June 6, 2024 Labor Tribune

Iron Workers Local 396 celebrates 100th anniversary in style

By ED FINKELSTEIN

Publisher Emeritus

Iron Workers Local 396 celebrated its 100th Anniversary (1924-2024) on May 18 with a day-long, familyfriendly, free event at the union hall that matched the pride of the union’s members and officers, Business Manager/Financial SecretaryTreasurer Mike Heibeck reports. Under sunny skies and shaded tents, the union’s centennial celebration included:

• Live entertainment by Double Down from Nashville, Tenn.

Teamsters Local 682 banners KCI Construction on I-55/Hwy. 67 project Page 4

IBEW Local 1 members honor veterans for Memorial Day by placing flags Page 3 U.S. Steel sale unlikely without union support Page 9

• A variety of food trucks including Grace Meat Three, Stellar Hog, Treaux’s Cajun BBQ and Seoul Taco, in addition to an inside buffet by Mangia Catering complete with an ice sculpture and plenty of beverages for kids and adults alike.

• Activities for the kids included

DESERVED RECOGNITION – Recognizing the magnitude of Iron Workers Local 396’s 100th Anniversary celebration on May 18, joining the celebration were top International Union officers (from left to right) former Local 396 business manager and International President Emeritus Joe Hunt, International Vice President David Beard (who also serves as the St. Louis District Council president) greeted by Local 396 officers Business Manager Mike Heibeck and President/Business Agent Phil Decker, International President Eric Dean and International Treasurer James Mahoney – Iron Workers 396 photo by Melissa Karas

two large bounce houses, the Hill Fire Department trucks and police SWAT vehicle, Sweet & Simple Kettle Korn, Ice Shack STL: Shaved Ice, sidewalk chalk and games of “bags.”

• Guests captured candid pics with a backdrop of a hanging sculpture of the historic 1932 photo of ironworkers seated on a beam 850 feet above New York City eating lunch. Everyone received mementos of the milestone event including a commissioned artwork poster highlighting the union’s memorable projects, t-shirt, decals and a special 100th anniversary pin with the union’s logo under their iconic project, the Gateway Arch. RESPECT

As an indication of the respect Local 396 has within the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers, top officers in attendance included Local 396’s own former Local 396 Business

See IRON WORKERS 396 page 10

Taking workplace mental health from awareness to action

By TIM ROWDEN Editor-in-Chief

Sunset Hills, MO – James Pursell has been a concrete laborer with Laborers Local 110 for 24 years. He’s also a Marine combat veteran, son, husband, father and someone in sustained substance use – alcohol use – recovery and mental health recovery.

“I’m really proud to talk about mental health recovery and what that means,” Pursell said. “Getting help works. Going to treatment works.”

Pursell, who along with Aaron Walsh, of Laborers Local 42, heads up the Laborers’ LEAN-STL (Laborers Escaping Addiction Now)

peer support program, was part of a recent panel “Mental Health in the Trades: From Awareness to Action,” the first in a three-part series presented by Aetna, Construction Forum, and the AFL-CIO Missouri Works Initiative May 15 at Laborers Local 110’s LiUNA Event Center in Sunset Hills, Mo.

“Not everybody is going to have a diagnosis,” Pursell said. “This is incredible that we’re having these conversations. We’re breaking down the stigma, being open about our struggle. Guess what, the secret is out, we all struggle. We’re human beings, we all struggle.

“Men and women in construction

are no different than any other men and women in any other occupation,” he said. “We work together. We know each other. We work in teams together. We strive together. We know when someone is struggling. We know when good things

with Dr. Andrew Loiterstein (center), director of programs for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and James Pursell, peer support specialist with the Laborers’ LEAN-STL (Laborers Escaping Addiction Now) peer support program. – Labor Tribune photo

are happening, when we’re having marriage, children. So we know when people are struggling. And I think it’s a powerful part of who we are, what it means to be a human being that we can support each other.”

See MENTAL HEALTH page 17

Operating Engineers Local 148 suing Franklin County over pay raises for highway department employees

By SHERI GASSAWAY Assistant Editor

Operating Engineers Local 148 has filed a federal lawsuit against Franklin County over a 2.5 percent pay raise that was supposed to go to its highway department workers this year.

The employees, represented by Local 148, learned they would be getting the additional 2.5 percent raise on top of their contract’s existing 2.5 percent raise during a Nov. 9

meeting with county officials, who at the time praised the employees for their hard work and dedication.

Two weeks later, Local 148 Business Representative Brad Wooten and the union’s shop stewards met

with Highway Administrator Jim Grutsch to hammer out the details and learned there was a “catch.”

‘SOMETHING

IN RETURN’

“Grutsch provided us with documents and explained that their attorney had informed them that they could not provide the promised raise ‘without getting something in return,’” Wooten said. “The county demanded that the Local 148 membership approve a one-year contract extension in exchange for

the wage increase.”

Wooten said union members viewed the move as “bait and switch” tactic because there was no mention of the contract extension in the Nov. 9 meeting, and they rejected the offer by a 92 percent vote. Wooten informed Grutsch of the vote and explained why the offer was rejected.

“A few days later the County came back with the same offer of the

FROM AWARENESS TO ACTION: Dr. John Gaal (left), director of the Missouri Works Initiative’s worker wellness program, led a panel discussion May 15 on Mental Health in Construction

Labor-endorsed Senate candidate Lucas Kunce

answers voters’ questions

(EDITOR’S NOTE: In a recent email to supporters, Labor-endorsed Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Lucas Kunce answered questions submitted by voters regarding his positions on various issues, including so-called “right-to-work” and the campaign. Kunce, a 13-year Marine veteran, national security expert and anti-trust advocate, is running to unseat Republican incumbent Sen. Josh Hawley. Three questions for Kunce and his answers are reprinted here.)

What guarantee do your constituents have that you will be a senator that truly represents them and not lobbyists or just votes along party lines?

– Theresa, Clinton County

You probably won’t hear this from other politicians, but I know that how a candidate chooses to fund their campaign has a real impact on who they actually serve in office.

That’s why, since the first day we launched this campaign to take on Josh Hawley, I’ve been committed to fundraising the right way — without a single cent from corporate PACs, federal lobbyists, or Big Oil and Big Pharma execs.

The only people I want to serve in the U.S. Senate are everyday Missourians like the ones who took care of my family after we were bankrupted by medical bills — not the shady corporate elites and mega-donors who’ve made it their business to strip communities across our state, like the one I grew up in, for parts.

In the Senate, I’ll fight for investment in Missouri, to rebuild our forgotten communities, and to finally put everyday Missourians in charge of their own bodies, families, and lives again. And I’ll work with anyone, of any party, to get those things done. That’s my promise to you, and to every Missourian, this year.

How will you support unions and/or fight against “right-to-work” for our hard-working Missourians in union jobs?

– Krista, Cape Girardeau County Labor built this country, and Labor

(Excerpts from the St.Louis Business Journal editorial Oct. 4, 2023)

will build our future. I’m proud of the truly worker-led coalition we’ve built to take back this Senate seat, with endorsements from dozens of statewide and local unions in every corner of Missouri.

The Missouri AFL-CIO and the Missouri Fire Fighters made their earliest endorsements for a senate challenger ever in our race because they know there’s only one candidate who will actually fight for workers — and it’s not Josh Hawley.

They know that I’ll pass the PRO Act, so that we can end the threat of “right-to-work” scams across the country and empower workers in their workplaces.

And beyond those protections, I want to build the next generation of energy right here in America – creating generations of good jobs in essential industries, strengthening our national security, and rebuilding communities across our state and nation.

Do you support protecting Social Security and Medicare?

– Judith, St. Charles County

I’ll always protect every dollar people like you spend their lives working to earn. And I’ll stand up against any and all attempts to “privatize” or “sunset” Social Security — like Rick Scott, who Hawley wants to make his leader in the U.S. Senate, has been threatening for years.

Social Security Works PAC was the first national organization to endorse our campaign because they know I’ll fight to get you every dollar you’re owed from these critical benefits, and that I won’t let anyone get in my way. It’s that simple.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

If you’re interested in supporting Kunce’s campaign, there are several ways you can help.

• Sign up to volunteer at https://act.lucaskunce.com/signup/volunteer

• Make a donation at https://secure.actblue. com/donate/lk-email-20240526-1.

• If you have a question for Kunce, you can submit it at https://act.lucaskunce.com/ survey/lk-email-20240526-1.

Your help needed to pass minimum wage, paid sick leave referendum to benefit workers, our families

By DAVID COOK President UFCW Local 655 Brother and Sisters,

As the proud president of UFCW Local 655, I’ve been involved in the political process for decades. This cycle I’m on the committee for the Healthy Families and Fair Wages Initiative, a ballot initiative that will reward Missouri’s hardworking families by:

• Gradually increasing Missouri’s minimum wage to $15/hour and

• Ensuring all Missouri workers earn paid sick time to care for themselves or loved ones while ill.

On May 1 the campaign submitted over 210,000 signatures that have all been verified, and we feel confident we should be on the November 2024 ballot.

This campaign has been driven by Missouri institutions including my own. Missouri organizing groups have in-kinded over $2 million dollars in labor to qualify the initiative, gathering over 85 percent of the total signatures. We are planning to in-kind an over $500,000 field program, helping increase turnout of our supporters. In addition, the committee has worked diligently to raise capital from entities across the country to invest in this campaign.

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED

While we’ve been successful in raising revenue — we currently have enough money projected to run our baseline program — every little bit increases our ability to communicate our message and thereby the likelihood of victory. So, I’m humbly requesting that you and your organization consider a donation to the Healthy Families Initiative.

CAN IMPACT SENATE RACE

While I think this initiative is deserving of support on the merits of the policy, one additional consideration you might be interested in is the impact this can have in helping voters assess who truly stands with working families and who doesn’t (Senator Josh Hawley!)

While the senator has not yet taken a public position on this issue, given his new-found (phony) penchant to “support workers issues,” we expect he might jump on board for his re-election’s sake. But don’t be fooled. He’s no workers’ candidate. And why would he feign support for this great issue?

Nearly half (46 percent) of independent voters and 17 percent of Republican voters (including 24 percent of Republican women and 25 percent of Republicans under the age of 50) indicated they would be less likely to vote for U.S. Senator Josh Hawley if he opposed this initiative. Union households were also much less likely (41 percent) to vote for Senator Hawley if they heard he opposed this initiative.

(See related story at the bottom of this page about Hawley’s Labor record as he speaks out of two sides of his mouth).

CAN YOU DONATE?

We need your help in helping us reach out to Missouri voters Any and all help – no matter the amount – is appreciated and will be very important. Contributions may be made:

• Online viaActBlue: https://secure. actblue.com/donate/missourians-forhealthy-families---fair-wages-1

• By check payable to Missourians for Healthy Families and Fair Wages and mailed to PO Box 2187, St. Louis, Mo. 63158.

With your financial help, we can bring home this critical victory, and with your vote, rid our state of one phony senator.

In 2018, (Senator Hawley) lined up against Missouri workers on not one but two crucial Labor issues on which he’s now trying to backpedal. That year, he supported a referendum to make Missouri a right-to-work state. That’s a misleading misnomer for letting non-union workers enjoy the fruits of labor contracts without paying dues been undermined by GOP legislators. Hawley’s recent claim that the legislation would “hurt workers more than it helps” is classic anti-Labor doublespeak. But it is at least consistent with the positions he has historically taken on other Labor-rights issues. Until then, the voters should tune out Hawley’s empty sales pitch and judge him based on what he’s done — and failed to do — for working Missourians.

conversion, how about applying it to a pending issue like the PRO (Protect the Right to Organize) Act? That’s federal legislation that would strengthen long-eroded tools for labor organizing, particularly in (so-called) “right-to-work” states where organizing power has or fees to the unions that won them. The whole scheme is designed to undermine the resources of the very unions that negotiate those contracts. Missouri voters saw right through it, defeating the right-to-work measure almost 2 to 1. The same year, Missourians voted to raise the state’s paltry minimum wage after the Republican-controlled legislature refused to. Hawley again sided with big business against the wage earners. Voters again had

You Are

Bread and Roses Missouri ‘Off the Clock’ fundraiser set for June 20

Midtown St. Louis – Bread and Roses Missouri is hosting an “Off the Clock” fundraiser on Thursday, June 20 from 5:30-8:30 pm at Work & Leisure at 3015 Locust Street.

