Business Manager’s Message – September 2024
VOTE IBEW THIS NOVEMBER
Brothers & Sisters,
In less than six weeks, we will have our Presidential elections, and I encourage all of you to do your homework.
Political parties are not teams. Candidates are not players on your favorite sports team. I understand you want to support your team, but this is not a game. This is about working families’ economic interests. Don’t buy into rhetoric. Make sure you’re voting pro-labor and specifically pro-IBEW.
I am not going to try to persuade you how to vote. But, take a hard look at the candidates and which one has backed union members. Look at the party that has stood with Union members, walked picket lines with the UAW, and appointed union-friendly board members to the National Labor Relations Board. Most importantly, look at who voted to protect our pensions. When it comes to protecting the rights of union members, one candidate stands out from the other.
The other candidate wants to abolish Project Labor Agreements. These PLA’s ensure projects are done with Union Labor. This same candidate wants to repeal the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act. These two bi-partisan programs both provide millions of hours and thousands of IBEW member jobs. This candidate also wants to introduce employer-regulated apprenticeship programs, instead of regulated through the Department of Labor. We know all too well how little employers care about what’s best for our members. On top of all of this, this candidate wants a tax on employer-paid healthcare, such as our MPI health benefits, taking money from our pockets. Further, this same candidate is tied to exempting union members from overtime laws, meaning employers would be able to hold this as a bargaining chip and try to bargain away overtime from us.
Another major issue on the ballot is the federal judges. The Supreme Court has a lower approval rating across the country than Congress. These appointments are made by the President, and we need a candidate who is going to nominate judges that support the IBEW and union-friendly judges. We must understand how important the courts are. We have lost arbitrations with bad decisions and this too can happen with judges giving bad decisions. Courts should be where you get a fair shake.
A lot goes into making your choice, but as a Union member, it should be difficult to support a candidate who is not supporting union members and their best interests.
If you think this is a bunch of BS, do your own homework.
The democratic process works best when we are informed and engaged. If you are going to pick a team to vote for, vote IBEW! But above all else, this November, be sure to GO VOTE!
In Solidarity,
Stephan Davis
Business Manager
Financial Secretary
