L.U. 1 (as,c,ees,ei,em,es,et,fm,i,mt,rts,s,se,spa,st,w&ptc), ST. LOUIS, MO — We hope everyone is having a great fall and feels ready for the holidays. If you are traveling and helping man another local's work, be safe, and hopefully you will get some time off to spend with family during this holiday season.

My mind is starting to focus on the future, specifically a year from now when we will be choosing the person to lead our republic for four more years. I am old enough to remember the tax cuts of the Reagan administration and how retirement was adjusted from full retirement at 65 years of age to 67. Now, after the Trump tax cuts, there is earnest discussion by some to increase full retirement to age 72. What results may not be retirement at 72; maybe the compromise will be 69. Proposing an increase in full retirement age as a legislative solution means that full retirement is a focal point for these candidates and their agendas.

Elections matter. There are myriad reasons and opinions to be for or against someone. I ask that you be informed or get informed. Unions thrive when we have elected officials that listen and consider our point of view when developing policy and proposing legislation.

Kyle Hunter, P.S.

L.U. 11 (i,rts,spa&em), LOS ANGELES, CA — Congratulations to the negotiating team and members of our local for ratifying both the inside wireman and intelligent transportation agreements. The new contracts immediately raise wages, increase the equipment stipend and adjust shift start times. Both call for a $1.80 increase, with a $2 increase every six months for the remainder of the three-year contract.

This agreement could not have been reached without the outstanding participation of the membership of Local 11. From phone calls to demonstrations, they moved the employer's negotiating team toward a fair contract.

More than 3,000 members and their families came together under a picture-perfect Southern California blue sky for our annual Local 11 picnic. The festivities included face painting, rock climbing, horseshoe games, ax throwing, cigar bar and plenty of children encased in plastic bubbles ramming into each other at full speed. The picnic was a perfect snapshot of the diversity, individuality and fidelity that make Local 11 a true family.

Robert Corona, P.S.

L.U. 15 (u), DOWNERS GROVE, IL — On July 27, President/Business Manager Chris Riser; Vice President Ben Busser; Business Representative Brian Daniels; Kincaid Generation chief steward Bill Hawker; and Kincaid stewards Brad Kilver, Kenny Althoff and Timmy Brown negotiated a tentative collective bargaining agreement.

On Aug. 9, the was ratified by the membership at Kincaid Generating Station. Brothers Chris Riser, Ben Busser and Brian Daniels presented a rollout to the members, and the contract was approved with a 37-13 vote. Congratulations to the members at Kincaid station, who now have an agreement for five years starting Sept. 1.

John Richards, Bus. Rep.

L.U. 43 (em,i,rts), SYRACUSE, NY — Our local delivered checks on behalf of its membership to the United Way of Central New York, the Mohawk Valley and Greater Oswego County. The proceeds were presented at NBT Bank Stadium during our annual fireworks night at the Syracuse Mets baseball game.

Thank you, brothers and sisters, for giving back to the communities we live and work in!

Jeff Cassano, P.S.

L.U. 47 (lctt,mo,o,u&uow), DIAMOND BAR, CA — Greetings, brothers and sisters. Business Manager/Financial Secretary Colin Lavin accepted the Henry Miller Award at the Ninth District Progress Meeting. This award recognizes ongoing commitment to the organizing principles upon which the IBEW was founded. Congratulations, Brother Colin.

Here are our local's updates:

• With respect to Southern California Edison, arbitrator Nancy Huff issued her ruling in the three Saddleback discharge cases, ordering all three to be reinstated without back pay. The company has made a counteroffer on the system operator paragraph M.
• Mike Phillips demotion case was settled prior to arbitration with full reinstatement and $29K.
• Production specialists voted 69-42 in favor of representation.
• In the City of Anaheim-General case, we are going to a state mediator before we reach impasse.
• Negotiations continue with Professional Management Group. Part-time customer service is connected to the Anaheim General Group for economics.

Local 47's motorcycle run Sept. 23 was a huge success. The family Christmas party is Dec. 2, and we'll see you there.

We're sad to report the deaths of Terion Alexander, Luis Anton, Greg Fillpot, Dean Francisco, John Green, Robert McPherson and Shane Slaght. Our condolences and prayers are with their loved ones.

Work safe and buy union!

Mitch Smith, P.S.