Bread and Roses Missouri amplifies and elevates the stories of working people through art, performance and activism.

“We believe that cultural and creative expression can effect deep and lasting social change,” said Bread and Roses Executive Director Emily Kohring.

Join honorary co-chairs Jose Gomez, business manager of Laborers Local 110, and Adelia Parker-Castro, community artist and humanitarian, for an evening of music, food and fun. Attendees will also have an opportunity hear about 2024 Bread and Roses programming for working people and their families in 2024, including The Caregiving Project and The

Patti Green joins MOWIT as outreach coordinator

Patti Green, a former professional recruiter, has joined Missouri Women in Trades (MOWIT) as outreach coordinator.

BREAD AND ROSES Missouri elevates the stories of working people through art, performance and activism. – Bread and Roses Missouri Workers’ Opera.

“We’re excited to welcome musicians Colin McLaughlin and Celia to the stage with protest songs that will get you singing along!” Kohring said. “And you’ll enjoy the fantastic food of JR’s Gourmet – a big hit at last year’s event!” To purchase tickets or make a donation or become a sponsor, visit https://givebutter.com/ offtheclock2024

GREEN SUBSCRIBE

In her new position, Green will help with recruitment and retention efforts and track outcomes for the non-profit organization, which is dedicated to expanding opportunities for women to enter and succeed in apprenticeships and careers in the St. Louis-area union building and construction trades.

Green has spent the majority of her career recruiting female job candidates, beginning at Hickey Business School. She went on to recruit in the executive and law industries. Then Covid hit and she decided to retire.

“To be able to put all my talents together for MOWIT is one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done,” Green said. “Plus since most of our board members are volunteer and have full-time jobs, I’m able to attend all the job fairs and other meetings to give us a voice and the opportunity to be seen. We’ve had quite a few success stories so far.”

Green said her father was a Teamster organizer and she married a member of Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 562, so she’s well versed on how a union career can change a life for the better, especially for women.

To contact Green, send her an email at MOWITstl@gmail.com or call 314-712-1433. For more information on MOWIT, visit mowit.org

IBEW Local 1 members honor veterans for Memorial Day by placing flags

To the Labor Tribune Weekly. You Don’t Know What You Are Missing!

SOUTH ST. LOUIS COUNTY – A large group of IBEW Local 1 members and their families and friends showed up on a chilly, rainy morning May 26 to place flags on the graves of veterans at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in preparation for the Memorial Day Commemoration Ceremony. IBEW Local 1 member Rick Dinnella and his family helped plan and organize the event each year.

Teamsters Local 682 banners

KCI Construction on I-55/Hwy. 67 project

Illinois unions celebrate wins, note concerns in recently ended legislative session

Illinois unions are celebrating wins in the spring legislative session that concluded this week, as well as concerns.

INCREASES IN SCHOOL FUNDING

The Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) applauded increases of $75 million for early childhood education, $350 million in direct school funding, and more investment in teacher recruitment and retention.

high priority, according to Montgomery, highlighting the Grow Your Own program and teacher vacancy grants as well as keeping up the state’s pension payments.

“These crucial revenue discussions are essential to ensuring Illinois remains a strong economic state and continues to thrive for all its residents while supporting and funding our education and public service priorities,” Montgomery said.

LABOR TRIBUNE STAFF

“The additional $10 million for the Monetary Assistance Program (MAP), bringing full investment in the program to $711 million, is a commendable step,” IFT President Dan Montgomery said. “This increased funding will enhance the financial stability of our public colleges and universities, making higher education more affordable for students, particularly Black, brown and low-income students who benefit the most.”

The state’s MAP grants provide funding based on a family’s income to assist with tuition and fees, similar to and sometimes exceeding the federal Pell grant.

However, the statement from Montgomery also noted that the “meager increase” in funding for higher education fell short.

“A two-percent increase to our state universities is not good enough, however,” he said. “Funding for our state universities has been decimated over the past two decades and it shows.”

The need for more teachers in a time of teacher shortages was a

However, he pointed out the ongoing discussion surrounding the Tier 2 pension issue, which Montgomery and other union leaders maintain is a violation of federal law in that it could potentially leave teachers with a lower pension than guaranteed by the federal Social Security in which they cannot participate.

ILLINOIS EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

Al Llorens, president of the Illinois Education Association, criticized the elimination of two programs for supporting educators: Educators Rising and the Illinois Virtual Instructional Coach and Mentoring Program. Educators Rising focused on introducing high schoolers to the education profession, and the virtual coach program paired new educators with a trained virtual coach for support and feedback.

“At a time when Illinois is experiencing a statewide teacher shortage, it is incomprehensible that funding for vital educator support programs are absent from the current budget proposal,” Llorens said.

BANNING ‘CAPTIVE AUDIENCE’ MEETINGS

Illinois also passed a measure that would stop employers from holding mandatory “captive audience”meetings with anti-union messages for employees, as well as other political and religious messages. Employers can still hold the meetings, but they cannot retaliate against workers who decline to attend.

Tim Drea, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO, lauded the “captive worker meeting” bill as well as other priorities in the future, according to WCIA television.

“People go to work to work, they don’t go to work to be indoctrinated,” Drea said.

He also said the Illinois AFL-CIO supports two proposals to strengthen and remodel child labor laws, and has a vested interest in major construction projects such as the proposed Bears stadium in Chicago.

“Labor likes to build,” Drea said. “We want to have people working who have protections in the workplace… We will make sure the unions have a strong voice in the construction of the facilities and staffing those facilities.”

Illinois’ $53.1 billion budget passed the state Senate May 26 and the House of Representatives May 29. Gov. JB Pritzker said Illinois is “in its strongest fiscal position in decades.” No Republican from either chamber voted in favor of the budget, according to WCIA.

Joe Larrew Ann Dalton Bob Mandava

MONTGOMERY

LLORENS

FESTUS, MO – Teamsters Local 682 Recording Secretary/Business Agent Mark Tucker and Trustee/Business Agent Bob Rademacher (not pictured) put up a SHAME ON banner on KCI Construction on the Interstate 55/Hwy. 67 project here for using Wil-Mix a NON-UNION concrete supplier on the I-55 improvement project. – Teamsters Local 682 photo

DREA

ILLINOIS CENTRAL BODIES

LOCAL UNIONS

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.

RETIREE CLUBS

Boilermakers Local 363 Retirees

IBEW Local 309 Retirees

SPECIAL NOTICE: Our next meeting will be held at 11:30 a.m., July 10, 2024, at Loose Ends Restaurant (formerly Farmer’s Inn), located at 7157 IL-158, Millstadt, IL 62260. There is no meeting in June.

Sheet Metal Workers Local 268 Retirees’ Club Meets on the second Wednesday of the month at Sheet Metal Workers Local 268 Hall, 2701 N. 89th St., Caseyville, Ill. at 1 p.m. All Retirees Welcome.

Official IAM District 9 Notices

IAM Lodge 777 Regular meetings at 7 p.m. on second Thursdays at Machinists Building, 12635 St. Charles Rock Rd., Bridgeton, Mo. SPECIAL NOTICE: Members should contact the Lodge 777 office when changing shops, retiring, going out on sick leave, workers comp, and any change of address.

SPECIAL NOTICE: As of Jan. 1, 2024 the monthly dues will be: $96 per month for Journeymen, Service Writers, Dispatchers, Body Men & Specialist, and $83.50 per month for Apprentice, Greeter, Helper and Production Worker. Unemployment Stamps will be $4.00 per month.

IAM Lodge 822 Regular meetings at 6 p.m. first Tuesday each month at the IAM Lodge 822 Hall 2929 N. Fifth St., Quincy, Ill.

PLEASE NOTE: New Office Hours: Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

IAM Lodge 1345

The regular meetings will be held at the Machinist Hall, 12365 St. Charles Rock Rd., Bridgeton, on the second Thursday of the month at 5:30 p.m. and the night steward meeting is held at noon. If there is a cancellation of any meeting, it will appear under a special notice.

SPECIAL NOTICE: Effective Jan. 1,2024 IAM Local Lodge 1345 dues rates are as follows: For members making $10.50 or less, their dues rate will be $85.50 per month. For members making $10.51 and above, their dues rate will be $92.50 per month. The initiation fee is $185, which is twice the monthly dues and $370 for reinstatement, which is four times the monthly dues. The out-of-work dues remains at $4.00. Dues are due no later than the 10th day of the following month they are due.

card number and reason you are requesting an absentee ballot. Send request to Christopher Steinkuehler at 12365 St Charles Rock Rd, Bridgeton, MO 63044. ALL LODGE 41 BY-LAWS WILL APPLY. SPECIAL NOTICE: The July 1, and Aug. 8, 2024 meetings have been canceled. Members take note. IAM Lodge 313 Regular meeting and Shop Stewards’ meeting will be held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m., Sheet Metal Workers Local 268 Hall, 2701 North 89th St., Caseyville, Ill. 62232. See website at autolocal313.com OFFICE HOURS: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Telephone 618-3976336. When mailing dues be sure to enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of your book. Make your

SPECIAL NOTICE: Members should contact the Local 1345 office 314-739-8301 when retiring, going out on sick leave,workers comp and with any change of address or phone numbers.

IAM Lodge 1745

Membership meetings will be held for the first shift at 4 p.m. the second Monday each month at Ron’s Catering, 113 E. Main St., Warrenton. Quarterly meetings will be held for the second shift at 2 p.m. the second Monday of these months: March, June, September and December.

SPECIAL NOTICE: When approaching retirement, it’s a member’s responsibility to contact the financial secretary or local lodge officer to get an application for a retirement card.

IAM Lodge 1815

Meetings are held at 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday each month at AFL-CIO meeting hall, 534 S. Second Street, Springfield, IL 62701.

SPECIAL NOTICE: July and August meeting are canceled. We will resume regular meetings in September.

IAM Lodge 2782 The regular monthly meetings will be held at 5 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month at the IAM Lodge 2782 office, 408 Washington Ave. Suite 134, West Plains, MO.

SPECIAL NOTICE: The meeting for second-shift workers will be held at 2 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month at the IAM Lodge 2782 office, 408 Washington Ave. Suite134, West Plains, MO.

RETIREE CLUBS

IAM District 9 Retirees Club Meets the fourth Tuesday, 10 a.m. at Machinists’ Building, 12365 St. Charles Rock Road, Bridgeton, Mo. David Meinell, president, Caroline Kemper, secretary-treasurer. Retirees and spouses are cordially invited to join the Retirees’ Club.

IAM Lodge 660 Retirees’ Club Retired members, wife or husband, father and mother of members in good standing, the retired members club’s regular meeting will be held at the Machinists’ Center, 161 Shamrock Street, East Alton, Ill., on the first Wednesday of each month. Social hour at 10 a.m. Covered dish dinner at noon and games and entertainment at 1 p.m. Barbara Hayes, Recording Secretary.

IAM Lodge 822 Retirees’ Club Meetings are held on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. Call L. 822 at 217-222-0394 for information.

MISSOURI

CENTRAL BODIES

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 Third Monday at 6 p.m., Sheet Metal Workers Local 36, 2319 Chouteau. Craig Darrah, president.

