Memoriam Page 3
24 graduate from Missouri Works Initiative’s pre-apprentice programs Page 4
Plumbers & Pipefitters
562, Insulators 1 soccer match raises over $14K for Make-A-Wish Missouri & Kansas Page 7
IBEW Local 1439 celebrates 80th Anniversary Page 9
Outdoor Guide Page 12-16
By TIM ROWDEN Editor-in-Chief
St. Louis – Kaldi’s workers citing poor work conditions and low pay rallied Nov. 5 outside the coffee company’s headquarters on Gratiot Street to announce their organizing effort with UNITE HERE Local 74 and demand the company recognize their union.
The rally attracted a group of well over 100, including Kaldi’s workers from eight Kaldi’s locations, lowwage workers from across the city, local elected officials, community,
faith and Labor leaders, including representatives from Starbucks Workers United, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655, the American Postal Workers Union and the United Media Guild, among others.
With a supermajority of workers at Kaldi’s Skinker Boulevard location signed on to union cards with Local 74, workers are calling on owner Tricia Zimmer to come to the bargaining table and respect workers’ rights to organize at all
St. Louis – U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has sent a letter to Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg urging the company to “negotiate in good faith” and “quickly reach an agreement that the IAM 837 machinists can afford to accept,” continuing growing bipartisan pressure on Boeing to end its strike in St. Louis.
Nearly 3,200 IAM District 837 members have been on strike for more than three months – 15 weeks without a paycheck or health care. Boeing has refused to offer a fair contract that reflects the value of the highly skilled workforce building America’s most advanced military aircraft.
‘DO
“These workers help produce our nation’s most crucial, most advanced, and most expensive defense tools,” Hawley wrote. “And since your company receives billions in government contracts, it is incumbent upon you to do the right thing.”
In his letter, Hawley cited the testimony of IAM District 837 member Joshua Arnold — an Army veteran and longtime Boeing Defense shop steward — who told a Senate committee last month that he and his coworkers have been without pay or health care for months because of Boeing’s refusal to offer a fair
‘No more chump change’
Clayton, MO – Belinda Hutcherson brought a bag of coins to the rally Nov. 6 outside the Pierre Laclede Center on Forsythe Boulevard where she cleans offices for 4M Building Solutions.
The change was to show what 4M and other cleaning companies are offering essential janitors in the latest contract offer from the Contract Cleaners Association.
“We need more money and no more chump change,” she said.
Some 1,600 St. Louis area janitors represented by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1 who are approach -
ing a Nov. 15 vote on a contract offer from the Cleaners Association. The association includes about 11 contractors, including 4M, who bargain collectively.
The union’s bargaining committee is recommending janitors reject the three-year offer.
“We’ve been in bargaining with the contractors for about two months now, and they came back with a settlement offer that is not fair to our workers,” said Mia King, an internal coordinator
for Local 1.
“There is no way that workers should be at entry level pay after working for 18 years. And that’s what we have with these contractors,” King said.
“They are making plenty of money off the clients, people like the Pierre Laclede Center, but are they sharing that wealth with the people that are making that money for them? No. They’re doing everything they can to keep wages low and benefits unattainable.”
The Missouri minimum wage
is set increase from $13.75 per hour to $15 per hour on Jan. 1, 2026. The Contract Cleaners Association’s proposal for the new contract with Local 1 members is a minimum base pay of $15.45 per hour. Workers with several years of service are being offered only a 60-cents-per-hour raise, Local 1 said.
King said the Cleaners Association is not willing to pay for the dental benefits Local 1 union members want and has offered to increase its contribution to the pension plan only seven cents –from 28 cents per hour to 35 cents
Wealth concentration affects your life, whether you realize it or not
By CHUCK COLLINS Inequality.org
As a co-editor of Inequality.org, I get a lot of fan mail (and a few complaints). Greg B. recently wrote in, “None of my problems exist as a result of someone else being a billionaire.”
My response to Greg: “An economy rigged to funnel so much wealth and power to the billionaire class is bad for you and everyone else. It undermines your life in some major ways.”
I wrote my new book, Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power are Ruining Our Lives and Planet, for folks like Greg to talk about how extreme wealth inequality disrupts our daily lives. Here are ten ways you are being burned by billionaires, pulled from my book.
My analysis doesn’t focus on the behavior of individual billionaires — though some are gnarly ones (while a handful show signs of decency). The problem is the system of laws, rules and regulations tipped in favor of big asset owners at the expense of wage earners and working folks.
When I’m talking about billionaires, I’m thinking of more people than the 905 U.S. billionaires that together control about $7.8 trillion in wealth. I include the top one-tenth of oen percent, the 0.1 percent of households that have over $40 million on up to the billionaire class. People with wealth north of $40 or $50 million have every need and desire met and easily accumulate power. They’re not just buying mansions and private jets but also lawmakers and media outlets. That’s when we need to sound the alarm about “the billionaires.”
Here are ten of the ways you are personally getting burned by billionaires:
1.The billionaires stick you with their tax bill. By opting out of their tax obligations, the billionaire class is shifting responsibility on to you to pay for everything from infrastructure to national defense to veterans services.
2.They rob you of your voice and vote. With the billionaire capture of the government, what you think barely matters. Your vote might still make a difference, but only in marginal situations where the billionaires haven’t dominated candidate selection, campaign finance, and policy priorities. The billionaires love gridlock and government shutdowns because they can block popular legislation from happening.
3. The billionaires supercharge the housing crisis — and profit from it. Billionaire demand for luxury housing is driving up the cost of land and housing construction, supercharging the already existing housing crisis. Billionaire speculators are buying up rental housing, single family homes, and mobile home parks to squeeze more money out of the housing shortage. Global billionaires are coming to “tax haven USA” to park their money in U.S. farmland, timber and housing.
4.They inflame existing divisions in society. The billionaires don’t want you to understand how they are picking your pocket. So, they invest heavily — pouring millions into
partisan media organizations and divisive politicians — to deflect our attention away from their harmful behavior. Their divisive policy and social agenda drives down wages, worsens the historic racial wealth divide, and scapegoats immigrants.
5. They are trashing your environment. The billionaires are the super polluters and carbon emitters, burning up the earth with their excessive consumption through yachts, private jets, and multiple mansions. While you’re recycling and walking, they are zooming around in private jets and yachts with the carbon emissions and pollution of small nation states. While we all need to do our part, the billionaires make us feel like chumps for making ecological choices and sacrifices.
6. They are making you sick. Billionaire backed private-equity funds are buying up hospitals and health specialties — along with big pharma drug companies — with the aim of squeezing more out of health care consumers. Health outcomes in societies with extreme disparities in wealth are worse for everyone, even the rich, than societies with less inequality.
