ROANOKE NEGOTIATIONS
Local 26 has notified NECA of our intentions to negotiate a new agreement in the Roanoke area. The current agreement expires May 31, so we will be starting negotiations in the very near future.
PREVAILING WAGE
The Maryland General Assembly is underway in Annapolis, and I would like to make you aware of a very important matter they are discussing. The Republicans have joined forces with Republican Governor Ehrlich to try and remove the prevailing wage on school construction. In addition, they want to do away with the prevailing wage office. We are going to be in Annapolis on Monday evenings to lobby our delegates and senators in an effort to get this turned around.
Prevailing wage is extremely important to local unions because our rates are presently in place. If prevailing wage is done away with in the state of Maryland, there would be contractors coming from all over the United States to do our work. They would bring their people and pay them substantially lower wages, making it very difficult for our contractors to get that work.
If you are a Maryland resident, please contact the delegate or senator in your district and tell them you are NOT in favor of doing away with prevailing wage laws. If you need assistance finding out who your representatives are, please call the business office and we will give you the information you need to contact them. In addition, we have sample letters that we can send you to forward to your state legislators.
WORK PICTURE
remodeling of RFK has begun. There are several contracts that were awarded in small pieces, so we have a number of our contractors working on the job. It was broken down into several contracts, for example, a contractor redoing concession stands, one redoing office spaces, another redoing lighting of the stadium, along with several other things going on there. The completion date is March 27. The new stadium at the Anacostia waterfront is already in motion along with the adjacent two pieces of property to be developed in the revitalization of that area. There have been no awards yet on who will be doing that work, but it should be coming soon. The Washington Building Trades is presently in negotiations with the District of Columbia for a Project Labor Agreement, but the District of Columbia is being pressured to not allow PLA’s on this work. This pressure is coming from the ABC, who has hired a high profile management attorney in an attempt to prevent this from happening with the unions. Pieces of property adjacent to the stadium will comprise Waterside Mall - a complex of office buildings, restaurants, clubs, etc. It should start sometime in the fourth quarter of this year.
The new Port America job in Prince George’s County we’ve been reporting on has begun to move dirt and will start foundation work in March. Budget drawings will come out in the spring, and the work should start sometime this year. The Warrenton Data Center, which is a very large project, was awarded to a union contractor. There is no start date right now, but it should begin in the near future since all the bids are in and the contracts have been awarded.
There is a job downtown called International Square which is a 400,000 sq. ft. office building. The job should start this summer, and Clark is the G.C. There is a new bio-tech conference center, lab and office building called U.F. Formacopia which is about 270,000 sq. ft. This project should start sometime in May. They have started demolition work in Roslyn for a new office complex with hotels, office buildings, and condos which is called Waterview. The General Contractor is JGB, and the job is underway. NOAA is building another lab office/data center in Takoma Park which is about 300,000 sq. ft., and this job should start in the next couple of months.
There is another large office building of about 300,000 sq. ft. at 505 - 9th Street which should start in August or September. There are also several high rise condominiums in the planning and getting ready to start stages in Fairfax, Arlington and DC, which are too numerous to mention.
Congratulations to those members who recieved their service pins at the
February General Membership Meeting
Members pictured from left to right: Mike Shoemaker, Financial Secretary;
Elmo Lewis, 40 Yrs; John Gough, 30 Yrs; Bruce Richardson, 35 Yrs; Benfacio Ciampo, 25 Yrs; James Deaner, 30 Yrs; Ronald Ferguson, 30 Yrs; John Merkel, 30 Yrs; Roland Bernier, 30 Yrs; Richard Kaplan, 35 Yrs; James Dimuzio, 40 Yrs; Eugene Sanchez, 30 Yrs; Chuck Graham, Business Manager
Brother Robert F. Downey and his wife gave birth
to a baby girl, “Gabriella Marie”on February 1, 2005. The little bundle
of joy was 6 lbs.
8 oz. and 19” long.
Brother Christopher Lloyd is the proud grandfather of “Tyler John Lloyd”.
His son, Jeffrey, and daughter-in-law, Stephani, gave birth to their little baby boy
February 9, 2005. He was 7 lbs. 11 oz. and 20” long.
