103 Today – Fall 2020

10 3 T O D AY IBEW

Local

103

News

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Fall

2020

IBEW Local 103 Endorses

Vote Tuesday, November 3

INSI DE THIS ISSU E Industry News Business Manager’s Report ........................................ 3 Encore Casino Workers Join IBEW Local 103............ 4 IBEW Local 103 Fosters Equity in Construction......... 6 Building a Greener Commonwealth........................... 8 First Annual John A. Penney Scholarship................... 10 Member Spotlight: Lovette Jacobs............................ 11 COVID-19 Update........................................................ 12 Organizing Update Welcome, Tecwits Network Construction Group...... 13 Welcome, Mass Signal Service, LLC........................... 13 Pipeline Projects Suffolk Downs Update................................................. 14 Polar Park...................................................................... 15 Community Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump....................................... 16 IBEW Local 103 Political Endorsements..................... 18 Women’s Committee Hat Drive.................................. 19 Mayor Walsh’s 7th Annual Toy Drive........................... 19 Drive-in Movie Night.................................................... 20 Weymouth Officer Mike Chesna Residence.............. 21 JATC Update................................................................ 22 Trust Funds Update...................................................... 23 In Memoriam................................................................ 23

IBEW Local 103’s Mission:

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To provide Greater Boston’s developers with the best-trained, most efficient, safest electricians and telecommunications specialists, while fostering our Union’s values of economic fairness, equal opportunity, and charitable giving in the communities where we work, live and raise our families. Our unwavering commitment to professional excellence is personified by our Joint Apprenticeship Training facility. The Local 103 JATC is among the most advanced electrical apprenticeship programs in the country.

Working for better wages, better benefits and fair working conditions is just one part of our Union’s focus. Local 103 members take pride in giving back our time and Q ucharities a r t eserving r l y those New s fortunate. of IBEW Local 10 expertise to causes and less

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BUSINESS MANAGER’S REPORT IBEW Local 103 has endorsed Joe Biden because Joe can challenge Donald Trump in traditional blue-collar areas like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

In fact, Biden is polling very well in those states, as well as in New Hampshire, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Arizona.

Under a Biden administration, we would see a union revival with the potential to undo decades of policies which have diminished our influence and our right to organize, all while valuing corporate interests over those of workers.

From Lou Antonellis Business Manager / Financial Secretary IBEW Local 103

A compassionate man, Joe Biden is the only candidate who can unite the country at a time of deep division. Joe has always listened to, fought alongside, and delivered for unions and working people.

Through close consultation with the IBEW, Joe Biden has developed a comprehensive energy plan. He will invest $400 billion in energy research and innovation to build the industries of the future: carbon capture, grid scale storage, and advanced nuclear.

Joe Biden supports the PRO Act, protecting the right to organize and bargain collectively.

Donald Trump hates unions!

Joe Biden will demand prevailing wages and labor protections on all federally-supported infrastructure projects. Trump opposes them and has not produced a national infrastructure plan in his four years as president.

Joe Biden supports the Butch Lewis Act, which will help troubled pension plans. Trump and the Republicans have made it clear that they want to dismantle healthy pensions, like IBEW Local 103’s, at every single opportunity they’ve had. It is clear: they aren’t coming after our guns, they’re coming after our pensions!

Joe Biden will ban Right to Work! Trump champions Right to Work (RTW) and is assembling a conservative supermajority on the Supreme Court to ensure that RTW and other anti-worker stances become national policy.

Joe Biden will create a cabinet-level position that will focus solely on promoting organizing and collective bargaining. Trump’s Labor Secretary is Eugene Scalia, the most anti-union management attorney and the son of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. His current Supreme Court appointee clerked for Scalia and shares his conservative values, especially when it comes to anti-union issues like prevailing wage and RTW. Joe Biden has appointed IBEW President Lonnie Stevenson to serve on his transition team advisory board – one of our own! He is also expected to put a Union leader in his cabinet, as if we needed more proof on where Biden stands! Joe stands with the IBEW at every level.

When it comes to IBEW jobs and the interests of our members, the choice is clear: the choice for Local 103 is Joe Biden.

Fraternally,

Louis J. Antonellis Business Manager / Financial Secretary 1 0 3 To d a y | F a l l 2 0 2 0

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Welcome to IBEW Local 103,

Encore Boston Harbor Resort & Casino workers!

IBEW Local 103 is thrilled to welcome 127 new members, Encore Boston Harbor technical and maintenance workers! These workers voted overwhelmingly to join Local 103, with a 95% yes vote, making Local 103 the first IBEW Local Union to represent all trade workers in a casino.

