Food for thought

Some members keep their organization strong, while others join just to belong. Some dig right in, some serve with pride; some go along just for the ride. Some volunteer to do their share, while some lie back and just don't care. On meeting days some always show, while there are those who never go. Some always pay their dues ahead. Some get behind for months instead. Some build. Some make; Some lag behind, Some take. Some let things go; Some just never help their organization grow. Some drag. Some pull;  Some "Don't". Some CONSIDER. Which of these are YOU? - Millie [?], "The Ravin" 1968

Special Called Meetings 

May 9, 7 p.m. Nominations for delegates to the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters, and one 247 trustee: Carpenters Local 247 meeting hall.

June 13, 7 p.m. Election for the delegates to the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters, and one 247 trustee: Carpenters Local 247 meeting hall.

Carpenters Local 247 is entitled to 13 delegates to the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters. We will be nominating and electing 12 delegates. Bruce Dennis who is an officer (president) of Regional Council is an automatic delegate to Council.  The term of the delegates' office is two years and will commence upon being sworn in at the regular Council meeting.  The newly-elected Delegates are to assemble at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 3, at the Benson Hotel in Portland, Oregon. To be eligible for nomination and to be elected as a delegate you must have been a member for two years and have been in good standing the past 12 months. The following are the current 14 Delegates: Bruce Ashback, David Bean, Larry Burkhalter, Chet Caruthers, Mike Couch, Tom Daugherty, Bruce Dennis, Willie Gore, John Hahn, Christine Kern, Eldon Middleton, Pete Savage, Kevin Stokes and Steve Wright.

 Get involved in the mentor program
 By Rob Aichele

My name is Rob Aichele and I am the new team leader for the mentoring program at Local 247. Eight members currently are trained for the program.  The mentor program was established to help new members, including apprentices, journeymen who have just moved to the area, and members who have switched over from the non-union side of the trade. The primary goal of a mentor is to provide support and direction to our new brothers and sisters. This makes our union strong by means of retaining our members and helping them to be successful. I polled Local 247 mentors to come up with a good monthly meeting time. We will begin meeting once a month starting in May. Meetings will be on the second Tuesday of the month at 6 pm, one hour before our regular 7 p.m. local union members' meeting. I urge you to get involved, come to the mentors meeting and then attend the regular local meeting. New mentors are wanted, and we will be setting up a training date as soon as members like yourself come forward. It's time to put the "U" back in Union.

Local 247 mentors: Rob Aichele (Team Leader), Gene Lawhorn, Willie Gore, Chet Caruthers, Dave Oury, Tom Daugherty, Michael Couch and Jerome Maxwell.

Meeting Notices General membership Special called meeting - the second Tuesday, May 9, at 7 p.m. at the Carpenters Hall, 2202 N. Lombard, Portland. Nominations for delegates to the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters will take place. Mentors Network 

Mentors Network meets second Tuesday May 9, at  6 p.m. at the Carpenters Hall, 2202 N. Lombard, Portland.

Executive Board

Executive Board meets the fourth Tuesday, May  23, at 7 p.m. at the Carpenters Hall, 2202 N Lombard, Portland. 

Retirees

Retirees meet for lunch the second Monday, May 8, at 11 a.m. at The Candle Light Restaurant, 7334 NE Glisan, Portland.

247's Picnic 2000 Call Linda or Julie at Local 247 to sign up as a volunteer. Mark your calendar - the date is Sunday, Aug. 13. Willie Gore is the picnic chairman.

Walgreen's Campaign

Any Local 247 activists who are interested in helping get Walgreen's attention, please call the office at 289-9632 to register. We are handbilling at several Walgreen's stores. Our goal is to get them to use UNION contractors for their construction projects. We are anticipating doing some similar actions with other local retailers after we complete this campaign.

Carpenters Local 247 member Wayne Wallace displays the T-shirt he is selling to raise money for his trip to the Himalayas to climb K-2, the world's second-highest mountain. On May 18, Wallace, 36, begins a leave of absence from Walsh Construction to join a 13-person team that will ascend the mountain via the North Ridge route on the Chinese side. T-shirts are $25 each and come in five colors and are in stock at the Local 247 office.

