Vol.2, No.1 January 2022
“No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”
– Martin Luther King Jr.
Welcome to THE RELAY. Many years ago, the leadership of IBEW LU 175 published THE RELAY in an effort to strengthen the communication of information to LU 175’s membership. The copy was in paper form, mailed via the United States Postal Service, and read in the hands of our Brothers and Sisters that built this Local into one of the finest in North America. The newest version of THE RELAY will now carry on that proud tradition to all generations of LU 175 membership via a 21st century internet.
For the Membership: A letter From Gary Watkins, Business Manager-IBEW Local Union 175
Greetings IBEW Brothers and Sisters,
I hope this finds each of you well and prosperous. Time seems to pass more quickly every year. It’s already mid-January. We’ve heard so many stories of bad things that I want to start the year off with good news. For many reasons, 2021 seemed to be the never-ending story, and I know many of you suffered sickness and loss. It’s 2022 and it’s going to be a great, busy year at IBEW Local 175.
IBEW Local 175 Open House for Christmas
As with many other organizations, we worked to keep the Hall open all of 2021 successfully. We wanted to be able to include as many members as possible in the final event of the year and felt that an Open House would offer the safest opportunity for members to visit, eat a bite, and celebrate the Season. We had a good turnout during the 12 PM – 7 PM period of the event and would like to thank everyone who came by.
IBEW 40th International Convention
It’s Convention year! IBEW International Conventions are typically held every five years. In May (9th-13th), the IBEW 40th International Convention will be held in Chicago, Illinois. This Convention was initially scheduled for September 2021. COVID forced a reschedule to May 2022. The next Convention will be held in approximately 4 1/2 years to get back on the five-year schedule regulated by the US Department of Labor. Members of the IBEW Local 175 delegation were elected during the 2019 election.
Local Election of Officers
In June 2022, we elect Local Union Officers. We usually have nominations in May. However, due to COVID’s impact on the IBEW International Convention, nominations will be held in April. This date change was approved by the International President and is happening in several Local Unions. Don’t worry; you’ll receive an official election notice with details before nominations happen.
You will receive a ballot in the mail after nominations. To be eligible to run for office, you must have been a member in good standing when the election committee reviews the membership list before mailing ballots. If your dues aren’t current, now is an excellent time to get them current.
The counting of ballots will take place in June. The installation of officers will be on July 18th, 2022. Again, all of this information will be mailed to you via the U.S. Postal Service before it happens.
Please make sure the Local 175 business office has your current mailing address. Local Union elections are always exciting. We get to choose who leads the Local Union forward.
Retiree Breakfasts
We hope to restart our retiree breakfasts early in 2022. We haven’t selected a date yet. We’ll let you know as soon as we do.
Finally, I am changing some work assignments within the Local 175 office. Toby Shelton will begin to work with Danny Painter in his duties, while Caleb Long assumes the Dispatcher’s duties. This transition will be official on Monday, February 28th, 2022.
That’s all for now. Local Union 175 meetings are on the First and Third Mondays at 7:00 PM. I hope to see you there!
Fraternally,
Gary M. Watkins
Business Manager – IBEW Local Union 175, AFL-CIO
For the Membership: A Letter From Danny Painter, President-IBEW Local Union 175
Dear IBEW 175 Sisters and Brothers,
I’m wishing everyone a healthy and prosperous 2022. 2021 was tough, but finally most everything has opened back up. As I write this note, things are starting to get a little crazy again with the Omicron variant. Please be careful out there and be respectful of others. Hopefully, this spike will turnaround and things can get back to as normal as can be.
Since this is the first of the year it would be a good time to try and build our Death Benefit up. We have 4000, retired and active that could be members of the benefit, but as of this note we have 772 participants. The benefit pays out $3650.00 based on 772 members, but for every 10 additional participants, we add $50.00 more. The Executive Board determines when to lower the payout if we have members drop. That is done yearly. What’s good about our death benefit is it pays out quick, once we receive the death certificate the check is generated the following Wednesday. This is a good way to help a Sister or Brother’s family. All it takes is $5.00 to join. To read more about it, look in your By-laws (Article XV). Please join.
Hopefully some of these projects coming out of the ground will start putting our members out so they can come home to work.
Fraternally,
Danny Painter
President – IBEW Local Union 175, AFL-CIO