NEWSLETTERFebruary 2008 |
Past Newsletters |
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When you come to meetings,
please remember |
January Meeting ReportBy Bruce Dennis PresidentWe had 73 members present at our January general membership meeting. Five new members were sworn in with our oath of obligation. Brother Ed Glad, Local 1388, was our guest speaker. Ed is running for state representative in the 24th district. He is running in the Republican primary. Several years ago Ed registered as Republican, partly because his district is predominately Republican. Under New Business,a motion was passed to donate $1,000 from our political fund to help get Ed elected. We had reports from our training center, our retirees and our representatives working on organizing. We had a very positive financial report because December is the month that members pay their annual dues. The building fund was impacted by the installation of a new furnace. Both financial reports were accepted by the members. We approved a recommendation from the Metro Political Committee to endorse Jeff Merkley and Steve Novick for U.S Senate, John Kroger for Attorney General, Jackie Dingfelder for State Senate and Nick Kahl for State House. We also agreed to sponsor up to 10 women to attend the upcoming Oregon Tradeswomen's conference. There were some other topics covered under Good of the Order. For complete information, or to participate in the decision making of YOUR UNION, please attend your meetings. |
General membership
General membership meets the second Tuesday, Feb. 12, at 6 p.m. at the
Carpenters Hall, 2215 N. Lombard, Portland. If you have any questions, please
feel free to contact the office at 503-289-9632.
Retirees
Retirees meet for lunch the second Monday, Feb. 11, at 11 a.m. at JJ North’s,
10520 NE Halsey, Portland.
Executive Board
Executive Board meets the fourth Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 6:30 p.m. at the
Carpenters Hall, 2215 N. Lombard, Portland.
By Barbara Mathey
President/CEO, IBEW & United Workers FCU
IBEW & United Workers Federal Credit Union would like to thank each of our loyal members from the Carpenters Union for your continued support. We truly appreciate your relationship with us, as we remain committed to serving only Union members and their families. We hope everyone had a prosperous 2007 and is looking forward to the opportunities the New Year will bring.
During 2007 we worked to improve our technology to expand our capabilities. We upgraded our computer operating system to include identity scanners and digital signature capture to add increased security and protection for your accounts. The new system will allow us to expand the services we offer, conserve resources and increase efficiency. We were also able to introduce a share-secured VISA, perfect for those members needing to build or rebuild damaged credit. We added construction loans to our quality mortgage loan products. And we installed a longawaited ATM at our office.
Looking forward to 2008, the Credit Union will redesign our Web site, expanding its information content and improving ease of use. We will continue to publish our newsletter in an educational format to provide you with advisories on current financial issues and pointers on how to deal with them. We will also submit an article for your Union’s newsletter dealing with relevant concerns and challenges we all face. We will welcome any suggestions you may have for topics of interest.
Our topic for this month deals with the need to be patient and diligent about the protection of your personal information. Although it may sound like simple common sense, we are all in such a hurry these days that it is easy to forget to watch your surroundings and to appreciate the sales clerk that takes a little extra time to check your identification at checkout.
You may be unaware that many credit cards, including IBEW & United Workers FCU cards, have sophisticated security programs that monitor and track your spending habits and will stop any activity that is out of the ordinary. This is for your protection, so if you are planning to make a major expenditure, such as that huge flat screen television, or spend in a different country while on that dream vacation, be sure to let the Credit Union or your card holder know before you leave. Finally, keep your plastic cards in a secure place, watch your wallets and purses as you shop, and never keep PIN numbers with the cards. If you must give your card to the sales clerk, pay attention to what they are doing and get the card back promptly.
Finally, if you are shocked by your credit card bills arriving this month, remember that the Credit Union has several loan products that can help you consolidate the balances and save you substantial money on interest charges, and we are ready to help.
The Credit Union looks forward to seeing you and meeting your needs in 2008!
By Joe Baron
Chairman,PNWRCC Metro Wide Endorsement Committee
The political scene is really heating up leading up to the May primary. We have one candidate for Mayor and as of press time another was trying to get the necessary signatures to qualify by the January 31st deadline for public financing. Make sure that you are registered to vote, as there are some important races coming up. You can register at the hall, the library or the elections office. It is very important that you are registered to vote as this is the year to vote for a new president. The month-long special session of the Oregon Legislature will convene Feb. 4 in Salem. If you have any concerns or input about anything that is going on in Salem, please contact your representative and voice your opinion. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 503-730-6307.
From all of us here at Local 247, we would like to thank all those members who donated to our Toy Drive. We had quite a successful year! Our local donated over 150 toys to the Regional Council office. PNWRCC donated the toys to the Toy N Joy Makers of Portland.
Dear Brothers & Sisters: You have probably heard of the recent floods. The people of Vernonia and upper Nehalem Valley were hit really hard. Help was plentiful at first, but as time goes on less and less is available. Our union is the largest construction union in Oregon.
We should stand up and help our fellow Oregonians in their time of need. If you wish to volunteer a day to share your skill, please contact Jim Tierney at Community Action Team Inc.
Fraternally,
Mike Galloway
Local 247 Member
Leo Larsen
Financial Secretary 247, Retired
Senator Laurie Monnes-Anderson was our guest at the Jan. 14 meeting of the retired Carpenters. Her comments covered a wide range of issues. Having many years of experience as a nurse, Senator Monnes-Anderson has played a major role in passing legislation relating to health and education. She shared the Carpenters’ concerns about the unfair and unethical practices that are so prevalent in the construction industry, and assured us that our suggestions for change are welcome. Independent contractors and immigrants working in the building trades were a big issue. She knows that nursery workers now taking over the framing of new homes is a serious problem. It is no secret that these workers are not only taking our jobs, but many pay no taxes or have any benefits. A carpenters’ licensing law seems to be the answer. This must be done. What we carpenters have to offer is years and years of experience working with and, and for, the best people in the industry.
Surely, the journeyman carpenter’s expertise in the field, and his or her
common sense, would be recognized by legislators and those seeking such a
position.
Carpenters have an opportunity to become key players in regaining their status
in the building industry. Since the beginning of time, the carpenters have laid
the foundation, built the forms, framed the buildings and put a good roof over
our heads and all those around us. Our employers are paying good wages and
benefits while competing against those who do not. Consumers can no longer
afford to be subjected to lawsuits or court battles they encounter with
so-called “builders.” No industry, workers or Oregonians should have to put up
with such conditions.
Its time for Carpenters to speak up. We need not be ashamed to express our opinions. If we discuss, rather than argue our points, we will go a long way to not only win friends, but also rekindle the oldest and finest of the building trades.