L.U. 51 (catv,lctt,o,ptc,rtb,t,u&uow), SPRINGFIELD, IL — This past spring, legislation was introduced that would give our incumbent utilities the right of first refusal, or ROFR, to continue building federally required transmission projects. Due to a federal rule called FERC Order 1000, states must pass a law allowing the incumbent's ROFR, or the federal rule requires a competitive bid process for projects going forward.

The majority of MISO states (the regional transmission operator serving Southern Illinois) have already passed such laws. While the ROFR law passed both chambers, the governor vetoed it. The IBEW in Illinois will make overriding this veto our top priority. We cannot afford to allow out-of-state, nonunion contractors to gain advantage and take this work.

At the time of writing, Clinton Power Station was gearing up for an approximate 27-day refuel outage. About 850 temporary workers will be brought on site to help staff the outage. Clinton is a single-unit reactor that can produce up to 1,080 MW of zero-emissions energy, which is enough carbon-free electricity to power the equivalent of 800,000 homes.

Happy holidays to our IBEW families!

Karlene Knisley, Bus. Rep.

L.U. 55 (lctt,o,u&c), DES MOINES, IA — Hello, brothers and sisters, I have been very ill for the last year, but I am doing well now, and I will take some pictures again for the next issue. Remember to go to the Christmas party this year. Kids and family members are all welcome. We still have a retiree breakfast at Perkins on East Euclid every second Monday of the month at 9 a.m. We sit and visit for a couple of hours and see people we used to work with. It's a lot of fun. We hope to see you there.

We still have lots of work. See you next time.

Myron Green, P.S.

L.U. 71 (lctt,o&rtb), COLUMBUS, OH — Our local would like to take this opportunity to congratulate sixth-step apprentice Jacob DeLorenzo for becoming the ALBAT apprentice of the year. Jacob was initiated into Local 71 in 2019 as a groundman and was indentured into the apprenticeship Sept. 8, 2020. He has been a member of the IBEW in good standing since he joined in 2019. Congratulations, Jacob!

The 2020 Local 71 family picnic at Cedar Point was a success. The sun came out after a bit of rain in the morning, and more than 1,600 members and their families gathered for lunch in the picnic area and enjoyed rides in the park. Local 71 would like to thank everyone who could join us.

Our local's website has launched! Thanks to Business Manager Todd Kessler and his team for all the hard work that went into this project. It's been a long time coming, and this is just the beginning. If you haven't visited the site, check it out at ibew71.org, and don't forget to download the app. You can do more from the website now, from paying dues to signing the books. Currently available jobs and online bidding are not available, but they are coming. Let President Walter Gribble III know what you think, as he put a lot of work into this relaunch and would like your feedback.

Happy and safe holidays, and remember: a good day's work for a good day's pay, take pride in your work, and strive to be the best!

Matt Bruggeman, Bus. Rep.

L.U. 103 (cs,i&ptc), BOSTON, MA — NFL football is back, and our local's members finished a new $225 million expansion of Gillette Stadium's north end zone, just in time for the upcoming season. This milestone signifies the biggest improvement project at Gillette since the stadium opened more than 20 years ago. It includes the installation of the largest outdoor video board in the U.S., as well as more hospitality and concession space for games and concerts. Local 103 and NECA are proud to be powering Gillette as official partners of the six-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.

Local 103 also ratified a new five-year contract with NECA Boston that included historic wage increases, increased health and pension benefits, a new network tech/system tech classification, optional four 10-hour days, and referral procedure language.

Jim Fleming, P.S.

L.U. 125 (lctt,o,t,u&ptc), PORTLAND, OR — Organizer and Business Representative Tim Titus received the IBEW Founders' Award during the Ninth District Progress Meeting. Tim's dedication to organizing has been demonstrated over the years as he works tirelessly to bring new members into our ranks.

"Tim's commitment to organizing reflects the spirit of our founding fathers," said Local 125 Business Manager Travis Eri. "He truly has changed the lives of countless individuals by organizing them into the IBEW."

As those who know him best would expect, Tim is humble about this award. "We have a great business manager who has hired a fantastic staff. This award is not about me, but everyone at Local 125," Titus said, and he was quick to acknowledge support from our clerical staff.

