Central Body Screening for Mayor May 10
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(ISSN 0023-6667) Workers Memorial Day to remember The Duluth AFL-CIO observance on April 23. as she returned to work from Central Labor Body will join The pancake, sausage, juice lunch at the Duluth Clinic in labor organizations around the and coffee breakfast begins at Superior. She called 911 and world in observing Workers 7:00 a.m. in the basement of could be heard begging him not Memorial Day next week. The the Duluth Labor Temple and to shoot her. He had boxed her official Day is always April 28, runs until 9:00 a.m. About 9:15 vehicle in with his and when which is the anniversary date a.m. a short memorial service she finally tried to run for the of the signing of the federal and tree planting takes place building he shot her once in the Occupational Safety and outside the building near 21st head with a .30-30 rifle. A co- An Injury to One is an Injury to All! Health Act, which created Avenue East. worker witnessed the tragedy. WEDNESDAY VOL. 112 OSHA as part of the This year there are four Her husband took his own APRIL 18, 2007 NO. 20 Department of Labor. workers who will be remem- life shortly after he shot her In Duluth a free Solidarity bered during the ceremony. when sheriff’s deputies Breakfast always precedes the Shelby Adolphson, 41, a approached him in Poplar. Workers Memorial Day obser- member of USW Local 9460, A fundraiser to help her and vance. Preparation for the is still in serious condition in her children will be held breakfast requires it be held on Miller Dwan’s rehabilitation Sunday, April 22nd from 1:00 Monday morning so this year unit after being shot March to 5:00 p.m. at the Billings Park the Central Body will have its 21st by her estranged husband Civic Club, 3903 North 18th Avenue in Superior. A Shelby Adolphson Central Body screening Benefit Account has been set up at Wells Fargo banks. for mayor May 10 Donations can be dropped off Duluth AFL-CIO Central Labor Body delegates at their April at any branch or mailed to 12 regular monthly meeting overwhelmingly voted to conduct Wells Fargo, 230 W. Superior screenings for this year’s Duluth mayor’s race before their next St., Duluth, MN 55802. regular monthly meeting. Mayoral screenings will take place at Two members of 6:00 p.m., Thursday, May 10, Wellstone Hall, Duluth Labor Ironworkers Local 512 will Chad McKenna, second from left, was hired as NEALC Temple. Possible endorsements in the race could be brought up also be remembered after they field coordinator at an Executive Board meeting of the new at the monthly meeting that will immediately follow screenings. died in falls on the job last year. labor council April 4th. Iron Range reps in attendance At the April 12 meeting, which had well over 50 delegates Arne Fliginger, 45, of included Gerry Knaeble (USW), Joe Moren (Education from two dozen unions in attendance, debate over holding Wyoming, MN fell while tak- MN, Retirees), and Ida Rukavina (AFSCME). screenings at such an early date was lengthy. With filings not ing down a crane at Minne- opening until July 3 and not closing until July 17, a May screen- apolis Carlyle condos in Chad McKenna hired as ing and possible endorsement are unprecedented for the CLB. November. His 22-year old With Mayor Herb Bergson once again earlier this month say- son, also a member of field coordinator for NEALC ing he will not seek another term, candidates have been jumping Ironworkers Local 512 wit- The newly created North East Area Labor Council (NEALC), into the race quickly. Meg Bye, Greg Gilbert, Don Ness, Charlie nessed the fall. AFL-CIO has hired Chad McKenna as its first field coordinator. Bell, and Jim Pratt have declared their intentions to run. A num- Mike Rathjen, 30, of Big His hiring brings years of discussion to the action stage. ber of other candidates are also expected to run. Bye and Gilbert Lake, MN, fell at the Two “We’ve hired a good, young staff person in Chad, to further were at the April 12 meeting and addressed delegates. Harbors Ore Docks Dec. 6. the interests of working families in northeast Minnesota,” said The argument that won the vote at last Thursday’s Central Andrew “Andy” Reed, 24, NEALC President Alan Netland. “We had good candidates to Body meeting was that with such a crowded field the September of LaPrairie, MN died Oct. 12, pick from and were able to hire someone who is a great fit for 11 Primary Election will be critical. If the Central Body were to 2006 at United Taconite in the criteria we had established for the job.” wait until filings close to conduct screenings, it would histori- Forbes