Sobering Facts

[Highplains Drifter]

Here are some sobering facts (http://cohort11.americanobserver.net/latoyaegwuekwe/multimediafinal.html)to make us stay united and try to over come the economy. I hope these facts open the eyes of the misfortunate and hopefully they will survive, and we will become stonger!

[MI-Lineman]

Here are some sobering facts (http://cohort11.americanobserver.net/latoyaegwuekwe/multimediafinal.html)to make us stay united and try to over come the economy. I hope these facts open the eyes of the misfortunate and hopefully they will survive, and we will become stonger!

Ah, quit bitchin and get back to work, says "Boomer"!:rolleyes:

Huh? What brought this country out of the last big economic crunch? Oh ya!.....ORGANIZED LABOR!!!:cool:

[electriklady]

The labor movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress. Out of its bold struggles, economic and social reform gave birth to unemployment insurance, old-age pensions, government relief for the destitute and, above all, new wage levels that meant not mere survival but a tolerable life. The captains of industry did not lead this transformation; they resisted it until they were overcome. When in the thirties the wave of union organization crested over the nation, it carried to secure shores not only itself but the whole society." Martin Luther King Jr.
—Speech to the state convention of the Illinois AFL-CIO, Oct. 7, 1965

[MI-Lineman]

Your're both full of shit.:p
It was the PRIVATE SECTOR, and Small business.

AND...If THAT mentality don't continue....
Your union shit ain't gonna matter. Cause there ain't gonna BE jobs.

AND, when times get tough...people gonna work. Union if it's convient...Non union, if it pulls a paycheck.

"Misery and despair"? Solved by Union? what a crock of shit.:rolleyes:
New day, new age lady. It's called..."doin what needs to be done". OR...go "sign the books".

How's that "Hope and Change" workin for ya?:rolleyes:

That was a VERY Eye opening post Drifter.

I just don't believe the "direction" of this...so called president....is gonna do a damn thing to make it better. That's why the balance of power is gonna CHANGE...in 2010. America's not ready for THIS much socialism....Yet.

Who in this thread said it's going to be this president who changes things? I said (and E.L. agreed) it's the Unions and its members who brought the country back Dumbass!

Your so brainwashed that you believe out of the goodness of their hearts the private sector created good jobs with benefits, weekends, wages, etc. Get real Swamp and study up on your history AT A LIBRARY NOT A REPUBLICAN BACKED WEBSITE!!

If we don't come back from this one it'll be partly because of pathetic self centered individuals like yourself who'll nibble at every little crumb that they through at ya! The rich (including your bud bush) will always be rich and we have to stand up and demand we keep what's left of the life the early picketers fought for! AND NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO GIVE ANYTHING UP!!

[loose neutral]

It took 8 years of Bush to F#(K it up. It's sure gonna take more than 1 year to fix it. Just take a look at the salaries of the top execs from these companies that are laying off and cutting jobs. They are getting their millions and bonuses while raping the rest of us. Here is just one example. http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2009114609/do-it-yourself-giant-does-it-workers Also, the private sector and small businesses are now hiring more illegal aliens than ever before. You think that'll help us out of this mess? BULLS#!T!!!! We need to help ourselves. ORGANIZE !!!!

[Highplains Drifter]

Being the OP( Original Poster) of this thread I would very much like this thread to stay on topic and not be hijacked. If you look at the link and watch the growing numbers of folks being put into unemployment the Heart land or agriculture area is very stable. Why….. we must eat! We the IBEW are a service Union and provide a service to our society by building and delivering a quality product for the consumer. I my self as a JL(Journeyman Lineman) is being paid for my knowledge that no one can find in any book. Yes I can poop out a young journeyman in four years but can I pull his head out of his ass before his 12 years is up? Nooooo and that is what it takes to deliver a quality hand is 15 to 16 years!! I know that some of you Brothers and Sisters had some hard times with your strike and the construction sector has been weak, but not like the eighties was. Please ignore the negativism of what is happening in the country and let us become stronger as a group!

I welcome any comments the non union folks might suggest on making a stronger Union or just come and read this thread and like said” You don’t go to the Brothel just to listen to the piano player….you are eventually going to participate!” Drifter

[MI-Lineman]

Being the OP( Original Poster) of this thread I would very much like this thread to stay on topic and not be hijacked. If you look at the link and watch the growing numbers of folks being put into unemployment the Heart land or agriculture area is very stable. Why….. we must eat! We the IBEW are a service Union and provide a service to our society by building and delivering a quality product for the consumer. I my self as a JL(Journeyman Lineman) is being paid for my knowledge that no one can find in any book. Yes I can poop out a young journeyman in four years but can I pull his head out of his ass before his 12 years is up? Nooooo and that is what it takes to deliver a quality hand is 15 to 16 years!! I know that some of you Brothers and Sisters had some hard times with your strike and the construction sector has been weak, but not like the eighties was. Please ignore the negativism of what is happening in the country and let us become stronger as a group!

