L.U. 16 (i), EVANSVILLE, IN — The 132nd Labor Day Association Celebration was held Aug. 31 through Sept. 3 at the Warrick County Fairgrounds in Boonville, IN. This year's theme was "Unions Build the Middle Class." Those attending enjoyed car shows, contests, free carnival rides, live music, and a Labor Day parade with several thousand participants. The local's cook committee, with the help of the softball team, served excellent brisket sandwiches throughout the weekend, and all the IBEW locals in southern Indiana came together to share a meal after the parade.

Local 16's Family Picnic was Sept. 30. This event would not be possible without dozens of volunteers who step up to prepare food, handle door prizes, set up tables, ready the drinks and ice cream, check in members, sell raffle and half-pot tickets, call bingo games, help with children's activities, and clean up afterward.

Bro. Cory Titzer was recently nominated for the IBEW Life Saving Award. When an electrician on his job site was injured, Cory's actions revived the journeyman and stabilized him until first responders could arrive. Thank you, Bro. Titzer, for being there and showing what the IBEW is all about!

Donald P. Beavin, P.S.

L.U. 24 (es,i&spa), BALTIMORE, MD — The local held its 19th Annual Family Picnic on Aug. 12 this year. Over 1,250 members, retirees and their families attended, and the weather was perfect that day. Thanks to all the sisters and brothers who helped make the day a success.

Congratulations to the members at Triangle Sign & Service. On Sept. 7, they ratified a new contract. Due to unreasonable demands from Triangle and its parent company, Sinclair Broadcasting, negotiations were slow moving and difficult. However, by sticking together, the members were able to thwart several unfair demands by management including an attempt to eliminate dues check-off.

On Sept. 22, the RENEW members held a corn-hole tournament at the union hall. It was their first event and they did an outstanding job. Participants enjoyed plenty of fun, food, drink and unionism. If you are under 35 years of age and would like to get involved, please contact the union hall. Your union, your future.

Peter P. Demchuk, B.M.

L.U. 26 (ees,em,es,govt,i&mt), WASHINGTON, DC — As the holidays approach, I hope you have planned to enjoy some brotherhood/sisterhood and holiday cheer by attending one of our Local 26 December parties/meetings. This year's schedule is as follows:

Front Royal — Friday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m., at Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites-Front Royal Blue Ridge Shadows, 111 Hospitality Drive, Front Royal, VA.

Roanoke — Saturday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m., at Hunting Hills Country Club, 5220 Hunting Hills Drive, Roanoke, VA.

Maryland — Friday, Dec. 14, at 8 p.m., at Camelot by Martin's, 13901 Central Avenue, Upper Marlboro, MD.

Our very active retirees enjoyed their eight-day cruise to Alaska in August. They also held their annual crab feast in October and had their raffle drawing in November. They will set sail again in April for a 12-day Caribbean cruise.

On behalf of the officers and staff, I'd like to wish everyone a happy holiday season.

Our condolences to the families of members who passed away since our last article: Renaldo D. Christie, Mervyn Chancellor, Charles K. Cannon Jr., Claude S. Cornett, Raymond J. Dimmick, Thomas J. McCawley III and Anthony W. Lombardi.

Best wishes to recent retirees: James M. Clark, Robert J. Goldbeck, Alan Hoffnagle, James C. Welch, Joseph J. Breen III, Ricky L. Fletcher, Craig J. Cockerille, David K. Swick, Albert K. Ord, Craig P. McNulty, John R. Fancey, Charles R. Martin Jr., John E. Paulos, Daniel Cushman, Dennis W. White, Jeffery B. Talaga, Steven J. Hickmann, Thomas E. Jennings, Glenn M. Laser, George G. Haney, Robert Kaplan and Clifton A. Hoyte.

George C. Hogan, B.M.

L.U. 30 (govt), TRENTON, NJ — Alfred C. Laubsch Jr., business manager of IBEW Local 30, was awarded the George E. Norcross Humanitarian of the Year Award. The award was presented at the Central Labor Council - Southern New Jersey AFL-CIO 124th Annual Peter J. McGuire Labor Day Observance.

The award — which is named after the father of U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross (NJ), an IBEW member and former Local 351 business agent — recognizes community service.

Addressing a crowd of over 400 — which included labor council delegates, Gov. Phil Murphy, state Senate Pres. Steve Sweeney, and U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez — Rep. Donald Norcross presented the award and Congressional Citation thanking Al for his service.

Al, as a founding member of Local 30, felt honored to receive the award, whose namesake was a giant in the IBEW Third District and in the New Jersey labor movement. "It is a tremendous honor for me to be this year's recipient," Al said. After he thanked all those who helped and inspired him, he reflected on the recent Supreme Court decision in Janus vs. AFSME, and said to thunderous applause: "Frankly, I am not ready to give up the fight started all those years ago by Henry Miller, founder of the IBEW, or Peter J. McGuire, the father of Labor Day."

William F. Lowry IV, Pres.

L.U. 38 (i), CLEVELAND, OHIO — The work outlook for the future is still good here as Herbst Electric and Lake Erie Electric continue to hire for the new steel mill at Charter Steel. Multiple school projects have been awarded to contractors such as Contemporary Electric, Gateway Electric, Legacy Electric, Einheit Electric and Zenith Systems. We still have about 120 travelers in town.

Pictured in the accompanying photo are members of Local 38 at a job-site picket at a new Amazon facility in Euclid, Ohio. The conveyor contractor Honeywell Intelligrated hired an out-of-area, nonunion contractor to do the conveyor portion of the project.

This year's Local 38 Family Christmas Party will be Dec. 9, at the Masonic Hall located at 3615 Euclid Avenue in Cleveland. Doors open at 1 p.m. and a one-hour show is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Dennis Meaney, B.M./F.S.

L.U. 40 (em,i&mps), HOLLYWOOD, CA — Local 40 held its first fishing trip on Sept. 22 this year to build solidarity and partnerships with our current members as well as future members. We plan to make the fishing trip an annual event.

Events like these bring us together as a local and show that we believe in solidarity as a group to promote the union cause. A special thank-you goes to Bro. Frank Monzon for stepping forward and taking the lead in promoting and coordinating the fishing trip. I also thank all those who had a hand in making this event a success.

Frank is just one of our many Local 40 members who have stepped up to show their fellow sisters and brothers that their actions are bringing a culture of positive change. Strong membership participation is key — whether it's through helping promote our union cause on the jobsites and by way of the apprenticeship program; through community involvement in our EWMC and RENEW programs; or through voter registration promotions. It is through these tools that we work to shape our future and ensure a place for organized labor for future generations to come.

Marc Flynn, B.M./F.S.

L.U. 42 (catv,em,govt,lctt&o), HARTFORD, CT — 2018 has been a busy year for Local 42, with an extremely busy work picture with both distribution and transmission working overtime. In November we started our third boot camp for apprentice applicants. We also have active organizing efforts with local tree-trimming contractors, and we signed a new traffic control contractor, Dinto Electrical Contractor, to Local 42.

This past summer, Local 42 coordinated several events for members, including our first Golf Tournament and Annual Summer Picnic; the local plans to make the golf tournament an annual event. The dinner cruise along the Connecticut River, the annual Local 42 Motorcycle Run and our Fall Trap Shoot were also great successes.

