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Hello from New York & New Jersey,
I would like to start out this month's article by thanking the members of the picnic committee. Every year the picnic committee puts together a great day for Local One families and friends, this year was no exception. I would have liked to have taken a group picture, but the committee members are so busy the day of the picnic, it was impossible. Below are a few pictures of the day. As always, more pictures can be found at www.iuec1.org.
Ronnie DePompeis winning the egg toss contest, along with his son Ronnie.
the kids enjoying the sack race.
Ron "the Wooze" Templeton in the horseshoe contest. He and his partner Ed Beasley finished third place.
Local One Pipes and Drums
Safety: We recently had a tragic accident happen while two carpenters were working on a material hoist (hot hoist). The details of how it happened are not clear at the time of this writing. What is clear, is that the hoist fell 19 stories and the two men were killed. Whether it is maintenance, repair, modernization or construction, the potential for an accident is always right around the corner. We must take the time to look for any potential safety problems and address them accordingly. Remember, if it doesn't feel like the right thing to do, it probably isn't. If you encounter a problem that you need help with, call the hall.
Politics: I know some of you are tired of reading about politics. Sorry, but it is too important to not talk about. Other than our contract, legislation is one of the most important factors in our daily work lives. During the election season we often phone bank our membership to inform them which candidates are supported by labor. Sometimes there is a misconception that we are telling the membership who to vote for, this is not true. Most of us are just too busy to examine every candidate for every office. As a union trade, we have organizations to examine the candidates for us. Whatever state you live in, for example, has Central Labor Councils, Building and Construction Trades Department, as well as the State AFL-CIO. Although you may have other issues that contribute to your support of a candidate, the determination to support a candidate through this process is based on their relationship with labor. It would not be practical to examine the candidates position on gun control, abortion etc.
I recently had the opportunity to attend the New York State AFL-CIO COPE Convention. At the convention all the local unions of the state are presented with recommendations for all the offices up for election. Discussions are brought to the floor regarding the candidates and then a vote is taken to support the recommended candidate or not. Of particular interest is the race for New York State Comptroller. President of the New York Building and Construction Trades, Ed Malloy made a motion on the floor to support Bill Mulrow for the position of Comptroller. Mr. Mulrow was the only politician to speak at the April rally and has stated he would use the funds as comptroller to create union jobs. The motion passed overwhelmingly. Candidates supported by labor in New York and New Jersey can be found on the web site. Whichever candidate you choose to vote for, get out and vote.
Local One extends its sincere condolences to the family and friends of Christopher Fusilli (active)
Quote of the Month: People know you for what you have done, not for what you plan to do. - Author Unknown
Fraternally,
Mike Duffy
Posted Online September 9, 2002
