May 2006 Archive: WV-AFL-CIO One Voice

In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the "birthplace" of Memorial Day. There, a ceremony on May 5, 1866, honored local veterans who had fought in the Civil War. Businesses closed and residents flew flags at half-staff. Supporters of Waterloo's claim say earlier observances in other places were informal, not community-wide or one-time events.

By the end of the 19th century, Memorial Day ceremonies were being held on May 30 throughout the nation. State legislatures passed proclamations designating the day, and the Army and Navy adopted regulations for proper observance at their facilities.

It was not until after World War I, however, that the day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress, though it is still often called Decoration Day. It was then also placed on the last Monday in May, as were some other federal holidays.

To ensure the sacrifices of America ’s fallen heroes are never forgotten, in December 2000, the U.S. Congress passed and the president signed into law “The National Moment of Remembrance Act,” P.L. 106-579, creating the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance. The commission’s charter is to “encourage the people of the United States to give something back to their country, which provides them so much freedom and opportunity” by encouraging and coordinating commemorations in the United States of Memorial Day and the National Moment of Remembrance.

The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation. As Moment of Remembrance founder Carmella LaSpada states: “It’s a way we can all help put the memorial back in Memorial Day.”

Tony Blidgett,(right) President of North Central West Virginia Labor Council opened the ceremony, with the pledge and a prayer. WV AFL-CIO President Kenny Perdue (center) presided over the memorial service, along with Larry Matheney, (left) Secretary-Treasurer WV AFL-CIO.

     For the past 18 years workers from across the country have remembered those that have died during the course of their work on or around April 28th.  This year on April 28th at 6 p.m. the WV AFL-CIO held a Workers' Memorial Service at the Bel Meadows Country Club in Clarksburg.

     Also, on the morning of the 28th at the Bel Meadow Country Club golf course the WV AFL-CIO held a Golf Scramble with the proceeds going to "Kids' Chance". Kids' Chance is a nonprofit scholarship fund which grants educational scholarships to the sons and daughters of West Virginia residents who have suffered a serious, catastrophic or fatal workplace injury or illness. Over Fourteen Thousand Dollars was raised from the golf scramble to benefit Kids' Chance of West Virginia, Inc. For More information on this scholarship program contact the WV AFL-CIO at 344-3557.

The Memorial Service included the posting of the Flags by American Legion Post 68 and guest speakers included Senator Jon Hunter,D-Monongalia; House of Delegate Members Mike Caputo, D-Marion and Bill Hamilton, R-Upshur. WV AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Larry Matheney read the names of the 24 that had died during the course of their work in 2005 with a ringing of the bell by B.B. Smith after the reading of each name.

President Perdue gave the below speech during the ceremony:

     Today, April 28th we are remembering fallen workers on specific sites of the country, communities, state capitols and many other locations, to draw attention to worker safety. It is about "Good Jobs - Safe Jobs - Protect Workers Now."

     We will remember the fallen workers from 2005 and before, who said good bye to their families went to work and did not return. They were men and women who were fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, family members, neighbors, co-workers and of all ethnic backgrounds. Today, we remember so as to our promise to never forget, that they were workers and we feel their pain.

     Mother Jones said "Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living."   It is the time to remember those that have died and fight like hell for the living! We must be persistent in our task for a safer workplace. We must never forget.

     Legislation has been created to protect workers ... legislation is created and ignored. Penalties are created and minimized … safety legislation is defeated or ignored.

What is the price of a life? There were many safety violations at the Sago Mines that eventually killed 12 miners this year. The fines were reduced to one hundred and fifty six dollars per violation. Is that the price of a life? I ask you again, is that the price of a life? I say that a life is worth more than that and we must be persistent in our fight for workplace safety!

I want a legislature that works to defeat safety legislation to walk in the workers shoes. The worker should be free to report an unsafe condition. The worker should be free from intimidation. The worker should be free from black listing. The worker should be free from reprisal.

This is the Greatest Country in the World and our workers should expect nothing less.