This year Local 42 was well-represented at the International Lineman's Rodeo by the lineman teams of Bros. Patrick Dowland, Tom Hoffman, Dan Kingsley, Tyler Hall, Matt Peery and Zach Barry. Matt Koons, Zach Fonicello and Jordan Benz competed in apprentice events. (See accompanying photo.) The brothers performed extremely well, and the results are posted at www.linemansrodeokc.com.

The local is also providing organizer training to members who are interested in becoming more involved in organizing efforts, as well as the RENEW program to get the next generation of linemen and high-voltage electrical workers involved in our great union. Stay safe and here's looking forward to a prosperous 2019.

Ebony DeJesus, P.S.

L.U. 46 (as,c,cs,em,es,et,i,mar,mo,mt,rtb,rts&st), SEATTLE, WA — Happy holidays from IBEW Local 46! Please join us for our Retirees Christmas Luncheon on Thursday, Dec. 13, beginning at 11:30 a.m. For information or to RSVP, please call the union hall.

Local 46 is committed to "Staying IBEW Strong," growing our membership and advancing the first objective of the IBEW Constitution, to organize all electrical workers.

Local 46 had a total membership of 5,500, including 1,181 apprentices, at the end of September. Our local has added 843 new members since the beginning of 2016 — that is a net membership increase of 18 percent! Our public-sector members are staying IBEW strong! Since the misguided Janus decision, we have lost one member and our local has only one "agency fee payer." Local 46's organizing efforts have generated over half of the new members. Our outreach to unrepresented electrical workers takes many forms, including: job-site visits, job fairs, signage, advertising, door-knocking campaigns, and our Associate Membership educational program.

Local 46 continues to have more work than our members can staff. We need travelers! If you are interested in working out of Local 46, please take the necessary steps to get your state of Washington journey-level electrician certificate before you come out. Washington does not reciprocate with any other state, and there are no temporary electrical licenses. If you have completed an IBEW apprenticeship, getting approved for testing is quick and simple. Please contact us and we will assist you with getting your Washington state license.

Warren Shill, V.P.

L.U. 48 (c,em,i,rtb,rts,st&tm), PORTLAND, OR — In the Pacific Northwest, work is better than it has been in years and it doesn't look to be slowing down anytime soon. We have had a walk-through for a couple of months now and reportedly more large projects will be starting soon, ensuring that there will be plenty of work for everyone for quite a while.

Our organizing department has been talking to and recruiting record numbers of unrepresented workers to help us complete this work, but non-union contractors have responded to our efforts by raising wages, offering additional benefits, and other "pot-sweeteners" in efforts to retain their workforce. One large non-union contractor has even taken to offering more money on the check than our base wage, but none have come close to matching the pay and benefits of our IBEW signatory contractors.

A wage increase of $3 to over $69 per hour total package on Jan. 1, 2019, plus potential incentive pay that may start soon, should assist our organizing department in organizing more electrical workers to help Local 48 staff this work. We are expecting a mild winter and travelers are always welcome!

Ray Lister, B.R.

L.U. 60 (i), SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS — Local 60 celebrated 125 years on Saturday, July 21, 2018. The local was chartered July 22, 1893.

Being in a right-to-work state since 1947 shows resilience, dedication and determination, which allowed us to reach this milestone.

We will continue to move forward as an organization and strive for excellence for the next 125 years.

We extend our thanks to all who attended the celebration, including Int. Sec.-Treas. Kenneth W. Cooper, Seventh District Int. Vice Pres. Steven M. Speer, numerous political guests and business managers.

Most importantly, special appreciation goes to those who came before us and to all of the current membership at IBEW Local 60 who made this celebration possible. With a showing of more than 600 guests, I believe we had a huge success in continuing to keep this Brotherhood at its finest. Thank you all for coming out!

Paul Garza, B.M./F.S.

L.U. 68 (i), DENVER, CO — Greetings, brothers and sisters. Local 68 held its annual picnic on Aug. 18. It was well-attended — approximately 550 members and their families participated. This year the weather started out a little rough, with rain and strong wind gusts, but the storm moved out quickly and we were able to proceed. I thank all those who donated gifts for the door-prize giveaways. And a big thanks to all the volunteers who helped to make the picnic a success.

Organizing efforts have not slowed since the last writing. For the months of August and September, a combined total of 78 new members received the "oath of obligation." We welcomed 40 new members in August, and 38 new members in September. The work continues!

I would like to take this opportunity to bid a fond farewell and extend congratulations and much-deserved thanks to former Asst. Bus. Agent Jim Perizzolo, who recently retired. Thank you for your hard work and dedication, Bro. Perizzolo, and enjoy your retirement!

We extend deepest sympathy to the families of our recently deceased brothers and sisters: Kathy Corona, Keith B. Wilson, Gary J. Mesch and Randy B. Casados.

Morgan J. Buchanan, Pres.

L.U. 80 (i&o), NORFOLK, VA — When Whiting-Turner company needed an electrical contractor to complete the utility upgrades at the Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital, the firm looked to Blackwater Electric.

In May 2017, the project supervisor was Bro. Richard Durham, a 22-year member of the IBEW. The task was not small and had several challenges along the way. On paper, it was the construction of a new central utility plant (CUP) located at the rear of the building.

The objective was to keep all electrical, communications, fire alarm and utilities in operation while installing the new 12,000-amp service and its conduit systems from the old electrical rooms. Apart from the Internal Conduit Systems installed, there needed to be a Conduit Rack System with seismic supports designed to withstand the weight of 100 rigid galvanized conduits and their associated conductors outside the building footprint.

These systems would support the hospital's needs for normal power and the addition of three new 800-kW generators for emergency power.

The Central Utility Plant is scheduled to go online in late December 2018. The job has been steadily worked by 20 electrical workers with moderate overtime. Once the CUP is energized, the final phase will be to demo four generators, the service tie breaker, panel boards and conduit systems.

In other news, Local 80's Annual Oyster Roast on Oct. 12 was a great success as always. At September's union meeting, we awarded over 100 IBEW service pins for service ranging from 20-70 years. The work picture has slowed somewhat but is expected to improve soon with a new Wegmans grocery store, along with numerous jobs on the Navy base in Norfolk.

Wil Morris, A.B.M.

L.U. 102 (em,govt,i,mt,o&ws), PATERSON, NJ — On July 21, Local 102 hosted its fifth annual Bike Rally & Cruise In. This event has quickly become a member favorite as our brothers and sisters come together to help those in need. Each year 100 percent of the net proceeds go directly to a local charity. Daytop NJ was this year's deserving recipient of over $36,000.

Daytop New Jersey has a long and successful history of meeting the needs of adolescents, adults and families struggling with the disease of addiction and its effects by providing a continuum of treatment services including residential treatment for adolescents, outpatient treatment for adolescents and adults, recovery-based day school for students in grades 6-12, and a halfway house for adult women.

At Local 102 we know that addiction does not discriminate. It touches each of us in some way. Over the past year we've seen some of our own members lose their battle with addiction. Take the time to educate yourself on the signs of addiction and take the steps to help someone. If you need help, ask! For the brothers and sisters of Local 102, remember that you can always call CONCERN at 1-800-242-7371.

Bernie Corrigan, Pres.

L.U. 124 (ees,em,i,mar,rts,se,spa&t), KANSAS CITY, MO — Sometimes a friendly reminder helps: Unions are important because they help set the standards for education, skill levels, wages, working conditions, and quality of life for workers.

