Local lodge leaders, staff attend 2007 Summer Training Institutes

50th anniversary is bittersweet as state legislature threatens to cut all SFW funding

LOCAL LODGE LEADERS from across the United States and Canada participated in the Boilermakers’ 50th annual Summer Training Institutes in Madison, Wis., July 15-27.

Over the two-week period, the collective bargaining institute offered basic and advanced curriculum designed for local lodge officers, stewards, and members of negotiating, grievance, and safety and health committees. Classes were held at the J.F. Friedrick Center at the University of Wisconsin’s School for Workers (SFW).

Curriculum for the Basic and Advanced Institutes included introductory courses in collective bargaining, grievance handling, administering the contract, preparing for arbitrations, political action, strategic planning, occupational safety and health issues, and building the union.

Basic class introduces lodge leaders to contract administration, collective bargaining

THIS YEAR 40 lodge leaders participated in the Basic class, making it one of the largest classes in the Institute’s recent history.

Topics discussed included administering the labor agreement, labor history and the Boilermakers’ history, collective bargaining, workers and the global economy, safety and health, listening skills, strategic communication, and structure and services of the Boilermakers union.

Participants also learned how to mobilize workers by mapping out members according to levels of union interest, then learning more about each member and the issues important to them. This mapping technique can be used as a tool to increase union involvement.

WITH 16 MEMBERS, the Advanced class was smaller than Basic, but participation was just as active. Ronald Ferguson of Local 19 (Philadelphia) actually found the smaller class size to be beneficial. He attended the large Basic class last year and found that this year’s smaller Advanced class meant more participation and fewer interruptions. Ferguson is a team leader and welder at the Aker Philadelphia Shipyard where he is a union steward. He plans to take what he learned back to the younger workers there.

That education included such Advanced topics as legislative issues, letter writing tips, problem solving and grievance handling, common sense economics, health care bargaining, and building the union. Since only one person attended both the Basic and Advanced classes in 2007, the classes on listening skills and IBB history, which were added this year, were repeated in the second week of training.

Meredith Dixon, a member of Local D595 in Kosmosdale, Ky., attended the Basic class last year. He is a mechanic journeyman in maintenance at CEMEX, where he has worked for 11 years and holds the elected position of chief steward. Dixon has served on his lodge’s legislative and negotiating committees and was interested in all of the health care discussions. “If you can get health care off the table, that will leave a lot of money left to negotiate with. Getting universal health care would make a tremendous difference in future collective bargaining,” Dixon said.

Greg Fort, president of Local S8 (Equality, Ill.), has worked at Willow Lake Mine since 1996, when it was known as Big Ridge I. He has attended the Boilermakers’ legislative conference and served on the local’s negotiating committee. He says 90 percent of the training he received at the Advanced class will be put to use. He found all the health care information to be interesting and felt the grievance class was very good.

David Newby, president of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, spoke to the Advanced class about a universal health care plan that passed the Wisconsin state senate, earning a spot on the state’s budget that is now awaiting approval by the state assembly. The plan would provide all Wisconsin workers and their families with a comprehensive, affordable health plan. The budget was still under consideration at press time.

One topic for the Advanced class was a session on framing the issue, where participants learned to recognize media phrases that convey a pre-conceived image. Examples included “union boss” and “big government.” This session included an exercise where members prepared a press release, demonstrating how to reject the media’s “frame” and make a negative issue positive.

Instructors used the proposed budget cuts for the School for Workers as an example of how to frame an issue. Instead of being on the defensive and arguing against the cuts, proponents of the School for Workers could explain that continuing adult education plays an important role in economic prosperity.

The following day, class participants got to put their exercise to good use when K.P. Whaley, host of a community radio program, attended the class and interviewed members for his show.

Participating SFW faculty members in both the Basic and Advanced classes included Director and Professor Neil DeClercq, Professor Frank Emspak, and Asst. Professors Michael Childers, David Nack, and Corliss Olson. International staff instructors included Carol Almond and Mike Linderer of the communications department; Abe Breehey, asst. director of the government affairs department; and Milan Racic, safety and health specialist.

Attending the Basic Institute were Jesse W. Austin of L-D414, Pryor, Okla.; Jaison K. Caldwell of L-D78, Quanah, Texas; Dean A. Calhoun of L-104, Seattle; Daryl D. Casson of L-502, Tacoma, Wash.; Bill L. Clifton of L-599, Billings, Mont.; Scott E. Deaville of L-1626, Champaign, Ill.; Darryl S. Franta of L-359, Vancouver, British Columbia; Thomas Gammons of L-374, Hammond, Ind.; Donnie W. Hamric of L-900, Barberton, Ohio; Patrick J. Herring of L-83, Kansas City, Mo.; Chris A. Inez of L-344, Ridgecrest, Calif.; Sidney E. Killett of L-905, Wilmington, N.C.; Brendon A. Leavell of L-900; John G. Lesjack of L-696, Marinette, Wis.; Joseph P. Lewandowski of L-83; Freddie L. Lewis of L-905; Jeffrey W. Litsey of L-D595, Kosmosdale, Ky.; Jorge O. Lopez of L-1255, Chicago, Ill.; Ryan N. Miller of L-D39, Greencastle, Ind.; Dusty J. Nava of L-D78; Charles Obiri of L-1255; Steve A. Parker of L-1626; Tiodolo F. Perea of L-696; Daniel Perry of L-D595; Shawn Reinhardt of L-D78; Dallas E. Rogers of L-555, Winnipeg, Manitoba; Lloyd A. Ross of L-374; Raymond Royal of L-656, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Mike L. Sauve of L-696; Erik L. Seaberg of L-502; Edward C. Sharton of L-D39, Greencastle, Ind.; David L. Sherlin of L-900; Peter E. Siedlecki of L-696; Brad A. Sievers of L-374; Rodney G. Smith of L-443, Manitowoc, Wis.; Reynaldo Talavera of L-1255, Chicago; Blane D. Tom of L-107, Milwaukee; Loren A. Ulrickson of L-599; and William Willis and Mariola A. Zoladz of L-344.

Attending the Advanced Institute were Daryl Casson of L-502; Fred J. Chamberlain of Local 19, Philadelphia; Cecil A. Cunningham of L-656; Meredith D. Dixon of L-D595; Ronald A. Ferguson of L-19; Greg Fort of L-S8, Equality, Ill,; Dave L. Gaillard of L-19; Dale A. Harper of L-344; Kenyon T. Hart of L-19; Charlie Hyers of L-S8; Richard T. Jones of L-502; David R. King of L-6, Oakland, Calif.; JoAnne D. Pyle of L-344; Danny Romine of L-108, Birmingham, Ala.; Rodney Shires of L-S8; and James C. Wilhorn of L-344.