I want the Legislature to feel the pain of the worker. I want them to stand at the opening of the Sago mine and feel the pain of the families of the 12 fallen workers. I want the Legislature to stand at the Monument dedicated to the fallen workers at the Farmington #9 Mine knowing that 19 of the 78 killed are entombed in the mine under their feet. I want the Legislature to stand at the Willow Island Cooling Tower and the Monument that was the idea of an 11 year old young man and feel the pain of the families of the 51 workers that fell to their death when the Cooling Tower fell. I want the Legislature to ride with a State Trooper when they are in eminent danger, work on the crane in the Steel Mill where the worker was electrocuted, stand with a state highway worker flagging a vehicle that won't honor the speed limit, be with a teacher in the class room with troubled students and work with hospital and social workers that are caring for the elderly. They have pride. They shift for themselves and they ask for nothing.

The Legislature needs to FEEL THEIR PAIN. We are proud of who we are. We stand up for what we believe. We keep our families together. We trust in God but rely on ourselves. It will take us to win this fight for a Safe Workplace. It will take a coalition.

Remember, death does not discriminate.

Legislation is passed to keep business open. They say that is a necessity for the future. The legislation weakens safety laws, makes the roads unsafe and removes the business from liability for their actions. The next year they want more of the same and the next year it is the same. They continually take a bigger piece of the pie until there are no protections.

     When will they realize a safe workplace is a profitable workplace?

     The workers that we recognize today were men and women who loved their families. They were men and women who worked hard. They were men and women of integrity and honor and they were men and women who laughed and knew how to tell a good story. Of course they could ... they were West Virginians.

     We mourn ... we will remember and we will never stop fighting for safety in the workplace.

     Please Work Safe Today, Work Safe Tomorrow and Come Home.

Several organizations will be participating ... attend this very important town hall meeting and share your views.

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Plasterers & Cement Masons Local 887 Joint Apprenticeship Training

The Plasterers & Cement Masons Local 887 Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee is accepting applications for their apprenticeship program. Applications will be available Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:30 a.m until 11:00 a.m. at Local 887, 3130 Seventh Avenue, Charleston, WV.

Both of these Summer School programs are offered in the belief that the training of union officers and members is essential to the development of a strong and forward looking labor movement. Having these two programs run concurrently allows union members most interested in safety and health issues to benefit from some of the traditional offerings of the AFL-CIO Summer School (such as assemblies, picnic, banquet), while concentrating on workplace safety and health.

The West Virginia AFL-CIO Summer School is a graduate program designed with the expectation that each participant will attend the program for four years. Through completion of the entire program, participants acquire integrated skills and insight that are relevant to them both as union members and as members of society. Although participants are encouraged to attend for four years, each year's program is self-contained and offers valuable exposure to those who may be unable to attend the full program. Each morning begins with a morning assembly, followed by the:

The participants who enroll in the Safety and Health Summer School will spend each day in classes related to preventing, avoiding or addressing workplace hazards. The classes will be taught by experienced safety and health trainers who have been recognized as Certified Safety Professionals or as experts in some other aspect of safety and health training. You will have the opportunity to have hands on experience with technology and equipment.

During the evenings, we will have our annual barbecue (poolside) and karaoke on Wednesday and our Banquet on Thursday. We will be offering a golf outing on Tuesday following the afternoon class (individuals are to cover their own expenses).

VOL III, Issue 227 -- May 17, 2006

REMINDER

WEST VIRGINIA AFL-CIO
SUMMER SCHOOL --- 2006

JUNE 19TH --- JUNE 23RD
LAKEVIEW GOLF RESORT & SPA
MORGANTOWN
DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS
ENJOY THE FELLOWSHIP
REGISTER NOW

VOL III, Issue 225 -- May 12, 2006

West Virginia Labor History Association and South Charleston Museum to premiere restored “Harlan County, USA”

To celebrate WV Labor History Month, The West Virginia Labor History Association and the South Charleston Museum will present the premiere of the restored "HARLAN COUNTY, USA"
(1976, 103 min.)

