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JOHN J. FLYNN
President
International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers
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Issue 6 - 2007
The International Masonry Institute’s Training Director summed it up best when he told the apprentices who competed in the International Apprentice Contest, “In your hands is the future of our trades and you have shown us the future is bright.” This sentiment was shared by the officers, members and their families, contractors, political officials, and the public who attended the Contest either in person or through our webcasts of the events.
In this year-end issue of the Journal, we truly saved the best for last. As you will see on the pages that follow, this year’s International Apprentice Contest embodied everything about our trades in which we take pride. The apprentices who competed not only demonstrated superior craft skills, but also displayed a strong level of solidarity and support for each other throughout the competition. They demonstrated they have the dedication and skills to create a bright future for our Union.
As we enter into an important election year in the U.S., however, we are reminded that they will only be able to achieve a bright future if elected officials put safety before profits, support an individual’s right to join a union without fear of reprisal, and recognize the importance of a strong middle class. Under the Bush Administration, these conditions have not existed and as a result, workers in this country have lost ground.
Week after week, news reports told the story of families without health coverage and retirees losing their hard-earned pension benefits because of corporate misconduct or loopholes in the laws. We saw our sons and daughters, sisters and brothers, sent off to a war with no end in sight. We saw taxes cut for the wealthy and stealth-taxes, in the form of higher energy and food prices, put the squeeze on the middle class and send more families into poverty. On the labor front, we fought repeated efforts by the Bush Administration and its allies to take away our union voice and the wages and benefits we have earned.
The 2008 election is critical to our future. If we are to preserve our rights and standard of living, every eligible BAC member must register and vote. This is our time to take back America for working families, for union members, and for our future.
This year, our Union made great strides forward thanks to the hard work of our members and officers, and the support of our friends and families. With your continued support we can expect an equally positive year in 2008.
On behalf of the IU Executive Board, we wish you a safe and happy holiday season, and a bright future.
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
620 F Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20004
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