7. They are blocking timely action on climate change. Fossil fuel billionaires spend millions to block the transition to a healthy future. They fund politicians to declare a bogus energy emergency to keep their coal plants open and shut down competing wind projects. They are literally running out the clock for our governments to take action to avert the worst impacts of climate disruption.
8. They are coming for your pets. Billionaire private equity funds know we love our pets like family members and are sometimes willing to go into debt for their health care. To squeeze more money out of us, the billionaires are buying up veterinary care, medical specialties, pet food and supply – and even pet care services like Rover.com.
9. They are dictating what’s on your dinner plate. The food barons — the billionaires that monopolize almost every sector of the food economy — are dictating the price, ingredients, and supply of most food stuffs.
10. They are corrupting charity and philanthropy. Billionaire philanthropy has become a taxpayer subsidized form of private power and influence. As philanthropy gets more top-heavy — with most charity dollars flowing from the ultra-wealthy — it distorts and warps the independence of the nonprofit sector.
11. Bonus: They are buying up and hijacking the media. The billionaires are buying up the media: broadcast, social media, news outlets. We need more news and social media outlets that are independent of billionaires.
(Chuck Collins is a researcher, campaigner and storyteller based at the Institute for Policy Studies, where he directs the Program on Inequality and the Common Good and coedits, Inequality.org. He is the author of ten books about the impact of inequality on our lives, including The Wealth Hoarders: How Billionaires Pay Millions to Hide Trillions, Born on Third Base, and (with Bill Gates Sr.) Wealth and Our Commonwealth. To get a copy of his book Burned by Billionairs, visit your local independent bookstore or visit www. burnedbybillionaires.com.)
Under the government shutdown, NLRB cases are on hold, future of the agency remains uncertain
By MARGARET POYDOCK and CELINE MCNICHOLAS Economic Policy Institute (EPI)
As the government shutdown continues, nearly a quarter of the federal workforce is furloughed. That means that more than 600,000 workers are not performing important federal service jobs – and are not receiving a paycheck.
Still, while some federal agencies are working in limited capacity, many worker protection agencies have ceased the enforcement of our nation’s Labor laws. For example, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has ceased almost all case handling, including conducting routine union elections and investigating Unfair Labor Practice charges. This means workers’ ability to exercise their right to form unions or hold their employers accountable for violating the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) are on hold indefinitely until the government reopens. However, even after the government reopens, workers’ rights will still be under attack due to pre-shutdown actions of the Trump administration.
The NLRB is the sole agency responsible for interpreting and enforcing the NLRA for more than 100 million private-sector workers. However, Trump has attacked the agency’s independence, illegally firing Board member Gwynne Wilcox because he did not like her decisions “disfavoring the interests of employers.” Further, Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 14215 giving himself and the attorney general the authority to issue interpretations of the law that place independent agencies like the NLRB under their control. Congress designed the board to function as an independent quasi-judicial agency, with board members deciding cases based on the law and evidence. The NLRB’s independence is essential and supported by its legislative history and decades of jurisprudence.
Currently, the board has only one remaining member. Trump nominated Scott Mayer, the chief Labor counsel at Boeing, and James Murphy, a longtime NLRB lawyer, to be members of the board. If confirmed, they would establish a Republican majority at the board, but their confirmation would do nothing to address the threat to the agency’s independence.
At a recent hearing on their nominations, they stated that, as Board members, they would “follow the law” but failed to acknowledge that Trump’s EO 14215 essen-
tially equates Trump’s position to “the law.” Further, after Scott Mayer faced hard-hitting questioning by Senator Josh Hawley during his nomination hearing and was subsequently dropped from a committee vote, the prospects of a quorum at the NLRB continue to be uncertain.
Even once the government shutdown concludes and regional offices resume case handling, the absence of a quorum and concerns around the agency’s lack of independence will create obstacles for workers who are trying to exercise their rights under the NLRA. By firing Wilcox for “disfavoring the interests of employers,” Trump has created the expectation that future board members are expected to side with employers over workers, effectively destroying the agency’s independence and robbing private-sector workers of the only forum available to them to protect their organizing and collective bargaining rights. Despite claiming to be pro-worker, President Trump has consistently put forward policies that benefit employers over workers. If the Trump administration really cared about workers, they would sufficiently fund worker protection agencies. Instead, they have proposed decreasing the budgets of these agencies.
If the Trump administration really cared about workers, they would propose regulations that strengthen and expand worker protections. Instead, they have put forward a deregulatory agenda that make workers less safe and more vulnerable to wage theft and pursued an anti-immigration and antiequity agenda that will make all workers more vulnerable to labor exploitation. If the Trump administration really cared about workers, they would pass Labor law reform that would ensure all workers would have the right to organize and bargain collectively. Instead, President Trump has stripped federal workers of their collective bargaining rights and Congress has failed to pass meaningful Labor law reform. It is now up to Congress to defend the independence of the NLRB and to protect workers’ rights.
(Margaret Poydock is a senior policy analyst for EPI. She works on issues of unions, Labor standards, and strikes. She also helps manage EPI’s legislative and policy initiatives to build a more just economy. Celine McNicholas is the director of policy and government affairs/general counsel at the Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank that uses the power of its research on economic trends and the impact of economic policies to advance reforms that serve working people, deliver racial justice, and guarantee gender equity.)
Three ways to give: Mail: Check/money order payable to “$5 for the Fight.” Mail to: $5 for the Fight, c/o St. Louis Labor Council, 3301 Hollenberg Drive, Bridgeton, MO 63044; Please include union affiliation. On line: labortribune.com, click “$5 for the Fight.” Reoccurring credit card donation: labortribune.com, “$5 for the Fight.” Select “Automatic monthly deduction,” amount and number of months donation. NOTE: Credit card billing statement will read “505 Publications.”
Nov. 20 – Missouri Women in Trades (MOWIT) Meetup for tradeswomen and women interested in joining the building trades, 4 to 6 p.m. at the AGC Training Center, 6301 Knox Industrial Ave. in St. Louis. RSVPs are required and food will be provided. Register at mowit.org or call 636-926-6948.
Nov. 20 – St. Louis Faith Labor Alliance Breakfast, hosted by Missouri Jobs with Justice (MOJWJ), will be held at the Painters District Council 58 union hall at 2501 59th St. in St. Louis from 7:30 to 9 a.m. For more information, contact The Rev. Teresa Danieley, of MOJWJ, at teresa@mojwj.org or call her at 314-503-7415. To register, visit mojwj.org/action/ join-a-st-louis-faith-labor-alliancebreakfast
Nov. 22 – UAW Local 2250
Christmas Pop-up Shop will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Local 2250 union hall at 1395 East Pearce Blvd. Vendors are $40 per spot, and food trucks are $50 per spot. Reserve your space by Nov. 7, and payment is due by Nov. 14. To reserve your spot or for more information, call Walter James at 314-330-3705.
