SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 HE T IT NDU CO # # # SPECIAL ELECTION ISSUE # # # THE IBEW CELEBRATES ITS 125TH ANNIVERSARY AT THE 39TH INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION IN ST. LOUIS, MO Pictured with International President Lonnie Stephenson (center) is Local 25’s delegation to the Convention. (L to R) Sean Plant, Jim Wisdom, Jim Malley, John Guadagno, President Stephenson, Kevin Harvey, Kevin Casey and Jack Majkut. As stated in Article II, Section 1; “The IBEW shall also marked its original birthplace – St. Louis, Missouri. meet in regular convention every 5 years on the third After all it was in 1891, when lineman Henry Miller and Monday in September at such places as determined 9 other Founding Fathers gathered together to hold by the IEC”. A few weeks ago from September 19th their 1st Convention with a total of 283 original del- through the 23rd, your delegation, as selected by the egates representing the NEBW (National Brotherhood membership at our last Local Union elections, attended of Electric Workers). If they only knew then that the the 39th International Convention in St. Louis. The date organization they founded 125 years ago would grow marked not only the 125th Anniversary of the IBEW, it (Continued on page 4) BUSINESS THE MANAGER’S REPORT CONDUIT BY KEVIN M. HARVEY As I sit here writing my last Conduit as your Business THE CONDUIT (Publication No. USPS 984-520) Manager I can’t help but refl ect on not only my six years is published bi-monthly as a service to its as Business Manager but my entire 45-year career in the members by Local Union 25, IBEW, P.O. Box 18033, Hauppauge, New York 11788. Third Class IBEW – all right here in Local 25. Back in the summer of Postage paid at Centereach, New York 11720. 1970, between my freshman and sophomore years at college, I got a great Kevin M. Harvey, Editor taste of what this industry is all about when I worked that summer as a summer helper. That short 3-month job, turned my entire life around by Thomas Lawless, Press Secretary allowing me the opportunity to eventually become an IBEW member. There OFFICERS OF LOCAL UNION 25 are few life changing moments that happen during one’s career but that Business Manager was surely one of them. As your Business Manager for the last six years, we’ve faced many, many tough challenges. Over the years our Market Share had been steadily President John Guadagno decreasing. It has become more and more diffi cult to win jobs. And with high unemployment and decreasing market share the outlook has not Vice President looked good. When I took offi ce, I made a conscious decision to interact Sean Plant on a more personal level with our NECA Contractors in an effort to better Recording Secretary understand their side of our industry. After all, we are inexplicitly joined at Godfrey King the hip by nature of our Collective Bargaining Agreements and as partners Financial Secretary in the unionized Electrical Construction Industry here on Long Island we James Malley need to work together if we are to solve the problems I mentioned earlier. Treasurer I also wanted to establish a relationship of trust. By its nature Labor Ryan G. Casey and Management are diametrically opposed, but if we were to correct the Executive Board issues of Market Share and the customer’s perception of us, we needed Patrick T. Bonziglia to do it together. And as a good friend of mine told me years ago, trust is Lacey Cox the hardest thing to gain and the easiest thing to lose. So back in 2011, I Bill Grant started the journey of establishing such dialogue. Specifi cally, over the last Tom Lawless 2 years that process was kicked into overdrive when both parties agreed to Ed O'Brien establish a committed effort of partnering through an independent Labor/ Thomas Skladel Management Consultant. And looking back these past six years, it seems Examining Board to be working. When any of our NECA contractors call my offi ce today, it Chris Callahan is not to talk of a problem, but to discuss ways in which we can secure Robert Connor or take another job away from our non-union competition. Weekly, if not Joshua Margolis A.J. Mc Ateer daily, contractors are calling my offi ce to talk about a job that is going to go Michael Vitale non-union but now through our Market Recovery Agreement our contrac- tors are actively bidding those jobs because the Agreement has made them Business Representatives and areas they cover: competitive in these markets. And when we win those jobs we do