Of course, we also know how unions gained us the weekend, child-labor laws, better wages, retirement and many other benefits.

These are all known facts, so it is very hard to explain the support for anti-labor politicians from union households. Reportedly, 42 percent of union households voted for Trump. There are more than 68 Trump-appointed judges currently, and that number is growing. Most of these labor-hating judges get a lifetime appointment. Don't be fooled about their agenda, it's not to help the working class.

Elections have consequences. Union labor will always fight for the betterment of working-class people, but that fight is much more difficult and expensive when the courts are stacked against us.

Work in our jurisdiction is still slow. Thanks to surrounding locals, our members have work opportunities.

Steven Morales, P.S.

L.U. 134 (catv,em,govt,i,mt,rtb,rts,spa&t), CHICAGO, IL — On Sunday, Aug. 5, IBEW Local 134 hosted its inaugural fundraiser "Boxing for Brotherhood."

This event consisted of 10 bouts of amateur boxing, which paired area fighters competing against fighters from Ireland and England. We even had one of our own apprentices compete, and he didn't disappoint, walking away victorious.

The event was a huge success and each bout was highly competitive. The turnout was amazing, very well-attended by our membership and their families and friends. This event was made possible by our electrical contractors and all our friends of the electrical industry.

Proceeds from the event will be donated to our Chicago Federation of Labor Delegates Scholarship Fund. This scholarship fund began in 2017 and provides scholarships to Local 134 members' children who apply and qualify. Thus far, this scholarship fund has awarded scholarships to over 30 students. Great to see true brotherhood in action!

Kevin Connolly, R.S.

L.U. 150 (es,i,rts&spa), WAUKEGAN, IL — As the year 2018 closes out, we have enjoyed some nice social events for our membership. As always, we had our local family picnic this summer. It is open to all our members, spouses and children with lots of food, drinks and games for both the kids and the adults.

We also had our annual golf outing in September with a great day of weather and golf. The venue was new this year, but it was wonderful. The staff couldn't have been more accommodating and the food for the golfers was excellent. As always, there were lots of prizes for everyone.

If you've never attended any of the Local 150 social events, please consider doing so next year. It is a good way to meet other members outside of work in a cordial setting and even learn a bit more about them as people and their families too!

This past year we lost the following members: Roy Flood, Dan Vetter, Jim Behof, Gil Glader, Allen Maatta, Nick Ford and Dick Bouma. We thank them for their years of service on behalf of IBEW Local 150 and wish them Godspeed.

Best wishes to all for a great year in 2019.

Wendy J. Cordts, P.S.

L.U. 158 (i,it,mar,mt&spa), GREEN BAY, WI — As of this writing Local 158 is very busy with work. We are manning up for an outage at Point Beach Nuclear Plant. We have just starting work at running temporary power to feed an existing paper machine so that work can move forward next year on a new paper machine and boiler house and other ancillary work at Green Bay Packaging. Our contractors have also acquired work at OSMS Surgery Center, Curative Connections Facilities, Menards and STEM Innovation Center for Brown County at the University of Wisconsin Green Bay. More projects on the way.

As this went to press, November midterm elections were fast approaching. Our local has been busy working to help elect our state candidates. We have attended many functions and fundraisers. We held our own fundraiser at our union hall and training center on Sept. 24. Public officials and state candidates who visited our offices during the recent election cycle included: Wisconsin state Sen. Caleb Frostman; Kyle Welton, candidate for state Senate; Staush Gruszynski, candidate for the state Assembly; Tom Sieber, candidate for the state Assembly; state Sen. Dave Hansen; state Rep. Eric Genrich, who announced plans to run for mayor of Green Bay in 2019; Lee Snodgrass, state Senate candidate; Josh Kaul, candidate for state Attorney General; Beau Liegeois, candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives; and a few others who attended our fundraiser. [Editor's Note: November election results were not yet available at press time.]

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin visited our training center to talk about apprenticeship with one of our apprenticeship classes, and she even learned to bend a little conduit.

Donald C. Allen, B.M.

L.U. 164 (c,em,i,o&t), JERSEY CITY, NJ — On Sept. 10 this year, IBEW Local 164 JATC held the official grand opening ceremony for our new training center addition. It was a proud moment for our local and the culmination of a lot of hard work by many. In attendance were many members of Local 164 as well as our sister locals, Int. Pres. Lonnie R. Stephenson, Int. Sec.-Treas. Kenneth Cooper, NECA Pres. David Long, as well as New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who graciously came out to help us celebrate this advancement in IBEW training.

Built union-proud, our new training center wing greatly enhances the ability of our instructors to provide high-quality, cutting edge training to our membership. Some of the training available: confined space operations, including medium-voltage splicing, rigging and hoisting, wire-pulling, conduit-bending, NFPA 70E training, and lockout/tagout on a mock 800-amp service.

Bus. Mgr. Dan Gumble, Pres. Tom Sullivan, Training Dir. Rich Paredes and the JATC board members would like to thank all involved for helping make our new training center wing a reality. We at the training center look forward to continuing to provide our members with the training they need to continue to meet the needs of our contractors and their customers.

Warren Becker, V.P.

L.U. 234 (i&mt), CASTROVILLE, CA — We are pleased to recognize the efforts of the women in our local workforce. Acknowledging the service of a couple of them here can help put perspective on what our members do in addition to their work building high-quality electrical installations. For example, member B.J. Heading, who in addition to ably serving as a steward for the largest solar project in our local, has also represented us at numerous Women in Construction conferences. Sister Heading, thank you for your efforts.

Executive Board member Gale Michalek attended the Western Regional Summer Institute on Union Women (SIUW), sponsored by the UC Berkeley Labor Center, held in July at Sonoma State University. In addition to a full schedule of coursework devoted to leadership skills development, Sister Michalek with many others actively participated in a successful labor action. They picketed the local Hyatt hotel to present a petition to management on behalf of the working staff seeking improved working conditions, pay and benefits. Although it was a very hot northern California day when management came out, greeted them, and willingly accepted their petition, everyone was relieved and thrilled for this outcome. Thank you to all the participating SIUW women and especially you, Sister Michalek.

Stephen Slovacek, P.S.

L.U. 236 (catv,ees,govt,i,mo,rtb&t), ALBANY, NY — On June 1, the membership elected Michael Mastropietro as the new business manager to lead Local 236. We are confident he will bring Local 236 members together and continue to advance our standard of excellence. Congratulations to all who were elected and thanks to the nominees for their desire to advance our local.

On Aug. 11 we had our annual golf outing. Thank you to all who attended, and congratulations to the winning foursome.

Sept. 7 was the Labor Day parade held in downtown Albany. There was a great showing of solidarity and pride among organized labor.

On Sept. 8, we had our annual steak bake, attended by members and retirees. It was great to see old friends getting together and having a good time.

Our work picture this past summer was good, and we thank Book 2 for helping us with the work load. The work outlook has slowed at the time of this writing, but we have some large projects on the horizon.

Remember, your involvement is our local's true show of strength and solidarity.

Joe Hlat, A.B.M./P.S.

L.U. 280 (c,ees,em,es,i,mo,mt,rts&st), SALEM, OR — We had a long, hot and busy summer here in Oregon, with a record amount of work. At press time, winter is about to close in on us, but the work shows no sign of slowing down. We have a large data center project in Prineville, with more on the drawing board. Manpower was dribbling in for that project, but when the three contractors on-site added $100 per diem, the floodgates opened! At press time, we have 200-plus members on the job, with word that there's a possibility of doubling that number.