Congratulations!!!
Congratulations to Kelsi Steele, daughter of JATC Assistant Director, James Steele, and his wife Lynda. She was the winner of the giant 8’ stocking. We give the stocking away every Christmas to a lucky Credit Union child. The stocking is filled with board games, stuffed animals, action figures, coloring books and crayons.
Credit Union Hours:
Monday, Thursday, Friday 9-12 & 1-3
Tuesday 9-12 & 1-4:30
Wednesday 9-12, 1-3 & 5-7
We are rolling our opening hours back to 9:00 am every
morning Monday thru Friday.
(Afternoon hours will remain the same at this time).
Email address: information@ibew26fcu.com
Telephone: 202-829-5404
Fax: 202-723-3190
Audio Response 1-800-724-7573
"Social Security’s retirement program has been a part of American life for more than 68 years. In addition to benefits for retired workers, it also provides financial support to younger workers and their families who face a loss of income due to disability or the death of a family wage earner."1 However, President George W. Bush, his Republican allies in Congress, and corporate chiefs are introducing an election-style PR campaign to privatize Social Security. In other words, it will destroy the most important family security effort in American history, Social Security.
George Bush is claiming Social Security is headed for a crisis and will end up bankrupt. He says Social Security will be bust and flat broke by the time today’s workers retire. Two workers from the Social Security Administration (SSA) told the Senate Democratic Policy Committee that the Bush administration has instructed employees of the SSA "to promote the idea that Social Security is indeed in crisis, and private investment accounts is the answer."8
Social Security is not running out of money, going bankrupt, or in crisis. According to the SSA, the fact is, with no changes to the system, Social Security can meet 100% of its obligations for the next thirty-seven years. Furthermore, if the people who don’t pay Social Security taxes now, people with an income of over $90,000 a year, did, then Social Security would be very strong in years to come. "But, instead of these wealthy people paying their fair share, Bush is pushing a high-risk concept of Social Security privatization."2
Bush says the plan will give workers "the chance to divert some of their payroll withholdings into personal retirement accounts that they control."4 In actuality, the government will control it, not the people. "It will be a lot less flexible than a deluxe 401(k) plan, in both terms of investment choice and ease of access to the account information. This will be the primary retirement account, and therefore will be less flexible. It will also be tightly regulated in reference to the range of available investments."4 Bush stated in his recent State of the Union Address, “We will make sure the money can only go into a conservative mix of bonds and stock funds.” Bush’s Social Security privatization plan would devastate working families like ours- while handing billions of dollars to rich Wall Street investment companies. The plan would also replace guaranteed benefits with risky private accounts.
"With private pensions and public employee retirement plans under attack, working families need more retirement security, not less. But privatizing Social Security would make retirement less secure by cutting guaranteed benefits anywhere from 30%"(5)-46%, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.
"Privatizing Social Security is not really voluntary. You’ll get the benefit cuts even if you don’t want a privatized Social Security account."6
"For workers who do choose to have privatized accounts, the government would take back 50 cents for every $1 in an account- on top of the 30[-46] percent cut in guaranteed benefits."5
"For the average worker who lives 20 years beyond retirement, that’s a $152,000 cut in guaranteed benefits. Privatization would push many more seniors into poverty."5 As stated in the Washington Post, “As a society, we still need a federal program that guarantees retirees do not live in poverty, no matter what they made or how long they live. That’s the social insurance part”. 3
The privatization plan would most likely raise workers’ retirement age to age 70 or older. MoveOn.org, an organization working to bring ordinary people back into politics, raised money for an ad called “Working Retirement”. The ad illustrated how many retirees would be forced back to work. They hoped to show Congress the consequences for backing this destructive plan.
