November/December 2009 Journal
Transcription
November/December 2009 Journal
NOV/DEC 2009 The Official Publication of the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association Wishing Peace and Solidarity FROM RAGS TO RICHES A LAST HURRAH! W. L. (Bill) Fillippini, who wrote the following commentary at my request, was the first Administrator of the National Training Fund (now the International Training Institute), retiring in 1989 after serving in that position for 17 years. As we talked about the current state of affairs in the economy and its implications for the SMWIA, it was apparent to both of us that, too often, we take for granted the current wages and benefits we have today. What we also forget is the importance of the collective bargaining process that takes place in every Local of this International to assure that our members get the best wages, pensions, benefits, working conditions and other protections covered in the Standard Form of Union Agreement. THAT DOCUMENT IS EVERY MEMBER’S CONTRACT WITH THEIR EMPLOYER AND NONE OF ITS PROVISIONS ARE TO BE NEGOTATED AWAY. It has taken D uring the past year, I had the distinct pleasure of a casual discussion with our General President, Michael Sullivan. We discussed our present problems in organized labor as compared to those in 1940 when I joined the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association (SMWIA). He concluded by asking if I could speak before this past general convention and share some of those thoughts. Unfortunately, that became impossible when “fate” took over physically. Regardless, here are a few of the important facts that must be addressed as we look to the future with a better understanding of our history. We cannot ignore the ominous political indications that the right wing and their followers are out to destroy what we have fought for over years past ~ a decent standard of living including health insurance coverage and decent wages. QUESTION: Did our health insurance drop out of the sky on a “Silver Plate?” Did SASMI Pension, the work week, overtime hours, etc. simply fall out of the sky? Absolutely NOT! It came about because your predecessors fought for them! Today, we must ask ourselves, can it be taken away? Yes it can unless we keep our guard up! FACTS: Seventy (70) years ago when I became a SMWIA member of Local 273, my wages were $12.50 for a 5 ½ day work week including cleaning shop on Saturday mornings. Fringe benefits were the strongest efforts by all those involved in negotiating the Standard Form to represent the best interests of our members. To do otherwise weakens our bargaining position and has drastic implications in maintaining our ability to provide a trained and productive workforce for our employers to secure work and grow their businesses. All of us must support a firm stand at the bargaining table to assure the best possible future for our members and this great union. What we do today must continue to build on past experience. If you are not familiar with the Standard Form of Union Agreement, please request a copy from your Local or go to the Members Section at www.smwia.org. – Michael J. Sullivan non-existent in the construction industry. Then came WWII when I volunteered in the US Navy and became an aviation metal smith patching and repairing shot up carrier planes in the South Pacific. (Note: ALL WAGES, commodities such as food, gasoline, etc. were for the war’s duration). Those union members that were not drafted left for the shipyards or other work to support the war effort. At the end of this conflict the government partially lifted the wage freeze in the construction industry. They allowed a 7 ½ cent hourly increase to be negotiated. However, it was mandatory that the increase be used for health and welfare benefits only! As in many areas, including ours, the contractors collectively refused to even discuss the issue. Some said, “I will close my doors first!” We took a strike vote ~ enough said! Obviously we won and succeeded in giving birth to the beginning of the Health & Welfare era nationwide in the SMWIA. (Note: Past General President, Edward F. Carlough then Business Manager of Local 28, New York, may have had influence over that arbitrary decision.) Why? Many members would have opted for a long-awaited hourly wage increase. Keep in mind that most of us leaders had little experience with health insurance companies, “Umbrella Plans,” or the government policies and regulations. Eventually many contractors recognized the importance of their employees and jointly supported this endeavor and I am happy to say that no one “closed their doors” in my jurisdiction! Then there came pensions. Why did that start? Because our International Union recognized the future needs of its membership. Social Security was certainly not going to cover workers’ financial needs for their families. I can share one anecdote which will underline, Why pensions?” as told to me by our past General President, Edward F. Carlough. He said, “When I became an officer of Local 28, New York, I set out to locate the journeyman who had taught me the trade. I located him living with his niece. He told me “I have a nice clean room, get three meals a day and they treat me very nice but all I am missing is pride. If I had a bit of pocket money I could buy a bit of tobakee – I’m too ashamed to ask for that.” Brother Carlough told me, “Damn it Bill, a sheet metal worker gives his life to the industry and he deserves more than that!” The point of this essay is: Can we lose any or all of this progress and foresight? It’s not likely but it’s always possible in these days of economic setback. Thankfully, we have excellent leadership in Washington, D.C. to counter those efforts. Just be reminded, I started 70 years ago at $12.50 per week (union wages). I’m going on 89 years of age and have a comfortable pension and super health insurance. I just received, I hope, my last hospital bill in the amount of $850,000 and I have been fully covered. Yes, it could also happen to you. Be thankful you are a UNION Sheet Metal Worker. I AM!! C NTENTS November/December 2009 A periodic documentation of the traditions and practices of Union Sheet Metal Workers in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. from the General 2 Comments President – “Jobs Now – A National Priority” from the 5 Comments General Secretary-Treasurer – “The Trust Factor” 6 the Trade! 9 Canadian Affairs Report 10 Railroad and Shipyard Update 12 Focus on Funds 25 Local Union News 32 Let Us Always Remember Calling All Women to Timing is everything and that certainly was the case when the cover for the November/December 2009 issue of The Journal was being planned. The mail delivered to the International on November 6 included a large envelope with photos of a 3rd Mesa Rainbow Kachina doll, a Nutcracker soldier and other photos along with a brief letter from Bobby E. Jones, a retired member of Sheet Metal Workers Local 9 in Denver, Colorado with over 46 years of good standing service. Brother Jones, who now lives in Sun City, Arizona, said he wanted to get back into some kind of sheet metal work and, being in the land of the American Indian, decided to craft Kachina dolls. Kachina or “Spirit Being” dolls are visual representations of the invisible spirits that assist in the rigors of life, such as the hawk, clouds, the sun and the rainbow. His Kachina doll is a full body figure, standing 42 inches high and is made from 24 gauge, paint-lock sheet metal. The 5-foot tall Nutcracker soldier, also of the same metal composition, was a perfect selection for the cover of this issue and for use on the International’s holiday greeting card. We have also included a few of his other crafts to show sheet metal art is a timeliness representation of our members’ craftsmanship. Vol. 99, No. 6 November/December 2009 MICHAEL J. SULLIVAN, General President THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SHEET METAL WORKERS’ INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AFL-CIO JOSEPH J. NIGRO, General Secretary-Treasurer 1750 New York Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006-5386 JAY K. POTESTA, Second General Vice President The Journal (ISSN: 1528-2805) published bi-monthly by the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association, 1750 New York Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006-5386. BRUCE W. WORD, Third General Vice President Periodical postage paid at Washington, D.C. and at additional mailing office. Subscription prices: $7.50 per year per member. Change of address coupons should be sent to the SMWIA. TIMOTHY J. HINTZE, Fifth General Vice President Postmaster: Send address changes to The Journal, 1750 New York Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006-5386 Canada Publication Mail Agreement No. 40009551 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Circulation Dept., P.O. Box 1051, Fort Erie, ON L2A 5N8 email: [email protected] Printed in U.S.A. November/December 2009 RICHARD R. LOYD, First General Vice President ROY A. RINGWOOD, Fourth General Vice President PAUL W. COLLINS, JR., Sixth General Vice President REGGIE HOHENBERGER, Seventh General Vice President DWAYNE T. STEPHENS, Eighth General Vice President ANDREW J. MAUTE, Ninth General Vice President ALAN J. MCQUILLAN, Tenth General Vice President JOSEPH SELLERS, JR., Eleventh General Vice President Joseph J. Nigro, Editor 1 GENERAL P RESIDENT ’S M ESSAGE Jobs Now – A National Priority J obs! I cannot think of any more burning issue than the crisis our nations face in creating more jobs. It’s unlike any other period because so many jobs that used to be essential to our economic growth no longer exist. Those jobs have been shifted to other countries and we have lost the ripple effect they generated throughout our economy. By adding an unbalanced economy along with the debt obligations to other countries like China and Saudi Arabia, investment in technology and economic growth in every sector of our economy is stymied. The U.S. and Canadian unemployment rates are sky high, with the U.S. rate exceeding 10% in October for the first time in a quarter century. Canada’s unemployment rate is not much lower, with 8.6 percent of workers in search of new jobs. Puerto Rico is also facing a crisis. Last month, frustration boiled over there when tens of thousands of Puerto Rican citizens took to the streets in a series of continuous protests and marches after the government attempted to slash services and jobs in the midst of the economic downturn. In the United States, nearly 16 million Americans who are able and willing to work cannot find a job. More than one out of every three unemployed workers has now been out of a job for six months or more. The situation facing those in some of the industries we represent are even bleaker, with unemployment as high as 18 percent in the construction industry. Joblessness on this scale creates enormous social and economic problems and threatens future prosperity by throwing millions more children and their families into poverty, canceling educational opportunities for many, limiting the investment and innovation to fuel future growth, and dimming long-term job opportunities. In the United States, President Obama has 2 already taken significant steps to stop the economy’s nosedive. These efforts have already created or saved over a million jobs and led to renewed economic growth in the third quarter of 2009. But it’s clear that much more must be done to generate millions more jobs to assure a robust recovery that reaches every American. On November 17th, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka joined a coalition of major non-profit organizations representing the interests of millions of workers in proposing a new five point plan to set our economy back on track. I strongly support the plan and join President Trumka in urging our political leadership to act immediately on these efforts. First, we must extend unemployment benefits, food assistance and health care for the unemployed families living on the edge. Without immediate action, the federal supplemental program for unemployed working families will expire at the end of this year. Without these benefits, the downward spiral will accelerate as families fall into bankruptcy, lose their homes and have no health care protection. These benefits are critical not only to those families that have fallen on hard times, but also in maintaining the personal spending levels that help save and create jobs throughout the economy. Second, we need to get back to work on our broken infrastructure. The United States has a backlog of at least $3 trillion of pressing infrastructure needs. There are crumbling schools, roads in disrepair and needed upgrades to our energy and telecommunications infrastructure. We’re way behind other countries that have already invested in infrastructure improvement. Every dollar spent on infrastructure employs workers throughout the supply chain in construction, manufacturing, design and engineering - and The Journal we need to be sure these dollars create jobs at home and develop badly needed industrial capacity here – and not overseas in places like China. And we need to invest in good green jobs – including energyefficient retrofits of public buildings that will put thousands of union sheet metal workers back to work. Third, we have to boost aid to local governments to maintain vital services and prevent more layoffs. Local governments and school districts are experiencing the worst fiscal crisis in decades. This is happening just when the vital services provided by state and provincial governments are needed more than ever. Without additional funding, our public safety, our health needs and our children’s education will suffer. The right thing and the smart thing is to take action to save services, save jobs and stop the hemorrhaging from choking off economic recovery. Fourth, we should create new jobs that put people directly to work in communities with the most pressing needs. These are not replacements for existing public jobs. Many of these projects can be constructed via publicly funded Project Labor Agreements which will help promote high paying union jobs at a time they are sorely needed. Last, we need the Administration to put already approved federal recovery funds to work for Main Street. This is something it can do immediately, and it would make a crucial difference at a critical time. Wall Street used its bank bailout, originally proposed in the fall of 2008, to restore profits when it should have been helping Main Street create jobs. Banks aren’t lending to small business. We should establish a fund to lend some of this recovery money directly to small- and medium- sized businesses at commercial rates, managed by the small community banks that engage in this direct lending. If small businesses can get credit, they will create jobs. And we need those jobs now more than ever. We are facing the worst jobs situation in more than half a century. This is not a situation working people should be expected to just “tough it out.” This is a crisis created by past, failed policies that treated regulation and consumer protections as burdens on Wall Street businesses – fueling the excess that came when Depression-era protections were scaled back in the United States by the previous administration. Leadership and bold action, not words nor roadblocks, are needed now more than ever. It worked before. It will work again. I can assure every member that we are working with our contractors and our Local unions to go after any work within our jurisdiction. I am also calling on every member to reach out by phone, writing, e-mail, or any other way to get a message to their local, state and federal government officials, Independent, Republican or Democrat, about using their influence to create real jobs that working families can live on and build a future. I welcome any thoughts you might have about our efforts to get our unemployed members back to work. Just write me or send an e-mail to [email protected]. In closing, may this holiday season and the coming year bring health, happiness and prosperity to all. “Leadership and bold action, not words nor roadblocks, are needed now more than ever. It worked before. It will work again.” November/December 2009 Yours Fraternally, Michael J. Sullivan 3 GENERAL S ECRETAR Y -TREASURER ’S M ESSAGE The Trust Factor Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government. —Thomas Jefferson A s we near the end of the first year of a new president’s administration and a realigned Congress, both led by Democrats, it’s been a rocky ride. For those of us in the labor movement and the millions of people who have been adversely affected by the downturn in the economy, our expectations were high. There was good reason. During the previous eight years, many people had lost faith and trust in our government. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan dragged on and the Congress, as well as the federal government, dropped the ball in not being more on top of a mismanaged and scandal-ridden economy. We believed things could be turned around. We certainly had to feel for President Obama stepping into this situation. But, he’s a take-charge individual who’s a quick study. His has been a transparent administration which probably accounts for 64% of the public, based on a very recent Gallup poll, placing much more trust in the executive branch of government than they do in the Congress. In contrast, the legislative branch recorded an all-time low trust level of 45% against a 76% level for the judicial branch. I believe Congress missed an opportunity to regain public confidence in not moving swiftly to answer President Obama’s call to give the Ameri- can people the health care system that every American wants for themselves and their families. Instead, bi-partisanship has been put aside and the battle lines are clearly drawn. Republicans are dead set in not passing anything that even slightly resembles what our brothers and sisters in Canada enjoy with their health care system which ensures that a doctor is available whenever anyone needs one. Even Democrats in the Senate cannot muster enough votes to pass a bill unless special interests’ concerns are addressed. Shouldn’t all of us have access to medical care when someone in the family gets sick just like the members in Congress have that we pay for through our taxes? . The Gallup poll also measured, as it does annually in this survey, a dramatic drop in the past year from 66% to a record low of 49% in the trust people hold for those in political life. That’s a telling message to the current elected officials that they better get their act together if they want to be elected to office again in 2010. Then, whom do WE trust? The Gallup results on this question, while down from a high of 86% in the mid-seventies, are a credit to our democratic system in that 73% of those polled have a great deal or fair amount of trust and confidence in the American people as a whole when it comes to Gallup poll hits record low in the trust people hold for those in political life. 4 The Journal making judgments about the issues facing our country. Right now, we have to trust our instincts on this health care issue. That’s what most of us do when we face some difficult decisions. My instinct tells me that if big business got us into the economic fix we are in now, then I am willing to accept the government’s help just as Americans did in the 1930s with government run programs. Isn’t it time for politicians to stop running for or against government and started running it well? Fortunately, Sheet Metal Workers have good instincts and a great deal of confidence and trust in their skills and abilities. Many of us have worked on construction jobs that have an end date which means we shift to other work or go back on the bench to get placed on other jobs. That’s the nature of construction work. A lot of it is seasonal, but now the off-seasons are extended; however, we are seeing a pickup in work in a number of areas. Our industry has also been hit hard on the manufacturing side. There, we have no control over work that gets moved out of the country or when a plant is relocated to another state that has a larger non-union, lower-wage workforce. What can our government do to make the job situation better? Well, the previous administration pumped our tax dollars into the economy but that only saved big businesses’ troubled companies to help those that got us into this economic mess in the first place. In terms of stimulus money, the October report showed that only 80,000 construction jobs were created or saved and most of those jobs were in highway and infrastructure work. Even the total of 640,000 jobs created or saved is not enough. More has to be done to get us back on track. Congress cannot use deficits as a barrier to growth. Democrats did not create that problem. They left a surplus that the Bush administration squandered through some bad policies and bad decisions. It’s common sense that sometimes you have to spend money to make some money. That’s the way new businesses get off the ground. Congress can help by encouraging the financial community to get more business loans approved; deciding that investments in alternative energy applications create more jobs in the U.S. as opposed to spending dollars on overseas energy sources that pollute our environment; and putting a stop on companies sending our work out of the country. We can talk about this until we’re blue in the face, but we will get more attention with the stories of workers who have their job. We have inserted a card in the centerfold of this Journal to capture these stories. If you or someone in your family, or anyone you know has lost their job, tell us how long the person worked in the job, how long have they been out of work, and what economic effect it has had on them and their family. You may also send an e-mail to [email protected] to give us that information. Those who agree will have their stories used on our web site and made available to members of Congress. I also encourage every member to contact their Representative and Senators in Congress to let them know Americans need jobs to build a strong economy. Please accept our gratitude for all you do to support this great union. May the coming year fulfill all our wishes and dreams for a brighter future. “Right now, we have to trust our instincts on this health care issue. That’s what most of us do when we face some difficult decisions.” November/December 2009 Yours fraternally and in trust, Joseph J. Nigro 5 Calling All Women To the Trade! B eth Szillagyi is a member of SMWIA Local 218 in Springfield, Illinois. She is also the author of Hey, Lady! Your Tin Snips are Showing! Her novel started out as a short version, first published in Tradeswomen, a California-based women in the trades magazine that is now defunct. In 1991, she was contacted by Cosmopolitan magazine to write an article. After her original story was published, Beth tried for several years to find a publisher for a full-length version, but no one seemed interested. According to Beth, she had enough rejection slips to wallpaper a room. With the advent of the Internet came her break. In 2000 she broke down and purchased a computer – using a search engine to find Internet publishers and after emailing several hundred of them, got a publishing contract with SynergEbooks.com. The book is available at: http://www.synergebooks.com/ ebook_heylady.html for $18.99 which includes postage. It is also available as an e-book and on CD-ROM. A check in that amount can be sent to: SynergEbooks 205 South Dixie Drive, Box 185 Haines City, Florida, 33844 Beth has also written Cobwebs in the Broiler: Adventures of a Very Wicked Step Mother and Notes From Rainbow Bridge, a story about where pets go when their time on earth is through. These are also available through SynergEbooks.com. Beth agreed to do an interview with The Journal talking about her unique experiences in the trade and her advice for other women interested in a sheet metal career. She also discussed her future plans both in her professional and personal lives. Why did you get in the trade? As a child, I had always wanted to be a veterinarian; however, when the time approached to go to school, I didn’t have the financial fortitude to go to college for that length of time, even after joining the Illinois Army National Guard which would have paid for tuition and fees. Although I was a good student and on the honor 6 roll, it soon became apparent that I needed to find a job. This was in 1979, and I spent the entire summer perusing the want ads while in the meantime selling insurance. Or perhaps I should say “faking” selling insurance. Toward the end of summer, there it was, “my” job in the paper. I don’t know how I knew it was my job, I just knew it. “Local 84 is taking applications for the apprenticeship. Women and minorities encouraged to apply.” I went to the union hall as a green and naïve 22-year-old and survived my first hurdle in the trades: the atypical cigar-smoking, raspy-voiced business agent. May he rest in peace, but he scared the bejesus out of me back then. The year I took the test, there were 200 applicants, 4 of them women. During the entire waiting period between taking the test and getting the results back, I somehow knew that I would make it. Still, I was surprised when I got the phone call telling me to come to the hall and sign some papers because “Dolly, you got yourself a job” which I needed desperately. I had already discovered that I was not the type to teeter around an office in high heels, so I had to find some other avenue of self support. Have you seen a change in attitude over the years? Yes, most definitely, and at the same time, not really. Hard to explain and I know it sounds ambivalent. However, I was bound and determined that no one would stop me, even though I had heard that men at the hall were actually betting money that I wouldn’t survive the apprenticeship. Now, I am known well enough around the area and have a lot of old friends who would stick up for me should the need arise, but getting to that point was quite a challenge. You just have to keep showing up. There were a lot of times that I didn’t want to keep showing up but, like I mentioned earlier, I needed this job to pay for my bad habits like needing a roof over my head and food to eat. A few examples of what was said to me back then: “What’s a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this?” “You are taking a job away from a man with a family to feed.” (I had a good answer for that one: SO ARE YOU.) “They oughta draft you!” ( My response: “They can’t because I’m in the National Guard” which really got to them.) The Journal By the way, I have always believed in fighting fire with fire, and it has worked for me over the years, even though I have gotten guff for it from women’s groups and women in construction groups. A big example of this is my approach to “girlie” pictures. I have been told over the years that I must file some kind of grievance or law suit dealing with sexual harassment. My approach, however, has been to put up pictures of naked men wherever and whenever I have seen the aforementioned “girlie” pictures displayed. I firmly believe that if you want to do a lawsuit, that’s fine, but don’t rain on me because I use other methods to deal with wayward men. A good example of how the attitude has changed for the better is my boss who is now retired and who was also my shop teacher back then. He had the faith in me a few years back to hand me prints to two difficult and need-to-be-done-right-now jobs at two hospitals two summers in a row (2007 and 2008). I have had several mentors over the years, and they have meant so much to me that I really could run to the women’s room and have a good cry. Without these fellas, the journey would have been much more difficult. I have been around long enough now, too, that I feel like most of these guys are my real brothers, like we have grown up together over the years. Many of us are baby boomers, so we can commiserate with each other about the challenges of older bodies and how to work and not get injured. My husband is a union electrician (we knew each other in high school), and he and his friends have helped me, too. Do you have advice to other women wanting to get in the trades? Put your big girl pants on and never give up the ship. Get yourself some good sturdy work boots and don’t expect special privileges. Keep showing up and keep your sense of humor. You have just as much right to be there as the next guy. If you work hard and don’t put up with anything, pretty soon you may be surprised at who is in your corner. November/December 2009 Is there one experience that stands out? This is a very tough question to answer. Work wise, two jobs stand out: being able to work on the dome of the Illinois capitol building in 1982 and being on the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum job from day one. On the human side, my fellow workers have stood out, some good, some bad, some wonderful. I have learned much from them, not only about the trade and other trades and life in general, but about myself and what I am capable of. What’s next on the horizon? I really wanted to hang around awhile longer, but the work situation is pretty dire here in the Midwest and elsewhere across the country. I signed all my papers and am 99% sure that I will be retiring on December 31st of this year. I would love to go back to school and be a veterinary technician, but the nearest school is in Champaign - several hours away. I have also toyed with the idea of HVACR classes at