5-8-25 LT_ISSUU

VOLUME 88 No. 41 ® ★

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Thursday, May 8-14, 2025

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What’s Inside

88

YEARS

Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562 marks 30-year partnership with Rebuilding Together -St. Louis Page 3

IBEW Local 1’s RENEW Trivia Night raises $25,000 for Local 1 Relief Fund Page 6

Workers celebrate implementation of paid sick leave, rally to protect Prop. A victory

By TIM ROWDEN Editor-in-Chief St. Louis – A crowd of some 100 workers rallied Saturday in support of Missouri’s new earned paid sick leave law guaranteed to workers through Proposition A, a ballot measure that passed with nearly 58 percent of the vote in November.

Amazon workers, McDonald’s workers and others with the Missouri Workers Center, Missouri Jobs with Justice, and community allies representing faith, Labor, and civil rights organizations

gathered Saturday, May 3, at SEIU Healthcare in St. Louis to celebrate the May 1 implementation of the new law, which also raised the state’s minimum wage to $13.75 an hour on Jan. 1 and will raise it to $15 an hour in January 2026.

Workers also rallied against Republican efforts to gut the new law, and behind Democratic state senators who are fighting to stop them.

Senators Doug Beck (Affton), Karla May (St. Louis City and County), Steven Roberts (St. Louis), Angela Mosley (St. Louis See PROP. A page 9

CELEBRATING PAID SICK LEAVE made possible through voters’ passage of Proposition A last November, workers rallied Saturday, May 3, at SEIU Healthcare in St. Louis. Richard Von Glahn, policy director for Missouri Jobs with Justice, said workers and Democratic state senators are now fighting to protect the new law against a Republican effort to gut it.

– Labor Tribune photo

Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562 expanding Fulton training center

By SHERI GASSAWAY Missouri Correspondent

Union retirees take aim at Elon Musk, DOGE Page 7

Labor brings out the big guns for Labor/United Way Trap Shoot Page 8

Outdoor Guide Pages 12-16

Fulton, MO – Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562 is expanding its Fulton training center in an effort to teach the most advanced industry methods to the area’s growing number of Local 562 apprentices and journeymen.

Local 562 officials officially broke ground on the project in a recent ceremony. The current training center, built in 1997, has classrooms and office space, but offers limited space for hands-on learning. The expansion calls for adding a 30,000-square-foot building dedicated solely to training.

The Fulton training center is one of three educational centers

throughout the union’s geographic jurisdiction. Currently, members in Fulton receive most of their handson training at the union’s Earth City location.

‘HUGE DAY FOR OUR LOCAL’ “It’s a huge day for our local, and this is just what the doctor ordered,” said Local 562 Business Manager/ Secretary-Treasurer John O’Mara.

“We can increase our quality of training, shave off some drive time for our members, stay competitive and better our members’ education.

The number of members in that area has grown significantly.”

O’Mara said Environmental EnSee LOCAL 562 page 9

EXPANDED TRAINING CENTER – Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562 is expanding its training center in Fulton, Mo. Taking part in a recent groundbreaking ceremony are (from left) Local 562 Director of Training Kevin O’Mara, Business Representative Stephen Garner, Environmental Engineering’s Bryan Pemberton, Business Manager/ Secretary-Treasurer John O’Mara, Assistant Business Manager Billy Doherty and Instructor Alan Wedemeyer.

– Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562 photo

Madison County Labor leaders, public officials observe Workers’ Memorial Day

By ELIZABETH DONALD Illinois Correspondent Alton, IL – Union leaders and public officials gathered on a windy Monday afternoon April 28 to honor those union workers who died on the job at the Greater Madison County Federation of Labor’s annual Workers’ Memorial Day ceremony at the Workers’ Memorial in Gordon Moore Park.

It was a somber moment as a fireman’s bell was rung for each name inscribed on the wall.

There were no new names added to the wall this year.

“This progress did not just happen because laws were passed,” said B. Dean Webb, president

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of the Greater Madison County Federation of Labor. Instead, he said, fewer people die on the job now because working men and women joined together in unions to demand better safety measures from their employers.

“We pledge to fight for safe jobs, economic security, and a better life for all,” Webb said.

WORKERS’ RIGHTS AMENDMENT State Rep. Katie Stuart (DEdwardsville) attended the event and spoke briefly, mentioning the recent Workers’ Rights Amendment approved by Illinois voters to enshrine the right to collective bargaining in the state Constitution. “It

Follow Us labortribune.com facebook.com/labortribune twitter.com/STLLaborTribune linkedin.com/company/st-louissouthern-illinois-labor-tribune News: (314) 535-9660

may not have seemed as important a few years ago… but it could not be more important now,” Stuart said.

“Everyone deserves to come home safe from a day of work.”

Stuart declared her support for the pending state Senate bill SB 1976, which declares that no matter what changes take place at the federal level, Illinois will keep the same regulations for worker safety that it has now. The Madison County Federation of Labor unanimously approved its support for the bill at its meeting a few days before the Workers’ Memorial program.

PRO ACT AND OSHA McKayla Bartkiewicz, aide to See WORKERS MEMORIAL page 9

B. DEAN WEBB, president of the Greater Madison County Federation of Labor, stands beside the Workers Memorial at the Federation’s annual Workers’ Memorial Day Ceremony April 28 in Gordon Moore Park in Alton, Ill. – Labor Tribune photo

Members of the following unions and councils see page 5 for changes in your notices ILLINOIS

• IBEW 309 Retirees • Southwestern Illinois Central Labor Council

MISSOURI

• St. Louis Labor Council

2 • LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, May 8-14, 2025

Project Labor Agreements deliver on policymakers’ promises to taxpayers and workers

By ROBERT REICH Inequality Media Civic Action

Can you believe Trump has been in office for 100 days? Whatever you think of him, you have to admit he’s REICH done a lot.

But here’s the thing: Most of it isn’t in your best interest.

• He promised to bring down the price of groceries. But his blanket tariffs will raise the price of groceries, and almost everything EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES else you buy, because tariffs are just like sales TO LOCAL BUSINESSES taxes – and they take a much bigger chunk PLAs also made a mark on expanding opout of the paychecks of working people than portunities for more local businesses. Higher the wealthy. shares of construction work are performed • He promised to make housing and cars by firms owned by women, people of color, more affordable. But thanks to tariffs on cars, and military veterans when PLAs are atlumber, steel, and aluminum, housing contached. This really matters in an industry struction and rents will be more expensive, that struggles to attract and retain new pools and the price of a new car is expected to go of workers and contractors. up about $6,400.

Here’s the point: Without PLAs, Illinois now • He promised to deliver “rising wages, soarwould either have less competition and higher ing incomes” – but instead he is firing nearly costs on many of its critical infrastructure 300,000 federal workers, and cutting the wages projects or we would be relying on out-ofof as many as 400,000 federal contractors. state companies and tradespeople to perform Hundreds of thousands out of this work. Neither would be good for Illinois’ work at once is bad for the job taxpayers, businesses, and market, and it’s also bad for working families.

