BCTD Helmets to Hardhats programmatches returning vets with unionconstruction jobsWHEN JOE MALONEY became a fitter-riggerapprentice in Boilermaker Local 128, Toronto, in 1974,he had no idea how high that job would eventually take him. At17, Maloney only knew he pre-ferred climbing on steel to sitting ina classroom.

Pretty soon, he was climbingmore than steel.

On finishing his apprenticeship,he became intrigued by the union’sbusiness and quickly rose withinthe union’s leadership, beingappointed chief steward, gettingelected trustee, then president,becoming a full-time businessagent, and finally being electedLocal Lodge 128 business man-ager/secretary-treasurer in 1990.The energetic Maloney sooncaught the eye of then-Interna-tional President C.W. Jones, who

made him an International representative in 1992.Four years later, he left the Boilermakers to work forthe AFL-CIO’s Building and Construction TradesDepartment’s (BCTD) Canadian office. His success inpromoting the BCTD’s organizing efforts led to hisappointment in 2000 to become BCTD secretary-

treasurer under the new presi-dent, Edward C. Sullivan.

Somewhere in there he sat inclass long enough to get a highschool equivalency and somecollege credits, which sooncame in handy, as did a trait heshares with thousands of Boiler-makers — the ability to workhard until the job is done right.

The BCTD that he and Sulli-van took over had financialproblems and an ineffectiveorganizing program. Only thepair ’s ability to launch newtraining and education pro-grams, along with pilot pro-

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Vol. 44 No. 3Jun • Jul 2005

The Official Publication of theInternational Brotherhood of

Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders,Blacksmiths, Forgers, and

Helpers, AFL-CIO

Local 502 excels forPSF at Shell turnaround

See Maloney, page 3

A crane lifts the head into place at the Shellcracking unit turnaround.

Members complete job ahead ofschedule, with no lost-time orrecordable injuries“YOU’RE ONLY AS STRONG as your weakest link,”the saying goes, but Jeff Brown, construction managerfor PSF, says he could find no weak link on the jobwhen PSF used Boilermakers from Local 502(Tacoma, Wash.) to complete a turnaround project atShell Refining FCC in Anacortes, Wash.

The Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCCU) shut-down was completed two days ahead of its 31-dayschedule, with no lost-time or recordable accidents.Boilermakers replaced the regenerator head and didmaintenance work on the reactor-regenerator, includ-ing the duct work. They also completed some extramaintenance work they discovered along the way, yetstill finished ahead of schedule.

With 120 Boilermakers on each 10-hour shift, work-ing six days a week, the job racked up 70,000 man-hours in less than a month. Local 502 BM-ST RandyRobbins said, “It was a very well-managed job. Theclient was hands-on and provided a safety trailer andgifts and awards each week.”

Incentives such as gift cards, gas cards, and round-trip airline tickets made working safely pay off inmore than one way. “The best part of the job was thatit was completed with no injuries,” said Robbins.“That was not easy considering the size of the job andthe heavy work involved.”

Brown gave special recognition to Robbins for hishelp in manning the project, superintendents LarryMustian and Tim Schwartz, and to project foremenSteve Bogge, Ron Burns, Rob Callahan, Rick Cowell,Rory Davis, John Durkin, Robert Giop, Lynn Hock-strausser, Will Johnson, Jim Lamont, Gene Lish, ToddOre, Dale Roppe, and Don Todd.

“It is working with such a high-caliber craft as theunion Boilermakers that ensures successful projectslike this,” Brown said. ❑

ENR recognizes Joe Maloney

Joe Maloney’s support for Helmetsto Hardhats is putting vets to work onunion construction jobs.

IN THESE PAGES

Scholarships awarded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-9

BCTD Conferencehighlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

RetireeNews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Union charges firm withprovoking picketersMOLTEN ALUMINUM ISN’T the onlything that’s hot these days at theWabash Alloys plant in Wabash, Ind.Some 190 Boilermakers who have beenlocked out of the plant since March 16are also getting hot under the collar.

And they have a lot to be angry about.

After eight negotiating sessionsbetween Boilermakers Local 1240 andWabash Alloys earlier this year, thecompany declared that contract talkshad stalled. On March 16, two daysafter the contract expired, the companylocked out its union employees. Itbrought in replacement workers and anoutside security firm notorious forunion-busting activity.

Wabash Alloys, which makes alu-minum alloy from recycled scrap metalfor die casters, had demanded majorconcessions of the union, includingwage and benefit cuts totaling $3.5 mil-lion. Workers at the top rate, earning$18 an hour, would see a pay cut ofabout $4 an hour under the company’sproposal. “We costed-out everything,”said Local 1240 President Preston Mira-cle, “and the company’s proposalwould result in a 46 percent wage andbenefit cut, including a 28 percent wage reduction.”

Wabash Alloys told union negotia-tors before the lockout that its proposalwas a “last, best, and final offer.” TheLocal 1240 negotiating team did notbring the offer back to the membership.

Miracle said the company’s extremeconcessionary demands were perplex-ing. “They (the company) had told uswe were the only one of their plantsmaking money. The others were eitherbreaking even or losing money. Innegotiations with the other plants, thecompany actually increased theirwages and benefits. But they want toslash ours. It doesn’t make sense.”

Wabash Alloys operates eight plantsin Mexico, Canada, and the U.S.

Since the lockout began, the twosides have met several times to con-tinue negotiations, once with a federalmediator present. Little progressresulted. Another meeting between thetwo parties is set for July 11.

Miracle noted that the company isnot claiming poverty, but is blaming itsconcessionary bargaining on pressurefrom nonunion competitors. The unionhas made a number of proposals toaddress the company’s cost-cuttingdemands, offering to accept wagefreezes for the life of the contract andhigher medical insurance contributionsfrom the members.

However, union negotiators want tosee cost information on contracts at thecompany’s other plants as well as infor-mation about nonunion companiesthat compete with Wabash Alloys. Thecompany has not yet provided that information.

At a June 9 meeting, union negotia-tors presented the company with a pro-posal regarding consolidation of jobclassifications. Wabash Alloys isdemanding a reduction in job classifica-tions from 33 to nine. The union hasoffered to accept a reduction to 15.“This is a key item for us to resolve,”said Miracle. “We need to know wherewe are with this before going on toother issues.”

Guards provoke picketersTHE COMPANY’S concessionarydemands and the lockout are not theonly reasons Local 1240 members aresteaming. They are upset about the tac-tics of Huffmaster Crisis Management,a notorious strike-breaking companybased in Troy, Mich. Huffmaster guardshave repeatedly attempted to provokepicketers, said Miracle. In one incident,guards used an obscene term whenreferring to a picketer’s wife. At othertimes, guards sing tunes with insultinglyrics. A scuffle between guards andpicketers led to two members and thewife of a member being charged withdisorderly conduct. Other incidentsinvolved a severed telephone line lead-ing into the plant (the union disclaimsany involvement) and allegations ofblocking traffic.

In the wake of such unrest, WabashAlloys succeeded in obtaining aninjunction that limits the union to onlyfour picketers at one time in the imme-diate vicinity of the front gate, althoughthere are no restrictions on the numberof picketers outside that area.

Despite such isolated incidents, thelockout and picketing have been rela-

tively peaceful, said Miracle. He notedthat Local 1240 members have shownremarkable restraint in dealing withHuffmaster guards, replacement work-ers, and scab truck drivers.

Public supports unionTHE WABASH ALLOYS lockout hasdrawn attention from the local com-munity as well as other unions in thearea. “We got unexpected supportfrom the Wabash City Council,” saidMiracle. “In fact, they voted 6-0 to sup-port the Boilermakers. It really sur-prised us, because many of thoseholding office are Republicans. I thinkthey see that taking $2 to $3 million(annually) out of the local communitywould really hurt.”

In late April, a rally held for thelocked-out Boilermakers drew about1,500 people from half a dozen states.Among those attending from the Boil-ermakers International were GreatLakes IVP Larry McManamon;Leonard Beauchamp, director ofresearch and collective bargaining serv-ices; and Jim Pressley, International representative.

Miracle said the rally was a greatboost to morale. “We had unions fromas far away as St. Louis and Chicagoattending,” he said. “Some of thespeakers were union leaders from theSteelworkers and the UAW.”

The rally raised about $8,000 for theLocal 1240 Defense Fund. The localraised another $2,500 at a tenderloin fry.“We’re using these funds for emer-gency situations,” said Miracle, “incases where members are about to seeutilities disconnected. And some of themoney goes to extend our picket linesto other plants.”

Financial pressures were somewhatalleviated when unemployment checksbegan arriving at member homes inrecent weeks.

Local 1240 Vice President SamSmith, a 31-year employee at WabashAlloys, remembers going through abrief strike at the company in the 1980s.He said that experience was not nearlyas stressful as the current situation.“(But) our morale is as good as it can be.It’s great the way the guys are stickingtogether. Everybody’s so mad aboutthe company wanting to cut (our wagesand benefits) so bad. Everybody’s stick-ing together like glue.”

2 - the Boilermaker Reporter Jun • Jul 2005N E W S M A K E R S

ReporterJun • Jul 2005 Vol. 44 No. 3

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

Jerry Z. Willburn, Intl. Secretary-Treasurer

International Vice PresidentsLawrence McManamon, Great LakesSean 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 Editor

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 and encour-aged. This publication is mailed free ofcharge 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:

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PUBLICATION AGREEMENT No. 40010131

Printed in the U.S.A.

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the Boilermaker

Lockout heats up at Wabash Alloys“Shame , Shame, Shame on you,Wabash Alloys”reads the banner carried by Local 1240 members as they march to protest being locked out.

Donations to assist Local 1240during the lockout can be sent to

Local 1240 Defense Fund, 590Congress Street, Wabash, IN 46992.Visit www.local1240.com for more

information about Local 1240 and the lockout.

grams to ease workplacedisruptions and jurisdic-tional disputes, kept themin their jobs.

And, of course, Helmetsto Hardhats (H2H), a pro-gram that links active anddischarged military servicepeople with constructiontrade apprenticeships andjobs. The idea had beentried before, but neverworked. Maloney’s role indeveloping that idea into asuccessful, national, Web-based program won himEngineering News-Recordmagazine’s 40th annualAward of Excellence.

Since its launch in 2003, H2H hasmatched more than 22,000 veteranswith apprenticeship and job opportuni-ties. Much of its success can be creditedto Maloney, who has been described asa bulldog, a brilliant salesman, an effec-tive politician, and a man with a fire inhis belly.

It takes three to networkMALONEY TRACES H2H’s success toa day in early 2001 when he was a last-minute substitute speaker at a work-shop where consultants discussedideas to help veterans move back into civilian life. There he learned thatmany vets were having trouble finding jobs with a good career path.Returning vets had a 15 percent unem-ployment rate.

Knowing that the constructionindustry was struggling to recruit anew generation of skilled craft workers,Joe Maloney went to work — right then and there. He brainstormed with two other participants, retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Matthew P. Caulfield, then working as a work force consultant, and Kenneth E. Hedman,then labor relations manager at Bechtel Construction Co. and chairman of the North American Contractors Association.

During these sessions, Maloneydeveloped the idea to use a new tech-nology to promote the program — the Internet.

“General Caulfield and I met again afew days later, and again a few daysafter that. I learned that veterans ranksecond-highest in the population incomputer literacy, just behind collegestudents. It made sense to set up a cen-tral system on the Internet in whichapprenticeships, and vets could bepaired with a digital handshake.”

Within months, Maloney, Caulfield,and Hedman brought their contacts tothe table. Maloney brought the 15building trades unions of the BCTD,Caulfield brought his military contacts,and Hedman was key in lining upemployment opportunities.

Maloney and General Caulfieldknew it would only work, however, ifall branches of the military and all 15trade unions gave it their wholeheartedsupport. That meant a year’s worth ofback-to-back meetings with militaryofficials, union presidents, and repre-sentatives of every affiliate.

“The early challenge was trying toget people to agree that the concept wasworkable,” says Maloney. “This hadbeen tried before, but not involving

every entity of the military and construction trades.”

And not using the Internet. Theyworked fast to build a Web site so theywould have something tangible todemonstrate how the system wouldwork. At the same time, Maloney wasin constant contact with the tradeunions, making sure that the locallodges would support the program.

“The last thing we wanted was tosend vets in large numbers to localunions and have them standing at theoffice hearing, ‘Give me your name andI’ll call you back.’ We didn’t want it tofail before it got started.”

It took hard work for Maloney to getH2H accepted by both the military andtrades. “Change means work. Some-times people fall into a mode of gettingalong the way things are. You’ve got tokeep moving the ball down the field.People may put up barriers, but you’vegot to keep your eye on the goal,” says Maloney.

Maloney’s “hectic year” paid offwhen he spoke to Congressman John P.“Jack” Murtha (D-12th PA). The con-gressman “fell in love with the con-cept,” ultimately winning the project a$3.4 million grant from the U.S. Depart-ment of Defense.

Just give your name, rank,and MOSUSING THE WEB site couldn’t be sim-pler. Unions and contractors post theirapprenticeship or job opportunitieswith the service. Veterans seekingcareers go to the program’s Web site atwww.helmetstohardhats.org and com-plete an electronic questionnaire. It’s assimple as entering your name, rank,date of discharge, and MOS (militaryoperations specialty).

The computer compares their infor-mation with opportunities, informsemployers of possible matches, and theemployer contacts the applicant todetermine if there is a good fit.

“If a guy was dropping tanks fromhelicopters, he might be a pretty goodrigger,” says Maloney, explaining thesimplicity of the program. The registra-tion process also reveals where the vet-eran lives or would like to live. “Maybea trade union in Buffalo needs a guywith these qualifications, so when heshows up, he starts right then.”

The process worked well for ex-Marine Patrick Boettger, who found theHelmets to Hardhats site while surfingthe Web. Awelder with 30 years experi-ence, his work had dried up. Threeyears ago, surfing the Web in search of

jobs, he found the H2H site andfilled out their online form.

The H2H program not onlymatched him with Local 104,Seattle, Wash., but it also paidhis initiation fee. The locallodge was able to get him certi-fied on copper-nickel and dualshield. He is now finishingwork on an aircraft carrier atthe Puget Sound Naval Ship-yard and hopes to begin worksoon on a three- to five-yearferry-building project.