the technical institute here in town. Not really sure about any of it; I have had enough experience in the lay-off department, though, to never be bored. I love to fish, read, garden, bird watch, and volunteer at the no-kill shelter in Springfield. There might be another book or two in there somewhere, too. I might also take up the piano again and do something completely different like taking drawing or painting classes. We’ll see. 7 ULTIMATE E OUTDOOR WEEKEND SWEEPSTAKES WANT TO WIN A RACE WEEKEND WITH BILL JORDAN AND TEAM REALTREE? GRAND PRIZE: Race weekend for two in Talladega as a guest of Bill Jordan - Full Weekend at the Track, You and a Guest! - Pit Road Access - VIP First-Class Seating in Team Realtree Suite! - Team Realtree Merchandise Package FIRST PRIZE: (1) Richard Petty Driving Experience SECOND PRIZE: (25) Chevy/Team Realtree Hats Register To Win At UnionSportsmen.org You Are Union. You Are Sportsman. You Belong. Join the USA Today www.Unionsportsmen.org or 1-877-872-2211 A $115 Value For Just $25! Canadian Affairs Report A Pensions – In Review s 2009 comes to an end, one cannot help but look back over the year as to where the financial global markets and pension security issues were at the time. One might say in “utter ruin”, especially for those who have done the right thing over the years in trying to ensure a stable pension income. The problem is further compounded by those people who have private savings like RRSPs that have seen their investments shrivel and shrink as stock values plunge. This debate has led to a thought provoking discussion amongst those concerned with this issue to embrace the idea for the need to focus on improving and expanding our universal public pensions system, namely the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Old Age Security (OAS), and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS). This involves a two-prong approach: 1. Expand Canada Pension Plan (CPP) coverage The CPP has the capacity to provide Canadians with a greater proportion of retirement income because it’s well-funded and has a superior benefit design. It’s national in scope and therefore offers economies of scale with lower administration costs and investment management fees. It provides workers with less risk, greater certainty, portability, inflation protection, and spousal, death and disability benefits. The best way to improve pension coverage and retirement security is to expand CPP benefits for workers who don’t have a private workplace pension. 2. Increase public pension benefits Old Age Security (OAS) and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) are critical because they provide a basic level of income security for all seniors. However, for many seniors these benefits are their sole source of income and the rates just aren’t high enough to maintain a decent standard of living. We must increase GIS benefit rates for the most vulnerable seniors so they don’t have to live in poverty and hardship. Clearly, the private sector has failed to provide Canadians with adequate retirement security. However, thanks to our universal public pension plan system (CPP) it would appear by enhancing the current model that it potentially would provide for a dignified and secure retirement. One thing is clear, workplace pension plans must be protected for the security and dignity of those workers and their families as they enter their retirement years. Once again as another year comes to an end I would like to wish every member of the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association and their families a peaceful and festive holiday season; and best wishes for a healthy and happy New Year. Fraternally, Robert Brown Director of Canadian Affairs Season’s Greetings November/December 2009 9 Railroad and Shipyard Update DEWEY GARLAND, Director of Railroad and Shipyard Workers THE RAILWAY LABOR ACT AND HOW IT WORKS On January 1, 2010, we will begin bargaining with our nation’s class one freight railroads as well as AMTRAK, a railroad passenger carrier. As everyone is aware this bargaining will be done under the guidelines of the Railway Labor Act, a federal law that governs all labor issues in the railroad and airline industry. The Railway Labor Act is the nation’s oldest labor law, first established in 1926. This law is a negotiated agreement between labor and management enacted into law by congress. Under the Railway Labor Act, our agreements never expire; they are amended from agreement to agreement. After both parties serve each other a notice of wants and needs and the bargaining process begins, the organization is prohibited by law to strike and the carriers are prohibited by law to change the terms of the agreement and are prohibited from locking out our members. If the carriers or the organization cannot reach an agreement, either party may invoke the services of the National Mediation Board. The National Mediation Board is an independent federal agency designed to assist the parties in reaching an agreement. If the parties are unable to reach an agreement with the help of the Mediation Board, the organization has the right to ask to be released from mediation. If this request is granted, we are then free to strike after a number of 30-day cooling off periods required under the Act. One can argue the Railway Labor Act is good or bad, but no one can deny the fact that our members have had their lives and their families lives improved over the years with the Act in place. I will keep everyone informed of the progress that is accomplished in our negotiations. Hopefully, we will have an agreement ready for ratification by our members in freight and passenger rails in the not to distant future. COMMUTER RAILS Long Island Railroad - We had ten (10) new hires on August 12, 2009. We will be serving our Section 6 Notice 10 on January 1, 2010. We are in the process of trying to form a bargaining coalition on this property. There is a meeting scheduled December 7, 2009 that all organizations have been invited to attend. Metro-North Railroad - We have formed a bargaining coalition that includes all unions except the Teamsters. On November 17, 2009 the subcommittee met to formulate a Section 6 Notice. The subcommittee will report to the full coalition on December 11, 2009.The contract is amendable June 15, 2010. MBCR Railroad - We served our Section 6 Notice on this railroad January 18, 2008. The contract was amendable July 1, 2008. We formed a Bargaining Coalition with all the unions that represent people on MBCR and are requesting a 7% GWI a year for the term of the agreement which is five (5) years. On July 20, 2009 we filed for mediation in accordance with Section 5 of the Railway Labor Act. We met September 22, 23, 24, 2009 with the Carrier and two mediators. There was no progress made at that time. SEPTA - On February 10, 2009 we served our Section 6 Notice and are currently in negotiations with the carrier. We requested a 9% GWI for 2010-2013 and minimal work rule changes. We have an excellent relationship with the carrier, which has enabled us to fill all our positions even in this recessed economy. FREIGHT RAILROADS Pan Am Railroad (Formerly Springfield Terminal Railroad) - We recently ratified a new five-year agreement on this property. The GWI are as follows: August 2008 = 3%, August 2009 = 3%, August 2010 = 4%, August 2011 = 4%, August 2012 = 4% SHIPYARDS The North Grumman Shipyards (Ingalls and Avondale) are set to vote on an extension to their current collective bargaining agreement. Management and labor explored the idea of a 2-year extension and both sides recognize that at this particular time an extension would be beneficial to both parties. In the Federal Shipyards the unions have been fighting a piece of legislation called the National Security Personnel System which was introduced early in the The Journal Bush Administration. The legislation was designed to strip the bargaining rights of federal employees. If this legislation had not been defeated, the supervisors of our members would have been the ones to decide who would receive pay raises and who would not. Collective bargaining as we know it would have been destroyed. Thanks to the hard work of our political team and the tireless efforts of the Metal Trades Department and President Ron Ault, the legislation has been defeated. Thank you Brother Ault from all of our members. I would like to wish all of our brothers and sisters a very happy and safe Christmas and a very happy and prosperous new year for you and your loved ones. Pictured (left) is recently retired Sheet Metal Worker Tom Henry who was employed by the Norfolk Southern Railroad in Knoxville, TN and was a member of Local 267. Standing next to him is his father, Fred, who was employed as a sheet metal worker on the Norfolk Southern Railroad and a member of this organization for over 40 years. Fred is 92 years old and has been drawing union negotiated railroad retirement for over 30 years. I would like to congratulate Fred on his long retirement and wish Tom and his family many years of the same. Thanks Fred and Tom for your support of this great organization. Rodney Wyatt, Thomas Green, Petra Green, Dewey Garland, Linda Black, Dan Black, Audra Russell and M.L. Brown Pictured above is the group that gathered for a retirement party for Rodney Wyatt, FST for Local 167 in Chattanooga, TN. We would like to thank Brother Wyatt for all of his hard work and dedication to Local 167 and this International. We wish you and your family a long and happy retirement. Roger Neale, John Ham, John Holt, Don Prewitt, Jim Strickland, Gary Donnelly, John Robertson, Billy Gibbs, Tommy McCormac, Grady Jones and Bill Hasty The locomotive pictured above was built by Railroad Local 211 in Nashville, TN. for Operation Lifesaver. The locomotive traveled across CSX railroad’s entire system promoting safety awareness at all rail crossings. It was powered by a small gasoline engine. Good job Local 211! Wayne Spain, who served as Superintendent for over 20 years at RJ Young Sheet Metal Company in Nashville, TN recently retired. Wayne is from Building Trades Local 177. When I served as Local Chairman for Railroad Local 211 in Nashville, Tennessee, all our sheet metal was purchased from RJ Young. There were several occasions when Local 211 didn’t have the proper tools, equipment, or manpower to fabricate certain items and Wayne went beyond the call of duty to assist our Local in many ways. I would like to thank Wayne for his help in past years, and to congratulate both him and his wife, Betty, and to wish them a long and happy retirement. I know his three sons and six grandsons are looking forward to it too! Jim Forester will assume Wayne’s responsibilities and Local 211 is looking forward to continuing their strong relationship with Building Trades Local 177. FOCUS on NPF LAWSUITS FILED September & October 2009 MONTHS REFERRED ESTIMATED AMOUNT DUE FOR MONTHS REFERRED LOCAL EMPLOYER SUIT FILED 010 LANDON COMPANY, LLC* NORTHFIELD, MINNESOTA 10/1/09 8/09-9/09 $4,200.08 012 BISHOP METALS, INC PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA 9/1/09 3/09-6/09 $26,269.41 012 PRO METALS, INC. d/b/a PROMETALS, INC. MONONGAHELA, PENNSYLVANIA 10/28/09 4/09-9/09 $60,104.55 073 B.O.C. HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING CO. HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILLINOIS 10/6/09 5/09-7/09 $16,415.57 105 COMMERCE AIR CONDITIONING COMPANY d/b/a COMMERCE SYSTEMS and CHARLES R. WALTER, individually** SAN FERNANDO, CALIFORNIA 9/9/09 3/07-12/07, 6/09 $55,520.43 137 LIBERTY SIGNS NY, INC. d/b/a LIBERTY SIGN LINDENHURST, NEW YORK 9/16/09 3/09-7/09 $8,824.31 137 MIDTWON NEON SIGN CORP. and RITA MILLER as an individual LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK 10/19/09 7/08-2/09 $10,756.44 206 EXCEL BUILDING SOLUTIONS, INC. d/b/a EXCEL CUSTOM METALS LEMON GROVE, CALIFORNIA 10/6/09 11/08-2/09 $3,216.29 359 CALIBER MECHANICAL SYSTEMS, INC. PEORIA, ARIZONA 10/14/09 10/08-2/09 $4,700.09 * Joint collections with local ** Defaulted Payment Agreement DIRECTORY OF VARIOUS FUNDS Sheet Metal Workers National Health Trust Fund and SMW+ c/o Southern Benefit Administrators, Inc. P.O. Box 1449 Goodlettsville, TN 37070-1449 (615) 859-0131 Sheet Metal Workers National Pension Fund Edward F. Carlough Plaza 601 N. Fairfax St., Suite 500 Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 739-7000 1-800-231-4622 (For Plan Participants Only) Marc LeBlanc, Funds Administrator www.smwnpf.org 12 National Energy Management Institute Edward F. Carlough Plaza 601 N. Fairfax St., Suite 250 Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 739-7100 Anthony Picarazzi www.nemionline.org SASMI—Stabilization Agreement of the Sheet Metal Industry Edward F. Carlough Plaza 601 N. Fairfax St., Suite 400 Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 739-7250 1-800-858-0354 Harold W. Bradshaw, Jr., Administrator International Training Institute for The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Industry Edward F. Carlough Plaza 601 N. Fairfax St., Suite 240 Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 739-7200 James Shoulders, Administrator www.sheetmetal-iti.org Alcohol, Substance Abuse Employee Assistance Program 1750 New York Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20006-5386 (202) 783-5880 Sheet Metal Occupational Health Institute Edward F. Carlough Plaza 601 N. Fairfax St., Suite 250 Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 739-7130 Gary L. Batykefer, Administrator www.smohit.org The Journal FOCUS on FUNDS THE COMBINED NEWSLETTER FOR ITI, SMOHIT AND NEMI FUNDS UPdate Volume 3, No. 3 / FALL 2009 CCS from a Contractor’s Perspective In this issue... BIM Academy Closes Out 2009 2009 Safety Matters Awards NEMI Sees Growth Opportunity 56957_p1_12.indd 1 November/December 2009 12/4/09 12:53:20 PM 13 FOCUS on iTi FUNDS UPdate Volume 3, Number 3 FUNDS UPdate is the combined newsletter for the International Training Institute, Sheet Metal Occupational Health Institute Trust and the National Energy Management Institute Address 601 N. Fairfax St. Suite 240 Alexandria, VA 22314 Phone 703-739-7200 ITI Quarterly BIM Academy Closes Out 2009 on Positive Note St. Louis Program Gets CCS in Hands of End Users ITI’s Building Information Modeling (BIM) Academy closed out its first three months of operation in St. Louis in December, completing two Fabrication classes and two Draft, or Detailing, classes. SMWIA Local 36 JATC hosted the program. In the first series of classes students in the Draft course learned to create coordinated shop drawings of various building systems including HVAC, piping, electrical and structural using the ITI’s CCS training software. Proficiency in AutoCad is required in order to take the Draft or Detailing class. The Fabrication course covers the section of the training software which deals with