Yellow Ambulance Serviceand Magic Aireemployees vote UnionYe s !INTL. VICE PRES. OTHAL SMITH JR.reports two organizing wins, adding300 new members to two of theBoilermakers’ divisions – theProfessional EMTs and Paramedics(PEP) Division and the Stove, Furnace,Energy, and Allied Appliance Workers(SFEAW) Division.

E m e rgency medical servicesunit fights unfair labor practices

EMPLOYEES OF YELLOWA m b u l a n c eServices, Owensboro, Ky., overwhelm-ingly voted for union representationfollowing the purchase of YellowEnterprise Systems by the LouisvilleTransportation Co. When the newowner cut wages and benefits, elimi-nated paid sick time, fired workers onwhim, and started changing employeehours on a daily basis, the remainingemployees decided unionization wasthe answer. On February 24, theyvoted 46 to 19 to join the Boilermakers’PEP Division.

Since certification, the new unit hasset a record of sorts, filing nearly 100unfair labor practice charges againstthe employer. It’s not a record to beproud of, but it is a record of whatlengths this new employer will take tobust the union. Even the employeehandbook, which the company sells toits workers at $10 each, is intimidating.On the cover it states: “You are an atwill employee. We can fire you, andyou can quit at any time.”

International Vice President OthalSmith Jr., Asst. to the Research DirectorWade Davis, and PEP Intl. Rep.Michael Zordani, are working closelywith the medical transportation unit,which provides emergency medicalservices to the Owensboro metropoli-tan area and includes a bike patrol unit.At press time, the employer hadagreed to send one representative tomeet with the new union members.

Magic Aire’s manufacturingunit joins SFEAW Division

WANTING THE SECURITY of aunion contract, employees of theMagic Aire Division of the UnitedElectric Company, L.P., of WichitaFalls, Texas, voted UnionYes! on June 3and 4, 1999.

One hundred seventy of the over 200employees chose the Boilermakers

union as their collective bargainingrepresentative following an organiz-ing campaign conducted byInternational Vice President OthalSmith Jr., and InternationalRepresentatives Howard “Gene” Lyonand Henry Juarez.

Magic Aire first opened for businessin 1945, building “swamp coolers” forthe military. In 1957, they added airconditioning coils to their productionline, which today includes a completeline of horizontal, vertical, and modu-lar direct expansion and chilled waterblower coil units. In 1998, they becamea wholly-owned subsidiary of theInternational Comfort ProductsC o r p o r a t i o n .

The Magic Aire employees are cur-rently negotiating their first union con-tract, and a local will soon be charteredfor this newest unit of theBrotherhood’s SFEAW Division. ❑

Employees of Yellow Ambulance Services, Owensboro, Ky., have joined theBoilermakers union, forming Local P3. Front row, l. to r., Paul Preston, Mike Durbin,IVP Othal Smith Jr., and Darrell Lancaster. Back row, l. to r., Kay Phillips, MikeJones, and Cindy Payne.

Mississippi’s larg e s tprivate employer signs‘first class’ agre e m e n twith Metal Tr a d e sMEMBERS OF LOCAL 693,Pascagoula, Miss., have a new 45-month agreement with IngallsShipbuilding, the largest privateemployer in Mississippi. Intl. Vice Pres.Newton B. Jones, who represents theSoutheastern States Region, describesthe contract as “first class.”

Jones reports, “With the attendancebonus, the first wage increase is $1.37per hour; the second increase is $0.97per hour; the third increase is $1.07 perhour. By any standard, in any ship-yard, these are first-class wagei n c r e a s e s . ”

Local 693 members are just aspleased. J. J. Criddell, a 26-year mem-ber who works as a welder and chiefsteward at the shipyard, said he knewgoing into negotiations that it mightbe tough. “Three weeks is a long timeto be out of work, but it was worth it toget these benefits,” Criddell said. Hehas served as Local 693’s presidentsince 1996.

Mike Sheppard, a nine-year mem-ber who has been a rigger at Ingallssince 1990, says good things are worthwaiting for. “The unions had set upfood banks, and there was a lot of soli-darity on the picket line. It was a strug-

gle, but I’m happy with the packagewe negotiated.”

Ingalls came to a near standstill for 21days when the members of nine affili-ated unions of the Metal TradesDepartment and two other unions wenton strike for better wages and benefits.

The company never had to shut itsdoors and send managerial and sup-port staff home; however, more than7,000 employees refused to cross thepicket lines established by theMachinists Local 1133, ElectricalWorkers Local 733, and the nine MetalTrades affiliates.

Of Ingalls’ 11,300 employees, 7,000are represented by the Metal Trades

Department, and Local 693 representsthe largest unit with 2,600 members.

Warren Fairley, Local 693 businessmanager and secretary-treasurer, saidit was wages and insurance premiumsthat pushed these unionists to thepicket line. Resolving these issues andgaining a new attendance bonusbrought the members back to workthree weeks later.

Fairley remained optimistic through-out the negotiations because the com-munication line remained opened.“The parties are talking and we con-sider that progress,” he told the strikingworkers at one of the informational

Local 693 settles at Ingalls Shipbuilding

R e p o rt e rthe Boilerm a k e r Vol. 38 No. 4Jul • Aug 1999

The Official Publication of theInternational Brotherhood of

Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders,Blacksmiths, Forgers, and

Helpers, AFL-CIO

B o i l e rm a k e r searn awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

T h e rmal spraying classadded to apprentice training . . . .4

NTL memberselect local lodge officers . . . . . . 6S c h o l a r s h i pwinners announced . . . . . .8 - 9The more you make,the healthier you are . . . . . . .1 0S e t t l e m e n t s . . . . . . . . . .1 2In Memoriam . . . . . . . . 1 5L e t t e r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 6

IN THESE PAGES

PEP and Stove divisions gain 300 new members

L-693 BM-ST Warren Fairley and retired Boilermaker AIP J. W. Moore (front row, secondand third from left) participate in the official signing ceremony at Ingalls Shipbuilding.

Continued on page 2

Company can boast ofstrong Boilermaker ties;promising work futurePACIFIC RIM Industrial MarineEngineering (PRIME) has agreed to rec-ognize the Pacific Coast Metal Trades asa representative of PRIME employees atWight Marine in Bellingham and PortAngeles, Wash. The employees will berepresented by Local 104 of Seattle.

Concerned for their future with newownership coming in, almost all of theWight Marine employees had signedunion authorization cards. But it’s nosurprise toIntl. Rep. Tom Kendall, whohas been working as an organizer forthe Pacific Coast Metal TradesDepartment, that PRIME would acceptunion representation at their facilities.After all, Jim Mattix, president ofPRIME, joined the Boilermakers unionin 1965!

Mattix came up through the ranks asa Boilermaker, working out of Local 72at American Pipe in Portland, Ore. Butthat’s only the beginning of this fam-ily’s union story.

Mattix’s wife, Lynn, has been a mem-ber of Local 72 since 1974. She was the

first woman to join Local 72 sinceWorld War II; however, she is not thefirst woman in her family to join theBoilermakers union or to work in ashipyard. Lynn’s mother, GwenBullock, was a three-position welder atSwan Island during World War II, andLynn’s grandmother, Mary Schawb,was a tacker.

Jim and Lynn Mattix also have twosons who currently work asBoilermakers, and the family can boastof fathers, brothers, and sisters on bothsides of the family who have worked aspipefitters, shipwrights, and laborers inthe shipyards.

PRIME just successfully completedits first major project on the Tonsina in

Port Angeles, Wash., where they haveopened an office. PRIME signed a proj-ect agreement and used many unionhands, including their new employeesfrom Wight Marine, to complete theproject. It took about 90 craftspeople toget the job done, and PRIME’s futurework outlook is very promising. ❑

Local 693/Ingalls sign 45-month agreement

Nearly all the employees of Wight Marine signed union authorization cards whenthey learned new ownership was coming in. Not to worry, their new owners areunion members, too – members of Boilermakers Local 72! Kneeling in front, l. to r.,are Kyle Thomas, Geoff Harrison, Alex Lira, Bert Kanewske, and Dan Hartry. Backrow, l. to r., are Bill Gwinner, Vance Mattix, Bill Holland, and Bob Kennedy.

Jim and Lynn Mattix have strong ties withthe Boilermakers union. Jim, president ofPacific Rim Industrial Marine Engineering(PRIME), has agreed to recognize theunion at his facilities.

meetings the Boilermakers sponsored.And when you have nine unions of theMetal Trades on strike, along with theElectrical Workers and the Machinistsunion, keeping the lines of communica-tion open can be very challenging.

Ingalls’ employees first went onstrike on May 16; however, the strikewasn’t officially sanctioned until May20. It was resolved 17 days later. Whileon strike, members of Local 693 met atthe Jackson County Civic Center forcontract updates. IVP Jones, along withFairley and Intl. RepresentativesDennis King and J. W. Moore,addressed groups of 800 members at atime, keeping them informed of the lat-est in contract negotiations.

Contract highlightsHIGHLIGHTS OF THE45-month con-tract include a journeyman wageincrease of 16.3 percent over the life ofthe agreement; an attendance bonusprogram in which employees can earnas much as an additional $0.37 an hour;an additional day (eight hours) of vaca-tion each year; a $5.00 or $0.03 an hourincrease in employee monthly pre-mium sharing each year; a prescription

drug co-pay plan of $3.00 for a generic30-day supply or $5.00 for a generic 90-day supply; and an 8.3 percent increasein the monthly retirement benefits.

Under the Ingalls’ retirement plan,employees can now retire with no earlyretirement penalty at age 60 with 20years service. The Death Benefitincreases from $3,000 to $5,000 foremployees with seven to 15 years serv-ice, and from $4,500 to $10,000 foremployees with 15 or more years ofservice. Employees will now be 100 per-cent vested in the pension plan afterthree years service, instead of seven, andwill be 50 percent vested after two yearsof service. The Joint & Survivor SpousePre-retirement Benefit also increasesfrom 50 percent to 100 percent.

Other contract improvementsinclude PPO enhancement, well babycare, and increases in loss of time ben-efits; incremental vacation; anincrease in the final three progressionsteps for regular apprentices; a $0.40hourly increase for shift premiumwork; a military premium; funeralpay; an increase in life insurance from$18,000 to $25,000; and other variouslanguage changes.

Ingalls, a division of LittonIndustries, is one of the nation’s lead-ing systems companies for the design,

engineering, construction, life cycle,fleet support, repair, and moderniza-tion of advanced surface combatantships for the U.S. Navy and interna-tional navies, and for commercialmarine structure of all types. In March,

they earned a $1.4 billion contract tobuild the first U.S.-made cruise ships in40 years. Ingalls has remained in con-tinuous operation since opening itsfacility in 1938, where Local 693 hasrepresented employees since 1939. ❑

MEMBERS OF LOCALS16 and theiremployer, Roesch, Inc., of Belleville, Ill.,have earned the 1999 Weier Labor-Management Award from theLeadership Council of SouthwesternIllinois in cooperation with the IllinoisDepartment of Commerce andCommunity Affairs and SouthernIllinois University.

The award is presented annually inhonor of the late Bill Weier, a commis-sioner of the Federal Mediation andConciliation Service, who promotedlabor-management cooperationthroughout his life.

Local S16 members and Roesch, Inc.also won the Illinois WorkersCompensation Trust Chairman’sAward for Safety. By working togetheron their safety program, Roesch andemployees lowered their number of

accidents – from 299 lost work days in1992 to zero lost days in 1998, droppingtheir workers compensation premiumfrom $90,000 to $25,000.

Roesch, Inc., established in 1916 andemploying nearly 100 workers, special-izes in porcelain enamel on steel andcast iron, metal stamping and metalfabrication, and ice equipment.

Until this year, Roesch employeeshad been represented by two locals.Local S4 represented the fabricationdepartment; Local S60 represented theenamel department. In April 1999,Local S16 was chartered for all of theRoesch employees, who manufacturemetal stampings and apply porcelainenamel coatings to appliance parts forranges and furnaces.

“But we have really been at Roeschsince 1916,” Intl. Rep. Gary Meyer Sr.

reported. “The employees were firstrepresented by the Enamel WorkersUnion, which merged with the StoveMounters Union in 1948. They became

the Stove, Furnace, and AlliedAppliance Workers InternationalUnion in 1950 and merged with theBoilermakers in 1994.” ❑

Local S16/Roesch win labor-management award

the Boilermaker Reporter3 Jul • Aug 1999

N E W S M A K E R S

the Boilermaker Reporter2 Jul • Aug 1999

N E W S M A K E R S

R e p o rt e rthe Boilerm a k e r The Boilermaker Reporter is the official publi-cation of the International Brotherhood ofBoilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths,Forgers, and Helpers, AFL-CIO. It is publishedbimonthly to disseminate information of useand interest to its members. Submissions frommembers, local lodges, and subordinate oraffiliated bodies are welcomed and encour-aged. This publication is mailed free ofcharge to active members and retiredmembers holding a Retired Members Card.Others may subscribe for the price of $10 forthree years. Standard Mail (A) postage paidat Kansas City, Kan., and additional mailingoffices. ISSN No. 1078-4101.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:

The Boilermaker Reporter753 State Avenue, Suite 565Kansas City, KS 66101(913) 371-2640; FAX (913) 281-8104w w w . b o i l e r m a k e r s . o r g

Printed in the USA

A prize-winning newspaper

Jul • Aug 1999 Vol. 38 • No. 4

Charles W. Jones, International President

Jerry Z. Willburn, Intl. Secretary-Treasurer

International Vice PresidentsLawrence McManamon, Great LakesMichael S. Murphy, N o r t h e a s tNewton B. Jones, Southeast George Rogers, Central Jack Sloan, Western States Richard Albright, Western CanadaAlexander MacDonald, Eastern CanadaJim Hickenbotham, A t - L a r g eOthal Smith Jr., A t - L a r g e

Editorial staffDonald Caswell, Managing EditorCarol Dillon, Asst. to the Managing Editor

Continued from page 1

Local 29 and Black & Veatch earn OSHA awardFirst time project earnsthe Department ofLabor’s highest honorTHE BERKSHIRE POWER PLANTconstruction site in Agawam, Mass.,has received the first VoluntaryProtection Program Short-TermConstruction Demonstration Awardfrom the Occupational Safety andHealth Administration (OSHA). Thesite had no lost-time accidents, thanksto the teamwork of the Black & VeatchConstruction Company and the localunion craftspeople on site.

Members of Local 29, Boston, Mass.,along with members of the steamfitters,pipe fitters, carpenters, and laborersunions have worked a record-setting421,000 man-hours with no lost-timeinjuries, earning OSHA’s highest honor.

The award recognizes the “outstand-ing quality of the safety and health pro-grams implemented on the site.”

Berkshire Power General ManagerFrank Basile said, “This award is . . . a tes-timony to the quality of craftsmanship of

local organized labor.” Federal officialspraised the safety and health culture as arole model for the rest of the constructionindustry to follow.

More than 300 local union craftspeoplework at the site. OSHA RegionalAdministrator Ruth McCully hopesother companies can ensure the safetyand health of workers by following this

example. Berkshire Power is building a$185 million gas-fired power plant. The272-megawatt facility should be com-pleted in the Fall of 1999.

Thirty-seven Local 29 Boilermakersare still on site. Local 29 members John“Jack” Carey and Bill Gilcoin are gen-eral foreman and foreman, Local 29member David O. Rice is steward, and

Local 45 member Jon Briggs is the con-struction manager.

The achievement of this award isimpressive considering that the con-struction industry is the most haz-ardous, accounting for 18 percent ofworkplace fatalities while representingonly six percent of the work force.

(Source: The Agawam Advertiser•News) ❑

Local 60 members earnkudos from Quad CitiesLOCAL 60 REPRESENTATIVESat theQuad Cities Nuclear Power Station(QCNPS) are an extraordinary group.

The nuclear maintenance arena isperhaps the most difficult anddemanding industry that a craftsper-son can be subjected to. Aside fromrequiring absolute professional ability,this industry imposes requirementsthat quite frankly try the best of men.Local 60 has met this demand by pro-viding professionals that have trulyperformed admirably.

The Boilermaker managerial teamthat resides at Quad Cities is not only“hands-on-knowledgeable,” but alsosensitive to meeting ever changing

demands and expectations as fluctuat-ing circumstances demand. Aside fromadapting “as needed,” this team hasbeen by far the most consistent groupto plan their work and work their plan.This ability is dollar and cost effective.Because of these above-mentionedattributes, this group leads all othertrade locals at QCNPS in laborhour/output ratios. Consistent work-manship quality and consistent adher-ence to nuclear requirements makesthis group a shining example of whatan American trades local can andshould be.

TH O M H. PR O K O P

QCNPS Sec. Mechanical

Accepting the 1999 Weir Award are, l. to r., IR Gary Meyer, Roesch EVP Debra Voges,Terry Weier (Bill Weier’s son), S16 member Paul Voegtle, and IVP Othal Smith Jr.

Local 29 members and the Black & Veatch Construction Co. celebrate over 400,000 accident-free man-hours at theBerkshire Power plant site in Agawam, Mass. Their record earned the U.S. Department of Labor’s highest safety honor.

Group also earns recognition for safety efforts thatreduced number of lost work days from 299 to zero

Outstanding two-yearsafety re c o rd adds tocompetitive edgeIMAGINE WORKING 100 construc-tion projects in more than 20 states overa two-year period without a single lost-time accident. It is the kind of safetyrecord contractors dream about.

For the members of the NationalTransient Lodge (NTL) and the NooterConstruction Company, it isn’t just adream. They are living it.

Since December 1996, while com-pleting over 100 projects in more than20 states and using thousands ofskilled union craftspeople, includingmembers of the NTL, NooterConstruction has achieved a mile-stone of 2.5 million man-hours with-out a lost-time incident.

