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July/August 2003 IBEW Journal
L.U. 601 (i&rtb), CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, ILOn April 19, 2003, our local held an annual steak stag. Bro. Bobby Woodard did a wonderful job of organizing this years event that included great food, door prizes, and above all brotherhood. Many retired members were among those who attended. Among the retirees were some who received special recognition for 50, 55, and even 60 years of service to our local. These members helped establish the foundation for the benefits and conditions that we all enjoy today. Bro. Bob Withers has accepted the local JATC coordinator position. Bob has been a first-year instructor for 23 years, a CPR instructor for 13 years and a member of the executive board for eight years. Bob graduated from the local apprenticeship program and was employed at the University of Illinois where he worked as a journeyman wireman for several years. Bob is very involved in our local activities and will surely be an asset as apprenticeship coordinator. Work in the area is good. Local 601 mourns the loss of Bros. Dan Gula and Howard Barham. Chris Cook, P.S.
L.U. 617 (c,i,o&st), SAN MATEO, CAOur new training center is now in operation. The two-story, 15,000-square-foot building holds five apprentice classes between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Lack of space at our old facility required apprentice classes to be staggered. The new center allows us to offer simultaneously two California license preparation classes. Journeyman upgrade classes on Tuesday and Thursday night and CPR instruction are ongoing. DVD classes are on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday nights. By September, the high-tech and hands-on labs will be in full swing, offering a wide variety of training courses. Local 617 under new Training Director Kathleen Barber is bringing the 1947 standard up to the third millennium, high-tech caliber level required in todays market. The IBEW has always supplied the best electrical workers in the business and will continue to do so in the future. Even with the current federal administration giving priority to foreign affairs, the great union of ours will be ready to take on the future, as it has from its inception. Pierre St. Cyr, P.S.
L.U. 625 (ees,em,i,mar&mt), HALIFAX, NS, CANADALocal 625 was successful in bringing in Offshore Maintenance Services Ltd. to sign a GPC Agreement for work on the Thebaud Production Platform. Initially OMS tried to do this lucrative offshore shutdown work with nonunion electrical workers. After discovering most of his applicants were IBEW, he agreed to come to the table. The Prism Project at the Esso Refinery peaked in May with 70 workers. Congratulations to our members for over 350,000 worker-hours without a recordable injury. Production and performance has been described as outstanding by Fluor Canada. Representatives from two other Prism Projects in Canada have visited the site to see how we achieved this. Our brothers are mourning the loss of Bro. Brian Cole, 44, who passed away November 12, 2002, and retired Bro. Robert Mulcahy, 72, who passed away March 2, 2003. Both will be sadly missed by all who knew and worked with them. Tom Griffiths, P.S.
L.U. 648 (em,I,spa&u), HAMILTON, OHCongratulations to the 5th year apprenticeship class. Our newest journeyman wiremen are Richard Brasbear, Danny Danner, David Griffith, Brian Jackson, Jody Kleiber, Brad Lockard, James Rogers, Keith Schurfranz, Adam Singleton, Tim Snively, Dan Williams, and Chad Wolffer. We had about 100 grandparents, parents and children attend the annual Kids Easter Party and special thanks to Bill and Michelle Bowcock, Smokey and Tina Little and Debbie Baumann as our Easter Bunny. The school projects are starting to hire a few people. With summer, we hope some of the jobs will get started and we can put some of our local brothers back to work. The George W. Bush form of Reaganomics is killing the working man and woman of this country. He is the only president since Eisenhower not to create any jobs and everyone needs to remember that when they go to the voting polls. Local 648 mourns the recent death of Robert Rathgens, a 57-year member of the IBEW. Family and friends will sadly miss Bob. Frank Cloud, P.S.
L.U. 649 (i,lctt,o,rts,spa&u), ALTON, ILPres. Fred Redd recently accepted the resignation of Rec. Sec. James L. Heinemann. Jim retired from electrical work and electrical supervision at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville in 1998. After 27 years as union secretary, wireman Heinemann worked closely with the new secretary, Charles Long, Jr., to insure a smooth financial transition. Charlie is an electrician at Olin Corporation in East Alton, IL, and is also looking forward to his own retirement in the near future. Our union is proud and grateful to have responsible and dedicated individuals such as Jim and Charlie to serve as elected union officers. Robert E. Travis, P.S.
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Local 601 members in first row are Evan Renn,
Arlo Deremiah, Dick Jones, Dave Goodwin, Fred Kelly, Dale Hubert and Bob Mulgrew.
Second row: Ervin Nees, Bill Hixson, Dick Mowry, Howard McIntosh, Gerald Schmidt
and Greg Cooper. Third row: Bill Hallowell, Bill Bland, Jack Pierce, Don Schmall,
Joe Berbaum, Kenny Lange and Ron Sadewater. Back row: Bob Innes, Tony Cadena,
Orlando Becker, Gene Neff, Fred Amdor, Joe Henry, Larry Kirby and Don Nichols.
Local 617s new two-story, 15,000-square-foot training center.
Local 625 members employed at the Prism Project at the Esso
Refinery in Dartmouth, NS.
At left, Local 649, former Rec. Sec. James Heinemann with
current Rec. Sec. Charles Long, Jr.