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 As I, along with President Rioux,
have said repeatedly over the
past few months, Local 134 is
going to be playing a much more active
role in this year's election process to
support the candidates who support us
and participating in everything from
fund raising to voter registration. Why?
Because the right people in the right
offices can help us immensely. We also
have to stick with the people that have
stuck by us. That's why we supported
Tom Allen in his race for Cook County
State's Attorney. His work on our
behalf over the years on the Chicago
City Council's Buildings Committee
called for acknowledgement. He was
our voice when issues regarding the
electrical code were being debated.
Likewise, at the national level, people sometimes ask why should a local union
be very concerned about who's in the White House. The press seems to focus on
international relations, foreign policy and some hot-button domestic issues, but not
on some of the more basic issues that affect us specifically. Well, part of the true
impact of a President is his or her power to appoint the officials who run various
mandated commissions whose decisions impact all working men and women. |
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 Tim makes a very good point in his column when he addresses the power, and influence, of a President in making appointments to low profile administrative bodies that nonetheless have tremendous sway over our everyday existence. And, I'd like to take that a bit further and elaborate. In addition to the appointment power, there is the power behind the scenes in setting policy and priorities. We all see the final product, but few, if any of us, know the rationale that drives these ultimate decisions, which like the appointments, have a tremendous impact on our lives and on our wallets.
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One part of the multifaceted make-up of IBEW Local 134 that is either often overlooked or totally forgotten is the manufacturing sector. It represents more than 2,300 local members. In this day and age, with companies relocating to other countries or outsourcing manufacturing jobs for access to cheap labor, it is more important than ever to maintain and strengthen a strong base of unionized American workers in the manufacturing field. We have two business agents, Joe Smyder and Luis Tovar, assigned to do just that. The following is their year-end report. |
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A Look Back, A Look Forward
In January of 2007 we elected a Democratic Congress with a slight majority. They increased the minimum wage in this nation from $5.15 to $5.85 as of July 24, 2007. The minimum wage in Illinois is $7.50.The freezes on electrical rates were lifted as of January of 2007 and the result was the utility company’s doubling of rates. Natural gas for heating increased also, gasoline shot up to $3.55 a gallon, and a barrel of oil rocketed up to $98.00. Home mortgage foreclosure has increased; existing housing dropped in value like a lead balloon. |
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