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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. 

Protest at Rep. Rehberg's Office

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


December 2011

August 2011

 


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