|
|
ħħħħħħħ
|
 |
Local 15 swears in
new Apprentice Class |
To view the latest group of Local 15 members
JH
ħħħħħħħ
3/31/05
|
Local 15
Hartford, Connecticut
Celebrating St. Patrick's Day
with style! |
 |
Local 1Vig hit once again at the
St. Patrick's Day Parade this year. Member Chris Morway,
who's led the contingent for almost twenty years, was out in front
as usual.
To see several pictures of the parade
JH
NOTE:
In the third picture you'll see Chris Morway in the forefront and a
crane that is erected on one of Local 15's jobs in the background.
ħħħħħħħ
|
BRA approves $110M East Boston condo, waterfront
revitalization project |
|
Developers overcame their last major hurdle to building a
$110 million condominium and rental apartment project on the
East Boston waterfront today... |
To read more, as it appeared in the
BOSTON BUSINESS JOURNAL
JH
ħħħħħħħ
|
 |
Did you ever wonder why...
|
| When
manufacturing plants are moved overseas and jobs are lost on
American soil... |
It's free
market and good for our country! |
| When airline
tickets are processed - X-Rays are read - and a variety of
other jobs are "outsourced" - a fancy word for eliminating
jobs in America and having them performed in some Third
World nation, without eliminating (and actually enhancing)
the stock options for a select few... |
It's free market and good for
our country! |
| When banks and
other businesses are allowed to set up satellite locations
on exotic islands or foreign soil to avoid paying their fair
share of taxes to the United States of America... |
It's free market and good for
our country! |
| But when our
retired members on fixed incomes, or people on fixed incomes
anywhere for that matter, dare to consider purchasing their
monthly prescriptions from Canada in an effort to stem the
ever growing costs of staying alive and well, without
totally destroying their quality of life... |
It's viewed as Un-American
and people that do that should be ashamed of themselves! |
Fair's fair. These drug companies
do put a lot of ironworkers to work when they build plants, and they
do assist many of our members, or family members of those members,
to lead a normal life with the assistance of their products. The
funny (funny as in, the jokes on us) part is, and the main focus
here, should be on the politicians who openly (and oft times,
arrogantly) support the shipment of American jobs to foreign shores,
being the same people who work feverishly to fight our
members, or people who find themselves similarly situated, from
saving a buck when it comes to enjoying that free market philosophy
that is allegedly so good for our country.
Their "free market for some" philosophy is unconscionable. Because
money talks in politics, and the pharmaceutical companies fund a
giant lobbying machine, which, in turn, funds re-election campaigns,
the little people suffer. Laid off workers, left in the wake of
these politicians' thirst for outsourcing, don't enjoy that
advantage, nor do our retired iron workers who would like to save a
few bucks without jeopardizing their health and well being.
From the limited research we did (5 minutes), the CEO's of these
pharmaceutical firms are hardly suffering. Our assumption is that
neither are their high-priced lobbyists. We already know from
experience that the BIG BUSINESS minions in the US SENATE and the
UNITED STATES CONGRESS - those ardent free trade advocates - aren't
hurting either! Just don't get caught trying to save a buck for
yourself. Free market is apparently not free to everyone.
|
Are the
pharmaceutical CEO's suffering? |
You be the judge! |
| JOHNSON & JOHNSON
|
| MERCK
|
| BRISTOL MYERS-SQUIBB
|
| WYETH |
| PFIZER
|
Again, companies are going to
push the envelope as far as they are allowed to push it, and CEO's
are allowed to make as much money as it is internally determined
they are worth. We cite their compensation packages to put this
argument about the "(usually) FREE TRADE SENATORS & CONGRESSMEN"
into perspective. The CEO's must be doing well to earn such handsome
packages (we suspect they're just not doing well enough to allow you
to cut your costs or their partners on the national political
scene to embrace a dose of reality! Hopefully next year will be a
better year for them).
These snake-eyed politicians require constant oversight, as
they are the ones empowered to bring about legislative changes.
They'll cry "free market" when it comes to shipping our jobs
overseas, or ship in commodities that were built for twelve cents in
some foreign country. Yet if you cry free market when you
need a prescription filled and can get the costs reduced by engaging
in the same free market theory, they'll paint you as a traitor. Go
figure! As we move forward in life, when you read the stories about
free trade, keep this example of the lack thereof in the
forefront of your mind.
You have to the ability to look up hundreds of
CEO's compensation packages. Just
JH
ħħħħħħħ
Retired
Ironworkers Association President Bill Harvey stopped by to let us
know that if you have clothes or shoes that you may not need, the
Local 7 Retired Iron Workers Association could use your help. They
are collecting these types of items for the Men & Women's
Veterans' Shelter.
You can drop the items off at 195 Old Colony Avenue in South Boston.
If you have any questions, they can be reached @ 617-268-1605.
 |
NOTE: We
told Bill Harvey that we will be monitoring his gang to make
sure they're not using this community service opportunity to
upgrade their wardrobe! (Just kidding, the Local 7 retirees
perform countless numbers of community services and should
be commended for their fine work!) JH |
ħħħħħħħ
|
Kevin Roy |
I received the
following message regarding the ONLINE GUEST BOOK sign up
for our late LU 37 brother, Kevin Roy.
MESSAGE:
Thank you for signing the Guest Book for Kevin M. Roy. The
Guest Book will remain online for another 5 days. After Apr
04, 2005, it no longer will be available for reading and
adding entries.
Please act accordingly. His twin
brother, Albert, is a JIW with Local 37, and a great guy. He
and his family have suffered a tragic loss and could use
your words of encouragement. |
To leave an online message for the family of Kevin BEFORE APRIL 5,
2005
JH
ħħħħħħħ
|
Local 7
hosts
Joe Brown Steward School
Record participation
is a good sign for future! |
 |
Local
7 hosted the Joe Brown Steward School last evening and the
event was widely attended by members interested in serving Local 7
and its membership as a union steward. It was especially heartening
to see so many young members participate, as an informed and
educated job steward is the key to jobs being worked safely,
efficiently and professionally - the expectation of any owner who
pays for our members' services.