LOCAL UNIONS

Boilermakers Local 27 The monthly membership meetings are at 8 p.m. the first Monday at the Boilermakers Hall, 1547 S. Broadway. Applications for Construction Boilermakers Apprentice will be accepted by the Boilermakers Joint Apprenticeship Committee on the second Monday of each month at the Local 27 hall, 1547 South Broadway, St. Louis, Missouri 63104, from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. The recruitment, selection, employment and training of apprentices during their apprenticeship shall be without discrimination because of race, religion, national origin, age or sex. Every applicant must supply a copy of their BIRTH CERTIFICATE and High School DIPLOMA/G.E.D. that the Committee can keep at the time of filing application for apprenticeship.

WELDING QUALIFICATION: Applicants that have a welding certification or welding training qualifications will have priority selection over applicants with no welding qualifications. Applicants must provide a copy and proof of welding certification or welding training qualifications at the time of application.

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

IBEW Local 1 Union Meetings will be held the First Wednesday and the Third Friday of each Month at the IBEW, Local 1 Union Hall, 5850 Elizabeth Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63110. The meeting begins promptly at 5 p.m. Please note: There are no First Wednesday Meetings held during the months of June, July, and August.

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 42 Union meetings are the fourth Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at Local 42’s Union Hall at 301 South Ewing Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63103. Laborers Local 42 offers a recurring payment option for dues payments. Find out more and sign-up by calling the Union Hall at 314-531-1187 or coming to the hall in person at 301 S. Ewing Ave., St. Louis, MO 63103.

Laborers Local 110 4532 S Lindbergh Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63127. Meetings are the second Wednesday of every month at 6:30 p.m.

Laborers Local 660 New address: 1320 S Callahan Rd., Wentzville, MO 63385

Operating Engineers Local 513 St. Louis meetings: 7 p.m. second Friday monthly at 3449 Hollenberg Drive, Bridgeton, MO 63044. Louisiana meetings: 7 p.m. first Thursday in even months at the American Legion Hall, 420 Kelly Lane, Louisiana, MO. Jefferson City meetings: 7 p.m. third Monday in even months at The Fraternal Order of Eagles (FOE), 1411 Missouri Blvd., Jefferson City, MO. Cape Girardeau meetings: 7 p.m. fourth Thursday in even months at 777 Enterprise Street, Cape Girardeau, MO.

NOTICE OF NOMINATIONS

Operating Engineers Local 513 will conduct an election for all officers listed in the Local 513 By-Laws, Article VII, Section 7.01. Nominations for this election will be conducted at the regular union meeting at 7:00 P.M. on June 14, 2024 at the Local 513 Union Hall, 3449 Hollenberg Drive, St. Louis, Missouri. Nominations must be made in person at this meeting. Nominations must receive a second. A member may not nominate themselves or second their nomination. A member need not be present to be

Alexandria, VA – The wife of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito raised a new flag in front of the couple’s home late last week.

Justice Alito said that he played “no role” in the latest flag-related incident involving his wife.

“I have recused myself from all decisions made on my flagpole,” he said.

The Alito’s neighbors were not available for comment because they were too busy dancing in the street.

of June 2022 through May 2024. The payment of supplemental dues is not considered in determining eligibility for the purpose of this election.

3. A member must file a written acceptance of nomination with the Recording-Corresponding Secretary by 10:00 A.M. on July

2, 2024.

4. A member must attend the regular union meeting on July 12, 2024, or provide reasonable excuse for not attending. Any requirements for nominators, seconds or nominees not specified in this notice will be subject to the Constitution of the International Union of the Operating Engineers and the By-Laws of Union Local 513.

SPECIAL NOTICE OF ELECTION ELECTION OF OFFICERSOPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 513 Election for Officers of Operating Engineers Local 513 shall be by a secret ballot, conducted by mail referendum in accordance with Article XXIV Subdivision I Section (E) of the Constitution of the International Union. The printing, mailing, receiving and tabulating of all ballots shall be conducted by Election Services United Corp. under the supervision of the Local 513 Election Commissioners. In order to receive a ballot and vote in the election, a member must be in good standing and have paid his/her dues through June 2024.

Your Health

Mind, Body, Spirit

Foods that can help lower risk of cancer

An anti-cancer diet is an important strategy you can use to reduce your risk of cancer. The American

Cancer Society advises following the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, which is to consume at least 2½ to 3 cups

of vegetables and 1½ to 2 cups of fruit each day (roughly five servings total) to reduce risk of cancer.

A study that followed 100,000 people over 30 years supports the recommendation, finding that doing so reduces the risk of dying from cancer, as well as cardiovascular and respiratory disease. In addition, researchers are finding that certain foods that prevent cancer may be an important part of an anti-cancer diet.

Although selecting cancer-fighting foods at the grocery store and

at mealtime can’t guarantee cancer prevention, good choices may help reduce your risk. Consider these anti-cancer diet guidelines:

• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins and nutrients that are thought to reduce the risk of some types of cancer. Eating more plantbased foods also gives you little room for foods high in sugar. Instead of filling up on processed or sugary foods, eat fruits and vegetables for snacks. The Mediterranean diet offers foods that fight cancer, focusing mostly on plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts. People who follow the Mediterranean diet choose cancer-fighting foods like olive oil over butter and fish instead of red meat.

• Sip green tea throughout your day. Green tea is a powerful antioxidant and may be an important part of an anti-cancer diet. Green tea, a cancer-fighting food, may be helpful in preventing liver, breast, pancreatic, lung, esophageal and skin cancer. Researchers report that a nontoxic chemical found in green tea, epigallocatechin-3 gallate, acts against urokinase (an enzyme crucial for cancer growth). One cup of green tea contains between 100 and 200 milligrams of this anti-tumor ingredient.

• Eat more tomatoes. Research confirms that the antioxidant lycopene, which is in tomatoes, may be more powerful than beta-carotene, alphacarotene, and vitamin E. Lycopene is a cancer-fighting food associated with protection against certain cancers such as prostate and lung cancer. Be sure to cook the tomatoes, as this method releases the lycopene and makes it available to your body.

• Use olive oil. In Mediterranean countries, this monounsaturated fat is widely used for both cooking and salad oil and may be a cancerfighting food. Breast cancer rates

• Snack on grapes. Red grapes have seeds filled with the superantioxidant activin. This cancerfighting chemical, also found in red wine and red grape juice, may offer significant protection against certain types of cancer, heart disease and other chronic degenerative diseases.

• Use garlic and onions abundantly. Research has found that garlic and onions can block the formation of nitrosamines, powerful carcinogens that target several sites in the body, usually the colon, liver and breasts. Indeed, the more pungent the garlic or onion, the more abundant the chemically active sulfur compounds that prevent cancer.

• Eat fish. Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna and herring contain omega-3 fatty acids, a type of fatty acid that has been linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer. If you don’t currently eat fish, you might consider adding it to your anti-cancer diet. Another way to add omega-3s to your diet is by eating flaxseed.

• Include more whole grains. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, whole grains contain many components that might lower your risk of cancer, including fiber and antioxidants. A large study including nearly half a million people found that eating more whole grains may lower the risk of colorectal cancer, making them a top item in the category of foods to fight cancer. Oatmeal, barley, brown rice and whole-wheat bread and pasta are all examples of whole grains.

• Don’t forget the beans. Certain fruits and vegetables and other plant foods get plenty of recognition for being good sources of antioxidants, but beans often are unfairly left out of the picture. Some beans, particularly pinto and red kidney beans, are outstanding sources of antioxidants and should be included in your anti-cancer diet. Beans also contain fiber, which may also help reduce your risk of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.

Three ways to give: Mail: Check/money order payable to “$5 for the

, “$5 for the Fight.” Select “Automatic monthly deduction,” amount and number of months donation. NOTE:

SOME BEANS, particularly pinto and red kidney beans, are outstanding sources of antioxidants and should be included in an anti-cancer diet.

CWA endorses U.S. Rep. Cori Bush for re-election to Missouri’s 1st Congressional District

The Communications Workers of America (CWA) has endorsed U.S. Representative Cori Bush (D-St. Louis) for re-election to Missouri’s 1st Congressional District.

“Throughout her time in Congress, Rep. Bush has been an unrelenting fighter for working-class families, the underserved, the poor, and the marginalized,” the union said in a statement. “Millions of working families in Missouri and across the country are struggling to afford basic necessities such as food, housing, and transportation. During times such as these, we urgently need powerful fighters like Rep. Cori Bush in the U.S. Capitol who push a policy agenda that will deliver real change for working families.

“While many members of Congress make decisions on critical issues without giving the slightest thought to the impact on working families, we can rest assured that Rep. Cori Bush has our interests front and center of her policy agenda,” the statement continued.

“Unlike most members of Congress, she knows firsthand what it is like to live paycheck-to-paycheck and to be unhoused. Her lived experience combined with her years of community activism, her work as a nurse, and two terms as a member of Congress make her the

ideal fighter for working people and Organized Labor.”

‘UNWAVERING COMMITMENT’

Natashia Pickens, executive-vice president of CWA Local 6400 Missouri State Workers Union, said Bush has dedicated her career to public service.

“On behalf of the Missouri State Workers Union, CWA Local 6400, we stand 100 percent behind Congresswoman Cori Bush’s re-election for Missouri’s 1st Congressional District. Our members have dedicated their careers to public service; serving the elderly, disabled, at-risk children, the chronically ill, and

low-income Missourians. Being a nurse by profession, Congresswoman Bush shares our unwavering commitment to serving those most in need. Our union strongly supports her re-election because she has and continues to walk in our shoes.”

‘FIGHTER FOR WORKING FAMILIES’

“CWA is a diverse union representing telecommunications, public sector, manufacturing, print and publishing, health care, and workers in many other fields. While our members face unique challenges in their respective industries, we are united in our mission to improve the livelihoods of all working-class people,” said CWA District 6 Vice President Derrick Osobase.

“Rep. Cori Bush has embodied this mission throughout her tenure in Congress and is an unrelenting fighter for CWA and all working families. We enthusiastically throw our full support behind U.S. Representative Cori Bush for re-election to Missouri’s 1st Congressional District.”

Bush will face St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell, former state legislator Maria ChappelleNadal and teacher/coach Ron Harshaw in the Democratic primary election Aug. 6.

To have a voice in the political process, join your local Labor Club

In Missouri, gaining a voice in local, statewide and national politics starts with your area Labor Club.

Here are Labor-political clubs throughout the St. Louis area and other parts of

FRANKLIN COUNTY

LABOR POLITICAL COMMITTEE

Meets at 7:30 p.m. the first Monday of the month at Hagies 19th Hole, 618 North Washington Avenue, Union, Mo. 63084. Dan Kloeppel, president P.O. Box 21 Union, Mo. 63084

Phone: 636-368-1366

Email: franklincountylabor.@gmail.com

JEFFERSON COUNTY

LABOR POLITICAL COMMITTEE

Meets at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of the month (Executive Committee at 6 p.m.) at Mississippi River Eagles Club, 330 Bailey Road, Crystal City, Mo. 63019

Chuck DeMoulin, president 181 St. Benedict Pevely, Mo. 63070

Phone: 314-226-7870

MID-MISSOURI LABOR CLUB

Meets at 6:00 pm the second Monday of the month at Columbia Labor Temple, 611 N. Garth, Columbia, Mo. 65203. Russ Unger, president P.O. Box 471 Fulton, Mo. 65251

Phone: 573-642-1833

Missouri. JOIN IN!

