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JOHN
J. FLYNN
President
International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers
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June - July 2002
BAC members were there when terror struck this country
last September, and they have been there every day since
helping to find answers and rebuild. Our Local 1 Maryland/Virginia/
D.C. members rebuilt the walls of the Pentagon that were
shattered by the terrorists. In just a few short months,
our members replaced a gaping, burned out hole—the
length of a city block—with solid stone and masonry
walls.
In New York, BAC members and IMI staff have been offering
their expertise to help government and building officials
find out what caused the collapse of the Twin Towers, and
understand why masonry and stone buildings in the vicinity
withstood the destruction caused by terrorist acts. Through
this work BAC members and staff are helping all of us heal.
Their work reminds us that when we work together, we can
overcome any obstacle. This is an important message. Today,
unionized workers face challenges on many fronts. On Capitol
Hill and in our state governments there are those who would
like to eliminate basic protections—Social Security,
Medicare, and prevailing wage laws—that provide security
for millions of Americans.
Within the labor movement, the international leaders of
the OPCMIA are putting their personal interests ahead of
their local officers, members, the industry, and the labor
movement by going after BAC contractors, trying to undercut
our wages, and creating rifts in areas where BAC and the
OPCMIA once peacefully co-existed.
Just as we have in past challenges, today we are being
called on to support each other—Local to Local, officer
to officer, and member to member—to ensure that we
protect the rights of all current and future members of
BAC. Remember, a challenge to our Brothers and Sisters
in one area is a challenge to us all. As Union members
we stand together, work together, fight together, and ultimately—rebuild
together.
If you have ideas for stories or issues of concern, let
us know by emailing us at askbac@bacweb.org or
writing to:
International Union of Bricklayers and Allied
Craftworkers
Attention: Communications Department
1776 Eye Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006
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