Local 1 Retirees Volunteer at Black Madonna Shrine
RETIREES’ CLUB OF L.U. 1, ST. LOUIS, MO — A group of retirees volunteered this summer to make some electrical upgrades to the Black Madonna Shrine’s outdoor chapel, with materials donated by Liberty Electric.
Our summer concluded with a spectacular Labor Day celebration at Local 1 with great food and live entertainment. Once again, our annual retirees’ golf tournament at Forest Park was a great success, with 58 golfers attending.
The Retirees’ Committee would like to thank Business Manager Frank Jacobs for sponsoring our annual September luncheon and making it a big success. This support made it possible for the retirees to pledge a donation of $2,500 to the Local 1 Relief Committee.
Our committee has elected to reinstate its January meeting at 10 a.m. on Jan. 21 at the Local 1 union hall. Retirees will receive a letter listing the dates for our meetings though 2026.
We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season. Please remember that the Christmas coat drive is underway at the hall.
Jim Schario, P.S.
Local 3 Luncheon in Florida
RETIREES’ CLUB OF L.U. 3, NEW YORK, NY/CENTRAL FLORIDA CHAPTER — Our Retirees’ Club chapter held a luncheon in Florida in March 2024, where our officers met with Business Manager Chris Erikson. Attendees included Chris, myself, Pension Director Maureen Steiger and Assistant Business Manager Ray Melville. It’s always a good time when we gather together and we had a great time catching up.
Michael Manfredi, P.S.
Classes and Fellowship
RETIREES’ CLUB OF L.U. 3, NEW YORK, NY/NASSAU COUNTY CHAPTER — In late August, 76 of our retired members and their spouses attended classes at the Long Island Education Center. We learned about osteoporosis and low bone mass, as well as who is likely to develop the condition and how it can be treated. We also learned how to eat healthily with different combinations of ingredients in spring rolls.
After the classes, we were free to enjoy the beautiful grounds with a swim in the Long Island Sound or the pool, or to just sit and soak up the sun. The view of the sunset by the water was spectacular and enjoyed by all.
At night, we had a barbecue with all kinds of delicious food followed by ice cream. To end the picture-perfect day, we gathered as good friends by the fire pit and talked the night away.
John Milligan, P.S.
What More Can You Ask For?
RETIREES’ CLUB OF L.U. 3, NEW YORK, NY/SUFFOLK COUNTY CHAPTER — Our retired members gathered for education and social time at the Long Island Education Center in Cutchogue, N.Y. Just out of view is the beautiful Long Island Sound beach and a pool just below on the grass field.
Local 3 conducts free educational classes in this historic building concerning many subjects related to our health and security. What more can you ask for? Local 3 does it again.
Steven Danielson, R.S.
Remembering Brother Paul Karpan
RETIREES’ CLUB OF L.U. 5, PITTSBURGH, PA — In June, retired member Paul Karpan received his 70-year pin. Brother Karpan was initiated into the union in 1955 and retired in 1985. Because he was unable to attend the pinning ceremony and photo session at the hall in South Side, we went to Brother Karpan’s home to present his award (see photo above).
Mr. Karpan stated: “I am proud to be a member of the greatest union in the free world. I’m lucky to be able to live a good life because of the benefits provided to me by my union. I should know, as I’ve been retired for 40 years! Wishing all of my union brothers and sisters, both working and retired, all the same blessings that I received by belonging to Local 5. Also, a great big heartfelt ‘thank you’ goes out to all Local 5 officers, past and present, for taking such good care of the members!”
With great sadness, I must note that Brother Karpan passed away Sept. 22 at 103 years young. We celebrate the pride he embodied over his 70 years in the IBEW. Rest in power, Paul.
Tom Benson, V.P.
New Office for Local 35 Retirees
RETIREES’ CLUB OF L.U. 35, HARTFORD, CT — We had a great day for our retired members’ annual outing, with a great turnout and many raffle prizes. Thank you all!
Special thanks to all the contractors who donated to our event. Big thanks to Business Manager Michael Nealy and staff for donating their time.
Our office has finally moved into our new building at 961 Wethersfield Ave. in Hartford.
Dennis Machol and I talked in front of all the apprentices, especially the first-year students, during class to give an understanding about our union, the benefits package, when and how we approach retirement years, and how important it is to our collective well-being.
The retirees’ last meeting for 2025 is Dec. 10 at noon in Newington at the Knights of Columbus hall, 171 Pascone Place. We hope to see more of our brothers and sisters at the meetings.
