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NEW MEETING TIME

At the May General Membership Meeting, our members made a motion to change the time of the meeting from 8:00 pm to 7:00 pm. This new time change will go into effect at the Friday, July 8, 2005 meeting.

NEW BUILDING UPDATE

The architect is continuing to work on the drawings for our new Local 26 headquarters in Lanham, Maryland, and we should have the final drawings around the 3rd week of July. After that time, we can apply for the demolition permit to start renovations on the interior. New signs have also been put up on the building announcing that it is the future home of Local 26.

CONSTRUCTION CONFERENCE

In April, I attended the IBEW Construction Conference and, at that conference, President Hill expressed his concerns about the future of the IBEW. He conveyed that areas bothersome to him included membership in the construction industry, protecting the future of the IBEW, and protecting jobs that we have now. He also stated that we have to step up to the plate and be more productive on job sites not only to protect our present wages and benefits, but also to protect future wages and benefits.
In some parts of the country, owners and general contractors are excluding union contractors from bidding jobs because of the extra demands that Union labor brings. President Hill is working with National NECA to come up with ideas on how to improve our declining market share and membership. Sometime in the future, we expect there will be some major changes being sent down from the International Office.

ROANOKE NEGOTIATIONS

Negotiations did not go as well as I had hoped in Roanoke, so I had to file for CIR. CIR sessions were held the middle of May, and Local 26 should be receiving their final decision for the Inside Wireman Agreement in this part of our jurisdiction in the near future.

PRESCRIPTION COVERAGE

Attention All Medicare Recipients! You may be aware of some significant changes affecting Medicare as a result of the Medicare Modernization Act that became law in late 2003. One of the most significant changes involves a new prescription drug benefit (Medicare Part D) that will become available to Medicare beneficiaries on January 1, 2006.
Financial guidance from the Federal government was only recently issued. There are many aspects to this new law that the Trustees are considering at this time, and you’ll be getting additional information from the Fund in the near future. In the meantime, we anticipate that you will begin hearing about and possibly solicited to join other prescription drug plans.

DO NOT ENROLL WITH ANY OTHER PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLAN!

Unless you’re advised otherwise, as a participant in the Electrical Welfare Trust Fund, you will continue to have prescription drug benefits through the Fund. Enrolling with another prescription drug plan, even if it’s advertised as a plan exclusively for Medicare beneficiaries, may result in cancellation of your prescription drug benefits through the Fund.
You may want to advise any friends or relatives to be cautious in this regard as well for now. If you have any questions about your benefits with the Fund or with any solicitations you receive to join another prescription plan, contact the EWTF office at 301-731-1050.

PICNIC TIME

We are excited to be in the planning stages for two Local Union picnics. There will be a Local Union Picnic this year in Roanoke on Saturday, July 30. Mark your calendars, and I’ll give you more details on this as the date approaches. Also, the annual Local 26 picnic is being held at High Point Farm in Clarksburg, MD on Saturday, August 6. Details on this picnic and a form to request tickets are in this newsletter, page 7. We hope to see you and your family at one of these fun-filled events!

GOLF OUTING

I’d like to thank Butch Ramos for doing an outstanding job coordinating this year’s Dollars Against Diabetes Golf Outing. Not all the bills have been paid, but we made a considerable amount of money due to the participation of the members and our friends and associates who made contributions for this worthy cause. The turn-out was so great that, once again, we had to include a fifth golf course to accommodate all the golfers. Thanks, also, to all the volunteers who came out that day and gave up their time to help make this a very successful golf outing. We enjoyed beautiful weather, and it was a great day for brotherhood! You can visit our website’s photo gallery to view all the pictures.

Congratulations to those members below who received their service pins at the May General Membership Meeting!

Pictured above from left to right-- Mike Shoemaker, Financial Secretary; Ronald Kirin, 25 Yrs.; Margaret Henney, 25 Yrs.; Frank Cantwell, 25 Yrs.; Jeffery Lampe, 30 Yrs.; Levi Turpin, 30 Yrs.; Ray Hanawalt, 35 Yrs.; Robert Cherry, 30 Yrs.; Richard Smallwood II, 35 Yrs.; Cleotis Doyle, 35 Yrs.; Dwight Daniels, 35 Yrs.; Don Wade, 40 Yrs.; Roger Barnes, 30 Yrs.; Thomas Harrison, 30 Yrs.; Larry Clark, 20 Yrs.; Chuck Graham, Business Manager; Eric Boehm, 20 Yrs.

		click me 4 all photos

Mourn the Dead,
Fight for the Living!