“I wish there had been some-thing like this available when Icame out of the service in1972,” he says. “One day you’re

in the military, and the next dayyou’re out, with no place to stayand no job.” The G.I. Bill wasn’t

much help. The $311 per month it paidbarely covered tuition. “Anything youcan do to help with the transition frommilitary to civilian life is a good thing,”he says.

Maloney praises Ed Sullivan for giv-ing him tremendous latitude todevelop the H2H program. He creditsthe union presidents who worked tire-lessly to push the program through.“Not once did anyone who understoodthe concept and its benefits for the con-struction industry and for veteransthrow up barriers,” says Maloney. “Itcouldn’t have happened without all ofthem pulling on the same rope together.”

The H2H program is now expandingto include management of unionizedcontractors, and it is also expanding toinclude disabled veterans who are now able to use new technology to continue working.

L-128 President John Petronski saysMaloney’s rich family culture in theBoilermakers prepared him well for thespectacular career he has had. “To takeon the responsibilities and problems ofmanagement, you have to have theheart for it. You have to have a fire inyour belly.”

That’s a good way to describe JoeMaloney — fire and heart — for thegood of the industry. ❑

Jun • Jul 2005 the Boilermaker Reporter - 3N E W S M A K E R S

U.S. Marine and L-104 member Pat Boettger poses withWashington Governor Christine Gregoire to promoteHelmets to Hardhats.

Maloney recognized for H2H programContinued from page 1

CHARLES H. VANOVER, a retiredmember of Local 374, Hammond, Ind.,has received the Sagamore of theWabash award from former IndianaGovernor Joseph Kernan.

In his letter of presentation, formerGovernor Kernan thanked Vanoverfor his efforts to make Indiana a betterplace to live and raise a family.

“You have distinguished yourselfby your humanity in living, your loy-alty in friendship, your wisdom incouncil, and your inspiration in leader-ship,” Kernan wrote. “Thank youagain, Charles, for the contributionsyou have made to your state. Indianais better off today because of your ded-ication to it and your fellow Hoosiers.”

The term “Sagamore of theWabash” was used by northeasternUnited States Native Americans todescribe a lesser chief or other greatperson among the tribe to whom thechief would look for wisdom andadvice. The award is the highest honorthat the governor of Indiana bestows.

Vanover joined the Boilermakersunion in 1978 and served as businessmanager and secretary-treasurer ofLocal 374 from 1995 until his retire-ment on June 30 of this year. ❑

Charles H.Vanover, retired BM-ST ofLocal 374, Hammond, Ind., is recipientof the Sagamore of the Wabash award.

RETIRED International VicePresident John D. Carrollpassed away on June 21, 2005.Carroll joined BoilermakersLocal 378 in 1949. He was anapprentice in the CanadianNational Railway (CNR)Shops. He later served aspresident of the Moncton Dis-trict Trades and LabourCouncil, CNR general chair-man covering the AtlanticRegion, and president of District 30.He was also appointed to the NationalProductivity Council by the Canadiangovernment as one of five representa-tives for labor in Canada.

“Brother Carroll was an icon in thelabor movement in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s,” said IVP of Eastern Canada Alexander MacDon-ald of Carroll’s career in the labor movement.

Carroll was appointed to Interna-tional staff in 1957. He served as theInternational vice president of EasternCanada from 1967 until his retirement

in 1987. IVP MacDon-ald told the Reporter,“Brother Carroll was asmart, dedicatednegotiator and repre-sented the members inEastern Canada andthe International well.He brought to Canadathe Canadian National

Health & Welfare andPension Trust Funds

and was responsible for the NationalConstruction Agreement that coveredeight out of ten Canadian provinces.He was also very instrumental in theCanadian Labour Congress beingformed in Canada, as well as theCanadian Building Trades.”

IVP Carroll is survived by his wife, Eunice; his daughters, HeatherCarroll and Kathryn McKenzie; son-in-law, Max Contasti; grandchildren,John, Michael, Andrew, Ian, and Callie; his sister, Winnifred “Win-nie” Bourgeois; and brother, Ralph “Bud” Carroll.

John D. Carroll

Vanoverreceivesgovernor’saward

Retired IVP John D. Carroll passes

Construction trades unionsunite to lobby REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 15unions making up the AFL-CIO’sBuilding and Construction TradesDepartment (BCTD) met in Washing-ton, D.C., April 18-20, to hear fromBCTD leaders and members of Con-gress on the issues facing union con-struction workers and to lobbyCongress for laws beneficial to workingfamilies.

Delegates also took part in work-shops on protecting retirement andrecovering investment losses, the Hel-mets to Hardhats program, and anational program of construction edu-cation. Boilermakers’ GovernmentAffairs Director Bridget Martin andstaff members Shannon Brett and Abe Breehey assisted in conducting aworkshop on recent developments inlegislative issues.

In his keynote address, BCTD Presi-dent Ed Sullivan said that politicalaction and union organizing “are inter-dependent . . . one cannot succeed with-out the other.” And both are needed toguarantee a future for the unions thathave done so much to improve the livesof working families.

“Political action without increasedorganizing will leave us with a shrinking base,” he said. “Organizingwithout more effective political actionwill leave organizers vulnerable to anti-union legislation.”

Sullivan stressed the need to employnew strategies and form new coalitionsas the political and economic climatechanges. He praised the BCTD Helmetsto Hardhats program as an example ofa new initiative that creates a new coali-tion by helping returning veteransbecome members of BCTD unions.

Speakers addresstransportation bill, economyMEMBERS OF CONGRESS whoaddressed the conference were unani-mous on several issues: the need to passthe transportation bill, the need to pre-serve Social Security, and the need toaddress rising health care costs.

U.S. Senator and Senate MinorityLeader Harry Reid (D-NV) called pas-sage of the transportation act “one ofmy highest priorities.” He affirmed hislong-held position that “the cost ofhealth care is just too high” and calledfor cutting costs, improving quality,and expanding coverage through aseries of changes to current law.

U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO) toldthe audience that he gave his maidenspeech in the Senate from the deskonce used by John F. Kennedy“because I believe what he believed… that American labor wants to endpoverty and discrimination. I believeworking families built this countryand keep it strong. That’s why I willfight for the transportation bill . . . andhealth care and Social Security.”

Explaining why passage of billsaddressing rail, highway, and avia-tion issues are so important, Con-gressman Nick Rahall (D-3rd WV)talked about the TransportationEquity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), passed while Bill Clinton waspresident. He called it the “greatestpublic works initiative in ournation’s history.”

TEA-21 funded rural highways,increased mass transit use, improvedhighway safety, funded law enforce-ment, and created educational cam-paigns. Combined, these initiativesput millions of people to work. “Forevery $1 billion we spend on trans-portation, 47,000 jobs are created . . .good, high-paying jobs,” Rahallexplained. “That same billion gener-ates $6.1 billion in economic activity.”

Passed in 1998, TEA-21 contributedto the economic boom that lasteduntil 2001. Congress is now consider-ing a transportation bill that builds onTEA-21, but the White House hasissued a veto threat if any more than$284 billion is allocated, threateningthe future of the bill and the economicdevelopment it would stimulate.

“So this morning as your tax dol-lars . . . rebuild the wetlands of IRAQ— and Americans are told we cannotafford to fully fund a federal trans-portation program to keep Americamoving, even though you havealready paid and paid and paid at thegas pump for that program — I hopeyou will join me in wondering whatin the heck is going on?” he asked.

Many others echoed his senti-ments, including U. S. Senator MaryLandrieu (D-LA), who said, “Theywant to empty the treasury to give taxmoney back to people who earn over$200,000 a year while missing oppor-tunities to strengthen our economyby creating jobs with investments inour infrastructure: highways, transitsystems, energy projects, off-shoredrilling, and water projects.”

Rep. Steven LaTourette (R-14thOH) said that he will work to keepDavis-Bacon protections in the trans-portation bill, calling them the bill’s“Holy Grail.” “We must ensure thatgood jobs at good wages are there forpeople in communities where projectsare being done so you know where tofind them if something goes wrong.We have to stop the low paid ‘rovinglabor’ that goes on in America.”

Pensions, health care get spotlightTHE HEALTH CARE CRISIS was arecurring theme throughout the confer-ence. U.S. Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH) made a prescient comment whenhe told the tradesmen that “GeneralMotors is making more cars in Canadathan in the U.S. because health care forworkers is there.” Less than twomonths later, General Motorsannounced that they would lay off

25,000 workers over the next threeyears, citing growing economic pres-sure from health care costs as a majorcause of the layoffs.

As the only industrialized nationwithout a nationalized health care sys-tem, the United States is at a significantdisadvantage versus manufacturers inother countries. Whether you calculateit as a percentage of gross domesticproduct or on a per-person basis, health care spending is higher in theU.S. than in any other nation. One rea-son is that millions of Americans do nothave insurance and therefore do notreceive preventive care, leading tolong-term health problems and emer-gency room visits whose costs arepassed on to insured workers and gov-ernment programs.

Most unionized workers have healthcare insurance, especially in the build-ing trades. Former Democratic vicepresidential candidate John Edwardstold the tradesmen that if his brotherhas health insurance because of theIBEW union and his mother has healthinsurance because she was a union letter carrier, “there is no reason whyevery American should not have health insurance.”

Edwards linked the health care crisisto the growing gap between what thewealthy get from the government andthe economy and what working, mid-dle class families get. “It’s not right tohave two economies, one for thewealthy insiders and one for everyoneelse,” he said. “It’s not right to havetwo Americas. It’s not right to have twosets of standards for schools and healthcare . . . It’s not right to have soldiersback from Iraq and Afghanistan whohave to beg for back pay and to gethealth benefits.”

In addition to the health care system,speakers addressed the government’srole in ensuring that workers will beable to retire with dignity. Support forpreserving Social Security was unani-mous, and nearly every speaker alsoaddressed the need to enact legislationthat will protect workers’ pensions.

Many pension plans are facing seri-ous funding problems over the nextfew years, caused to a great extent bypoor investment performance in recentyears. The Pension Benefit GuarantyCorporation (PBGC) is a federal agencycreated to assist pension plans unableto meet their obligations — or to takethem over, if necessary. But analystsnow agree that they lack adequatefunds to bail out all of the pensions cur-rently facing insolvency. In 2004, Con-gress passed legislation that solvessome of the problems single-employer

pensions face, but did nothing for themulti-employer funds that construc-tion unions have.

Currently, 1,600 multi-employerplans cover over 10 million participantsand survivors. Since 1974, fewer than35 of these plans have fallen underguaranteed protection of the PBGC.While most construction union multi-employer plans were able to weatherthe poor investment performance of2001-2003, nearly one-third still faceserious funding problems.

Ensuring the fiscal security of theseplans is one of the most importantissues for BCTD unions. To do that,they are seeking pension reform thatwill allow their multi-employer plansto make the changes necessary to meettheir obligations and to provide amechanism for providing financialrelief for any plans that are unable to recover.

Speakers issue call to actionSENATOR JOSEPH BIDEN (D-DE)warned against falling for the softenedrhetoric of many people who Bidenbelieves have a hidden, anti-worker agenda.

“It’s not about fixing Social Security,”he said, “it’s about eliminating it. It’snot about tort reform, it’s about limitingconsumer’s recourse against corpora-tions . . . It’s not about minimum wageor picketing, it’s about destroyingunions, period.”

He advised labor unions to “recog-nize the stakes” and take the strongmeasure necessary to protect ourunions and our middle class way of life.

U. S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL)sounded a similar theme, asking theaudience, “Who will stand up for mini-mum wage? Who will stand up forDavis-Bacon?…Who will stand up forpeople who worked 30 years only tohave the rug pulled out from undertheir pensions? Who will stand up forSocial Security? I’ll tell you who. It’s upto you!”

Democratic National CommitteeChairman Howard Dean pointed outthat in the 2004 election many workersand union members “voted againsttheir own economic interest becausethey’re afraid of what’s going to hap-pen to their kids.” He said labor unionsbuilt America and it’s up to unionizedworkers to fix what’s going wrong.

And he encouraged all union mem-bers to voice their political opinions,regardless of how they might be per-ceived, saying “There’s no politicaldownside to standing up for what youbelieve in!”❑

4 - the Boilermaker Reporter Jun • Jul 2005L E A P N E W S

BCTD Conference sets tone for year of activity

Democratic National Chair Howard Dean:“Labor unionsbuilt America and can fix what is wrong with it.”

Illinois Senator Barack Obama: “Who will stand upfor workers? You will.”

L-154 LEAP committeemembers meet withRepublican leaders

IN EARLY MAY, Ray Ventrone, busi-ness manager of Local 154, Pittsburgh,Pa., received a letter from Congress-man Tim Murphy (R-18th PA) invitinghim to attend a breakfast in Washing-ton, D.C. The breakfast was beinghosted by the Republican WorkingGroup on Labor. Rep. Murphy saidthey would be discussing how policydecisions made in Washington areimpacting Local 154 members.

An active LEAP committee membersince 1993, Ventrone knew immedi-ately the importance of such an invita-tion. A group of Republicans inCongress — including Murphy, therepresentative for the district in whichL-154’s hall is located — were reachingout to organized labor. This invitationprovided a rare opportunity for Local154 Boilermakers to discuss their issueswith Republicans who are willingto listen.

“This invitation meant they are will-ing to help us with our issues,” Ven-trone explains. “Not all Republicans arelined up against us. This meeting wasan opportunity to sit in a room ofRepublicans who are willing to listenand to tell them what our membersneed from them.”

Ventrone knew the meeting wouldbe productive when he saw who the co-chairs of the Working Group are: FrankLoBiondo (R-2nd NJ) and SteveLaTourette (R-14th OH). Both of thesecongressmen are strong supporters ofworking families with long trackrecords of standing up for workers andfor labor unions. Both have been speakers at recent Boilermakers LEAP conferences.

And the invitation couldn’t havecome at a better time. Several bills Con-gress will address this year could havesignificant immediate and long-termeffects on Lodge 154 members, amongthem the transportation bill, the energybill, health care, and pension reform.Ventrone had a schedule conflict, so hesent LEAP committee chairmen TonySmarra and Mike Ventrone (L-154 VP).

“It was a good meeting,” accordingto Smarra. “They wanted to let us knowthat even though they can’t always bewith us, when it comes to our coreissues, they can get things done thatwe’ll never see happen if the only peo-ple in our corner are Democrats.”

