Welcome to IBEW Local 725 IBEW 725 & Plus 5 Featured in WTIU Monthly Guide IBEW 725 & Plus 5 Featured in WTIU Monthly Guide   Click here to read about IBEW Local 725 & Plus 5 as the featured underwriter for the May 2008 edition of the WTIU (PBS) channel 30 monthly membership guide.   Click here to read about IBEW Local 725 & Plus 5 as the featured underwriter for the May 2008... Indiana OSHA Indiana OSHA   According to the new Commissioner at IOSHA, Jeff Carter, there is a new number for workers to call if they see a problem on the job.  Supposedly, you will now receive immediate attention and prompt service.  The number is 317-232-2693.  Click here to go to IOSHA's web page. According to the new Commissioner at IOSHA, Jeff Carter, there is a new number for workers to call if they see a problem on the job.  Supposedly, you will now receive immediate attention a... Local Members Participate in COMET Training! Local Members Participate in COMET Training!   We have held two COMET (Construction Organizing Membership Education Training) sessions in the past week, one class in Bloomington and one held in Terre Haute.  COMET trainers, Business Manager R. Todd Thacker and Organizer Tom Szymanski, would like to thank the following members for attending the class and providing good discussions on some union history, market share, union density, organizing and the relationship between them on our own collective bargaining agreement and our bargaining strength. We had a good turn-out that represented new members, long-time members, organized members, apprentices, former business agents, and current officers in attendance. We thank the following members for spending their evening learning more about the local and supporting our union! Dan Blackwell David Burnworth Norm Cheesman Dave Grandidier Travis Halcomb Wes  Hawkins Brian Henderson Robby Hert Wesley Jacobs Joe Kerr J.L. Love Mike McClain Mike McNabb Mark Mosier Charlie Nettles Wes Poarch Earl Roberts Travis Runyon Richard Sorrells Wayne  Sullivan Andrew Thompson Gary Wallace Brian Webb We will be holding more classes in the future.  Please check here for updates and info will be provided at the union meetings.   We have held two COMET (Construction Organizing Membership E What is the Security and Prosperity Partnership? What is the Security and Prosperity Partnership?   NAFTA Will Continue to Expand At the last three SPP summits, policies affecting North America's future have been discussed with no congressional oversight or public input. At August's closed-door summit in Montebello, Quebec, Prime Minister Harper met with President Bush and President Calderón for the third SPP summit to determine policies ranging from water rights in Canada to a counter-drug aid package for Mexico worth 1.4 billion dollars. The trilateral SPP was first announced on March 31, 2005 in Waco, Texas. It's mission is to increase continental economic integration and coordinate security systems. What has been coined as a "NAFTA plus" agenda will be hitting people on the local level by affecting transportation, migration, and the environment, to name just a few areas. This anti-democratic effort is backed by corporate leaders and senior government officials from each country. There are currently ten working groups on the SPP prosperity agenda and three on the security agenda that have set measurable goals and specific implementation dates. Some of the issues that these working groups cover include:   Manufactured Goods & Sectoral and Regional Competitiveness Movement of Goods Energy Environment E-Commerce & Information Communications Technologies Financial Services Business Facilitation Food and Agriculture Transportation Health Who is behind these agendas? The North American Competitiveness Council, comprised of the region's largest companies. 30 of these corporate entities had privileged access to the approaching summit and will be making recommendations to be considered by Bush, Harper and Calderón. Many of these recommendations affect automotive, transportation, and manufacturing services, the idea of a NAFTA plus agenda being to reduce business costs and eliminating barriers to trade in North America. We can base our predictions for a NAFTA plus agenda on what history has already taught us. In Mexico, for instance, the employment rate was lower in 2004 than in 1990 according to the ILO, and the number of people living in poverty has been rising continuously, from 79,167,000 in 2000 to 85,016,000 in 2004. The consequent spike in migration across the northern border has occurred in conjunction with a loss of over one million U.S. manufacturing jobs since NAFTA was implemented—a 65 percent loss of employment in the industry. Meanwhile, instead of an expected US trade surplus with Mexico and Canada, the trade deficit grew, from $9 billion in 1993 to almost $90 billion in 2003. As in Mexico and the U.S., Canada saw its income gap widen, its stable, full-time employment decrease, and its social safety net mangled. While there are many unknowns associated with the SPP and its NAFTA plus agenda, what is known is that its members are designing democractic, locally controlled policies for the future of North America. The policies promoted by Bush, Harper, and Calderón are sure to be more of the same and worse. We need to push for a Genuine Prosperity and Human Security agenda and for an urgently needed North American conversation on democratic integration from below.   