’t want to work for a nonunionmarine trade group, so we decided toget a contract with the Boilermakers.”

Lincoln sends crews to where thework is, small or large jobs. Membersdo both repair work and modificationsto the boats, such as hydraulic andboom changes and moving parts fromone space to another. The members alsowork replacing pipes and decking anddoing bulk head repair. Recently theycompleted a repair job for the U.S.Coast Guard in Astoria, Ore.

Bunch, a Boilermaker general organ-izer, said Bullock and Wolf were instru-mental in the negotiations. They did theleg work, gathering practical knowl-edge about the company and keepingthe ball rolling among the men.

“Organizing is about establishing arelationship and getting informationabout the company: who they are, whatthey want,” he says. “These guys had the

willingness to gather information andwork with the owner. If they don’t por-tray the Boilermakers in a positive light,then I am not going to get very far.”

The ship repair business is intermit-tent, Bunch says. Once the boat is fixed,your job sails away with it. Winning con-tracts like these ensures at least some sta-

bility for the members. Bullock, Wolf,and Bunch continue their organizingefforts with Washington Marine.

“We were there to get a decent con-tract and get the benefits those fellowsreally need so they don’t start losingtheir pensions,” Bunch said. ❑

Local 104 members complete a small repair job on the Alaska Tanker Corp.’sBoston in Vancouver, Wash. From left, Bob Reynolds, Brian Gagnon, Kevin Ulin,Don Swain, Dick Wolf, Robert Hoffner, Noel Bullock, and Intl. Rep. David Bunch.

2 - the Boilermaker Reporter Jan• Feb 2004N E W S M A K E R S

Reporterthe Boilermaker

Jan • Feb 2004 Vol. 43 No. 1

Newton B. Jones, International President and Editor-in-Chief

Jerry Z. Willburn, Intl. Secretary-Treasurer

International Vice PresidentsLawrence McManamon, Great LakesMichael S. Murphy, NortheastSam May, Southeast George Rogers, Central Joe Stinger, Western States Richard Albright, Western CanadaAlexander MacDonald, Eastern CanadaJim Hickenbotham, At-LargeOthal Smith Jr., At-Large

Editorial staffDonald Caswell, Managing EditorCarol Almond, Asst. to the Managing EditorElizabeth Howard, Editorial Assistant

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

PUBLICATION AGREEMENT No. 40010131

Printed in the U.S.A.

Aprize-winning newspaper

Local 104 signs pre-hire contract withLincoln Industrial’s new marine division

Bricklayer Kurt Keller of Pittsburgh Bricklayers & Allied Crafts Local 9 instructsa youngster on technique at the 2003 Union Industries Show.

Union Industries showoffers ‘America at its best’

PCI EnergyContinued from page 1

Volunteers needed for trials ofpromising anti-cancer drug

Jan • Feb 2004 the Boilermaker Reporter - 3J O B S

WORKING FOR CALDWELL TANK,members of the National TransientLodge (NTL) are building a 150,000-gallon water tower for the VictoryJunction Gang Camp, a retreat for seri-ously ill children scheduled to open inthe summer of 2004.

“These members feel especiallyproud of this project, knowing theirwork will benefit so many sick chil-dren,” said Intl. Rep. Al Watts.

Erecting the tower are NTL membersGary Day, Albert Dietrich, foremanMichael Dietrich, Curtis Springman,and Tim Vaughn.

Kyle Petty, CEO of Petty Enterprises,and his wife, Pattie Huffman Petty, arebuilding the Victory Junction GangCamp in honor of their son, AdamPetty. Adam, 19, the first fourth-gener-ation driver in Winston Cup history,was killed May 12, 2000, during prac-tice at the New HampshireInternational Speedway.

The camp will be located in LevelCross, N.C., on property donated byAdam’s grandparents, Richard andLynda Petty. It is the seventh in the net-work of Hole in the Wall Gang Campsfounded by Paul Newman, joiningcamps in Connecticut, Florida, NewYork, California, Ireland, and France.

Kyle first visited the Florida camp,Camp Boggy Creek, in 1997, andreturned with his wife on a charitymotorcycle ride in 1998. Upon seeingthe camp, Pattie said, “We need tobring this kind of miracle to the chil-dren back home.”

The vision crystallized followingAdam’s death, when his brotherAustin chose to spend his summer as alifeguard and counselor at CampBoggy Creek. The entire Petty familybecame regular visitors to the camp ontrips to visit Austin, and strengthenedtheir commitment to build a camp inNorth Carolina.

A needs assessment, completed bythe Center for Research on ChronicIllnesses at the University of NorthCarolina at Chapel Hill’s School ofNursing, identified more than 235,000children in North Carolina, SouthCarolina, and Virginia who might ben-efit from a medical camp.

The Victory Junction Gang Campwill serve children in these three stateswith a full summer camping programas well as family retreat weekendsthroughout the year. It is scheduled toopen this summer. ❑

Hired by Caldwell Tank, members are erecting this 150,000-gallon water towerfor a park founded in honor of fourth-generation NASCAR driver Adam Petty.

Michigan steelmaker upand running again afterfire and explosion AFTER A JUNE 21 EXPLOSION andfire at Rouge Steel’s “C” blast furnacein Dearborn, Mich., Local 169Boilermakers found themselves gearedup for a big job.

A water leak in the blast furnace ledto the explosion, blowing the tip of thedust catcher off the top of the blast fur-nace, and moving the attached down-comer pipe 12 feet off center. No onewas injured but Rouge saw a major

loss in production and income, as wellas employment for workers.

The Boilermakers and other trades-men worked two shifts, seven days aweek, and completed their work onJuly 21 — right on target with theirone-month deadline.

Workers used ingenuity and creativewelding to join newly-fabricated sec-tions to the existing fixtures. Rougereturned to its rated operating capacityon July 22, making its average 8,000tons of steel per day at the plant.

“The work of the building tradeswas excellent,” said Dave Morris,manager of engineering for Rouge

Steel. “The Boilermakers in particu-lar were under the gun, and theyreally saved us with their dedicationto getting the job done. But every-body cooperated and came throughfor us.”

The “C” blast furnace was built inthe 1940s at the Ford Rouge Plant,which was once the largest industrialcomplex in the world. Rouge Steel isindependent of the Ford Motor Co.and is the nation’s sixth largest inte-grated steel manufacturer.

“Building trades workers haveenjoyed good employment from the

Rouge plant for more than 80 years,”said iron worker Andy Payne, vicepresident of construction for MetroIndustrial Contracting, the primecontractor on this project that has along history with Rouge Steel. “Nowwe were able to help Rouge Steel, agood customer, in their time of need.I think the union trades did some-thing that no one else would havebeen able to do. I’m proud as hell ofthese people.” ❑

Adapted from a story by MartyMulcahy, published in BuildingTradesmen. Photos also by Mulcahy.

Brian Kidd and Harry Danula, both of Local 169, install a lower elbow seatingin the rebuilt blast furnace.

Local 169 restores Rouge Steel blast furnace

Local 169’s Michael W. Brown and Michael L.Wright weld a support bracketfor the final rebuilt downcomer section.

NTL members build tank for special-needs camp

These NTL members are working at the Victory Junction Gang Camp, aretreat for seriously ill children.

Family of NASCAR driver Adam Petty funds campfor children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses

working balance among the claims ofstockholders, employees, customers,and the public at large.’

“But something went wrong. Today,Americans are working harder than everbefore — more hours per year thanworkers in any other industrializednation on earth. American workers areliving up to their responsibility.

“You’re playing by the rules andyou’re trying to build up our country,”Daschle said. “But some corporationsdon’t think the rules apply to them.”

He told about an accountant whoadvised some clients about the advan-tages of off-shore tax havens. Theaccountant mentioned the downside ofthese off-shore accounts is theythreaten United States patriotism.

“But without taking a breath, hefinished, ‘Profits need to come beforepatriotism.’”

Daschle blamed this attitude on thepresident.

“Big businesses are walking jobs out ofthe country, and the White House hasdecided to hold open the door,” he said.“[T]he White House has been workingon behalf of these companies.They’vebeen setting policy to benefit the compa-nies that . . . [move] jobs and tax dollarsoverseas. Three times, Democrats havetried to close the offshore tax haven loop-hole. Three times, the president andHouse Republicans said no.”

Daschle’s formula for rebuilding theeconomy so that it provides opportu-nity for workers includes protecting thejobs we have, retraining workers wholose jobs in plant closings, extendingunemployment benefits, making theminimum wage a living wage, andundoing Bush’s Medicare bill, whichopens the door for the privatizationand eventual destruction of Medicare.

“[Medicare] has been a basic right ofworkers for 65 years, and we’re notgoing to rest until it’s restored.”

Manufacturing jobs matter

A RECURRING THEME during theconference was that manufacturingjobs are important for the future ofour country. House DemocraticLeader Nancy Pelosi explained thateach manufacturing job creates at

least four other jobs. “We cannotensure a strong military and protect theAmerican homeland without a strongindustrial and manufacturing base,”she said. “Manufacturing matters to thefinancial security of millions of familiesbecause union wages can make the dif-ference between living in poverty andliving the American Dream.”

She told the story of an autoworker inMichigan who lost his job in 2001 andhas been unable to find anything thatwill let him support his family.

“For more than two years, Marclooked for work. He and his wife had ababy on the way. Then his unemploy-ment insurance ran out. He sent outdozens of resumes. For a while, hedelivered pizza. The mortgages, med-ical bills, they all piled up. Now he andhis wife are $170,000 in debt. They have

filed for bankruptcy, and the bank isforeclosing on their home. Last month,Marc finally found a job — with a com-petitor of his old company. It’s not aunion job yet, but Marc and his co-workers are in negotiations.”

And yet, despite his hardships, Marchasn’t given up on America’s promise.

“This country was built on hardwork,” he told Pelosi. “I know it’scheaper to make [things] someplaceelse. But I deserve my chance [at] theAmerican Dream. Someone has to standup and do something for our country.”

She went on to explain how PresidentBush is destroying the American Dreamfor Marc and millions of other workers.

“With his dangerous economic planand distorted budget priorities,” shesaid, “President Bush is underminingthe values that define our country —

he is limiting opportunity, he is evad-ing responsibility, and he is destroy-ing community.”

The economy — then and now

BILL LUCY, PRESIDENT of the Coali-tion of Black Trade Unionists, contrastedthe U.S. economy under Presidents Clin-ton and George W. Bush.

“For eight years, we enjoyed thelongest economic expansion in 60 years.Family income was up. Net spendableincome was up. Home ownership wasat an all-time high. Twenty-two millionnew jobs were created. Unemploymentwas 3.7 percent — the lowest in 50years. Crime declined for five consecu-tive years. Bankruptcies — businessand personal — were declining.Poverty was decreasing.

4 - the Boilermaker Reporter Jan• Feb 2004M A N U F A C T U R I N G

January 2001 to November 2003

MT-2,900

MN-44,500

Job growth0–10,000 jobs lost10,000–20,000 jobs lost20,000–30,000 jobs lost30,000–40,000 jobs lost40,000+ jobs lost

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

WA-59,000

ND-500

WI-68,700

MI-121,400

SD-6,000

WY-700

ID-8,900

OR-21,700

CA-272,900

UT-13,100 CO

-37,700 KS-19,700

IL -15,000

MO-38,000

IA-23,300

NY-115,300

IN-59,100

OH-153,200

PA-132,900

NC-142,200

SC-56,800

ME-13,300

VA-47,900

GA-67,400

AL-39,300

TN -58,900

KY-33,700

OK-25,400

LA-17,500

AR-29,400

MS-32,300

FL-52,000

NM-5,200

AZ-34,200

TX-149,200

NE-8,900

NV+200

WV-9,000

AK-1,100

HI-1,600

NJ -54,900

RI -10,500

MD - 17,700

DC -700

VT-8,300

MA-75,700

CT -32,800

DE -3,000

NH - 22,200

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LEFT:AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka: “Blind loyalty to free trade is beginning to crack.” CENTER:AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Bill Lucy:“We will not remain the strongest nation on theface of the earth ... by frying chicken and hamburgers and selling them to each other.”RIGHT: Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi: “This [presidential] election mattersbecause manufacturing matters.”

IUC ConferenceContinued from page 1

Continued on page 5

Jan • Feb 2004 the Boilermaker Reporter - 5M A N U F A C T U R I N G

“More sons and daughters of work-ing people were going to colleges anduniversities than ever before. Thenational budget was balanced for thefirst time in decades, we had a $236 bil-lion surplus, and we were paying downthe national debt.”

Lucy then compared the UnitedStates of three years ago to today.

“Now, income is stagnant or declin-ing. Unemployment is 5.9 percent, andin double digits for people of color.Bankruptcies are at record levels — per-sonal and small business. Foreclosuresare escalating. Crime is on the rise.Poverty is on the increase — 1.7 millionin three years, many from middle class.

“College tuition is escalating beyondthe reach of many. Two-and-a-half mil-lion manufacturing jobs are gone. Eighthundred and fifty thousand federal jobsare being downsized and privatized, [yetwe have] a federal budget deficit of $500billion [and a] $500 billion trade deficit.”

Lucy rejected the commonly heardopinion that Bush’s war on terror iscausing all this job loss, pointing outthat between Bush’s inauguration andSept. 11, 2001, the country lost 900,000jobs; since the “war on terror” began,the rate of job loss has actually slowed.

“[O]ur situation is not an accident ofeconomic planning and policy, butrather a direct result of decisions to de-industrialize this nation, to force ourworkers to compete with Pakistan andCzechoslovakia and the maquiladoras ofMexico,” Lucy said. “They are continu-ing to use NAFTA, while moving for-ward with CAFTA and the Free TradeArea of the Americas (FTAA) to con-tinue this race to the bottom.”

When manufacturing jobs disappear,workers must work for lower wages inthe service sector, Lucy said. All of therecent job gains President Bush is crow-ing about have been in service industry,most of them in fast-food restaurants.

“[W]e will not remain the strongestnation on the face of the earth with thehighest standard of living by fryingchicken and hamburgers and sellingthem to each other,” he said.

He warned that we must not let ourfear of terrorists distract us from thedamage our own politicians are doingto this country through “the continuedmaldistribution of our nationalresources and opportunities.”

‘Blind loyalty’ begins to crack

TRUMKA ENDED the conference bypointing out that many business own-

ers are beginning to support our posi-tion on trade.

“[Manufacturing] is the productivityleader in the economy,” Trumka said.“It accounts for two-thirds of allresearch and development investmentand is a primary source of innovation. Itis the leading purchaser of new technol-ogy, financial, and technical services,and it has been a ladder to the middleclass for tens of millions of Americanfamilies. And Bush and his buddies say[it] doesn’t matter.

“Blind loyalty to free trade [is] begin-ning to crack. Splits [are] growing in thebusiness community between multina-tional corporations and smaller domes-tic manufacturers,” he said. “We foundconservative Republican allies, undersiege from local manufacturers, joiningwith Democrats.”

But he warned that the “Bushadministration’s assault on workershas been relentless . . . eliminating the40-hour work week . . . eliminatingovertime pay for eight million work-ers and health care.”

And he showed a videotape illustrat-ing how riot police attacked some of the

20,000 trade unionists, seniors, environ-mentalists, and community organizerswho were demonstrating at the FTAAmeetings in Miami in November.

“We saw the heavy hand of home-land security come face-to-face with ourfreedom of speech, our freedom ofassembly,” he said. “This administra-tion put $8 million in the Iraq budget forsecurity at the FTAA ministerial. Theyused our money to try and crush ourcivil liberties.”

Still, the demonstrations were suc-cessful, as FTAA negotiations endedearly with no agreement. Now it is up toworkers to stop CAFTA — the CentralAmerican Free Trade Agreement.

“CAFTA is coming soon. It must bestopped dead in its tracks as well as anyother agreements such as FTAA, Thai-land, and others that refuse to includemeaningful protections for workersrights,” Trumka said.

Referring to industrialized nationslike Denmark, Germany, and Japan thatsupport their manufacturing base inorder to preserve good-paying jobs fortheir citizens, Trumka said, “This nationis not committed to manufacturing in

the same way our competitors are. Cor-porate interests that place the ‘free mar-ket’ and their interests aboveemployment and national security con-cerns dominate the government.”

Trumka outlined the multi-levelapproach the IUC is taking to protectmanufacturing jobs in the United States.Key to their plan is the upcoming presi-dential election, which will be decidedin several battleground states that havelost hundreds of thousands of manufac-turing jobs — Ohio, Michigan, Mis-souri, Florida, and Washington.

But politics is not the entire strategy.“The Industrial Union Council . . . will

continue to pursue an aggressive strat-egy on trade inside and outside of Con-gress, including seeking alliances withlike-minded businesses,” he said.

In the end, the only way to ensure thatgood-paying manufacturing jobs stay inthe U.S. is to make America understandhow much they are needed. ❑

For more information on the IUC andmanufacturing in America, visit www.afl-cio.org/manufacturing/

Job losses cannot be hidden this easily

WHEN PRESIDENT BUSH visited a small business in St.Louis on Jan. 22, 2003, to promote his tax cuts, his answer tothe problem of manufacturing jobs moving overseas was

revealed: packing tape. Behind him is a false backdroppainted with boxes that say “Made in U.S.A.”

In front of him are the company’s real boxes — with tapeconcealing the words “Made in China.”

If only tape could fix our economy.

Another cover-up? Packingtape hides the bad news

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Continued from page 4

6 - the Boilermaker Reporter Jan• Feb 2004J O B S

This L-502 crew demonstrated the Boilermaker Advantage to CrowleyMaritime by completing a quality job ahead of schedule and accident free. L. to r.,foreman Roy Vorhoff, Ernie Vorhoff, Ken “Corner Weld” Little, Jay Brassfield, CraigStewart, Dan Evans, John Erickson, Dan Fountain, and Dan King.

Local 502 crewexcels in Alaska

Members build tanksunder budget, ahead ofschedule, accident freeTHE CROWLEY MARITIME Corp.knows all about the advantage of hiringBoilermaker contractors. They learnedfirst-hand when they hired the MorseConstruction Group to build their tanks,and members of Local 502, Tacoma,Wash., showed up at the job site.

In just six weeks, this Boilermakercrew built six bulk-fuel tanks, keepingthe job under budget, ahead of sched-ule, and accident free.

“This is another good example ofBoilermakers finishing ahead of sched-ule in a competitive market withnonunion contractors,” said Local 502BM-ST Randy Robbins.

According to Ray Maw of the MorseConstruction Group, part of the job’ssuccess is due to their relationship withthe client and their ability to worktogether as a team with Local 502.

“Local 502 provided quality individ-uals whose craftsmanship was out-standing,” Maw said. “This type of apartnering relationship allowed us 100percent selectability, making for a suc-cessful project.”

Robbins said the crew built two 60-by-40-foot tanks and four 73-by-40-foot tanks for Crowley’s new tankfarm in Bethel, Alaska. This farm cannow store about five million gallonsof bulk petroleum products, includ-ing jet fuel, aviation gasoline, heatingoil, and unleaded gasoline for com-mercial, aviation, government, andindividual consumers. ❑

Members of Local 105 are in Moscow, Ohio, completing an SCR project forB&W, AEP, and Cinergy. They are using one of the largest cranes in North Americato work on the SCR project.

Local 105 completes SCR

Members unload andassemble hundreds oftons of ductworkMEMBERS OF LOCAL 105,Chillicothe, Ohio, have earned kudosfor their work on the Zimmer SelectiveCatalytic Reduction (SCR) project inMoscow, Ohio.

Jeff Lacey, a Local 105 member whoworked as a supervisor for Babcock &Wilcox (B&W) on the project, said thecrew performed the work “in an unbe-lievable time frame. This type of excel-lence is very profitable to our cus-

tomers, contractors, and our craft ingeneral,” he said.

Using one of the largest cranes inNorth America — an 88 D-Mag thatwas shipped from Germany for thisproject — the Local 105 crew unloadedand assembled several hundred tons ofhuge, awkward ductwork that arrivedon the site on barges. They then set theductwork and dissembled the cranewith a 21,000 and 2250 Manitowoc.

“Speaking on behalf of B&W, AEP,and Cinergy, we thank these men fortheir safe, quality craftsmanship thatresulted in a very profitable job,”said Lacey. ❑

CCiinneerrggyy pprraaiisseess LLooccaall 337744 ffoorrbbooiilleerr oouuttaaggee ppeerrffoorrmmaanncceeCINERGY’S WABASH RIVERGenerating Station Unit 4 boileroutage was a success this year dueto the hard work of theBoilermakers from Local 374,Hammond, Ind., working forSterling Boiler Mechanical, Inc.Specifically, the quality of theirwork was noticeable on the econo-mizer, re-heater, and steam genera-tor replacement projects. Safety per-formance was also exemplary andcompliance with items found dur-ing daily walk-downs fostered asafe working atmosphere.

The project benefited from theleadership provided by site superin-tendent Dan Heeke and general fore-men Pat Bradley and Pat Neu. Allwere committed to quality work andmeeting the schedule and bottomline. Several changes were encoun-tered on this project, including majormodifications to the economizersupport structure that were not inthe original plan, removal of assem-bly sections embedded in refractoryand ash, and controlling work activi-ties at multiple overhead concerns.

