FROM THE BUSINESS MANAGER

Brothers & Sisters,

I hope your summer is off to a good start and everyone can get outside to enjoy what our great State has to offer.  Speaking of getting out, it feels so good to mingle amongst the membership and see people in person.  Also, we are looking forward to conducting our monthly unit meetings in person starting in September.  With that, Woody and I hope you all will attend so that we can catch up and get some sort of normal routine established.

As of this writing, we have 5 open Journeyman Lineman calls and 1 Gas Tech Operator call.  Anyone wanting to work has numerous opportunities to get out there and earn a paycheck.  Please call the Hall at 723-3203 or check our Local 44 website (ibew44.org) to monitor the revolving work situation.  If you have friends, family members or hear through the grapevine of others looking to get involved with the different trades Local 44 represents, be sure to send them to the Hall to sign the Books.  Also, as a friendly reminder, please make sure to always be your brother’s & sister’s keepers.  Collectively, we should strive to make jobsite safety a major priority.  Effective communication with all crew members is a must and individual accountability, pride and integrity in doing a professional high-quality job is what the IBEW is all about.  Demanding safety while emphasizing excellence in all areas of our daily activities is crucial to building the IBEW brand.  I encourage all members to be cognizant of doing their part. 

Last, but not least, I hope all members continue to do their absolute best to represent their respective employers to the best of their abilities.  Be the kind of employee you would want to hire if you owned the Company.  It is easy and human nature, to some extent, to get ourselves caught up in things that are out of our control.  Focus on controlling what you can and let go of things that are outside of your responsibility.  We all are guilty of shouldering issues and circumstances that are beyond our realm of control and in turn, we let those things ruin our days.  Individual self-reflection along with a positive attitude and genuine effort goes a long way towards happiness.  In closing, I hope everyone has a fun safe 4th of July with friends and family.

In Solidarity,

Scott Klungland

sklungland@ibew44.org

Cell# 406-565-6839

MEMBERSHIP & EMPLOYER DEVELOPMENT

IBEW Membership is not a spectator sport!

Groups to help make IBEW 44 become better!

For any shop stewards out there, we have incomplete contact information for Local 44 Stewards please call the Hall (406.723.3203) or email info to: ibew@ibew44.org to make sure we have updated contact info.  Please no work cell phone numbers and no work Email addresses.  Local 44 is trying to establish bi-annually in house training for ALL shop stewards via Zoom.  This in house training would allow stewards to collaborate with each other, keep up to date on current issues, up to date on current forms, needed actions, how to explain information to new employees and IBEW 44 members that need to be contacted; so please contact the Hall to update that info.

RENEW

The goals of this program are to educate the next generation of workers about the benefits of the IBEW and to provide a space for younger members to discuss issues relevant to their work place and community.  We want to encourage their participation in programs that are focused on strengthening the labor movement.  IBEW 44 needs a few people under age 35 to lead the future for IBEW 44 RENEW.

Veterans, Retirees and Next Generation

Local 44 needs your help, with in person meetings to be starting back up, we are trying to establish a Retiree Group (share your knowledge with younger workers), a Veteran’s Group (No one knows your struggles unless they have been there) and RENEW (under 35 next generation of workers) in each city in our jurisdiction, it would be ideal to have a chapter there.  Each of these groups could help the Local to reach out to other Local 44 members.  RENEW and the Retiree group could serve as mentors to the newest and youngest IBEW 44 members.  Please consider becoming an important part of any of the IBEW 44 reach out programs.  Contact Dwight (see below) for information or to become part of these committees.  For any of these groups there are no set rules of what they need to do.  Each group/chapter can choose what they want to participate in.  For Retirees if it is to get together for coffee so be it.  If RENEW wants to get together to watch Monday night football that is their decision.  Veterans want to create a support group, great idea.  Trap teams, softball teams, or golf teams, or whatever any of them want to do.

IBEW membership is what you put into it!  Help out when you can, come to a function when you can, have fun and enjoy doing things besides meetings!

FUEL Fitness has changed how to cancel your membership go to www.myclubonline.com and follow the prompts.

Safety Item: Stay hydrated during the hot summer months about 3 liters a day or 96 ounces of water!

Brotherhood is NOT a title… It’s a COMMITMENT!

Fraternally,

Dwight Rose                        

D988003

406-459-3548

dwight@ibew44.org   

LOCAL 44 GOLF TOURNAMENT

The Local 44 Golf Tournament will take place at Pine Meadows Golf Course in Lewistown, Montana on August 28, 2021.  Enclosed you will find the flyer and entry form for the tournament.  If you are going to have a team, please return the form to the Hall by August 15, 2021.  If you would like to sponsor a hole it will be $100.00, please make a check payable to Local Union 44 and in the memo put Golf.  Please contact the Hall or Jerry Hystad with any questions, 760-425-0665. 

JOURNEYMAN UPGRADES

Local 44 would like to congratulate the following members for achieving Journeyman status:

Mark Hopkins – Gas Tech Operator

Adam Larsen – Gas Tech Operator

Levi Nelson – Gas Tech Operator

Great job and best wishes for a great career!

IN MEMORIAM

Local 44 mourns the loss of the following retired member:

Scott Dingman – Journeyman Lineman – passed away 5/31/21

Dale Smith – Journeyman Lineman – passed away 6/08/21

Our sincere condolences go out to his family and friends.

MONTANA LINEMAN’S RODEO

The annual Montana Lineman’s Rodeo will be on July 17, 2021 at the Butte Vigilante Saddle Club.  Raffle tickets are available at the Hall or you can contact Tabitha Dixon at (406) 442-6494.  Tickets are $5.00 each or 12 for $50.00.    

Local 44 will be doing the Years of Service pin presentation at the rodeo.  Please RSVP to the Hall at 406-723-3203 if you would like to receive your pin at the rodeo.  If you do not RSVP for the rodeo, then your pin will be mailed to the address that is currently on file in the Hall.

JULY UNIT MEETINGS

We will be holding one General Unit Meeting, on video, for the month of July via the Zoom App.  You can easily access Zoom by downloading the app onto your home computer, laptop, iPad, tablet or cell phone.  The call-in number to join by phone is (253) 215-8782.

July 20, 2021              6:00 PM          Meeting ID: 990 2540 3520               Passcode: 743245