Repothe RteR The official publication of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers & Helpers, AFL-CIO JUL - SEP 2010 Volume 49 | Number 3 BOILERmaKERS RaLLy FOR COaL: Pittsburgh, Aug. 25 — With a comprehensive energy and climate bill stalled in the Senate, Local 154 members take to the street to voice their concerns about the future of coal. More than 700 Boilermakers participate, drawing a substantial police presence to keep the road clear, but only one protester is cited, for a minor violation. See story on page 6. Copyright ©, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2010, all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission. i Vp Sam h. may retires Southeast Section to be represented by IVP Fairley SAM H. MAY retired June 30 as International Vice President of the Southeast Section, a position he had held since July 24, 2003. May began his career as a Boilermaker in 1969 and joined Local Lodge 454, Chattanooga, Tenn., in 1970. He graduated from the local’s apprentice program in 1973, earning an outstanding apprentice award. May served Local 454 as recording secretary, vice president, and president. In 1991, he became the local’s business manager, and in 1996 he became busi- ness manager/executive secretary for District 57, which encompasses five locals with jurisdiction that covers parts of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and North Carolina, and all of South Carolina and Tennessee. May earned considerable praise for his work on the law committee for the Samy H. ma retires as International Vice President of the Southeast Section. International’s consolidated convention in 1996 and chairmanship of that see IVP MAY RETIRES, pg. 7 565 E porter t e i thIS ISSuE r U INSIDE S , E U n E 12 v 2 a E City, KS 66101 L-146’s Hache Industrial S a S Sector wins Canadian L-85 DTE an K the Boilermaker 753 Stat meets apprentice contest Energy outage 14 th E E BoiL rmaKEr rEPortEr 2 jul -SEP 2010 HEAi Dl Ne n EWS layoffs. Those shipyards employ members of Local 1998 (National City, Industrial Sector meets in Las Vegas Calif.) and Local 19 (Philadelphia). more than 200 delegates gather While the situation is bleak, Fairley for second conference expressed optimism that U.S. manu- THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR confer- facturing can recover. “I know we have ence held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas a long way to go, but we can get there. Aug. 16-20 surpassed attendance at the We absolutely have to get there. It’s inaugural event last year, attracting 222 going to take business and labor moving delegates from across the United States beyond differences to promote shared and Canada. goals. Right now the goal we all should The conference included plenary share, the goal we must share, is getting meetings for all participants as well as our economy moving again and getting 42 break-out sessions that focused on America building things again.” specific areas and industries. Thirty-six “Light fires,” says Elaine Bernard speakers addressed the delegates. They spoke about building the union, pen- KEYNOTE SPEAKER ELAINE sions, health care, FMLA, labor law, Bernard, executive director of the Labor safety, legislative issues, bookkeeping, and Worklife Program at Harvard Law conducting audits, Boilermaker history, School, stressed the importance of moti- vating members to become activists. Her and other topics. IVP WaRREn FaIRLEy expresses optimism that U.S. manufacturing can recover if business The conference featured presen- and labor promote shared goals. presentation was titled “Lighting Fires tations by labor officials, educators, vs. Putting Them Out.” attorneys, and government officials Conference gets high marks ufacturing and why the U.S. economy Bernard said that most members in representing the Department of Labor, has faltered. unions today were not part of the orga- ISO ExECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jim “In the last 10 years we’ve lost 5.5 mil- nizing effort that created their union. the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Pressley said the conference received Service, the Department of Health and lion manufacturing jobs; we’ve closed Instead, they “discovered” that they were high marks based on feedback forms 50,000 manufacturing facilities,” he in a union by virtue of getting a job with Human Services, the Railroad Retire- completed by delegates. “Participants ment Board, and the National Labor said. “At the end of 2009, manufacturing an employer that was party to a collec- indicated that they liked the facilities at employment was close to the same level tive bargaining agreement. That situa- Relations Board. Caesars Palace, the quality of the pre- Also presenting were Blake & Uhlig, as it was in the 1940s. Simply put, our tion leads to a view by many members senters, and the variety of content that system is broken.” that the union consists of labor leaders the Boilermaker National Funds office, a was available. consultant for the Boilermakers National Fairley said he recently received three and staff and acts mainly as an “insurance “While we were