Completing this work in the tightoutage time frame, with only onefirst aid case, is truly an accomplish-ment. In addition, no leaks werefound during hydrostatic and airtesting. The ability of Local 374 toprovide quality welders and person-nel was also clearly evident andappreciated. The local membersworked well with station personneland other contract personnel on sitefor the outage. Several open shopcontractors were also working theoutage, and the interfacing activitieswere handled professionally.

It is our pleasure to convey thisinformation to you and to provideassurance that Cinergy WabashRiver Station is a satisfied customer.

MICHAEL WERTZ, project managerEngineering and ConstructionCinergy Wabash River Station

LL--6600 mmeemmbbeerrss’’ eexxppeerrttiisseeiimmpprreesssseess IISSUU ssttaaffffAS ASSISTANT CHIEF operatingengineer of the power plant at IllinoisState University, I would like to takethis opportunity to express myappreciation for a job well done. ISUrecently contracted with KickhamBoilers to re-tube a Trane boiler. Aspart of the overall contract, Kickhamforeman Steve Bradley and stewardsDarryl Koehn, Tom Iwanicki, andGary Darrow removed and replacedboiler tubes and re-skinned the boiler.

It was clear that these gentlementook pride in their work. They keptthe work area clean and safe, mini-mizing any disruptions with thedaily boiler room operation. By theirability to work closely with theKickham representative, I wasinformed daily of the progress of theproject, which was completed aheadof schedule.

It is a pleasure to work with an out-side trade that takes ownership inproviding a professional service,using talented, conscientious, andhard-working personnel.

CHUCK FLEMINGAsst. Chief Operating EngineerIllinois State University

SStteeeell CCiittyy llooookkss ffoorrwwaarrdd ttoowwoorrkkiinngg wwiitthh LLooccaall 9922 aaggaaiinnIT IS A PLEASURE to write this let-ter concerning the supervision andcraftsmen provided Steel City on theSilverhawk project in Las Vegas.

General foreman Mark Hansonand foremen John Blevins and ChrisFremento all represented Local 92 inan exemplary fashion. They exceed-ed our expectations and contributedgreatly in the profits we made onthis project. The journeymen andapprentices — Nick Ashkenazi,Michael Bannan, Juan Benavides,Tom Blevins, Gary Gulley, GaryHatcher, Michael Hatcher, DavidMadrid, Victor McCard, SeyedMoosavi, Oney Pineda, HarveyRickard, Melvin Slim, GeorgeSnyder, and Michael Sutherland —worked in difficult conditions andperformed their work very safelyand with the highest quality.

I look forward to working togetheron future projects.

MONROE BRUCE, project managerSteel City, Inc.

LL--6600 mmeemmbbeerrss iiddeennttiiffyy aaiirrlleeaakkss,, mmiinniimmiizzee ddoowwnnttiimmeeAFTER THREE GRUELING dayssearching the condenser for pointsof air in-leakage, station personnelidentified and repaired leaks on thecondenser’s piping attachments onOct. 30, and brought the stationback to full power on the eveningof Oct. 31.

I want to express my appreciationto the leadership of Local 60 and tothe Boilermakers who fully mannedthe job on extremely short notice.Your team’s timely support of ourrequest to man our project with 44Boilermakers on Sunday, Oct. 26,with only a 36-hour notice, was aformidable task that was done verywell. The Boilermakers were requisi-tioned to repair or replace the con-denser boot seal, should the bootseal be found to be the culprit forthe air in-leakage. Fortunately forthe station, the leaks were found tobe in piping adjacent to the con-denser and the downtime for theoutage was minimized. I have confi-dence that should the Boilermakershave been called up to repair theboot seal, that it would have beendone expeditiously.

Once again, thank you for yourtremendous support in manning thejob on short notice and your man-agement of the problems that camealong with the difficult task.

DAN BROWN, site managerThe VentureNewberg-Perini Stone & Webster, JV

Good Job!Letters of Praise from Owners & Employers

Jan • Feb 2004 the Boilermaker Reporter - 7J O B S

WHEN OHIO-BASED Enerfab neededto face competing technologies in thejuice storage business, president andCEO Wendell Bell counted on Boiler-makers to do the job right.

From fabrication by Local 106 inCincinnati to on-site assembly byLocal 433 in Florida, the Boilermakersconstructed aseptic storage tanks forTropicana, the world’s largest orangejuice producer.

In Enerfab’s shop in Cincinnati, Local106 fabricates the parts. Componentsare then shipped to the Bradenton, Fla.,work site where they are assembled bymembers of Local 433, Tampa, Fla., andNTL members.

The most recent tank they completedcan hold 1.5 million gallons of Tropi-cana’s juice. The tank is 61 feet in diam-eter, assembled on a concrete bed inseven successive courses, or “rings,”reaching a final height of 77 feet. Thehead with jig weighs over 60,000pounds and is set in place on top of a 14-inch compression bar.

The tanks are then sandblasted andsprayed inside with Lastiglas/Munkadur, a chemical-resistant epoxytank lining, based on a 100-percent-solids, two-component epoxy, capable ofbeing applied in a one-coat, high-buildapplication. It cures to a smooth, glass-like finish, averaging 20 mm in thickness,and provides acid and alkali resistance ina wide range of applications.

According to L-433 BM-ST Edgar“Crab” Lariscy, 28 Boilermakers havebeen putting in 60-hour weeks since July1 on the project. The workers are dedi-cated to the project, he said, becausetheir contractor consistently provideschallenging work.

“Enerfab is one of my favorite contrac-tors,” Lariscy says. “It is a pleasure tohave them in my territory.”

Formerly known as Bishopric Prod-ucts, Inc., Enerfab developed patentsfor aseptic bulk storage with PurdueUniversity in 1972. In 1976, the patentearned Bishopric and Purdue the Insti-

tute of Food Technologists’ (IFT) FoodTechnology Industrial AchievementAward. In 1989, the IFT selected asepticprocessing as the most significant inno-vation in food science since 1939. Boil-ermaker ingenuity, Bell says, hascontributed to evolving developmentof this technology.

“On this particular product andindustry, the Boilermakers work with usas a team to be able to come up with away to compete with new technology,”Bell says. “Now we are able to get oursystem going less expensively than thecompeting technology and our feeling isat a higher quality.”

Bell, a former field construction Boil-ermaker and chairman of the NationalAssociation of Boilermaker Employers,has been with Enerfab for 13 years andsays that his company is “joined at thehip” with Boilermakers. “They havebeen one of the most innovative craftsout there for years,” he says. ❑

Working for NBW, membersparticipate in nation’slargest SCR projectMEMBERS OF LOCAL 30, Greens-boro, N.C., have earned high praisefrom National Boiler Works, Inc.(NBW) for a job they performed atDuke Power’s Belews Creek SteamStation in Belews Lake, N.C.

“Boilermakers performed the taskssafely while maintaining the highestlevel of quality,” wrote NBW Pres.Burgess J. Holt. “Their rigging andwelding talents were second to nonethroughout this project.

“The Boilermakers Local 30 dis-patched were highly skilled and quali-fied,” Holt reported. “We had 10welders take a very stringent test andeveryone passed. This is a mostunusual feat.”

Not only did Local 30 send talentedBoilermakers, but BM-ST RichardChilton also recommended 29-year

member Richard Barber Jr. as projectsuperintendent.

“Our workload at the time the proj-ect was planned to start was extremelyheavy and we did not have any super-vision available to manage this proj-ect,” wrote Holt. “[Chilton] mentionedthat he knew of an excellent superin-tendent who was just finishing a job inNorth Dakota.

“We contacted Barber and in a phoneinterview immediately hired him tomanage the project,” Holt said.“Richard met with Duke Power per-sonnel, developed a project schedule,equipment list, and employed all theBoilermakers for the project work.”

It was the first time NBW hadworked for Duke Power, and NBWhired Local 30 members to replace two18-inch heavy wall valves during thestation’s 2003 SCR outage.

“Some people in Duke’s systemwould have rather had a valve spe-cialty contractor, but we completed

that job and are 80 percent completedon our next job for this customer,” Bar-ber said. “I believe we will leaveBelews Creek with the four things allsuccessful jobs require — zero acci-dents, on-time completion, a customerthat is glad he hired a union contractor,and a contractor that makes a profit.

“If more contractors would take alook at the work in the Carolinas, theywould see that there is a market and we

have the people who will get the jobdone,” Barber said.

Chilton couldn’t agree more. “Thisshows that money can be made onsmall jobs in North Carolina,”Chiltonsaid. “We have tons of work like thisand no contractors to bid it. If you areinterested in loads of small jobs, thenit’s like the game show, The Price isRight. ‘Come on down’ and we’ll makesure you don’t regret it.” ❑

Construction Boilermakers set the head of a 1.5 million gallon juice tank atan Enerfab work site in Florida.

Enerfab credits Boilermaker ingenuity for helpingcreate award-winning storage equipment

MEMBERS OF LOCAL 584have finished construction ofthe largest-diameter heatexchanger ever constructed atSouthern Heat Exchanger inTuscaloosa, Ala.

Built for Rohm and HaasTexas, Inc., a specialty chemi-cal company, the unit weighs134,250 pounds, is 33-feetlong, and has a diameter of155 inches, reports Intl. Rep.Warren Fairley. It is made outof stainless steel and has4,153 one-inch diameter out-side tubes.

Local 584 has representedemployees of Southern HeatExchanger since the lodgewas chartered in 1964. Ayearago, the members ratified a labor agree-ment with Southern Heat gaining

improvements in both wages and pen-sion. According to Fairley, the local hasmaintained a 100 percent union mem-

bership rate at this right-to-work sitesince at least 1986. ❑

Locals 106, 433 add to juice tank technology

Members of Local 584 pose in front of a heat exchanger they built for Rohm and HaasTexas, Inc., at Southern Heat Exchanger in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

L-30 members excel in valve replacement job

These Local 30 members replaced valves at Duke Power’s Belews Creekmassive SCR project, the largest of its kind in the nation.

Local 584 builds heat exchanger

THE RESULTS of a study conductedby The AFL-CIO’s Building and Con-struction Trades Department (BCTD)has confirmed what trades membershave known for years: union pro-grams are far more successful at train-ing apprentices than nonunionapprenticeship programs.

The study of the Associated Buildersand Contractors (ABC) apprenticeshipprograms, one of the highest-profilenonunion training programs in thetrades, covered 1997 through 2001 and36 states. The findings show that, onaverage nationwide, union programstrain 72 percent of all constructionapprentices. In contrast, the nonunionABC programs tend to produce, over-all, twice as manydrop-outs as they dograduates.

BCTD PresidentEdward Sullivanhas called on U.S.Labor SecretaryElaine Chao toinvestigate thenation’s construc-tion apprenticeshipprogram system.

“The strength ofAmerica’s construction industrydepends on skilled craftsmanship,”Sullivan said in his letter to Chao.“Any misuse of the apprenticeshipsystem undermines the industry’sfuture, and potentially defrauds con-struction workers.”

Apprenticeship programs are regu-lated by the U.S. Department of Labor’sOffice of Apprenticeship, Training,Employer, and Labor Services(OATELS) and various state appren-ticeship councils. All registered pro-grams are eligible for federal and stateallocations and grant money. The

BCTD and other labor groups wantmore stringent standards to regulateprograms that take advantage of thesefunds and have access to these lower-paid workers.

The call for the investigation comes ata time when Rep. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., is sponsoring the ApprenticeshipEnhancement Act of 2003, legislationbacked by the ABC. It would “stream-line” the Labor Department’s appren-ticeship approval process and createloopholes for contractors to get certifiedapprenticeship programs withoutadhering to federal apprenticeship stan-dards. This legislation would jeopard-ize the overall quality of the program.

Dale “Skipper” Branscum, directorof the Boilermak-ers’ ConstructionDivision, says Sulli-van’s call to actionis necessary tomaintain theintegrity of the titleof journeyman.

“It is incumbentupon the construc-tion industry as awhole to demandthe highest stan-

dards in our training and apprentice-ship programs,” Branscum says. “Ifwe as a nation are to rely on the skillsproduced by our industry’s appren-ticeship programs, then we mustweed out those programs that fail toproduce an acceptable product.”

The BCTD wants Chao to investigatethe cause for high cancellation rates; toestablish minimum graduation ratesfor all programs created by the craft; tocreate a monitoring process; and to ter-minate the registration of programsthat fail to meet the new standards.

The results mesh with a similarstudy from 2002 of West Virginiabuilding trades apprenticeship pro-grams conducted by the Institute forLabor Studies and Research at WestVirginia University. This study, com-missioned by West Virginia’s Affili-ated Construction Trades foundation(ACT), found that of the 3,194 appren-tices trained in the state’s 17 tradesduring the 1990s, 95 percent of themwere in union-related programs. Dur-ing the 1990s, union programs gradu-ated 1,180 apprentices, whereasnonunion programs graduated onlyseven. One-third of programs receiv-ing funding are nonunion, the studynoted, but only about a half of a per-cent of graduated apprentices comesfrom these programs.

Raymond “B.B.” Smith, legislativerepresentative for the ACT and a mem-ber of Local 667, said the ACT felt com-pelled to establish hard evidence thatnonunion programs are not generatingthe same quantity of apprentices.

“When we graduate apprentices,they come out with a living wage, a

pension program, with a job withhealth care and safety training,” Smithsays. “If there are X amount of dollarsdivided up for training, we are sayingthat [nonunion programs] don’tdeserve that money if they are not pro-ducing the product.”

In December, Anthony Swoope,administrator of the OETELS,responded to Sullivan’s letter. Swoopereported that Chao is “committed toexpanding and building on the qualityof the apprenticeship training pro-gram” through the department’s workwith the Advancing ApprenticeshipInitiative (AAI) and the Advisory Com-mittee on Apprenticeship (ACA).

Swoope noted that George Bliss,director of training for the UnitedAssociation of Journeymen andApprentices of the Plumbing and Pip-efitting Industry, is “ably representingthe building and construction trades asvice chair for labor on the ACA.”

“I am pleased to learn about the goodwork being performed by George Bliss,”said Sullivan. ❑

8 - the Boilermaker Reporter Jan• Feb 2004E D U C A T I O N A N D T R A I N I N G

AFL-CIO study shows nonunion programsgraduate fewer, less-qualified apprentices

It is incumbent upon theconstruction industry as a whole

to demand the highest standards in our training and

apprenticeship programs.— Dale ‘Skipper’ Branscum

Director of Construction Division

ONE OF THEmost popular

benefits of being aBoilermaker is the col-

lege scholarship programthat helps dependents of Boilermakersget started with their college education.

These one-year grants reward thehard work and success of youngmembers of Boilermaker families andencourage members of the next gener-ation of college-educated workers toremember the union advantage.

Boilermaker scholarships are opento high school seniors who will beentering their first year of a two- orfour-year academic program at adegree-granting, accredited college oruniversity within one year of theirhigh school graduation and who aredependents of Boilermaker membersin good standing.

A dependent may be a son, daugh-ter, legally adopted child, or otherdependent of an active, retired, dis-abled, or deceased member.

Winners are chosen based on a vari-ety of criteria that include grades,standardized test scores, extracurricu-lar activities, and a written essay on anassigned topic.

The 2004 essay topic is “How canthe Boilermakers union be marketedmore effectively?”

Applications for the 2004 awardsare available from your local lodgeand will be accepted from January 1 toMarch 31, 2004. Applications post-marked after the March 31, 2004 dead-line cannot be considered for thecompetition.

Contact your local lodge to get anapplication. The International will notmail applications to individuals.

Some local lodges have their ownscholarship programs. Scholarshipsare also available through the UnionPlus credit card program and somestate and regional labor councils.

For information on their scholar-ship programs, contact these organi-zations directly.

BoilermakerHow to Apply For a

ScholarshipAT LEAST THREE generations of laborleaders worked with and sought thecounsel of John Dunlop, an economistand labor negotiator who passed awayOct. 2, 2003, of complications fromheart and kidney disease.

Dunlop, a founding faculty memberof the Harvard Trade Union Program inCambridge, Mass., served as dean ofHarvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciencesfrom 1969 to 1973, and as labor secre-tary in the Ford administration fromMarch 1975 until January 1976.

In March 2003, Intl. Rep. Marty Stan-ton graduated from the 61st annualHarvard Trade Union Program, joininga large group of Boilermaker alumni,including Intl. Pres. Newton B. Jones,who graduated in 1985, and Intl. Pres.Emeritus Charles W. Jones, a 1947 grad-uate. All were students of Dunlop, whotaught at Harvard since the trade pro-gram began in 1942.

The program is an intensive, six-week residential session designed for

union leaders and senior staff. It is com-parable to the advanced education thatHarvard University offers to executive-level individuals in business and gov-ernment. It teaches the essential skillsfor the management and leadership ofunions, as well as provides a uniqueopportunity to explore key issues forthe labor movement. ❑

Harvard Professor EmeritusJohn Dunlop passes away

Intl. Rep. Marty Stanton (l.) atgraduation services with HarvardProfessor Emeritus John Dunlop.

Building and Construction Trades Departmentcalls for apprenticeship program investigation

*From A Preliminary Report onAssociated Builders andContractors ApprenticeshipTraining: Flawed and FailingInitiatives. Excludes 1996.

Union

Non-Union

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%Enrolled Minorities Women

Apprenticeship Enrollment in 36 States 1989-2001Department of Labor Database

81%72% 73%

27%28%19%

Jan • Feb 2004 the Boilermaker Reporter - 9E D U C A T I O N A N D T R A I N I N G

LOCAL 60 apprentices Joe Eppy andBrandon Allonby won first and secondprize, respectively, in the combinedtrades division of the Peoria SectionAmerican Welding Society weldingcontest last March.

Contestants had 90 minutes to pre-pare and demonstrate techniques inSMAW (stick), GMAW (MIG), GTAW(TIG), and a combination division thatincluded these three with flame and/orplasma cutting, and layout. Welding inboth the combined trades and highschool student divisions included flatand out-of-position joints, plate andsheet, ferrous and non-ferrous metals,and straight and circular welds. Thecontest was held on the Illinois CentralCollege campus.

Eppy and Allonby are among 47apprentices at Local 60 trained by BobBranan, a Boilermaker who turnedback trouble into a boon for Local 60and Peoria. A trained welder, Brananwent on to complete his degree in engi-neering in 2001, after he was injured.His studies support the emphasis heputs on the mathematical and funda-mental parts of the welding.

“We stress to them welding is not justthe techniques,” he says. “There are alot of aspects they need to learn. I’mreally hopeful for them to take ourplace. It’s nice to know we have thatkind of talent.”

Darren Lindee, a Boilermaker grad-uate apprentice, assists Branan withthe training.

Ed Hebert, BM-ST for Local 60, saysBranan combines a strict dedication tothe welding craft with a gentler touchwith his apprentices.

“He isn’t overly hard and overbearingon the apprentices, but he tries to instillthe idea that they shouldn’t be satisfiedwith just ‘good enough,’” Hebert says.“It needs to be a practicing art, one whereyou are constantly making yourself bet-ter and picking up new styles.”

Branan also teaches East Peoria Com-munity High School welders through acooperative with Illinois Central Col-lege. Each week, the students attend 10hours of welding and welding technol-ogy training at the college’s newly ren-ovated workshop. When they finishhigh school, some students have asmany as 600 hours of welding training.Roughly 30 percent of the students who

complete the high school’s weldingskills program eventually pursue anindustrial technologies career.

The high school’s welding team haswon the annual Mid-Illini WeldingContest for 21 years in a row. This isBranan’s first year with the high schoolstudents. Branan’s work with the stu-dents at the high school level, Hebertsays, has meant they come into theapprenticeship program better trainedand with a little bit of knowledge.

“Bob has been a godsend to us,”Hebert says. “Anytime we need him,he is here for us.”

Branan says the learning process isreciprocal; it happens everyday, in andout of the classroom.

“The apprentices learn from everyBoilermaker they come in contact with,just as I learn from them,” Branan says. ❑

Apprentices get a breakfrom hardship of travelMEMBERS OF Local 263, Memphis,Tenn., used persistence, hard work,good communication, and the help ofDistrict 57 and the International to givetheir apprentice training program anew lease on life.

Since 2000, member volunteershave rolled up their sleeves anddonated their skills to turn an oldwelding shop into a first-class train-ing center, meeting hall, office space,and Local 263’s hub.

“We went from nothing to a trainingcenter with 10 welding booths, riggingpads, modules, and training class-rooms,” says Mike Allen, Local 263 busi-ness manager. “We had volunteersdoing everything from pouring concreteto doing carpentry in the building.”

In the late 1990s, the local was turn-ing out fewer than 10 apprenticesevery year. Almost all training, includ-

ing hours of rigging workshops, class-room work, and welding practice, hadto be completed at other facilities.Southeast Area International VicePresident Sam May, who was BM-ESfor District 57 at the time, says the situ-ation was unwieldy and exhausting forthe apprentices.

“Prior to this, we had to sendapprentices to Kansas City for trainingall the time and that was a real hard-ship on them,” May says. “They had tostay away from home, and the trainingwas usually during the peak work-load. Some of these guys might notwork more than six weeks and theywere starving to death.

“When we were sensing they werequitting because of this, we startedopening local training centers.”

In the last five years, training centershave opened in every District 57 local,including Local 453 in Knoxville,Tenn., Local 454 in Chattanooga,Tenn., Local 455 in Sheffield, Ala., andLocal 687 in Charleston, S.C. Thesecenters helped train Local 263 appren-tices while the Memphis facility wasbeing renovated.