The rest of our local is hopping as well, except for the Eugene market. However, two fast-paced jobs on the University of Oregon campus are breaking ground, which should give that area a much-needed shot in the arm.

Local 280 has record membership numbers, both for journeymen and apprentices, and we are still organizing like crazy!

Our Local 280 Annual Picnic, held Sept. 8, was well-attended by members and their families. Matt Wolfe won a Traeger Grill and generously donated it to be raffled off again. This act of kindness raised $2,600 for two Central Oregon members in medical distress.

Tim Justis, P.S.

L.U. 302 (i,rts&spa), MARTINEZ, CA — Thanks to everyone who came out for Local 302's annual Old Timers Dinner Sept. 7. There was a turnout of over 200 and everyone had a great time. We were delighted to present Donald Burkhart, Allen Dumont, Sammy Kempner and William Wise with their IBEW 65-year pins. Kirk Ferreira accepted the service pin for his deceased father, Clyde Ferreira.

Sixty-year pin recipients were: retired Ninth District international vice president and former Local 302 business manager S.R. "Jack" McCann, Jack Mecklenberg, Fred Merritt and Warren Smith. Congratulations to all our longstanding members on their years in the industry and their dedication to our trade!

As the demographics of our local change, we rely on our seasoned members more and more to teach our incoming apprentices and newly organized brothers and sisters what Local 302 is about: craftsmanship, dependability, safety and brotherhood.

We look forward to seeing everyone at next year's dinner!

Melissa Vaughn, P.S.

L.U. 340 (i,rts&spa), SACRAMENTO, CA — We moved into our new business offices and union hall in mid-August. We held our first membership meeting at the new facility on Sept. 5. Due to our ongoing and very coordinated organizing efforts, Pres. Mark Steelman had the honor of swearing in over 70 new members that evening.

As I looked out over the crowd of these members, I shared and witnessed a lot of pride, not only pride in the new building that Local 340 purchased but also pride in the direction Local 340 continues to move. I received great positive comments from the rank-and-file members attending the meeting, and many of the new members came up to me to say thank-you for the opportunity to join the IBEW. They said they really felt that, by taking the oath of membership that evening, they were a part of IBEW Local 340 history being made.

This has been a very good year for the members of Local 340. Work has been plentiful, and we are looking at another good year ahead in 2019.

On behalf of all Local 340 members, officers and business office staff, we wish you and your families a great holiday season as well as success and great health in the new year!

Robert D. Ward, B.M.

L.U. 342 (i,lctt&o), WINSTON-SALEM, NC — On Sept. 1, IBEW Local 342 celebrated Labor Day at Triad Park in Kernersville, NC. The Executive Board was charged as the picnic committee and they did a great job. We had a good turnout including a lot of retired members. Kathy Manning, then-candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 13th Congressional District, was also there to help us celebrate. We enjoyed some fine North Carolina-style pork barbecue, and the Executive Board grilled hot dogs and hamburgers.

Retired member Ray Conrad handed out checks to apprentices for union meeting attendance to help pay for their books. The James Ray Conrad Education Fund was set up in honor of Ray's father and brother, who were also IBEW members, to compensate members for completion of college courses to further their education. It was a great time and good to see everyone.

Work currently is going well with various small projects making up most of the work. At this writing, ABCO South is finishing up a project at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. We are excited to get work there, and they are hopeful for more projects in the future. The Wyndham Open Golf Championship at Sedgefield Country Club was a success. We thank IBEW Local 1200 and CBS for the opportunity to assist with that event.

Thanks to the traveling brothers and sisters who have helped us man our work in the past. It's nice to return the favor. As always, remember to register and vote in any upcoming elections and support your COPE!

Robert Cook, P.S.

L.U. 364 (catv,ees,em,es,i,mt,rts&spa), ROCKFORD, IL — The work picture remains strong for IBEW Local 364 and its members going into the winter months. The Mercy Hospital project is winding down with an expected January grand opening. But as one project ends, several others have begun, including the new addition to Swedish American Hospital's main campus at a cost of $126 million, as well as the beginning of two wind-farm projects, and a 650,000-square-foot building by Berner Foods, to name a few of the projects already underway.

The Byron power plant outage was a success again, and we would like to thank all the traveling brothers and sisters who have helped us man work, not only on this project but also going forward into 2019.

We also congratulate all our new inside apprentices, who were sworn in at the September meeting. The new first-year inside apprentices are: Nathan Asbury, Brian Casey, Conley Creton, Job Israel, Daniel Kite, Jacob Laskonis, Monica Musselman, Jordan Pendzinski, Connor Rice, Andrew Ritter, Shane Ryczek and Ezequias Sanchez; and the new first-year residential apprentice is Seth Jones. (See accompanying photo.)

We wish all of you years of safe and successful work. Welcome to the IBEW!

Brad Williams, P.S.

L.U. 400 (es,i&o), ASBURY PARK, NJ — On Sept. 18, Bus. Mgr. Robert Shimko held the local's annual Apprentice Orientation night. All commercial apprentices and CE/CW trainees attended. For the new apprentices and trainees, it was a good introduction to the values and expected standards of excellence held by the IBEW and Local 400. As for the more experienced apprentices, it was a positive reinforcement that they have grown accustomed to, as they move closer to graduating to journeyman wiremen.

Representatives from Brookdale Community College were invited to speak to the group about the school's new Technical Studies associate degree program. The curriculum is something that Brookdale and Local 400 have been working hand in hand on for some time. The degree would be a combination of the credits earned during a five-year apprenticeship along with the necessary classes from the college. Participating students would be required to enroll in classes at the college that will help them excel within the electrical industry. Examples of classes that would be available include project management, estimating, CAD drawing and construction business studies. The combination of an IBEW apprenticeship and a degree in technical studies will help to take IBEW representation not only to the men and women in the field building the projects, but also to those designing, estimating and managing them.

Scott Clayton, P.S.

L.U. 530 (i,o&rtb), SARNIA, ONTARIO, CANADA — Local 530 wishes all IBEW members and their families a merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous new year!

September 3 saw the Sarnia and District Labour Council host our Annual Labour Day Parade and once again Local 530 had a strong showing. Sarnia's parade is the third largest in Canada, which is quite an achievement. After the parade all members and their families were welcomed at The Polish Hall for food and refreshments.

With the Christmas season rapidly approaching, we are again collecting non-perishable goods for donation to the Inn of the Good Sheppard. We have all enjoyed a successful year and this is our chance to help the less fortunate.

At the time of this early fall writing, our new union hall is undergoing a complete renovation. As of this writing, Oct. 23 was the set date for opening our new union hall. The new building is located at 128 Kendal St., in Point Edward and offers more storage, office space and a huge training area.

We thank our travelling brothers and sisters who are helping us man our jobs during our current stint with full employment.

Local 530 is saddened by the recent passing of Bro. Jack McLennan.

Al Byers, P.S.

L.U. 558 (catv,em,i,lctt,mt,o,rtb,rts,spa&u), SHEFFIELD, AL — Greetings, brothers and sisters.