These clubs provide members with information on pending legislation, interview and evaluate political candidates, make recommendations to the Greater St. Louis

MINERAL AREA

LABOR LEGISLATIVE CLUB

Meets at 7 p.m. the second Thursday of the month at American Legion Post 39, 5073 Flat River Road, Farmington, Mo. 63640

Lee Asher, president P.O. Box 92 Farmington, Mo. 63640 Phone: 573-631-4395

Additional Contact: Scott Bockenkamp, vice president, 573-366-0802

NORTH COUNTY LABOR LEGISLATIVE CLUB

Meets at 7:00 p.m. the first Monday of the month with the exception of July, August and September in non-election years (Executive Board meets at 6:30 p.m.) at IAM District Lodge 837, 212 Utz Lane Hazelwood, Mo. 63042

Frederick C. Searcy Jr., president 3640 Corporate Trail Earth City, Mo. 63045 Phone: 314-914-5744

Email: freds@pnp562.org Website: www.northcountylaborclub.com

Breaking Barriers: How Unions are Drivng Inclusivity in the Labor Force

by MICHELLE ZETTERGREN

Labor unions represent workers of all levels of education, of diverse backgrounds and across most industries in America. Women now make up almost half of union workers, and nearly four in ten workers covered by a union contract are African American, Hispanic, AAPI or non-white.

Unions are also important advocates for gender and racial pay equity. Hourly wages for women represented by a union are on average 4.7% higher than for comparable nonunionized women. Black union workers are paid on average 13.1% more than their nonunionized counterparts, and Hispanic union workers earn 18.8% more on average than their nonunionized Hispanjc peers. Labor unions that embrace diversity initiatives are best prepared to meet the evolving needs of their workforce. The following are a few successful programs that are creating new economic opportunities for underrepresented workers.

HELMETS TO HA RDHATS

Helmets to Hardhats (H2H) began in 2003 to help military veterans transition to careers in the building trades. H2H partners with international trade unions

and local building trades - such as the International Union ofBricklayers & Allied Craftsworkers, the Joint Apprentice Committee of Iron Workers Locals 40 & 361 and the Plumbers Local Union No. 200, among others - that facilitate veterans' tansition to civilian careers in construction. The program begins with earn-whileyou-learn apprenticeship training, which includes educating participants on how to use their G.I. Bill benefits to supplement their income during this time. After service members complete their apprenticeships, H2H connects them with interested employers.

Helmets to Hardhats has empowered over 41,000 veterans to join the construction trade - 3,000 of whom are in New York alone.

NONTRA DITIONAL EMPLOYMENT FOR WOMEN {NEW )

For over 40 years, Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) has worked to preare, train and place women in careers in the skilled construction, utility and maintenance trades. This program aims to help low-income women achieve economic independence and secure a future for themselves and their families. NEW's goal is to increase the number of women in skilled labor, particularly in

Labor Council for COPE endorsements and provide volunteers for leafleting and poll workers. They are the first crucial step toward electing worker-friendly candidates. Union members are encouraged to be -

NORTHEAST MISSOURI

LABOR LEGISLATIVE CLUB

Meets at 7:00 on the first Monday of the month at the Electricians Hall, 801 Church Street, Hannibal, Mo. 63401

Steve Garner, president P.O. Box 735 Fulton, Mo. 65251

Phone: 573-592-0201

ROCKWOOD LABOR CLUB

Meets at 7 p.m. the fourth Wednesday of each month at Eureka-Pacific Elks Lodge, 19 West First Street, Eureka, Mo. 63025

Marty McClimens, president 2174 Timber Ridge Pacific, Mo. 63069

Phone: 314-494-8985

ST. LOUIS CITY

LABOR LEGISLATIVE CLUB

Meets at 7 p.m. the second Thursday of the month at Laborers’ Local 42, 301 S. Ewing Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 63103. Dave Holmes, president 301 S. Ewing Ave.

St. Louis, Mo. 63103 Email: daveholmes1948@yahoo.com

trades that offer strong wages, benefits, training and potential for advancement. NEW provides training, including both daytime and rughttirne courses. Graduates of the program go on to have successful careers as union carpenters, electricians, ironworkers, laborers, plumbers and operating engineers.

come a member of the Labor club in their vicinity. To join, come to the next meeting or contact a spokesperson for the club nearest you.

SOUTH ST. LOUIS COUNTY

LABOR POLITICAL ORGANIZATION

Meets at 7:00 p.m. on the 4th Thursday of the month, January through October, at the Bricklayers Local 1 of Missouri, 1670 Fenpark Drive, Fenton, Mo. 63026

Tom Madden, president P.O. Box 510387

St. Louis, M0. 63151

Phone: 314-355-1000

Email: socolabor@aol.com

TRI-COUNTY

LABOR LEGISLATIVE CLUB

Meets at 6:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month at #10 Droste Square, St. Charles, Mo. 63301 (Executive Board meets at 6 p.m.)

Joe Mueller, president 10 Droste Square

St. Charles, Mo. 63301

Website: www.tricountylaborclub.com

WARREN COUNTY

LABOR LEGISLATIVE CLUB

Meets at 6:30 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at Social House, 227 E. Main Street, Warrenton, Mo. 63383 (Executive Board meets at 6 p.m.)

Rod Herman (Gas Workers 11-6), president Phone: 314-581-8448

Email: rherrmannusw@gmail.com

Steve Dussold (IBEW 1), vice president

of many of its participants, with more than 85% of graduates still working in the building trades. Many have also become P2A Peer Mentors, teaching classes and conducting information sessions for others interested in joining.

THE FUTURE OF DIVERSITY IN LABOR Unions that incorporate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEi) initiatives are seeing the benefits of embracing a diverse workforce. Workers from different backgrounds bring a va riety of persp ectives to an organization, which facilitates more innovative problemsolving. In fact, research shows that diverse and inclusive workforces are 1.7 times more innov ative.

PATHWAYS TO APP RENTICESHIP {P2A)

Pathways to Apprenticeship (P2A) aims to combat intergenerational poverty by empowering low-income New Yorkers to pursue careers in the building trades. Many of the individuals that P2A works with were formerly incarcerated (6 6%) and a trades career is an opportunity for them to earn a steady middle-class income.

After participants graduate, P2A schedules interviews with building trades unions for available apprenticeships. P2A also provides graduates with resume assistance, interview coach ing and aptitude test preparation. This program has transformed the lives

In 2020, about 10.6 million of the 15.9 million workers covered by a union contract in the U.S. were women and/ or people of color. And, with initiatives like H2H, NEW and P2A working with unions to make additional strides in inclusivity, it's only a matter of time before skilled labor sees an even greater increase in representation.

■ Michelle Zettergren is President of MagnaCare, a national third-party administrator ofLabor and TaftHartley Fund health plans.

Several New York area unions sponsor registered apprenticeship programs that use NEW as a direct entry provider. Today, the number of women represented in trade careers in New York City has increased to 7% ( compared to 2% 40 years ago), with many apprenticeships appr oaching or exceeding 15% women.

U.S. Steel sale unlikely without union support

By ELIZABETH DONALD Illinois Correspondent

United Steelworkers (USW) has fired back against Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel in the ongoing campaign for support, while a rival steelmaker predicts the Nippon deal won’t go through.

“The chances of the acquisition going through are close to zero,” said Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves at the American Iron and Steel Institute’s annual meeting, according to Mint. “We’re waiting for an end. It’s like a sick patient that sits on a bed with a bunch of tubes and sensors around him. He is still alive, but for what?”

Goncalves has reiterated several times that he doesn’t believe the deal can go through without union support, and Cleveland-Cliffs is so far the only steel company that United Steelworkers has supported for purchasing U.S. Steel.

In April, Cleveland-Cliffs reiterated its willingness to buy the iconic steel company if the Nippon deal falls through. Goncalves said his bid has the full support of the U.S. government and both presidential candidates.

“It would be a silly movement to wait for the election in the hopes that a different outcome would be allowed to them, because I also have support from President Trump,” Goncalves said.

‘DOG AND PONY SHOW’

In the last week of May, Nippon chairman Takahiro Mori created a six-minute video addressed to U.S.

Steel workers, as well as personally visiting mills, diners and community centers in Pennsylvania trying to get the workers on board, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

U.S. Steel CEO Dave Burritt also made a video encouraging workers to support the deal.

But USW President David McCall said in a statement cosigned by negotiating committee chair Mike Millsap that the Memorial Day weekend public relations blitz was a “dog and pony show” aimed primarily at steelworkers and elected officials.

“There is no end to their desire to keep their stock cash-outs and golden parachutes from slipping through their fingers,” McCall said.

NIPPON HASN’T AGREED

“Our BLA requires the ultimate parent of any buyer to bind itself to the agreement,” McCall said.

“Here, Nippon Steel is the ultimate parent, and it has not bound itself to our agreements.”

The case will be heard by a threeperson panel of labor experts in August, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Meanwhile, Mori said that he believed the dialogue with the unions would be different after the election, according to Financial Times

“I think there is a possibility of a calmer discussion once the political leverage of the USW is gone,” he said. “So, my determination to close as soon as possible has not changed.”

Mori has been meeting with local

staff and elected officials in Pittsburgh and dispatching technical teams to review U.S. Steel mills, according to Bloomberg. Some options being discussed include increasing their pledge and providing greater guarantees around the labor agreement, while U.S. Steel leaders hold meetings with employees to discuss the Nippon plans and “correct any misperceptions.”

NOT IMPRESSED

However, USW is unmoved, accusing Nippon of sidestepping their concerns. “Nippon Steel continues to evade becoming a party to the BLAs and the pension and insurance agreements,” wrote McCall in a separate release co-signed by Millsap.

“And what’s worse, today’s letter says nothing about Nippon’s previous promises, however flimsy, to make capital expenditures in our facilities, avoid layoffs, provide

To Do: Build an Emergency Fund ASK THE BANKER

By WES BURNS Executive Vice President of Community and Economic Development

Spring and summer bring stormy weather. If Mother Nature damages your property, do you have enough money saved to cover your insurance deductible and repairs?

Life happens, and while we can’t predict it, we can be prepared for it. If you want to take control of your financial future, building an emergency fund should be at the top of your to-do list.

What is an emergency fund?

An emergency fund is like your financial safety net, ready to catch you when unexpected expenses or emergencies arise. It’s a stash of money set aside specifically for life’s curveballs, whether it’s a medical emergency, a sudden home repair, or even unexpected job loss. Essentially, it’s your “just-in-case” fund, empowering you to tackle whatever life throws your way.

Why is it important?

Imagine that your car breaks down suddenly, leaving you with a hefty bill and maybe a couple days without transportation to your job. Without an emergency fund, you might have to borrow money or dip into your savings meant for other goals. You could fall victim to predatory lenders that charge up to 400% APY or go into credit card debt at high interest rates.

Having an emergency fund means you can handle these unforeseen expenses without disrupting your financial goals or going into debt. It can act as a buffer, giving you the free-

dom to navigate life’s surprises with confidence.

the USW with information to audit profit sharing, and other important concerns.”

GRANITE CITY CONCERNS

McCall specifically referenced the Granite City plant in his concerns about wider problems for supply chains and national defense.

“America’s capacity to produce virgin steel from iron ore has already diminished with U.S. Steel’s shutdown of steelmaking at Great Lakes and the idling of steelmaking at Granite City,” he said.

U.S. Steel issued a press release on May 21 stating it needs to counteract “the long-running misinformation campaign,” initially laying blame on Cleveland Cliffs as “one of our competitors and unsuccessful bidder” and alleging that the steel company is trying to push false rumors to derail the transaction. Later it accused the union of delaying “to

As important as it is, only about half of U.S. households had emergency savings to cover one month of income in 2022, according to the Urban Institute. Not having an emergency fund greatly increases your likelihood of falling into financial hardship, particularly if you are a tradesperson or laborer with fluctuating income.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE EMERGENCY SAVINGS, MY ADVICE IS TO START TODAY WITH WHATEVER YOU CAN AFFORD.

