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Posts Tagged ‘IBEW’

TVA Ordered to Clean Up Coal Fired Power Plants

(CNN) — A federal judge has ordered the Tennessee Valley Authority to clean up four coal-fired plants that he said were engulfing parts of North Carolina with air pollution — emissions that fouled the region’s health, economy and natural resources.

Properties near ground zero of the December 22 Tennessee spill are covered in sludge.

“I’m pleased that the court ordered the TVA to clean up the air pollution coming from its plants closest to North Carolina,” said North Carolina Attorney General Ray Cooper. “This will help our air, our health, and our travel and tourism industry.”

The Tuesday ruling from U.S. District Judge Lacy Thornburg of North Carolina calls for TVA, the federally-sponsored utility, to meet specific time limits for pollution reduction at the plants closest to the state — three in eastern Tennessee and one in Alabama. Thornburg also ordered the agency to clean up faster and reduce pollution more than required under federal law.

The court concluded “that TVA’s generation of power at low cost to the consuming public has a high social utility” and says “the vast extent of the harms caused in North Carolina by the secondary pollutants emitted by these plants outweighs any utility that may exist from leaving their pollution untreated.”

Started a new job in Masontown, Pennsylvania today.

A little background information for those of you not associated with the IBEW,  (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers).

I was able to secure this job because I am a proud member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).

During these times of economic upheaval and uncertainty, I’m very grateful to be a member of the IBEW.

We are the people that help keep the power flowing to this great country of ours.

I picked up a call in Masontown, PA,  IBEW Local 5 Belle Vernon’s Jurisdiction of the Pittsburgh area.

IBEW Local 5 provides Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas with the most highly trained and qualified electricians in the U.S.

I’m working at the Hatfield Powerhouse in Masontown, PA.

We are currently working for Chapman Electric on the wastewater clarification process of the scrubber project.

Casteel Electric has the the bulk of the scrubber project and have been working 5-10′s.  They are still erecting steel and duct work on their side of the job.  That would be the call to pick up in my opinion.

U.S. Steel Closing Great Lakes Plant in Ecorse Along With Two Others

U.S. Steel Corp. said late Tuesday that it will temporarily idle its Great Lakes Works plant in Ecorse and two other facilities in a move to reduce production amid falling demand for its steel products.

The action will affect roughly 3,500 workers at the three plants, the Pittsburgh-based company said. Great Lakes employs about 2,005 people. The plant produces sheet products primarily for the automotive industry.

Over the next several weeks, U.S. Steel is also idling Keetac, an iron ore mining and pelletizing facility in Keewatin, Minn., and Granite City Works near St. Louis.

U.S. Steel, which has more than 49,000 employees, said it plans to temporarily concentrate production at Mon Valley Works near Pittsburgh; Gary Works in Gary, Ind.; Fairfield Works near Birmingham, Ala.; and Lake Erie Works in Nanticoke, Ontario.

“The largest percentage of employees (affected) are union workers, but this idling cuts across all categories: hourly, management and professional,” said D. John Armstrong, manager of public affairs.

Armstrong could not project how long the idling would last, only that it would be determined by market conditions.

Union Apprenticeships Are More Successful Than Other Programs

Union apprenticeships provide more skilled workers and are more successful at recruiting women and ethnic minorities to the building trades in Massachusetts, a study by the Labor Resource Center at the University of Massachusetts-Boston has found.

The full study, being released Wednesday by the resource center, is based on a comparison of union and nonunion apprenticeship programs registered with the state Division of Apprenticeship from 1997 to 2007.

“We spend over $28 million a year in recruiting and training the best qualified craftspeople in the construction industry, and the results of this study demonstrate that the investment is paying off,” said Frank Callahan, president of the Massachusetts Building Trades Council, in a statement.

• Apprentices in union programs go on to journeyperson status at higher rates — 81 percent (6,142 workers), compared to 19 percent (1,419) in nonunion programs.

Well the Hallslug is on the move again. As was expected, most of the electricians who submitted safety statements as requested by Bayview Electric Management were laid off Thursday 4-24-08.

A classic move of divide and conquer since only a third of the crew stood up and did the right thing.

A little background information about the incident.

A few weeks ago a carpenter named Brandon working for Jasman Construction in Detroit at the Motor City Casino Convention Center did something on the job I have never seen before in my 21 years as an IBEW Electrician.

He was trying to move a load of drywall on the second floor of the convention center when he approached an electrician working in an elevated scissor lift. After exchanging a few words, Brandon scaled the side of the elevated rig without a safety harness, then proceeded to assault the operator of the rig by pushing him away from the controls. He then moved the rig while elevated so he could get his drywall through the area.

All because he couldn’t wait a few minutes while the electrician finished working on energized circuits. I still find it hard to believe that this behavior was tolerated on the project. Brandon was not removed from the project.

The matter was handled poorly by many.

Most companies today love to preach about safety and how much they care about their workers. In reality they are mostly concerned about their insurance rates for workmans comp.

The choice at Bayview Electric seems to be, “If your concerned about safety then here is your layoff.”

What does union brotherhood mean to you?

To some it means looking at the big picture. As individuals we stand alone against the machine. As a union of individuals we gain strength in numbers. It’s a lot harder to crush the group than the individual.

Experienced management is well aware of this fact. That’s why the wealthy have been fighting to crush unions since the industrial revolution. In the U.S. today only around 7.5% of the workers are covered by a collective bargaining agreement, the lowest percentage in a century. In Western Europe approximately 80% of the workers are currently covered by collective bargaining agreements.

It seems that we Americans have chosen to be a nation of individuals. The attitude of “as long as I have mine” is undermining our very way of life. Millions of Americans are being driven out of the middle class while multinational corporations grow richer, CEO’s laugh all the way to the bank, and the richest 1% grow even richer.

While it would be easy to blame the unions, corporations, politicians, etc. we have no one to blame but ourselves. It is much easier to stand in the background mumbling under your breath about how you have been wronged, than to stand up and take a personal risk.

The brave men that formed the labor unions in this country suffered great personal suffering and humiliation. It saddens and disillusions me to see that so many workers today cannot even write and sign a simple statement that would help to right a great wrong. It is like spitting on the graves of our brave union forefathers.

I’ve been a proud member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 58 for 21 years. We have some of the best electricians in the country, unfortunately we also have many that just want a free ride.