Topics included recognizing and properly acting on harassment in the
workplace; trade jurisdiction and the methods that should be used
when faced with trade infringement on our work without disrupting
the job site; a comprehensive review of the collective bargaining
agreement; the evolving presence of drug testing in the workplace;
the importance of solid and irrefutable recordkeeping in the event
this information is ever required or requested at a future date; the
treatment and follow-up treatment for members injured on the job
site; as well as a variety of other issues.
To view pictures of the March 29th class
JH
ħħħħħħħ
|
The
quote in the box below was forwarded to me by a friend.
My original thought was to internalize it (as
usual), as politics is such a personal and divisive subject.
As someone who sees the damage that is aimed directly at the
labor movement each and day, however, I couldn't shake it
off. It is my job to get OUR message out, and I've decided
to use this innocuous and partisan quote as motivation.
I am employed to raise the working conditions, wages and
benefits of our members, and to advocate against anything
that might hurt the short or long-term well being of those
members. It is the choice of our members to determine what
is in their best interest and it becomes my job to act
accordingly - BUT NOT ALONE!
JH |
The QUOTE:
(Robert B. Reich is
cofounder of The American Prospect, former Secretary of
Labor in the Clinton administration, and a former
Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate. According to Mr.
Reich: "This is just
one example of how the Republican propaganda machine is
lying to the American people about Bushs plan for Social
Security, just as it has lied about so much else. FOX News
many distortions are mirrored on other yell-television
cable networks, on right-wing radio, and on the editorial
pages of The Wall Street Journal. Its a formidable
machine. The American Prospect, Media Matters, Air
America, and others who are trying to set the record
straight are peanuts by comparison.
If Americans get the facts
about Bushs plan, they will reject it out of hand. In fact,
theres no Social Security crisis. In fact, privatization
would divert money out of Social Security and create a
crisis. In fact, it would drive up the deficit by trillions
of dollars. In fact, it would deprive future Social Security
recipients of a large chunk of their benefits. (And, of
course, FDR intended no such thing.)
These are the facts. But the
nation continues to experience one of the gravest dangers to
democracy it has ever endured, in the form of relentless and
coordinated campaigns of distortion waged under the
leadership of this White House.
Lets hope the American people
get the truth."
|
The take from the District Council office:
Robert Reich is as avid (for the other end of the
political spectrum) about his causes, as President Bush
or any of his allies are about theirs. They are
diametrically opposed on most issues and most of our members
find themselves somewhere in between.
One thing should be made clear for the sake of fairness
(especially in light of the fact that George W. Bush has
never stood at our side on any issue): WHEN IT COMES TO
DEFENDING ORGANIZED LABOR, IT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE, ROBERT REICH
IS FAR MORE INCLINED TO FIGHT FOR OUR CAUSES.
A blanket characterization (which is dangerous, but
necessary to make this point) would find many of our members
unable to fully align themselves with either (Bush or
Reich) group, which as previously stated, places us
"somewhere in between." Why is that?
|
A simplified version is that Republicans (with a
few fortunate exceptions) have taken a hard line,
locally as well as nationally, against organized
labor and its advocacy for working families. If
a union member supports the Republican party because
of personal beliefs on an individual, or a variety,
of social issues (including, but not limited to,
abortion; gay rights; war; taxes; gun control;
separation of church and state and stem cell
research) that is his or her right. What has to be
understood is that this support undermines our
ability to make a living if the politician you are
supporting on issues unrelated to organized labor's
well being, repeatedly votes for issues that
are going to have a drastic and negative
effect on your ability to make a living when the
time comes that he's faced with choices that do
concern organized labor. We could cite THOUSANDS of
examples to back up this claim, yet it continues to
take place.
Conversely, far
more Democrats (but not all) support the principles
and objectives of organized labor. Some even go the
extra step and champion our causes. They understand
that organized labor is not only the foundation of
the middle class in this country, but is what will
sustain that middle class in future years. These
same lawmakers often advocate certain social issues
(again, unrelated to organized labor's issues) that
our members may object to, which drives these member
away. This unwillingness to support a pro-labor
candidate is any member's right. It simply leads to
this question: "Is the social issue that one
disagrees with a pro-labor candidate on, more
important than issues that are directly related to
one's ability to work for good wages and decent
benefits on a safe jobsite?" If not, this unwitting
support of anti-labor candidates makes
little, if any, sense for your well being.
===================================
What's the
answer?
After
all, you don't pay us to point out the problems, you
pay us to formulate solutions. Furthermore, if we
don't solve this problem, our wages and working
conditions, and shortly thereafter, our viability as
an effective voice for working families, will suffer
proportionately.
We are at war with a formidable, highly organized
and well financed
anti-union/anti-worker/anti-middle class foe
(despite any and all protests to the contrary).
These decision makers are
some of the very same people that you may support,
or have supported in the past, for reasons unrelated
to organized labor. What makes it significantly
worse, is that these elected officials make
appointments (two quick examples: life-tenured
Judges at all levels of the judiciary system; and
the National Labor Relations Board), that will often
outlive the elected officials' time in office, but
will continue to reflect their anti-worker ideology.
There are
actually THREE answers...
EDUCATION, PRIORITIZATION and
MOBILIZATION.
-
This website posting begins the
EDUCATION
component. In the past, we tried to keep our
members up to speed through our monthly
newsletter, The COLUMN. In this age of
instant gratification, a monthly newsletter is
becoming today's version of yesteryear's Western
Union telegrams - when was the last time you
sent or received a telegram? We have the ability
to point out dangers to our members on a
daily basis. Members must understand the
importance of knowing what politicians at all
levels are up to at all times, and then
resorting to the tried and tested adage of
Samuel Gompers - one of the founders of the
American Federation of Labor (the AFL in
AFL-CIO) - who proclaimed that "We must
reward our friends and punish our enemies."
