INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF
ELECTRICAL WORKERS
LOCAL UNION NO. 756
Vol. 10 No. 3

September/October  2003

THE SIDE-CUTTER

The Side-CutterEAST COAST EDITION The Side-Cutter

THE OBJECTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS

 

TO ORGANIZE ALL WORKERS IN THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA, INCLUDING ALL THOSE IN PUBLIC UTILITIES AND ELECTRICAL MANUFACTURING INTO LOCAL UNIONS, TO PROMOTE REASONABLE METHODS OF WORK, TO CULTIVATE FEELINGS OF FRIENDSHIP AMONG THOSE OF OUR INDUSTRY, TO SETTLE ALL DISPUTES BETWEEN EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES BY ARBITRATION (IF POSSIBLE), TO ASSIST EACH OTHER IN SICKNESS OR DISTRESS, TO SECURE EMPLOYMENT, TO REDUCE THE HOURS OF DAILY LABOR, TO SECURE ADEQUATE PAY FOR OUR WORK, TO SEEK A HIGHER AND HIGHER STANDARD OF LIVING, TO SEEK SECURITY FOR THE INDIVIDUAL, AND BY LEGAL AND PROPER MEANS TO ELEVATE THE MORAL, INTELLECTUAL AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF OUR MEMBERS, THEIR FAMILIES AND DEPENDENTS, IN THE INTEREST OF A HIGHER STANDARD OF CITIZENSHIP. The Side Cutter is a publication of I.B.E.W. Local Union #756 - Daytona Beach, Florida.

  

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REMEMBER THE NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT??  

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was supposed to create jobs on all sides of the borders between the United States , Mexico and Canada .  However, as organized labor knew all along,  without labor, environmental, human rights and other basic laws that were equal, the agreement was destined for failure. The result was the opposite of job creation and instead millions of manufacturing jobs as predicted, have moved to Mexico .  It is also painfully obvious that these good paying jobs are not returning to the U.S.   Our trade deficit has exploded from $9 billion in 1993 to $87 billion in 2002. The problem is not engaging in free trade, but rather engaging in free trade with severely lower wages and non-existent labor and environmental laws.  Labor has stated consistently that any trade agreements with foreign countries must be based on a level playing field.  The United States worker is the most productive worker in the world and can compete when the laws governing their employment are equal.

 Now comes the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) which is 10 times larger than NAFTA.  This trade agreement will cover almost the whole Western Hemisphere- 34 countries except Cuba . Congress can only vote “yes or “no” due to the “fast track” agreement. The FTAA will affect 800 million workers and contains no provisions for workers rights or the environment.  We were able to defeat the repeal of overtime protection under the Fair Labor Standards Act recently due to workers both represented and not letting Congress know that enough is enough.  Here we go again.  We cannot afford to allow our jobs to leave this country and even worse to allow an unchecked amount of  “guest workers” to cross our borders and work for sub-standard wages and benefits in this country.  By the way, this work under the FTAA agreement will not be limited to the lowest tier workers and will impact all that are employed including those considered “professionals”.  Stay tuned for what you can do to protect your job for yourself and family and remember, the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.  

                                                Steve Williams
                                                Business Manager

“TROPICAL DEPRESSION”  

Floridians are all too familiar with a Tropical Depression. However, at a recent Florida Electrical Workers meeting, the term took on a new meaning. A “Tropical Depression” was described as trying to earn a decent living in Florida . Unfortunately, economic depression is not limited to Florida , although we get a double dose of the Bush family compassionate conservatism.  

I have reported on statistics concerning job loss and other economic information, since George W. Bush has been in office. It has been negative and depressing, and it continues. The purpose of reporting this negative information is not to add to the depression, but to keep our members informed and hopefully help them see through the smoke and mirrors coming from the administration’s spin machine.  

As of August, we had 3.2 million fewer private-sector jobs since George W. Bush took office. Manufacturing alone has lost over 2.5 million. Almost one out of five US workers was laid off between the spring of 2000 and spring of 2003. As of July 2003 the official unemployment rate was 6.2 percent, representing about 9.1 million US workers actively seeking employment. That does not include those who have exhausted their unemployment or those too discouraged to continue looking. When the unemployed and the underemployed are added in, the figure is more like 15 million. That’s more than 10% of the working population!  

President Bush and his cadre of spin-meisters insist the economy is headed in the right direction. There is an uncanny parallel with another Republican President, who said the economy was sound and would soon be normal again. He assured the nation the crisis would be over in 60 days. He tried to restore public confidence by saying the economy was going to be OK, in spite of mounting unemployment and business failures. This was Herbert Hoover after the Crash of the New York Stock Exchange and during the time of Great Depression.  

At that time, industrial productivity had increased, but wages did not keep up with the efficiency in production. More products were produced, but people couldn’t afford to buy them. Sound familiar? The benefits of the economic growth just prior to the Depression were distributed much the same as they are now, with the top 5 percent of the population receiving 30% of the income of the entire country.  

Hoover refused to go along with the Democrats and provide relief for the unemployed. If you recall, Bush, at first rejected any extensions for unemployment benefits and finally agreed to one extension.  

