| LOCAL 444 NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS |
We're Back!
We'll be working to bring the website back up to speed!
We hope everyone had a safe and Merry Christmas. Because of the New Year holiday falling on Sunday this year, Monday
January 2, 2012 will be a holiday and the Iron Workers Local 444 offices will be closed.
The regular schedule of apprentice classes will resume on Tuesday January 3, at 5:00 PM.
Remember Monday night open welding will continue starting at 5:00 PM. Any member wishing to attend may do so.
QUALIFIED RIGGER AND QUALIFIED SIGNALMAN DISTANT LEARNERS COURSE.
Starting on Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 5:00 The journeymen that have been working on the Rigger/Signalman books will
have an opportunity to attend the first class session for distant learners. Those individuals who have completed their home
studies and workbooks will be required to perform some related job tasks and take part in a review and test. For those who
have not already done so, please contact the Local 444 training center if you will be in attendance.
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There will be a journeyman upgrade class schedule posted at the hall and on this website for a variety of courses that will be
offered this class year.
Apprentice school will resume on Sept. 6 at 5:00 pm at the union hall for this years orientation. All apprentices are to be in
attendance.
Any journeyman wishing to enroll in an OSHA-10 class should contact the apprentice office ASAP. The next scheduled class
will begin on Sept. 8 at 5:00 pm.
Everyone please have a safe holiday this Labor Day weekend.
Monday July 18 will be the last day for apprentice applications. Only from 8:00 AM to noon. You must have a valid drivers
license, birth certificate, proof of residency in local 444's jurisdiction, and High School diploma.
The 2010 / 2011 class year for apprentices ended May 26. After a review of the Final Exam scores, the apprentice class
gathered at a traditional pizza establishment to finish out the evening. Congratulations to the graduating apprentices.
Anyone interested in journeyman upgrade information can call the office Monday through Friday. Next class year we hope to
publish a complete schedule for journeyman classes that will be available for sign up.
Monday night welding will be back. Starting June 13, 2011 , the weld shop will be open from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM for any
members that wish to practice or test. The welding instructors will be there for skill improvement or practice. CWI's will provide
and opportunity for those wishing to test.
Third year apprentices will be participating in their hands-on portion of the final exam on May 18 and 19. The written portion
of the final will be Wednesday May 25 at 5:00.
If any of our members are interested in taking the Signalman / Qualified Riggers Course, please see Ken Kobus at the hall.
We have prepared a packet of information for distant learners to assist them in completing this 80 hour course.
The May 9 election results for delegate to the convention are complete. Our representatives are:
Howard Norberg
Ken Kobus
Tim Norberg
Dennis Murry
Rich Plese
Steve Zier
Thursday night April 28 completed another 15 hour Signalman's class for Journeyman. Co-Instructors Jim Understahl
and Bob Hray presented the Crane Signaling course material to 15 iron workers in attendance.
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April 27, 2011
Just a reminder to the membership:
Elections for the delegates to this years International Convention will be from 3:30 PM until 7:00 PM on May 9 at
the union hall. Immediately following the election will be the regular monthly general membership meeting starting at 7:00
PM. Please make every attempt to attend this important election of delegates and the meeting to follow. Thank You.
Anyone interested in journeyman upgrade classes including Signalman and Qualified Riggers courses can visit the
Apprenticeship or Training links on this site.
We have approximately 4 more weeks of apprentice school left this year. Those apprentices that have not completed their
minimum welding requirements still have an opportunity to complete their tests. There will be a CWI available in the weld shop
every Tuesday and Wednesday evening starting at 5:00 PM throughout the month of May.
I wanted to thank all of the members of our retiree's club who came out for the spring luncheon at the Golden Corral
Wednesday April 27. It was a nice gathering of old friends. Anyone wishing additional information on upcoming events or
suggestions for the future may contact Eldon Lafever or Ron Gregory.
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March 28, '11
The Special Meeting for the nomination and election of judges, and the nominations for Delegates to the International
Convention has concluded. The nominees for "Delegate to the International Convention" are as follows:
These names will appear on the ballot in the order shown above.