Our pledge is to bring every matter of concern
that comes to our attention, immediately to your
attention. The fact that you find yourself
reading this shows how easily this can be
accomplished. We need our members to encourage
other members and similarly situated people
(from other trades, etc.) to visit our website
as often as possible. We must also start
familiarizing ourselves with a group of people
whom we pay to protect our interests in
Washington - The AFL-CIO - who do a
wonderful job at framing each and every issue
that impacts workers and their families. As
important as it is to visit our website every
day, it is equally important to visit theirs, as
they have the resources to present comprehensive
positions on virtually every problem that we
face.
To visit the national AFL-CIO website
-
The
PRIORITIZATION
component is the irrevocable right of a member
to determine who or what they wish to support.
If you don't like what we're selling, don't buy
it. It costs nothing to listen. All we can do is
recommend political candidates (a decision which
is based solely on a candidate's
willingness to support organized labor's agenda,
or in certain cases, our more narrowly defined
agenda as ironworkers). The member makes the
ultimate choice, but if we EDUCATE them as to
why a candidate deserves, or doesn't deserve,
their support - and the member agrees to place
their ability to earn as profitable a living as
possible at the top of their agenda when it
comes time to elect candidates - these decision
should be relatively simply.
-
The
MOBILIZATION
component is the key. Are you willing to
participate when called upon? Union leaders are
like sport's coaches or managers. We get too
much credit when things are going well, and too
much blame when things go awry. If our members
make a commitment to mobilize, politicians will
be left with no choice but to acquiesce to the
needs of working people, as these people
specialize in counting numbers and subsequently
siding up with the group that has the most
votes. This is no great secret, nor is it any
great secret that our members are not as willing
to give up their spare time to fight for what we
need to succeed as we were in years' past. These
three links are inextricably woven and each must
be adhered to for the plan to succeed. In
summary, success will follow our
|
Knowing the
issues |
(EDUCATION)
|
|
Putting issues at the TOP of your agenda
|
(PRIORITIZATION)
|
|
Show
up when your needed |
(MOBILIZATION)
|
The
alternative is to allow these people to run things
in a manner that is consistent with their best
interests (which, trust me, is not in your best
interest!)
===================================
There's nothing
complicated here:
Log on daily and pledge your future
participation:
www.ironworkersdcne.org
(Copy the link to our site and forward it via E-mail
to your friends, co-workers and anyone else who
might have an interest in participating in the fight
to save middle class values and lifestyles, as this
is what's at stake!
JH |
|
Again, to visit the national AFL-CIO website
(Please save the AFL-CIO's website as a "Favorite"
and visit it to participate in their battles as
often as possible.
An educated workforce cannot be defeated.
Unfortunately, the reverse is true too!)
|
|
Please feel free to E-mail me with any feedback or ideas. To send an
E-mail
JH
ħħħħħħħ
We regret to
announce the passing of former
General Agent of the Boston Building Trades |
|
Charlie Spillane |
| Charlie,
a Cement Mason by trade and former Business Agent from
Cement Masons LU #534 in Boston, was a prominent spokesman
and proud advocate of organized labor. Please remember
Charlie and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
|
To review the obituary or to sign the
Guest Book online (until 4/26)
JH
ħħħħħħħ
3/28/05
|
The
SILVER LINE
Ironworkers show off
extraordinary skills at all facets of our trade at Boston's
new state-of-the-art rapid transit stations that make up the
SILVER LINE. |
 |
You want to see the end result of first-class
finish work by ironworkers?
JH
3/28/05
(Updated from 3/24/05)
|
HINCKLEY SUSPENDED FOR
OVERLOOKING KEVIN COLLINS! |
For more information
JH
|
Who needs
the NHL?
We have IRON HOCKEY |
 |
Local 7 members
couldn't wait any longer for the NHL players to come back to work.
Over the last few weeks, they have rented ice in the North End and
in Cambridge to work out their frustrations. Unemployed NHL scout
"Big" Bobby Hinckley
stopped by the council office to gives us an analysis of the two
games.
To review
Hinck's
scouting report
JH
To see pictures
of our boys in action
JH
ħħħħħħħ
|
Meet Nick
Grady |
 |
Heard from Dan Grady of Local
7.
He sent the following message:
Hi Jay, thanks for the reply.
This is our son LCpl. Nick Grady, 1st Recon. Bn., Bravo Co.
USMC. The picture was taken on a road in Fallujah. While they were
on patrol, Nick spotted wires leading into the side of the road.
They were connected to an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). The
hole that he is standing by contained numerous explosives. He
returned last October, and will probably go back sometime this Fall.
Keep the faith my brother, Happy Easter to you and yours also. Danno
Best of luck and good wishes go
out to another brave member of our extended family - Nick Grady.
Thanks to him for serving, and thanks to Dan for contacting us.
To see a larger version of
Nick's picture
JH
ħħħħħħħ
 |
Jim Brown
poised to replace Jim Coyle
as Local 7 BM/FS-T on April 1st! |
For more on
Jimmy Brown and/or a larger look at that picture of Jim and Jim
JH
ħħħħħħħ
|
Local 7's
Jim Coyle leaving to head up the Metropolitan Boston
Building Trades Council |
 |
When you hear that Jimmy Coyle
is leaving his post as Local 7 BM/FS-T on April 1st to head up the
Metropolitan Boston Building Trades Council, do NOT chalk it up to
an April Fool's joke. At a recent meeting of building trades
delegates from all trades, Jimmy was elected unanimously to
take the place of retiring General Agent Joe Nigro.
For more on the story, and/or a larger look of the picture of Joe
and Jimmy
JH
To see Jimmy's
letter of resignation from Local 7
JH
ħħħħħħħ
3/25/05
|
ABC
 |
|
Absurdity
Beyond
Comprehension! |
|
Iron Workers Local 474 is proudly supporting a bill in the
Vermont legislature:
House Bill 358
The bill advocates the following:
- Provide at least basic
health
insurance coverage to employees.