I welcome any comments the non union folks might suggest on making a stronger Union or just come and read this thread and like said” You don’t go to the Brothel just to listen to the piano player….you are eventually going to participate!” Drifter

First thing is, our higher ups in the Unions need to set their differences aside and join forces!:mad:

I attended a "State Council" meeting at our union when that damned hours of service first came along. The IBEW in Detroit fought it all the way and had a coalition of groups against it. Our union belonged to the coalition but welcomed the law. One of our lowly little members:rolleyes: proved to them there was an exemption for us and it left for a while but soon returned. The union said their lawyers claimed they could be sued if we caused an accident after 14 hrs? When I stood up and asked why we belonged to a coalition with another union thats fighting it the former state pres and I bickered back and forth. Eventually he accused me of being loyal to the IBEW and I mentioned how "it's obvious the general membership doesn't vote for them"! He told me the IBEW didn't belong on Edison property and a few other things!

All this a day after our national pres told us we need to unite with other unions and nonunion folks to fight bush's other plans!:D

I hope I didn't hijack your thread H.D. but this is one example of why WE MEMBERS NEED TO TAKE BACK OUR UNIONS AND UNITE TOGETHER AND REVERSE THE DIRECTION THIS COUNTRIES HEADED IN!!:cool:

[electriklady]

IBEW President Endorses iCeL Systems
July 9, 2009 by admin · 3 Comments


The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) is an international labor union representing electricians, linemen, and public utility workers, led by President Edwin Hill. The IBEW has over 750,000 members and conducts a myriad of training programs for electricians and journeymen in conjunction with the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). The LMCC is the third party which educates, advocates, moderates, and markets on behalf of the electrical and construction industries.

iCeL Systems CEO Chaz Haba met Tom Martinez, Statewide Director of Business Development for the IBEW-NECA LMCC, and Kim Craft of IBEW Local 11, back in 2006. Mr. Haba explained in detail the unsurpassed benefits of pairing iCEL Systems with renewable energy; the safety, reliability, and uniquely long life impressed these industry professionals. Haba’s relationship with the IBEW and NECA evolved further with Jim Wilson and Marvin Kropke, and eventually he met with President Edwin Hill in 2008. Huge proponents of a clean energy future, the IBEW and NECA decided to become the major installation arm of iCEL Systems throughout the United States.

Edwin Hill boldly endorsed iCEL Systems in a 2009 letter to Steven Chu, the U.S. Secretary of Energy. “The IBEW is proud of its commitment to iCEL Systems, Inc. and looks forward to creating new jobs that will support the increased viability of renewable electricity generation.” Mr. Hill predicted, “When implemented they will serve as the missing link in the plan for energy independence.”

iCEL Systems looks forward to making this vision a reality. Beginning with Local 11, the IBEW will be training its members to install iCEL energy storage and management systems paired with clean renewable energy at its 250 training centers. This powerful partnership of IBEW, NECA, and iCEL Systems will create hundreds of new green union jobs across the country, grow a smarter grid, and spur the budding Internet of Energy™.


Looks to me that the IBEW is being proactive in the fight to create new jobs!
With the "green" initiative, the face of IBEW members may change, but the "heartbeat" of organized labor(it members) will pump loud and strong, and sustain us through tough times. We will all stand together...united!

[heelwinch]

he..talk about brain washing

[topgroove]

While Worker Pensions Fail, CEOs Get RichWASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2009The traditional pension is quickly becoming an endangered species. But today, a government report found some executives have gotten huge retirement packages, even as their companies were dumping employee pension plans onto taxpayers as CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports. At the very same time pensions were drying up for 122,000 United Airlines workers, its top executives were cutting deals to make their own golden years comfortable and secure. CEO Glenn Tilton, CFO Frederic Brace and COO Peter McDonald together got $7.6 million worth of retirement benefits in four years - from 2002 to 2006 - and earned a combined $55.5 million compensation, with perks like a car and driver and country club memberships. That's one small sample of the outrage packed into a new Government Accountability Office report. It studied 10 of the largest companies to dump their underfunded pension plans into the laps of the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, which is $22 million in the red.

