Good morning everyone and I hope you all had a great Canada Day.

I am extremely humbled to accept the position of IBEW Local 1620 Business Manager/ Financial Secretary. I sincerely want to thank the membership for entrusting me to continue to manage Local 1620 for the next four years.  It is an absolute honour and a privilege to be given this position and I sincerely respect that very much.  

Secondly, I want to congratulate our new 2020 - 2024 Local 1620 Executive Board (Robert Dillon, Steven Stewart, Byron Lundrigan, Cynthia Osmond, Paul Smith, Ryan Penney, Glen Curtis, Jeremy Thorne, Jason Rose, Cory Layman, Geoff Ford, Ann Marie Candow, and Jeff Fahey).  I have faith that they will be a great team and I sincerely look forward to working with them over the next four years.  

On behalf of the Local 1620 membership and myself personally, I want to thank Graham Abbott, Wade Pardy, Chad Simms, Frances Rideout, and John Collier.  Their contribution to Local 1620 is very much appreciated and the work they did will continue with Local 1620 for years to come.  As we all know, four years ago, we started to make change.  Graham, Wade, Chad, Frances and John helped with this and we are all better off for it.  As we all know, there is still more to do.

I want to welcome our new Executive Board members (Ann Marie, Paul, Jeremy, Jason, and Geoff) to the Executive Board.  The best thing about elections is our members get an opportunity to bring in new blood to our Board.  This is always great so we don't get stuck in our ways and continue with the same old.  I look forward to your positive input as we will continue together to move Local 1620 ahead.

Our 2020 election was not for our Board members nor myself, it was for you, our membership.  You own this democratic right and rightly so.  How fitting that this occurred just prior to our national day to celebrate; Canada Day.

As you all know, I am not far away.  If you need me, just reach out.  With our election now complete, it is time to focus on what we do. 

Again congratulations and thank you to everyone.

Warm Fraternal Regards,

Don

Ballots are out - Please Vote

Hi everyone.

As you know, election ballots were mailed to you on June 2.  If you haven't received a ballot by now or if your ballot has been destroyed for some reason, you should be emailing the Election Judge at electionjudge@ibew1620.com immediately.

Please consider all the candidates and make sure you vote.  It is important to do this as soon as possible so your vote gets included.  Leaving this to the eleventh hour will put your vote at risk of not being included.  

Also, please note that I mailed my own personal information package to you on May 29.  I encourage you to read through this as we have done a lot of good work over the past four years.  I appreciate your support and certainly look forward to this continuing.

If you have any questions on the election or on my campaign, please feel free to contact me directly.

Stay safe and stay positive!

Don

Nominations are now closed - Congrats to Steven Stewart, Byron Lundrigan, Cory Layman, Jeff Fahey, Ryan Penney, and Jeremy Thorne!

As per the election schedule, nominations for election have closed yesterday at 9am.  Visit www.ibew1620.com to see a complete list of candidates.

Congratulations to the following Local 1620 members that obtained a position by acclamation:

Steven Stewart        Vice-President

Byron Lundrigan     Secretary

Cory Layman           Executive Board Member (Carbonear - Whitbourne)

Jeff Fahey                Executive Board Member (Outside Construction Group)

Jeremy Thorne         Executive Board Member (Clarenville - Port Union)

Ryan Penney            Executive Board Member (Corner Brook)

A big "THANK YOU" to John Collier as he did not reoffer this election.  John's contribution to Local 1620 over the years is greatly recognized and appreciated.  I do look forward to John still assisting the Port Aux Basques Unit and the Local.  Our door is open Brother!

For the remainding candidates running for election, I sincerely wish you all the best.  It is good to see such interest from such great Local 1620 members.  I am confident our membership will put in place a great team.  Ballots go in the mail on Tuesday coming, June 2nd.

I look forward to a fair and clean election!

Stay safe and stay positive!

Solidarity!

Don

Response to a May 14, 2020 Facebook Post

I was very disappointed to see a Facebook post made on May 14, 2020 by a candidate who is running in our Local 1620 election.  Typically, I would not respond to this type of campaign literature, but the fact is the post is full of misinformation which the candidate knows is untrue.

Never before has a candidate stoop to such fearmongering in an election campaign.  It speaks volumes about this candidate who twists information for his own purpose and his own agenda.  In fact, this candidate has been in office for the past 4 years, with 49 meetings of the Executive Board and numerous unit meetings.  Never has this been raised nor have the words “dishonesty” and “backstabbing” been used in any way, shape, or form.  Why is it only now this candidate is using these terms? 

We have rules and process in the IBEW.  Under our Constitution, bylaws, and policies, members can address issues such as dishonesty and backstabbing.  Why haven’t this candidate, in his leadership capacity, done this?  If he could not do this in our structured and protected IBEW environment, how will he address other issues of Local 1620 and deal with industry and employers, including Newfoundland Power.  He will be easily intimidated, and unfortunately the other party (the employer) will have the advantage. 

The candidate states “ I think it’s time for this Union to get rid of the high priced lawyers, the high priced consultants, and the politicians………..We need to make responsible and smart decisions when spending member’s money – and not end up in a $5.5 million boondoggle (which happened in this term) in Holyrood”.

Local 1620 is a business and as everyone knows, we are very well positioned financially.  In the best interests of our membership, we have a great ability to afford fair market rates for expertise (lawyers and consultants).  We can finally afford advice, representation, and protection for our members and their issues.  Never before has Local 1620 been able to fight grievances and take them to arbitration. Never before could we afford to intervene on Newfoundland Power’s General Rate or challenge Newfoundland Power’s Essential Employee Application.  We are finally doing what a Union is supposed to do and that is to work as best as we can for our members.  To be realistic, this would be catastrophic should this candidate take this away from our members.  I will not allow that to happen because our members deserve more.