- Provides at least basic
provisions
for retirement to employees.
- Has a
bono-fide
training program certified by the Federal Bureau of
Apprenticeship and Training.
- Provides an affidavit affirming
that
during the three years preceding the date of bid
submission the bidder did not violate any Vermont law
governing public works or contracting, workers
compensation, or tax or wage laws.
- Subcontracts, at whatever tier,
only
with other responsible contractors.
|
On the ABC's (New Hampshire & Vermont Chapter) Website, the
contractor's union - whose main thrust is to reduce or
eliminate the ability of their employees to organize,
which enhances their working conditions and wages - makes
the following pledge to its members regarding House Bill
358:
"...The bill has been referred to the Government
Operations Committee for hearings. Please contact ABC if you
have any questions concerning this initiative and ABC's
efforts to prevent passage of any requirements
that would impact your ability to maintain effective
employee relations and operate your company as efficiently
as possible, without the threat of frivolous charges."
Isn't it fair to conclude that the
ABC feels that health insurance (#1) - pensions
(#2) - apprentice training programs (#3) and law abiding
contractors (#4 & #5) are:
"... requirements that would impact your
ability to maintain effective employee relations and operate
your company as efficiently as possible?"
They said it...(Although we
have learned to take what they say with a grain of salt.)
|
|
 ![]()
The appropriate logo for answering the
following question:
"When will ABC employers start
treating their employees properly?" |
To see the ABC's entire sickening analysis of
Vermont House Bill 358
JH
ħħħħħħħ
|
Eleven
Local 37 members complete 20 hours of classroom instruction
under the Providence, Rhode Island Emergency Management
Agency
The District Council is
justifiably proud of the eleven members of Local 37 who took
the time to get classroom certified in emergency management
training. These gentlemen should be commended for their
actions. |
 |
Emergency management personnel around the country
have come to understand and appreciate the skills and knowledge that
our members bring to emergency situations. Heavy rigging, welding,
burning and crane knowledge cannot be acquired on short notice. With
that in mind, it is becoming a common custom nationally for our
members to be asked to participate in emergency mobilization squads,
where their skills are teamed up with professionals such as
firefighters, EMT's, and other building trades groups.
For a larger photo of the Local 37 members who
completed this training
JH
ħħħħħħħ
|
Gillette
pledges
to spend $200M on
plant upgrades in South Boston |
| Temporarily
abating the fears of many working families from this area,
Gillette announced plans to continue forward with their
plans to invest an additional $200M in their South Boston
headquarters over the next three years. This is not only
good news for Gillette's workforce, but also to our
membership and our signatory contractors, as we have
performed a number of jobs for the corporate giant since
their inception. |
For related stories that ran
in today's BOSTON GLOBE and BOSTON HERALD
JH
ħħħħħħħ
3/24/05
|
Associated
Builders
and Contractors
(ABC)
Sued
For Breach
of Fiduciary Duty!
|
|
Serious
allegations of money earmarked for "apprenticeship training"
being used to support contractors' association instead... |
|
On March 15, California apprentices filed a class action
lawsuit for breach of fiduciary duty against the Associated
Builders and Contractors of Southern California, a non-union
construction contractors' association, and the trustees of a
trust fund set up by the contractors' association to receive
contributions for apprenticeship training.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Los Angeles, alleges
that the defendants used apprenticeship trust fund money to
support the contractors' association rather than to pay for
apprenticeship programs. |
To read the full press release
from Corbett & Lalli
JH
Still another
reason why the ABC - "The Contractors' Union" - puts billboards up
disparaging Project Labor Agreements (PLA's). Union apprenticeship
programs are the irrefutable gold standard of the construction
industry and are included in all PLA's, for ALL trades.
Is it possible that the ABC is against PLA's because money earmarked
for APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING has to be used for APPRENTICESHIP
TRAINING?
ħħħħħħħ
3/24/05
|
Joseph E.
Brown Steward School |
 |
All Local 7 members are
welcome to attend the Joseph E. Brown Steward
School.
Tuesday, March 29,
2005
Local 7 Union Hall and Training Facility
4:30 PM to 9:00 PM
(Dinner will be served) |
Many years ago, a decision was made to
name the new Local 7 Steward's School after Local 7 member and
former Business Agent Joe Brown.
One of the staunchest defenders of collective bargaining and
organized labor, it was totally deserving to have Joe's name
attached to this endeavor. Strong - and educated - stewards
are the backbone to survival in what is readily recognized as one of
the most dangerous occupations in the country. It is imperative, for
young members especially, to take the time to learn the pitfalls
that can result from poor stewardship. With this in mind, we need
these members to take the time to educate themselves as to the
problems that have been encountered in the past, and how to best
deal with them if you find yourself serving as a steward on some
future Local 7 affiliated job site.
NOTE:
Thank you to ANDY RYAN PHOTOGRAPHY
for the picture of the Leonard P. Zakim/Bunker Hill Bridge (which
was built by Local 7's members several years ago, and which we
sometimes refer to as the Joe Haugh Bridge
- after all, Joe was our
steward on the project).
To view
more work by ANDY RYAN
PHOTOGRAPHY
JH
To learn more about
Lenny Zakim - Bunker Hill - or "The Joe Haugh Bridge"
JH
ħħħħħħħ
3/23/05
|
Local 7 well
represented at South Boston's
St. Patrick's Day Parade |
 |
As usual, Local
7 was well represented at the annual St. Patrick's Day/Evacuation
Day parade in South Boston on Sunday, March 20th. A lot of people
went the extra distance to make us look good, but special thanks
must go out to Bobby "The K" Kinsherf
a.k.a. "The Parade King."
Thanks Bobby, and everyone else who played a part.
For a larger version of the picture
(above right)
JH
ħħħħħħħ
|
Local
7 member
James "Jay" O'Brien
ELECTED to Dedham, MA Planning Board |
March 19th turned out to be
a special day for Local 7 member James "Jay" O'Brien.
