Congratulations

Wayne & Marquettah Thompson, a son, Wayne on 2-24-2007

Eddie & Maria Alemany, a son, Mark Joseph on 6-20-2007

Joshua & Molly Evangelo, wed on 7-21-2007

Casey & Cheryl DeLancy, wed on 5-12-2007

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

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

Other News
GIANT’S GAME
July 15th the 3rd annual Giants bus trip took place.  The game was against the hated dodgers and not even with our cheering the giants on could they win the game. The score was 5-3 dodgers. We had a cash raffle with almost $400.00 in it.  We had four  $50.00 gift cards from home depot for the winners of games on the bus. The games were:
1 Who won the game and the final score
2 How many hits
3 Attendance at the game
4 What time we would cross the toll plaza in Vallejo 
 EVERYBODY HAD A GOOD DAY AT THE GAME EVEN WITH A GIANTS LOSS

UNION PICNIC - SEPTEMBER 15TH Lake Solano Park Saturday
Sept. 15th from 11 am until 4 pm
Brothers and Sisters, Family and Friends, Come join the fun and food
Activities will include:
Rock wall will only be there from 11-2  so come early and enjoy
Snow cone machine
Canoes and paddle boats will be available for renting early in the day and only if weather and water levels permit
Trout fishing is always good at Lake Solano
Blow up jumper for the kids will be available all day
Horseshoes available
There will be a massage therapist available for $1.00 per minute
Lunch will be served from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm with the following menu: Hamburgers, Hot dogs, Sausages, Chicken, Beans and Potato Salad.  For dessert we will have watermelon and brownies.  Drinks will include: Sierra Nevada and Red Hook on tap, Bud in a can, Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Water.
3:00 pm will be a raffle with great prizes
 Any volunteers can leave a message for Dean Lloyd at (707) 337-0347 and he will find a small or a large project for you to help with.  Dean is looking for ice chests to hold ice…


TEXAS HOLD-EM TOURNAMENT @ THE HALL
Saturday Oct 6—Additional details to follow next month

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.

Organizing Report
We are currently looking for journeymen with State Certification.  Contact your friends or neighbors that are currently employed for non-signatory contractors and send them our way.  Foreman are always needed, we need leaders in order to expand.

The days are filled going city to city and job to job looking for prospective members, passing out business cards and providing information about the benefits of being an IBEW member.  Things are going well and I look forward to each new day, meeting more people and the challenges that come with being an organizer.

Stan Nelson

Retiree's Corner

The meeting for the Retirees’ Club are held on the first Wednesday of the month at the Training Center / Union Hall at 12:30 P.M.  

The next meeting will be Sept 5 .  All retirees and spouses are welcome. Widows of retired members are encouraged to get involved and welcome our newest members.  

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 one of Valero's best “Major Projects” in the history of Valero and out of all of its Refineries.  Valero credits the success to the safety, skill and efficiency of our electricians.

Because of the safety and quality of the workers who participated in ULSD, the Benicia Refinery is being considered for additional projects above those already announced. This is due to the available highly skilled local resources.

From Dan Broadwater

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
Hiring out of the hall for Kaiser Vallejo has come to a stop for now.  Management says that, between other Rosendin jobs slowing down and the scheduling problems that the general contractor is having ,they will transfer hands between jobs as needed.  As of the end of July there were a total of 42 hands on site.

Shannon Nalley

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

The same facts came from the last two ninth district meetings (the progress and northern joint executive board meetings) that in order to stop the current administration(s) attacks on the working class (you and me) we need to vote.  But it does not stop there.  We need to come together with our friends and family and make sure they are registered to vote.  We need to become well informed and follow through at the polls.

Stan Nelson

AGENT’S REPORT

Job calls have been flat for the last 3 weeks. There are 43 members on Book 1 at present. There is work in the area and we expect job calls soon. Please answer the calls when they become available. When jobs go unfilled the contractors stop bidding and that causes big problems for future potential work.

