1984-11 November IBEW Journal.pdf - International Brotherhood of ...

NINTH DISTRICT
PROGRESS MEETING HELD
In Las Vegas, Nevada
'"
L
For the 40th Annual Ninth DIstrict
Progress MCCllllg, International
Vice President S. R. " Jack" McCann
chose the beautiful Dunes Hotel to
Las Vegas, Nevada. The Mcctlllg
schedule called for registration on
the evenmg of September 4, fulldelegate
meeting September 5 and
workshops and a report by the VIce
President on Septembe r 6.
The Progress Meeting was opened
by Temporary Chalfman Roy Smith,
business m:magcr of Local 357, Las
Vegas. Local 357 President Cecil
Wynn led the delegates In the Pledge
of Allcgta.ncci and cohost Merle Cdc,
busmess manager, Loc;! 1 396, wei·
corned everyone to Las Vegas. VIce
President McCann assumed the duues
of the chair, and hiS first action
was to have the deicgallon stand for
a moment of silence In memory of
beloved International Secretary
Ementus Joseph O. Keenan who
passed away. VICC President McCann
lhen introduced the new bUSiness
managers who have assumed office
slOce the last Progress Meeting. The
~ moment then arrived that all the
delegates look forward to each year
as Vi ce President McCann mtro·
I duced our esteemed President,
Charles H. Pillard. President Pillard
spoke on many Important sublects,
~ not the least of which was our strug­
..., gle for survival under the biggest
anu·umon crusade we have ever faced,
namely Reaganomics. He sa id we
must purge from our midst Reagan·
omics and what it stands fOf. He
-.
then played an interesting tape of a
1948ILGWU radio show dunng which
, Reagan expressed his opinions at that
time in opposition to the Republican
i Party's overall policies which were
the complete reverse of hiS present
position. It IS hoped that the message
brought to the membership by our
..., lntemational President will have been
heeded and we will all have lent our
support to the Mondale· Ferraro ticket.
Partial VIew 01 the delegates at lhe general seSSIOn
PreSident Ptllard gave:1 broad out·
hne on the operatton of the Brother·
hood. He commented on the misfor·
tunes of a number of local UOions,
forced by economics and plant clo·
sures to cut back all wages and fflnges
and amend the working conditions
which have taken years to achlcve.
On a brighter note, Prcsidcnt PiI·
lard Informed the delegation that the
Health and Welfare ReCiprocity Plan,
which provides medical protecllon
for ovcr 200,000 of our travehng
Brothers and their dependents, was
now at 99.2 percent of complctlon.
On thiS subleCt, he posed the queslion,
" Why would a local area want
10 prevent a Visiting member, attemptmg
to help thalloc~tl arca fulfill
ItS manpower nceds, from protecttng
the member and his famtly from
cconOllllC hardship!"
Now that the IBEW Health and
Wellarc ReciprocllY Program is finnly
in place, PreSident Pillard also brought
the delegates up·to·date on the IBEW
PensIOn ReCIprocity Program. He
made a profound St3 tCmen l, which
the delegates endorsed through their
applause, when he stated, " Any area
th :1t prohIbits ;1 traveling member
the prOtection of IllS earned pension
payments is morally wrong."
In closing. a standing ova tion demo
onstrated to President Pillard the
Ninth DIstrIcI VICe Presiclenl: s. R. "Jack" McCann
is shown delivering his report 10 the delegales
Internallonal President Charles H Pillard deliv·
ered the keynole address at the
Moe"",.
tBEW JOURNAL I NOVEMBER 1984 I 5