In addition to electricians, IBEW Local 103 now proudly represents Encore slot machine technicians, A/V technicians, Fire Control Center dispatchers and more.

“We have seen the real difference the union makes in the lives of working families. Local 103 helped ensure that the workers who built this casino had family-sustaining wages and great benefits, and we know that union membership will give us the opportunity to ensure we enjoy the same. I couldn’t be happier to officially be a union member and to know Local 103 has our backs,” said John Gentile, Encore Boston Harbor electrician and new IBEW Local 103 member.

The votes were cast through the course of August and were made official recently, once the window for any challenges to the outcome closed.

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Augustine Monexant, Fire Control Center Command

Quarterly News of IBEW Local 103

“IBEW Local 103 is thrilled to welcome the employees of Encore Boston Harbor to our union family and to continue improving the lives of workers at Encore Boston Harbor, and across the region,” said Lou Antonellis, Business Manager/Financial Secretary. “We look forward to productive negotiations that will help win key improvements for the workforce, and that will ensure these workers have all the tools and training they need to provide guests with the best and safest experience when they frequent the casino.”

The vast majority of the workers participating in the election will be members of IBEW Local 103. A limited number of workers will become members of our building trades union allies, who we thank wholeheartedly for their support during the organizing process. IBEW Local 103 will negotiate collectively for all workers under one contract, as part of one bargaining unit within the casino.

Melika Timothy, 3rd year apprentice, during Encore construction

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Union label fosters equity for members and contractors of Local 103

By Kenell Broomstein, IBEW Local 103 Business Agent

The union building trades, specifically IBEW Local 103, have long been a path to the middle class for U.S. workers, including for myself and my family. After I graduated from Lynn Vocational Technical Institute’s electrical shop, I was able to achieve a sustainable career and livelihood through Local 103 as an apprentice, and then as a licensed journeyperson, long before the pandemic hit.

I am well aware that many labor unions across the country, like most other institutions, have a history that does not reflect our current ideals with regard to diversity, equity, and inclusion. That is not breaking news, despite the efforts of some to rewind the clock and act like labor unions were the only groups to struggle with these issues.

The truth is that at IBEW Local 103 and many other unions, there has been a lot of change. We have put diversity, equity, and inclusion front and center in our organizing, our political action, and our recruitment efforts.

Each day, IBEW Local 103 is actively engaging with more women, people of color, veterans, and City of Boston residents than ever before, encouraging them to explore their options as highly-trained electrical workers in our union. We run robust recruitment campaigns across traditional and digital advertising, specifically engineered to invite in these folks who, due to stereotypes and prejudices ingrained into our society from past generations, might not otherwise consider the building trades as a possible career option.

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Prior to COVID-19, our organizers were engaging local minority residents on the ground, in person on a daily basis, reaching out to workers both in the areas surrounding Local 103 job sites, and to workers at second-rate, nonunion shops, whose lives change once they begin receiving the union wages and benefits they deserve.

We are also proud to partner with the Building Pathways program, which introduces Boston residents, largely women, people of color and single parents, to life-changing opportunities within the union Building Trades.

As a direct result of our active outreach, IBEW Local 103 is proud that each of our new apprenticeship classes have steadily become more diverse over the past several years. In 2017, we welcomed the most diverse apprenticeship class in the history of any major construction trade union in Boston, with our highest numbers ever of minority applicants (452), and women applicants (85, majority women of color).

In some cases, these were increases of 300% or more, and we have made even more improvements since then.

I made history when I was appointed to the leadership team here at IBEW Local 103, as the first woman and person of color to serve as a Business Agent. We have improved our diversity and inclusion across the board – from first year apprentices to the Business Manager’s office. That’s why when certain anti-union groups, or even those who claim to be union allies, point relentlessly to the past and ignore our strides

Quarterly News of IBEW Local 103

forward, it is an insult to those of us working so hard to make a difference.

As an IBEW Local 103 Business Agent and single mom, I see firsthand why more and more minority workers are taking advantage of opportunities in the union building trades: • We prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion by investing in active outreach, in all recruitment and business development, to women, people of color and MBE throughout eastern Massachusetts. We have set new diversity records each year and continue to make strides.

• All of our members receive equal pay and benefits per a legally-binding union contract.

Since equity is legally guaranteed in our contracts, across both the electrical and telecom industries and beyond, it isn’t just an empty promise. This is an attractive proposal to all workers, and we are doing more each day to promote the opportunity to women and communities of color.

• Our apprentices earn sustainable wages while they learn a trade at our industry-leading training center in Boston. Our programs enable people of all backgrounds to build a rewarding, family-sustaining career without needing to go into debt. Instead, they can build savings. It is a unique, oftentimes life changing career path that is especially beneficial for people who otherwise would not be able to pursue education goals without an income.