"Privatization would hurt the economy and explode the deficit."5 Because current payroll taxes pay for the benefits of current retirees, any plan that allows workers to divert money into private accounts will create an imbalance short term and long term. It is estimated the transition period would be up to "$2 trillion in debt in the first decade alone, passing this debt onto our children."5 Furthermore, "retirees can’t pass privatized Social Security account money on to their heirs. The accounts will be converted to annual payments."6
"Privatization would open Social Security up to corruption, waste and Enron-ization because politicians would hand-pick which Wall Street investment companies could make billions off our privatized accounts. Decisions about Americans’ retirement security should be based on what’s best for the average person, not tied to politicians’ wealthy friends or companies that have political influence."5 We should not have to take these risks with our retirement money and hope for luck or skill as investors, especially with the ups and downs of the stock market. We already have those options with accounts such as a 401(k), in addition to Social Security.
"We must strengthen Social Security, but we must take the time to do it right so we help, rather than hurt working families. We should be talking about common sense fixes for Social Security rather than slashing benefits. First, we must insist that the government pay back money that’s been borrowed from the Social Security trust fund. We also could end the “wealthy wage exemption” so CEOs pay the same Social Security taxes on their incomes as average working people pay on theirs. We could also roll back President Bush’s most excessive tax breaks for the very wealthy."5
"To defend Social Security, we need to show President Bush, congressional leaders, and the media that millions of Americans reject Social Security privatization and its benefit cuts. The AFL-CIO has launched a petition to secure Social Security."7 Please sign their
petition at: 
by Franny Olshefski
Works Cited:
1 "Plan Your Retirement" http://www.socialsecurity.gov/r&m1.htm
2 "Now George Bush is misleading us about Social Security." MoveOn.org
3 Pearlstein, Steven "Social Security For a Savings Society", http://www.washingtonpost.com, 1/21/05
4 VanderKnyff, Rick "The Basics: The new Social Security" http://moneycentral.msn.com, 2/3/05
5 “What’s At Stake!: Don’t Privatize Social Security- Strengthen It.”, http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/schwab/explanation
6 http:www.unionvoice.org
7 “Social Security: Don’t Yield an Inch”, http://www.aflcio.org/issuepolitics/socialsecurity
8 “Bush Administration Pressures Social Security Workers To Sell Privatization”, http://www.aflcio.org/issuepolitics/socialsecurity/ns01282005.cfm
Special thanks to the AFL-CIO Working Families e-Activist Network
With the events that have taken place over the last couple years, many of our members are being called up for Active Military Duty. Members who are called up for active duty should contact the Finance Office and ask for a Military Service Card. You would be eligible for this if you are called up for full active duty, you are a member in good standing, and you are called up for a period of at least 90 days. This card will protect the member's continuous membership status and protect the International death and pension benefits while you are serving. During the time you are serving full active military service, the member who has this card is not required to pay dues while the card is active. The maximum duration of a military card is 48 months. You will be required to provide the Local with a copy of your orders before the card is issued. A member must, within 60 days after separation from military service, deposit the Military Card with the Local Union and resume paying dues.
It is also recommended that you contact the Health and Welfare Office and let them know of your military service. The phone number for Health and Welfare is (301) 731-1050.
Please feel free to contact the Finance Office at (202) 829-2900 if you have any questions regarding the Military Card.
Second quarter dues will be due April 1st!
by Mike Shoemaker
The strength of organizing increases through the efforts of the members. The Local is growing by a number of different means being applied in a grass roots style. Organizers working out of the new satellite offices are applying pressure to the non-union sector by meeting with the non-union workers before work, at work and during the evenings. They are providing these workers with information that explains the real short term and long term benefits of being a union electrician. Educating these workers is a tremendous undertaking. Much of what the non-union electrician hears each day about the union comes from their employer. What they hear is incorrect negative information about the union. This is done for the sole purpose of controlling and keeping down the workers. If the non-union employer spoke the truth about the union, his employees would leave. The organizers are making contact with the non-union apprentices to show them that a union apprentice knows financially were they will be at the end of their apprenticeship. In addition, the organizers are providing information to our union contractors of the new work coming out to bid.
Networking with the Building Trades is another means the organizers use to educate the non-union trades. Our organizers, along with organizers from the other building trades and members who volunteer, routinely picket the non-union ABC apprenticeship schools in the evenings. This has been an effective means to make the non-union apprentice aware of the difference in training and what union membership offers. Typically, the non-union apprentice pays for their training. They are task trained rather than receiving a complete education. Another means the organizers use to apply pressure to the non-union employer is by hand-billing the employees when they arrive to the job site in the morning. Our organizers, along with those of the other building trades and volunteer union members, inform the non-union workers on various issues when they arrive to a job site prior to the start of work.