On Sept. 3 this year, IBEW Local 558 proudly participated in the Labor Day Rally hosted by the Shoals Central Labor Council in Spring Park in Tuscumbia, AL. Reportedly the "nation's longest continuing Labor Day rally in North America," this event has taken place every year since the early 1920s. The Labor Day parade this year was the largest we have had in many years, and we thank everyone for their support and participation.

Our work picture has been good for the year 2018. At the time of this writing, the fall outage at the TVA Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant was nearing successful completion.

In recent months, several contracts have been negotiated and ratified, including contracts with: URS Federal Services Inc., Aetos Systems Inc., Aerie Aerospace LLC, and the Packaging Corporation of American.

Congratulations to the lineman graduating class of 2018, pictured in the accompanying photo along with instructors. We had seven lineman apprentices to graduate this year. The Outstanding Lineman Apprentice of the Year was Lucas Wesley Richardson, from the Florence Electric Department.

We send our best wishes to everyone for a merry Christmas and prosperous new year.

Tony Quillen, Pres./A.B.M.

L.U. 606 (em,es,i,rtb,spa&u), ORLANDO, FL — This past October, longtime member Bob Bartlett retired after a distinguished career with Local 606.

Bob entered the apprenticeship in 1968, joined the local in 1970 and graduated the apprenticeship in 1972. For his first 22 years in the local, Bob worked in the construction unit and then for the next 26 years worked for Reedy Creek Utilities at Walt Disney World. In the 48 years Bob was a member of Local 606, he was an officer of the local for 45 of those years on the Executive Board serving every business manager of Local 606 except the very first one. We at the local are very appreciative of Bob's years of service and will miss his guidance and experience on the Executive Board. We wish him well in his much-deserved retirement.

Work continues to be good in the jurisdiction, and we are aggressively organizing nonunion electricians.

Fernando Rendon, P.S.

L.U. 692 (i,mt&spa), BAY CITY, MI — It's not something we really think about as much at this time of year as we do in the summer months, but dehydration can sneak up on you in the winter also, so be sure to drink plenty of fluids.

Be sure to wear proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and use your equipment in the manner for which it was designed. On all accounts, make sure you also look out for our apprentices. We are all in this together so be safe, brothers and sisters.

On a separate note, congratulations to the newest apprenticeship graduates of 2018. Their hard work and determination have led them to a bright new future.

It is with regret that we report the death of retired Bro. Gerald Dishaw, who passed away Sept. 22, 2018. He will be missed.

James Hunt, P.S.

L.U. 702 (as,c,catv,cs,em,es,et,govt,i,it,lctt,mo,mt,o,p, pet,ptc,rtb,rts,se,
spa,st,t,u,uow&ws), WEST FRANKFORT, IL — We celebrated Labor Day with a blowout gathering at Rent One Park in Marion, IL. Over 4,000 union members and their families came together for a day of food, fun and fellowship, capping the night off with a live band and a fireworks display.

Solidarity Fund Drawing winners were selected at the Labor Day celebration and are as follows: $25,000 prize winner - Ms. Pam Ellis; $10,000 - Egyptian Building Trades; $5,000 - Jack McNeely; and $1,000 each won by Adam Robinson, Hunter Malone, Lindell Fitch, Josiah Sullivan and Myron Choisser. Many thanks to all who purchased and/or helped sell tickets to make this another successful effort!

At the time of this writing, we are working tirelessly with our members and volunteers to elect Bus. Rep. Jason Woolard to the Illinois state House of Representatives from the 117th District. Labor could not have a better candidate or friend in Jason, and we are proud to be associated with him and his campaign. [Editor's Note: At press time, November election results were not yet available.]

Finally, our Lineman Training Facility is nearing completion. A ton of credit and appreciation goes to Bro. Scott Kerley for all his work and diligence in bringing this vision to reality.

As of this writing, our referral books are as follows: Inside Construction — 79; Outside Construction — 19; and Line Clearance — 7.

Mark Baker, B.R.

L.U. 716 (em,i,lctt,rts&spa), HOUSTON, TEXAS — I hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving. At Local 716, we are thankful for the local unions that have put our traveling members to work.

With the midterm elections over, we are thankful for the actions of our members who participated in our "get-out-the-vote" effort. This was a first-time experience for many of our members; hopefully we are realizing just how important our actions are and how we can affect the political process. We thank all our members and their families who are exercising their right to vote.

We recently had our Children's Christmas Party, and everyone had a good time. We appreciate all the members who helped decorate the hall, fill candy bags and helped to serve the 400-plus children of our members. We also thank the members who stayed after the children's party to set up for the party for the adults that night. We appreciate those who donated for the door prizes. Finally, we appreciate the members who helped serve refreshments.

Unfortunately, we have some bad news to report: Our 70-year IBEW represented Siemens plant is closing, affecting 143 members and their families.

David R. Alley, Pres.

L.U. 760 (i,lctt,o,rts,spa&u), KNOXVILLE, TN — Congratulations to all those who received their IBEW years-of-service pins in 2018.

The dedication and leadership of our brothers and sisters are of vital importance to our membership. "No man was ever so completely skilled in the conduct of life, as not to receive new information from age and experience," as writer Jonathon Swift so elegantly stated. Much can be learned from our more-experienced generation. Their wisdom and experience shared with our younger brothers and sisters will only make us stronger in the future. Thank you to all for your service.

Jason Leary, A.B.M./Organizer

L.U. 776 (i,o,rts&spa), CHARLESTON, SC — By the time you read this, we will all have had our Thanksgiving food drives and be in the middle of our Christmas Toys for Tots drives! Our Southern Santa, Ric Meyer, is once again in charge. If ever Santa had an apprentice, it's Ric!

We have made some modest renovations at the union hall improving our looks and function. Our new curriculum and training program for journeyman wiremen and everyone else is going strong. It's great to see so much interest in education. Many people don't realize it, but being an electrician is akin to being a doctor in that there is a great deal of specialization and no one person can know all there is to know about the craft. You are never too old to learn new skills.

Finally, a word about a touchy subject: politics. We have an obligation to tell others in a gentle yet convincing way about the situation in our government today. We need to be a counter to some of the erroneous information that is being spread by certain anti-union entities. It's one thing to hear a college professor or a politician give a speech or a talk, but it's a powerful thing to hear words from a working man or woman. Try to talk to your neighbors and your young people in the gentle but persuasive way as a working person. You'd be surprised how much weight your words can carry when the listener looks down and sees your steel-toed boots.

Andy Weiner, P.S.

L.U. 968 (catv,i,mt,o,rts,spa&t), PARKERSBURG, WV — IBEW Local 968 held its annual picnic Aug. 11 at the Nemesis Shrine Building with food catered by Tasteful Occasions. Thanks to Boy Scout Troop 129, their leader Allen Lloyd (a Local 968 member), and his wife, Denise, the kids enjoyed a variety of games and activities. Caleb "Bud" Maston and Mark Holbert won the corn-hole tournament. Members Lorne Mills and Bill Meredith came in second place. Bingo was played throughout the afternoon with lots of gift cards going to the winners.

Accompanying this article is a group picture of the retirees in attendance for the 2018 Local 968 picnic.

Bro. Jess Blair II received his 20-year IBEW service award, and Bro. Woody Burns received his retiree watch. Congratulation to these members.

We regret to report the passing of retirees Bobby Anderson and Augusta "Jack" Blue. Also passing away after brief illness were members Greg Whaley and David Williamson. Our brothers will be missed but not forgotten.