Organizing is the first object referenced in the IBEW Constitution. Through organizing efforts led by Eri and Titus, Local 125's focus on growing our union is evident. Local 125 also received recognition as a top-performing local for organizing eight new contractors.

Thank you to our members who continually show up, work safely and demonstrate why we truly can say the IBEW is the right choice.

Marcy Grail, A.B.M.

L.U. 131 (i,rtb,rts,se&spa), KALAMAZOO, MI — The work outlook is steady in Kalamazoo. Several projects are keeping the book clear. Travelers are working in the jurisdiction. The new members' breakfast was a lot of fun in September.

Local 131 will celebrate our retirees at a Christmas luncheon scheduled for Dec. 20. Call the hall for information. Our recent retirees include Chris Harvey, Steven Himshoot, Jeffrey Pojar, Thomas Van Domelen and Chris Wolf. Enjoy retirement. This is what years of hard work provides.

I also want to extend my gratitude to those of you who are celebrating your anniversaries of membership, including former business manager and mentor Richard L. Redford and Raymond J. Stone (65 years of service) and Joseph Beall, Joseph Bennett, Robert Cook, Larry Smith, Paul Stewart and David Stratton (55 years of service).

With holidays quickly approaching, keep safety in mind and look out for one another on the job.

Morris A. Applebey, B.M.

L.U. 141 (ees,i,o&u), WHEELING, WV — Greetings, brothers and sisters. As of this writing, we have 17 members on Book 1 and have gone through Book 2 to fill calls. Thank you to all of our traveling brothers and sisters who are helping Local 141 to man our work.

We would like to highlight the career of retired Business Manager Thomas Conner. Brother Conner began as an inside wireman apprentice in 1986 and completed his apprenticeship in 1990. As a young journeyman wireman, "T.C." began serving as a Local 141 officer by sitting on the examining board. He served on the board until he was elected recording secretary in 1993. He also served as training director for the local from 1999 to 2014.

Brother Conner further deepened his commitment to Local 141 when elected president in 2005. He served as president until 2014, when he won a contested election for business manager. He then served three consecutive terms as business manager until his retirement in September, with 36 years of service.

Local 141 wishes Brother Conner a long and healthy retirement!

Kurt "Bug" Reed, P.S.

L.U. 237 (i), NIAGARA FALLS, NY — Our local would like to congratulate the graduating classes of 2023. Both the inside and residential classes graduated in May, celebrating with a ceremony and dinner. Our inside wireman class includes Nate Blaszczak, Chris Brown, Kevin Duance, Jim Eodice, DJ Gardner, Brandon Lum, Desai Mathews, Joe Mundier, Colten Reuillard, Tom Ryan, Phil Violanti and Josh Vivian. Joe Mundier received the Top Apprentice Award. Our residential class includes Rob Barton and Ben Conde. The 2023-24 school year is underway with a new full-time training director, Kurt Bingham. We'd like to wish Kurt, the teachers and our apprentices the best of luck!

Summer was not only a busy time for our local in terms of workload, but also in terms of union and community-related events. In August and June, we hosted our family picnic and family campout. In September, we held our stag campout, stag picnic, disc golf tournament, and our first political steak-and-ale night. Events like these create a strong brotherhood and are essential for building lasting relationships with other members and the community that we work in and depend on.

June brought some wonderful news for our local's members and their families, when the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. approved the application to the special financial assistance program by Local 237's pension plan, which covers 430 participants.

President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 included the Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act, which aids financially troubled multi-employer pension plans. The approval of this application means our plan will receive $32.2 million through funds allocated by the American Rescue Plan. The approval of the special financial assistance allows the plan to restore all benefits suspended under the Multiemployer Pension Reform Act of 2014, as well as payments to retirees to cover prior benefit suspensions.

We'd like to thank Sen. Charles Schumer, Sen. Kirstin Gillibrand and Rep. Brian Higgins for their steadfast dedication to the union workforce. With this news, Local 237's future looks as bright as ever, and we look forward to continuing to be an active part of our community.

Brandon Lum, P.S.

L.U. 245 (govt,lctt,o,rtb&u), TOLEDO, OH — As of this writing, we are days away from another Labor Day parade in downtown Toledo, where our members walk with their families to illustrate the power of collectiveness and celebrate the history of the labor movement.

Local 245 members recently spent an afternoon together cheering on our hometown baseball team, the Toledo Mud Hens. Even with the extreme temperatures, the turnout was great, and the Hens brought home a win.