NTD Director William Almond cred-its both the Boilermakers’ and Nooter’ssafety programs for this achievement.“Every safe man-hour equates to dol-lars saved by Nooter, making their bidsmore competitive on future work,”said Almond. And when a Boilermaker

contractor wins bids, that means morework for Boilermakers.

John Dreher, president of the NooterConstruction Company, wrote,“Nooter Construction Company isvery proud of this accomplishmentand wishes to recognize your mem-bers’ role in helping us to achieve thisremarkable feat. Increased training,safety awareness, and commitment byboth unions and the employers havehelped to make the field constructionindustry a much safer environment inwhich to work. It is because we areboth committed to a common goal ofzero accidents that we are able to attainresults such as these.”

In his congratulatory letter toAlmond, Dreher asked Almond to“challenge each and everyone of yourmembers to carry on this commitmentto safety because it benefits them, theirfamilies, their union, and the contrac-tors who employ them in this highly-competitive industry.”

The NTL’s record with Nooter ismore evidence that when Boilermakerssay we’re committed to zero accidents,we mean it. And we can prove it. ❑

NTL/Nooter celebrate 2.5million safe man-hours

P R I M E - Wight Marine recognizes union

It isn’t calories you need toworry about, it’s bacteria

RECENT ARTICLES in U.S. News &World Report a n d The Wall StreetJ o u r n a l point to increased dangersfrom the food we eat. Hot dogs andeggs have been singled out, but thegovernment’s lax approach to foodregulation puts all food in danger.

The Journal’s research has uncoveredconsumer complaints to hot dog mak-ers about foreign objects found in hotdogs. Glass, rubber bands, hair,screws, and “a greenish blue glob”have all been reported. But these arejust annoyances. The Centers forDisease Control report that listeria-contaminated hot dogs gave over 100people this rare bacteria in June, caus-ing 15 deaths and six stillbirths.

Eggs are also under fire. A reportfrom Congress’s General AccountingOffice says about 663,000 Americansget salmonella each year from eatingeggs; 331 of them die. The report criti-cizes the Food and DrugAdministration and the Departmentof Agriculture’s Food Safety andInspection Service for taking eight

years to decide on egg refrigerationrules mandated by Congress in 1991.

It takes eight years to find a safe tem-perature for storing eggs? Critics ofthese government agencies don’tthink so. And there is still no federalstandard for how long eggs can stayon the shelves, even though scientistsknow that after 28 days eggs becomedangerous regardless of the tempera-ture at which they’re kept.

What are the chances you’ll get abad egg? About one in 20,000, says theUSDA. Even if you trust their esti-mate, that figure means 3.4 billion con-taminated eggs will be eaten this year,not only for breakfast but in lasagna,salads, cakes, cookies, ice cream, andhundreds of other dishes.

Feeling queasy? You can complainto your congressman and senators,but don’t expect much action. Ratherthan tighten up the rules, the FDA hasproposed putting warning labels onegg cartons. What good is a warninglabel when you don’t know how oldthe eggs are or whether they’ve beenproperly handled from farm to mar-ket? We need strict standards andenough inspectors to enforce them. ❑

Better watch what you eat!

St. Pé to head LittonShip SystemsKeene to serve as Ingalls’ pre s i d e n tGERALD J. ST. PÉ, senior vice president ofLitton Industries and president of IngallsShipbuilding, has been named executive vicepresident of Litton Industries and chiefoperating officer of Litton Ship Systems, anewly formed business organization. PatKeene, a 33-year Ingalls employee, has beennamed the new president of IngallsShipbuilding, located in Pascagoula, Miss.

Li tton Ship Systems comprises thecorporation’s shipbuilding operations, whichincludes Ingalls Shipbuilding, where Local693 members are employed. It will sooninclude Avondale Industries, currently beingacquired by Litton, where workers have beenstruggling for union recognition for six yearsat the New Orleans shipyard.

Gerald J. St. Pé

Pat Keene

the Boilermaker Reporter4 Jul • Aug 1999E D U C A T I O N & T R A I N I N G

I n d u s t ry leaders donate equipment to BNAPThermal sprayer on six-month loan to BNAPPRIME ALLOYSof Houston, Texas,and Boyd Machine & Repair of WolfLake, Ind., have loaned a Mark II Twin-Wire Arc System to the BoilermakersNational Apprentice Program (BNAP)for a six-month period at the nationaltraining center in Kansas City.

Roy Cantwell, owner and presidentof Prime Alloys, and Larry Boyd,owner and president of Boyd Machine& Repair, one of the top thermal spraycompanies in the United States, areworking with BNAP instructors todevelop a training program forBoilermaker apprentices. Besidesteaching proper equipment operation,the team is stressing the system’s multi-ple usage for power plant and otherboiler applications.

The Mark II, invented and manufac-tured by Boyd, provides more capacityand more efficient bonding than othersprayers on the market, and depositionrates as high as 40 pounds per hour withthe small gun, and up to 100 pounds perhour with a special larger unit.

Cantwell, who markets and sales thethermal sprayers worldwide, says hiscompany evaluates the wear on alltypes of metal and then recommends ordevelops a material or process to pre-vent the high-wear situation.

“We recently developed a materialwe call PA-5 to coat heat exchanger

tubes in power plants. Its bond strengthis 30 to 40 percent greater than materi-als presently used, and it can withstandhigh temperatures. Tests have shown itwill outwear other material by 20 plusp e r c e n t . ”

Simply described, the twin arc sys-tem feeds two wires to a hand-heldgun. The wires touch, forming an arcthat melts the wires inside an air cap.Air pressure atomizes the molten metaland sprays it on the metal substrate toprevent wear on such items as boilertubes and fans. Cantwell says the ther-mal sprayer can save thousands ofman-hours on a repair job. “Whatwould take a welder months to repair, athermal sprayer can have done in amatter of days,” said Cantwell.

The twin wire arc applies a wear-resistant coating on heat exchangertubes in power plants, but it can also beused in many other applications inpower plant, industrial, and manufac-turing facilities, as the unit can spray anychemistry of wire on any metal surface.

Kruger & Assoc. donatesautomatic welderBOILERMAKERS ATTENDINGclasses at the national training center inKansas City can now upgrade theirtube welding skills thanks to a dona-tion by James P. Kruger & Associates,Inc. The Baltimore, Md., companydonated an automatic welder(Tubemaster) and milling machine to

the Boilermakers National ApprenticeProgram (BNAP) in December 1998.

BNAP Training Instructor JohnStandish says it still takes an experi-enced welder to operate the computer-

ized tube welding system, which canhold up to 100 separate welding pro-grams and provides a written printoutfor each weld, listing level, amp ridge,and wire speed. ❑

5 Jul • Aug 1999L E A P I S S U E S

the Boilermaker Reporter

BNAP Instructor John Standish demonstrates how to use a thermal sprayer. PrimeAlloys of Houston, Texas, and Boyd Machine & Repair of Wolf Lake, Ind., loaned theMark II Twin-Wire Arc System to the Boilermakers National Apprentice Program(BNAP) for a six-month period at the national training center in Kansas City.

L. to r., BNAP Instructor John Standish; Larry Boyd, owner and president of BoydMachine & Repair; and Roy Cantwell, owner and president of Prime Alloys, with theMark II Twin-Wire Arc System. Boyd and Cantwell are working with BNAP instructorsto develop a thermal spray training program for Boilermaker apprentices.

Pictured at left is the automatic welderKruger & Associates donated to theBNAP. Its control box is pictured above.

MOST CONSTRUCTION workers lose a lotof their hearing. You lose hearing slowly,so you may not notice. But if you can’thear, you may be in danger on the job.Noise doesn’t just hurt your hearing. Toomuch noise can make you tired and nerv-ous. It can raise your blood pressure andmay give you heart disease.

E x p o s u re levelsNOISE LEVELS ARE measured in decibels(dBA). We talk at about 70 dBA. Decibels aremeasured on a scale like the one for earth-quakes. So when the decibels go up a little, thenoise goes up a lot. Seventy-three dBA is twiceas loud as 70 dBA. The Occupational Safety &Health Administration (OSHA) has rules abouthow long you can be exposed to a noise level,before you must wear hearing protection:

T i m e L e v e lUp to eight hours 90 dBAUp to four hours 95 dBAUp to one hour 105 dBA

When the noise is 95 dBA, you areallowed to work with no hearing protectionfor only four hours. Even so, this noise levelis not safe; one in five people exposed reg-ularly at the levels allowed by OSHA willlose some hearing. And a short, very loud(impact) noise can do the most harm of all.

If you have to shout for someone threefeet away to hear you, the site is probablytoo noisy and you need hearing protection.

Most construction noise comes fromequipment. These decibel levels havebeen measured:

E q u i p m e n t D e c i b e l sPneumatic chip hammer 1 0 3 - 1 1 3Earth tamper 9 0 - 9 6J a c k h a m m e r 1 0 2 - 1 1 1C r a n e 9 0 - 9 6Concrete joint cutter 9 9 - 1 0 2H a m m e r 8 7 - 9 5S k i l s a w 8 8 - 1 0 2G r a d e a l l 8 7 - 9 4Stud welder 1 0 1Front-end loader 8 6 - 9 4B u l l d o z e r 9 3 - 9 6B a c k h o e 8 4 - 9 3

Equipment noise levels do vary. The noisefrom a gradeall earthmover is 94 dBA from tenfeet away, but only 82 dBA if you are 70 feetaway. A crane lifting a load can make 96 dBAof noise; at rest, it may make less than 80 dBA.

Five ways to protect yourself

1.Make the workplace quieter. Ask con-tractors to buy quieter models when they

buy new equipment. There are quieter modelsfor most construction equipment. Or, equip-ment can be fixed to make it quieter.

2.Cut the time you spend around loudnoises. Rotate workers from noisy jobs to

quieter jobs, if possible. Or use rest breaks awayfrom noisy spots.

3.Wear protective equipment. OSHA saysyou must be given hearing protection (and

be trained to use it) when you work at noise lev-els above the allowed levels. Use hearing pro-tection that is easy to put on and take off. Somehardhats have earmuffs for hearing protectionthat can be lifted out of the way when you don’tneed them. Some ear plugs have neckbands soyou don’t lose them if you take them off.

4.Have your hearing checked each year.

5.Measure the noise on site. Your local unioncan buy a low-cost sound meter.

You should know

MANY WORKERS don’t want to use hear-ing protection. They are afraid they won’thear warning signals, like backup alarms.But some new protectors can let in voicesand block other noises. If you have anyquestions, call the Center to ProtectWorkers’ Rights (202 962-8490), or theNational Institute for Occupational Safetyand Health (1-800-35-NIOSH).© Copyright 1996, The Center to Protect Workers’Rights, a research arm of the Building andConstruction Trades Dept.

DON’T TAKE UNNECESSARY RISKS.A L W A Y S PLAY IT SAFE.

AND WHEN YOU ARE AT WORK,MAKE IT SAFE!

MAKE IT SAFEH a z a rd Alert – Construction Noise

90 92 95 97 100 102 105 110 1150

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8Safe sound level time allowed per day

90 dBA 8 hours92 dBA 6 hours95 dBA 4 hours 97 dBA 3 hours100 dBA 2 hours 102 dBA 1 1/2 hours105 dBA 1 hour 110 dBA 1/2 hour115 dBA 1/4 hour

dBA

Why privatizing Social Security is insaneby Christian Weller

SOCIAL SECURITY PROVIDEDretirement benefits for 44 millionworkers and their families in 1997,

and provided most of the retirementincome for two-thirds of retirees. Butprojections say that by 20 years or sofrom now, Social Security will begin toface a shortage of funds, unless changesin the system are made.

Wall Street investment companies,and many conservatives, want to priva-tize Social Security, allowing these com-panies to make huge amounts of moneymanaging workers’ retirement savings.Under privatization, savings could beinvested in the stock market, rather thangovernment bonds, where they arenow. But privatization would be a terri-ble idea for most workers. Here are sixreasons why:

1. Social Security is crucial for low-income workers.While Social Security benefits provideonly 29 percent of the retirement incomefor the wealthiest fifth of retired work-ers, they provide 80 percent of the retire-ment income for those in the bottomfifth. In 1994, Social Security kept 42 per-cent of all its recipients out of poverty.

2. Social Security provides deathand disability insurance.When a worker becomes disabled ordies Social Security provides for their

families. This insurance system takestax money and redistributes it fromthose who are fortunate enough towork until retirement to those who suf-fer accidents or illnesses. A private sys-tem, in which each person is responsiblefor their own retirement savings, wouldreduce or eliminate this insurance.

3. Advocates of privatization lie incomparing Social Security to thestock market.Projections that Social Security will runout of money several decades from nowassume that economic growth will beslow, much slower than in the past. Ifthis happens, wages will grow slowlyand Social Security tax revenues will,too. But privatization advocates projecthigh returns on stocks, which only hap-pen during times of fast growth. Ifgrowth is slow, then stocks will not dowell. On the other hand, if growth is fast,Social Security will have enough moneyto pay for all its obligations to workers.

4. Private companies charge hugeadministrative costs.Social Security is a very efficient sys-tem, spending a mere 0.8 percent ofcontributions on administration. Littlemoney is spent on managing invest-ments, since all the funds are used tobuy U.S. Treasury Bonds. In contrast,private companies would charge fivepercent to seven percent of workers’money to manage the investments and

to guarantee definite monthly pay-ments once a person retires. And thepercentage fees would be highest onlow-income workers, since the compa-nies would make less money on them.

5. The stock market is a wild gamble.Advocates of privatization love to arguethat stocks provide much higher returnsthan Treasury Bonds. But, as recentmonths have shown, the stock market canswing wildly from gains to losses.Workers can lose out either if the wholemarket does badly, or if their individualinvestments do worse than the average.By one estimate, a worker who retiresafter 35 years faces a one-in-four-chancethat she will have only 25 percent as muchmoney in the bank as she had anticipated.

6. There are better alternatives thanp r i v a t i z a t i o n .There are several ways of providingmore money for the Social Security sys-tem which would serve employees bet-ter than privatization. First, thegovernment could invest part of SocialSecurity taxes in the stock market.Second, the cap above which high-wage workers do not have to pay SocialSecurity taxes, currently set at $68,400,could be raised or eliminated, thusbringing more money into the system.

(This article is adapted from “WallStreet’s Fondest Dream: The Insanity ofPrivatizing Social Security,” ChristianWeller, Dollars and Sense, Nov/Dec 1998.) ❑

THE CENSUS FORMcomes in themail every ten years, and many ofus – about 40 million households –

don’t take the time to read it, fill it out,and return it. But the stakes in the 2000census are so high, we should be urgingworking families – especially minori-ties – to make a special effort to returnthe forms to ensure an accurate count.

Census 2000 may determine whichcities and states will receive the mostmoney for education, roads, new jobs,and health care, and which politicalparty holds power for the next tenyears in Congress and state legisla-tures. Specifically, the census deter-mines reapportionment of state andfederal legislative seats, the redrawingof congressional districts, and the dis-tribution of federal funds.

Census determines power ofworking familiesSEATS IN CONGRESS– where anti-worker majorities in both houses holdthe reins on working family issuessuch as Social Security, job safety, edu-cation, and health care – and in statelegislative districts are apportionedbased on census counts.

The federal government uses thedata to allocate $200 billion in federalfunds to state and local governmentsfor education, housing, Medicare,transportation, and other programs.According to the Council of Great CitySchools, an association of urban publicschool systems, every child notcounted in the census means a loss of$650 per child in federal funds for ayear. The undercount of more than twomillion children missed by the 1990census reduced education funding bymore than $1.3 billion, according to theChildren’s Defense Fund. In the 1990census, the undercount for California

was 837,000 and 482,000 for Texas. As aresult of the undercount, Texas lost acongressional seat.

“The 1990 census was the first in 50years to be less accurate than its prede-cessor,” says Commerce SecretaryWilliam M. Daley. “It contained 12 mil-lion mistakes, undercounting millionsof Americans, especially children andmembers of racial and ethnic minoritygroups.” The count missed about 4.5million people, including 2.3 millionchildren, according to the GeneralAccounting Office.

Why? Because many Latinos, AfricanAmericans, and other minorities so dis-trust government and governmentworkers (such as census counters whocome to their doors), they don’t respondto the surveys, says Wade Henderson,executive director of the LeadershipConference on Civil Rights (LCCR), acoalition of civil rights groups thatincludes the AFL-CIO. That can meanlower political representation and lessfunding for minority communities.

The debate over an accuratecensus countRECOGNIZING THIS barrier to accu-rate counts, the Census Bureau con-sulted with independent experts,including the National Academy ofSciences, to create a more accuratemethod of counting. The result,endorsed by the Academy and theAmerican Statistical Association, was atechnique called sampling.

The Census Bureau proposed count-ing 90 percent of the people in a censustract through mailings and one-on-onecontact; it then would extrapolate thecharacteristics of the remaining ten per-cent who were not counted based onthe data from the census tract. But anti-worker members of Congress are

demanding that every person in thecountry be counted directly, eitherthrough a returned census form or per-sonal interview. The Census Bureau andstatistical experts say it is impossible tophysically count each of the more than250 million people in this country with-out missing millions, especially the poorand minorities.

The U. S. Supreme Court ruledJanuary 25 that sampling is inappropri-ate under current law to determinereapportionment of the 435 seats in theHouse of Representatives. But the highcourt did not ban its use for other pur-poses, such as redrawing federal andstate legislative district lines and the dis-tribution of federal funds. In February,the Census Bureau announced that itplanned to conduct both a traditionalhead count to reapportion House seatsamong the states and a second set of fig-ures to distribute federal money andredraw political boundaries.