That statement speaks to the heart ofthe situation America’s labor unionsface today. Historically, the DemocraticParty has been the party that supportslabor issues and which, in turn, laborunions support. But the RepublicanParty now has firm control of bothhouses of Congress. If labor unions aregoing to get our issues addressed inWashington, we need to find ways totalk with Republicans and get them tohelp us.

“This meeting was a chance to opensome doors,” Ventrone said. “We havegood relationships with a lot of Repub-licans in our area, including Tim Mur-phy. [Senator] Arlen Specter has beenvery good to labor over the years, too.All we were looking for was a chance to

talk to this group about what our issuesare, how those issues affect us, andwhat we need them to do. When wecan get them in the same room with us and they’re willing to listen, we havea chance.”

Some of the things they had a chanceto discuss at the breakfast meeting werekeeping Davis-Bacon protection in thetransportation bill, clean coal incentivesin the energy bill, protections for multi-employer pension plans, and Rep.Murphy’s plan to drive health carecosts down by diverting federal moneyinto community health centers.

Smarra said, “Decisions are beingmade every day at every level — city,county, state, and federal — that affectus directly as union members andworkers. If they don’t hear from us on aregular basis, they make those deci-sions without us.

“Some of the most important thingsthat happen are things that most peoplenever hear about. Someone put lan-guage in the transportation bill thatwould have done away with Davis-Bacon protections. A group of Republi-cans said, ‘No way. We’re not going tovote for a bill that doesn’t keep Davis-Bacon in place.’ You never heard aboutthat on the news, but that small groupof Republicans protected wages for construction workers all over the country.”

A rare invitationMOST LOCAL LODGES are satisfiedwhen they can get an appointment tospeak with a congressman in his or heroffice. Getting an invitation to meetwith a group of them is unheard of.

But Lodge 154 is not your typicallodge when it comes to LEAP activities.They have had an active LEAP commit-tee since 1968, and with the continuedsupport of L-154 leadership, they areone of the more active LEAP committees in the entire Boiler-makers union.

“Our predecessors paved the wayfor us,” said Smarra. “Every businessmanager has supported LEAP. Thelevel of support [BM Ray] Ventronegives the LEAP committee is amazing.”

That support from the top officer of the lodge translates into hard

work by the committee on behalf of the members.

“We attend town meetings and meetwith state and local politicians as wellas the people in Washington,” Smarrasaid. “We go to fundraisers. We keep upon all the issues at every level. Whenthere is a public meeting on an issueaffecting our members, we make suresomeone is there. We get letter-writingcampaigns going. We knock on doors.We talk to anyone who will listen aboutour issues.”

All that activity pays off. “We can pick up the phone and

make an appointment to talk to any-body at any level and they’ll see us andlisten to us,” said Ventrone. “Our localpeople have a line to everybody, at all levels.”

Keeping the line of communicationopen is the key to success in politics.That line of communication must alsoextend to the membership. Before theywill support the LEAP committee, theyneed to understand the issues andknow what the committee is doing.

“Members respond positively toLEAP activities when they know whatyou are doing,” explained Ventrone.“When they understand how LEAPactivities help them get more and betterjobs, they pay attention.

“Right now we’re knocking ondoors, talking to our local politiciansabout plants in the area that use tempo-rary employees from other states, othercommunities. They don’t pay localtaxes, and they don’t spend theirmoney locally. We need to take care ofour own people first, and our politi-cians agree. They can quietly pressurebusinesses to do the right thing. It’shelping. When members know you’reout protecting their jobs and liveli-hoods, they give you their support.”

“Our LEAP committee reports atevery monthly meeting,” Smarra said.“We also report on our activities andexplain the issues in our newsletter. The Reporter is good, but nothingreaches the members like our quarterly newsletter.”

An informed membership is anactive membership.

“Now we have members bringing usissues,” Smarra said. “Recently in arural community east of Pittsburgh,

two members got invitations to aRepublican assemblyman’s breakfast.They came to me with letter in hand.‘Should we go?’ I told them, ‘Yes. Go.Talk about keeping jobs in Pittsburgh,in Pennsylvania, in the U.S.’ I gavethem some talking points on issues weare discussing in this area. That’s howdoors get opened. That’s how we getour message to people who can make a difference.”

“Legislation that protects workers isnot the only benefit of LEAP activity,”said Ventrone. “Congressmen and sen-ators — and state legislators and citycouncilmen — can also help with prob-lems, opening doors, getting you intothe office of the person you need to talkto, and sometimes pressuring people todo the right thing — whether a busi-ness or an agency of government.

“Members who become disabledoften have difficulty getting eligible forSocial Security disability, which alsokeeps them from getting their Boiler-makers pension. A phone call to thecongressman from that person’s dis-trict is often all it takes to speed thatprocess up.

“Arlen Specter has helped us get ourmembers’ children into the militaryacademies. State and city connectionshelp, too, with problems involvingstate laws or local agencies.”

Support CAF and LEFLODGE 154’s LEAP COMMITTEEmay stress communication, but theyare not all talk. As Ventrone says, theyknow that “money talks and BS walks.”

L-154 members have been puttingtheir money behind their words formany years as leading contributors tothe Boilermakers Campaign AssistanceFund (CAF) and Legislative EducationFund (LEF).

In 2004, they led all Boilermakerlocals with over $44,000 in contribu-tions to CAF. CAF is the International’sPAC, a fund used to donate money tothe political campaign of candidateswho support our positions. All dona-tions to CAF are voluntary. It is illegal togive union dues money to candidatesfor federal office.

Lodge 154 was also third in dona-tions to LEF in 2004, giving over $7,600. LEF money is used to providepolitical education materials to ourmembers and their families. It pays forthe LEAP Web site, mailings and flyersfor local lodges, and the annual LEAP conference.

Local 154 sends a strong group ofdelegates to every LEAP conference,drawing from their LEAP committeemembers Tony Smarra, Jim Steiger-wald, Kevin Miller, Ray Doria, PaulPrice, Stan Wolfe (retired), L-154 Presi-dent Tom O’Connor, L-154 Secretary-Treasurer Dan Quinn, business agentMike Ventrone, and Business ManagerRay Ventrone.

Ray Ventrone has a clear insight into the role that LEAP activities play in the lives of local lodge officers and members.

“We’re not politicians,” he said. “Butwhat the politicians do affects ourmembers. We need to educate mem-bers. If members want to protect theirjobs, they should get on with CAF andLEF contributions. There is no substi-tute for political involvement.” ❑

Jun • Jul 2005 the Boilermaker Reporter - 5L E A P N E W S

Political activity pays off

Face-to-face meetings are the best way to get to know your members ofCongress. L. to r., Frank LoBiondo (R-2nd NJ), L-154 member Mike Ventrone, TimMurphy (R-18th PA), and L-154 LEAP committee chair Tony Smarra.

“If members want to protect their jobs, there is no substitute for political involvement.” — Ray Ventrone, L-154 BM-ST

The first bundle goes into place at Calpine’s San Jose HRSG installation.

6 - the Boilermaker Reporter Jun • Jul 2005J O B S

Local 549 “racks up” two moreHRSGs for PSF Industries

EVERY OUTAGE at LaSalle NuclearStation requires the suppression poolto be inspected. It doesn’t sound likemuch until you realize the suppressionpool is a 60-foot-diameter concrete tubefilled with 20 feet of water. Throw in theonly access is through a 40-inch hatch,no platforms to work off of, highhumidity, and substantial dose rates,and the job begins to look a bit moredifficult. This is where the Boilermak-ers (Local 60, Peoria, Ill.) come in. Theirtask is to build the temporary plat-forms that the divers will work from.

The pool is an FME 1 (foreign mate-rials exclusion) area. To make sure nooutside materials are introduced,everything brought into the pool area islogged as it goes in and again when itcomes out. That is a full-time job for one Boilermaker.

The pool is also a permit-requiredconfined space, using another Boiler-maker as the attendant. The other sixmembers of the crew build the plat-forms. First a pre-built platform ispushed into the open hatch andsecured. After it is in the hoists, fall pro-tection and well wheels are installed onoverhead pipes.

Sounds easy — standing on aneight-foot ladder, dressed in a fullAnti-C’s (anti-contamination cloth-ing), in heat and humidity, with weaklights, hanging over a 20-foot fall into20 feet of water, to attach the slings tothe four-inch and 12-inch pipes over-

head. Now that the easy part is donethe real work begins — building thelower dive platform.

Inside the suppression pool there are40 or so downcomers, 20-inch pipescoming from above and going into thewater. These downcomers are bracedby 18-inch pipes horizontally con-nected to the downcomers. The lowerplatform is built by laying scaffoldpicks across these braces, a process thatbegins with a Boilermaker balancingon these braces, taking the pick that islowered to him, and laying it across thebraces. He then ties it down with num-ber nine wire. All the time he is in dou-ble Anti-C’s with a stay-time of twohours. The lower platform is con-structed one pick at a time using a totalof 17 picks. It takes a full day’s work forthe eight-man crew to finish the job.

As Boilermakers exit the pool area,they are sweat soaked and dehydrated.First they take off those Anti-C’s, grab aquick bottle of water, and off they go todecontamination. It’s almost impossi-ble to work in those conditions and notget contaminated. After cleaning up,it’s time for lunch, then back out to do it again.

Now the fun can start. With thelower platform built, the divers go towork. For four days they go into thatdark water and inspect and clean allthe penetrations, the floor, and thewalls. Using a filter vacuum pumpthey clean all the debris that has built

up over the last cycle. This means thatall the debris is collected on filters,making them highly radioactive. Theaverage radiation dose on a filter wasover 20 roentgens per hour (R/hr); thehottest one was over 30 R/hr, meaningit could deliver a lethal dose with about10 hours exposure. And guess what? Itis the Boilermakers’ job to get them outof the pool at the end of the job — all 18of those 50-pound filters.

When the divers are done and the fil-ters are out, the Boilermakers doanother series of jumps to take every-thing out. They do all this withoutdropping anything into the water andwithout injuring anyone.

The crew at LaSalle that jumped thesuppression pool was Paul Bosnich(foreman), Bobby Barthell, GregSchultz, Jerry Schultz, Larry Couch,John Robb, Dan O’Brien, Gary Bauer,and Bruce Sack. They all contributed tothe success that was achieved throughsafe, high quality, on schedule work.

The divers, the laborers, the radia-tion technicians, and the Boilermakerswork in the environment for 10 days. Itis only through teamwork among eachof these groups that the work can bedone safely. During this outage, therewere no injuries. That alone made thejob a success. The job was also com-pleted on schedule, another success.

Submitted by W. Barry McCue field supervisor, Venture

LLooccaall 6600 BBooiilleerrmmaakkeerrss jjuummpp iinnttoo tthheeiirr wwoorrkk

LLooccaall 1133 ppeerrffoorrmmss ffiirrsstt--eevveerrhhaannggeerr ssuuppppoorrtt ttuubbee rreeppaaiirrffoorr FFlluuoorr aatt EExxeelloonn ppllaannttWORK ON THE EDDYSTONE unit #1boiler was not just any repair job.Unit #1 is one of only two suchexisting units on line in the world.Built in 1954, the unit is describedas a coal-fired, 3,600 rpm, tandemcompound, supercritical-pressureunit producing 325 megawattsusing steam pressure of 5,000pounds per square inch at 1,150Fahrenheit. The project ofreplacing the hanger support tubes has never been attempted.

Fluor would like to thank all Local 13 Boilermakers(Philadelphia) for a terrific job onour fall 2004 outage at the ExelonCorporation’s Eddystone plant, unit#1. Superb craftsmanship, as wellas great safety practices, allowedthe job to be completed onschedule with 150,000 safe man-hours. This would not have beenachieved without the Boilermakers’skill and knowledge of their work.

Exelon Corporation was soimpressed that at an awardspresentation they recognized Local13, JJ White Inc., and Fluor ascontract manager.

DANNY KING, Mid-Atlantic Alliance managerFluor / JJ White joint venture

BBeecchhtteell rreeccooggnniizzeess LL--8833’’ssAAllbbeerrttssoonn ffoorr eexxcceelllleenntt jjoobb AS BECHTEL NEARS completion ofthe Condenser Replacement andNuclear Steam Supply SystemRefurbishment Projects (NSSSRP) at the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station,we would like to take this opportu-nity to recognize Scott Albertson[Local 83, Kansas City, Mo.] for theexcellent job he did as the GeneralPresidents Maintenance Agree-ment site representative.

Scott exhibited strong leadershipskills in representing the buildingtrades employed on this project.We quickly learned to value andrespect Scott’s input in resolvingissues in a fair and positive manner.He was also a tremendous help toBechtel in hiring and in processingcraftsmen who traveled from 28states to work on this project.

JOE BICKFORD, site managerJACK SENECAL, project field

supt.-NSSSRPBILL O’BRIEN, project field

supt.-condenser

Less than one percentweld rejection at CalpineWHEN PSF INDUSTRIES wasawarded the job of erecting twoNooter-Ericksen HRSG units forCalpine Corporation in San Jose,Calif., they knew that the tight locationwould make the job difficult. But theyalso knew the Boilermakers of Local549 (Pittsburg, Calif.) were up to thechallenge.

PSF construction manager JeffBrown credits superintendent DickCunz with heading the effort thatrequired a high level of resourceful-ness and planning. In less than a year,the two units were up, well withinschedule and with a high degree ofquality and safety.

According to Brown, about 60 Boil-ermakers worked on the job at its peak.He gave recognition to all of them,with special recognition for Cunz, for-mer Local 549 BM-ST Fred Fields, andLocal 549 Assistant Business Manager Frank Secreet.

This job was the first one PSF haddone for Calpine, which usually self-hires. All three organizations were pleased with the decision and its outcome.

“Because of a highly successfulworking relationship between PSFIndustries and Local 549, this projectwas made a success for both PSF andCalpine Corporation,” Brown said. ❑

IVP JIM HICKENBOTHAM (CLGAWDivision) attended the 34th annualRainbow/PUSH Coalition conferencein Chicago, June 11-14. The eventfocussed on voting rights, labor organ-izing in hostile climates, access for all toquality healthcare and education, andfair business opportunities for womenand people of color.

Guest speakers and panelistsincluded 2004 Presidential CandidateJohn Kerry; 2004 Vice Presidential Can-didate John Edwards; President BillClinton; AFL-CIO President JohnSweeney; Governor/Chairman of theDemocratic Party Howard Dean; Con-gresswoman Janice Schakowsky (D-9th IL); Senator Barack Obama (D-IL);and Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-2nd IL), among others.

