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FROM THE BUSINESS MANAGER
Good morning or good afternoon depending on when you are reading this, it’s a beautiful Fall day and hunting season. And while the weather is cooling off, the work scene is not cooling off yet and still looks good. We have at least 9 open jobs on the board that could use some help. Speaking of work, our local area contractors do their best to meet the needs of our local employers. One thing we need to keep in mind when storm work hits, get with your employer before you just take off. Most of our contractors have made a commitment to the utilities we work with. Have them make the needed arrangements to clear out for the disaster relief. The REA’s and Northwestern are all part mutual aid agreements that address these emergencies. It’s important you do this to avoid coming back home to find out leaving gave you and your contractor a black eye. Thanks to all that worked tirelessly on the ice storm that hit the Hi-line. That can be a brutal place to work with lots of wind and mud to deal with. I appreciate everyone doing what we do better than anyone else and doing it safely! Fine job.
In an action worth noting the Executive Board discussed and arrived at this conclusion when rubber gloving, “that two men are in the air”.
Your Executive Board will be making an effort to reach out to everyone in the various areas they represent with the hopes of building participation and attendance at Local Unit Meetings. Check out the website, know who your E-Board member is and shake their hand, they volunteer and do a lot of work on your behalf.
Several newsletters and mailings have been coming back, so please contact this office with your correct address, phone number and e-mail. You can do this by e-mail if you like ibew@ibew44.org. Along that same line make sure your beneficiary cards are up to date. If you want to call in the number is 406-723-3203.
By the year 2025 millennial’s will make up 75% of our work force. They have most likely never used a rotary phone. We need to catch up to them, as part of that effort, we had two of our younger members, Devin Healy and Shane Bykonen, attended a RENEW Conference. RENEW is for members under the age of 35 who want to help guide our future. These gentlemen would like to start a RENEW Chapter here at 44. We have had interest in several areas across the State. If you are interested please contact this Office. We will be visiting with other Locals that have Chapters and getting ours started. If you want to know a little more about RENEW check out, or Google “IBEW RENEW” and look for an article about RENEW soon to be on the 44 Website.
Food for thought: “It’s not the strongest or necessarily the most intelligent that will survive but the most adaptable.”
See you at the next Unit Meeting and until then be safe!
In Brotherhood,
Bill
EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGREEMENT
On August 1, 2009, President Edwin D. Hill, Emeritus signed the NECA/IBEW National Outside Construction Emergency Response Agreement to help protect outside construction members during a natural disaster, to ensure the jobs are kept at home without fear of being penalized and to guarantee the wage and benefit package for all employees while working away from their home area.
Unfortunately, our members are being solicited through social media and word of mouth to quit one employer, only to be hired by another employer. This is being done by IBEW members, NECA employers, and non-NECA employers. Our customers are upset that IBEW members abandoned their jobs, leaving the work unfinished to go on storm projects. Our Outside Market share nationally is 33% and has been hovering in this area for some time now. Someone is doing the other 67% of the outside work in the U.S. If we continue to alienate our everyday customer we are sure to lose the market share.
The Emergency Response Agreement is very clear on this issue. "Employees traveling under this provision must provide proof they were legitimately referred to the traveling contractor by an IBEW local union to the site local union upon request. Employee "raiding" or "direct solicitation" is not an acceptable practice and may result in appropriate grievances or charges filed against those involved."
SAFETY EQUIPMENT
One quick note: It relates to the work place of all our employers, Utilities and Contractors alike. The safety equipment and tools that they provide for us to get our job done is there to keep us safe. Take care of those tools (rubber gloves, sleeves, blankets, hoses, etc.) NorthWestern Energy recently fell behind in getting these goods cleaned and tested as required. A plan was implemented to get caught up. Great! Seems like we are ready to move forward, only digging a little deeper into the situation I found that part of the issue was the condition they were coming back in was so poor that it took much longer than normal to clean and test. Let’s always do our part and treat these products like our life depends on them.
HOLIDAY PARTIES
Next month Great Falls will be hosting the annual Unit 104 IBEW Christmas Party at the same time and place as we have had it for more than 40 years. 12 noon on the first Saturday of December at the Labor Temple on 7th Street. There will be more than enough food and Christmas Cheer to go around. We will be handing out Service Pins at this event if you think you have one coming please let the Hall know, we don’t like missing anybody. On that same note if you are retiring or know of a member that is retiring please let the Hall know. Woody and I try to make as many of these as we possibly can, your help would be appreciated! Thanks!
The Hall will have its Holiday Open House for anyone in the area on the 15th of December. Stop by and wish the Staff a Merry Christmas.
LOCAL 44 MERCHANDISE
The Hall has Local 44 merchandise in stock. Hooded Sweatshirts are in charcoal grey with the Elk Logo. Sizes come in Large – XX-Large, with a price of $40.00. Zip Sweatshirts are in charcoal grey with the Elk Logo. Sizes come in Large – X-Large, with a price of $45.00. Short sleeve pocket T-shirts are in black with the Elk Logo. Sizes come in Medium – XXX-Large. Orange and Green T-shirts (no pocket) with the Lightening Logo are also available in sizes Medium and Large. All T-shirts are $20.00. Please contact the Office if you would like to purchase any of this merchandise. We will ship it to you with an invoice if necessary, or you can charge it to a card.
  
JOURNEYMAN UPGRADES
Local 44 would like to congratulate the following members for achieving Journeyman status:
Chad Hurlbert – Journeyman Lineman
Sergio Magana – Journeyman Lineman
Kurtis Shimp – Journeyman Lineman
Great job and best wishes for a great career!
RETIRED MEMBERS
Local 44 would like to congratulate the following members who have retired from the trade:
James Babst – Journeyman Lineman
James Butala – Electric Foreman
Robert Hardebeck – Journeyman Lineman
Mike Knapstad – Journeyman Lineman
Arthur Mikkola – Journeyman Telecom Tech
Timothy Mulcare – Journeyman Lineman
Best wishes for a long and happy retirement!
NOVEMBER UNIT MEETINGS
Great Falls Nov. 06, 2017 7:00 PM Great Falls Labor Temple
Havre Nov. 07, 2017 6:00 PM MSU-N Brockmann Rm. 209
Lewistown Nov. 08, 2017 5:30 PM NWE Service Center
Billings Nov. 09, 2017 5:00 PM NWE Service Center
Helena Nov. 13, 2017 5:00 PM NWE Service Center
Bozeman Nov. 14, 2017 5:00 PM Bozeman Labor Temple
Missoula Nov. 15, 2017 6:00 PM Missoula Labor Temple
Butte Nov. 16, 2017 5:30 PM Local 44 Office
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