Americans who rely on the And these agreements services they used to provide, clearly support Illinois worksuch as inspecting our food, ers. One 2024 study found that warning us about extreme PLA-covered projects had five percent more hours worked by Views from Near and Far weather, and protecting us from financial fraud. apprentices, thereby expandTrump is also working with ing our domestic supply of workers learning MAGA Republicans in Congress to pass even new skills and training for in-demand careers. more tax cuts for the richest Americans and CONTRAST WITH corporations, paid for with cuts to essential NEIGHBORING STATES programs, like Medicaid.

The expansion of PLAs in Illinois offers an WHAT HE’S DONE important contrast with neighboring states So if Trump hasn’t kept his promises to like Wisconsin and Iowa, which prohibit lower prices, raise wages, or create jobs… their use on public projects. States like Texas what has he done? A lot of things no one was and Florida also have bans, resulting in less asking for, like: investment in career training for U.S. workers and more reliance on immigrants who often are undocumented, exploited, and paid under the table for much lower wages. This is where some taxpayer-funded federal projects may now be headed, after PLAs were removed from defense contracts.

By FRANK MANZO IV Illinois Economic Policy Institute

pulous, out-of-state firms who may cut corners on safety, pay submarket wages to exploited immigrant workers, or engage in employee misclassification or other unlawful practices.

The data demonstrated that more competition drove down costs, with each additional bid improving the chances that projects came in under budget by six percent.

With tariffs, market volatility, and mass government layoffs dominating headlines lately, much of MANZO our national economic discourse has centered around whether public policies and investments are maximizing value for taxpayers and opportunities for American workers.

Here in Illinois, tens of billions of dollars have been invested over recent years to repair and modernize the roads, bridges, buildings, parks, and critical infrastructure that we rely on. These investments offer a great opportunity to assess whether specific policies are delivering.

For example, Illinois — like previous administrations in D.C. — prioritized the use of Project Labor Agreements, or PLAs, on our largest public investments.

PRE-HIRE AGREEMENTS PLAs are pre-hire agreements between the owners of infrastructure projects and workforce institutions, typically unions, that supply skilled tradespeople. PLAs ensure workers get paid market-competitive wages, coordinate workflow between different crafts, promote investment in apprenticeship training, and ban strikes and lockouts that can be costly and delay completion times. PLAs have a long history on complex projects in both the public and private sector, from casinos to data centers to NFL stadiums.

In one of his first acts, Gov. JB Pritzker issued an Executive Order requiring state agencies to include PLAs on a project-byproject basis. The Capital Development Board — which oversees the construction and rehabilitation of state buildings, colleges and universities, prisons, and similar projects — immediately complied.

New research from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the University of Illinois looked at the impact of PLAs to evaluate how they have delivered. With the largest-ever PLA dataset, the study analyzed more than 2,500 bids on nearly 800 Capital Development Board projects from 2017 through 2023, valued at $1.2 billion. About 500 projects were covered by PLAs, and the rest were not.

Guest

Opinions

• Letting the world’s richest man effectively cut Social Security. Disrupting cancer and Alzheimer’s research. Renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.

• Firing the team at the FDA that handles bird flu outbreaks and firing the CDC team dedicated to stopping mother-to-child H.I.V. transmission. Honestly, I didn’t know it was possible to be against protecting babies from H.I.V. • How about making an enemy of Canada?

Or threatening to invade Greenland and Panama? Then there’s always siding with Russia and North Korea against our allies in Europe.

• Doing an ad for Tesla on the White House lawn? Leaking military battle plans on a messaging app, and holding no one accountable? Gutting student aid, veterans’ services, and crypto fraud investigations while selling White House tours to those who buy his own new memecoin?

• He’s also protecting the ultra-rich from tax audits by wrecking the IRS – while golfing more than any recent president in his first 100 days, costing taxpayers like you over $26 million.

• Then of course, there’s his project of turning America into a dictatorship. He’s ripping up the Constitution piece by piece, including Articles I and III and the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, 14th, and 22nd Amendments.

Everything Trump has done in his first 100 days has been to benefit his billionaire donors and corporate backers – and to consolidate more power in his hands. All at your expense.

See Inequality Media Civic Action’s video on Trump’s first 100 days at https:// youtu.be/yxtrhzW1ZTs?si=NtHzP_xYiN9fCuPH. (Robert Reich is a professor of public policy at Berkeley and former secretary of labor in the Clinton Administration. His writings can be found at https://robertreich. substack.com.)

Your Letters

INCREASE IN BIDS The results were revealing. Project Labor Agreements were linked with a 14 percent increase in the number of bids submitted by contractors seeking to win contracts. That’s because PLAs encourage more responsible contractors to compete in the market, confident that they won’t be underbid by unscru-

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Trump’s 100-day report card

DE-RISKING

Speak Out

Ultimately, real-world data shows that Project Labor Agreements are de-risking mechanisms that encourage more competition and control construction costs, while boosting both the quality of construction jobs and access to in-demand careers for American workers. Indeed, PLAs are proving to be one example where both taxpayers and workers are getting the maximum value and opportunity that policymakers so often promise.

(Frank Manzo is an economist at the nonpartisan Illinois Economic Policy Institute.)

Protecting our right to unionize means protecting our right to vote

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A few weeks ago, the U.S. House passed the misnamed “SAVE Act,” and it is on its way to the U.S. Senate. This bill’s purpose is to disenfranchise literally millions of U.S. citizens so that the Republicans will “win” any further elections and stay in power.

If they stay in power, assaults on unions by the federal government can continue. If they don’t, and the Democrats regain the House and Senate, the union-buster-in-chief (Donald Trump) can be blocked.

Therefore, I am asking every union member reading this to call both of your U.S. senators and tell them to filibuster this bill. The Senate phone number is (202) 224-3121. Then, tell everyone you know who is a union supporter to call as well.

The “SAVE Act” is based on the lie promulgated by the Trump propaganda machine that “all these non-citizens” are voting in elections. Actually, the bill would prevent U.S. citizens (that’s right, you and me) from registering to vote! Here’s how: Don’t have a passport? Don’t know where your birth certificate is or don’t have one at all? Too bad. You are not registering to vote even if you have been registered and need to do it again because

SUBSCRIBE

you moved. That is what this bill would do. It would require you to show one of these two documents just to register. When was the last time a president and his political party required you to prove that you are a citizen in order to exercise your most fundamental American rights? Try never.

The “SAVE Act” is a horrid and nefarious anti- and un-American piece of legislation.

It is the embodiment of the anti-democracy leanings of the Republican party. It is already against the law for non-citizens to vote. Therefore, the Republicans are not really going after voter fraud, as they claim. They are going after your fundamental right to vote, and, in turn, your fundamental right to be in a union.