How to Get Started

1. Open a savings account. You don’t need a significant investment to open an account, but talk to your banker to make sure you’re meeting your minimum balance requirement. Your banker should have a no-cost account option as well.

2. Automate it. Set up the account so that a certain amount is automatically transferred to it from your checking every month or pay cycle. Treat it like every other bill that needs to be paid.

3. Set a goal. The amount you need in an emergency account is different for each individual. A single college student would require less emergency funds than a family of five that owns a home and two vehicles. Evaluate your budget and expenses. Think about worst case scenarios. If you lose your job or experience a slowdown in income, how much would you need to get by?

How to Build the Fund

4. Prioritize it. Emergency funds are a necessity. Make a commitment to fund it consistently, and only use it when you absolutely have to. If your finances get tight, your emergency account should be the last to get cut.

the detriment of the employees they represent.”

“Both (Nippon) and U.S. Steel remain as fully committed as ever to completing the transaction that will protect and grow U.S. Steel for generations to come, bolster competition and innovation in the American steel industry for the benefit of American consumers, and enhance U.S. national security,” the statement read.

ACTIONS LOUDER THAN WORDS

However, McCall pointed out that Nippon representatives have testified before the International Trade Commission asking for tariffs to be lifted from Japanese-made products.

“Actions speak louder than words, and it is easy to see, putting aside their propaganda, how Nippon would treat U.S. Steel after the merger,” McCall said. “Where the interests of Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel collide, it is easy to see how Nippon would resolve that. But, not surprisingly, Nippon says nothing about all of the ‘outs’ that its lawyers have written that would allow it to escape these obligations.””

Meanwhile, the European Union gave its stamp of approval to the buyout in May as expected. Shares of U.S. Steel rose two percent upon the EU approval, though that wasn’t enough to make up for the losses throughout the negotiations. U.S. Steel has lost a quarter of its share value this year, according to Reuters

Presented by

5. Trim unnecessary expenses. Take a close look at your budget and cut out what you reasonably can. Whether it’s dining out less often or canceling subscriptions, redirecting that money into your emergency fund can accelerate your savings.

6. Allocate windfalls. Whenever you receive unexpected windfalls, like tax refunds or work bonuses, resist the temptation to splurge. Instead, funnel these extra funds directly into your emergency account.

7. Monitor and adjust as needed. Life is unpredictable, and your financial situation may change over time. Periodically reassess your emergency fund goal and adjust it as needed. As your account grows, you may be able to transfer some funds into a higher yield product, like a certificate of deposit, to earn a higher interest rate. And if you dip into your fund for a legitimate emergency, make it a priority to replenish it as soon as possible.

Even if you start small, with consistency the payoff is big: financial stability and peace of mind. If you’re ready to take control of your financial future, give Midwest BankCentre a call at 314-631-5500. One of our banking specialists can help you set up a savings account, or you can open one online in minutes at MidwestBankCentre.com. Start saving today to prepare for the uncertainties of tomorrow!

WES BURNS

Iron Workers 396

Manager and International President Emeritus Joe Hunt, current International officers President Eric Dean, Treasurer James Mahoney and Vice President David Beard who also serves as the St. Louis District Council president.

TRIBUTE

Recognizing everyone for what he described as an “incredible” turnout, Heibeck first thanked the event’s planners headed by President/Business Agent Phil Decker and the officers of Local 396 and staff.

Heibeck paid special tribute to the local’s older generation “who paved the way for us through their dedication and hard work as we grew our union.” He then offered a challenge to younger members to carry on the traditions for the next 100 years.

From page 1

DAY TO REMEMBER

“Thanks to all our members and their families and our many, many guests who came out to help us celebrate,” Heibeck said. “It was a day we’ll all remember.”

For safety purposes 59th street was blocked off to allow free flow of activities and circulation by the more than 1,500 members, families and friends that spent the fun-filled day at the union’s hall, 2500 59th Street.

Based on the smiles of so many happy faces, laughter, and cheers of happiness from the hundreds of children, and the hugs and backslaps from old friends, it was an incredibly successful and appropriate celebration of this unique milestone.

Congratulations to Local 396 from the entire Labor Movement and the Labor Tribune on their special milestone.

LASTING MEMENTO – Channeling the spirit of vintage concert posters, this unique poster was distributed to guests at the union’s 100th Anniversary celebration highlighting some of the locals many major St. Louis area projects: the crown jewel Gateway Arch, Busch Stadium, General Motors and other iconic projects.

Labor History

“On to Ottawa Trek”

1935 – More than 1,000 Canadian men, working at “Royal Twenty Centers” established by the Canadian government to provide work for single, unemployed homeless males during the Great Depression, begin an “On to Ottawa Trek” to protest conditions at the camps. They were being paid 20 cents a day plus food and shelter to build roads, plant trees and construct public buildings.

JUNE 4

1947 – The House of Representatives approves the Taft-Hartley Act. The legislation allows the president of the United States to intervene in

Labor disputes. President Truman vetoed the law but was overridden by Congress.

JUNE 5

1998 – A strike begins at a General Motors Corp. parts factory in Flint, Mich., that spreads and ultimately forces the closure of GM plants across the country for seven weeks.

JUNE 6

1933 – The U.S. Employment Service was created.

1937 – A general strike by some 12,000 autoworkers and others in Lansing, Mich., shuts down the city for a month in what was to become known as the city’s “Labor Holiday.”

JUNE 7

1904 – Militia sent to Cripple Creek, Colo., to suppress Western Federation of Miners strike.

1929 – Striking textile workers battle police in Gastonia, N.C. Police Chief O.F. Aderholt is accidentally killed by one of his own officers.

JUNE 8

1904 – A battle between the Militia and striking miners at Dunnville, Colo., ended with six union members dead and 15 taken prisoner. Seventy-nine of the strikers were deported to Kansas two days later.

1917 – Spectator mine disaster kills 168 in Butte, Mont.

1966 – Some 35,000 members of the Machinists union begin what is to become a 43-day strike—the largest in airline history—against five carriers. The mechanics and other

ground service workers wanted to share in the airlines’ substantial profits.

1852 – The earliest recorded strike by Chinese immigrants to the U.S. occurred when stonemasons, who were brought to San Francisco to build the three-story Parrott granite building — made from Chinese prefabricated blocks — struck for higher pay.

1971 – New York City drawbridge tenders, in a dispute with the state over pension issues, leave a dozen

bridges open, snarling traffic in what the Daily News described as “the biggest traffic snafu in the city’s history.”

JUNE 9

1865 – Helen Marot is born in Philadelphia to a wealthy family. She went on to organize the Bookkeepers, Stenographers and Accountants Union in New York, and to organize and lead the city’s 1909-1910 Shirtwaist Strike.

(Compiled by David Prosten, founder Union Communication Services)

Union Wages, Union Wheels

American Drive Sunset for Chevy Malibu

By KEVIN WEAKS

tion to electric vehicles has claimed another victim.

General Motors recently announced that it will end production of its gasoline-powered Chevrolet Malibu car later this year in order to produce new electric vehicles. Like other automakers, GM has been shifting away from cars in favor of building more crossover and sport utility vehicles. GM ended production of the Chevrolet Camaro late last year leaving the

Malibu as the last remaining Chevrolet car offered in the United States besides the Corvette, which made its comeback in 2020 as a mid-engine sports car and introduced a hybrid variant called the E-Ray this year.

GM has sold more than 10 million Malibus since 1964 worldwide and will end production in November, making the 2025 the final model year. Meanwhile, GM is investing $390 million at its Kansas City Fairfax assembly plant to build next-generation Chevrolet Bolt EVs. GM halted production of the prior generation Bolt in December.

“To facilitate the installation of tooling and other plant modifications, after nine generations and over 10 million global sales, GM will end production of the Chevrolet Malibu in November 2024 and pause

production of the Cadillac XT4 after January 2025,” GM spokesperson Kevin Kelly told The Detroit News.

MALIBU DEBUTED IN 1964

One of the oldest nameplates in the auto industry and named for the affluent California seacoast town, the Chevrolet Malibu first appeared in 1964 as a top-of-the-line trim of the mid-sized Chevrolet Chevelle. The first generation Malibu was designed to be a premium family sedan, but Chevy also introduced the Malibu SS to compete in the muscle car market.

The 1964 Malibu was available in a variety of body styles, including a four-door sedan, two-door Sport Coupe hardtop, convertible and twoseat station wagon. It also featured a body-on-frame construction and engine options like the 327 cubicinch V-8 engine, which was rated at 300 horsepower and was later increased to 350 hp.

By 1978, the Malibu moved on from the Chevelle lineup to become its standalone model. Several generations followed until the Malibu was discontinued in 1983. Fourteen years later, in 1997, Chevy revived the nameplate as a front-wheel-drive family sedan with two engine options: a 150-hp inline-four or a 155-hp V-6.

Always a mid-size car, the Malibu

got bigger and smaller with the times and gas prices, but it always remained popular with families. Despite foreign competition, the Malibu has still averaged around 10,000 units the first three months of this year and pegged a respectable 130,000 sales in 2023.

LAST TRADITIONAL CHEVROLET CAR

A stylish redesign made the 2024 Malibu one of the better-looking entries in the mid-size category, as well as giving it an improved interior with more rear-seat room, refined powertrains and improved fuel economy. Industry watcher Edmunds.com says it is likely that the 2025 model will be a carryover of the current generation, which was introduced in 2016. Sadly, the Malibu is the last traditional car in the brand’s lineup. That’s too bad because the spacious mid-size sedan is also one of Chevy’s most affordable models and a good value. Only the Chevrolet Trax and Chevrolet Trailblazer, both small SUVs, cost less. The 2025 Malibu also has a lower starting price than many key rivals, including the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Hyundai Sonata and Kia K5.

The Malibu’s 163-hp engine — a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder

mated to a continuously variable transmission (the only choice) — is satisfying enough for most drivers, and it gets good marks for fuel economy.

The 2025 Chevrolet Malibu is available in four trim levels: LS, RS, LT and 2LT. The well-equipped LT is the most popular model, but even the entry-level LS has plenty of goodies.

Priced at $26,995 the LS includes 16-inch alloy wheels, a capless fuel fill, automatic on-off headlights, satellite navigation, a six-speaker audio system, six-way manually adjustable driver and front passenger seats, a 60/40-split folding rear seat, keyless entry and keyless start. The eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The RS ($27,995) looks like a performance car despite being powered by the same engine as the rest of the lineup. Outside, it has a dual-outlet exhaust, 18-inch alloy wheels and a black Malibu badge. The Chevy “bowtie” badges are black, too. Interior updates are highlighted by an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

The LT ($29,295) is the first of two luxury-oriented Malibu models. It’s

See CHEVY MALIBU page 13

WEAKS

CHEVROLET’S CLASSIC MALIBU was available for model years 1964–1983 before its first discontinuation. It was available as a sedan, station wagon and convertible.

MORE THAN 60 YEARS after its debut as a top trim name for the Chevelle, the Chevrolet Malibu will go away in 2025. Pictured is the 2024 Chevrolet Malibu LT Redline Edition in Sterling Gray Metallic.

Chevy Malibu

From page 12 equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels, body-color exterior mirrors, LED daytime running lights and LED taillights. Inside, it features automatic dual-zone climate control, heated seats and remote start.

Priced at $32,695, the 2LT is the most well-equipped of the lineup. It has 19-inch aluminum wheels, body-colored mirrors with integrated turn signal indicators, a dual-pane sunroof and a ninespeaker Bose audio system.

For 2025 Chevrolet includes satellite navigation on all Malibu trim levels.

NEXT-GEN BOLT

REPLACING

MALIBU

The future model replacing the Malibu production line in Kansas City will be the next-gen Chevy Bolt EUV (electric utility vehicle) that GM previously announced is coming in 2025 or 2026. GM ended production of the previous Bolt models in December 2023.

