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JOHN J. FLYNN President International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers .............................

Not long after the September 11th attack on the Pentagon, I met with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld along with several other representatives of the Building Trades. During that meeting, the Secretary noted that in the days following the attack, the vast majority of the Pentagon's employees put their fears aside and returned to work. These workers were mainly civilian employees and union members. Similarly, at Ground Zero, our members joined workers from other unions to help with the rescue and recovery efforts. In fact, many of the workers who lost their lives that day were union members. That's important to remember as the debate over national security unfolds, and one that sadly, the Administration has forgotten.

Despite the fact that three out of four Americans believe federal employees in the proposed Office of Homeland Security should have union protections, the Administration has argued that union representation is inconsistent with national security. Apparently the Bush Administration has forgotten that the firefighters and police officers' those who lost their lives and those who risked their lives saving others at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon's were union members. As this goes to press, the Administration remains firm in its resolve to strip federal workers of their collective bargaining and civil service protections under the guise of national security in the proposed Homeland Security legislation.

This is one issue facing union members and the new Congress, but it's not the only one. Rising health care costs are taking their toll on all working families. At the 2002 Trowel Trades Trust Fund Educational Conference, BAC fund trustees discussed the challenge of continuing to provide good benefits at reasonable costs to members. This is a priority for our Union and one that we are working on several levels to address.

We will continue to keep you informed of these issues, and encourage you to stay informed and involved on both. The right to join a union and the right to adequate health coverage are important to all of us. When one worker is denied these rights, we are all put in jeopardy.

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