A breakfast meeting was also heldcalled “Protecting Labor Rights.” Labor

leaders from the Boilermakers and sev-eral other unions were in attendance. ❑

Jun • Jul 2005 the Boilermaker Reporter - 7E D U C A T I O N & T R A I N I N G

BIC conductselection workshopSix members receiveleadership awards

MEMBERS FROM EIGHT Ohio localsaffiliated with the Buckeye IndustrialCouncil (BIC) attended a one-dayworkshop at the BIC Canton office onApril 2.

Conducted by Intl. Rep. Ron Lyonand BIC leadership committee mem-bers, the workshop focused on thenomination and election proceduresfor local lodge officers. Using a work-book created by the International’seducation department, the attendeesreviewed a checklist of rules and regu-lations regarding the nomination andelection process.

During the meeting, the BIC leader-ship committee also presented theLarry McManamon Leadership Awardto six members for demonstratingexceptional leadership abilities the pre-vious year. Receiving awards were JeffBeitel, sec.-treas. of L-1073; KenBlankenship, president of L-106;Charles Cunningham, president of L-1704; Bruce Jaquay, president of L-1702;Joe Krsak, president of L-1664; and PhilLewis, president of L-1073.

BIC affiliate lodges include Local106, Cincinnati; Local 744, Cleveland;Local 908, Wadsworth; Local 1073,Cleveland; Local 1086, Cleveland;Local 1191, Canton; Local 1664, MapleHeights; Local 1666, Dayton; Local1702, Canton; and Local 1704, Euclid. ❑

BIC workshop attendees (l. to r.): seated, E. Burwell, P. Lewis,V. Kasperczyk, J. Beitel, T. Heiser; standing, R. Lyon, P. Nedeljkovic, J. Krsak, G. Ebsch, J. Lyon, K. Blankenship, B. Jaquay, T. Campbell, C. Cunningham, and J. Elliott.

Recipients of leadership awards, l. to r.: Joe Krsak (L-1664); JeffBeitel (L-1073); Phil Lewis (L-1073); Ken Blankenship (L-106); BruceJaquay (L-1702); and Charles Cunningham (L-1704).

JANUARY IS OFTEN a slow month for construction Boilermakers, withfew jobs underway and most memberssitting home. This year, Local 587(Orange, Texas) took advantage of thedown-time to host two MOST scaffoldtraining classes for their members onJanuary 26 and 27.

The one-day class is based onOSHA’s 1996 scaffold standards. It pro-vides participants classroom andhands-on instruction in picking thecorrect type of scaffold for the job,erecting it, and dismantling it.

The class was taught by six instruc-tors from two lodges, all of whom hadcompleted MOST’s train-the-trainerscaffold safety class. Local 587 instruc-tors were George Dronett, Tim Warren,and Willie Craft Jr. Instructors DanielPopovich, Dennis Turner, and ZacharyPopovich came from Local 132 (Galve-ston,Texas) to assist.

Participants in the January 26 classwere Local 587 members Allen Dunn,Barry Phillips, Bueford Herford, Cor-nel Hinson, Dennis Verrett, DouglasMullins, Gerald VanSchoubroek,James Herford, James Kirkland, James Wilson, Kenneth Taylor, Leslie Tarter,Mark Granger, Randy Jones, RogerWagstaff, Ronnie Owens, Terry Danos,and Timothy Todd.

On January 27, the class includedLocal 587 members Bobby Ashworth,Donald Craig, Edward Wannage,Jackie Huffman Jr., Jeffrey Davis, JesseEsparza, John Bergeron, Keith Kirk-land, Larry Wells, Malcolm Wilburn,Martha Wells, Robert L. Holloway,Robert W. Holloway, Samuel Talbert,Terry Ray, and William Allen. NTLmember Joseph Brown also partici-pated in this class. ❑

Local 587 hosts scaffold training

ED HEBERT, BM-ST OF LOCAL60, Peoria, Ill., announces the graduation of their2005 apprentice class. Pictured are the new journeymen with local officials, l. to r.,front row, ABM & VP Tom Bradley, ABM & Pres. Scott Wilson, Curt Chapin, RexMcMorris, Chad Huizenga, instructor Bob Branan, and Al Williams; second row,Jay Ledergerber, Joe Scalf, Dan Freeman, Dan Danner, Jason Sadnick, and RickPrince; third row, Justin Olsen, Josh French, Dave Iverson, Ron Chapin, DerekBarclay, and Todd Johns.

Chartered in 1901, Local 60 represents approximately 250 workers in field construction. ❑

Local 60 graduates apprentices

Graduates of Local 128’s 2005 Advanced Apprentice Class.

Local 128 announces graduation

IVP Hickenbotham attendsRainbow/PUSH conference

IVP Hickenbotham (r.) greets Rev.Jesse Jackson at the Rainbow/PUSHCoalition conference in Chicago.

Bryan Hahn selected fornational competitionTWENTY-FOUR MEMBERS of Local128, Toronto, Ontario, have success-fully completed the Construction Boil-ermaker Apprenticeship Program ofOntario. The new journeymen gradu-ated following completion of 6,600man-hours, participation in theAdvanced In-School Program, andpassage of the Certification of Qualifi-cation Exam.

Members of the Advanced Class of2005 include Shane Faries, RyanMayer, Frank Marincic, Patrick Rehel,

Frank Groulx, Shelby Hall, JeremyPavey, Matt Mootrey, Lance Alexander,Tom McNeil, Iain Foster, ChristianFrench, Kyle Quinn, James Millette,Jason Warden, Michael Deger, KenMcLeod, Cliff Morreau, Keith Adams,Ryan Hill, Brian Hahn, Dan Hoffarth,Daniel Warner, and Jamie Crossett.

Graduate Bryan Hahn was alsoselected to represent Local 128 at theCanadian Boilermaker ApprenticeshipCompetition, June 19-22, in Burnaby,British Columbia. Chartered in 1947,Local 128 represents approximately1,600 members in shops and field con-struction. ❑

8 - the Boilermaker Reporter Jun • Jul 2005S C H O L A R S H I P W I N N E R S

Grants total $50,000THE BOILERMAKERS’ InternationalExecutive Council (IEC) scholarshipcommittee has awarded $50,000 to 33 winners of the International’sscholarships — $38,000 to UnitedStates students and $12,000 to Cana-dian students.

Winners were selected from a poolof 170 applicants, based on their highacademic achievement, leadershipskills, participation in extra-curricularactivities, and performance on a 300-500 word essay on this year’s topic:“How can the union get its messageout to the rest of society?”

The scholarship committee deter-mines the amount of each grant. Thisyear, the committee awarded one$5,000 award, two $4,000 awards, two$3,000 awards, three $2,000 awards,and 25 $1,000 awards.

Raymond Brogan, son of Kevin Bro-gan of Local 1, Chicago, earned the topaward of $5,000. Raymond, who playsboth football and hockey, plans tostudy accounting at the Truman StateUniversity in Kirksville, Mo.

“I hope to make contributions some-day that prove me worthy of this con-sideration,” Raymond said.

Tyler Fehr, son of Ken Fehr of Local359, Vancouver, British Columbia, andDanielle Nesnadny, daughter ofRonald Nesnadny Jr. of Local 5, NewYork, will each receive a $4,000 grant.

Tyler plans to attend the Universityof British Columbia’s Okanagan Cam-pus. He enjoys history, theology, litera-ture, and cycling. A member of theNational Honor Society, Danielle hasbeen accepted at the Ramapo Collegein Mahwah, N.J., for a six-year doctor-ate program in physical therapy.

Selected to receive $3,000 grantswere Amber Rousse, daughter of Lonnie Rousse of Local 117, Superior,Wis., and Rebecca White, daughter ofDaniel White of Local 73, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Amber is interested in writing, art,and music, and will be attending theUniversity of Wisconsin in Superior,Wis. Rebecca will be studying chemicalengineering at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

The following three scholarshipwinners will each receive a $2,000grant: Cheyanne Hardt, daughter ofByron Hardt of Local 453, Knoxville,Tenn.; Anne Sickavish, daughter ofDan Sickavish of Local 359; and Aman-deep Singh, son of Harcham Singh ofLocal 146, Edmonton, Alberta.

Cheyanne has been accepted intothe honors program at the Universityof Tennessee. Anne plans to study psy-chology at the St. Francis Xavier Uni-versity in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.Amandeep is enrolled in the faculty ofsciences at the University of Alberta.

The committee also selected the fol-lowing 25 scholarship winners toreceive a $1,000 grant. MichaelAlbright, son of Glenn Albright ofLocal 647, Minneapolis, Minn., plans tomajor in math and physics at the St.Cloud State University in St. Cloud,Minn. Brandon Chapple, son of TerryChapple of Local S185, Belleville, Ill.,

enjoys all types of music and plans toattend the University of Illinois.Nathan Corroy, stepson of LarryJacobs of Local 487, Kewaunee, Wis.,will be majoring in business at the Uni-versity of Wisconsin in Madison. Ash-ley Crocker, daughter of Brian Crockerof Local 27, St. Louis, plans to major inElementary Education at the IllinoisCollege in Jacksonville.

Jackyln Dott, daughter of John Dottof Local 197, Albany, N.Y., will bestudying forensics at the Bay Path Col-lege in Longmeadow, Mass. MatthewEzell, son of Charles Ezell of Local 454,Chattanooga, Tenn., hopes to earn adegree in electrical engineering at theUniversity of Tennessee. Shane Foga-rty, son of William Fogarty of Local 29,Boston, will be playing soccer for theBabson College in Babson Park, Mass.,where he will study business.

Lindsey Hamilton, daughter ofJohn Hamilton of Local 363, East St.Louis, Ill., will focus her studies onmathematics and science at the South-ern Illinois University Edwardsville.Justin Horton, son of Frank Horton ofLocal 363, will begin his studies at theRend Lake Community College,studying computer graphics. MichaelIvey, son of Hubert Ivey Jr. of Local592, Tulsa, Okla., has been accepted atthe University of Oklahoma and is

looking forward to working this sum-mer as a boilermaker with his dad.

Nathaniel Mikle, son of StephenMikle of Local 696, Marinette, Wis.,will be attending the University of Wis-consin in Superior where he will majorin biology. Ashley Miller, daughter ofRichard Miller of Local 154, Pittsburgh,plans to attend the Bucknell Universityin Lewisburg, Pa. Katrina Nguyen,daughter of Quyen Nguyen of Local433, Tampa, Fla., will be taking classesin biomedical sciences at the MarquetteUniversity in Wisconsin. GeorgeNoble III, son of George Noble Jr. ofLocal 28, Newark, N.J., will be attend-ing the Syracuse University in NewYork. Vincent O’Leary, son of JohnO’Leary, a member of the NTL, is pur-suing a degree in economics at the Uni-versity of Chicago.

Rachel Popow, daughter of JamesPopow of Local 28, has chosen a majorin Arts and Science at the University ofPennsylvania. Brittany Psensky,daughter of Peter Psensky of Local 154,will be attending the Lock Haven Uni-versity of Pennsylvania where she willstudy biology and chemistry. PaulRiley, son of Paul Riley of Local 1032,Cumberland, Md., plans to attend theElmira College in Elmira, N.Y. CaitlinRobbins, daughter of Anthony Rob-bins of Local 454, will be attending theUniversity of Alabama in Huntsville.

Lenwid Sandvick, son of LenwidSandvick Jr. of Local 107, Milwaukee,Wis., will pursue a Graduate Degree inPsychology at the University of Wis-consin in Madison. Jesse Shilot, son ofPaul Shilot of Local 154, has beenaccepted at the Youngstown State Uni-versity in Youngstown, Ohio. GregorySkrabonja, son of Edward Skrabonjaof Local 28, plans to study computerscience at the Stevens Institute of Tech-nology in Hoboken, N.J.

Daniel Tibbetts, son of Gary Tib-betts of Local 73, plans to pursue adegree in chemical engineering. Ter-rance Ward, son of James Ward ofLocal 1, will be attending the IllinoisState University. Rachel Wigginton,daughter of Mark Wigginton of LocalD595, Kosmosdale, Ky., plans to attendthe Western Kentucky University inBowling Green.

IEC scholarship program SINCE 1988, WHEN the Internationalbegan the scholarship program, theBoilermakers union has awarded atotal of $626,000 to 255 children anddependents of Boilermaker members.

Serving on the IEC scholarship com-mittee are Intl. Vice Presidents Alexan-der MacDonald (chairman), GeorgeRogers, and Othal Smith Jr. Assistingare attorney Joe Moreland, represent-ing the legal firm of Blake & Uhlig, andAdministrative Secretary Tracy Buck.The committee spends days reviewingthe applications and reading the stu-dent essays and is always amazed bythe caliber of the applicants.

“The scholarship committee wasimpressed with the winners’ excep-tional grades throughout their highschool years, their many achievementawards, their participation in manyextracurricular activities, and theirwell written essays,” said MacDonald,IVP and committee chairman. ❑

International awards 33 scholarships

Raymond Brogan $5,000Son of Kevin Brogan, L-1

Cheyanne Hardt $2,000Daughter of Byron Hardt, L-453

Anne Sickavish $2,000Daughter of Dan Sickavish, L-359

Amber Rousse $3,000Daughter of Lonnie Rousse, L-117

Rebecca White $3,000Daughter of Daniel White, L-73

Tyler Fehr $4,000Son of Ken Fehr, L-359

Danielle Nesnadny $4,000Daughter of Ronald Nesnadny Jr., L-5

Amandeep Singh $2,000Son of Harcham Singh, L-146

Jun • Jul 2005 the Boilermaker Reporter - 9S C H O L A R S H I P W I N N E R S

Nathan Corroy$1,000

Stepson of LarryJacobs, L-487

Ashley Crocker$1,000

Daughter of BrianCrocker, L-27

Jackyln Dott$1,000

Daughter of JohnDott, L-197

Brandon Chapple$1,000

Son of Terry Chapple,L-S185

Michael Albright$1,000

Son of GlennAlbright, L-647

Lindsey Hamilton$1,000

Daughter of JohnHamilton, L-363

Michael Ivey $1,000

Son of Hubert Ivey Jr., L-592

Matthew Ezell $1,000

Son of Charles Ezell,L-454

Katrina Nguyen$1,000

Daughter of QuyenNguyen, L-433

George Noble III$1,000

Son of George Noble Jr., L-28

Vincent O’Leary$1,000

Son of John O’Leary,NTL

Ashley Miller $1,000

Daughter of RichardMiller, L-154

Nathaniel Mikle$1,000

Son of StephenMikle, L-696

Paul Riley $1,000

Son of Paul Riley, L-1032

Caitlin Robbins $1,000

Daughter of AnthonyRobbins, L-454

Lenwid Sandvick$1,000

Son of LenwidSandvick Jr., L-107

Brittany Psensky$1,000

Daughter of PeterPsensky, L-15

Rachel Popow $1,000

Daughter of JamesPopow, L-28

Daniel Tibbetts $1,000

Son of Gary Tibbetts,L-73

Terrance Ward$1,000

Son of James Ward,L-1

Rachel Wigginton$1,000

Daughter of MarkWigginton, L-D595

Gregory Skrabonja$1,000

Son of EdwardSkrabonja, L-28

Jesse Shilot $1,000

Son of Paul Shilot, L-154

ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR benefits of beinga Boilermaker is the college scholarship programthat helps dependents of Boilermakers get startedwith their college education.

