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TO LETTERSTHEEDITOR Tribute to a Lineman I am married to a dedicated journeyman lineman who truly loves his EXECUTIVE OFFICERS INTERNATIONAL work. I wrote this poem to show him how proud I am of him and how I EDWIN D. HILL VICE PRESIDENTS adore him for his dedication to his job, co-workers and his local. We are like International President First District 900 Seventh St., N.W. PHILLIP J. FLEMMING the spouses of law enforcement. Every day that they make it home is a true Washington, D.C. 20001 1450 Meyerside Drive, Suite 300 blessing. We have given him the name “Electric Cowboy” and it fits him well. LINDELL K. LEE Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5T 2N5 International Secretary-Treasurer The Lineman 900 Seventh St., N.W. Second District In the night, when you thought all was well Washington, D.C. 20001 FRANK J. CARROLL, JR. A gust of wind blows in, causing havoc and hell INTERNATIONAL 4 Armstrong Road, 2nd Floor One so strong, it destroys your town EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Shelton, Connecticut 06484 It takes down the phone, the power, all is down Chairman ROBERT W. PIERSON The aftermath of the results make you sick Third District c/o IBEW Local 9 DONALD C. SIEGEL Hoping it’s a joke, a bad dream, or bad trick High Point Plaza Office Ctr. 500 Cherrington Pkwy. Seeing the storm has now made its mark, 4415 W. Harrison St. #330 Suite 325 You realize now, you’re left in the dark Hillside, Illinois 60162 Coraopolis, Pennsylvania 15108 First District Fourth District The lineman and crews work through the night JOSEPH P. CALABRO SALVATORE J. CHILIA c/o IBEW Local 1158 In any weather or conditions to make it right, 8260 North Creek Drive, Suite 140 1149 Bloomfield Avenue Putting their lives in their hands every day, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236 Clifton, New Jersey 07012 Because it’s his job and the lineman’s way Second District Fifth District So when you turn on the lights and use the power, MYLES CALVEY JOSEPH S. DAVIS Remember what it takes in that moment or hour c/o IBEW Local 2222 100 Concourse Parkway, Suite 300 1137 Washington Street, Suite 2 Birmingham, AL 35244 It takes a man who puts his life on the line; Dorchester, Massachusetts 02124 Sixth District I know, ‘cause one of them is a husband of mine. Third District JOHN R. CLARKE JOSEPH F. LOHMAN Debbie Bennett 8174 Cass Avenue c/o IBEW Local 141 Darien, Illinois 60561 Spouse of Clyde Bennett, Local 66 member, Houston 82 Burkham Court Wheeling, WV 26003 The Wrong Direction? Seventh District Fourth District JONATHAN B. GARDNER I couldn’t agree more with Edwin D. Hill’s article, “No Second Chances.” JACKIE E. GOODWIN 320 Westway Place, Suite 531 Improvements in organizing, etc. should be number one for the IBEW. I also c/o Local 136 Arlington, Texas 76018 agree with Jon F. Walters’ article, “Investing in Our Future.” 845 Gadsden Highway Birmingham, AL 35235 Eighth District I firmly believe that big business, the news media, the entertainment TED C. JENSEN Fifth District 2225 West Broadway, Suite H industry, the politicians, our educational system, etc. are really undermining STEPHEN SCHOEMEHL Idaho Falls, Idaho 83402 this country’s economy and morals. Increases in medical costs, the price of c/o IBEW Local 1 oil and housing are causing rapid increases in our cost of living. Our moral 5850 Elizabeth Avenue Ninth District St. Louis, Missouri 63110 standards are going to pot due primarily to the rotten programs on TV, MICHAEL S. MOWREY Sixth District 2500 Venture Oaks Way motion pictures and the publishing industries. No wonder our kids do not GREGORY LUCERO Suite 250 know right from wrong. Big business outsources our industries and pro- c/o IBEW Local 66 Sacramento, California motes nonunion activities and illegal immigration. Our educational system is 4345 Allen Genoa Road 95833-4221 Pasadena, Texas 77504 really going crazy. What was wrong with teaching our kids reading, writing Tenth District Seventh District ROBERT P. KLEIN and arithmetic? What is wrong with teaching our kids right from wrong? I PATRICK LAVIN 5726 Marlin Road, Suite 500 got my butt paddled when I was in school and at home by my parents and I c/o IBEW Local 47 Chattanooga, Tennessee 600 N. Diamond Bar Blvd. think it was for my own good. This country was founded on the belief in 37411-4043 God. I could go on and on. I firmly believe that if our country continues on Diamond Bar, California 91765 Eighth District Eleventh District its downhill path that it will be our ruination as a No. 1 nation in this world. RICK DOWLING CURTIS E. HENKE William Miner c/o IBEW Local 213 6601 Winchester Avenue Suite 150 Local 40 retiree, Hollywood, Calif. 