IBEW Local Union 180 - Newsletter
The year’s end is upon us and I and the staff of IBEW Local 180 wish you the happiest of holidays. We look forward to seeing you at the Christmas Union Meeting, FRIDAY, December 12, 2008.
2008 was a roller coaster ride. Although man-hours were above our 5-year average, our books grew steadily through the summer and into the fall. Several projects that were to clear the books were either stalled or cancelled. The Solano County Jail was cancelled and the Valero VIP project has been stalled and will not start manning up until spring.
I have been meeting with several energy providers that are proposing 550-megawatt power plants as well as several wind energy providers proposing expansion of the Collinsville wind resource area. Unfortunately, these projects are a year or two off. These should start as Valero is winding down. Local staff has been making every effort to meet and partner with these firms.
On a brighter note, I recently attended the Solano Economic Development Council’s Economic Summit No. 4, spearheaded by Supervisor Mike Reagan. It was reported that Solano County continues to lead the Bay Area in terms of growth and attractiveness within specialized industries such as life science and advanced food production. Solano County is aggressively analyzing and indexing economic, workforce, housing, education and transportation indicators, and adjusting its outreach efforts accordingly, in order to contribute to a stronger local economy and take full advantage of development opportunities as the economy improves.
The election season is over, and we are making contact with our newly elected officials. The City of Benicia is a perfect example of why we need to be so proactive in the election process. A 500-plus acre industrial project was recently killed by the no-growth council members.
It is exciting to see that President-Elect Obama has wasted no time in assembling a staff so he can hit the ground running on January 20, 2009. The IBEW’s intensified political action program was enormously effective during this last election. I want to thank the membership for coming out to vote for the change in administration that was so desperately needed.
Business Manager
Upcoming Events Holidays |
Inside this issue |
| Meetings:
Regular Membership Meeting 7 P.M. Second Thursday Retirees’ Meeting First Wednesday @ 12:30 p.m. Exam Board Meeting 5 p.m. Second Tuesday ...Study for J.I.W. Test E-Board Meeting 6 p.m. Fourth Tuesday Holidays
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Congratulations Condolence Union Meeting Santa at the Hall Other News: Union Dues The Apprentice Monthly |
| All meetings will be held at: 720 Technology Way Napa CA, 94558 |
Daniel & Shannon Huss had a baby boy, Grant Joseph, on Oct. 18.
Stephen & Nichole Barry had a baby boy, Lane, on Oct. 4
None
Door drawings: Val Miller won a bottle of choice. Monthly cash drawing remains at $100.00 as #372 was drawn and Jose Lopez was not present; $100.00 will roll over to next month.
The Blood Drive at the November 13th Union Meeting resulted in 19 units of Blood - OUTSTANDING.
See the web site for the Holiday Calendars.
Santa is Coming Early this Year to the Hall
Come have breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 6th and bring a camera for some great photos. It all starts at 9:00 a.m., with a pancake and sausage breakfast. There will also be fruit, coffee, juices, and milk both regular and chocolate. Santa will stay and visit with all the children. Each child will be able to choose a gift to take home. Come with the whole family and enjoy the morning.
I am in need of early morning help in cooking the pancake and sausage. We need many helping hands to pull off a great morning with Santa. If you can help please call me at (707) 337-0347.
Dean Lloyd
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.
Union Dues
The International Dues portion of your monthly Membership Dues will increase by one dollar starting January 1, 2009. For those members with automatic bill payments—please adjust your recurring payments. Additionally, members who pay via on-line means can make a once-a-year payment for death benefits to go on your account so that you will not fall behind. You can call us for the exact amount and pay by credit card at any time.
Benefits—for Your New Family Members!
By means of births or adoptions—when you are adding to your family it is very important to add them to your medical coverage via the Union Office within 30-days. We will need a copy of the birth certificate. Likewise, when you get married—please add your spouse to your coverage. We will need a copy of the marriage license.The most important factor that places the IBEW above the rest in our industry is superior quality. From the beginning, it has been a commitment to superior quality that has enabled us to proudly proclaim that we are the best in the electrical industry, and that we will always do honest, professional work that results in the project being completed on time, on budget and fully functional the first time. The important thing for us to remember as the men and women in the field is that we are where the rubber hits the road. NECA can advertise that they employ the best-trained workforce in the world, and the IBEW can say that we have the elite among the field; but it is the choices that we make day to day that will truly affect what the customer’s opinion is at the end of a project. If we choose to uphold the Code of Excellence and take pride in our professionalism and craftsmanship, we can have an enormous impact on our own work future as well as the future of the IBEW. So let us not just say that we are the best, let us go out and prove it, and show everyone that when you hire union, you pay for what you get – Superior Quality.
Any questions or comments can be emailed to davidiloff@comcast.net.
