1 September/October 2013
Transcription
1 September/October 2013
BILL DANIELS September/October 2013 Greetings: This year’s All Canada Progress Meeting in beautiful Banff, Alberta was a resounding success. Many thanks to all of the delegates who attended, the committee members who helped organize and put this event together over the last 12 months, and of course, to all of the volunteers who assisted throughout the entire process. Without all of you this would not have been possible. The summer of 2013 has passed us by, and September is only a distant memory. As such, we have only a few weeks left to make the most out of 2013 and there are still numerous items on this year’s agenda. For instance, the first ever province wide Ontario NextGen conference is taking place November 1-3, 2013 in Mississauga and currently has over 80 young delegates registered to attend. The conference seeks to expand on the NextGen caucus held at our annual All Canada Progress Meeting and offers these members who are 35 and under, an opportunity to take in training and education with fellow IBEW members from various sectors around Ontario, as well as provide information on the ever changing landscape of various industries. Some key speakers include Leader of the Ontario NDP, Andrea Horwath, and President of the CLC Brother Ken Georgetti. I wish the participants all the best during this conference and I am positive they will go back to their Locals with some new exciting ideas and enthusiasm. Politically we have an uphill battle ahead of us. The Throne Speech has been delivered, parliament is resuming and the Conservatives are trying to take the pressure away from the Senate and election scandals. We cannot lose sight of legislation like Private Members Bill C-377, new Private Members Bill C-525, which essentially suppresses votes during a certification or de-certification drive in the Federal sector, and Bill C-201 “Travel and Accommodation Deduction for Tradespersons”, which seeks to allow tradespersons to deduct travel and accommodation expenses from their personal income tax when travelling more than 80km from home. This has been something that the IBEW and the Building Trades have been lobbying for over the past 35 years. We also have to prepare for our biggest challenge which is a very serious threat to the livelihood of the labour movement and that is Free-Loader legislation that will allow members to “opt-out” of paying dues, while reaping all the same rewards as a dues paying member. Although we haven’t seen this piece of legislation federally yet, we know that is something that has already been written and is ready to be tabled at any time. We are facing several attacks across the country so now is the time to fight this together with the entire labour movement. This fall the Canadian Labour Congress rolled out the “Together Fairness Works” campaign which is an internal member-to-member initiative, and they also, through TV commercials, have a public side of the campaign which reminds Canadians of what the labour movement has fought for on behalf of all Canadians. Remembrance Day is Monday, November 11th, 2013 and is to commemorate those who lost their lives during battle, and for all those who have, and are currently serving our country. So at 11:00am please take the time to stop what you are doing, and stand for a moment of silence in memory and respect for those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom that we enjoy today as Canadians. In solidarity, Bill Daniels International Vice President 1 Presidents of CAW, CEP Step Down As Unions Unite In Mega-Merger (The following are excerpts from an article that was in the Financial Post–National Post – by Will Campbell of Canadian Press – August 8, 2013) In Toronto, the heads of two of Canada’s biggest unions say they’re resigning so new leaders can take the helm and expand the membership rolls as the groups join together in a merger that will create the country’s largest private-sector union. Canadian Auto Workers national president Ken Lewenza and Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada president Dave Coles said Thursday that fresh leadership is needed as the combined union — named Unifor — reaches out to new workplaces as well as students and those left on the economic wayside. Unifor will initially represent more than 300,000 workers across roughly 20 sectors of the economy, primarily in manufacturing, communications and transportation, as well as some public sector employees in the health, education and transit sectors. It plans to devote 10 per cent of its revenues to organize workplaces and add new members, while also hammering out a mechanism that will allow students, retirees, the unemployed and others to join — something “that’s never been tried before,” said Coles. Lewenza said he would stick around as an “ambassador” for Unifor, and speak out on economic issues such as income security and unemployment. Coles has been president of the CEP since 2006, while Lewenza was elected the national president of the CAW in 2008, replacing Buzz Hargrove. Unifor will choose its leadership at a convention set for Labour Day weekend. Lewenza and Coles said they will retire effective Oct. 1. Lewenza said Unifor aims to sign up non-traditional members and help them gain stable employment