IBEW Local Union 180 - Newsletter
Business Manager's Report

2007 was a very good year for Local 180. Man-hours were up significantly over previous years and the prospects of future work in our jurisdiction looks great. The best year for Local 180 has been 762,707 man-hours. Currently, we are at 778,638 man-hours without November and December hours, which will be report later this month and January of 2008.

We can report that our Pension is solid and met our assumption rate of 7%. It is valued at over $87 million. Our Health and Welfare fund is stable and has 3 months reserves.

It was reported by me at the last Union Meeting, that Drug Testing would occur after the first of the year. Starting January 1, 2008, through March 30, 2008, there will be voluntary testing. A form will be mailed out before the end of the year along with site locations for testing. Upon completion of a negative test, you will be given $50 for a wellness benefit. Mandatory Drug testing will occur on April 1, 2008 and applicants for employment will have 48 hours from dispatch time to get tested; on their own time. There will be a representative from Benzinger and Dupont at the next Union Meeting for questions about the process.

Our transition to the new trust fund administrators has been smooth and all questions on healthcare, dental, pension and 401 should be directed to BeneSys at 925-208-9980.

Reminder, this Friday the 14 is our Union Meeting and Holiday Party.  On behalf of the Officers and Staff of IBEW Local 180, I wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Dan Broadwater,
Business Manager

• Pancakes
• Sausage
• Fruit
• Milk & Chocolate milk
•  Orange juice & Coffee

Bring your camera for some great pictures!

JANUARY 12 & 13 7:00 AM ~ 4:30 PM

To request Enrollment, Mail/Fax the coupon on the back of this newsletter to IBEW Local 551, 2525 Cleveland Ave. Suite B, Santa Rosa, CA. 95403 / fax (707) 542-9134.  Note: Confirmation of enrollment will be mailed for requests received by December 31.  Any questions should be directed to IBEW LU 551 at (707) 542-3505

To request Enrollment, Mail/Fax this coupon to IBEW Local 551, 2525 Cleveland Ave. Suite B, Santa Rosa, CA. 95403 / fax (707) 542-9134. Note: Confirmation of enrollment will be mailed for requests received by December 31.  Training to be held at 1700 Corby Ave., Santa Rosa. Name: ___________________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________ City: _________________________________ Zip ________________

The meetings 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 Jan 2.  All retirees and spouses are welcome. Widows of retired members are encouraged to get involved and welcome our newest members.  
FUTURE TRIPS:
Queen of the West, September 14—21, 2008: Roundtrip Transportation to Portland included {We are considering roundtrip Amtrak or flying}, 7 Nights aboard the Queen of the West, All Meals and Entertainment on board.
Southern Nevada & Grand Canyon February 25-March 1, 2008:Motorcoach Transportation. More Info
Please contact Ken Breckenridge more information on these trips at (707) 643-4139

As per the joint endorsement of United Workers for Local Government, Napa Solano Central Labor Council & Napa Solano Building Trades Council

Well, the holidays are here again.  We find ourselves gorging on turkey and rushing off to the mall to get all of those great sales.  Time seems to slow down, and we all try to spend more time with those that we love.  It is a great time to sit back and reflect on all the things that we are grateful for in life.
I think that it is important for us as apprentices to remember that there have been enormous sacrifices made by countless individuals to get our union to its present state.  These people not only protested, but laid down their very lives to give us all of the basic rights and benefits that we enjoy today.  Things such as fair wages, a safe work environment, an 8-hour work day, and many more have only been made possible by the struggles endured by organized labor.  We should be mindful to never take any of this for granted. 
Currently, there are no inside apprentices out of work, and only 4 residential apprentices out of work.  This alone is something to be thankful for, especially in the season in which many in the construction industry go without work.  It is a testament to all of the hard work that the IBEW and NECA, in conjunction with the JATC, do to keep all apprentices working.  Hats off to you as well, fellow apprentices.  Apparently we have impressed the contractors enough to stay employed.   
I hope that all of you have a happy holiday season.  We can all look forward to a great new year, and beyond that, a bright future made possible by our involvement in the JATC program and in the union itself.
Questions or Comments?  Please contact me at www.ailoff01@sprintpcs.com  Thank you for your time,

Thank you for your time,

David Iloff

The new titles of “Membership Development” have been given out to the former Organizers in the IBEW.  In essence, every member is an Organizer and should be representing the IBEW to prospective members.  Where each of you can help the Brotherhood is to provide information to the Hall.  I know that in the past members have phoned in about a van at a certain job site or driving through the canyon—thanks for your help.

What is needed now is a little follow-through—for example, the home the van is parked in front of so we can make steady personal contact, and the contact info for the electricians you run into at the community events.  It is time to reach out to ALL ELECTRICIANS in our area and inform them of the benefits of the IBEW and how to join.  Feel free to call up after hours and leave the info on my voice mail—extension 105 or use 104 for Stan’s voice mail.  It is time to share the benefits of membership and encourage all electrical workers to join the IBEW.

The International has implemented a huge effort to measure market share “The goal is to translate these sources of data into an accurate representation of total electrical construction industry employment and wages for the geographic jurisdiction of each local union and chapter.“  The purpose of this endeavor is to implement the new “Membership Development” program to represent all electrical workers.  Therefore, our Business Manager will be responsible to analyze the market and have a complete analysis each January.  The analysis involves more than just counting “hands on the job”.  It involves a complete understanding of the market itself.  Very smart move, when attempting to do anything in a campaign you must understand it top-down and inside-out.

One easy source of data, though not entirely accurate, is the EDD site for the State of California.  The reason I say “not entirely accurate” is that the recent report does not cover our three largest jobs in Solano County!  Rosendin, Redwood City and Cupertino are missing from the report.  What is included in the report are 118 electrical (C10) contractors.  Electricians employed by Solar contractors or HVAC contractors are not included in the count.

The report groups these employers by predetermined employee number sets—for example, 1-4, 5-9, 10-19, 20-49 and 50+ are the groupings. And here are the results.  There are 92 employing 1-4, 8 employing 5-9, 8 employing 10-19, 5 employing 20-49 and 2 employing  over 50 just in Solano County.  So I will have my hands full finding the jobs of the 92 1-4 man shops in Solano County!  We have good market share of the larger shops—not counting the ones missing from the EDD report or Napa County!

The picture this presents is a market filled with small players in one of the fastest growing county in the State over the next twenty years.  In light of this, the IBEW needs EVERYONE’S help.  We have over 800 sets of eyes in this market place and they can help leverage my efforts.

Stan Nelson