Greetings from Mid-Michigan –
The Great Lakes State!
Have a Great Memorial Day
Last week I was in DC for the National Building Trades Convention. As I sat in the convention hall in DC I was watching our International President Frank Christensen on stage with all the other union leaders. We’ve made many changes over the last couple of years and having Frank and Jim added to the leadership of our union was one of the best changes to date. I think we forget that our union leaders are family men and have a life beyond the union. They give up a lot of personal family time to come to union meetings and other union gatherings. There are many new Business Agents and getting the chance to meet them is always nice. I was talking with my son (Eric) about how many union members are related in the IUEC and he said “your union is a family within a family”. What a great prospective to our trade; we don’t call each other brother because it’s easy, we do it because we care about each other. This is the greatest trade!
I don’t think we can overstate the importance of being on the job completely. By that I mean keep your head in the work, our work is dangerous. As I type this I am instantly saddened by the losses over the years. When I came into the trade you were lucky to get a hard hat or safety belt. Very little was provided to us as far as safety went, but we kept our head in the job and very few members were hurt and/or killed on the job. Safety must be the first thing on your mind in the morning and throughout the day. If you dislike wearing a hard hat, a safety harness, safety glasses, or any of the safety equipment you may be better off in another career. I would rather see you go elsewhere to work than get hurt or killed on the job! Everything in life can be gone in a split second. If you don’t want to listen to me about being safe listen to your family, they want to see you come through the door alive and healthy every day!
“If capitalism is fair then unionism must be. If men have a right to capitalize their ideas and the resources of their country, then that implies the right of men to capitalize their labor”.
Frank Lloyd Wright
NEIEP:
We are having a meters class in the UP that starts this month. If you’re in the Marquette area, check into going to the class. We can always make room for a member that wants to improve themselves.
Dates to remember:
No Union Meeting in May
April 30, 2014 Traverse City Union Meeting
May 1, 2014 Marquette Union Meeting
May 22, 2014 JAC Meeting @ 9:00 am
May 26, 2014 Memorial Day paid by your union
Retired:
I have never listed retirees before, but it’s never too late to start.
April Retirees:
Jim DeBault – Central Elevator
Tim Therrian – Kone – Local 85 President
Golden Rail Club
Kalamazoo: 5.7.14 First Wednesday @ 10:00 am, Theo & Stacey’s
Lansing: 5.21.14 Third Wednesday @ 9:00 am, Zeus Restaurant, 6525 Pennsylvania, Lansing
Grand Rapids: 5.20.14 Third Tuesday @ 9:00 am, New Beginnings, 1455 MichiganStreet, NE, Grand Rapids
In Unity There Is Strength,
Bill Kogelschatz