So yes, like other unions, IBEW Local 103 looked very different in the past than it does today. I am proud to be the first Black woman to represent a Greater Boston construction union and because of efforts like ours, I won’t be the last. IBEW Local 103 Business Manager/Financial Secretary Lou Antonellis has put diversity, equity, and inclusion at the forefront of our day-to-day work, and fully committed to building a union that better reflects the communities in which we work. The blind assumption that the unions of today are just like the unions of yesterday is an injustice to all those who could advance from these benefits.

IBEW Local 103 and other building trade unions are working every day to create a truly strong, equitable middle class. To say we are not doing our part is out of touch with the current reality, and serves only the non-union industry, in which worker exploitation runs rampant, particularly for minority workers.

I want my community to know that IBEW Local 103’s doors are wide open, and all are welcome.

Don’t let those spreading misinformation online tell you otherwise.

IBEW Local 103’s intentional outreach has also allowed us to create meaningful partnerships with various minority-owned businesses (MBE), like women-owned electrical contractor, Coughlin Electric. Outkast Electrical Contractors, a prominent, Black-owned business based in Dorchester, has doubled in size since we began our partnership just last year.

IBEW Local 103 supports our signatory contractors in many ways beyond supplying them the best workforce in the electrical construction industry. We are a partner in their very own business development, allowing the companies to thrive, and helping to advance our common mission of creating a stronger, more equitable construction industry.

Kenell Broomstein, Business Agent

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Now is the time to expand the state’s ability to create clean energy jobs

Lou Antonellis, IBEW Local 103 Business Manager/ Financial Secretary The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to see our world in a new perspective, reminding us that our planet is smaller than we think, and that the effects of events anywhere ripple in real and tangible ways worldwide. Our connectedness goes far beyond the reach of coronavirus; we share a global economy and a common ecosystem.

As our communities seek to rebuild our economy after the pandemic, we all agree that we need to rebuild in new and better ways. Now is our chance to prioritize green energy solutions that also produce good, family-sustaining union jobs.

That’s why electrical workers and contractors among others are joining together to advocate for the expansion of an innovative program in Massachusetts that helps to finance energy improvements, such as energy-efficient projects, on commercial and industrial properties in Massachusetts. Right now, this progressive financing is only accessible to existing buildings, but we believe the legislature should act to make it available to new structures where commitments are made to environmentally friendly upgrades as well.

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Kristen Gowin, NECA Greater Boston Executive Manager The program that many are calling to expand, the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE), incentivizes commercial and industrial property owners and developers to incorporate clean energy improvements. In doing so, these owners and developers create jobs, reduce carbon emissions, and alleviate pressure from the grid, lowering energy costs for everyday consumers.

PACE financing mitigates the biggest barrier for retroactive energy initiatives: the cost to make the upgrades. There are limited mechanisms in Massachusetts for financing energy improvements such as energy-efficiency projects, renewables, and gas line extensions on commercial and industrial properties. Those opportunities shrink further when factoring in the devastation to our economy following the coronavirus global pandemic.

PACE enables owners to implement substantial energy upgrades by granting longer payback periods of up to 20 years. To participate, a property owner agrees to a betterment assessment and lien on their property, which in turn repays the financing.

Quarterly News of IBEW Local 103

Most importantly, PACE does not require any public funds, as the funding comes from commercial developers, private lenders, and financiers. It’s a win-win-win for businesses, workers, and taxpayers.

In 22 states plus Washington, D.C., legislators already enabled PACE for new construction projects, precisely because it is effective in encouraging green energy projects and the corresponding economic stimulus and workforce development that benefits local communities.

The timing could not be more urgent to create the job opportunities which would result from the new, green energy construction projects incentivized

by PACE financing. We applaud and thank the Massachusetts legislators who have been supportive of this expansion to benefit both workers and the environment, and we continue to work productively with both the Massachusetts House and the Massachusetts Senate to advocate for its passage.

COVID-19 has gutted workforces across this country, including here in Massachusetts, where our elected officials took great care to keep the community safe and slow the spread of the virus through robust public health efforts. The Bureau of Labor statistics reported this week that Massachusetts has the highest rate of unemployment in the country, at a whopping 17.4%.

The current Massachusetts unemployment rate tops the nation’s peak for the duration of the pandemic in April, when nearly 15% of the population filed for unemployment. (During the Great Recession, at its peak in October 2009, unemployment reached just 10%.)

In light of the economic difficulties we are facing as a state, the need to open additional sources of investment for our communities is paramount.