Saturday, May 13, 2006, at 7 p.m. Admission to the event is $2.00.

The DVD of the restored film will be released nationwide on May 26th by The Criterion Collection who provided the WVLHA with an early DVD of the film.

This Academy Award winning documentary shows the year long strike by 180 coal mining families to win a standard United Mine Workers contract from the owners of the Brookside mine in Kentucky. Many consider the film to be the most influential documentary made in the US since Pare Lorentz’ films of the Great Depression.

T. Paige Dalporto, a West Virginia musician, photographer and author, will perform before the premiere of the movie starting at 6:30 PM. He recently performed with Elaine Purkey before William C. Blizzard’s presentation at the WV Cultural Center, discussing his book, “When Miners March.”

The South Charleston Museum is located in the LaBelle Theatre, 311 D Street, South Charleston, WV 25303. For more information, please contact the museum by telephoning 304-744-9711, e-mail scmuseum@yahoo.com, or visit http://www.geocities.com/scmuseum.

AFL-CIO president John Sweeney and Change to Win chair Anna Burger today announced that they have reached a tentative agreement on a plan for coordination of member mobilization activity for the 2006 election year.

"The entire labor movement is united by the desire to make working people's issues the country's priorities this election year, and we are taking all the necessary steps to effectively coordinate our efforts toward this end," said Sweeney and Burger.

The AFL-CIO and Change to Win will create a National Labor Coordinating Committee (NLCC) to be chaired by Gerald McEntee, AFL-CIO political committee chair and president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, and vice-chaired by Edgar Romney, secretary-treasurer of Change to Win and executive vice president of UNITE HERE. Political directors and staff from the organizations will work in close collaboration on every aspect of the program, and the organizations will share the costs of joint activities.

As part of the agreement, Change to Win releases its affiliates to participate in state and local central labor bodies, and AFL-CIO President Sweeney will recommend to the AFL-CIO Executive Council that the United Farm Workers be eligible to participate in state and local bodies.

Locals of disaffiliated Change to Win national unions can decide for themselves whether to join and pay affiliation fees to AFL-CIO state federations and local labor councils, Anna Burger, chair of the group, said in a letter to state and local labor leaders today. The letter appears to reverse a previous Change to Win demand that the group’s local unions stop paying per capita fees to the state and local labor councils—a move that would have crippled coordinated work by the labor movement in states and communities throughout the country.

Although the Change to Win unions have left the AFL-CIO federation, the AFL-CIO created a Solidarity Charter program to allow locals of the disaffiliated unions to partner with AFL-CIO state federations and local labor councils. More than 1,100 locals have entered into more than 1,700 Solidarity Charters to become or remain part of their state and local labor movements.

Burger’s message responded to an open letter from more than 140 state and local AFL-CIO labor leaders to presidents of the Change to Win unions, urging them to drop plans to cut off funding. “Let us continue to fight together, for workers in our states, cities and towns, and to win elections in November. Let us live. Don’t walk away,” the state and local leaders said.

Burger also said Change to Win “will agree to the creation” of a National Labor Coordinating Committee to coordinate union member mobilization and education about the crucial issues facing working families in the 2006 elections.

by Donna Jablonski <<< National AFL-CIO’s deputy director of public affairs for publications, Web and broadcast.

VOL III, Issue 223 -- May 9, 2006

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY VOTE THURSDAY ON BUDGET CUTS

This is our last chance to call our Representatives Toll-Free to tell them to Vote No on House Budget Cuts.

So far our calls and e-mails have stalled this bad budget but we are afraid that if we do not continue calling or e-mailing our Representatives that our silence will undo the progress that has been made.

Below are 5 reasons taken from a Coalition on Human Needs report on why it’s worth our time to call:

Please use the below toll-free number to reach the U.S. Capitol Switchboard and ask to be connected to your Representative's office. (The person at the switchboard can figure out who your Representative is if you're not sure). When you’re connected, you can use the below message or your own message.