Local 245 successfully organized RKR Traffic Control and the City of Bryan Street Department, and we are negotiating both first agreements. Additionally, our local is negotiating a successor utility agreement with Toledo Edison/FirstEnergy.

We would like to thank our members for all the extra hours they have put in over the summer. A special thank you to our member support team for making all of this possible.

Brian Gendaszek, P.S.

L.U. 257 (em,i,rtb,rts,spa&t), JEFFERSON CITY, MO — Congratulations to the graduating class of 2023! Work has been busy in Jefferson City, and our new journeyman wiremen will help ensure that it's being done safely and professionally while instilling IBEW values and skills to the next generations. Local 257's new journeyman wiremen are Mark Alderman, Jordan Baumhoer, Shane Brown, Adam Brunk, Steven Clutter, Clayton Croy, Thomas Faulkner, Garrett Griggs, Justin Haines, Aaron Kinder, Alex Phillippe, Mark Piskulic, Mark Sanson, Johnny Stanley, James Stevens and Justus Zumbehl.

Joel Vanderslice, P.S.

L.U. 269 (i&o), TRENTON, NJ — Every local is made up of individuals with different tastes in food and music, who support different sports teams, and with varying outlooks on life. Yet our brothers and sisters set aside their differences and gathered on Liberty Lake in Bordentown, N.J., for the annual Local 269 family picnic. There were games and activities for the kids, including paddle boats on the lake. We had an endless supply of burgers, dogs, ice cream, and, of course, littleneck clams with drawn butter and boiled jumbo shrimp. There were plenty of cold drinks available, including a beer truck.

Each member received a golf umbrella with the Local 269 logo, and a flying disc was given to the youngsters. Laughter and lively conversation filled the air, accompanied by music from the DJ booth. The weather cooperated for the most part, and the members and their families enjoyed themselves to the fullest, on a day without arguments or gripes or any drama. All around, a good day indeed.

Brian Jacoppo, P.S.

L.U. 295 (em,i,o,rtb,rts,spa,u&lctt), LITTLE ROCK, AR — Two distinguished members of our local, Brothers Billy Copeland and William "Gene" Denton, recently received their 75-year service pins. Gene served as business manager from 1972 to 1989 and has a lasting legacy with sons and grandsons in the IBEW. It was an honor to present service pins to these two members at our annual picnic.

William French, B.M.

L.U. 309 (i,lctt,mo,mt,o,rts,spa&u), COLLINSVILLE, IL — Due to the hard work and productivity of our members and contractors, our local is flourishing. Local 309 has retained the top market share in the IBEW, a distinction we have shared with Jamestown, N.Y., Local 106 for the past five years. The work picture is very positive, as well. Some upcoming projects include Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base, Touchette Regional Hospital, the Health Sciences building at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, the Illinois State Police Metro East regional headquarters, the Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. facility at St. Louis Downtown Airport, FanDuel at Fairmount Park and the addition to Hillsboro High School.

This summer, the inside group negotiated a new contract that achieved a $7 increase over two years. Local 309 celebrated with our families at the annual night at a Gateway Grizzlies baseball game. We continue to look for opportunities that socially enrich our members' lives. Mark your calendars: Breakfast with Santa is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 3.

Carlos S. Perez, A.B.M.

L.U. 343 (i,spa&st), LE SUEUR, MN — Happy Thanksgiving, brothers and sisters! We take many things in life — our jobs, homes, lifestyles, friends and families — for granted. But in an instant, our daily lives can be turned upside down and forever changed. As union members, we are not immune to bad events, though we are more likely to be able to weather the storms. Our union insurance offers professional help for a number of life's challenges. Our union brothers and sisters will lend a hand or an ear in our times of distress. Our union hall provides us with services and resources for our education, working careers and retirement. Be thankful for all the union does for us.

When we became members of the IBEW, we all repeated an oath and signed an obligation card stating, "I will bear true allegiance to it (the IBEW) and will not sacrifice its interest in any manner." On Nov. 28, 1891, 10 electrical workers took an oath and founded an organization that is today's IBEW. Be grateful for all the good things we have, and enjoy the four-day Thanksgiving weekend.

Spend it where you earn it — buy Made in the USA.

Thomas Small, P.S.