and benefits like those won by union members over decades of hard-fought battles and collective bargaining negotiations. Right-To-Work Is Wrong; Letting Employees Opt Out Of Unions Sounds Great In Principle, But In Practice It's Not Worth It (The following article was in the September 2013 edition of the Canadian Business publication, written by James Cowan - Deputy Editor) Canada's largest industrial union lumbered into existence on the Labour Day weekend under the moniker Unifor—the sort of name usually reserved for dating services and antidepressants. Born from the merger of the Canadian Auto Workers and the Communication, Energy and Paper Workers Union, the new organization boasts 300,000 members spread across 20 sectors. It is a good time for organized labour to gather an army. Politicians in Ontario, Alberta and on Parliament Hill are championing "right-to-work" rules, measures designed to hobble unions in the name of prosperity. Similar laws have antagonized American unionists since 1943, and they yield a valuable lesson for Canada: they aren't worth the trouble. Simply put, right-to-work legislation allows workers in organized shops to opt out of union membership and paying dues. Twenty-four states have them, with Michigan and Indiana joining the ranks last year. Within days of Michigan passing its bill, Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre began pushing to import the idea. Alberta's resurgent Wildrose Party are also fans, along with Ontario's Progressive Conservatives. Leader Tim Hudak released a policy paper this summer calling for "worker choice reforms," positioning the issue as a hot button for the next election. If Hudak becomes premier-a decent possibilitythe laws would mean individuals could no longer be required to join a union as a condition of employment. "Numerous economic reports and academic studies confirm that such reforms boost economic performance," the document asserted. Indeed, a Fraser Institute study released earlier this month claiming Ontario could boost its economic output by $11.8 billion and add 57,000 jobs if it adopted right-to-work laws; in B.C. the figures were $3.9 billion and 19,000 jobs. The Ontario Federation of Labour parried with its own report, claiming workers in right-to-work states make an average of $5,300 less than individuals elsewhere. The opposing reports are indicative of the reams of research on the subject. Right- wingers say right-to-work creates jobs; lefties say it drives down wages. All of it is woefully inconclusive. Even the Fraser Institute report concedes this ambiguity. Its projections for Ontario and B.C. were based upon Oklahoma's experience after adopting right-to-work laws in 2001. Since then, the state's manufacturing has grown 2% per year. But manufacturing grew 7% annually in neighbouring New Mexico, where there are no right-towork rules. Economic outcomes across U.S. states are literally all over the map. The problem with most of these studies is they zealously focus on a single variable, the right-to-work legislation itself. As the economist Thomas Holmes has noted, the 2 new laws tend to come alongside other "smokestackchasing policies," like lower taxes, subsidies and the loosening of environmental legislation. It's not the right-towork policy that creates jobs and boosts economic output: it's a holistic pro-business package. For example, far more manufacturers have located in Mississippi than across the border in Louisiana. Both are right-to-work states, but Louisiana's attitude toward business is otherwise apathetic. Canadian right-to-work legislation would never resemble American laws anyway. The two nations have very different legal approaches when it comes to unions, both based in legal precedents more than 60 years old. At the heart of American labour law is the 1947 unionrestricting Taft-Hartley Act; in Canada, we have the Rand Formula, from 1946, which affirmed unions' ability to collect dues, even from non-union members. This means any Canadian politician seeking to pass right-to-work laws would not only have to fight a protracted war with every union in Canada, but a lengthy legal battle as well. For those with a principled objection to unions' influence, right-to-work laws are a righteous cause. But if the goal is economic prosperity, then it is wiser to chase smokestacks with initiatives like lower taxes and more streamlined regulations. Right-to-work laws generate plenty of debate, but no clear results. Anti-worker Bill 73 Rejected by Ontario Legislature Liberals, NDP stop PCA, Conservative attack on Labour (The following article was an ‘immediate release’ on September 20, 2013 by Brian Nicholson, Associate VP of Gov’t Relations and Public Policy for Municipal Solutions; a North American leading infrastructure analysis and business firm for the Building Trades) Municipal Solutions is proud to report that the Ontario Legislature has rejected Bill 73, a private members bill introduced by Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario to cancel provincial construction labour agreements between Ontario construction trade unions and employers in the municipal and related sectors. The efforts of trades unions, including our UA and IBEW clients in Ontario, exposed Bill 73 as a thinly veiled attempt to circumvent employer responsibility