[topgroove]

Together, the 10 companies underfunded their pension plans by more than $11 billion affecting 200,000 workers. But their executives drew a total of $350 million in compensation. The 10 companies are not named in the report, but CBS News has learned that they are: Polaroid, United, US Airways, Reliance Group, Republic Technologies, National Steel, LTV Steel Corp., Pillowtex Corporation, Westpoint Stevens, and Harvard Industries, Inc. Reliance Group Insurance underfunded its plans by $121 million in the five years before it failed. But its top management brought home $70 million in salary, bonuses and benefits. Chief executives Robert Steinberg and George Baker used the corporate plane and helicopter for $200,000 worth of personal travel. That included family trips to China, Greece and Hawaii. If the Pension Benefit Guaranty fund can't get out of the red, it's taxpayers who will have to pick up the slack. That's why some members of Congress think they should step in.

[Highplains Drifter]

he..talk about brain washing

heelwinch, thanks for your reply. So to stay on topic with thread heelwinch how can we as a Union become stronger? Drifter

[Highplains Drifter]

Topgroove I understand very much what Corporate America (http://www.powerlineman.com/lforum/showpost.php?p=72705&postcount=11)represents, yet we must get right next to our enemy and let them think we like them even though we despise them. You and your coworkers would be fools to let management know any of the hidden secrets of your system. I know you have things that they don’t know or understand and that is power in the crafts pockets.



Electriklady, thanks for sharing about more training (http://www.powerlineman.com/lforum/showpost.php?p=72703&postcount=9). The more training we can get the better product we can sell to the consumer.

[MI-Lineman]

Well, we (union hands mostly) know what we have to do? Now how do we do it? Some kind of national publicity campaign highlighting the GOOD unions have done (in the distant and near past to present)?

In Detroit there use to (and may still be) commercials on local t.v. advertising the big projects like the new stadiums and such that were built by union hands! Maybe we need start helping out more in our communities?

Plus! I know from first hand knowledge that there is a particular union at a particular airline (Continental) thats been in the midst of contract talks and for the first time in a long while the employees are refusing to make another concessionary agreement especially after management got a pay raise right before the talks began!:cool:

Good for them! They need our support!

[topgroove]

I'm afraid most utilities view lineman as simply an excessive labor cost. If they could get rid of everyone of us they'ld be happy. Our line of work may be a poor model to compare with the rest of Americas' work force. We're highly trained and very specialized and there's so few of us.
In the last ten years we've watched jobs dissapear from every sector of labor. Durring the same ten years we've watched executive pay packages increase 450%. The average pay compesation package for a fortune 500 CEO is now over 10.2 million and many millions more if you count other bonuses like stock options, country club memberships and travel expenses.
Now some people like swamp might say they're paid so much because thats how free capitalism works. Tiger Woods, Barry Bonds and others can demand huge compesation because of the product they bring to the table. In the real world of Corporate America this type of excessive compensation is killing the economy. All corporations are under pressure to reduce labor costs. They constantly beat the drum that high labor costs make it impossible to compete in a world economy. This corporate greed is added into labor costs increasing total cost and creating pressure to cut costs of the rank and file.
I've never seen mobs of people rushing to get the autograph of AIGs' CEO. I'ld love to expierence what the average day is like for a fortune 500 CEO. I'm sure the limo stops at the spa for a morning workout. Than its off to the office for a meeting followed with lunch at someplace exclusive with clients. Than its off to the country club to get in a round. Damn, I'm exusted allready.
No wonder its difficult finding tallent in government when the highest paid official is only paid $400,000 dollars. The CEO of Home Depot makes that in less than a week.

[electriklady]

While I am out on the the job, I get a chance to talk a bit with a lot of utility customers. Being in Local 459 and an employee of first enemy, most customers were aware of our strike this past summer. What I do find they were unaware of is the reason we were on strike. Every one I speak with assumes or was told by "replacement scabs" that it was all about money. I always take that chance to inform them of the real issues of our strike. We had tremendous public support(union and non) during the strike, as people are fed up with outrageous executive compensation, while the working man gets more and more taken away.......there is a lot of misinformation on unions out there, and a few bad apples give the whole bunch a bad name. This being said we have the perfect opportunity at this point to come together as the professionals that we are, and educate the public about the good of organized labor, they certainly hear the negatives on a regular basis.
If we are on this site, we have the greatest communication tool there has ever been in history, the internet, to assisst in that goal. Communication is one of the answers. East, west, north and south need to get active in their local...... as a union is as strong as its members. Instead of sitting on the side lines, get active. Fight for what you believe in. Inform the public, educate them, they dont wanna hear of it from union officials(the public is very suspicious of suits) they want to hear from people who live union everyday, the working people. We all know there are stronger unions and weaker unions, if we come together, and support one another, it serves to strengthen all unions, whether it be truckdrivers, teachers, garbage men. or airline pilots. Use the internet to meet your fellow union worker, stay in touch, become a networking team. It is time we fight for what is right, and I'd say with all the discontent in this country, now is a good time to start.

