HOME ISSUE: 081027		www.GASWORKERS.org
PRESIDENTS REPORT : Jim Gennett
On November 4th we will be voting for a new President. It is important that everyone gets out to vote. While voting we need to keep in mind that financially we cannot continue on the pace we are going. We need to borrow money from China to give to Saudi Arabia. No matter who wins this November, they will have a major mountain to climb to get all of us out of this valley of deficit. Voting is very important. I encourage everyone to vote for the candidate who will respond to the issues of the American public and bring stability to this country. I discourage people to vote along the lines of race or gender. We need the best qualified people we can to bring stability to the economic fronts and to our failing healthcare system. Remember, it’s not black or white, male, female; it’s who has the best plan to take the fear out of every American and bring resolutions to war and failing programs. October 31st ends the run of two very important people to this Union. Pat Dillon and Al Jacobs. Both Al and Pat did not seek re-election. They have been a vital part of this Local through good times and bad. Both have always fought endlessly for every member and sometimes weren’t the most popular with them. Pat and Al never backed down from their points of view and never let the company dictate to them or any union member anything other than what was right. Their experience over the years has filtered down to the younger core group of members. They always took the time to educate people on what it means to be a Union member. I personally respect and admire both individuals for their abilities as leaders, fighters, commitment to the members, and most of the learning experience that both have afforded me and others. I will always be for grateful to have served and fought with these gentlemen, they both will be sorely missed by me as well as the entire Board. I wish Pat and Al the best and want every member to know that just because neither of them will be on the Board, don’t hesitate to ask questions of them. Pat and Al, you will missed. The next Union meeting is November 13th and will feature our annual Turkey raffle and guest Mr. Daniel Blank, a financial advisor to Union members, is scheduled to speak on investment planning. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. I hope to see everyone there.
VICE PRESIDENTS REPORT : Rick Passarelli
Brothers and Sisters, As we approach the Presidential election, let's examine what it means to you and I to change the course of Labor in America. The National Labor Relations Board is a governing body that handles many different labor disputes within the context of labor management stalemates. This includes the right to organize the workplace, the right to enforce collective bargaining agreements and the right to fair and equal treatment for employee's covered by the CBA. These are just a few of many duties associated with the NLRB. Now for the bad news, when there is a Republican president, the panel is usually appointed by the President of the United States. That means the overwhelming majority of the NLRB panel are Republican Party appointee's. Most cases brought before the NLRB are normally dismissed and reverted back to the grievance procedure. The appointee's of President Bush, for the last 8 years on the NLRB, have been nothing short of disgusting in their decisions when labor has brought cases before them. The amount of special interest, big business protections afforded the corporate world is criminal. Case after case that have been dismissed have always been looked at to keep management in sole control of basic rights that labor has fought for many years. Senator Obama spoke to us almost 18 months ago at our national convention, he made some pretty strong promises to the working men and women of our country. In short he told us I will not forget you!! Senator Obama and Senator Biden have a strong working family agenda that will benefit you and I as well as our children for years to come. One top agenda item is to have the Employee Free Choice Act pass in the House and Senate.  There it will be signed into law when it gets to the President’s desk. What does that mean to us? With the passing of this Act, the labor movement that has declined and been reduced to the lowest numbers in American history will make a strong and vital comeback in the American organized workforce. New competitive wages, health care, equal pay for equal work, job equality and many other great opportunities for our children. The world of the utility industry is ever changing, but the one constant is we need new dedicated recruitment efforts to bring young people who will be proud to be a gas worker, electrician, or water company employee. These are promises we heard and will hold our friends in Washington to. I urge everyone to do your homework, and ask yourself the same question that was posed to me at a workshop I attended during the summer: “How does this election personally affect me and my family?” When you dig deep to find your answer you will be able to see there is only one way to change the course of America. Fraternally, Rick Passarelli, Vice President Local 18007
BUSINESS MANAGER REPORT : John Groenwald