under the Ontario Labour Relations Act, and on September 19, 2013, the Legislature of the Province of Ontario agreed with Ontario trades unions and rejected the Bill by a vote of 52-30. The rejection of this bill is testament to the tenacity and fortitude of Ontario construction trades, their leaders and members to stand up to these propaganda attacks on hard won labour rights in Ontario, and is a clear rejection of the Progressive Contractors Association, the Christian Labour Association of Canada and their deep pocketed funders. Municipal Solutions was proud to work with our clients and labour contacts across Ontario to expose this bill, the antics in support of it and to urge Ontario Ministers and MPP’s to reject this bill. MPP’s from the Liberal Party and from New Democratic Party combined to vote down this bill. Only MPP’s from the Progressive Conservative Party supported the bill, and it is important to note than a number of PC MPP’s chose to not attend the vote rather than join their colleagues in attacking Ontario workers. The MPP behind the Bill, Michael Harris, along with the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC) and the Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA), pulled out all the stops including a well-funded misinformation campaign aimed at Ontario municipalities, school boards and other public sector employers. Their antics included recently held roundtables in London, Ont. and Windsor, Ont. where they met with construction stakeholders and also held discussions with municipalities and school boards. When the building trades unions attending the unadvertised meeting in Niagara, they found it stacked with Bill supporters who were surprised when opposing voices entered the meeting. Despite this rejection by the Legislature, we expect the Progressive Conservative Party, MPP Harris and their allies in the PCA and CLAC continue to spread misinformation and distorted numbers to further their antiworker agenda. They have vowed to make this an election issue and we must be vigilant and ready to counter their moves and ensure that Ontario’s workers are protected. “When elected MPP’s act as a spokesman for an antiworker organization like the PCA and spread blatantly false and distorted information, they must be held to account” stated Municipal Solutions President and CEO John Mutton. “In the next provincial election, we must work to defeat those who would harm our communities and Ontario workers and elect only those who will stand up for our trade union members and their families.” Municipal Solutions urges all building trades unions and especially our clients and contacts to send letters of support to those MPP’s that voted to reject this bill and to ensure that your members are aware of who stood up for them and even more importantly who voted to take away their rights. For more information, contact Municipal Solutions at 905 623 4142 or at [email protected] 3 Building The Clean Energy Network Of Tomorrow (The following are excerpts from an article taken from the Manitoba Building Trades Yearbook 2013; written by Stephen Murdoch) As the Province of Manitoba grows, so too does the demand for energy. In response to this growth, Manitoba Hydro is taking steps to ensure they can continue to provide an affordable and reliable supply of power. In the coming years, Manitoba Hydro plans to maintain and grow their current facilities through system renewal and expansion, replace infrastructure where deemed necessary and also construct new stations. Glenn Schneider, Public Affairs with Manitoba Hydro, credits the new investment to a number of key factors. "To put it simply, two factors are driving our largest nominal dollar capital investment in Manitoba Hydro's history. We need to plan and invest to meet current and future demands for electrical energy and gas supply for Manitobans. And we also need to accelerate investment in our existing infrastructure," Schneider explained. The plan to invest almost $20 billion in new generation, transmission, and upgrades and reinforcement of Manitoba Hydro's existing distribution system is a top priority. "Electricity in Manitoba is projected to grow by 1.6 per cent annually. To supply this growth, we require additional capacity by 2020. To meet this demand, Hydro Manitoba is proposing a development plan that continues a path of predominantly hydro generation with enhanced access to export markets." Schneider said. With an in-service date of 2019-2020, the Keeyask Generating Station promises to be a source of renewable energy providing approximately 695 megawatts of capacity. "Keeyask will be the fourth largest generating station in the Province of Manitoba. In collaboration with four Manitoba First Nations ITataskweyak, York Factory, Fox Lake and War Lake, Manitoba Hydro will produce renewable hydroelectric energy for use in the province and for export," Schneider went on to say. The Keeyask Generating Station is expected to require a total of 4,225 person-years of employment over a sevenyear period. "Designated trades and non-designated trades will be hired for a plethora of tasks. Early work for Keeyask will see road construction for access and camp development. We expect the project to be a big boom for Northern Manitoba," Schneider said. In order to improve overall