July 24, 2012

I've been off the grid for a little while. I've felt the need to keep quiet and to think and to reflect. Plus, I think it's been too damn hot to type! I'm working out at LaCygne and there have been some days lately when I've had to go up and stand next to the boiler just to cool off! Ok, not very funny, I know. That's why I'm an Ironworker and not a stand up comedian.

Speaking of LaCygne, we are out there working under the National Construction Agreement. Like many of the ancillary agreements that we work under, such as the National Maintenance Agreement and the Presidents Agreement, it tends to be pretty contractor friendly. One of the main things that I take issue with is that there are no breaks in the contract. Incidentally, the other contracts that I mentioned do not recognize organized breaks either, but I've yet to work on a job under those agreements where breaks were not taken. This project, however, is different. One of the first things we are told is that there are no breaks. As General Foreman, I have been threatened with being fired, as well as some of the guys who work for me, simply for them sitting in a hot connex box, in their work area, and sitting down for 10 minutes to have a snack and a drink.

So I'm not really sure what the answer is to this problem. You may or may not know that before somewhere around 1997 or so, we never had breaks in our local agreement. That didn't really matter, though, because, except for employees of J.E. Dunn, everyone took a morning break (and none in the afternoon.) This was part of the old tradition that had been passed down to all of us from our elders: "You make your own conditions." That is what we were told and that is what we did. That is where the "wobble" came from. If conditions were not right on the job, there would often be a sickness that caused everyone to have to go home.

Case in point: While working for Havens in the 90s, on the 28 story at 12th and Walnut, we had iron set up to the 15th floor. The building was adjacent to a 7 story parking garage, so we could ride an elevator from the ground to the top of the garage, but there was still no manlift, running, even though we were 8 stories above the top of the garage. I think, but I'm not certain, that Walton was the general contractor, and they said they did not have a permit for the manlift yet. We had been complaining, but to no avail. Well, finally, we had a welder who had a case of kidney stones that put him in so much pain that his welders helper had to carry him down the stairs to get to the elevator. That was the final straw for everyone on the job. One of those super contagious, fast moving flu bugs struck and everyone had to leave for the day. Imagine our surprise when, amazingly, a permit was issued and the manlift was running the next day when we came back to work. It's funny how that stuff happens.

Am I saying that everyone at LaCygne needs to get sick? No, that's not what I'm saying, because here's how this works: If everyone gets sick, our hall is subject to a nice big fine. If it happens again, the fine gets bigger. At some point, that becomes pretty counter productive. And if that happens enough, then International steps in, and I don't think for one minute that they necessarily have yours and my best interests in mind. They will absolutely throw us under the bus in a heartbeat in a circumstance such as this.

Here's the other side of it: Kiewit (the contractor over the LaCygne project and who I'm currently working for) preaches safety like crazy. They're always telling us to "keep your head in the game" and, "It's Monday (or Friday) and you've just gotten back from the weekend (or you're getting ready for the weekend) so you really need to pay attention so you don't get hurt. They take the stance that every accident is avoidable and if you get hurt you must have been doing something wrong, yet they completely ignore the fact that if you have somebody working their ass off for four hours straight, with no break, they are not as able to stay focused and alert. They get tired and hungry. Has no one ever pointed that out to them? And if not, why has that argument never been made? I'm pretty sure that the answer, at least as far as the National Construction Agreement goes, is that we are trying so hard to compete with non-union workers, that we have decided we need to work like they do.

Now, I'm going to play the Devil's Advocate for a minute, and ask this question: Should a contractor be expected to absorb the cost of a break that drags out to 20, 25, 30 or even 40 minutes? I would say no. So our responsibility is to get our conditions and to, at the same time,  police ourselves, so that we don't get out of control. Because non-union workers are doing our jobs, and although we are (or at least we should be) much better at our jobs than they are, the fact remains that they are doing them much cheaper than we are. My point is that our greater skill and productivity can make up for a couple of 10 minute breaks, but it can't necessarily make up for two 30 minute breaks and a 45 minute lunch. We have to perform in order to maintain our jobsite conditions.

This is just one small issue among many that are out there for us. I don't think that we can just roll over and take whatever is given to us. Now, more than ever, those in power are going to try and strip more and more of the benefits and conditions that we have, from us. A time is coming, and it is going to be soon, when we are going to have to be willing to make the kinds of sacrifices that our elders made. And although I am speaking of Ironworkers specifically, and unions in general, I mean it for everyone in society today who is not part of the very, very wealthy. What we are experiencing in organized labor is a microcosm of what is happening in the world today. We are going to have to make a stand, not just on the jobsite, but everywhere else too.

In the future I would like to begin to try to link the problems of unions, our problems, to the problems we face as a nation, and as a people.

June 26, 2012

I'm pretty sure most of you know by now that we were unsuccessful in our bid to make some changes at 10th and Harrison.I'm sure that many of you are as disappointed as our team is, and I'm sure that there are (obviously, in light of the results) many who are  happy as well, that we will not be taking office. Whatever your feelings are, it is now time to accept the results and move forward.