Call your senators now and then spread the word near and far. When you have finished that, join a voting rights advocacy group and get active because Trump is also trying to implement the “SAVE Act” on his own through executive order.

David Fallick Rockville, MD (David Fallick is a member of the American Federation of Teachers. Opinions expressed are his own.)

To the Labor Tribune Weekly.

You Don’t Know What You Are Missing!

LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, May 8-14, 2025 • 3

Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562 helps needy St. Louis area residents, marking 30-year partnership with Rebuilding Together-St. Louis Earth City, MO – Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562 volunteers marked 30 years of partnership with Rebuilding Together-St. Louis April 26 with a huge crowd of volunteers fanning out into the region to help needy St. Louis area residents with plumbing repairs and upgrades.

“What makes days like today successfual and how we keep coming

back each year and now for 30 years, is all of you in this room,” Local 562 Business Manager/SecretaryTreasurer John O’Mara told the scores of volunteers who turned out to help. “You all continue to give back and make this community better every day. You are changing lives today, giving hot water to someone that has never had hot water. Thank

you all for continuing to show up and represent Local 562 in the best way possible.”

In addition to Rebuilding Together-St. Louis, Local 562 partners with the Plumbing Industry Council, supply houses, Local 562 contractors, it’s training center staff and many more to make the annual event possible.

– Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562 photos

Glaziers Local 513 partners with Rebuilding Together St. Louis to provide free window repairs for low income homeowners

THE Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Call us For Free (314) 241-7243 Representing Injured Workers in Missouri & Illinois www.keefeandgriffiths.com EARTH CITY, MO – Members from Glaziers Local 513 joined Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562 in teaming up with Rebuilding Together St. Louis April 26 to provide free updates for low-income homeowners in St. Louis city and county. The Local 513 team, which focused primarily on window repairs and caulking, met at the Local 562 union hall in Earth City to get their assignments for the day. “Local 513 showed up today and helped St. Louis residents have more efficient, safer, more secure and attractive homes,” Local 513 Apprenticeship Coordinator Dale Willmann shared on social media. “It was a great day to change the landscape of our city and show what unions are all about.”

– Glaziers Local 513 photo

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4 • LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, May 8-14, 2025

Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562’s Don Gallo opens Gallo Plumbing

Peak Climate Heating and Air Conditioning joins SMART Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 as signatory contractor

CONGRATULATIONS to Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562 member Don Gallo on signing with Local 562 and opening his new company. Gallo (third from left) was congratulated by (from left) Business Representative Mark Morgan, Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer John O’Mara, (Gallo), Business Representative Brian Chumley, Executive Board Member Tim Brice and Assistant Business Manager Bill Doherty.

– Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562 photo

CENTRALIA, MO – Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 recently welcomed Peak Climate Heating and Air Conditioning as a signatory contractor. Celebrating the new partnership are (from left) Local 36 Central Missouri Business Agent Jacob Crismon, Peak Climate Heating and Air Conditioning’s Phillip Greeding, Stephen Evans and Mark Browning, and Local 36 Central Missouri Director of Marketing Jimmy Rogers.

– Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 photo

PUBLISHED WEEKLY (EVERY THURSDAY) Under the auspices of the Greater St. Louis Labor Council and the Central Labor Councils in Southern Illinois and the Unions of the Greater St. Louis and Southern Illinois areas.

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LABOR TRIBUNE STAFF Tim Rowden Editor-in-Chief (314) 256-4138 tim@labortribune.com Sheri Gassaway Missouri Correspondent sheri@labortribune.com Elizabeth Donald Illinois Correspondent Ed Finkelstein Publisher Emeritus edf@labortribune.com Robert Kelly Correspondent

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Lauren Marshall Advertising Representative Lynn Alpert Production Manager/ Graphic Designer Kathy Crowe Graphic Designer Subscription Rates: Unions — 83¢ per member per issue; subscriptions paid from member dues.

Individuals — $75 per year (52 issues).

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Subscribing Unions: • Awning Tent & Decorators Local 39 • Boilermakers Local 27 • Boilermakers Local 363 • Bricklayers Local 1 • Cement Masons Local 527 • Elevator Constructors Local 3 • Glaziers’ Local 513 • Hoisting Engineers Local 513 • IBEW Local 1 • IBEW Local 309 • IBEW Local 649 • Insulators and Asbestos Workers 1 • Iron Workers Local 396 • Iron Workers Local 392• Laborers’ Local 42 • Laborers Local 110 • Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen Division 48 • Machinists’ District 9 • Machinists’ Lodge 41 • Machinists’ Lodge 313 • Machinists’ Lodge 660 • Machinists’ Lodge 688 • Machinists’ Lodge 777 • Machinists’ Lodge 822 • Machinists’ Lodge 1345 • Machinists’ Lodge 1745 • Machinists’ Lodge 1815 • Machinists’ Lodge 2782 • Mailers Local 3 • Meat Cutters Local 88 • Newspaper Guild/CWA Local 36047 • Operating Engineers Local 399 • Painters’ District Council #2 • Plumbers & Fitters Local 101 • Plumbers & Gas Fitters Local 360 • Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 160 • Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 562 • Plumbers Local 553 • Roofers Local 2 • Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 • Sheet Metal Workers Local 268 • Sprinkler Fitters & Apprentices Local 268 • St. Louis Theatrical Local 6 • Steamfitters Local 439 • UFCW Local 655 • United Steelworkers Local 9014 • USW Steelworkers 1899 • Utility Workers of America Local 335 Member: International Labor Communications Association Midwest Labor Press Association Illinois State Labor Press Association Periodicals Postage Paid at St. Louis, Missouri 63155 Postmaster: Send change of address to St. Louis/Southern Illinois Labor Tribune 301 S. Ewing, St. Louis, Mo. 63103

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LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, May 8-14, 2025 • 5

This Week In

Labor History www.unionist.com MAY 5 1852 – National Typographical Union founded, Cincinnati, Ohio. It was renamed the Int’l Typographical Union in 1869, in acknowledgment of Canadian members.

1886 – On Chicago’s West Side, police attack Jewish workers as they try to march into the Loop to protest slum conditions.

1886 – Some 14,000 building trades workers and laborers, demanding an eight-hour workday, gather at the Milwaukee Iron Co. rolling mill in Bay View, Wisc. When they approach the mill, they are fired on by 250 National Guardsmen under orders from the governor to shoot to kill. Seven died, including a 13-year-old boy.

1931 – Heavily armed deputies and other mine owner hirelings attack striking miners in Harlan County, Ky., starting the Battle of Harlan County.

tion (WPA) established at a cost of $4.8 billion –– more than $100.7 billion in 2022 dollars — to provide work opportunities for millions during the Great Depression.

1937 – Four hundred Black women working as tobacco stemmers walk off the job in a spontaneous revolt against poor working conditions and a $3 weekly wage at the Vaughan Co. in Richmond, Va.

MAY 7 1867 – The Knights of St. Crispin union is formed at a secret meeting in Milwaukee. It grew to 50,000 members before being crushed by employers later that year.