Resources February 1, 2008 Miguel Pickard Bulletins of CIEPAC Ten Easy Questions and Ten Tougher Ones Regarding the SPPNA Septemeber 2007 Manuel Pérez Rocha Alliance for Responsible Trade Divergent U.S. Critiques of the Security and Prosperity Partnership: From Anti-Immigrant to Pro-Democracy Perspectives August 24, 2007 Laura Carlsen Americas Program, Center for International Policy Extending NAFTA's Reach Several purported protesters were actually police provocateurs. Click here to see the Canadian Union of Public Employees' (CUPE) pictures of the demonstration in Montebello August 23, 2007 Naomi Klein The Nation Big Brother Democracy August 20, 2007 Ted Lewis Global Exchange San Francisco Chronicle Three Amigos summit takes up the future of North America August 20, 2007 CBC News In Depth: Security and Prosperity Partnership July 28, 2007 Pablo Bachelet The Miami Herald Exclusive U.S., Mexico near deal on drug war aid March 22, 2007 José Antonio Almazán González La Jornada ASPAN: riesgo para México May 23, 2007 Laura Carlsen Foreign Policy in Focus NAFTA: Kicked Up a Notch   The "Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America" FOIA documents Click on the following list of documents, which Judicial Watch obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, to access such information as meeting agenda and minutes, recommendations, speakers' quotes, action items, and procedural guidelines. Section I - SPP Contact Lists and Organization Charts   Section II - SPP Regulatory Cooperation Symposium   Section III - SPP Meeting with Commerce Secretary Gutierrez, March 15, 2006   Section IV - Launch of the North American Competitiveness Council (NACC), May 26, 2006   Section V - Final Recommendations of the U.S. Section of the NACC   Section VI - Launch of the NACC with SPP Ministers, June 15, 2006   Section VII - NACC Documents   Section VIII - Prof. Robert A. Pastor's Seminar on Building a North American Community, September 21, 2005   Take Action Sign a Petition to Elected State Officials Congress and 19 States have pending resolutions urging Congress to withdraw the United States from the Security and Prosperity Partnership: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington See The Alliance for Democracy for more information. Sign a petition to elected state officials to urge your state to pass a resolution on the SPP.   Write NACC members: U.S. Representatives:   Lou Schorsch, Mittal Joseph Gilmour, New York Life William Clay Ford, Ford Rick Wagoner, General Motors Raymond Gilmartin, Merck David J. O'Reilly, Chevron Jeffrey R. Immelt, General Electric H. Lee Scott, Wal-Mart Robert Stevens, Lockheed Martin Michael Haverty, Kansas City Southern Douglas R. Conant, Campbell's Soup James M. Kilts, Gillette Herman Cain, Whirlpool Canadian Representatives:   Dominic D'Alessandro, Manulife Financial Paul Desmarais, Jr., Power Corporation of Canada David Ganong, Ganong Bros. Limited Richard George, Suncor Energy Inc. Hunter Harrison, CN Linda Hasenfratz, Linamar Corporation (NACC chairperson) Michael Sabia, Bell Canada Enterprises Jim Shepherd, Canfor Corporation Annette Verschuren, The Home Depot Rick Waugh, Scotiabank Mexican Representatives:   José Luís Barraza, President of Consejo Coordinador Empresarial (CCE) and CEO of Grupo Impulso, Realiza & Asociados, Inmobiliaria Realiza and Optima Gastón Azcárraga, President of Consejo Mexicano de Hombres de Negocios (CMHN) and CEO of Mexicana de Aviación and Grupo Posadas León Halkin, President of Confederación de Cámaras Industriales (CONCAMIN) and Chairman of the Board and CEO of four companies in the industrial and real estate markets Valentín Díez, President of Consejo Mexicano de Comercio Exterior (COMCE) and former Vicepresident of Grupo Modelo. Jaime Yesaki, President of Consejo Nacional Agropecuario (CNA) and CEO of several Poultry companies. Claudio X. González, President of Centro de Estudios Económicos del Sector Privado (CEESP) and Chairman of the Board and CEO Kimberly-Clark de Mexico Guillermo Vogel, Vice President of TAMSA (Tubos de Acero de México) César de Anda Molina, President and CEO of Avicar de Occidente Tomás González Sada, President and CEO of Grupo CYDSA     NAFTA Will Continue to Expand At the last three SPP summits, policies affecting North A... Letter of support needed for labor postal stamps. Letter of support needed for labor postal stamps.     From the Eugene V. Debs Foundation:   The foundation has received information on a drive by the West Virginia Labor History Association to have the U.S. Postal Service create first class stamps to honor Eugene V. Debs and Mother Jones. Both were outstanding pioneer labor leaders and political activists. Download a sample letter here to print, sign, and send.  Or visit the union hall and complete a letter and we will send it in for you. Please send a letter in support to: Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee Stamp Development U.S. Postal Service 1735 North Lynn St., Rm 5013 Arlington, WV 22209-6432   It is requested that you also send a copy to an activist librarian very active in the campaign:   Sanford Berman 4400 Morningside Rd. Edina, MN  55416   From the Eugene V. Debs Foundation... Learn about elections, legislation and candidates Learn about elections, legislation and candidates   Click here to find more links to resources pertaining to the upcoming election, candidates, and legislation for the nation, Illinois, and Indiana. Click here to find more links to resources pertaining to the...

Links     United Way of Monroe County     United Way of the Wabash Valley     E-Mail Link to E-mail Login     E-Mail Spam Link to filtered E-mail Login     Illinois Unemployment On-Line Information about filing claims on-line. Once on the web page, click on "Apply for Unemployment Insurance online" to get started.     Indiana Unemployment On-Line Filing claims on-line. Once on the web page, click on the "Uplink" logo to proceed.     ERTS Go to the IBEW/NECA Electronic Reciprocal Transfer System.     Scholarship - Kids' Chance Scholarship information for children of parents injured or killed on the job.     Scholarship - Sam Masarachia Labor based IUPUI full ride.     Scholarship - Unions Available from numerous unions.     Scholarship - Ivy Tech Available at the Terre Haute campus.     Scholarship - Ivy Tech Available at the Bloomington campus.     Electrical Apprenticeship Web page for our training center.