Tag Archives: IBEW Local 24

LU 24 Pres. Sam Curreri Part Of Labor Delegation To Atlantic Trade Talks

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Baltimore Local 24 President Sam Curreri, third from left, was among the labor delegation to meet with
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and her counterpart from the United Kingdom, International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, along with her counterpart from the United Kingdom, International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan, met with business and labor leaders at the Port of Baltimore on March 21 to discuss Atlantic trade. Local 24 President Sam Curreri was part of that group, there to be a voice for our members during the roundtable summit.

Discussions over terms of a bilateral trade agreement under consideration between the U.S. and U.K. changed when the Biden administration took over, Curreri said. Talks shifted away from a free trade agreement (FTA) model. An article on Politico predicted that in current negotiations, “Tai will emphasize several key priorities in her discussions with Trevelyan, the senior USTR official said. Those include enhancing labor rights, making workplaces safer, supporting domestic investments, building more competitive workforces…”

Curreri said he was glad to participate in talks representing labor in a global trade setting and cautioned that even industrialized countries like the United States and the United Kingdom need to be mindful of
agreements allowing supply chains that include factories with exploited workers in underdeveloped countries.

According to The Washington Post, “areas that Tai and Trevelyan said they’d work on include:

• Helping small and medium-sized businesses to trade by identifying barriers and sharing best practices

• Supporting the digitalization of transactions and trading systems

• Develop inclusive trade policies, protecting labor rights and tackling forced labor

• Building more resilient supply chains, in particular for food

“There are no better folks to sit at the table than folks who negotiate a contract every couple of years,” Curreri said. “I hope I have the opportunity to go back.”

Prior to meeting with the labor delegation, Ambassador Tai and Secretary Trevelyan participated in a tour led by Maryland Port Administration Executive Director William Doyle. Ambassador Tai and Secretary Trevelyan were joined by Senator Ben Cardin, Senator Chris Van Hollen, Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott.

Following the tour, Ambassador Tai noted the important role the Port of Baltimore plays in U.S. commerce and trade policy. She also emphasized how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help the Port of Baltimore, and ensure the United States maintains its global competitive edge.

Portions of this article originally appeared in the most recent edition of the I.B.E.W.’S Building America Back Better Newsletter.

Annual Family Picnic Is Sunday, August 11

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Get your tickets now, for a fun-filled day with your family and your fellow Local 24 members. Our Annual Family Picnic will be held at Conrad’s Ruth Villa and will feature games and fun activities for all ages and lots of tasty food.

 

Tickets are $10 for members or $25 for member + family.

All requests for tickets must be postmarked no later than Monday, July 22, 2024.

If purchasing tickets in person, at the union hall, tickets must be purchased by Friday, July 26, 2024.

NO EXCEPTIONS will be made for these deadlines.

 

Credit card payment will be accepted for tickets.

 

If you have not received your order form in the mail, or you have other questions, please call the Hall at 410 247-5511.

Local 24 Scholarship Applications Have Been Mailed

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Business Manager Mike McHale is pleased to announce that the IBEW Local 24 Scholarship Fund will again be awarding scholarships this year. Information packages including application forms have been mailed to all active members.

All active members in good standing and their dependents, who are enrolled or will be enrolled in an institution of higher education, are eligible to apply. Scholarship applications must be postmarked before September 1, 2022.

Scholarship winners will be selected randomly from the pool of qualified applicants. This is an equal opportunity scholarship. The award is to be considered without regard to race, gender, religion, age or disability or any other consideration prohibited by law.

Scholarships are not need-based, and applicants do not need to meet a certain income level to qualify for the scholarships.

Please contact Neil Wilford at 410 247-3313 or ibewlocal24scholarships@gmail.com if you have any questions.

What Matters To You? Take The Union Member Survey To Weigh In

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Union members worked together across the labor movement to win many important victories for working people last year. We secured historic funding and investment in our nation’s infrastructure, saved our pensions, and unleashed a wave of union organizing.

Passing pro-worker laws will strengthen us at the bargaining table so we can care for ourselves and our families.

Union members need to be talking to each other about the issues so we can work together to advance our shared agenda. That’s why we’re asking: “What do you care about?” Right now, it might be your cost of living, as we all experience skyrocketing prices at the gas station and in the grocery store. The graphic below illustrates some of the factors leading to rising costs, and how a working people’s agenda can help fix them.