a number of good things. First, we put the IBEW on the job with Journeymen, Appren- Kevin Casey – Route 110 to William Floyd Parkway, Brookhaven Lab, Testing and tices and CW/CE’s. Secondly, we take the job from non-union and hurt his Maintenance, Neon Sign and Maintenance. bottom line. Thirdly, we created opportunities and additional revenue for Tim Mc Carthy – William Floyd Parkway to our employers, but more importantly is the fact that we start to REGAIN our Montauk, Residential and CW/CE, Organizer and Market Share. And the proof is in the numbers. Back in 2011 there were 173 Renewable/Green Energy Rep. members of the CW/CE Unit. Today we are over 300, with many new mem- Jack Majkut – Route 110 to City Line and bers stripped from non-union contractors. Manhours back in 2011 in the Specialty Agreements. division were around 220,000. By the end of this year the number should James Pena – Organizer double to 450,000. All this work taken from the non-union sector. At the Nassau and Suffolk Counties. same time and as a result of this effort, “A” manhours have also risen. Back James Wisdom – Organizer, Telecommunications, in 2011 we did roughly 1.6 million manhours. During the following years the Pump and Tank, Special Projects. “A” hours dipped because of a lack of “A” work. But within the last 3 years Sean Meehan - Offi ce/Special Projects the “A” hours continue to rise back to a point where they were back in 2011, Shut It Off -2- around 1.65 million manhours (projected through 2016). Back in 2011, there were 327 JW’s available for work and our unemployment was around 25%. Today there are 85 JW’s available for work with our unemployment at 8% and LOCAL UNION 25 declining steadily. I believe this is not only the result of a better economy but also the result of a more aggressive coordinated effort to take back our CALENDAR work from the non-union. I believe that our business model is right on track. We see that it works. We have also built good working relationships with nu- merous non-union Developers and General Contractors. And as my assistant Regular Meeting over the last few years, your new Business Manager Kevin Casey has seen it 7:00 PM work and I know he will continue to pursue this work in the same vein. 2nd Tuesday each month In closing, I’d like to say that I will be retiring with somewhat mixed feel- Executive Board Meeting ings. I have enjoyed the opportunity the membership has given me in serving 7:00 PM as your Business Manager. The job has been tough, as has the decisions that 1st & 3rd Thursday each month have needed to be made. But as Business Manager I don’t get paid to make the easy decisions. I get paid to make tough ones. And I don’t mind that. It UNIT MEETINGS comes with the job. I know that I’ve made some good ones but also realize that to others I may have made some bad ones. But either way, I’ve always Maintenance / Neon Sign made them with the best interest of the Local and its membership at heart. 5:00 PM I won’t be going anywhere and I will be attending future Union meetings. I 3rd Tuesday every month can’t help but do that – it’s in my blood. I hope to see some of you then. Until CW/CE then, good luck to each and every one of you. This Local Union has been 5:00 PM lucky to have so many talented Brothers and Sisters make up its member- 2nd Thursday every month ship and it’s been my distinct pleasure to represent you as your Business Manager. Residential Brothers and Sisters that concludes my report for this issue of the Con- 5:30 PM nd duit. Remember to ‘Work Safe, Work Smart, and Shut Down Energized Cir- 2 Thursday every month cuits’. And most importantly remember, “In Unity there is Strength”. Telecommunications 5:30 PM 1st Thursday each month Testing & Maintenance 5:30 PM PRESIDENT’S REPORT 4th Wednesday every other month BY JOHN GUADAGNO The Local 25 Annual Picnic was held on Saturday, September 10th at COMMITTEE MEETINGS Hoyt Farm. The weather was beautiful, and all our Brothers and Sisters com- Apprentice Awareness ing together made for a perfect day. My personal thanks to all that helped Committee make the day so special. Transportation help from Welsbach Electric, enter- 4:00 PM tainment by DJ “Joy”, Chris Callahan’s ribs, the Business Offi ce, Sean Plant, Last Friday each month James Malley and Bill Grant for cooking all day and Alex Strauss for serving beer all day. E.W.M.C. A special thanks to all who helped in this year’s William J. Lindsay IBEW 5:00 PM Last Thursday each month Softball Tournament; a great time was had by all.