I want to thank everyone on our team for their hard work and for their commitment to the good of our local. Jimbo Riley, Jimmy Carroll, Nick Schroder, Greg Arduser, Travis Pemberton, Mark Porter, Mike Bullock, John Calarosa, Dave Robertson, Tony Delich and Manny Lopez. Each and every one of them contributed to the cause. We lifted one another up and encouraged each other to always be better. It was a fantastic experience to go through the election with those guys, and I would do it again in a second. I'm proud of them and proud to have been a part of a team with them.

I know I speak for all of them when I say thanks to everyone who supported us. We couldn't have done it without that support. We talked to a lot of people about their concerns and their hopes for what they want for Local #10. Those concerns and hopes are still there and I encourage all of you to communicate them to your elected officers. When I wrote before that I wanted everyone to become more involved with what goes on, I meant it. I hope that more people will go to the union meetings and that we all take pride in our local.

No matter who won the election, the problems we are facing as a local and as union members would have been the same when we woke up Sunday morning. And those are problems that cannot be solved by our officers alone. It is going to take all of us to educate ourselves about what the issues are and to educate all of those that we know, and to take action to eliminate those problems. Declining union membership, the attack on our jurisdiction by the Carpenters, economic challenges and healthcare challenges. It is going to take activism on all of our parts to ensure a viable future for us and our families. Please think about that, take it to heart and decide what you can contribute to our cause.

If people keep reading, I'll keep posting. Thanks!

June 6, 2012

I would like to thank everyone for their kind words and their support. There seems to be a lot of excitement about the upcoming election, and for that, I am grateful. No matter how that turns out, I still think it is a good thing to be going through that process. With an energized body politic, I think that no matter who is elected, whether it be the entire ticket of the current office holders, or whether it is all of us new guys who are running, or some mixture of both, I hope that it will mean that there is lots of support for the winners. After the election, I would urge everyone to come together and give 100% of their support to our elected officials. We have far too many challenges facing us to be divided amongst ourselves.

In case there is anyone reading this who doesn’t know who is running on our side, here is a list, and the office we are seeking:

• ·         Tim Kirch (that’s me, the one writing this)-Financial Secretary/Treasurer/Business Manager
• ·         Jimbo Riley-President
• ·         Travis Pemberton-Executive Board
• ·         Nick Schroder-Executive Board
• ·         Mark Porter-Executive Board
• ·         Jimmy Carroll-Executive Board
• ·         Greg Arduser-Executive Board
• ·         Mike Bullock-Trustee
• ·         John Calarosa-Trustee
• ·         Dave Robertson-Trustee

Also, in case you don’t know, Tony Delich was nominated for Business Agent, and Manny Lopez for Recording Secretary, but both were determined to be ineligible to run for office at this time. We are all disappointed about that, as we believe they would have been real assets. But we shall move forward, knowing that they support us in our efforts.

There is one other piece of business about the election judges. Everyone got the card in the mail about the re-election of the judges at the June meeting, so I think everyone should know, but in case they don’t, here it is: There were 2 or 3 apprentices and one honorary lifetime member who voted in the election of the judges at the May meeting. They were not eligible to vote, therefore, that election became null and void. So it will be held again at the June meeting, on Monday, June 11^th. The mistake was an honest one, and, since it was only in the judge elections, it is easily rectified. The election of officers will still be on Saturday the 23^rd. 

Remember, I always welcome your comments, or you can contact me by email at tkirch@comcast.net

So long until next time!

May 16, 2012

Hello, everybody! Well, I have to admit, I’m relieved that the nominations are over now. Boy, were there ever a lot of people at the meeting! In fact, there were more people  there on Monday night than I can remember in 15 or 20 years. So I’m guessing that at least half of us have never seen that many folks at 10^th and Harrison. So, like I’ve said many times now, if nothing else it shows that everybody is interested and everyone cares what happens.

As I sat inside the hall, before, during and after the meeting, I was struck by a fact that sometimes I forget, and that is that every single one of us that were at the meeting share a deep, deep bond. Sure, there are plenty of personalities that clash, as you would expect in such a group, and there will always be a few of us who don’t get along on an individual basis, but the bottom line is that we are all brother Ironworkers. And as brothers (and sisters) we share one common denominator: we need our local, and our international, to thrive and to be strong, in order for us as individuals to thrive.

Not only do we need the Ironworkers to remain strong, and to get much stronger, but we need for all unions to gain members and market share. We cannot be out here on an island, trying to fight off the Republican attacks on organized labor. That means that we have to do everything in our power to get things turned around.  That means that our membership needs to be much more active politically, at the national level, yes, but maybe even more importantly, at our state, county and city levels. We need to communicate to our friends and neighbors the importance of unions and work to change public perception. And, perhaps most importantly, we need to be the best at what we do. We have to be the best trained, the most skilled and the most productive workers that there are.