That need could be addressed, in part, by the PACE financing program, which helps to create construction jobs nationwide. Expanding PACE financing in Massachusetts to include new construction projects will exponentially increase the capacity in which the Commonwealth, and local families, can benefit from the program in the wake of COVID-19.

There are already new construction projects in the works that will benefit immediately from PACE program expansion, like a $27 million commercial office project on Charles Street in downtown Malden that will result in new jobs for local families and economic stimulus for the community.

Even as our attention is pulled to addressing the emergent needs we face in a post-COVID world, the stark reality of climate change has not disappeared, and sustainable building contributes to a better world for us all.

We must be doing everything we can to make a green future a top priority at the start of construction, not just in hindsight. Leveraging the PACE program will not only help lead our community into the clean energy future we need, but it will also help more urgently stabilize some of the job losses we face today by stimulating smart development, and creating more good union jobs in our communities.

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John A. Penney John A. Penney Scholarship recipients, Penney family, IBEW Local 103, NECA Greater Boston, and JATC

Scholarship

Congratulations to the first-ever recipients of the John A. Penney Scholarship: Glayce MirandaSena of J&M Brown Company, Yeymi Verde of J&M Brown Company, and Jordan Knott of Gaston Electric!

IBEW Local 103 is thrilled to partner with the Penney family and NECA Greater Boston electrical contractors to award the first annual John A. Penney Scholarship to these deserving first-year apprentices.

Scholarship recipient Yeymi Verde from Chelsea (center)

The recipients each received $1,000 from the scholarship in recognition of their determination and commitment to excellence in learning the electrical trade.

John A. Penney founded his own union electrical contracting business, the John A. Penney Company, Inc., in 1973. John’s family founded the scholarship after he passed away last year to carry on his legacy, and to give back to the union and Greater Boston community which were such a big part of John’s life.

The fund aims to further support access to education and job opportunities for new students at the Boston JATC, where students earn full pay and benefits while they learn the electrical or telecommunications trade.

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Scholarship recipient Glayce Miranda-Sena from Woburn (center)

Scholarship recipient Jordan Nott from Billerica (center) IBEW Local 103 Business Manager/Financial Secretary Lou Antonellis (left), and JATC Training Director Chris Sherlock (right)

Quarterly News of IBEW Local 103

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Lovette Jacobs, th 4 Year Apprentice IBEW Local 103

Boston resident and fourth year IBEW Local 103 electrical apprentice, Lovette Jacobs, has taken the union electrical construction industry by storm since she began her career and training at the Boston JATC in 2017.

Jacobs introduced Congressman Joe Kennedy at a speaking event at our IBEW Local 103 Union Hall, where Kennedy announced his new Jobs and Justice Initiative.

More recently, on October 9, Jacobs was the opening speaker of the IBEW’s virtual International Women’s Conference.

The IBEW hosts its International Women’s Conference annually to celebrate our union’s tradeswomen and their many critical contributions to the construction industry.

The conference brings together IBEW sisters from across the nation and beyond to network, share their experiences, and discuss areas for improvement in building a more equitable construction industry.

It is an impressive achievement for Lovette to be chosen to open the ceremonies, and IBEW Local 103 looks forward to cheering her on as she continues to advance her career in the electrical industry.

“When I first started in the electrical trade, I definitely experienced my share of uncertainty,” Jacobs said. “I was worried about whether or not I would fit in, or be accepted by a predominantly male work atmosphere. Fortunately, I put my best foot forward and didn’t allow that uncertainty to stop me.”

“It was an honor to address my fellow tradeswomen at the International Women’s Conference, and I look forward to continuing to participate in this incredible community for years to come!”

Congratulations, Lovette, on this well-deserved honor!

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COVID-19 Updates The coronavirus outbreak in the United States continues to worsen almost everywhere, including in Massachusetts.

While hospitalizations are considerably down from the height of the pandemic, it is critical that we remain diligent in our efforts to combat this virus.

In October, Massachusetts cautiously began the second part of Phase 3 of the state’s economic reopening plan, allowing lower-risk communities to reopen or expand access to establishments like performance venues, gyms and arcades, but a recent spike in coronavirus cases has put 63 communities, including Boston, at high risk, preventing them from entering Phase 3 of the reopening plan.

“It’s going to be like this until we have treatments and vaccines,” Gov. Charlie Baker said in his announcement about Phase 3, stressing that the final phase of the reopening plan will not begin until there is an effective treatment for the virus.

Safety on the job remains IBEW Local 103’s highest priority.