The Dedham, MA native, who is always active and diligent in
a variety of political endeavors on behalf of other
candidates and/or causes, decided to put his own name on the
ballot. It proved to be a successful move when he was
elected to his hometown Planning Board. Congratulations are
in order for Jay, as well as for the many other Local 7
members who took the time to get involved in his campaign.
Jay deserves a lot of credit for constantly taking the time
to get involved in meaningful causes, and should be
congratulated for this victory if you see him. |
 |
To see a picture of Jay from a campaign ad that ran in the DEDHAM
TIMES
JH
ħħħħħħħ
|
On February 25th, we displayed pictures of Boston's
Prudential Center being built in the early 1960's. The
pictures were a gift from brother Paul
Hadley, one of the
all-time greats in our organization. Recently,
Robert Campbell,
a renowned Boston architect, who frequently allows us looks
of past and present Boston in the BOSTON
GLOBE SUNDAY MAGAZINE,
featured the Prudential Building ("The Pru") as it looked
when our members were erecting it in 1963, and the amount of
work that our members had performed in the
ensuing 42 years. It is remarkable to look at the
difference, and that difference was only made possible
through the skill, knowledge and hard work of our members.
|
 |
For a
larger view
of the picture in the box above
JH
To see several of Paul Hadley's pictures of the "PRU" being built
JH
ħħħħħħħ
|
What does organized
labor bring to the table? |
Organized labor is the enemy to many influential and
highly financed capitalists and policy makers who believe that
decent wages and benefits for workers and their families cuts into
their all-important bottom line. They enjoy many advantages in
getting their message out because so many of their colleagues and
contemporaries stand to profit at our peril. When we forget what our
movement is about, or refuse to participate in events aimed at
getting out our side of the story, their propaganda prevails!
The question is "What does organized labor bring to the table?"
for an answer that we should be proud to stand behind.
JH
ħħħħħħħ
3/18/05
|
An official
response from
The Loyal Order of Mongoose...
|
Yes, Scuz, some people pay off their bets! If you don't
believe it
JH
=============================
The Loyal Order of Mongoose were outraged when
the February 2nd story (above) ran about Scuz-Dog Callahan (a
Mongoose legend). Local 7 President Jim Brown received their
official response via a recent E-Mail.
To read
the
Mongoose's response
JH
For our
unenlightened readers: The Loyal Order of Mongoose is an
internal think tank within Local 7 that is financed privately by a
group of well-to-do members. Their ultimate goal is to overthrow any
and all forms of authority in all walks of life. One attributable
characteristic to a true mongoose is the inability to pay off wagers
(see story above). We will keep you posted as to their surreptitious
and clandestine actions and behavior as the need arises. In the
interim, Long live the MONGOOSE!
ħħħħħħħ
3/18/05
|
We regret
to announce the passing of one of New England's great labor
advocates LINDA BACKUS of Vermont. |
To read some
thoughts of people who knew Linda Backus and the impact she had on
the lives of working families
JH
Please remember Linda and her family and your
thoughts and prayers.
ħħħħħħħ
3/17/05
|
Local 7 no
longer hosting Annual St. Patrick's Day/Evacuation Day
Breakfast |
 |
``The ironworkers have been the most
hospitable hosts we could have imagined,'' Hart said. ``It's
difficult for me to move it.'' (Senator Jack
Hart) |
State Senator Jack Hart
(D) has moved the annual St. Patrick's Day/Evacuation Day breakfast
into the new South Boston Convention Center. The breakfast had been
held in Local 7's union hall and training facility since it opened,
but the need for additional space to accommodate the ever growing
popularity of the event simply outgrew Local 7's facility.
``The ironworkers
have been the most hospitable hosts we could have imagined,''
Hart said. ``It's difficult for me to move it.''
To read a BOSTON HERALD story
regarding this change of venue
JH
ħħħħħħħ
3/17/05
|
Interested
in Ironworker Jewelry? |
|
J B
Cline is a person to contact |
We
were recently contacted by a retired brother, J B Cline -
Local 25 (Detroit, MI) - Book #583863. J B makes ironworkers'
jewelry and has an interesting website that's well worth a visit. J
B had some kind words to say about our site, so he is obviously a
man of good taste and that good taste is reflected in his products!
 To
visit the J B Cline Co. website
JH
ħħħħħħħ
3/14/05
|
Arthur Pimental
Doing business as
Pimental Steel Erectors
and A.P.S. Products, Inc.
found GUILTY of INSURANCE FRAUD
in Boston Federal Court
|
|
US Department of
Justice - PRESS RELEASE -
Boston,
MA... A Peabody man was
sentenced today in federal court for mail fraud in
connection with a scheme to fraudulently reduce workers
compensation insurance premiums by providing false
information to insurance companies.
|
To read the entire
US Department of Justice PRESS RELEASE 
JH
Thanks are in order for the members of the District Council's
Industry Monitoring Fund (IMF) team as well as to our District
Council Litigation Division Director - Attorney Mickey Long -
for their unyielding work in bringing this illegal and unfair
activity to the attention of the appropriate law enforcement
personnel. Insurance fraud costs our members countless numbers of
jobs every year.
It is illegal and keeps honest contractors from winning work while
passing on many of the hidden long-term costs to law-abiding
taxpayers and citizens.
While Pimental's avoidance of insurance premiums by misclassifying
workers (Pimental claimed his ironworkers were "concrete
construction workers" and paid a much lower premium as a result) may
seem harmless on the surface, consider this:
(A direct
quote from the Department of Justice) - The
evidence also established that PIMENTAL under-reported the payroll
he was paying his employees, which was another factor in determining
workers' compensation insurance premiums. By this scheme, PIMENTAL
avoided paying at least $300,000.00 in workers' compensation
insurance premiums to three insurance companies over a period of
five years.
 |
 |
| You can pay
now... |
Or pay later!
|
How many jobs
did this $300,000.00 dollars in "savings" cost honest contractors?