Using sampling to redraw districtlines within states could change thedemographics in a congressional dis-trict and make it easier for a challengerto unseat an incumbent congressionalrepresentative, he says. This is espe-cially true in states such as Californiaand Texas that have had an influx ofminority voters – who tend to vote forDemocrats – in the past ten years.According to the U. S. HispanicLeadership Institute, in California’s1998 gubernatorial and senatorialraces, Latinos voted for Democrats by78 percent and 72 percent respectively.In Texas, 50 percent of Latinos voted forthe Democratic gubernatorial candi-date and 71 percent for the Democraticcandidate for attorney general. Formore information on getting the wordout to your members, call the AFL-CIOCivil and Human Rights Department at202-637-5270. Source: America@Work❑

The stakes are high in the Census 2000 – education, roads, jobs, health care,congressional seats – so be sure to return your form for an accurate account

Stand up and be countedStand up and be countedGOP tax proposalspends surplus tobenefit the wealthy PRESIDENT CLINTONhas pro-posed that we set aside at least 60percent of the federal budget surplusto make sure Social Security doesn’tgo bankrupt in 30 years.

Republican House leaders have adifferent idea. Led by Ways andMeans Chairman Bill Archer (R-Texas) they want to use the surplus tofinance an $850 billion package of taxcuts aimed mostly at helping the rich.

A key ingredient in their plan isanother cut in the capital gains tax,mainly applied to stock profits. Thecapital gains tax was cut from 28 per-cent to 20 percent only two years ago,giving millionaires a lower incometax rate on their profits in the stockmarket than the tax rate most work-ers pay on the money they earn insavings accounts.

Archer says this tax cut offerssomething for everyone. He’s right. Itoffers peanuts to workers and caviarto those who are already rich. DavidWyss, chief economist at Standard &Poors, told USA Today most of thebenefit would go to the rich. “The topten percent of earners hold 85 percentof the stock,” he said.

They also propose to eliminate theinheritance tax on estates worthmore than $1 million and cut incometaxes by ten percent.

Economists at Citizens for TaxJustice (CTJ) say that under the pro-posal average tax cuts for workersmaking $23,800 to $62,800 a yearwould be $207 - $474. The average taxcut for the wealthiest one percent ofthe nation would be $45,700.

Meanwhile, the budget surpluswould disappear and Social Securitywould still be in danger.

As CTJ director Robert McIntyreputs it, “House Republicans appar-ently have no doubts about who theythink should get tax cuts. And if itmeans bankrupting the governmentto make the rich even richer, well,they don’t seem to mind.”

Proposed rule endsfederal subsidy forlawbreakersNEW FEDERAL procurement ruleswould stop the U.S. governmentfrom buying products and servicesfrom corporations that break federallabor, tax, civil rights, environmental,and other laws. It would also end thepractice of reimbursing contractorsfor the money they spend fightingworkers seeking to join a union.

You may not realize that your taxdollars subsidize anti-union cam-paigns. The federal government con-siders union busting just anotherbusiness expense, which can bepassed on to the government inmany cases.

Business groups like the Chamberof Commerce are expected to mountjudicial and legislative fights againstthe new rules. Big Business used sim-ilar tactics to block a 1995 executiveorder that would have ended federalcontracts to firms that replacedlegally striking employees with per-manent replacement workers.

WELDING SERVICES, INC.(WSI) hascompleted another successful auto-matic weld overlay project. What’snewsworthy is the U.S.-based com-pany performed the job in Canadausing mainly Canadian Boilermakers.

International Vice Presidents RickAlbright and Sandy MacDonald,working with Bill Almond, asst. to theIntl. pres. and director of the NationalTransient Division, negotiated anagreement with WSI to train and main-tain a permanent work force ofmachine operators to work in Canadaand around the world. So far, 35Boilermakers have completed thetraining and passed WSI’s qualifica-tion test.

The first Canadian job was to refur-bish and upgrade over 2,000 squarefeet of surface in a digester at Domtar

Papers’ Windsor facility in Quebec.Qualified members of Local 271,

Montreal, joined WSI employees fromthe National Transient Lodge (NTL)and other U.S. local lodges to completethe project within 14 days, two daysahead of the aggressive schedule.

Using the Unifuse® 309Lsi™, theBoilermakers applied the automaticwelder horizontally to the internalwalls of the digester, which hadbeen carefully prepared by grindingwith particular attention paid to cor-rosion pits.

Tom Naughton, WSI’s C/E Divisiongeneral manager, says the potential fortheir advanced technology would bewasted unless the company can trainoperators to use it.

“Thanks to the CanadianBoilermakers,” he says, “we areexpanding a necessary resource toserve our international clients.”

A Boilermaker contractor since sign-ing the overlay agreement in 1984 andthe NTL agreement in 1994, WSI is aleader in the mechanical overhaul andrestoration of boilers, process towers,reactors, pressure vessels, valves, asso-ciated piping, and components in awide variety of domestic and interna-tional industries.

WSI uses automatic, remotely con-trolled tooling and delivery systemsfor sophisticated repairs, weldingoverlays, and precision machining. ❑

the Boilermaker Reporter6 Jul • Aug 1999

P A G E I D

For most people, taxes are a lot likethe weather. We complain aboutthem, but we never do anything

about them.Maybe we should. A small group of people are doing a

lot about their taxes. They’re movingtheir businesses’ headquarters offshoreto avoid U.S. corporate income taxes.They’re buying tax-free bonds onwhich the interest is paid to them bytaxpayers. They’re hiring expensiveattorneys and CPAs to carve loopholesin the maze of federal, state, and munic-ipal taxes that the average person can-not possibly comprehend.

Most important of all, they’re lobby-ing Congress for special tax breaks thatapply only to their industry – some-times only to their company.

And they’re succeeding at bringingtheir taxes down. But the cost of payingfor government is not going down, sosomeone has to make up the difference.That someone is you, your friends,your family – middle-class people whowork for a living.

Over the past 50 years, wealthy indi-viduals, corporate executives, andoverseas investors have convincedCongress to enact one tax reform afteranother, and each reform has been tothe advantage of this group and the dis-advantage of everyone else.

The tax structure penalizeslower income gro u p s

“AMERICA: WHO REALLY PAYS t h eTaxes?,” by Donald L. Barlett andJames B. Steele, authors of “America:What Went Wrong?,” illustrates inappalling detail just how unfair the U.S.tax system has become.

In the 1950s, the tax system wasintended to foster the growth of a largemiddle class. It succeeded. In the 1980sand 1990s, the tax system wasdesigned to restrict middle-classgrowth, to force the majority of peopledown the economic ladder while help-ing those who were already doing wellto reduce their tax burden and getricher. It, too, is succeeding.

In 1954, for every dollar of income taxpaid to the U.S. Treasury by individu-als and families, corporations paid$0.75. By 1994, they were paying only$0.20. In that same period, the incometax rate for the highest individual wageearners was cut in half.

In case after case, the authors showhow U.S. tax laws are inherently unfairto workers. It isn’t just a tax here orthere that is unfair. The entire system oftaxation benefits the wealthy and largecorporations, while penalizing workersand small business owners.

Take the income tax deduction forinvestment interest, for example. Thisdeduction allows people to borrowmoney to invest in the stock market orcommodities futures, then deduct thatinterest from their gross income at taxtime. When was the last time you tookadvantage of this tax break?

Few workers ever do. In 1990, only1.7 million individuals and familiesdeducted investment interest expenseson their income tax forms. That’s lessthan two percent of all those who filedreturns. The total write-off came to $11.6billion. And 81 percent of that deduc-tion, $9.4 billion, was claimed by669,000 individuals and families withincomes over $100,000.

Or look at the capital gains tax. Thistax is paid on the profit you get whenyou sell capital such as real estate,

stocks, or bonds for more than you paidfor it. Average people might pay capitalgains tax if they sell their house at amuch higher price than they paid for it.Most workers never pay it at all.

But stock market speculators andinvestors do when they sell their stocksat a profit. Capital gains are not taxedlike regular income. Investments heldmore than a year qualify for a 20 per-cent tax rate.

Say an investor buys $1 million worthof stock in a new internet company. Twoyears later, he sells that stock for $2 mil-lion, making a profit of $1 million. Hepays $200,000 in capital gains taxes andpockets $800,000.

Meanwhile, a worker earning wagesof $40,000 a year who puts money in asavings account pays a tax rate of 28percent on the interest.

The most re g ressive tax of all

THE PAYROLL TAX for SocialSecurity is one of the unfairest taxes ofall. Every American worker making$68,400 per year or less pays 6.20 per-cent of his or her wages in SocialSecurity payroll taxes. After $68,400, nofurther Social Security taxes are paid. Inaddition, Social Security taxes are notpaid on income from dividends, inter-est, or capital gains.

Because of this limit, workers pay afar larger portion of their income inSocial Security taxes than wealthy indi-viduals and those who live on invest-ment income.

Here’s how it works. The workerdescribed above, making $40,000 ayear, pays $2,480, or 6.2 percent of hisannual incometoward SocialSecurity taxes.The CEO of thecompany heworks for, mak-ing $1 million ayear, pays $4,240,or less than one-half of one percent ofhis income. The CEO’s father, whoowns the company and several othersand makes $3 million a year from divi-dends and capital gains, pays no SocialSecurity tax at all.

Congress is now debating how toguarantee that Social Security can con-tinue paying benefits. Many proposalshave been made – raising the retire-ment age, lowering benefits, privatiz-ing the system. What no one inCongress wants to talk about is thatremoving this income cap and extend-ing the Social Security tax to all forms ofincome would eliminate any projecteddeficits in the fund.

While workers pay taxes,corporations pay tax lawyers

CORPORATIONS CAN EMPLOY s omany devices to lower their taxes that itis amazing they pay anything at all.Few corporations, even the largest andmost profitable, pay the highest corpo-rate tax rate. And many pay no taxes atall during some years. In fact, unlikeindividuals, when corporations losemoney they can get refunds of the taxesthey paid in earlier years.

Corporations can dodge U.S. taxes bymoving their operations overseas, anact more common now under NAFTA.But they don’t even have to move theiroperations. Thousands of corporationsare avoiding taxes simply by establish-ing their headquarters in the Cayman’sor other offshore locations. These off-

shore headquarters are often little morethan post office boxes, but they qualifythese companies to operate as foreignentities, not subject to many U.S. taxes.

When we complain about NAFTA,we usually complain about losing jobsto other countries. We also lose tax rev-enue to them.

Worst of all, companies operating inthe U.S. but owned by foreign investorspay lower taxes than home-grownsmall businesses. In 1989, a whopping71 percent of them paid no U.S. incometax. The ones who did pay, paid atabout half the rate of domestic corpora-tions, based on their taxes as a percent-age of revenue.

Book outlines historicalaspects of tax abuse

BARLETT AND STEELEhave docu-mented in great detail some of theworst abuses of the current tax struc-ture. Their examples are surprising,compelling, and infuriating.

Perhaps the authors’ greateststrength is in their ability to put it allinto historical context. Not ancient his-tory, but 20th century history. By goingback to the origins of the income tax,Social Security, and withholding, theyare able to dramatize just how far out ofhand things have gotten.

In addition, by explaining the politi-cal thinking behind each of the manytax laws enacted in the past 30 years,they are able to show how things gotout of hand. They quote the supportersof these tax laws, along with thoseopposed to the law, then show what thelaw actually accomplished.

Regardless of the reasons behind anyof the laws, regardless of the politicians’predictions, every tax law passed since1969 has promoted the interests of the

wealthy and of cor-porations over theinterests of middleclass, workingAmericans. Everyattempt to simplifythe law has made it

more complicated, spawning an enor-mous industry of tax form preparers,tax attorneys, CPAs, tax lobbyists, andfund raisers.

The tax law’s complexity makes itdifficult for the IRS to detect tax fraud.Complexity rewards the dishonest per-son who takes a questionable deduc-tion and penalizes the honest tax payerwho fails to claim a benefit he or she isunaware of.

It rewards large corporations that canmove money and expenses on paperfrom one subsidiary to another andpenalizes the small company that oper-ates in one geographic area.

It rewards the influential people whosecure private tax laws from friendlymembers of Congress and penalizesthe politically powerless who mustabide by the existing tax law no matterhow unjust it is.

What can we do to make ourtax law more fair?

THE LAST CHAPTER of the book,“Can It Be Fixed?,” is the most com-pelling. This question is not easy. As theauthors point out, “The existing taxstructure works to the best interest ofmembers of Congress, not you.”Congress will be slow to change a taxstructure that works so well for them.

And any efforts at reform have to getpast all the special interest groups thatwill want to adjust and tweak the lawfor their own benefit. Many peoplebelieve the tax code should have a

social or economic purpose besides justraising money to pay for government.

Art museums and charities believe itshould encourage donations to them.Wealthy investors believe it shouldreward them for buying stock. Homeowners believe it should subsidize thepurchase of their homes. Mayors andgovernors believe it should underwritetheir building projects through tax-freebonds. Corporate executives believe itshould bail out their failed businesses.

It is these beliefs and others like themthat have gotten us into this mess. Thetax restructuring proposal these twooffer in the final chapter of the bookmay well work, if we can get it enactedpast the objections of all the people whowant the tax structure to benefit them.

The authors provide a 15-point plan forfixing tax law. This plan is more than justa revision of the current tax code. Theycall for monumental changes that willmean throwing most of the current taxlaw out and starting over.

First, they propose treating allincome the same, regardless of itssource. “A dollar is a dollar, whetherearned in a factory, by speculating instock options, or by selling real estate.No exceptions. No special treatment.”

Second, they would eliminate allitemized deductions. “Every exceptionto tax law, no matter how well inten-tioned . . . leads to inequities.”

They also propose restoring a trulyprogressive income tax rate, taxing cap-ital gains as normal income, ending theexemption for state and local govern-ment bonds and securities, increasingenforcement for tax fraud (and penal-ties), requiring withholding on allincome (not just wages), removingSocial Security funds from the unifiedbudget, means-testing all governmentbenefits (including Social Security andMedicare), taxing securities transac-tions on Wall Street, and taxing corpo-rations on their income instead of ontheir profits.

And a few more things.It is a tall order, a significant depar-

ture from the way we’ve done businessfor the past 50 years.

But that is precisely the point. With atax system so unfair from top to bot-tom, the only solution is a completeoverhaul. Fifty years of tinkering haveonly brought us to where we are, thecountry with the largest economy in theworld and the most unfair tax system inthe industrialized world.

Surely the United States can do bet-ter than that.

NEXT ISSUE: “Class war, Americanstyle: The tax war on workers.” ❑

7 Jul • Aug 1999the Boilermaker Reporterthe Boilermaker Reporter

6 Jul • Aug 1999

America: Who really pays the taxes?

N E W S M A K E R S T A X A B U S E

NTL members elect officers

If you think the tax system is unfair, you’re right. Butyou probably have no idea how unfair it really is.

MEMBERS OF THE N a t i o n a lTransient Lodge (NTL) have electedthe following local lodge officersthrough mail-in ballot:

RO N N Y VA N S C O Y, presidentGA R Y SC O T T, vice president and

chairman of trusteesWI L HI N O J O S A, secretary-treasurer

and recording secretaryMA T T H E W DI X O N, trusteeSH O N AL M O N D, trustee

In the photo above, Intl. Pres. C. W.Jones (second from right) swears in theNTL officers, l. to r., beginning secondfrom left, Sec.-Treas. and Rec. Sec. WilHinojosa, Trustees Shon Almond andMatt Dixon, Vice Pres. and Chrmn. ofTrustees Gary Scott, and PresidentRonny Vanscoy. At far right is Intl.Sec.-Treas. and former NTD DirectorJerry Willburn. At far left is NTDDirector William Almond. ❑

IN THE MAY-JUN issue of our paper, wereported that members of Local 687,Charleston Heights, S.C., had earned theNational Erectors Association (NEA)Craftsman of the Year Award for Ingenuityand Innovation in Construction, NEA’shighest award. Only a partial listing of thecrew was included in that article; how-ever, we now have a complete list of themembers who deserve recognition for thisgreat accomplishment:

Local 687 ABM Jim Bryant credits theteam effort of this Boilermaker crew formaking this award possible. “Their work at

the Savannah River Site for BechtelConstruction resulted in the savings ofmany taxpayer dollars,” Bryant said. “Thisaward will be on permanent display at theunion hall to show everyone what can beaccomplished when we work together.”

L-687 award-winning crew:Bobby Jones, foreman Paul HollerTodd Blankenship David MillsJohn Bodenheimer James MoorePatricia Bruce Jack RidgewayJessie Carter Al WilliamsPaul Cook

– C o rre c t i o n – C o rre c t i o n – C o rre c t i o n – C o rre c t i o n –

Local 687 names award-winning cre w

“America: Who Really Pays TheTaxes?,” by Donald L. Barlett andJames B. Steele, published by Simon& Schuster, ISBN: 0-671-87157-9; U.S.$9.95, Can. $13.00.

This article is the first in aseries in which we will

discuss taxes in the U.S.

Qualified members of Local 271, Montreal, and WSI employees from the National Transient Lodge (NTL) and other U.S. locallodges completed a project two days ahead of an aggressive schedule.

WSI expands to serve international clientsBoilermakers negotiate agreement to train and maintain permanent work force of machine operators

TOM KENDALL, International rep-resentative and deputy generalorganizer, has earned the ClarenceBriggs Distinguished Service Awardfor his outstanding work as an organ-izer for the Pacific Coast Metal TradesDistrict Council (PCMTDC). Kendallis on temporary assignment to thePCMTDC as an organizer for thePuget Sound, Portland, and BayCities Metal Trades Councils.

