Downloadable - IA.TSE Local 80
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etter serve the Funds’ participants<br />
and participating local unions. A<br />
dedicated email address was introduced<br />
several months ago to<br />
assist those participants who cannot<br />
reach the Funds during normal<br />
business hours. The email address<br />
is participantservicescenter@<br />
iatsenbf.org. This new tool has<br />
seen widespread usage and has<br />
increased the Funds’ ability to respond<br />
timely to the needs of our<br />
participants.<br />
The Funds’ new website continues<br />
in its development stages.<br />
Designs for the homepage and key<br />
landing pages have been set and<br />
content wireframes are progressing.<br />
The Funds expect to launch the new<br />
site in early 2013 and it is expected<br />
to provide significant service improvements<br />
for both participants and<br />
local unions.<br />
POLITICAL REPORT<br />
Appearing before the Board to<br />
present this report were International<br />
Vice President J. Walter Cahill,<br />
Assistant to the President Deborah<br />
Reid, District 14 Secretary-Treasurer<br />
Kimberly Bowles, District 3 Political<br />
Director John Gates, <strong>Local</strong> 251 Business<br />
Agent Chris Gauthier, District 7<br />
Secretary-Treasurer Andrew Oyaas,<br />
<strong>Local</strong> 491 Business Agent Jason Rosin,<br />
and <strong>IA</strong> consultant Chuck Rocha of<br />
Solidarity Strategies.<br />
It was noted that the 2012 Presidential<br />
election is critical and the<br />
stakes are high. As November 6th<br />
rapidly approaches we still see state<br />
battles against anti-worker attacks<br />
continue throughout the United<br />
States on both the legislative and<br />
political levels. Many battles include<br />
legislative issues ranging from<br />
so called “right to work,” to paycheck<br />
deception and collective bargaining<br />
rights. A number of states<br />
will also have gubernatorial races<br />
and we must all fight to take back<br />
the House, and keep our majority in<br />
the Senate.<br />
The AFL-CIO has ramped up its<br />
efforts with a number of initiatives<br />
to increase mobilization efforts and<br />
has asked affiliates to encourage<br />
members to get involved. Additionally,<br />
a 2012 Action Plan for the <strong>IA</strong><br />
was put together for the purpose<br />
of mobilizing our membership and<br />
gain a greater level of participation<br />
in the political and legislative process,<br />
to provide greater voter turnout<br />
in November, and to impress<br />
the importance of participating in<br />
the <strong>IA</strong><strong>TSE</strong>-PAC so that we can grow<br />
our funds to give the <strong>IA</strong> greater<br />
voice in Washington. The Plan incorporates<br />
increased communication<br />
to the membership through the<br />
Official Bulletin, the <strong>IA</strong> website and<br />
social media outlets, as well as with<br />
the help of District Secretaries and<br />
local unions.<br />
Voter Protection, Voter Rights<br />
It was noted that fraud by individual<br />
voters is both irrational and<br />
extremely rare, however, voter fraud<br />
is most often invoked as a substantial<br />
problem in order to justify particular<br />
election policies. Chief among<br />
these policies is the proposal that individuals<br />
be required to show photo<br />
ID in order to vote – a policy that<br />
disenfranchises up to 10% of eligible<br />
citizens.<br />
For example, nearly 500,000 eligible<br />
voters in 10 states with restrictive<br />
voter ID laws live in households<br />
without vehicles and reside at least<br />
10 miles from an ID-issuing office<br />
that is open more than two days a<br />
week. Because many of these voters<br />
may not have driver’s licenses<br />
— and nearly all live in rural areas<br />
with dwindling public transportation<br />
options — it could be significantly<br />
harder for them to get an ID and cast<br />
a ballot.<br />
It was reported that between<br />
2002 and 2005, when George W.<br />
Bush was President, the Justice Department<br />
made the investigation and<br />
prosecution of voter fraud a top priority.<br />
Out of the hundreds of millions<br />
of votes cast during that period, the<br />
department brought only 38 cases,<br />
only one of which involved impersonation<br />
fraud.<br />
The hunt for voter fraud appears<br />
to be designed to garner support for<br />
voting restrictions that would likely<br />
steer eligible citizens away from the<br />
polls, especially minorities and the<br />
poor.<br />
Voter suppression is the real<br />
fraud in our election system. It’s time<br />
to fix it.<br />
<strong>IA</strong><strong>TSE</strong> District 7<br />
District 7 covers the states of<br />
Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi,<br />
North Carolina, South Carolina<br />
and Tennessee, and the District’s off<br />
year convention was held on July<br />
6-8, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina.<br />
It was reported that on Friday<br />
evening, July 6th, the District held an<br />
extra educational program covering<br />
“GOTV Training – and – How to Talk<br />