The election for these delegates will be on May 9, 2011 from 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM. This is prior to the regularly scheduled
monthly meeting. We have six delegates to represent Local 444 at the convention. Howard Norberg, by virtue of his office as
BMFST will lead the delegation. There are five positions to fill with the upcoming election. The five individuals receiving the
greatest number of votes will represent the local as delegates. It was moved that two of the nominees not securing a position
in the election to act as alternates and serve as may be needed.
Thank you for your participation.
The Judges for the election of delegates to the International Convention are as follows:
SAM PERSICO
KEN LOVATI
BOB HRAY
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There will be a special meeting March 28, 2011 at 7:00 at the union hall for the nominations of candidates to be Delegates
to the International Convention. The convention will be held in Chicago, Illinois this year. In addition to the nomination of
convention delegates, we will be nominating and electing judges for the upcoming election of those delegates.
That election will be held May 9, 2011 from 3:30PM to 7:00 PM at the union hall prior to our monthly meeting.
All members are required to show a paid dues receipt.
Local 444 recently completed a 40 hour HazMat worker course. There were 28 members completing the course and receiving
their cards.
MSHA recertification was held February 26.
HazMat recert. was completed on March 5, 2011
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5-27-09
We are continuing to look at an open welding night at the hall throughout the summer. This will be an opportunity to spend
some time with one of our welding instructors or CWI's. The CWI will be offering time for individuals that want to take their
weld test. There are a number of weld certification tests offered through the Ironworkers Welding Certification Program. One
option may be Monday evenings from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. You can come right after work and it works with meeting nights.
As soon as we confirm a day and time there will be an anouncement.
The new addition to the building is being erected and the steel framework should be complete this week. It will probably be a
couple of weeks before the start of the new parking lot next door and the work inside the shop should start soon after that.
May 21st was the last evening of class for the apprentice class. Regular scheduled classes will resume September 8,2009.
There will be a formal mailing for all apprentices to meet for orientation on that first evening of class.
We still need some volunteers to work on the handrail project for the Manteno Veteran's Home. If you happen to be free
during the day, grab a buddy and come down to the weld shop. We can make arrangements for evenings and weekends.
Apprentices required to do make up classes will report June 6 at 7:00 AM at the hall.
4-12-09
Meeting Monday April 13, 09
The excavation has started on the addition to the new building. They will start the concrete work the week of April 13.
Work continues to be slow.
3-8-09
Meeting Monday night 3-9-09 7:00 pm
There have been a number of members working on weld certification over the last month. We have added about 12 new
welder certifications in the last few weeks.
The last two weekends have been busy with the 8 hr. Haz-Mat recertification class 2-28-09. A 40 hour Hazardous Waste
Workers course ended on 3-8-09 and MSHA training courses began Saturday morning March 7, 09.
Friday, March 6, we met at the Manteno Veteran's Home for a job schedule update. The committee is pushing for a
completion date this summer for the new lake facility. The handrail fabrication is more than half complete and AZZ galvanizing
in Joliet has offered to do the galvanizing at material cost.
The permits for the building addition may be in hand this week after the variance has been reviewed by the City of Joliet
planning commission and sent to the City Council for approval.
2-16-09
Work continues to be slow as reported at the Feb. 9 meeting. There have been a number of our members working on getting
their welding certifications. The shop remains open everyday for those who want to work on their welding skills.
If any members are interested in attending a pre-access training class for the Exelon facilities, they can leave their name at
the hall. The class dates offered are March 2 and March 4. The attendance specifics are posted on the board at the hall.
The retiree's club will meet Wednesday February 18 at the hall for a late winter get together.
1-09-09
Next general membership meeting is Monday, January 12, 2009 at 7:00 PM.
The building and parking lot addition is still waiting on building permits to be issued for construction to begin. We have taken
delivery of the structural building package that will be the 40' by 100' addition to the existing training center. When completed
this additional space will serve as a multi purpose training and storage area with secure outside storage to the rear. This area
will also be serviced with an overhead crane that will enhance the training capabilities for structural, reinforcing, ornamental,
layout work, and fabrication courses.