Dec. 1 – St. Louis Blues Trades Night – Watch the St. Louis Blues take on the Anaheim Ducks at the Enterprise Center and attend an exclusive pregame panel about careers in the trades industry with your theme ticket purchase. Hear from industry professionals from Enterprise Center and ArchKey Solutions about opportunities available when choosing a career in the trades. The event will include appearances by Blues alumni Barret Jackman and Louie, and all attendees will receive that night’s t-shirt. To purchase tickets, visit stlouisblues. com/promotions
Dec. 6 – Visit with Santa will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Plumbers & Pipefitters Training Center at 3640 Corporate Trail Drive in Earth City. For more information, call the union hall at 314-355-1000.
Dec. 11 – St. Louis and St. Charles End of Year Celebration, hosted by Missouri Jobs with Justice (JwJ) will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Painters District Council 58 union hall at 2501 59th St. in St. Louis. Join JwJ to eat, drink and be merry while celebrating all the hard work the organization has accomplished this year. RSVP at https://shorturl.at/z1ufS
Dec. 13 – Donuts with Santa, sponsored by the IBEW Local 1 Women’s Committee will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Local 1 union hall at 5850 Elizabeth Ave. in St. Louis. In addition to Santa, the event will feature breakfast and crafts and games for the kids. The committee also will be collecting shelter items and cash donations for Haven of Grace.
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Elmer J. Hoeferlin, a treasured husband, father, grandfather, and brother, passed away peacefully on Oct. 24, 2025, in O’Fallon, Mo., at the age of 93. Born in St. Louis, Mo., on March 10, 1932, Brother Hoeferlin was a devoted family man and a passionate auto radio repairman whose love for tinkering extended far beyond his profession. He spent many fulfilling years working for Oldsmobile and Cadillac in Machinists District 9’s automotive division perfecting his craft and nurturing his enthusiasm for all things.
Brother Hoeferlin was a graduate of Riverview High School and later enrolled in military radio school with radio being the field where he would excel in professionally for most of his life. His remarkable life included an honorable service in the United States Army during the Korean War, where he worked
in communications. His commitment to service and integrity were qualities that shaped not only his career but also his character and the way he interacted with everyone around him.
A man of many interests, he was an avid fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and Blues, forever cheering for his teams with unmatched fervor. He delighted in sports and also enjoyed following the Kansas City Chiefs.
Whether it was a day spent outdoors by the lake, boating with family, or simply enjoying the camaraderie of those around him, Elmer’s zest for life was always evident. Yet, above all, it was the moments he shared with his beloved family and friends that brought him the greatest joy. He leaves behind his devoted wife,
Charlotte Hoeferlin; his children: Todd (Cheryl) Hoeferlin, Tracy (Jeff) Galiley, and Tim (Melanie) Hoeferlin; and his cherished grandchildren: Jason (Abby) Wall, Jaime (Matt) Johnstone, Miranda (Turner) Smith, Todd (Christy) Hoeferlin, Tyler (Alex) Hoeferlin, and Megan (Shane) Hoeferlin, along with his beloved great-grandchildren: McKenna, Lois, Brayden, Tanner, Jay, Banks, and Cruz. He is also survived by his brother, Jim Hoeferlin, who, together with Elmer, carried forward the legacy of their family.
Brother Hoeferlin was preceded in death by his parents, Elmer and Helen Hoeferlin, as well as his siblings: Raymond Hoeferlin, Geri Pirrie-Toeller, Doloris Dietiker, and Robert Hoeferlin. Their memories
live on within the hearts of those he leaves behind.
A visitation was held on Oct. 30, 2025 at Newcomer Funeral Home in St. Peters, Mo., followed by a funeral service.
As we honor the life of Elmer J. Hoeferlin, we remember him for his unwavering love, patience, dedication, and the warmth he brought to all who knew him. His spirit will forever remain in the stories we tell and the love we share, a testament to a life well-lived and a heart that truly cherished every moment. Memorial contributions in Elmer’s name may be made to the American Heart Association or the American Lung Association.
Send it to Sheri Gassaway at Labor Tribune, 301 S. Ewing Ave., St. Louis, MO 63101 or email sheri@labortribune.com
St. Louis – Twenty-four students graduated from the Missouri Works Initiative’s (MWI) Apprentice Ready in Construction (ARC) and Apprentice Ready in Manufacturing (ARM) programs in a dual ceremony on Nov. 1 at Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 union hall.
The programs, supported by the Missouri AFL-CIO, are designed to address critical workforce shortages in the general supply chain, aerospace, manufacturing, transportation and construction sectors. It focuses on bridging the gap between underrepresented, underemployed and unemployed individuals and high-paying union jobs by providing resources, support and access to opportunities to build sustainable careers.
‘A CAREER YOU CAN BE PROUD OF’
“You guys are about to embark on a very exciting time,” said Jake Hummel, Missouri AFL-CIO president. “I know that you’ve put in a lot of work and effort to get
here. You are about to enter some of the unionized construction and manufacturing trades and that means good wages, good benefits, retirement at the end of the day and a career you can be proud of.”
Both programs provide potential pre-apprentices with the opportunity to visit participating local building and manufacturing trade unions to give them handson basic training and a feel for each of the trades. In addition to hands-on learning, students receive:
• Career and life skills training.
• Supportive services.
• Transportation assistance.
• Mentoring from trade professionals.
• A weekly stipend.
• Work gear (safety glasses, hard hat, high visibility shirts, pants, boots).
• Trade placement advising.
‘TAUGHT ME A LOT’
ARC graduate Sophia Mullen said she enjoyed her time in the program and thanked all the staff and instructors.
“This program taught me a lot – not just about tools and trades –but about confidence and direction and what it means to be part of a real team,” Mullen said. “It gave me a better idea of what I want to do moving on.”
ARM graduate Willie Lee Dennis said the program teaches you how to stay focused and work hard and had these parting words.
“As we move forward, remember this; don’t wait for the opportunity,” Dennis said. “Do it, create it and earn it, because we’ve already proven that when we put in work, the results follow. I’m proud of this class, and I’m proud of what we’ve built, and I know this is just the start of something bigger.”
For more information on the Missouri Works Initiative’s ARC and ARM programs, visit moworksinitiative.org/
1933 – Sit-down strike begins at Austin, Minn., Hormel plant with the help of a Wobbly organizer, leading to the creation of the Independent Union of All Workers. Labor historians believe this may have been the first sit-down strike of the 1930s.