Jack Sloan, International vice presi-dent for the Western States Area andPCMTDC president, presented theaward to Kendall at a recent boardmeeting. He described Kendall as “aclass act and an excellent example ofour union. Tom has not only organ-ized the organized, he has used hisskills to build solidarity between thecrafts in the local Metal TradesCouncils.” ❑

IR Tom Kendall earns MetalTrades award for organizing PCMTDC honors Kendall with the Clarence Briggs Aw a rd

Intl. Rep. Tom Kendall shows the plaque awarded to him by IVP and Pacific CoastMetal Trades District Council (PCMTDC) president Jack Sloan (to Tom’s right). Theyare flanked by the PCMTDC board members and officers, plus delegates fromthe Puget Sound, Portland, and Bay Cities Metal Trades Councils.

Keep an eye on your pensionSwitch to cash-balance pensions may decreasebenefits for workers who are close to retirementWORKERS APPROACHING r e t i r e-ment should be wary if their employerspropose switching from a traditionalpension plan to one of the new, hybrid“cash-balance” plans. These new plansprovide portability and save employ-ers money, but they do so at theexpense of workers in their 40s, 50s,and 60s, who lose benefits they hadbeen counting on for retirement.

An article in the A A R P B u l l e t i nexplains that the new plans differ fromtraditional defined-benefit plans inhow benefits are calculated. With cash-balance plans, the company sets aside apercentage of pay each year; the per-centage stays the same year after year.

With traditional plans, accruals aretypically lower at first and build upover time. Benefits are determined bythe worker’s years of service and theamount of pay in the last few yearsbefore retirement.

Switching to a cash-balance plan latein your working career can mean elimi-nating the most valuable part of your

plan. One 50-year old employee withCentral and South West Corp. says helost more than 30 percent of his pensionbecause of the company’s changeover.They grandfathered employees 50 andolder, but he missed the cutoff by 14months. Another 37-year employeereports seeing his expected benefitsplummet from $1,100 a month to $424.

Companies say cash-balance plansare needed to attract younger, moremobile workers, who don’t stay with anemployer very long. Individual fundsare easier to understand and are moreportable. Unlike traditional pensions,funds in a cash-balance plan can usuallybe moved into an IRAor 401(k).

But companies also save a lot ofmoney by making the switch, and thewidespread belief that workers changejobs more frequently now than in thepast is not supported by LaborDepartment statistics.

If your company proposes switchingto a cash-balance pension plan, you’dbetter get ready for a fight. ❑

the Boilermaker Reporter8 Jul • Aug 1999 Jul • Aug 1999 9

N E W S M A K E R S

THE BOILERMAKERS’International ExecutiveCouncil (IEC) Scholarship

Committee has announced itsselection of scholarship awardrecipients for the International,four local lodges, and oneCanadian Federation of Labourscholarship award programs.

The committee awarded a totalof $50,000 in one-year grants –$38,000 to United States studentsand $12,000 to Canadian stu-dents – for the International’sprogram; $5,500 in local lodgeawards; and $1,000 from theCanadian Federation of Labour.

IEC scholarship winners

THE IEC COMMITTEE s e l e c t e d19 award winners from a pool of177 completed applications forthe International’s scholarshipawards. The amount of each one-

year grant is determined by theScholarship Committee, with noaward being less than $2,000 ormore than $5,000. In 1999, thecommittee awarded one $5,000,eight $3,000, two $2,500, andeight $2,000 grants, based uponthe applicant’s high academicachievement, leadership skills,participation in extra-curricularactivities, and performance on atyped essay.

Katrina Gourm, daughter of L-433 member, Dennis Gourm,Tampa, Fla., is the top scholar-ship recipient, earning a $5,000one-year grant.

Selected to receive a $3,000grant are Jamie Barr, daughter ofPaul Barr, Local 502, Tacoma,Wash.; Emily and ErinBarrentine, twin daughters ofWayne Barrentine, Local 242,Spokane, Wash.; McKay Blue,daughter of Jesse King, Local 667,

Charleston, W. Va.; Lana Knoch,daughter of Brian Knoch, Local667; Andrew Nieh, son of HoNieh, Local 5, New York City,N.Y.; Sarabeth Schwartz, daugh-ter of Robin Schwartz, a memberof the National Transient Lodge;and Laura Sprinkle, daughter ofAlbert Sprinkle, Local 112,Mobile, Ala.

Those selected to receive$2,500 grants include AliciaBrendlinger, daughter of RobertBaldwin, Local 154, Pittsburgh,Pa.; and Joseph Hopkins, son ofHarvey Hopkins, Local 592,Tulsa, Okla.

The following eight applicantswill each receive a $2,000 grant:Sara Bearchell, daughter ofDavid Bearchell, Local 359,Vancouver, British Columbia;Kara Bristow, daughter ofHubert Bristow, Local 374,Hammond, Ind.; MartinDmitrieff, son of Neil Dmitrieff,Local 359; Shannon Johnston,daughter of Russell Johnston,Local D503, Kamloops, British

Columbia; Erin Mikkelsen,daughter of Brian Mikkelsen,Local 73, Halifax, Nova Scotia;Nicholas Relkov, son of PeterRelkov, Local 359; Jarrod Rollins,son of Cathy Cornett, LocalM300, Aurora, Ind.; and SaraRoth, daughter of Michael Roth,Local 128, Toronto, Ontario.

IEC scholarship program

SINCE 1988, when the IEC beganthe scholarship program, theBoilermakers union has awardeda total of $325,500 to 116 childrenand dependents of Boilermakermembers.

This year, the scholarship com-mittee was again impressed bythe excellent grades earned bythe scholarship applicantsthroughout their high schoolyears, by their many achieve-ment awards, by their participa-tion in extracurricular activities,and by their well-written essays.All of the applicants deserve spe-cial recognition. And so does the

committee, who spend daysreviewing applications, readingthe essays, and making sure thateach applicant complied with thescholarship application rules.

This year’s committeeincluded Intl. Vice PresidentsNewton Jones (chairman), JackSloan, and AlexanderMacDonald. Substituting forGeneral Counsel John Blake wasattorney and former educator,Curtis Barnhill. Assisting thecommittee was AdministrativeSecretary Tracy Buck.

Intl. Pres. Charles W. Jones isproud of each applicant; how-ever, he is concerned that theScholarship Program is not get-ting advertised as much as itshould. “This year, we received177 applications, 34 less than lastyear. It is vital to advertise thebenefits of this program to ourmembers so that each of theirchildren have the opportunity atthe scholarship awards.” (See thebox at lower right for 2000 schol-arship guidelines.)

Local lodge winners

THE IECScholarship Committeealso announced five winners offour local lodge scholarshipa w a r d s .

Lucia Ignomiriello, daughterof Paolo Ignomiriello, is the win-ner of a $2,000 scholarship awardand Richard McEwen, son ofChris McEwen, is the winner of a$1,000 scholarship award, bothfrom Local 146, Edmonton,Alberta, Canada.

Miranda Binion, daughter ofLocal 105 member Jesse Binionand granddaughter of Local 105retirees Jack Binion and EdFlaugher, all of Grayson, Ky., isthe winner of the $1,000 DonStorey Scholarship Award fromLocal 105, Chillicothe, Ohio. Hersister, Jessica, was the 1997 DonStorey Scholarship Award win-ner, and is currently doing wellin her studies at the University ofKentucky. Miranda is also a win-ner of a Union Plus Credit CardScholarship Award.

Ashley Aguillard, daughter ofJerry Himel, is the winner of a$1,000 scholarship award fromLocal 582, Baton Rouge, La.

Matthew Dunn, son of BobbyDunn, is the winner of a $500scholarship award from Local 14,Chattanooga, Tenn.

CFL offers scholarships

THIS YEAR, the CanadianFederation of Labour is award-ing a $1,000 scholarship to an

applicant selected from eachaffiliated union. TheInternational Executive Councilselected Erica Lindsay, daughterof Eric Lindsay, Local 73, as ther e c i p i e n t .

Local Lodge 13 winners

LOCAL 13, Philadelphia, Pa.,announces the winners of sevenscholarship awards, each in theamount of $6,000, to dependentsof Local 13 members who partici-pated in the local’s annual com-petition based on the results of acollege aptitude test adminis-tered and graded by St. Joseph’sU n i v e r s i t y .

1999 winners include MarleenWelsh, daughter of Charles L.Welsh III; Michael Schmidt, sonof E. Kim Schmidt; MatthewFreeman, son of Terry L.Freeman; Melissa Babcock,

daughter of Kurt A. Babcock;Elizabeth Stauffer, daughter ofAlan A. Stauffer; Thomas P.Strain, son of Thomas P. Strain;and Megan Wesolowski, daugh-ter of Richard D. Wesolowski. ❑

Miranda Binion is just oneof 16 to earn program’s top$4,000 award

MIRANDA BINION, daughter ofLocal 105 member Jesse Binion andgranddaughter of Local 105 retireesJack Binion and Ed Flaugher, all ofGrayson, Ky., has been awarded a$4,000 scholarship from the UnionPlus Credit Card ScholarshipProgram. Miranda was selectedfrom a pool of over 5,700 applicantsand was among 120 scholarshiprecipients representing 32 AFL-CIOunions. Over $200,000 in scholarshipswas awarded to students this year.

Miranda, who graduated first inher 1999 high school class with a per-fect 4.0 grade point average, plans tostudy medicine at the University ofKentucky in Lexington, with the goalof becoming an opthamoligist. Shehas achieved many honors duringher high school career, includingNational Merit Awards in both sci-ence and leadership. Miranda alsohas been listed on the NationalHonor Roll and Who’s Who AmongAmerican High School Students, andshe was named an All AmericanScholar as well.

She is also the 1999 recipient of theLocal 105 (Chillicothe, Ohio) Don StoreyScholarship Award, in the amount of$1,000, where her father, Jesse, aproud third-generation union member,has been a member since 1979.

The Union Plus Credit CardScholarship Program

THE 1999 UNION PLUS Credit CardScholarship recipients range fromhigh school valedictorians to unionmembers who are undergoingretraining for new careers to stu-dents with disabilities. However, allthe recipients have outstandingacademic track records and under-standing of and a commitment to thelabor movement – factors that figurehighly in selection.

This year, 16 students attendingfour-year colleges and universitieswere honored with the program’stop $4,000 award; another 85received awards ranging from $500to $3,000; and 18 community collegestudents and one trade school stu-dent received scholarships rangingfrom $500 to $1,000.

Evaluation criteria

THE SCHOLARSHIP program is opento students attending or planning toattend a four-year college or univer-sity, a community college, or a tech-nical college/trade school.Scholarship applicants were evalu-ated according to academic ability,social awareness, financial need,and appreciation of the role of thelabor movement.

Program judges included repre-sentatives from the United Negro

College Fund, the AmericanAssociation of State Colleges andUniversities, the NationalAssociation of IndependentColleges and Universities, theAmerican Association of CommunityColleges, and the NationalAssociation of State Universitiesand Land Grant Colleges.

The scholarship program, part ofthe union-endorsed Union Plus CreditCard Program, is funded and admin-istered by Union Privilege andHousehold Credit Services. TheUnion Plus Credit Card Programoffers a no-annual-fee MasterCardwith a low variable annual percent-age rate. More than two million unionmembers carry the Union Plus CreditCard, which is issued by HouseholdBank (Nevada), N.A., an equal-opportunity lender.

Currently in its eighth year, theUnion Plus Credit Card ScholarshipProgram has awarded more than$1.1 million to deserving students.The program is open to members ofparticipating unions and theirspouses, as well as to their depend-ent sons and daughters, regardlessof whether they carry a Union PlusCredit Card.

Year 2000 applicationsavailable in September

APPLICATIONS FOR THE May 2000awards will be available in

September 1999. To receive an appli-cation, please send in a postcard,with return address, telephone con-tact information, and internationalunion name clearly printed on it, toUnion Plus Credit Card Scholarship,P O Box 9389, Minneapolis, Minn.55440-9389. The deadline to apply fornext year’s program is January 31,2000; award recipients will beannounced May 31, 2000.

Award recipients have been sentcongratulation letters. However,because over 5,700 entries werereceived, non-recipients will not benotified. ❑

B o i l e rm a k e r ’s daughter earns Union Plus Credit Card Scholarship

MI R A N D A BI N I O NDaughter of L-105 member Jesse Binion

B o i l e rmakers announce International, local lodge, CFL, and Union Plus scholarship winners

KA T R I N A GO U R M, daughter of Dennis Gourm, L-433 – $5,000

JA M I E BA R R, daughter of Paul Barr, L-502 – $3,000

EM I L Y BA R R E N T I N E, daughter of Wayne Barrentine, L-242 – $3,000

ER I N BA R R E N T I N E, daughter of Wayne Barrentine, L-242 – $3,000

MCKA Y BL U E, daughter of Jessie King, L-667 – $3,000

LA N A KN O C H, daughter of Brian Knoch, L-667 – $3,000

AN D R E W NI E H, son of Ho Nieh, L-5 – $3,000

SA R A B E T H SC H W A R T Z, daughter of Robin Schwartz, NTL – $3,000

LA U R A SP R I N K L E, daughter of Albert Sprinkle, L-112 – $3,000

AL I C I A BR E N D L I N G E R, daughter of Robert Baldwin, L-154 – $2,500

SA R A RO T H, daughter of Michael Roth, L-128 – $2,000

JA R R O D RO L L I N S, son of Kathy Cornett, L-M300 – $2,000

NI C H O L A S RE L K O V, son of Peter Relkov, L-359 – $2,000

ER I N MI K K E L S E N, daughter of Brian Mikkelsen, L-73 – $2,000

JO S E P H HO P K I N S, son of Harvey Hopkins, L-592 – $2,500

SA R A BE A R C H E L L, daughter of David Bearchell, L-359 – $2,000

KA R A BR I S T O W, daughter of Hubert Bristow, L-374 – $2,000

MA R T I N DM I T R I E F F, son of Neil Dmitrieff, L-359 – $2,000

SH A N N O N JO H N S T O N, daughter of Russell Johnston, L-D503 – $2,000

International Executive Council ScholarshipCommittee announces 1999 award winners

B O I L E R M A K E Rs c h o l a r s h i p sare open tohigh schoolseniors who

will be enteringtheir first year of a

two- or four-year aca-demic program at a degree-grant-ing, accredited college or universitywithin one year of their high schoolgraduation and are dependents ofBoilermaker members in goodstanding (includes son, daughter,legally adopted child or dependentof active, retired, disabled, ordeceased members).

Scholarship awards are basedupon academic record, extra-cur-ricular and outside school activities,career goals, and performance on atyped essay. Candidates must sub-mit an official application (typed andpostmarked between January 1 and

March 31), proof of relationship to aBoilermaker member, SAT and/orACT test scores (for U.S. citizensonly), a high school transcript, and a300-500 word typed-essay on a spe-cific theme. The theme for 1999applicants was “What should bethe role of organized labor in today’slocal or national legislative issuesthat affect workers?”

Applications for the 2000 awardswill be available December 15, 1999.The essay topic will be announcedat that time. Contact your locallodge for more information and anapplication form.

Some local lodges have their ownscholarship programs.Scholarships are also availablethrough the Union Plus credit cardprogram and some state andregional labor councils. For infor-mation on their scholarships, con-tact these organizations directly.

How to apply for a Boilermaker Scholarship

Need help with college tuition?

THERE ARE BILLIONSof dol-lars in financial aid available forcollege students that basicallycomes from four major sources –the federal government, stategovernments, colleges, and pri-vate sources.

Dependents of Boilermakermembers can apply for theInternational Scholarship, theUnion Plus Credit CardScholarship, and some of ourlocal lodges offer scholarships todependents of their members,too. Scholarship applicants areevaluated according to academicability, social awareness, andappreciation of the role of thelabor movement.

To qualify for most federal,state, and college aid, an appli-cant must demonstrate need.Need is defined as the differencebetween the cost of college atten-dance and how much you canafford to pay based on yourincome and assets. A college willtry to meet an applicant’s needs

by creating a financial packagefrom the aid programs available.

To find out how much aid youare eligible for, you must com-plete the college’s financial aidform(s), and you must reapplyfor aid every year (as soon as pos-sible after January 1 prior to theschool year for which you willneed funding).

Applying for federal aid

YOU CAN APPLYfor aid from thefederal government by completinga Free Application for FederalStudent Aid (FAFSA) form, and aRenewal FAFSA each subsequentyear you apply. Call 800-4-FED-AID for application forms.

Uncle Sam provides 75 percentof all available student aid.Federal Pell Grants go to studentsdemonstrating significant need.For many students, the Pell Grantis the foundation of financial aid,to which other aid may be added.

The program guarantees funds toevery student who qualifies.

Campus-Based Programs arefederally-funded aid programsadministered by colleges. After acollege determines if you willreceive a Federal Pell Grant, theschool then checks your eligibil-ity for low-interest FederalPerkins Loans, FederalSupplemental EducationalOpportunity Grants (FSEOGs),and the Federal Work-Study(FWS) program. Participatingschools receive a set amount offunds per year for these pro-grams. Even if you are eligible forthese programs, you may lose outon funding if you do not applyp r o m p t l y .

You may also qualify for aFederal Stafford Loan, a subsi-dized loan in which the govern-ment pays the interest whileyou’re in school or in deferment.Repayment begins six monthsafter you graduate, leave school,or drop below half-time status.Also, the government offersunsubsidized Federal StaffordLoans, which are awarded

Continued on page 1 4

Whether reapplying for aid or applying forthe first time, don’t overlook these sources

Handle with Care!

the Boilermaker Reporter1 1 Jul • Aug 1999

P A G E I D

The more you make, the healthier you areby Peter Montague

The environmental movement ismissing the boat on the biggestpublic health issue of our time.

Thirty years of scientific research haveestablished that the most powerful pre-dictor of human disease is economicinequality, but the environmentalmovement, for the most part, is not pay-ing attention to economic issues. Ofcourse some traditional “tree huggers”have never spent much time worryingabout human health at all. But even theenvironmental justice movement –which definitely does care about people– is not yet fully focused on the growinggap between rich and poor as the mainpredictor of human illness. Most envi-ronmentalists still view jobs and theeconomy as foreign territory, so mostenvironmentalists are focused on some-thing besides the main public healthproblem of our time: growing inequal-ity of income, wealth, and status.

