LABOR BULLETIN
by
BUSINESS MANAGER BOB WARD
MAY 2021
INSIDE WIREMAN’S UPCOMING NEGOTIATIONS
By the time this reaches you we will have closed the deadline for voting on the on the first ratification vote. We would like to thank all of those who took the time to vote and help us prove the worth of our Union Brothers and Sisters in these recent negotiations. I would especially like to thank our Negotiations Committee who put in many hours of negotiations. We will be closing up, hopefully, by the end of April and have any changes sent to printers in May. The membership will be notified as soon as we come to a final decision.
OFFICE UPDATE
We are still working diligently for all our members even though we are not open to the public, we want you to know we are here for you as we always have been. We hope that you and your loved ones continue to stay safe. Please keep a look out for updates here as well as our website to be aware of any upcoming changes. Speaking of our website, we have recently updated the Member section and added a FAQs. This will be especially helpful for any new members who may have questions in between their scheduled New Member Orientation.
I would also like to take this time to give a bittersweet goodbye to Assistant Business Manager of the North, Andrew Meredith. Brother Meredith has taken a position with the State Building Trades. His last day with us was April 23rd. It has been a pleasure working by your side these past few years I have been in office. You have show us all what it truly means to be a Brother. During your time with us you have taken huge strides not only in your personal life but with the local as well when you joined in May 2011. You were the delegate to many committees including but not limited to SAEW Pension, CLC Delegate and a Shasta Butte Trustee just to name a few all shortly after graduating the apprenticeship in February of 2008. Your hard work and dedication to this local over the years has not and will not go unnoticed. We wish you well in your future endeavors. Your uncle Tom would have been proud.
NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION CLASS
The next scheduled New Member Orientation is on September 25, 2021. This class will be separated into two classes the first is CECW and Sound & Communications and the second class will be for Inside Wireman classification. Notifications of these classes are sent out twice, the first one is sent around 1 week in advance as a reminder and the second is the registration link send the day before the class. If there is any member who has failed to attend more than 3 in a row, we will be contacting you. This is a very important class to attend especially if you are still new or have questions regarding your membership. We encourage members to have their spouses or significant others attend as well.
DEFERRED SAVINGS
If you are someone who is receiving your deferred savings in the form of a check, we have sent an email to get you started on direct deposits. Some members were sent the form via DocuSign but have not completed it yet. We will be sending reminders to turn in your forms. Please get this completed ASAP so you can have monthly deposits instead of quarterly deposits. If you have any questions, please contact Teresa Raney at 916-923-0666 or by email at traney@ibewlocal340.org
NEBF – RETIREE TEMPORARY RETURN TO WORK NOTICE
To help with the Journeyman Inside Wireman and Sound & Communication Installer manpower shortage that all IBEW Locals are experiencing, NEBF has once again changed the working rules for Retirees. If you are currently retired and would like to go back to work for about 3 months or perhaps take some short calls, this temporary Return to Work Amendment changes the suspension rules for certain eligible retirees. Following are the features of the amendment:
- The temporary amendment is effective from January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021.
- All normal and early retirees with a pension effective date of December 2018 or earlier will be permitted to return to covered and contributory employment only and will be permitted to work for up to 600 hours during the above period without a loss of NEBF benefits. This amendment applies only to the NEBF Plan. (In order to receive benefits from other funds it will depend on the rules of those funds.)
- Once an individual has worked for 600 hours in covered and contributory employment during the term of the temporary amendment, the individual will no longer be able to take advantage of this amendment and the normal rules (permitting work in the electrical industry for less than forty (40) hours per month without a suspension of benefits) will apply.
- Disability pensioners are not eligible (the existing rules applicable to disabled pensioners remain in effect).
- Only retirees who return to NEBF covered and contributory employment will be able to take advantage of this amendment – this amendment will not apply to persons who work for covered employers where no NEBF contributions are required or to persons who work for non-covered employers in the electrical industry.
SCHOLARSHIPS (2)
IBEW Founders Scholarship – For all IBEW Members (not dependents)
The IBEW Founders’ Scholarship honors the dedicated wiremen and linemen who organized the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers on November 28, 1981. Each year the officers of the IBEW are pleased to offer its working members scholarships on a competitive basis. It is hoped that the awards will not only contribute to the personal development of our members but also steward the electrical industry that our founders envisioned. The award is for $200 per semester credit hour at any accredited college or university toward an associate’s, bachelors or postgraduate degree in an approved field. The maximum distribution is $24,000 per person over a period not to exceed eight years.
Any member interested in applying for the IBEW Founders Scholarship can do so by going on-line at www.ibew.org. Click on “Resources and Links” at the top, scroll down to the box labeled “Founders Scholarship”. You will receive information on this scholarship as well as be able to download the application. These applications can also be picked up at the Business Office. This scholarship is for any member who has been in continuous good standing and paid dues (without an Honorary Withdrawal for the four years prior to May 1, 2019). This is not a scholarship for your dependents. All applications and required information must be mailed directly to the IBEW in Washington, DC and must be postmarked May 1, 2021.
Five Counties Central Labor Council
The Five Counties CLC announce the college scholarship program for 2021. There will be three (3) $1,500 scholarship winners this year. It is available to members who are family or household members (parents, domestic partners, grandparents, siblings, etc) of graduating high school seniors. Students of deceased or retired members may also apply. The applicant must be graduating high school in the Fall of 2020 or Spring 2021 and plan to enroll in an accredited college or trade school as a full-time student (at least 12 units) for Fall of 2021. Any applicant applying must state their relationship to the Union member, provide proof of the Union membership in a local affiliated with this Labor Council, and write an original essay about how belonging to a labor union benefits their family as well as the Union member in their workplace. Deadline to submit application and essay is no later than April 21, 2021.
ACCIDENTS & ILLNESSES
Active Brother Charles Kimbley passed on April 11, 2021. He was a 37-year member and 60 years of age.
UPCOMING MEETINGS – CURRENTLY CANCELLED FOR MAY
SACRAMENTO MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS – 1st Wednesdays @ 6PM – 10240 Systems Parkway, Sacramento 95827
REDDING UNIT MEETING – 1st Wednesdays – Redding Union Hall @ 5:30 for Northern Area business and then join in the Sacramento meeting @ 6PM via webinar
SOUND & COMMUNICATIONS UNIT MEETING – Quarterly on the 4TH Tuesdays of January, April, July & October at the Hall – NEXT QUARTERLY S&C MEETING Tuesday July 27th @ 5:00 PM – Note: seven (7) members needed to have a quorum.
CIVIL SERVICE UNIT MEETING – Quarterly on the 3RD Thursdays of January, April, July & October at the Hall. NEXT QUARTERLY CIVIL SERVICE MEETING Thursday July 15th @ 5:00PM – Note: five (5) members needed to have a quorum.