the creation of machine code and fitting labels directly from a CCS Draft Drawing, The class is geared toward individuals who work directly with downloading and fabrication of HVAC components using CNC machines. Individuals signing up for this class should have a basic understanding of AutoCad before taking the course. The program will expand in 2010 to include other portions of the CCS training software. Each five-day class covers the appro- priate section of the training software, concluding with a formal certification test on the final day. Upon successful completion of the test, the student is issued a license to use the corresponding portion of the CCS training software so that they may utilize it as the ultimate on-the-job training tool at a signatory contractor facility. The BIM Academy is a departure from ITI’s traditional approach, focusing on delivering the training product directly to the member instead of training trainers. It’s a natural outgrowth of the Centers of Excellence concept that ITI has been developing. Enrollment is open to any SMWIA members whose employers have made contributions to the ITI on their behalf. Members may sign up for a course by going online to: www.sheetmetaliti.org, follow the instructions to secure a username and password and sign up. Courses will be filled on a first-com, first-served basis. Experience and training in the HVAC field is a prerequisite for all BIM Academy courses. Contact Michael Keane at the ITI (e-mail: [email protected] or, by phone: 703-299-5628) for more information. ■ 2 FUNDS UPdate 56957_ITI_Fall09.indd 14 2 12/2/09 1:28:29 PM The Journal FOCUS on iTi iTi Quarterly CCS From a Contractor’s Perspective Bright Sheet Metal of Indianapolis assembled massive ductwork onsite at the Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL. Portions of the project involved rounds of between 6 and 10 feet, assembled and installed 300 feet in the air. Bright utilized ITI’s CCS Training software on the project. ITI’s Construction Coordination Training Software (CCS) is getting a thorough workout in the offices of Bright Sheet Metal in Indianapolis. According to Jim Meyers, the company’s eight detailers use CCS exclusively on projects large and small. Meyers is not a neutral observer. He’s part of the task force that created CCS and brought a working Beta version of the program to Bright Sheet Metal some two and one-half years ago. “Even the first beta version was almost as good as the old software we had been using, and it has continued to improve as we’ve worked out the kinks,” Meyers says. He credits the evolution to the quality of the software writers and the members on the Task Force who have been working with beta users since the testing got started. “These guys are aware of what the future is bringing, and they are forward thinking.” The basic software package, Meyers says, “helps make everything consistent. When the drawings go to the field, everything is the same. Everybody sees the same thing.” He likes the 3-D feature and the “collision check” that works out conflicts before they can become a problem. “I think a real strong point of the software is that it was designed by sheet metal workers for sheet metal workers,” Meyers says. On the near horizon, CCS will soon expand with a downloading capability so drawings can go straight to the fabrication machines—eliminating another step in the process. To date, Bright Sheet Metal has done two major jobs using Building Information Modeling, including a massive project on all the ducting and sheet metal work for Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts. The Stadium project is the largest the firm has ever done to date. CCS and BIM enabled crews to design and lay out large complex duct runs, ranging from 6 to 10 foot diameter round duct located 300 feet in the air while avoiding the complex structural members they had to run through. Meyers is looking forward to the roll out of the next two features of CCS—the project management and estimating modules—which he’s confident will further enhance the company’s capacity for coordinating with building teams as well as enhancing Bright’s bottom line. ■ Another ITI Asset: Welding Trailer ITI’s newest welding trailer will be in Las Vegas through next Spring, preparing to handle any overflow of contestants during the 2010 International Apprenticeship Contest. The completely outfitted trailer, boasting both a generator and shore power hookup, serves as a portable classroom. It is the most recent and most modern addition to ITI’s mobile training facilities. In years past, when few JATCs were equipped with functioning welding labs, trailers like this one were shuttled around the country to train and certify welders. Since most JATCs now have permanent weld- ing labs, mobile facilities are usually pressed into service for emergency use, typically to train large numbers of welders for power plant construction, or to fill in where permanent facilities might have been damaged by natural disasters. Locals interested in scheduling a mobile welding lab should contact their ITI welding assessor. ■ fall 2009 3 56957_ITI_Fall09.indd 3 November/December 2009 12/2/09 1:28:37 PM 15 iTi Quarterly FOCUS on iTi Combination of CCS-BIM Seen as Boost to Competitive Edge ITI’s long-standing effort to create and perfect an industry-specific Construction Coordination Training Software (CCS) is coming on line just as the entire construction industry embraces the process of creating and using digital models for design, construction and operations of projects, or Building Information Modeling (BIM). ITI staffers attended the SMACNA convention in October where the assessment was overwhelmingly positive about how CCS and BIM figure into future trends in the industry. “I realized that getting CCS out to the field right now puts us right where we need to be,” said ITI Administrator James Shoulders. Industry Study Buttresses Need for CCS Industry trends support that assessment. A market study by McGraw Hill, entitled: The Business Value of BIM, notes that almost 50 percent of the construction industry is now using BIM and virtually all BIM users plan significant increases in their use of the technique. Moreover, the study says, the vast majority of users are “experiencing real business benefits directly attributable to BIM.” While BIM earned wide praise by virtually all users, the McGraw Hill survey noted that firms that use data-driven assessments gave it higher marks than those who simply base their opinion on perception. In other words, measurable results prove that the process yields real profits. BIM users “gain bankable benefits that enhance productivity, improve their ability to integrate teams and an edge on the competition,” the McGraw Hill study found. Among the key findings of that report: • 87 percent of expert users are experiencing positive ROI with BIM. • 93 percent of BIM users believe there is potential to gain more value from BIM in the future. Shoulders sees those trends as a wide-open opportunity to accelerate CCS usage across the sheet metal spectrum because CCS is designed to blend sheet metal technology with BIM principles. Significant Conclusion from McGraw Hill Study: “Many BIM users working in a team environment have already discovered that a lack of interoperability between software applications can limit success. Most also recognize that BIM can showcase its potential on complex jobs.” CCS Advantages Extend Beyond Production While the economics of expediting production, more efficient use of resources and less waste are measurable and real outcomes from CCS, Shoulders notes that the benefits to other stakeholders—including end users such as building owners—should also be factored. “Every CCS drawing includes a data base of invaluable information for the end user. When we turn over those drawings to the building engineer, the document has a complete picture of every element of the system, the location of every component and all the details they need to know about how the building operates,” Shoulders says. That knowledge takes the guesswork out of maintenance and repairs and saves considerable money for the building owner in the long run, he adds. Value for BIM Users Will Grow Exponentially The McGraw Hill study, based on a survey of industry users, points to rapid expansion for the system as BIM usage spreads. Between 2007 and 2009, the number of BIM users grew by 20 percent—to almost half of the entire construction industry, approximately 48 percent. Most importantly, from the investment side, 20 percent of BIM users estimate a return on investment of above 50 percent; some 9 percent of users who formally measure ROI see returns of more than 100 percent. Although the perception of the value of BIM is different for the various constituencies in the industry, the majority of contractors (52 percent) already see value and predict more to come; 70 percent of building owners see a positive ROI now, and more than six of 10 (61 percent) believe they are only “scratching the surface now.” Six in 10 architects see a positive ROI on BIM. Three of five engineers expect much greater yields in the future. ■ 4 FUNDS UPdate 56957_ITI_Fall09.indd 16 4 12/2/09 1:28:45 PM The Journal FOCUS on SMOHIT 2009 Safety Matters Awards Every year, SMOHIT recognizes local safety initiatives with “Safety Matters” awards to honor those that exemplify SMOHIT’s core values. Here are the 2009 winners. safety matters safety matters NY Members Gain From OSHA-10 Training N early 150 members of SMWIA Local 83 took SMOHIT’s OSHA 10 training in the last year and that training has paid off. With the difficult economy, this kind of attention to safety not only benefits Local 83’s members and their families but also benefits their signatory contractors. The New York (Left to right) Mark Landau, Rick Monahan, Bill Warburton, Jon Barnes and Larry Warzek of SMWIA Local 83 proudly display their recent “Safety Matters” award. A Cultural Change Promotes Injury Prevention (Left to right): Robert Hester, Limbach’s sheetmetal supervisor and Tom Savage, Limbach shop foreman, stand with Limbach employees Eric Damon, John Denk, Al Gerthoffer, shop steward, Dave Kremmel, and Jim Blose, Limbach’s safety manager and 38-year sheetmetal worker, proudly displaying their Safety Matters Award. W hen Limbach LLC, a mechanical contractor based in Pittsburgh, created an Incident and Injury Free Program (IIF) in 2004, it was described by another general contractor as “the Cadillac” of safety training. “Limbach deserves the accolades because they’ve clearly created a cultural change within their company,” said SMOHIT Administrator Gary Batykefer. “We set the bar higher,” said Jim Blose, Limbach’s safety manager. “It starts with Charlie Bacon, our CEO,” said Blose. “He sits in on every [national] safety meeting and takes great concern for the safety of not only our employees and subcontractors, but also the safety of their families.” Limbach makes certain that every meeting begins with a safety component. The company trains all of their forepersons and project managers in CPR, AED and first aid, along with OSHA-30. They reward employees for going the extra mile for safety. Apprentices are required to complete a form monthly noting a safety observation, idea or alert. “We set the tone,” said Blose, “on how important safety is and how careless actions can affect loved ones.” Dept. of Labor made OSHA-10 training mandatory for employees working on prevailing wage rate contracts over $250,000. “Our contractors are more competitive, now,” said Mark Landau, president of Local 83. “We had 146 members earn OSHA cards thanks to the training tools from SMOHIT.” Fostering Partnership, Diligence and Creativity, Local 10 Sees Safety as a Value A partnership between SMWIA Local 10 (Minnesota, North and South Dakota, and counties in Northern Wisconsin) and its local SMACNA chapter encourages safe workplaces using SMOHIT’s training materials. The local’s JATC requires all apprentices to obtain OSHA 30 cards in their first year of training. Diligence about safety training carries over into the local’s work with journeypersons. Journey-level classes include a combined OSHA-10/30 class. Members who want to obtain their OSHA-10 cards can attend the first three class sessions. Participants are encouraged to continue on and earn their OSHA-30 card by attending the last five sessions. The combined classes have helped the local increase the number of members receiving their cards. “The members find the class is interesting,” said Buck Paulsrud, JATC coordinator for Local 10, “and they are almost halfway there. Once they have put in the first three sessions, the next five sessions look more doable.” Roy Brown, SMARCA Safety Director, (left) stands with Marty Strub, SMWIA Local 10 Business Manager and Buck Paulsrud, Metro Area JATC Training Coordinator (right), showing off their 2009 Safety Matters Award. Working with the local Building Trades, a local committee created an “Individual Risk Management” program. Its theme focuses on making safety a “value” for individuals, not just a “priority.” “Priorities can slip,” said Paulsrud, “values never do.” The safety director for the SMACNA chapter, Roy Brown, played a key role in developing the content of the risk management program. Proper Protocol and Training Benefit Bay Area Members S heet Metal Workers Local 104 and the Bay Area Industry Training Fund use SMOHIT training materials to raise awareness of the importance of safety in the work environment. They go beyond the textbooks to bring safety to the shop floors and prepare apprentices and journeypersons for the safest workplaces. ■ fall 2009 5 56957_ITI_Fall09.indd 5 November/December 2009 12/2/09 1:28:45 PM 17 safety matters FOCUS on SMOHIT New Leader Tapped for OSHA Correction: I n late July, President Obama nominated David Michaels to become Assistant Secretary of the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Michaels is an epidemiologist and research professor at the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. Michaels has broad experience in occupational health and safety issues. He has researched the effects of occupational exposure to toxic chemicals, including asbestos, metals and solvents, and has written extensively on science and regulatory policy. From 1998 to 2001, Dr. Michaels served as Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environment, Safety and Health, responsible for protecting the health and safety of workers, neighboring communities and the environment surrounding the nation’s nuclear weapons facilities. In that position, he was the chief architect of the historic initiative to compensate nuclear weapons workers who developed occupational illnesses as a result of exposure to radiation, beryllium and other hazards. Michaels has received numerous awards for his work. ■ In the