As the New York Times reported June1 in its weekly Science Section (and wereported in REHW #497 and #584),“Scientists have known for decadesthat poverty translates into higher ratesof illness and mortality. But an explo-sion of research is demonstrating thatsocial class – as measured not just byincome but also by education and othermarkers of relative status – is one of themost powerful predictors of health,more powerful than genetics, exposureto carcinogens, even smoking.

“What matters is not simply whethera person is rich or poor, college edu-cated or not. Rather, risk for a widevariety of illnesses, including cardio-vascular disease, diabetes, arthritis,infant mortality, many infectious dis-eases, and some types of cancer, varieswith RELATIVE wealth or poverty: thehigher the rung on the socioeconomicladder, the lower the risk. (Emphasis inthe original.)”

It isn’t the absolute level of well-being that matters so much as the rela-tive level. Even among the well-to-do,those higher on the social scale arehealthier. As the New York Times put it,current research is showing that a mid-level executive in a three-bedroomhome in Scarsdale, N.Y., is more vul-nerable to illness than his boss wholives in a five-bedroom home a fewblocks away.

No one is yet sure how all the compo-nents of this problem fit together. Asense of control of one’s life is a key partof it. Stress is another. Social exclusionand residential segregation – especiallyby race but also by class – both haveimportant negative impacts. A sense ofopportunity, dignity, self-esteem, therespect of others – all these are impor-tant for health. Social cohesion – a senseof neighborliness – also plays a role:people live longer in places where theybelieve they can trust their neighbors.

As Harvard economist Juliet Schorsays, “The reasons may not turn out tobe so very complicated. Humans aresocial. We judge our own situationsvery much in comparison to othersaround us. It is not surprising that peo-ple experience less stress, more peace ofmind, and feel happier in an environ-ment with more social cohesion andmore equality.”

If relative standing in the communityis what matters most in protecting pub-lic health, then the modern world hasbeen headed in the wrong direction forat least 20 years. Inequality has beenincreasing for 20 years, and not by acci-dent. Most households in the U.S. havelower net worth than they did in 1983,and the wealthy few are far wealthierthan they were in 1983. Between 1983

and 1995, the inflation-adjusted networth of the top one percent ofAmericans swelled by 17 percent whilethe bottom 40 percent of householdslost 80 percent. In other words, the gapbetween the rich and the rest of us haswidened. It is this widening gap thatgives rise to disease, research shows.

This problem is not restricted to theU.S., though the U.S. suffers fromgreater inequality than any other indus-trialized nation. The United Nations’“Human Development Report 1998”points out that in 100 countries, incomestoday are lower in real terms than theywere a decade ago. And in many ofthese countries, inequality has grown assmall elites have become fabulouslywealthy. The report does not say so, butthese are some of the fruits of economic“liberalization” policies and “freetrade” agreements.

Within the U.S., the growing gapbetween rich and poor has not occurredby accident. It is the result of public poli-cies and private corporate practicesintended to benefit those who own assetsat the expense of those who earn wages.Here is a short (and incomplete) list:

• Shrinking wages . Despite somegrowth in wages in 1996 and 1997,hourly workers in 1998 still earned 6.2percent less per hour (adjusted forinflation) than they did in 1973 whenRichard Nixon was president.

• The minimum wage has become apoverty wage.At $5.15 per hour, the min-imum wage today buys 19 percent lessthan it did in 1979, when it was worth$6.39 per hour, adjusted for inflation.

• The median income of young fami-lies with children was 33 percentlower in 1994 than it was in 1973.

• The average worker worked 148more hours in 1996 (1868 hours) thanin 1973 (1720 hours). That’s equivalentto nearly four weeks additional workeach year, to make ends meet.

• At a median weekly wage of $659,union jobs pay much better than non-union (with a median of $499). B u tunion jobs have been destroyed bydownsizing, free trade policies, andplain old union busting. As B u s i n e s sW e e k summed it up in 1994, “Over thepast dozen years, in fact, U.S. industryhas conducted one of the most success-ful anti-union wars ever, illegally firingthousands of workers for exercisingtheir right to organize.” Fewer than 14percent of workers are union membersnow, down from 35 percent in 1955.

• For 20 years, companies have beenwithholding wages from workers andtransferring that wealth to executives.In 1980, the average CEO in B u s i n e s sW e e k’s annual survey made 42 times asmuch as a factory worker. By 1997, theaverage CEO was making 326 times asmuch as a factory worker.

• Pensions are slowly disappearing,and the quality of pension programsis rapidly declining. Only 47 percent ofworkers are covered by pension plans(down from 51 percent in 1979).Furthermore, there has been a shiftaway from “defined benefits” pensionsto “defined contribution” plans. Underthe old-style plans, a worker received alifetime pension of a certain amountbased on years worked and wagesearned. The new-style plan takes achunk of a worker’s pay check (whichmay or may not be supplemented by acontribution from the employer) andinvests it. If the investment does well,the worker has money for retirement; ifnot, tough luck. Defined contributionplans accounted for 42 percent of allpension plans in 1997, up from 13 per-

cent in 1975. In addition, only 16 per-cent of low-wage workers are coveredby pensions, vs. 73 percent amongworkers in the top fifth wage bracket,so pensions themselves contribute toi n e q u a l i t y .

• The federal government subsidizeshome ownership through a tax deduc-tion for interest paid on mortgages forowner-occupied first and secondh o m e s. Unfortunately, this amounts toa subsidy for the well-off: the more youhave to spend, the more your govern-ment subsidizes you. Tax subsidies foraffluent homeowners have remainedsteady for 20 years while federal fund-ing for low-income housing has beenslashed 80 percent.

• Savings are a thing of the past. TheU.S. personal savings rate has fallenfrom 8.6 percent in 1984 to 2.1 percentin 1997 and 0.5 percent in 1998. Peopleare spending a larger portion of theirincomes on health care, child care,housing, and college tuition. Even thecost of saving has risen as banks havesteeply increased their service charges,especially on small accounts that don’tmeet the high minimums needed toavoid fees.

• The U.S. Conference of Mayorsreports that requests for emergencyfood increased an average of 14 percentduring the period 1997-1998. One out offive requests for food assistance wentunmet. The American Journal of PublicH e a l t h in 1998 reported that ten millionAmericans – including more than fourmillion children – do not have enough toeat; a majority are members of familieswith at least one member working.

• All members of Congress enjoypublicly financed health care, butthey refuse to extend these same bene-fits to their constituents. And the pri-vate sector is walking away: in 1985nearly two thirds of all businesses with100 or more employees paid the fullcost of health care coverage. Todayfewer than one-third still do.

• Increasingly a college education isthe key to decent wages, but since 1989tuition and fees have increased 94 per-cent – three times as fast as inflation.

• Racism is a key factor in incomei n e q u a l i t y. It is hard for blacks to findwork and when they do, they are paidless than whites for equal performance.The New York Times May 23 said“Booming Job Market Draws YoungBlack Men Into Fold,” reporting thatthe “booming” economy has created atight labor market, resulting in blacksgetting good jobs. But deep in the story,you learn that unemployment amongblack youth has dropped from its high

of 20 percent in the 1980s to 17 percenttoday – still twice as high as amongwhite youths.

• The income gap between blacks andwhites is reflected in a serious “wealthgap” as well. In 1995, the median blackhousehold had a net worth of $7,400 –about 12 percent of the median wealthof white households ($61,000). Medianblack financial wealth (net worthminus home equity) was just $200 – amere one percent of the $18,000 medianfinancial wealth of whites.

Hispanic households have even lessthan blacks. The median Hispanichousehold had a net worth of $5,000 in1995, just eight percent of the mediannet worth of white households. Themedian financial wealth of Hispanics in1995 was zero.

• Housing discrimination explains agood deal of this inequality .According to a 1991 report on fair hous-ing audits in 25 U.S. cities, published bythe Department of Housing and Urbandevelopment, blacks encountered dis-crimination more than half of the time.

• In the past five years, 193 studieshave been published on variousaspects of socioeconomic status andhealth, according to the New YorkT i m e s. The National Institutes ofHealth last year declared the relation-ship between social status, race andhealth to be one of its top priorities. TheJohn T. and Catherine D. MacArthurFoundation has established a Networkon Socioeconomic Status and Health.

But to most environmentalists, the ideaof pressing for a high-wage, “high road”economy – to counter the present “lowroad” rush toward low-paying, part-timejobs without benefits – still seems like asuggestion from another planet.

Luckily a coalition (calledSustainable America) has formed toadvocate for all of the pieces we nowknow we need: a high-wage economy,clean production of needed goods andservices, and a political democracy inwhich people can participate in thedecisions that affect their lives. In sum,Sustainable America is taking on thewhole ball of wax. It’s about time some-one did. ❑

Peter Montague is a member of theNational Writers Union, UAW Local1981, who wrote this article for Rachel’sEnvironmental & Health Weekly, June 10,1999. It is used with their permission. Acomprehensive list of the reference sourcesfor the article are available fromEnvironmental Research Foundation, P.O.Box 5036, Annapolis, MD 21403-7036,(410) 263-1584 , or from their web site:h t t p : / / w w w . r a c h e l . o r g

the Boilermaker Reporter1 0 Jul • Aug 1999

H E A L T H & W E L F A R E

the Boilermaker Reporter1 1 Jul • Aug 1999

E D U C A T I O N & T R A I N I N G

The steward has three main duties:1) to enforce the contract, 2) tohandle grievances, and 3) to repre-

sent the union. Often stewards think oftheir position entirely or mostly in termsof one of these aspects of the job, but infact they are all equally important.

These jobs require many differenttypes of knowledge and skills. No onecan be expected to be an expert in all ofthem. The best stewards are those whowork hard to make sure they can han-dle all three adequately and that theydo not ignore any of the areas.

The steward as c o n t r a c te n f o rc e r

THE CONTRACTwe negotiate withour employers is what separates unionworkers from nonunion. Simply put:Our contract gives us certain guaran-tees; nonunion workers have no guar-antees and must take whatmanagement gives them.

To hold onto those guarantees, wemust make sure that the companyabides by the contract. The stewardplays an important role in making surethe company does not stray from whatthey agreed to do when theysigned the contract.

To enforcethe contract,you’ll need toknow what isin it. T h a tmeans readingit and studyingit, and it alsomeans keepinga copy on handfor reference.No one canexpect tor e m e m b e revery word ofa two-paged o c u m e n t ,much less one that might run over ahundred pages and often employstechnical or legal language that wedon’t use on a daily basis.

You’ll need to know how to findanswers to questions arising out of thec o n t r a c t . Know where to look in the con-tract itself, and don’t be afraid to consultyour union officers or other stewards

when in doubt. Keep current with howthe contract is being interpreted in lightof grievances and complaints.

You should also encourage yourmembers to study the agreement.Often all people look at are the num-bers – wages, holidays, vacation days.They need to understand all of the con-tract, so that if the company violates it,they will recognize the violation and beable to report it to you. An informedmembership is also less likely to takeup your time with unfounded com-plaints that are not supported by thelanguage of the contract.

When a member comes to you witha complaint, look into it immediately.Don’t let even the smallest violation gounnoticed. You may decide not togrieve it, but you can’t ignore it. Be per-sistent in seeing that violations are cor-rected. You can’t afford to establish apattern in which you point out a viola-tion, and the company promises to cor-rect it, but nothing happens. Not onlydo you lose face with your coworkers,but you jeopardize the enforceability ofthe contract.

The steward as g r i e v a n c eh a n d l e r

TO HANDLE Ag r i e v-ance properly, you’llneed to fully under-stand the grievanceprocess under yourcontract. Study that

section of the contractvery thoroughly. Failure

to follow the proper procedurecan result in the grievancebeing thrown out – even if it isa legitimate complaint.Listen sympatheticallyto any member whocomes to you with ag r i e v a n c e . Don’t pre-

judge any situation.Always listen to the complaint,then check the facts. You don’twant to process a grievance thatis merely imaginary or a gripe,but you cannot afford to let alegitimate grievance slide by,either. So you’ll need to get allthe facts before deciding how top r o c e e d .

Write up the facts clearly and con-cisely before you speak to the supervi-sor. This is not merely the notes youtook while investigating the complaint,but is an organized summary of all thefacts you have collected.

Having the facts written down infront of you makesit easier for youto discuss thep r o b l e mwith thes u p e r v i s o r .If either ofy o ub e c o m e su n c l e a ra b o u ts o m e -t h i n gd u r i n gy o u rd i s c u s-s i o n ,you’ll be able to refer to your writtensummary. In addition, if you must takethe grievance past the first step, you’llbe able to create your report on thiswritten summary.

One advantage of the grievanceprocess is that complaints are handledby a neutral third party – you – ratherthan by the complainant, who might beangry or hostile. Use your neutralitywisely. Approach the supervisor in afriendly, nonthreatening manner, butbe firm. The supervisor must under-stand that you would not be processinga grievance with no substance. Be per-sistent in getting the grievanceresolved.

Always remember that it is your jobto protect the worker. Whether youlike the person or not, you must doeverything you can to ensure the griev-

ance is resolvedequitably andfairly and thatthe contract isnot weakened.

No grievanceis easy to handle, but

some are more com-plex than others. Ifyou’re unsure abouthow to proceed, g e tadvice from lodge offi-cers or other stewards.An improperly han-dled grievance canhave lasting effects

that go beyond the grievant and hisc o m p l a i n t .

The steward as u n i o nre p re s e n t a t i v e

FOR MOST WORKERS, the steward istheir first contact with the union. Forsome, it is their only contact. To do theother two parts of your job well, you’ll

need to make sure thatyour coworkersunderstand theunion, its policies,and their role in it.

Study your locallodge bylaws and theInternational constitu-tion so you knowwhere to find theanswers to questionsabout them . Keep acopy of each of themhandy for reference.

Know who to ask for help when you getasked a question you can’t answer.

Keep up with what is going on inyour union, both locally and at higherl e v e l s. Attend meetings and talk toother members. Read the BoilermakerR e p o r t e r for news about events andpolicy changes affecting the entireInternational union.

Approach new workers right awayand welcome them to the job and tothe union. If their first impression is agood one, they are more likely tobecome strong members who help theunion accomplish its goals. Be ready toanswer their questions and the ques-tions of any members.

Get informed and stay informedabout union programs such as ourscholarship and Union Privilegemoney-saving programs. Learn thebasic structure of the union, how duesare determined, and what assistancethe International provides local lodgesand individual members.

Remind members to attend meet-i n g s . Encourage them to get involvedin your local’s activities. But don’t be apest; respect the right of people to getinvolved at the level that is comfortablefor them.

Always remember that in the eyes ofthe people you work with and of thecompany, you are the union. Make yourmembers proud to have a representativethat the company can respect. ❑

Local 455’sRobert Thomase a rns a plaquefor his serviceas stewardTHE MEMBERS OFLocal 455, Sheffield,Ala., have honoredRobert Thomas for hisservice as a job stewardat the CumberlandCity Fossil Plant inCumberland City,Tenn., from March 1, 1985 throughJanuary 31, 1999. Thomas, a L-455member since 1972, retired February1, 1999.

Thomas is the first steward to behonored in this Star Stewards c o l u m n .If you know stewards who are doingan exceptional job, let us know. We’d

like to include theirname in our S t a rS t e w a r d s c o l u m n .

All you have to do isdrop us a line with thename of the steward,the local, the company,and a few words aboutwhy you think thissteward is so special.You don’t have to saymuch. Just try to tellwhy this stewardstands out in your eyes.

Also, if you have aphoto of your favorite steward, sendit in. We’d like to let the world seewhat a good steward looks like.

Send info to this address:

Star StewardsThe Boilermaker ReporterBoilermakers International753 State Ave, Suite 570Kansas City KS 66101

✶✶✶✶ Star Stewards ✶✶✶✶

The steward’s duties

Robert Thomas is Local455’s Star Steward.

Stewards are a union’smost valuable assetIF THE POSITIONof union shop stew-ard were filled through employmentagencies, I doubt we’d get any takers. Weexpect so much of our stewards. I can justimagine what the ad would look like.

WANTED: Union StewardMust be able to:• Interpret a contract like Malcolm Forbes• Investigate grievance claims likeMickey Spillane• Understand safety issues like RalphN a d e r• Represent grievants like Perry MasonShould have• The hide of a rhinoceros• The patience of Job• The wisdom of ConfuciusCan expect to be reviled by coworkers,scorned by management, neglected bynearly everyone, and pitied by anyone closeenough to see what you are going through.

The most important work done byany union is accomplished on the shop

floor by a union steward. They hear thecomplaints of their coworkers. Theyhear the excuses from management.They keep the job going. They are thefirst to learn when something goeswrong and the last to hear when some-thing goes right. Everyone tells themhow to do their job, but no one wants totake their place.

Beginning with this issue of t h eR e p o r t e r, we are dedicating a page ofeach R e p o r t e r to the union steward. Wewill provide articles intended to helpstewards do their job better, and wewill recognize stewards who haveearned the respect and appreciation oftheir coworkers.

These articles are intended to educateour members as well as our stewards. Asteward needs to know a great deal to doa good job. But any member can help.The steward’s job is infinitely easier ifmembers know enough about unionbusiness, their contract, and grievancesto be able to respond appropriatelywhen the steward tries to help them. ❑

The steward’s position is three jobs in one

the Boilermaker Reporter1 3 Jul • Aug 1999

P A G E I D

S3 – Quincy, IL

IN T L. RE P. GA R Y ME Y E R SR.reports contractratification, effective April15, 1999 to April 14, 2002,for 14 members of LocalS3, Quincy, Ill., whomanufacture commercialcooking stoves at theComstock Castle Stove Co.