My name is________________________ and I live in_______________________. I am asking you to oppose the House budget or any bill that cuts health care, education, housing, food aid, and other vital services. It's wrong to cut human needs programs to pay for tax giveaways to the rich.

The above toll-free number is provided courtesy of the American Friends Service Committee which has launched a budget campaign, http://www.afsc.org/economic-justice/sos/ AFSC welcomes groups to circulate and use the toll-free number in support of non-partisan budget goals and without linking the alert to a website soliciting donations or actions which may be used to support partisan lobbying or work.

S. 1955... WOULD ALLOW HEALTH INSURERS TO BYPASS STATE REQUIREMENTS FOR MINIMUM BENEFIT.

S. 1955 is making its way through the U.S. Senate ... this bill would allow health insurers to bypass state requirements for minimum benefits. That means it could eliminate key benefits in our coverage, including cancer screenings, contraception, emergency services, mental health care and diabetic supplies.

Every state has written specific health protections into its laws, requiring insurance companies to cover certain necessary services. S. 1955, pushed by Wyoming Sen. Mike Enzi (R), would allow insurers to jack up prices for services they’re now required to cover—or eliminate coverage for them altogether.

The Enzi bill would encourage discrimination, letting insurers raise premiums based on our age, our gender, our health status and more. It would price the elderly and the sick out of the insurance market, taking health care coverage away from those who need it most.

The Enzi bill panders to powerful corporate trade organizations, which want to sell insurance packages to their members but don’t want to be required to offer the benefits mandated by states. Anti-union groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business, the Associated Builders and Contractors and more are all pushing to pass S. 1955 to attract new members with low-cost, low-benefit insurance.

But their gain will be our loss. Without the protections our state has put in place, our health care benefits are at risk.

We can't let Congress cut our benefits and raise our premiums. We must stop S. 1955. We must tell Senators Byrd and Rockefeller to oppose the bill.

Click the below link to take action to stop this bill from cutting health care benefits.

VOL III, Issue 221 -- May 5, 2006

Activists Needed!

Are you tired of how things are going with the economy, our health care, the price of gas, the war? Are you someone that wants to make a difference?

If so, we want you! We want you to attend the WV AFL-CIO / WVU Institute for Labor Studies and Research 2006 Summer School.

After you spend the week of June 19-23 learning and fellowshipping with Union Sisters and Brothers from around the State you'll feel like you can conquer the world. You'll get that fire in your belly and you'll want to get out and make a difference ... and you'll have the knowledge and the confidence to do so!

If you think we are kidding join us in Morgantown and see for yourself. Call the WV AFL-CIO office by the end of next week about getting registered ... 344-3557 or e-mail wvaflcio@wvaflcio.org and request the details. In the subject line put Summer School and we'll do the rest.

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A Big CONGRATULATIONS to the UNITED STEELWORKERS and the Production and Maintenance Employees of the Chemtura Corporation, Morgantown WV
for their recent ORGANIZING VICTORY!
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MORE GOOD NEWS

Robbie and Dara Massey's son Erik is doing well!
Robbie is a Extension Specialist with the WVU Institute for Labor Studies. We want Robbie's many friends to know that his son Erik is doing well. Erik had a Gamma Knife Procedure in April and Robbie said the procedure went well without any complications. Erik can play ball and do all the other things that kids his age can do. His only restriction will be no heavy lifting. Robbie wanted to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers.

Minimum Wage Increase
Tuesday, April 4, 2006 Governor Manchin signed into law an increase in the state's minimum wage, which will rise to $7.25 an hour within two years. West Virginia joins 18 other states that have raised their minimum wage above the federal rate of $5.15 an hour, which was last increased in 1997.

Health Care Reform Bill Passed!
Over the next several years an additional 4,000 plus West Virginia children will get health insurance through this expansion. The law establishes an interagency task force to study future health care reform and the law allows for eight clinics around the state to offer prepaid primary and preventative care to uninsured West Virginians.