system reliability and dependability, Hydro Manitoba will construct the Bipole III, a new high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission project. "This project will include the High Voltage Di- rect Current transmission line, energy conversion facilities and system connections. Bipole Ill is essential to ensuring the reliability and security of Manitoba's power supply. This specific undertaking will also have the additional benefit of adding more transmission capacity to deliver electricity from existing and planned hydroelectric generating systems to southern markets," Schneider explained. With an in-service date of 2025-2026, Manitoba Hydro is also planning a generating station with the capacity to generate 1,485 megawatts. "The Conawapa Generating Station is a clean and renewable energy project that would be the largest project of its kind in the Province. Efforts are underway to design the project so that the environmental impact is minimal. Construction for the Conawapa Generating Station is expected to take a minimum of eight years," Schneider said. The three projects promise to have a positive impact on construction trades through Manitoba, especially in the northern communities. "We're excited about the spin-off jobs that will come from the new hydro dams. The projects will provide employment opportunities for First Nation members, northern Aboriginal people and other workers from across the Province. Best of all, working together, we are making an investment to support sustainable growth in Manitoba," Schneider explained. As with any projects of this magnitude, Schneider assures Manitoba Hydro will meet all of the environmental requirements. "Since day one, we have worked alongside stakeholders to ensure we are protecting our resources. At Manitoba Hydro, we believe that protecting the environment makes good business sense. Throughout the projects, we will work to minimize both short and long-term environmental liabilities with outstanding compliance throughout the construction period," Schneider concluded. Minister Responsible for Manitoba Hydro, Dave Chomiak, like others, is excited about the projects taking place at Manitoba Hydro and how it will impact the trades. "Manitoba Hydro employs over 6,300 people through-out Manitoba. Since 2000, the number of Aboriginal employees in Manitoba Hydro's workforce has more than tripled from 300 to 1079 employees. Manitoba Hydro is an important economic driver and Keeyask and Conawapa projects alone will provide over 22,000 person-years of employment. Adding in Biopole Ill, plus an ambitious plan to invest in replacing and updating existing infra-structure will add another 9,000 to that total," Minister Chomiak explained. 4 Minister Chomiak expects the projects to have a positive impact on the Province's economy. "The creation of jobs and business opportunities in the areas where we are building Hydro will have a tremendous effect on the local economies. For the province as a whole, the economic benefit is even more significant. Hydro is anticipating about 29 billion in export sales slated within the next 30 years, sales that will pay for the new building projects," Minister Chomiak said. While he does recognize there is some environmental impact in any construction project of this size, Minister Chomiak appreciates the efforts Manitoba' Hydro has undertaken. "Manitoba Hydro has had extensive consultations on the potential environmental effects as well as consultations with Aboriginal communities. The recent Clean Environment Commission recommended that the province issue a license to Manitoba Hydro for the construction of Biopole III," Minister Chomiak went on to say. The importance of building a clean energy network is not lost on Minister Chomiak. "Hydro is Manitoba's oil, only clean, green and renewable. We are building Hydro now to ensure we can provide clean, affordable and renewable energy for not only Manitobans but also for our neighbours in the rest of Canada and the United States. The ability of the province to continue to run on renewable, clean hydro and not import fossil fuels or coal means a significantly healthier environment for generations to come," Minister Chomiak concluded. Message Box on Bill C-377 (The following excerpt comes from the President of the CLC Ken Georgetti’s documentation of “Bill C-377 Talking Points” on October 18, 2013) Background: Conservatives claim that Bill C-377 is needed to ensure that unions are accountable about their finances. In fact, unions are already financially accountable, to their members. This bill is not about accountability but was designed to harass and weaken unions. After it passed in the House of Commons, the Senate held extended committee hearings on Bill C-377. Virtually no major organization that appeared before the Senate supported the bill. Merit Canada, which claims to speak for the construction industry, is the major proponent of Bill C-377. Merit is an ideological organization whose member groups represent less than one percent of Canada’s construction contractors. In June 2013, Senators refused to pass Bill C377 and returned it to the House of Commons with major amendments. Then the Prime Minister shut down Parliament and a new session has just begun. Conservative MPs are thumbing their noses at the Senators