Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Connecticut General Assembly is now in session for 2009. This session started the first week of February. So far there are over 180 bills that we are watching. 80% of these bills are bills that would hurt our industry and lifestyles, 20% are bills which we support. There is a full-blown assault on prevailing wage this year because of the economic crisis and state and town budgets. There are over 20 bills alone on this subject if one goes through our contactors will no longer be able to bid and win any school contracts or any public works jobs at all. The governor even wants to double our license fee and apprentice fees. She also is trying to eliminate our Electrical board, which would give lawbreakins contractors a free, unfined path. Some of the good bills would increase workers compensation, unemployment compensation and get town inspectors to check electrical licenses. We go to the capital on a weekly basis to meet the legislators and give testimony at hearings. Our voices need and I mean need to be backed by yours. This can be done by registering on our political website www.ibewfightback.com . This site started last year and so far only 385 IBEW members in the state have utilized it. This number is very small considering there are over 6000 IBEW members in the state of Connecticut. We supported and endorsed a large number of candidates this last election and we must remind them of this by letting them know what we want and don’t want. Our site is very simple to be active on; it only takes 1 minute to register. And you’ll receive 10 to 15 e-mails a year. I write the senders statement already so all you have to do is press one button to send it to your town legislator. We need every single member to get involved with this process. For example if only one person from Branford is active, that means 3 state legislators will only get 1 e-mail per subject. Now if 20 members from Branford are registered they will get 20 e-mails the morning of the hearing on a proposed bill, this wakes them up. We need to all do this to protect our livelihoods and protect laws that will help us and our families. Show that you can and want to help by registering on www.ibewfightback.com today, our way of life may depend on it. Thank you!

Always in Brotherhood,

Sean Daly
Vice President/Organizer