Ed Vance, BM-ES for District 57, saysthese new centers have contributed tothe growth in apprentice training in theSoutheast area.

“Each and every training center isdoing a fabulous job,” he said. “We’vegraduated more apprentices this year

than the Southeast used to graduate inthe whole area.”

Since 2000, according to May, Local263 has had 52 apprentices, 27 whograduated this year. The local’s instruc-tors, J.D. Liner and Clyde Brown, relatewell with the apprentices, Allen says.

May says Allen has followed in thefootsteps of other local business man-agers, stepping up enrollment by stay-ing upbeat and connected with hismembers while pushing the appren-tices to finish.

Allen was appointed business man-ager in 2000. He tries to maintain agood relationship with his members; itshows in the volunteer turnouts he hashad for training center projects.

“I have been here for 27 years, andnow that I am on the other side of the

fence, I see things differently,” Allensays. “Education and communicationare the biggest things. Educate yourmembers and show them the oppor-tunities they have to go out there, tomake money and travel.”

Allen credits May and IP NewtonJones, then IVP for the Southeastregion, for giving Local 263 the finan-cial support and guidance it neededto develop the program.

“Thanks to Sam, Newton, and theBNAP [the Boilermakers NationalApprentice Program], we feel like wehave a first-class training centerhere,” Allen says. “We have beenreenergized. We’ve got a good broth-erhood here. We’ve got good people,and we want to be able to educateand train them.” ❑

New training center reenergizes Local 263

Memphis Local 263 members volunteered hundreds of hours to convert anold welding shop into an apprenticeship training center, meeting hall, and offices.

RAY DARR AND DENNIS YORK,second and third from left, receivetheir certificates of graduation fromthe Local 29 apprenticeship programfrom, l. to r., Intl. Rep. Marty Stanton,L-29 Pres. Kevin Noyes, and L-29 BM-ST Gerald Williams. The two werehonored at the local’s monthly meet-ing in March 2003.

Chartered in 1928, Local 29 rep-resents approximately 350 workersin both shops and the construction

industry in Maine, Massachusetts,New Hampshire, Rhode Island,and Vermont.

L-60 apprentices win area AWS awards

Local 60 instructor Bob Branan, center, congratulates apprentices BrandonAllonby (l.) and Joe Eppy (r.) for earning second and first place, respectively, in thePeoria-area American Welding Society (AWS) contest.

Instructor Bob Branan guides welders from highschool through Boilermaker apprentice program

L-263 apprentice Marlena Potts (left)welds beams for a new rigging pad.

L-29 graduates apprentices

NEARLY 300 PARTICIPANTS fromacross Canada attended the CanadianLegislative Conference of the Buildingand Construction Trades Department(BCTD) in Ottawa, Sept. 22-24. Cana-dian BCTD Exec. Board Chairman andBoilermaker Intl. Vice Pres. RickAlbright served as co-chair.

Delegates heard from speakers, par-ticipated in panel discussions on thefuture of trades training, and attendedworkshops on pension solvency,shareholder activism, and politicalaction. A significant portion of the con-ference was devoted to lobbying activ-ities, including individual visits withParliament members and a closedreception on Parliament Hill wheredelegates met and discussed issueswith over half of Canada’s Parliamentmembers and senators.

Complementing the Canadian BCTDLegislative Conference were speechesfrom a number of high-profile labourand government representatives.

BCTD Pres. Ed Sullivan told dele-gates how political involvement inboth Canada and the U.S. is needed tocounter the forces of right-wing politi-cians and anti-union employers.

BCTD Sec.-Treas. Joe Maloney, amember of Local 128, Toronto, stressedthe importance of grassroots politicalaction and membership involvementin the political process.

Robert Blakely, conference co-chairand BCTD director of Canadian Affairs,walked the delegates through an ambi-tious legislative agenda that includedsuch issues as national standards intrades training and apprenticeship,mobility assistance for tradespersons,

and the continuing fight against theunderground economy.

Several Canadian Cabinet ministersand Parliament members alsoaddressed the participants, includingthe Federal Minister of LabourClaudette Bradshaw, Sec. of State forCrown Corp. Steve Mahoney, DeputyPrime Minister Anne McLellan, andMinister of Human Resource Develop-ment Jane Stewart.

Bradshaw discussed health andsafety in the workplace, employmentequity, and her initiatives to alleviatethe plight of the homeless.

Mahoney described a new initiativedealing with contractor accreditationand certification of workers perform-ing renovation work on national her-itage buildings.

McLellan addressed the govern-ment’s progress in improvingCanada’s health care system, thankingthe BCTD for their continued support.

Stewart also thanked the BCTD forcontributing to Canada’s InnovationStrategy, stressing the importance ofapprenticeship as an ideal model forworkplace training and recognizing thevalue of joint labour-managementhuman resource development bodies,such as the Construction Sector Council.

Dick Proctor, parliamentary labourcritic of the New Democratic Party(NDP), reminded delegates of thestrong bond between the NDP and thelabour movement, as well as their com-mon interests in several major issuesfacing Canada.

Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)Pres. Ken Georgetti outlined the CLC’straining policy, thanking the BCTD forits help. He stressed the importance ofconcerted political action initiatives tofurther the interest of workers and toadvance issues of importance to thelabour movement.

After describing the outstandingwork being performed by his company,Habitat for Humanity Canada, CEOand Pres. David Hughes signed amemorandum of understanding withthe BCTD and its affiliated unions thatpledged cooperation in providinghomes for needy families.

Representatives from provincialBCTD councils discussed political andlegislative developments in theirareas, and delegates also learned of theongoing activities of the ConstructionSector Council and Canadian Appren-ticeship Forum from their respectiveexecutive directors, George Gritziotisand Keith Lancastle.

Following the conference, delegatesparticipated in a National DAD’s DayGolf Tournament, raising $10,000 forthe Diabetes Islet Transplant Programat the University of Alberta. ❑

10 - the Boilermaker Reporter Jan• Feb 2004L E A P I S S U E S

THE UNITED STATES faces a nationalsecurity crisis as we allow our navalfleet to shrink. The Navy currently has295 ships in the fleet. That number willdrop to 290 by next year.

Based on previously enacted budg-ets, this country is on its way to a 250-ship Navy. Current budget practices ofproviding an average of six ships a yearwill shrink the fleet to 180.

Chief of Naval Operations, ADMVern Clark, has testified before Con-gress that the nation needs a naval fleetof 375 ships to meet present and emerg-ing threats to our homeland.

Legislation has been introduced inboth the House and Senate to drawattention to this crisis. You can help bybecoming a Sea Power Ambassador.

The American Shipbuilding Associa-tion’s Seapower Ambassador program

is intended to educate the Americanpublic and elected officials on the needto rebuild the fleet of the U.S. Navy andCoast Guard to meet America’s secu-rity requirements in the 21st Century.

Rebuilding America’s sea serviceswill only be achieved through active,organized, grassroots education.

The Sea Power Ambassador pro-gram is Web based. At the Sea PowerWeb site, you can get the latest facts,articles, and opinion pieces on the stateof our sea services, and draft letters youcan send to elected representatives andpolitical candidates. You can also signup to receive Action Alerts.

To reach the Sea Power Ambas-sadors Web site, go to the BoilermakersWeb site at www.boilermakers.org, clickon LEAP, and then click on “Register tobe a Sea Power Ambassador.”

You can’t be effectivepolitically if you don’tknow your membershipESTABLISHING A LEAP committee iseasy; knowing what to do with it can bemore difficult.

A simple place to start — especiallyimportant in election year — is updat-ing your membership list, a processused to track and keep current voterregistration of the members.

Begin with requesting a list of mem-bers and their phone numbers from theBoilermakers’ Government AffairsDepartment. The department staff willmatch your list with a national voter reg-istration list provided by the AFL-CIO.

The next step is to look it over care-fully. Use local lodge member recordsto correct the list, giving special atten-tion to members who have moved,retired, or changed their status. Submitcopies of the updated corrections onyour list to the Government AffairsDepartment, the Intl. secretary-trea-surer’s office in Kansas, and your stateor local AFL-CIO office.

Another option is to get a voter listfrom the local election office, registra-tion office, county office, or secretary ofstate’s office. These lists are publicinformation and usually can beobtained for a small fee, or by going tothe office and copying the informationyou need. Your state or local COPEoffice will assist you in locating the list.

“Comparing these lists can be a timeconsuming chore,” says Bridget Mar-tin, director of government affairs, “butthere is no other reliable way to knowwho is registered and who isn’t.”

One approach is to assume that allmembers are not registered and plan aregistration drive accordingly. Even if amember is registered, there is nopenalty for re-registering to vote.

“Many members think they are regis-tered to vote but they may have beenpurged from the voter registration sys-tem if they have not voted in as few astwo local elections,” Martin cautions.

Certain information is critical tomanaging and assembling a member-

ship voter record list. Present eachmember with a brief survey with thefollowing questions:• What is your current phone number andaddress?• At election time, would you prefer to havea ballot mailed to you or go to the polls?• Are you a political or legislative activist?• Are you willing to help with grassrootslobbying efforts such as phone calls, door-to-door, labor-to-neighbor canvassing, andattending rallies?

This information will not only gainyou updated information, but it alsoprovides information about possiblevolunteers. Plan to update the list everysix months; it will make the “chore”easier while also raising your mem-bers’ political awareness.

Voter registration forms can beobtained from the Boilermakers’ Gov-ernment Affairs Department, yourlocal or state AFL-CIO, or the secretaryof state’s office. Mail every memberand their spouse two voter registrationforms. Ask each member to fill out avoter registration form when they jointhe union or come into the union hall.Also, plan a voter registration drive atthe work site.

Don’t forget to mail your updatedinformation to your local or state AFL-CIO and to the Boilermakers’ Govern-ment Affairs Department.

Once you have compiled the list,determine your percentage of regis-tered voters, then work to increase thatnumber by 10 percent over the nextyear. Setting small goals makes thework more manageable and the goalsmore attainable. ❑

It’s time to update yourmembership voter lists!

Think you’reregistered to vote?

YOU MAY NOT BE.IF YOU HAVE NOT VOTED in as fewas two local elections, you mayhave been purged from the voterregistration system. Register again,then vote, in every election!

Local 146’s Jerry Donnelly (left)discusses upcoming legislation withDeputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan atthe BCTD Canadian LegislativeConference in Ottawa.

Canadians hold legislative conferenceDelegates discuss issues, meet Parliament members

Complain and gain nothing, ortake action to change thingsWE’VE ALL DONE IT. In the dark morning of trashday, we haul boxes and bags and building materialsand busted recliners and rusted appliances and leakywater heaters to the curb. Then we drive off to workwith our fingers crossed and pray the trash collectorstake it all away.

Part of your mind says, “Well, it’s their job. That’swhat my tax dollars pay for. They’d better take it.” Butthen there is that voice that says, “I swear I’ll makethem Tollhouse cookies and fresh-squeezed lemon-ade myself if they’ll just help me out this one time.”

Political lobbying isn’t much different from trashcollection day. As voters and constituents, we haveexpectations about what our public servants shouldbe doing and what our tax dollars pay for. But in ourhearts we know that without making friends with ourrepresentatives, without thank-ing them by helping themwith their campaigns ormaking a donation, wemay not get our mes-sage through.

To lobby, simply, isto act. It is the vehiclethat drives your mes-sage home. Whenyou act, you show theworld — your friends,neighbors, and represen-tatives — that each one ofus has a say in policy deci-sions.

Fear not; fear is normalLOBBYING IS AN INTIMIDATING concept for mostregular folks. Very few of us, even when we are seri-ously outraged about something, will leap up off oursofas and stomp off to Capitol Hill to exchange wordswith our representatives. Let’s face it: many of usdon’t even know who our representatives are.

Being intimidated into not lobbying is just anotherway to skirt our American responsibility to democracy.One person can make a difference, no matter what peo-ple will tell you. You just have to start the ball rolling.

Tony Jacobs, Local 169 president, assistant businessmanager, and co-chairman of the local’s politicalaction committee (PAC), has been working electionpolls since he was 12. He has seen the benefit of court-ing and contacting politicians, keeping theminformed on the issues.

“Now I have Republicans often calling me fromthe House floor and asking me which way wouldwe like them to go. It is all through luncheons andby stopping by their home offices, talking and feel-ing each other out.”

A local lodge is one of the best places to start lobby-ing. Fortunately, Boilermaker lodges have what it takesto get started: people who care. As union members,you are in tune with the working person’s needs. Youare already organized. You have the strength and thefortitude to follow through.

All you need is five peopleFOR ABOILERMAKER LOCAL, you’ll find that fivepeople are better than one when forming your com-mittee. Their energy, interest, and time become theheart of your newly-formed LEAP committee.

Local 169, Detroit, and Local 154, Pittsburgh, Pa.,are excellent examples of lobbying powerhouses thatemerged from the formation of a LEAP committee atthe local level.

“A lot of people are intimidated by knocking ondoors and talking to people and putting issues out infront of them,” says John Marek, business managerand co-chairman of Local 169’s political action com-mittee (PAC). “But that is what politicians want. Theywant to hear about that. You have to do it.”

Local 169 sends members every year to the LEAPconference. They attend the National BuildingTrades convention in Washington, D.C., every year,and attend the state legislative conference. Their ball

is rolling, but like every movement, it started withjust a few people.

The lobbyists among youAN OFFICER IN THE LODGE often is the figureheadof a new political action committee or LEAP commit-tee, but that officer needs help. Scope out the activistsin your midst. Here are a few clues.

These members are self-motivated and energetic.They volunteer to help when there isn’t anything in itfor them. They are optimistic, have stamina, and donot fear rejection. They smile and pay attention totheir appearance. They share similar values with theirbrother and sister Boilermakers. They can talk, butthey also know how to listen. They are ready and will-ing to learn about the political issues and how to talkabout them. They are open-minded and full of ideas.They support and believe in the value of democracy.

“If you are picking people for your committee, youwant somebody that represents your organization,someone with communication skills who wants to

put the time in,” Marek says. “We are not gettingpaid to do these activities, so it has to be some-

one with a good heart who wants to makesome positive changes not just for themselves,but for the whole group.”

From talk to actionLOBBYING IS SIMPLE; it is about action and

information. It’s about making personal contactwith your representatives and talking to them

about your concerns. But how do you get from fivemembers sitting around in a room talking about poli-tics to five members having breakfast with a senator?

“We have to look at the issues first,” says Ray Ven-trone, business manager and LEAP committee chair-man for Local 154. “Quarterly, we sit down and goover everything that is going on that affects ourindustry, our union, and the trades. We decide whowe are going after and where we stand. Then we callahead to congressmen or state and local reps. andmake an appointment.”

Making contact is the key. When politicians becomedistanced from their constituents — no matter whatparty they belong to — the results are policies that areequally distant from our daily lives. It’s our job to sitdown with them, look them in the eye, and talk tothem about where they stand on an issue.

“Drop by and say hi and feel them out as to whichway they are going,” Jacobs says. “Always have acouple of constituents from their area, but don’t bringa large crowd. And it doesn’t work to pound your fist.Just ask them how they feel on certain issues.”

Lobbying, Jacobs says, is simply being involved withthe people who are involved in the decision making.

That involvement includes activities such as:• Personal meetings with representatives, at theiroffice, at parties and events, or at your local lodge.• Telephone conversations, with the reps. or with theiraides, simply stating your view on a specific issue.• Individually written mail, including faxes and e-mails. Busy politicians are more likely to read yourletter than see you in person.• Mass mail to express similar concerns to many dif-ferent representatives.• Volunteering to work on a candidate’s campaign,working phone banks, or putting signs in yards.• Raising money for contributions to friendly politicians.

It helps to raise moneySO HERE’S THE PART that no one likes to talk about.The last thing any of us wants is for someone to ask usfor money. In politics, however, money opens doors.

Bridget Martin, director of government affairs,says that the issue of raising money is the one aspectof politics that often sours the typical American. Themedia often speak of donations and contributions asa kind of bribe. However, for lobbyists to be success-ful, she says, you have to show your support.

“You can’t go out and buy a vote, but if someoneis a good friend and helping you on your requests,you want to follow it up with a contribution,” shesays. “We want to thank our friends. They needcontributions. It costs several million dollars just towin a House race. You want to make sure they arewell-funded.”

Raising money for lobbying is a matter of educa-tion. Donations provide access, not votes. Tell yourmembers what your committee is doing and why.Ask them for their ideas. Ask them for their participa-tion. And when they are ready, and you are ready, askthem to allow a contribution to your fund to be writ-ten into the contract.

If they ask what the money is for, be forthright.Campaigns cost money. Postage and paper andphone lines and posters cost money. Flying to confer-ences and paying for dinners cost money. For eachindividual, it won’t cost much — less than what theyspend in a vending machine or on coffee each day —but it could save them and their families in the longrun. Every time a politician backs an issue that harmsworking families, we pay. We lose our jobs, we loseour health care, we lose security. What is that worth?

The three-legged stool WAITING FOR THE MONEY to roll in is a mistake,however, Martin says. Think of lobbying as a three-legged stool. One leg is fundraising, within thelocal lodges and within the International, to coverthe cost of both professional and grassroots efforts.

The second leg is leverage in Washington, or“professional lobbying.” Martin and her staff workfull-time and spend hours researching an issue,meeting with members of Congress, writinginformative letters, faxes, pamphlets, and e-mails,both to Congress, and to you.

The third leg is grassroots action taken by a repre-sentative’s constituents. This is the work your localcan do in the form of voter registration, phone banks,flyers, mailings, and education. All three legs keep thestool standing, but the one that is most wobbly rightnow, Martin says, is the grassroots work.

“The money is extremely important, but it is thepeople on the ground, working campaigns, andshowing up to vote,” Martin says. “We really needto tap into our grassroots mobilization, gettinglocals involved and making sure the members areregistered to vote because that is what members ofCongress remember.” ❑

A lesson in lobbying for members, localsJan • Feb 2004 the Boilermaker Reporter - 11L E A P I S S U E S

GET HELP!IN POLITICAL ACTION, someone alwaysknows more than you and is not justwilling but grateful to share theirknowledge. Here are three sources dyingto help you get started:

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L-169 Pres.Tony Jacobs, center, discusses voterregistration for the 2004 Michigan Democratic Caucuswith apprentices Warren Harris-El (l.) and Dan Pelz Jr.

12 - the Boilermaker Reporter Jan• Feb 2004L E A P I S S U E S

Asbestos Injury Resolution ASBESTOS MAY BE the most lethalsubstance ever widely used in theworkplace. Boilermakers in a variety ofindustries — construction, shipbuild-ing, manufacturing, and railroad — areamong the victims of asbestos expo-sure. The Asbestos Injury ResolutionAct, S.1125, seeks to create a system forresolving asbestos exposure claims.

Amendments have improved itover last year ’s version, but manycritical issues still need to be resolved.The legislation’s adversarial court-based process contains inadequateawards for victims, doesn’t ensurefund solvency, fails to address theseparate treatment of pending claimsand settlements, lacks a sufficientmedical screening provision for high -risk workers, and preempts asbestos-related compensation for railroadworkers covered by Federal Employ-ers’ Liability Act (FELA).

ApprenticeshipEnhancement ActWE CONTINUE TO oppose any effortto “streamline” the Department ofLabor’s apprenticeship and trainingcertification process. This legislationcreates loopholes in the apprenticeshipand training certification process forcompanies and contractors trying tocertify their apprenticeship programswithout adhering to federal apprentice-ship standards.

Nonunion apprentice programs haveroutinely graduated fewer apprenticesand show lower standards. This meas-ure would lower skill standards furtherand allow contractors to get theirapprenticeship programs certified eventhough federal standards have notbeen met.

Employee Free Choice ActTHE EMPLOYEE FREE Choice Actallows for National Labor Relations Board(NLRB) certification on the basis of signedauthorization cards, provides for mediat-ing first contracts, and sets stronger penal-

ties for NLRAviolations during organiz-ing or negotiating a first contract.

This bi-partisan Act ensures thatwhen a majority of employees in aworkplace decide to form a union, theycan do so without the debilitatingobstacles employers now use to blockworkers’ free choice. This much-needed legislation is a major steptoward ensuring workers keep theirright to join and participate in unions.

Energy Bill THE ENERGY BILL (H.R. 6) containsan electricity section that promotes thefailed deregulation policies that havedevastated the electric industry and itsconsumers. This legislation has notbeen crafted in a bi-partisan mannerand has not had a fair and completehearing on all the vital issues.

The electric utility industry has beenturned upside down in the past severalyears as deregulation proposals haveadvanced through several state legisla-tures. The “obligation to serve” the cus-tomer has been replaced by the need forprofits. Companies have scaled backmaintenance budgets and employeesto prepare for “competition” andimprove their profile on Wall Street.

Rate-payer costs have skyrocketedwhen price caps have expired in statesthat have deregulated. Despite ourneed for energy independence, now isnot the time to pass H.R. 6 if it includesthe electricity section. We should focuson adequate, affordable, and reliableelectricity service for all consumers, notrisky deregulation schemes.

Central American FreeTrade Agreement (CAFTA) WORKERS AND THEIR allies aremobilizing for the next battle in thestruggle for fair trade — to stop theCentral American Free Trade Agree-ment (CAFTA), signed Dec. 17 by theUnited States and four Central Ameri-can countries.