And, this is
just the tip of a giant iceberg when it comes to insurance fraud in
the construction industry in general, and especially in the
ironworking industry, where the dangerous nature of our work results
in higher insurance costs (at least if you play by the rules).
ħħħħħħħ
3/14/05
|
Massachusetts Building
Trades
Holds Annual Convention |
Delegates from
Local 7, Local 57 and Local 37 (who cover southeastern
Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the Islands) were present for the
Massachusetts Building Trades Annual Convention is Sturbridge,
MA on March 9 thru the 11th.
MBTC President Joe Dart, one of the finest and most respected
building trades representatives in the country was unanimously
re-elected to lead the contingent, and ran a great convention as
usual. Speakers included Mass AFL-CIO President (and Local 7 member)
Bob Haynes; Attorney General and soon-to-be Massachusetts
Gubernatorial candidate (hopefully) Tom Reilly; State
Representative Martin Walsh; former Boston television newsman
and a strong labor advocate, John Henning; Massachusetts
Inspector General Gregory Sullivan; Legislator-of-the-Year,
State Representative Joe Wagner; Labor attorney Don Siegel
and a host of other interesting people.
To review photos of the activity at the ANNUAL MBTC
CONVENTION
JH
ħħħħħħħ
3/11/05
Since
sending out the bi-monthly newsletter, updated information
regarding deaths and get wells have been brought to our
attention. Because the newsletter is only going to come out
every two months, Tony Loureiro is going to update these two
important matters from time to time in the interim.
Also, please pass on the availability of our website to
people who you think may share an interest in its contents.
|
To view an updated list
of members who have passed on
JH
To view an updated list
of members who could use some cheering up
JH
ħħħħħħħ
3/10/05
Note - I will be at the
Massachusetts Building Trades Convention in Sturbridge, MA for the
next few days and may not be able to update the site. Please feel
free to forward pictures or stories that may be of interest in the
interim as keeping the site updated is important.
All of the applicable information for
sending the information in a variety of ways is available on our
home page.
JH
|
Denial...
It's not a river in Egypt!
The
picture @ right ran in today's BOSTON GLOBE and
adequately sums up the feelings of many New Englanders...
============================================
Undaunted by the fresh covering of snow, Arthur T. Fletcher
II of East Weymouth swung away yesterday at Fore Seasons
Golf in Hingham. The latest storm dumped nearly five inches
of snow in Boston, and more may be on the way tomorrow.
(Boston Globe Staff Photo/ Tom Herde) |
 |
ħħħħħħħ
3/9/05
You be the judge on the following issue
that has reared its head in the paranoia that encompasses our
country's polarized politics. The separation of church and state has
long been a tenet of our nation's political philosophy. The ability
to be able to freely practice your own faith is important, but our
forefathers understood the potential dangers of mixing politics and
religion. While a regular
practitioner of my particular faith, I
understand and respect the existence of a variety of other beliefs.
Some (a group of which I am admittedly part of) feel that the
current Bush administration uses religion as a bully-pulpit. The
thought is that if you don't believe in their (the Bush
administration's) SOCIAL policies, the deduction should be that you
lack faith, are not God-fearing, or are fundamentally unsound in
some other way.
They'll deny all this
and attribute it to paranoia, which is fine. My problem with George
Bush and his administration (and any other politician with similar
beliefs) has nothing to do with religious beliefs. It is,
however, deeply rooted in his anti-working family (NOTE: NOT anti-union,
anti-worker and working family) policies. Yesterday's BOSTON GLOBE
reported that Republican Senators (Bush's militia) beat back an
attempt to raise the national MINIMUM WAGE from $5.15 per/hour to
something a little more acceptable. This is not a UNION issue - it
is a workers' issue - and one quick example of how we disagree with
Bush and his cronies' policies.
Now, getting back to the
separation of CHURCH and STATE, and tying it into a memorable moment
for most New Englanders (not you Kevin Byrnes, Brian
Treadwell or John Cotton!), did you see the Red Sox at
the White House? The paranoia kicked in again for many when they got
a look a the portable podium (or is it a "pulpit") that President
Bush uses for these type of occasions. Does this piece of furniture
represent a political podium or should it be wrapped up and shipped
to the nearest church? Is there a subliminal message contained
within for people to embrace? YOU BE THE JUDGE.
JH
 |
Is it a PRESIDENTIAL PODIUM or a
BULLY PULPIT?
NOTE: That is Johnny
Damon in the tan suit in the center of the photo, right?
I wonder if the President mistook him for a more
famous religious figure (he does seem to be fixated on him)?
(If we can't have a little fun, there's no use having a
website!)
BOSTON GLOBE PHOTO |
ħħħħħħħ
3/8/05
|
Please join in a
Labor Walk for |
Where?
Carpenters Training Center
385 Market Street, Brighton, MA |
|
Michael Moran
Candidate for State Representative (MA)
18th Suffolk District |
When?
Saturday, March 12, 2005
@ 9:30 AM |
|
To RSVP or for
any questions, call Tim Sullivan - AFL-CIO - @
781-324-8230 |
For a MapQuest map of 385
Market Street in Brighton
JH
ħħħħħħħ
3/7/05
 |
Builders Resource
builds Westfield State project |
Thanks to Ellen Longtin
of Local 7's Springfield office for forwarding a picture of the
Westfield State project being erected by a crew from Builders
Resource.
For a larger look at the picture and to identify the members in that
picture
JH
ħħħħħħħ
3/7/05
|
The
Labor Guild's
SCHOOL OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
Spring Semester 2005
March 14th thru May 9th |
If you are interested in participating in the spring semester of the
oldest adult labor education program in New England, you can
register by mail or phone. Guild Headquarters
(where the classes are held) are located at 83 Commercial Street -
Weymouth, MA 02188. Their phone number is 781-340-7887. Classes are
held on Monday evenings from 7 PM - 9:30 PM.