1907 – Two die, and 20 are injured in “Bloody Tuesday” as strikebreakers attempt to run San Francisco streetcars during a strike by operators. The strike was declared lost in 1908 after many more deaths, including several in scab-operated streetcar accidents.

1977 – Philadelphia’s longest transit strike ends after 44 days. A key issue in the fight was the hiring and use of part-timers.

MAY 8

40,000 workers involved in lumber strike in Pacific Northwest, 1937

1937 – Lumber strike begins in Pacific Northwest, will involve 40,000 workers by the time victory is achieved after 13 weeks: union recognition, a 50-cent-per-hour minimum wage and an eight-hour day.

MAY 6 1935 – Works Progress Administra-

1863 – The constitution of the Brotherhood of the Footboard was ratified by engineers in Detroit, Mich.

1997 – Some 12,000 Steelworkerrepresented workers at Goodyear Tire & Rubber win an 18-day strike for improved wages and job security.

MAY 9 1837 – The first Anti-Slavery Convention of American Women was held on this date in New York City. Attendees included women of color, the wives and daughters of slaveholders,

Notices

Important Information From Your Union

ILLINOIS CENTRAL BODIES Southwestern Illinois Central Labor Council

Third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Laborers’ Local 459 Hall, 100 N. 17th St., Belle­ville, Ill.

Greater Madison County Federation of Labor

Fourth Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Machinists Center, 161 N. Shamrock, East Alton.

Southwestern Illinois Building and Construction Trades Council

DELEGATES meet the third Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m., at Steamfitters Local 439 hall, 1220 Donald Bailey Drive,

Caseyville, Ill. BOARD OF BUSINESS AGENTS meets the second Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. at IBEW Local 309 Hall.

Office Address: 2A Meadow Heights, Professional Park Collinsville, Ill. 62234.

Egyptian Building and Construction Trades Council

Second Wednesday, 10 a.m. (unless notified) at IBEW Local 702 at 106 N. Monroe St., West Frankfort, Ill.

LOCAL UNIONS IBEW Local 309

Regular union meetings are held on first Monday of each month

and women of low economic status.

1907 – Legendary Western Federation of Miners leader William “Big Bill” Haywood goes on trial for murder in the bombing death of former Idaho governor Frank Steunenberg, who had brutally suppressed the state’s miners. Haywood ultimately was declared innocent.

1937 – Hollywood studio mogul Louis B. Mayer recognizes the Screen Actors Guild. SAG leaders reportedly were bluffing when they told Mayer that 99 percent of all actors would walk out the next morning unless he dealt with the union.

1972 – Four thousand garment workers, mostly Hispanic, strike for union recognition at the Farah Manufacturing Co. in El Paso, Texas.

Canadian prime minister thanks Trump for election victory

MAY 10 1869 – Thanks to an army of thousands of Chinese and Irish immigrants, who laid 2,000 miles of track, the nation’s first transcontinental railway line was finished by the joining of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific lines at Promontory Point, Utah.

1898 – U.S. & Canadian workers form Western Labor Union. It favors industrial organization and independent Labor party politics.

2005 – A federal bankruptcy judge permits United Airlines to legally abandon responsibility for pensions covering 120,000 employees.

MAY 11 1894 – Nationwide railway strike begins at Pullman, Ill. Nearly 260,000 railroad workers ultimately joined the strike to protest wage cuts by the Pullman Palace Car Co. 1953 – Seventeen crewmen on the iron ore freighter Henry Steinbrenner die when the ship, carrying nearly 7,000 tons of ore, sinks during a violent storm on Lake Erie. Another 16 crewmen survived.

(Compiled by David Prosten, founder Union Communication Services)

Ottawa — In an emotional victory speech, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney thanked Donald J. Trump for his stunning election win.

“I don’t deserve credit for this victory,” Carney, choking back tears, told his supporters. “Donald, I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Carney received congratulatory calls from dozens of other world leaders whose political careers have been boosted by Trump, including Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“It’s like I told you, man,” Zelenskyy reportedly told the Canadian. “Trump is magic.”

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 at 7 p.m. at Local Union Hall, 2000 Mall Street, Route 157, Collinsville, Ill. Executive Board — Executive board meetings are held at 5:30 p.m. on Thurs­day preceding each regular union meet­ ing at the IBEW Local 309 Hall, 2000A Mall St., Collins­ville.

Iron Workers 392

Meets the last Friday of the month at 7 p.m. at 2995 King­ shighway, East St. Louis.

Operating Engineers 520

Meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the second Friday of the month at the IUOE Local 520 Hall, 520 Engineer Rd., Granite City, IL 62040.

Operators Local 399

Third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at 24 East Fer­­­gu­ son, Wood River, Ill.

Painters District Council 58 Plumbers & Gasfitters Local 360

Union meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at the Knights of Columbus Council 1712, One Columbus Plaza, Collinsville, 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.

Meets first Wednesday of each month, 7:30 p.m. in the Donald Bailey Building, 1220 Donald Bailey Dr., Caseyville, Ill. 62232-2061.

RETIREE CLUBS IBEW Local 309 Retirees

SPECIAL NOTICE: IBEW Local 309 Retirees will not have a meeting for the month of May. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, June 11, at 11:30 at Ravanelli’s, 26 Collinsport Drive, Collinsville, IL 62234.

MISSOURI CENTRAL BODIES

unionlabel.info 314-779-9959

LOCAL UNIONS Bricklayers Local 1

Meets at 5:30 p.m. the first Thursday at Bricklayers’ Local No. 1 Union Hall, 1670 Fenpark, Fenton, MO 63026.

To register for a course, contact Dale Jennewein at the Bricklayers Local 1 MO JATC at 314-770-1066.

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

See NOTICES page 7

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Greater St. Louis Labor Council, AFL-CIO

Third Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., IBEW Local 1 Hall, 5850 Elizabeth Ave., St. Louis.

St. Louis Building & Construction Trades Council

First Wednesday, 10 a.m., Electricians’ Industry Training Center Auditorium, 2300 Hampton.

St. Louis Union Label & Service Trades Council

Meetings third Monday at 5 p.m., IBEW Local 1, 5850 Elizabeth Ave., 63110. John Schepers, president. Information: fritz@

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6 • LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, May 8-14, 2025

IBEW Local 1’s RENEW Trivia Night raises $25,000 for Local 1 Relief Fund to aid members St. Louis – The IBEW Local 1 RENEW (Reach-out and Engage Next-Gen Electrical Workers) Fifth Annual Trivia Night was once again a sold out success, raising $25,000 for the Local 1 Relief Fund, which helps members in need. The March 22 event, which included a 50/50 raffle, other raffles and live and silent auctions, was held at the Local 1 union hall in St. Louis.