If approved by Congress, CAFTAwould eliminate tariffs from the UnitedStates, Costa Rica, El Salvador,

Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.CAFTA does not include protectionsfor workers’ right to form a union orsafe work conditions.

It would extend to Central Americathe disastrous job loss and environmen-tal damage that 10 years of the NorthAmerican Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA) have brought.

CAFTA is another step toward pas-sage of the Free Trade Area of theAmericas (FTAA) and future bilateraland regional agreements. CAFTAis thefirst bilateral or regional agreement theBush administration has pushed sincefierce opposition from workers inNorth and South America and theircommunity allies. Opposition stymiedtrade ministers last month from consol-idating FTAA, which would eliminatetariffs from 34 countries with a popula-tion of more than 800 million.

National Naval ForceStructure Policy ActAMERICA FACES A SECURITY crisis.The fleet of the U.S. Navy has droppedfrom 594 ships in 1987 to 294 shipstoday. This represents the smallestNavy since 1917. The nation has beenordering just six new ships a year, onaverage, for the past 12 years. This is thelowest build rate of naval ship produc-tion since 1932, and if continued, ourNavy will shrink to a fleet of 180 ships.

Admiral Vern Clark, Chief of NavalOperations, has testified to Congressthat the Nation needs a fleet of no fewerthat 375 ships to meet the present andemerging threats. If the U.S. does notbegin to invest in our sea power fleet,shipbuilding industrial base, suppliers,and skilled shipbuilding workers,America may never be able to over-come a decade of underinvestment. IfAmerica does not keep building shipsat a sufficient pace, many of these com-panies will cease to exist and thousandsof highly-skilled workers will be laidoff, and their skills lost.

Ship Loan Guarantees THE TITLE XI PROGRAM, adminis-tered by the Maritime Administration(MARAD), guarantees bank loans forsmall- and medium-sized operatingcompanies wanting to build commer-cial ships in the United States.

Commercial orders have been criticalin sustaining highly-skilled jobs in thedefense shipbuilding industrial base.They also reduce the cost of naval shipsby allowing shipbuilders to spread theiroverhead cost across both commercialand naval shipbuilding projects.

In March 2003, the Department ofTransportation recommended reformsto the administration of the Title XI Pro-gram. Expenditure of the Fiscal Year 2003funds was made contingent upon theinspector general’s certifying thatMARAD had implemented the reforms.Despite MARAD’s compliance, nofunds were appropriated in 2004.

Instead, MARAD was directed to usethe $25 million that is on hold until theappropriation of new funds for FiscalYear 2004. The $25 million on hold willbe distributed quickly because of thelengthy backlog of pending applica-tions; therefore, we feel it is vital thatfunds for new guarantees be appropri-ated in Fiscal Year 2005. ❑

2004 Legislative Issues

These are some of the more important legislative issues thatBoilermakers will take to Congress this year. For moreinformation, go to www.boilermakers.org and click on LEAP.

Political BriefsDOL goes ahead withovertime take-awayABOUT EIGHT MILLION workerscould lose overtime pay under newrules issued by the Department ofLabor (DOL). The regulations re-define which workers are eligible fortime-and-a-half for working morethan 40 hours in a week.

The DOL claims the new rulesactually make more workers eligiblethan before, but their claim has beendisputed by the Economic PolicyInstitute, a nonprofit foundation.

The Labor Department is also issu-ing tips to employers on how toavoid paying any overtime at all.

House and Senate memberspassed an amendment to a federalspending bill to prohibit the LaborDepartment from implementing thenew rules. But in November, afterBush threatened to veto the legisla-tion, the amendment was dropped.

President Bush avoidsSenate vote on judgeIN 2002, THE SENATE JudiciaryCommittee rejected Charles Picker-ing for a federal judgeship because ofhis mediocre record and numerousquestionable votes on civil rightscases. Last year, President Bush nom-inated him again, but a filibuster kepthim off the bench. This January, Bushfinally succeeded by ignoring thewill of the Senate and using a recessappointment to put Pickering in the5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Hewill serve until January 2005.

States change laborlaws at high rateAN ANNUAL REVIEW of statelabor legislation shows a greater vol-ume of change in 2003 than in recentyears, including raises to state mini-mum wage laws. Of the 43 stateswith minimum wage laws, only twonow have rates lower than the fed-eral rate of $5.15 an hour.

Iraq war makesHalliburton big bucksDESPITE A DEFENSE Departmentinvestigation into an auditor’s alle-gations that defense contractor Hal-liburton is overcharging thegovernment for fuel in Iraq, VicePresident Dick Cheney’s formeremployer has been awarded anothercontract worth $1.2 billion.

In 2002 and 2003, Halliburton wongovernment contracts worth morethan $2.5 billion. Income from Iraqmade up 22 percent of the company’sincome in the third quarter of 2003and 15 percent of their profits.

Congressional Democrats com-plained of favoritism when Hallibur-ton won a no-bid contract, and aFrench court has threatened to indictCheney for fraud and bribery in con-nection with Halliburton contractswhile he was CEO (1995-2000), butthe windfalls of war keep on coming.

For a look at who is making moneyin Iraq, visit their Web site atwww.publicintegrity.org.

Jan • Feb 2004 the Boilermaker Reporter - 13M E D I C A R E

TTHE TV ADS SAY it’s the sameMedicare, only with more bene-fits. But in fact, Medicare is notthe same as it always was, and

unless we let Congress know we are nothappy with this bill, Medicare’s guar-anteed health care may slip away.

First, the good news. Medicare willcontinue to provide health care benefitsas it has in the past, and the new billincludes a provision to help seniors pur-chase prescription drugs at a discount.

That prescription drug bill benefitsdrug and insurance companies at theexpense of seniors. Other provisions inthe Medicare Prescription DrugImprovement and Modernization Actof 2003 set the stage for the privatiza-tion of Medicare.

Who wins, who losesYOU DON’T NEED to listen to con-sumer groups, seniors groups, andlabor unions to come to the conclusionthat the new Medicare law was writtento benefit drug and insurance compa-nies with little regard for retirees.

Just read The Wall Street Journal.Their article, “A Guide to Who Wins

and Loses in Medicare Bill” (Nov. 18,2003), was accompanied by a chart list-ing five drug companies whose profitsare largely derived from sales of drugsto the elderly. These companies, thepharmacy groups that issue Medicareprescription drug cards, and the insur-ers who will provide the prescriptiondrug benefit will do well. The articlelists the new law’s benefits for drugcompanies, hospitals and physicians,insurers and managed care, and phar-macies before it finally gets to con-sumers. Then it reports, “The bill is amixed bag for consumers.”

That is putting it mildly. Many sen-iors will benefit from the drug bill as itis written, but many others will not.

Congress made the drug bill volun-tary so that those who do not benefitwill not have to pay for it, but determin-ing whether you should purchase theinsurance may be difficult.

Private insurers to offer theprescription drug benefit ONE THING THAT complicates thequestion of whether to buy the drugbenefit insurance is that Medicare willnot provide the drug benefit directly.Instead, insurance companies will offerMedicare-approved insurance that pro-vides the drug benefit.

The specific benefits are set by law,but the cost and availability of theinsurance are not. You need to find outwhat is being offered in your area andcompare its price against what you willgain from the benefits.

Most seniors who spend less than$810 a year ($67.50 a month) on pre-scription drugs will end up payingmore for the insurance than they get inreduced costs. However, low-incomeseniors may qualify for assistance pay-ing their premiums and deductibles.

Many seniors already get prescriptiondrug benefits through their Medigapinsurance. These seniors will need todecide whether they will keep their Medi-gap insurance or buy the drug insurance,based on several factors —the cost of theirMedigap insurance, the benefits they getfrom that insurance, their prescriptiondrug outlays, and the cost of prescriptiondrug insurance. Once you have given upyour Medigap for prescription druginsurance, you cannot go back.

Still other seniors get prescriptiondrugs through their employer’s retireeinsurance plan. Although the newMedicare law provides subsidies forcompanies that continue these plans,the Congressional Budget Office nowestimates that one-third of them willlose this coverage.

Seniors who currently purchase theirprescription drugs through Canadawill probably end up paying moreunder this new law. The law does noth-ing to make drug companies keep theirdrug prices low and it outlaws the now-common practice of buying drugs fromCanada, where the country negotiateswith drug companies to keep priceslower than in the United States.

Many seniors have been able to savemore by purchasing their prescriptiondrugs from Canada than they could bypurchasing prescription drug cards orMedigap insurance. The new law willactually increase drug costs for thisgroup of seniors.

The law does little toreduce health care costsTHE NEW LAW expressly forbidsMedicare from negotiating with drugcompanies for lower prices. From thestandpoint of saving money for seniors,that is its worst flaw.

Every other industrialized countrynegotiates with drug companies tokeep prices down. As a result, Ameri-cans pay more for their prescriptiondrugs than residents of any otherindustrialized country.

The pricing mechanisms that thesecountries use ensure that drug compa-nies remain profitable while protectingconsumers from high prices. Con-sumer advocates support using thebuying power of millions of seniors tonegotiate lower prices, but this lawwas not put together by consumeradvocates. It was put together by lob-byists from the health care, pharma-ceutical, and insurance industries.

Some parts of the new law may helplower health care costs over time. Awellness physical, blood test screeningsfor heart disease, and diabetes screen-ings may help people identify prob-lems early on, before they requireexpensive treatment.

But the government’s plan to subsi-dize HMOs by letting them provideMedicare coverage to the healthiestseniors will drive costs up in the tradi-tional Medicare program to the pointthat it will be unsustainable. ❑

Will the new Medicare act bea bitter pill for retirees?The drug benefit will help many, but the lawdoes nothing to slow rising health care costs

QQ WHEN WILL MEDICARE beginpaying for my drug costs?

AA MEDICARE WILL NOT payyour drug costs. Beginning in

May 2004, you may choose to pur-chase a Medicare-approved drug dis-count card from a private insurance ordrug-benefit company. In January2006, these cards will be discontinuedand you may choose to buy special,Medicare-approved drug insurancefrom a private insurance company.

QQ HOW MUCH WILL I save byusing the prescription drug card?

AA NO SPECIFIC amounts are set bylaw. Each card will be different

and you will need to compare cards tosee which one is best for you. Cardsellers estimate you will save 10 to 25percent, but nothing is guaranteed.

QQ WILL I BE ABLE to use my dis-count card at any drug store?

AA NO. THERE MAY be many cardsavailable. Before you purchase a

card, check with your pharmacy tomake sure you can use it there.

QQ TO SAVE MONEY, I buy mydrugs through the mail. Will I be

able to keep doing that?

AA IT DEPENDS on the card. To helpyou decide, cards will be required

to list the prices they charge for spe-cific drugs. However, if you buy yourdrugs by mail from Canada, forget it.

QQ HOW MUCH WILL the druginsurance cost in 2006?

AA NO PRICE IS SET by law. Insurersestimate you’ll pay $35 a month,

but costs will vary region to region.

QQ HOW MUCH WILL I have to payfor my drugs?

AA PARTICIPANTS WILL pay thefirst $250 in drug costs. Between

$250 and $2,250, participants pay 25percent of drug costs. Participants pay100 percent of the costs between$2,250 and $5,100. Above $5,100, thegovernment pays all but five percentof drug costs.

QQ IS HELP AVAILABLE for peoplewho cannot afford the drug card

or insurance premiums?

AA YES. IF YOU EARN (in 2003) lessthan $12,123 for an individual or

$16,362 for a married couple, you willget a $600 credit on your drug dis-count card and will not have to pay forthe card. This earnings limit changesevery year. A similar benefit willapply to the cost of the insurance anddeductibles after January 2006.

QQ MY STATE HAS drug coveragefor residents. Will that continue?

AA IT DEPENDS on the state. Statesmay find ways to augment the

Medicare program, but how muchthey can do so is unclear. TheMedicare law makes it illegal to sellinsurance that covers all your out-of-pocket expenses.

QQ MY RETIREE HEALTH insur-ance covers drugs. What happens

to this coverage?

AA IT DEPENDS on the company.The new law provides $71 billion

in direct subsidies and $17 billion intax savings to companies that keepthese programs intact, but it does notrequire them to do so.

QQ CAN I KEEP going to the samedoctor and get drug insurance?

AA YES. ANYONE ON Medicare canpurchase insurance that covers

only drug expenses. The only reasonyou might have to change doctors is ifyou chose to get drug coverage byjoining a Medicare-approved HMO.

The New Medicare LawFrequently Asked Questions

Because these rules are still being written and clarified, the Boilermakerscannot guarantee that all the answers given below are entirely accurate. For

clarification or further information, consult the Medicare Web site(www.medicare.gov) or call your local Medicare office.

14 - the Boilermaker Reporter Jan• Feb 2004P A G E I DS T E W A R D S

AN ACCIDENT AND a prescriptiondiet pill nearly cost one local leaderhis job. But experts in the grievanceand arbitration process helped himget it back.

Mike Smith, president of Local D109,Independence, Kan., was discharged inJune 2002. His employer, HeartlandCement, claimed Smith failed a drug test,violating the substance abuse policy ofthe collective bargaining agreement.

Fortunately for Smith, the collectivebargaining agreement also allows dueprocess for workers.

As soon as Smith received writtennotice of his discharge, he filed a griev-ance and contacted his Internationalrepresentative, Nick Adams. Adamswas ill so Boilermaker Safety andHealth Specialist Milan Racic steppedin to help.

Through letters, Racic and Smithrequested information from the com-pany while a Local D109 committee

handled the second step of the griev-ance. The committee’s request to retestthe sample was refused. For 10 months,Racic and Smith exchanged letters withthe plant without result. At the third-step grievance meeting, attended bySmith, Racic, and Adams, the companyoffered Smith a cash buy-out, which herefused. It was time to hire an attorney.

How it happenedMIKE SMITH WAS TAKING Didrex, aprescription weight loss pill, the day the4,000-gallon water truck he was drivingto a fire turned on its side. He wasinjured and sent to the hospital, wherehe was required to take a drug test.Smith had not reported his use of theprescription drug to the company’smanagement, and failed to mention it tothe nurse administering the test. Thoseomissions nearly cost him his job.

Didrex is a benzphetamine that, oncein the body, breaks down into amphet-amine and methamphetamine. Smithsaid he was drug-free, although he hadtaken two of the three required dailydoses by the time of the accident. Hisdoctor testified that the drug shouldnot have been a factor in the cause ofthe accident.

Other issues added further complex-ity to the case. The truck that Smith haddriven was found to have a faulty rearaxle. In addition, Smith had obtainedthe drugs from his wife, who was pre-scribed them by their family doctor.Although the doctor had suggestedthat Mike also try the weight-lossdrugs, he had not written a separateprescription for him.

“It is very important if you are takingprescription medication that you insistyour physician give you a statement totake to work that says, ‘I prescribed thisand I don’t believe it will affect job per-formance.’ That goes for any prescrip-tion drug regardless of what it is for,”says Mike Manley, the Blake and Uhligattorney hired by Local D109 to handleSmith’s case.

Lesson learned: Reportyour prescriptions ANY ARBITRATION involving drugspromises to be difficult to win, saysAdams. Adams is currently workingwith another case involving a mem-ber’s use of an over-the-counter noseinhaler that may have led to a positivedrug screen.

“Cases involving drugs are very hardto win, even when a guy may be right,”Adams said.

This case reminds us, Manley said, ofthe importance of the grievance processin the collective bargaining agreement.

“Members tend to focus only on theeconomic provisions when it comestime to ratify a collective bargaining

agreement,” he said. “But if you are theguy in the box, like Smith was, the rightto a grievance process is even moreimportant than the economic.

“The right to binding arbitration isone of the most important rights thatyou can acquire through collectivebargaining and one of the best rea-sons to have union representationand pay dues on time,” he continued.“Your dues pay the lost time toprocess the grievance, the arbitrator’sfees, fees for experts, and for an attor-ney, if you need one.”

With the support of Manley,Adams, Racic, and Local D109 Vice-President Ceasar Martinez, Smithwas able to come out on top in hisgrievance process.

“Without these guys, I would bewithout a job,” Smith said. “I wouldreally like to thank them, and Intl. Pres.[Emeritus] Charles W. Jones and [Intl.Vice Pres.] Jim Hickenbotham forallowing me to remain as president ofmy local during this process.”

Arbitrator Philip Denver ruled thatHeartland did not have “just cause”to terminate Smith, and that Heart-land misinterpreted and misappliedtheir substance abuse policy inSmith’s case. ❑

Members get threeopportunities to attendone-day training classLOCAL 667, CHARLESTON, W.Va.,held three, one-day steward trainingprograms at their office and trainingcenter in Winfield, August 22-24.

Conducted by Len Beauchamp,director of research and collective bar-gaining services, and ConstructionDivision Director Dale Branscum, theclasses covered such topics as duty offair representation and what it takes tobe a union leader.

Beauchamp reviewed area andnational agreements, the grievanceprocedure, union structure, and theInternational’s Constitution.

Branscum discussed craft jurisdic-tion, dispute resolutions, and coveredsuch subjects as boilers, heat recoverysteam generators, and generation andemission controls.

Local 667 BM-ST George Pinkermanand ABM Mike Vanmatre attended allthree days of training. They wereimpressed by the instructors’ use ofhandouts and visual aids as well as themanner in which they answered ques-tions so that everyone fully understood.

“We are pleased with the classes andlook forward to additional training ses-sions for our members,” wrote Pinker-man and Vanmatre. ❑

Joe McElhaugh’sperformance impressesworkers, managementJOE MCELHAUGH, a 20-year memberof Local 13, Philadelphia, has beennominated as a Star Steward by JohnMosco, secretary-treasurer of Local 906in Donora, Pa.

“I recently worked two jobs whereJoe was the steward — Frackvilleand the Sunoco Philadelphia Refin-ery,” wrote Mosco. “I was thor-oughly impressed with hisperformance. Joe is very seriousabout being a steward. Interactionwith Joe starts immediately uponarrival to the job. Whether it be thevery formal processing center of arefinery or the induction to a short-term job like Frackville, Joe takes thelead to assure a smooth transition tothe job.

“Joe continues that interaction, assur-ing effective upward communication ofsafety concerns, work issues, and pay-roll issues, and he is certainly not bash-ful when it comes to ‘good of the union’issues,” stated Mosco. “He has a talentfor advancing the union position with-out seeming confrontational.”

Mosco is not alone in nominatingMcElhaugh as a Star Steward. Hementioned his assessment of Joe tothe night-turn Boilermakers at theSunoco job and they agreed. Sincethat job completed, Mosco hasreceived phone calls and letters fromthese workers encouraging him tomake the nomination.

In fact, management personnel onboth jobs (company safety representa-

tives, general foremen, and superin-tendents) also told Mosco that theywere impressed with Joe’s perform-ance, stating that McElhaugh “doeshis homework” before raising issuesand “doesn’t just bring problems, butoffers solutions as well.”

Mosco ended his letter by statinghow “encouraging it is in these times ofanti-union sentiment to see a unionman do his job well and obtain therespect of his peers and management.”

Do you know a Star Steward?

DROP US ALINE with the name of thesteward, the local, the company, and afew words about why you think thissteward is special. Send a photo if youcan. We’d like the world to see what agood steward looks like.

Send info to this address: StarStewards, The Boilermaker Reporter,Boilermakers International, 753 StateAve., Suite 570, Kansas City, KS 66101.

★ SS tt aa rr SS tt ee ww aa rr dd ★

Steward serious about his role

Local 667 conductssteward training

These Local 667 members attendone of three, one-day training programsthe lodge sponsored, August 22-24.

The Grievance Process Works

Successful arbitration earns Local D109president reinstatement, back pay

Health and Safety Specialist MilanRacic (right) congratulates Local D109’sMike Smith on his arbitration win.

Prescription diet drug complicates disciplinaryaction for Mike Smith at Heartland Cement Co.

Jan • Feb 2004 the Boilermaker Reporter - 15S A F E T Y A N D H E A L T H

LLooccaall 445533’’ss FFrreenncchh eeaarrnnsskkuuddooss ffoorr iinnssppeeccttiioonn pprrooggrraamm

Dawn French, center front, gets recognition from (l. to r.) project mgr. LarryRussell, safety rep. Harry Foss, general foreman Ron Meacham (behind French),steward Gary Newby, and superintendent Michael Fielden for her rigginginspection program at the Day & Zimmerman Bull Run Fossil site.

Exposure to welding rodfumes could mean risk ofParkinson’s-like symptomsEXPOSURE TO METALfumes fromwelding, cutting, and brazing —especially in confined spaces — cancause brain damage. A major culpritis manganese, a component of allsteel and welding materials.

The International Brotherhood ofBoilermakers, along with manymajor AFL-CIO unions and theBuilding Trades Department, havepetitioned The National Institute forOccupational Safety and Health(NIOSH) to conduct a study of thelink between welding fumes, man-ganese, and brain degeneration.Washington University in St. Louisis expected to conduct the study,which could involve as many as5,000 welders.

Arecent study found 40 percent ofwelders showed signs of disordercalled manganese poisoning, com-monly called manganism. Althoughits symptoms are classified as simi-lar to those of Parkinson’s Disease,studies show that there are manydifferences between the two.

