|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
USEFUL LINKS
LIUNA
LIUNA President
Terry O'Sullivan's writes a strong letter to US House Speaker
Boehner on the need for funding surface transportation.
Information About Your Union
|
1686 Members Join Others in Complaint Against Congressman Rehberg's Stand Against Unemployment Extension Members of
Laborers’ Local #1686 and other Labor Representatives visited
Congressman Rehberg’s office Feb 9th in Helena, Montana. Word
has it that Congressman Rehberg IS NOT going to vote for the
Unemployment Insurance Benefit Extension. This would
affect 10,000 Montanans (many of which are members of Laborers’
#1686), and thousands more nationwide. Business Manager Kim
Rickard stated that it is a travesty that Rehberg is not listening
to his Montana constituents.
Laborers' Local 1686's Business Manager, Kim Rickard (center), joins her members and others outside of Congressman Rehberg's office in Montana recently to protest his position on unemployment benefits.
Business Manager's Report
It is hard to think that time has passed so quickly since the last
newsletter in September. My article in the last newsletter was a
call for action to the membership. A call to become involved within
your union, Laborers’, Local #1686. I would like to thank all of you
that have committed to the call of action since that article. A
large number of the membership have recently participated either in
person, via emails or telephone calls to make your voice heard on
the construction of the TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline project.
On September 27th in Glendive, Montana the US
State Department held a public comment meeting regarding the
construction of the pipeline. In addition to the Field Agents,
International Reps and myself a record 144 members caravanned, took
buses or drove themselves to Glendive, Montana to attend the hearing
and made their voices heard, supporting jobs that the project if
allowed, will create . A series of public comment meetings were also
held in South Dakota, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas and Washington D.C.,
States that the proposed TransCanada pipeline will be routed
through, with the line originating from the Tar Sands in Canada.
These hearings too included record numbers of Laborers’ Activists
that attended to make the voices heard of our membership,
nationwide, supporting the creation of jobs, jobs, jobs. In the
weeks after that the membership were contacted through a robo call,
sponsored by LiUNA, that included a recorded message from me
encouraging your call to President Obama to send the point to grant
the presidential permit to construct the pipeline. Once again the members of Local #1686 pulled
together and made our voices heard. One would think that the same
members that participated in the hearing participated in the call to
Congress. Think again, sure there was some cross over but not a
large amount. Once again our voices are being heard. In the end the pipeline construction plan is
undergoing some rerouting issues through the Ogallala Aquifer in
Nebraska and it is likely this will set the construction back to
possibly 2013. However, my point is we pulled together in one way or
another to take action as a Union in the best interest of one
another. Just because the outcome of our activism wasn’t as we had
hoped for, don’t let that allegiance to become an activist in your
Union fade with the year ending. We must remain optimistic in the New Year as a
Union and community that 2012 will be a year to reflect on the
successes and strengths of our continued activism, but also keep in
mind that the successes and strengths of our union are owned by each
of us. Once again I thank you for your continued support of
Laborers’ Local #1686. Yours in Solidarity!
|
NEWSLETTERS
Increase
|
