Category Archives: IBEW Local 24

Resources For Members During COVID-19 Pandemic

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Many organizations that are focused on the well-being of working families are putting together informational guides and publicizing special programs to help alleviate the impact of COVID-19 on our households, our communities and workplaces. Local 24 is sharing these updates as they become available so that our members are aware of available resources.

One of the most devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will be income loss, both for individuals who get sick and for those who are laid off as a result of the drastic slow-down of the U.S. economy. The AFL-CIO, which is an affiliation of most of the labor unions in the United States, has released the AFL-CIO Survival Guide , with many tips on how to survive without a paycheck.

Union Privilege is a nonprofit organization founded by the AFL-CIO in 1986 to provide excellent consumer Union Plus benefit programs exclusively to union members (current and retired) and their families. These programs include mortgage loans, credit cards, discount programs and more. Union Plus is working with its program providers to facilitate additional assistance to members, and you can get the details by reading Union Plus Benefits COVID-19 Special Programs. Please note that some programs, including the hardship programs, do require members to be participants and product holders of those programs and meet certain eligibility requirements to receive benefits. There are over 950,000 credit card holders and over 140,000 mortgage program participants.

IBEW and NECA Announce National Disease Emergency Response Agreement

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As concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic mount, Local 24 Business Manager Pete Demchuk has received the following communication and policy from IBEW International President Lonnie Stephenson and National Electrical Contractors Association CEO David Long:

“In recognition of the current emergency in our nation and the need for our industry to react quickly to this and future emergencies, the IBEW and NECA have developed the National Emergency Response Agreement (NDERA) for use by our contractors and members. This agreement provides our industry with the ability to react quickly to potential emergencies related to this pandemic.

The provisions of the agreement will become effective immediately, March 16, 2020, as it is intended for use and shall remain in effect until terminated. We shall meet via teleconference every 30 days to evaluate this agreement and determine its continued utility.”

National Disease Emergency Response Agreement (NDERA)

Tool & Boot Sale and Substance Testing Canceled

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Please be advised that our annual Substance Testing and Tool & Boot Sale, originally scheduled for Thursday, March 19 through Saturday, March 21, 2020, has been canceled in light of the growing concerns around COVID-19.

Every effort will be made to reschedule this event once the state of emergency in Maryland has been lifted.

PRO Act Introduced To Strengthen Workers’ Rights

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Too often in recent years, corporations have come out on top in any dispute or issue that has pitted them against their workers. Even more distressing, laws that were supposed to guard the rights of working people, like the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), have been ineffective at shifting the balance of power back in favor of workers. However, a new bill has been introduced in Congress to remedy some of the inequality – H.R. 2474, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. The PRO Act would strengthen important workers rights as well as add some needed teeth to the NLRA.

The PRO Act has 218 sponsors and strong support in the House of Representatives, but the support of working people is still crucial. Please take a few minutes to call your Representative at the number on this flyer. Ask them if they support the Pro Act, and whether they will vote for it. You can also write to your representative using this AFL-CIO link.

Employers have been able to violate the National Labor Relations Act without facing any repercussions for much too long now. They routinely deny workers our basic right to join with co-workers for fairness on the job. As a result, the collective strength of working people to negotiate for better pay and benefits has eroded and income inequality has reached levels that predate the Great Depression.

According to an article in The Washington Post on January 29, 2020, “this bill would give the National Labor Relations Board, which enforces federal labor law, new power to force companies to pay up to $50,000 per violation. It would also award (compensation to workers) for the damages they experience when they are retaliated against, not just back pay, as they are currently entitled to.”

The Post article outlines other crucial worker protections in the PRO Act, including

  • barring employers from permanently replacing striking workers
  • giving workers the right to file private lawsuits for violations of the National Labor Relations Act
  • addressing which workers qualify as employees, as opposed to independent contractors. The independent contractor classification has been an increasingly popular way for employers to thwart organizing campaigns, shirk responsibilities for things like benefits, and avoid workers compensation claims and lawsuits resulting from on-the-job injuries.

The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act has been introduced to strengthen workers’ rights. PLEASE contact your U.S. Representative about this important bill today.