Lynford C. Lovell, B.M.

L.U. 1116 (em,lctt&u), TUCSON, AZ — Please join IBEW Local 1116 in congratulating Kristopher George for completing the Quality Control Damage Investigators Program at Tucson Electric Power Company.

Kris is a third-generation member of our local. Kris's mother, Jennifer Necas, is a journeyman designer, and his grandfather is former Local 1116 business manager and now-retired international representative Joe Carl. Damage investigators are responsible for monitoring our "blue stake" contractors to ensure that work is done properly, and that they are in compliance with Arizona state statutes. They also perform "blue stake" in controlled areas that are not accessible to contractors. Congratulations, Kris!

As the holidays approach, it is easy to get distracted. Stay aware of your surroundings and leave the phone alone when you're driving. If you're shopping for the season, remember to buy American-made as much as possible. If you plan to celebrate the season with cocktails, please designate a driver. Local towing companies often offer free towing to get you and your vehicle home safely.

The local's leadership wishes you and your families a wonderful holiday season and a bright new year. I will close with this quote from Charles Dickens: "The year-end brings no greater pleasure than the opportunity to express to you season's greetings and good wishes. May your holidays and new year be filled with joy."

Sharon Williams, P.S.

L.U. 1340 (i&o), NEWPORT NEWS, VA — Local 1340 is proud to announce the election of Bro. Jason Parker, who recently served as assistant business manager of our local, to the office of president of Virginia State Building and Construction Trades Council. Bro. Parker began his term on Oct. 1 and brings his experience and skills to a new position to advance and defend the rights of workers and their families. Best wishes to him in this new journey!

Local 1340 held its 75th Anniversary Banquet at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News on Oct. 6. Photos of the festivities are available on our website.

Local 1340 is sad to announce the passing of Bros. Carl Murphy and Jesse Owens. Bro. Murphy was a longtime supervisor for H.P. Foley Co., and Bro. Owens was retired from the maintenance unit at NASA Langley Research Center.

Special thanks to all locals that continue to employ our traveling brothers and sisters across the country!

James Avery, P.S.

L.U. 1924 (mo&u), FERNANDINA BEACH, FL — We have elected our negotiating committee at Local 1924 for the Rayonier property negotiations.

At the time of this writing, negotiations were scheduled to begin as early as November of this year with hopes for a good contract by May 1, 2019. The Local 1924 negotiating committee is as follows: Bus. Mgr./Pres. Kevin James, Rec. Sec. Jake Mottayaw, Damon Rowland and Ron Patton (alternate). Best of luck to you, brothers! In solidarity!

Jose Luis Perez, P.S.

RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 1, ST. LOUIS, MO — Holiday greetings to all. Well, it's probably cold outside by December. Don't stay home; get out and do something.

The Labor Day parade and barbecue afterward were great. It's always fun to see members I've worked with and compare memories about jobs long over, and to talk with others who are still working. It also makes me happy for retirement.

I hope everyone went to the Health Fair. The report on the blood work alone is amazing.

As I write this in early fall, I pray that we all learned from the long fight to rid Missouri of the anti-worker right-to-work law and vote for labor-friendly representatives.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year.

Neal McCormack, P.S.

RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 3, NEW YORK, NY, NORTH NEW JERSEY CHAPTER — Greetings! As of this writing, we're enjoying a beautiful fall season in our area. We had a great summer and enjoyed our annual picnic at Kruckers Picnic Grove, and the weather cooperated too!

For our trip out to the Long Island Educational Center in August, initially the weather was not so cooperative. We traveled out in a torrential downpour, but after we checked in the skies brightened and the sun was shining during our entire visit! We had a great time together and as always enjoyed the educational sessions, our potluck dinner, and barbecue nights. And of course, the sights and sounds of the North Fork!

We enjoyed our fall luncheon at La Terrazza Restaurant and are looking forward to our December Gala holiday celebration at Seasons. Plans are in the works for some fun activities and trips in 2019!

Happy holidays to all!

John Krison, P.S.

RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 3, NEW YORK, NY, SUFFOLK CHAPTER — We traveled to the Long Island Educational Center on Monday, Aug. 6. We were welcomed by our Pension Dir. Maureen Steiger. On Tuesday morning after breakfast, we attended an informative seminar presented by Judy Blades, who moved us into the 21st century by providing useful information about our phones and computers. We can access the Joint Industry Board website to get exercise programs and diet information on healthy life styles. On Wednesday morning a helpful seminar was given by nutritionist Erica Vinas. Both speakers can be reached at our union medical department.

Club Chmn. Richard Duva gave closing remarks on Thursday morning. He reminded us about the Labor Day parade and encouraged us to participate. We must stay politically active and support labor-friendly political candidates.

At our September meeting, Chmn. Duva called the meeting to order and asked for all reports. Jim Joust reported on our end-of-summer barbecue. Jim is also starting to make plans for next year. John Schoenig reported on our Holiday Party scheduled for Dec. 5, 2018. John also discussed our Toys for Tots Drive, and he asked the members to bring new, unwrapped toys to our meeting. Harvey Goldman spoke about our Annual Food Drive to benefit Long Island Cares. Chmn. Duva also spoke about some of the trips we are planning and reported that we would have a guest speaker at our October 2018 meeting.

Harvey Goldman, P.S.

RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 3, NEW YORK, NY, WESTCHESTER / PUTNAM CHAPTER — On Sept. 8 this year, members from the IBEW Local 3, Westchester/Putnam Chapter, Retirees Club participated in New York City's Labor Day parade in Manhattan. In attendance were officers of the IBEW, Local 3, and the Joint Industry Board.

The Labor Day parade is an opportunity for organized labor to join forces in a show of solidarity. Local 3 has, historically, been the largest and most impressive group to march. With all the affiliated clubs and divisions marching, Local 3 makes a great impression, especially when the 100-plus Harleys come rolling by.

This year, we were honored to have IBEW Int. Pres. Lonnie R. Stephenson joining Local 3 Bus. Mgr. Christopher Erikson in leading our group.

The IBEW parade contingent is shown in the accompanying photo. Marching in the first row, left to right, are: Barbara Ineson; Bus. Rep. Christopher Erikson Jr.; young Madeline Erikson (in stroller); Kim Baker; Sr. Exec. Asst. to the International Officers Brian A. Baker; IBEW Int. Pres. Lonnie R. Stephenson; Dawn Stephenson; Denise Erikson; Local 3 Bus. Mgr. Christopher Erikson; Local 3 Pres. John Marchell; NYS Employee Conference Chmn. Keith Meringolo; Local 3 Sr. Asst. Bus. Mgr. Raymond Melville; and chairman of the Joint Industry Board, Dr. Gerald Finkel.

Dick Mills, Treas.

RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 35, HARTFORD, CT — Hope everyone had a great summer!

Local 35 held its semiannual Retirees Recognition Dinner on Oct. 13 at U.S.S. Chowder Pot IV in Hartford. This event recognizes our members who have retired in the past two years. They are as follows: John E. Bailey, Alan E. Begin, Raymond D. Busch Jr., Jeffrey S. Darling, Gregory L. Everett, James A. Godin, Robert C. Kemp, Ernest H. Kent, Mark A. King, Henry B. Lauder Jr., James F. Lurate, John R. Lurate, Joseph A. Pacheco, Michael J. Philipp, David J. Popielarczyk, Robert Schmidt, Richard E. Smith and Stephen J. Szarkowicz. Best wishes for a happy and healthy retirement to them all.