last issue of Funds Update, the article entitled OSHA -10 Refresher Released to Industry erroneously stated that “sheet metal workers are required to take an OSHA-10 course every five years.” It is not required, but is recommended to satisfy the increasing demand of SMWIA signatory contractors for current, updated training. The federal government and OSHA may soon require OSHA-10 refresher training on all Davis-Bacon projects. ■ OSHA Issues Final PPE Rule OSHA issued a final rule on Personal Protective Equipment that requires that filter lenses and plates in eye-protective equipment meet a test for transmission of radiant energy such as light or infrared. The rule became effective October 9, 2009. “Workers exposed to occupational hazards requiring head, foot, or eye and face protection will now be provided protection based on a standard that reflects state-ofthe-art technology and materials,” said acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Jordan Barab. “This final rule is another step in OSHA’s efforts to update or remove references to outdated national consensus and industry standards.” To review the rule, visit: http://www. gpoaccess.gov/fr/ and search for PPE. ■ Michael J. Sullivan SMWIA Washington, DC David E. Norris Dean E. Norris, Inc. Wiichita, KS David Zimmermann SMOHIT Trustee Leonard Otero SMOHIT Trustee Ralph Blessing SMOHIT Trustee Business Manager Local Union 36 St. Louis, MO Safety Manager J.B. Construction, Co. Albuquerque, NM Safety Director McKenney, Inc. Atlanta, GA Robert Payne SMOHIT Trustee Business Manager Local Union 441 Mobile, AL 6 FUNDS UPdate 56957_ITI_Fall09.indd 18 6 12/2/09 1:28:52 PM The Journal FOCUS on SMOHIT F or nearly 40 years the Occupational Safety and Health Act has been in place to provide workplace protections for America’s workforce. Unfortunately, it still fails to protect too many members of the workforce. The AFLCIO, along with SMWIA, is lobbying for changes to the current Act. The push is to return OSHA’s programs to their intended goals – regulation and enforcement of worker safety, health and training laws. “Current OSHA laws are inadequate, and need to be strengthened,” says Gary Batykefer, SMOHIT’s administrator. “While we’ve seen improvements since the new administration has come in, they could be more effective if the law had sharper teeth. We’ll continue to push until we feel America’s workers are adequately protected.” The Obama Administration has made some changes in overturning some of the previous administration’s antiworker, pro business rules and those changes have been promising: A new, working-family friendly Secretary of Labor in Hilda Solis and an OSHA acting director who really cares about workplace safety in Jordan Barab, but the changes that really need to be made are in the law itself, Batykefer points out. Some of the changes advocated by SMWIA are: • Full coverage for all workers. Nearly 9 million workers—including state and local public employees and flight attendants—still aren’t covered by OSHA. • Stronger criminal and civil penalties for violations. Current penalties average only $960 for a violation. Criminal penalties are inadequate, as well. A willful violation that results in a worker death is only charged as a misdemeanor. safety matters OSHA Authority Still Falls Short in Protecting American Workplaces • New standards for health and safety. In its 38-year history, OSHA has developed new regulations governing 29 toxic substances. Many existing standards are out of date or inadequate in their protections. There is still a backlog of standards waiting for release and review, including rules on silica, cranes and derricks, diacetyl and combustible dust. When Barab addressed the United Steelworkers in late August, he reported other changes in the works. “We’re moving forward with the regulatory agenda — particularly cranes and derricks, confined spaces and silica,” said Barab. “We’re also progressing on harmonizing our standards with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals. Secretary Solis has also announced new rulemaking on combustible dust.” ■ H1N1 Resources for SMWIA Members T he U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued commonsense fact sheets that employers and workers can use to promote safety during the current H1N1 influenza outbreak. The fact sheets inform employers and workers about ways to reduce the risk of exposure to the 2009 H1N1 virus at work. OSHA’s “Workplace Safety and H1N1” website (available through www.osha.gov) provides easy to understand information appropriate for all workplaces and more extensive guidance for those involved in higher risk health care activities. The fact sheets are advisory in nature and informational in content. As new information about the 2009 H1N1 virus becomes available, these workplace fact sheets will be updated. Employers and workers should review OSHA’s website at osha.gov often to ensure they have the most up-to-date information when making decisions about their operations and planning. The Canadian Government has also been out front in preventing the spread of the H1N1 flu. It has launched a website at fightflu.ca where citizens can view updates on the spread of the flu and also access a number of resources including an H1N1 preparedness guide. ■ fall 2009 7 56957_ITI_Fall09.indd 7 November/December 2009 12/2/09 1:29:04 PM 19 FOCUS on SMOHIT safety matters Q&A Corner By Charles Austin, SMOHIT Industrial Hygienist Lead Hazards in the Workplace: Permissible Exposure Limits Q. Why should I be concerned about lead exposure, aren’t there safeguards in place? A. In our Spring issue, we commented on lead exposure and its harmful side effects. What we didn’t talk about was the Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) and how they need to change. Dr. Philip Landrigan, an expert on lead toxicity at New York’s Mount Sinai School of Medicine, said, “The continuing overexposure of American workers to lead and the persistent occurrence of occupational lead poisoning is a national scandal.” Q. What about lead PELs need to change? A. Current PELs were set in 1978 and revised slightly in 1993. According to recent studies, current standards do not protect workers. Many occupational health experts say that OSHA’s lead standards are outdated. At today’s levels, a worker whose blood lead level exceeds 50 or 60 μg/dL should be removed from exposure. The current consensus among occupational health experts is that harmful effects can occur at much lower levels. For women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, for example, experts recommend that women whose lead levels fall between 5-9 μ/dL immediately reduce risk by separating themselves from the situation. There is no safe level for women who are pregnant. Q. What are some of the other problems the current permissible exposure levels? A. There’s a problem with OSHA standards also, because there’s no margin of safety between PELs and the level that causes harm. The lack of this margin means that discovery of exposure is the trigger for testing. That’s too late for the harmed worker. Q. When does testing for exposure occur? A. With existing standards, workers need to get tested if level. But, as we’ve noted before, lead exposure doesn’t necessarily occur just through air. Workers can become exposed by accidental ingestion. Also, not all workplaces conduct necessary air monitoring. In workplaces where lead exposure is possible, employees should have periodic testing of their blood lead levels. Q. What are the recommendations for changes in OSHA standards? A. The UC Berkeley School of Public Health’s Health Research for Action (HRA) recommends reducing the threshold for removing a worker from all exposure, reducing the permissible exposure limit, eliminating air monitoring as the trigger for testing blood lead levels and preventing take-home lead. HRA notes that “revised standards that reduce lead exposure may save employers money by eliminating the need for some components of medical monitoring.” Q. What are some other changes that can protect workers? A. HRA suggests that employers who comply with current and revised standards should be rewarded. We agree. Employers who make an investment in protecting workplace safety and health should get favorable treatment, like preferential status when bidding on public works contracts and projects. Q. What can I do now? A. Educate yourself and protect yourself. SMOHIT offers one-hour CD-ROM-based lead-exposure training. To find out more, visit http://www.smohit.org/. In addition, advocate change in OSHA’s standards by contacting your local representatives. ■ the lead in the workplace air measures above a certain 8 FUNDS UPdate 56957_ITI_Fall09.indd 20 8 12/2/09 1:29:18 PM The Journal FOCUS on NEMI NEMI Sees Growing Opportunity As Recovery Funds Spin Into Play SMWIA -signatory contractors are sharpening their pencils for bids on a multitude of projects generated under the federal stimulus program. Four federal agencies will direct the flow of some $10 billion in stimulus funds. GSA got the biggest chunk, $5.5 billion. Most of that money—$4.5 billion—is intended to improve energy efficiency in federal buildings and facilities. Another $3.8 billion will be used to repair and modernize facilities of the Department of Defense. The Department of the Interior and the Veterans Administration will receive about $1 billion each that can be applied to energy efficiency or energy projects. NEMI’s review of the effects of the stimulus money on the sheet metal industry estimates that some 3,600 SMWIA union members will be employed in stimulus projects over the three calendar years that it will take for the govern- ment to spend the funds. Direct employment resulting from the program will include mechanics/installers and sheet metal workers conducting energy refits. The majority will be engaged in direct HVAC installs and duct work. An additional 260 building commissioning agents or TAB technicians are expected to play an important role in energy efficiency projects generated by the stimulus expenditures. The study, prepared by the construction industry research firm, FMI, was issued by NEMI last July. It notes that more than $45 billion in the stimulus package is focused on energy programs, mainly for efficiency and renewable energy. Most of the funding must be obligated by the end of FY 2010, and some three quarters of the funds will be spent by September 2010. More than $21 billion of the stimulus money is required to be used for energy tax incentives, primarily for NEMI News News continued on page 10 ▶▶ ARRA Energy Efficiency Project Locations by Count for GSA, DoD, VA and DOI WA (21) VT (9) ME (5) ND (12) MT (3) MN (15) OR (5) CA (54) AZ (15) IL (17) CO (33) NM (10) IN (5) RI (3) OH (9) CT (12) WV (6) KS (8) OK (10) MA (21) PA (28) IA (6) NE (6) UT (6) NH (2) MI (11) WY (8) NV (8) NY (34) WI (6) SD (8) ID (2) MO (15) NJ (7) VA (40) KY (27) DE (6) MD (43) NC (33) TN (7) DC (22) SC (16) AR (37) MS (4) TX (44) LA (20) AL (11) GA (45) FL (27) Puerto Rico (2) USVI (1) AK (31) HI (11) fall 2009 9 56957_ITI_Fall09.indd 9 November/December 2009 12/2/09 1:29:29 PM 21 NEMI News FOCUS on NEMI SMWIA National Labor College Class of 2009 Front Row (from left): Richard Flood, James Bagniefski, Thomas Schmidt, NLC President William Scheuerman, SMWIA General President Michael Sullivan, Leah Rambo, Michael Kelley and Chris Carlough (SMWIA Director of Education). Second Row: Mark Norberg (Assistant to the General President), Rodney Graff, John Daniel, Samuel Schaffer, Robert Taylor, Vernon Shaffer and Jeff Rowe. Top Row: Rich McClees (1st Assistant the General President), Steven Korsh, Michael Keane, Neil Furlong, Fred Scafidi, James Hamilton, Gerard Callahan, Terry Grimshaw, James Ross and Anthony Easley. Five graduates were not available when the photo was taken, including: Armando Aguirre, Andrew Gilliland, Anthony Scott, Ryan VanHook and William Wroblewski. NEMI Sees Growing Opportunity (cont’d.) energy efficiency and renewable energy—prompting private industry to perform energy audits and retrofits. The SMWIA employment estimate does not include figures for projects growing out of the tax incentives. The government has specified that commissioning agents are to be used for all full and partial building modernization projects undertaken by GSA to verify the performance of the delivered systems and projects. According to the report, GSA had more than 200 projects to select from for high performance green buildings as defined in the Energy Independence Security Act (EISA). The agency used two criteria to make the final cuts: 1) Ability of the project to put people back to work quickly, and 2) transforming federal buildings into high performance green buildings. All GSA projects will be awarded by October 2011. NEMI notes that out of the $10 billion allocated for the four agencies, almost half includes HVAC work. It is estimated that 90 percent of the project work will be obligated by September 30, 2010, so bidding and awards will be happening fast, the study says. The median project value is estimated at between $600,000 and $700,000. Most of the projects are slated for areas where SMACNA and SMWIA are heavily represented, that is in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest states. GSA and the Defense Department will account for some 80 percent of the planned activity. In addition to the purchase of new equipment, energy efficiency and retrofit projects will include expenditures for energy audits, commissioning and building retrofit expenditures. For a full copy of the report, go to: www.nemionline.org. ■ NATE Honors NEMI’s Gary Andis, Cites Industry Advocacy, Certification V eteran NEMI staffer Gary Andis was recently presented with the Golden Toolbox Award to mark his contributions to HVAC industry efforts in the area of technician certification. The award is jointly conferred by North American Technical Excellence (NATE) and Contracting Business to recognize an individual in the industry who demonstrates exemplary service, support and advocacy for technician certification. NATE President Rex Boynton described Andis as “an outstanding professional devoted to the success and future of the HVACR industry.” He said Andis embodies the “goals and vision of NATE certification.” “It’s always been my belief that excellence is achieved through education and a true sense of responsibility for quality and professionalism,” commented Andis. “I’ve done my best throughout my career to uphold and share these beliefs, and it’s a great honor to be recognized by NATE and my industry peers with this award.” As director of certification for NEMI, Andis has 32 years of industry experience. He has worked in various aspects of installation, service and design. He has also helped to advance the industry’s reputation for quality by serving as an instructor and