When I became Business Manager in 2016, I instantly saw big problems with the Holyrood partnership and brought my concerns to the Executive Board and the membership.  Only then did the Executive Board and the membership make the decision to terminate the Holyrood partnership.  Why is the candidate saying it is a “boondoggle” when he played a part of the decision making? I am fully supportive of the decision the Executive Board and membership made on the Holyrood partnership termination.  To have stayed in the partnership, Local 1620 would be in great financial jeopardy today.

I look forward to you understanding this misleading information but strongly suggest that putting misleading information out to our members, to people we do business with, to our employer partners, and to the public, unfortunately paints a very damaging picture of Local 1620 and the IBEW.  This is not responsible leadership. We all have worked long and hard to get where we are today, and this should not be tolerated.

Going forward, I fully urge this candidate and all candidates to run respectful campaigns.  Seek support with integrity and campaign on your own merits, experience, and disclose how you wish to move Local 1620 forward.  

Should you need further clarity, please feel free to contact me directly at 709-325-1620 or dmforbm@gmail.com.

Stay safe and stay positive,

Don

MESSAGE FROM DON

Thank you for visiting my site as I run for your Local 1620 Business Manager.  I am running because you need a leader you can count on and works hard.  Your leader needs to be available at all times, responsive to you, and accountable. It is what you deserve as a member.  It is what we all need together as Local 1620!

As you know, I was elected as your Business Manager in 2016.  On your behalf, I worked extremely hard and I did include you, our members.  Broken down in headings below, have a look at all our staggering accomplishments of the past four years: 

LABOUR RELATIONS

·       Succeeded with two mega-projects (Lower Churchill and Maritime Link Project) using the IBEW Code of Excellence.

·       Negotiated Newfoundland Power Craft and Clerical Collective Agreements that were accepted for the first time ever on the first vote in 2019.

·       Intervened in Newfoundland Power’s 2018 General Rate Application for the first time ever.

·       Challenged Newfoundland Power Public Utilities Board Application on Essential Employees – First time ever in 2018.

·       Reached a better and more fair Newfoundland Power Trouble Truck arrangement for all St. John’s PLTs.

·       Negotiated the CLRA (Provincial) Collective Agreement that was overwhelmingly accepted on the first vote.

·       Negotiated the Colliers International Collective Agreement that was accepted unanimously.

·        Arbitrated several controversial grievances.

·        Implemented an effective Shop Steward Fact Finding Process.

FINANCE

·      All Local Union financial recording and reporting with audits are 100% up to date and filed for the first time ever.

·       Established much better processes for our Local Union accounting, including Executive Board and membership approvals, spending, etc.

·       All Local Union per capita is 100% up to date.

·       Our LCP/ MLP remittances have been audited.

·       Activated an Investment Committee and Investment Policy to control all Local Union investments. The Committee has regular meetings, training, and reporting.

·       Instituted a Local Union budget in 2019/ 2020 for the first time ever.

·       Negotiated the Local 1620/ 2330 Partnership termination (74263 NL Inc. and IBEW College).   

GOVERNANCE

·      Activated all eleven Local Union 1620 Units from St. John’s to Port Aux Basques in October 2016.  They are now monthly and fully functional.  Members now get opportunity to attend meetings and address all our Union business every month.

·       As Business Manager, I attended numerous Local Union meetings regularly.  Your Business Manager needs to be connected with you, the membership.

·       Activated numerous committees including the NextGen Committee (Chartered with the IBEW), Women’s Committee (Chartered with the IBEW), Building Committee, Investment Committee, Political Action Committee, Grievance Committee.

·       Amended and instituted numerous Local Union policies that were approved by the membership including the investment policy, sexual harassment policy, harassment and discrimination policy, and training policy.

·       Amended several Local bylaws that were presented and approved by the membership.

TRAINING and EDUCATION

·       Developed and delivered many Shop Steward training sessions.

·       Delivered several training sessions related to organizing.

·       Delivered a business & labour relations management framework training session for staff in 2018.

·       Developed and delivered two successful Education Conferences that were attended and enjoyed by many members. The Education Conference themes were Planning our Future Together (2018) and Building our Future Together (2019).

BRANDING and COMMUNICATIONS

·       Regularly email blast Local Union important information to the membership.

·       Developed and launched a new Local Union 1620 brand with a new Local Union logo.

·       Developed and launched a new Local Union 1620 website.

ORGANIZING

·       Engaged organizing staff to increase our Local Union 1620 membership.

·       Several organizing campaigns, targeting nonunion workers are presently in place.

ADMINISTRATION

·       Managed a Local Union staff that peaked at 16.

·       Created a file storage/ retrieval system that is all now electronic and shared amongst staff.  File retention will not be an issue going forward as it was in the past.

·       Provided a Drug Card for all Local Union construction members under the Local Union Health Plan.

·       Fairly distributed and shared all Local Union business travel with the membership. 

THE BIG TAKE-A-WAYS

·      We are 100% IBEW Rule Compliant as the membership makes all the decisions. 

·       We are all working together under a membership approved Local Union strategic plan that was instituted in 2018.  The members have directly laid out what Local 1620 is to be focused on.

**WE ARE DOING THIS TOGETHER! **

We can be stronger and more effective, but we must draw on each other’s strengths to achieve our shared goals as members of Local 1620.  My commitment is to continue to work hard so that we can be the best Union we can be.

We have much work to do and I want to lead that work.  I respectfully ask for your continued support and your vote to be Local 1620’s Business Manager.

Safe Fraternal Regards,