Congratulations

Condolence
None!

SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST

UNION PICNIC IS COMING UP
The date is Sept 15.  The place is Lake Solano Park.  The need is now to make this a great event! Contact the union office if you wish to help.

NAPA~SOLANO CLC
The Napa~Solano CLC meets on the third Thursday, 6 pm at LU 1245 in Vacaville.  Be PART of the labor movement in Napa & Solano Counties by being a Delegate -

Contact Mike 

Other News

A’S GAME
August 5 at 1:05, $15 per person with lunch!  Call Dean Lloyd at 337-0347

UNION PICNIC IS COMING UP
Please do not wait until the last minute to help out and make this a great event - contact the union office if you wish to help.

T-SHIRTS ARE “IN-STOCK”

Interested in playing in Vacaville on the local softball team? Email Stan at stann@ibewlu180.org

MARE ISLAND MUSEUM
Housed in Building #46, built in 1885, at 50,000 sq. ft. it is open the first and third weekends of each month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Current exhibits include Women at Mare Island

USE YOUR VISA OR MASTERCARD FOR DUES!
YES, CREDIT OR DEBIT CARDS WITH THE MASTERCARD OR VISA LOGO, IN PERSON OR OVER THE PHONE FOR DUES, SORRY NOT FOR T-SHIRTS

IF YOU HAVE MOVED
Please notify the office so we can keep your information up to date.  However, if we do not have a good address - then you should not be getting this newsletter…  Please remind your co-worker.

GROWTH IS GOOD; SALT IS GOOD

We continue to reach out to unrepresented electrical workers in our quest to increase our market share. We make contacts on jobsites, get referrals from members and some simply walk into the hall. We have organized many journeymen and apprentices this spring and have a need for more. Thanks to the members for their referrals and please help these new members during their transition.
The local has also started to ramp-up the contractor organizing efforts. We have selected a local contractor who has tremendous growth potential. This lucky contractor will soon realize his opportunities and surely will embrace our partnership in the industry. I wish it was that easy to help growth our market share in a symbiotic relationship.
We are currently looking for Salts to send to them and we already have several hired lately. Remember, as salts we are there to impress the company with our knowledge and skill, and talk to his men about the benefits of representation. If you find yourself waiting for a job and would like to change someone’s life by salting, call Stan or Rich.

Retiree's Corner
The next meeting will be Aug 4 as the first Wednesday a holiday.  All retirees and spouses are welcome. Widows of retired members are encouraged to get involved and welcome our newest members.  A lite lunch will be served so please R.S.V.P. to Bud or Linda Huss at 255-0879

FUTURE TRIPS:

Hawaii seven night cruise Oct 8 - 15, 2007 starting as low as $1610 person.

Please contact Ken Breckenridge more information on these trips at (707) 643-4139

STEWARDS’ REPORT

VALERO
The Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) project was completed in mid June and initial start-up has begun ahead of Valero's anticipated schedule.The project was under an aggressive and fast paced schedule from day one and the IBEW faced the challenge and showed Valero what Union Labor can do and how to do it.Itheard first hand from Valero employees how much they appreciate the level of professionalism and efficiency that the IBEW exhibited and they thanked our members for the help that we gave to their facility.Valero has expressed a specific interest in bringing back all the union contractors that were involved in the ULSD project, to work on projects at the Benicia site in the near future.Local 180 and the traveling brothers that helped man the job, have demonstrated to Valero, the meaning and value of using Union Labor.

David Doss

VACAVILLE KAISER
The project is currently 4 weeks behind schedule according to Management. 15 local hands were recently transferred from Genentech. There is no overtime scheduled at present.

Scott Meyer

VALLEJO KAISER
There are still some engineering issues plaguing the project. Hiring should begin in July. Rosendin plans to start hiring 2 JIW’s per week until the project is manned.

Shannon Nalley

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are entering another summer and according to all reports we will have full employment. This is great for our local as a whole. I want to thank all of the travelers ahead of time for the part they will play in helping us man our work and getting our projects done. I also want to remind all of you that these Brothers and Sisters are our guests and should be treated as our guests.

Along those same lines, with all the work coming up now is a perfect time to start organizing all of our non-union brothers. We touched on this at the last union meeting that we need to keep talking to our friends that are working non-union and encourage them to join the union. After talking to them if they have any questions you can point them in the direction of the union hall and the agents can answer any question that they might have.

Don’t forget that the union picnic is scheduled for Sat. Sept. 15th. Dean Lloyd is heading it up and as always is looking for volunteers to help out.