completing numerous instructor training programs. Andis holds five NATE certifications and serves on the NATE Technical Committee. He has completed the OSHA 500 Safety Course, and holds certifications from the EPA as well as Certifications 608 and 609 Refrigerant Recovery and Recycling. ■ 10 FUNDS UPdate 56957_ITI_Fall09.indd 22 10 12/2/09 1:29:34 PM The Journal TABB Supervisor HVAC Fire Life Safety April 5-7, 2010 — Albuquerque, NM July 12-14, 2010 — Cleveland, OH Supervisor, Level 1 TABB Supervisor — This class focuses on the skills and knowledge needed to be a TABB Certified Supervisor. The TABB Certified Supervisor’s project goal should be that contract obligations, as set forth in the drawings and specifications, would be fulfilled to the highest level of quality. A TABB Certified Supervisor should work directly with testing, adjusting and balancing technicians on a project. The TABB Certified Supervisor ensures the use of balance procedures that impose minimum restrictions on the HVAC systems. Commissioning development of the Building Commissioning Task Force which funded a study on the effects of commissioning/retro commissioning. The findings were astounding. Building commissioning professionals will be needed in increasing numbers in the years to come. IAQ Technician April 14-15, 2010 — Albuquerque, NM July 22-23, 2010 — Cleveland, OH IAQ Technicians have a big role in Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). The science of IAQ control is quite complicated, but it all starts with an IAQ technician who regularly peers into an HVAC system and explores ducts, mechanical rooms, crawl spaces, outdoor intakes and basements, probing for flaws that lead to IAQ problems. January 19-20, 2010 — Cedar Rapids, IA April 12-13, 2010 — Albuquerque, NM HVAC Fire Life Safety — Suppression and control of fire and smoke has served as the underpinnings of building codes in the United States for over 100 years. Nearly all buildings intended for human occupancy are required by today’s building codes to be designed with an assurance that, over the life of the building, occupants will be reasonably safe from fire and smoke. Professionals who properly install, inspect, and maintain fire dampers and related systems make an important contribution to the execution of the fire protection design and overall building performance in the event of a fire. July 15-16, 2010 — Cleveland, OH Commissioning — NEMI was first involved in commissioning with the Technician, Level 1 December 14-17, 2009 — Carol Stream, IL February 4-5, 2010 — Casper, WY Sound & Vibration Supervisor April 10, 2010 — Albuquerque, NM July 17, 2010 — Cleveland, OH HVAC Fire Life Safety NEMI News NEMI/TABB COURSE GUIDE FOCUS on NEMI Sound & Vibration — Complete knowledge of an HVAC system is essential for sound and vibration work. When an air handler comes on in a building, it should run smoothly and with little noise. However, some “kick in” with vibrations and a loud rolling noise. These noises and vibrations can occur when sound travels along ductwork from the air handler to mixing boxes in the ceiling. The sound and vibration professional is essential in creating a solution to this problem using techniques of measurement and analysis. Sound and Vibration (S&V) professionals are the eyes and ears on a construction project—and a vital member of an environmental technology test team. (Dates are subject to change. Contact NEMI for the most up-to-date schedule.) www.nemionline.org www.tabbcertified.org Drop in Apprentice Numbers Sets Off Alarms ITI is issuing another reminder to JATCs to gin up recruiting efforts in the wake of sharp drops in apprenticeship enrollment over the first eight months of 2009. In percentage terms, U.S. enrollment dropped by 6.1 percent between January and August 2009; Canadian enrollment declined by 14 percent, although the Canadian base is roughly 75 percent smaller than that of the U.S. “Everything is more difficult in a recession. That goes for recruiting and training,” notes ITI Adminis- trator James Shoulders. “But these numbers indicate that our JATCs in general have slackened off in their efforts to fill our training pipeline. We need to break out of the mindset that links training to current employment. Remember, we’re training for the future, not for today.” ITI’s apprentice to journeyman ratios differ according to local contracts. However, while those agreements cover allowable ratios on the job, they should not limit the number of training slots a local JATC fills. Shoulders concedes there are areas where the available work may not be able to absorb all of the apprentices enrolled, but because of attrition, retirements and other factors, very often the number of apprentices is winnowed down over the course of a four-year training program. “Right now, in the U.S. and Canada, the ratio is roughly 10 to 1, journeymen to apprentices. That means, we barely have a sufficient number of enrolled apprentices to stay even with natural attrition in the industry,” he said. ■ fall 2009 11 56957_ITI_Fall09.indd 11 November/December 2009 12/2/09 1:29:36 PM 23 NEMI News FOCUS on NEMI MAKE PLANS NOW TO ATTEND THE 9th Annual TABB Conference MAY 2-8, 2010 SAN JOSE, CA Planning is underway for the 9th Annual TABB Conference, slated for San Jose, CA, May 2nd through the 8th. Although time and topics for the conference are still tentative, current plans are to convene with a Sunday, 7 a.m. breakfast followed by the first of a series of training programs that are expected to include a three-day formal training session for ICB/TABB supervisor, capped off with a four-hour certification test on the afternoon of the third day. The program is also expected to feature an Energy Audit Seminar. Classes will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with an hour for lunch. Other training programs are slated to start on Wednesday, tentatively including a class on Fume Hoods/ ASHRAE 110, and Fire Life Safety training for Levels 1 and 2, with separate programs for technicians and supervisors. Fire Life Safety programs provide for a two-hour certification test after the final instruction. SMWIA Local 104, which services the regions around San Francisco, San Jose and northern California, will present a reception, tour of the local’s training facilities and a tradeshow in what has become one of the highlights of TABB conferences. Saturday sessions will feature the ICB Conference, the traditional awards luncheon and Hall of Fame induction. Sessions will close out with the popular Open Forum that enables attendees to discuss industry topics directly with individual members of the ICB. ■ FOR REGISTRATION QUESTIONS: Charlett Henson (703) 299-5646 ext. 670 FOR CONFERENCE/CLASS DETAILS: Kevin Casey (703) 299-5646 ext. 671 Conference planners have negotiated special room rates with the San Jose Hilton—$149 for single or double rooms, $169 for triples and $189 for quads. Make reservations directly with the San Jose Hilton. Phone (408) 287-2100. For more information, go online to www.tabbcertified.org 12 FUNDS UPdate 56957_ITI_Fall09.indd 24 12 12/2/09 1:29:36 PM The Journal WEST GATE SHEET METAL, INC. BUILDS FIRST NEW DESIGN OF U.S. NAVY WET TRAINER W est Gate Sheet Metal, Inc., Local Union 32’s Industrial Fabrication Shop in Rivera Beach, Florida was chosen as the preferred contractor to construct the first prototype model of the $2.5 million surface damage control trainer (SDCT) for the U.S. Navy’s Center of Naval Engineering (CNE) Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The CNE Learning Site oened October 23, 2009. The trainer was originally designed and built to simulate the conditions aboard the USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) when the ship struck a mine in the Persian Gulf on April 14, 1988. This state of the art facility is two stories high, finishing 28 feet long by 28 feet wide. The new design is construction from 30,000 lbs. of aluminum including 68 sheets of 3/8” thick 6061 T-6 aluminum, and various shapesand sizes of extruded aluminum angles, beams, and support brackets. Any of the eight different damage control scenarioius can be implemented individually or all at once in series. Training exercises include leading students through flooded compartments which need shoring and plugging in order to advance to the next level. For example, a sailor may have to run up stairs to retrieve the shoring patches and then back down to address the leads and then try to escape through one of the many installed hatches (above). CHANGE OF ADDRESS COUPON The trainer consists of eight separate damage control compartments with battle damage scenarios, such as a ruptured bulkhead, broken pipes, and a flooded hatch. Several considerations were made with the design to make all training conditions look and feel like any modern U.S. Navy ship including battle lanterns, locker rooms, non-skid flooring, and emergency sirens to replicate the 1MC and general alarm conditions. In addition, various visual effects were included, such as the missile breach below (left). The trainer holds approximately 20,000 gallons of treated water that can be used to flood compartment on both levels. This is also environmentally friendly by recycling its own water which greatly reduces the impact on the local sewage system. Every seam and joint on this project was welded by union sheet metal worker journeymen referred from Local 32’s West Palm Beach office. Each certified welder was required to pass the GMAW D 1.2 structural aluminum 1/8” to 3/4” AWS-ITI certification. Attach mailing label from your last Journal here Name Membership Number Local Union Number New Address City November/December 2009 State/Province Zip Code Please complete this entire coupon and mail to: General Secretary-Treasurer Joseph J. Nigro The Journal Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association 1750 New York Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20006-5386 25 SHEET METAL WORKERS LOCAL UNION 55 N ewly formed Sheet Metal Workers Local 55 held its first apprentice Youth to Youth orientation class at its main Pasco, Washington, training facility October 12-16, 2009. The class covered organizing basics and the constant effort to expand union sheet metal market share. Other topics included labor history, union structure, and responsibility as union trades people. Region 4 Director of Organizing, Sean Mahoney, assisted Local 55 during the week. Spokane and Pasco area 3rd year apprentices who attended included: Tom Black, Austin Kenyon, Brandon Brower, Callan Johnson, Casey Hall, Chris Eubanks, Derek Foeringer, Dustin Shepard, Justin Carter, Richard Giles, Shannon Pennock, Shawn Sather, Travis Brasker, Walter “Seth” Cox, Wes O’Brien, John Fagan and Jim Cowan. Also attending from Local 55 were Business Representative/ Organizing Director Kolby Hanson, Organizer Carlos Arroyo, Organizer Jeremy Utley, Business Representative Mike McClain, and Business Manager Shannon Mcentire. Special guest SMWIA Director of Organizing James White attended the class and spoke on the importance of organizing. On Thursday October 15th he accompanied the class and Local 55 staff to handbill Packaging Plus, Inc. Local 55 has a current organizing drive at this production facility located in Yakima, Washington, with an NLRB election scheduled for October 30, 2009. LOCAL 66 PRESENTS SERVICE AWARDS, BIDS RETIRING OFFICE MANAGER FAREWELL Retired Local 66 office manager Jan Janzen with her plaque and accompanied by her husband, retired sheet metal worker Ed Janzen. Seated, left to right, 50-year honorees Raymond LaPlante, Gary Spillman, Willis Sykes, Jr., and Ray Ball, Jr. Standing, left to right, Financial Secretary-Treasurer Dennis Katsel, 40-year honorees Richard Newton, William Kaplan, and Dave Leishman, and Business Manager Eric J. Martinson. A fter 20 years of dedicated service to Local 66, Office Manager Jan Janzen retired, effective July 1, 2009. Jan has been a constant with Local 66 since she started working for the local in 1989. She was presented with a plaque honoring and thanking her for her service to the local at the union meeting in July. We wish her and her husband and retired sheet metal worker, Ed Janzen, all the best in retirement. 26 Kneeling, left to right, Business Manager and 25-year honoree Eric J. Martinson, President and 25-year honoree Kal Rohde, and 25-year honoree Dale Davis. Standing is 40-year honoree Gary Anderson. The Journal LOCAL 66 YOUTH TO YOUTH L ocal 66, which services most of the state of Washington, established a Youth to Youth program initially in 1989; however, the program that exists today started officially in 1996. Since that time, Local 66 has hosted approximately 1000 apprentices through its bi-annual orientations. Of those that have attended the orientation, we have taken on 159 active staff Youth to Youth Organizers to date. Our orientations are run in week long formats during the first week of April and the first week of October, to coincide with the Local’s regular membership meeting in Everett. Attendance at the union meeting shows the apprentices how the business of the union takes place. The Local also requires attendance at a banquet on Thursday night during the orientation week to give the apprentices an opportunity to socialize not only with each other, but also to engage with former Youth to Youth Organizers, allowing them to hear directly from participants in the salting program. During the week long orientation, the apprentices learn about the heritage of our union, along with the importance of many other factors that affect our ability to earn a fair and livable wage. We explore how important politics are to a labor union like ours. We examine our roles as building tradespeople in our community, and how this involvement goes further than just building structures. Our members have an impact on many aspects of our community, from how they portray our union to the public to how they choose to spend their hard-earned dollars. They learn about the Employee Free Choice Act and other legislation affecting our industry. The Youth to Youth orientation also allows the apprentices to understand better how we organize as a Local, and how third year apprentices can choose to be an integral part of our organizing efforts. Local 66 has benefitted immensely from its Youth to Youth program which got its start originally through the efforts of retired Business Manager Ken Petersen, November/December 2009 the local organizer, and the SMWIA organizing staff. The program’s value has grown in importance as evidenced by one measure, an increase in the organizing assessment from 10 cents an hour in 1999 to 40 cents currently. We have also moved in the time period from one organizer to an active department with four organizers, supplemented by 10 Youth to Youth Apprentice Organizers. Today, we have a very supportive