Support Needed for Baltimore Project Labor Agreement (PLA)

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Baltimore City Council is introducing Project Labor Agreement Legislation at its meeting, Monday 1/27 at 5 p.m. at the City Council Building (100 N. Holiday Street, Suite 400, Baltimore, MD).

The Baltimore & D.C. Building Trades is asking all construction tradespeople, especially those who live in the city of Baltimore, to attend the City Council meeting to show support for this important legislation. Please plan to come out for the meeting TONIGHT!

This legislation would require a Project Labor Agreement on city funded projects over $25 million, or any long term project that covers multiple locations over $15 million.

 

Project Labor Agreements:
  • Have been used for decades for public and private sector projects, including for significant projects in Maryland.
  • Increase project efficiency by setting uniform ground rules that apply to all contractors working on the project.
  • Help project owners ensure that all goals are met on the project and that the project is completed in a timely way.
  • Help prevent wage theft from workers, which has become an epidemic in the Construction industry.
  • Are competitive agreements that do not prevent any contractors from bidding.
  • Are a great tool for encouraging local hiring and connecting multi-employer apprenticeship programs to projects that have guaranteed work force outcomes. Project Labor Agreements help create careers for people in construction, not just jobs.

 

Project Labor Agreements DO NOT:
  • Discriminate against non-union workers. Anyone willing to work under the terms of the agreement is free to apply for work on the project. In fact, federal law prohibits employers from discriminating against employees based on whether they are union members.
  • Discriminate against non-union contractors. Any contractor is allowed to bid and be awarded work on the project. Non-union contractors are awarded work on projects covered by PLAs.
  • Project labor agreements are not “UNION ONLY.”

 

CALL TO ACTION: The Fight Is On To Protect Our Pensions

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Stephenson: ‘They Are Trying to Kill America’s Multiemployer Pension Plans’

IBEW International President Lonnie R. Stephenson is asking active and retired IBEW members to keep up the pressure on lawmakers to reject a disastrous multiemployer pension plan circulating in the Senate.

The plan, introduced by Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee), is a recipe for the ruin of IBEW multiemployer pension plans, including the National Electrical Benefit Fund.

Members across the country have answered the urgent call since it went out a month ago, with hundreds of calls and meetings at Senate field offices.

“But as long as this proposal is still out there, we are not done,” Stephenson said. “We are not going to rest until this plan is officially dead.”

The white paper, titled the “Multiemployer Pension Recapitalization and Reform Plan,” is a wish list of tenets the conservatives are demanding be included in legislation to reform the multiemployer pension system, which is in crisis due to the imminent insolvency of several large plans. The failure of these plans, including Teamsters’ Central States, could threaten the security of the government insurance program that protects pensioners should their plan become insolvent, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

“They claim they are trying to help troubled pensions but the truth is that they are trying to kill America’s multiemployer pension plans, including ours,” President Stephenson said in a video message to members.

One retiree from Idaho, a 35-year member, sent a letter to Sen. Mike Crapo, explaining that he and his wife – who is also a member – participate in two negotiated multiemployer defined benefit plans.

“These are plans we rely on for most of our retirement security and ours are some of the healthiest of these plans that exist,” said the Pocatello Local 449 member. “Many times, we have taken the responsible steps of increasing contributions to these plans to ensure that they have remained ‘healthy’ — investing in our futures rather than diverting our available monetary resources to wages during our negotiation process with our employer partners.”

We anticipate that the Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Chuck Grassley, and the Labor and Pensions Committee, chaired by Lamar Alexander, will be holding hearings in the coming months on this plan.

HOW BAD IS IT?

Released November 20, 2019, the Grassley-Alexander plan would:

  • Drastically raise fees on healthy pension plans like the NEBF
  • Increase the amount of taxes retirees pay on benefits, up to 10 percent
  • Turn “green zone” (healthy) plans into “yellow” or “red” zone (endangered or critical) plans, thus forcing the reduction of benefits and increasing taxes on pensioners

Click here for more details of this plan.