These one-year grants reward the hard workand success of young members of Boilermakerfamilies and encourage members of the next gen-eration of college-educated workers to rememberthe union advantage.

Boilermaker scholarships are open to highschool seniors who will be entering their first yearof a two- or four-year academic program at adegree-granting, accredited college or universitywithin one year of their high school graduationand who are dependents of Boilermaker mem-bers in good standing.

A dependent may be a son, daughter, legallyadopted child, or other dependent of an active,retired, disabled, or deceased member.

Winners are chosen based on a variety of crite-ria that include grades, standardized test scores,extracurricular activities, and a written essay onan assigned topic.

Applications for the 2006 awards will be avail-able from your local lodge at the end of this yearand will be accepted from January 1 to March 31,2006. Applications postmarked after the March31, 2006 deadline cannot be considered. Contactyour local lodge to get an application. The Inter-national will not mail applications to individuals.

How to apply for aBoilermakerScholarship

SSoommee llooccaall llooddggeess hhaavvee tthheeiirr oowwnn sscchhoollaarrsshhiipp pprrooggrraammss..

SScchhoollaarrsshhiippss aarree aallssooaavvaaiillaabbllee tthhrroouugghh tthhee UUnniioonn

PPlluuss ccrreeddiitt ccaarrdd pprrooggrraammaanndd ssoommee ssttaattee aanndd

rreeggiioonnaall llaabboorr ccoouunncciillss.. FFoorr iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn oonn tthheeiirr

sscchhoollaarrsshhiipp pprrooggrraammss,, ccoonnttaacctttthheessee oorrggaanniizzaattiioonnss ddiirreeccttllyy..

Local 13 awards 23 grants totaling $147,200 LOCAL LODGE 13, Philadelphia, announces thewinners of 23 scholarship awards, each totaling$6,400, to dependents of Local 13 members whoparticipated in the local’s annual competition.

Winners were selected based on the results of acollege aptitude test administered and graded bySt. Joseph’s University. The grants will beawarded over a period of four years — $800 persemester for eight semesters. The Local 13 schol-arship committee does not release names ofscholarship winners for publication.

IEC scholarship committeeannounces local, CFL winners

THE BOILERMAKERS’ International ExecutiveCouncil (IEC) scholarship committee hasannounced its selection of scholarship awardrecipients for two local lodges and the CanadianFederation of Labour (CFL).

Aaron Hutchinson, son of Local 105 memberWindell Hutchinson, was selected from fourapplicants for the $1,000 award from Local 105,Chillicothe, Ohio.

Amandeep Singh, son of Local 146 memberHarcham Singh, was selected as a $2,000 award

OOtthheerr sscchhoollaarrsshhiippwwiinnnneerrss

recipient, and Estelle Choi, daughter ofLocal 146 member Jinsoo Choi, was chosenas a $1,000 scholarship winner from sixapplicants to the Local 146 scholarship pro-gram in Edmonton, Alberta.

Estelle also was selected to receive a$1,000 grant from the CFL, as was LorneCostello, son of Jerome Costello of Local 203,St. John’s, Newfoundland.

To find out how to apply for thesescholarships, please read the box at right.

Union Plus awards scholarship toL-696 member’s son

THE UNION PLUS program has awardedone of their 120 scholarships to NathanielLee Mikle, son of Stephan Mikle of Local696, Marinette, Wis. Mikle was chosen out of5,500 applicants from 40 AFL-CIO unionsfor the $1,000 scholarship. In all, Union Plusawarded $150,000 in scholarships this year.

Mikle also won a Boilermakersscholarship. Union Plus winners are chosenbased on academic ability, character,leadership, financial need, and appreciationof labor.

Union Plus Scholarships are open tomembers of unions, their spouses, anddependent children. Applications for the2006 awards will be available in September2005. To download the application from theUnion Privilege Web site at that time, visitwww.unionplus.org/scholarships. ❑

Dependents of Local 13 members who meet the eligibilityrequirements of the InternationalExecutive Council (IEC) ScholarshipProgram (listed below) may alsoapply separately to Local 13 for their awards program.

Dependents of Local 105 and Local 146 members who are eligible and apply for the Boilermakers IEC Scholarship, are also considered applicants to their respective local lodgeaward programs. Dependents of Canadian members who areeligible and apply for the Boilermakers IEC Scholarship arealso considered applicants to the CFL scholarship program.

How to apply for a L-13, L-105,L-146, or CFL scholarship

10 - the Boilermaker Reporter Jun • Jul 2005L O C A L N E W S

When company dropshospital fundraiser, locallodge members pick it upWHEN RURAL/METRO Corporationannounced that they could no longersponsor the annual J.B. deSaullesMemorial Golf Tournament to raisefunds for Tod Children’s Hospital inYoungstown, Ohio, members of LocalLodge P4 wouldn’t hear of it.

As emergency medical professionalsworking for Rural/Metro’s ambulanceservice, they often transport children tothe pediatric emergency department ofthis hospital. They also provide trans-port for the neonatal response team thatthe hospital’s outreach program pro-vides. The opportunity to raise moneyfor such a worthy cause was just tooimportant to let slip away.

As emergency workers often do,they quickly got into action, and inshort order they had rounded up cor-porate sponsors, solicited gift dona-tions, and raffled tickets to raise money.The tournament took place on Sept. 8,2004, at Pine Lakes Golf Club in Hub-bard, Ohio.

And it was an enormous success,raising $4,000 for the hospital. One of

the more popular events was the 50/50ball-drop raffle. People bought golfballs, wrote their names on them, andplaced them in a bucket. The signedballs were taken aloft by a helicopterand dropped onto a green. The ballnearest the hole won its purchaser halfof the money collected.

The helicopter was lent for the occa-sion by STATMedEvac, one of theevent’s corporate sponsors.STATMedEvac is a medical air trans-port company based in Pittsburgh,serving eastern Ohio and westernPennsylvania. The company hasdonated their helicopter to previousfundraisers, and the crowd is alwaysdelighted when they arrive.

The golf tournament’s name honorsthe late J.B. deSaulles, assistant firechief in Boardman, Ohio, and safetydirector for Rural/Metro.

Lodge P4 is gearing up for their 2005tournament, scheduled for September9. For information on sponsoring a holeor competing in the tournament, con-tact Paul Elia at 330-750-1515.

Lodge P4 has represented emer-gency medical technicians atRural/Metro since 2001.

Local P4 golf outing benefits community

L-P4 members Lindsey Hovanec and Diane Dowling get an insider’s look at theSTATMedEvac helicopter.

Local P4 tournament organizers, l. to r., IR Mike Zordani with L-P4members and officers Pres. Pat Straker, Diane Dowling, VP Eric Wrask,Stewart Dawn Bower, Sec.-Treas. Greg Smith, Sgt.-at-Arms GinoNovember, Rec. Sec. Paul Elia, and Trustee Fred Colucci.

MEMBERS OF LOCAL 587,Orange, Texas, took advantage ofa good time to make a goodimpact at the annual Go-TexanBarbeque Cook-off.

As a way to promote a positiveimage for union boilermakers,Local 587 members served food and beverage to the publicand conducted a voter registra-tion drive.

Not only did Local 587 do well by registering nearly 100 newvoters, but they proved they could make good barbecue, too, placing in seven of eight categories.

LLooccaall 558877pprroommootteessuunniioonn,, ggeett--oouutt--tthhee vvootteeaatt ppiiccnniicc

PAT LYON, AN 11-YEAR member ofCleveland Local 744, has been inductedinto the Stark County Amateur Base-ball Hall of Fame.

Lyon played eight years as a catcherin the Canton class “A” league. Heplayed on four state championshipteams and is a three-time All Starplayer. Aleader in home runs and RBIs,Lyon consistently batted over .330.

Lyon lives in Bolivar, Ohio, with hiswife, Lori, and daughters, Gabby (7)and Gracie (1). He is the son of Barb andRon Lyon, an International representa-tive for the Great Lakes area.

Three-time All Star player Pat Lyon,a member of Local 744, is a newinductee of the Stark County AmateurBaseball Hall of Fame.

L-744’s Lyon earnsrecognition forbaseball skills

IN NOVEMBER, MEMBERS of Local37, New Orleans, who work thedayshift at the Ohmstede Lake Charlesplant, posed in front of the Boilermak-ers organizing bus.

The bus driver, Intl. Rep. Lyle B.Grimes, was in the area working onorganizing campaigns when he and

Local 37 BM-ST David Hegemanstopped to visit with Local 37 job stew-ard Rick Lopez.

Lopez, who joined the union in 1991,has been actively recruiting new members at the plant, where Boiler-makers specialize in fabrication andrepair work.

GETOUTTHEVOTE!

Ohmstede employees checkout Boilermaker bus

LLooccaall 11,, CChhiiccaaggooJOHN SKERMONT, BM-ST of Local 1,Chicago, reports presentation of pinsfor continuous years of membership tothe following: 35 YEARS – Fausto Calderon; and30 YEARS – Edward Downs, TimothyKavanaugh.

LLooccaall 6600,, PPeeoorriiaa,, IIllll..ED HEBERT, BM-ST of Local 60, Peoria,Ill., reports presentation of membershippins to the following: 40 YEARS – Robbie Underwood;35 YEARS – Lee Roy Jones, Al Pippitt, BillStruglinski;25 YEARS – Greg Gum; and20 YEARS – Bob Branan.

LLooccaall 554499,, PPiittttssbbuurrgg,, CCaalliiff..J. TOM BACA, BM-ST of Local 549, Pitts-burg, Calif., reports presentation ofmembership pins to the following: 65 YEARS – Clarence Berger;60 YEARS – John Briano, Angelo CuneoJr., Fred McDonald;55 YEARS – Kenneth Gullion, ThomasVelasco;50 YEARS – Bill Bissett;45 YEARS – Hans Hoogendoorn, GeorgeRidout, Edward Tedeschi;40 YEARS – Fred Fields, Robert Klemann,Lawrence Shetterly;35 YEARS – Tom Baca, Henry Bomgard-ner, Paul Garske, Larry Gilreath,Richard Hartung, Richard Hellen,Leslie May, Alfred Mooney, DonaldReagan, John Riccobuono, HenryValencia, Charles Young Jr.;30 YEARS – William Barton, JosephBenavidez, Joseph Bennett Jr., NathanielBlanton, Marcus Burnett, Richard Cunz,Wilmer Ellis, Clinton Evans, AlbertFranco, Liu Jennings, Alfredo Jimenez,Douglas Kirk, Gregory Lothian, JohnMartell, Howard Mildebrandt, AllenReynon, John Runyan, Michael SabolJr., Jerry Scalisi, Darrell Thompson,Robert Thornton, Glenn Turner, JackVelasco, John Walsh, William Walsh,Warren Welsh, Eldon Wilson, RichardWilson, Mike Woeckener; 25 YEARS – Michael Delacour, HaroldDiveley, Timothy Eagle, Troy Fletcher,Danny Gomez, Leroy Gomez, GeorgeHale, Darrell Hickman II, MichaelHorner, Timothy Latimer, John Leary,Tony Masselas, Carlos Montiel, JoseRivera, Frank Secreet, Rusty Self,Glenn Smith, Richard Velasco, RobertWalton Jr., Brent Wheeler;20 YEARS – Mark Ballard, Arthur Bor-chardt, Allen Clayton, TimothyGerencher, James Kennedy, ThomasKittrell, David Ross, Matt Sydow,David White; and15 YEARS – Lance King.

LLooccaall 664477,, MMiinnnneeaappoolliiss,, MMiinnnn..PAUL PENDERGAST, BM-ST of Local 647,Minneapolis, Minn., reportspresentation of membership pins to thefollowing: 25 YEARS – Roy Anderson, Mike Bailey,Jerry Bistodeau, Elmer Bohn, Ken Bun-nell, John Cherne, Jerome Dullinger,George Fluey Jr., Bryan Gjelhaug,Wayne Goerger, Mark Grewatz, Mar-garet Haugen, Jeff Jarnot, Mike Kiley,

Kevin Knettel, John Ladoucer, DanLaPlante, Chris Larsen, Peter Leither,Randy Lewis, Thomas Luke, JohnMagilke, Thomas Nierenhausen, DanOlson, Jack Pleinis, Mike Quinn, DarcySailer, Tim Schleicher, Lowell Sell,Fletcher Silar, Eugene Skaj, Dalen Son-dergaard, Dwayne Tate, Tim Theisen,Glenn Weismann;20 YEARS – Lloyd Ballmann, Dan Con-don, Mark Dahlstrom, Blake Ding,Mike Engbrecht, Brian Fritz, TerryKaitala, Bob Keiser, James Rickard Sr.,Todd Shape, Mike Strand, Dan Wallen-stein, Allen Wolf; and15 YEARS – Gary Bartz, Dale Bee, AlanFleck, David Fluey, Merlin Gerdes,Dale Hollister, Martin Jensen, MarkKieffer, Bob Krings, Steven Loso,Tom Muehlbauer, Shon Thole,Richard Thomas.

