BUSINESS MANAGER’ S
REPORT
From Lou Antonellis Business Manager / Financial Secretary IBEW Local 103
Brothers and Sisters, I hope 2022 is off to a great start for you and your loved ones. We here in New England know these winter months to be the coldest, darkest, and what sometimes feels like the longest part of the year, and the insurgence of the Omicron COVID-19 variant certainly added an unwelcome twist, but there are many reasons to feel positive about 2021 and the year ahead in 2022. We're coming out of another season of giving where the generosity of IBEW Local 103 members really shined. We recently worked with our NECA partners to donate a van filled with new electrical equipment and supplies to Madison Park Technical Vocational High School (page 16) in Roxbury, where students are laying the ground work for a bright future in the electrical industry. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Local 103 volunteers stepped up to the plate in a Day of Service (page 15), cleaning and stocking eight community refrigerators across the City of Boston. Our members recognize how important it is for us to give back to the cities that give us so much, and I couldn't be more proud. Looking ahead, IBEW Local 103 is thrilled to officially endorse one of our most dedicated allies — and one of the most staunch advocates for working people's justice nationwide — Attorney General Maura Healey, for Governor of Massachusetts (page 5). We know that Maura will take the same grit and fortitude she has shown throughout her eight years as Attorney General of Massachusetts, and bring her fight for justice all the way to the State House.
us to once again end the year by giving our retirees a well-deserved 13th pension check. We have three years of reserves in our health benefit plan and we're approaching 12 years without an increase in hourly contribution rate, the longest in the history of the fund. We also find hope in the science which shows us that although very contagious, the Omicron variant has symptoms that are typically far less severe than other strains, perhaps signifying that COVID's grip on the world is weakening. Still, to keep our communities safe and to avoid another shutdown, we must continue to adopt safe COVID practices at work and at home. Use extreme caution in crowds, mask up when necessary and get vaccinated if you're able to. Our mission remains the same: to serve our community, to support our families and to continue building and sharpening our brand as the premier option for electrical services in Greater Boston. Fraternally,
Louis J. Antonellis Business Manager/Financial Secretary
Our pension, health and deferred income funds are bigger, stronger and healthier than ever, allowing
103
TODAY
|
WINTER
2022
3