The meetings for the Retirees’ Club are held on the first Wednesday of the month at the Training Center / Union Hall, beginning at 12:30 P.M. The next meeting will be held on January 7 at the Training Center / Union Hall.
FUTURE TRIPS: Romantic Rhine & Moselle—a glorious 14-night river cruise from Amsterdam to Basel on the NEW M.S. Avalon Affinity. October 3-18, 2009—one year to plan!!!
Please contact Ken Breckenridge more information on these trips at (707) 643-4139 or visit the web site www.ibewlu180.org—click on retirees and then latest news.
Local 180, in conjunction with Vubiz, an IBEW Training Partner, is proud to announce the availability of 143 Prepaid Online Training Courses for You, our Members, and your Friends and Families.
We are proud to announce that we have prepaid for courses covering subjects including Improving Your Listening Skills, Time Management, Back Safety, and All About the Internet. The courses will be available to you and your friends and families 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, until November 31, 2009. Be sure to take advantage of as many courses as possible, we are certain that you and all of your friends and family members will find a number of courses that will address both your needs and interests.
To start your learning experiences go to: http://vubiz.com/chaccess/IBEW3/
Every time that you sign on, you will need to enter:
The first time that you sign on, you will need to enter a little extra information so that we can set you up.
Once you are logged in, click on “My Content” and then launch the course that you would like to view.
We hope that you enjoy the training and make the most of it. The value of the prepaid courses, if bought individually, would cost over $3,000.00. We are proud to be able to make this opportunity available to you, our members, and your friends and families.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I want to start off by thanking everyone who got out and voted in this past General Election. It was a long process, but we made it through. And special thanks to those members and retirees who attended our Political Action Mobilization Program, presented by the AFL-CIO’s Nick Unger. That being said, I want to encourage those who are not yet registered to vote to get out and get registered so that you’ll be ready to give labor an even stronger voice in the next election. It sounds like we will have our hands full for the next election for Governor of California. Keep in mind that, if you move or change your name, you need to re-register.
Are you looking to get involved with the Local and help out during future elections? If so, please contact me at the hall, or email me at stann@ibewlu180.org
Thank you.
Stan Nelson, President
Work continues to be slow with several projects ramping down. There are currently 70 Journeymen on Book 1 and 30 Apprentices out of work under the Inside Agreement. Calls are hitting in the low teens on Book 1.
On the Residential books, we have 15 Journeymen and 5 Apprentices. The S&C books currently have 10 Installers and 1 Apprentice. We have had no calls for either book for many months.
The VIP project at Valero is slow starting. Valero representatives have told us that Newtron and Contra Costa Electric will do these projects. Hiring should start in the early spring. Make sure your BATT card is current; there will be classes at the hall in early December. The TWIC security card will be a Refinery requirement, effective February 1, 2009. So, don’t hesitate. The cost of TWIC is $132.50 and is valid for five (5) years. Workers with current, comparable background checks will pay a reduced fee of $105.25. The Local will reimburse the TWIC cost after working for at least thirty (30) days at Valero. Additional information concerning TWIC is available at
http://www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/layers/twic/twic_faqs.shtm#twic_cost
Cupertino should be starting another phase at Kaiser Data Center in Napa soon, and will require additional manpower.
The SMUD Wind farm will start the first of the year, if the radar fix for Travis AFB is successful. There are 125 windmills and a 200-megawatt solar farm slated for the project.
Many other projects have stalled with investors having run for cover. Let’s hope that investor confidence and the economy rebound soon.
For those on the out-of-work list, please remember to re-sign. You can use the fax re-sign forms provided at the hall, or you can get one off the web site.
This web site is going to have a complete make-over for 2009!
The question to the membership is—what would you like to see as to:
Style
Content
Function
Additionally, how would you like us to email to reach you for:
Alerts for union and/or political action
“Electronic” Newsletters, no more snail mail
Reminders for events and meetings
Please email your ideas to mikes@ibewlu180.org
Volunteers Make Local 180 Shine in the Public Eye
Local 180 recently received a healthy dose of good “PR” from the Fairfield City Council, thanks to the volunteerism of members who answered the call from the City of Fairfield to help with the Senior Home Assistance Repair Event (SHARE). SHARE is conducted once a year, and involves identifying and assisting seniors whose residences are in need repairs to make them safe, functional and efficient. Local 180 members who assisted in this year’s SHARE program, and proudly represented the Local as it received recognition for its participation at the most recent City Council meeting, include James Castleman, Tom Conley, Casey Delancy, Dave Henderson, Jarrod Jones, Dave McKenzie, and Stan Nelson. It’s involvement like this that prompts the public to take special notice of the integrity and value of the IBEW and union trades in general. Thanks to all who participated.
Visit www.solanocounty.com/economicindex for more data
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 11/14/08 Copyright© 2008 IBEW L.U. 180 |
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