When the weather breaks the additional parking lot proposed will include an additional 40 parking spaces to relieve the
parking problems that we have seen on meeting, training, and regular business days.
When the modifications to the existing building are complete, we will see three new second level rooms for training,
conferencing, and storage. In addition to that we will install an elevator lift, office file and storage area, and additional
restroom facilities.
The retiree's club had a great turnout in November for their holiday luncheon. We are attempting to complete a mailing list of
future events for the retirees that will be hopefully sent out soon. Until then, all correspondence will be through the office at
the union hall or published in the "Labor Record".
The welding shop is currently at full capacity on the regular week nights. Again, we invite any of our members wishing to work
on improving their welding skills that the shop is normally available throughout the weekdays if needed for practice and weld
testing.
We have made some progress on the Manteno Veterans Home handrail project with our volunteers. Go to Manteno and scroll
down.
6-30-08
The next scheduled general membership meeting will be on Monday, July 14, at 7:00 PM.
Anyone interested in attending a CPR/First Aid or a OSHA-10 class can sign up at the union hall. We will set a date when the
list fills up.
The Impact drug test collection date is tentative for the August 15 / 16 weekend. The specific time and location is currently
being coordinated with Mobile Medical Corporation who is the company contracted by Impact for collection. The Ironworker's
union hall at 2082 Oak Leaf St. will be the primary collection site. There is discussion if a possible second collection site could
be made available to reduce the driving distance for some of our members living and working far to the west and south.
Official notice of date, location, and times will be posted in the Labor Record Newspaper and/or a letter sent to the
membership with details.
We would like to remind all of our members that throughout the year they are welcome to come in and use the welding
facilities for practice or weld testing. The requests for certified welders has increased dramatically over the last couple of
years. If you have any questions on the AWS - Ironworkers Welding Certification Program stop by or call the apprentice office.
The regular apprentice school year concluded May 22. The student group gathered afterwards for pizza to with the 7
apprentices scheduled to graduate this year.
The application process for the apprenticeship is complete for the 2008 class year. We took 300 applications during the 2
weeks with 232 applicants taking the test. The JATC has interviewed the top scoring individuals for acceptance into the
apprentice program.
Members of the training staff attended a career day held at Romeoville High School on April 9, 2008. A presentation on Union
Ironworking as a career given to 6 different groups of young people.
3-13-08 Retirees are invited to meet at the union hall on March 19 to meet and greet old friends. Refreshments will be
available.
3-13-08 Members of the training staff will be attending local schools in the weeks to come representing Union Ironworkers as
a career choice for many young people soon to be graduating high school. Eldon Lafever and Ken Kobus were at Lincoln-
Way High School on March 6 and will be traveling to Illinois Community College on March 14 for their event. Next Joliet West
High School will host a similar event that our staff will attend. This is an opportunity for young people unfamiliar with local
trade unions to see the accomplishments of our training and work in the community.
Saturday March 15, starting at 8 AM Local 444 will have a MSHA recertification class at the training center. All members who
are in need on updating their current certification are invited. Course will be conducted by Dennis Murry with Sandra Ernat,
MS, RN, CNAA to present the First Aid portion of the program.
3-1-08 Local 444 conducted an 8hr Haz-Mat Refresher course with 15 members in attendance.
3-1-08 Local 444 participated in the annual St. Patrick's Day parade in Manhattan, IL. Brent Larue with many friends and
members organized and assembled a float entry to represent the Ironworker's Local 444 union in this annual event. A good
time was had by all at this popular community event. Thanks to all who helped make this successful.
Local 444 in Joliet hosted a Ironworkers District Council of Chicago train the trainer program on February 25 and 26 for
CPR and First Aid Instructors. Jim Coyne of Coyne First Aid, INC. Sellersville, PA. conducted the class. Seven
participants completed the 2 day course to support the health and safety training program in the following Chicago District
Council local unions. Angela Dial #380, Gary Ely #112, Vince DiDonato #112, Jeff Crompton #444, Jason Bernicky #444,
Julio Cantu #498, and Ryan Scudder #498.