You can tell us what your priorities are in less than 5 minutes. Complete the survey and together we can improve the lives of working people across the country!

U.S. Rep. David Trone Visits Cumberland Electrical Training Center

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Congressman David Trone, who represents Maryland’s 6th District, was in Cumberland earlier this week to tour IBEW Local 307’s training center. Local 24 Business Manager Mike McHale joined Congressman Trone and Rodney Rice, business manager for Local 307, to discuss work opportunities in Frederick and Washington counties.

As an advocate for apprenticeships and a supporter of the IBEW, Rep. Trone has made it a point to tour several of the IBEW/NECA training centers in Maryland. He is a familiar face to the IBEW’s local leaders in and near his district, and has established strong lines of communication with them.

In addition to his notable support of unions and working families, Rep. Trone has prioritized helping families with addiction issues. Visit Congressman Trone’s website to find out more.

Congressman David Trone (center) with Business Managers Rodney Rice (IBEW 307) and Michael McHale (IBEW 24).

ConCor Networks, Inc. Joins The IBEW Local #24 Family

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Local 24 is proud to welcome ConCor Networks, Inc., an EMCOR company, as our newest signatory contractor. ConCor is an employer that values training, skill and experience. By joining the IBEW family, ConCor has demonstrated that its workforce deserves the excellent pay, comprehensive benefits and safe working conditions that come with IBEW union membership.

Thirty of ConCor Networks, Inc.’s current employees were sworn in at our regular membership meeting on Tuesday, December 28, 2021. Please join us in welcoming our new members and signatory contractor.

March Membership Meeting Is ON

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Our membership meeting on Tuesday, March 23, 2021 will be held as scheduled. The meeting will begin at 7:00pm. We will be following CDC guidelines including temperature checks, wearing facemasks, social distancing, as well as getting a list of attendees in case contact tracing would be required.

For those working under the Inside Agreement, there is a $1.00 increase to the wage/fringe benefits package effective May 30, 2021.  The allocation of this increase (wages and/or benefits) will be decided by a majority vote at the Membership meeting March 23rd.

Introducing Our New Mobile App, Labor Power

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We are delighted to introduce our new mobile app, Labor Power. It is a great tool to make your life easier, and who doesn’t need that these days?

 

You can update your address and contact information, see announcements and calendar events, pay your dues and more!

 

Download the app today – it is available for iOs and Android, or it can be accessed from your computer by going to ibew24.workingsystems.com .

 

For your first login:
  • Your Username is your Card Number or your Email address.
  • Your Initial Password is your Last name and the last four digits of your SSN
  • You are encouraged to change your password on your first login.

Keep The GROW Act Out Of The Next Stimulus Package!

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IBEW International President Stephenson Urges Members
To Contact Congress In Opposition To The GROW Act

In a letter dated July 23, 2020, President Lonnie Stephenson directed business managers and local officers to get the word out to IBEW members – multiemployer pension plans like ours are in jeopardy again, due to an act that is part of the new stimulus package in Congress.

To protect your pension, all members are asked to call your senators and representatives
to oppose the inclusion of the GROW Act in the upcoming stimulus bill.

Click here to find your representative or senators.

In his letter, President Stephenson explained “It is anticipated that the United States Congress and Trump Administration will consider a final pandemic stimulus bill in the coming weeks. One of our major concerns is the potential inclusion of the Give Retirement Options to Workers (GROW) Act, which would allow multiemployer pension trustees to divert contributions from an existing defined benefit multiemployer pension plan to a new composite plan with inferior benefits and not enough money to fund both plans. The GROW Act would subject workers and retirees to dramatic benefit cuts and allow employers to leave existing plans without paying their share of the plans’ liabilities.”

This fact sheet lays out a summary of concerns regarding the GROW Act. In addition, in a letter to the U.S. Congress, President Stephenson expressed the IBEW’s support for an alternative plan to assist ailing pension plans, the Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act. A link to the letter is below, along with other resources on this issue.

You can contact the Political & Legislative Affairs Department at political@ibew.org if you have any questions.

 

Stephenson Letter To Congress On Multiemployer Pension Reform

GROW Act and Composite Plans

Composite Plan Actuarial Study WCT July 2020