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Im happy to be here with you in the heart of Kentucky bluegrass country. As you know, people in this part of Kentucky have a long-standing love affair with one of the noblest animals God put on earth the horse. In fact, they ran a little race over in Louisville last Saturday, and I wouldnt be surprised if some of your money was riding on those horses just to make it interesting of course. So I hope you get to enjoy some of the beauty of this region while youre here.

I always enjoy participating in our departmental conferences -- this one -- this year in particular -- the 20^th IBEW Manufacturing Conference. I was impressed with Bobs presentation at the opening -- showing just how much these conferences have served to help you the leadership of our manufacturing locals to be better prepared to deal with issues affecting our members.

Bob Stander has been part of every Manufacturing Conference from the beginning. From my days as an International Rep and Third District Vice President, I have always been impressed with the careful thought and creativity Bob has shown in planning your meetings. He is constantly seeking new ways to make these meetings informative, and productive, -- while enhancing the feeling of solidarity. Bob and his capable staff -- the veteran, Bob Roberts, and the rookie, Troy Johnson have done it yet again this year, and Im sure you will enjoy and learn over these next two days.

In looking at the list of issues Bob presented, I am reminded of the old saying, "the more things change, the more they stay the same." But even though the challenges are similar, things have certainly not stayed the same. By working together as union brothers and sisters, we have made a difference a very positive difference in countless lives over the past two decades. And I think that is a source of pride and inspiration as we confront the future.

"Confront" is a fitting word to use in talking about the future of manufacturing. The future is uncertain. That is not just a nice way of saying "bleak." Far from it. Uncertain means that there are possibilities -- some of them bad, but a great potential for good as well, -- but we must search them out.

I think we all know much of the bad. Since January 2001, the United States has lost more than 1.4 million manufacturing jobs. That is a stark figure, reflecting in part the tremendous blow to the economy dealt by the September 11 attacks. It is also a direct reflection of other factors not the least of which are the high value of the U.S. dollar and the ongoing failure to incorporate worker protections into trade policy. And of course, it is a reflection of a trend that started nearly thirty years ago, from the days when North Americas position as the major industrial power in the world was unchallenged.

We have also seen our members and those of other unions left reeling by the frenzy of buying and selling of companies. Some of our people could be forgiven for not knowing what corporate logo to expect on the front door of their facilities when they show up for work on any given Monday morning.

And as always, there is the struggle for control of the national agenda between the forces of corporate power and those seeking to protect the public interest. Senator Ernest Hollings, a Democrat from South Carolina, wrote an interesting article for the New York Times recently. The Senator lambasted the unrestricted free trade that has done so much harm to jobs and communities that depend on the textile industry in his home state. He stated the case which is our case too that giving the President authority to put trade agreements on a fast track for approval with no chance of adding worker protections or other amendments would guarantee more of the same.

Senator Hollings concluded his article with a quote form a conversation he had with the head of a multinational corporation. "Senator," said the executive, "the world power that loses its manufacturing capacity will cease to be a world power." That was spoken by Akio Morita, the head of Japans Sony Corporation.

Mr. Morita gets it. His nation gets it. So does Korea. So does Europe. Even the developing nations understand the need to protect their base. But the people making the decisions in the United States and to some degree in Canada still dont get it, and were all paying the price for that. And in this era of international terror, our staggering trade deficit becomes more than just bad policy -- it could prove to be suicidal.

So we fight on. And in doing so, we need to keep the proper perspective.

Ask the average person on the street what drove the economic boom of the 1990s, and, chances are, he or she would say technology. True, but many people fail to grasp that technology was largely -- another word for manufacturing. Those fortunate enough to be part of the growth, as many of our members were, reaped some of the benefits, even if they didnt last for everybody.

But it is worth noting some eye-opening numbers.

I thought it would be interesting to see what the National Association of Manufacturers the powerful business lobby that works directly against us on so many issues, including international trade. Cutting through their propaganda, I did find some interesting nuggets of information.

From 1992 through 1997, the gross domestic product of manufacturing grew by 5.2 percent a year compared to 3.1 percent for the general economy.

Throughout the 90s, manufacturing contributed 29 percent of Americas growth in GDP, more than any other sector of the economy.

Productivity in manufacturing has grown 4.7 percent a year from 1996 through 1999.

Granted, these numbers reflect numbers that accumulated before the current downturn. But they present the unmistakable argument that manufacturings days as an important component of North Americas economy are far from over. Manufacturing has been and must be part of the engine of growth and prosperity in North America.

Im well aware of the struggle that each of you undertakes every day to serve your members. Dealing with the employer, processing grievances, administering the local all of these take every bit of energy you have. I have been an IBEW staff member and officer for the past 20 years, but before that I was business manager of a mixed local in Beaver, Pennsylvania. I know how easy it is to become overwhelmed with the details of our everyday job and the demands of the members for action on the issue that are in front of them right now.

But from where I sit today, I can tell you that the day-to-day activities are not enough to meet the challenges we face. As they say in basketball, we all need to raise our game a little bit.