We thank you for doing your part thus far to keep everyone safe, and ask that you remain committed to the safety and hygiene practices put forth by our union, the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

All construction sites, workers and employers are obliged to adhere to these policies on the job at all times: • IBEW Local 103 and NECA Safety Memo: www.bit.ly/IBEWMemo • City of Boston Guidelines: www.bit.ly/BosGuidelines • Commonwealth of Massachusetts Guidelines: www.bit.ly/MassGuidelines

We encourage you to alert the COVID officer on your job site if conditions are not meeting the state’s guidelines for safe job site safety and hygiene, especially now that we’re going into normal cold and flu season.

We can make sure that our brothers and sisters, our families and our communities are kept safe, if we each do our part!

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Quarterly News of IBEW Local 103

O R G A N I Z I N G U P D AT E Welcome, Tecwits Network Construction Group!

Congratulations and welcome to IBEW Local 103’s newest signatory contractor, Tecwits!

Tecwits is a Boston-based telecommunication and network construction company. It provides clients with “concierge-style” custom technology solutions, including Consultation, Design, Project Management, Installation, Services, and Support.

Tecwits prides itself on its innovative solutions and ability to custom-fit its services to meet clients’ exact needs, making it a perfect addition to the IBEW Local 103 team.

Even through a pandemic, IBEW Local 103 never stops working to expand union benefits to as many electrical workers and contractors as possible in our region. We are very pleased to welcome Tecwits to our IBEW Local 103 family!

Tecwits founder Nick Buonapane (center), IBEW Local 103 Business Manager/Financial Secretary Lou Antonellis (right) and Business Agent/Organizer Kevin Monahan (left)

Welcome, Mass Signal Service, LLC!

Congratulations and welcome to IBEW Local 103’s newest signatory contractor, Mass Signal of Northborough!

Mass Signal is a Massachusetts DOT-approved electrical contractor. The company operates across Massachusetts and specializes in traffic signal and street lighting systems, as well as video detection systems, speed sensor detection, heavy electrical site work and more.

Justin Sheridan (center left) & Dave MacMillen (center right) of Mass Signal with IBEW Local 103 Business Manager/Financial Secretary Lou Antonellis (left) and Business Agent Dave O’Laughlin (right)

Mass Signal’s guiding principal is to complete all projects precisely and on schedule. Local 103 looks forward to continuing to provide industry-leading electrical work to cities and towns across the Commonwealth through this new partnership!

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PIPELINEPROJECTS

SUFFOLK DOWNS UPDATE • Developer: HYM Investment Group • General Contractor: John Moriarty & Associates

After a unanimous yes vote by the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) at the end of September, the Suffolk Downs neighborhood development is set to be reviewed next in front of the Zoning Commission.

The BPDA voted yes for the project to move forward after hearing from more than 100 people in a virtual community meeting. If the Zoning Board also votes favorably, construction near the Beachmont MBTA train station in Revere will be set to start early in the New Year.

The massive construction project will create 10,000 units of housing, including 13% affordable units, in a new minicity between Revere and East Boston. The developer, HYM Investment Group, has also pledged $5 million to fund affordable housing elsewhere in East Boston, and $400,000 to an emergency rental relief fund that will help Boston residents avoid eviction due to COVID-19.

The project will be built under a historic-in-scale Project Labor Agreement, guaranteeing union wages and benefits for workers.

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Quarterly News of IBEW Local 103

POLAR PARK: Home of the Woo Sox! The Boston Red Sox’s Triple-A, minor league affiliate, the Pawtucket Red Sox, has fostered the skills of MLB greats like Roger Clemens and Nomar Garciaparra since the team was founded in 1973.

Moving forward, the team – more commonly known as the “Paw Sox” due to the team’s Pawtucket, Rhode Island homebase – will go by a new name, the Woo Sox, in recognition of its new facility in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts.

IBEW Local 103 is proud to help build Polar Park, the new facility that will relocate the Red Sox’s Triple-A team here to the Commonwealth!

• Developer: Madison Downtown Holdings, LLC • General Contractor: Skanska USA Building • Electrical Subcontractor: Ostrow Electric • Electrical Project Value: $9 million Learn more about the project at www.PolarPark.com

IBEW Local 103 and Ostrow Electric teamed up with Worcester IBEW Local 96 in a strategic partnership to build Polar Park, which is scheduled to host its Opening Day on April 7, 2021. The park will have capacity to hold 10,000 guests, and the project will create 500 full-time and 2,000 part time jobs for local families.

Polar Park is located right off of Interstate 290 in the Canal District of Worcester. Phase One will create 225 market rate apartments, a 150-room hotel, a second boutique hotel consisting of approximately 100 to 110 rooms overlooking the ballpark, and 65,000 square feet of retail/restaurants by January 1, 2021. Phase Two will create 200,000 square feet of residential, office and/or mixed use development.