Thirty-five years ago, Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act), promising every worker the right to a safe job. Unions and our allies have fought hard to make that promise a reality, winning protections that have saved hundreds of thousands of lives and prevented millions of workplace injuries. Nonetheless, the toll of workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths remains enormous. In fact, millions of workers are killed or injured unnecessarily every year. Each year, more than 56,000 workers die from job injuries and illnesses and another 6 million are injured.

The most recent edition of “Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect” marks the 14th year the AFL-CIO has produced a report on the state of safety and health protections for America’s workers. The report includes state-by-state profiles of workers’ safety and health and features state and national information on workplace fatalities, injuries, illnesses, the number and frequency of workplace inspections, penalties and public-employee coverage under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) for the 2003 year. This report uses government statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which are based in large measure on employer reports of injury and illness. It is important to recognize that while these statistics are relied upon and cited widely, numerous studies have shown the data underestimate the actual numbers of occupational injuries and illnesses in the United States. A January 2004 article in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine shows the BLS estimates missed as many as 69 percent of all injuries. Overall reported rates and numbers of workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities have fallen slightly or stagnated, but certain groups of workers face very high rates of job injuries and fatalities. These include Hispanic and immigrant workers, who often work in the most dangerous jobs and are exploited by employers, have no union protections and are afraid to speak out.

Unfortunately, the Bush administration has done little to address this pressing problem and other key safety concerns. Instead, the administration has turned its back on workers and workplace safety. Siding with its corporate friends, the administration has overturned or blocked dozens of important workplace protections and weakened job safety programs, leaving workers in danger. The Bush administration’s fiscal year (FY) 2006 budget will make matters worse. It proposes to eliminate all funding for worker safety training programs-- $10 million appropriated by Congress in FY 2005.

The dollar amounts of both federal and state OSHA penalties are woefully inadequate. There continues to be no substantial regulatory activity by the Bush administration at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). Important standards close to completion at the end of the Clinton administration— including a standard on employer payment for personal protective equipment— have been withdrawn or delayed repeatedly by the Bush administration. Overall, dozens of OSHA and MSHA standards have been pulled from the administration’s regulatory agenda. Budget cuts in job safety agency programs proposed by the administration will, if enacted, reduce the already inadequate resources devoted to workers’ safety and health. According to Liberty Mutual, the nation’s largest workers’ compensation insurance company, the direct cost of occupational injury and illness is $1 billion per week. The annual cost of these injuries is between $198.4 billion and $297.6 billion in direct and indirect costs—and these are conservative estimates. At a time when challenges, problems and costs are mounting, the nation’s commitment to protecting workers from job injuries, illnesses and death has faltered, while a high priority is put on protecting employers from meaningful regulations and enforcement. Voluntary compliance has been favored over issuing new protective standards and enforcement. And in the next four years, renewed assaults on the OSH Act and job safety programs are almost certain.

Rule making at OSHA and MSHA has virtually ground to a halt under the Bush administration. In December 2004, the administration published its latest semiannual regulatory agenda, which sets forth its regulatory priorities and plans for the coming year. To date, the administration has withdrawn 24 pending OSHA actions from its regulatory agenda, leaving few major initiatives on the regulatory schedule. OSHA still has taken no action on the Employer Payment for Personal Protective Equipment standard, which has been through the rule-making process and is ready for final action. The Bush administration is the only one since OSHA was created that did not issue a major safety and health regulation during a four-year term in office.

No worker should die on the job without being remembered. No worker should risk life and limb to earn a living. On the first Monday of every September, we celebrate Labor Day. That’s a day we have as a holiday to recognize the strides that labor has made to society; to remember the workforce of America, how important it is for this great of country of ours; and the contribution we have made to make this country the greatest in the world. On the last Monday in May, we recognize Memorial Day as the day to remember our fallen soldiers. In a collaboration of these days, on April 28, the unions of the AFL-CIO observe Workers Memorial Day to remember those who have suffered and died on the job and to renew the fight for safe workplaces. April 28 was chosen because it is the anniversary for the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the United States and the day of similar remembrance in Canada. In April 28, 1996, a global union delegation at the United Nations in New York lit a commemoration candle to highlight the plight of workers who die, are injured, or become ill from work-related toxins. Since then, Workers Memorial Day has been observed in nearly one hundred countries. The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the International Labor Organization (ILO) have officially endorsed the holiday.

