EXECUTIVE BOARD
John Collins
Joe Dabbs
Susan Flashman
Bill Giusti
George Hogan
Randolph Scott
Steve Zimmerman

Greetings, Sisters and Brothers! By the time you read this article, there will be two new representatives on the District of Columbia City Council: Ms. Muriel Bowser representing Ward 4 and Ms. Yvette Alexander representing Ward 7. Your Local Union supported both of these winners financially and with manpower. Ward 4 covers an area in upper northeast and northwest of the District. Ward 7 covers a part of upper northeast and upper southeast across the Anacostia River. Ms. Bowser received the open endorsement of the Metropolitan Washington Council (MWC), a consortium of approximately 40 unions, building trades included. What this means is labor union members who reside in Ward 4 (some 2,000 across all unions) were canvassed and urged to support Ms. Bowser’s candidacy. The Business Manager sent personal letters to our members who reside in Ward 4 urging them to first, get out and vote and, secondly, to support the Labor-endorsed candidate, Muriel Bowser. I would like to personally thank Brothers Robert Smith and Vance Burgess for answering the call to help out in Ward 4. In Ward 7, the dynamics were a bit different. Ms. Alexander was not officially endorsed by the MWC, so Local 26 had to be intimately involved. Brother Jamell Thrower, who is very active in District of Columbia politics, was instrumental in introducing Ms. Alexander to Local 26 and the other Building Trades. Jamell and I worked on Ms. Alexander’s campaign from the opening until the closing of the polls on Tuesday, May 1st. It was exciting to be a part of a winning campaign and to get to know Ms. Alexander who will be a friend to Local 26. Thank you Brother Thrower!

I would like to personally thank all our members in Wards 4 and 7 who went to the polls and voted for Labor’s and Local 26’s endorsed candidates. Your vote did count!

Brothers and Sisters, I have one more important point to share with you and it’s not new. As a matter of fact, it is probably “old” to most of you. It’s the point of political involvement. Politics are very important. One of the most important aspects of political involvement has to do with the VOTE! Most of you understand how the voting process works. However, in order to exercise your fundamental right to vote you MUST be registered in your area of residence. A great many of you are not registered which means you forfeit your right to vote. Without our collective vote, we are oftentimes ineffective politically. When those who seek to diminish our hard earned gains are able to ascend to positions of political power, we LOSE! Enough said. I hope you get the point. The International, whose charge is to defend the political gains (among other things) of its Locals, has decided to restore the role of “registrars” (Art. XVI, Section 3, IBEW Constitution.). The Business Manager has assigned that responsibility to me, so I will be contacting ALL of you at some point. Consider helping the Local out by donating two to three hours a month to help out on a political matter of importance in your district, ward or state. See you at the next Coalition meeting at 6:00 p.m. and the General Membership meeting at 8:00 p.m. on the 2nd Friday of the month.

by Larry Greenhill, Sr., Vice-President/Minority Coalition President

With the events that have taken place over the past several 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 would protect the member’s continuous membership status and protect the International Pension and Death 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 the Health and Welfare Office is 301-731-1050.

Please feel free to contact the Finance Office at 301-459-2900 if you have any questions regarding the Military Card.

3rd Quarter Dues are due July 1st!

by Mike Shoemaker, Financial Secretary

The Retired Members’ Club is taking another bus trip, and all members and guests are invited! This time it’s to the Amish Farmers Market in Annapolis, MD and the Kentmorr Restaurant & Crab House in Stevensville, MD on Thursday, July 19th. At the Amish Market, we will see Amish and Mennonite families from Lancaster, PA. Wares range from delicious foods to organic produce, as well as desserts and snacks to handmade quilts. After our shopping, view the waterfront sights from the Kentmorr Restaurant & Crab House, while enjoying a crab feast. Your scrumptious feast includes all the steamed crabs you can eat, Maryland crab soup, fried chicken, coleslaw, potato salad, corn-on-the-cob, fresh fruit, dessert, iced tea, soda, coffee, and draft beer. Tickets are $53.00 per person. The bus will leave the Local 26 headquarters in Lanham, MD at 10:00 a.m. Please call Rick Warner at 240-472-0438 for more information and to register.

There will also be another bus trip to Charlestown Races and Slots on Thursday, October 11th. Once again, the bus will leave the Local 26 headquarters at 10:00 a.m. and return at approximately 6:00 p.m. Seats are $20.00 per person. Watch upcoming newsletters for more details!