Vol. 38 No. 2 the Boilerma k e r Mar • Apr 1999 The Official Publication of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers, and Re p o rt e r Helpers, AFL-CIO IN THESE PAGES Local 73 sets turnaround record 100 90 Accident rates decline 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 NACBE safety index Shows decline; L-204 earns national safety award . 3 Shipbuilding news Commitment to Puget Sound local union workers; Justice at Avondale Campaign . 4 Equal pay alert . 6 LEAP Issues Local 73 sets a turnaround record at the Irving Oil Refinery, earning the project name “Operation Quarterhorse ‘98,” due to their speed, agility, and teamwork. Time to get some real work done . 7 Members’ speed and Se t t l e m e n t s . 10 agility earn project name What will Congress do now? ‘Operation Quarterho r s e ’ With impeachment out of the members. Others suggest that they will Le t t e r s . 12 accomplish a great deal, because both MEMBERS OF LOCAL 73, Halifax, way, they can get some rea l political parties and the president will Nova Scotia, Canada, working for work done – if they choose to want to show the American people that Delta Catalytic Industrial Services, Ltd., they are not just gossip hounds, but have completed the biggest turnaround FOR MORE THANa year, our federal that they truly care about the welfare of in the history of the Irving Oil Refinery government has been at a virtual stand- the citizenry and are willing to work in Saint John, New Brunswick. still while House Republicans tried to hard to pass the laws we need. An explosion in the charge furnace remove President Clinton from office. The citizenry, meanwhile, are very on June 9, moved the turnaround date The 105th Congress was the least pro- cautious. We would like to believe that forward, prompting the project man- ductive Congress in decades, unable to both parties can come together in the ager – Fluor Daniel Wright Ltd. – to pass any laws of great import – in fact, spirit of bipartisanship and solve some obtain components from Canada, as barely able to pass a budget so the gov- of the significant issues our nation faces well as the U.S., in order to complete ernment could continue its work. if we are to remain a world leader – the project in as short a time as possible, Now the House has had its say, the keeping Social Security and Medicare with final assembly completed on site. Senate has rejected their charges, and solvent without reducing benefits, Local 73 members earned the project Washington observers are wondering SF E A W Div. Dir. Othal improving air and water quality with- name “Operation Quarterhorse ‘98,” what Congress will do next. Smith’s stepdaughter is first out overburdening some businesses due to their speed, agility, and the Some pundits are predicting that runner up in Miss USA Pageant . and communities, reducing the grow- 13 tremendous amount of teamwork Congress will accomplish very little, ing wage gap which threatens to shove involved in completing this record- because the impeachment process has setting turnaround. ❑ induced so much animus among its Continued on page 7 Local 667 members win settlement with Brown and Root in W. Virginia Labor law violator pays $775,000 in back pay and other expenses WHEN BROWN & ROOTrefused to hire union members at their Rhone- Poulenc construction job, Local 667 fought back. The Charleston, W. Va., local started a picket line. Unemployed Boilermakers did something different. They applied for jobs. When Local 667 members were denied work because of their union affiliation, the local filed unfair labor practice charges. Nine years later, Brown & Root agreed to settle, ending the lengthy These Local 667 members fought back and won. They each received a $12,500 legal battle by paying the 47 workers back-pay settlement check from Brown & Root after a judge ruled the nonunion $625,000 in back pay, promising not to contractor used discriminatory hiring practices. violate workers’ union rights in the future, and paying attorney’s fees and Poulenc gave Brown & Root a $30-mil- companies to use local workers, the organizing costs to the union. lion contract to perform construction nonunion company from Houston The victory was long in coming, but work at its Institute, W. Va., chemical began hiring low-wage workers from sweet nonetheless. In 1989, Rhone- plant. Despite promises from both Continued on page 2 the Boilermaker Reporter 2 Mar • Apr 1999 N E W S M A K E R S L-667 members win $775,000 Tra n s p o r tation Dept. announces settlement from Brown & Ro o t expansion of Southeast corri d o r Continued from page 1 in back pay to the workers (after taxes, each received a check in the amount of