1975 – The ship Edmund Fitzgerald — the biggest carrier on the Great Lakes — and crew of 29 are lost in a storm on Lake Superior while carrying ore from Superior, Wis., to Detroit. The cause of the sinking was never established.
1988 – Tile, Marble, Terrazzo Finishers, Shop Workers & Granite Cutters Int’l Union merges into United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners.
NOVEMBER 11
1887 – Haymarket martyrs hanged, convicted in the bombing deaths of eight police during a Chicago Labor rally.
1919 – A confrontation between American Legionnaires and Wobblies during an Armistice Day Parade in Centralia, Wash., results in six deaths. One Wobbly reportedly was beaten, his teeth bashed
in with a rifle butt, castrated and hanged: local officials listed his death as a suicide.
1940 – A total of 57 crewmen on three freighters die over a threeday period when their ships sink during a huge storm over Lake Michigan.
NOVEMBER 12
1954 – Ellis Island in New York closes after serving as the gateway for 12 million immigrants from 1892 to 1924. From 1924 to 1954 it was mostly used as a detention and deportation center for undocumented immigrants.
1966 – “Chainsaw Al” Dunlap announces he is restructuring the Sunbeam Corp. and lays off 6,000 workers—half the workforce. Sunbeam later nearly collapsed after a series of scandals under Dunlap’s leadership that cost investors billions of dollars.
NOVEMBER 13
1909 – A total of 259 miners died in the underground Cherry Mine fire. As a result of the disaster, Illinois established stricter safety regulations and in 1911, the basis for the state’s Workers Compensation Act was passed.
1914 – A Western Federation of Miners strike is crushed by the militia in Butte, Mont.
1927 – The Holland Tunnel opens, running under the Hudson River for 1.6 miles and connecting the island of Manhattan in New York City with Jersey City, N.J. Thirteen workers died over its seven-year-long construction.
1945 – GM workers’ post-war strike for higher wages closes 96 plants.
NOVEMBER 14
1903 – Women’s Trade Union League founded, Boston.
1934 – The American Railway Supervisors Association is formed at Harmony Hall in Chicago by 29 supervisors working for the Chicago & North Western Railway. They organized after realizing that those railroaders working under their supervision already had the benefits of unionization and were paid more for working fewer hours.
1938 – The National Federation of Telephone Workers — later to become the Communications Workers of America — is founded in New Orleans.
1978 – Jimmy Carter-era OSHA publishes standard reducing permissible exposure of lead, protecting 835,000 workers from damage to nervous, urinary and reproductive systems.
1979 – Federation of Professional Athletes granted a charter by the AFL-CIO.
NOVEMBER 15
1881 – Founding convention of the Federation of Trades and Labor Unions is held in Pittsburgh. It urges enactment of employer liability, compulsory education, uniform apprenticeship and child and convict labor laws. Five years later, it changes its name to the American Federation of Labor.
Washington (Satire from The Borowitz Report) — Stating, “I can see where this is going,” Donald J. Trump fled to Argentina following last week’s election results, vowing never to return.
Speaking bitterly to reporters as he departed the White House, Trump said, “You take away people’s food, throw yourself a Great Gatsby party, and tear down the White House, and this is the thanks you get.”
Trump had hoped to leave the U.S. on the luxury 747 given him by the Emir of Qatar, but once the election results became clear the Arab ruler swiftly withdrew the gift.
In a tersely worded statement, the Emir declared, “Fly coach, loser.”
In Buenos Aires, Trump was greeted by an angry anti-immigrant mob.
NOVEMBER 16
1927 – A county judge in Punxsutawney, Pa., grants an injunction requested by the Clearfield Bituminous Coal Co. forbidding strikers from speaking to strikebreakers, posting signs declaring a strike is in progress, or even singing hymns. Union leaders termed the injunction “drastic.”
1982 – The National Football League Players Association ends a 57-day strike that shortened the
season to nine games. The players wanted, but failed to win until many years later, a higher share of gross team revenues.
(Compiled by David Prosten, founder Union Communication Services)
IL 62234.
Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 101 Union Meetings will be held on the 4th Wednesday of the month except December, which will be held on the 3rd Wednesday. The meetings will be held at the Local 101 Hall located at 8 Premier Drive in Belleville, IL 62220 at 7:30 p.m.
Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 160
Union meetings are on the second Friday of the month at 8 p.m. at the hall, 901 Mulberry Street, Murphysboro, Ill. 62966.
Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 553
First Tuesday of each month September through May, 7 p.m., 967 East Airline Dr., East Alton, IL 62024.
Sheet Metal Workers Local 268 Caseyville Meetings: Fourth Thursday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the Sheet Metal Workers’ Hall, 2701 N. 89th Street, Caseyville, Ill. 62232. Southern counties: Meetings will be held at 6 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month at the training center, 13963 Route 37, Johnston City, Ill.
Steamfitters Local 439 Meets first Wednesday of each month, 7:30 p.m. in the Donald Bailey Building, 1220 Donald Bailey Dr., Caseyville, Ill. 62232-2061.
St. Louis Labor Council, AFL-CIO Third Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.,
Bricklayers
Cement Masons Local 527 3341 Hollenberg Dr, Bridgeton, MO 63044
Elevator Constructors Local 3 5916 Wilson Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110
Glaziers Local 513 5916 Wilson Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110
IBEW Local 1 Union meetings are held the First Wednesday and the Third Friday of each Month at the IBEW, Local 1 Union Hall located at 5850 Elizabeth Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63110. Meetings begin promptly at 5 p.m. Please make every effort to attend.
IBEW Local 1 Apprentices
Meeting on the first and third Friday of each month, 7 p.m. at the Training Center, 2300 Hampton.
IBEW Local 4 5850 Elizabeth Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110
Insulators and Asbestos Workers Local 1 First Friday, 7 p.m.
per hour – over three years.
“We show up to do our job, and they show that we are not worthy enough to get more money,” Hutcherson, who has worked for 4M for 18 years, said at the Nov. 6 rally. “Our bills need to be paid.”
‘STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP’
The rally at the Pierre Laclede Center was the second in six days. The first was held Nov. 1 at Anheuser-Busch (A-B) in St. Louis, where Clean-Tech, a subsidiary of HES Facilities Management, has the janitorial contract. 4M and Clean-Tech are the largest companies in the Contract Cleaners Association.
Milton Gentry, a janitor at A-B, who has worked for Clean-Tech since 2011, said he and his colleagues deserve a fair contract, one that offers more than just nickels and dimes in raises.
“We’re here today because we’re struggling to keep up with the cost
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of living,” he said. “All over St. Louis, my coworkers and I keep wealthy corporations open for business, but we’re overlooked. We have families too.”