– IBEW Local 1 photos

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LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, May 8-14, 2025 • 7

Union retirees take aim at Elon Musk, DOGE South St. Louis County – More than 75 union retirees and their allies showed up at the Tesla dealership at 5711 S. Lindbergh Blvd. to protest company owner Elon Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

As Trump’s primary advisor on government spending cuts, Musk and his young techies are supposed to be looking for waste and fraud.

Instead, their work has resulted in the reckless mass firings of federal employees and has crippled vital government services. The April 26 protest was organized by the St. Louis Labor Council Retiree Group.

– Labor Tribune photos

Notices From page 1 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. at the Hoisting Engineers Hall, 3449 Hollenberg.

Executive Board meets at 3325 Hollenberg on first Friday at 10 a.m.

Ironworkers Local 396

Union meetings on the last Friday of each month at 8 p.m. at the Union Hall, 2500 59th St., St. Louis, MO 63110.

Laborers Local 110

4532 S Lindbergh Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63127. Meetings are the second Wednesday of every month at 6:30 p.m.

Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 562

Second Wednesday of each month, 6 p.m. at Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 562 Training Center, 3755 Corporate Trail Dr., Earth City, MO 63045.

Roofers Local 2

The regular meetings of Roofers’ Local 2 are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Roofers’ Hall, 45 Worthington Access Drive, Maryland Heights, MO 63043.

The Executive Board will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday before the regular monthly meeting.

Sprinkler Fitters and Apprentices Local 268

Regular meetings at 5 p.m. second Thursday of month at the Union Hall, 1544 S. Third St., St. Louis, MO 63104.

St. Louis Theatrical Brotherhood Local 6 I.A.T.S.E.

Regular monthly meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. at 1611 S. Broadway.

Teamsters Joint Council 13 Teamsters Local 688

4349 Woodson Rd, St. Louis, MO 63134

Tile-Marble Setters & Finishers, Mosaic & Terrazzo Workers & Finishers Local 18 MO

Meets at 5:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month at ADC Union Hall, 1670 Fenpark, Fenton, MO 63026.

Utility Workers Local 335

74 Woodstream, Moscow Mills, MO 63362

8 • LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, May 8-14, 2025

Labor brings out the big guns for Labor/United Way Trap Shoot Bridgeton, MO – Ninety-four shooters turned out for the 17th Annual Labor/United Way Trap Shoot and BBQ April 25 at Gateway Gun Club to benefit the United Way of Greater St. Louis.

The annual trap shoot and barbecue lunch is the major fundraising event for the annual Labor/United Way Campaign.

One million people in our area are helped each year by United Way-supported nonprofits – that’s one in three people in 16 counties throughout Missouri and Illinois.

The annual trap shoot is sponsored by the Greater Madison County Federation of Labor, Southwestern Illinois Central Labor Council, Southwestern Illinois Building and Construction Trades Council, the St. Louis Labor Council and St. Louis Building and Construction Trades Council.

– Labor Tribune photos

LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, May 8-14, 2025 • 9

Prop. A From page 1 County), Brian Williams (University City), and Tracy McCreery (St Louis County) joined the crowd at SEIU Healthcare and were widely praised along with fellow Democratic senators Patty Lewis (Jackson County), Maggie Nurrenbern (Clay County), Barbara Washington (Jackson County) and Stephen Webber (Columbia) for their efforts to protect the measure, filibustering twice in the past month to keep Republican House Bill 567 from moving forward.

The 10 Democratic senators are fighting to hold the line against a 24seat Republican majority, forcing them to filibuster while they to try to negotiate a compromise to keep Republicans from eliminating the paid sick leave provision entirely.

‘THIS IS PERSONAL TO ME’ “ Wo rke r s a re earning paid sick time now. It’s their right, and we’re going to stand strong until the very end t o p ro t e c t t h at BECK right!” said Senate Minority Leader Beck. “We’re going to stand till the very end whatever that looks like.

“This is very personal to me,” Beck said. “I’m a 39-year union member of Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562. I’m a pipefitter. This is a strong group of people that you have here. There’s only 10 Democrats in the Senate and there’s 24 Republicans, and we fight like we’re at least 20. I feel proud to have all these folks. We have unity, we’ve been strong and we’re going to do what we can to keep the right to paid sick leave intact.”

BIPARTISAN VOTE Proposition A passed with bipartisan support in urban, suburban and rural districts. It passed in 20 state Senate districts, 109 state House districts and six of eight congressional districts.

Yet Republicans, backed by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and other corporate groups want to overturn it.

“The next conversation we have to have is about what happens when people try to overtur n the will of the people MAY who have already spoken on the ground,” said Sen.

Workers memorial From page 1 May, in whose district the rally was held Saturday. “We have to let the Missouri Legislature know that they are responsible to the people.

That they serve the people, not themselves.”

ONLY PARTISAN IN THE LEGISLATURE “We’re going to do everything we can to stand up for what the voters voted for,” said Sen. McCreery. “This is only a partisan issue in the legis- MCCREERY lature. The victory came because your Republican neighbors, people that come to your place of business also supported this.

“Don’t be confused. This is Republican politicians who are trying to take away your rights, not our neighbors who helped us get this across the finish line. It’s very important to remember that.”

‘WE ALL GET SICK’ Wendy Taylor, an Amazon STL8 worker and STL8 organizing committee member with Missouri Wo r k e r s C e n TAYLOR ter, talked about how she learned Amazon didn’t offer its workers paid sick leave when she was injured on the job.

“Despite being one of the largest corporations in the world, Amazon doesn’t even give its workers seven paid sick days a year. I learned that the hard way when I had a bad fall a couple years ago while trying to keep up with the inhumane rate of work at Amazon. Turns out I had torn my meniscus, and I was suffering with pain and still trying to work.

“We all get sick,” she said.

“Having the chance to get better protects us all.”

Other event speakers included Shunda Whitfield, CNA/CMT at Estates of Spanish Lake and union steward with SEIU Healthcare; Shennika McCurry, McDonald’s worker and member of Fight for a Union; Richard Von Glahn, policy director with Missouri Jobs with Justice; David Cook, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655 and Rev. Kevin D. Anthony, pastor at the Pilgrim Congregational Church United Church of Christ.

Local 562 From page 1 gineering – one of its signatory contractors – will serve as the project’s general contractor. The company is located in Jefferson City.

‘INCREASE OUR PRESENCE’ “Once the building is built, we’ll have our guys go in and set it up for training,” O’Mara said. “It’s going to be a good, neat process, and it will increase our presence in that market.”

Local 562 apprentices begin their career in the construction industry

5 Fight

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To help out-of-work union members, families

enrolled in a curriculum that teaches the many facets of the plumbing and pipefitting trades and prepares them for mandated licensing certification.

Journeymen members also attend to update their licensed skills and learn the most advanced industry methods enabling them to provide the most progressive, comprehensive skill sets to the consumer.

For more information about the Local 562 training program, visit local562.org.

Please BuckUp what you can.

Every dollar counts to help union families in need.