The next-gen Bolt is still expected to likely be a compact SUV (or perhaps crossover hatchback) as it was previously, but not a direct successor all-electric sedan to the Malibu. It will be based on GM’s

VIEWED AS A REPLACEMENT for the Chevy Malibu and built in the same Kansas City plant, the next-gen Bolt EUV will be the first Ultium model in the U.S. to feature LFP batteries, which will help drive down costs and increase range.

Ultium platform of electric motors and batteries, and should be the most affordable electric model in Chevy’s future lineup.

So long, Malibu. It was synonymous with American culture for decades. With a spacious cabin, sizable trunk and comfortable ride, the Malibu would be an ideal family sedan. And it’s not just the Chevrolet Malibu. One by one, Chevrolet has been getting rid of its cars, from the Lumina in 2001, the Monte Carlo in 2008 to the Impala in 2020 and the Camaro in 2023. Soon the Malibu, too, will become a memory.

(Contact Kevin Weaks at kweaks@ labortribune.com.)

THE FIRST GENERATION MALIBU was designed to be a premium family sedan, but Chevy also introduced the Malibu SS to compete in the muscle car market. Powered by a 396 cu. in. V-8, 1966 model is shown here.

THE SPACIOUS INTERIOR in the 2024 Chevrolet Malibu features an 8-inch-diagonal color touchscreen. Few changes are expected in the 2025 model.

AFTER A 14-YEAR ABSENCE, the Malibu nameplate came back in 1997 as a front-wheel-drive replacement for the Chevrolet Corsica.

THE MALIBU, named for the quiet, affluent California town of the same name, is Chevrolet’s last sedan in the lineup, making room for more EVs. The 2020 model is shown here.

FIRST PLACE WINNERS: Andy Smith (left), and Ryan Novack weighing in five fish with a total weight of 12 pounds 4 ounces.

WEIGHING IN: Matt Haynes and Josh Sneed

SECOND PLACE WINNERS: John Blackwood (left), and Ken May with a weight of 10 pounds one ounce.

of Events Calendar

June 9 – Plumbers & Pipefitters

Local 562 Car & Bike Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the union hall at 3755 Corporate Trail Drive in Earth City. Local 562 will be collecting school supplies. For more information, call 314-630-1641.

June 15 – Guns ‘N Hoses Block Party on The Hill will be held from 4:30 to 10 p.m. at the Glaziers Local 513 union hall at 5916 Wilson Ave. in St. Louis. The familyfriendly event, which supports first responders, will feature a DJ, a bounce house, a balloon artist, tours of first responder vehicles and dinner. The cost is $40 for two people and includes two bar or soft drinks, a limited edition t-shirt and dinner or $60 for two people with unlimited bar drinks, a limited edition t-shirt and dinner. To register, visit https:// rb.gy/xajooa

June 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.

June 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-louisfaith-labor-alliance-breakfast

June 22 – Teamsters 17th Annual H.O.P.E Poker Run, which is open to the public, will begin with check-in

at 9:30 a.m. at the Teamsters Local 600 union hall at 161 Weldon Pkwy. in Maryland Heights. The last bike leaves at 10:30 a.m. Hands are $20 or $30 for a hand and a t-shirt. For more information, call Randy McDonald at 314-420-3641.

June 22 – Electrical Workers Minority Caucus Summer Sizzle will begin at 7 p.m. at the IBEW Local 1 union hall at 5850 Elizabeth Ave. in St. Louis. The evening will include music and food. BYOB Tickets are $15 in advance or at the door. Proceeds will benefit the organization’s winter coat drive. For more information, call Sylvester Taylor at 314-220-1407.

June 29 – St. Louis Union Solidarity Ride, hosted by the IBEW Local 1 Riding Club, will start with registration from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Local 1 union hall at 5850 Elizabeth Ave. in St. Louis. The poker run, which is open to all union members, is $20 a hand and $5 for additional hands. It includes a 50/50 raffle and several basket raffles. Cards are due by 4:15 p.m. and awards will begin at 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/ RidingClubIBEWLocal1

June 29 – St. Louis City Labor Club Pinball Tournament will be held at the Silver Ballroom at 4701 Morganford Road in St. Louis. Doors open at noon and pinball begins at 1 p.m. The entry fee is $20. The fundraiser will benefit the club’s Political Action Committee, which supports Labor friendly political candidates. For more information, call the club’s Recording Secretary Aurora Bihler at 314-312-3038.

JULY

July 12-14 – 4th Annual RENEW IBEW Local 1 Float trip will be held at Parks Bluff Campground at 199 Elm. St. in Lesterville, Mo. The float is planned for July 13. Float reservations should be made by June 30 by calling the campground at 573-637-2290. Mention IBEW Local 1. To make campground reservations, call Brandon at 912-344-8093.

July 18 – 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.

The Labor Tribune is your source for news important to working people at work everywhere.

In addition to the print edition, which is mailed to subscribing unions and union members’ homes every Thursday, highlights from the previous week’s edition are available at labortribune.com

Mesothelioma, It’s ALL We Do.

MRHFM has proudly represented union members in Illinois and Missouri for years. It is well documented that union boiler makers, electrical workers, laborers, iron workers, machinists, plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters, and steel workers have been exposed to asbestos. Our team is dedicated to working to recover millions of dollars from the companies and manufacturers responsible. We will hold them accountable on your behalf.

If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and would like to learn more about your legal rights to mesothelioma compensation, call us today at 1-877-637-6111 or visit us at mrhfmlawfirm.com. We are ready to listen to you, to stand by you, and to be your advocate.

RSVPs are required and food will be provided. Register at mowit.org or call 636-926-6948.

AUGUST

Aug. 15 – 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.

Aug. 15 – 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-louisfaith-labor-alliance-breakfast

GET LISTED

Have something for the Calendar?

Send it to Sheri Gassaway at Labor Tribune, 301 S. Ewing Ave., St. Louis, MO 63101 or email sheri@labortribune.com

For breaking news, recommended articles and important connections, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

To subscribe, visit us at labortribune.com and click the “Subscribe” link in the menu at the top of the homepage.

www.mrhfmlawfirm.com

IBEW Local 649 hosts solar array safety training for first responders

Alton, IL – Fire fighters and other first responders need to take special precautions when disaster strikes a building with solar panels, as they learned in union-sponsored training last week.

The trainer was Robert Hattier, executive director of the Illinois IBEW Renewable Energy Fund and renewable energy director for IBEW Local 134. Hattier was invited to share the safety training by IBEW Local 649 in Alton, as he has been working with solar power for 20 years and knows the unique hazards solar power presents for first responders.

Some of the major hazards fire fighters might face in a solarpowered building include inhalation exposure, electrical shock and burns, falls from roof operations, roof collapse, chemical spills from solar batteries, and the potential for reignition.

While solar panels are required to be able to withstand golf ball size hail at 60 mph, that can sometimes be exceeded in Midwestern weather. A loose connection on the rooftop can cause a fire, though Hattier said that’s rather rare, with only 155 fires caused by solar panels in

the last five years across the U.S. PARAMEDIC AND RESCUE

But there can also be paramedic and rescue emergencies complicated by solar panels, Hattier said.

“If someone has a heart attack cleaning their gutters, or they could have an allergic reaction to a beehive under the array, or an electric shock hanging their Christmas lights,” he said. “So we can’t say we never go up on the roof, because if there’s a person up there, you have to go.”

But there’s no way to tell if the solar panels have compromised wiring and are electrified, and building standards vary as to how much space they’ll have to work on a solar roof. Each panel can support at least 150 pounds of pressure, so while walking on them is not recommended, an undamaged panel should hold their weight.

“But it’s tempered glass, so there’s very little traction,” Hattier said, comparing it to “walking on a waterslide.”

BATTERIES

The batteries also pose particular risks, both for solar systems and electrical vehicles. It can take 10,000

safety for first

in residential

gallons to put out those fires, Hattier said: not just to put out the fire, but to cool down the battery so it doesn’t reignite. That might be more water than they have in their trucks.

Hattier told the room full of fire chiefs and fire fighters some techniques for ventilating a roof during

a fire that could help them safely, but he also called out the building inspectors for what he termed inconsistent enforcement of building codes, requiring design of the systems and construction to make it safer for firefighters to do their jobs.

“It’s in the building codes, but we

need to make sure those codes are enforced,” Hattier said. Hattier walked them through the safest processes for disconnecting a solar system during and after a fire, and the best ways to extinguish and contain lead acid and lithium ion batteries, which can reignite if not properly stored. There are also requirements in newer building codes for labeling and signage to help first responders know what kind of system they’re dealing with in an emergency.

He also showed them a portable dispenser of a liquid polymer that looks just like a large fire extinguisher. However, it was not actually a fire suppression device, but one that allowed them to create safe spots and circles of polymers around potential hazards to protect fire fighters, he said. In some places, construction of a solar array includes a mandatory $200 fee to provide a liquid polymer suppressor to the local fire department, so they have one on hand for every solar array in the community, he said. Hattier said more and more fire departments have been asking him to bring this training to them, as solar systems become more popular.

ROBERT HATTIER, executive director of the Illinois IBEW Renewable Energy Fund, discusses

responders around solar arrays, which are increasingly popular

and business construction.  – Labor Tribune photo

United Way, Madison County Federation of Labor on June 28 hosting training on issues and resources affecting union members

The Union Community Activist Network will hold a training session on June 28 on mental health challenges, opioids and substance abuse, financial literacy and debt traps, gambling addiction, legislative updates and Labor history. Trained professionals will speak on all of these issues during the day-long training session, including

Mental health

Pursell and Walsh man a 24-hour hotline where Laborers who are struggling can reach out for support, including guidance on getting into treatment and recovery.

The LEAN-STL program offers a variety of tools and contacts for Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), the Veterans’ Crisis Line and the Laborers’ Addiction program.

Members can reach out for support for themselves or their families by calling the LEAN-STL hotline at 844-691-LEAN (5326) or visit www. stllaborers.com/lean-stl . The hotline is 100 percent confidential and available 24 hours a day.

FROM AWARENESS TO ACTION

Awareness of workplace health and mental health issues has grown in recent years, said Dr. John Gaal, director of the Missouri Works Initiative’s worker wellness program. Gaal was director of workforce readiness and training for the Carpenters union for 30 years and worked with Washington University researchers at the time around work-related health and safety.

“This journey started for me 20 years ago,” Gaal said. “Safety was about the physical, it wasn’t about the mental.”

Over time, as Gaal has continued to work with researchers at Washington University, things have evolved to what is now known as total worker wellness, which recognizes the critical role of mental health as well as physical health.

ADDRESSING THE STIGMA

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified the construction industry as No. 1 when it comes to opioid misuse and No. 2 when it comes to suicide among other industries.

Those realities hit home for Gaal in 2016 and 2017.

In 2016, Don Willey, then business manager of Laborers Local 110, lost his son to an opioid overdose.

“That’s when it hit me to the depths of what stigma was when it came to opioid use disorder. We were at a function and I told him, ‘Don, there’s not much we can do to change the past but I’ll help you do whatever we can to change the future.’”

Then, in 2017, Gaal lost his son to suicide, and Willey was there for him. The two teamed up to begin addressing opioid abuse, mental health and suicide prevention in the construction trades.

resources on how to help others. The program will also include a Narcan training session to educate union leaders in how to administer the lifesaving overdose medication. The program is co-sponsored by the Greater Madison County Federation of Labor and the Labor Liaisons at United Way of Greater St. Louis. It will take place on Fri -

From page 1

were telling us they’d already talked to their legal people and they said stay out of it. We pushed ahead. And then we realized what the statistics were telling us from the CDC. That he had a personal connection to the opioid issue in this industry, and I had a personal connection to the suicide issue in this industry. And when we made those connections with the crowd, we started to turn people’s minds.”

