January 2008
Members Gather To Greet Newly
Elected Local 38 Leadership TeamMore than 150 members of Local 38, along with several special visitors were on hand at the January union meeting to see the swearing-in ceremony for Local 38’s
newly elected leadership team.
The evening was festive, with a celebration including hot dogs, popcorn, deserts and drinks following the formal swearing-in. Coming on the heels of one of the worst storms in recent memory, enthusiastic union members braved the weather to express their rousing support for the Local 38 leadership.
United Association International Representative Jim Kellogg was on-hand to lead the Local 38 officers in their oath of office. Other special guests on-hand for the meeting were State Pipe Trades Executive Director Ted Reed and Local 467 Business Agents Mark Burri and Mike Swanson.
"I want to thank every member of Local 38 for their support," Mazzola told the meeting. "Your vote of confidence is important to each of us. I believe we have an outstanding leadership team that will continue to keep Local 38 one of the best unions in the United States."
A REMARKABLE TRIBUTE
"I don’t know if you know how unusual it is for a group of officers to have an uncontested election," Kellogg said to rousing cheers. "But to have as many white ballots as Local 38 has had in a row is really remarkable. It’s a tribute to your officers, and to the solidarity of this local."
Local 38’s leadership team was nominated at the November union meeting and, since there were no contested offices, confirmed at the December meeting.
Local 38 member Lance Contreras instructs volunteers on clean-up procedures during the recent Ocean Beach cleanup in the wake of the toxic oil spill in San Francisco Bay.
Local 38 Members Play Key Role In Toxic Oil Spill Clean-up
Local 38 members working for the city of San Francisco were among the first responders mobilized to help cleanup after the toxic San Francisco Bay oil spill in November.
"We have people who have been trained in both HAZMAT (Hazardous Materials) and HAZWOPR (Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response) techniques," said Local 38 member Lance Contreras, who serves as the Operation Supervisor at the Ocean Beach Incident Post. "So we have people who can work with volunteers to take them into and out of hazardous materials or spill zones."
When the clean up was in full swing, more than 400 volunteers made their way to a four-hour training program on HAZWOPR techniques. Once through that, the volunteers were eligible to report to the Incident Post, and be assigned to a team which, accompanied by a fully trained responder, could work on the cleanup.
In the case of Ocean Beach that entailed collecting toxic oil material which the surf had pounded into small black pebbles of oil and sand. The pebbles were picked up with strainers, deposited in collection buckets, and then appropriately disposed.
"This is pretty nasty stuff," said Contreras, who pointed out that volunteers were also on the lookout for debris that was covered in oil. "The Coast Guard is watching the spill, and can tell from the tides and currents where the oil is likely to come ashore. So they direct us to the priority areas."
The cleanup, explained Contreras, would entail cleaning the beach, and then cleaning it again, once the tide or current carried additional toxics to shore. And, he noted, all of this had to be done without disturbing the Snowy Plover, a threatened species of bird that uses Ocean Beach as a nesting area. "The Department of Fish and Game is watching the Plovers to see how they are effected by both the spill and the cleanup," he said.
Pictured at the Ocean Beach Incident Post are Local 38 Business Agent Steve Jennings, members Kam Yip, SEan Duffy, Assistant Business Manager Larry Mazzola, Jr., Lance Contreras, Inside Sentinel bob Costello Jr., and Local 38 President Bill Olinger.
by Larry Mazzola
Business Manager, Local 38Business Manager Larry Mazzola's Memo to Members is a regular monthly feature of Pipelines. It provides Brother Mazzola the opportunity to speak directly with the Local 38 membership about many of the issues facing the union and organized labor as a whole. Happy New Year.
I’m not going to do one of those "year in review" columns, but I do think 2007 was a pretty good year for Local 38. We negotiated a five-year contract that should set the standard for wages and working conditions throughout the United Association, and elected a Local 38 leadership team that will keep Local 38 one of the finest labor unions in the country.
HARD WORK AND SOLIDARITY
I want to begin by thanking everyone for their hard work over the past year. Contract negotiations are always difficult, and our latest contract was no exception. We were able to negotiate a successful contract because of the hard work of Local 38’s officers, and because of the support and solidarity of Local 38‘s membership. All you have to do is look around at the wages and working conditions of non-union plumbers throughout Northern California to understand just how important it is to stand together in a union. Together we can do things that any one of us would find impossible alone.
WHITE BALLOT
Nowhere was this solidarity and support seen stronger than in the uncontested election of your Local 38 officers. Being elected to a leadership position in Local 38 is a tremendous honor. Being elected for the fifth time without opposition is unbelievable.
I believe Local 38 has an outstanding group of officers. These are good union men, dedicated to the welfare of Local 38 and its members. Leadership is the a major factor in Local 38’s success, and I want to thank every one of these officers for their hard work and dedication.
UNION SOLIDARITY
But leadership is only one piece of the successful union pie. The larger part is solidarity. When we negotiate with an employer, talk to a politician or face off against a non-union contractor, we know that we have the strength of each and every Local 38 member behind us. That solidarity is what makes it all possible, and I want to thank every Local 38 members for that support and strength.
PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY
Speaking of support and politics, I want to say a few words about the upcoming February 5 presidential primary. This is the first time California will be part of the early presidential primary system, joining 23 other states who vote on "Super Tuesday." Since California is the most populous state in the country, the election here takes on particular importance. We have a chance to play an important role in choosing the presidential candidates who best represent the interests of labor and Local 38.
As you can see (Click here), the Local 38 Committee on Political Education (COPE) has endorsed Hillary Clinton for the Democratic candidate for President. Sen. Clinton has won strong backing from labor, and her positions, including a belief that the right to organize and bargain collectively is a "fundamental human right," reflect that close relationship.
You will also see that Local 38’s COPE has made endorsement on all the statewide and San Francisco measures that will appear on the February ballot. We put a lot of energy into deciding what positions best reflect the interests of Local 38 and its members, and I urge you to vote for COPE endorsed candidates and issues.
