·       The good old days are gone
·         There is no entitlement available now or ever again
·         You are responsible for your own future
·         There is a limit to what construction owners will pay
·         When you exceed that limit and don’t provide value, they go to the competition
·         Your pension, health & welfare and career are directly tied to market share
·         If young union members are not well mentored in skills then the pension plans
      for existing journeymen are at high risk
·         If market share declines then everything has to be up for change or we go under
·         This is not the contractor or your business manager’s fault
·         Complaining won’t fix anything
·         Change is not only necessary; it is the only answer

Negotiations with the A.G.C. for Cement Mason wages have been put on hold for a couple of weeks.  We should be back at the table in mid June.  We will not be voting on a wage allocation at the June meeting. WE are setting dates with Walls and Ceilings for Plasterers contract negotiations. Work continues to be at record lows. We have signed some new Contractors in the past 2 months and are working on others. We will keep everybody informed of the progress with these 2 contracts

The upcoming Labor Rally (March 17 at Westake Center, in Seattle, from 2:00 - 4:00pm) is EXTREMELY important to all Members. Please make every effort to attend. Unemployment in the Construction Industry is around 40%. These are Depression Era numbers. We as a group need to show our Elected officials that we are a voice to be reckoned with.

Spring is right around the corner and there will be some big projects starting soon that is if our elected officials don't stall them into oblivion. Remember you can't have everything. If you did where would you put it?  The members of local 528 just want jobs. Here is a list of projects we need to start now. 520 Bridge, Mercer Mess, Viaduct Replacement, Children's Hospital addition. Husky Stadium remodel and an addition to the Washington State Convention Center. Lets get our members back to work and off the unemployment roles!!!

To all Members who live in the Seattle City limits:  Please contact your City Council members and thank them for raising the height limit on the new U.W. Research Facility, to be built at South Lake Union. Their vote kept this project moving forward. Also ask them to vote YES on the proposed expansion of Children's Hospital.  This Project is about 2.4 Million sq ft and would employ trades people during these trying times.  Not allowing this project to proceed could also put our most vulnerable citizens at risk.  This hospital needs more beds for sick children and one small group of people from the Laurelhurst community is trying to stop this project. The Local will attend the next few Council meetings and show its support for Children's Hospital.

In Solidarity John

Frank Benish has appointed a committee to oversee the design and land lease contract with the School board. The first meeting will be November 17th at 10:00 am.   

A Community Workforce Agreement has been reached with the AGC for the construction of the 520 pontoons and should be signed soon.

Guy F Atkinson was recently awarded the Bellevue Braids project. This job connects 8th Ave NE and 405 to 520 and will help traffic flow through the city.

The Holgate to South King S. Viaduct replacement project should be kicking off soon. For more information go to www.wsdot.wa.gov

                 New Office

Mr. Maher and I have met with a Contractor about an addition to the Training center and will be meeting with the school district on the 22nd of October. Hopefully all goes well and we can start construction in the near future.                                                    

Vice President Roger Bettermann, Eric Coffelt and I are in negotiations with 3 separate contractor groups and the A.G.C. of Washington for the upcoming 520 pontoon replacement project. It should start around the 3rd quater of 2010 and be built in Grays Harbor and Tacoma. Estimated to last just over 3 years to complete the pontoons.

  O.P.C.M.I.A. 50th CONVENTION 

The Delegates that represented Local 528 did so with dignity and pride.  I would like to thank them for their work. This was the first convention I attended.  I went there not knowing what to expect or how these meetings are run. It was a great chance to network with Business Managers/Agents and Rank-and-File members from other Locals. There are quite a few locals where unemployment is very high and they don't see much work coming 'till next summer.

 There were over 50 Resolutions brought to the table by different locals and the International. Of those 50, the one set forth by Local 528 was by far the most well received and was passed by a unanimous vote of the body.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to represent O.P.C.M.I.A. Local 528.                                                                                                                    

Respectfully Yours,

John Kearns 

Mr. Wentz, 

Thank you for all your help on the Health & Pension Trusts. Your guidance was much needed by me. There is a lot to learn and it can be trying at times. Thanks for all your years of service on the Trusts.  Your knowledge and analysis will be missed by all.

Thanks Brother.                                                                                                

I would like to thank all the members that took the time to vote at our recent election. Also thanks to everyone that ran for office.  It is great to see so many care about their Union and the way it should be run. I would also like to thank the outgoing officers that spent the last 3 years helping Local 528.  Your efforts are greatly appreciated.          

The local would like to start a members Picture page on the web site. If you have a good picture of hunting, fishing or maybe a giant Watermelon, please submit to cmp@opcmialocal528.org

A little late on my report, but better than never. Construction has been quite slow in this area. After talking to other Business Managers at the West Coast Managers meeting, I feel we have weathered the storm better than most areas. I get 2 or 3 calls a day from all over the United States asking if we have any work here.   

March 31 is year end for our pension plan so we will know in a few months what action will be needed to keep it well funded. 

The next few union meetings might be quite long as we have lot of business to take care of....Wage Allocation (Cement Masons in April, Plasterers in May), Election for Officers (nominations in May, elections in June), and Election for International Convention Delegates (nominations in May, elections in June). Come prepared and keep your questions and comments short and to the point.

Fraternally,  John

It has been a tough couple of months for work and in the stock market. But spring is right around the corner and with a new administration,we hope things will turn around soon. It might take a long time to recover from the deep hole George Bush pushed this country into.

I think my main goal Is to focus on a building for the Local. There are three trust meetings in the month of Febuary. The trustees will have a better idea of what we will need to do for wage allocation in June and July. Think positive and keep up the good work.  