Wasn’t it Bush who recently wanted to cut veteran’s benefits, including those returning from Iraq ? It kind of reminds you of Hoover ’s debacle with veteran’s benefits, which resulted in federal troops, with bayonets and tear gas, being called out to expel about 2000 WWI veterans from the capital.  

I have been making a comparison of Bush and Hoover , because not since Herbert Hoover have as many jobs been lost, and the layoffs are continuing. Hopefully any responsible representatives we have left in Washington will prevent George Bush from leading the country all the way down the spiral of despair and depression of the Hoover days.

Something positive did come from the Hoover Presidency. It was the landslide victory of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who took 472 electoral votes to Hoover ’s 59. 

The Republicans were branded the “party of hard times”.  

IMAGINE THAT!   

                                                Bill Sweeney

                                                Organizer

 

 

UNION MADE

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Roy & Jean Burnsed
are the proud parents of a daughter
Faith Marie Burnsed – July 3, 2003

Tyler & Kendra Scholz
are the proud parents of a son
Chase Franklin Scholz – July 19, 2003

Matthew & Melissa Woodrow
are the proud parents of a son
Lucas Alan Woodrow – August 18, 2003

 

 

 

 

MEMBERS’ CORNER

Dates to Remember:

October 9th -                 Retiree’s meeting 11:30 A.M.
October 15th –              Union meeting      7:30  P.M.  
December 13th -          IBEW Christmas Party 8:00 P.M.
            (More information to follow later)

Thank you to Brother Tim Sweatte:  Please take note of the  new landscape ties that Brother Sweatte installed around the parking lot area of the union hall.  The original railroad ties were deteriorated and have needed replacing for a long time.  Thanks  Brother !

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Please make sure that your beneficiary cards are up to date.  Due to marriages, divorces and unfortunately deaths, the beneficiary cards need to be updated from time to time.  We will be glad to assist you.

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We have regrettably lost four Brothers since the last issue of the Sidecutter:  

James (Jimmy) Walker               August 9, 2003

Carl F. Broghamer                    August 13, 2003

Marshall F. Tatum, Jr.               August 30, 2003

They will surely be missed. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to their families.  

Apprenticeship Report

School is in session once again.  The Apprenticeship program began the new school year with 27 new inside wiremen apprentices and 15 new telecommunications apprentices, giving us a total of 107 apprentices.  All of them are working!  With thanks to all of our members, our contractors and our union, we should feel proud.  On behalf of the JATC, “Welcome Back Instructors”!  David Mollohan, 1st yr; Bob Nelson, 2nd yr.; Joe Moncada, 3rd yr.; and A.J. Pascoe, 4th yr., Inside Wiremen Instructors.  And Telecommunications Instructors, Joe Smallwood, 1st yr.; Scott Jarvis, 2nd yr.; and Kurt Durette 3rd yr.  Thank you to all of you for your dedication.  We couldn’t do it without you.  

I welcome all Journeymen to feel free to call me with any suggestions or idea for additional continuing education classes.  We are now making plans for the following classes:  NEC Code Update; Conduit Bending; Fiber Optics; Motor Controls; Cat 5e and 6; Security; Sound and Paging; Fire Alarm Certification and OSHA 10/30 Hour Classes.  We are also seeking qualified instructors.  Anyone interested in teaching should contact me at the Apprenticeship Office at 386-257-1955.  

A lot of changes happened this summer, one being I, your new (or not so new) Training Director.  I believe we have been successful in spite of the changes and will continually search to make our program grow stronger.  Let’s not forget our Graduating class this summer and our first year round class that turned out.  Congratulations to our new Journeymen Wiremen:  Michael Allen (top apprentice), Ronald Bennett, Kenneth Evans, Nicholas Newman, Matthew Nelson, Jason Seltzer, Tory Tunison, Charles Adams, Anthony Allen, Joseph Bernhard (top apprentice), Craig Cross, Craig Culleton, Thomas Cummings, John Dalola, Christen Gage, Richard Haussmann, Christian Libutti, David Mansfield, Travis Mellow, Charles Messina, Timothy Moran, Christopher Myers, Carlos Ricardo, Clayton Simons, James Tuminski,  and Steven Woodworth.  

Our new web page was created over the summer.  Check it out at electricalcareers.net.  Let me know what you think.  We can always add or make changes.  If anyone has some new ideas or suggestions, please call me.  

With everyone’s help, Daytona Beach Electrical, JATC is still on track.  I sincerely appreciate your continued interest and support.  

The JATC is requesting that anyone with hand tools that they no longer want, please bring them by either the JATC office or the union hall.  This will be a great way for some of the new apprentices to offset the expenses in getting started in the program.  

                                                Vivian Levine

                                                Training Director

  • Tips, topics, suggestions, and criticisms are welcome. Send your responses to:

    • The Side Cutter c/o IBEW L.U. 756 5901 Airport Road Daytona Beach, FL 32124 Names will remain confidential upon request

    Continuing Education Courses available:
    Gail Jackson, Training Director 756-2776.

    ORGANIZING: Call Bill Sweeney 756-2756

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    INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF
    ELECTRICAL WORKERS
    LOCAL UNION NO. 756
    5901 Airport Rd.
    Daytona Beach, Florida 32124
    904-756-2756
    FAX 904-756-2785
    info@ibew756.com

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