L-27 – St. Louis, MO

DO N A L D LI N K, bus. mgr. andsec.-treas. of Local 27, St.Louis, Mo., reports contractratification, effective April15, 1999 to April 15, 2003, for28 Local 27 members whowork in the production andmanufacturing of pipe atP r o - F a b.

L-45 – Richmond, VA

M. FR A N K HA R T S O E, bus. mgr.and sec.-treas. of Local 45,

Richmond, Va., reportscontract ratification,effective April 30, 1999 toMay 1, 2000, for ten Local 45members who produce andmanufacture ASME tanksand vessels at Capital CityIronworks, Inc.

L-72 – Portland, OR

DO N E L Y CH A N D L E R, bus. mgr.and sec.-treas. of Local 72,Portland, Ore., reportscontract ratification,effective November 17,1998 to September 30, 2001,for 22 Local 72 memberswho fabricate pressurevessels, and build tanksand heat exchangers at theC. H. Murphy/Clark Ullman,I n c . s h o p .

L-83 – Kansas City, MO

LA R R Y HO R S E M A N, vice pres.of Local 83, Kansas City,

Mo., reports contractratification, effective June1, 1999 to June 1, 2002, for19 Local 83 members whofabricate, produce, andmaintain underground andsurface gasoline and oilstorage tanks at W E - M A CM f g . in Atchison, Kan.

L-146 – Edmonton

DE A N MI L T O N, bus. mgr. andsec.-treas. of Local 146,Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,reports contract ratification,effective April 1, 1999 toMarch 31, 2001, for threeLocal 146 members whowork at P o r t a - T e s tInternational, Inc.

L-182 – Salt Lake City

BR A D JO H N, bus. mgr. andsec.-treas. of Local 182,Salt Lake City, Utah,reports contractratification, effectiveNovember 1, 1998 to April30, 2000, for 24 Local 182members who work withfood and pharmaceuticaltanks at DCI of Utah.

D279 – Joplin, MO

CLGAW DI V I S I O N DI R E C T O RCH A R L E S HU N T B A C H r e p o r t scontract ratification,effective June 1, 1999 toMay 31, 2002, for 17members of Local D279,Joplin, Mo., whomanufacture insulationproducts at Fibrex, Inc.

D335 – Essexville, MI

IN T L. RE P. CA R E Y AL L E Nreports contractratification, effective May 1,

1999 to May 1, 2003, for 38members of Local D335,Essexville, Mich., whoproduce Portland Cementat Essroc Cement Corp.

L-480 – Jacksonville

IN T L. RE P. JA M E S PR E S S L E Yreports contract ratification,effective May 22, 1999 to May18, 2002, for 232 members ofLocal 480, Jacksonville, Ill.,who work in the productionand manufacturing ofcooking food oils at the A. C.Humko Corp.

L-693 – Pascagoula

WA R R E N FA I R L E Y JR., bus.mgr. and sec.-treas. ofLocal 693, Pascagoula,Miss., reports contractratification, effective June7, 1999 to March 2, 2003, for1,700 L-693 members whowork in the production andmanufacturing of navaland commercial ships andoffshore products atIngalls Shipbuilding.

L-900 – Barberton, OH

RO N LY O N, Industrial Councilrep., reports contractratification, effective May23, 1999 to May 24, 2004, for335 members of Local 900,Barberton, Ohio, who workat BWX Technologies, Inc.

L-1101 – Endicott, NY

IN T L. RE P. RO C C O DERO L L Oreports contract ratification,effective May 17, 1999 toMay 20, 2000, for membersof Local 1101, Endicott, N.Y.,who work at the E n d i c o t tForging and Mfg, Co.

L-1239 – Aurora, IL

IN T L. RE P. HO W A R D CO L Ereports contractratification, effective April1, 1999 to March 31, 2002,

for 39 members of Local1239, Aurora, Ill., who workin the production of officefurniture at B e n t s o nI n d u s t r i e s.

the Boilermaker Reporter

P A G E I D

the Boilermaker Reporter1 2 Jul • Aug 1999

S E T T L E M E N T S N E W S M A K E R S1 3 Jul • Aug 1999

the Boilermaker Reporter

65 YearsCarl Padavich Jr. L - 7 4 4

60 YearsDominic Aiello L - 8 3Jasper N. Davis Jr. L - 8 3

55 YearsRichard Boswell L - 8 3Robert E. Heugel L - 6 6 7Jasper Johnson L - 4 3 3Delbert E. Grove L - 6 6 7Otto F. Linnell L - 8 3George Luna L - 5 8 2Nick Petralia L - 1Kester K.Tennant L - 6 6 7

50 YearsLeonard R. Adams L - 6 6 7Richard C. Ballantine L - 1 5 4Dale Bonnell L - 1 6 9Odbert E. Edwards L - 6 6 7John A. Grodek L - 7 4 4H. Page Groton L - 8 0 2James F. Hayes L - 6 6 7William Heaberlin L - 6 6 7Charles H. Inman L - 8 3Robert H. Kampe L - 8 3Joseph H. Kennedy L - 4 8 3Henry R. Lambert L - 3 7Oney McDavid L - 6 6 7Stanley M. Ryglewicz L - 7 4 4Hugh D. Sage L - 8 3Lewis A. Wagoner L - 7 4 4

45 YearsGeorge J. Atwood L - 7 4 4Harless H. Boone L - 6 6 7Charles E. Bowles L - 7 4 4Donald L. Cheuvront L - 6 6 7Daniel J. Considine L - 1Patrick Davitt L - 7 4 4Caswell E. DeShon L - 8 3Herbert J. Kujawski L - 7Oliver Littles L - 1 0 8James H. Mulhollan L - 1 5 4Charles L. Park L - 6 6 7Benny Peveto L - N T LR. D. Thornton L - 7 4William H. VanValien L - 7 4 4C. A. Vosberg L - 8 3

40 YearsWalter G. Adams L - 7 4 4Lloyd L. Betcher L - 6 5 0Leo R. Blattner L - 6 5 0Larry G. Daugherty L - 8 3Kenneth F. Easterly L - 7 4John Eckerl L - 3 7Robert F. Eddy L - 5 0 2Robert J. Ennes L - 5 0 2F. J. Fisher L - 1 2 8William D. Hammons L - 5 8 2John C. Harman L - 6 6 7Richard L. Ice L - 8 3John L. Kemp L - 6 6 7Donald A. Kriett L - 6 5 0Robert R. Lambert L - 1K. C. Longdon L - 8 3Jimmie J. Magee L - 8 3F. F. Paukert L - 1 3 2Lester F. Ruch L - 2 7

H o n o r sPins awarded for

40+ years ofc o n t i n u o u s

membership INTL. SECRETARY-TREASURERJerry Z. Willburn reports that thefollowing members earned theirpins for 40 or more years ofmembership, March 9 to June25, 1999:

Signing a three-year contract between Local S3 andComstock Castle Stove Co. in Quincy, Ill., are, l. to r.,Intl. Rep. Gary Meyer Sr., S3 Pres. Terry Ensminger,Comstock Pres. John Spake, and S3 negotiatingcommittee members Walter Inman and John Winter.

Negotiating a four-year agreement between EssrocCement Corp. and Local D335, Essexville, Mich., are,front row, l. to r., D335 Trustee Mike Willett and Pres. DianaSchmidt. Back row, l. to r., D335 Trustee Rick Bowker,Vice Pres. Dave Bouckaert, and IR Carey Allen.

Negotiating a three-year agreement for the membersof Local 1239, Aurora, Ill., at Bentson Industries, are, l.to r., Charles “Red” McCormick, Manuela Fernandez,Dave “Dakota” Hulne, and Eddie Craig. They areholding posters outlining their contract issues.

New contract summariesA brief listing of recent agreements signed and ratified by Boilermaker local lodges

Prepared by the Research andCollective BargainingDepartment of the InternationalBrotherhood of Boilermakers

THIS ANALYSIS of the 14agreements outlined above isbased on information providedin the Contract Summary andTransmittal Report forms, andcovers approximately 3,604e m p l o y e e s .

Wage IncreasesELEVEN FACILITIES r e c e i v e dpay increases in 1999,averaging $0.42 per hour or 3.41percent. In 2000, 11 facilities willreceive pay increasesaveraging $0.33 per hour or 3.35percent. Ten facilities willreceive pay increases in 2001,averaging $0.33 per hour or 3.00percent. Four facilities willreceive pay increases in 2002and 2003 combined, averaging3.00 percent.

P e n s i o nALL FACILITIES participate insome type of pension program.Two facilities participate in theB o i l e r m a k e r - B l a c k s m i t hNational Pension Trust; ninefacilities offer a 401(k); six havecompany-sponsored plans;

one has a profit sharing plan;one participates in theRegistered Retirement SavingsPlan (RRSP) in Canada, whichis similar to the IRAs found inthe United States.

Shift DifferentialTHIRTEEN AGREEMENTSprovide for a second shiftpremium, of which ten report acents-per-hour premium thatranges from $0.10 to $1.00. Theaverage is $0.40 per hour.

Ten agreements provide fora third-shift premium, of whichnine provide a cents-per-hourpremium that ranges from$0.10 to $1.00. The average is$0.40. The remaining agree-ments pay on a percentagebasis (ranging from five toeight percent).

Sickness & A c c i d e n tELEVEN AGREEMENTS p r o-vide weekly sickness andaccident indemnity. Of these,nine pay a set dollar amountranging from $170 to $384 perweek. Average rates are: firstyear – $261; second year –$264; third year – $266. Theremaining agreements pro-vide a percentage of theemployee’s earnings. The

length of time off ranges from26 to 52 weeks. The most com-mon is 26 weeks found in eighta g r e e m e n t s .

Life Insurance/AD&DTHIRTEEN AGREEMENTSprovide life insurance. In 11 ofthe agreements, there is a setdollar amount ranging from$10,000 to $25,000. The aver-age benefit for the first year is$19,273.The remaining agree-ments multiply one and one-half or two times theemployee’s annual earningsfor the benefit amount.

Ten agreements provideAccidental Death andD i s m e m b e r m e n t ( A D & D )insurance. In nine of theagreements, there is a set dol-lar amount ranging from$10,000 to $50,000. The aver-age is $21,333. The remainingagreement multiplies theemployee’s annual earningsby one and one-half.

V a c a t i o nTHIRTEEN AGREEMENTSprovide a one-week vacation(six months to one year ofservice required). All agree-ments provide a two-weekvacation (one to six years of

service required). Thirteenagreements provide a three-week vacation (six to 13 yearsof service required). Tenagreements provide a four-week vacation (ten to 20 yearsof service required) and sixagreements provide a five-week vacation (20 to 25 yearsof service required).

Paid HolidaysALL OF THEagreements providefor paid holidays. The number ofpaid holidays ranges from nineto 12. The average is 11.

Other ProvisionsTHIRTEEN AGREEMENTSprovide funeral leave. Paidleave for jury duty is found in11 agreements. Union leavelanguage is found in sevenagreements. Sevenagreements provide all orpartial reimbursement for thepurchase of safety shoes. F i v eagreements provide paidleave for those persons whospend two weeks at m i l i t a r ye n c a m p m e n t each year. Fourprovide a two-tier wages t r u c t u r e. One provides aseverance payment package,and none has a Cost of LivingAdjustment (COLA) clause.

A summary analysis of these contract settlements

You don’t get what you deserve . . .. . . you get what you negotiate

UNION LEADERS, like these pictured here, work longhours to negotiate the best benefits they can forBoilermaker m e m b e r s .

Uses solidarityp rogram asblueprint to securelabor agre e m e n t

IN THE SUMMER of 1997,while visiting theheadquarters of theBuckeye IndustrialCouncil in Canton, Ohio,International PresidentCharles W. Jones wasasked by Bus. Rep. RonLyon to explain theBrotherhood’s “FightBack Solidarity Program”to members of the Local908 (Wadsworth, Ohio)bargaining committee,who were at the officepreparing for theirupcoming negotiations.

Little did anyone knowthat it would take 19months for Local 908 toreach an agreement withTechnocast, Inc., or thatthis impromptu discussion

with President Joneswould become theblueprint for the local’sfight to secure a labora g r e e m e n t .

But, using thetechniques outlined byPresident Jones, the Local908 bargaining committeewas able to secure acontract through February23, 2002, and negotiate athree percent yearlyincrease in wages, anadditional holiday(birthday), a 20 percentdecrease in health caredeductibles, an additionalweek’s vacation formembers with 14 or moreyears of seniority, andincreases in life insuranceand safety and accidentbenefits, and safety shoeand glass allowances.

Editor’s note: This settlementwas included in the May•Jun1999 summary contract analysis.

This impromptu discussion in 1997 about theBrotherhood’s “Fight Back Solidarity Program” becameLocal 908’s blueprint to secure a labor agreement atTechnocast. L. to r., Don Brownsword, Rick Keel, Intl. Pres.Charles Jones, Doug Brigham, and Vernon Persons.

L-908 ratifies contract at Te c h n o c a s t

S t rubbe served 22 years as L-4 8 0 ’s secre t a ry - t re a s u re r

WILLIAM M. STRUBBE SR.,secretary-treasurer of Local 480,Jacksonville, Ill., since 1977, hasretired after 40 years employ-ment at the AC HumkoCorporation. He started in mar-garine clean-up, moved up tolabeler and operator, andworked 25 years in the lab.

Strubbe joined Local 483 in1970 and transferred his mem-bership to Local 480 when itwas chartered in 1976. Oneyear later, he became thelocal’s secretary-treasurer, aposition he has been re-electedto ever since.

Strubbe has been an activecommitteeman, serving on theQuarter Century Club, UnitedWay, Christmas Party, ChiffonEmployee Involvement, andthe Credit Union Board. He’sbeen just as active in his com-

munity, serving his church,coaching Little League, andbeing a school booster.

He and his wife of 45 years,Corolotta, enjoy camping andplan to travel now that theyare retired. Together theyraised five children: Veronica,Crystal, Robin, Vickie, andBill Jr., and have nine grand-children, and one great-grandchild. ❑

Local 480’s William Stru b b ere t i res after 40 years on the job

ALLEN PHILLIPS, an 18 -year member of Local 455, Sheffield,Ala., is also the proud owner of Creative Designs and State of theUnion Sportswear. He produces designs on American-made T-shirts to promote unionism, patriotism, and safety. For moreinformation, contact Phillips at 256-767-4098. ❑

L-455 member Allen Phillips has designed several T-shirts promot-ing unionism and the “Made in the USA” label; however, some ofhis designs include a little humor, too.

L - 4 5 5 ’s Phillips pro m o t e sunionism by making T- s h i rt s

F o rmer International Representative and NTLS e c re t a ry - Tre a s u rer Mike Tu rnbaugh passes awayC. M. “MIKE” TURNBAUGH,69, who served as secretary-treasurer for the NationalTransient Lodge from its char-ter date in 1985 until 1994,passed away May 20, 1999.

A union member since 1954,Turnbaugh had worked fornearly all of the NationalTransient contractors in the

Great Lakes area as either aforeman, pusher, layer out,mechanic, or welder. He washired as an International repre-sentative in 1974, a position heheld until his December 31,1993 retirement.

Turnbaugh first serviced thetransient members in the GreatLakes area. In 1987, his terri-

tory changed to Michigan,Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky,and in 1988, expanded toinclude the states of North andSouth Dakota, Minnesota, andW i s c o n s i n .

He is survived by his wife of25 years, LaWanda; five chil-dren; six step-children; and 22grandchildren. ❑

Danny Stamper, former L-83 memberand WSI superintendent, passes awayDANNY R. STAMPER, 45,who worked for WSI, aBoilermaker contractor, passedaway June 15, 1999, following along battle with cancer.

A former member of Local83, Kansas City, Mo., Stamperworked in field constructionbefore taking a superinten-dent’s job with WSI, where heplayed a key role in securingman-hours for Boilermakermembers.

Stamper guided the devel-opment of the Unifuse auto-

matic weld overlay, used tokeep a large majority of thewaste-to-energy boilers andcoal-fired power boilers in theU.S. running more reliably.

WSI credits Stamper’s earlyexperience as a field construc-tion Boilermaker and his pro-fessional drive for his successin marketing the automaticapplied weld overlay in boilersystems and expanding themarket for the repair andupgrade of pressure vessels inheavy industry. ❑

Greg Streblow, Western StatesApprentice Board chairman, diesGREG STREBLOW, 46, man-ager of industrial maintenanceservices for the DillinghamConstruction Company, passedaway April 18, 1999. For the last15 years, he directed and coor-dinated construction opera-tions at petroleum refineries,breweries, power plants, mate-rial handling facilities, andother industrial and commer-cial projects in California, work-ing closely with members ofLocal 549, Pittsburg, Calif.

Streblow, a member of theNational Association ofConstruction BoilermakerEmployers, also served as

chairman of the Western StatesJoint Apprenticeship commit-tee, and was a member of theBoilermakers NationalApprenticeship Board andnumerous other committees.❑

WENDELL BELL, presidentand chief operating officer forEnerfab, Inc. in Cincinnati, Ohio,submitted this photo of cakesmade by the wife of four-year

Local 106 member Kevin Smith.Not only were the cakes deli-cious, but Bell writes that the“logo cakes were very detailedand quite impressive.” ❑

Having your cake and eating it, too

We want to hear from you!Boilermaker songs . . .GREGORY D. MUCIN, a 17-year member of Local 128, Toronto,Ontario, Canada, and a multi-talented boilermaker, singer,songwriter, and musician, would like to produce a recording of songswritten and performed by Boilermakers. He will pay all recording andproduction costs. Profits will go to the songwriter’s charity of choice.Entries can be any type of music. Send lyric sheets and cassette tapes toMucin at Two Regina Blvd., Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada, L0L 2P0, orcontact him through his web site: w w w . g r e g m u c i n . c o m .

