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Vol. 6 No. 3	June 1999
THE SIDE-CUTTER
EAST COAST EDITION

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.

Hello Brothers and Sisters. My name is Bob Brown. I turned out as a Journeyman Wireman in Local Union 756 in July 1970. I was the "Outstanding apprentice of the year". I felt pretty confident as a journeyman wireman.

Shortly afterwards, I went to work in Local Union 606 at Disney World in Orlando. There I had to install ridgid conduit. Something I knew very little about. I used Chicago Benders, Sidewinder Benders, Porta-Ponys, Porta-Band Saws, a Ridgid 300 threading tool and various other tools that I had never seen or used before. Thanks to some older wiremen, I was taught very carefully and thoroughly how to do this.

Later on, one of my favorite Journeymen, John "Scotty" Scott, taught me how to solder, crimping and potting and molding. He taught me with great patience and understanding.

After I had been a Journeyman for about 20 years, another one of my favorite Journeymen, Todd Johnston, taught me how to run MI Cable at the Cape.

The point I am making is this: We are organizing a lot of men to become Journeymen Wiremen of Local Union 756. Most of them are just like I was. A lot of things in our trade are new and different to them. They need to be taught (just like I was) how to do these things. Taught with patience, understanding and treated with dignity. It is our duty to treat them like Brothers, not outsiders!

On November 28, 1891, Henry Miller started the IBEW to organize ALL electricians. The IBEW would not be what it is today if Henry had exhibited the attitude to new members that some people do today! If we do not treat them with kindness and respect and teach them what we can we are not true Brothers and Sisters ourselves!

If we are so scared that these new members will someday "take our jobs", we need to better educate ourselves, so as to become confident and well trained Journeymen. We are, after all, supposed to be a "Pool of qualified craftsmen".

We need to have a classroom set up for various aspects of our trade where young, old and new members can come and refresh their skills on these different requirements of our trade.

Times are changing. If we don’t change, one of these days there won’t be a Local Union 756!!

These new members can be our best tools to organize their friends at the non-union shops where they were taken from or other non-union electricians. You cannot expect them to feel happy about joining the union unless we make them happy! We must treat them like Brothers, unless they act otherwise.

Our work has finally begun to start and the opportunities for growth remain high. The local union has an excellent chance to elevate our wages and benefits in the near future based on the current work under contract as well as work being proposed. Along with these opportunities come our responsibility to our employers to provide skilled labor. If we take advantage of the increase in construction activity both with organizing unrepresented workers and signing new contractors our wages and benefits will rise accordingly. There can be no argument that local unions that control their work have the highest wages and benefits. You brothers that are currently on the road know exactly what I mean. Negotiations in this last year of our 3-year contract have begun. These negotiations are for wages and benefits only and labor sincerely hopes that management understands the importance of a significant wage increase for our membership. Our next meeting is scheduled for July 8^th and no doubt all the cards will be on the table at that meeting. Labor has no wildcards, we hope that management has no jokers.

The out of work list is being updated and your assistance is needed. Members in town (jurisdictional boundaries) who wish to remain on the list must re-sign every 30 days as per our referral procedure. Please contact the hall to check on re-sign dates and status. This must be done no later than July 30^th. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

WE CONGRATULATE THE 1999 GRADUATING CLASS AS THEY HAVE MADE THE TRANSITION FROM APPRENTICES TO JOURNEYMEN WIREMEN. THEY ARE:

Congratulations to James E. Morgan, Jr., for earning the "Outstanding Apprentice Award" for this class.

Thanks to the hard work of all the volunteers, our picnic was a great success again this year. The food was great and a good time was had by all.

Did you lose a pager at the picnic? The cleanup crew found one. It can be claimed here at the hall.

Also, thank you to all the participants that contributed and participated in the fundraiser for Toni Severson. It was a lot of fun and $2900 was raised. We wish the best for Toni in her continued fight with cancer. A special thanks to Doug and Sue Dill, Bill and Kathy Sweeney, The Port Hole Lounge, Diana Wiggins, Dennis Swanson and all of the volunteers that made this event happen!! Any members who missed the Barbecue and wish to donate on Toni’s behalf may do so at the hall.

The majority of the following information was obtained from a transcript from the first old timers meeting conducted by Louie (Poison Pen) Hedgecock. Louie has a lot of history of the local on tape, photos, manuscript and a book size collection of drawings. Louie has a talent for drawing his expressions true to life and had planned on incorporating them in a book on 756, but that was before his health set back.

The transcripts start off with Bob Lee telling about his being a charter member of local 531 back in 1924. (IBEW archives show that 531 went defunct and was re-chartered as 756 in 1936) Bob continues by telling Louie that he started out at 50 cents an hour during the boom of 1926. Bob was an apprentice and topped out at the end of the Halifax Hospital project. Fourteen charter members formed the new local 756 with John Latour Sr. convincing the contractors to agree. The contractors wanted to organize back then as much as the men. Cecil Westfall said he was getting 37 cents an hour and got a raise to 75 cents per hour when Olson rewired the Crystal movie house from silent to sound. The first agreements signed were with Daytona Electric, Olson Electric, and Rex Electric. After the first year the scale went to 90 cents per hour. Bob Burnsed earned 25cents, Niles Guzewich earned 20 cents per hour which was the going rate for helpers. Bill Vick Sr. was part of the gathering of "old timers" and stated that Pop Canfield was the part time BA. The first elected Business Manager was John Latour Sr. followed by Ed Utter Sr., John Waters, Canfield and Gene Hatcher in 39-40 but the first paid Business Manager was Bob Palmer elected by 25 members in the early 50’s. Ms. Edith was hired in Jan. 1954 (remaining until retiring after 39years in 1993). Due to limited space in the Sidecutter I will "adjourn" the old timers trip down memory lane until the next issue. I hope that you have enjoyed reflecting with those that formed this local union as I have, and remember to keep the allegiance always.

There will be a Motor Controls class for Journeymen Wiremen to be held during the month of July. The instructor will be Bob Nelson. For information contact Holmes Davis at the hall as soon as possible.

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