Albert Einstein said that a problem cannot be solved from the same consciousness from which it was created. That means that we have to change with the times. Blueprints aren’t really blueprints anymore, they are drawn by computers. We pull out our phones and take pictures of the problems on our jobs and email them to engineers for solutions. We abate lead paint, rather than weld and burn through it. No company could be competitive and stay in business by trying to hold on to their antiquated methods because “we’ve always done it this way.” As a union we cannot afford to do that either, or we will become extinct.

Challenges await us at every turn of the road, and I think that I, Jimbo Riley, and those we have asked to run for office with us, can, with your help, meet those challenges. The work ethic that we have shown on the job will be the same work ethic that we bring to elected office. We will work tirelessly for you and with you to make the Ironworkers grow and thrive, today and in the future.

May 1, 2012

“If we keep doing what we’re doing, we will keep getting what we’re getting.”

“If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.”

“Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.”

Membership in the Ironworkers peaked in 1980-81 at around 181,000 members. Our membership now is around 121,000 which is the lowest it has been since about 1950. Union membership overall was around 28% in 1979 when Jimbo Riley and I began our apprenticeship. Today it is around 8%. We’re losing work to non-union companies, and we are losing the battle of public opinion. Whatever we have been doing has not been working. “If we keep doing what we’re doing, we’ll keep getting what we’re getting.”

How are we going to turn this trend around? It is going to take a lot of work, that’s for sure. I believe that we can do it, but it is not going to be easy. And I know one thing for sure; the elected officials of our local cannot change things alone. Whether those officials are the ones currently in office or whether it’s the newly elected (I hope) officers, it is not fair to expect change to come only from them. Real change starts with the members and works its way up. We can no longer afford for our members to be apathetic. If we do not take part in the decisions and direction of our local, and of all unions, we will surely lose out.

I believe that our local is ready to do things differently. I believe that our membership is ready to step up and to become active and to have their voices heard. I hope that if there is nothing else at all that comes from this year’s election, if I and those around me are unsuccessful in our bids for elected office, I hope that this is the beginning of an era when the men and women of our local become active once again. I hope that they press their elected officers to listen, and if they don’t, I hope they raise hell with them. I hope that there will never, ever be another uncontested election. Our elections are our right in a democratic brotherhood. From this June forward, every three years, let’s exercise that right.

My first post

This is going to be my first post of many about Ironworkers Local #10, In future posts I will be talking about the challenges we face and the issues that are affecting our membership today. I’ll offer ideas that I may have but I will also solicit the ideas and opinions of our membership, because each and every one of us has a stake in the direction Local #10, our International, and, in fact, all unions, will go.  I hope for this to be, not me talking to you, preaching to you or telling you what to do, but a dialogue between concerned Brother and Sister members.

But for this first post I would like to address the upcoming election and why I am going to be running for Business Manager. I think many members of our local already know me, but for those who don’t, let me introduce myself.

My name is Tim Kirch and I became a member of Local #10 in 1979. That makes me a bit of an old timer, although I don’t feel the 51 years old that my driver’s license tells me I am. I am a third generation Ironworker and my son is a fourth generation Ironworker. I love this trade and my brother and sister members, and I want what is best for our local. 

I want for our members to take an active role in Local #10 and to exercise their right to speak out about what they think our assets are and how to use them to our advantage, as well as what our liabilities are and how to improve upon them so that we grow and become stronger. And I don’t believe that the voices that are heard should only be the voices of the elected officials. Yes, we elect them and trust them to make final decisions and institute policy, but our members should expect, even demand, that they be consulted, listened to and included in those decisions. 

It doesn’t seem to me that the voices of our rank and file members are being heard. It doesn’t seem to me that those members are really even voicing their opinions and their ideas. I suppose there are a number of reasons for what I can only describe as apathy. In all honesty I think that part of that apathy comes from having virtually uncontested elections for quite some time. 

This is just one man’s opinion, but I think that if we’re not out there pushing a little bit, we are just saying, “Go ahead and handle things for us. Just tell us what you decide.” Well, I don’t think that’s fair to our members, and frankly, I don’t think it’s fair to our elected officers. If we do that it’s really easy to, after a decision, say, “Well, I wouldn’t have done it that way.” But if we haven’t told, debated or pushed to do otherwise, if we haven’t taken an active role in the process, how can we criticize what is going on?

So I hope this election is the start of a different dynamic in Local #10. I hope this is the beginning of a lively debate. I hope that decisions are questioned, that new ideas are forthcoming, that the decision making process in our local is transparent and that officers and members alike are held accountable for the direction that our local goes.

Of course, I wouldn’t be running for office if I didn’t believe that I were qualified and up to the demands of the job of Business Manager. I think that I could serve our membership well, and I want to be of service. And I’m running because I believe that it is time for a change. Of course I hope that the change I desire takes place. But if it doesn’t, if I am not successful in my bid, I hope that our democracy and debate will thrive. I believe that if that happens, it will make all of us better. 

In the coming weeks, I will continue talking to you, and I hope that you will tell me your thoughts, ideas and concerns. There is a comment section below, and I will post my email for those who don’t want to publicly comment, and I’ll probably post my phone number too.

Until next time, thanks.