. . . and Boilermaker newsThe Boilermaker Reporter is always looking for news stories for andabout members of our union. We don’t know what your local lodge isdoing unless you tell us about it.Stories don’t have to beprofessionally written. Just putthe basic facts on paper and sendit to us. We’ll turn it into a story.Include photos if you have themand your phone number in casewe have questions. ❑

The Boilermaker Reporter753 State Ave. Suite 570Kansas City KS 66101FAX: (913) 281-8104E-mail: d c a s w e l l @ b o i l e r m a k e r s . o r gor cdillon@boilermakers.org

N T L Absher, Vancel R. $ 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 0N T L Aliff, Elijah C. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 0N T L Carter, Malcolm 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 0N T L Edgar, James 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 0N T L Henschen, Ronald W. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 0N T L Stanfill, Donald W. 2 , 3 8 1 . 0 8N T L Wesley, Guy E. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 0N T L Wise, Leon A. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 Maciarz, Joseph J. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 Sagorsky, William 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 05 Bishop, Joseph V. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 05 Keraga, Frank 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 05 Meier, August 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 06 Grajeda, Clifford 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 06 Johnson, Fred L. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 06 LaBean, Douglas K. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 06 Maia, Silvina 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 06 Ramirez, Robert 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 06 Reith, E. W. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 06 Santana, Frank 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 06 Thomas, Spencer 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 06 Wafford, Herman Z. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 07 Aguilar, Leonard J. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 07 Locke, Robert 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 1 Dascher, Eugene P. 6 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 3 Fink, Alson A. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 3 Gargol, John S. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 3 Holton, Merv 3 0 8 . 0 01 3 Napoli, Fred 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 3 Ramie, Charles G. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 02 6 Baucom, Thomas B. 1 , 7 7 6 . 6 52 6 Dinkins Sr., Ernest 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 02 7 Jamison, Melvin T. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 02 7 Nelson, John J. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 02 8 Bonner, Charles J. 8 , 0 0 0 . 0 02 9 Aalto, Fred W. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 02 9 Benjamin, George F. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 02 9 Fay, John F. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 02 9 Noyes, Earl H. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 02 9 Stallings, Dewitt T. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 03 0 Seibert, Fred Rodgers 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 03 0 Slay, John M. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 03 5 Ridgeway Sr., Roland 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 03 7 Boxington, Vernon V. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 03 7 Jordan, Louis J. 4 , 9 4 0 . 5 03 7 Lubrano, Victor 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 03 7 Raggio, William M. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 03 7 Rottmann, Arthur J. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 03 7 Walters, Fred 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 04 0 Taylor, Albert J. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 04 5 Faircloth, Wilbert 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 04 5 Van Wyck, Gary W. 4 , 0 0 0 . 0 06 0 Anderson, Chester W. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 06 0 Bridges, Howard N. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 06 0 Neubaum, Calvin 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 07 2 Foster, Franklin 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 0

7 2 Harris, Clifford W. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 07 2 Jackson, Forrest A. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 07 2 Marquez, Fred 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 07 2 Newport, Forrest H. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 07 2 Randall, Owen R. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 07 4 Lokey, Jefferson W. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 07 4 Quave, Clarence L. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 07 9 Burr, Walter L. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 07 9 Smith, Harry L. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 07 9 Vincent, Abel E. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 08 3 Barker, Clarence E. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 08 3 Moore, Richard 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 08 3 Puritt, Vance J. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 08 3 Reavis, Eugene 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 08 5 Martinez, Jose R. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 09 2 Austin, Richard E. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 09 2 Hedrick, Donald R. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 09 2 Lopez, Manuel B. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 09 2 Robinson, William L. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 09 2 Winans, Robert L. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 0 1 Raines, Carl 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 0 4 Abbey Jr., Woodbury 1 , 5 0 0 . 0 01 0 4 Baumann, Thomas V. 1 , 5 0 0 . 0 01 0 4 Cass, Theodore 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 0 4 Donaldson, James S. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 0 4 Gunter, George E. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 0 4 Hayden, Charles T. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 0 4 Smith, Angus D. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 0 4 Welch, Earl D. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 0 4 Wolf, Kurt 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 0 5 Castle, Howard L. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 0 5 Clark, Harry W. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 0 5 Kissick, Russell P. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 0 5 Meeks, Jessie D. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 0 7 McMahon, Roy 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 0 8 Mask, Moody 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 0 9 Wood, Louis W. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 1 0 Green, Shackford O. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 1 0 Lumpkin, William Q. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 1 2 Anderson, George W. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 1 2 Freeman, Thomas C. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 1 2 Hamilton, Fred C. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 3 2 Amato, Joseph T. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 0

1 5 4 Aletto, Joseph J. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 5 4 Bloom Jr., Leonard G. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 5 4 Boschele, Charles W. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 5 4 Byrne, Thomas J. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 5 4 Kozar, James P. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 7 5 Totten, Leonard W. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 7 7 Smith, Erwin 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 9 3 Cross, Robert L. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 9 3 Moyer, Wayne A. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 9 9 Melton, John R. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 9 9 Sharpe, Gary Lee 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 02 0 4 Barro, Aurelio 1 , 5 0 0 . 0 02 0 4 Emmsley, Walter H. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 02 3 7 Burness, Richard P. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 02 3 7 Dupuis, Louis E. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 02 3 7 Sadowski, Peter 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 02 6 3 Pannell, James Henry 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 02 6 3 Qualls, Robert D. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 02 6 3 Simmons, George W. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 03 0 5 Miltsead, Woodrow W. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 03 6 3 Jones, Paul R. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 03 6 3 Speedy, James E. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 03 7 4 Lash, Michael 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 03 9 7 Christman, Joseph T. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 04 3 3 Kirkland, Willie H. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 04 3 3 Shoemake, Charles H. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 04 3 3 Watson, Leamon 2 , 4 0 0 . 0 04 4 9 Christianson, John 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 04 5 3 Smith, James H. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 04 8 3 Miller, Lewis B. 2 , 9 7 8 . 7 44 8 7 Moeller, Chester W. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 05 3 1 Phillips, Walter Boyd 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 05 4 9 Aweeka, George A. 2 , 4 0 0 . 0 05 4 9 Barton, Benjamin 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 05 4 9 James, Sylvester 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 05 4 9 Luckey, Henry H. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 05 4 9 Mejaski, Anthony 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 05 4 9 Spruill, Daniel L. 6 , 0 0 0 . 0 05 6 8 Weaver, Paul H. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 05 7 7 Kirchman, James 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 05 7 7 Land, Ece H. 2 , 0 0 0 . 0 05 7 7 Lange, Barney R. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 05 7 7 McManus, George T. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 0

5 8 2 Barber, Ernest L. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 05 8 2 Bergeron, Joseph E. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 05 8 2 McAlister, Kelly B. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 05 8 3 Castleberry, Ernest 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 05 8 3 Laird, George W. 2 , 4 0 0 . 0 05 8 7 Cooper, Fritz E. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 05 8 7 Harvey, Homer W. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 05 8 7 Jeffers, James L. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 05 8 7 Lege, Milton 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 05 9 9 Smith, Arthur Lee 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 06 2 7 Jones, Harold L. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 06 4 7 Milligan, Walt 3 , 8 6 1 . 2 56 4 7 Naylor, Daryle W. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 06 4 7 Reiss, Aaron D. 3 , 2 1 2 . 8 76 5 1 Pearson, Hellen M. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 06 6 7 Casto, William W. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 06 6 7 Chancey, Howard G. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 06 6 7 Kitchen Jr., Van 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 06 6 7 Shobe, William G. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 06 8 7 Perry, Archie P. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 06 8 8 Karl, Bohumil 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 06 9 6 Raser, Roland R. 6 7 6 . 9 56 9 7 Thut, Robert S. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 07 4 4 Cutshall, Marlyn G. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 07 4 4 Reeves, Lester V. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 07 4 4 Stock, Michael S. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 07 4 4 Wyatt, Daniel D. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 08 0 1 Wrenn, Alvis J. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 08 0 2 Hope, Rodgers A. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 08 0 2 Norris, Willie 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 08 0 7 McCount, Charles 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 2 3 4 Brigger, Harold W. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 2 3 9 Osborne, Charles E. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 2 4 3 White, William F. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 2 4 8 Yates, Lloyd 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 5 0 9 Burdick, Victor L. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 5 0 9 Kampa, Lawrence A. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 5 0 9 Tabat, Bernard S. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 5 0 9 Uttke, Jerome F. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 5 0 9 Wolman, John T. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 6 3 7 Atkinson, Arland K. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 6 7 0 Moore, Arthur 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 01 6 7 0 Sells, Charley C. 3 , 0 0 0 . 0 0

the Boilermaker Reporter1 5 Jul • Aug 1999

P A G E I D

the Boilermaker Reporter1 4 Jul • Aug 1999

P A G E I D

the Boilermaker Reporter

P A G E I D

N T L Brown, Harold S.N T L Campbell, RobertN T L Estelle, Irving J.N T L Hays, Samuel E.N T L Kilby, Smith R.N T L Mobley, ConnieN T L Turnbull, Acie V.N T L Ward Jr., WilliamN T L Wesley, Guy E.N T L Wright, Leland C.1 Peters, Speros1 Wonder, AnthonyM 2 Wiktorowski, W.5 Connolly, John J.5 Kee, Walter L.5 May, Frank5 Meier, August6 Brandis, Homer L.6 Krasiefski, Frank6 Smith, Albert C.7 Aguilar, Leo J.1 3 Chermak, Joseph1 3 Fink, Alson A.1 3 Manning, Charles1 3 Murray, John T.1 3 Nowak, Bernard1 3 Wilson, Harry L.2 6 Brunson, Charles

2 7 Casson, Bennie L.2 7 Tedder, Hobert W.2 8 Bondy Jr., Joseph2 8 McLean, Gerard2 9 Arsenault, Walter3 7 Mullen, John E.3 7 Rottmann, Arthur4 0 Davis, Jack R.4 0 Lindsey, Willard4 0 Moore, Cebert P.4 5 Barlow, Russell T.4 5 Flint, William L.4 5 Morgan, James W.5 1 Merlene, Eugene6 6 Burns, Harry D.6 9 Garrett, Gary7 2 Bell, Charles7 2 Bray, Lewis M.7 2 Campbell, E. M.7 2 Frolof, Alex W.7 2 Huntley, Alva E.7 2 Ryan, Larry G.7 4 Bailey, James J.7 4 French, Roy L.7 4 Goolsby, Calvin B.7 4 Johnson, McElvin7 4 Quave, Clarence 7 9 Litton, James W.8 3 McKee, Lloyd W.

8 3 Pruitt, Vance J.8 3 Reavis, Eugene H.8 3 Snell Sr., George9 2 Brown, Thomas E.9 2 Dalluge, William9 2 Elgin, Emmett R.9 2 Freyre, Santiag9 2 Henderson, C. R.9 2 Massoletti, Frank9 2 Obele, Burdette G.9 2 Wilkinson, R. A.9 6 Tunnell, Monroe1 0 1 Swank, Everett H.1 0 4 Barnhardt, Gary J.1 0 4 Bjerkager, Arnold1 0 4 Carriere, Paul1 0 4 Gallimore, Arthur 1 0 4 Jones, James W.1 0 4 Losnegaard, L. S. J.1 0 4 Nargard, Bruce R.1 0 4 Parsons, Edward1 0 4 Whittle, Charles1 0 4 Wilson, William1 0 5 Moore, Otto1 0 5 Stephens, CharlesS 1 0 5 Carlock, KatherineS 1 0 5 Olson, Kristine M.1 1 0 Lumpkin, William1 1 2 Forehand, Doris E.

1 2 2 Mixon, Marvin R.1 2 6 Cox, Kenneth W.1 2 8 Thomson, John W.1 3 2 Amato, Joseph T.1 4 2 Gribbin, Robert A.1 5 4 Bulford, Robert C.1 5 4 Cantner, Carl B.1 5 4 Herd Jr., Robert J.1 5 4 Johnston, Lloyd T.1 5 4 Kozar, James P.1 5 4 Quinn, James P.1 5 4 Thevenin, Charles1 5 8 Greeson, William1 6 9 Hutchison, E. H.1 8 2 McConnell, Albert1 9 3 Barnes, Frank E.2 3 7 Burness, Richard2 3 7 Chase, Richard A.2 3 7 Sadowski, Peter2 4 2 Trampus, Edward2 7 1 Gaudreau, Roger2 9 0 Carter, James E.2 9 7 Hulme, George H.3 0 0 Kohler, John J.3 0 5 Milstead, W.W.3 1 7 Sundt, Oscar3 2 9 Chrzanowski, M.3 4 7 Baldessani, G.3 4 7 Dice, Robert R.3 6 3 Bruleson, Alvin E.3 6 3 Woodcock, MillsD 3 6 6 Frieler, Hubert

3 7 4 Cook, Alton E.3 7 4 Lash, Michael3 7 4 Lowe, Roy3 7 4 Stanley, Ray J.D 3 7 5 Mott, Nixon C.4 3 3 Kirkland, W. H.4 4 3 Napiezinski, John4 3 3 Shoemake Jr., C.4 4 9 Christianson, John4 4 9 Mattke, Everett H.4 5 5 Crowell, Bobby L.4 5 5 Mauldin, William4 5 5 Tate, Larry R.4 8 7 Felber, Henry P.5 2 4 Russell, William5 3 1 Phillips Jr., WalterD 5 3 3 Jones, Mike5 4 9 King, James5 4 9 Luckey, Henry H.5 6 8 Brown, Samuel T.5 6 8 Myers, L. M.5 6 8 Starks, Frederick5 6 8 Weaver, Paul H.5 7 7 Kirchman, James5 8 2 Bergeron, Joseph5 8 2 McAlister, Kelly B.5 8 2 Sanchez Jr., Ray A.5 8 2 Turner, Roy F.5 8 7 Meador, Robert D.5 8 7 Childress, George5 9 0 Bennett, M. L.6 2 7 Keshaw, Frederick

6 2 7 Wade, Gus A.6 3 6 Osborne, Charles6 4 7 Abraham, Harry J.6 4 7 Carpenter, H. J.6 4 7 Finter, Joseph F.6 4 7 Fox, Frederick6 6 7 Boggs, Maywood6 6 7 Plants, James O.6 7 9 Hawkins, Jack H.6 9 6 Whitney, Kenneth 6 9 7 Schulz, Raymond7 1 7 Cullen, Thomas J.7 4 4 McWeeny Sr., J. P.7 4 4 Sanzotta, Dominic7 4 8 Dupre, Roy H.7 4 9 Davis, Lavell8 0 1 Bramante, Frank8 0 1 Lewis, Gordon G.8 0 1 Rossi, Michael A.8 0 1 Schoenfeld, F. H.8 0 1 Wrenn, Alvis J.1 0 9 9 Koopman, Merle1 2 1 2 Smith, James B.1 2 3 2 Boneham, Frank F.1 2 3 4 Brigger, Harold1 2 3 4 White, William F.1 2 3 9 Swenson, Harold1 2 4 7 Yerovich, Steve1 2 4 8 Grace, Richard1 2 4 8 Martin, Ray1 5 0 9 Burdick, Victor R.

WITH DEEP SORROW the International Brotherhood records the death of these members as reportedto the Intl. sec.-treas.’s office and extends its heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved families.

L O D G E & N A M E

the Boilermaker Reporter1 5 Jul • Aug 1999

I N M E M O R I A M

M o v i n g ? Tell us where . . .N a m e

New Address

C i t y

State or Province Z i p

Local Lodge No. Register No.(Also please notify the secretary of your local lodge.)

Mail form to:Publications Department

753 State Avenue, Suite 565

Kansas City, KS 66101

(Allow five weeks for change of address.)

THE DEATH BENEFIT PLAN under the Boilermaker-Blacksmith National Pension Trust haspaid the beneficiaries of the following deceased members who were covered by the plansince the last issue of our publication.

IF YOU HAVE NOT yet been furnished this information, contact your local lodge, secure the beneficiaryforms, complete the required information and forward to the Administrative Office of the Pension Fund,754 Minnesota Avenue, Suite 522, Kansas City, KS 66101, at the earliest possible date. NOTE: Theseadditional death benefits can only be derived for members who worked under a collective bargainingagreement with an employer contributing to the Boilermaker-Blacksmith National Pension Trust.

L O D G E , N A M E & B E N E F I T

D E A T H B E N E F I T S

the Boilermaker Reporter

P A G E I D

the Boilermaker Reporter1 4 Jul • Aug 1999

P A G E I DC O N S U M E R N E W S

UNION PLUSCREDIT CARDA credit card isa v a i l a b l e .For information call: 1 - 8 0 0 - 5 2 2 - 4 0 0 0

LEGAL SERVICEF ree and discountedlegal services. Includesa free consultation (upto 30 minutes).For information call: 1 - 8 0 0 - 4 5 2 - 9 4 2 5

LIFE INSURANCETe rm insurance isavailable for mem-bers; spouses andc h i l d ren may bei n c l u d e d .For information call: 1 - 8 0 0 - 8 9 9 - 2 7 8 2

DENTAL &VISIONO ffers pre d e t e rm i n e ddiscount fees for dentaland vision services andp ro c e d u re s .For information call: 1 - 8 0 0 - 2 5 7 - 8 3 5 2

M O RTGAGE & REALE S TAT EBuying, selling,refinancing madee a s i e r, more aff o rd a b l e .Special savings on re a lestate agent serv i c e s .For information call: 1 - 8 0 0 - 8 4 8 - 6 4 6 6

A C C I D E N TI N S U R A N C EWorkplace accidentaldeath insurance isa v a i l a b l e .For information call: 1 - 8 0 0 - 8 9 9 - 2 7 8 2

UNION FA M I LY$ AV E R SSavings on every d a yconsumer pro d u c t sand services –including Budget &Avis car rentals, DisneyWorld hotel stays,hearing aids, and more .