‘NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO CHOOSE’ “We are the workers of Missouri. No one should have to choose between their health and e a r n i n g a p ay check,” Whitfield s a i d . “ W i t h o u t WHITFIELD Prop A, many nursing home workers like me wouldn’t have a single minute of paid time off. But here we go again. The Republicans in this state are trying to rob us of this victory. They are choosing to defy the will of the people in favor or corporate greed. The Supreme Court said Prop A is voter-approved and must be held up by the state. No one should have to choose between their health and earning a paycheck.”

REMEMBER IN THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS Cook said it’s heartbreaking to see Missouri’s proworker Democratic senators have to bargain with the Republican super COOK majority in the Senate to protect what Missourians approved in an overwhelming vote.

He urged rally attendees to remember their Democratic allies in the midterm elections, and remember the Republicans who tried to take their rights away.

“Our senators have our back at an unbelievable level,” Cook said.

“If there were two more Democratic senators up there, we’d be done. When the elections come in the midterm. We owe it to them to have their back.”

A HARD HAT on an empty chair represents workers killed on the job during the Greater Madison County Federation of Labor’s Workers Memorial Day program at Gordon Moore Park in Alton, Ill. The Workers’ Memorial wall, inscribed with the names of Madison County workers who were killed on the job or from work-related illness or injury, can be seen in the background – Labor Tribune photo

U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Illinois), read a statement on the Congresswoman’s behalf, as she was in Washington D.C. and could not attend. Budzinski, who previously worked in the Labor Movement before she entered Congress, said she is pushing to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act and protect the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) now more than ever. She said that safety rules are never to be compromised, and thanked the union workers for keeping America working.

Missing from the ceremony this year was a representative from OSHA, which usually provides updates on regulations and efforts to keep workers safe on the job. Webb told the audience that OSHA has been told by the Trump administration that none of its people are to

speak at public functions.

SALUTING THOSE WHO WENT BEFORE The ceremony finished with the reading of the names and ringing the bells, with a three-gun salute fired by members of the local VFW and bagpipes playing “Amazing Grace.” The base of the memorial’s statue was draped in black with a dozen red roses, and beside it was a chair draped in red velvet holding a white construction helmet.

Webb said that by next year’s memorial event, they hope the memorial site will have new landscaping and they will finally have the brick paver program underway.

People will be able to buy paving stones engraved with loved ones’ names to add to the memorial, which reads: “Mourn the dead and fight for the living.”

10 • LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, May 8-14, 2025

Court temporarily blocks Trump’s unlawful federal union-busting plan A federal judge has issued an injunction temporarily blocking the Trump administration from ripping away collective bargaining rights from hundreds of thousands of federal workers.

In an April 25 order, Judge Paul L. Friedman, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, said Trump’s executive order invalidating union contracts covering federal workers at dozens of agencies was “unlawful.” The executive order was issued in March under the guise of protecting national security, but many impacted members don’t perform jobs related to counterintelligence or domestic defense.

Even when taken at face value, Friedman said the White House did not meet the evidentiary bar to prove that collective bargaining was incompatible with national security

considerations for the majority of federal agencies.

granted at NTEU’s request means the collective bargaining rights of federal employees will remain intact and the administration’s illegal agenda to sideline the voices of federal employees and dismantle unions is blocked,” Greenwald said in a statement.

A WIN FOR FEDERAL WORKERS The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), which represents some 160,000 federal employees, filed the initial complaint.

Another complaint was filed by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), National Association of Government Employees (NAGE-SEIU), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM), National Nurses United (NNU), and Service Employees International Union (SEIU), who collectively represent more than 950,000 federal employees.

NTEU’s president Doreen Green-

do it to every worker in America, in every workplace and every industry.

So this ruling to restore federal workers’ collective bargaining rights and reinstate their existing contracts — even if temporarily while the case continues in court— is an important first step.

“But this fight isn’t over, and it isn’t limited to the courts. Every member of Congress who stands with working people needs to support and vote to pass the Protecting America’s Workforce Act (H.R. 2550), a bill that would reverse this outrageous executive order and restore workers’ union contracts. We won’t rest until this illegal order is struck down once and for all.”

(Information for this story from the Huffington Post, The Guardian, The Hill, Government Executive and the AFL-CIO)

‘ILLEGAL, RETALIATORY UNION-BUSTING’

Revised 2-20-25 wald welcomed the judge’s ruling, writing that it is a win for federal workers, “union rights and the American people they serve.”

“The preliminary injunction

AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler welcomed the ruling.

“We commend the court for recognizing the Trump administration’s executive order stripping collective bargaining rights for what it was: illegal, retaliatory union-busting,” AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said in a press statement.

“This was the most significant attack on workers’ rights in history, and if Trump was allowed to do it to federal workers, he would be able to

UNIONS CREATE PROSPERITY IN OUR COMMUNITY Spend Your Union-Earned Dollars With Firms That Display the AFL-CIO Union Shop Cards and Labels and Whose Employees Wear Union Buttons

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Revised 2-20-25 ELECTRICAL WORKERS

Downstate Illinois Laborers' District Council

Collinsville, Illinois and Vicinity Office: 2000 Mall Street (Route 157) Collinsville, Ill. 62234

Dustin Ramage, Business Manager Greg Kipping, Sec’y./Treas.

LOCAL UNION #309, AFL-CIO

John Garrett, President Tyler Mueth, Vice President David Rhymer, Recording Secretary Jason McIntyre, Treasurer Chris Hankins, Business Manager Dustin Grice, Organizer

Steve Duft, Mark Link, Carlos Perez

Executive Board Members Jacob Albers, Adam Biagi, Stephen Erspamer, Brian Hutson, Steve Lodes, Michael Meinhardt, Andrew Reibold, Ron Scott

Examining Board Members Jeremy Carron Josh Jenkins Josh Stewart Joe Varvera

Take Stock in America . . .

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20 Bronze Pointe North, Swansea, Il. 62226

Asst. Business Managers

I.B.E.W. Local #702 AFL-CIO

(618) 932-2102

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PLUMBERS & PIPEFITTERS Local Union #101, AFL-CIO

John Passiglia

Asst. Business Manager/Vice President

WILLIAM M. MULCONNERY

Business Manager

Matt Biekert Business Agent

(618) 234-5504

8 Premier Dr. Belleville, Ill. 62220

Mack Schmitt President

President-Asst. Business Agent

BRIAN CUTSINGER

Recording Secretary

Local #649, AFL-CIO

CHAD VERBLE

Vice President-Asst. Business Agent

Jason Reed,

TERRY L. SHEWMAKE

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ELECTRICAL WORKERS Business Manager and Financial Secretary

ALAN UZZELL, President (618) 462-1627

3945 Humbert Road, Alton, Ill. 62002

When Unions are STRONG American is STRONG Local No. 90 AFL-CIO

(618) 667-2562

Troy, Illinois 62294

Shannon Foley, Business Manager Sean Foley, President

Mark Johnson, Business Manager Chad Goldschmidt, President Donnie Ferrari, Vice President David "Kelly" Brown, Treasurer Steve Smith, Recording Secretary Rusty Redman, JATC Administrator (618)

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(618) 397-1443

Local #363, AFL-CIO

618/234-2704 FAX: 618/234-2721

820 Lions Drive

SHEET METAL WORKERS

BOILERMAKERS’ UNION

Kyle Johnson Recording Secretary

Greg Kapp Business Agent

618-874-0313

2995 Kingshighway East St. Louis, Ill. 62201

GREATER MADISON COUNTY FEDERATION OF LABOR, AFL-CIO PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

TRUSTEE

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Mke Fultz Paul Schaefer Kirk Krabbe Bill Eickleberry

Tim Young Logan Sims Mike Roberts

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LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, May 8-14, 2025 • 11

TROPHY HUNTS!