Respectfully,

Stan Nelson

Apprentice Career Days
Carpenter’s Training Center, Fairfield, May 19, 2997

Many thanks to, from the left as pictured: Dennis Haley, Jason Carrier, Victor Nerida, Jeremiah Taft, Rick Harris and their leader - Glen Loftis for taking time out of their personal lives to represent the IBEW and the Napa~Solano Electrical Workers Apprentice Program.
They met and explained our programs to hundreds of interested people.  They were able to put faces behind the three and five year programs, as many have started in residential and transferred into the inside.
These members clearly showed the opportunity offered by a jointly administrated apprentice program.  They truly represent the spirit of Union by stepping up to help offer the future what the past has provided them.

United Workers for Local Government - UWLG.
In past issues the activities of the United Workers for Local Government (UWLG) and the relationship to the Napa~Solano Counties Labor Council (CLC) have been presented to provide the backgrounds and current activities of these two separate organizations representing the working people of our area.  What is commonly called the “Labor Movement”.

It is time to explore how you the worker, the boots on the ground, fits in these efforts.  It would be safe to quote a famous person and write, never have so few done so much for so many - or something like that.  This is not to motivate you to give thanks, it is to stimulate the thought that the efforts of a very few can effect change.  However, with even fewer people, change takes longer or never happens.  Additionally, one cannot get the job done.

In government it is the constant voices of the few that get things done.  When the voices on the issues cancel one another nothing happens.  Add many voices and people notice; they listen.  The sad fact is that very few take the time to really communicate with their elected officials or offer support.  Not the “money” support for campaigns or sponsorship of events.  True support as in, “what can I do to help - what is it that you need?”.

Your Union asks the membership to support efforts like letter writing, walking information picket lines and attending rallies.  Rallies like the recent California School Employees Association’s Vacaville rally for health care to help find an answer to the health care problem - getting working people involved in the solution so it meets the needs of working people.  A true model of the labor movement; being part of the solution.

The labor movement is about labor - you the worker, the boots on the ground, being active.  Those boots help you earn a paycheck; those boots are needed for the labor movement.  Otherwise they might end up sitting in the closet and you on your...

RETIREMENT HEALTH CARE, 401 & VEBA “FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS”
•    If retiring under the age of 62 you will pay the full COBRA rate for healthcare
•    2006 COBRA, for full benefits, is $957 and adjusts in August of each year
•    When retiring, or retired, at age 62 to age 65 you will pay a reduced rate for the plan cost starting at 30% in 2007 to 100% in 2018
•    2006 plan cost is $936 per month and adjusts in August of each year
•    COBRA is for under age 62 or while working and not having 125 hours in your hour bank and can be used for 18 moths
•    Plan cost is the cost for healthcare coverage when retired after reaching age 62
•    When a retiree reaches age 65 they must sign-up for Medicare parts A & B and assign coverage to Kaiser to maintain coverage under the plan
•    Upon retiring and reaching age 65, on Medicare and assigned to Kaiser, you will pay anywhere from $125 to $267 per month based our your family need and area of coverage – which is the phase-out, starting at 30% in 2007 of cost to 100% of cost in 2018
•    VEBA will only pay plan cost, it will not pay COBRA or anything else, you cannot access this money
•    Upon your death, VEBA monies remaining in your account go to your
beneficiary(ies)
•    The 401 has two parts; $.20 administration account and self directed account for your wage reduction amount
•    Monies from your “out-of-area” jobs are directed to the administration account if you do not have a self directed account for your wage reduction in LU 180
•    Once a year all administration account monies are swept into your self directed account
•    Once retired you have access to your money via the self directed account, per IRS rules
•    Once retired you may request a roll-over from other Local Union 401 accounts into your self directed account
•    You can convert some, or all, of your 401 monies to Pension Benefits at your time of retirement, call the Trust Fund for more information: (925) 294-8891
•    Questions about withdrawing and taxes should be directed to a tax professional and/or financial planner
                    More retirement info next month...

UNION BUILT MEANS BETTER BUILT
You want a “ no-worry” electrical system installed in your home safe, reliable and guaranteed.  Then you need an electrical system installed by a union electrical contractor.  That’s right– UNION!  A competent union electrical contractor who employs qualified IBEW union electricians.

Each IBEW journeyman learns the trade through a 3 to 5 year Apprenticeship program.  This extensive training combines on–the-job practical experience with classroom theory and testing.  And the training doesn’t stop there.  Continuing education constantly up-dates the union electrician’s skills through programs sponsored by the IBEW and NECA.

 Dan Broadwater, Business Manager

Updated 6/26/07 Copyright© 2007 IBEW L.U. 180 Information on this site has been approved by the Business Manager