FOR THE LATEST NEWS VISIT www.ibew.org IBEW®JOURNAL Fall 2008 Volume 107 Number 4 IBEW JOURNAL 10 DECISION TIME Edwin D. Hill, EDITOR C. James Spellane, DIRECTOR 9 SPECIAL ELECTION COVERAGE Mark Brueggenjohann, INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE Showdown for Carol M. Fisher, SR. EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Working Families Malinda R. Brent, EDITORIAL MANAGER 10 Joint Officers’ Message Len Shindel, COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST 12 Barack Obama: Fighting Alex Hogan, COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST For Working Families Lucas Oswalt, 23 ARIZONA ON McCAIN COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST 17 Leader Recalls Davis-Bacon Slight James H. Jones, PRODUCTION ASSISTANT 18 Obama vs. McCain: ARCHIVES Side by Side on the Issues Mike Nugent, INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE 21 What Do the Folks Back Home Think? HOW TO REACH US COVER We welcome letters from our readers. 25 Swiftboat Vet Takes on McCain The writer should include his or her name, address and, if applicable, IBEW local union number and card number. Family members 27 Joe Biden: A Voice for should include the local union number of the IBEW member to whom the Journal is Working Families mailed. Please keep letters as brief as possi- TRADES SAVING LIVES ble. The Journal reserves the right to select 28 Gov. Sarah Palin: New Name, 6 letters for publication and edit all submis- sions for length. Same Game Send letters to: Letters to the Editor, IBEW Journal, 30 IBEW Members Speak Out 900 Seventh Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20001 34 The Road to 60: Senate Democrats or send by e-mail to: [email protected] Hope to Increase Ranks ©2008 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. on Union-made paper. IBEW Journal (ISSN: 0897-2826) Published quarterly, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter by ON DUTY the International Brotherhood of Electrical Documentary Highlights 4 Workers, 900 Seventh Street, N.W., Washing- 6 ton, D.C. 20001. Subscriptions prices in the Lives Transformed United States and Canada, $4 per year in advance. Periodicals postage paid at Wash- ington, D.C., and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to FEATURES IBEW Journal, 900 Seventh Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001. This Journal will not be held responsible for views expressed by correspondents. Paid adver- tising is not accepted. 2 IBEW Currents Publications Mail Agreement No. 40011756 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to PO Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek, 4 IBEW on Duty Richmond Hill ON L4B 4R6 10 Joint Officers’ Message 38 Retirees Local Lines 42 In Memoriam DEPARTMENTS volunteers—spearheaded by Kathy Boyd, an Evansville Local 16 journeyman IBEWCURRENTS wireman—donated thousands of hours to make Holly’s House a reality. “I saw the enormity of what this was going to be for our community,” Boyd said. A survivor of child molestation and rape, Boyd said her experiences boosted her activism. “I didn’t do this for me. I Indiana Building Trades did it for the wives, daughters and any- one else who may ever need to use it as Create Refuge for Assault Victims a resource. I wasn’t afforded that luxury when it happened to me.” As the only known survivor of the Railway Killer—a man who Pendleton and Boyd estimated that assaulted and murdered at least 15 women in the Southeast and the total project would have cost more than $1 million, including $200,000 for Midwest before his 2006 execution—Holly Dunn Pendleton the electrical system alone. But almost refused to be a victim. Though emotionally and physically every supply house in the Evansville area donated something to the project; scarred by the 1997 attack that claimed her boyfriend and left signatory contractors in the area also her for dead, Pendleton wanted to channel her energy into contributed thousands of dollars in mate- helping other survivors seek justice and solace. rials. Volunteers included sheet metal workers, carpenters, telecom workers, “Many who have been victims of inti- seek medical, legal and psychological painters and fellow Local 16 electricians, mate crimes get to a point when they assistance under the same roof. It even among others. want to go from victim to survivor,” had a name: “Holly’s House.” Now it just Holly’s House opened its doors to the Pendleton said. “I felt I had an obligation needed to be built. public in September. to help others with stories like mine.” Pendleton and Turpin made a presen- “I feel very grateful to Kathy, the Teaming with local Evansville, Ind., tation to the Southwest Indiana Building IBEW and the Building Trades,” Pendle- Investigator Brian Turpin, the two brain- and Construction Trades Council in June ton said. “Without their help, there is no stormed a place where children and of 2006. They were hoping for any assis- way we could have opened debt-free.” adults facing abuse and violence could tance they could get. What they received “It’s a great feeling knowing that we was a full embrace by labor leaders who helped make this happen,” Local 16 voted to donate labor and resources to Business Manager Paul Green said. “It the project. makes you hold your head high as an Over the next two years, hundreds of IBEW member.” 