Classes include:
THE STEWARD'S JOB -
ECONOMICS OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
- UNION GOVERNANCE - 2005 LABOR SCENE
- A B C 'S OF ARBITRATION - CONFLICT RESOLUTION
- COMMUNICATIONS AND THE MEDIA - SNAPSHOT OF LABOR
ARBITRATION - EIGHT EVENTS
THAT CHANGED THE LABOR MOVEMENT and PUBLIC SPEAKING.
ħħħħħħħ
3/7/05
 |
Robert Mullen (pictured
@ left), grandson
of Local 7 JAC teacher and retiree John Mullen and
his lovely wife Katherine, has been re-deployed for
his second tour of duty in Iraq. Robert is attached to the
4-64 Armor of the 3rd Infantry Division.
Please remember
Robert, as well as all of the other brave young men and women,
especially those from our extended district council family,
who are putting themselves on the line to protect our
country and the
freedom we enjoy. |
ħħħħħħħ
3/5/05
|
Funeral
services announced
for brother
Kevin Roy |
|
Brother
Kevin Roy,
29, of Local 37 in Providence, RI, was killed on February
28, 2005, when the truck he was riding in was involved in a
serious accident. Our heartfelt condolences and sympathies
go out to the Roy family as well as to all of Kevin's
friends and co-workers at Builders Resource. He was a
tremendous young man whose loss will leave a huge void for
all who knew him. |
To view the Providence
Journal death notice or SIGN the GUEST BOOK
JH
For a MapQuest Map to the
Keene-Brown Funeral home
JH
Please remember Kevin and his family in your thoughts and
prayers.
ħħħħħħħ
3/4/05
|
"Apple
for an Orchard"
Mitt Romney at it again... |
| Massachusetts
Governor Mitt "An Apple for an Orchard" Romney's
insatiable quest to make life as miserable as possible for
working families in Massachusetts has suffered serious
public relations damage this week thanks to the reporting of
BOSTON HERALD columnist Peter Gelzinis. |
On Wednesday, Mr. Gelzinis
pointed out Romney's failure to enact legislation that would have
allowed the Glennon family of Hanover to enjoy the generosity of Mr.
Glennon's co-workers, whose only wishes were to bestow their sick
days on him to assist him and his family as they faced a long and
tortuous battle with cancer in their infant daughter. As Gelzinis so
aptly portrayed it
"... So, what did our
family-friendly governor do? Romney essentially chose to scuttle the
sick bank bills, Sean Glennon's request among them, sending them
back to the Legislature with an amendment that they conform to his
new policy on extended sick leave. He waited long enough to make
sure the Legislature could not mount an override...."
Once the public found
out (Avery Glennon, the sick infant, has the face of an
angel, and that face was prominently displayed on the front page of
Wednesday's HERALD) there was an uproar, to say the least. Romney
immediately caved in, and Sean Glennon (who coincidentally is
the son of Ronnie Glennon, a well-known and highly respected
member of Laborers Local 223, who counts many ironworkers among his
personal friends) received his fellow workers' sick days.
Our question is 'what about all the other cases that were
jettisoned along with Sean Glennon's?' Fortunately, Peter
Gelzinis is thinking the same way. In today's HERALD, he has the
story of a similarly situated worker. Peter's going to run out of
ink trying to right the wrongdoings of old "Apple for an Orchard"
Romney, but we're sure that he is up to the task. It is truly
rewarding to see people who have no idea what it means to live
paycheck-to-paycheck (i.e., Mitt Romney) be taken to the woodshed
for their insensitive and anti-working family policies.
"Apple for an Orchard"
Romney Strikes Again!!
 |
for an
|
 |
 |
"You tell them workers if
they're sick to dip into one of their trust funds. I had the
flu one time and that's what I had to do!" |
To read the story of
Sean Glennon and his family
JH
To read Peter
Gelzinis' latest story about a similarly situated worker and his
family
JH
It's time to admit you're wrong
AGAIN, Mitt!
ħħħħħħħ
3/3/05
|
Think
you're having a bad day?
to see what a truly bad day is like! |
ħħħħħħħ
3/3/05
|
Our intrepid southern
spies, who will go unnamed (to protect the identity of
Elaine, Corrine & Mary Ann) are reporting that Local 7
retirees "Rotten" Robert Broderick, Whitey
McKenzie and Jack Limerick have purchased a
prized horse in Florida that will undoubtedly contend for
next year's Kentucky Derby. They have named the horse "See
no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil," in obvious honor
of its
deep-pocketed owners: See No Evil (Limerick) Hear
No Evil (McKenzie) and Speak No Evil (Broderick),
all of whom were unavailable for comment.
|
For a private viewing of these renowned horsemen
JH
ħħħħħħħ
3/3/05
|
Keep your friends close...
and your enemies closer! |
When Karl Rove, George W. Bushs key political
advisor, was asked by the New Yorker magazine whether shrinking
unions was a major goal of his administration, Rove replied,
Absolutely.
In an article in the Washington Monthly
that appeared just before the 2004 election, another key Bush ally,
Grover Norquist, went into more detail....
...Right-wing organizers like
Norquist understand the political impact of shrinking union
membership and destroying hard-won union benefits. It is
up to progressives to counter that strategy by helping more workers
join unions and by defending health coverage, pensions, Social
Security, Medicare, and other major achievements of the progressive
movement.
To read more about Bush and his cronies plans for
organized labor
JH
ħħħħħħħ
3/3/05
"A Tale of Two Cities"
-
To underscore the
importance--and effectiveness--of Project-Labor Agreements (PLAs), a
study was undertaken and a video was generated on the findings -
all the way back in 1999. Notwithstanding the self-serving and
misleading rhetoric of the ABC, in the end, they cannot shroud the
truth. PLA's are nothing new and the effectiveness of these
agreements has been well chronicled for years. It's become obvious
to us that the ABC simply refuses to let the truth get in the way of
what they perceive to be a good story (for them). "A Tale of
Two Cities" represents the quintessential example of their sizzle
versus our steak...
| "A Tale of Two Cities"
explores the very different experiences
that two communities, Malden, MA, and Lynn, MA, faced as
they embarked on major school construction projects. For
Malden, which signed a project-labor agreement, it was "...the
best of times..." as the schools were completed on time and
under budget.