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. p n IBEW Local 103 Endorses rum e d t i b rs orke

on w i n u orts amilies p p u f s and

not

Joe Biden for President!

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uch m o s

With each passing day, the choice of who should be elected our nation’s next leader becomes more clear. That’s why IBEW Local 103 is strongly endorsing Joe Biden for President of the United States.

For workers concerned about providing for their families, protecting their jobs and right to organize, reviving our economy, and protecting our country from the coronavirus pandemic, Joe is the clear choice. That’s why labor groups across the board are endorsing his campaign.

Throughout his distinguished career, Joe has been a strong ally to labor and will be a champion for strengthening worker benefits, pay and retirement security, unlike Donald Trump.

While in office, Trump has been the most anti-worker President in our lifetime, through his tax plan, his anti-labor NLRB and OSHA administration, and his 2018 executive orders against federal employees. Joe Biden has promised to rescind those executive orders.

Please join us in electing Joe Biden as President of the United States of America! Vote Tuesday, November 3!

l a i c e ! sp t n e m e c n nou

an

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IBEW President Lonnie Stephenson

has been appointed to Vice President Joe Biden’s economic task force committee! IBEW Local 103 congratulates Lonnie and is thrilled to know that his critical insight and expertise will help yield strong results for working families in Biden’s economic policy initiatives.

Quarterly News of IBEW Local 103

n e d i b

. . . p m u r t

s

ker r o on w i n u orts amilies p p u f s and

•

Has a robust infrastructure plan focused on a massive transition to clean, electrical energy, guaranteeing good jobs for IBEW Local 103 members.

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Has a comprehensive plan to strengthen unions that includes checking the abuse of corporate power over labor and encouraging and incentivizing collective union bargaining.

•

Supports the PRO Act (Protecting the Rights to Organize Act).

•

•

•

•

not

ch! u m so

•

Has no infrastructure plan whatsoever after a full four years in office.

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Attacks and undermines skilled apprenticeship programs by promoting second-rate, IRAP training programs that hurt workers and lower industry standards.

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Supports the Butch Lewis Act, which IBEW endorses as the best proposal for saving failing pension funds without undermining healthy pension funds like IBEW Local 103's.

Stalls hiring at OSHA, thus weakening its ability to ensure the health and safety of workers, regulate the construction industry and hold bad players accountable.

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Strengthens OSHA by substantially enhancing its enforcement powers, and increasing capacity by hiring more staff.

Supports legislation (i.e. GROW Act, MPRRP) that will ruin healthy pension funds (like IBEW Local 103's) in favor of corporate profits.

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Strengthens the NLRB by appointing labor-friendly members and allowing them to fine any employer failing to bargain cooperatively.

Appoints anti-labor NLRB members, who make it more difficult for workers to organize for union membership and collective bargaining.

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Vows to ban right-to-work laws, which currently undermine working people in more than half of all U.S. states, and repeal the Taft-Hartley provisions that make them possible.

Wants to devastate union funding by making agency fees on non-union workers at unionized workplaces illegal.

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Endorsed by Associated Builders and Contractors, the national association representing nonunion construction contractors and advocating for minimal oversight and standards in the industry.

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Enables public sector employees to bargain for the better pay, benefits, and working conditions they deserve.

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Endorsed by the IBEW, the AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Government Employees, the National Treasury Employees Union, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, Civil Service Employees Association, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA), Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA), and more!

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IBEW LOCAL 103 POLITICAL ENDORSEMENTS Vote Tuesday, November 3 Jake Auchincloss U.S. House of Representatives, 4th Congressional District Terrence Kennedy Governor’s Council, 6th District Marjorie Decker State Representative, 25th Middlesex District Richard Haggerty State Representative, 30th Middlesex District Michael Kushmerek State Representative, 3rd Worcester District Nick Collins State Senator, 1st Suffolk District Rob Consalvo State Representative, 14th Suffolk District

Patrick O’Connor State Senator, Plymouth and Norfolk District Ron Mariano State Representative, 3rd Norfolk District James Murphy State Representative, 4th Norfolk District Mark Cusack State Representative, 5th Norfolk District Patrick Kearney State Representative, 4th Plymouth District Joe McGonagle State Representative, 28th Middlesex District

Jessica Giannino State Representative, 16th Suffolk District

Teresa English State Representative, 22nd Middlesex District Billerica

Kevin Honan State Representative, 17th Suffolk District

Joe Shea Norfolk County Commissioner

Michael Brady State Senator, 2nd Plymouth & Bristol District

Kevin Cavanaugh IBEW Member New Hampshire State Senator, District 16

Emmanuel Dockter State Representative, 5th Plymouth District

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Walter Timilty State Senator, Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth District

Steven Katsos IBEW Member New Hampshire State Representative, Hillsborough 37

Quarterly News of IBEW Local 103

COMMUNITY

Give Back for the Holidays The holidays are all about giving back, and there’s no better way to do so than to help out friends and neighbors in your own community! IBEW Local 103 asks our members to give what you can to the following charity initiatives.