Cenith West, another janitor with Clean-Tech, has helped clean the A-B campus for almost two years. She currently makes $17.50 an hour and says Clean-Tech is not offering enough money to meet the rising cost-of-living.
West is raising her 2-year-old grandson and says food, clothing and other items get expensive.
“Everybody deserves a raise. It’s just so hard when I go to the dentist or to the doctor’s and we get the bill. It’s like, ‘Wow, how am I going to do this?’” West said. “Dental, we only get $500 a year. Things are very expensive. I don’t ask for much, but a raise would be nice, and better benefits would be nice.”
West said the new contract would increase her pay by 40-to60-cents-an-hour.
“The janitors are the ones who make companies like Clean-Tech and 4M profitable,” said Chris Rak, SEIU Local 1 vice president and Missouri director. “There are
workers with decades of experience who are being offered wages that are barely above minimum wage. Local 1 members are essential, yet these companies offer them wages that keep them below
Every dollar counts to help union families in need.
the poverty line. It’s an insult.” SEIU Local 1 represents 50,000 workers in the Midwest, including janitors, security officers, airport workers, higher education faculty, food service workers and others.
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Plumbers & Pipefitters 562, Insulators 1 soccer match raises over $14K for Make-A-Wish Missouri & Kansas
Creve Coeur, MO – Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562 faced off against Insulators Local 1 in their annual charity soccer match at Creve Coeur Soccer Complex Nov. 1, raising $14,319 for Make-A-Wish Missouri & Kansas. The non-profit organization creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses in Missouri and Kansas.
GIVING BACK – Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562 Business Manager/Secretary Treasurer John O’Mara (center) and Insulators Local 1 Business Manager Gary Payeur (right) present a check for $14,319 from the union’s charity soccer match to Michael Mattingly, business development manager for Make-A-Wish Missouri & Kansas.
St. Louis – IBEW Local 1439 recently celebrated its 80th Anniversary with a gala that included appetizers, dinner, drinks and live music at the IBEW Local 1 union hall here at 5850 Elizabeth Ave. “Celebrating 80 years is remarkable,” Local 1439 Business Manager Jeremy Pour shared with the crowd. “Founded in 1891, we’ve had eight decades of solidarity, craftsmanship and an unwavering commitment to the men and women in the utility industry.”
Kaldi’s stores across St. Louis.
LOW
flooded the kitchen.
relegated to the less visible back-ofhouse job duties.
“I value my job greatly, yet my treatment overshadows this,” she said. “No matter how hard I work, I can’t seem to better my life.
“Despite living with four other people, I live paycheckto-paycheck,” said Harry Campbell, a barista and short order cook at Kaldi’s Skinker location and Missouri Workers Center leader. “I don’t have a predictable work schedule. Since I don’t have health insurance, I haven’t seen a doctor in a year. Kaldi’s has an employee fund called Kaldi’s Cares. If Kaldi’s really cared, they’d pay us more. We wouldn’t need to take out a loan from our employer. I’m one emergency expense away from falling behind on bills.”
Campbell and other workers began organizing at the Skinker store over the summer when the airconditioning went out several times and drainage problems repeatedly
“When the A/C broke down for the third time this summer and management still wasn’t fixing it, we didn’t just complain to each other and hope things got better, we delivered a petition and went on strike. Guess what? Fixed immediately.”
“For months, I tried to become a kitchen lead,” said Iana McAllister, another Kaldi’s worker at the Skinker location and leader with Missouri Workers Center. “Management instead offered the job to a white coworker I had trained. That person quit so I went after the position again. They’ve kicked the can down the road since. I’ve seen other Black coworkers getting passed over while white coworkers get ahead. There are also other Black workers and workers of color at Kaldi’s who are
the Labor Tribune at work, at home or on the go
“When I applied to be kitchen lead, they kept saying ‘not yet.’ But we’re here to say that us workers deserve respect now. That is our right. Workers deserve a living wage now. That is our right. We’re not asking for permission anymore. Kaldi’s needs to voluntarily recognize us and meet us at the bargaining table now.”
“We’re extremely proud to be here with the Kaldi’s workers,” said UNITE HERE Local 74 President Kim Bartholomew.
treatment they — and all service and hospitality workers — deserve. We look forward to meeting them at the bargaining table soon.”
resolution affirming the board’s support of the workers’ unionization efforts.
“They are some of the bravest individuals we have seen in a long time, organizing in the atmosphere that we live in today.
“We call on Kaldi’s to recognize the workers who are bravely standing up for the dignified pay and
St. Louis Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier (7th Ward) also attended the rally and announced her introduction of a
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“When we go to work, we expect three simple things: dignity, respect, and fairness. That is what this resolution stands for. These principles should be foundational in every workplace, and I am proud to support Kaldi’s Coffee workers as they join with Missouri Workers Center and UNITE HERE Local 74 to advance these core values.”
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THE DISTINCTIVE CONSUMER EMBLEMS of Organized Labor have played leading roles in our economic society. Every success story has its supporters . . . the millions of union members and the general public have recognized the importance of these emblems by looking for them when purchasing products and services.
LOCAL UNION #309, AFL-CIO Collinsville, Illinois and Vicinity Office: 2000 Mall Street (Route 157) Collinsville, Ill. 62234
John Garrett, President
Tyler Mueth, Vice President
David Rhymer, Recording Secretary
Jason McIntyre, Treasurer Chris Hankins, Business Manager Dustin Grice, Organizer
Executive Board Members
Jacob Albers, Adam Biagi, Stephen Erspamer, Brian Hutson, Steve Lodes, Michael Meinhardt, Andrew Reibold, Ron Scott
Asst. Business Managers Steve Duft, Mark Link, Carlos Perez
Examining Board Members
Jeremy Carron
Josh Jenkins
Josh Stewart Joe Varvera
Downstate Illinois
Laborers' District Council
Dustin Ramage, Business Manager
Greg Stimac, Secretary-Treasurer
618/234-2704 FAX: 618/234-2721 19 Gateway Drive, Collinsville, Ill. 62234 www.downstatelaborers.org
Local #649, AFL-CIO
RYAN MOUSER Business Manager
COREY DODSON, President (618) 462-1627
3945 Humbert Road, Alton, Ill. 62002
WEBSTER GROVES, MO – Members of the St. Louis chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) and their guests learned some important safety lessons about tools while carving pumpkins with power tools at an Oct. 29 event at ACME Constructors at 7216 Weil Ave. Founded in 1953, NAWIC is a not-for-profit organization designed to provide support, networking, education and business opportunities for women in the construction industry. For more information on the St. Louis Chapter of NAWIC, visit nawicstl.org – NAWIC St. Louis photo
Boeing From page 1
contract. Hawley also met privately with Arnold after the hearing.
