Related Articles
Political
Conference Rallies Members September 17, 2003 With unemployment at historic highs, the U.S. economy barely sputtering along and a rising number of legislative attacks on working families, the IBEW gathered for a solemn 2003 Political/Legislative Conference Sept. 8-10 in Washington, D.C. But as the official conference agenda said, "Our future is on the line; the IBEW wont let America die." The 400 delegates received a point-by-point strategy for facing next years election, focusing on political education, voter registration and mobilization. Secretary-Treasurer Jerry OConnor chronicled the sad path Americas workers, particularly in the manufacturing industry, have taken since George W. Bush took office two and a half years ago. "Every day brings more reports of layoffs," he said. "America has lost 15 percent of our manufacturing jobs since George Bush took office a total of 2.5 million jobs." (Click here for Secretary-Treasurer OConnors remarks.) Delegates also heard from pundits such as CNN Crossfire host Paul Begala and Washingtons foremost independent political analyst, Charlie Cook. They received lobbying tips and policy briefings from IBEW and AFL-CIO staff. Armed with briefing books complete with talking points and fact sheets on pending legislation, such as Medicare, overtime, trade, energy and organizing, delegates accomplished many face-to-face meetings with their members. The timing could not have been better for the IBEW delegates lobbying on the issue of overtime. Last week, with the help of several Republicans, the Senate rejected a U.S. Department of Labor proposal that could endanger overtime pay for up to eight million workers. Political Department International Representative Liz Shuler said delegates reported successful forays into congressional offices. "What was most surprising to me was how many of our members went into unfriendly offices with Republicans who had bad records on labor," Shuler said, adding that many locals combined to enter the offices en mass, increasing their chances of meeting with the elected official rather than a staff member. "Most of them were able to secure meetings with the member of Congress. " On September 9, President Clinton addressed the delegates, reciting a list of trespasses President Bush and his compatriots in Congress have committed against working people: thousands of lost jobs, the surplus squandered, Head Start programs gutted, fewer cops on the streetsall just to give Clinton and other wealthy Americans a gigantic tax cut. IBEW members returned to their locals ready to start gearing up for the election next year. Click here to link to the Congressional Action Center.
|
President Hill's Address...
|
"God
helps those who help themselves," said President Hill in his
opening remarks on Sept. 8. "And brothers and sisters, we have
got to fight like the devil to help ourselves in these times because
the alternative is annihilation." (Click 
With
those words, an action-packed political conference in a hotel located
just blocks away from the Capitol dome got underway. Speakers included
former President Bill Clinton, House of Representative Minority
Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California), the IBEWs own, Local 441 member
and congresswoman, Linda Sanchez (D-California), Pennsylvania Gov.
Ed Rendell, Senator Mark Pryor (D-Arkansas), Rep. George Miller
(D-California), Rep. Chris Smith (R-New Jersey), Senator Kent Conrad
(D-North Dakota) and Oklahoma City Local 1141 member Joe Smith,
a member of the Oklahoma state Senate. 
IBEW
Members singing "Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be
cowboys" during some of the lighter moments of the conference...