Two of our Xmas in April house captains, Willie Gore and John Jackson, report at the last Local 247 meeting.

Information & Reminders

Please note: our e-mail address has changed to
carpenters@ubc247.com

Scholarship news for Fall 2000
Applications will be taken after Tuesday, April 11.
Please call Linda or Julie at Carpenters Local 247 for
details.

Merchandise information
Please support Brother Wayne Wallace on the K2000
Expedition. We have K2 T-Shirts for sale at Local
#247 for $25.
Denim shirts are in. They are short-sleeved, with 2"
embroidered Carpenters Local #247 logo. Price $34.

Financial news
Financial secretary Pete Savage announced that Local
247 now has a separate segregated political fuind and
a strike fund.

The builders: Vote Gore!
By Stan Smith
Executive Secretary, San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council Now the Presidential primary is over, and I am sure no one was surprised by the winning candidates. The surprise in the primary was Senator John McCain almost pulling off one of the biggest upsets in American politics. If George W. Bush, or "Dubya" as Mollie Ivins calls him, hadn't had a campaign fund about the size of the national budget, we may just have had McCain heading the Republican ticket. And that could mean trouble because I believe McCain would have been much harder to beat than George Bush, if Gore could have beaten him at all. Though McCain came off as a moderate and the far right of the Republican Party was claiming he was not conservative, his views, voting record on working people's issues are definitely in line with the right wing. After the March 7 Super Tuesday Primary that put Bush and Gore too far out front to catch, I called my friend Gayle Van Hoye, President of the Texas State Building Trades Council. I wanted to see what relationship, if any, he has with Governor George W Bush. Gayle told me that personally, he has a good relations because a friend of his family's son is Bush's campaign manager. He said he is very personable and that he can see him most any time. He said Bush is the type that will come out of his office and throw his arm around Gayle and tell him whatever he wants, he can have. Once the conversation is over, that is the last he hears of it. Gayle feels that Bush is not very bright or strong, and if elected, the likes of Dick Armey and Tom Delay, two right wing Texas Republican Congressmen, will push the anti-union agenda, including a National Right to Work law. If that happens, Gayle believes Bush would sign such legislation. Bush said many times during the campaign that he would oppose any campaign fundraising reform until the unions could no longer donate members' dues money without individuals' written approval, the so called Paycheck Protection Act, Proposition 226, that was soundly defeated in California in 1998. And he didn't say he would propose reform that would limit what the rich can give. We should take the advice from our brother in charge of the Texas Building Trades Council. VOTE FOR AL GORE!

Congratulations Apprenticeship Graduates! 

The following people have completed their apprenticeship in the last year and are now Journeyman carpenters.  They will be honored at the annual Oregon Building Congress Banquet held at Lewis & Clark College, May 12, 2000.  If you are interested in attending the banquet, contact Jodi at the Training Center, 287-3708.

Rich Applegate Troy Lansdon Christopher Atkins Chris Larocco Brian Bentley Michael Lasich Douglas Berger Joe Levieux Michael Bowles Robert Littles Alfred Bran Joseph Loos Denny Camara Brian Mansfield David Castillo Jerome Maxwell Jon Chauran Terry McPherson John Cherry Ben Mohr Terrance Christianson Leo Morris Kenneth Curry Vasilily Nesukh Josif Daraban Sharkee Niemi Charles Davis Danny Nustad

Corey Dixon Terrance O'Dell Mike Dorscher Monte Pershall Patrick Driscoll Chris Peterson Chris Durdell Michael Retterer Jim Frielink Joseph Robison Randy Garrett Gavin Rockenbach Forrest Gonzales Duftan Sandoz Kristie Haas Lavon Sargent Wayne Harrington Ezra Selland Anthony Harris Petr Sirosh Darren Humbert Tyland Taylor David Jewell Dan Toussaint William Kosciolek Todd Welch Martin Krcek Scott Whitwell