“Senator Hawley’s letter adds to the growing bipartisan call for Boeing to come back to the table and reach a fair agreement,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “Our members have built their lives, families, and communities around this work — and they deserve a contract that reflects their value and the critical role they play in protecting our nation. It’s time for Boeing to do the right thing for the people who build the aircraft that keep our country safe.”
This latest show of congressional support builds on the growing bipartisan outrage over Boeing’s refusal to offer a fair contract. Bipartisan members of the powerful House Armed Services Committee recently urged Boeing to negotiate in good faith as military deliveries fall further behind.
Five members of the Senate Armed Services Committee followed up with a strong plea to the company as well, saying that choosing replacement workers over IAM Union members “will be sacrificing the needs of the U.S. military in order to benefit the corporation’s bottom line.”
In October, U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Hawley voiced strong support for IAM Union members. In addition, Reps. Wesley Bell (D-Mo.), Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) and the Congressional Labor Caucus have joined calls for Boeing to bargain fairly and protect good-paying jobs in the St. Louis region.
The IAM Union submitted a responsible counterproposal to Boeing on Oct. 27, which included significant union concessions in a good-faith effort to end the strike. Boeing summarily rejected the offer and has still not provided a counteroffer, despite the fact that the difference between the IAM’s
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proposal and Boeing’s rejected offer amounts to only about $8 million over four years — a fraction of the company’s massive revenue and executive payouts. The IAM Union has now submitted two Unfair Labor Practice Charges against the company for not bargaining in good faith. However, those complaints are not being heard as the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is not operating during the government shutdown.
IAM District 837 members build and support production of the F15EX, F/A-18, T-7A, MQ-25, and the future F-47 fighter jet—aircraft vital to U.S. and allied defense readiness. Boeing’s failure to propose a fair contract has already led the U.S. Air Force to publicly acknowledge that F-15EX deliveries are delayed.
The IAM continues to urge Boeing leadership to return to the bargaining table and secure a deal that brings these skilled workers back to work with the dignity and fairness they’ve earned.
• Round Steaks
• Backstraps Boneless
• Backstraps Boneless Cut Into
• Tenderloins
• Roasts • Ribs
By BRANDON BUTLER Driftwood Outdoors
Hunting in the Midwest peaks this month. Deer hunters enjoy the excitement of the annual rut. Wing shooters have pheasant, quail, and grouse seasons open region wide. Waterfowl hunters are knocking down ducks and geese from the Prairie Potholes to the Ohio River Valley. It’s certainly a special time of year to be a sportsman.
With crowds often minimal, open water fishing opportunities remain abundant. This time of year, river systems often are top angling destinations for everything from trout to catfish. While big waters remain open in the north, musky and walleye anglers are making final runs to favorite waters. Down south, reservoir anglers, who fish where ice rarely appears, are transitioning to cold water patterns.
November is the month we focus on giving thanks for our many blessings. As fishermen and hunters in the Midwest, we certainly have a lot to be thankful for.
• Illinois – Heidecke Lake Hybrid, striped bass (wipers)
Heidecke Lake has produced numerous state records for hybrid striped bass, and it remains a top wiper water in the state. Located in Grundy County, about an hour from downtown Chicago, Heidecke Lake offers 1,300-acres angling opportunity. Wipers are stocked annually in the reservoir with many reaching weights over eight pounds. In the late fall, anglers watch for schools of baitfish on the surface. Once located, throw large shad-colored crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps, and topwater lures into the ruckus, or troll spoons or heavy swim baits around the school. Floating live shiners under a bobber over old road beads and rock piles also produces.
• Iowa – Pheasant Iowa has more pheasants than many realize. The results of state’s 2024 pheasant population survey by the DNR found Iowa’s statewide
pheasant population to be 19 birds per 30-mile route. These numbers are far higher in certain areas where population densities are strong, like the state’s northwest corner where count found 33 birds per 30-mile route. Most pheasant hunting takes place on private land in Iowa, but Dickinson County is home to quite a bit of quality public land for pheasant hunting. Iowa’s pheasant season opened Oct. 25 and runs until Jan. 10. Iowa pheasant hunters shot nearly 600,000 pheasant in 2022.
• Kentucky – Laurel River Lake, walleye
Walleye are a surprise species for many anglers who primarily target the robust bass populations at Laurel River Lake. But once clued into the fact that walleye are abundant in this gorgeous Eastern Kentucky mountain reservoir, anglers seek out these fine eating fish and do well. Walleye tracking studies conducted by the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife show wide distribution throughout the lake during November. Walleye frequent the timber-filled coves of Laurel River Lake. Trolling stickbaits, and drift-
but don’t overlook the fishing.
ing Lindy Rigs or nightcrawler harnesses on the outer edge of standing timber and along rocky points produces walleye this late in the year. The riprap along the Laurel river Dam is a known walleye spot.
• Michigan – Firearms Deer It would be hard to find a sporting tradition more Midwestern than deer hunting in Michigan. This year, the Regular Firearms Season runs from Nov. 15 – 30. Michigan is full of public hunting opportunities, with much of the northern portion of the Lower Peninsula and most of the Upper Peninsula in public hands. Deer camps are a big part of the Michigan deer hunting culture. Campers and tents clustered together deep in a national or state forest are a common site. Hunters spread out and take stands over powerline cuts, clear cut forest areas, and logging roads. Hunting and Thanksgiving go together like turkey and mashed potatoes. This special holiday revolves around food. Spending the morning or most of the long weekend in the deer woods makes perfect sense.
• Missouri – Quail Quail season opened Nov. 1 in Missouri and runs until Jan 15. Conversations with old timers in coffee shops across the state would lead one to believe there isn’t a quail left in the state. It is true that population numbers remain far below where they were in the 1970s and 80s, but the current situation isn’t as dire as some believe. While naming a specific spot would cost me numerous friends, I’ll attest there are plenty of quail to hunt on conservation areas, especially in southwest the north-central regions of the state. Missouri has a strong Quail Forever presence. Attending a local banquet or contacting local members is a great way to gather quail hunting intel.
• Nebraska – Verdigre Creek trout In Antelope County just a mile north of Royal is one of the prettiest little trout streams you’ll find in the Great Plains. Grove Lake FWA provides public access to the stream, where both brown and rainbow trout are found. Between three or four miles of trout water exits here, which at its widest is about 15 feet. Ultralight spinning equipment, or three or four weight fly rods are ideal for target-
ing trout in this small but dynamic cold-water creek. Rainbow trout are stocked in the creek aggressively, but the brown trout are naturally reproducing. Read the water to fish the pools, riffles, and runs with small Rooster Tails, or little dry flies and nymphs.