High-speed trains will run According to the department’s out of state. According to a report in the $12,500) and $150,000 to the union for fr om the nation’s capital to December 1 news release, the Southeast Charleston Gazette, this change began a legal expenses. Local 667 BM-ST Ron High-Speed Rail Corridor should pro- trend that saw DuPont and Union Bush said he was happy to reach the set- Jacksonville, Florida vide comfortable and reliable travel Carbide turn over construction and tlement, but is saddened that West THE U. S. DEPARTMENT o f while relieving congestion in this rap- maintenance work once performed by Virginians ultimately lost out when it Transportation announced an extension idly growing area. in-house, unionized workers to Brown came to jobs they could have had. of the Southeast High-Speed Rail High-speed trains already demon- & Root contractors. Bush said, “Everyone knows how Corridor in December 1998, which is strate on the Northeast Corridor how To stop this trend, Local 667 joined bad West Virginians need work. projected to serve an urban population train travel can be safe, reliable, econom- forces with the Charleston Building and Unfortunately, hundreds of out-of- of 20.6 million persons by the year 2005. ical, and comfortable. Trains on the Construction Trades Council to organ- state workers were brought in by The continuation and expansion of Northeast Corridor travel at speeds of ize the Brown & Root workers. Building Brown & Root to take jobs local work- the successful public-private partner- 125 mph and will ultimately travel at Trades members picketed the job site, ers could have done. ship to extend the Southeast High- 150 mph in certain segments. and members of Local 667 filed job “Both companies (Rhone-Poulenc and Speed Rail Corridor will link Currently, California, Florida, Illinois, applications. Brown & Root) said local workers would Washington, D. C., Richmond, Va., Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Brown & Root refused to hire or inter- be hired. But when Local 667 members and Raleigh, N. C., to Columbia, S. C., New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, view the Local 667 members because applied for the jobs, they were turned Savannah, Ga., and Jacksonville, Fla. It Virginia, and Washington are investing they had put on their applications that down. Our members are highly skilled, will also link Charlotte and in upgrades to existing rail corridors in they were “volunteer union organiz- productive employees and we believe Greensboro, N. C., to Spartanburg and order to provide improved passenger ers.” In addition, Brown & Root’s fore- the only reason they were denied Greenville, S. C., and Atlanta and rail service. man told an employee that “. if the employment was because of their union Macon, Ga. The Federal Railroad Administration union gets in here . we’ll all be out of a membership,” explained Bush. States and cities along the route will (FRA) is actively engaged in several job.” Based on these violations of the Director of Organizing Bill Creeden work with private railroad companies public-private partnerships in order to National Labor Relations Act, the union said, “I’m pleased to see our members and the federal government to gradu- defray implementation costs. The FRA filed unfair labor practice charges finally get some compensation for ally upgrade existing railroad rights-of- is also working with the private sector to against Brown & Root. Brown & Root’s actions. It’s a shame way to speeds of 110 miles per hour and develop a high-speed, non-electric loco- In April 1994, Administrative Law our labor laws allow companies to drag greater. Plans are also underway for a motive by the year 2000, as well as a new Judge Robert G. Romano ruled against these cases out for so long, but we new Intermodal Terminal at Five Points satellite-based, train control system and Brown & Root and ordered them to aren’t going to give up just because in Atlanta to link high-speed rail with a an innovative grade-crossing protection ❑ stop these unfair labor practices. He they stall us. When our members’ regional transportation system. system. ordered them to offer employment and rights are violated, we don’t quit until make the applicants whole for any we get justice for them.” losses of earnings they may have suf- The action taken at Local 667 was fered had they been considered for hire part of a Fight Back campaign, the inno- and hired without discrimination. vative organizing program initiated by NEWS IN BRIEF Brown & Root appealed the decision, President Charles W. Jones and devel- but on December 18, 1998, agreed to set- oped by Connie Mobley and IVP tle the case.