NEWS ARTICLE – January 11, 2016
From the Desk of Gary Peifer:

Brothers and Sisters,

I will take this opportunity to wish you all a New Year of good health, happiness and prosperity. I would also like to thank you for your continued support and the vote of confidence received in the recent BAC 3 officer elections. Because of your effort and vote, our Unions leadership will remain strong, stable and progressive. We will continue to organize and increase our share of the construction market and work hours for BAC 3 members.

As with any investment, we want to protect our assets and the bottom line. That bottom line being BAC 3 members and their families. Moving forward, we want to insure a decent standard of living that you as UNION craftworkers have earned and deserve.

To achieve this standard of living, we as a Union must form alliances with different groups within the community. Every aspect of society comes into play at one point or another. These alliances, partnerships if you will, are based on the common good of all involved. The actions of one will benefit another to create a chain reaction that builds solidarity based on the fact that we as people have more in common than we realize and a better standard of living lies in the focused actions of many.

Business, Education, Religion, Ethnicity, Culture and Age all play an important role in our effort to achieve the mission statement of our Union; “To provide for, protect and improve the general welfare of its members and the employees represented by it, both directly and indirectly by all lawful means and methods.”

If this all sounds “to good to be true”, think again. The efforts of the Stockton Building Trades Council, affiliated trade union reps and members such as BAC 3 member Kris Trotter, who spoke in favor of PLA’s at the Stockton City Council meeting, supported by community based organizations efforts recently resulted in the Stockton City Council unanimously voting (7-0) to enact a public works PLA. Community donation projects and mentorship of youth and adult training programs have created a community understanding that trade Unions are a needed and necessary part of a good community. The Kings Arena Community Workforce Training Agreement (CWTA) is a prime example. It has provided for 70 new apprentices to enter the Union trades’ apprenticeships in the Sacramento region and the project continues to provide thousands of work hours for BAC 3 members.

The continued success in these efforts will depend on the ability of the Building Trades Unions and their members to focus Politicians on our objective of creating good jobs. BAC 3 members can and must make a difference with your vote.

2016 is a National, State and Municipal election year and as this membership has proven in recent BAC 3 local elections, if you’re informed and vote, you can shape the future and improve the outcome for you and your family. The current registration and voting record of our Union membership in the last several National and State elections has been minimal at best. Without voting in support of the genuinely Labor friendly politicians, the ones that “get it”, we will not continue to be successful in securing work. We need these people on our side from day one and they need to be accountable to you. It’s that simple.

But you can’t vote if you’re not registered. In the next several months, BAC 3 will be concentrating on VOTER REGISTRATION at all activities. Don’t let the few who don’t respect the common good of working class people determine the future for the rest of us. Register when given the opportunity and exercise your right to VOTE. This country belongs to the hard working people that we are and whom we represent every day as a UNION.

Be Well.

Gary.