Greetings from Mid-Michigan – The Great Lakes State!
Happy Valentine’s Day!!
I am writing this a couple days before Christmas, so it may look like I am covering old news.
Our Family Union Meeting had the highest attendance to date. I love the Family Union Meeting, seeing the families visiting with each other and yes watching the kids come up to get the gifts. They aren’t the greatest gifts, but you wouldn’t know it by the look on their faces. Thank you to all the families that attended, you are what makes a union strong.
Our Regional Director, Dale Coalmer went with me to visit and inform the members at the Gaylord and Marquette meetings in October. A member asked about doing a dinner at the two locations for the Holidays. We had a family dinner at the Gaylord & Marquette quarterly meetings in December; it was a hit. We had a great turn out. Now it’s just a matter of keeping costs in control, which is something I will work on for next year. Our Regional Director, Dale Coalmer was not able to attend either of those meetings, but he was there in spirit. Dale attends so many meetings he is considered a member of Local 85. We are lucky to have a caring leadership to help us to get our needs and wants accomplished.
We bought our own building in December. What a great day for the Local!
IUEC Local 85
16954 S. US 27
Lansing, MI 48906
It’s a good building for the size of our Local. There’s 4,000 square feet for classes and 400 square feet for offices. We don’t need as much office space, we need the space for training our Apprentices and Mechanics. We will put our welding lab (combining 2 classes) on the lower level with 3 or 4 other classrooms. On the upper level there will be three classrooms (2 can be used as a meeting room) and two offices, two handicap bathrooms and an area for coffee and drinks for the members. This article comes out in February so we’ve had classes and a union meeting here already so some of you have seen it firsthand. The rest of you need to come to a union meeting to see your building and to get involved in your union and the upcoming contract negotiations.
We have been having problems with our e-mails being marked as spam by google, so we are using Mail Chimp with the hope that there will no longer be any problems.
Dates to remember:
February 12, 2016 State Test Application deadline
February 14, 2016 Valentine’s Day
February 18, 2016 JAC Meeting at 9:00 am
February 23, 2016 Union Meeting, Voting results for delegates to the convention
NEIEP:
Sign up for a Continuing Education Class.
Golden Rail Club
Kalamazoo: 2.3.2016 First Wednesday at 10:00 am, Theo & Stacey’s
Lansing: 2.17.2016 Third Wednesday at 9:00 am, Zeus Restaurant, 6525 Pennsylvania, Lansing
Grand Rapids: 2.16.2016 Third Tuesday at 9:00 am, New Beginnings, 1455 Michigan Street, NE, Grand Rapids
Big Buck Contest:
The winner of the Big Buck Contest is Jim Baumgardner. Jim got a nice 10 point this year with an inside spread of 18-1/2” and the longest tine is 11-1/2”. He got this dandy with his bow on November 12th. You can see his picture in this month’s journal.
In Unity There Is Strength,
Bill Kogelschatz