IBEW RESPONSE, BY THE NUMBERS

In-person meetings, telephone calls, emails and letters as well as traditional and social media are being used to get the word out to senators. Here’s a snapshot of what’s happened so far:

  • More than 500 direct, in-person interactions with senators and in-state staff. Feedback from offices varies from “we were unaware” to “we’ll look into it” to “we’re opposed.”
  • More than 3,600 calls made to senators via the AFL-CIO hotline: (844) 551-6921
  • Kansas City, Mo., Local 124 members sent nearly 650 cards to senators opposing the plan
  • Local unions across the country have set up informational websites and are including the issue in newsletters and at local union meetings
  • IBEW members are sharing and engaging with social media posts, including the “Don’t Bankrupt my Retirement Security” meme, Electrical Worker article and a video featuring President Stephenson. The total number of people who have seen these posts is more than 500,000.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Make the IBEW’s strong opposition to the Grassley-Alexander plan known to lawmakers by:

  • Showing up at official and campaign events
  • Scheduling meetings at in-state offices
  • Calling Senate offices at (844) 551-6921. Here’s a sample script. Click here for additional talking points.
  • Sending a Letter to the Editor to your local newspaper
  • Spreading the word on social media. Here’s a graphic to post under #ProtectOurPension.

Prayers for Tim Medford’s granddaughter Kayleigh Harris

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Brother Tim Medford is asking for prayers for his daughter, Megan Harris, and her family, especially granddaughter Kayleigh Harris. The entire family of five were in a terrible car accident on 12-27-2019 and they need your prayers.

As explained on the GoFundMe page established in support of their family, “Megan, Jeremy, Kayleigh, Addison, and Jeremiah were traveling north from Richmond to visit their Maryland based relatives. Less than 30 minutes into their drive, a reckless driver heading in the opposite direction lost control of his vehicle, crossed the median, and struck the Harris family’s vehicle. Their vehicle flipped several times and their oldest daughter was ejected from the vehicle.

All five were rushed to VCU hospital. The most serious of injuries fell upon the oldest daughter, Kayleigh. She’s undergone several hours of surgery thus far, and is expected to have many more surgeries. In addition to many broken bones, she has sustained severe injury to her spine resulting in paralysis. There’s much physical, occupational and mental health therapy ahead, in addition to the process of retrofitting their home to accommodate their circumstances. The costs will be tremendous.”

The Medford and Harris families would greatly appreciate your prayer support. If you would like to donate anything to the family, please see the following link.

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

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Why does Santa take presents to children around the world?

Because the presents won’t take themselves!

And the members of Local 24’s Children’s Christmas Party committee like to help Santa out as much as possible with all those presents, so they are cordially inviting our members and their families to a little early gift distribution. The annual Local 24′s Children’s Christmas Party will be held Saturday, December 9, 2023 from 10 am-2 pm at the Baltimore office (2701 W Patapsco Ave, Baltimore, MD 21230).

This event is open to all children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of active and retired members of Local 24. The festivities will include visits and photos with Santa, a toy for every child, puppet shows, and fun for the whole family. Complimentary hot dogs, french fries and soft drinks will be served.

We hope to see you and your families there!

Please bring a non-perishable food item to donate
to the Metro Baltimore Council food pantry.

RENEW and Metro Baltimore Council Collecting Food Donations

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Local 24’s RENEW committee and the Metro Baltimore Council AFL-CIO have teamed up for a Holiday Food Drive to benefit union member families and others in our community who are experiencing challenges and could use a little help this holiday season.

The drive is ongoing through Tuesday, November 19. You can drop off donations at the Baltimore Metro Council office at 2701 W. Patapsco Avenue, 1st Floor, Baltimore, MD 21230, or you can request a donation pickup by contacting

Blaine Boone
443 889-3613
Boone410@gmail.com

OR

Tommy McLaughlin
410 247-4898
TMcLaughlin@mbaflcio.org

We challenge all Local 24 members to support the Holiday Food Drive! The members at the jobsite that collects the most items per person will get special recognition at the membership meeting on December 17, 2019 and be featured on the Local 24 website.
Please help make sure no one goes hungry this Thanksgiving.