Wishing all a very merry Christmas and a healthy New Year!
Kenneth R. White, P.S.
Latest Updates for Local 53 Retirees
RETIREES’ CLUB OF L.U. 53, KANSAS CITY, MO — Greetings, brothers and sisters. Just a few lines to catch up on events, some we have done and some we haven’t.
To start off, I would like to announce that I am back to being secretary for the Retirees’ Club in a limited capacity. I had some health issues, which are ongoing, but I wanted to continue helping as secretary to aid Bob Stuart, president of the Retirees’ Club and my friend.
We had our fall luncheon Oct. 3. President Stuart reported to me that everyone had a good time. There was good barbecue from Jack Stack. Thank you to Business Manager Ben Bush and the staff from Local 53. We will have another luncheon on April 10, so please join us.
Additionally, if any are interested, we have a luncheon the second Thursday of every month at 11 a.m. in Urich, Mo., at the Grand River Grill. Come join us for some great visitation and good food. See you there!
The annual crappie tournament will be April 25, same place, same time. Please put it on your calendar.
We would like to wish all of you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. The Christmas party this year is Dec. 12.
Duane Pearce, P.S.
Local 58 Retirees on the Road Again
RETIREES’ CLUB OF L.U. 58, DETROIT, MI — This year’s fall bus trip was to Washington, D.C. It was a five-day trip to the nation’s capital, which included a tour of the IBEW Museum and International Office. This unique museum celebrates IBEW history with texts, graphics, artifacts, and interactive displays and videos, all telling the IBEW story. Our group was given first-class treatment and IBEW goodies to commemorate the trip. Those in attendance raved about the museum, and it was enjoyed by all who attended.
The annual Christmas party promises to be its usual good time on Dec. 3. It’s always one of our best-attended events, and those present will enjoy a catered lunch; plenty of camaraderie; our 50/50 drawing; and the opportunity to make contributions to our five charity baskets: St. Vincent DePaul, Detroit Children’s Hospital, Shriners, Coalition on Temporary Housing, and the Local 58 Benevolent Fund, all of which benefit children. This celebration is a good way to stay in touch with fellow retirees and kick off the season and celebrate the holidays.
The end of the year is always a great time to make a resolution or two. Volunteering within the union or your community is a good place to start. Happy New Year.
Pat Nuznov, P.S.
The Best of Life for Local 105 Retirees
RETIREES’ CLUB OF L.U. 105, HAMILTON, ON — All of us from Local 105 would like to wish all of you a very blessed, merry Christmas and the very best of life for 2026!
Following is a list of events that we have either already attended or look forward to attending later this fall:
- Sept. 11 — More than 100 retirees enjoyed the annual fish fry.
- Oct. 2 — More than 100 retirees attended the semiannual lunch at the Mandarin.
- Oct. 16 — The annual Oktoberfest hosted by Kitchener Local 804, always a great time!
- Nov. 8 — Local 105’s 125th anniversary banquet at the Oakville Conference Centre.
- Nov. 11-14 — Cairncroft, Niagara Falls, a wonderful time at this semiannual event.
- Nov. 23 — Christmas dinner and dance hosted by Toronto Local 353 (a party always not to be missed).
- Dec. 7 — Local 105 Christmas dinner and dance at the Winona Wine Estates.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I reiterate: For those of you in Local 105 who are 55 or older and have not yet joined the Retirees’ Club, jump on board! New retired members are joining in the fun, and I want to get the word out to all. It’s only $25 per person a year! The expense is kept low as we only pay half the cost of the events and the other half is covered by the local. It’s a win-win!
Please remember that all events are made possible by our hardworking executive board and local members, past and present, who volunteer their time and efforts to ensure that all of us have many enjoyable experiences. We are so proud and fortunate to be a part of the Local 105 Retirees’ Club. Our sincere, heartfelt thanks to all of you!
Eden McLean, P.S.
Remembering Brother William “Billy” Taney
RETIREES’ CLUB OF L.U. 110, ST. PAUL, MN — Brother William “Billy” Taney passed away on April 4. Billy was IBEW all the way, a 50-year member who never compromised his union beliefs.
My friendship with Billy went back to our first days as IBEW members. Our working paths went in different directions until we were both hired by Business Manager Bruce Campbell, me as assistant business manager and Billy as a field representative and later as an organizer. Eventually I became Local 110’s business manager, and I chose Bill as my assistant.
