Craftsman Article - March 2017

Brothers and Sisters the 85th Legislature is in and not surprisingly the rights of Texas Unions are under attack. Bills to do away with prevailing wages, Project Labor Agreements, dues check-off, hiring freeze, pensions,  you name it, it has been filed. The Texas AFL-CIO will soon be asking for a call to action explaining the action and how you can participate with a phone call, email, Face Book post etc. etc. Let’s get involved IBEW Local 69 Members!

This March we had two (2) employees in the bargaining unit laid off at WFAA-TV. Mr. Rodney Kyle was one of the effected employees. Rodney wrote an email to our local union that I thought should be shared. “I want to offer my gratitude for the grievance offer but I have decided to take the severance pay and exit out the back door. This is my second experience with losing my job with a television station and I have seen enough. I will move forward and design a new life while I have good energy in my body.

It is amazing to me that Republican candidates and conservative media have convinced union members to vote against their own best interest to lower wages and eliminate jobs. There is a specific reason unions were created and if this present climate continues our children and grandchildren will suffer without earning decent wages and benefits.” Take care, Rodney Kyle.

On March 27th, the Union and Company had our first quarter meeting to discuss Safety, Staffing, and Health Benefits. Later that day we had a grievance meeting at Vice President - Keith Hull’s level. We will discuss both of these meetings at our upcoming unit meetings scheduled for the month of April.  You can go to our web site at www.ibewlocal69.com and see the schedule for the unit meetings. I look forward to seeing everyone that can attend a meeting.

Tuesday – April 4 – Waco – 5 pm

Wednesday – April 5 – Salado – 5 pm

            Thursday – April 6 – Jacksonville – 5 pm

            Tuesday – April 11 – Brownwood – 5 pm

            Wednesday – April 12 – Snyder – 5 pm

            Thursday – April 13 – Odessa – 6:30 pm

            Tuesday – April 18 – Wichita Falls – 5 pm

            Wednesday – April 19 – Bonham – 5 pm

            Thursday – April 20 – Lewisville – 5 pm

            Tuesday – April 25 – Dallas – 5 pm

            Thursday – April 27 – Fort Worth – 5 pm

Until next time may God bless you, your family, and our Local Union. 

February 2017 - Craftsman

Brothers and Sisters this is the shortest month of the year however, it is possibly the busiest month of the year. With the Texas Legislators meeting to create new laws and the PUC hearing the merits of the sale of Oncor Electric Delivery to NextEra there is plenty to try and follow.

IBEW Local 69 has concluded with nominations for officers and I am proud to inform the membership that all nominated officers are unopposed and have been elected by acclamation. The following are the elected officers for IBEW Local 69 and their term is from March 2017 until March 2020.

President – Ross McAuley, Vice President – James Chapman, Recording Secretary – Larry Busch, Treasurer – Jeff Graham, Business Manager/Financial Secretary – Bobby W. Reed, Executive Board – Rodney Deleon, Kevin Ford, Jack Gwyn, Mike Hall, Charlie Jackson, Ed Morley, Freddie Rambo, Albert Roybal, Jeremy Smith, and Jason Warford.

Thanks to all the officers for their dedication with representing their coworkers on the job and keeping the spirit of organized labor alive for the benefit of our families.

In the January issue of the Union Craftsman on the front page the thought of the day was from Martin Luther King Jr. and it said “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Brothers and Sisters we stand in times of challenge and controversy. We must continue to be united and work together to maintain the wages, benefits, and working conditions that organized labor has fought for through the years. I am proud to call you my brothers and sisters.

Until next time may God bless you, your family, and our local union.