Many doctors are unaware ofmanganism or the risks of exposuresin steel making and welding. Infor-mation about these risks are listedon Material Safety Data Sheets(MSDS). If you are a welder, youshould discuss manganism withyour doctor. The MSDS sheets indexthe harmful chemical compoundsand include properties, handlingdetails, precautions, and first-aidprocedures. Every company is law-fully required to keep them on filefor their workers. Your shop stew-ard or crew superintendent can pro-vide you with copies of them.

What is it?MANGANESE is an essential traceelement. Eating a small amountfrom food or water is needed to stayhealthy. Manganese can be found intrace amounts in some grains andcereals and in higher amounts infoods such as tea.

Exposure to excess levels of man-ganese may occur from breathing airwhere manganese is used in manu-facturing, and from drinking waterand eating food. At high levels, it cancause damage to the brain, liver, kid-neys, and the developing fetus. Thischemical has been found in at least603 of 1,467 National Priorities Listsites identified by the Environmen-tal Protection Agency (EPA).

Where it is foundOCCUPATIONAL exposure tomanganese may occur in industriessuch as arc welding, mining andrefining of manganese ore, dry bat-tery manufacture, iron and steelindustries, fertilizers (manganese isadded as it is an essential element for

plant life), pesticides, and chemicalindustries. Manganese is used as acatalyst for many chemicalprocesses, including the manufac-ture of sulfuric acid. It is also associ-ated with iron deposits.

If you are or have been eitheremployed as a welder or workaround industrial welding, youhave been exposed to manganesecontained in welding rod fumes.Research studies indicate that indi-viduals who inhaled manganesefumes from welding rods have anincreased risk of developing man-ganese poisoning.

SymptomsTHE FOLLOWING symptomsmay be seen in the early stage ofmanganism.•Tremors in hands, arms, legs, feet• Blinking and/or lack of facial

expression • Difficulty in maintaining balance • Slow movement or delay in

movement• Rigidity or stiffness of the limbs • Sleep disorders.

Loss of voluntary and involuntarymuscle control produces a numberof secondary symptoms associatedwith manganism. These include:• Difficulty swallowing • Excessive sweating • Excessive salivation • Slow response to questions • Loss of bladder and/or bowel

control • Constipation.

If you have any of these symp-toms, you should contact your doc-tor immediately. Take a copy ofyour MSDS specifications and acopy of this article with you to thedoctor’s office.

Later in the disease, a combinationof symptoms will appear, includingsmall, cramped handwriting;uncontrolled laughing or crying;anxiety, depression, isolation; scal-ing, dry skin, particularly on the faceand scalp; a soft, whispery voice;slurred speech; and dementia.

PreventionIF YOU DO NOT have any of thesesymptoms but are exposed to weld-ing fumes, OSHA recommendsinvesting in air-purifying respira-tors for your welding hood. Checkwith your employer to see if theywill provide the respirator for you.

Check with your employer aboutventilation. Ask your employer toverify that air-monitoring controlsare suitably protective by showingexposures below the threshold limitvalue for manganese.

Trades workers are often exposedto occupational health risks. Tell yourdoctor about your job and request apersonal health risk evaluation.

MAKE IT SAFEHAZARD ALERT: Welding fumesand manganese poisoning

IN NOVEMBER, THE LAFARGE Cor-poration hosted an awards dinner tohonor workers at the Davenport, Iowa-area cement plant who had workedfive years without a lost-time accident.

Jim Hickenbotham, Internationalvice president of the Cement, Lime,Gypsum, and Allied Workers(CLGAW) Division, delivered aspeech honoring the workers’ dedica-tion to safety.

“I worked in a cement plant in Vir-ginia for 16 years. I know how hard it isto go two months, not to mention fiveyears, without an accident,” Hicken-botham said. “I commend each andevery employee here at the Davenport,Iowa, plant for having the ability to stayalert on those very dangerous jobs andto return home to your loved ones thesame way you went to work.”

Carey Allen, CLGAW director,also attended the dinner, along with

representatives from Local D6. Allensaid that the achievement of 1,000-plus hours without a lost-time acci-dent is remarkable.

“They do production and mainte-nance of the plant and its equip-ment,” he said. “When you look at theequipment they use every day —large grinding mills with 4,000 horse-power motors — it’s an amazingaccomplishment not to have a lost-time accident. They are really focusedon safety.”

The 140 Boilermakers of Local D6,Buffalo, Iowa, were also presented witha recognition award from the Iowa-Illi-nois Safety Council.

Pictured above, l. to r., are Allen,LaFarge Human Resources ManagerJan Baker, union safety representativeOllen Stephens, Local D6 PresidentCharlie Hopwood, plant managerAllen Pfaff, and Hickenbotham. ❑

Lafarge thanks Local D6workers for no lost-time

Dawn’s program is oneof the best in TVA systemDAWN FRENCH, a 23-year Boiler-maker, has earned recognition fromDay & Zimmerman NPS, Inc., forimplementing a rigging inspection pro-gram at the Bull Run Fossil site. Zim-merman representatives reported that“Dawn’s program was rated one of thebest in the TVAsystem.”

According to L-453 BM-ST VinsonHarper, Knoxville, Tenn., “French is anexceptional Boilermaker who takespride in the work assigned to her.”

Inspectors Jeff Stovall and JoelStallings complimented her program

highly and were very impressed withFrench’s inspections, out of servicereports, maintenance, storage applica-tions, and records.

“Her overall efforts and emphasis on[maintaining a] safe rigging depart-ment merit recognition for a job welldone,” wrote Zimmerman representa-tives, site manager Larry Russell, gen-eral superintendent William Flynt,superintendent Michael Fielden, gen-eral foreman Ron Meacham, and FTSrigging engineer John Braunbeck.

French, who joined Local 687,Charleston Heights, S.C., in 1980 beforetransferring to Local 453 in 1995, is acertified tube welder. She has alsoserved as a steward for Local 453. ❑

Softball tournament raisesmoney for diabetes researchFOR SEVERAL YEARS, the membersof Local 1, Chicago, have participatedin an annual softball tournament as away of raising funds for DollarsAgainst Diabetes (DAD). This year wasno different, with Local 1 membersturning out for a day at the ball fieldplaying against other area buildingtrades members.

“We played respectable, but didnot win the tournament,” said JackBenz, Local 1 president. “However,we did help the Diabetes fundraiserreach its goal.”

The event is part of a nationwidefundraiser spearheaded by the Build-ing and Construction Trades Depart-ment, AFL-CIO. Traditionally held theSaturday before Father ’s Day, thisyear’s event was held July 3.

Since DAD’s Day was created in1987, over $17 million has been raisedby thousands of union members, theirfamilies, and friends. Members raisefunds from passing motorists, throughwalk-a-thons, raffles, golf and softballtournaments, and other events to bene-fit the Diabetes Research Institute,located at the University of MiamiSchool of Medicine.

The Local 1 team includes, from leftto right, front row: Mike Goecking, JimGoecking, Chris Zemke, Pat Summers,Tom Maher, John J. Benz, Jack Ruby;

middle row: Gene Forkin, Rich Burton,John Riel, John Beckwith Jr., Jeff Hart-ley, Chris Lundquist, Jack W. Benz, RonKowalsji Jr.; back row: Mike Murphy,

Troy Livingston, John Skermont, IsaacRayes, Jim Martin, Joe Brender, GaryConboy, Roscoe Morgan, Pete Bukiri,and Eric Davis. ❑

ACTIVE AND RETIRED members ofLocal 587, Orange, Texas, celebratedanother year of boilermaking byattending their annual barbecue fol-lowing their July monthly meeting.

Local 587’s BM-ST Clay Herfordand President James Kirkland tookadvantage of the gathering to presentmembership pins to five Local 587members who represent over 200years of membership: Woodrow Tal-bert (55), Wilson Trahan (55), Seth

Shelton (40), Frederick Dodd (35), andJoe Khoury (20).

Chartered in 1952, Local 587 repre-sents members in the manufacturing,shop, construction, forging, shipyard,and marine industries.

Above, gathering in front of the Local587 barbecue pit, are Local 587 officers, l.to r., Inspector Darwin Wood, Vice Presi-dent George Dronett, Hereford, Rec. Sec.Chris Romano, Kirkland, and Trustee J.R. Wilson.

16 - the Boilermaker Reporter Jan • Feb 2004L O C A L N E W S

L-1 hits DAD’s Day grand slam

ON JULY 31, more than 100 membersof Local 4, Page, Ariz., officers, and dig-nitaries attended the dedication cere-mony of Local 4’s new union hall.

Chartered in 1999, Local 4 startedwith 300 members. The constructionlodge now represents 900 workers,mostly from the Navajo Nation, and isthe largest Boilermaker local in thewestern states.

Mayor J. Dean Slavens attended theceremony, welcoming the Boilermak-ers to Page.

“We believe it’s a real asset to havethe union here, to have them represent-ing the Navajo Nation Boilermakers.We promise to be good neighbors.”

Slavens praised the local’s appren-tice program and training facility,housed next door to the new hall.Thirty-five welder apprenticesrecently graduated.

“That means there are 35 people whocan go out there and get a job — adecent-paying job — to support theirfamilies,” Slavens said. “If this were nothere, that may not have happened.”

Former City Councilman MichaelAnderson described the union as a “newand different” calling for young people.

“There’s a calling out there. We justneed to listen for it,” he said. “They’reasking us to be a part of the solutioninstead of a part of the problem.”

Western States Intl. Vice Pres. JoeStinger attended the dedication, pledg-ing that the union will continue to trainand take in Navajo Boilermakers, aswell as others, and provide them withwork opportunities, whether it’slocally or in another part of the country.

“My commitment is that we’re goingto continue to grow,” he said.

Intl. Rep. Gary Evenson said the ideato tap into the Navajo Nation for skilledworkers came about in 1998.

“The Boilermakers met with officialsfrom Irwin Industries, who said theydidn’t need the Boilermakers, they justdialed 1-800-NAVAJO,” explainedEvenson. “Well, they should never havegiven us the number, because we calledit, and you all answered that call.”

Phil Russell, of the Navajo Nation pres-ident’s office, told the dedication crowdthat the union has a great leadership base.

“You’ve got great people here leadingyou,” Russell said. “Follow them. If youwork together, you’ll see accomplish-ments like what you see here today.” ❑

Source: Lee Pulaski of the Lake Powell Chronicle.

L-4 dedicates new hall

volunteers organized teams to raisemoney for and participate in a 24-hourwalk that honors cancer victims andsurvivors and contributes funds to can-cer research.

Relay for Life began in 1985. ATacoma surgeon walked and ran 83miles in 24 hours, raising $27,000.Since then, the event has grown: in2002, 2.5 million people participatedacross the world, raising $243 million.This year, Janell’s 42-member teambrought in $2,733, more than 11 per-cent of the $23,400 raised in theMatanuska Valley relay.

Jim McPherson says with Local 502headquarters 1,400 miles away inTacoma, he and the 50 other Alaskamembers can feel pretty cut off from hispeers and the union. He shared thisfeeling with BM-ST Randy Robbins.Robbins encouraged him to keep thelocal up-to-date on their news andactivities up north. As a result, Local502 became one of the primary donorsto Janell’s Relay for Life team, surpris-ing the team with a $300 donation tosupport their cause.

Robbins says that his local tries to con-tribute to charitable community projects.Over the years, they have donated to theACS, Special Olympics, Tacoma mis-sions, and to a women’s shelter.

“We tend to help out people who aremaking honest efforts to make a differ-ence, and that is what the McPhersonswere doing,” Robbins says.

Jim sees the local’s donation as repre-sentative of the very best kind of act alabor union can perform.

“During a time when corporateinterests put out so much negative

propaganda,” Jim says, “it is veryimportant to recognize the role thatorganized labor takes in our every-day lives and in our communities.”

Through the gray, wet evening ofMay 16 and into the next day, Janellkept vigil for her team. Through thenight, friends and families took turnscarrying the team’s token around thetrack. There was some sadness, butthere was also familial joy.

“It is very emotional; it makes yourealize the impact a disease like this hason your community, how many peopleare involved in it,” she says. “But it’sreally a chance to celebrate that peoplebeat cancer and to let others know thatyou care and you remember also.” ❑

A luminary commemorates the lifeof Pearl LaVerne McPherson, wife,mother, and grandmother of threegenerations of Local 502-Alaska.

Continued from page 1

L-587 fires up barbecue

L-374 buildsbird perches

FOUR MEMBERS of Local 374, Ham-mond, Ind., have earned a certificate ofappreciation from the Illinois RaptorCenter, a nonprofit wildlife and envi-ronmental education center locatednear Decatur in central Illinois.

Boilermakers Dan Arrington, ShaunEstes, Ken Jennings, and Bob Lietzbuilt two perches the center can use torehabilitate and educate birds of prey.One of the perches is pictured above.

The center presents educationalprograms with live birds to thou-sands of people each year. Twenty-one permanently injured birds livefull time at the center.

L-502 shows support

Jan • Feb 2004 the Boilermaker Reporter - 17L O C A L N E W S

L-146’s Jason Kaye turnslife around after accidentWHEN PEOPLE ask Jason Kaye howhe came to be involved in the planningand scheduling of multimillion-dollarprojects on oil refinery sites, he tellsthem he fell into the job. Did he ever.

For years, Kaye, a six-year member ofLocal 146, Edmonton, was perfectlyhappy dangling high up inside dark-ened pressure vessels and tumblers.Working as a Boilermaker was excitingand highly specialized. The job hadtaken Kaye across western Canada andinto the northern United States.

“I loved it,” Kaye said. But then onewintry December night he fell from ascaffold ladder outside the brokentumbler he was working on in FortMcMurray.

“I was climbing the scaffold and hadonly gone up two rungs when I felt theladder shake,” he recalled. “I let go withone hand and leaned back to look up.Then I fell back below the man cage andthat was it.”

His co-worker recalled seeing a “pairof coveralls” shoot by as he crashed

onto a handrail high up on the vessel,landing on his back. Suspended, he see-sawed there before continuing to fallheadfirst. With a final thump, Kayelanded on his stomach, draped over a12-inch pipe, between two other pipesthat had exposed valve stems. Half ameter in either direction and he’d haveended up with a two-inch hole throughhis torso — paralyzed or dead.

“I looked up and I couldn’t believe Ihad lived through it.”

As he crawled off the pipe, his co-workers raced to his side. At the hospi-tal, Kaye learned his shoulder wasseparated, his ankle severely twistedand swollen, and his torso was coveredwith deep bruises.

Fortunately for Kaye, his company —Jacobs Catalytic — had a well-estab-lished and effective modified return-to-work program. Under the care of hisdoctor, Kaye was back on the work site,performing light duties without miss-ing any time from work.

The modified work program capi-talized on Kaye’s brains, while hisbody recovered. He took on more of anadvisory role, helping the engineering

team conduct inspections of on-siteequipment.

During his time in the northernAlberta job site office, the 36-year-oldtook advantage of an opportunity tolearn specialized turnaround schedul-ing and planning software and discov-ered he had a passion for it.

Kaye’s role at Jacobs quickly evolvedinto a brand new career. He recentlywrapped up a multimillion-dollarturn-around planning project on thegigantic Shell Scotford site near FortSaskatchewan.

“Without the program, Kaye may noteven be with us anymore, and it wouldhave been our loss. Turn-around plan-ners are hard to come by,” said KenLange, Jacobs Catalytic project manager.

Lange takes pride in the company’scommitment to attracting — and keep-ing — its people. In these boom dayswhen there’s plenty of work to goaround, it’s doubly important that“Jacobs be seen as professional, safe,and caring,” he said.

“I’m thankful for what Jacobs did forme and lucky to be here,” Kaye said,recalling how often he would look up atthe tumbler after the fall and make the

sign of the cross. “Jacobs Catalytic wasextremely helpful — they turned a neg-ative into a positive.”

Local 146 BM-ST Warren Fraleighcalls Kaye a “shining example” of theBoilermaker Advantage.

“His training and expertise as a certi-fied Boilermaker was adapted to over-come adversity and contribute to theongoing success of our contractors,craft, and careers,” he said. “My hatgoes off to Jason.” ❑

Source: WCB Insight, story by Wendy Theberge.

From block to wood to steel,the Scotts invest their lives inhomebuilding process IT ALL STARTED back in the 1970s,when Phyllis and Frederick “Kelly”Scott moved from Southern Californiato Phoenix. Tired of living in a littlehome, Kelly, Local 627, Phoenix,decided that it would be more econom-ical to build a house than to buy one.From these humble beginnings came atrail of hand-built homes with a Boiler-maker’s seal of approval.

Thirty years later, the couple is work-ing on their biggest project yet, theirretirement home. The 3,400-square-footfarm-style house of steel frame con-struction is located in Peeple’s Valley,Ariz., in the Weaver Mountains north-west of Phoenix.

“Our neighbors have been watchingwith interest,” Phyllis says. “Theydecided if there is a tornado or some-thing, they are all coming to our house.”

Their story of housing materialssounds a little bit like the Three Little Pigsfairy tale. The first home the Scotts builtfrom cement block. Their second twohomes (one built for Kelly’s mother)were wood. For this last home, Kelly, a26-year retired Boilermaker, decided hereally wanted to use his skills as a welderand chose steel. Changing materials,however, is less about necessity thanabout imagination.

Converting standard wood sizes tosteel was one of the biggest chal-lenges, the Scotts said. A steel manu-facturing company in Washingtonprovided a book of conversion specsthat helped. But for Kelly, it wasmainly common sense.

Last summer, after the exterior of thehome was weathered in, the Scottsenlisted the help of fellow Local 627members Jerry Dillon and Bob Logue tocomplete a 3,000-square-foot garage/workshop on their land to provide stor-age and workspace. The “barn” as

Phyllis calls it, was also constructedfrom steel beams and rafters.

Building their own home on theirown time allows the Scotts to cus-tomize the space. They are adding avacuum system and intercoms. Thefloors are all 2x6-inch tongue-and-groove planks that were salvaged fromthe roof of a factory. They amended thedeck so that it will surround the houseand include a screened-in area off thekitchen for al fresco dining on warmerdays. Kelly is converting an under-appreciated storage space above thegarage into a 24x24-foot craft room forPhyllis. The couple designed the base-ment area with Phyllis’s mother inmind — an apartment with a galleykitchen, bathroom, living space, andtwo bedrooms. Phyllis is creatingstained glass — her hobby — to add anartful touch to the home.

“The inside of the house is com-pletely different than the plans wereceived,” Phyllis says. “It’s a reallygood feeling, building your own home,because if you have your imagination,then you can have anything you want,anything you take the time to do.”

Phyllis’s brother, a contractor, esti-mates the house will be worth more than$350,000 when it is completed. The Scottsestimate they will spend less than$100,000 building it. The constructionbegan in 1996; the couple expects to befinished by the end of the year.

The Scotts, now in their 60s, find theirprojects take longer now, but that does

not bother them. They still share thework load, according to Phyllis, withKelly as the “brains” of the operation,and Phyllis the “gofer.”

“He does all the heavy lifting,” shesays, “but when we were doing theroofing, I was right up there on the scaf-folding, handing him materials.

“It was a lot easier when we were inour 20s and 30s. Now that we are 60, weare a little slower and more careful. Nei-ther one of us can afford to get hurtbecause, as Kelly says, we are the crew.”

Kelly retired from Local 627 in 2001.His father was a shop Boilermaker. Phyl-lis’s father, Louis “Red” Niccum, nowdeceased, and his brother Richard, were

both NTL hands. Red Niccum latertransferred to Local 92, Los Angeles.

When the Scotts complete the housein Peeple’s Valley, they will move on tothe next project: renovating the 800-square foot home across the street. Theypurchased it to live in while buildingtheir retirement home, and decided tofix it up next.

“There is a misconception that unlessa Boilermaker has a 10-pound beater inhis hands, he isn’t very handy,” Phyllissays. “Boilermakers can build any-thing. We’ve done all the work on thesehouses ourselves. If we didn’t knowhow to do something we took a class orbought a book.” ❑

Near-fatal fall turns into new job

Jason Kaye stands proudly in front ofthe multimillion-dollar project that hasjust wrapped up. Photo courtesy WCB

Retired welder, wife build fourth home from scratch

Jerry Dillon and Kelly Scott weldsupport beams for the garage.

It’s a boy, boy, boyAPRILAND SCOTT PETRIK,a memberof Local 7, Buffalo, N.Y., are the proudparents of triplet boys. On October 6,they greeted their first born, BennettRichard, who weighed 4 lbs., 4 oz.Coming in second (or rather, coming outsecond) was Noah Scott, who weighedan even 4 lbs. Their youngest son, EvanMichael, weighed 3 lbs., 11 oz. All aredoing well, although Mom and Dad arevery busy. Pictured, l. to r., are Bennett,Noah, and Evan Petrik.