West Virginia sets standard for 527s
West Virginia lawmakers are drawing praise from national watchdog groups for being the first in the nation to attempt to regulate how nonprofit 527 groups can spend election funds. The 527 groups are called this because it is that section of the Federal Internal Revenue Service code that allows individuals to spend unlimited amounts to influence elections in a way that circumvents federal law. These reforms will be fundamental in leveling the playing field in WV elections.

Southwestern District Labor Council, AFL-CIO Wins huge Victory!
Southwestern Legislative Committee Chair Pete Vaughan led a charge to push back those at a Huntington City Council meeting wanting to do away with representative government. A Councilman introduced a motion for a charter change to allow the council to appoint a 5 panel board and institute a city manager form of government. This process would have allowed an at will employee to act at the pleasure of the council and it would have turned over to the Chamber of Commerce and HADCO the purse strings of the various city boards. This form of governing is not in the best interest of the people! CONGRATULATIONS Southwestern CLC for fighting the fight, and WINNING!

Victory against Right to Work for Less
Naomi Walker, Director to the State Legislative Program for the National AFL-CIO passed along this good news. In New Hampshire the union movement scored another victory against Right to Work for Less when the State House voted to defeat the RTW bill by 255-85. Naomi writes, "What's notable about this victory is that only 150 of the legislators in the NH house are Democrats! CONGRATULATIONS TO: Jan Schaffer, AFL-CIO Field Staff; Mark Mackenzie, NH AFL-CIO President; the staff at the State Federation and all of the affiliate leaders and local union coordinators who worked on the campaign.

Senate Votes "NO" on Social Security Privatization
The threat of privatizing Social Security is not dead but last month the Senate rejected, 46-53, an amendment to the fiscal 2007 budget resolution containing private account language. We must keep up the fight on this issue!

With YOUR help
In February, Tina Buchanan a former AFT member and a former employee of the Human Resource Development Foundation Inc. (HRDF), a social arm of the West Virginia AFL-CIO, asked that you circulate a petition concerning denying the parole of Raymond Mayhew. In 1989 Raymond was convicted of first-degree murder of Tina's mother, Joyce "Susie" Haun while she was managing the Unity Terrace apartments in Fairmont one of the HRDF housing facilities. Parole for Raymond Mayhew was denied and he was sentenced to three more years in prison.

THANKS TO ALL!

GET OUT THE VOTE --- MAY 9, 2006

Call today and be a part of America's #1 Progressive talk show coming to the Marshall University Student Center in Huntington, WV --- June 2, 2006.

The Southwestern District Labor Council, AFL-CIO proudly presents
Direct from the HEARTLAND
THE ED SCHULTZ SHOW

When: Friday, June 2, 2006
Where: Don Morris Room / Marshall University Student Center
Time: 3:00-6:00
Cost: $20.00 for Local Union Delegates & the General Public
$ 5.00 for Marshall Students (with valid ID)

All Proceeds will go to Ed Schultz Charities.

Contact the South Western District Labor Council office or WRVC for tickets.
SWDLC -Tim Millne 304-523-2353
WRVC 304-523-8401

VOTE IN THE PRIMARY ELECTION---MAY 9TH, 2006

Statistics show that during a Primary Election, especially in an off year when there is not a race for president and governor that there is a low turnout at the polls.

These statistics can be changed but your help is needed to make it happen!

Initiate conversations with your friends, families, and neighbors about the importance of electing people that share the views of West Virginia's Workers and the need to elect these Candidates in the May 9th Primary election and again in the November, General election.

We have to get the message to others that these elected officials are a big part of our everyday lives because they help create the laws that we must abide by, through our State's Legislative process. Therefore, it does matter who wins the Primary election.

If we do not get voters out to the polls on May 9th then the Candidate best suited to make decisions concerning West Virginia's Workers may not get elected.

Will you contact a couple of your friends and start a conversation about the May 9th Primary and ask what time they are going to the polls on Tuesday and challenge them to contact a couple of their friends to ask the same thing? Will you forward this e-mail to your list of friends and ask them to also forward this e-mail?