FROM AWARENESS TO ACTION

Gaal cited the Laborer’s LEAN program, the work of United Way, Holland Construction, S.M. Wilson, and others in helping to address total worker health.

“People have really begun to move in a good direction on this. We’ve raised awareness; it’s time for action,” Gaal said.

Dr. Andrew Loiterstein, director of programs for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), said one in five persons have a mental health issue. Of those, he said, only about 40 percent will seek treatment.

“The big fight is over de-stigma-

day, June 28

tization of mental illness. Because the stigma of mental illness is what prevents so many people from getting help that would enrich their lives and the lives of those around them in so many ways,” he said.

GOOD FOR BUSINESS

Seeking treatment for mental health struggles and substance abuse and creating a culture that supports and assists those seeking treatment is not only good for individuals, their families and communities, Loiterstein said, it’s good for the bottom line.

To support his claim, Loiterstein offered the following statistics:

• Only 57 percent of mental illness is treated.

• 35 million workdays a year are lost to mental illness.

• Untreated mental illness costs United States companies $105 billion a year.

• One in 10 full-time employees have an addiction.

• Employees with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) are 18 times more likely to experience difficulties in their work.

“The most forward thinking business owners, managers and

Ill. The program begins at 7:30 a.m. and is expected to run until about 3:30 p.m.

The training is open to new and experienced members of community services committees, as well as any union leaders or members interested in learning how to help others. Registration is $25 per person and should be sent in by

executives are understanding that supporting mental health is not only good for the employees; it’s good for the bottom line as well,” Loiterstein said. “All of the support that we can provide for our employees actually increases productivity.

“When we support the mental health needs of our employees, of our workforce, of our communities, we have a reduction in sick days. There’s improved productivity, there’s engagement, there’s loyalty to our companies. Because when our companies support us and support our needs, we support them right back. There are reduced health care costs, and we have increased safety and fewer accidents.”

REGISTER FOR FUTURE SEMINARS

The seminar was the first in a three-part series, providing a 30,000foot view of the mental health issue, Gaal said. The second seminar in the series, “Mental Health in Construction: Suicide Prevention,” will be held July 31 at the LiUNA event center.

June 25.

For more information, call United Way Labor Liaisons Nick Dodson at 618-258-9800 or Rose McCowan at 314-539-4191. Checks should be made payable to the United Way of Greater St. Louis and mailed to United Way, attn. Labor, 1124 Hartman Lane, Ste. 130, Shiloh, Ill. 62221.

The final seminar, “Substance Use Disorder,” will be held Sept. 17 at the same location.

Registration is free, but you must register to attend. To register, visit https://search.app/daGNstBmws6nHKjcA RESOURCES

For other resources, visit:

• NAMI-STL – Support Groups at https://www.namistl.org/ support-and-education/supportgroups; or Resources at https:// www.namistl.org/resources

• LEAN-STL at https://www.stllaborers.com/lean-stl

• St. Louis Community College

– Community Health Worker program at https://catalog.stlcc. edu/programs/accelerated-jobtraining/community-healthworker/index.html

• Safer Homes Project – MIMH (Missouri Institute of Mental Health at UMSL) https://mimhtraining. com/event/conversations-forsuicide-safer-homes-a-calm-informed-training.

• Missouri Works Initiative – Weekly Worker Wellness Blog at https:// moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news

“We got a lot of push back from Labor and management,” Gaal said. “It wasn’t a white collar issue; it wasn’t a blue collar issue. People

at the IBEW Local 309 Hall at 2000 Mall St. in Collinsville,

Fulton Electric Department joins IBEW 1439

In another win for Organized Labor, employees of the city of Fulton Electric Department have unanimously voted to join IBEW Local 1439.

“We would like to congratulate and welcome the 14 brothers and sisters of the city of Fulton Electric Department to IBEW Local 1439,” said Jeremy Pour, Local 1439 business manager.

IBEW Local 1439, which represents about 810 members, has been representing outside physical workers in the utility industry since March 16, 1945, including distribution and transmission linework outside of power plants,

substation maintenance and construction, building service, meter department, meter reading, underground, trouble, stores, utility shop and salvage, gas, and motor transportation employees. The local also represents workers in multiple municipalities, including Desoto and Potosi.

Teamsters Local 618 hosts packed house at annual barbecue

NORTH ST. LOUIS COUNTY – Teamsters Local 618 members packed the union hall here at 9040 Lackland Road on May 11 for the union’s annual barbecue/open house. “Thanks to everyone who attended and helped out to make the event a success,” the union shared on its Facebook page.

Teamsters Local 618 photo

John “Jack”

Former IATSE International Vice President Jack Beckman

Thomas Beckman Jr. passed away peacefully on May 12, 2024 at the age of 78 with his family by his side. Born on Oct. 24, 1945 in St. Louis, he was the cherished son of the late John T. Beckman Sr. and Barbara Ann (Bornor) Beckman. A graduate of Christian Brothers College High School (CBC) in 1963, Brother Beckman served his country honorably in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. His

professional life was dedicated to the Labor Movement, particularly his leadership within the St. Louisbased IATSE Stagehands Local 6 where he served as business agent from 1978 to 2014. His commitment and contributions to the union were further recognized when he was appointed to the IATSE General Executive Board in 2004, serving as its international vice president until his retirement in 2016.

In retirement, he enjoyed playing golf weekly with his friends, spending time with his wife and two sons

and being the proudest grandpa. Brother Beckman’s legacy is one of service, dedication and love for his family. His presence will be deeply missed by all who knew him. Brother Beckman is survived by his devoted wife of 44 years, Patricia “Pat” (Leach) Beckman; his two sons, John T. Beckman III and Michael D. Beckman; and his adored granddaughter, Kennedy A. Beckman, who lovingly called him PawPaw.

A funeral service was held May 24 at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.

Cement Masons Local 527’s Daniel Joseph Sextro

Daniel Joseph Sextro, age 62, went to his heavenly home on May 16, 2024 with his treasured wife Kimberly by his side.

After a difficult but courageous fight with cancer, he passed away peacefully at his home in St. Charles as was his wish.

Brother Sextro was a special guy – a wonderful husband, uncle, godfather, nephew, cousin, co-worker

and friend to so many. He was a proud member of Cement Masons Local 527 and gladly shared his knowledge and skills with the next generation. He will truly be missed.

Brother Sextro was the beloved son of the late Guy Sextro Sr. and Mildred, who recently celebrated her 98th birthday. He was the cherished brother of Trish Hess, Judy (Bill) Krenn, David (Rita) Sextro and the late Guy (Shannon) Sextro Jr. Beloved father and stepfather to

John Sextro, Danielle (Jonathon) Edwards, Paige (Chad) Gremminger and Ethan Ory. The best “GrandPaw” ever to Gabe Montano, Trinyti, April and Wesley Ory, Michael Scheldt and Joe Edwards.

A memorial mass was held May 31 at All Saints Catholic Church at 7 McMenamy Road in St. Peters, followed by a celebration of life at the PFEM Hall and Banquet Center at 115 McMenamy Road in St. Peters. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to The BackStoppers, Inc.

BECKMAN

SEXTRO

New Scam: phishing for your multi-factor authentication codes. Here’s how to avoid it

More and more websites and services are making multi-factorauthentication (MFA) mandatory, which makes it much harder for cybercriminals to access your accounts. That’s a great thing. But as security evolves, so do cybercriminals who are always looking for new ways to scam us.

A type of phishing we’re calling authentication-in-the-middle is showing up in online media. While these techniques, named after manin-the-middle (MitM) attacks, have existed for a while, they appear to be gaining traction now.

HOW IT WORKS

It works like this: A user gets lured to a phishing site masquer-

ading as a site they normally use, such as a bank, email or social media account. Once the user enters their login into the fake site, that information gets redirected by the cybercriminals to the actual site, without the user knowing.

The user is then prompted for their MFA step. They complete this, usually by entering a code or accepting a push notification, and this information is then relayed to the criminals, allowing them to login to the site.

Once the criminals are into an account, they can start changing settings like the account’s email address, phone number, and password, so the user can no longer log in, or they can simply clean out a

bank account. This may help you understand why many platforms ask for your PIN or other authentication again when you try to change one of these important settings.

Victims are lured to phishing sites like these via links from social media or emails where it can be hard to identify the real link.  Phishing sites can even show up in sponsored search results.

How to protect yourself

• Keep your wits about you. Being aware of how scammers work is the first step to avoiding them. Don’t assume sponsored search results are legit, and trust that if something seems suspicious then it probably is.

• Use security software. Many security programs block known phishing sites, although domains are often short-lived and get rotated

quickly. Malwarebytes Browser Guard can help protect you.

• Use a password manager. Password managers will not auto-fill a password to a fake site, even if it looks like the real deal to you.

• Consider passkeys. Multi-factor authentication is still super-important to enable, and will protect you from many types of attacks, so please continue to use it. However, authentication-in-the-middle attacks only work with certain types of MFA, and passkeys won’t allow the cybercriminals to login to your account in this way. Many services have already begun using passkeys and they’re no doubt here to stay.

(Reprint from Malwarebytes Lab by Peter Arntz)

Auto Workers: Mercedes’ law-breaking should force election rerun

Vance, AL (PAI) – The United Auto Workers has formally asked the National Labor Relations Board to overturn their union’s election loss at the Mercedes-Benz auto factory in Vance, Ala., and order a rerun election. They contend company’s Labor law-breaking prejudiced the vote results.

“Over 2,000 Mercedes workers voted yes to win their union after an unprecedented, illegal anti-union campaign waged against them by their employer,” UAW said. The unofficial final tally showed UAW losing to “no union,” 2042-2645 (44%-56%).

The union filed the complaint with the NLRB the day after its loss at the “transplant,” one of many foreign automakers’ plants deliberately located in the anti-union, worker-hostile South.

“Let’s get a vote at Mercedes in Alabama where the company isn’t allowed to fire people, isn’t allowed to intimidate people, and isn’t allowed to break the law and their own corporate code, and let the workers decide,” the UAW stated.

NLRB Communications Director Kayla Blado told Alabama media the Birmingham office of the Labor Board will investigate the complaint and decide whether and when a hearing should occur on the abor law-breaking charges.

UAW’S UNION DRIVE

UAW’s Mercedes unionization drive is part of its overall two-year $40 million campaign to break the

bosses’ stranglehold on 150,000 nonunionized autoworkers nationwide, most of them in the South.

That number is roughly equal to the UAW membership at the three Detroit-based automakers, Ford, GM and Stellantis, formerly FiatChrysler.

In turn, the UAW’s campaign to break the Southern stranglehold on workers is a spearhead of the Labor Movement’s wider goal to organize the South and bring its workers into unions and their living standards up to those of the rest of the country.

That’s important because the South is the fastest-growing and

still most-oppressive region of the U.S. Its suppression of workers, its politicians’ willingness to pit whites against workers of color and its exploitative history all attract U.S. as well as foreign firms.

In its campaign at Mercedes’ Vance plant, UAW pointed to the huge wins, under activist President Shawn Fain and his reform-slate board, that it gained in recent pacts with the Detroit Three.

Those wins, including rollbacks of 22 years of wage givebacks, faster ascent to top-scale jobs, better pensions and abolition of the hated two-tier wage system, contrast with the lower wages and lousy

working conditions — and lack of job protection — at Mercedes and other “transplants.”

UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICES

Mercedes’ Unfair Labor Practices, included illegal discipline of workers for discussing unionization, banning union materials and paraphernalia from “neutral” areas such as bulletin boards and lunchrooms, illegally firing union supporters and illegally forcing prounion workers to take drug tests.