4220 Norland Avenue Kansas City, Missouri 64133 (Continued on page 49) Burnaby, BC V5G 3X2 Canada FOR THE LATEST NEWS VISIT www.ibew.org IBEW®JOURNAL Spring 2008 Volume 107 Number 2 IBEW JOURNAL 22 CONSTRUCTION FUTURES Edwin D. Hill, EDITOR C. James Spellane, DIRECTOR Charter School Builds Mark Brueggenjohann, Skills and Character INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE Carol M. Fisher, 22 Chicago’s ACE high school attracts SR. EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Malinda R. Brent, young people into the design and COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST construction trades. Len Shindel, COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST COVER On the cover: ACE charter school senior Samantha Luna Alex Hogan, pictured with Vincent Volpe, left, instructor and member of 14 HOCKEY TALK COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST Chicago Local 134; junior David Williams; senior Reginald Elizabeth Pultar, Brown; and Executive Director Geri Harston, member of SECRETARY Local 134. ARCHIVES Mike Nugent, INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE 11 IBEW Launches HOW TO REACH US We welcome letters from our readers. National 401(k) Plan The writer should include his or her name, address and, if applicable, IBEW local union number and card number. Family members 12 2007 Founders’ should include the local union number of the IBEW member to whom the Journal is Scholarship Winners POWER FLOW mailed. Please keep letters as brief as possi- 26 ble. The Journal reserves the right to select letters for publication and edit all submis- N.J. Member Moonlights sions for length. 14 Send letters to: As N.H.L. Announcer Letters to the Editor, IBEW Journal, 900 Seventh Street, N.W. Stoplights Signal Washington, D.C. 20001 16 or send by e-mail to: IBEW’s Growth in L.A. [email protected] ©2008 International Brotherhood FEATURES of Electrical Workers. 20 Jon Walters: All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. on Union-made paper. An IBEW Life in Photos IBEW Journal (ISSN: 0897-2826) Published 30 RACING LEGEND quarterly, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter by the International Brotherhood of Electrical 26 Prototype Gear Helps Workers, 900 Seventh Street, N.W., Washing- ton, D.C. 20001. Subscriptions prices in the Power Flow on Grid United States and Canada, $4 per year in advance. Periodicals postage paid at Wash- ington, D.C., and at additional mailing offices. 30 The IBEW’s Racing Legacy POSTMASTER: Send address changes to IBEW Journal, 900 Seventh Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001. This Journal will not be held responsible for views 2 President’s Message 35 IBEW Pension expressed by correspondents. Paid adver- tising is not accepted. Benefit Fund Report 3 Secretary-Treasurer’s Publications Mail Agreement No. 40011756 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to PO Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek, Message 36 Retirees Local Lines Richmond Hill ON L4B 4R6 4 IBEW Currents 42 In Memoriam 9 Organizing Wire 47 IEC Meeting Minutes DEPARTMENTS GettingRealAbout Education e have a lot to learn from Samantha graduated if they had tried. For them, school wasn’t relevant. Jack Stewart, president of the California Manufacturing and Luna, Reginald Brown and David Technology Association, points to a survey of community col- Williams, the high school students lege students that showed that 75 percent had not considered who are featured on the cover of applying for a manufacturing job because they thought the pay was too low. The perception, says Stewart, has left companies this month’s Journal. These high- like Dow Chemical, which pays skilled workers up to $100,000 achieving students at ACE Charter per year, going out of state to recruit personnel. WHigh School in The answer, says Balgenorth, is to cel- ebrate educational and workplace diver- Chicago have rejected the sity the way we celebrate cultural notion spread by far too many diversity. It’s time to acknowledge that all educated workers are valuable, whether of their elders that a college they hold a bachelor’s degree in engineer- education is the only route to ing or are a journeyman electrician, line- man or boilermaker. career success. I agree. As far as educational policy, I am proud of the IBEW mentors who this doesn’t mean going backwards to the are helping schools like ACE build bright two-track days when students were forced futures for youth while filling a great need to make an early choice between college for young people in our industries to prep courses and vocational education. It replace workers retiring in great numbers. means intensifying our lobbying efforts to But I also know that the limited resources win funding for more schools like ACE of the labor movement will only reach a Charter High School, where students are small percentage of the students in North offered multiple pathways to success, America who need career technical educa- where architectural and engineering stu- tion. As hundreds of thousands of skilled dents share their achievements with stu- workers retire, our nations must do better.