Thanks to Local 35 for hosting our annual Retirees Club luncheon on Oct. 17. This event is always a great time for us to get together with our spouses and/or significant others to reminisce over old times and catch up on what is happening in one another's lives now.

Thanks to Dennis Machol, Retirees Club president, and retired member Charlie Rose for their involvement in the American Retirement Association. They help us to stay informed on issues that affect us as retirees.

Kenneth R. White, P.S.

RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 53, KANSAS CITY, MO — On Oct. 4 we held our Fall Retiree Luncheon. We had a great turnout and the food was excellent as usual. Thanks to Local 53 for hosting these luncheons. A big thank-you to the local for donating the gift cards for the drawings also. Wishing a speedy recovery to those who couldn't attend. We look forward to seeing you at the Spring Luncheon.

As most of you are probably aware, we were successful in defeating anti-worker "right to work," which was on the ballot in August. Thanks to everyone who worked so hard on this and to everyone who got their family, friends, neighbors and anyone else to get out and go to the polls to vote this down. We couldn't have done it without them. Sadly, I don't think this fight is over yet. We have to get these anti-worker politicians out of office!

Sad to report we lost another retiree, Billy Crabtree. Rest in peace, brother.

Just a reminder, we still have a small group of retirees who meet for lunch on the odd-numbered months at 11 a.m. at the Lumberyard Bar & Grill in Urich, Missouri. We welcome anyone who would like to join us.

Duane Pearce, P.S.

RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 60, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS — After a summer break, club members enjoyed a catered meal of barbecue pork steak with side dishes at their September meeting. After lunch was served, Pres. Coy Rogers re-opened the meeting. Club members voted on "Construct a Kids Christmas" for their upcoming holiday project. Gifts for children, up to age 18, were collected at the October and November meetings.

Bro. Gene Chamberlain, chairperson of the club's Golf Tournament fundraiser, informed club members that this event will be held at the Pleasanton golf course on May 4, 2019. Every year, the tournament grows bigger and better, and members expect the upcoming tournament to be the best one yet.

The Retired Members Club of Local 60 meets the second Thursday of each month at the Plumbers and Pipefitters training building, 3630 Belgium Lane, at 12 noon. Some meals are furnished by the club, and some are furnished by the members. At each meeting, a report is given in advance about what type of food will be served the following month and who will furnish it, so everyone will be prepared. Members enjoy 10 games of bingo after the meeting/luncheon, with modest cash prizes. Retired members of Local 60, please come and enjoy the company of your fellow brothers and sisters in the electrical trade.

Sandy Rogers, P.S.

RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 90, NEW HAVEN, CT — Well, 2018 is about over and the holidays are upon us.

On Oct. 4, Local 90 held its annual retirement dinner at the WoodWinds in Branford, CT. Twelve gentlemen were honored: Gregory Bellemare, Kenneth Berkmoes, Brian Burdacki, Daniel Calini, Dennis Cracraft, Anthony Delasota, David Hale, Richard Intravia, Howard Ross, John Schleifer, Thomas Smith, and Frederick Walton III. We congratulate these gentlemen and thank them for their years of IBEW service. We invite them to join our Retirees Club. The club meets the first Tuesday of each month (except July, August and December), at 2 North Plains Industrial Road, in Wallingford, CT, at 1:30 p.m.

At the time of this writing, the Local 90 Retirees Club was scheduled to hold its annual holiday luncheon for club members and their spouses on Tuesday, Dec. 4, at Fantasia, in North Haven, CT. This event is always a wonderful time with great food and good company. We thank our club officers and Rose Kirby for a job well-done.

We wish all IBEW members and their families a safe and happy holiday season, and a prosperous new year.

Richard Launder, P.S.

RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 105, HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA — We wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy new year! At this writing, we are all so looking forward to the Christmas events, one in Toronto with other locals, and another in Hamilton at Michelangelo's with our own members. Good times, good people and great camaraderie!

In the fall, we enjoyed a trip to the Mandarin (all you can eat Chinese Food buffet), a trip to Octoberfest in Kitchener, and a beautiful three-day stay in Niagara Falls!

A reminder that euchre and bowling started in September and will run until June — always lots of fun! To become a Local 105 Retirees Club member, you must be 55 years or older and the fee is $25 a year, well worth the price of admission!

Remember our motto: Don't Wait — Participate! Please remember, what we have and all of our events are all made possible by our hard-working local members and Executive Board, past and present. Our sincerest thanks to each one of you!

Eden McLean, P.S.

RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 134, CHICAGO, IL — As another year closes, I'd like to recap a few of our club's 2018 activities and events.

Our luncheon meeting in March was held at our new home at our IBEW Local 134 union hall at 2722 S Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Chicago. At the March meeting, we elected our club officers and board members.

For Memorial Day, our retired members placed a wreath at the Mount Emblem Cemetery to honor those who gave their lives so that we may be free.

In June, at our annual luncheon meeting, we honored 53 members for 50-70 years of service.

Our club also assists with the Annual Honor Flight Chicago program, through which we contribute to help fly our senior war veterans to Washington, D.C., where they visit the beautiful memorials and gardens and are honored for their service.

In September, several retirees attended the John Cummins Memorial Golf Outing. Also, this year our club attended four excellent plays, lunch included.

In December we have our Annual Holiday Party, and this year the party will also be a celebration of our club's 30th anniversary. Now we have 30 years of history behind our Local 134 Retirees Club, and we are all so proud to be a part of it.

Happy holidays to all!

Sue Kleczka, P.S.

RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 212, CINCINNATI, OHIO — 2019 will soon be upon us. A new year is always a good time to reflect on ourselves to see where we might make changes to improve our lives and relationships with others. A good place to start our self-examination is in our point of view. When we start feeling sorry for ourselves because of circumstances in our lives, know that there are many people in the world who would gladly change places with us, given the chance. All we have to do is open our eyes and look around.

We remember recently departed IBEW brothers: Leroy Landwehr, who was a 65-year IBEW member; Roger Curran, 62-year member; James McCracken, 58-year member; Jack Dumford, 56-year member; Carey Ellison, 41-year member; Michael Drees, 29-year member; and Raymond McCartney, 29-year member.

We celebrate our club members who recently received IBEW Service Pin Awards. Recent service-award recipients include: 60-year members — Dale Brunner, Noel Bruzina, Tom Lanter; 55-year member — Paul Kallmeyer; and 50-year members — Lester Hudson, Bob Rizzo and Mike Roma. Congratulations to all!

FYI — January is a perfect time to join the Retirees Club. Meetings are held the first Wednesday of every month, at 11 a.m., at the union hall in Sharonville.

Bob Schaefer, P.S.

RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 236, ALBANY, NY — On Oct. 9 this year, the IBEW Local 236 Retirees Club held their 44th Annual Luncheon at Treviso in the Italian American Center. The event was attended by over 62 retired members and their spouses. Guests included officers of Local 236 and their staff as well as the staff from Local 236 benefit funds.

Retirees Club Pres. Bob Jenne not only presided over the event but also was responsible for putting it together. The day was a huge success with great food and many stories of days gone by. Seeing and talking with the men and women who paved the road for our local's continued success was truly inspiring. Bob thanked the local for their continued generosity and support and was hopeful that next year's event will be even larger. Special thanks to the photographer, retiree Ken Hinkley.