L.U. 347 (em,i,mt,rtb,rts&spa), DES MOINES, OH — LaborFest 2023 was a big success. Work in our local is still thriving, evidenced by the fact that incoming apprenticeship classes are 120 strong. This record enrollment breaks last year's record.

There's no question that Local 347 is in boom times. There are still work calls going unanswered. Data centers are a hot commodity in Des Moines.

The local continues to support Make-A-Wish, the charitable organization granting wishes to children who are critically ill. This year's Jolly Holiday Lights event will be in a new location, the Outlets of Des Moines in Altoona. Stay tuned for volunteering opportunities.

"The only effective answer to organized greed is organized labor." – Thomas Donahue

Mike Schweiger, P.S.

L.U. 357 (c,i,mt&se), LAS VEGAS, NV — Our members got together June 17 for a Juneteenth celebration, the federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. The event took place at our union hall and was hosted by our local Electrical Workers Minority Caucus committee. It was an evening of games, good food and friendship. Many of our founding EWMC Local 357 members were in attendance.

We honor the leadership of these members who have contributed to help fight for the working class and raise up our community. It was an enjoyable evening to commemorate this important part of our history and culture.

Julie-Ann Peeples, P.S.

L.U. 453 (govt,i,rtb,rts&spa), SPRINGFIELD, MO — We would like to congratulate our newest journeyman wiremen and our new officers. The graduating class of apprentices this year includes Jayden Hopkins, Max Indyushkin, Andrew O'Neal, Alex Smith, Chris Smith, Alex Stroud, Joe Vinyard and Clay Whitener.

Our officers for the next three years are President Joey Baker; Business Manager/Financial Secretary Kevin McGill; Vice President Andrew O'Neal; Treasurer Matt Wilson; Recording Secretary Bryan Hensley; executive board members Brandon Atchison, Scott Freeman, Zach Hohlt, Mike Horton, Randal Hyde, Cody Mueller and Corey Stallcup; and examining board members Max Indyushkin, Darin Johnson and Dwayne Rose.

Thank you to for the hard work and dedication of our graduates and to everyone whose name was on the ballot wanting to further the cause of our union! Local 453 appreciates the work that our members and traveling brothers and sisters are doing to help us man our jurisdiction.

Troy Schindler, P.S.

L.U. 481 (ees,em,i,mt,rts,s&spa), INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Over the summer, our local celebrated the latest group of graduates from the Electrical Training Institute of Indianapolis. It was a great night for the new journeymen and journeywomen to come together to celebrate the end of their apprenticeship journey and look forward to the start of the next step in their career: becoming the IBEW's next generation. Congratulations to all the graduates, and good luck to each of you as you continue your career in the greatest union around.

Local 481 celebrated the Labor Day weekend with a member picnic at the Indianapolis Zoo. With more than 1,900 total attendees, it was a great way for all members to celebrate the holiday. The event was by far the most attended that we have had in years, and it was a good time for old friends to reconnect, relax and have some camaraderie over a meal.

Thanks to all who attended, and please continue to stay involved and engaged in your union. It is only as strong as the members make it!

Blake Andrews, R.S.

L.U. 483 (catv,lctt,o&u), TACOMA, WA — A huge shout-out to all our local members who attended our recent shop steward Level 1 training. This training, presented by International Representative Tracy Prezeau, was filled with information and knowledge on what it means to be a shop steward. We were thrilled to appoint six new shop stewards after this training and can't wait to see what's to come from Prezeau at our shop steward Level 2 training.

Local 483 is extremely grateful for the new and continued support we receive from our members and shop stewards. You consistently represent our local with the utmost valor and grace.

Byron Allen, B.M.

L.U. 601 (i&rtb), CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, IL — Our local would like to thank everyone that came to our annual softball invitational. It was our first time at a new location and a great success. We'd like to thank all 10 Illinois locals that came out and played: Local 134, Chicago; Local 145, Rock Island; Local 146, Decatur; Local 150, Waukegan; Local 176, Joliet; Local 193, Springfield; Local 197, Bloomington; Local 364, Rockford; Local 461, Aurora; and Local 649, Alton.

Congratulations to Local 649 for clinching the victory over the defending champions, Local 134!

It was also last tournament for the captain of Local 601's team, Kevin Carroll. We wish him a happy retirement from softball.

Luther Baker, P.S.

