INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS LOCAL 5 NEWS & VIEWS VOLUME XLIV IBEW Local 5 Meeting Hall, Training Center, And Headquarters Building 5 Hot Metal Street Pittsburgh, PA 15203-2355 FALL 2020 BIDEN FOR Pto thRe NLREB. ThSose apIpoDinteesEwentNback sT eventy years and overturned almost every favorable labor decision. The Board consists of three Republicans that he personally appointed, one Democrat that was already on the Board and one open seat that the law required be filled with a Democrat so he refuses to appoint anyone even though he would still have a three to two majority. In addition to overturning unions hard fought gains the lead counsel for the NLRB, also a Trump appointee, is suing to make Project Labor Agreements (PLA’s) illegal. Fifteen percent of our man hours are performed under PLA’s. Another item that you are not aware of is that the Whitehouse has drafted a plan to attack David Bacon wages. As you know, the Davis Bacon Act requires that our full wages be paid on Federal projects. You all know that the International was a very early sup - While Trump cannot eliminate the Act, he has a plan to change porter of Biden and endorsed him months ago. This early sup - the wage calculation dropping our Davis Bacon wage here in port paid dividends and Lonnie Stephenson has been put on our jurisdiction by approximately $6.00 per hour. We were multiple committees advising Biden. Most notably, the Transition shown a copy of an internal Whitehouse memo detailing the team and Energy Committee. In his position on that Committee, changes and stating that they should wait until after the election President Stephenson has gotten assurances directly from Vice because these wage decreases would cause Trump to lose sup - President Biden that he supports fossil fuels and, in particular, port of Building Trades workers. fracking. Now that the party conventions are over, Local Union While there are many more issues, I will close out this No. 5 has also endorsed Vice President Biden. In making this subject by telling you about the Republican National choice, we did not consider any social issues but only issues of Convention’s unprecedented action of not formally adopting a direct impact on Local 5 members. One third of your retirement platform. Again, the reason that they did not adopt and publicize income is from Social Security. Although President Trump a Party platform is that it would contain items that would lead to repeatedly states at his rally’s that he will pro - Republican defeat in the legislature as well tect Social Security, all of the budgets that he “So please go to the polls and support the candidate that has a as the Presidency. Items such as taxing all has submitted over his three plus years pro - forty year track record of support - healthcare, eliminating union’s rights to rep - pose cutting trillions of dollars from Social ing you and not the candidate that resent workers, additional tax cuts for busi - Security and Medicare. He also tried to kill the lies to you about support while ness and the wealthy while allowing worker funding source for Social Security during nego - working to cut your retirement, tax cuts to sunset raising their taxes, tiation for the Cares Act and when Congress your wages and your right to defunding Social Security and Medicare stopped him he signed an executive order elim - representation.” and further, easing of restrictions on Russia inating the payroll tax anyway. Unless that tax Michael R. Dunleavy and much more. So please go to the polls is reinstituted, Social Security can no longer and support the candidate that has a forty year track record of pay full benefits after “2023” and will go broke shortly thereafter. supporting you and not the candidate that lies to you about sup - Even more significant than his attack on Social Security is his port while working to cut your retirement, your wages and your support of surcharging your pension contribution and applying right to representation. an additional tax to your monthly pension. He is supporting this Please make sure to read this issue’s Business Managers for union pensions only. If he succeeds with both of these Corner. attacks, your pension will be cut in half. You most likely are not aware of Trump’s appointments history; both times under your gun rights have not been in Republican Presidents most danger since the Supreme Court Corner by Michael Dunleavy recently during Hurricane Katrina decision ensuring them. They are s in New Orleans when George ’ not in danger now and will not be r Bush (43) was President and in danger for the long foreseeable e Louisiana had a Republican g future. Likewise, Republicans Governor. a deceptively had no intention of n outlawing abortion and let tens of a I would like to address thousands of procedures go for - M one more deception being perpe - ward when they could have trated by the GOP (Grand Old s stopped them just to divide us s Party – Republican Party). Even and keep power. While trump e though the first mail-in-vote was n has rushed to seat the Sixth i during the Civil War and the most s Conservative Justice because he recent election had over thirty mil - u thinks she can help him steal the lion votes cast by mail, the B election, he simultaneously has Republicans want to undermine “Most Union Members House and the Senate for two taken away any reason for a mail-in-voting because two-thirds that vote against their own inter - years and still did nothing. working person specifically a (2/3) of mail-in votes come from est and the interests of their Republicans needed this issue in Union Member to vote against Democrats. They want to slow brothers and sisters reference order to get Religious observers, their own interest any longer. abortion and Second Amendment Union Members and some num - the delivery of these votes then ber of Democrats to vote contrary proclaim them uncountable Rights as justification”. Remember, Joe Biden is to their own economic benefit. because they arrive late due to not a Socialist. He is not going to I would like to offer an Prior to abortion, a large majority President Trump’s dismantling raise your taxes, he is not going explanation of how and why these of Catholics, in particular, voted and underfunding of the United to take your gun but he will pro - issues are used to divide us. Democratic because of concerns States Postal Service. tect your Social Security, for the poor, indigent and working Additionally, private delivery serv - Medicare, Union Pension and The Republican Party is people. If abortion was to be out - ices that supported Trump would your health. not growing. The Democratic lawed some, if not all, of these like the United States Post Office Party is already larger and is con - voters would return to their prior to be privatized. In conclusion, tinuing to grow as are support of Democrats speeding Independents. In six of the last up and ensuring the decline of the seven Presidential Elections, Republican Party. Ironically, if Democrats have won the popular you voted for either Bush or LifeSolutions vote and two times as many Trump because of abortion you 1-855-209-8762 Americans voted for Democrat guaranteed that up to this point www.lifesolutionsforyou.com Senators than voted for nothing would be done to overturn Republicans and a majority of Roe v. Wade 410 U.S. 113 Organization Code: ibew5 Americans voted for Democrat (1973). Now that there is a six to Congressional candidates. three justice advantage prior to Virginia turned blue in the last this election, there is no reason to 2020 Scholarships Are Awarded election cycle. Texas, North vote for Trump if abortion is your The I.B.E.W. Local #5 – Western Pennsylvania Chapter, National Carolina and Georgia are project - concern. If the Second Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) Scholarship Trust ed to turn blue within five years. Amendment is your issue, it has Fund has awarded the 2018 scholarships to: In response to these facts, the already been affirmed by the Republican Party is using abor - Supreme Court that you have the Vanessa Beitle tion, guns and voter suppression right to bear arms. With the cur - Bianca Dunay most recently an attack on the rent six to three majority and the Kira Greer U.S. Postal Service to remain rel - younger age of the conservative Michael Mankie evant. Even though they had a members of the Court, this right is Morgan Mikesic one justice advantage and held guaranteed going forward so Applications for the 2021 scholarships will be available from the Senate and the House for two there is no need to vote against September 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. Those who are years and the Presidency under what is best for you, your family eligible are high school seniors who are sons, daughters, grand - sons and granddaughters of Local #5 “A” members. Complete eli - George Bush (43), they did noth - and your fellow Union Members gibility rules and applications can be obtained by mail, from: ing on abortion. During Donald economically. An interesting fact Trump’s first term, they held a two is that guns have only been con - N.E.C.A. 5 Hot Metal Street, Suite 301 fiscated two times in American justice advantage and held the Pittsburgh, PA 15203-2357 RETIRED MEMBERS SERVICE PINS TWENTY YEAR Arthur A. Antonella Gary A. Chickis Robert W. Glunt Daniel F. McGinley Thomas M. Russell Thomas B.