After our retirements, Billy started a tradition of gathering other retired Minnesota business managers for a twice-yearly dinner meeting. These were known as our “winter and summer” meetings, gathering in northern Minnesota and the Twin Cities. These gatherings became something we all looked forward to, with the camaraderie becoming stronger with each one. We would talk about our old days, our successes and our not-so-successful actions. One thing we always had was Brotherhood and our proud IBEW membership.
Family and friends celebrated Billy’s life at the Local 110 hall May 30. (See accompanying photo.) We are thankful for this great Brotherhood, the IBEW.
Dick Vitelli, B.M. (retired)
Happy Holidays to all IBEW Members and Staff
RETIREES’ CLUB OF L.U. 134, CHICAGO, IL — Time goes by so quickly, but this has been the longest and most confusing political year of my life. It feels like we are having a Civil War, not between the North and South, but Democrats against Republicans. Our country feels so divided, and I’m afraid to mention anything political to anyone for fear of starting a verbal war. I am hoping things will soon change for our country and we will have a happier new year in 2026.
I would like to thank our board members who line up our guest speakers for our monthly meetings, and the members who line up our field trips that are always fun and interesting. Thanks goes to James Martin, who does a great job organizing our luncheons and play outings to Drury Lane Theater. The plays we enjoyed this year were “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” in February; “The Da Vinci Code” in April; “Always … Patsy Cline” in June; “Dial M for Murder” in September; and “Sister Act” in December, which had the highest attendance.
Brother Jim Valleyfield once again spoke on the importance of Local 134’s donations of essentials for soldiers, which we contribute toward at the end of each year, bringing the donations for homeless veterans to the Jesse Brown VA Hospital. The U.S. should not have homeless veterans.
I’d like to end by thanking all retired members who voted me to the executive board for another term. Have a safe holiday season.
Susan Kleczka, P.S.
Labor Day Celebration
RETIREES’ CLUB OF L.U. 257, JEFFERSON CITY, MO — Our local’s retirees celebrated Labor Day with a parade Sept. 6 and the annual union picnic Sept. 13. Retirees distributed candy on the parade route. A special thanks goes to Dave Loaiza for providing the retiree float.
The annual picnic treated Local 257 members, retirees and their families to a day at the park with a barbecue, bounce house, bingo and social time. Service awards were presented by Joel Vanderslice, business agent, to the following members: Michael Abel and John James (40 years); Rick Baker, Daniel Bax, Steve Bremer, Jim Bruemmer, Anthony Castillo, Wayne Clark, Lyndel Gallatin, James Loehner, Keven Niemeier and Michael Sweeten (45 years); Tony Chambers (50 years); Phil Butts, Bill Jurgensmeyer and Larry Schubert (55 years); and Bob Kauffman and Robert Stevinson (60 years).
A Missouri redistricting map and a change to the initiative petition process were approved by the Legislature. Redistricting is traditionally done every 10 years. But this action is being taken mid-cycle at the request of President Trump to change the outcome of the 2026 election.
The new initiative petition process would make it more difficult for the public to change the law. This is the process that allowed right-to-work legislation to be defeated. Instead of a simple majority to pass a public-initiated law, an overall majority plus a majority in each of the eight congressional districts would be required.
Signatory initiative petitions are underway to take both actions to a vote of the people. Your support is needed to ensure fair governing.
Connie Hamacher, P.S.
Life Is Good
RETIREES’ CLUB OF L.U. 313, WILMINGTON, DE — On Oct. 1, we held our annual pin ceremony at the retirees’ meeting. Eighteen of the 43 eligible journeymen showed up to collect their prestigious hardware. Fifty- to 65-year pins are certainly reason enough for a celebration, but this group generally needs no particular reason to be smiling or in party mode. Life is good!
All enjoyed a beautiful day of fun at Jonathan’s Landing as we nailed down this second day of golf into our regular yearly schedule.
For all who are unable to attend functions and meetings, we would like to let you know that you are missed and not forgotten. Please reach out to the retiree officers or the union hall office staff to pass on a request for a visit or a call if you desire.
Bruce Esper, P.S.
Local 317 Retirees’ Luncheon and Service Awards
RETIREES’ CLUB OF L.U. 317, HUNTINGTON, WV — Our local’s retirees continue to enjoy monthly luncheon get-togethers. At the August luncheon, we were glad to see Clyde Dempsey, who came from Florida to receive his 60-year service pin.
Jerry Booth, Pres.