• North Dakota – Ducks North Dakota duck hunting has flown under the radar for many years because of restrictions on non-residents. But with the Peace Garden State being more friendly to outsiders lately, allowing us to hunt up to 14 days with the possibility of splitting that into two seven-day stretches, it’s beginning to receive the duck hunting recognition it deserves. November is when much of the magic takes place. All along the Missouri River duck hunters do well. From small prairie potholes to giant reservoirs where layout boat hunts may seem like sea duck hunting, duck hunters in North Dakota do well. Devil’s Lake is an especially popular destination where one may shoot a limit of ducks and catch a limit of walleye in the same day.
• Wisconsin – Green Bay musky Musky may be known as the “the fish of 10,000 casts,” but this time of year you might get away with only casting once if you throw your bait out and troll long enough in Green Bay. If you want the reward and excitement of landing one of these solitary predators, you have to put in the work and fish where musky are found. Green Bay is an emerging musky hot spot. In November, musky move deeper off weed beds in search of bait fish. Find the bait and start trolling large stick baits that imitate shad or paddle tail swim baits. As the water temperature continues to drop, musky follow the bait fish to river mouths. Around the mouth of the Fox River is an especially good spot for late fall musky.
See you down the trail… (For more Driftwood Outdoors, check out the podcast on www.driftwoodoutdoors.com or anywhere podcasts are streamed.)
By LARRY DABLEMONT
What a different creature Canada geese have become, with so many of them becoming non-migrators and just staying where they are, raising goslings on every little farm pond where cattle graze on permanent pasture. Just think about it…. Not all that long ago, we never saw a goose in the Ozarks in the spring and summer and few in the fall and winter. You seldom saw them, as they’d pass over in long strings, making beautiful music as the nip in the air and the falling leaves told you that winter wasn’t far away.
Floating down the river in November and December of the 1960s as a kid with my dad, hunting mallards and wood ducks from our old johnboat, if we saw a few Canada geese on the river, and actually had a chance to bring one home, it was a never to be forgotten experience. Now, out hunting turkeys in the spring, it would be so easy to fill the freezer with Canadas. And while they aren’t as good to eat as wild gobblers; a smoked goose, or a roasted goose, certainly isn’t to be made light of. It’s the goose-feather plucking that makes everyone think
Colonel Sander’s fried chicken is the best route to take for Sunday dinner.
But this fall I am going to get a goose or two for Thanksgiving and smoke it in my store-bought smoker.
What a difference there is in the Canada goose today and the ones I saw as a boy, only 50-some years ago. But then again, what a difference there is in this whole world today. The creeks so full of water, in which I swam throughout the summer, are dry today by the time July and August come around. The woodlots along the river bottoms have been bulldozed and are now fields of green grass. Where there were a dozen old cows there are now great herds.
But not long ago I saw a Canada goose with her nest in a hollow sycamore limb jutting out over the river 20 feet above the water. I suppose that is evolution. Geese don’t nest in hollow trees, but she did. It was smart of her. Other geese which nest on the ground each spring often lose their eggs when the river rises with lots of rain. A strain of Canada geese are only eight-to-10 pounds in
weight, but another strain, known as giant Canadas, are found nesting in bluffs in the Ozarks. They may weigh from 14 to 18 pounds.
I love to hunt geese; one of my most memorable hunts being the last one, two years ago in a grain field in Ontario. It was a morning when the overpopulation of geese we have today was evident. They came in by the dozens for three hours. I was with a friend of mine who is Lake of the Woods guide, and we brought in a limit of five apiece. Thirty years ago we hunted Canadas and snow geese each fall in Manitoba. In all instances of goose hunting we would lie flat on our backs in a field with decoys spread where they wanted to feed. I spent much of that time using my camera instead of my shotgun. If you would like to see some of those photos, go to the website www.larrydablemontoutdoors
(I’ll soon be coming out with the winter/Christmas issue of the Lightning’ Ridge Outdoor Journal, a magazine with great stories about hunting, fishing, conservation and nature. To get your copy send a check for $8 to LROJ, P.O. Box 22, Bolivar, Mo. 65613. To use your credit card, call Gloria Jean at 417-777-5227.)
Hunting, Fishing, Camping, Boating, Outdoor Travel
By DAN ZARLENGA
Missouri Department of Conservation
The giant lake shimmers with the rising sun. Early morning mist caresses the water in an ethereal cloak. These aquatic depths conceal a monster of mythical proportions. A long and sinuous predator, its jaws bristle with sharp teeth to devour hapless prey. Some say the creature is an elusive myth, while still others tell stories of tangible encounters with the monster. Suddenly, something ripples the surface, a long shape glides under the mist. If this were a certain lake in Scotland, it might be the Loch Ness Monster! But this is Missouri. And the “monster” is a real, if mysterious, aquatic creature found in some of our state’s own waters: the muskellunge.
The largest member of the pike family, muskellunge (or muskies for short) can reach four feet in length and grow to 50 pounds. They live for 15 years or so. Muskies are not native to the Show-Me-State. The Missouri Department of Conservation stocks them in a handful of large lakes and reservoirs throughout Missouri, including Lake 35 at the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area in St. Charles.
The appearance of a muskie is determined in part by the waters in which it lives. In Missouri, they tend to feature stunning dark bars against a silvery body, making them look particularly intimidating sliding through the water.
Like a true monster, muskellunge are predators. They use cunning
ambush tactics to overcome prey, such as minnows, small gizzard shad, common carp, and other small fish. These tactics have earned muskies the title “water wolves.” They can sometimes be glimpsed cruising open waters, usually looking for schools of gizzard shad. Since they are a cool-water fish, muskies tend to go deeper during the summer. Cooling water temperatures make November an ideal time to try and spot one.
Muskellunge are originally native to the upper Midwest and Great Lakes regions. They were first introduced as sportfish in Missouri in the 1960s. There is no evidence that muskellunge successfully reproduce here. Other predators
like largemouth bass devour their tiny young, so their populations in Show-Me-State waters are sustained by stocking alone.
The Loch Ness Monster casts a certain obsession over those who seek it. Muskies do the same. They are popular with a niche of passionate anglers who revere the chance to pursue them. Muskies are known as “the fish of 10,000 casts” because the wary fish are so adept at eluding the angler’s hook.
But when that 10,000th cast does come a muskie can be a thrill to
work. They strike viciously and put up a challenging and exciting fight. Muskies also have a habit of following up to the boat, sometimes hitting one within a foot or two of the gunnel. Bagging a trophysized muskie is considered top bragging rights! Yet anglers often choose to throw them back. Perhaps they hope the monster will grow bigger still when it reunites with their line, after the next 10,000 casts.