Imagine what an impact we could make in changing those statistics if everyone would do that!

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The endorsement process that the West Virginia AFL-CIO uses is a multi-step process that begins at the grass roots level:

1) After the filing deadline, candidates are issued questionnaires and given a deadline for completing and returning them to the State AFL-CIO office.
2) >From there, the completed questionnaires are distributed to the appropriate (one of the 13) Central Labor Councils.
3) The brothers and sister of the Councils interview the candidates form their areas and make the endorsement recommendations to the Committee on Political Education Committee (COPE) based on these interviews. With rare exception, the state COPE committee accepts those recommendations and issues the endorsement.

Much deliberation and thought went into the below WV AFL-CIO Endorsed Candidates. We encourage you to vote and to get others to vote for the below Candidates who support West Virginia's Workers.

U. S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE
1st District Alan B. Mollohan; 2nd District Mark Hunt; 3rd District Nick Joe Rahall, II

SENATE
1st District Edwin J. Bowman; 2nd District Larry J. Edgell; 4th District Jim Lees; 6th District H. Truman Chafin; 7th District Josh Stowers; 8th District Erik Wells; 10th District Frederick L. Parker; 11th District C. Randy White; 12th District Joseph Minard; 17th District Brooks McCabe, Jr.;

HOUSE OF DELEGATES
1st District Joe Delong; 2nd District Jack Yost; 3rd District Orphy Klempa; 4th District Kenneth Tucker; 7th District John Bumgardner; 9th District Jim Marion; 10th District John Ellem, Steven D. Whitehair, Sr.; 13th District Dale F. Martin, Brady R. Paxton; 14th District Gene Estel; 15th District Jim Morgan, Matthew James Woelfel, Pam Carden; 16th District Dale Stephens; 17th District Don Perdue, Richard Thompson; 18th District Larry W. Barker; 19th District Jeff Eldridge, Lidella Wilson Hrutkay, Ronnie Ooten, Ralph Rodighiero; 21st District Harry Keith White; 22nd District Mike Burdiss; 23rd District Clifton Moore; 24th District Molly Lohr-Robinette; 25th District Anita Skeens Caldwell, Paige Flanigan; 27th District Melvin R. “Mell” Kessler, Kevin L. Maynus, Clyde D McKnight Jr.; 28th District Tommy Scarles, Ray Canterbury; 29th District Tom Louisos; 30th District Bob T. Anderson, Ted Boettner, Bonnie Brown, Nancy Guthrie, Barbara Hatfield, Sharon Spencer, Danny Wells; 31st District Carrie Webster; 34th District Brent Boggs; 35th District Sam Argento; 36th District JoeTalbott; 39th District Bill Hamilton; 40th District Mary M. Poling; 41st District Anthony J. Barberio, Ron Fragale, Richard J. Iaquinto, Tim Miley; 43rd District Mike Caputo, Linda Longstreth, Tim Manchin; 44th District Barbara Fleischuer, Charlene Marshall, Alex Shook; 46th District Chris Cooper; 50th District Ruth Rowan; 53rd District Jerry Burton; 54th District Walter Duke; 58th District Locke Wysong

VOL III, Issue 218 -- May 2, 2006

GET OUT THE VOTE – MAY 9, 2006

One of the most basic, but perhaps least appreciated, rights of our American democracy is the right to vote. Throughout history, Americans have fought to protect that privilege and those that have been denied it ... have fought to attain it.

Why is it that once we obtain something, such as our right to vote, we do not appreciate it as we should? Your help is needed to change that ... It's time we shared our political views with our family, friends and our neighbors. We must explain the importance of voting and encourage them to Get out and Vote. The May 9th Polling Hours are 6:30 am - 7:30 pm. Please help to encourage voter turnout.

Voting is Powerful, Voting is Responsible, Voting is a Privilege.
Use your Privilege, be Responsible, be Powerful!
Be an Active Citizen ... VOTE!