Reaching out to the new generations that are looking to the Trades as a career is another way used to increase the growth of the Union. As the cost of a college education continues to increase, the value of a union apprenticeship is becoming appealing to graduating high school students. Some of the organizers made a presentation to area high school students in January. The meeting of the school we visited was set up with the help of one our current apprentices. During the presentation, we played the new apprenticeship DVD. As it turned out, the students knew one of our apprentices as a graduate from their school. Part of the presentation includes the time honored wisdom from a retiree. Retired Brother Dick Bissell volunteered his time to speak to the students about the value of our health care, pension, annuity, and continuing education during his career as an electrician. In the coming years, the baby boomers will be retiring from the work force. The need for Local 26 to expand the apprenticeship program is very important to meet the future demands of the industry.
The strength of this Union depends on its members' involvement. One way for the members to contribute to the organizing efforts is to contact the career counselor at their area middle schools and high schools. This will afford us the opportunity to show what an active union can do for our communities. For more ways you can help, contact any of our Local 26 Organizers at (202) 829-2900.
by Joe Dabbs
There are certain benefits provided under the Electrical Welfare Trust Fund (EWTF) that require pre-certification before actual coverage can be made available. “Pre-Certification” means that either the Fund Office or a Fund Office vendor must approve your claim as necessary and appropriate before the Fund pays any benefits for that claim.
These are the benefits that require pre-certification:
Durable Medical Equipment (DME)
DME can consist of anything as simple as crutches to something as complex as a nerve stimulator for promoting faster healing of fractures. If you need DME, you must contact the Fund Office for approval. Often, the Fund Office will consult with the PPO, Alliance, for an opinion. In some cases, your provider of services will be asked for more information before pre-certification of the DME can be given.
Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)
Through the Fund’s EAP, Business Health Services (BHS), counseling is an available benefit for you and your dependents. Before any mental health or substance abuse benefits are covered, however, you must pre-certify the treatment with BHS by calling 1-800-765-3277. If appropriate, BHS will make the necessary referrals for you.
Inpatient Hospitalization
When you are going into the hospital, the Fund strongly recommends that you call the case management and review services at Alliance at 1-800-962-0643. While this is not mandatory, obtaining pre-certification will help to ensure the quality of the services you receive in the hospital and from your physician, and may save money for both you and the Fund.
Chiropractic Care
It is always recommended that you obtain a referral by a medical doctor before you seek chiropractic care. In some cases, you may be required to do so before any benefits are payable. Bear in mind also, that not all chiropractic services, such as hot and cold packs and other routine self-care services, are covered.
Home Health Care/Nursing Home Care/
Hospice Care
Any benefits for these services must be pre-certified by the Fund before they are payable. If you are in need of home health care, you must pre-certify with the Fund Office. For care in a hospice or nursing home, call Alliance at 1-800-962-0643.
Major Dental Services
You are required to submit a “treatment plan” for Major Dental Services such as inlays and crowns, if the cost of such services will exceed $600. The treatment plan must be submitted by your dentist to the Fund Office before any benefits are payable.
Hearing Care
You are eligible for a hearing exam once every three years. The Fund will pay 80% up to $100 of the cost of the exam. In order to obtain this benefit, however, you must get a referral from your physician to a licensed and certified audiologist.
Remember, it is always a good idea to check with the Fund Office if you have a question about a benefit or the need to obtain pre-certification before you have the actual treatment or service. If you need pre-certification, the Fund Office will assist you.
It’s also very important to bear in mind that the Fund only covers services, treatments, and supplies when (1) they are medically necessary, clinically appropriate, and relate to the benefits provided by the Fund and (2) are performed, recommended, approved or prescribed by the attending physician, and (3) are not excluded under the terms of the Plan.
by Peter Klein, Fund Manager
See this months newsletter for the registration form.