L.U. 611 (catv,es,govt,i,lctt,o,spa,t&u), ALBUQUERQUE, NM — Recent graduates of the JATC program received their diplomas on Aug. 19: Derek Ackels, Daniel Alvarenga, Lane Becenti, Nathan Bland, Tyler Burton, London Cabada, Timothy Cashmer, Calet Demoines, Felipe Diaz, Dominic Garcia, Robert Garcia, Thomas Geusz, Julian Gonzalez, Eliana Hough, Dev-Amrit Khalsa, Benjamin Larkin, Daniel Lucero, Gary Martinez, Brandon Morgan, Nolan Nacki, Sean Nacki, Dominick Nevarrez II, Daviana Ortiz, Vincent Petrella-Peters, John Salazar, Brandon Sanchez, Carlos Sanchez, Dyonne Sedillos, Sean Simonoff, Alex Sisneros III, Kody Trout and Samuel Wilcoxen.

This year had a midterm graduating class: Julio Aguayo, Nathan Ayala, Nathan Barela, Darrell Beck, Ayden Castillo, Marc Crowder, Lloyd Ferran, Thomas Garcia, Zachary Grover, Dwight Jaramillo, Patrick Kline, Aaron McConnell, Charles Moore, Gabriel Padilla, Kyle Powell, Malachi Rademaker, Timothy Rosser, Frank Skinner, Phillip Tapia, Sarah Tramp, Ian Vallo, Victor Villarreal II and Tamica Ybarra.

The two outstanding apprentices of the year were Derek Ackels and Malachi Rademaker, and the CS Mitchell Award was given to Nathan Gilbert. Congratulations to all of the graduates and the award winners.

This year's Labor Day picnic was once again held at Balloon Fiesta Park with lots of food and games for the kids.

On behalf of Local 611, I extend condolences to the family and friends of Donald Cata, Melecio Martinez, M. Pagan, Victor A. Romero, David L. Sheets, Kris Tabaha and Brad Vester.

Don't forget to attend your local and unit meetings.

Darrell J. Blair, P.S.

L.U. 659 (c,catv,em,i,lctt,o,st,t&u), MEDFORD, OR — The Northwest Line JATC's grand opening was Aug. 25. This state-of-the-art facility was built in partnership by the IBEW and NECA, both investing in the future of our workforce to teach and ensure safe work practices throughout our industry, from line construction to line-clearance tree trimming.

Local 659's line construction work has picked up significantly due to forest fires that have devastated the power grid. Our largest utility has been installing Hendrix tree wire to mitigate the fire issues.

If any lineman is interested in adding another tool to their toolbox, the Northwest Line JATC offers hot-stick training to those interested. Go to nwlinejatc.com or call 360-816-7100 for more information.

James Davidson, A.B.M.

L.U. 683 (i&ptc), COLUMBUS, OH — Leading up to Memorial Day, our local's RENEW committee hosted its inaugural cornhole tournament, and the evening of bags, beer and brotherhood was well attended and successful. The Chuck Bland memorial fish fry took place the first Friday in June with great turnout and weather. The fish fry is one of our longest ongoing traditions and continues to be popular.

The RENEW committee took the momentum from the first tournament and hosted another at the end of August. We are hoping this busy summer will spur more events and participation in the future.

Local 683 officer elections were in June. Congratulations to all of the successful candidates, and thank you to all who participated in the process.

Work continues to be plentiful in our jurisdiction. There are three utility-scale solar fields driving a majority of the calls, along with the Ohio State University Medical Tower. With the announcement of multiple hospital projects, additional solar fields, data centers and a new terminal at John Glenn Columbus International Airport, we expect to remain very busy in the future.

Mike Morey, Pres.

L.U. 725 (i,rts&spa), TERRE HAUTE, IN — Our local held its annual family picnic at Bogey's Family Fun Center on July 15.

Brothers and sisters and their families had exclusive access to the entire facility. The day featured bingo games with tables full of prizes for everyone in the family, bumper cars, go-karts, batting cages, water wars, video games, putt-putt golf, a playground featuring two super slick slides, a kangaroo room, a challenge path, an elastic tunnel and more!

For lunch, everyone enjoyed barbecue with hamburgers and hot dogs and a wide variety of delicious sides and amazing desserts.