LLooccaall 11,, CChhiiccaaggooJOHN SKERMONT, BM-ST of Local 1, Chicago,reports presentation of pins for continuous years ofmembership to the following: 5500 YYeeaarrss – Bobby Petralia;4455 YYeeaarrss – Henry Dilday; 3355 YYeeaarrss – John Beckwith Sr., James Flanagan, James

Hagan, Michael Havis, James McIntyre, ThomasPatterson, Rickey Remaly, William Robison, RobertSchwartz, James Stewart, Robert Williams;

3300 YYeeaarrss – Thomas Hartley, William Holmes, MichaelLowe, John McCauley, Munir Mashni, TerrenceMurphy; and

2255 YYeeaarrss – Enrique Benitez, Stanley Maduzia, GregVarnharen.

LLooccaall 4455,, RRiicchhmmoonndd,, VVaa..M. FRANK HARTSOE, BM-ST of Local 45, Rich-mond, Va., reports presentation of pins for continuousyears of membership to the following: 6600 YYeeaarrss – James Garfield Ganoe; 5555 YYeeaarrss – Carroll Worsham, Junior L. Ganoe; 5500 YYeeaarrss – Edward Dowell Sr., A. Eugene Walser, Dale

D. Haggerty Sr.;4455 YYeeaarrss – William B. Fern Jr.;4400 YYeeaarrss – George Hanks Sr., Ronald Musselwhite, C.

Jackson Skeens, William A. Simmons;3355 YYeeaarrss – Thomas Cockrell, Alfred Cox, Paul Davis,

William Deckman, Rudolph Eppard, Grant C.Morris, James R. Stevens, Arnold James Wiggins II,Eugene Williams;

3300 YYeeaarrss – Dennis Blevins, David H. Ellis, Ronald B.Glunt, Joseph Howell, James A. Miller, ErvinPence, W. J. Ratcliff, Earl Wootton;

2255 YYeeaarrss – William Zeke Burnette, Billy Church, DavidHaggerty Jr., Ronald Harris, Glenn H. Vance Jr.,Obed Wimberley Jr.;

2200 YYeeaarrss – Curtis Crayton, James O. Thompson,Donovan Marrow; and

1155 YYeeaarrss – Edward Dowell Jr., George Hanks Jr., JerryA. Maxey, Jeffrey R. Morris, Kenneth Scaggs, andRoger Scaggs.

LLooccaall 6600,, PPeeoorriiaa,, IIllll..ED HEBERT, BM-ST of Local 60, Peoria, Ill., reportspresentation of pins for continuous years of member-ship to the following: 5555 YYeeaarrss – Boyd Bonnewell;4455 YYeeaarrss – Earl Gum Jr., Gerald Miskell, Thomas W.

Quinlan, Ronald Waters, John Westbrook;4400 YYeeaarrss – Vern Campbell, Gerald Goodwin;3355 YYeeaarrss – Jack Lewis, Donald Miskell, Mark Nelsen,

Verne Siemers;3300 YYeeaarrss – Floyd H. Wood;2255 YYeeaarrss – Larry Baumgartner, Richard Bonnett, Paul

Bosnich II, Anthony Chavez, Nicholas Chavez,Richard Cruz, Mark Granger, Darren Huddleston,Michael Quinlan, Gary Roberts, David Sadnick,Brian Wachs, Michael Weaver; and

1155 YYeeaarrss – Rodney Walk.

LLooccaall 110077,, MMiillwwaauukkeeeeJAMES GARFIELD, BM-ST of Local 107, Milwaukee,reports presentation of pins for continuous years ofmembership to the following: 6600 YYeeaarrss – Wally Hein, John Thorpe;5555 YYeeaarrss – Alex Bartoshevich, Ed Churchill, Fred

DeBraal, James Gigstead, Romuald Heitzkey,Gorman Hilson, Dale Landvatter, Floyd Vertz;

5500 YYeeaarrss – James Dietrich, Fred Ditewig, GeraldFasbender, Edward Getzloff, Ray Gizleback, BurtGordon, Eugene Hurin, Roland Ketchum, HarryKlein, George Mapes, James Moore, Wallace Olson,Ken Parthie, Robert Penkalski, Darwin Schuyler,Richard Simmet, Peter Thompson, George Vukson,Morris Walker, Wallace Walker Sr., Ken Werkheiser,William Wopp Jr.;

4455 YYeeaarrss – Dale Avery, Darrell Bistodeau, Ken

Bosman, Samuel Hawpetoss, Harold Kirshner,Ron Krizek, Milton Merath, Guy Moede, IraMoody, Ronald Penkalski, Donald Thomas,Ramon Witz Sr.;

4400 YYeeaarrss – Donald DeBaker, George Fockens Jr.,Raymond Gralla, Larry Maley, Ralph Poweleit,Richard Resser;

3355 YYeeaarrss – Don Baden, Roy Barber, MichaelBartoshevich, Dale Bliese, Brent Braun, HerbBruseth, John Caylor, James Counard, MichaelDorn, Salvatore Fote, Mylan Gardner, JamesGarfield, Richard Gigstead, Aaron Johnston, JohnKeller, Robert Kinjerski, Oliver Mays, RobertNiemi, Dale Parins, Frank Rotor, Allen Sacotte,Llewellyn Sacotte, Ole Siems, Alex Theodoru, JohnTopper, George Wallace, LeRoy Wheir, PaulWilson;

3300 YYeeaarrss – Richard Beebe, Dave Bergwin, HenryBosman, Doug Breen, Blair Brilla, Harry Brunette,Wayne Carrell, Stanley Coleman, Gilbert DeGrave,Al Deremo, Harold Flock, Art Flores, Jim Frisch,Richard Girard, Robert Haack II, Mike Herden,Don Hodge, Harold Jacquet, James Jesmer,William Johnson, Earl Kegley, Ole Kirschbaum,William Kleiman, James Lawrence, Ken Lawrence,Rodney Leppi, Ken Liss, Allen McMahon, WilliamMelton, Jerry Moede Sr., Gene Monk, JerryNechodomu, Russell Penkalski, Charlie Phillion,Rick Postl, Lenwid Sandvick, Clarence Soyring,Charles Spangler, Gary Stelzer, Cecil Taylor, RandyTebon, Darrell Weckler, Keith Werkheiser, JamesWunder Sr., Ronald Zimmerman;

2255 YYeeaarrss – Bruce Albanese, Richard Anderson, JerryBrown, Gerald Brunner, Terry Callahan, MarvinCartwright, Rick Cartwright, Terry Cartwright,Bruce Curtis, Lee Gibson, Gary Cogdill, TimothyDeBraal, LeLand DeKeyser, John Diesburg, RoyDobbs, Dan Donovan, Jeremiah Drum, JackEbright, Robert Erickson Jr., Gordon Esselman, JeffEthridge, Mike Faust, Robert Felder, MikeGoodenough, Pat Gulczynski, Matt Harper, RogerHartel, Don Hizer, Crandall Hollister, Jay Huguet,Jeffery Howland, Robert Igl, Clinton Johnson,Melvin Johnson, Robert Ketchum, GeorgeKopecky, George Lenzendorf, Tim Lewellyn, JoeMachones, Jerome McArdle, Anthony McMahon,Greg McMahon, Ray Nidy, Gerard O’Brien, SteveParkansky, Ray Patterson, Vernon Paul, JohnPearson, Bruce Peterson, Robert Pieterick, EdwinPlucker, Dan Plutchak, Jack Prokop, Randy Quall,Heriberto Rosado Sr., Norm Russell, BernardSchultz, Kurt Schumann, Dan Schweitzer, JohnSlaby, Chester Stachowiak, Joseph Sura, LesterThompson, Richard Thurman, Ron Truitt, RichardWalendowski, Keith Weber, Lee Weber, TerryWerkheiser, Donald Wessel, John Wilcox, RamonWitz Jr., Mike Woloszyk Sr., Darrell Wright; and

2200 YYeeaarrss – Al Allgeyer, Jeff Balogh, Tom Blake, DebbieBishop, Frank Coleman, Steve Cogdill, JeffDaugherty, James Deneff, Ronald Dunst, JoeFelton, Burt Goodenough, Gilbert Grabner, MikeGreis, Dave Kettenhofen, Larry Kirschbaum,Robert Krueger, Robert Lecheler, GerardMaciejewski, Michael McKenna, JosephMalkowski, Michael O’Connell, Mitch Olejniczak,Ronald Quall, Paul Stahl, Mark Verhalen, KeithWaarvik, Rick Wilson, Lee Wipperfurth, RobertWittmershaus, James Witz, William Worzala, andMichael Zekor.

LLooccaall 337744,, HHaammmmoonndd,, IInndd..CHARLES H. VANOVER, BM-ST of Local 374, Ham-mond, Ind., reports presentation of pins for continu-ous years of membership to the following: 4400 YYeeaarrss – John W. Sparr Jr.; 3355 YYeeaarrss – David Alexander, Donald R. Armstrong,

Charles Beard, Gary W. Bunner, James Goffinet,Dale A. Groves, Michael Joy, Terry G. Lock, JamesR. Mitz, Larry Rasner, Richard Sheehy, Ronald E.Thorbecke, Ronald Timberlake;

3300 YYeeaarrss – Richard Biggs, Roy Dellinger, ThomasDossett, Joseph Draeger, Steven Hagedorn, GaryHamblin, Mike Hildebrand, Albert Jones, Paul M.Keller, Michael Meyer, Daniel Morris, William

Morris, Tom Newlin, Richard Robb, Gary Swain,Bernard A. Will; and

2255 YYeeaarrss – Dennis Alexander, Warren Alexander,Dewey Bean III, John Blue, Charles Burns, WilliamCassell, Louis Esparza, Rudey Estes, Randall J.Friedman, George Furnish, Rex Gehlhausen,Monty Gilman, William Hankins, Patrick M.Jozwick, John Kalinowski, Fred LaLone, DanielLamar, Raymond Lock, Lavan McClure, MarkMehling, Michael A. Musuta, Robert Schulthise,Terry Schwing, Erick Weger, Charles H. Vanover,Ruben Yzaguirre;

1155 YYeeaarrss – Sean Burke, Mark E. Cunningham, ThomasL. Davis, Gilbert Gursansky, John L. McNabb, andTheodore J. Pufahl.

LLooccaall 443333,, TTaammppaa,, FFllaa..EDGAR E. LARISCY, BM-ST of Local 433, Tampa,Fla., reports presentation of pins for continuous yearsof membership to the following: 5555 YYeeaarrss – J. R. West; 3355 YYeeaarrss – George Gunter, Marvin Parker; 3300 YYeeaarrss – James Denmark, Stanley West; 2255 YYeeaarrss – Ted Baysing, Robert Kelley, Elijah Lucas Jr.;

and2200 YYeeaarrss – Ezekiel Bain, Donald Exum, Richard (Mike)

Moore, Wady Salter.

LLooccaall 558877,, OOrraannggee,, TTeexxaassCLAY HERFORD, BM-ST of Local 587, Orange,Texas, reports presentation of pins for continuousyears of membership to the following: 5555 YYeeaarrss – Woodrow Talbert, Wilson Trahan; 4400 YYeeaarrss – Seth Shelton; 3355 YYeeaarrss – Frederick Dodd; and2200 YYeeaarrss – Joe Khoury. ❑

18 - the Boilermaker Reporter Jan • Feb 2004M E M B E R S H I P P I N S

Local 587 BM-ST Clay Herford (l.) and Pres.JamesKirkland (r.) present membership pins to, l. to r., WilsonTrahan (55 years), Seth Shelton (40), Frederick Dodd(35), and Woodrow Talbert (55 ).

Local lodges award service pins to members

L-433 Pres.James Barnes Jr.,l., presents a 55-year pin to J.R.West, c., and a 30-year pin toJ.R.’s son, Stanley West.

Carroll Worsham,retired L-45 BM-ST,receives his 55-yearmembership pin.

This group of Local 433 members receive servicepins at their October union meeting. Together, theyrepresent over 340 years of union membership.

Jan • Feb 2004 the Boilermaker Reporter - 19S E T T L E M E N T S

LL--55 –– NNeeww YYoorrkkTHOMAS KLEIN, vice pres. and asst. bus. mgr. for Local 5,New York, N.Y., reports contract ratification, effective Oct.14, 2003 to Oct. 14, 2006, for five members of Local 5 whowork in the shop at SStteeeell SSttyyllee,, IInncc..

LL--MM77 –– GGrraanndd RRaappiiddss,, MMiicchh..INTL. REP. RON LYON reports contract ratification, effective Nov.7, 2003 to Nov. 6, 2006, for members of Local M7, GrandRapids, Mich., who work at AAttttwwoooodd CCoorrpp.

LL--8833 –– KKaannssaass CCiittyy,, MMoo..JOHN SEWARD, asst. bus. mgr. for Local 83, Kansas City, Mo.,reports contract ratification, effective Oct. 1, 2003 to Sept.30, 2004, for five members of Local 83 who make machinecastings and custom dehydration equipment for theDDaavveennppoorrtt MMaacchhiinnee && FFoouunnddrryy CCoo.., and effective Nov. 1,2003 to Nov. 2, 2007 for 93 Local 83 members who manufac-ture boilers and appurtences for the NNeebbrraasskkaa BBooiilleerr CCoo..

LL--8855 –– TToolleeddoo,, OOhhiiooINTL. REP. RON LYON reports contract ratification, effective Sep.3, 2003 to Sept. 3, 2006, for members of Local 85, Toledo,Ohio, who work at RRiivveerrssiiddee MMaarriinnee IInndd..,, IInncc.. (Hansen).

LL--110077 –– MMiillwwaauukkeeeeJAMES GARFIELD, bus. mgr. for Local 107, Milwaukee,reports contract ratification, effective May 1, 2003 to April30, 2006, for five members of Local 107 who repair boilersfor the PPBBBBSS EEqquuiippmmeenntt CCoorrppoorraattiioonn.

LL--115511 –– EErriiee,, PPaa..INTL. REP. BOB HEINE JR. reports contract ratification, effec-tive Sept. 1, 2003 to Aug. 31, 2006, for 180 members ofLocal 151, Erie, Pa., who make water wall panels, ele-ments, headers, tubes, and burners at RRiilleeyy PPoowweerr,, IInncc.

LL--117755 –– OOsswweeggoo,, NN..YY..INTL. REP. MARTY STANTON reports contract ratification,effective Oct. 1, 2003 to Sept. 30, 2006, for 60 members ofLocal 175, Oswego, N.Y., who fabricate boilers for FFuullttoonnBBooiilleerr WWoorrkkss..

LL--DD226633 –– CCllaarrkk,, NNeevv..INTL. REP. MICHAEL ATCHISON reports contract ratification,effective Aug. 1, 2003 to July 31, 2006, for 40 members ofLocal D263, Clark, Nev., who work at EEaaggllee--PPiillcchheerr.

LL--DD227711 –– MMaarrttiinnssbbuurrgg,, WW..VV..INTL. REP. RALEIGH EVERSOLE III reports contract ratification,effective Oct. 1, 2003 to Sept. 30, 2006, for 45 members ofLocal D271, Martinsburg, W.Va., who produce brick for theCCoonnttiinneennttaall BBrriicckk CCoo.

LL--DD445555 –– SSeellmmaa,, MMoo..CAREY ALLEN, director of the CLGAW Division, reports con-tract ratification, effective Sept. 1, 2003 to Aug. 30, 2008,for 114 members of Local D455, Selma, Mo., who makePortland Cement at the RRiivveerr CCeemmeenntt CCoommppaannyy.

LL--DD447799 –– IInnvveerrmmeerree,, BB..CC..ROB LAUZON, BM-ST of Cement District Lodge D11, reportscontract ratification, effective May 23, 2003 to May 22,

2006, for 20 members of Local D479, Invermere, B.C., whomine magnesite at JJoohhnn WWoollffee CCoonnssttrruuccttiioonn CCoo.. LLttdd.

LL--448822 –– WWoooodd RRiivveerr,, IIllll..INTL. REP. JAMES PRESSLEY reports contract ratification,effective Nov. 1, 2003 to Oct. 31, 2006, for 88 members ofLocal 482, Wood River, Ill., who repair large and smalldiesel engines at MMiikkeess,, IInncc.

LL--DD550033 –– KKaammllooooppss,, BB..CC..ROB LAUZON, BM-ST of Cement District Lodge D11, reportscontract ratifications, effective Nov. 1, 2003 to Oct. 31,2007, for five members of Local D503, Kamloops, B.C., whowork in a limestone quarry for PPllaatteeaauu CCoonnssttrruuccttiioonn, andfor 16 Local D503 members who make Portland Cement atLLaaffaarrggee CCaannaaddaa,, IInncc.

LL--DD550055 –– WWiinnnniippeeggDON MAES, asst. bus. mgr. for Cement District Lodge D11,reports contract ratification, effective Nov. 1, 2002 to Oct.31, 2006, for seven members of Local D505, Winnipeg,Manitoba, who work in a terminal shipping bulks ofcement for LLeehhiigghh IInnllaanndd CCeemmeenntt LLttdd.

LL--DD551133 –– EEddmmoonnttoonnDON MAES, asst. bus. mgr. for Cement District Lodge D11,reports contract ratification, effective Oct. 1, 2003 to Sept.30, 2008, for 50 members of Local D513, Edmonton,Alberta, who produce gypsum wallboard for GGeeoorrggiiaaPPaacciiffiicc CCaannaaddaa,, IInncc.

LL--DD558833 –– RRiicchhmmoonndd,, CCaalliiff..INTL. REP. MICHAEL ATCHISON reports contract ratification, effec-tive Nov. 1, 2003 to Oct. 31, 2006, for 46 members of LocalD583, Richmond, Calif., who work at NNaattiioonnaall GGyyppssuumm.

LL--775522 –– PPllaaiissttooww,, NN..HH..INTL. REP. ROCCO DEROLLO reports contract ratification, effec-tive Aug. 30, 2003 to Aug. 26, 2006, for members of Local752, Plaistow, N.H., who work at CChhaarrtt SSttoorraaggee SSyysstteemmss.

LL--11224477 –– CChhiiccaaggooINTL. REP. HOWARD COLE reports contract ratification, effec-tive Nov. 17, 2003 to Nov. 18, 2005, for 68 members of Local1247, Chicago, who make forgings at CCoorrnneellll FFoorrggee.

LL--11550099 –– CCuuddaahhyy,, WWiiss..INTL. REP. HOWARD COLE reports contract ratification, effec-tive Sept. 29, 2003 to Sept. 30, 2006, for 151 members ofLocal 1509, Cudahy, Wis., who work with large forgings atthe LLaaddiisshh CCoo..,, IInncc.

LL--11662266 –– CChhaammppaaiiggnn,, IIllll..INTL. REP. JAMES PRESSLEY reports contract ratification,effective Sept. 22, 2003 to Sept. 22, 2007, for 41 membersof Local 1626, Champaign, Ill., who work at the CClliiffffoorrddJJaaccoobbss FFoorrggiinngg CCoo.

LL--11885511 –– SSpprriinnggffiieelldd,, MMaassss..INTL. REP. ROCCO DEROLLO reports contract ratification, effec-tive Oct. 1, 2003 to Sept. 30, 2008, for members of Local1851, Springfield, Mass., who work at the TToopp--FFlliittee GGoollff CCoo.,a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Callaway Golf Co. ❑

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

YYoouu ddoonn’’tt ggeett wwhhaatt yyoouu ddeesseerrvvee .. .. .... .. .. yyoouu ggeett wwhhaatt yyoouu nneeggoottiiaattee

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

Negotiating a three-year agreement for L-151members at Riley Power are, l. to r., IR MartyStanton, Jerry Grays, Jeff Frum, Fred Newland, EdUnger, Wendel Watters, and Jim Young.

Negotiating a three-year agreement for L-1509at Ladish are, l. to r., front, Dave Kulinski, JohnStewart, and Randy Jungkuntz; back, Frank Bunek,Roger Reading, Daniel Seng, and Jeff Latus.

Negotiating a three-year agreement for L-D583members at National Gypsum are local officers, l.to r., Vice Pres. Henry Sterling, Ron Lewis, Pres.Joe Augustine, and Rec. Sec. John Louden.

Negotiating a three-year agreement for L-D263members at Eagle-Pilcher are local officers, l. to r.,Vice Pres. Rick Sinnette, Sec.-Treas. Delon Palmer,IR Atchison, Pres. Ken Flores, and Mike Little.

Negotiating a five-year agreement for L-D455members at River Cement are Vernon Able, WayneTurley, Kevin Dixon, Bob McVey, and Carey Allen.

Average Wage Increases2003 2.16 % or $0.43/hr. (16 facilities)2004 2.52 % or $0.43/ hr. (19 facilities)2005 2.42 % or $0.50/ hr. (18 facilities)2006 2.67 % or $0.55/ hr. (6 facilities)

Paid Holidays23 of 23 Provide average of 10.74 days

Sickness and Accident20 of 23 Provide sickness/accident

indemnity13 of 23 Set dollar amount – $292.69 avg

26 weeks avg. time off6 of 23 Use percentage

60% is most common

Vacation20 of 23 1 Week Paid23 of 23 2 Weeks Paid23 of 23 3 Weeks Paid22 of 23 4 Weeks Paid16 of 23 5 Weeks Paid2 of 23 6 Weeks Paid

Life Insurance/AD&D

22 of 23 Provide Life Insurance18 of 23 Fixed - $23,333.33 avg. first year4 of 23 Based on annual salary

21 of 23 Provide AD&D Insurance17 of 23 Fixed - $25,411.76 avg. first year4 of 23 Based on annual salary

Shift Differential

2nd Shift – 22 of 23 Total20 use cents-per-hour ($0.41 avg.)2 use percent of wage (7.5% avg.)

