1973-04 April IBEW Journal.pdf - International Brotherhood of ...

• Every :;0 oft.:n you hear some
mcmlx:r expres:; the thought lhat the
word "Brotherhood" in the nam.: of
our greal organization-Interna·
tional I3roth.:rhOOlJ of H.-ctrical
Worka:;-has lost it:; llIeaning. For
th o~e with ,>uch thought .. I vd,>h they
hau occn with me rc".'entl) in the
City of Phoenix, AriZona.
SInC\! my rctlr ... menl frtllll tlk' ac·
ti ve affair:. of our Urolh ... rho"u in
1969, w ... h:lve maue our home in
TucM)n. Arizona. On Augu~1 16. I
all ellu~'d ;I l1I ... cling of rclir.:d ~l cl1I'
bl.'r~ uf Local Union 31. Duluth.
M innc)oOta. III) I1ulIIl; Local. AI this
meeting the Brotherhood'~ !.I.'r\"ic.::
pins \\cr... distribut\!u to tllO!)C in
allcllunnce who had not prcviotl ~ ly
r ... cd\ed Ihcir~. but all of tho,>e M)
entitled wer..:: not pr..::" ... nl.
Busi n..:'>!) Mannger I{ ud~ Johmon
wrote 10 Ill": :ll>kil1g if I cou ld ar-
1'>1l1g..: to ha\c a 60 )..:.. r :;..:r\"ie..: pin
prc'>clll..::d to one of the retir..:d 1110.:111'
b..:r:-.. \\ ho had been unable to attend
the 1l1..:~·ting. The mt'mbcr \\;t" mak·
ing hi~ n:!oidcncc in \Ok,>;} Arillllla.
or COllI"":. I was h;lpP) to :llIell1pt
to do so.
TIlt' member- Frank Bl' rg-\\ as
initiat..:d on Augll~1 29. 1912. in
Local Union 5~4 which wa" at that
tilll~' kl(.',tled in Etlmolllon. A lb ... rta,
Canada. In 19 16 h~ tramf,;-rred 10
Loc .. 1 Union 122. Gr ... at F"lk \Iun·
lana. In Jum' 1~20 he dl'J)()"it~'d hi lo
Ir:t"dm~ canl in LlX":l1 Union 31,
wher.: h... maintain ... d cont1l1uou:;
!:ooU ,tanumg until hi, rl,tir ... melll
011 J ul~ I. 1956. During his 36
)ears of :Icth e IIh':lIllxr~ hil> in Loc:tl
Union J I, h.: ,erwd the Local in
many capacilil'~-a!> R.:cutJing Sccr..:t:lry.
Trc;l,>un;r, (In "Iriou~ com·
mill"'':' and a, a D.:kgat..: to th..:
C':llIl al Uodi ..:s and th..: r. l illnc~ota
State Fctl ... ration of Labor. In Au·
gust 1927 h..: reprL!~crHcd Ihe Local
:t!> its D..:I.':11ut..: to the Brothl,'rhood's
Com..::ntitlll in Detroit. I-k \\as on
his O\~ n at th ilo Cunvention, :i lo at
thai tim\! Ih..: Local I\a\ in no po~i·
lion 10 el..:n Jin:mc..: lundl money.
Though holuing m \! rnber ~ hip al> a
Journe)J11an Wireman, UrOlhcr Berg
took emplo)m.:nt \\ith Ihe \Iinne·
sota Po\\..:r & Lighl Cump .. n~ in ils
t:t llt Busim'sl> Manager
and hi\ wife drme 10 Meloa ;md re·
ILlrned 10 th... Holida) R ...'tallfan!
\\ ith B t'oth~'r B..:rg. hi ~ son EJw:lrd
ami hi' wife. Uu ~i n ~'" Manager
Ro,,\ and hi '> wif, .. NFCA Chapter
M:lI1ag ... r George l'lands and hi ~
\\ife, and )(lU~ truly and Mrl>.
John,>oll v.~' r~ \J1l hand to gr..:et
Brother Ikrg and hi~ famil) . Aft ... r
a dinner v.e proceeded to Local
6~0'" hall and onke.
Shortl~ afll:r our arri\al at Ihe
OmC!!. Pr"'''lknl Da\ c Thoma ... W~·
pended the r..:gular ord~r of bu"ines,
of th..: meeting and \~e W':llt into the
hall. With \\..:11 1)\'''' 1' 325 l11 ..: mber'
n'milll/I'II "II ,'lIl'I' 16
.. IIEW
Left to right : John DeCartro. President Locat 640. retired
bth D,strlct Vice President J. W. Johnson presenting 60 yc.ar
service pin t o Frank Berg.
Left to right: Mrs. Edward M. Berg. retired
Brolhers Frank Berg. J. W. JOhnson and
Edward M. Berg. son 01 Frank Berg.
Jou,not