1 Nearly 150 Local 16 members volunteered to make Holly’s House a reality. Holly Dunn Pendleton stands at center in white T-shirt. Above, Evansville, Ind., Local 16 members Tony Weis, left, and Rick Koressel help wire the building. 2 IBEW JOURNAL, FALL 2008 This year’s IBEW scholarship winners are: Ⅲ Jacob DeLeon of Marquez, Texas, whose father, Patrick Becan, is a mem- ber of Houston Local 66 ($4,000). Ⅲ Dan Denis of Spring Valley, Ill., whose father, Rich Denis, is a member of Joliet Local 176 ($4,000). Ⅲ Logan Hansen of Glenville, Minn., whose father, Michael Hansen, is a member of Burnsville Local 949 ($4,000). Ⅲ Jonathon Kinate of Kansas City, Mo., whose father, Daniel Kinate, is a mem- ber of Kansas City Local 124 ($3,000). Ⅲ Shannon Bennett of Winnipeg, Mani- toba, whose father, Roger Bennett, is a member of Winnipeg Local 2085 ($1,000). Ⅲ Andrea Bittner of Evansville, Ind., IBEW SALUTES NLC ’08 GRADS whose father, Mark Bittner, is a mem- ber of Evansville Local 16 ($1,000). IBEW bachelor’s degree graduates of the National Labor College gather for Ⅲ Meagan Bracken of South Jordan, June commencement activities with National Labor College President William Utah, whose father, Kevin Bracken, is E. Scheuerman in Silver Spring, Md. From left are Jon J. Fabbricante, New York, N.Y., Local 3; Jeffery V. Howard, Las Vegas, Local 357; Alfred J. McAteer, Long a member of Salt Lake City Local 354 Island, N.Y., Local 25; President Scheuerman; Marc Thomas Faulkner, Norristown, ($1,000). Pa., Local 380; R. Todd Thacker, Terre Haute, Ind., Local 725; and Barry M. Ⅲ Sarah Collins of Park Ridge, Ill., whose Moreland, Portland, Ore., Local 48. Not pictured is Craig Duffy, Cranston, R.I., father, Mark Collins, is a member of Local 2323, master’s degree graduate, NLC program at American University. 1 Charlotte, N.C., Local 379 ($1,000). Ⅲ Lisa Crandall of Swartz Creek, Mich., Union Plus Helps Among the recipients is Jacob whose father, Scott Crandall, is a mem- DeLeon, son of Houston Local 66 mem- ber of Flint Local 948 ($1,000). ber Patrick Becan. First in his class and Make College a Jessica Acheson of Mystic, Iowa, an Eagle Scout, DeLeon credits his per- Ⅲ whose father, Rick Acheson, is a mem- Reality for IBEW sonal motivation to the influence of his ber of Cedar Rapids Local 204 ($500). Families father’s union principles. “I, like him, believe in fairness and equality for For more information, visit www. The rocketing costs of tuition and everyone and I am proud to show it unionplus.org. 1 shrinking availability of loans has put a daily.” college education out of reach for many Recipients are selected based on aca- students. demic ability, community involvement But Union Privilege, an organization and financial need. One of the require- that offers an array of financial benefits ments is a 500-word essay on the impor- for union members, is helping the chil- tance of unions in their life and how dren of union families achieve their col- they fit into their future career goals. lege dreams. For scholarship winner Dan Denis, Ten IBEW family members were son of Joliet, Ill., Local 176 member Rich among the 100 students from 40 different Denis, the IBEW was the inspiration for unions who received more than $150,000 his choice of major: electrical engineer- in Union Plus Scholarships in 2008. ing. “His dad wanted to go into electrical “With credit so tight … scholarship engineering but couldn’t afford college programs like these are more important at the time,” said Dan’s mother, Mary than ever,” said Union Privilege President Jane Denis. Dan starts at the University Leslie Tolf. of Illinois this fall. IBEW JOURNAL, FALL 2008 3 used to send care packages to the troops. IBEW Servicemen Get a “Phone cards, DVDs, books, anything to make their lives easier,” said Local 102 Little Help From Their Friends Business Manager Lou Baram. “Stuff like that really helped put my mind at ease For IBEW members serving overseas, deployment can bring when I was over there,” Marion said. many hardships for their families. Not only are they apart Three Local 102 members, Gregory Ger- hold, Antonio Torres and David Van Gor- from their loved ones for months or even years, military service don are serving in Iraq. Member Antonio usually means a pay cut because a union journeyman earns Mendez was wounded and is recuperat- ing at the Walter Reed Army Medical Cen- more than a reservist.