ELECTION 2000 OPPORTUNITIES

The legislative session opened on March 7^th and as I have said in past sessions no one is safe for the next 60 days. There are at least 18 bills working their way through various committees that directly effect workers of this state. If history is any indicator, we all should be concerned. The Republican controlled administration, state house and senate, in my opinion, have not been very friendly to working families. Protecting worker benefits, such as workers compensation, unemployment benefits, apprenticeship funding, division of workers safety (gone) etc. are not a priority with this bunch. Issues that effect us daily are now in the hands of many with "me only" viewpoints and philosophies. The good news is that this November all of these things can again become a priority for legislators. Term limits requires that 55 of the 120 State House members must be replaced. In the State Senate, 11 of the current 40 will have to find new jobs. The opportunity for worker friendly candidates to prevail is excellent if we will simply exercise our right to vote!

Speaking of politics consider the following:

WHY DOESN’T EVERYONE KNOW ABOUT THIS ??????
The state of Texas, under the leadership of Governor George W. Bush, is ranked: 

50^th Spending for teachers salaries
47^th Delivery of social services
42^nd Child support collections
49^th Spending on the environment
48^th Per capita funding for public health
41^st Per capita spending on public education
1^st % of poor working parents w/o insurance
5^th % of population living in poverty
1^st % of children without insurance
1^st Air and water pollution
1^st Executions 121 (avg. 1 every 2 wks for Bush’s 5 yrs)
1^st in elitist smirks….

Imagine this type of leadership along with a Republican controlled congress that is only willing to give a minimum wage increase if business gets a 122 billion dollar tax break. In other words let the taxpayers pay for any increase. Not a bad deal, one dollar over two years (currently $5.15) for those that need it most, in exchange for 122 billion. Sounds fair, doesn’t it?

The above nonsense would be signed into law if George W. Bush were President. srw

The shortage of skilled labor has been and will continue to be one of the main topics of discussion as companies plan their future. We have tried to get the message out to unrepresented craftsmen in the building trades, that this labor shortage should be taken advantage of as they plan the future for themselves and their families.

The business community always justifies price increases by saying that it is simply supply and demand. Just look at gasoline prices today. It only makes sense that if your services are in demand because of a short supply, you should be getting the most out of it. It’s simply supply and demand.

I have listed our local wage packages before. I have made comparisons with non-union packages. I am going to list the packages again for you to compare. If you are a qualified electrician, and you are not getting the wages and benefits shown below, then you are giving away your skills at a time when they are in demand like never before.

Weekly Union Package:

Base Zone (in town, commercial type work)

$806.15 total wkly income

Zone 1 (Kennedy Space Center)

$924.95 total wkly income

Weekly Non-Union @ $15.00 per hour

$404.95 lost weekly by non-union family

The above is based on a $15.00 hourly wage and estimated health insurance deduction. There are many qualilfied electricians in the non-union sector who are not even getting $15.00 an hour, so the figures above would be even more in the "LOST MONEY" column.

Many have made the move and joined the ranks of IBEW Local Union 756 in recent months. There are many out there who want to, but for some reason are afraid to make the move. Give us a call or stop by the hall and we will provide the information you need. The longer you wait, the more money you are throwing away! Just remember, Supply & Demand! Your skills are in demand, don’t give them away.

Bill Sweeney

Organizer

Member's Corner

The April union meeting will be very important for you to attend. The pension fund trustees have invited our fund administrator, attorney and fund monitor in order to answer questions regarding our pension funds and investment style. This is the time to participate and have your questions answered and concerns addressed as it relates to Taft Hartley defined contribution plans.

NOW AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS

All members wishing to have the IBEW logo displayed on the death notice page of the Daytona Beach News Journal may now do so. Similar to the flag for veterans, our logo will be inserted simply by having your executor/family member inform the newspaper and /or the funeral director of the desire to insert the logo in the notice.

A sad but true story: Recently on the popular game show Jeopardy the question was asked what does IBEW stand for. Had any of our members been contestants they surely would have answered it stands for better wages, benefits, work place safety, dignity, fairness and contractual relations with employers. Unfortunately, none of the contestants were members and none knew the answer to the question. Here’s the point. Do not expect anyone else to share our message as to who we are or stand for. We must continue to organize those not represented, engage in labor/management relations and share in the ideals that have kept us strong for more than a century or else we truly risk being in jeopardy. And that simply ain’t gonna happen Alex…. srw

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Billy and Elizabeth Albert

are the proud parents of a daughter

Lindsey Elizabeth Albert – December 12, 1999

Jim and Tamara Merrick

are the proud parents of a son

Armando Javon Merrick – February 15, 2000

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We have regrettably lost two of our retired Brothers since the last issue of the Sidecutter.

Lawrence Lloyd "Curly" Lashley - February 11, 2000

Herbert H. Feldhauser - March 7, 2000

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

Something Worth Remembering…

"We earnestly invite all men belonging to our trade to come forward, join in our ranks and help increase our numbers, until there shall be no one working at our trade outside of our brotherhood…"

-Portion of the 1891 Preamble to the
Constitution of the IBEW.

Continuing Education Courses available:
For information contact Holmes Davis, Training Director 756-2776.

IBEW #756 Home Page | What We Believe

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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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Lloyd Davis
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