The event was a huge success that couldn't have been possible without the hard work of several people: Jim Fellows, Chris Fox, Tasha Hayne, Brent McCoy, Kevin Stewart, Stacy Thompson and Jerry Woodfall went above and beyond to make sure our members and their families had a fun-filled day.

Dickson Hunley, P.S.

L.U. 903 (ees,i,o&lctt), GULFPORT, MS — Our local has graduated an average of 20 apprentices yearly for the last 20 years from the apprenticeship program that dates from 1949. On June 2, 22 remarkable individuals celebrated the completion of five years of rigorous study. These young journeyman wiremen persevered through a pandemic to serve the Pine Belt area's commercial and industrial needs with pride and excellence.

Local 903 congratulates the following graduates: Brandon Bounds, Ricky Burdine, Daniel Charlot IV, David Cooper, Brianna Crusoe, Eric Daigle, Raymond Ford, Laquenton Goins, Isaiah Green, Joseph Grovesnor, William Laughlin, Kendall Leake, D'Artagnan Lee, Tyler Maxwell, Alexander McCurdy, Colby Naramore, Charles Sample, Tyler Seymour, Taylor Shea, Sean Stribling Jr., Skylar Sumrall and Chay Wilson.

Brian McMurry, B.M.

L.U. 995 (i,o,rts,spa,lctt), BATON ROUGE, LA — With immense pride and joy, we congratulate Kevin Zylks on his new role as P&I lead organizer.

Kevin began his journey with the staff of Local 995 as membership coordinator in July 2019, a role he embraced with enthusiasm and determination. Over the years, he has been a valuable asset to our team, consistently exceeding expectations and contributing significantly to our growth. His dedication to fostering connections, building relationships and enhancing the member experience was exemplary. With his promotion to the role of international lead organizer with the Membership Development Department, Kevin is set to embark on a new and exciting chapter in his career.

At Local 995, we are incredibly proud of Kevin's achievements and can't wait to witness the positive changes Kevin will undoubtedly bring to our parent organization. This is not just a promotion; it is a recognition of exceptional talent and potential to shape our organization's future.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Kevin Zylks on this well-deserved appointment. May your new role bring you even greater success and fulfillment, and may your journey continue to inspire all of us to grow the IBEW every day. We eagerly anticipate the great things you will achieve in the future, and we are proud to have you as a shining example of our organization's excellence. Congratulations, once again!

Jason Dedon, B.M.

L.U. 1347 (ees,em,u&ptc), CINCINNATI, OH — On Aug. 12, our local and Locals 1466 and 2359 attended the Ohio rodeo. At this first year of the rodeo, the level of excitement and involvement from the brotherhood was overwhelming. Local 2359 took first place in the journeyman class and the apprentice class. Next year will be open to anyone from the IBEW who wishes to participate. Our rodeo committee is working on the details for the 2024 rodeo, and "save the date" info will go out soon. We hope to see everyone there.

Andrew Kirk, B.M./F.S.

L.U. 1547 (c,em,i,o,t,u,lctt&ptc), ANCHORAGE, AK — Shop Steward Tim Matson presented retired power plant operator Darrell Aspelund with a gold pan in recognition of his 47 years of membership with Local 1547 and his work at Naknek Electric Association, seen in the accompanying photo.

Melinda Taylor, Comm. Dir.

L.U. 1579 (i&o), AUGUSTA, GA — It's a transitional time here in Augusta as we finish Unit 4 at Plant Vogtle and begin mobilizing a majority of our workforce to the Savannah River site with either our prime contractors (Savannah River Nuclear Solutions and Savannah River Mission Completion) or at the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility. The SRPPF project will finish the demolition stage at the end of the year, and hopefully we will move to the new construction phase, which should employ about 300 electricians at peak and last approximately eight years.

We want to thank our traveling brothers and sisters who spent time in our jurisdiction, enabling us not only to man work on the big projects, but also to allow our in-town contractors the workforce that they needed to keep afloat and maintain a piece of the market share. We appreciate your efforts, wish you the best on your travels and hope to see you back this way again.

We congratulate our members who received service pins at our August meeting. Pins were handed out for service five years and up. Thank you all for your dedication and hard work. A very special thank you to Brother Thomas George Ashmore, who received his 70-year pin.

"The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work."– Vince Lombardi

Mike Greene, Pres.