happy with how well pieces of mail that, taken together, dem- policy” for when something goes wrong. Pension and Welfare Funds (Canada), the first Industrial Sector Conference and International staff. onstrate the problems faced by American If unions are to increase their power and turned out last year, I think this year’s manufacturers. Two letters announced event was even better,” he said. “Atten- layoffs at American crane manufacturers. dance at the various presentations was The third letter was from the Depart- phenomenal; delegates showed they ment of the Navy announcing that it had came to expand their knowledge and just signed a $29 million contract with sharpen their skills.” South Korea to build cranes. Pressley said he was impressed with “Until we decide in the United States the participation and support of Cana- that we are going to make things again, dian members. “International Reps and until we decide that we are going to Richard MacIntosh and Kent Oliver did hold the government accountable for a great job of coordinating the Canadian the way they spend our money, the eco- presentations, and a substantial number nomic security of our citizens will always of Canadian members attended.” be at risk,” he said. Pressley also praised Canadian Inter- The news has been dismal for U.S. national Vice Presidents Joe Maloney shipbuilders as well, Fairley said. He and Ed Power, “for their generous sup- is currently negotiating a plant closure port of the conference reception.” agreement involving the Avondale ship- IVP Fairley calls for rebuilding yard, near New Orleans, where Local manufacturing base 1814 (Bridge City, La.) members are employed by Northrop Grumman. EBRLaInE E naRd, executive director of IN HIS OPENING remarks at the the Harvard Labor and Worklife Program, And two commercial shipbuilders — Ed-ISO JIm PRESSLEy welcomes 222 conference, IVP Warren Fairley gave a urges lodge leaders to “light fires” for NASSCO and Aker — have announced their members. delegates to the Industrial Sector conference. sobering assessment of American man- the JUL - SEP 2010 Volume 49, Number 3 NeWtoN B. JoNeS edItorIAL StAFF t he Boilermaker reporter is the official publication Web site: www.boilermakers.org International President and Editor-in-Chief donald Caswell of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, CanadaPost Agreement : PM 41892512 WILLIAM t. CreedeN Managing Editor Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers, and Helpers, AFL-CIo. It is published quarterly to disseminate infor- PoStMASter: Send address changes to: International Secretary-Treasurer Carol Almond mation of use and interest to its members. Submis- INterNAtIoNAL VICe PreSIdeNtS Assistant to the Managing Editor sions from members, local lodges, and subordinate [email protected] Mike Linderer or affiliated bodies are welcomed and encouraged. the Boilermaker reporter J. tom Baca, Western States 753 State Avenue, Suite 565 Warren Fairley, Southeast/Industrial Sector Writer and Editor this publication is mailed free of charge to active members and retired members holding a retired Kansas City, KS 66101 Joe Maloney, Western Canada Mary echols Members Card. others may subscribe for the price (913) 371-2640; FAX (913) 281-8110 Lawrence McManamon, Great Lakes Publications Specialist of $10 for three years. Standard Mail (A) postage paid Sean Murphy, Northeast at Kansas City, Kan., and additional mailing offices. ed Power, Eastern Canada ISSN No. 1078-4101. Printed in the U.S.A. an award-winning newspaper th E E BoiL rmaKEr rEPortEr h eadlineNSeW jul -SEP 2010 3 IVP WaRREn FaIRLEy, l., discusses global union networking with Phee Jung-sun, Materials UnIOn attORnEy and FmLa ExPERt robert Schwartz answers questions from delegates Sector officer for the International Federation of Chemical, energy, Mine, and General Workers about the Family and Medical Leave Act. Unions (ICeM). influence, members must take an active Jung-sun said that while the economic He thanked the Boilermakers union same way that we see ourselves and our role, she said. They need to “experience” crisis has hit the United States hard, many for becoming involved in ICEM, noting fellow workers.” He said hostile media the labor movement. other regions of the world are impacted that Intl. Pres. Newton B. Jones serves as continue to define what organized labor Bernard challenged delegates to think by the loss of jobs, too. Workers every- chair of the ICEM Materials Sector and is, noting, “If our vision is to be heard back to when they first became active where are affected by the changing nature IVP Warren Fairley serves on the Materi- above the noise of our opponents…we in the union and to try to create simi- of companies, he observed, including als Sector Committee. He also praised the must learn to stand together again.” lar experiences for their members to the increased use of contract workers Boilermakers for helping to spearhead Pickett urged individual union mem- become activists — in other words, to and ownership by investment firms the North American Cement and Build- bers to become activists and to promote “light fires” for them.