Delegates make on-the-spot telephone calls to their congressional representatives in Washington, D.C., during a presentation by Bridget Martin, Director of Political Affairs.
View Photo Gallery (11 photos)
200 delegates attend from across United States and Canada
NEARLY 200 MEMBERS representing 101 U.S. and Canadian Boilermaker lodges gathered in Kansas City, Mo., July 21-23 to attend the very first Industrial Sector conference. The event, which took place at the Hilton Airport Hotel, included plenary meetings for all participants as well as 41 break-out sessions that focused on specific industries.
Forty-eight guest speakers and Boilermaker presenters addressed the delegates on a wide range of topics, from safety to conducting an audit, to grievances and arbitration. Vendors such as the Brotherhood Bank, the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance, and Biden & Caveney (a benefits company), set up displays and passed out information.
The conference featured presentations from government officials representing the Department of Labor, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, and the National Labor Relations Board. Also taking part were attorneys from Blake & Uhlig, the Boilermaker National Funds office, and International staff.
“This conference was incredibly successful,” said Jim Pressley, Executive Director - Industrial Sector Operations. “Since it was our first such event, we were anticipating about 100 participants. We doubled that number, and we ended up using three hotels to accommodate the delegates. There was a wealth of information and expertise available to the participants. The feedback we’ve received has been very positive.”
“The attendance was excellent at every session. Our members clearly came to learn.”
— Jim Pressley, IE-ISO
Pressley added, “One of the things we are pleased with is just how attentive our members were at the break-outs. The attendance was excellent at every session. Our members clearly came to learn.”
Conference reflects IBB restructuring
THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR conference reflects a new organizational model for the Brotherhood. In the past, industrial lodges generally interacted within their own industries — shipbuilding and marine; cement, lime and gypsum; stove and metal; railroad; forging; boiler shop; and manufacturing. Now all of those industries are covered under the same service and support structure, with a department dedicated specifically to those lodges — the Industrial Sector Services Department. International Vice President Warren Fairley represents the interests of the Industrial Sector on the International Executive Council.
“I work in close cooperation with the regional International Vice Presidents, and they are just as concerned about your needs as I am.”
— Warren Fairley, IVP-Industrial Sector.
“My role is kind of unique,” said Fairley. “I am an advocate for all Industrial Sector lodges — no matter where they are located. I work in close coordination with the regional International Vice Presidents, who oversee the lodges in their respective geographic areas. We take a cooperative approach to address the needs of the IS lodges.”
Construction lodges, which hold their own annual conference, have also been brought under one organizational structure — Construction Sector Operations (CSO) — which is headed by Kyle Evenson, Executive Director. The Construction Division, National Transient Division, and Non-Destructive Testing Division now receive services and support through CSO.
Intl. Pres. Newton Jones said the Industrial Sector conference “presented an opportunity to train together, to share experiences, and to build camaraderie across industries.” He added, “I believe our members in non-construction Boilermaker industries are excited to belong under one umbrella, with a new sense of direction.”
Jones recalled how mergers over past decades brought together unions with diverse backgrounds, noting that each new merger partner was “plugged in” to the Boilermaker organization in a way that was functional and appropriate at the time. However, as industries continue to evolve, the Brotherhood must adapt as well, he said. Referring both to the Industrial Sector and the Construction Sector, Jones said, “Now all the common interests have come together.”
Leadership reports on state of the union
INDUSTRIAL SECTOR DELEGATES heard from International leadership on topics ranging from the Brotherhood’s finances to legislation of vital importance to Boilermaker members. IP Jones explained that despite the economic downturn the Brotherhood remains strong.
“We’re still operating quite well during a period when the economy is down, our investments are down, and we’re not seeing the investment income that we would normally see and have seen in the past,” he said. “This year we’re on track for about a $1 million increase in the budget. We remain very excited about the future of this organization.”
Intl. Sec.-Treas. Bill Creeden reported that the Brotherhood had finished the best year ever at the end of fiscal year 2008 (June 30 of last year) — before world economies headed into a steep recession later that fall. “We are still in good shape,” he said. The most recent financial report shows a net worth of $69 million. The union also retains an ownership in the Brotherhood Bank worth approximately $20 million.
Creeden noted that membership was up slightly from a year ago (as of June 2009), standing at 63,411. “That’s a little more than what we had at the end of the November 2008 elections, so there will not be a contingency increase under 12.2.3 of the Constitution in January [of 2010].” The Boilermaker Constitution requires a per capita increase if membership drops below the previous fiscal year’s level.
IP Jones also highlighted some of the critical legislation that the Brotherhood is backing in Washington, D.C., including a national energy policy, health care reform, and the Employee Free Choice Act.
“I believe our members in non-construction Boilermaker industries are excited to belong under one umbrella, with a new sense of direction.”
— IP Newton Jones
“We’re very much involved in the energy debate going on in Congress,” he said. “Abe Breehey, Director of Legislative Affairs, has been spectacular in helping to fashion a bill that will work for this organization. We’re focused on maintaining the use of coal through cleaner coal technologies. It’s very important to this organization. You’re talking about $180 billion in investments in clean coal technology over the next decade or thereabout.”
Government presentations draw strong interest
MEMBERS INTERESTED IN information about federal programs took advantage of opportunities offered by presenters from the Department of Labor (DOL), the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and other agencies.
Patricia Preston, assistant district director for the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division, spoke about recent changes to the Family and Medical Leave Act. Fran Gray, lead benefits advisor with Administration, brought members up to speed on the changes to COBRA. Michael Stabler, regional solicitor for the DOL’s Region VII, spoke about donning and doffing (changing into and out of work clothes) issues. Glenn Tarkowski, director of mediation services for the FMCS Minneapolis Sub-region, explained services offered by his agency. And Daniel Hubbel, director of the NLRB’s Region 17, described how and when to file unfair labor practice (ULP) charges.
Other speakers represented the Federal Railroad Administration, the DOL’s Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Program, the Railroad Retirement Board, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, health insurance providers, and the Special Emergency Response Team.
Members report on conference experiences
FEEDBACK FORMS COMPLETED by conference participants showed an enthusiastic response and an overall approval rating of more than 90 percent. The event was not without a few glitches, though. Due to the large number of speakers and presenters, some members reported that additional time was needed to go into more detail on key topics. Others thought longer breaks were needed between sessions.
“We are taking all of the participants’ suggestions and concerns seriously,” said ED-ISO Pressley, “and we’ll be making refinements and improvements for the next conference. We expect next year’s event will be even better.”
Bridget Martin, Director of Political Affairs, said she was extremely pleased by the high-level of participation in fund raising for the Campaign Assistance Fund (CAF), the Boilermakers’ political action committee. “Participants at the IS conference generated more than $4,000,” she said. “That’s the largest single amount contributed at any conference I can recall.”
The conference also set a record in sign-ups for the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA), an outdoor club just for union members, which is affiliated with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “We had nearly half of all conference participants join the USA,” said Nate Whiteman, the group’s national recruitment coordinator. “As a percentage, it was the highest sign-up we’ve ever had at a national event.”
The International has already begun developing plans for next year’s conference, which will be held at a location yet to be confirmed.