and have sent Bill C-377 back to them in its original form. In other words, the Senate has to deal with the same flawed bill all over again. Liberals Win Majority in N.S. Election (The following are excerpts from an article by Jane Taber that was in the Halifax ‘The Globe and Mail’ on Wednesday, October 9, 2013) Nova Scotians proved they wanted change, handing Stephen McNeil’s Liberals a decisive majority government that could be seen as a rebuke of government largesse and rejection of the increased HST. The NDP loss was so profound that Leader Darrell Dexter has gone from government to third-party status – he even lost his own seat in the Halifax area. Jamie Baillie’s Progressive Conservatives will now form the official opposition, a surprise to many observers and strategists. In almost a direct swap of ridings, the Liberals took away the NDP strength in metro Halifax and the rural ridings that helped the NDP form a historic first majority government in 2009. This is the first time in 130 years that Nova Scotians did not return an incumbent government to a second term. The former appliance repairman, one of 17 children from an Annapolis Valley family, becomes the province’s 28th Premier. His is the first Liberal government in Nova Scotia since 1999. He and his party won 33 of 51 seats in Tuesday’s provincial election, a gain of 22 from the 11 he managed to win in 2009. Mr. McNeil's gain is Darrell Dexter’s loss. The NDP lost 24 of the 31 seats it had won in 2009. Many cabinet ministers went down to defeat. The NDP Leader was hoping to win a second term when he called the election in early September. His was the first NDP government in Atlantic Canada when he won a majority four years ago by taking most of the urban seats and for the first time winning seats in the rural areas at the expense of the then unpopular Progressive Conservatives, who had been in government. Progressive Conservative Leader Jaimie Baillie, the rookie leader in this campaign, won 11 seats, compared with 10 in 2009. Mr. Dexter said he had called his opponents and con- 5 gratulated them. The NDP lost 13 seats in metro Halifax, holding only two. Later, he told reporters that he believes that the loss was in part the result of the fact that he was the focus of the stress and disappointment that voters feel about the economy and other issues. Mr. Dexter has been leader since 2001 and there are questions as to whether he will now continue as leader. Polls published in the Halifax Chronicle Herald consistently showed the McNeil Liberals ahead of the Dexter NDP throughout the 31-day campaign. That trend never changed – and in the end the polls, which had been wildly inaccurate in the recent British Columbia and Alberta provincial elections, proved to be accurate. The polls were reporting a high percentage of undecided voters at 25 per cent. And worried about low voter turnout – only about 58 per cent voted in 2009 – the province made it easier for citizens to vote, accommodating those with mobility issues and students. More than 100,000 of the 700,000 eligible voters cast ballots in the advance polls. Although Tuesday started out raining it turned into a sunny day, making it easy for people to vote, at press time voter turnout was tabulated at just 54 per cent. It was not clear, however, what issue was driving the public’s seemingly voracious appetite for change. Mr. McNeil campaigned on a $46.7-million platform aimed at avoiding breaking a promise – he said he would not lower the HST until the province was in surplus; he said he hoped to balance the budget in his first mandate and he made a vague promise to break the so-called monopoly on power in the province. During the campaign he was helped by federal Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, who drew crowds in NDP-held ridings. Mr. McNeil and his team made the most of the federal leader’s popularity by also featuring him in campaign ads and literature. The NDP and PCs, meanwhile, both said they would lower the HST and balance the budget. In fact, Mr. Dexter was widely criticized when he took office in 2009 and raised the HST from 13 per cent to 15 per cent, after promising not to raise taxes in his campaign. It’s believed, too, that his efforts to help rural communities by bailing out dying industries with big cheques may have hurt him. A multi-million dollar forgivable loan to Irving Shipbuilding to upgrade the Halifax Ship Yard also could have played a part in the NDP’s loss. The idea that a successful company would receive this kind of government largesse after winning a $25-billion federal contract to build ships was criticized by his opponents. Local Union 502 First-Ever Education Conference Great Success! More than 300 IBEW members and guests packed into the Trade and Convention Center in Saint John, NB for the first-ever IBEW Local Union 502 Education Conference. Attendees heard from speakers including International Executive Council Representative Ross Galbraith, as well as specialists in the fields of Health, Retirement and Estate Planning, Political Action, IBEW Next Gen, Pension and much more. A moment of silence and a dedication to members who recently passed away was held as their names were presented on the memorial to Fallen Members located outside the Local Union’s office. “We thought it was