LLooccaall 990033,, WWeesstt PPooiinntt,, MMiissss..J. R. SIMS, sec.-treas. of Local 903, WestPoint, Miss., reports presentation ofmembership pins to the following: 35 YEARS – P.W. Allen, W.J. Boykin, R.D.Breland, J.J. Brown, I.W. Busby, E.L.Campbell, B.H. Carlisle, B. Cork Jr., J.J.Davidson, B.T. Davis, R.T. Dexter, J.T.Dill, R.L. Ewing, D. Fears, G. Gibson,D.M. Golson, J.O. Grice, W.G. Hil-house, C.T. Johnson, G.D. Jolly, M.A.Lancaster, L.E. McGarity, J. Outlaw II,J.E. Perkins, P.D. Roberson, G.R. Smith,J. Smith, N.R. Spencer, R.E. Stevenson,L.R. Stockton, D.R. Vaughn, G.E.Vaughn, D.W. Wilson Jr., S.L. Wright;30 YEARS – J.W. Atkins, M.W. Blanken-ship, J. Boyd, C.E. Brown, C.M. Brown,M.L. Chandler, W.D. Davidson, E.B.Dean, J.W. Dill, T.W. Donahoo Jr., F.L.Doss, J.R. Eaton, R.I. Fulton, J.A. Har-ris, J.B. Harris, P.S. Hill, T.A. Jefferson,R. Madison, B.R. Martin, D.C.McNamee, D.A. Morgan, A.L. Neeley,J.H. Powell, H.L. Poston, T. Randle,L.M. Ray Jr., J.T. Rhea, L.E. Seay, B.L.Shaffer, J.R. Sims, J.A. Smith, J.D.Smith, C.A. Stafford, R.D. Swindol,W.B. Turman, W.C. Webber, C.W.Weems, R.K. Whitmire, J.W. Wray;25 YEARS – J.T. Avant, R.L. Bell, W.G.Bennett, R.H. Bevill, T.C. Boykin, C.J.Bradshaw Jr., D. Butler, W.J. Caldwell,R.D. Cliett, A.T. Coats, J.L. Collins, J.L.Crawford, L. Crawford, R. Crawford,J.C. Crowley, B. Dean, K. Deans, C.Donald, C. Drake, D.R. Duncan, R.B.Ervin, W.L. Evans, J.E. Ewing, J.S. Fer-guson, C.L. Floyd Jr., D.L. Fondren,C.M. Fullen, L.A. Gann Jr., W.B. Gath-ings, B.D. Gibson, I. Guido III, J.D.Guthrie, J.W. Hamilton, E. Hammond,T.E. Hampton, J.A. Harris, R.A. Hulsey,R.E. Ivy, M.T. Lewis, L. Mathew, R.McFarland, K.F. Milsaps, R.L. Mont-gomery, C.A. Moore, I.D. Morgan, L.R.

Morton, T. Nicks, E.E. Parker, H.S.Pearson II, W.E. Permenter, D.A. Ray,V.W. Ray, G.L. Sawtelle, M.L. Shurden,G.T. Simmons, D.R. Smith, P.R. Smith,G.R. Snell Jr., W.G. Swain, R.E. Tallie,D.C. Taylor, C.R. Townsel, F.L. Walker,J.W. Washington, C. Williams, C.M.Williams, J. Williams; and

15 YEARS – T.W. Bradberry, W.R. Brown,J.R. Champion, A.M. Conley, J.A.Deanes, V.L. Hall, D.N. Henderson,J.A. Harmon, J.L. Harris Jr., K.R.McKee, H.J. Nabors, W. C. Nash, L.N.Smith Jr., R.Q. Wilbourne, C.E.Williams, B.J. Wright Jr. ❑

Jun • Jul 2005 the Boilermaker Reporter - 11L O C A L N E W S

AT A DECEMBER TRAINING ses-sion sponsored by the Great LakesArea Industrial Council #1 (GLAIC),attendees were asked to stand if theyhad never been sworn in as a mem-ber. Surprisingly, 35 members stood.Jeff Latus, president of Local 1509,Cudahy, Wis., and a GLAIC leader-

ship committee member, had thehonor of administering them the oathof membership.

According to GLAIC BusinessRepresentative and Intl. Rep.Howard Cole, the leadership com-mittee has now added this procedureto every council meeting’s agenda.

Members stand to receive the oath of membership at the Decembermeeting of the Great Lakes Area Industrial Council #1.

Local 60 BM-ST Ed Hebert (left) presents member Robbie Underwood his 40-year service pin. Other Local 60 membersreceiving pins are (left to right) Lee Roy Jones, 35-year pin; Al Pippitt, 35-year pin; Bill Struglinski, 35-year pin; Greg Gum, 25-year pin; and Local 60 apprentice instructor Bob Branan, 20-year pin.

Members sworn inat GLAIC meeting

Locals award service pins to members

Boilermaker Reporterwins awards from ILCALABOR COMMUNICATORS haverecognized achievements of theBoilermaker Reporter staff twoyears in a row, for items published in2003 and 2004.

In November 2004, the Interna-tional Labor Communications Asso-ciation (ILCA) gave the BoilermakerReporter awards for two articles thatappeared during 2003.

International President Joneswon an honorable mention for hisessay, “It’s up to you — registerand vote,” which appeared in theOct.-Nov. issue of 2003.

The editorial staff of theReporter won a third place SaulMiller Award for their politicalarticles “Unions rally for Gephardtin Iowa” and “Why did we

endorse Gephardt so early?”,which appeared in the same issue.

This year, the Reporter won sec-ond place in the General Excel-lence category for issues publishedin 2004.

Managing editor DonaldCaswell also took a second placeaward for his use of graphics in thearticle “Made in Canada,” in theJune-July-August issue.

Each year, the ILCA awardsprizes to labor union publications.Categories are divided so that locallodges compete with other locals,while national unions competewith each other.

For more information on theILCA and its programs, visitwww.ilcaonline.org.

12 - the Boilermaker Reporter Jun • Jul 2005S E T T L E M E N T S

TO PREPARE FOR negotiations,research all grievances that

have occurred under the current collective bar-gaining agreement — even if they did not gothrough all of the grievance steps. Note thedate, the article violated, the grievant, thedepartment, the shift, the supervisor, and thesettlement. Then look for trends — anythingthat tends to come up a lot.

Through this process, you may find contractlanguage that needs to be modified, problemsthat may be occurring in only one department orwith only one supervisor, or a significantchange in management style that would behard to detect on a day-to-day basis.

The largest number of grievances often occurin the first year of a contract due to benefit andlanguage changes. The number of grievances inthe second contract year (or middle years) oftendecrease as managers adjust to the new lan-guage. The last year of an agreement may showanother increase; however, the subjects ofthese grievances will be significantly differentfrom previous years.

What you should do 1. Draft proposals incorporating grievance

settlements into the agreement. By transferringlanguage from winning cases, future grievancescan be avoided.

2. Study the cases you lost to determine howto strengthen the language in the contract.Make sure the agreements made by the parties

in the grievance procedure (or as determined byan arbitrator) are clarified at this time.

3. Address concerns limited to one depart-ment, shift, or supervisor. These might not go tothe table as written proposals. Negotiations areoften a time to identify and discuss problemsthat are occurring in isolated areas. Togetherthe two parties should work together to resolvethese sore spots.

4. Identify significant changes in managementstyle, such as changes in the chain of commandfor grievances or length of time between makingrequests for information and obtaining the docu-ments, refusals to provide information, andemployers consulting with those not generally

involved in the grievance process (attorneys,company presidents, and consultant firms).These may be signs of tough negotiations ahead.

What to watch out for GRIEVANCES THAT OCCUR in the last year of anagreement will be the hot bed of conversation,but don’t be lulled into forgetting the early issues.Management will want to control grievancesbefore negotiations. For instance, there may havebeen a major problem with overtime, but nowyou have a problem with job bids. Usually thenewer problems are clearly contract violations,so they are settled in the early steps of the griev-ance procedure. View these as victories, but alsoas warnings. Management may be waving the“right hand” to distract you, but make sure youpay attention to what the “left hand” is doing.

LLooccaall MM33 —— CClleevveellaannddEffective Nov. 8, 2004 to Nov. 6, 2005, for 15 members whowork at the KKeellllyy PPllaattiinngg CCoo., and effective Nov. 1, 2004 toNov. 2, 2008, for 65 members who supply restaurantequipment for TToommlliinnssoonn IInndduussttrriieess.

LLooccaall SS44 —— BBeelllleevviillllee,, IIllll..Effective Jan. 11, 2005 to Jan. 10, 2010, for 114 memberswho make Premier and Eagle gas and electric ranges forthe PPeeeerrlleessss--PPrreemmiieerr CCoo.

LLooccaall MM66 —— CChhiiccaaggooEffective May 1, 2005 to April 30, 2008, for six memberswho work at JJaammeess PPrreecciioouuss MMeettaallss, and effective Feb.16, 2005 to Feb. 15, 2007 for 60 members who work atWWeesstteerrnn RRuussttpprrooooff.

LLooccaall MM1188 —— BBuuffffaalloo,, NN..YY..Effective March 1, 2005 to Feb. 28, 2006, for members whowork at the BBuuffffaalloo MMeettaall FFiinniisshhiinngg CCoo.

LLooccaall 2288 —— NNeewwaarrkk,, NN..JJ..Effective March 1, 2005 to February 28, 2008, for tenmembers who perform boiler repair at BBrraaddlleeyy--SScciioocccchheettttii,, IInncc.

LLooccaall SS5500 —— BBaallttiimmoorreeEffective Nov. 17, 2004 to Nov. 16, 2007, for 285 memberswho make Vulcan-Hart and Wolf commercial ranges,fryers, and ovens at the VVuullccaann--HHaarrtt CCoorrpp.

LLooccaall DD7799 —— DDeemmooppoolliiss,, AAllaa..Effective May 1, 2005 to April 30, 2012, for 55 members whomake Portland Cement at CCEEMMEEXX.

LLooccaall SS8822 —— BBaattaavviiaa,, NN..YY..Effective June 1, 2005 to August 31, 2006, for members whowork at CChhaappiinn IInntteerrnnaattiioonnaall,, IInncc.. (formerly known asChapin Manufacturing, Inc.).

LLooccaall 8833 —— KKaannssaass CCiittyy,, MMoo..Effective Nov. 15, 2004 to Nov. 14, 2007, for 16 memberswho make insulating products at TThheerrmmaall CCeerraammiiccss..

LLooccaall 8844 —— PPaaoollaa,, KKaann..Effective Feb. 1, 2004 to Jan. 31, 2007, for 85 members whoweld steam vessels at TTaayylloorr FFoorrggee EEnnggiinneeeerreedd SSyysstteemmss..

LLooccaall 110044 —— SSeeaattttlleeEffective Oct. 1, 2004 to Oct. 1, 2007, for 15 members whomake tanks for the MMoorrssee CCoonnssttrruuccttiioonn GGrroouupp.

LLooccaall DD114400 —— KKnnooxxvviillllee,, TTeennnn..Effective March 1, 2005 to Feb. 28, 2011, for 83 memberswho make cement for the CCeemmeexx CCoo..

LLooccaall 114466 —— EEddmmoonnttoonn,, AAllbbeerrttaaEffective Jan. 1, 2005 to Dec. 31, 2006, for 26 members whowork at MMeellllooyy IInndduussttrriiaall SSeerrvviicceess,, IInncc.

LLooccaall MM119944 —— JJeerrsseeyy CCiittyy,, NN..JJ..Effective June 1, 2004 to May 31, 2005, for members whowork at the HHuuddssoonn FFoooodd SSeerrvviiccee EEqquuiippmmeenntt CCoo.

LLooccaall DD333377 —— SSaanndduusskkyy,, OOhhiiooEffective Feb. 20, 2005 to Feb. 19, 2010, for 35 members whoproduce crushed lime stone at WWaaggnneerr QQuuaarrrriieess.

LLooccaall DD334422 —— PPllaattttssbbuurrgghh,, NN..YY..Effective May 1, 2005 to April 30, 2009, for members whowork at the Plattsburgh Quarry Division of GGrraayymmoonnttMMaatteerriiaallss ((NN..YY..)),, IInncc..

LLooccaall DD338855 —— VVaannccoouuvveerr,, BB..CC..Effective Nov. 11, 2004 to Oct. 31, 2008, for 57 members whomake cement at LLaaffaarrggee CCaannaaddaa,, IInncc..

LLooccaall 661133 —— WWiillmmiinnggttoonn,, NN..CC..Effective Nov. 1, 2003 to Oct. 31, 2006, for 25 members whoperform value added metal fabrication for MMeettaallss UUSSAA ooffWWiillmmiinnggttoonn,, NN..CC..

LLooccaall 772266 —— OOwweennssbboorroo,, KKyy..Effective April 2, 2005 to April 2, 2008, for 170 members whowork at DDaarraammiicc,, IInncc.. ❑

Contract Transmittal ReportsTThhee ffoolllloowwiinngg llooccaall llooddggeess aannnnoouunnccee rreecceennttllyy--rraattiiffiieedd ccoonnttrraaccttss wwiitthh tthheeiirr eemmppllooyyeerrss

In-plant strategy helps to seal thedeal for Local 726 membersA NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE will carry moreweight to the bargaining table if the employerbelieves the committee has the workers’ support.On March 30, members of Local 726, Owensboro,Ky., made it perfectly clear that they supportedtheir negotiating committee when they all showedup at work wearing T-shirts that read: “We SupportOur Committee.”

You can’t say it much clearer than that.Two days later, nearly 200 members of Local 726

ratified a three-year agreement with Daramic, Inc.,gaining them the largest wage increase they hadseen in six years.

International Representative David Lawrencecredits their success to the in-plant strategy the localbargaining committee developed to show strengthamong the members.

“Contract negotiations had lasted an entiremonth,” Lawrence explained. “The committee stoodstrong and diligent in their faith and expectations,but they really turned up the heat the last week ofnegotiations with an in-plant strategy that con-cluded with the T-shirt campaign.”

Local 726, a manufacturing lodge chartered in1961, has represented workers at Daramic, Inc., since1994. Daramic is the world’s leading manufacturerand supplier of battery separators for automotive,industrial, and specialty applications.

Negotiating a three-year agreement for Local726 at Daramic, Inc., are, l. to r., front row, IR DavidLawrence, Jerry Roby, and Steve Arnold; back row,Jeff Campbell, Chris Cain, and Derick Griffin.

The grievance process works

L-1600 wins severancepay for fired worker

WHEN JOSE RAMIREZ left work early one Satur-day, he forgot to punch out on the time clock. Theforeman knew he was leaving, but when Ramirezreturned and later timed out, he was fired.

