President’s Message – February 2022

From the President

Brothers and Sisters, 

The evolution of what’s best for our craft and those who perform it is of constant concern. Our administration is always “hashing and rehashing” whose work is whose. There are a lot of classifications and many collective bargaining agreements. Also, there are project labor agreements, community workforce agreements and of course prevailing wage laws. To make all this even more complex, these agreements apply to different specific territories.

That’s why it is of supreme importance that all our members have a working understanding of all these agreements. It’s not enough that you are a skilled craftsperson; you also need to understand the nuances and variations of them all. Please ask. Ask about your particular situation. Ask “what if” when accepting an unusual work assignment. Our agents know a lot, but they don’t know everything. They also learn from an unusual situation. We all want to do the right thing. It’s very important that we know the rules that we’re working under.

Thank you for the privilege to serve you all.

Respectfully,

Gaylord R. “Rusty” Roten
President, IBEW Local 11