BUSINESS MANAGER REPORT: John Groenwald Brothers and Sisters, When Democrats Clinton and Gore left office in January 2001 they left the Republicans a country at peace, a budget surplus, healthy IRA and 401(k) accounts, and the greatest economic expansion in the history of the world to build upon. Fast forward eight years…record high gasoline and utility prices, tax breaks for millionaires, record mortgage defaults, home foreclosures and personal bankruptcies, lost personal investments, devalued homes, an obscenely costly war, bridge and infrastructure failures, poisoned imports, disastrous disaster relief, and because GOP deregulation of financial institutions created a system based almost entirely on credit and speculation – a near total economic collapse. This debacle coincided with increases in worker productivity greatly contributing to business success. Your reward? Laws made it easier for corporations to liquidate pensions. Medical costs skyrocketed and millions went uninsured. Your take-home pay drained due to inaction on fuel costs. Daily news of mass layoffs and jobs sent off-shore. Federal agencies stacked with GOP hacks undermining worker rights and safety. Rules have made it nearly impossible to unionize new workers. Today as a result the effectiveness of organized labor at the bargaining table is weaker. By words and deeds, there’s no evidence the 2008 Republican nominees will do anything to reverse the anti-working family policies of the sloth president and the GOP Congress who created them. The Course to a Better Future: It is up to us to repair our great country and our own economic standing. On November 4^th I urge you to vote for the ticket of Senator Obama and Senator Biden. They support long overdue tax cuts for working families. Jobs will be created thru infrastructure and clean alt-energy investment. Affordable health care will be the priority over insurance and drug company profits. College for your children will not create a lifetime of debt. Workers, not employers, will decide if they want to join a union - and worker advocates will be appointed at OSHA, the NLRB and the DOL. Your future Social Security benefits will not ride the stock market. There will be an immediate moratorium on home foreclosures. Tax credits will go to firms creating jobs in the US. The AFL-CIO, the UWUA and all major labor unions have endorsed Sen. Obama. And to provide him the support he needs I also urge you to vote for Senator Durbin for the US Senate and for working family advocates in your Congressional district. At the ICC: Follow-Up: You may recall in late 2006 Peoples Gas was fined by the ICC for “failing to conduct corrosion control monitoring and to act promptly to correct deficiencies that had been identified previously.” The ICC also ordered a comprehensive audit of PGL operations. The report by Liberty Consultants was completed last month and will be published on the ICC website. On 10-8 Pat Dillon and I attended a ICC hearing where the Report was discussed. On training of workers for emergency response, Liberty noted “several interviewees thought the training was not effective” and it “barely meets the code.” Perhaps more alarming: Liberty found that leak investigation documentation was inconsistent and leaks were “cleared without repairs.” Leak response in excess of 60 minutes was attributed to “inadequate resources.” In summary, Liberty confirmed the obvious and much of what has been advocated by the Union for years. The “inadequate resources” Liberty speaks of is the human kind. Simply put, PGL needs an overall minimum staffing requirement, and it needs a system to fill vacant high skill positions. We are following-up in all directions on this matter. Medical Open Enrollment: The Open Enrollment period is under way now until Nov. 10^th. Company reps will hold informational meetings at all locations on the following schedule: 10-22 at South, 10-23 at Central, 10-28 at North and 10-29 at Division St. Follow-up meetings to answer questions will be held at the shops beginning on 11-4. At press time there was an unresolved matter of the Company announcing “you must send in benefit elections or risk having no coverage for 2009.” HR said this “mandatory” system has existed since 2005. As we sort this out we ask all members to follow enrollment directions precisely and not risk coverage interruption. Congratulations &Thank you: Congratulations to Brothers ‘Butch’ Ruiz, Conrad Vega and Michael Bogard who were elected Executive Board Trustees on October 9^th and to Brother Jason Carter who was elected Sergeant-at-Arms. Thank you also to the Election Board for their hard work before and during the election: Brothers Calvin Carrington, Tim Jaroch, Steve Jones, Dan McNichols, Brian Murray, Ralph Passi and Sister Texie Washington. A Tribute: Unfortunately throughout history Labor has been littered with union officials who were self-serving, backed down, curled-up, played both sides, or sold-out. Then there’s Pat Dillon and Al Jacobs… In 2002 outraged by a shooting incident in South District and the overall aggressive behavior by the public aimed at us, Al Jacobs conceived the idea of a state law to increase criminal penalties for street violence against utility workers. Al’s concept led the Union to form an unprecedented alliance with legislators, the Labor community, Peoples Gas, and area utilities. In August 2007 Al’s idea became reality when the Governor of Illinois signed the legislation, a first related to our Local. This great legacy left to all Local 18007 members was due to Al’s dedication to the well-being of his co-workers. In 1997 Peoples Gas began an idiotic project allowing contractors to enter homes to install AMR devices on meters. Union jobs had been written off as gone by PGL. Led by Pat Dillon, the Union unleashed a public campaign that Peoples Gas had not seen before – and wouldn’t soon forget. It included an onslaught of street action, and media and political pressure. The long campaign resulted in total victory for the Union. The installation work was returned to 18007 and that particular contractor has not been seen again…and Union jobs were saved and secured in the 1998 Contract. Two examples do not do justice to their many contributions. Both were essential to the positive reform of our Union during the term after the 2001 strike. Pat and Al’s aggressiveness in demanding respect from our employer was precisely what we needed at that point in our Union’s history. On November 1^st Comrades Dillon and Jacobs end their stellar careers of official service to Local 18007 members. Their integrity, dedication, and testicular virility is a model for both union leaders and members. Have a Happy and Safe THANKSGIVING