to Your Members”. The convention<br />
delegates passed a resolution that<br />
each <strong>Local</strong> in the District will identify<br />
a political coordinator to assist in getting<br />
information out to their memberships<br />
about the election and issues.<br />
It was also noted that this was the<br />
first training of this kind provided<br />
by District 7 and it was very well received.<br />
Wisconsin<br />
At the mid-Winter Board meeting<br />
in Atlanta, it was reported that<br />
Wisconsin had lost 27,600 jobs –<br />
more than any state in the country. It<br />
was reported that in June 2012, one<br />
month prior to this Board meeting,<br />
the State lost an additional 13,000<br />
jobs and 11,700 of those were private<br />
sector jobs.<br />
For nearly sixteen months workers<br />
came together in solidarity and<br />
fought every waking hour to defend<br />
the State, its citizens and the values it<br />
has held so very dear, from the corporate<br />
takeover that Governor Scott<br />
Walker welcomed. Unfortunately, the<br />
attempts to recall this Governor on<br />
June 5th failed.<br />
In the words of Brother Gauthier,<br />
“Walker may have torn our state<br />
asunder, but he has wrought a sleeping<br />
giant’s thunder.” Though Walker<br />
was shielded with a flood of corporate<br />
cash, Wisconsin made its voice<br />
heard and workers in the State will<br />
continue to fight for their rights to<br />
collective bargaining, pensions,<br />
health care and dignity.<br />
On July 18th the tides finally<br />
turned when, after over a year and<br />
a half of one party control of all<br />
branches of government, Democratic<br />
Senator John Lehman was sworn<br />
into office after having won the recall<br />
election on June 5th. Lehman’s win<br />
gave Democrats the majority in the<br />
Senate which gives hope to working<br />
families in the State.<br />
New England Area<br />
On the legislative front and as in<br />
previous reports on the New England<br />
Area, many months were spent<br />
fighting Right to Work and other<br />
anti-worker legislation in this area<br />
of the country. Fortunately, the right<br />
to work legislation was defeated in<br />
both New Hampshire and Maine, but<br />
the battle to prevent the drastic overhaul<br />
of the Workers Compensation<br />
system in Maine was lost.<br />
Some of the key races were also<br />
reported on including the Massachusetts<br />
Senate race between Democratic<br />
challenger Elizabeth Warren and<br />
Republican incumbent Scott Brown.<br />
Brown won the seat in a special<br />
election after the passing of Senator<br />
Ted Kennedy. This race is deemed<br />
to be quite winnable for Warren as<br />
she has been able to achieve a tie<br />
in the polls, with 8% of the voters<br />
undecided. With a win for Warren<br />
in November, this would help maintain<br />
a Democratic majority in the U.S.<br />
Senate. New Hampshire is home to<br />
another important race where Democratic<br />
challenger Anne McLane Kuster<br />
is running to unseat the Republican<br />
incumbent Charlie Bass. Kuster also<br />
ran in 2010 and lost by only 1.5% of<br />
the vote. It appears that 2012 could<br />
have more success.<br />
North Carolina<br />
It was reported that <strong>IA</strong><strong>TSE</strong> <strong>Local</strong>s<br />
across the state continue to meet to<br />
discuss common issues in North Carolina.<br />
It was noted that because <strong>Local</strong><br />
491 Business Agent Jason Rosin is<br />
also on the Executive Council of the<br />
North Carolina State AFL-CIO, he is<br />
able to share important information<br />
directly with the <strong>Local</strong>s.<br />
While North Carolina is not listed<br />
among the 2012 Battleground States,<br />
it is the fourth highest state in ad<br />
spending, right behind Pennsylvania,<br />
Ohio and Florida, voter registration<br />
efforts are in full force so as to keep<br />
the state “blue”. The <strong>IA</strong><strong>TSE</strong> <strong>Local</strong>s are<br />
working hard on these coordinated<br />
efforts through the State Federation<br />
and Central Labor Councils.<br />
Florida<br />
It was reported that Florida <strong>Local</strong>s<br />
were invited to participate at the Florida<br />
State AFL-CIO COPE Convention<br />
the 1st weekend in June. The process<br />
was complicated by redistricting lines<br />
for Florida House and Senate seats<br />
that were not released to the candidates<br />
so that they could qualify properly.<br />
Qualifying did not actually end<br />
until after the COPE meeting. Particular<br />
attention was focused on the<br />
campaign of Democrat Val Demings<br />
and other “hot” races that were determined<br />
to be realistic pick-up seats for<br />
labor friendly candidates.<br />
It was further reported that <strong>IA</strong><strong>TSE</strong><br />
<strong>Local</strong>s are participating in the CLC<br />
activity more and more. Brother Roy<br />
Sorenson of Sarasota <strong>Local</strong> 412 has<br />
<strong>Local</strong> 891 member Peter Prior was presented<br />
with his 50 Year Scroll and Gold<br />
Card by International President Loeb.<br />
48 Official Bulletin Third Quarter 2012 49