Business Manager’s Report

Business Manager / Financial Secretary IBEW Local 103

Dear Member,

I have been amazed and overwhelmed by the outpouring of compassion that IBEW Local 103 members continue to show – both to one another, and to our front-line caregivers – through the COVID-19 pandemic.

We have stepped up, adhered to the guidelines laid out by medical experts and supported our frontline first responders with donations and supplies. We are constantly checking in on the wellness of one another through extremely difficult circumstances.

For this reason and many others, I am prouder than ever to serve as Business Manager/Financial

Secretary of IBEW Local 103. Our members exemplify the meaning of community, and I know that we will come back from this setback, stronger than ever.

There is no doubt that COVID-19 has turned the world upside down. The construction Industry in Boston is feeling the brunt of this crisis, both medically and financially. IBEW Local 103’s top priority, as it has always been, is the safety and security of our members and their families, both on the job and off.

Over the last several years we have positioned Local 103 to withstand this catastrophic economic downturn that we’re dealing with in the immediate aftermath of the Coronavirus outbreak. I want you to rest assured that Local 103 is poised to come back from this historic crisis, stronger and faster than ever.

Our Local 103 Health Benefit Plan has built strategic reserves over the years that will allow us to withstand the Covid-19 storm, and on March 16, we expanded coverage (page 5) to ensure that members can maintain access to quality healthcare, despite widespread work stoppages. We also introduced ‘WellConnect’, a new video web service by BC/BS that allows members to speak to doctors via video conferencing, in the safety and comfort of their homes. And let me be absolutely clear, no member of Local 103 will lose health coverage due to this pandemic and economic crisis.

Local 103’s building is temporary closed, but we remain fully operational and available to members. We have full-time staff personnel helping members navigate the sometimes-complicated unemployment system. We are looking after and taking care of our members. We have even opened a grocery, prescription and catered meal program to keep vulnerable retirees from risky public interaction (page 12).

We have won a historic amount of work (page 13) over the past few years, and we look forward to getting back on those projects safely, when the all-clear is given. Although we don’t know when exactly that will be, we are working with general contractors, state and local officials, our NECA partners and our valued customers to make sure that new Return to Work Guidelines are implemented (page 9).

In the meantime, IBEW Local 103 asks that you do your part to curb the spread of the virus by closely following the advice of medical experts. Please stay home if you’re sick, wash your hands regularly and practice social distancing.

Fraternally,