Another important topic is Member conduct on the jobsite. If there is a problem on the job do not let it fester. Talk to your supervisor or call the hall. It is imperative that we conduct ourselves as professionals at all times. Remember, the customer is paying good money for our services and we can’t afford the damage that is done when someone acts in an unprofessional manner. Jobsite violence is a serious offense. You will not only loose your job, you will also be subject to a healthy fine from the Executive board and possible civil charges.

By now everyone should have received PIN numbers and statements on their 401a accounts. The Administration account portion has been reconciled and swept into your personal account. Please educate yourself about the various investment fund options and diversify your account. If you need help bring your PIN number down and we can walk you through the website.

Rich Mattson

401(A) FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 
>How often do I get an account statement from the 40 1(A) Plan?
The statement mailed on a quarterly basis.
>What is the “administrative account” and how does it work?
Currently, $.20 per hour is contributed by the employer into this account to cover the cost of administering the trust. At the end of each fiscal year the remaining balance for each participant is swept into their self-directed account.
>What is the method for increasing the employer contribution for me into 401(A) self-directed account?
Journeyman Classification is changeable each May.
>How does the “self-directed” investment election work?
Direct on-line access through a password to their 401(a) self-directed account.
>May I take a distribution once I retire?
Yes, but this is a taxable payment. Please contact you tax advisor before withdrawing funds directly.
>Rollovers
a. Once I retire can I rollover my balance to another qualified plan?
Yes, the receiving entity is a qualified pension plan.
b. Once I retire can I consolidate other pension funds into my IBEW 180 401K Plan?
Yes, provided they are qualified pension plans.

United Workers for Local Government - UWLG.

Help us elect local city council and school board members who support working families!

The Napa-Solano Central Labor Council (NSCLC), AFL-CIO proudly represents the interests of nearly 40,000 union members and their families in Napa and Solano Counties.

One of our functions is to review and elect candidates for school board and city council who support working families and will stand with us on the issues.  This year, Solano County has many seats open.  We need to work together to get labor-friendly candidates elected. That’s why the NSCLC and our coalition partner, United Workers For Local Government, are working together to run the most aggressive and effective campaign possible.

Those who serve on City Councils, Boards of Supervisors, and School Boards vote directly on your contracts.  They have the power to accept or reject the contracts we negotiate, directly impacting your salary and benefits. These are the people who decide if a job will be filled by union workers who earn a decent living to provide for their families or by low-wage, non-union workers, who drag down working conditions for all of us.

We are the voice for working families who care about our community, our co-workers, and our jobs. We must have elected leadership who support our interests. Solano County is home to tens of thousands of union families - why shouldn’t we have a voice in the decisions that affect our work, our families, our community, and our public safety.

Did We Spark Your Interest? Come See How We Work!

Our coalition meetings are open to union members! They are held at the Teamsters Local 490 Hall, at 445 Nebraska St. in Vallejo on the third Tuesday of every month at 9:30am.  The CLC meetings are the third Thursday of every month at 6:00 pm the IBEW Local 1245 hall in Vacaville on 30 Orange Tree Circle.

HOT “PV” WEEKEND AT LOCAL UNION 340

One hundred degrees and one hundred and eighty IBEW members on hot asphalt learning about one hot market—Photovoltaic's—PV.  Over a dozen Local 180 members were in attendance.

This was made possible via a joint effort between the instructors of IBEW Local Union 11 from LA and IBEW & JATC of Local Union 340 in Sacramento.  The fully packed days started at 7 am and ended just after 4 pm.

The schedule was very well run with a golf type “shot-gun” start at eleven learning stations.  This was due in part to the 180 attendants.  The eleven stations were coupled with lectures in the Union Hall.  The training covered the beginning with site selection to the end with troubleshooting.

The one underlying theme was this was this is not a market that was going away and that we could not wait for the contractors to get into it.  Local 11 has experienced the same lack of support for the PV market as Local 180 has from our respective contractors. 

“Our contractors are just too busy” was heard over and over.

“Our only entry into the PV market is to create it with new contractors”, said one Local 11 Business Agent.  Now where have we heard that before?

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 8/17/07 Copyright© 2007 IBEW L.U. 180 Information on this site has been approved by the Business Manager