Ramirez had been with General American Doorfor 15 years. Local 1600, St. Charles, Ill., filed a griev-ance on his behalf that went to arbitration. However,with the arbitrator waiting in the next room, Local1600 reached a settlement with the company forRamirez. General American Door granted Ramirezseverance pay in an amount the parties agreed theywould not disclose. ❑

Local 1600 grievance committeemen AnselmoArrelanno (l.) and Jose Purido (r.) flank grievant JoseRamirez, shown holding his severance pay.

H I G H L I G H T SSettlement

TTrriicckkss && TTrraappss ooff NNeeggoottiiaattiioonnss

Retirees stay in touch with friends, and locals stay in touch with a valuable resourceEACH MONTH RETIRED unionmembers Earl Gum and Dave Cannonof Local 60 in Peoria, Ill., get togetherwith a few other retirees to talk aboutthe good old days, break bread, andtake comfort in kindred spirit.

“Our members are scattered all overhere in the Midwest,” Gum said. “Theyseem to like a home-cooked meal justlike I do. We talk about fishing andhunting and the good old days. Theretirees never used to get together.”

Retiree clubs are still relatively new.Prior to a few years ago, retired mem-bers often lost contact with buddiesthey had worked with on the road for decades.

But when the work stops, the needfor that friendship doesn’t go away.

“I lived on the road with a lot of theseguys for 30 years,” said Ron Salser, aLocal 667 (Charleston, W.Va.) retiree. “It’s a very enjoyable time. You get toknow these guys. You get to know their hearts.”

Salser, a welder, said that becausewelders travel in pairs, losing track of apartner is particularly hard when theystop working together. Members whoworked together for years often retire ahundred or so miles from one another.

Staying in touch was previously man-aged by telephone — if at all.

Local 667’s retirees club group ofroughly 50 retired members meets onlyonce a quarter because the travel time islong. Some carpool in together. Thenthey catch up on what has been hap-pening, eat a catered meal at noon, andconvene for a meeting.

Local 60 BM-ST Ed Hebert said onaverage 10 of the members of Local 60’sclub meet once a month.

“They have a great time,” saidHebert. “And several boilers get built. Ilike it when they come because if wehave some questions about how certainthings were done back before our time

then we’ve got a source to go to.”

Cannon agrees that getting togetherwith other retirees keeps the past fresh,particularly the parts that keep them all young.

“We were always practical-jokingeach other on the job, and there are a lotof memories there that we will neverforget,” Cannon said. “We can sit downand start talking about something thathappened 25 years ago and it is just asplain as day.”

Local 667 BM-ST George Pinkermansaid his retirees are active in getting theword out on issues important to the union, including getting active in politics.

“They are certainly there to helpwhether it’s canvassing for districts orfor a political office,” Pinkerman said.“If we’ve got a hot issue, then we makethem aware of it.”

Pinkerman said that the retirees arealso often available for questions fromapprentices on meeting day.

The union’s pension helps ease theanxiety associated with giving upwork, Local 60’s Gum said.

“We really appreciate that Boiler-maker pension,” he said. “I’m glad theunions are taking care of us instead ofthe companies because I see what’shappening in the companies.”

Another member of Local 667’s club,Ron Bush, said retirement can come fast.

“When you go to your first meetingyou’re 55 and you look back,” Bushsaid. “You think, I’m not old enough toretire, but then here you are.” ❑

Retiree clubs keep members young

LOCAL 587 HAS A NEW sign fortheir hall, thanks to the efforts ofretired member Willie Craft. Craft,who joined the Orange, Texas, localin 1974, painted a four-foot by eight-foot piece of plywood to look likemarble, using a combination of airbrushing and hand-painting tech-niques. He then added six-inch brassletters that were salvaged when theold brick union hall on Highway 62was torn down.

Once a high rigger, welder,mechanic, and draftsman, Craftworked on towers, boilers, and traysthroughout Texas, and on shutdowns

all over the United States. Nowretired, he still teaches OSHA safetyclasses for the local, but spends mostof his spare time painting.

“I first started drawing and paint-ing in school and just learned on myown,” Craft said. “Now I paint motorcycle tanks, fenders, tail gatesfor pickup trucks, baseball and soft-ball helmets, hard hats, weldinghoods — you name it and I can painton it and anything you want on it, I can paint it.” ❑

Jun • Jul 2005 the Boilermaker Reporter - 13R E T I R E E N E W S

Local 667 retired members meet four times a year.

Local 60’s retiree meetings drawabout 10 retirees a month.

MEMBERS OF LOCAL 580, Halifax, Nova Scotia, paid tribute to retireesDave Almolky and Lorne Hayter at a dinner. They each received a watch inhonor of their retirement. Almolky (second from right) joined Local 580 in1975; Hayter (far right) joined in 1971. Presenting the watches are, l. to r.,past and present Local 580 presidents Tom Denault and Chris Scott.

Local 580 honors retirees

Retiree makes newsign for Local 587

SURVIVORS OF RETIRED railroademployees who died between 1964and 2001 may be entitled to receive a$2,000 life insurance benefit.

Certain retired employees of partici-pating railroads may have been cov-ered under group life insurancepolicies issued to the railway labororganization and the health and wel-fare plan of the nation’s railroads. If abeneficiary did not file a claim for ben-

efits, then no claim would have been processed.

The amount of coverage is $2,000per insured. MetLife will make all claim determinations.

For more information, contact theMetLife Railroad Operations Center at 800-310-7770. MetLife representativeswill answer your questions and assistyou in filing a claim. Proof of eligibility(including proof of death) will be necessary to process each claim. ❑

Survivors of retired rail workersmay be eligible for benefit

Below: Local 587 retiree Willie Craft(r.) and BM-ST James Kirkland with thesign Craft made for the local union hall.

S

14 - the Boilermaker Reporter Jun • Jul 2005C O N S U M E R N E W S

Baby boomers living wellon credit face problemsin retirement YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE the reputa-tion for spending themselves into prob-lems, but recent studies show that moreand more seniors are entering retire-ment with existing debt or taking onnew debt after leaving the work force.

For Baby Boomers, the road to betterliving has been paved with credit cardsand mortgage refinances. Now thatmany members of this generation arebecoming eligible for early retirement,some find they owe too much to stop working.

Many retirees are finding that theycannot cut their spending as much astheir income drops — an average of 30percent. Most retirees have to pay morefor health care and other services thanthey did while working, and an increas-ing number are also paying bills fortheir adult children and, in some cases,grandchildren.

Financial experts and bankruptcyattorneys say they’re seeing an increas-ing number of retirees seeking helpwith heavy-duty debt.

And the problem isn’t confined toBaby Boomers. Retirees in their 70s and80s are facing increasing problems withdebt. Reasons vary, but rising medicalcosts are often a contributing factor.Another is forced early retirement.Workers who lost their jobs before they were ready to retire never quite caught up.

Faced with more bills than income,seniors have few avenues for relief.Often, they turn to credit cards to payfor necessities, sometimes getting deepinto debt without realizing it.

When retired workers get into afinancial pinch, they often have no wayto increase their income, other than toreturn to the work force. But retireeswho return to the work force rarelyearn anything close to the wages they

made during their careers, and retireeswhose health or obligations keep themfrom working have nowhere to turn.

Small problem is growingRETIREE BANKRUPTCIES have notreached crisis levels yet, but they areheaded that way, according to experts.

A study by Harvard University’sbankruptcy project found that the num-ber of seniors filing for bankruptcy isstill rather small. In 2001, bankruptcypetitions from individuals 65 and oldernumbered only 82,207 — a mere 4.6 percent of the 1.8 million who filedthat year.

But the study pointed out that thisage group was the fastest growinggroup of petitioners.

A study by the think tank Demosfound that seniors over 65 were carry-ing twice as much credit card debt in2001 as that group had been carrying 10years earlier. And the newly retired —those aged 65 to 69 — were carryingnearly three times the average of 10years earlier. Roughly 30 percent of sen-iors now owe on their homes, com-pared with 20 percent in 1980.

Tamara Draut, director of economicopportunity at Demos, told CBS Newsin 2004 that she blames this trend on a“weakening of the three-legged stool”that elders were supposed to rely on —Social Security, pensions, and personalsavings.

Total personal savings — includingcash in IRAs and other personal retire-ment funds — has declined 80 percentsince its peak in 1982, despite a numberof government tax subsidies to encour-age saving.

Employer-provided, defined-benefitpensions are also declining rapidly, giv-ing way to retirement savings plans,such as 401(k)s. In 1979, nearly two infive private-sector workers were cov-ered under a pension at work; today,just one in five has one. Over the same

period, the share of workers who onlyhad a 401(k)-type plan soared from lessthan one in 10 to more than one in four.

As 401(k)s have taken hold, workershave lost ground. The Employee Bene-fit Research Institute (EBRI) reports thatonly 5.6 percent of workers contributethe maximum amount to their 401(k)s,and most manage their investmentspoorly. William Greider reported in theNation that half of all 401(k)s are worthless than $27,000. Half of those belong-ing to Americans nearing retirement(age 55-65) are worth less than $55,000— enough to buy an annuity thatwould pay $398 a month.

Social Security — the third leg in thestool — does not pay sufficient benefitsfor retirees to live comfortably withoutassistance from the other two legs. Andseniors often find their Social Securityincome reduced when a spouse dies.

Planning, paying downdebt can divert disasterWORKERS WHO HAVE not yet retiredcan begin taking actions now toimprove their chances of retiring com-fortably. The first step is to assess whatyou have and what you will need.

Most financial experts suggestretirees will need 70 percent to 80 per-cent of their pre-retirement income tohave roughly the same standard of liv-ing. That assumes retirees will spendless than they did as workers on thingssuch as clothing and commuting. Thisrough calculation works for most peo-ple. Only those whose financial situa-tions are complex will need to consult aretirement planner. Yet a Metlife studyshows that 39 percent of Americans intheir 50s and 24 percent in their 60s saythey have not calculated how muchincome they will need in retirement.

Social Security sends annual state-ments explaining how much you canexpect to receive from them in retire-ment. By assessing your pension planand savings, you can get a rough esti-mate of your total post-retirementincome.

Most people who do this analysislearn that they need to increase their personal savings to ensure a com-fortable retirement. Paying off your mortgage and credit cards isanother good way to improve yourfinancial situation.

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 funding sourcesfor college and 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, spouses, and children.Call: 1-800-393-0864

Auto Insurance Call: 1-888-294-9496

Accident InsuranceCall: 1-800-393-0864

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

Cingular Wireless Discounts Call: 1-888-356-9752

Union Plus Moving ServicesCall: 1-800-593-2526

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

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

programs are not available to membersoutside the continental United States, andnot all programs are available in all states.

PPhhoonnee 11--880000--445522--99442255 ffoorrccllaarriiffiiccaattiioonn ooff eelliiggiibbiilliittyy..

Money-Saving Programsfor Members Only

More people areretiring with debt

FFOORR MMOORREE IINNFFOORRMMAATTIIOONNon getting your credit undercontrol, visit Union Plus CreditCounseling athhttttpp::////wwwwww..uunniioonnpplluuss..oorrgg//ccrreeddiitt--ccoouunnsseelliinngg..ccffmm..Created in conjunction withMoney Management International(MMI), this members-only programoffers a free individualizedcounseling session to help you get out of debt. You can completethe credit counseling form onlineor phone 877-833-1745 (available24/7) for more information.

The MMI site also offers a variety of financial tools andcalculators to help you makedecisions regarding budgeting,mortgages, and other loans, plus an online quiz to help youdetermine whether you have acredit problem.

Jun • Jul 2005 the Boilermaker Reporter - 15I N M E M O R I A M

Natl. Campbell, PeggyNTL Kendall, JamesNTL Mercer, ClarenceNTL Whitney, Jack1 Carpenter, Donald1 Kasper, Anthony1 McCarthy, William1 McGrath, John1 Nolan, David1 Saia, Joseph5 Archdeacon, John5 Bobowicz, Tadeusz6 Frank, Alexander7 Schwartz, John13 Hamilton, Robert27 Lammert, Donald37 Johannesen, Ralf40 Perry, James74 Westbrook, William79 Castille, Lee83 Allen, Ronald83 Hahn, Robert85 O’Neal, John92 Duncan, Frederick92 Hernandez, Alfred92 Sanchez, Frank104 Stover, Richard

104 Upsahl, Orvin105 Farquer, Marion105 Ratcliff, OralS105 Baker, Janet108 Stover, TommyD124 Martinez, Feliber128 Bermingham, John128 Byrne, Patrick128 Doughty, Dave128 Smit, Jethro128 Taylor, Michael128 Vaydin, Mike132 Wheeler, DonD132 Passetto, Michael146 Hauser, Ewald146 Willmott, Herbert154 Phillips, Robert158 Coleman, Johnny169 Heiden, Kevin191 Castet, Bernard193 Gordon, James195 Dolieslager, Lawrence199 Jones, Roy199 Odom, George199 Slowe, William237 Sessa, Salvatore271 Gagnon, Guy271 Hull, Louis

290 Morris, Clifford359 Geller, Nathan359 Jering, Rick359 Siira, Aarne363 Bess, Ronald363 Cope, Frank363 Garofolo, Floyd363 Nowicki, Jimmy374 Fisher, James374 Lottes, Robert374 Ragland Jr., LeonD387 Dewey, William433 Anderson, Raleigh454 Bynum, Anthony454 Gregory, Gary454 Wells, John454 White, Eddie455 England, James455 Terrell, BobbyD503 Helly, Frank549 Ahumada, Daniel549 Jenn, Vern582 Ryan, John614 Furtado, George622 Pazzelli, Molio667 Adams, Christopher667 Kessel, Hansel667 Lawhon, Charles

667 Palumbo, Pat667 Williams, William744 Conti, Victor801 Riley, William1506 Grischott, Philip

1509 Bewalda, Robert1509 Clark, Stephen1509 Parson, Eugene1603 Shutler, Walter1664 Ingram, Eugene

RETIRED LOCAL 128apprentice instructor PatrickByrne passed away February22, less than a month beforehis 80th birthday. Byrnejoined the Boilermakers onMarch 3, 1954, and worked atthe trade until his appoint-ment to apprentice instructorin 1972. Byrne was responsi-ble for the in-school portion ofthe apprentice program untilhis retirement in 1987.