RECORDING SECRETARY : Pat Dillon
Obama for President      The Union’s Executive Board fully endorses Senator Barack Obama over Senator John McCain for President of the United States .  Senator McCain has a long career record in the U.S. Congress of being an enthusiastic supporter of any and all so called “Free Trade” agreements.  The result of these agreements, and his support of them, has led to the outsourcing of most of America’s manufacturing base.  Any Gas Worker who has been inside one of Chicago’s hundreds of abandoned factories as I have the last 31 years knows how devastating “Free Trade” has been.  Senator McCain’s campaign slogan is “Country First.”  His voting record trade on trade has always put China first.  McCain’s voting record on labor is just as abysmal –voting 19 times against raising the minimum wage.  McCain stomps on the neck of the working class from the comfort of one of his seven homes, and millions of dollars from his trust-fund wife.  “Country First” -  my ass.       Despite the slander accusations of the whack-job right wing, Obama is a good and decent man who made his own way.  With the United States on the verge of complete turmoil - now is the time for intelligence and competence. Integrys Loves Made in China      Integrys has dramatically increased their purchases of Made in China goods.  It was bad enough buying hundreds of thousands of meter connections from China ; now we buy pressure regulators from China .  Apparently the cost of making those regulators in Mexico increased, so off to China they went.  As a customer and employee of this company I’m outraged at how casually the new Integrys regime disinvests dollars from this community to China , as well as our newest oversees provider of fittings – Thailand .  It goes without saying the quality of these regulators and fittings are poor.  That does not matter to the free-traders who make the purchases.  This kind of betrayal of the American people has gone on long enough.  My question to CEO Weyers is – Do you approve of this economic treason?  If not, then put a stop to it.      Good luck to all      This is my last Newsletter article.  On November 1^st our new Executive Board will be seated.  I’d like to thank Jim Gennett, Retiree Charlie Williams, Rick Passarelli, Carlos Ocasio, John Groenwald, Butch Ruiz, Al Jacobs, Tom Sargeant, our attorney Mike Evers, and all the Stewards for the pleasure of serving with them.  It was a privilege to do so.  I urge all of our rank & file to support the Union by attending our membership meetings.  As well as voting on the side of Labor whenever you enter a polling place.  Remember, you are a wage earner – so think and vote like one.  And be proud of that.  Wage earners built this country – investors are loyal to Corporatism.  For too long I’ve seen workers who thought of themselves as the investor class.  Workers voting against their own economic interests lead to George Bush becoming President
TRUSTEE CORNER : Butch Ruiz
I’d like to first give thanks to those who came out and showed their support for myself and the newly elected Executive Board Trustees Conrad Vega and Mike Bogard, and for Sergeant-at-Arms Jason Carter.  But I also give my gratitude to Pat Dillion and Al Jacobs who made a choice to step down and will truly be missed.  Their dedication and influence has not only helped me in countless ways, but also has help bring back a part of what this Union has been missing for many of years, “respect” to the rank and file. Many people don’t realize, but it was Al’s initiative that help change the law and consequence when someone assaults one of us on the job, which now seem to be on a consisted basis. Both these members have gone over and beyond what was expected of them. So when you pass them in the shop or on the street, extend your hand and say thank you. They had a big influence on many things at PGL - and many do not realize how much. And on the line of being assaulted on the job, if you elect to press charges on a person who assaults one of us (which many of us feel we should do), please try to make sure the police/Guardian reports reflect the event as much as possible. Recently we received information of a police report that didn’t affirm a customer physically assaulting a Service sister. And kudos to our Brothers and Sisters, who pressed charges on the ones who deserved it. Liberty Audit As far back as January 2004, the ICC found problems with some of PGL’s records and an audit was conducted by The Liberty Consulting Group. This audit was just completed with 66 recommendations that should be implemented within a  timeframe applied by the ICC. The long and short of this is there are many items that your Union testified to in the Merge/Rate cases that were touched on, that prove our point and cannot be ignored. This report is now on the ICC’s web site. We anticipate some overhaul and fine-tuning in the near future. But keep in mind that everything rolls down hill, and we will probably be audited more. But if we do things ‘by the book’ we won’t have any problems. More to come on this, so stay tuned. Spouse/Domestic Partner Premium Just a reminder, thanks to your Union, the Working Spouse condition to the medical plan has been push back to January 2010. No changes are needed for at least another year. Senator Barack Obama Presidential campaign endorsements The list of supporters just keeps on growing and many of them are supporting a Democratic Presidential nominee for the first time, i.e. Chicago Tribune and Sun Times. For a full look at this growing list go to “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obama_endorsements” - They understand what’s at stake if we will allow another four years of a Republican President - and so should you.