Job Calls & Election Watch

Brothers and Sisters,

I’m pleased to report that work calls have started to pick up over the past several months. This is good news for all of our members. We hope this is the beginning of the post covid economy rebound, and a brighter future on the horizon for all of us. I know it’s been a tough time for some of our members, but it looks like things are starting to turn around in the Southern Californian construction industry as well as across the country.

The Fed’s interest rate cut this past week – a surprisingly large half point this time – is more good news for us and for our customers and contractors, an encouraging sign that the Feds believe the economy is doing well and fears of a recession are receding. Economists are predicting the Fed may be announcing more cuts when they next meet in November. We hope all this good news will translate to more work starting to be released and job calls increase for our members and we will soon see many more cranes dotting the Southern California landscape.

Which brings me to the importance of the upcoming election on our work picture and to our personal lives.

Nov. 5 Election

Why is labor involved in politics? I get asked that question all the time from members. This is how I respond: “Politicians who support Labor Unions, support the working class! These politicians from school boards all the way to Congress and Senate assist us in obtaining PLA’s and help to ensure that skilled and trained electricians perform the work on these projects. One bad politician can wipe out 50 years of progress for our members on issues like OSHA safety rules and Overtime regulations.” Not all politicians have our best interests at heart. So that’s why we ask our members to learn the issues, what’s at stake, learn about the candidates and vote carefully for what’s best for them and their families. Your union leadership does a lot of the heavy lifting for you – we vet our candidates and our ballot measures very carefully before we make our endorsements. What’s our #1 priority? Jobs for our members.

There’s a lot at stake this November 5. That’s why IBEW 11 is gearing up for this election, big time. IBEW locals across the country are making a big push to support Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, as friends of labor who have done much to push forward our working family agenda. They believe that a strong middle class builds a strong economy. But they can’t do it alone. They need the help of a democratic Congress and Senate to do the job. That’s why it’s so important to get a majority of democrats in the house and senate. We need to continue the forward economic momentum following the devastating effects of the pandemic and the resulting supply chain problems we all experienced on the job.

Right now we’re focusing on flipping an important Congressional district – Cal 27 in the Antelope Valley to labor friend George Whitesides. Our goal is to send Republican Mike Garcia packing. Garcia has not done well for our members in the Antelope Valley. He is a self-serving, far-right extremist who wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act, ban abortions and worst of all has been accused of insider trading to benefit his own financial interests. Our members deserve better. George Whiteside is our choice as a longtime labor ally and friend of the IBEW.

Take a look at the endorsed candidates and issues in this edition. Call us with any questions. But first, make sure you’re registered to vote. Volunteer to help our candidates get elected. As i said at pur last General Meeting, “Vote your paycheck and lobby your hobby!” VOTE IBEW!

Celebrating Labor

I want to thank the hundreds of IBEW 11 brothers and sisters – and their families – who came out for our annual Labor Day Parade in Wilmington. You can see some of the photos here. We were proud to have a sea of red t-shirts as we marched in the parade, with our motorcycle club members leading the way. Next year we will go back to setting up our BBQ to feed our members who attend. The annual event draws thousands of union members and supporters and highlights that working families are #StrongerTogether.

In Solidarity,

Robert Corona
Business Manager/Financial Secretary