12-5-07 The next regular meeting will be December 10, 2007 at 7:00 PM. Immediately following the meeting, Local 444 will
be hosting a Christmas Holiday get together at Cemino's Pizza, 1630 Essington Rd. in Joliet from 8:00 to 10:00. All
members invited. As you know the I-355 extension and bridge was featured on the cover of the Ironworker magazine this last
month. You may also be interested in the following:
The I-355 Des Plaines River Valley Bridge project will be featured on "Man Made: Super Roads" on the National
Geographic Channel on Thursday, December 6th, at 7:00 P.M.
Local Union Members Dig Deep for a Worthy Cause
Union construction workers at excelon's Dresden Nuclear Station recently collected more than $8,000 among themselves to
donate to a local organization whose purpose is to provide pre-paid phone cards and customized care packages to U.S.
soldiers serving abroad. Ironworkers' Local 444 steward Paul Falasca was one of 8 trade union representatives working for
Stone and Webster Construction, Inc. that was pictured presenting a check to Mom's Cookies. Mom's Cookies provides direct
aid in the form of phone cards, individual care packages, holiday items, etc., to U.S. Soldiers across the globe. "Our soldiers
really appreciate being remembered buy those of us at home, particularly at this time of the year. Everyone at Mom's Cookies
is grateful to stone & Webster and it's union workforce for remembering our troops abroad."
8-17-07
The ground breaking ceremonies for the Illinois Veterans Home in Manteno was today Friday, August 17. A strong support by
the Union trade organizations and local leaders will get this project started in about a week. We have pledged our support to
our Veterans and community to help with this well deserved project. We will be needing some volunteers to start tying rebar in
a week or two. Any members, retirees, or apprentices that could schedule a little time to help with this project would be very
much appreciated. Let's help give back to these veterans who gave so much for us. Thanks
8-15-07
Work continues to be good as reported at the August general membership meeting. The Local 444 Ironworkers will be
donating some work time to help the Illinois Veterans Home in Manteno, Illinois construct some improvements and accessible
areas for the disabled. Anyone wishing to add their name to the list can call Ken at the hall. The next monthly meeting will be
on Monday, September 10 at 7:00 PM.
In addition to regular business at the August meeting. Eldon Lafever was presented a plaque of appreciation for all his work
and dedication to the Local 444 union and apprenticeship. Eldon retired August 1st of this year as coordinator of the Local
444 apprenticeship program. He was very active in community work groups and served on many union workforce
committees. A retirement dinner is planned for Eldon Sept. 29 at Al's steakhouse in Joliet. Members, friends and family
wishing information can call Sara at (815)-725-1804 for tickets.
Instructors and members of the J.A.T.C.
For those outside of our local communications, we are saddened to announce the passing of one of our retired
members, Tom McGinnis. Tom served as Business Manager for Local 386 in LaSalle, Illinois for 19 years. He will
be missed.
The '07 - '08 class year for apprentices will begin Tuesday, September 4 at the Union Hall. This session will start at 6:00 PM
and finish at 9:00 PM. All students are required to attend this session for class assignments and schedules. Items, such as
equipment required, class procedures, and general topics will be discussed. After class assignments are finalized at this
session, the students will be required to purchase the appropriate books for their schedule. No books will be issued prior
to payment in full. Book costs will be no less than $69.00 or no more than $82.00 at this time.
5-14-07
Negotiations for Ironworkers Local 444 are complete and a three year contract with the contractors of all three zones is
resolved. The wage sheets will be available at the hall and the "wages" page on this site will be updated in the next couple of
days. All zones will receive a $3.25 hourly increase to the package this year and the breakdown of the increase was voted on
and accepted at the general membership meeting We will list this breakdown in detail soon. 5-14-07
4-11-07
At the April general membership meeting, a vote was passed to amend the monthly meeting start time. Starting at our May
monthly meeting, we will meet one hour earlier than in the past. The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM on the second Monday of
every month.
The Business Manager and board officers are currently working on contract negotiations for all three zones. We will post
additional information as it comes available and hopefully will be able to talk in detail at the May meeting.
