From the Desk of President Dave Jackson:
The Union has drafted all amended language for the new Tile Agreement and the last details are being finalized and approved by Labor and Management. The new agreement will be sent to the printer when it’s signed and will be mailed to all Tile Layer and Finisher members. The Tile Defined Benefit Pension improvements have been adopted by the NCTI Trust Fund Board of Trustees. The first increase in pension contributions started on October 1, 2016 with allocations in 2017 and 2018 to follow. Journeyperson Training is also part of the new Agreement. All active Tile members have received a letter outlining the program and instructions for online OSHA training. Please review the letter and follow through on some courses soon.
The Constitution Committee has drafted amendments to our Constitution, the first since Local 3’s inception in 1993. A mail referendum vote is being taken now. Ballots were mailed and are due at the Post Office by December 15, 2016. If you’ll recall, the issue is whether to adopt the Amended Constitution proposed by the Constitution Committee. The copy mailed to you shows all changes in red ink. If you do not have a current Constitution to refer to, you may view one on our BAC 3 website, www.bac3-ca.org. The amendments relate to initiation, dues, officers, delegates, and elections, etc. Many of them memorialize in the Constitution financial safeguards and other “best practices” that the Local already follows, to insure that future administrations will keep them in place. Please take the time to review the red-lined version and vote to adopt the Amended Constitution.
Looking ahead to 2017, we expect increased work hours and many opportunities to grow our membership. We will focus on signing new Contractors to help take on the increased workload and employ our members. We are hoping to see more existing members become signatory contractors. Members who are willing to take the next step can utilize our local and national training by the International Masonry Institute, which is available to all members. Please contact me for more information if you are interested.
The 18th Annual BAC 3 Crab Feed will be held on January 28th, 2017 in Vallejo. Please save the date and attend. All proceeds benefit the BAC 3, Sullivan – Kraw Scholarship fund. Have a great time and help our members families get the education they deserve.
The 2017 Western States Apprentice Contest will be held at the Mason Development Center in Tracy on May 20, 2017. Please come out and support our Apprentices as they compete in Brick, Tile, and PCC Crafts.
Listed below are Service Awards that members received in 2016. Congratulations and Thank you for your dedicated service.
25 year members Tae Y. Kang, Charles Newton, Gabriel Rodriguez, David Zanoni, and Guang Z. Zeng.
40 year members James Ballard, William Domenichelli, Hans Preuss, Mervin Reimche Jr., Kirk Smith, Thomas Spear, and Edward Teixeira
50 year members Dennis Boatright, Fred Farley, and Robert Wilkerson
In closing, I wish you, your family, and friends, a Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year.
Work safe and honor all pickets. Dave