For general information for the election ... http://www.wvsos.com/elections/eday/electionday.htm

WV AFL-CIO Endorsed Candidates

UNITED STATES SENATE
Robert C. Byrd

U. S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE
1st District Alan B. Mollohan; 2nd District Mark Hunt; 3rd District Nick Joe Rahall, II

SENATE
1st District Edwin J. Bowman; 2nd District Larry J. Edgell; 4th District Jim Lees;
6th District H. Truman Chafin; 7th District Josh Stowers; 8th District Erik Wells;
10th District Frederick L. Parker; 11th District C. Randy White; 12th District
Joseph Minard; 17th District Brooks McCabe, Jr.

HOUSE OF DELEGATES
1st District Joe Delong; 2nd District Jack Yost; 3rd District Orphy Klempa;
4th District Kenneth Tucker; 7th District John Bumgardner; 9th District Jim Marion;
10th District John Ellem, Steven D. Whitehair, Sr.; 13th District Dale F. Martin, Brady R. Paxton;
14th District Gene Estel; 15th District Jim Morgan, Matthew James Woelfel, Pam Carden;
16th District Dale Stephens; 17th District Don Perdue, Richard Thompson;
18th District Larry W. Barker; 19th District Jeff Eldridge, Lidella Wilson Hrutkay,
Ronnie Ooten, Ralph Rodighiero; 21st District Harry Keith White; 22nd District Mike Burdiss;
23rd District Clifton Moore; 24th District Molly Lohr-Robinette;
25th District Anita Skeens Caldwell, Paige Flanigan;
27th District Melvin R. “Mell” Kessler, Kevin L. Maynus, Clyde D McKnight Jr.;
28th District Tommy Scarles, Ray Canterbury; 29th District Tom Louisos;
30th District Bob T. Anderson, Ted Boettner, Bonnie Brown,Nancy Guthrie, Barbara Hatfield, Sharon Spencer, Danny Wells;
31st District Carrie Webster; 34th District Brent Boggs; 35th District Sam Argento;
36th District JoeTalbott; 39th District Bill Hamilton; 40th District Mary M. Poling;
41st District Anthony J. Barberio, Ron Fragale, Richard J. Iaquinto, Tim Miley;
43rd District Mike Caputo, Linda Longstreth, Tim Manchin;
44th District Barbara Fleischuer, Charlene Marshall, Alex Shook;
46th District Chris Cooper; 50th District Ruth Rowan; 53rd District Jerry Burton;
54th District Walter Duke; 58th District Locke Wysong.

Please distribute widely!

West Virginia AFL-CIO Vice President, Linda Dickey, would like to invite us to the 2006 AFL-CIO Union Industries Show coming to Cleveland, Ohio on Friday, May 5th - Sunday, May 7th. Linda will be working a booth with her GMP International Union on the making of Fiesta Dinnerware at the Homer Laughlin China Factory, where Linda is employed.

Fiesta Dinnerware is an American Icon that has brightened the kitchens of America for decades and Linda is proud to say that Fiesta Dinnerware is still Union-Made in the USA!

Live from the huge IX Center, the Union Industries Show will sport a new name and lots of high-energy interactive displays, games, prizes and products.

The Show has a new name this year - 'America@Work' - a title that better describes what show-goers will see, hear and feel.

The Show will run from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on its last day, Sunday May 7th.

Floor displays will spotlight the latest union made autos, motorcycles and boats. There will be millions of dollars worth of paper products, pottery, consumer goods ... all interspersed with craft demonstrations by operating engineers, bricklayers, roofers, pipe fitters, GMP pottery workers, ironworkers, sheet metal workers, firefighters, glass blowers, electrical workers and many more. Show exhibitors will offer more than $1 million worth of prizes and giveaways and no one will go home from the Show empty handed.

Linda Dickey said, "If you have never attended an AFL-CIO Union Industries Show, you don't know what you are missing", and she requests that we all come experience the excitement of this Union Made Show!