October 2020 - Craftsman

 Brothers and Sisters, Fall is upon us and the cooler weather is here. The COVID-19 pandemic has been relentless and continues to take lives. There have been thousands of IBEW members that have contracted the virus. Sixty-eight (68) IBEW brothers and sisters across the country, have lost their lives to COVID-19. Brothers and Sisters, with the holidays approaching take precautionary measures in order to keep you and your family safe. I highly recommend a healthy relationship with a higher power.

Oncor employees should be receiving the negotiated three percent (3%) wage increase on their pay checks that was effective on October 26th.  IBEW Local 69 has been unable to conduct union meetings since the shut down in March. The Executive Board has met on the first Monday of every month to conduct local union business. If the pandemic continues to get worse and we cannot have union meetings across the state in January 2021, our union is considering conducting zoom meetings each month. IBEW Local 69 will have our next scheduled Executive Board meeting on November 2, 2020, at that time the Officers of Local 69 will discuss how we will conduct future meetings. Executive Board Officers are Chairman - Charlie Jackson, Albert Roybal, Alex Vila, Austin Carpenter, Casey Rose, Daniel Meza, Kevin Robison, Payton Carpenter, and Rodney Deleon. If you have any questions or concerns about having union meetings on a zoom conference please do not hesitate to contact any officer of IBEW Local 69 to have your voice heard. President - Ross McAuley, Vice President - Ed Morley, and Treasurer - Craig Cox are available as well to discuss union issues and your thoughts on future zoom meetings.

Until next time may God bless you, your family, IBEW Local 69, and the United States of America.

September 2020 - Craftsman

Brothers and Sisters of IBEW Local 69, I hope this letter finds you and your family healthy and whole. This year 2020, has to be one for the books. I know America and the world made it through the pandemic of the Spanish influenza over 100 years ago wearing their masks. We will make it through this pandemic of COVID-19 as well.

If you have elected to send your kids back to school they are probably already attending class before this article reaches you. However, I am taking this opportunity to remind you of how stubborn kids can be so, constantly remind them to wash and keep their hands out of their mouths. I recently received notification from the Social Security Office that I was eligible to apply for social security benefits. It’s official I am old. A couple of weeks ago a friend’s Mother turned 100 years old and a Dallas TV station interviewed her on her front porch with the mask and the social distancing and asked her if this was the craziest or scariest year she could remember in her life time. She thought for a second and said, “no I would have to say 1940 was the scariest year for me the country was fighting polio and that was really scary.” I guess it’s all about perspective, what is scary and what is old is different to all of us. We are all in this together and this too shall pass.

Oncor H.R. Representative, Barbara Gibson has told me the negotiated raises due in October have been loaded in the system so employees will receive their raises on schedule as agreed upon.

Until next time work safe and may God bless you, your family, IBEW Local 69, and the United States of America.

Fraternally yours,

Bobby W. Reed