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Landon Krakosky, grandson of Bob Hobbs, IBEW Local 309

Zach Brennell (left), grandson and Adam Brennell, son of Charlie Brennell, Sheet Metal Workers Local 36

Mike Lavoie (left), retired CWA 6300, and Kevin Woodcock

Walter Schuette, son of Cody Schuette, Operating Engineers Local 513

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12 • LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, May 8-14, 2025

Outdoor Guide Hunting, Fishing, Camping, Boating, Outdoor Travel

The ‘hole’ story on moles

By DAN ZARLENGA Missouri Department of Conservation Let’s face it, moles aren’t exactly popular with many homeowners.

They have a reputation for defacing lawns with their below ground tunneling, making it more difficult to mow or walk. Gardeners blame them for chewing on and uprooting their plants. Even the name itself conjures up the idea of an unwanted interloper.

But like so many other things in nature, our negative feelings about moles are based on how they inconvenience our attempts to shape and remake the landscape to fit our desires. Once we dig a little deeper to discover the “hole” story, we might find that in nature’s scheme of things, moles aren’t so bad.

True, one might have to be pretty creative to find physical beauty in moles. The eastern mole is a chipmunk-size creature that has a featureless head, except for a flexible, piglike snout. Its tail is almost naked. A mole’s eyes aren’t much to look at, or through, being able to detect nothing more than basic patterns of light and dark.

But this suits their underground existence just fine.

What moles are extremely good at detecting though, is smell.

They also excel at gathering input through sound and touch. Their velvety fur is usually slate gray but can look silvery. This slick coat helps them easily shed dirt and soil as they travel through it.

Moles breed in late winter or spring and litters of two-to-five young are born in March, April, or

May. After only about four weeks of rapid development, the young are off on their own to fend for

themselves. Beyond doing what they must do to reproduce, moles live very solitary lives.

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The mole uses its extra-large front feet to move through the soil the same way we might swim underwater. If you think swimming in water burns calories, try swimming through dirt! It’s likely why a mole needs to consume about half its body weight in food each day.

Contrary to some beliefs, moles do not dine on your plants. But many of the critters that moles eat, do eat your plants. Moles feed on soil-dwelling invertebrates like grubs, beetles, spiders, centipedes, ant pupae, and cutworms. They even munch on larvae of invasive Japanese beetles! By helping control insect pests, moles are the friends of our farmers.

And true to the cycle of life, moles are essential food for other animals, such as snakes, hawks, owls, skunks, coyotes, and foxes.

LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, May 8-14, 2025 • 13

Outdoor Guide Hunting, Fishing, Camping, Boating, Outdoor Travel

By BRANDON BUTLER Driftwood Outdoors Lake Erie is called the Walleye Capital of the World. The 2025 fishing season is set to showcase why.

According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife, walleye from recent large hatches are reaching trophy size. Erie anglers who are used to catching a lot of fish, can now expect to catch a lot of big fish, too.

Fishing Lake Erie for walleye should be on the bucket list of any serious angler. The fishing is unquestionably some of the best to be found anywhere, and the experience is inviting to anyone seeking an affordable fishing adventure.

Erie has been a destination of lore for Midwesterners for decades.

Stories of easy limits and monster wall-hangers have been passed down through generations.

fish fry, spend your time in pursuit of what I consider to be the best tasting freshwater fish to eat, yellow perch.

The Ohio DNR reports, yellow perch are in abundance in the west zone from Toledo to Huron.

July through mid-August, when the water temperature is above 76 degrees, is considered a prime time to target yellow perch. Then again from mid-October through November, when perch move shallow to feed as water temperatures

Lake Erie continues run of excellent walleye fishing drop below 60 degrees.

Smaller perch from seven to 10 inches are abundant. What everyone is after, the jumbo 12-inch and larger fish, aren’t as prevalent but will be mixed in with the smaller fish. A good fishing guide or charter captain should be able to find you perch to catch. Yellow perch daily limits for 2025 will be 30 perch in the west zone, 10 in the central zone, and 20 in the east zone.

PLANNING A TRIP Planning a trip to Lake Erie is a simple endeavor. There are many qualified charters along the Ohio

coast from Toledo through Cleveland. But the hotspot of angling action is the area of Port Clinton, Sandusky, Cedar Point, Put-In-Bay of the Bass Islands, and Kelleys Island. This region offers the best fishing mixed with some of the best vacation spots in the Midwest, so you can’t go wrong with a trip to the region. For Lake Erie fishing reports, resources, maps, and licenses visit wildohio.gov.

See you down the trail….

(For more Driftwood Outdoors, check out the podcast on www. driftwoodoutdoors.com or anywhere podcasts are streamed.)

WALLEYE, LIKE THIS ONE Dan Stefanich caught, are abundant in Lake Erie.

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THE OLD DAYS ARE HAPPENING NOW My grandpa and his buddies made multiple trips a year from Northwest Indiana to Lake Erie back in the 1980s. They would come home with coolers full of filets. For the rest of us, this meant fish fries all summer. For those guys, these were the good old days of walleye fishing. Yet, many argue the fishing on Lake Erie is better now than ever before, and that the real good old days are happening right now.

I have fished Lake Erie with friends out of their personal boats and done well. When I experienced Lake Erie at its best, I was on a guided trip with Sea Breeze Charters out of Port Clinton. The excitement of the fishing was short lived, because everyone on the boat had their limit within an hour. The captain knew right where the fish were and what they would eat. Basically, every time I dropped my jig tipped with a minnow down to the bottom and bounced it a couple of times, I caught another walleye. It was the sort of trip tha built the legend of Lake Erie.

HATCH ABOVE AVERAGE The Ohio DNR says the walleye hatch success has been well above average for seven of the past 10 years, including the three largest hatches ever surveyed. Anglers should expect to catch an abundance of fish ranging from 15 to 24 inches. There are many larger fish still around from the boom hatch of 2015 that provide the chances to reel in a trophy of a lifetime. To qualify for the prestigious designation of “Fish Ohio,” a walleye must measure a minimum of 28 inches.

