Dr. John Radebaugh

September 1, 2008 - Once again this year, Labor's Day events in Maine and New Hampshire provided a great opportunity for members of many unions to get together to show their solidarity, learn a little bit more about labor history, listen to some great music, and—in this pivotal election year—enjoy a heaping helping of politics! And, as in previous years, members of IBEW Local 1837 were a part of the action in Manchester, New Hampshire and in Portland, Lewiston, and Brewer, Maine.

The New Hampshire AFL-CIO Breakfast in Manchester drew another large crowd to the St. George Greek Orthodox Church, including ten members of IBEW 1837 and their families. They got to hear a rousing speech from the new Executive Vice President of the AFL-CIO, Arlene Holt Baker.

”We know that working families are struggling to make ends meet across the country,” Baker said. “Every day we get closer to seeing our country’s middle class disappear. The story in New Hampshire is, unfortunately, no different.” 

IBEW’s Jim MacMichael and his niece Annie.

August 25, 2008 - Every year on the first Saturday in June, Darrell Buzzell and his wife Carole help lead people down the Kennebec River while raising money for disabled children and adults to attend summer camp here in Maine. “Twelve years ago, Carole and I started kayaking the Kennebec with a handful of friends to raise money for Pine Tree Society,” said Darrell. “Little did we know that twelve years later we would have over 200 boaters including people with disabilities.”

Since 1945, Pine Tree Camp on North Pond in Rome, Maine has offered children and adults with disabilities an incredible summer camp experience. The camp includes everything you could dream of in a summer camp including swimming, fishing, boating, music and arts & crafts — all on a 280-acre facility specially adapted to meet their needs. For many of these special campers, their annual visit to Pine Tree Camp or the Camp Pine Cone day camp is something that they look forward to all year long.

Rob Lang

August 8, 2008 - IBEW 1837 member Rob Lang was enjoying a summer Sunday afternoon in mid-July when two young children who lived next door came running up to his New Durham home. They told him their dad was hurt. Hurt bad. They needed his help.

The first class lineworker in the New Hampshire Co-op’s Alton District went racing down to find his neighbor bleeding profusely and in a desperate situation. While cutting down some trees behind his home with a chain saw, he had cut some tendons and severed an artery in his leg. He had driven his tractor out of the woods, told his children to see if Rob was home, and then fell off the tractor and collapsed on the ground.

With the holiday shopping season bearing down on us, you have a chance to support Union principles while buying great gifts for family and friends. By selecting Union-made gifts, you’ll help make the holidays even happier for other working people, their families and their communities. What’s more, you know that gifts made by union workers are of the highest quality, so you can feel good about doing good.

Another great way to shop is to look for products that are Fair Trade certified (TM). Fair Trade advocates work to promote labor, environmental, and social policy standards to benefit working people.

This past year we’ve had many of our worst fears confirmed about the safety of some of the items that we purchase every day.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama took a moment to pose with IBEW 1837 members at NH Labor's Day 2007 Breakfast.Labor's Day 2007 events featured shows of solidarity, lessons in labor history, great music, and politics! And members of IBEW Local 1837 were there to take it all in. A variety of gatherings in New Hampshire and Maine drew hundreds of enthusiastic union members, their families, and their friends.

The New Hampshire AFL-CIO Breakfast in Manchester drew close to 500 people to the St. George Greek Orthodox Church, including the state’s congressional delegation, Governor John Lynch, and Democratic presidential hopefuls Christopher Dodd and Barack Obama. Representing IBEW 1837 at the exciting event were Kerry Guptill, Thomas Clements, Bill Tarallo, Steve and Jeanne Eldredge, Tony and Shirley Sapienza, Rick Simons, Dave Ouellette and Sue Ekola.

There were rousing speeches from the presidential candidates, and many of those in attendance took advantage of the rare chance to speak with them one-on-one about the issues of importance to working people in this country today. NH AFL-CIO President Mark MacKenzie took the opportunity to reveal a new campaign declaring that “in America no one should go without health care.”