membership, eager to get involved. Some 300+ names are on a volunteers list that is growing every time a Youth to Youth orientation takes place. Another benefit of the Youth to Youth orientation is that it creates better union members who understand that getting involved doesn’t mean coming on staff for six months as an organizer. The organizing department and the agents regularly get calls from apprentices who have attended the orientation. They understand our organizing objectives, and they also see how they can participate on varying levels as a member. Organizing is so much more effective when you have hundreds of other members keeping their eyes peeled for organizing opportunities. The apprentices who attend the orientation learn that they can do their part as apprentices and also long into their career as active journeypersons. At this time, Local 66’s staff includes four former Youth to Youth apprentices. In closing, Youth to Youth is an incredibly valuable tool that Local 66 has used to have a direct effect on its organizing efforts by creating better, more active union members. I was a Youth to Youth apprentice myself, and my past experience with the program, as well as my day to day work with our Youth to Youth apprentices, has profoundly affected my work as a Business Representative for Local 66. Local 66 is very proud of what our program has become. Aaron Bailey Business Representative 27 REGION 1 HOLDS FIRE LIFE SAFETY CLASS T he Fire Life Safety class recently held at the Woodlands Hotel in Wilkes Barre, PA, was attended by 57 members and organizers, with 51 passing the test. In another class held in Chicago, over 55 members and organizers took the class, with 51 taking the test and 44 passing. These SMWIA members will be the only certified HVAC Fire Life Safety Level 1 Technicians in the country. Nationally, the ICB/TABB (International Certification Board/Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing Bureau) have certified over 1,000 members. These certifications will not only help provide jobs for our members but will also service local communities by ensuring that HVAC systems work correctly to minimize the risk to people and property in case of a fire. Organizers will use what they learn in the class to urge communities to hold contractors responsible for ensuring that HVAC systems work and are up to code. Using the Fire Life Safety Certification standard, union HVAC contractors will have a better opportunity to win bids for this type of work. LOCAL 15 RETIREE TRAVELS BACK IN TIME The power shear in the 1940s (left), and VanScoy in front of the same working power shear today. L ary VanScoy has spent 55 years as a union sheet metal worker. He retired from Local 15 (Central Florida) and currently lives in Dillard, Georgia. However, while on vacation this past July, he visited Omaha, Nebraska, where he served his apprenticeship back in the 1950s with Local 3. The shop where he used to work, Olson Bros. Sheet Metal and Roofing, has been purchased by a new owner, Don Gundlach, and renamed Norlock Metal Products, but the more things change, the more they 28 Norlock Metal Products owner Don Gundlach (left) and Van Scoy. stay the same. The shop “had not changed at all” and is still a union shop that employs 15 union members. “Looking around,” said Brother VanScoy, “I noticed a power shear and power brake that I had worked with in the 50s and that were still being used and in good working order.” It just goes to show that the proper use and maintenance of equipment is one of the many ways that union sheet metal workers prove their worth to contractors every day! The Journal LOCAL 105 HOLDS RETIREE RECOGNITION DINNER AND DANCE 60-year honorees. Seated, Kenneth B. Smith (left) and Ray V. Fiebiger. 2nd row, left to right, Norman D. Skorheim, Richard A. Ortiz, Salvatore T. Pipitone, Daniel Lujan, Gary Lichtenstein, and Business Manager and President Roy A. Ringwood. Back row, left to right, Walter Kohlhepp, Robert S. Motto, Robert Bock, Bernard P. Fortunato, Richard D. Scott, Jack Yablan, Retired International Organizer Paul F. Masi, William F. Van Loenen, and General SecretaryTreasurer Joseph Nigro. 40-year honorees: Henry D. Adams, Antonio M. Aguilar, Albert Alvarez, Alfred Arguello, Joseph Barresi, Thomas Bede, Robert D. Bitters, Retired Local 108 Business Manager William Bouffard, Garry L. Burkett, William E. Bushey, Stephen Calderon, Thomas Carter, Clement P. Cobo, Gordon W. Cody, John Curry, Robert A. Dawald, Bruno Decrescentis, Lynn A. Dickson, Rodger Dubbs, David H. Duckwald, Lawrence O. Duckwald, George W. Dunlap, Richard D. Edelen, George Forrest, Jean Guy Fradette, Kenneth Frederick, Armando Gallego, Jeffery George Jr., Charles Gorgano, Ronald B. Green, Darrall C. Jackson, Arthur Jauregui, Richard Johnson, James E. Kritzer, Thomas R. Lavey, Manuel E. Lee, Donald E. Mackin, Donovan Madsen, James B. Meldrum, Bob J. Moshenko, Edward Oberlander, Salvatore J. Oliveri, Thomas T. Oshima, Richard Owens, Joseph L. Price, Alexander Ramirez, Ronald C. Ringwood, Business Manager and President Roy A. Ringwood, Carlos Sanchez, John R. Selby, Leslie K. Skeen, Roy L. Sparks, Gerald A. St. Martin, Eugene E. Sully, Robert Taylor, Robert B. Townsend, Carlos Uribe, and Kenneth T. Witt. 50-year honorees: Albert Alvarez, Eleazar Amador, Darrell Ashcraft, Frank J. Ballardo, Paul Bandas Jr., Donald J. Barbato, Jim H. Beam, Sydney A. Berrard, Robert G. Bradley, Glen W. Bryant, Daniel M. Bustos, Jesus J. Campa, Cesar Cantu, Michael S. Carlson, Oscar P. Carrillo, Rudolph Cerfogli, Samuel R. Chavez, Edward K. Chrisman, Manuel Cordova, John Couts, Henry De La Mora, Frederick G. Desilva, Richard G. Enriquez, Santiego Estrada, Walter R. Findlay, Raymond C. Garcia, James Granger, Richard D. Granger, Rhinehart Helzer, Anastacio R. Hernandez, Robert H. Hoff, Don Howard, Robert E. Johnson, Roy A. Jones, Charles M. Lawson, Harry M. Lindsey, Robert S. Lopez, John D. Love, William Martin, Gil Martinez, Hector Martinez, Robert B. May, James A. McMahan, Thomas L. Mestaz, Carl Moore, Bob J. Moshenko, General Secretary-Treasurer Joseph Nigro, Tsugio Nishimura, Richard Ochoa, Armando Ortega, Alfonso Padilla, Kenneth D. Park, Phillip A. Pecora, Manuel Ramirez, Business Manager and President Roy A. Ringwood, Daniel Rodriguez, Juventino Rodriguez, Jr., Larrie D. Schnorr, Donald L. Straley, Earl A. Sylvester, Victor M. Teran, Morris Troch, Robert J. Uballez, James E. Watson, Roy Williams, James R. Windle, Ralph L. Wyckoff, Eugene G. Yeomans, and Lawrence W. Zeni. Retired International Organizer Coy Amador (2nd from right) celebrates his 70th birthday at the Retiree Recognition Dinner and Dance, in the company of his family and Business Manager and President Roy A. Ringwood (2nd from left). November/December 2009 25-year honorees. Seated, left to right, Oscar Rowland, Robert L. Teran, Timmothy Carlton, and Charles Singer. 2nd row, left to right, General Secretary-Treasurer Joseph Nigro, Dennis G. Cole, David Walker, Philip Cohan, and Business Manager and President Roy A. Ringwood. Back row, left to right, Cipriano Garcia, John H. Shaver, and Jerome Bernal Foster. 90-year-old Benny Fortunato (a 60-year pin recipient) dances the night away with his wife. 29 LOCAL 441 RECOGNIZES SERVICE—ACROSS YEARS AND ACROSS GENERATIONS Left to right, Director of Railroad and Shipyard Workers Dewey Garland, International Representative and 50-year honoree Jackie Hester with his son, member Tony Hester. President Chris Cook (left) shakes the hand of 40-year honoree Buddy Martin. Business Manager Robert Payne (right) shakes the hand of 25year honoree John LeMaster, Jr. President Chris Cook (left) shakes the hand of 25-year honoree Robert “Bob” Warren. Three generations of Local 441 members, left to right, Thomas Fisher, II, his father International Representative Thomas Fisher, and his grandfather Billy Fisher. LOCAL 41 JATC RECEIVES LICENSE L ocal 41 (Puerto Rico) has completed the lengthy process of registering the Local’s JATC school with the Commonwealth government as a provider of post-secondary vocation-technical education. The process, used for schools throughout Puerto Rico, took two years to complete. Meeting the requirements of the Commonwealth Department of Education ensures to students, parents, and the public that the education offered at the JATC is “effective and efficient,” as well as “high quality and appropriate,” to “promote a better future” for the people of Puerto Rico. As of September 18, 2009, Local 41’s JATC became the only licensed school providing hands-on training and certifications in TABB, Welding, Service, OSHA 10 & 30 and NATE. This licensed certification will enhance organizing efforts and help secure future work for the membership. 30 The Journal NOTICE REGARDING UNION MEMBERSHIP AND AGENCY FEES UNDER UNION SECURITY AGREEMENTS As a member of the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association, AFL-CIO, you belong to one of the oldest and most respected craft unions in North America. It includes a staff of professional field representatives who are always available to lend assistance to local union affiliates, and it has the financial resources to enable it to deal effectively with a host of various problems whenever and wherever they arise. Nationally, the SMWIA has developed unparalleled workplace safety, apprenticeship, pension and welfare programs. Your local union is dedicated to the purpose of advancing your collective and individual interests in the workplace. The labor contract, which is negotiated by the local union with your employer, determines virtually everything of importance to you: your wages and hours of employment, your pension, health and welfare benefits, and the grievance procedure which protects you against arbitrary and unfair treatment by management. The provisions of the labor contract cannot be changed by your employer during the term of the contract without the local union’s expressed consent. All members are encouraged to participate in their local union and in the International Association. Local unions hold monthly or quarterly membership meetings, and members are entitled to raise a wide variety of matters at these meetings. Issues of importance generally are approved by a majority vote of the membership before action is taken. Your voice on all important matters, and there are many, should and will be heard if you attend membership meetings regularly. Additionally, local union officers and representatives are elected by secret ballot vote of the membership every three years. Only union members can participate in these activities. For employees working under labor contracts containing union security clauses, you are required, as a condition of employment, to pay dues or fees to your local union, which in turn pays per capita dues to the International Association. This is your only obligation under such union security clauses. Individuals who choose to be union members pay dues, while individuals who are non-members pay an equivalent fee, known as an “agency fee.” While the wording of these union security clauses is not perfectly uniform, none requires more than the payment of this agency fee to retain employment. This agency fee, which is authorized by law, is the equivalent of membership dues. The SMWIA agency fee policy has been designed to meet the union’s legal obligations to employees covered by union security clauses and to effectuate those employees’ legal rights as stated in applicable decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court. If you should choose to become a nonmember, however, you would not have the right to participate in the development of contract proposals, the right to nominate and vote for officers of the local union, the right to participate in strike votes, the right to attend union meetings, or the right to numerous other benefits available to members only. November/December 2009 The most important job-related right you can have is the right to collective bargaining. Because all employees negotiate together through their local unions, those represented by the union receive higher wages and better benefits than non-union workers doing similar jobs. Strength in numbers makes this possible. The stronger your local union is, the better your contract. Do not take yourself out of this most important process and weaken your local union at the bargaining table. We urge you to be and remain a union member so that your union will be strong and you will have access to the full range of rights and benefits that only union members enjoy. Under the SMWIA agency fee policy, employees who are not members of the union but who pay agency fees pursuant to a union security clause are entitled to object to paying for their share of certain kinds of union expenditures that are not germane to the collective bargaining process. Those non-members who do so in a timely manner become fee “objectors” and pay a reduced fee. The SMWIA refers to them as “financial core payers.” For the per capita dues paid to the International Association, the reduced fee is set as a percentage of the union’s full per capita dues paid by members, corresponding to the percentage of the International Association’s chargeable expenditures to its total expenditures in the most recently audited calendar year. Chargeable expenditures relate to activities or projects germane to collective bargaining, contract administration, organizing, and grievance adjustment within the meaning of applicable U.S. Supreme Court and NLRB decisions (including Beck v. CWA). Among these chargeable expenditures are those related to negotiations with employers, administering and enforcing collective bargaining agreements, informal meetings with employer representatives, discussion of work-related issues with employees, handling employees’ work-related problems through the grievance procedure, administrative agencies or informal meetings, and union governance. An independent auditor has determined that during 2008 (the most recently audited calendar year), 82% of the International Association’s expenditures was spent on such chargeable activities. The percentage of local union expenditures on such chargeable activities has historically and traditionally been much higher, usually more than 90%. On the other hand, there are other expenditures referred to as “nonchargeable” expenditures. Such nonchargeable expenditures include the cost of legislative activity, affiliation with non-SMWIA organizations, support of political candidates, participation in political events, and members-only benefits, such as strike benefits. During 2008, 18% of the International Association’s expenditures was spent on such nonchargeable activities. The percentage of local union expenditures on such chargeable activities has historically and traditionally been much lower, usually less than 10%. Thus, non-members who