Please contact the Union Hall at 617-437-3710 with any questions.

Mayor Walsh’s 7th Annual Toy Drive

Women’s Committee Hat, Scarf and Glove Drive

Mayor Walsh’s office is collecting new, unwrapped holiday toys for low-income City of Boston families, who might otherwise be stressed and financially burdened under the pressure to give their kids a memorable holiday. Last year, IBEW Local 103 collected and donated two truckloads of new, unwrapped toys, and this year we’re looking to top it!

Our very own IBEW Local 103 Women’s Committee is running their annual charity drive for local, lowincome families, collecting hats, scarves, gloves, and other cold-climate gear.

We are collecting NEW garments only, for both adults and children. Please do not donate used items.

Drop off donations for both charity drives at the Union Hall by Friday, December 11.

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Drive-in Movie Night When the going gets tough, IBEW Local 103 gets creative! Our Union Hall hosted our first-ever Drivein Family Movie Night in our parking lot, screening the classic film, The Goonies, for members and loved ones.

In The Goonies, a band of children from the ‘Goon Docks’ neighborhood in Astoria, Oregon, uncover an old treasure map that promises to lead them to the long-lost pirate’s booty of One-Eyed Willy. The kids need the hidden treasure to save their homes from a developer’s plan to build a golf course.

It was a great night to join together while safely adhering to social distancing measures. IBEW Local 103 was happy to have a packed lot, as families gathered to enjoy the movie, and of course, some movie snacks! Thanks to everyone who joined!

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Quarterly News of IBEW Local 103

Officer Mike Chesna Residence

Whether we’re powering Billerica’s holiday light display or the Lawrence Boys and Girls Club, IBEW Local 103 is proud to step up and do the right thing for our communities.

This year marks two years since Weymouth police officer Mike Chesna was killed while on duty. He was a husband and a father to two children, as well as a respected public servant and community figure. When a friend of Officer Chesna’s family reached out and expressed that the Chesna residence needed some electrical work done, we didn’t hesitate to answer the call.

IBEW Local 103 member Jay Dondero of Dagle Electric

IBEW Local 103 Business Agent Brad Vinton, member Jay Dondero, and Dagle Electric’s Tony Akoury just wrapped up electrical upgrades to the Chesna residence in Hanover, a town prone to power outages.

Upgrades included a new, 100 amp, 20 circuit electrical panel, as well as a new generator and gas line.

The Pipefitters Local 537 are also providing a new boiler for the Chesna family.

Officer Mike Chesna, 1976-2018

Old electrical panel

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J AT C U P D AT E

YEAR OF THE TRADESWOMAN IBEW Local 103 and the JATC Recognized for Reaching Goal

APPRENTICES RETURN TO SCHOOL With Strict COVID-19 Safety Protocols

The JATC’s apprenticeship classes resumed in mid-September. Strict COVID-19 related safety protocols have been put in place to keep everyone safe. In addition to mandatory COVID-19 symptom questionnaires and masks, class sizes have been reduced by 50%, temperatures are taken at the door, and all surfaces are disinfected at regular intervals with an electrostatic sprayer.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought all in person classes to a stop in March 2020. To finish out the school year, the JATC relied on virtual learning concepts that had already been integrated into the curriculum prior to the health crisis. The trend toward computermediated learning allows for more handson, in-person training while at the JATC as opposed to all lecture-based training.

Years 1-3 of the apprenticeship are “core curriculum” and are conducted in-person.

Years 4-5 will rely heavily on virtual training this year. First semester classes consist of mostly shop classes, while academic classes will begin during the second semester.

This hybrid model of training has been successful thus far and is scheduled to remain in place for the 2020-2021 school year.

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Building Pathways set a goal for apprenticeship programs in Greater Boston to achieve 20% women apprentices or to increase their percentage of women apprentices by 20%. IBEW Local 103’s JATC is one of five union trades being honored for reaching that goal!

There will be a live awards ceremony held on the Building Pathways Facebook page on Thursday, November 19, from 5:30-7:30 pm.

CODE UPDATE & CONTINUING EDUCATION Due to the ongoing public health crisis all code update classes are postponed until further notice.

