Have you ever wondered... what if I had to get my own job? Am I too old. Too slow. To heavy. Will I get hired, I’m a woman. I’m an African American. Will they pay me the wages and benefits I now get as a member of Local 3? What do you think? No way. You will take what you can get. How many times do you need to be asked the question, what if, there was no union.
Ask any non-union electrician if they have anywhere near the wages and benefits that we enjoy. Harry Van Arsdale Jr. and his associates made our lives better because of their commitment to this organization. He knew that a worker had a chance for a better life with a union and without one, no chance at all. Each member took an oath when they came into Local 3 and too many have forgotten the words and what they mean. Our strength is our collective strength. Our collective strength is what gets us good contracts. Our collective strength is what gets elected officials to pay attention to our needs. Our collective strength is what will help us meet the difficult challenges we face by those intent on undermining our standards. Each member must play a part. Too many of us chose not to vote in our election of Officers. Too many are not registered to vote or willing to volunteer their time on important political campaigns. Too many don’t attend meetings or march in the Labor Day Parade. Too many are not paying attention to the things that will ultimately affect them and the well-being of their families. There are many active members and unfortunately too many who aren’t and you know who you are. Do not take it for granted that someone else will do the heavy lifting for you.
Our work is ahead of us. The organizing of our non-union competition will require a great effort by all of our members. Our middle class lifestyle is at risk if we, collectively are not successful.
As I start my new term of office as your Business Manager I will initiate a
number of important objectives. We must continue to mentor and encourage participation with our next generation of young workers. Your pension depends
on it. We will provide education for our apprentices, new M & H telephone and RE/RW division members. While they take required skills training at the new training center they will learn the history and structure of Local 3, the IBEW and the AFL-CIO, how we got here and what it is going to take to move forward.
Local 3 will initiate new stewards training in all of our branches, construction, maintenance and manufacturing. The steward should be the most respected member on the job or in the shop. They will know the contract and jurisdiction and how to deal with harassment and discrimination. They will understand that it is their responsibility to protect and serve our members. We will offer stewards training to next generation members so that when the opportunity to serve as a shop steward arises they will be prepared to handle the job. There is no reason that why there shouldn’t be a working steward on every job.
Additionally, we must grow the IBEW and our labor movement. We will need volunteer organizers and staff in order to make a real effort to represent more workers in New York City and Westchester County and we are not just talking about electricians. Again, our strength is our collective strength. Organizing campaigns are tough and we will need volunteers to make it successful. We will initiate organizing training for those members who recognize the importance of this initiative and make the commitment to participate. There are many workers that would join a union if they could, we want to offer Local 3, IBEW, to be that union. We need to identify our friends and neighbors that work in places where they need representation. We need to think outside of the box as the traditional employer-employee structure has changed dramatically.
The “gig economy” is made up of on-demand services in the sharing economy such as UBER, LYFT and Airbnb. These companies have structurally changed the employer-employee model. The “independent contractor status” designated to their employees has taken away their rights to collective bargaining. This “gig economy” has been a way to shirk the rules and regulations their traditional competitors must abide by. Thus giving them an unfair advantage at the expense of their employees, opening them up to discriminatory practices, wage theft, unsafe working conditions and the lack of basic standards like workers compensation and unemployment insurance. The “gig economy” has done nothing but take all the risks and responsibilities of being an employer and shifted them solely onto the workers and customers themselves. This quite possibly could be the model for building trades in the near future.
The attack on unions has weakened the trade union movement and has left Americas’ workers losing the chance to continue to be part of the middle class. The corporate agenda has brought the bulk of the wealth in this country into the hands of the top 1%. Right to Work means to work for Walmart wages. We need to fight to keep employer paid health care and a defined benefit pension that will allow us to retire with dignity. We need to wake up and fulfill our responsibility to keep our union strong and to organize.
You also need to pay attention to this issue of a vote on a Constitutional Convention that will be on the ballot in November. Prevailing Wage, Workers Compensation Benefits, Public Employee Pensions are guaranteed by the New York State Constitution and are at risk if there is a Constitutional Convention. Play you part register and Vote No.
On behalf of the officers of Local 3, I want to thank you for the opportunity to serve the membership, we will to the best of our ability. Think about our collective future and what role you will play in it. Let’s show our strength, when our adversaries are watching and commit to marching proudly with our families under the Local 3 banner at the Labor Day Parade. Let’s show them what a real union looks like and remember what Harry taught us, that “Eternal vigilance is price of good unionism.”
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