[heelwinch]

heelwinch, thanks for your reply. So to stay on topic with thread heelwinch how can we as a Union become stronger? Drifter


There is no help for the union. The first 20 years I was involved were tolerable, the last 19 were down right disgusting.
You guys are screwed. If I was starting all over again I'd take the best paying job, for whoever offered it, squirrel away every damn red scent I could, and hope I didn't end up working on a crew with you or Organzlbr.
I spent the last 39 years of my career with 1249 and watched more slugs than I care to mention come through those doors and hide under the union shroud for 25 years then retire.
Loved the work but hated every damn minute of the last 19 years putting up with your goddamned union. Should a took that cushy job for the muni hooking services day in and day out.

[MI-Lineman]

There is no help for the union. The first 20 years I was involved were tolerable, the last 19 were down right disgusting.
You guys are screwed. If I was starting all over again I'd take the best paying job, for whoever offered it, squirrel away every damn red scent I could, and hope I didn't end up working on a crew with you or Organzlbr.
I spent the last 39 years of my career with 1249 and watched more slugs than I care to mention come through those doors and hide under the union shroud for 25 years then retire.
Loved the work but hated every damn minute of the last 19 years putting up with your goddamned union. Should a took that cushy job for the muni hooking services day in and day out.

Whether you like it or not, if you spent 39yrs with 1249 then you're just as much at fault as the rest of "YOUR UNION"! You apparently hated it so much you stayed that long and sucked up everything "YOUR UNION" GOT YOU!

GET REAL HEEL!:cool:

[Edge]

Well said MI!!!

so many people think we're getting sucked into the "new world order" I say make it yours...

Union... if there is a New world order at least it's ours...

Edge

[Highplains Drifter]

heel winch, thanks for venting. I my self can not imagine working somewhere for 19 years and hating every moment. Why would not one leave and find a fulfilling place to work? Unless one is so accustom to living off of the better Union wages and benefits.
I feel a lot of union strength comes from living the Union life, we (my Local) just got done with a fund raiser for Toys for Tots. We stayed anonymous with our donation and that creates strength among members.

[Orgnizdlbr]

There is no help for the union. The first 20 years I was involved were tolerable, the last 19 were down right disgusting.
You guys are screwed. If I was starting all over again I'd take the best paying job, for whoever offered it, squirrel away every damn red scent I could, and hope I didn't end up working on a crew with you or Organzlbr.
I spent the last 39 years of my career with 1249 and watched more slugs than I care to mention come through those doors and hide under the union shroud for 25 years then retire.
Loved the work but hated every damn minute of the last 19 years putting up with your goddamned union. Should a took that cushy job for the muni hooking services day in and day out.

You must have been one of Mihok and Bishko's favorites.........BTW, you're right hoping you didnt end up on my crew.....

[topgroove]

You must have been one of Mihok and Bishko's favorites.........BTW, you're right hoping you didnt end up on my crew.....
I'ld be proud to work on your crew Orgnizlbr!

[Orgnizdlbr]

I'ld be proud to work on your crew Orgnizlbr!

Likewise Groovester!!!

[graybeard]

I can tell you why locals vote to get screwed on their contracts. Just look in the parking lots at work and see all the new cars, trucks and motorcycles. Houses that are more than should have been bought and a whole lota other toys. Don't budgit on 40 and HAVE TO HAVE THE OT. Don't go to union meetings untill contract time and then blame the BA for a bad contract.
Swamp I got to disagree UNIONS brought safety, wages and bennies that companys were not going to just give away. Whens the last time a company just gave a raise to labor, union or not because they made their profit goals.
I know a poor man can't create jobs but, if only one rich man can build a house, buy a car, go out to eat theres not much call for carpenters, the lumber yard the saw mill the lumberjack. Get the picture and I'm not saying the burger flipper should make $80,000 a year. But if a CEO ,CFO, COO can make millions because they went to school to learn to cheat the system then by God WE SHOULD MAKE GOOD MONEY FOR GETTING AND KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON. Otherwise how the hell is the rich guy going count his money in the dark.