Bob shared with me the results of the pre-conference questionnaire he sent out asking you to rank issue that you considered important and that your members consider3ed important. Not surprisingly, the local officers tend to have a broader view of issues than the rank and file.

But one thing that disappointed me was the failure to list organizing as a priority for either local officers or members. Im not going to stand here and pretend that has been more talk than results on industrial organizing in the IBEW in recent years. But I also know that many IBEW districts have made strong efforts to organize new industrial workers, and I know that results will never be forthcoming if we dont have the attitude to make it happen.

We are in the process of revamping our industrial organizing structure. It is taking some time because I do not intend to make hasty decisions that will not serve our long-term goals. We want to put in place a structure that provides support for well-coordinated efforts at the International, the district and the local levels. And a key part of that will be local involvement. So we need to get the groundwork in place now.

Those of you who were here last year heard me say that the growing trend toward outsourcing and use of specialty contract manufacturers presents us with an opportunity wrapped inside the challenge. We need to pursue our work when it stays within this continent.

Thanks to a lot of hard work, we were able to create a new system council from the former Lucent locals whose plants were sold to Celestica. That enables us to hit the ground running with our structure intact. But we will not always be so fortunate, and must take positive action to keep our own IBEW industrial base intact.

The people who will go to spin-off companies and contractors will often be those who have held membership in the IBEW for years. We need to stop looking at them as casualties and instead see them as potential salts. If the local union worked hard to soften the blow of a layoff and equip those workers with the skills that helped them get their new job, then we should call upon them to speak up for union organizing in their new workplace.

Some visionary locals are already doing that. I applaud coordination with other IBEW locals or unions at a common employer to develop an organizing and bargaining strategy. I would remind you that the three International Vice Presidents from manufacturing all come from locals that were active participants in coordinated bargaining.

I support campaigns where trained organizers follow the work and the workers to other companies. Most of all, I am heartened by the involvement of members themselves in such efforts. There is no one entity not the International and not the locals in isolation that can effectively organize in todays industrial setting. It will take a multi-faceted approach with fresh ideas and a fighting spirit.

We also need to remain focused on the changing nature of manufacturing. As I said earlier, much of the technology sector involves manufacturing. But these are not your fathers industrial jobs. These are demanding positions that require higher levels of skill and education than the stereotypical factory jobs of the past. And unlike the jobs of yesterday, security is defined differently.

Todays worker is unlikely to spend an entire career with one employer, but can build a healthy, rewarding career in the same field. Portability of skills is the key.

Last year, we celebrated the opening of ETOP to the entire manufacturing membership of the IBEW, not just those employed by one company. Since that time, more companies and locals have signed onto the program. In doing so, they have given their workers and members a valuable gift the gift of education and training that will help them stay working in productive employment and meet the needs of todays industry.

And I am also pleased to say that some of our locals are moving forward in other ways. Eleven locals in Illinois have applied for a Governors grant to work in conjunction with the University of Northern Illinois to provide training and education to our members in manufacturing. This is what it will take to keep the IBEW a viable presence in manufacturing, and these are the types of programs that should be replicated across the continent.

I noticed one other disparity on the list of issues. Local officers and members alike understand the importance of the trade issue. But the rank and file lag far behind the officers in making the connection to political action and voter registration. Whats wrong with this picture?

Clearly, we have some educating to do in helping our members put these pieces together. The corporate world has thrown its massive wealth and power into the fight to conduct its business anywhere in the world, wherever and however they want. Despite that, we have come agonizingly close in recent years to winning legislative fights on fair trade. The best we have been able to do is strip the Presidents fast track authority and keep it bottled up. But our opponents on this issue are pushing hard, and, like I said, theyve got a lot to push with.

If we could tap more of our potential grassroots strength, it would help us push back. Secretary-Treasurer OConnor is going to have more to say about this, and let me assure you that we are both committed to strengthening our Brotherhood at the grassroots.

For my part, I intend to hold some of our so-called allies to stricter accountability when it comes to the trade issue. Weve have heard enough excuses. Lets make their decision easier. If we raise our voices, they will know that the support is there for fair trade, and failure to support it comes with a price. We must hold their feet to the fire the way we can at town meetings and in other gatherings -- we must ask the tough question -- WHY?

These are some of the elements of the big picture. There are many more issues to discuss, and I am glad to see that the Manufacturing Department has set this conference up to maximize your input. Thats the union way working together and planning together for our future. Weve got no shortage of problems to address, and it will take everyones collective wisdom and experience to chart our course for the future.

We have heard some nice slogans coming from politicians in recent years about leaving no one behind on the road to prosperity. Unfortunately, there have been far too many of our brothers and sisters and our fellow workers left behind or in danger of meeting that fate -- Why? Lets re-dedicate ourselves to doing our best, -- keeping the faith,-- and standing together in unity and solidarity and asking "Which Side are you on?" -- and expecting an answer. These are our strongest weapons in the fight we face. With them, -- we can succeed. Without them, we are doomed to failure.

I dont intend to fail. And if the looks on your faces mean anything, I can see that you dont intend to fail either. As we have done for 20 years, lets invite the future in -- we are ready are we not? -- Are we not?

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