At Local 128’s 2004 Christ-mas open house, Byrnearrived by limousine withother 50-year members toreceive his 50-year pin.Lodge 128 members enjoyedlistening to him talk fondly ofhis former students and co-workers.

“We are saddened by hisdeath,” Lodge 128 member

and Assistant to the Interna-tional President Stan Petron-ski told the Reporter. “Hemade considerable contribu-tions during his career, andhis loyalty and dedicationwill not be forgotten. He willbe missed.”

Intl. Mattocks, Edward 6,000.00Intl. Rios, Moises L. 6,000.00NTL Bullard, Shayne V. 839.00NTL Hall, Clifton W. 6,000.00NTL Mercer, Clarence E. 6,000.00NTL Scott, Jacob D. 6,000.001 Foreman, James F. 2,192.581 Martin, Raymond B. 6,000.001 Pikkula, George 538.721 Powell, Arthur D. 6,000.005 Delbaugh, John F. 6,000.006 Barbour, Benjamin 6,000.006 Fahien, Hazel M. 6,000.006 Fontana, Emilio A. 6,000.006 Kapuniai, Paul K. 6,000.006 Petersen, Hans H. 6,000.006 Smith, John 3,000.006 Stevenson, George 6,000.006 Tejeda, Julio 6,000.006 Yarozeski, David P. 6,000.007 Barrowman, Glenn 6,000.007 Long, Robert J. 6,000.007 Vanderlee, Joseph 6,000.0010 Baird, Edward R. 6,000.0010 Reynoso, Dario V. 6,000.0026 Bailey, Donald A. 6,000.0027 Doumont, Alfred F. 6,000.0027 Hoch, Ralph 6,000.0028 Leo, Peter J. 11,000.00

37 Johannesen, Ralf J.* 3,000.0037 Picou, Elliott 6,000.0040 Bidwell, Jason A. 2,326.2540 Perry, James L. 6,000.0072 DeFrees, Daryll E.* 6,172.9972 Emineth, Joseph H. 364.7672 Tilgner, William N. 6,000.0074 Kofron, Joe C. 6,000.0083 Simpson, Robert R. 6,000.0085 Hilditch, John R. 6,000.0085 Johnson, Ray 6,000.0085 Yu, Francis K. 2,204.2092 Garcia, Gilbert O. 6,000.0092 Hernandez, Alfred 6,000.0092 Koepp, Russell 15,000.0092 McGinnis, Noel T. 6,000.0092 Thomas, Clifford W. 6,000.00104 Harisla, John T. 6,000.00104 McVay, Clyde 6,000.00104 Muck, David E. 11,106.21104 Rapids, Michael 2,463.28104 Sauter, Elmer F. 6,000.00104 Trentman, Edward 6,000.00105 Hufford, Glen M. 6,000.00105 McDavid, Patrick M. 6,000.00105 Prichard, Larry S. 6,000.00106 Burton, Elbert M. 6,000.00107 Wittmershaus, Rob 6,000.00108 Stover, Tommy J. 6,000.00113 Lowe, LaVerne M. 6,000.00

124 Ellis, Raymond E. 6,000.00154 Kovach, Randy J. 3,273.90154 Moore, Earl L. 6,000.00154 Phillips, Robert J. 6,000.00169 Heiden, Kevin K. 6,000.00174 Becker Sr., Clarence 6,000.00177 Nohr, Wesley L. 6,000.00182 Cole, James F. 6,000.00182 VanValkenburg, G. 6,000.00193 Carter, Dou 435.20193 Gordon, James R. 830.00199 Aton, David W. 180.00199 Odom, George E. 6,000.00237 Sessa, Salvatore 6,000.00242 Humphrey, Thomas 6,000.00263 McBride, William F. 6,000.00300 Correale, Frank 6,000.00329 Wydra, Alexander 6,000.00338 Lovato, Victor 6,000.00363 Bess, Ronald C. 6,000.00363 Cope, Frank C. 10,115.72363 Garofolo, Floyd S. 6,000.00363 Nowicki, Jimmy 6,000.00374 Armstrong, Donald 6,000.00374 Hartley, Dale B. 140.00374 Lottes, Robert H. 6,000.00374 Robb, Gilbert W. 6,000.00374 Stemper Jr., Richard 6,000.00433 Allen, Billy F. 6,000.00433 Fernandez, F.L. 6,000.00

433 Joy, Thomas N. 6,000.00433 Pate, J. C. 6,000.00454 Clark, Joe T. 6,000.00455 Burns, James A. 6,000.00455 Russell, Homer 6,000.00455 Terrell, Bobby F. 6,000.00502 Gilmore, Haskell J. 1,476.00549 Ahumada, Daniel 6,000.00549 Jenn, Vern L. 6,000.00549 Priest, Frank A. 6,000.00549 Martin, Clive L. 6,000.00568 Boehm, Christian R. 6,000.00568 Davis, Richard S. 6,000.00568 Hyde, Raymond 6,000.00577 McKoin, T.J. 6,000.00583 Copeland, Neal 6,000.00587 Hennigan, Ralph 6,000.00587 Hollie, Huey James 6,000.00587 Johnson, Ricky L. 2,994.61587 Myers, Mason J. 6,000.00587 Poimboeuf, W. T. 4,981.21592 McBride, George T. 6,000.00647 Simzek, David J. 203.55651 Carter, Thomas J. 6,000.00667 Lawhon, Charles M. 6,000.00667 Lovejoy Sr., Robert 6,000.00667 Sickles, John D. 6,000.00673 Myers, Bert 6,000.00677 Steward, Calvin E. 6,000.00679 Henderson Jr., Arvin 6,000.00696 Plutchak, Russell B. 6,000.00696 Snyder, Robert C. 1,016.00697 Spaulding, Robert V. 6,000.00744 Conti, Victor J. 6,000.00744 McManamon, James 984.22744 Williams, Charles J. 3,000.001191 Reed, Earl W. 6,000.001509 Cook, Bernard A. 6,000.001592 Matta, Michael P. 6,000.001600 Dennison, Ronald W. 6,000.001603 Beltz Sr., Charles 6,000.001702 Scott, Eugene 6,000.001978 Crawford, Kay W. 6,000.00* Additional benefits paid

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.

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.

L O D G E & N A M E

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

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.)

L-128’s Byrne passes

Healthcare costs are outof control, killing jobsand destroying lives

IN JUNE, GENERAL MOTORS (GM)announced they would lay off 25,000workers over the next three years.One reason they cited was the grow-

ing cost of health care, which now addsmore than $1,500 to the cost of each newGM vehicle sold and is rising at double-digit rates, according to an article in theWall Street Journal.

And those costs aren’t rising just forGM. Every healthcare plan faces thesame problem, including the Boiler-makers Health & Welfare Trust. Acrossthe country, companies are closingdown factories so they can move theirjobs to other countries, where health-care costs are lower.

No matter where they move, they canreduce their healthcare outlays,because citizens in the United Statespay more for healthcare than citizens ofany other country. Yet our nationalhealth — as measured by lifespans,infant mortality, prevalence of chronicdiseases, and other measures — doesnot measure up to that of other indus-trialized countries.

It is tempting to try to blame a singlegroup or activity for the rapidly risingprices. Frivolous malpractice suits.Insurance companies. Greedy doctors.Hospitals that purchase too muchequipment. Our aging population.

But the fact is that no single factor ispowerful enough to do all this damagealone. All of these factors — and more— contribute to the crisis. Any work-able solution will have to attack thisproblem on many fronts.

Making sure that all Americans haveaccess to healthcare is probably thebiggest step. The 48 million Americanswho do not have any kind of healthcareinsurance — and, therefore, little or noaccess to healthcare — drive up pricesin two ways.

First, without insurance, familiesoften can’t afford preventive medical

care, maintenance drugs for chronicconditions, or regular physical exams.Untreated, even relatively minor healthproblems eventually become serious.People who do not monitor their healthand health problems end up needingmore care in the long run than those

who can afford regular examinationsand maintenance care.

Second, when uninsured people doseek treatment, they can afford to payfor only about 65 percent of the totalcost. The rest gets added to our insur-ance premiums. A study by FamiliesUSA shows that the 48 million unin-sured are raising premium prices forfamilies with insurance by an averageof $922 a year.

Many people mistakenly believe thatthose without healthcare insurance arepoor and are unable or unwilling towork. That’s entirely wrong. The poorqualify for Medicaid. People unable towork because of physical or mentalconditions qualify for a variety of gov-ernment programs. About 60 millionpeople receive healthcare throughsome sort of government program.

The 48 million uninsured are foundmostly in middle-class working fami-lies whose breadwinners have lost theirinsurance because they were laid off orbecause their employer could no longerafford to provide healthcare insurance.

Reducing the cost of prescriptionmedicines should be another majorgoal for American healthcare policy-makers. Most Americans realize bynow that patented prescription drugsmade in the United States often cost farless to purchase in Canada or othercountries than right here at home.

They’re cheaper because the govern-ment of Canada negotiates for lower

prices. The U.S. government does not.We allow drug companies to chargewhatever the market will bear.

Drug companies often reap hugeprofits on their patented drugs. Forexample, makers of the popular choles-terol-reducing drug Lipitor enjoy a 24percent profit margin on that drug. Nodoubt the high profit margins areenabled to some extent by their massiveadvertising effort. They pump 35 per-cent of sales revenue into marketing.

To be sure, dozens of other factorsraise prices. Our lifestyles, includingtobacco use, overeating, and lack ofexercise, cause at least 400,000 deathsper year and cost us billions of dollarsin treatments for heart conditions,stroke, emphysema and other lungconditions, diabetes, and numerouskinds of cancer.

And our compulsive consumerismraises prices when we always demandthe latest treatments and the most tech-nologically advanced tests. Do youreally need a CAT scan for that occa-sional headache? Many people believethat if the insurance pays for it, theymight as well get it.

And there are those much-malignedmalpractice suits. Some politiciansseem to believe that reducing your abil-ity to sue a doctor who makes a mistakeis the best way to control medical costs.In fact, malpractice insurance and mal-practice lawsuits are a very tiny fractionof the total healthcare bill. We can workto reduce frivolous lawsuits — as longas the reform does not put unnecessarylimits on true victims of malpractice.The medical profession and insuranceindustry should also do a better job oftargeting repeat offenders.

The healthcare crisis will not be easyto solve. No industry will, on its own,look for ways to reduce their own prof-its or make more regulations for them-selves. But we know that governmentaction can slow down the rate ofincrease, because that is exactly whathappened in the 1990s.

In 1994, when President Clintonunveiled his national health care plan,

the healthcare industries — especiallythe insurance industry — sprung intoaction and defeated it before it couldeven get through a single congressionalcommittee.

But over the next few years theannual rate of healthcare priceincreases slowed down significantly. Acoincidence? I don’t think so. The merethreat of a national plan to regulatetheir profits convinced healthcareproviders and insurance companies toease off on the price increases.

Unfortunately, they’re back to theirold tricks, and this time neither Con-gress nor the White House has evenhinted they’ll do anything to get themback under control.

The American people deserve better.Every American deserves access toaffordable, high-quality healthcare. Wedeserve no less than the citizens ofevery other industrialized country inthe world.

Our tax dollars are already providinghealth care to the Americans whosehealthcare demands are the greatest —senior citizens — and to those who paythe least in taxes — the poor. It’s abouttime our government made sure thatmiddle-class working families wereguaranteed access to reliable, afford-able healthcare. ❑

http://capwiz.com/boilermaker http://www.boilermakers.org

16 - the Boilermaker Reporter Jun • Jul 2005A M E S S A G E T O O U R M E M B E R S

http://capwiz.com/boilermaker http://www.boilermakers.org

It’s time our government madesure all middle-class working

families have access toaffordable healthcare

LL--774444’’ss LLyyoonn pprreeffeerrss 9900%% ooffppaayy oovveerr uunneemmppllooyymmeennttTIMES ARE HARD in field construc-tion. Jobs are shorter and farther apart.Nonunion contractors are underbid-ding us, as well as some other trades.In my area, Ironworkers, who make$10 less per hour and have lower ben-efits, are bidding on our jobs. Ourbusiness managers and the Interna-tional are in a daily battle to securejobs. In some cases, they must agree tobid the job at 90 percent of our wagerate to get the work (we still get 100percent of our benefits).

For those of you who think the busi-ness manager is wrong for agreeing to90 percent, I can only say that I thankhim for giving me an opportunity tobring home a good wage, add to mypension and annuity, and help me tokeep my health care.

PAT LYON, Local 744Bolivar, Ohio

NNTTLL mmeemmbbeerrss wwoorrkkeedd aattWWoooodd RRiivveerr,, ttooooLOCAL 363 [WORKED at WoodRiver] for Washington Group andDelta and did a fine job, but it wasNTL hands who were in and on thetowers. NTL hands were covered insludge and wearing a massive amountof PPE. NTL hands performed danger-ous work with no injuries. Theyshould be noted.

BLAKE SMITH, NTLKerrville, Texas

LL--7733’’ss MMccIInnttoosshh tthhaannkkssbbrrootthheerrss ffoorr ssuuppppoorrtt wwhhiillee iillllI WOULD LIKE to send a heartfeltthank-you for the numerous cards andmonetary donations I received frommy brothers of Local 73, InternationalBrotherhood of Boilermakers. It couldnot have come at a better time or been

done in a more thoughtful way. Yourcontinuing support is very muchappreciated. Again, thank you foryour help.

RAY MACINTOSH SR., L-73Glace Bay, Nova Scotia

IIVVPP HHiicckkeennbbootthhaamm tthhaannkkssLLaaffaarrggee ffoorr ttssuunnaammii rreelliieeff LAFARGE EXHIBITED exemplarybehavior by not only assigning full-time personnel to provide immediaterelief and assistance to thousands, butalso by donating cement and othermaterials in rebuilding efforts.

As the chief representative of mytrade union for the cement industry inthe United States, I wish to congratu-late Lafarge for these public-mindedundertakings.

Speaking on behalf of the US-basedInternational Brotherhood of Boiler-makers and as a member of the Inter-

national Federation of Chemical,Energy, Mine, and General Workers’Union Executive Committee, theexample Lafarge set during the after-math of the tsunami is the type of cor-porate responsibility that we shouldexpect from all companies who signglobal framework agreements.

JIM HICKENBOTHAMInternational Vice President CLGAW Division

L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R

U.S. needs a healthcare policy

Newton B. JonesInternational President

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