April 28, an International Day of Mourning, goes unnoticed by many Americans, and it should never be forgotten. This is a day we will remember our brothers and sisters who have died or were injured because of work-related hazards. We will fight to make workers’ issues a priority and to keep and create good jobs in this country. We will fight for the freedom of workers to form unions and, through their unions, to speak out and bargain for safe jobs, respect and better futures. We will keep fighting until the promise of safe jobs for all workers is a reality.

by Franny Olshefski, President

Work Cited from www.aflcio.org/yourjobeconomy/safety/

A New Voice
for Working America

Working Americans have a new ally working to help promote their concerns. In today’s news media market, it is difficult for unions to get their information out. There has been an ongoing battle for the past few years with the Federal Communications Commission and the agency’s GOP majority. They have been trying to deregulate the media which would allow media monopolies to grow even larger. Many of the newspapers, TV stations, and radio stations are owned and operated by large corporations. Who will receive air time and what topics that can be discussed are being leveraged by big businesses.
The Ed Shultz show brings us a new choice for talk radio. In an industry that is dominated by conservative talk hosts, Ed Shultz takes a stand for working class America. Now there is a talk show host who tells the other side of the story and goes head-to-head with Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. This show is heard on more than 80 affiliated stations from coast to coast. We now have some overdue help in getting the union message out. To learn more about this show, you can log on to www.bigeddieradio.com, or tune in at WWRC 1260 AM, 3 pm to 6 pm for Maryland and D.C. In Virginia, tune in at WINA 1070 AM, 6 pm to 7 pm or WGAT 1050 AM, 6 pm to 9 pm. You may also tune in on XM Satellite Radio Channel 167 weekdays at 3 pm or Sirius Radio Channel 143 weekdays at 3 pm.

by Joe Dabbs, Organizer

2004 Working
Dues Statement

Every member of Local 26 who was a member in 2004 should have received a Working Dues Statement for the year 2004. Please review these statements and call with any questions you may have. The information on these statements was taken directly from the monthly contractor reports sent to the benefits office. It is a good idea to verify that your social security number on this report is correct. If there is an error, contact the Finance office and your employer.
With regard to the balance column shown, if there is a balance total shown not in parenthesis this is the amount that you may owe Local 26. Please remit payment as soon as possible. If there is a balance total shown in parenthesis, this amount may be an overpayment due to you from Local 26. Please call the Finance office if you overpaid or if there is a balance that you do not understand.
Dues and Work Dues payments can now be made with a phone call if you have an account with the Credit Union. You can set it up with the Credit Union, and they will bring the check to the Finance Office. The Credit Union phone number is 202-829-5404.
Also, we want to remind you that in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement, wage increases go into effect June 6, 2005. Go to www.ibewlocal26.org/wages.cfm for a complete listing for all classifications.

THIRD QUARTER DUES ARE DUE JULY 1ST!

by Mike Shoemaker, Financial Secretary

Attention Credit Union Members
NEW HOURS! NEW HOURS! NEW HOURS!

Effective May 1, 2005, our office hours have changed. Members can make deposits and withdrawals through the mail or in the office. To have a check mailed from your account, fax or mail a written request stating the amount of the withdrawal, your account number, and be sure to sign your request. We will then mail the check to you the same day we receive the request.
ATM and Debit cards through STAR network can be linked to the share or share draft account. We have share draft accounts with no minimum balance, no monthly service fee, and no fee per check. We have specially designed share drafts with the IBEW Local 26 logo.
Dues for Local 26 IBEW can be paid from your share account. Just call the Credit Union office with the dollar amount you owe the Union for your dues, and we will cut a check from your account and take it to the dues office.

NEW HOURS: Monday – Friday

9:00 am – 12:00 pm, 1:00pm – 3:30 pm

FCU Telephone 202-829-5404
FCU Fax 202-723-3190
Audio Response 1-800-724-7573
Email information@ibew26fcu.com

If you purchase a vehicle from Enterprise and finance with IBEW 26 FCU, you will receive a discounted loan rate. Special loan rates as follows: 1 & 2 model year old vehicle, 48 months at 5.5% or 60 months at 6%; 3 & 4 model year old vehicle ,48 months at 6.5%.
Enterprise used vehicles are put through a 109 point inspection, are priced below NADA value, come with 12-month/12,000 mile limited warranty, and 12-month/unlimited mileage roadside assistance package.

Residential Upgrade

All Residential Wiremen who have a Jurisdictional License and three or more years of good standing in the IBEW may be eligible for the Residential Upgrade Program. Please contact Ms. Escolero at (202) 829-2900, extension 19, for an application. If the Examining Board has reviewed your application and placed you into the Upgrade Program, you will be notified by the JATC about attending school in September. The deadline for returning applications to the Examining Board is June 20, 2005. No one will be reviewed after this date!

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