New Members:
Executive Committee

Please join us in welcoming Brother Fred Naranjo of Local 66 in Houston, Texas and Sister Yvette Goods of Local 1 in St. Louis, Missouri to the EWMC Executive Committee.

Yvette is a twenty-one year member of the IBEW and is a journey level Electrician. She is a delegate to the St. Louis Central Labor Council and volunteers as a Facilitator for the Community Action and Response Against Toxics (CARAT). She is an active member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists and serves on her Chapter's Executive Committee.

Fred is a journey level Substation Electrician and has worked in the electrical industry for twenty years. He serves on the Executive Board of Local 66. He is a delegate to the Galveston County Central Labor Council. He has successfully completed numerous training programs, worked as an organizer and served on many committees.

We currently have two remaining vacancies. The official notice for one of the vacancies is in this edition of the newsletter. The other vacancy was officially announced earlier this year.

Congratulations

Congratulations to EWMC Executive Committee member Carolyn Williams, IBEW Local 613, and EWMC member Victor Uno, IBEW Local 595.

Carolyn Williams accepted the position of IBEW International Representative. She reported to work in the Construction Department at the International Office in Washington, D.C. on September 1, 2002.

Victor Uno won election as Business Manager-Financial Secretary of Local Union 595 in Dublin, California

We are very proud of both Carolyn and Victor.

Official Notice:
Executive Committee Vacancy

Carolyn Williams accepted an International Representative position effective September 1, 2002. As a result, she is resigning her position on the Executive Committee. We appreciate Carolyn's hard work and wish her well.

In accordance with the provisions of Article VII, Section 9, "All vacancies on the Executive Committee created between regular elections shall be filled by the remaining members of the Executive Committee. The Secretary will notify all EWMC members of the vacancy and interested members shall have thirty days after the notice to submit a resume to the Executive Committee."

No more than one officer from the same local union and no more than three officers from the same IBEW Vice Presidential District are allowed.

A corrected copy of the Bylaws is being mailed with this newsletter.

Send a letter requesting consideration for the Executive Committee position with your resume to the Secretary/Treasurer at PO Box 642, El Cerrito, CA 94530, if you want to be considered for the position.

13th Annual EWMC Conference Call

The 13th annual national meeting starts on Thursday, January 16, at 6:00 p.m. and continues through Sunday, January 19, 2003, in Los Angeles at the Wilshire Grand Hotel.

A special workshop for EWMC Chapter Presidents and EWMC Advisory Committee members will start at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. An orientation session and a new-member workshop will start at 8:00 a.m. Friday morning. Plenary sessions, workshops, panel discussions and formal EWMC business will be conducted Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Delegates are urged to pre-register for the conference using the printable form. On- site registration is available on a limited basis starting at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 16th. The Awards Banquet and Scholarship presentation are Saturday evening and the conference will end no later than 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.

The registration fee is $190.00, and includes meet-ing materials, the banquet dinner on Saturday, and EWMC 2003 membership dues ($40.00). To pre-register, please complete the printable registration form and mail it to PO Box 642, El Cerrito, CA 94530, with the $190.00 registration fee no later than January 10, 2003.

Article IV, Section 4 requires payment of the current year's membership dues before admission to the meeting.

Click Here to Print Registration Form

The conference hotel is the Wilshire Grand, located at 930 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, CA 90017.

The special EWMC room rate is $79.00 for a single or double room and is available January 15th - 21st. The rates are subject to tax and assessment, currently at 14.045%. Hotel check-in time is 3:00 p.m. and checkout time is 12:00 noon. You may also book your room reservation through the Internet. Locate the Wilshire Grand Hotel's web page at www.wilshiregrand.com and select the room reservations button on the home page. Follow the instructions provided to make your room accommodations. The hotel will confirm reservations in writing.

The EWMC special room rate is available on a first come first serve basis. The hotel requires all reservation requests by no later than December 15, 2002. Room reservations received after this date or after our block of rooms is exhausted are subject to availability and a variable room rate.

Travel
You may contact Adrienne Miller (spouse of EWMC member Gus Miller) at Walker Travel and Cruises (800-503-9272), if you desire assistance in making your travel arrangements.

Committees
Members interested in serving on any of the committees described in Article VI (Registration; Rules and Order of Business; Resolutions/Bylaw Amendments; and Sergeant-At-Arms) should submit a written request to President Robbie Sparks no later than December 15, 2002, c/o Secretary/Treasurer at P. O. Box 642, El Cerrito, CA 94530.

Bylaws Amendments
In accordance with the provisions of Article IX, Section 2, proposed Bylaws Amendments and proposed Resolutions must be received at PO Box 642, El Cerrito, CA 94530, no later than January 3, 2003.

EWMC Scholarship

The EWMC will award its third annual scholarship to the child of a member in good standing of the national EWMC at the 13th annual national meeting in Los Angeles. The meeting will be held January 16 - 19, 2003. The award will be presented at the banquet on Saturday, January 18, 2003.

A scholarship candidate must be the child of a national EWMC member and a high school student who has graduated or will graduate in 2002. A copy of the diploma or a letter from the high school confirming graduation in 2002 must be attached to the scholarship request. Scholarships are approved for enrollment in a State certified trade school or a college certified by the Department of Education and credited by the local accrediting association.

Only those scholarship request letters mailed to the EWMC at PO Box 642, El Cerrito, CA 94530 by certified, return receipt mail and postmarked no later than December 31, 2002, will be eligible for consideration for the 2002 scholarship. The winner's name will be drawn in January, at our 2003 National Meeting in Los Angeles, California.