when an electrical panel “I’m honored to officially be part of the great labor move- cally take place at their August 9 meeting. That would be only a exploded. A Mine Safety and ment in this region,” McKenna said. “Many of the things I’ve month before the Primary, not enough time to run an effective Health Administration report done so far in my life should help me coordinate the efforts of campaign for any possible choice they may make. issued April 11th said a failure the labor bodies in the seven counties. Solidarity work is so Screenings are open to any member of an affiliated local by the company to provide important to organizing drives, workplace issues, legislative pol- union, but only official delegates named by their affiliated local working over-current protec- icy, and electoral politics.” unions will be allowed to vote on an endorsement, which would tion caused the explosion. The McKenna, 24, is a Prior Lake, MN native, who graduated in require two-thirds of the voting members. system should be examined May 2006 from UMD with a marketing major and a political sci- Local unions can submit their list of delegates to the Central and tested but that wasn’t done. ence minor. While at UMD he was an organizer and co-chair of Body prior to the May 10 meeting if they want to make changes. Many of the electrical control MPIRG (MN Public Interest Research Group) and involved in They should be on union letterhead, signed by the chief officer, rooms also serve as lunch the highly successful, annual, Free Democracy Summit. See Mayoral screenings...page 19 rooms for workers. “MPIRG is a grassroots, student-driven organization that The explosion and fire that empowers and trains young people to become engaged in envi- killed Reed was so powerful ronmental, social and economic justice issues,” McKenna said. WHAT’S INSIDE THIS ISSUE? that copper was said to have Upon graduating he went to work as a field organizer for the Whole bunch of stuff going on.....page 2 vaporized. His death was DFL Coordinated Campaign in the 8th Congressional District Opinions anyone?.....page 3 attributed to smoke inhalation. Duluth’s WMD observance working 85 hours a week, mostly outside Duluth. Workers Memorial Day a fight.....page 4 “I traveled much of the NEALC in that job, especially around has also been remembering Aitkin, Grand Rapids, Ely, and the North Shore,” McKenna said. Construction a risky way to make a living.....page 5 U.S. military personnel who That position ended following the election last November. He Color Earth Day Blue Green....page 6 have died in the Iraq War, now then went to work for the Citizens Federation as Outreach Unions win safety equipment fight...page 7 about 3,300. Coordinator, a position he will retain until he moves to the Organizer murdered....page 8 NEALC job. The Citizens Federation is the former Senior Railroads hazardous to workers, public...page 9 Federation-NE that has been doing a lot of labor’s advocacy work on public policy around health care, minimum and living Labor exhibit in Superior....page 10 wages, housing and more. Sharla Gardner joins council candidates.....page 11 McKenna will attend a 5-day AFL-CIO training session April Carpenter’s Keith Norris knew what to do....page 12 23-27 in Washington DC with 80 other new staffers. He will go Compound in cement cancerous.....page 13 to work with the NEALC upon his return. A small room in the 9-11 recovery workers health concerns ignored.....page 14 Duluth Labor Temple will serve as his office once it is set up with phone lines and a computer. McKenna’s expertise with Mesothelioma study on Iron Range.....page 16 computers and being able to create activist lists was a strong OSHA no poster boy for safety.....page 18 See Chad McKenna...page 19 Trades supporting troops again.....page 20 Help Stamp Out Hunger with NALC May 12 Debbie Haglin benefit By Yvonne Harvey, Director nationwide drive raised 70.5 has been 158,610 pounds of A fundraiser to benefit Debbie Community Services million pounds of food for food. Please be generous and (Siemsen) Haglin, a member of Everyday many hungry local food shelves, food banks set out non-perishable food by AFSCME Local 66 employed by St. Americans make impossible and pantries feeding the hungry your mailbox for your Letter Louis County Health & Human choices between the essentials NALC President William Carrier and volunteers to pick Services, will be held Sunday, April of living—paying utilities, rent H. Young noted that the up on Saturday, May 12, 2007. 29 at Mr. D’s Bar & Grill in West or mortgage, purchasing need- upcoming summer months “are With your help we can exceed Duluth.