important to bring together all members and educate them on the benefits and pension options available to them as IBEW members,” said Business Manager Jean Marc Ringuette. Saint John Mayor Mel K. Norton welcomed all delegates to the city; recognizing the important work that Local Union 502 members do to improve their communities, including the many philanthropic endeavors Local 502 members are involved in. Brother Eamon Clark gave a presentation on one of Local 502’s charitable partners, Workers4Wishes which was started by Local Union 502 as well as Carpenters Union Local 1386 and UA Local 213. A group of volunteers’ work together to raise money to provide a few wishes each year to the vulnerable children in their community. More information can be found on their website, www.workers4wishes.com 6 Local Union 353 All Committees Evening Local Union 353 held an ‘All Committees Evening’ at the Markham Convention Centre on Saturday, October 19th. With over 240 members and guests in attendance, this night of appreciation had many kind words from Local Union 353’s Business Manager Steven Martin and Recording Secretary George Smith, recognizing the many Sisters and Brothers of Local Union 353 who volunteer their nights and weekends on the various committees of Local 353. The evening was for committee members, instructors, shop stewards and support staff. Left to right – IBEW Local 502 Business Manager Jean Marc Ringuette, Local 37 Business Manager and IEC Rep Ross Galbraith and Local 502 member and Workers4Wishes Rep Eamon Clarke IBEW Lifesaving Award – Brother Jonas Harvey, Local Union 993 – Kamloops, BC Local Union 993 Business Manager Glen Hilton is proud to put forth the name of Brother Jonas Harvey, an apprentice electrician of IBEW Local Union 993, to receive the IBEW Lifesaving Award. “These members work towards improving our Local, our union and the communities we live in. We thought it was appropriate to recognize the time that these members give up, away from their families,” said Brother Martin. First-Ever Provincial-Wide NextGen Conference Takes Place in Ontario On November 1, 2013, IBEW NextGen members from across Ontario will gather in Mississauga for the first-ever provincial-wide NextGen Conference. The conference will take place November 1-3 and include speakers from across the Canadian labour movement, including CLC President Ken Georgetti and our own International Vice President, Bill Daniels. Members will receive education on the history and structure of the labour movement as well as the current social and political issues facing middle class Canadians. Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath will be addressing the delegates. After a home explosion, Brother Harvey jumped into action, without hesitation or concern for his own safety, to save the life of a man confined to a wheelchair. With this anticipated conference, there is hope that other provinces across the country will look at joining together to hold provincial NextGen conferences from coast-to-coast. With the issues facing union members today, it is important we educate and equip members with the tools to become actively involved in their Local Unions. The following link is the article from the October 16, 2013 Daily News Staff, written by Tracy Gilchrist and Michele Young. http://m.kamloopsnews.ca/article/20131016/ KAMLOOPS0101/131019917/-1/kamloops/fighting-fire -puts-man-in-hospital&template=JQMArticle 7 ANNOUNCEMENTS 2013 Projected Meetings 2013 HARLEY DRAW WINNERS 1st Early Bird draw winner for $5,000.00 was: CARTER WOLOSZYN Local Union 254 – Calgary, AB Oct.24-25 Gov’t and Railroad Conf. Nashville, TN Nov. 1-3 NextGen Conference Delta Meadowvale Hotel Mississauga, ON Dec.4-6 Nuclear Conference Harrah’s Las Vegas Hotel Las Vegas, NV 2nd Early Bird draw winner for $5,000.00 is: PATRICK MUELLER Local Union 2010, Kingston, ON Grand Prize draw winner for the 2013 Harley-Davidson FLHX-Street Glide is: MIKE HUSTAD Local Union 424, Edmonton, AB Congratulations to Brothers Woloszyn, Mueller & Hustad! A big THANK YOU to everyone who purchased and/or helped sell tickets for making these draws a resounding success. 2013 COPE DRAW WINNERS! 2014 Projected Meetings March 6-8 Construction & Mtce Conf. Washington, DC April 8-10 Utility Conference Buena Vista Hotel Lake Buena Vista, FL Winners of this year’s COPE draw at the 2013 ACPM in Banff, AB are as follows: Chris Johnson—Local 1131, Halifax, NS Winner of a Silver IBEW watch Ed Osmond— Local 1620, St. John’s, NFLD Winner of the 50/50 draw April 27May 3 BMTelecomm Conference Foxwoods Casino, CT May 5-7 Building Trades Convention Ottawa, ON Thanks to all those who made a donation to the Committee On Political Education; we look forward to seeing you next year in Ottawa! May 5-9 CLC Convention Montreal, ON ‘MARK THE DATE’—26th Annual IBEW/MS Charity Golf Tournament Mark the date for next year’s 26th Annual IBEW/MS Charity Golf Tournament which will be held on Thursday, May 29th, 2014 at BraeBen Golf Course; 5700 Terry Fox Way, Mississauga (just off Mavis behind Lowes and across the street from Home Depot and 20 minutes from the 1st District Office). July 16-19 Women’s Conference Washington, DC Aug. 10-14 All Canada Progress Meeting Ottawa, ON Sept. 9-11 Membership Dev. Conference Paris Las Vegas Hotel Las Vegas, NV 8