A very successful turnout for apprenticeship testing last Saturday, April 7, 2007. Approximately 125 applicants completed
their tests at the union hall. Once again we would like to thank the members and apprentices that showed up to set up the
tables, chairs, and assist the applicants as they arrived.
A Health and Welfare, Social Security, and Pension seminar was held for Local 444 members and their spouse at the
Operator's hall Saturday, March 10. The seminar was well attended by the membership. A very informative presentation on
all segments of our pension, Social Security, Health and Welfare, and Comerica were given by managers and staff. The
information was extremely valuable for our youngest members to our oldest. There were morning refreshments with a lunch to
follow the seminar. Thanks to everyone who worked to make this a successful event for the membership and their families.
General meeting will be Monday night 3-12-07 . 8:00 PM at the hall.
Local 444 will be accepting applications for apprenticeship starting March 19, 2007. Link
Local 444 election of officers will be held Sept. 9 2006 from 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM at the Union Hall. The following are the
candidates for the offices of this Local Union.
President Ken Kobus
Vice President Jonathon Stefancic
Business Manager Howard Norberg
Recording Secretary Rich Plese
Examining Committee John Sinchak elect 3
Dick Packley
Dave Pacheco
Ron
Mcmillin
Sargent at Arms Tony Sinchak
Conductor Howard Norberg
Executive Committee Dennis Bailey elect 5
Bob Hray
Paul Falasca
Phil Young
Tim Norberg
Rich Pacheco
Ron Zier
Trustees Jim Jadron elect 3
Greg Verklan
Tim Cullom
The election judges will be: Bud Shiner
Bob Jadron
Mike Arambasich
Sam Persico
Bob Ventura
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6-13-06
Congratulations to Rich Plese and Dennis Bailey. Rich was sworn in as Recording Secretary and Dennis was sworn in as a
member of the Executive Committee at the June 12, 2006
The Delegates to the International Convention will be:
Howard Norberg
Ron Zier
Ken Kobus
Eldon Lafever
Jonathon Stefancic
Dan Aussem
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3-24-06
Election for Delegates to the International Convention will be held prior to the monthly Union Meeting, Monday, April 10,
2006 voting from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m., at Local #444 Union Hall, 2082 Oak Leaf Street, Joliet, IL.
The MSHA and Haz-Mat recertification classes have been completed with very good attendance of members continuing to
update their certifications. Thanks to all of the members that continue to make these programs successful.
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2-26-06
Nominations of Delegates. Alternates, and Judges for Election to the International Convention will be held at the monthly
Union Meeting on March 13, 2006 at 8:00 PM. 2082 Oak Leaf Street, Joliet, IL.
A 40 hour Haz-Mat course will be held at the union hall starting March 4 at 7:00 AM. Class will be in session 10 hours per
day excluding lunch break. Those members requiring an 8 hour refresher course will be notified of class date and time. If you
need training or an update and have not been notified, contact Eldon Lafever at 815-725-0725. The 40 hour course is
scheduled for March 4, March 5, March 11, and March 12.
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1-14-06
There will be a variety of classes available to journeyman and apprentices in the upcoming months. OSHA 10, Subpart R steel
erection, 40 hour Haz-Mat course, 8 hour Haz-Mat refresher, CPR and First Aid. For additional information or tentative dates
call the coordinator at 815-725-0725.
The Christmas party was well attended and enjoyed. Thanks to everyone involved that made it happen.
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1-07-06
The January meeting will be held Monday the 9th at 8:00 PM.
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12-16-05
There will be a Christmas Party at the hall December 23 from 12:00 noon till 6:00. Stop by and spend some time with some
old and new friends.
Monthly dues will increase to $39.00 per month starting January of '06. This represents a $1.00 increase in dues and the
addition of the $6.00 per month to cover the local union "death benefit". Anyone who has not payed the $40.00 initiation fee
or not up to date on death benefit payments should do so as soon as possible.
Business Agent, Richard Paraday is retiring this year after a lifetime in the Ironworkers. Richard was honored at the Chicago
District Council and the December Local 444 membership meeting with a gift and Plaque. Thanks again Richard.