Editor: Robbie Sparks

Contributors:
Beverly Clardy
Al Fortier
Dorothy Fortier

EWMC
PO Box 642
El Cerrito, CA 94530

October 1, 2002

www.ibew-ewmc.com

 

EWMC Chapter Off and Running in the City of Angeles


By Beverly C. Clardy, President
Los Angeles, California Chapter

In January of this year, Local 11 sent eight (8) delegates to the EWMC's 12th annual national meeting in Denver.

During the conference, we had an opportunity to meet with many individuals including Robbie Sparks, IBEW Business Manager of Local 2127 in Atlanta, and President of the National EWMC. Upon learning of the existence of the EWMC and the many benefits that it provides to its members, we were inspired to bring this information back to our Local. Arriving back in Los Angeles, we contacted our Local's Business Manager, Marvin Kropke and shared information on the EWMC. Since receiving the information on the EWMC, Mr. Kropke has given his full support, encouragement, and cooperation. Through our combined efforts, the IBEW general membership has been very receptive and enthusiastic.

With the idea of establishing a Chapter of the EWMC within Local 11, a number of informal meetings took place over the next couple of weeks. From these meetings a "Chair, Co-Chair and Planning Committee were formed, which arranged the date, time, and place of our first official meeting.

We held our first meeting on May 11, 2002, with 30 IBEW members, representing the Sound and Communication Unit, Inside Wiremen and Wirewomen, and Transportation Systems. The meeting lasted for two and one-half hours in which the goals and objectives of the EWMC were presented. After the meeting, many of the attendees stayed to ask how they could become more involved with the EWMC.

Many of which signed up for one of various Committees.

On June 15, 2002, a slate of officers was elected. Those elected were: President, Beverly C. Clardy, Sound Installer; Vice President, Robert Jones, Wireman Foreman; Treasurer, Jane Templin, Senior Instructor; Secretary, Tony Wilson, Sound Apprentice.

The seven members of the Executive Board were also elected: Marvin Kropke, Business Manager; Eric Brown, Organizer/Business Agent; Gus Alfaro Jr., Sound Organizer; Sonya Vasquez, Sound Instructor; Alfred A. Leggins, Wireman; John E. Harriel Jr., Apprentice Wireman; Cisco Alvarado, Apprentice Wireman.

There are already a number of projects in the works, one of which is the possibility of hosting the "National EWMC Conference" here in Los Angeles.

We are also very excited to tell you that our EWMC Chapter will have a booth at the "Local 11, IBEW Annual Picnic". This year the picnic will be held at the "Los Angeles Police Revolver and Athletic Club", on Saturday, October 5, 2002. The picnic will be from 10:00am to 4:00pm.

On behalf of the Los Angeles Chapter of the EWMC, we would like to invite all members who are in the area on October 5, 2002, to join us.

Please feel free to contact us at the following:

ewmchapter11@yahoo.com

Beverly C. Clardy (President)
562.984.3020 (home)
562.537.2500 (cell)

Tony Wilson (Secretary)
323.750.8624 (home)
213.307.8718 (pager)

APRI: An Effective Voice in Labor and the Community

By Al Fortier, President
Northern California Chapter

I had the opportunity to represent IBEW Local 1245 as a delegate to the A. Phillip Randolph Institute 33rd Annual Education Conference held June 29- July 2, 2002, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The theme of the conference was "An Effective Voice in Labor and the Community."

The conference workshops provided information on immigration issues, welfare reform, protecting social security, pension investment, election reform, and get out the vote.

The A Philip Randolph Institute is a non-partisan organization committed to working within the labor movement to fight for social justice and democracy. Its members consist of trade union activist from a multitude of labor and trade unions within the AFL-CIO, including but certainly not limited to the IBEW.

IBEW members caucus at the APRI National Education Conference

Tuesday, July 2, IBEW members held a caucus at the APRI National Education Conference. Most of the attendees at the IBEW caucus were members of the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus, with only a couple of exceptions. Everyone there was familiar with the EWMC. After introductions and greetings, Sister Robbie Sparks, EWMC National President, gave an update on the EWMC presentations at the IBEW District Progress Meetings. Sister Sparks also informed us of formation of four new chapters: Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and two more in Florida. It was also announced that we will hold the next EWMC convention in Los Angeles, California. She told us that Executive Committee Members are giving presentations at the IBEW District progress meetings. As of the date of President Sparks' report, EWMC had given presentations at the 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 9th District Progress Meetings thus far, with the 7th district meeting scheduled for July 24-25. The District Progress Meetings continue through October. The presentations include a history of the EWMC, the purpose of the organization, and information about the National Convention and its workshops and caucuses. Executive Committee members believe that the presentations are going well and that the IBEW membership was impressed and enlightened by the presentations and that the feedback was positive.

Executive Committee

Please mail membership status questions and new member applications to Dorothy Fortier. Address other questions or concerns to the Executive Committee member in the area closest to you.

President
Robbie Sparks
President/Business Mgr.
Local 2127, Atlanta, GA
770/484-8190

Vice President
Russ Ponder, Bus. Rep.
Local 134, Chicago, IL
708/799-1388

Secretary-Treasurer
Dorothy Fortier, ABM
Local 1245, Walnut Creek, CA
510/848-6714

Members-at-Large
Mike Davis, Business Mgr.
Local 2100, Louisville, KY
502/935-4011

Keith Edwards, Business Mgr.
Local 48, Portland, OR
503/256-4848

Yvette Goods, Electrician
Local 1, Missouri
314/608-0142

Edwin Lopez, Bus. Rep.
Local 3, New York, NY
718/591-4000

Fred Naranjo, Ex. Board
Local 66, Houston, TX
409/945-0333

Harry Sorrell
President/Business Mgr.
Local 1700, New Orleans, LA
504/242-1124