Craftsman - December 2017

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and I pray 2018, will be a great year for you, your family, and our local union. Always remember to work safe and take pride in what you do, that’s the IBEW way. “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift; that’s why they call it the present.” (Eleanor Roosevelt)

Our local union will be conducting unit meetings around the state in January 2018. The schedule for the meetings are at the end of this article. Please make arrangements to attend a meeting in your area.

On December 5, 2017, oral arguments on the Bobby Reed termination case were heard at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. You can go on line at cacd.uscourts.gov (case 16-1278 Oncor Electric Delivery Company v. NLRB) to listen to the arguments. The Judges should have a ruling within the next six months. The Union and Company has selected an arbitrator for the grievance the Union filed regarding the Company using non-bargaining unit employees to perform bargaining unit work after storms as “storm evaluators”. The parties are in the process of scheduling a date for the arbitrator to hear the case.

At the time this article is being written I have been informed that the Company is sending crews to Puerto Rico to restore power. The Company has stated they are sending crews on January 8, 2018, for thirty days and then will send a second wave for thirty days around February 8th. The compensation will be time and one half for all hours worked. This is for volunteers only.

If you are in Puerto Rico in January work safe, maybe I will see you at the April meetings. If you do not go to Puerto Rico take a look at the schedule for the meetings in January and try to attend a meeting, we will be distributing the new contract books.

             Waco - Tuesday - January 2 – Georges – 5 pm - 1925 Speight Ave.

Round Rock – Wednesday – January 3 – 5 pm (Someone please call me with a  

                                                                                convenient meeting site)

Tyler – Thursday – January 3 – 5 pm - (Someone please call me with a convenient

              meeting site)

Brownwood – Tuesday – January 9 – 5 pm (Someone please call me with a convenient

                     meeting site)

Eastland – Wednesday – January 10 – 5 pm - (Someone please call me with a

                                                                           convenient meeting site)

Odessa – Thursday – January 11 – 6:30 pm – Elegante Hotel

             Wichita Falls – Tuesday – January 16 – 5 pm – Oyster Bar 4214 Kell Blvd

McKinney – Wednesday – January 17 – 5 pm - (Someone please call me with a

                                                                             convenient meeting site)

Sulpher Springs – Thursday – January 18 – 5 pm (Someone please call me with a

                                                                                 convenient meeting site)

Dallas – Tuesday – January 23 – 5 pm – 1408 N Washington

Corsicana – Wednesday – January 24 – (Someone please call me with a convenient

                                                                  meeting site)

Fort Worth – Thursday – January 25 – 5 pm – Oyster Bar – 4750 Bryant Irvin Rd.

I look forward to seeing everyone that can attend a meeting.

Until next time may God bless you, your family, and our local Union.

Craftsman - November 2017

Brothers and Sisters this year has flown by and everyone has gotten a year older.  This Thanksgiving Season is a time to reflect and give thanks for making it another year and be thankful for all you and your family have been blessed with.  Enjoy the food and time with your family and friends during this Thanksgiving Holiday and who knows the Cowboys may get lucky and win the game on turkey day.

Members of Local 69 working at Oncor should have received a three percent (3%) wage increase on their last pay check.  Local 69 Members working at Fox 4 are scheduled for contract negotiations in the spring of 2018.  January 2018, IBEW Local 69 will conduct our unit meetings across the state.  A schedule for the unit meetings will be in the December Craftsman article. 

At the time this article was written there was nothing new to report on the sale of Oncor. 

Good luck to all the hunters going into the woods to hunt.  Please remember safety is always first on the job, in our leisure and at home. 

Until next time may God bless you, your family and our local union.