Please visit bostonjatc.com/code-update-courses/ for a listing of Online Code Update providers, the 2020 Mass Amendments, 237 Commonwealth of Mass Regulations, Mass General Laws, Chapter 141, State licensing requirements and more.

Please check the JATC website on the first of the year for additional information about code update and other online course offerings.

2020 JATC Applications Due to the ongoing public health crisis, the JATC Trustees have determined that they will not be accepting new applications in 2020. Those who applied during the 2019-2020 application process and qualified for an interview have been notified that their interview will be delayed until Spring of 2021. The Trustees hope to re-open applications in November 2021.

Quarterly News of IBEW Local 103

T R U S T F U N D S U P D AT E • In order for any medical treatment, including COVID-19 testing, to be covered under our Health Plan, it must be ordered by a physician.

• The annual Medicare Part D Form and Notification has been mailed to all Health Plan Participants and/or dependents who will, or could potentially, become eligible for Medicare between now and November 30, 2021. If you received one of these blue forms, and have not yet completed it, please complete and return to the Trust Funds Office.

• The Health Plan will be sending out the semiannual re-enrollment (yellow) forms in the next few weeks. Please be sure to complete and return these as soon as possible once received.

• Flex Hours under the Health Plan were further expanded over the summer. Eligible Participants can access up to 600 Flex Hours during 2020.

• Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from the Deferred Income Plan are suspended for 2020 as a result of the CARES Act. • The Deferred Income Plan will be valued again at November 30, 2020. This will be a six-month valuation covering the period from May 31, 2020 to November 30, 2020.

• The Pension Plan multiplier will increase to $123 effective November 1, 2020.

In Memoriam

IBEW Local 103 honors those members who have recently entered into Eternal Rest: Parker M. Willard (Retired)................................................................................................................. 2/15/20 Walter J. Walsh, Jr. (Retired)............................................................................................................... 4/8/20 Michael S. Laisure............................................................................................................................... 4/21/20 Christopher M. Sullivan....................................................................................................................... 6/30/20 Francis M. McKinnon (Retired).......................................................................................................... 7/5/20 Daniel W. O’Donnell (Retired)............................................................................................................ 7/7/20 Po Tsoi (Retired).................................................................................................................................. 7/14/20 Manuel Burgo, Jr.................................................................................................................................. 7/17/20 Edward E. Labarre (Retired)................................................................................................................ 7/20/20 John G. Missett (Retired)..................................................................................................................... 7/27/20 Paul J. O’Brien (Retired)..................................................................................................................... 7/29/20 Lewis C. Schena, Jr. (Retired)............................................................................................................. 8/1/20 Peter S. Horrigan (Retired).................................................................................................................. 8/2/20 Paul Greenstein (Retired)..................................................................................................................... 8/14/20 William C. Devoe (Retired)................................................................................................................. 8/18/20 Alan K. Thompson (Retired)............................................................................................................... 8/26/20 David O. Mahn (Retired)..................................................................................................................... 9/2/20 Patrick J. Mannion (Retired)................................................................................................................ 9/4/20 Anthony J. Ferzoco, Jr. (Retired)......................................................................................................... 9/6/20 Richard J. Stimpson (Retired).............................................................................................................. 9/9/20 Dana R. McKenzie (Retired)............................................................................................................... 9/13/20 Robert E. Brown (Retired)................................................................................................................... 9/16/20 Chester A. Enbinder (Retired).............................................................................................................. 9/18/20 Anthony M. Cochrane (Retired).......................................................................................................... 9/18/20 James M. Straticos............................................................................................................................... 9/21/20 Craig A. Greene................................................................................................................................... 9/23/20 John J. Dineen (Retired)...................................................................................................................... 9/30/20 John P. Bergholm (Retired).................................................................................................................. 10/1/20 William R. Burt, Jr. (Retired)............................................................................................................... 10/7/2020 John J. Wheeler (Retired).................................................................................................................... 10/11/20 1 0 3 To d a y | F a l l 2 0 2 0 John B. Serafini (Retired)....................................................................................................................

10/13/2020

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Lou Antonellis Business Manager/Financial Secretary 256 Freeport Street Dorchester, MA 02122

2020: Year of the Tradeswoman We did it! The Building Pathways Pre-Apprenticeship Program set a goal for apprenticeship programs in Greater Boston to achieve 20% women apprentices or to increase their percentage of women apprentices by 20%.

IBEW Local 103’s JATC is one of five union trades being honored for reaching that goal!

There will be a live awards ceremony held on the Building Pathways Facebook page on Thursday, November 19 from 5:30-7:30 pm.

IBEW Local 103 celebrates our tradeswomen each day, and looks forward to welcoming more women into the union electrical industry in the years and decades to come.

@IBEW103