MESSAGE FROM BUSINESS MANAGER, LUKE VOIGT

Fall outage season is here and jobs across the local are in full swing. There will be many new and younger members out on the job this fall. Take some time to meet them and help them out, we were all new to the trade once. Our wage allocation is upon us and we will be voting on the allocations at the October regular monthly meeting. Please plan to attend upcoming meetings.

Our local life insurance policy through the National Coalition of Labor (NCL) will have open enrollment starting October 1, 2026, you should be receiving information in the mail. Take some time and read through the options and visit with your family and secure the coverage you need.

We have been meeting with several of our utilities and contractors about projected buildout of power generation across our Local’s jurisdiction. The future need for our trade is overwhelming, and the next decade will be busier than all of us have ever seen. We will be ramping up our recruiting and Apprenticeship to build the needed workforce for this massive buildout. If you know anyone you think would be a good addition to our organization, please have them reach out to the halls and/or contact Dylan Rangeloff directly.

The local continues to look into options for a local vacation fund which will be administered through a bank in the cities, we will be meeting with the Building Trades Credit Union soon to review their platform and plan. They are very close to having a system in place and hopefully soon we can make the adjustment to a local banking institution to hold our local vacation funds.
We recently reached a tentative agreement with Badger Labor at the Fraser shipyards. A 10.5% package increase over a three-year agreement was reached, $2.40 in the first year, $2.25 in the second and $1.90 in the last year. Please attend an upcoming meeting or reach out to the Local for details.

PLEASE check on your friends, family, and coworkers and ask how they are doing. There is help available: 988 is the National Suicide and Crisis Hotline, MD live for Cigna is 800-235-7748, Boilermakers Substance treatment Program is 877-244-3572, Brightside Health is 415-360-3348. You can also text HOME or HOLA to 741741 to reach a live volunteer Crisis Counselor. Suicide is an epidemic within the Boilermakers as well as the construction industry.

We are losing too many brothers and sisters to suicide. We all need to be and do better for each other. The Local is pursuing professional training to help educate everyone in better ways to be aware of potential mental health distress signs and how to approach and handle those situations and get people referred to places to get help.

Lastly, please take the time and review your pay stubs to make sure everything is correct. It is a lot easier to deal with issues right away rather than waiting.

Take care and be safe.