3rd Shift – 21 of 23 Total20 use cents-per-hour ($0.48 avg.)1 uses percentage of wage (10%)

Pensions20 of 23 Offer some kind of pension plan10 of 23 Offer 401(k)11 of 23 Company (defined benefit)2 of 23 Profit Sharing2 of 23 RRSP Canada

8 of 23 Offer Boilermakers-BlacksmithNational Pension Trust

12 of 23 Contribute cents-per-hour,Canada averages $2.50/hr. infirst year, U.S. averages$1.49/hr. in first year

Other Provisions

23 of 23 Paid Funeral Leave18 of 23 Paid Jury Duty Leave3 of 23 Paid Military Leave (2 weeks)

14 of 23 Safety Shoe Reimbursement17 of 23 Prescription Safety Glasses

Reimbursement9 of 23 Severance Pay Packages

A Summary Analysis of these Contract Settlements THIS ANALYSIS of the 23 agreements above, covering about 1,990 employees, provides a perspective of trends in Boilermaker collective bargaining. It is based on information

provided by contract summary and transmittal report forms and was prepared by the Research and Collective Bargaining Services Department.

Johnson, Franklin look-alikes keep watch overhistorical artifactsTHE BOILERMAKERS’ NationalArchives welcomed two almost-human additions to its treasure trove ofhistorical memorabilia.

Archivist Tom Wands installed thelife-sized museum figures in the

Kansas City, Kan., exhibit, representingBoilermaker past-Presidents Lee John-son and Joseph Franklin.

A figure in the likeness of Johnson,president from 1893 to 1904, standsover a hand-operated forge used forheating rivets. It wears 1800s-era workclothes and shoes purchased fromJames Country Mercantile in Liberty,Mo. Wands asked instructors andapprentices to wear the well-keptclothes and shoes to lend them anauthentic level of grime.

Joseph Franklin’s look-alike isseated at his original oak desk, sign-ing paperwork. He wears a double-breasted suit that formerly belongedto Wands and spectacles acquiredfrom a Goodwill store.

Purchased from Dorfman MuseumFigures, Inc. of Baltimore, each figureis a steel structure encased in vinylwith glass eyeballs and eyelashes.The figures were officially unveiledOctober 2 at the National ArchivesOpen House.

Wands anticipates acquiring at leasttwo more figures in the near future, onerepresenting past International Presi-dent Charles MacGowan — includingan audio recording from his speech at

the groundbreaking of the Interna-tional Brotherhood building in 1947 —and one of a modern Boilermaker infull work dress. ❑

National Archives welcomes two new faces20 - the Boilermaker Reporter Jan• Feb 2004N E W S M A K E R S

Wands points out the intricate details of a museum figure in the likeness ofJoseph Franklin to (l. to r.) Gary Scott, NTL vice president and asst. bus. rep.,Dennis Lark, training director for Toledo, Ohio Local 85, and Ron Horner, vicepresident of Resource Contracting and Maintenance.

Both figures, including this look-a-like of past International President LeeJohnson, left, were created by DorfmanMuseum Figures, Inc.

Boilermaker women sharesorrows, joys, and familypictures via Web siteCONSTRUCTION Boilermakers oftenspend months working on a job far fromhome and family. It’s demanding workthat is hard on the body and mind.

It is equally demanding on theirspouses and often tremendously isolat-ing. During the weeks and monthsthese men are away from home, theirwives and significant others raise thechildren and take care of the house, thebills, and all the problems that come upin daily life. So Lisa Christiansen, wifeof Jeffrey, Local 11, Helena, Mont.,decided to use the Internet to help fillthat hole in her life and the lives of otherBoilermaker women.

In January of 2003, she formed aYahoo! discussion Web site for wivesand partners of Boilermakers. Thediscussion group, made up mostly ofwives of construction Boilermakers,is a way for these women to sharetheir thoughts and lives while theirhusbands or significant others aretraveling for work. One hundredtwenty-eight participants havesigned up in the last year, with nearly4,000 messages posted.

“This site has seen conversationsranging from loneliness, frustrationand fidelity, to grandbabies and newbabies, and job possibilities and job lay-offs,” Christiansen said. “It doesn’tmatter whether you are a stay-at-homemom, a working mom and taking careof the children while hubby is away, aroad mother with her children, or awife on and off the road. We are a spe-cial bunch.”

The voices in the group come from asfar as Battle Mountain, Nev., Keysville,Va., and Edmonton, Alberta. Stacy Dur-din’s husband, Dustin, works out ofLocal 74 in Houston. She says the sup-port system helps to remind her of the

benefits of this lifestyle on those dayswhen Dustin is far away.

“It is altogether easy to forget theadvantages of the Boilermakersunion when you are on your own,”she says. “When I log on and read theposting, it makes me feel like I’m notalone and that there is almost alwayssomeone out there with the sameproblems I am having.”

Wendy Solly’s husband, Joseph,Local 7, Buffalo, N.Y., has not had totravel for work yet, but she still findssharing her experiences with otherBoilermaker wives a comfort. Thesewomen, she says, take the word “sup-port” seriously.

“My husband was off for eightmonths with an injury and they took upa collection,” she says. “Another [mem-

ber’s] house burned and they didn’thave any insurance. They made anaccount and donations poured in.”

Amanda Beaman is engaged to RyanOliveira of Local 83, Kansas City, Mo. Shesays joining the discussion group helpedher to understand the life of a Boiler-maker family better and has strength-ened her relationship with her fiancé.

“It made us closer when we were dat-ing and I had to travel to see him,” shesays. “It made him see how much I care.He loves his job very much, and it iswonderful to see that all the otherladies’ husbands love their jobs also.”

The Boilermaker wives discussiongroup is open to all spouses and sig-nificant others of Boilermakers. If youwould like to join, log on tohttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/boiler-

makerswives/. The Web site’s ownerwill confirm your affiliation beforeallowing access. ❑

Lisa Christiansen with husband,Jeffrey, and Shay and Shawnee.

Wives use chat group to stave off isolation

STAFF IN THE Membership Depart-ment at the International offices inKansas City, Kan., didn’t think twiceabout what to do when they heardabout the harsh conditions and stressthe soldiers in Iraq were facing.

“NTL Pres. Ronny Vanscoy was get-ting ready to take a care package to thepost office for his niece’s husband,”says Debbie Shannon. “He was tellingme how much they appreciate gettingthe packages.”

Shannon and her colleagues decidedto send a package to a soldier who hadno family or received very little mail.They e-mailed the rest of the Interna-tional staff with their idea.

“I was overwhelmed at the responsewe got,” she said. “We got food dona-tions, cash donations, and Pres. Jonesdonated a Boilermaker knife and paid

the shipping costs. The cash donationswere enough to send another package.”

She shipped the first package toPFC Walter Hart on Dec. 10 in hopesHart would receive it by Christmas.They included letters of thanks andencouragement, and Shannon’sdaughter, Erin, included her e-mailaddress. Erin received an e-mail fromHart on Dec. 29.

“It’s nice to know that there are peoplelike you out there that actually careabout the sacrifices that a lot of men andwomen are making out here,” Hartwrote. “Tell Debbie and everyone overat the Boilermakers union thank you forthe box, but most of all for thinkingabout us over here.”

The cash donations they received forthe first package were enough to coverthe cost of a second package, which wassent to SPC Michael Snyder on Jan. 21.

Some of the items included were bat-teries, KC Masterpiece sauce, cookies,beef jerky, wet wipes, canned meats,drink mixes, foot powder, lip balm, mag-azines, candy, and throat lozenges.

Shannon, pictured above with KathyRemack (l.) and Carol Summers (r.),says they plan to keep sending carepackages as long as the interest anddonations keep flowing in.

A little love from home

Debt managers may havemoney for you, but can youfind straight answers?HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED that thenumber of debt consolidation com-mercials you see on TV late at nightseems to be in direct correlation withthe number of bills you have yet topay? The heavier and more complexthe debt, the more appealing are such“easy money” solutions.

According to Jon Ross, vice-presidentof communications for the Union PlusProgram, it is important to distinguishbetween those who just want yourbusiness and those who use a financialexpert’s eye to offer the best advice foryour situation.

“Loans are strictly loans,” Ross says.“Consolidation loans can help reducemonthly payments and save money,but if you are in financial trouble, youmay need more help.”

One gray area, Ross says, is the dif-ference between credit counseling anddebt management services.

Credit counselors play an educa-tional role. They collect your informa-tion and advise you on choicesavailable for reorganizing and payingdown your debt while best satisfyingyour creditors. They have no vestedinterest in one choice over another.Their interest is consumer protection.

Debt management specialists areoften mistaken for credit counselors.They may offer some “credit counsel-ing,” but their primary goal is to helpyou move your debt to their company

or organization. They usually offer tomove your debt into a single paymentwhile promising to “handle” your cred-itors. Some use home equity to managethe debt. The options they offer willgenerally be limited to their own prod-ucts and services, they often charge afee, one that isn’t always disclosed.

“A lot of times what they offer, for afee, is something you can do on yourown,” Ross says.

Ross first advises you to call yourcreditors. They are often able to helpyou if you acknowledge and explainyour difficulties.

“A lot of consumers don’t like toface their debt problems, but theywould be better off to take action,”Ross says. “They think it is easier toavoid dealing with the problem, butthey would be better off if they did.”

The National Foundation for CreditCounseling (NFCC) offers informationand education. Founded in 1951, it iscommonly known as Consumer CreditCounseling Services (CCCS) and hasmore than 1,000 community-basedoffices nationwide.

Union Plus will launch a CCCS-affil-iated credit counseling and debt man-agement program this spring, withcredit specialists who can help unionmembers see their way through finan-cial difficulties.

Meanwhile, Union Plus continuesto offer assistance and exceptions forparticipating union members. TheirCredit Card and Loan programs offera Layoff Helpline (800-551-2873 and800-365-1328) for members experi-

encing difficulties making paymentswhile unemployed.

Help from both programs includesskip payment options, interest ratereductions, short- and long-term hard-ship programs, and account settlements.The Mortgage Assistance Program offerssimilar options such as flexibility withlate fees and interest-free loans to helpmake payments. These programs are forUnion Plus loan, mortgage, and creditcard holders only.

For information on these and otherUnion Plus programs, visit the Web sitewww.unionplus.org. For credit counsel-ing help, contact CCCS at 800-388-2227or online at www.nfcc.org. ❑

Credit counseling should beeducation, not business

Jan • Feb 2004 the Boilermaker Reporter - 21U N I O N P L U S

AmeriDebt’squestionablepractices spurconsumer alertIN OCTOBER, the Federal TradeCommission (FTC) and the InternalRevenue Service (IRS) issued a con-sumer alert for those seeking helpfrom tax-exempt credit counselingorganizations. They are concernedthat some organizations are usingtheir nonprofit status to circumventconsumer protection laws.

In Illinois and Missouri, state reg-ulators are suing AmeriDebt, say-ing it charges excessive fees anddiverts money to for-profit compa-nies that are affiliated with it.Though AmeriDebt advertises noup-front fees for consumers, Mis-souri Attorney General Jay Nixonsays the company downplays orhides that a consumer ’s firstmonthly payment goes toAmeriDebt and its affiliates. Thatfee, according to Nixon, is typicallythree percent of the total debt, or anaverage of $327.

Timothy Muris, chairman of theFTC, suggests consumers who arestruggling financially should be waryof quick fixes. “[They] need to be care-ful not to lose even more money tosomeone offering a quick and easyway to fix credit problems.”

The FTC offers the followingtips to evaluate a credit counselor.• Read any written agreement. Itshould describe services provided,payment terms for these services(including cost), the length of timeit will take to achieve results, anyguarantees, and the organization’sname and address.• Watch out for “voluntary contri-butions” and fees that may increaseyour debt.• Remember it is illegal to representthat negative information, such asbankruptcy, can be removed fromyour credit rating. • Make sure your creditors are willingto work with the agency you choose.• Follow up with creditors toensure the debt is being paid off.• Check an organization’s recordwith state agencies and Better Busi-ness Bureaus.

The benefit programs listed below areavailable only to Boilermaker members

and their immediate families.*

Union Plus Credit CardCall: 1-800-522-4000

Mortgage & Real EstateAlso open to children & parents ofBoilermaker members.Call: 1-800-848-6466

Education Services Get expert advice on scholarshipsand other funding sources for collegeand job skills training. Call: 1-877-881-1022

Personal LoansCredit-qualified members are eligiblefor loans for a variety of uses. Call: 1-888-235-2759

Legal ServiceDiscounted legal help — first 30minutes are free. Visit: www.unionplus.org

Life InsuranceFor members, their spouses, andchildren. Call: 1-800-899-2782

Accident InsuranceCall: 1-800-899-2782

Health SavingsSave on prescription medicines,hearing, dental, and vision care. Call: 1-800-228-3523

Car Rental Discounts Call and give the ID number:

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

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

Union-Made Checks Call: 1-888-864-6625

Flower Service Call: 1-888-667-7779

North American Van Lines Call: 1-800-524-5533

For information on these programsand other member-only benefits, go to

www.unionplus.org*Retired members are eligible. Some

programs are not available tomembers outside the continental

United States, and not all programsare available in all states.

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Money-Saving Programsfor Members Only

Your IBB Union Plus Legal Service Program

Free and DiscountedLegal Services NationwideTThhee IIBBBB UUnniioonn PPlluuss LLeeggaall SSeerrvviicceemmaakkeess iitt eeaassyy ffoorr uunniioonn mmeemmbbeerrssaanndd tthheeiirr ffaammiilliieess ttoo ggeett tthhee lleeggaallhheellpp tthheeyy nneeeedd —— aanndd oofftteenn ffoorr FFRREEEE!!

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Working For Working Families Legal Service

NTL Hysmith, Oscar D.NTL Manning, Plummer T.1 Roberts, Dennis W.1 Szkolka, Edward J.5 Zorovich, Flavio A.6 Fennell, Timothy6 Pittaluga, Paul L.6 Souza, Gabriel7 Lockwood, Charles7 Padlo, Bernard J.9 Connick, Arthur R.9 Hodge, Donald13 Cook, Paul A.13 Moffett, George W.13 Parlow Sr., Walter Wm.13 Sierocinski, Alfred26 Aldridge, Ephriam T.26 White, Cleveland W.27 Billings, Edward28 Romano, Peter B.

29 Davis, Raymond M.30 Delbert, Mallory37 Delatte, Joseph37 Dorsa, John J.37 McDonald, Dennis A.40 Caudill, Ray60 Ball, Kenneth A.60 Quinlan, Thomas W.60 Wood, David O.69 Hensley, Leo T.74 Tyler, Lloyd79 Stutes, Dudley83 Baker, Richard S.83 Connelly, Bill L.83 Eastridge, Paul B.83 Fountain, Charles O.83 Kapler, Robert A.83 Pruitt, Leroy83 Smith, Galen R.85 Lester, Richard A.85 Miller, Jack L.

92 Greaves, Donald S.92 Sokoloff, Peter M.96 Bannister, Bobby E.103 Dunning Jr., Joseph E.104 Andrews, Marl104 Meyers, John R.104 Ohrn, Karl H.104 Slotnick, Bernard M.104 Welke Sr., Kenneth E.105 Hawkins, Luther R.S105 Alwardt, Randall E.S105 Fouts, Janice L.107 Ivey, Jesse C.112 McDonald, James F.S125 Corlew, George132 Rogers, McDonald132 Watts, Ricky G.146 Campbell, John H.146 Cosman, Edgar J.146 Faubert, Raymond158 Hidden, Richard M.

159 Aumick, John J.169 Beckett, Timmi L.191 Allen, Frank Douglas193 Weeks, Billy J.199 Braswell, T.C.212 Aiello, DominicS234 McFall, Donald242 Rennick, Theophil263 Thomas, LesterM300 Lane, Brian K.359 McKay, Alan359 Moores, Lloyd E.374 Butler, Geary374 Crowder, Glosses C.406 Radetich, Anthony V.433 Watson, George453 Blevins, Ottis454 Howard, James A.454 Lequire, Clarence C.454 Troutman, Ted455 Rickard, James L.457 Haley, Dwight S.487 Brusky, Raymond487 Schunke, Harold R.

499 Harris, John S.502 Storm, Harold D.549 Baty, William H.549 Cox, Johnny D.549 Postelle, Kenneth L.549 Williams Jr., Eddie568 Templin, Thomas N.582 Tassin, Clifford J.586 Greer, Lewis R.647 Ostlund, Henry667 Gamber, Joseph J.667 Hughes, Dickie M.667 McDavid, Emory E.667 Siders II, Timothy E.667 White, Packie M.667 Wistinghausen, John682 Saunders, Darrell687 Lively, Clayton L.689 Scheible, Robert696 Leroux, Thomas B.1162 Fink, Richard1667 Landes, Larry

WITH DEEP SORROW the 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.

L O D G E & N A M E

22 - the Boilermaker Reporter Jan • Feb 2004I N M E M O R I A M

Intl. Thoures, Thadeus T. $6,000.00Intl. Trofimuk, Nicholas 6,000.00Natl. Schneider, Mary Lucille 6,000.00NTL Burgess, Howard E. 6,000.00NTL Cooper, Vernon C. 6,000.00NTL Corwin, James E. 6,000.00NTL Enoch, Robert L. 6,000.00NTL Grover, Robert L. 6,000.00NTL Hebert, Joseph D. 13,393.11NTL Hook, Howard E. 6,000.00NTL Hysmith, Oscar D. 9,529.14NTL Kaiser, John W. 6,000.00NTL Kucik, Steve 6,000.00NTL Kueber, Orville E. 6,000.00NTL Lancaster, Roger L. 6,000.00NTL Manning, Plummer T. 6,000.00NTL Nava, Joseph A. 6,000.00NTL Peck, Michael W. 15,000.00NTL White, Bobby 6,000.001 Kalemba, Walter F. 3,000.001 Roberts, Dennis W. 6,000.001 Saunders, Robert 2,399.685 Zorovich, Flavio A. 6,000.006 Balistreri, Nunzio 6,000.006 Combs, John D. 6,000.006 Dickson, Bennie V. 6,000.006 Fernandez, Abelino A. 6,000.006 Ferrari, Louie 6,000.006 Fong, Wah 6,000.006 Fontana, James J. 6,000.006 Gogos, John J. 6,000.006 Jacobs, Oliver W. 6,000.006 LaChapelle, Charlie 6,000.006 Mayenschein, George 6,000.006 Menize, Edwin W. 6,000.006 Schock, George 6,000.006 Smith, Howard E. 6,000.006 Toone, John K. 6,000.006 Wilkins, Iven D. 6,000.007 Earley, Danny Joel 6,000.007 Lockwood, Charles W. 6,000.0011 Dohl, Wayne R. 6,000.00

11 Nelson, Clint E. 3,227.1313 Cook, Paul A. 10,000.0013 Cook, Paul A. 5,000.0013 Moffitt, George W. 6,000.0013 Parlow Sr., Walter Wm. 6,000.0013 Sierocinski, Alfred 6,000.0026 Coppage, Derrell E. 6,000.0026 Smith, Charles W. 6,000.0026 White, Cleveland W. 6,000.0027 Chee Sr., Gilbert 4,780.2527 Fugate, Orbie P. 6,000.0027 Krauss, Louis 6,000.0028 Barker, Herschel H. 5,000.0028 Becker, John A. 11,000.0028 Romano, Peter B. 5,000.0028 Styers, Terry L. 485.1028 Van Hest, George J. 11,000.0028 Wyres, James J. 5,000.0037 Boudreaux, Richard F. 15,000.0037 Cowart, Willie J. 1,500.0037 Delatte, Joseph 6,000.0037 Dorsa, John J. 6,000.0037 Hambrice, Truman A. 6,000.0037 McDonald, Dennis A. 6,000.0037 Vegas, Eddie T. 6,000.0040 Marsh Jr., Edgar 6,000.0040 Weatherford, Frank D. 6,000.0040 Wilson, Douglas M. 6,000.0060 Ball, Kenneth A. 6,000.0060 Chester, Harry W. 6,000.0060 Wood, David O. 3,735.0069 Hensley, Leo T. 6,000.0069 Patterson, Tommy L. 6,000.0072 Carpenter, Milo M. 6,000.0072 Chapman, John W. 6,000.0072 Lagers, Elva M. 6,000.0072 Murray, Henry O. 6,000.0072 Olsen, Walter G. 6,000.0072 Philpot, Jack D. 6,000.0072 Trobough, James L. 6,000.0074 Tyler, Loyd Ray 6,000.0079 Perron, Floyd 6,000.0079 Poncho, Jerome R. 6,000.00

83 Campbell, Everett 6,000.0083 Childress, Ralph J. 6,000.0083 Creech, Austin 6,000.0083 Duvall, Chris D. 15,000.0083 Phoenix, Robert R. 6,000.0084 Hermreck, Robert D. 6,000.0084 Smith, Blaine M. 6,000.0085 Lester, Richard A. 6,000.0085 Lucas, Jack L. 6,000.0085 Miller, Jack L. 6,000.0092 Allen, Orville C. 6,000.0092 Barron, Charlie R. 6,000.0092 Booth, John H. 6,000.0092 Cole, Harber L. 6,000.0092 Greaves, Donald S. 6,000.0092 Henry, Leland 1,088.5092 Hribal, David K. 6,000.0092 Phinney, Donald E. 6,000.0092 Radetich, Anthony V. 6,000.0092 Ramos, Frank 6,000.0092 Saari, Arvo J. 6,000.0092 Sokoloff, Peter M. 6,000.0092 Wilson, Ronald Lee 6,000.0096 Bannister, Bobby E. 6,000.0096 Crowder, Glosses C. 6,000.00101 Clark, Fordyce D. 6,000.00104 Adams, John B. 6,000.00104 Andrews, Marl S. 6,000.00104 Geyer, Richard R. 6,000.00104 Green, Kenneth J. 6,000.00104 Hawkinson, Carl C. 6,000.00104 Hill, Harry L. 6,000.00104 Kim, Myung H. 6,000.00104 Lamberton, Roland W. 6,000.00104 Lien, Floyd W. 6,000.00104 Malo, William M. 6,000.00104 Mayes Sr., Roy R. 6,000.00104 Moreland, Gene C. 6,000.00104 Murdock, Robert L. 6,000.00104 Musielak, Alfred S. 6,000.00104 Norman, Junior H. 6,000.00104 Ohrn, Karl Harold 6,000.00104 Samson, Loyd H. 6,000.00

