IBEW 1837 member Bob Toole makes a point as Jane Allen listens at Labor 2008 training.

May 29, 2008 - The Democratic Party may not have officially chosen their presidential candidate yet, but IBEW 1837’s Worksite Coordinators have already begun to take a look at some of the issues in this year’s presidential campaign. In the case of the presumptive Republican nominee, they don’t always like what they see.

“I’m concerned by John McCain’s plan to tax our health insurance benefits as income,” said Bob Toole, an IBEW 1837 Worksite Coordinator at Bangor Hydro Electric. “I’m anxious to help get the word out to other IBEW members about this and other election year issues that are important to working people.”

Brother Toole is not alone. He’s been joined by dozens of other IBEW 1837 members at our represented companies in an effort to distribute literature and share information about the policy positions of the presidential nominees as well as candidates for state and local office in the run up to November. In that way, our Worksite Coordinators can help our members to make an informed decision when they cast their ballots on Election Day.

IBEW Local 1837 members are teaming up with our brothers and sisters from other AFL-CIO unions to fight for a brighter future for workers across the United States. Now is a great time to make your union voice heard loud and clear as we prepare to elect a new President as well as other representatives at the federal, state and local level. In fact, Maine and New Hampshire have been identified as two of the six “battleground states” with competitive races that could impact the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.

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.”

Panel at FCC Hearing in Portland High School, Portland MaineIBEW 1837 Business Manager Cynthia Phinney participated in a panel presenting testimony to the FCC in a hearing on media ownership on Thursday, June 28, 2007. The hearing was one of several held around the country over the past year for FCC Commissioners to hear directly from people in communities their thoughts and experiences about media ownership and localism.

While most of the panelists focussed on local content and community involvement issues, IBEW 1837 has a special relationship with the media. Besides our interest in how well and how thoroughly the media cover labor issues both locally and nationally, IBEW 1837 also represents people who work dirctly in the industry at WGME

Gov. Bill Richardson and IBEW Asst. Business Manager Tom Ryan discuss PSNH Writers.New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, while campaigning in New Hampshire for the Democratic Presidential nomination, expressed concern to PSNH representatives about their anti-union tactics against IBEW 1837's drive to organize "Writers" at the company. Field Technicians and Field Technician Specialists (also known as "Writers") have recently been subjected to mandatory anti-union meetings at company facilities. These mandatory meetings could soon be outlawed under HB 254, now being considered by the New Hampshire Legislature.

Gov. Richardson was in Portsmouth touring Public Service of New Hampshire's Schiller plant on Sunday, May 6. The power plant, which recently converted one of its coal-fired boilers to wood chips, is seen by the former Energy Secretary as a model for helping to cut our reliance on fossil fuels while safeguarding the environment. While he was "impressed by the plant," Richardson took the opportunity to support the efforts of the Writers to join IBEW Local 1837.