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14 • LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, May 8-14, 2025 TROPHY HUNTS!

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By BRANDON BUTLER Driftwood Outdoors Camping is a foundation outdoor adventure. Often tying other outdoor activities together. It doesn’t matter if you’re going on a fishing or hunting trip, a relaxing weekend getaway to hike and bike, or into the backcountry in search of solitude; the adventure of camping out is central to the experience. The Midwest is home to some of the best camping opportunities in the country. We have the Great Lakes, Ozark Mountains, vast grasslands, Black Hills, Badlands, and backcountry.

The diversity of camping options in the Midwest is endless.

There are many different styles of camping. A lady in the backcountry with a backpack and the guy hauling a 40-foot travel trailer to a state park are both campers. Some of my earliest memories are of camping with my mother and father at Potato Creek State Park in Northern Indiana. The 3,840-acre amenity rich park was a wilderness in my young mind. Now I have camped in actual remote wilder-

ness settings on multiple continents. Being outdoors, whether it be on a solo adventure, or a shared experience, enjoying nature at the level you are comfortable is all that matters.

The following list offers suggestions on camping at special destinations across the Midwest region. These Top 10 are only a small sample of the amazing camping opportunities available here in

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the middle of America.

MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK Mammoth Cave National Park in Mammoth Cave, Ky. is the gateway to world’s longest known cave system, Mammoth Cave. This wonder of the world located in the Midwest of numerous options of guided caves to tours catering to different physical abilities and interests. The Historic Tour is the classic Mammoth Cave experience taking visitors through the Historic Entrance to the famed Rotunda and through many more mind-blowing geological features.

Campers visiting Mammoth Cave National Park have options.

Three campgrounds offer common amenities and close proximity to the cave tours. Maple Springs Group Campground allows horses, which many riders bring to explore the 70 miles of backcountry trails. Mammoth Cave and Maple Springs are open March 1 – Nov. 30.

Houchin Ferry is open year-round.

Backcountry sites are available and accessible year-round. All camping in the park requires a permit. Reservations are highly recommended in peak season. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/maca.

NIOBRARA NATIONAL SCENIC RIVER The Niobrara National Scenic River located in Valentine, Neb., courses through desolate, beautiful mixed-grass prairies and dunes of the Sandhills Region of north-central Nebraska. This popular floating river is an oasis of the plains teeming with wildlife and stunning scenery. Just east of Valentine, the river flows through the Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge. Where floaters may see bison, elk, deer, turkey, prairie dogs and more along the river.

Niobrara National Scenic River does not offer any campgrounds, lodging, or concessions. Numerous privately owned campgrounds along river also offer canoe livery services. Scenic Smith Falls State Park, a popular camp spot along the river, is home to Nebraska’s highest waterfall. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/niob.

LIGHTHOUSE POINT AT CEDAR POINT If location is key, then Lighthouse Point in Sandusky, Ohio, is the place for you when visiting Sandusky area. This private campground is family destination See SUMMER CAMPING page 16

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TEE OFF! Play a round at our many gorgeous golf courses.

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WARRENSBURG FARMERS ’ MARKE T every Saturday for fresh, local goods.

GARDENS OF FUN Enjoy Powell Garden’s beautiful landscapes and exciting seasonal events – like Festival of Butterflies this summer!

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Outdoor Guide Hunting, Fishing, Camping, Boating, Outdoor Travel

Summer camping From page 14 that covers all the bases. Situated right on the shore of Lake Erie, you have some of the finest fishing in the Great Lakes right outside your

camper door. Cedar Point Amusement Park is a childhood favorite of many Midwestern kids. Being onsite allows for easy access to

the rides and waterpark. A short ferry ride delivers you to the Bass Islands. You’ll find island life culture in Put-In-Bay, often referred to as the “Key West of the North.”

Lighthouse Point has cottages, cabins, and 145 RV campsites with modern amenities. The lakefront cottages offer scenic views of Lake Erie. Luxury RV sites feature patio sites with lake views. There is a private swimming pool and convenience store. For more information, visit www.cedarpoint.com.

TAKE

5

Improve your shotgun bird hunting skills!

Targets in 5-stand shotgun shooting imitate the flight patterns of popular game birds. Shooters rotate through five stations where clay targets can fly left and right, toward, and away and at different angles and speeds – even bounce on the ground.

Both MDC shooting ranges in the St. Louis region are hosting 5-stand at the following times through Aug. 31: August A. Busch Shooting Range Thursday 1 - 7:30 p.m.

Friday 10 am. - 4:30 p.m.

Jay Henges Shooting Range Wednesday 1 - 7:30 p.m.

Thursday 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

1

dy Dalton e City Henges ma Woods gust A. Busch

5-stand is excellent prep for game bird hunting and can sharpen your shotgun skills. $5 per round, cash or check only. Includes clay birds; eye and ear protection available.

No reservations, first come first served.

Visit mdc.mo.gov/shootingranges to learn more.

COPPER FALLS STATE PARK Copper Falls State Park is a scenic northern Wisconsin camping destination. The park is home to Loon Lake with a sandy beach and carry-in launch for canoes and kayaks. It’s electric motors only.

Kayak and paddleboard rentals are available. Hike to the beautiful waterfalls the park is named for.

The Bad River runs along the park, and Lake Superior and the Chequamegon National Forest are nearby.

The area offers camping, hiking, biking, boating, fishing, foraging, hunting, and more.

Copper Falls has two campgrounds with shaded and forested sites. The North Campground has electric sites. The South Campground is all primitive. It offers a few private walk-in campsites for added privacy. There is one group tent camping area for up to 40 people.

There are flush toilets and showers in the park. Reservations should be made for campsites through the Wisconsin State Park System. For more information, visit www.dnr. wisconsin.gov.

ECHO BLUFF STATE PARK Located in the heart of the Ozark Scenic Riverways Region is a crown jewel of Missouri camping. Echo Bluff State Park in Eminence,

Mo., is surrounded by public land teeming with wildlife. Hundredsof-thousands of acres of MDC conservation areas, Mark Twain National Forest and the Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR) are open to hunting, fishing, hiking and camping. This is a premiere destination for float camping. The Current River and Jacks Fork River both offer the freedom of pitching a tent riverside anywhere in the OSNR. Echo Bluff is a modern property with all the amenities one could ask for. The park serves as the perfect homebase for exploring the area’s attractions like the elk herd at Peck Ranch, Rocky Falls, Devil’s Well, and the area’s many giant cold water springs.

The campground offers a mix of full hookup sites and walk-in tent sites. The impressive Betty Lea Lodge offers 20 state-of-the-art rooms. There are also 13 units in nine modern cabins. There is a general store inside the lodge, along with a first-class restaurant. Reservations are a must in the summer months at this popular state park.

For more information, visit www. mostateparks.com.

(For more Driftwood Outdoors, check out the podcast on www.driftwoodoutdoors.com or anywhere podcasts are streamed.)