The local members have generously decided to help the cement masons apprentice school in the purchase of polishing equipment. I hope every member of this local can become competent in the use of these tools. Keep a look out for up coming classes, also look for pervious classes.Plasterers E.F.I.S. and journeymen certifacation classes will be held in January and Febuary.

It is my belief that this union and its membership will continue to thrive as long as the members strive to be better craftsmen. So please attend these classes.  They are for your benifit.  Read your news letter!

The recent unrest in the market place has caused much anxiety for our members. The trustees of your Pension fund have been in meetings with our advisors and agree that the fund is still in good shape and our investment strategy is fundamently sound. This is not to say that we will not be keeping a close eye on your pension.

This is an historic election coming in November.

Vote your paychecks.

The September meeting was a great success

I would like to thank Mark Maher for all his help and for letting us use the Apprentice School. I would also like to thank everybody that helped get the school ready for the Union meeting and barbaque. I hope we can do it again sometime in the near future.

Work remains good with new jobs still starting, although not at the pace as the last couple of years. Let's hope the rains hold off at least until the middle of November.

In the last couple of weeks there have been quite a few major construction accidents, none of which involved Masons or Plasterers. I hope this trend continues (not the accidents, just the safety efforts of our members). Take the time it takes to be safe. I know the material we work with does not allow us much time to do our job as the days get hotter. But we still have time for saftey. L & I has passed some new Heat Stress laws to better protect workers in Washington. For more infomation please see link to WA. State L&I on right side column.

Work continues to be good but there are not as many cranes in the air as there were last year. The highway and infrastructure work should be good for the next couple of years. I hope this State does not see the down turn in construction spending that many regions of the Country are suffering from now.

 Pervious Concrete

I feel that it is very important that all Cement Masons become certified in pervious concrete. It is going to become a huge part of our industry in the future as more Citys are going to require Green built projects. I hope we get a great turn out for the up coming class if you can't this one, keep an eye out for upcoming classes. Thanks to Mark for keeping the cost down.

Wage Allocation Plasterers

Tuesday May 6 I would would like to see all members at the hall to vote. Just remember if you don't vote you don't have any right to complain. The allocation vote will take place after the regular meeting so I will try to keep that meeting short. I know most of us don't want to be there all night.

Thanks, John

Negotiations with the A.G.C. went well and after much deliberation Eric Frank and I agreed with the manegment side to allow up to $ .24 on the Defined Benifit portion of our Pension. This will be the first increase to that side of our Pension in quite a few years. The Plasterers will be able to make there allocation with a vote of membership.

I just returned from West Coast Business Managers meeting it was a very informative meeting plus a good opportunity to network with other managers and agents from the area. It seems that work is very slow in many locals. That does not bode good for the Seattle area. These slow times always seem to start on the east coast and work there way across the country hitting us last and sometimes harder than the rest. I am not an economist but $ 4.00 per gallon is not going to help our work situation. So when it comes time to vote just remember who is sleeping with the big OIL companies and the huge profits they took.

VOTE

 Congratulations

And Thank you Mr. Joe Harrington, I hope you enjoy your Retirement. You will be missed and hard to replace.  Your have a great knowlage of your job contracts, contractors, members and people at all levels of goverenment. You have been a great asset to Local 528 . Thank you for your years of dedication 

John

70 YEAR GOLD CARD

On Wednessday the 19th of December Royal Robinson and I went to Long Beach to deliver a 70 year Gold Card to Mr. EUGENE COSHOW. His initiation date is 08/27/1936. Meetting us there was a former apprentice of his a Mr Ambrose Bittner his initiation date is 8/23/1963.It was truely an honor to meet and have lunch with both of these Gentlemen. Mr Coshow must have been a true mentor to Mr. Bittner because they still mantain ties after all these years. It really cool to see that you can have a good life after you retire. Mr Coshow retired in 1971. After that he bought a trowler for a couple of years. Than sold that and bought a Charter Boat called THE COOT. Nice way to retire, I hope that all Members can have that wonderful life after retirering from trades.

LIVE LONG AND PROSPER

JOHN

Union Meeting

I would like to thank V.P. Todd Lair for attending the November meeting and handing out member cards and pins. It was a very proud moment for the members of this local. Members receving 30 year cards were Loinel Cameron, David Dodd, Reed Prosser, and Ricky Parkos. Members receving 40 Year cards were Anthony Boyd and William Heath.  Members receving 50 year cards were Max Ableman and Ronald Thorvilson. Members receving 60 year cards were William Godsalve and Donald Jacobson.

The meeting was very well attened and much was accomplished even though it did run a bit long. Next meeting will start promptly at 7:00 so please try to be on time.

Thank You

J. KEARNS

3 DIMENSIONAL STAIN

I would like to thank Clark Branum for sharing his time and vast knowledge with the members of Local 528. I would also like to thank Mark Maher & Frank Benish for helping to put this class together, and for the use of their Training Center. It was a great class, much appreciated by all who attended. I hope to see more members attend these classes in the future.

Thank you,

JOHN KEARNS

Thanks to all members who attended the September union meeting. It would be nice to see a little better turnout at future meetings.

Work continues to be good for both Plasterers and Cement Masons.  Although some big projects, such as the Light Rail on M.L.K., Jr. Way, are starting to wind down, there are others just starting dirt work. Hopefully, that trend will continue.

It is very important that you get out and vote this November. Please vote Yes on the Roads and Transit bill. It includes projects in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. It will keep many members working for years to come. For more info go to www.YesOnRoadsAndTransit.org

Fraternally,

John Kearns