For information call: 1 - 8 0 0 - 4 5 2 - 9 4 2 5

For more information on thesemembers-only benefits, call

1-800-452-9425BOILERMAKERS UNION

PRIVILEGE BENEFITS

*Includes retired members. Parents andchildren of members and retired memberswith retired member cards are eligible forthe mortgage program and union family

savers directly; they are eligible for otherprograms through the Boilermaker member. Program restrictions may apply to membersoutside the continental United States. Phone1-800-452-9425 for clarification of eligibility

and more information on how you can apply.

The money-saving pro g r a m slisted below are available onlyto Boilermaker members and

their immediate families.*

Members Only

r e g a r d l e s sof need.With thesel o a n s ,y o u ’ r er e s p o n s i b l efor thei n t e r e s twhile in

school and during deferment periods.Parents can now borrow up to the totalcost of their child’s education, includingtuition, room and board, books, travel,and administrative fees, with a no col-lateral, variable interest rate loan that iscapped at nine percent, through theFederal PLUS Loan Program. For moreinformation, contact the PLUS hotline at1 - 8 0 0 - 4 8 0 - 0 3 9 2 .

Aid from states and collegesSTATES AND COLLEGESalso use thefinancial information from the FAFSAor Renewal application to decide if youare eligible for their aid programs.Contact your state higher educationagency and ask to receive all literatureon scholarship, grant, work-study, andloan programs.

Colleges offer a variety of fundingfrom their own financial resources,

including grants and scholarships, stu-dent job programs, and low-interestloans. Many of the grants and loans thatcolleges offer are not need-based andmust be applied for on a separate form.They are often awarded to studentswho are outstanding academically orhave a special talent.

Some colleges offer a practicalmoney-earning plan known as coopera-tive education, in which students dividetheir time between on-campus learningand off-campus earning. Often, stu-dents work at a job related to their fieldof study and earn credit as well as asalary, typically between $6,000 and$14,000 a year.

Aid from private sourc e sCorporations, associations, unions,religious organizations, and other pri-vate sources also award scholarships toa variety of students – the economicallydisadvantaged, the artistic, the athletic,the scientifically oriented, and the spe-cially talented. Finding out about pri-vate scholarships for which you mayqualify can be a daunting task. For a fee,scholarship search firms will reviewtheir data banks for awards that matchyour abilities. Also, several books listprivate scholarships.

Private loans, and tax cre d i t sIF YOU STILLlack funds after apply-ing to the four major aid sources, youmay want to check into nongovern-ment education loans that manylenders offer. Also, a stop at a campusjob center may uncover the ideal part-time job to fit your schedule. Uncle Samalso offers two types of tax breaks forcollege education – the Hope credit andthe Lifetime learning credit.

Students in the first two years ofhigher education – in college or voca-tional school – and working toward adegree are eligible for an annual“Hope” credit of up to $1,500 againsttheir own tax liability or that of theirparents. The credit – effective forexpenses in 1998 and later – is for 100percent of the first $1,000 of tuition andfor half of the next $1,000. Parents cantake a credit for each child for whomthey pay tuition, so two kids in schoolcould mean a $3,000 tax reduction.

The Lifetime learning credit is notlimited to students in the first two yearsof post-secondary school and is for 20percent of the first $5,000 of tuition – amaximum tax cut of $1,000 a year – forexpenses after June 30, 1998.

Source: U.S. News & World Report andMasterCard Privacy Initiatives❑

Continued from page 9

Need help with college tuition? Whether reapplying for aidor applying for the first time, don’t overlook these sourc e s !

Union Plus offers big savings with Dental& Vision and Health Savings ProgramsMembers can save 30percent on dental, 10 to50 percent with newvision care benefitsIF YOU’RE LOOKINGto save moneyon your family’s dental and vision out-of-pocket costs, look no further than theUnion Plus Dental & Vision Program.This new union-members-only benefitcombines the savings offered by theexisting Union Plus Dental Programwith new vision care benefits. Whichmeans that more of your money goesback in your pocket where it belongs.

Even if you already have dental orvision insurance, Union Plus Dental &Vision is a worthwhile investment,because the program’s specially negoti-ated discounts help lower your out-of-pocket expenses even more. With thenew vision-care benefit, you savebetween 10 and 50 percent on suchitems as eye exams, frames, lenses, andrefractive surgery fees from a nation-wide network of providers at over8,000 locations.* Participating retailersinclude LensCrafters, Sterling Optical,Eye Care Centers of America, For EyesOptical, Vista Eyecare Network,among others.

With the program’s dental benefit,you and your family can choose from alist of participating dentists in yourarea** – and receive instant discountswith every visit. Among the program’sdental advantages for members:• No charge on routine oral exams orbitewing x-rays.***• Up to one-third off on routine teethc l e a n i n g .• 30 percent instant discounts on average,on every dentist visit. (Discounts apply tofillings, root canal therapy, crowns, caps,and dentures – 170 different dental proce-dures in all – including braces.)• A network of more than 10,000 quali-fied dental professionals.• No exclusion of pre-existing conditions.• A 100 percent money-back guaranteewithin the first year of membership.

The dentalbenefit is notan insuranceplan; instead itoffers prede-termined dis-counted feesfor dental serv-ices and proce-dures that have

been agreedupon by a panel of

participating den-tists. These fees are much

lower than the national averagecharged by dentists and are automati-cally applied. For example, programmembers pay only $210 on a dental billthat would otherwise total $300.

With savings like this, it pays to jointhe new Union Plus Dental & VisionProgram. The program’s annual mem-bership fee is only $49.95 and comeswith a 12-month money-back guaran-tee. Also, if you wish to enroll in only thedental or the vision portion of the pro-gram, you may do so for $34.95 per year.

To enroll today, call 1-800-257-8352.*Refractive surgery not available inC a l i f o r n i a .** The dental benefit is not available tomembers living in Alaska, Idaho,Maine, Mississippi, New Hampshire,North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont,Wyoming, Puerto Rico, the VirginIslands, and Guam.*** Members in Colorado are requiredto pay a $1.00 fee for oral exams andbitewing x-rays.

Union Plus HealthSavings Program offersprescription and vision-care discountsSavings of up to 40 percent –for the whole family

IF YOU’RE LOOKINGfor a way tosave on prescriptions, vision care, andmore, look no further than the new

Union Plus Health Savings Program.By taking advantage of this money-sav-ing, members-only benefit, you maysave up to 40 percent on prescriptionsat over 24,000 pharmacies nationwide,including Rite Aid, Thrifty-Payless,and Walgreen’s chains. Or you maychoose to have convenient, money-sav-ing mail-order prescriptions deliveredright to your door.

But that’s not all. The program alsooffers vision care discounts of up to40 percent (for an average savings of $80to $100) on selected frames, eyeglasses,and contact lenses at over 9,000optometrists nationwide. And programmembers receive exclusive access to theprogram’s 24-hour, toll-free NurseHelpline staffed by trained nurses withextensive clinical backgrounds.

The Union Plus Health SavingsProgram’s annual membership fee foryou and your family is only $29.95.(You must submit a credit card or debitcard number for payment and trackingpurposes upon enrolling in the pro-gram.) All memberships come with a30-day free trial period.

Other UnionPlus HealthS a v i n g sP r o g r a mh i g h l i g h t sinclude aq u a r t e r l ys u m m a r yof pur-chases andsavings andtracking of all pur-chases to assure the discount is pro-vided. To take advantage of theprogram’s discounted retail prices, youneed only present your Union PlusHealth Savings identification card to theparticipating pharmacist or vision-careprovider and the charges will automati-cally be billed to your program-regis-tered credit or debit card.

To find out more about the newUnion Plus Health Savings Program,call 1-800-228-3523. ❑

THE GEORGE BUSH f o rPresident Committee made anamazing announcement on June30 of this year. They reported

having raised a record $28.3 million incontributions during the second quar-ter of 1999, making his total for the yearwell over $36 million.

And election day is still nearly a year-and-a-half away!

This is a staggering amount ofmoney. By comparison, Bob Dole raised$13.58 million in the first six months of1995 – barely over one-third of whatBush has raised. And when Bob Doleraised that amount, he set a record.

Needless to say, Bush was pleasedwith his success. His campaign man-agers say he intends to spend $70-75million on his bid for the presidency,and he’s now halfway to raising thatamount. The war chests of other candi-dates are not all that far behind. Gorehas nearly $20 million. Whoever winsin 2000 will spend a lot of money to getinto the White House.

Where is all that money comingfrom? Campaign finance reformersoften talk about limiting political actioncommittees (PACs), but Bush didn’tneed PAC money to set his record. Hegot over 99 percent of this money from75,000 individuals who donated anaverage of $480 each. According to theCenter for Responsive politics, Al Goregets about 85 percent of his moneyfrom individuals donating over $200.

Federal campaign finance lawrequires candidates to file informationon individuals who give over $200, sowe can track what industries thesedonors come from. The industry mostrepresented in the individual contribu-tions to both of these candidates is thelegal profession, followed by thosewho describe themselves as retired,working in real estate, and working insecurities and investment.

According to news reports, majorindividual donors to Bush’s campaign

are mainly old friends. These old-guardRepublicans also recruit donationsfrom people in their companies, peoplelike Edward O. Gaylord of EOTTEnergy Partners, Edgar Bronfman ofJoseph E. Seagram & Sons, and CarlLindner of American Financial Group.You may remember Lindner. He wasone of the masterminds and financiersof last year’s ballot attempts to keepunions from being involved in politics.

Many Bush supporters have long-standing family ties, such as ThomasMarinis, a partner at the Houston-based law firm of Vinson & Elkinswhich accounted for more than$172,000. Others are folks who claim tobe making their first go-round in big-time politics – people like RobertHerbold, executive vice president andchief operating officer of MicrosoftCorp., which is being sued by the cur-rent administration for monopolisticrestraint of trade.

How much did he bring in for Bush?“From the standpoint of what’s beenreported [$36 million] . . . the answer isa fair amount,” Herbold told reporters.

A fair question toask is why these peo-ple do it? What dothey expect fortheir efforts andtheir money? TheClinton adminis-tration has beenaccused of lettingbig money donorsspend a night in theWhite House. That seems prettyharmless compared to what KenSilverstein reported in a story to TheNation (“My Life as an UndercoverPAC,” May 5, 1997).

Posing as someone from the (ficti-tious) United BroadcastingCorporation, he visited numerousfund-raising events of both major par-ties. The offers he got were surprisinglycandid. At one, Anne Ekern of the

National Republican SenatorialCommittee (NRSC) told him that for$5,000 in PAC money, UnitedBroadcasting could join the RepublicanSenate Council and send a representa-tive to a monthly luncheon where aRepublican senator would brief partici-pants on “legislation or anything elsethat might be going through”Congress. If United Broadcasting pre-ferred to give $25,000 in soft money, itcould join the Chairman’s Foundation,an outfit “catered to the CEO,” allow-ing him to attend “four or five smalldinners annually . . . featuring senatorsand senior committee staff from keyc o m m i t t e e s . ”

The Democratic Party was no differ-ent. For money, you get access, theyexplained. The more you give, the bet-ter the access. One Democratic Partyofficial once summed up the situationto him this way: “It’s like flying,” shesaid. “Some sit in first class and some sitin coach.”

Promise of direct access like this ishow candidates are able to raise mil-lions at a single fund-raising dinner,

like the $25,000-a-plate swordfish din-

ner for theD e m o c r a t i cN a t i o n a lCommittee. ThisF e b r u a r y ,Republican Partydonors of

$100,000 and upplayed golf and

relaxed with party leaders during aweekend at a Palm Beach resort.

Candidates are raising more moneythan ever before. It is no secret whatthey’ll do with all that money. They’llbombard us with television ads, directmail campaigns, and sophisticatedpublic relations tactics to try to get thepublic debate on topics they feel willget them elected. They’ll use thatmoney to distract us from the issues

that matter most – jobs, health care,schools, Social Security – and get usarguing among ourselves about issuesthat are far less important.

The questions we need to ask arewho is donating that money and whatwill they get for their donations?

And we have to ask where that leavesthe rest of us. The ones who can’t afford$25,000 dinners. The ones who don’thave 20 friends we can talk into donat-ing $5,000 each to someone’s politicalaction committee.

Will we get a voice in the next admin-istration? Will the next president listento our views?

Or will the people with Big Bucksbuy their way into the Oval Office andshut the rest of us out?

Workers had better learn all we canabout the issues – the real issues, not thefalse ones candidates will use to dis-tract us. We’d better vote wisely andwe’d better vote in solidarity.

Because we don’t have the cash tobuy our way into the White House. Allwe have are our votes. ❑

Charles W. JonesInternational President

the Boilermaker Reporter1 6 Jul • Aug 1999

C O M M E N T A R Y

L - 1 ’s Lisby yearns for contactf rom his Boilermaker familyI HAVE HADmuch bad luck lately. Ilost my leg above my knee and wouldappreciate hearing from all who remem-ber me. My best regards to everyone.

E. J. “OL D MA N JA C K” LI S B Y

Local One RetireeThe Masonic Home of Florida3201 1st St. NESt. Petersburg, FL 33704

Grisco: NAFTA threatens ourjobs, health, and enviro n m e n tLAST MARCH,160 Michigan schoolchildren and teachers contractedHepatitis A from strawberries, grownin Mexico and purchased by the feder-al government for the school lunchprogram. According to federal law, allfoods funded by school lunch pro-grams are supposed to be grown inAmerica. However, under the NorthAmerican Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA), it is difficult to determinewhere products are produced.Mexican farmers use “night soil” (rawsewage) to fertilize their crops. This isMexico’s form of recycling humanexcrement – the classic transmitter ofHepatitis A. Perhaps NAFTA stands forNightsoil Allowed on Food To America!

NAFTA could also stand for N o wAssassinating Flipper for TunaA c c u m u l a t i o n. In 1995, Congresspassed a bill to prevent the slaughterof millions of dolphins by allowing a

“dolphin safe” label on tuna caughtusing methods other than the encir-clement method – a method known todestroy dolphins. Under NAFTA,Mexican fisherman can use the dol-phin safe label even if they catch tunawith the encirclement method.

GE R A L D GR I S C O, L-1 retireeChicago, Ill.

L - 4 3 3 ’s Taxacher wants toi n c rease death benefitsTHE BOILERMAKERS National Healthand Welfare Fund should consider rais-ing the Boilermaker Death Benefit from$3,000 to $30 or $40 thousand.

Boilermaking is one of the most con-sistently dangerous occupations in theU.S. Raising the Boilermaker DeathBenefit will help us recruit and retain thebest and brightest young Boilermakers.

JA M E S TA X A C H E R, L-433Ft. Pierce, Fla.

Fund administrator re s p o n d sTHE POST RETIREMENT death benefitof $3,000 is not paid by the BoilermakersNational Health &Welfare Fund’s insur-ance provisions, but rather is a supple-mental benefit paid by the Boilermaker-Blacksmith National Pension Trust. T h i sbenefit, which was added to assist fami-lies of deceased participants, has neverbeen a substitute for life insurance. Thedeath benefit, which first became payablein 1981 at $1,000, has been increased sev-eral times by the Board of Trustees to its

current $3,000 limit. Improvements inthis benefit, as well as other suggestedchanges, are certainly evaluated by theBoard of Trustees when determiningwhat, if any, benefit improvements canbe made. It should be noted that anyimprovement in the Pension DeathBenefits would reduce the assets avail-able to provide monthly benefits to livingpensioners and beneficiaries.

The Boilermakers National Health &Welfare Fund provides a basic $5,000Life and Accidental Death Benefit underits active plan. Many field constructionbargaining units, however, have negoti-ated an additional $0.10 per hour contri-bution to provide a further $14,500 cov-erage. Both Life and Accidental DeathBenefits are only available, with no self-pay contribution, to eligible active partic-ipants. Upon loss of active eligibility, anindividual may elect to convert their cov-erage to an individual policy without thenecessity of a medical examination.

KE I T H RE E D, executive administrator

Insurance is eating upre t i re e ’s pensionI RETIRED IN 1984 with over 30 yearsservice. My pension was $400 and theinsurance was free for me and my wife.Now my pension is $611 a month andinsurance now costs $355 a month.That leaves me $256, which is $144 lessa month than when I retired in 1984.

Something needs to be done. I sug-gest that when you make a change inthe way the pension is figured, that you

make it retroactive so that old folkswould have money to pay this ridicu-lously high insurance cost. The solutionwill have to be left up to the activemembers, and I want to remind themthat they will be retired members soon.

JO H N RA S H, NTL retireeLumberton, Texas

L - 5 9 2 ’s Tucker doesn’t wantthe past to repeat itselfTHE FRONT RUNNERfor theRepublican nomination appears to beanother Bush . . . another clone from theformer Reagan administration, GeorgeW. Bush, son of former PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush of “Read my lips”fame. Together, Reagan and Bushformed an unprecedented national debton all Americans. If you voteRepublican, you are voting against yourunion, and your family’s well being.You are voting for job losses, unemploy-ment, the food off your table, the clothesoff you and your children’s backs.Support your union, your family, andyour job by voting straight Democrat.

DO U G TU C K E R SR., L-592 retireeSpavinaw, Okla.

Tell your fellow members what you think!SE N DL E T T E R ST OT H EE D I T O RT O :

The Boilermaker Reporter753 State Ave. Suite 570Kansas City KS 66101FAX: (913) 281-8104E-mail: dcaswell@boilermakers.orgor cdillon@boilermakers.org

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Candidates are raisingm o re money than ever before .

Who is donating that money andwhat will they get for their

d o n a t i o n s ?

the Boilermaker Reporter1 6 Jul • Aug 1999

C O M M E N T A R Y

Will big bucks buy the White House?