In Lynn, it was quite a different tale. |
Do PLA's work well? You be the JUDGE!
(The recent whining of the ABC contractors union make it obvious
that they have already appointed themselves to the jury and
executioner's jobs! Our past experiences with their policies,
combined with their present behavior of supporting extra funding by
taxpayers for public construction [see story at top of this page],
lend credence to our long-held belief that they make poor judges
anyway.)
To
review "A Tale of Two Cities"
JH
ħħħħħħħ
3/2/05
|
Sneak preview of the
NEW & IMPROVED
District Council newsletter...The COLUMN |
A sneak preview of the
newly designed District Council newsletter -
The COLUMN - is now
available in PDF. It is in the printer now and will soon be in the mail to the homes of our members throughout the
district council.
If you wish to review the first edition of a NEW & IMPROVED
newsletter
JH
ħħħħħħħ
3/1/05
|
Help needed -
Saturday, March 5th |
Local 7 is looking for volunteers to assist in a
literature drop for Stacey Monahan, a candidate for
State Representative in the Dorchester - Mattapan district
for a seat that was recently vacated by former House Speaker
Tom Finneran. Stacey is the daughter of IBEW Local 103 FS/T
Chuck Monahan. She also worked in the office of Congressman
Steve Lynch. She has a solid grasp on this issues of working
families and would make a fine representative.
If you can help out, we are meeting at 9 AM on Saturday,
March 5th at the IBEW Local 103 Hall on Freeport Street in
Dorchester, MA. Please take the time to help out, especially
if you live in this district. |
For a MapQuest map showing
the exact location of the IBEW Hall
JH
ħħħħħħħ
3/1/05
|
Tragedy strikes District Council |
Brother Kevin Roy,
29, of Local 37 in Providence, R.I., was killed, and brother
Scott Larochelle, 32, of Local 7 in Boston, MA, was
seriously injured when the truck they were riding to work in
was involved in a vehicular accident on Route 24 in Avon, MA
yesterday morning.
Kevin and Scott were top-notch iron workers and great human
beings. Both were key employees of Builders Resource. As
more information becomes available it will be posted on the
website. Please remember Kevin, Scott, and their families in
your thoughts and prayers. |
To read a BOSTON HERALD story regarding this
tragic accident
JH
ħħħħħħħ
|
DID YOU SEE THE ABC's BILLBOARD?
So, they're against Project Labor Agreements. Wow,
there's big news!
What taxpayers should be asking is:
|
How many affiliates or advocates of the
Contractors Union
refuse to provide their workers with HEALTH INSURANCE?
 |
"They
want health insurance! What are they going to ask for next,
pensions?
These people are NUTS!"
|
And what
about the decision makers who use them under the guise of
"saving money?"
Is it "saving money" if someone is "secretly soaking the TAXPAYERS?"
It's always been clear to us why the ASSOCIATED BUILDERS
and CONTRACTORS (ABC) are against PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENTS -
(PLA's)
-
PLA's require companies to
provide health insurance to their workers - NOT secretly pass these
costs on to unsuspecting TAXPAYERS!
-
Bottom line? According to February 2,
2005 stories in both THE BOSTON GLOBE and the BOSTON HERALD, ALL
insured taxpayers - from ALL walks of life - aren't just
paying for their own insurance, they're being taxed for other
workers whose employers have chosen to stick TENS OF MILLIONS of
DOLLARS of savings into their own pockets by NOT offering their
employees health insurance protection!
-
TAXPAYERS, NOT SELFISH OWNERS,
deserve these savings!
-
Instead of spending obscene sums of
money to put up billboards railing against PLA's (under the
guise of protecting the very taxpayers they're secretly
burdening), the involved ABC affiliates would be better
served investing that money in their most valuable asset - THEIR
WORKERS.
-
THIS WOULD TAKE THE TAXPAYERS OFF THE HOOK!
|
The story, as
it appeared in the February 2nd
BOSTON GLOBE:
"Massachusetts spent more than $52
million in a one-year period to provide healthcare coverage to
employees of some of the state's largest businesses through
Medicaid or the state's free-care program for the uninsured,
according to a state report released yesterday that is expected to
help shape state healthcare policies...."
''...It's shocking that the state
is spending so much money for employees who work in places where
employers can afford to pay for healthcare," said state
representative Martin Walsh, a Dorchester Democrat who
sponsored a bill last year commissioning the report. ''If
employers would pick up the slack, we could help more people...."
To read the entire shocking story
of deep pocket companies sticking it to the taxpayers once
again
JH
ON ANOTHER PLA NOTE (that you
won't hear from the ABC): A seven-minute professionally made
video entitled "A Tale of Two Cities", which chronicles the
experiences of two Massachusetts cities - Lynn and Malden - when it
came to building their school projects (one under a PLA, the other
NOT under a PLA) during the same time frame, is available for your
review.
You be the JUDGE! To review "A Tale of Two Cities"
JH
ħħħħħħħ
To review the
Archives
for past updates, stories & pictures
 |
|
Would
you like to make a difference for workers and their families all
over America, and, at the same time, help yourself and your
family too? Become an E-MAIL ACTIVIST and with
a few quick keystrokes from the comfort of your home you can
join a movement that is making that difference.
How do you get
started?
It will take you to the AFL-CIO HOMEPAGE. On the right side
you will see "E-MAIL ALERTS." Enter your e-mail address in the
appropriate box and then click "GO." Follow the subsequent
directions to join.
It only takes a few seconds to respond each time
your
participation is requested. The Bush administration and his deep
pocket cronies from Big Business are intent on trampling the
rights of workers throughout this country. Please join
this highly effective AFL-CIO sponsored activist movement now.
Remember:
When workers don't stand together, they're buried separately!
JH |
|
|
JH