Mercedes also illegally forced workers to sit through so-called “captive audience” meetings where workers, under threat of discipline – up to and including firing – for not attending, must listen to anti-union harangues and outright lies from bosses, their hired union-busters, or both.

Mercedes’ “general goal” was to coerce and intimidate workers, preventing them from freely voting for or against the union — the right the National Labor Relations Act

commands.

Mercedes also brought in political heavyweights, led by Republican Gov. Kay Ivey, to castigate unionization as a threat to jobs. Ivey and five other Southern governors signed a similar anti-UAW and anti-union manifesto just two months before, immediately preceding the unionization election at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tenn. It didn’t work. On the union’s third try in Chattanooga, UAW won in a landslide.

The NLRB isn’t the sole Labor Board probing Mercedes’ conduct in Vance. Germany, where Mercedes is headquartered, recently passed a law extending probes of German Labor law-breaking to a German company’s suppliers and subsidiaries, regardless of their location.

German Labor law is much tougher on law-breakers than U.S. Labor law, and the new German board charged with such probes has taken on Mercedes’ conduct in Vance as its first high-profile investigation.

– George Walker IV/AP photo

Illinois General Assembly passed numerous pro-worker bills this session

The Illinois General Assembly wrapped up the 2024 spring session on Wednesday, May 29, sending many pro-worker bills to the Governor’s desk.

Among the biggest victories of the session:

‘CAPTIVE AUDIENCE’ MEETINGS

The Illinois Worker Freedom of Speech Act passed the General Assembly on a bipartisan roll call. SB 3649 protects employees if they opt out of employer-sponsored meetings on religious or political matters, including union organizing. Captive audience meetings are one of the most powerful union-busting tools in employers’ toolkit. This legislation carried by Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) and Leader Marcus C. Evans Jr. (D-Chicago) gives employees protection if they choose to disengage.

CARBON

CAPTURE SAFETY

The SAFE Carbon Capture and Sequestration Act sponsored by

Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) and Representative Ann Williams (D-Chicago) passed after months of negotiations between Labor unions, environmentalists, and business groups facilitated by the Governor’s Office. The Act puts a CO2 pipeline moratorium in place until PHMSA finalizes updated safety rules, or July 2026, whichever is sooner. The legislation also includes significant incentives for developers to use

union Labor through several Project Labor Agreement provisions on every part of potential projects. The University of Illinois estimated that the CCS industry will create 14,400 jobs and generate over $3 billion in revenue for Illinois.

PUBLIC SECTOR UNIONS

Public sector unions face significant delays when waiting for Unfair Labor Practice decisions from Illinois Labor Relations Board and Illinois Education Labor Relations Board. As a first step to fixing these issues, the Illinois AFL-CIO worked with House Leader Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea) and Senate Leader Omar Aquino (DChicago) on HB 5324 which requires the ILRB and IELRB to comply with new reporting measures and timeframe goals to resolve Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) cases.

CHILD LABOR

Child labor violations are rising nationally, and several states, including Iowa, proudly weakened their child Labor protections. This

session, the Illinois Department of Labor, with support from the Labor Movement passed legislation carried by Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) and House Leader Barbara Hernandez (D-Aurora), strengthening Illinois’ Child Labor Law. Changes include improved structure for readability, increased penalties when children are hurt or killed while on the job, and an updated list of prohibited and restricted occupations.

Some other highlights of the session:

REVENUE AND BUDGET

• Community Care Program workers will get a $1 raise increasing their wage to $18 an hour.

• Direct Support Professionals received funding for a $1 per hour raise. Labor secured a funding formula to ensure that 75 percent of that raise will go directly to workers’ pay, and 25 percent will go to providers for extra pay, benefits etc. at their discretion.

• Musicians tax credit: $1 million in

funding allocated for a musician’s tax credit to encourage production companies to record movie and TV scores in Illinois.

• Journalism tax credit: $5 million in funding to a tax credit for new journalists and local journalists annually to encourage the revival of local journalism.

• $50 million to Illinois’ first Child Tax Credit.

• Capital plan increased by $500 million to $3.5 billion

• Illinois Works: $50 million this year, and $12 million reappropriated from last year.

• The school funding formula received an additional $350 million. Pensions

• Several specialized pension fixes passed the General Assembly this spring. Organized Labor supports a comprehensive fix to the unfair and immoral Tier 2 pension system. We Are One will continue advocating for pension reform throughout the summer and into the fall Veto session.

(Source: Illinois AFL-CIO)

Vice President Harris warns Service Employees, nation of Trump threats to rights, freedoms

By MARK GRUENBERG PAI Staff Writer

Philadelphia, PA (PAI) — In some of her sharpest words ever on the campaign trail, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris warned the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) — and, by extension, the country — of the threat to rights and freedoms from a White House takeover by presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Harris ended her 20-minute address on May 21 with that warning to the 3,500 union delegates meeting at their convention in Philadelphia. Her speech was repeatedly interrupted by chants of “Four more years!” And she urged the union to get out in the streets to defend the country.

‘A DICTATOR ON DAY ONE’

Historically, vice presidential nominees, including incumbents, have been used as “attack dogs” in both presidential and off-year campaigns. Two Republican examples:

Lawsuit

From page 1

raise in exchange for an extension, but the feeling of the membership had not changed,” Wooten said. “If anything, their resolve hardened as a result of the County digging in its heels.”

HIGHER RAISES FOR NON-DUES PAYING MEMBERS

Afterward, Wooten said the county informed the union that it intended to give the contractually negotiated 2.5 percent raise to the dues-paying members of Local 148 and to give a five percent raise to members of the highway department bargaining unit who do not pay dues despite what the existing collective bargaining agreement states.

In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Janus v. AFSCME that non-union government workers cannot be required to pay union fees as a condition of working in public service. Wooten said of the 47 members of the highway department, only three do not pay union dues and only one of the three took the county’s offer of five percent.

‘TRYING TO BREAK THE UNION’

“We are disappointed that once again the Franklin County commissioners are trampling on the right to collectively bargain and trying to break the union with this illegal raise by punishing the dues-paying members of Local 148,” Wooten said. “By giving a raise to some members of the bargaining unit and not others, the county has unilaterally modified the collective bargaining agreement and created a two-tier wage system.”

THE LAST CONTRACT

“The commissioners have been out to break this group of workers for at least four years as they refused to negotiate the last contract, which also lead to a state lawsuit that we won to compel the commissioners to negotiate in good faith and a two year contract,” Wooten said.

Vice President Spiro Agnew blasted the media as “nattering nabobs of negativism” in 1970 and Republican vice presidential nominee Bob Dole, a badly wounded World War II veteran, called it and other conflicts “Democrat wars” in a 1976 debate.

Given Trump’s track record, and his “I’ll be a dictator on day one” statement, Harris went further.

Before discussing the impact of a Trump triumph this fall, Harris ran through a long list of accomplishments for workers by Democratic President Joe Biden. They included better pay for home health care

workers, a $15 hourly minimum wage for federal contractor employees, mandatory nurse-patient ratios at nursing homes that get Medicaid money, and more job safety enforcement. All those matter to SEIU.

The White House posted the entire speech on YouTube.

CLEAR-EYED ABOUT THE STAKES

Inside the hall, Harris did not directly cite Trump’s incitement and direction of the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, but used tough words — including

a reference to Trump’s use the day before in a tweet of the Naziassociated word “reich”— to outline the threat to democracy he poses.

Adolf Hitler called his reign “The 1,000-year Reich.”

In doing so, Harris returned to the reason a reluctant Biden entered the presidential race in early 2020, and that he has repeated since. Indeed, when Biden launched this year’s presidential bid, also in Philadelphia, he again cast it as a defense of democracy. It’s a major Biden campaign theme.

“We are here today because we

are clear-eyed about the stakes of this moment,” she declared.

“Across our nation, we see full-on attacks on hard-won, hard-fought freedoms and rights.”

The rights under attack the vice president listed were “The freedom to vote, the freedom to organize, the freedom to be safe from the horror of gun violence, the freedom from hate and bigotry, the freedom to love whom you love openly and with pride, and the freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not have our government tell her what to do.”

TIM LOWERY, Mayor City of Florissant

Take pride in your union

By DAVID A. COOK President

It’s June, which means Pride Month is in full swing.

COOK

For 10 years, UFCW Local 655 has marched in the Pride Parade and we will be again on June 30. Hope you can join us. We were the first Labor union in St. Louis to add our name to the participants in the Pride Parade, and now every year dozens of Labor Organizations march with us. Every year, we find ourselves fielding the same questions, although we see less and less of them as the years pass. Inevitably, someone will ask us why we march in the parade, why we acknowledge and celebrate pride, or why we say anything about the month and the celebration at all.

When Labor unions say “all workers,” they mean it. There is, of course, a dark piece of our history as there is with many institutions. Labor unions did not always fight for all workers. Some fought for only a select few even while others led the fight for equality. While some Labor unions were demanding justice and fairness for people despite their differences, some were excluding people of color, or women, or anyone who wasn’t a white man.

It’s a sad but important history that we have to acknowledge. You can’t improve if you can’t be honest about what needs improvement. I am proud that we have improved right here at Local 655. In my time here, I have

worked hard to make sure this organization fought for all workers, represented all people, and never excluded someone because of how they look, how they identify or who they love.

That’s why we stand with our 2SLGBTQ+ union siblings. When you’re at work you deserve to be treated exactly the same as the worker next to you. The union contract protects you both equally and your wages and benefits don’t care what you look like or who you are.

Workers can and should stand side-by-side in the fight for a better life. Sadly, that doesn’t always happen. Too often we allow ourselves to be divided based on petty differences. This division only serves to make the rich richer and keep workers subdued. Workers that fight each other don’t stand side-by-side to fight for a better life.

If our Union doesn’t stand up for all workers, then what do we stand for? If we pick and choose which people deserve the most protection, then why should people put their faith in us?

Most of our partners understand these concepts, but there are always a few naysayers. These folks seem to think that fighting for ALL workers is somehow a detriment to themselves, as if our decision to stand up for the rights of our 2SLGBTQ+ siblings somehow means we won’t stand up for everyone else. This is not a zero-sum game. Rights for someone else doesn’t mean less rights for you. What is a union if not the mechanism for people of all backgrounds and beliefs to come together and speak with one voice? We don’t have to agree on everything; we don’t

Newest Local 655 Executive Board member Craig Warren

all have to vote the same way or worship the same way or love the same way. All we have to do is remember that as workers we have one thing in common: we all want the best life we can make. That means good wages, good benefits, respect on the job, and protection from companies or individuals that would tear us down.

Good wages don’t care what you look like or how you identify. Healthcare means the

same thing to me as it does to anyone else. Retirement matters to everyone and protection from unfair attacks from management is critical regardless of who you are. We are not all the same. We are different, diverse and unique. We are not all the same, but we are all equal. That’s why we stand up and say “Happy Pride Month.” Join us at the PRIDE parade on June 30. Let’s show everyone what solidarity looks like!

LET’S SHOW OUR PRIDE

Local 655 will again be marching in the St. Louis PRIDE FEST Parade Sunday, June 30 in downtown St. Louis.

Watch your email blast for Assembly Time and Location Come join us, bring friends and family!

PROUD MARCHERS in last year’s PRIDE parade, Local 655’s delegation led the way. Come join us again June 30. Watch your email blast for assembly details.

– Labor Tribune file photo

WELCOMING the newest Local 655 Executive Board member Craig Warren (right) after a swearing-in ceremony at the May 20 Board meeting is Assistant to the President Laura Kelley who was serving as Board chair in President David Cook’s absence. Craig is a veteran shop steward at Schnuck (Crestwood) and is a 32-year Local 655 member. Welcome Aboard Craig! – Labor Tribune photo