The muskellunge is indeed an elusive monster of select Missouri waters. Even so, with enough casts and perseverance, it’s safe to say there are still much better odds of catching one of these monsters than the one in Loch Ness.
By BRANDON BUTLER Driftwood Outdoors
Cool mornings followed by Indian summer afternoons mark the arrival of my favorite time of year to fish. Even though there are competing interests with a plethora of hunting opportunities, fishing in the fall is something I dream of. As temperatures drop, fish put on the feed bag in preparation for winter’s arrival, providing anglers some of the best action of the year.
Smallmouth bass in Ozark rivers, Northwoods walleye and Great Lakes steelhead are just a few of the Midwestern angling opportunities I look forward to annually. With the crowds typically gone, waters are quiet, peaceful and often empty. Whether chasing trout with a fly rod, crappie with minnows, or bass with soft plastics, fall offers great fishing and a good reason to spend more time outdoors before the bitter cold sets in. Here are five fishing adventures I suggest you consider.
At 8,800 surface acres, Patoka Lake is the second-largest reservoir in Indiana. This lake is an amazing fishery, with quality bass, bluegill and catfish. But with deep coves and standing timber scattered throughout, it’s best known for crappie fishing. Crappie are fun to catch and great to eat. Using minnows under slip-bobbers is
a common tactic, but jigs often work just as well. This time of year, you’ll catch fish consistently in 10–15 feet of water. Use your sonar to locate brush piles and you should be in the money. The crappie bite should remain strong all month.
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is a special fishing destination. Squeezed between two Great Lakes and littered with rivers, streams, and inland waters, the U.P. provides a diversity of angling opportunities tough to find a comparison for. Little Bay de Noc is a 30,000-acre bay on Lake Michigan near Escanaba known for its robust walleye population. If you are looking to catch a giant, trophysize walleye, then Little Bay de Noc is the place to go and October is the month to be there. Walleye are gorging themselves in October to prepare for the long winter months. Trolling around river mouths is your best bet.
Don’t let the mansions surrounding this beautiful body of water fool you. It’s a fishing hot spot. The 5,400-acre lake offers a mixed bag of fish species, but quality crappies are highly sought after. Slabs measuring 14 inches or more show up regularly. By November, crappie have moved back out of the shallows and are as-
sociating with brush and structure. Jigs tipped with minnows fished vertically are productive. Look for crappie in 15 to 20 feet of water. There is no minimum length limit. The daily bag limit is 25.
OHIO: STEELHEAD
Steelhead Alley is a 200-mile stretch along Lake Erie from Sandusky, Ohio to Buffalo, NY. Steelhead action kicks off in November with anglers flocking to rivers and streams where these chrome rockets return to spawn. Cooler weather and rain
trigger the return to the rivers from Lake Erie. Ohio steelhead average 25 inches and weigh approximately five to six pounds, but fish over 30 inches and 10 pounds are not uncommon. The Vermilion River, Rocky River, Chagrin River, Grand River and Conneaut Creek are stocked with steelhead each year and are top destinations for catching these hardfighting anadromous salmonids.
El Dorado Reservoir is known for
monster walleye and November is a prime time to hook into one as they feed aggressively ahead of winter. This centrally located reservoir near Wichita is no secret to anglers, but at 8,000 acres there is plenty of water to explore. The Department of Wildlife and Parks report a density of 2.33 walleye per acre over 15 inches long, with the largest recent fish surveyed weighing 7.95 pounds. Over 200,000 walleye were stocked in El Dorado in 2020. Walleye must be 21 inches to keep with a two-fish-per-day limit. See you down the trail…
Don’t wait! Now is the time to head to one of MDC’s two staffed shooting ranges and outdoor education centers in the St. Louis area to sharpen
skills, sight in your rifles, and pattern shotguns for fall hunting
August A. Busch Defiance 3550 Route D, Defiance, 63341 mdc.mo.gov/buschrange
Jay Henges Eureka 1100 Antire Road, Eureka, 63025 mdc.mo.gov/hengesrange
By LARRY DABLEMONT
This is a dangerous time for copperheads. Many move onto pavement or concrete at night seeking the warmth it has absorbed. Some lady wrote me a letter about the little hog-nose snake I found a week or so ago, telling me that there are no vipers or adders in this country. She quoted a book she was familiar with. It is typical of so many who proclaim themselves naturalists and outdoorsmen to go by what they find in books. They gain their
knowledge almost entirely from what some “expert” has written. The terms “spreading adder” or “hog-nosed viper” are common names for the harmless little snake, given to them by Ozark rural people. Technically, there are no adders in the U.S. but there are indeed vipers in this country. Rattlesnakes, cottonmouths and copperheads are known as “pit vipers.” Technically speaking, the hog nose viper, as he is referred to in many books, is “poisonous,” or
more correctly “venomous.” He uses a venom to stun toads which is his preferred food. His venom would indeed have a mild effect on humans. His small fangs are in the rear of his mouth, and he has not been known to bite anyone. And another reader wrote that we have venomous snakes, not poisonous ones, indignant that I used such a term. Guess I spend too much time outdoors and not enough time reading. But I spent years studying the books too, so I know the scientific names and technical language.
So many people interested in the outdoors spend so much more time with books than they do outdoors
using their eyes, ears and common sense. And while I am going to upset lots of people by saying this,
there are many, many errors found in some books. Writers often are convinced they know something for certain which another observer of nature may find off base. The more time I spend outdoors, the more I understand that “never” or “always” seldom fits.
Missouri will shut down numerous state parks throughout November and early December as conservationists and hunters attempt to clamp down on deer overrunning local communities. Deer populations have risen to dangerously high points in the state’s parks, which threaten the local ecosystems and native animals, according to a press release from the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Department of Natural Resources. Large deer populations also cause numerous issues for humans, including increased deer-vehicle collisions and the spread of tick-borne diseases.
To combat the unsustainable populations, conservationists have scheduled over 100 managed deer hunts throughout the state in 2025.
“This year, studies at the parks determined the deer population showed an overcrowded number of deer per acre,” a Department of Natural Resources press release said. “The managed hunt will help other wildlife and the ecosystem by reducing the number of deer in the area.”
From Nov. 1-9 Missouri State Parks cycled through closures at Watkins Mill State Park, Cuivre River State Park, Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park, Bennett Spring State Park, Ha Ha Tonka State Park, Mark Twain State Park, Crowder State Park, Long Branch State Park and Robertsville State Park.
The Missouri State Parks Department has scheduled the following closures for Nov. 15 to Dec. 7:
• Nov. 15-16 – St. Joe State Park.
• Dec. 1-4 – Harry S Truman State Park.
• Dec. 2-4 – Montauk State Park.
• Dec. 5-8 – St. Francois