104 Thode, Lee M. 2,249.81104 Tortorice, Sebastian W. 6,000.00104 Welke Sr., Kenneth E. 6,000.00104 Whitehead, Glen D. 6,000.00105 Bilby, David B. 15,000.00105 Jensen, Glen D. 6,000.00105 Taylor, James E. 6,000.00107 Anderson, Alvin S. 6,000.00107 Hodge, Donald E. 6,000.00107 Johnson, Melvin E. 6,000.00107 Olejniczak, Max F. 6,000.00107 Warner, Robert 6,000.00108 Wyers, James W. 6,000.00109 Weindel, Bernard J. 6,000.00110 Boswell, Billy Byrd 1,305.00112 Goff, George L. 6,000.00112 Hall, Donnie R. 14,976.85112 McDonald James F. 6,000.00112 Sadler, John E. 6,000.00117 Crist, Roland E. 6,000.00117 Leffel, Norman W. 6,000.00124 Burdick, Wayne A. 6,000.00132 Mancuso, Stephen D. 11,329.98132 Rogers Jr., McDonald 6,000.00132 Watts, Ricky G. 4,733.68132 Wistinghausen, John G. 6,000.00154 Ambrosini, Anthony J. 6,000.00154 Benigni, Reno 6,000.00154 Druga, George 6,000.00154 Morris, Michael L. 6,000.00169 Akahoshi, Shigenori 6,000.00169 Beckett, Timmi L. 6,000.00169 Caplinger, Leslie A. 6,000.00169 Glockzin, Alvin A. 6,000.00169 Ragle, Dennis A. 308.86169 Veenema, Anthony M. 1,574.74169 Wiewiora, Walter M. 6,000.00175 Eusepi, Angelo 6,000.00175 Rinaldi, John 6,000.00182 Ward, Lawrence M. 6,000.00193 Meyers, Charles W. 259.21193 Weeks, Billy J. 6,000.00199 Braswell, T.C. 6,000.00199 Ivey, Jesse C. 6,000.00199 Loveridge Sr., Robert E. 580.00199 Vesley, William J. 6,000.00204 Alejado, Benceslao B. 6,000.00204 Bailey, Paul B. 6,000.00204 Tanaka, Paul Yoshio 6,000.00237 Sullivan, James L. 6,000.00242 Boyer, Edward J. 6,000.00242 Rennick, Theophil 6,000.00242 Sulgrove, Roy T. 6,000.00263 Stimpson, William J. 6,000.00300 Swarthout, Joseph S. 6,000.00316 Incitti, Andrew L. 6,000.00

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.

THE DEATH BENEFIT PLAN under 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.

L O D G E , N A M E & B E N E F I T

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

Continued on page 23

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.)

316 Tarves, Vincent J. 2,358.88329 Fox, Lloyd J. 6,000.00358 Andrews, Frank A. 6,000.00358 Demuth, Elmer J. 6,000.00358 Peyton, Levern 6,000.00358 Sturgell, Millard 6,000.00363 McKennedy, Clarence 6,000.00374 Bauer, Richard L. 6,000.00374 Butler, Geary E. 14,733.94374 Chapin, Neil M. 6,000.00374 Harrison, Darwin A. 6,000.00374 Higginbotham, James 6,000.00374 Horine, Clifford L. 6,000.00374 Nye, Joseph S. 6,000.00374 Payne, Kenneth W. 6,000.00374 Polito, Frank P. 6,000.00374 Summers, Gene 6,000.00374 Wiseman, Howard W. 6,000.00433 Brock, Joe V. 3,000.00433 Gay, Walter L. 6,000.00433 Richards, Carol Wayne 6,000.00433 Thompson, David L. 6,000.00433 Watson, George R. 6,000.00449 Dart, Gerald J. 6,000.00449 Herschlelb, Donald R. 6,000.00453 Thompson, Ricky H. 14,843.04454 Howard, James A. 6,000.00454 Lequire, Clarence C. 6,000.00454 Peardon, Charles W. 6,000.00454 Slack, Paul S. 775.00454 Troutman, Ted 6,000.00455 Blevins, Ottis M. 6,000.00455 Rickard, James L. 6,000.00455 Stewart, Nolen L. 2,321.50469 Arauza, Jesse C. 1,500.00487 Brusky, Raymond 6,000.00487 Dalebroux, Gerald J. 6,000.00487 Denil, Raymond J. 6,000.00487 Smith, Alvin G. 6,000.00502 Bonnell, Frank D. 6,000.00502 Sandirk, Steve F. 1,382.50502 Storm, Harold D. 6,000.00531 Gibbons, Julius D. 6,000.00549 Clark, Edwin E. 6,000.00549 Dibble, William L. 6,000.00549 Heob, Ernest A. 6,000.00549 Leon, George 6,000.00549 Stokes, George G. 6,000.00549 Williams Jr., Eddie 6,000.00582 Roberts, William A. 6,000.00583 Goss, William A. 6,000.00583 Moore, Clifford 6,000.00587 Anderson, George 6,000.00587 Soape Sr., Allen P. 6,000.00592 Long, Woodrow W. 6,000.00

599 Hagen, Clarence N. 6,000.00599 Pastian, George 6,000.00614 Wagstaff, Dolph E. 6,000.00627 Boyd, Robert Gale 6,000.00627 Morgan, Terry K. 913.50627 Parsons, Victor K. 6,000.00627 Trimmier, Elmer J. 6,000.00636 Shaffer, Oliver L. 6,000.00647 Bennett, Donald G. 6,000.00647 Harves, George R. 6,000.00667 Baker, Michael L. 13,645.01667 Burgess, Donald L. 1,552.00667 Clegg, Charles T. 1,623.61667 Gamber Sr., Joseph J. 6,000.00667 Hale, Charles L. 6,000.00667 Haley, Dwight S. 6,000.00667 Halterman, Morton 6,000.00667 Hollingsworth, Roger 5,559.01667 Love, Wayne H. 6,000.00667 Nowlin, Robert L. 6,000.00667 Sampson, Curtis C. 6,000.00667 Siders, Timothy E. 15,000.00667 White, Packie M. 11,212.46679 Tripp, Michael A. 6,000.00687 Farmer, John W. 6,000.00687 Gray, Weems G. 6,000.00687 Linton Sr., James W. 6,000.00687 Lively, Clayton L. 6,000.00688 Allen, Charles B. 6,000.00696 Leroux, Thomas B. 3,377.90696 Marcek, William H. 6,000.00697 Jonas, John M. 6,000.00697 Rasmussen, Raymond 6,000.00700 Williams, George Q. 6,000.00744 Kurjian, Wilfred G. 6,000.00744 Lawson, James W. 6,000.00744 Reckart, Melvin D. 6,000.00752 Garvin, Kenneth W. 6,000.00799 Lozak, Steve 6,000.00801 Carman, John C. 6,000.00802 McNeill, William A. 6,000.00802 Reimers, Raymond J. 6,000.00807 Bailey, Howard B. 6,000.001162 Fink, Richard 6,000.001162 Tresch, Adam 6,000.001234 Assenza, Joseph 6,000.001243 Boyd, Edward E. 6,000.001243 Kline, Bobby L. 3,000.001509 Janicek, John J. 6,000.001509 Karras, James 6,000.001509 Stacks, Hubert B. 6,000.001593 Martucci, Dorothy R. 6,000.001600 Rhodes, Jimmie S. 6,000.001600 Tanner, James E. 3,000.001624 Merza, John 6,000.001668 Jackson, Donald S. 6,000.001670 Dreimanis, Austra 6,000.00

Continued from page 22

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

Homer E. Patton, 89HOMER E. PATTON, 89, who retiredas International secretary-treasurer onMarch 31, 1973, passed away Jan. 5,2004, at the Holmesdale Care Centerin Kansas City, Mo.

Patton joined the Boilermakers unionin 1935, becoming a member of Local 72in Portland, Ore. He later transferred hismembership to Local 6, Oakland, Calif.,earning his 65-year member-ship pin in 2000.

Patton servedthe Internationalfor 32 years, firstas an Intl. repre-sentative, then asan Intl. vice pres-ident, becomingInternat ionalsecretary-treas-urer in 1958.

A friend toPres. HarryTruman and other presidents,Patton was invited to several inau-gural festivities and was appointeda member of the Air QualityAdvisory Board by Pres. RichardNixon. On three different occasions,he represented the United States inEurope at international labor meet-ings.

He was made Ambassador of GoodWill for Arkansas by Gov. WinthropRockefeller, a Distinguished Jayhawkerby Kansas Gov. John Anderson, and aColonel and Aide-de-Camp byLouisiana Gov. John McKeithen.

He received a citation of outstandingachievement by Oregon’s AmericanLegion Americanism Program andserved as chairman of the board ofdirectors for the Brotherhood StateBank during the 1960s and early 1970s.

Patton is survived by his wife,Gerta; daughters, Sandra Linson andSharon Rivera; five grandchildren;and four great-grandchildren.

William K. Holt, 86WILLIAM K. “BILL” HOLT, 86, pastpresident and board member of theBremerton Metal Trades Council

(BMTC) and 61-year member of Local290, Bremerton, Wash., passed awayDec. 8, 2003.

Holt worked asa shipfitter andmachinist at thePuget SoundNaval Shipyardfor 34 years, retir-ing in 1981. Heserved 17 yearswith the BMTCand was a mem-ber of the AFL-CIO’s KitsapCounty CentralLabor Council.

Survivors include his wife of 29years, the former Nancy Aldrich; ason, William K. “Pete” Holt Jr.; adaughter, Karen Collis; a brother,John Holt; six grandchildren, and 10great-grandchildren.

Dick Hardin, 55DICK HARDIN, 55, an Internationalrepresentative for the National Tran-sient Division (NTD), passed awayat his home in Osage City, Kan., Feb.8, 2004.

A member of the National TransientLodge since 1971, Hardin joined theInternational staff in 1984 as a generalorganizer, work-ing out of hisOsage City home.In 1996, he movedto Houston tocontinue servingNTL members inthat area. In 2002,he was diagnosedwith amyotrophiclateral sclerosis(ALS), alsoknown as LouGehrig’s disease,a neuromusculardisorder. He tookearly retirement effective Dec. 1, 2002,and moved back to his Kansas home.

Survivors include his wife, Deborah;three sons, Billy, Jason, and Brandon;three grandchildren; his mother, EdithHardin; five brothers; and three sisters.

O B I T U A R I E S

WILLIAM K. HOLT

(1917-2003)Bremerton Metal Trades

HOMER PATTON

(1914-2004)Intl. Sec.-Treas.

DICK HARDIN

(1948-2004)Intl. Rep. - NTD

Jan • Feb 2004 the Boilermaker Reporter - 23I N M E M O R I A M

THE BOILERMAKERS UNION occupies an important placein the history of North America, and we are working to pre-serve that history through the Boilermakers NationalArchives, a museum located one block west of Internationalheadquarters in Kansas City, Kan.

National Archivist Tom Wands has been collecting andrestoring items for display. He is also creating databasesfor a pictorial history and to record dates of local lodge char-ters, names of local lodge officers, and biographies ofInternational officers.

You can help us continue the work of the archivesthrough your donations. To help raise much-neededfunds, the National Archives is offering the gifts picturedat right to donors.

Only U.S. funds can be accepted. Please make checks ormoney orders payable to the Boilermakers Archives, indicateyour 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/sticker received;

$5 for each ornament; $10 for a Black Beauty watch or clock; $18 for a sportswatch; $20 for a dress watch). Tax ID #48-114-537.

The Boilermakers National Archives Needs Your Support

10-inch Wall Clock$20 Donation

Men’s GoldDress Watch$40 Donation

Men’sBlack Beauty$20 Donation

Men’sSports Watch$30 Donation

Ladies GoldDress Watch$40 Donation

LadiesBlack Beauty$20 Donation

Window Decals

One for $2 Donation; Three for$5 Donation

Christmas Ornament$10 Donation

IBB Logos, front & back

Bumper StickerOne for $2 Donation; Three for

$5 Donation

WW HEN CONGRESSMAN DickGephardt withdrew as a candi-date for president of the United

States, working families lost ourstrongest champion in the race.

It was a great honor to endorse andwork on behalf of a man of such honorand integrity — a true hero to workingmen and women, union and non-union. Dick Gephardt has been a pillarof strength and dignity his entire politi-cal career, and it is the country’s lossthat he won’t be the next president.

But our support for Gephardt wasnot in vain. Your hard work made a realdifference. The other candidates haveadopted Dick Gephardt’s positions ontrade and economic justice, and thehuge voter turnouts we are seeing inthe primaries show the great strengthand determination of the DemocraticParty to reclaim the White House.

Dick Gephardt will dedicate hisremaining year in Congress to repre-senting workers. Every day of his work-ing life he has sought to bring positivechange to the hard working men andwomen of this country, and his effortswill not cease in these final months.

In a conference call with Congress-man Gephardt shortly after heannounced he was withdrawing, the 18unions that make up the Alliance forEconomic Justice (AEJ) — includingour union — vowed to stay focused oncontinuing to promote our message tothe American people. CongressmanGephardt promised to consult with theAEJ before he endorsed a candidate,and the AEJ vowed to strongly considerendorsing Gephardt’s choice.

Over the next few weeks, presidentsfrom unions affiliated with the AEJ metwith the leading contenders still in therace — John Kerry and John Edwards.

We were also contacted by represen-tatives of the Bush administration, whopressed their case for our endorsement.Apparently, the White House recog-nizes the considerable political powerof a united labor movement.

But the Bush administration sup-ports very few of the issues mostimportant to our members, and muchof the legislation they introduce is verybad for American workers.

When it comes to jobs and the econ-omy, they just don’t seem to get it.

An example of how little this admin-istration cares about American workerscame on Feb. 11, when GregoryMankiw, chairman of President Bush’sCouncil of Economic Advisers (CEA),told members of Congress that thetrend toward outsourcing is “just a newway of doing international trade . . . It’sa good thing.”

No, it is not a good thing. Over the past three years, the United

States has lost 2.8 million manufactur-ing jobs. Most of the American workerswho have lost these good-paying man-ufacturing jobs are either still unem-ployed or have taken lower-paying jobsin service industries.

Not only is that a bad thing for theirfamilies, but it has a ripple effect ontheir communities. When you’re out ofwork, you can’t buy new cars, newappliances, new houses, or newclothes. You can’t go out to eat or to themovies. You can’t afford health care foryour family. So those businesses in yourcommunity get hurt.

When you don’t spend money, youdon’t pay sales tax or gas tax, so yourcommunity’s tax revenue drops.

Losing 2.8 million good-paying jobsis not “a good thing” for the peoplewho have lost their jobs, for the familiesof those people, for the communitiesthey live in, or for the country as awhole. The fact that a high-level mem-ber of the Bush administration wouldeven suggest it could be good indicateshow far out of touch this administra-tion is from the American people.

And it isn’t just trade. There’s over-time pay, which the Bush administra-tion is taking away from eight millionworkers. There’s union protection,which the Bush administration hasdenied to more than 600,000 federalworkers, and civil service protection,which they are denying to millionsmore. There’s the $500 billion deficitthat the Bush administration created bygiving huge tax cuts to the wealthiestAmericans — a deficit that our childrenwill end up paying off.

And a lot more. John Kerry has a better plan. The Kerry plan includes reviving

American manufacturing by puttingAmerican companies on an even play-ing field with their foreign competitors.

The Kerry plan includes tax breaksfor manufacturers that create jobs in theUnited States, instead of tax breaks forthose who move jobs overseas.

The Kerry plan will provide tax relieffor middle-income workers while trim-ming the tax cuts the Bush administra-tion gave to the wealthiest Americans.

The Kerry plan includes closing taxloopholes that benefit corporations atworkers’ expense and making corpora-tions keep honest accounting records. Itwill also deny federal contracts to com-panies that break the law.

The Kerry plan will protect Americanworkers through stronger health andsafety laws, better overtime rules, andlaws that keep corporations from raid-ing pension funds.

Most important of all, John Kerry’splan includes listening to workers. Hewill listen to our needs and search forways to address our concerns.

As you search for a presidential can-didate to support, give John Kerry along, hard look. In February, the presi-dents of the unions who joined togetherto form the AEJ voted unanimously toendorse Kerry because we believe hewill continue to listen to our concernsand will work with us.

By uniting behind this candidate,Boilermakers can have a significantimpact on this year’s elections and onthe future of our country. ❑

Learn more about John Kerry and hisvision for America at his campaign Website: www.johnkerry.com

LL--119999 mmeemmbbeerr wwaannttss ttoo wwoorrkkI HAVE BEEN OUT OF WORK sinceApril 2003. I don’t know what is goingon, but I have a family to feed and billsto pay and a mortgage. I can under-stand there not being work for a monthor two but almost a year?

ALocal 199 memberJacksonville, Fla.

REPLY: UNLIKE OTHER trades whohave work opportunities in commer-cial, light industrial, and even residen-tial sectors, construction Boilermakersare confined to working in heavyindustrial facilities such as powerplants, paper mills, refineries, chemicalplants, steel mills, etc.

Imports and a strong U.S. dollarhave made it very difficult for sectorssuch as steel, paper, chemicals, etc., toremain competitive. In times like this,these facilities do not spend money onimprovements that would create jobsfor Boilermakers.

Only one sector has remained some-what isolated from these pressures, theelectric utility industry. In recent years,75 percent of our construction workhas been in the electric utilities. Work-loads fluctuate depending upon ourcountry’s need for electricity. Over thepast few years, our industry was in a

boom and work was plentiful in nearlyall areas of the country — buildingnew power plants, repairing existingones, and installing pollution controlequipment on utility boilers.

But recently, investment capitalrequired to build new power plantshas tightened. When the Enron debacleoccurred and investors lost billions ofdollars, the money dried up for most ofthis sector. Many utility companiesfound themselves in serious financialtrouble. Power plants that were sched-uled to be built were canceled, leavingBoilermakers without jobs.

Though our country needs moreelectric generation capacity, the finan-cial markets, investors, and the utilitiesthemselves are being cautious aboutbuilding new power plants.

Still, the need for power will not goaway and Boilermakers will again bebuilding new power plants. The onlyquestion is, when?

There has been news recently aboutproposed new power boilers in someareas. I do not think we will see the levelof work that we saw in past years returnthis year, but it will return, perhaps twoto three years from now.

Alot will depend on our economy. Ifour economy continues to slump, theneed for power will not rise abovepresent levels.

When our economy picks upmomentum, you can be assured thatwork for Boilermakers will soon fol-low. Until then, we will just have to dowhat we can to make ends meet andfeed our families the best we can.

As difficult as it is to leave home togo to work, such is the life of a con-struction Boilermaker. I spent manyyears on the road when work in myhome local dried up. I know how diffi-cult it is to be separated from your fam-ily. My father before me, who was aconstruction Boilermaker, moved fromjob to job during the boom of the 1960s.When we could, we traveled with him,otherwise we kept the home fires burn-ing, awaiting his return.

If you can make it through this slowperiod, things will get better.

DALE “SKIPPER” BRANSCUMConstruction Division Director

LLooccaall 119911’’ss BBaaxxtteerr eennccoouurraaggeessyyoouu ttoo ‘‘kkeeeepp uussiinngg yyoouurr vvooiicceess’’IT WAS GREAT to see the article onLocal 191’s 47-foot motor life boat pro-gram (Oct-Dec 2003). As one welderfrom the project, I’d like to mentionthat as of January 4, 2004, we are onboat 11 in the final outfit phase.

Although the project is now goingfairly smooth, in October, the projectwas quickly becoming behind inhours, and management was slow inmoving on improvements to safetyand production issues. Morale got reallow, so they finally decided to includethe members and all trades in improv-ing the whole program. (We are nowon our third project superintendent.)

To all the brothers and sisters outthere, keep using your union voices!Together, we can make things better!

With thanks to Billy Morrison andshop steward Brother Ed “TwoShoes” Lumley.

DARCY BAXTER, Local 191Victoria, B.C.

GGoott ssoommeetthhiinngg ttoo ssaayy??WE WELCOME LETTERS of fewerthan 150 words on topics of interest toour members and their families. Wedo not publish personal attacks onmembers or unsigned letters.

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The Boilermaker Reporter753 State Ave. Suite 570Kansas City KS 66101FAX: (913) 281-8104E-mail: ehoward@boilermakers.org

24 - the Boilermaker Reporter Jan • Feb 2004A M E S S A G E T O O U R M E M B E R S

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aaddddrreessss oouurr ccoonncceerrnnss..

Letters to the Editor

Newton B. JonesInternational President

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

Boilermakers endorse John Kerry