John Mosher, Local 236 Pres.

RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 257, JEFFERSON CITY, MO — The Retirees Club met Tuesday, Sept. 25, at the American Legion in Jefferson City for our monthly luncheon. Also, on Saturday, Sept. 29, Local 257 hosted their annual picnic at Riverside Park in Jefferson City. There was a large turnout and, as always, the food was great and everyone enjoyed playing bingo and visiting with friends. Several of our club retirees were awarded service pins. Pin recipients included: 60-year member — Danny Melloway; 50-year members — David Brunk, Robert Evans, Ron Holzhauser, Larry Jones, Doyle Maupin; and 40-year member — Mark Gallatin.

The Retirees Club thanks the following:

• All the volunteers who assisted at the Skills USA Competition at Linn State Technical College on April 6. These volunteers have participated for many years and their help is greatly appreciated;
• All the retirees who helped with the Labor Day parade. Although it was a rainy day, everyone along the parade route enjoyed the candy that was given out. Also, a special thank-you to Jerry Rehagen for providing the truck and trailer used in the parade;
• And all those who donated their time and energy to get everyone out to defeat anti-worker "right-to-work" in Missouri. Right-to-work was successfully defeated by a margin of 2 to 1.

On a sad note, Mrs. Catherine Bruemmer (mother of Local 257 Bus. Mgr. Don Bruemmer, and mother and grandmother to several other Local 257 members) passed away Sept. 28. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire family.

Our Christmas luncheon will be Tuesday, Dec. 11.

Delores Melloway, P.S.

RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 353, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA — 2018 has been a successful, enjoyable year for our retirees with all the events planned by our social committee and guest speakers at our luncheons keeping everyone active and informed.

As of May 1, 2018, Local 353 Health & Welfare Plan trustees and working members approved increasing the Local 353 retiree death benefit from $10,000 to $20,000 and also now provides free travel insurance for 30 days to Local 353 retired members.

We are trying to establish an East Unit retirees group. The first barbecue was not a total success, with poor weather and not enough advertising notice. We will try again in 2019.

The North Unit, under the guidance of John Hawkins, continues to thrive and grow.

Plans for 2019 events are being finalized. At the time of this writing, plans were also underway for our Gala Annual Retirees Christmas Dinner/Dance on Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018. Invitations to the gala also were sent out to our sister Locals 105, 120, 303 and 804 — which should bring the number of gala attendees to around 700 again this year.

On behalf of Local 353 working and retired members, we extend to all IBEW members good wishes for a merry Christmas and a happy, healthy new year.

Robert Rynyk, P.S.

RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 443, MONTGOMERY, AL — Greetings from Local 443 retirees.

Our 2nd Annual Shrimp Boil was held at the union hall on Aug. 3 this year. It was a great time for members, spouses and friends. Thanks to Bros. Jerry Pittman and Dalvin Johnson for cooking and to all who helped and brought desserts.

After the meal, a pin ceremony was held honoring several brothers for their years of dedication to the union.

Our luncheons are held the first Friday of April, August and December, at 11 a.m. Come and share the good times with your brothers and sisters.

Gene Budraitis, Pres.

RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 530, SARNIA, ONTARIO, CANADA — Reporting on a glorious fall day in Lambton County.

We held 2018 elections at our September meeting. Ray Lucas was elected as our new club president, and Fred Sterling will continue to serve as secretary-treasurer.

George Mathieson, who served faithfully as our former president, stepped down due to health concerns. Thank you, George, from the membership for all the work you did on our behalf.

On Oct. 25, the Retirees Club held its first meeting at our new Local 530 IBEW union hall, located on Kendal Street, Point Edward. We were pleased to have at our convenience one of the new classrooms!

On a sad note, John "Jack" Robert Allan McLellan passed away Sept. 10 this year. Jack was a founding member of our club and served our president in years past. Jack received his 65-year service pin earlier this year. Jack was one of the main reasons for the continued success of our Retirees Club, and he will be greatly missed by all. Our condolences go out to Jack's wife, Jackie, and their family.

Merry Christmas and good wishes for a healthy 2019 to all journeymen and their families. Until next time.

Nancy Stinson Philbin, P.S.

RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 570, TUCSON, AZ — The Retirees Meeting/Luncheon was held Oct. 11. A catered luncheon was served. The food was excellent and enjoyed by all! A huge thank-you to Bus. Mgr. Chuck Grube and the members of Local 570 for sponsoring the lunch.

Congratulations to retired members and service-pin recipients: Bros. Rick George and Duane Ryberg (50-year members); Andrew Atkisson and Jack Duffy (55-year members); and Donald Sowle (60-year member).

We thank all the honorees for their longtime dedication and service to the IBEW and Local 570.

William Turner, Pres.

RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 611, ALBUQUERQUE, NM — Retirees attending the union meeting on July 21, 2018, included: Richard Sandoval, a 45-year member and past president; Kenny Vaughn, 60-year-service-award recipient; Tracy Hall, 48-year member and Retirees Club president; Andy Palmer — 50-year-service-award recipient and past business manager; Bennie Sandoval, 42-year member and retired Seventh District international representative.

Local 611 officers attending the July 21 meeting included: Bus. Mgr./Fin. Sec. Carl Condit, Pres. Ruben Romero, and Asst. Bus. Mgr./Rec. Sec. Santos Griego.

We extend our condolences to the family of retiree Overton Prather, who recently passed away.

Here's hoping everyone enjoys a merry Christmas and a happy new year! Let's all pray for unity and peace in 2019 and beyond.

Tracy Hall, Pres.

RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 702, WEST FRANKFORT, IL — The IBEW Local 702 Retirees Club met Thursday, Aug. 2, at Golden Corral in Carbondale, IL. Club Pres. Gary King opened the meeting and welcomed everyone. Minutes from the last meeting and the financial report were both read and approved. An announcement of deaths for June, July and August was read and a moment of silence was held.

Guests included Local 702 Inside Organizer Corey Jarrett, who gave a brief description of his job and explained the need for our Solidarity Fund and its drawing at the annual Labor Day picnic.

Under "old business," names were taken of those interested in a trip to the Henry Miller Museum in St. Louis.

Under "new business," Pres. King reminded everyone that the 2018 Labor Day picnic would be at Rent One Park in Marion, IL.

Bro. Darrell McClellan won the 50/50 drawing. A pocket knife donated by Carol and Jr. Marlow was won by Jim Lipe. The total deposit to be made was disclosed, and it was announced that the next meeting would be held at Bennie's in Marion on Oct. 4, 2018, at 11:30 a.m.

There being no further business, the August meeting was adjourned at
2 p.m.

Mark Baker, P.S.

RETIREES CLUB OF L.U. 995, BATON ROUGE, LA — Members enjoyed a Retirees Club Spring Luncheon joined by spouses. The attendance was good and so was the food.

At our last meeting, the club voted to have our Christmas luncheon the first Monday in December, at 11 a.m. Each couple is to bring one of the following dishes: vegetable, salad or dessert. The meat is to be furnished.

I hope each of our retirees will be able to attend the holiday luncheon. If I do not see you there, I want to wish you and your family a merry Christmas and a happy new year.

W. Roland Goetzman Sr., P.S.