take no action in response to this notice will be charged the full agency fee equivalent to full membership dues during calendar year 2010. If those nonmembers submit a timely objection to paying for nonchargeable expenses, such non-members will pay a financial core fee to the International Association of 82% of per capita dues during calendar year 2010. Financial core payers are entitled, upon request, to additional information providing a more detailed explanation of the basis for the fee charged to them, in order to decide whether or not to exercise their legal rights to challenge the union’s calculation of the fee. If you request such additional information, it will include a statement of the International Association’s expenditures for calendar year 2008 broken down between those categories deemed to be chargeable and those deemed to be nonchargeable and the independent auditor’s report on the fee calculation. After receiving such additional information, a financial core payer may challenge the International Association’s calculation of the fee, which could culminate in a reasonably prompt resolution by an impartial, third-party arbitrator if not settled. All such challenges may be consolidated in a single arbitration proceeding. If you submit such a challenge, the portion of the fee reasonably in dispute will be held in an interest-bearing escrow account pending the outcome of the challenge. The arbitrator will have authority to determine if the union’s calculation of the agency fee is correct, to order any downward adjustments to the fee if warranted, and to order that the funds being held in the interest-bearing escrow account be distributed in accordance with his or her opinion. If you are a financial core payer and wish to receive the additional information referred to above, you must submit a letter requesting such information postmarked no later than January 29, 2010. You will then have 30 days after the additional information is sent to you to submit a challenge to the union’s calculation of the fee. If you are a union member and wish to become an agency fee payer, you may resign your union membership at any time, after which point you will be charged the then-applicable agency fee instead of union dues. New bargaining unit members are expected to receive this notice prior to a demand for the payment of union dues or fees. All requests for the additional information referred to above, as well as any objections to paying for nonchargeable expenditures and challenges to the union’s calculation of the agency fee, must be submitted in writing and include the employee’s name, address, social security number, SMWIA membership number, local union number, and employer. A challenge should identify the basis for the challenge to the union’s calculation of the financial core fee in order to assist in determining whether the challenge can be accommodated without further proceedings. All requests for the additional information referred to above, as well as objections and challenges, must be sent to the Director of Membership Records, SMWIA, 6th Floor, 1750 New York Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006, and also to the financial secretary-treasurer of the local union which represents you. 31 Let Us Always Remember… Local Union & Address 1-Peoria, IL 2-Kansas City, MO 2-Kansas City, MO 3-Omaha, NE 3-Omaha, NE 7-Lansing, MI 7-Lansing, MI 9-Denver, CO 10-Maplewood, MN 10-Maplewood, MN 10-Maplewood, MN 10-Maplewood, MN 10-Maplewood, MN 10-Maplewood, MN 10-Maplewood, MN 10-Maplewood, MN 10-Maplewood, MN 10-Maplewood, MN 10-Maplewood, MN 10-Maplewood, MN 12-Southwestern, PA 12-Southwestern, PA 12-Southwestern, PA 12-Southwestern, PA 12-Southwestern, PA 12-Southwestern, PA 12-Southwestern, PA 12-Southwestern, PA 16-Portland, OR 16-Portland, OR 16-Portland, OR 17-Eastern, MA 17-Eastern, MA 17-Eastern, MA 17-Eastern, MA 18-State of WI 18-State of WI 18-State of WI 18-State of WI 18-State of WI 18-State of WI 18-State of WI 19-Southeastern, PA 20-Indianapolis, IN 20-Indianapolis, IN 20-Indianapolis, IN 20-Indianapolis, IN 20-Indianapolis, IN 20-Indianapolis, IN 20-Indianapolis, IN 23-Anchorage, AK 23-Anchorage, AK 24-Southern, OH 24-Southern, OH 24-Southern, OH 24-Southern, OH 25-Northern, NJ 25-Northern, NJ 25-Northern, NJ 27-South, NJ 27-South, NJ 32 Name Martin, Michael L Bass, Floyd H Still, Harry F Brooks, Thomas L Westbrook, David Hull, Paul W Shappee, Ralph G Weiss, Robert H Backora, James H Brass, William A Daniels, Troy S Field, Clarence A Gordon, Richard M Raatsi, Melvin C Sawatzky, Charles H Schammel, Ralph L Schmitz, Kenneth C Schultz, Kenneth J Taschuk, Allen S Vanderplaats, Robert J Boehm, Ralph J Fazio, Albert C Finley, Eugene House, Robert D Kirin, Peter J Martin, Earl E Slogaski, Leo Teeter, Jonathan E Ryan, James Williams, Jon Wulff, Charles J Armao, Robert J Blouin, Charles J Jope, Frank L Yankowski, Donald F Chipman, Wayne W Demshar, William P Geckler, John G Manfrin, Jeffrey D Mehnert, Fred K Thomforde, Loren Withbroe, Byron Anderson, John G Frederick, Carl G Junkersfeld, Doug M Martino, Dominic J Reese Jr., John A Sammons, Sylvia A Strickland, William A Trunnell, Charles H Kitchens Jr., Warren Nyborg, Williard Branscome, Donald Marsh, Robert Pickrell, Jonathon L Retherford, Timothy W Dito, Philip Lentz, Chris A Spiesbach, Joseph H Meucci, Emanuel Williams, Arthur Age 62 89 90 77 56 65 62 74 81 88 88 76 69 68 65 75 85 91 51 61 65 80 52 75 94 89 78 28 70 70 87 69 81 89 72 70 81 84 59 82 89 88 66 68 55 77 66 54 43 73 58 75 67 51 60 49 89 45 70 89 98 Date of Death 6/6/09 10/19/09 9/19/09 10/29/09 10/17/09 9/18/09 9/23/09 7/19/07 8/16/09 8/18/09 8/4/09 8/4/09 10/29/09 10/25/09 10/14/09 9/28/09 8/22/09 10/11/09 10/1/09 8/17/09 9/18/09 9/24/09 9/15/09 10/6/09 9/25/09 9/2/09 9/7/09 9/20/09 10/31/09 10/21/09 7/29/09 9/9/09 9/4/09 9/20/09 9/12/09 9/19/09 10/1/09 10/15/09 8/25/09 9/10/09 9/26/09 8/29/09 8/15/09 9/18/09 9/27/09 9/13/09 9/17/09 9/8/09 9/4/09 6/17/09 6/28/09 10/28/07 9/1/09 10/6/09 10/3/09 9/2/09 9/18/09 10/30/09 9/13/09 9/6/09 6/9/09 Local Union & Address 28-New York, NY 28-New York, NY 28-New York, NY 28-New York, NY 28-New York, NY 28-New York, NY 28-New York, NY 28-New York, NY 28-New York, NY 28-New York, NY 30-Toronto, Ont. Canada 30-Toronto, Ont. Canada 30-Toronto, Ont. Canada 32-Southern, FL 32-Southern, FL 33-OH & WV 33-OH & WV 33-OH & WV 33-OH & WV 33-OH & WV 33-OH & WV 33-OH & WV 33-OH & WV 36-St. Louis, MO 38-S.E., NY & Western, CT 38-S.E., NY & Western, CT 38-S.E., NY & Western, CT 46-Rochester, NY 47-Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 54-Houston, TX 54-Houston, TX 55-Pacso, WA 58-Syracuse, NY 58-Syracuse, NY 63-Western, MA 63-Western, MA 66-Western, WA 66-Western, WA 66-Western, WA 66-Western, WA 66-Western, WA 66-Western, WA 66-Western, WA 71-Buffalo, NY 71-Buffalo, NY 71-Buffalo, NY 73-Chicago/Cook Cos., IL 73-Chicago/Cook Cos., IL 73-Chicago/Cook Cos., IL 73-Chicago/Cook Cos., IL 73-Chicago/Cook Cos., IL 73-Chicago/Cook Cos., IL 73-Chicago/Cook Cos., IL 73-Chicago/Cook Cos., IL 73-Chicago/Cook Cos., IL 73-Chicago/Cook Cos., IL 73-Chicago/Cook Cos., IL 73-Chicago/Cook Cos., IL 73-Chicago/Cook Cos., IL 85-Atlanta, GA 85-Atlanta, GA Name Hallerna, Kenneth Lacorte, George Landsnes, Robert Lane, Gerald Ligarzewski, Robert Raimondi, Eugene Ranaldo, Michael Rinaldi, Joseph Schwabe, Frederick Sessa, Henry Pell, Vernon P Rawlings, Lionel Shortt, Mervin W Faust, Wellington W Sherba, Thedore Andrews, Louis W Armitage, Lester Beckett, William G Elliott, William C Halsey, Robert G Lakatos, Steve J Oldaker, William M Parker Jr., Marvin H Graeser, Donald E DeAngelis, Peter Heiple, Emmett O Torresi Sr., William Liberati, Louis T Patry, Vincent Edwards, Leo Koval, Edwin J Compton, Raymond E Walter, Donald J Whalen, Kevin Christopher, Walter A Laporte, Robert R Anderson, David Beck, David J Bowen, Ronald J Gorynski, Ray B Guckian, Thomas W Lee, Stanley A Oakley, Jack W Arber, Alfred C Arnett, Charles W Black, Warren Cinatl, Earl F Ernst, John Frantz Jr., Donald K Krashoc, Martin F Marquardt, Raymond McIvor, William F Miller, Bruce Pardol, Edward Pindel, Joseph Saban, Michael Smeja, Vernon G Wagner, Daniel A Wilson, James P Anderson, Lewis E Fleming, Jimmy L Age 72 82 77 69 61 78 87 72 85 92 75 65 76 85 59 75 83 76 89 92 60 74 78 70 79 85 76 65 59 77 87 69 62 26 84 77 67 58 63 89 57 91 88 82 80 75 80 83 56 81 70 81 65 84 86 72 68 49 69 64 68 Date of Death 8/26/09 7/23/09 8/2/09 8/26/09 5/11/09 9/4/09 9/5/09 8/27/09 9/3/09 7/21/09 9/18/09 4/15/09 8/25/09 8/2/09 7/2/09 9/13/09 9/9/09 9/1/09 8/24/09 8/7/09 9/10/09 9/29/09 8/18/09 9/10/09 9/11/09 11/10/08 10/22/09 9/24/09 7/29/09 6/3/09 6/7/09 8/8/09 8/1/09 9/13/09 7/1/09 9/11/09 9/22/09 9/16/09 5/14/08 9/20/09 7/21/09 10/23/09 10/8/09 9/10/09 9/20/09 9/10/09 9/9/09 8/20/09 9/14/09 9/9/09 9/14/09 9/9/09 8/10/09 8/4/09 7/16/09 8/29/09 9/19/09 8/6/09 9/11/09 7/13/09 10/8/09 The Journal Let Us Always Remember… Local Union & Address 88-Las Vegas, NV 88-Las Vegas, NV 88-Las Vegas, NV 88-Las Vegas, NV 88-Las Vegas, NV 100-Washington, DC & Vicinity 100-Washington, DC & Vicinity 100-Washington, DC & Vicinity 100-Washington, DC & Vicinity 104-San Francisco, CA 104-San Francisco, CA 104-San Francisco, CA 104-San Francisco, CA 104-San Francisco, CA 104-San Francisco, CA 104-San Francisco, CA 104-San Francisco, CA 104-San Francisco, CA 104-San Francisco, CA 104-San Francisco, CA 104-San Francisco, CA 105-Los Angeles, CA 105-Los Angeles, CA 105-Los Angeles, CA 105-Los Angeles, CA 112-Elmira, NY 124-Oklahoma City, OK 162-Sacramento, CA November/December 2009 Name Botelho, Wilford Glidden, Daniel Hoffman, Paul Phillips, David E Riddick, Joseph Myles Jr., Bernard Scearce, James Schanken, Charles Smith, Joe W Aguayo, Sergio Babb, Rudy W Bowen, John Caton, Brian A Kaisi, Robert Koeppe, Mark L Lefevre, Robert R Nipper, Don Ohnstad, Donald Pierce, Bradley Sheppard, William Vasquez, Daniel Boyar Jr., Willie Mueller, Herbert Rubert, Milton H Schneider, Albert M Beardsley, William D Strickler, Fred B Boyer, Norman L Age 66 55 67 51 33 88 89 61 70 49 55 30 21 84 48 84 66 78 46 62 51 53 94 74 83 49 71 82 Date of Death 12/23/08 4/24/09 1/27/09 2/11/09 6/11/09 7/13/09 9/26/09 7/4/09 9/23/09 8/12/09 9/21/09 9/26/09 9/23/09 8/26/09 9/22/09 10/20/09 9/20/09 9/19/09 8/29/09 10/5/09 9/12/09 9/13/09 9/8/09 7/21/09 9/11/09 9/7/09 4/30/09 4/29/09 Local Union & Address 162-Sacramento, CA 162-Sacramento, CA 162-Sacramento, CA 162-Sacramento, CA 162-Sacramento, CA 162-Sacramento, CA 162-Sacramento, CA 218-Springfield, IL 219-Rockford, IL 219-Rockford, IL 219-Rockford, IL 263-Cedar Rapids, IA 280-Vancouver, BC, Canada 280-Vancouver, BC, Canada 280-Vancouver, BC, Canada 292-Detroit, MI 292-Detroit, MI 312-Salt Lake City, UT 312-Salt Lake City, UT 312-Salt Lake City, UT 312-Salt Lake City, UT 337-Tyler, TX 359-Arizona 359-Arizona 361-Shreveport, LA 397-Thunder Bay, Ont. Canada 397-Thunder Bay, Ont. Canada 473-London, Ontario, Canada Name Graham, Aaron M Howard, Frank L Lovato, Philip W Nogleberg, Stephen L Rife, Robert F Spears, Thomas J Wieder, Kenneth Yarnell, James F Borgersen, Olav Glidden, Robert D Vance, Lester Petersen, Axel Felchle, Norman Freshwater, Edwin Schofield, Edmund Mirowski, Daniel Wrobleski, Richard Hanger, Eric T Jorgensen, Alan L Ricks, Charles E Shewmake, Walter T Dean, Robi G Kulina, Joseph A Walkner, Milo F McGill, Benjamin F Heritage, Laurie Reid, James Pearson, Paul Age 42 67 46 61 64 59 48 62 92 82 65 83 75 84 56 78 36 56 86 72 34 85 81 87 86 70 70 Date of Death 10/13/09 9/9/09 8/23/09 8/26/09 9/23/09 8/25/09 8/10/09 10/11/09 9/27/09 8/12/09 9/16/09 9/5/09 9/4/09 9/23/09 9/4/09 9/19/09 10/30/09 9/7/09 9/19/09 9/4/09 9/15/09 8/30/09 9/6/09 10/10/09 10/25/09 2/16/09 6/3/09 10/2/09 33 SHEET METAL WORKERS’ INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION 1750 New York Ave., N.W. Washington, D. C. 20006–5386 DRIVE UNION A guide to 2009 cars, trucks, SUVs and vans made by union members UAW cars UAW SUVs/CUVs Buick Lucerne Cadillac CTS Cadillac DTS Cadillac STS Cadillac XLR Chevrolet Cobalt Chevrolet Corvette Chevrolet Malibu/Hybrid Chrysler Sebring Convertible Chrysler Sebring Sedan Dodge Avenger Dodge Caliber Dodge Viper Ford Focus Ford Mustang Ford Taurus Lincoln MKS Mazda6 Mercury Sable Mitsubishi Eclipse Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder Mitsubishi Galant Pontiac G5 Pontiac G6 Pontiac Solstice Pontiac Vibe Saturn Aura/Hybrid Saturn Sky Toyota Corolla* Buick Enclave Cadillac Escalade/Hybrid Cadillac Escalade ESV Cadillac SRX Chevrolet Suburban* Chevrolet Tahoe*/Hybrid Chevrolet Traverse Chrysler Aspen/Hybrid Dodge Durango/Hybrid Dodge Nitro Ford Escape/Hybrid Ford Expedition Ford Explorer Ford Explorer Sport Trac Ford Taurus X GMC Acadia GMC Yukon*/Hybrid H2 Hummer H3 Hummer Jeep Commander Jeep Compass Jeep Grand Cherokee Jeep Liberty Jeep Patriot Jeep Wrangler Lincoln Navigator Mazda Tribute/Hybrid Mercury Mariner/Hybrid Mercury Mountaineer Mitsubishi Endeavor Saturn Outlook UAW vans Chevrolet Express Dodge Caravan Ford Econoline GMC Savana UAW trucks Chevrolet Colorado Chevrolet Silverado* Dodge Dakota Dodge Ram Pickup Ford F Series* Ford Ranger GMC Canyon GMC Sierra* Mazda B-Series Toyota Tacoma* CAW trucks Chevrolet Silverado*/Hybrid GMC Sierra*/Hybrid All these vehicles are made in the United States or Canada by members of the United Auto Workers (UAW), Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) or International Union of Electrical WorkersCommunications Workers of America (IUE). Because of the integration of U.S. and Canadian vehicle production, all these vehicles include significant UAW-made content and 2009 2009built by Vehicles Vehicles by unionbuilt members union members in the U.S. and in the U.S. and Canada Canada CAW cars Buick Lacrosse Chevrolet Camaro Chevrolet Impala Chrysler 300 Dodge Challenger Dodge Charger Ford Crown Victoria Lincoln Town Car Mercury Grand Marquis CAW vans Chrysler Town & Country Dodge Caravan Volkswagen Routan CAW SUVs/CUVs Chevrolet Equinox Ford Edge Ford Flex Lincoln MKT Lincoln MKX Pontiac Torrent Suzuki XL7 IUE SUVs/CUVs Chevrolet Trailblazer GMC Envoy support the jobs of UAW members. However, those marked with an asterisk (*) are sourced from the United States and another country. When purchasing one of these models, check the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). A VIN beginning with 1, 4 or 5 identifies a U.S.-made vehicle; 2 identifies a Canadian-made vehicle. Not all vehicles made in the United States or Canada are built by union-represented workers. The Toyota Corolla, for example, is made in the United States by UAW members, but the Canadian model is made in a nonunion plant and other models are imported from a third country. To order copies of the 2009 union vehicle buying guide, contact the UAW Purchasing Department, 8000 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit, MI 48214, (313) 926-5221.