Congratulations to Eric Dean. Eric was elected President of the Ironworkers Chicago District Council at the winter meetings
Dec. 10, '05. We will be looking forward to working with Eric in the coming years .
Special thanks to Dan Aussem for his dedication and service as President of the Chicago District Council. The council was
well served under your leadership.
The resolutions were accepted with minor changes in wording from the Ironworkers International. They will be entered and
become part of the Local 444 By-Laws.
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12-06-05
At the November local union meeting, the third reading of the proposed resolutions were read, discussed, and presented to
the membership for a vote.
A very brief explanation is:
Resolution 2005-1 states that: area representatives may be appointed as needed when work justifies by the Business
Manager Financial Secretary-Treasurer. In lieu of an automobile and expenses, an Assistant Business agent and /or
Organizer may receive an allowance as set by the Executive Committee and provide their own transportation.
Resolution 2005-2 states that::Delegates to the District Council will be, by virtue of their office, the President and Business
Manager Financial Secretary-Treasurer. The President shall appoint any additional Delegates.
Resolution 2005-3 states that: A Local 444 Union death benefit will be administered by the Trustees. An assessment of
$6.00 per month will fund the program. Not the $10.00 per occurrence as in the past. The resolution explained the operation,
benefit, and eligibility requirements of the fund.
All three resolutions were passed by the membership and submitted to the International..
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Tri-State Welfare has a new third party administrator, OBA Midwest Ltd. After August 1st, 2005, if your have any questions or
need claim forms for your medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life insurance,accidental death and dismemberment or
weekly accident and sickness benefits, please contact:
OBA Midwest, Ltd.
1000 Burr Ridge Parkway
Suite 200
Burr Ridge, Illinois 60527
(630) 960-3322
(866) 463-9418 (Toll Free)
(630) 789-0414 (FAX)
Tristate@obamidwest.com
Current Health and Welfare Fund Blue Cross Blue Shield card is still valid. You will receive a new card in early September.
Local 444 instructors recently attended the annual instructor training and update classes at USD. Local union apprenticeship
coordinators met to discuss the new ironworker core curriculum which will be taught in the fall session. In addition,
The recent mergers of Kankakee local 465 and LaSalle local 386 have been completed. Anyone wishing information on
current wage sheets or working information may contact the local 444 office. 815-725-1804
We are sorry to announce the recent passing of one of our retired members, William Moser Sr.
The following is a breakdown of the raise voted on at the May 9th 2005 Local 444 general membership meeting.
$0.10 Apprenticeship
$0.25 health and welfare
$0.50 earned when paid
$0.70 SMA
$1.00 on the check
We are sorry to announce the passing of two of our retired members recently. Lyell Traser and Larry Cunea
The Ironworkers Local 444 Apprentice committee will be accepting applications for possible openings in
the Ironworkers Apprenticeship program. Applications will be available at 2082 Oak Leaf St., Joliet,
Illinois. 8AM until 12 noon May 23rd through June 3rd, 2005.
Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or equivalent, have a valid
drivers license and reliable transportation, and live in the 444 jurisdictional area. EEOP
We had 14 members attend the Haz-Mat recertification class Saturday March 5. This makes 11 years of Haz-Mat training our
local has participated in. 5 of the 14 members returning for their refresher have stayed current in their training from the first
class we had.
Any member wishing to practice welding or work on their welding certification can call Eldon at 815-725-0725 to make
arrangements. The welding facility is normally open Monday through Friday 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM please call ahead.
OSHA 10 course held on Feb. 8, 9, & 10. had a great turn out. Thanks to all the members who attended. We had a good
exchange of ideas and experiences.
Haz-Mat recertification will be on Saturday, March 5 at 7:00 AM. Letters will be sent out to all members eligible for class.
The monthly meetings will be held the 2nd Monday of every month at 8:00 pm at the union hall. A current dues receipt is
required.
Anyone wishing to pay dues or death benefits can do so at the union hall Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm
(closed 12:00 to 1:00 for lunch). Dues can also be paid prior to the monthly meetings.
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We'll be working to bring the website back up to speed!
We hope everyone had a safe and Merry Christmas. Because of the New Year holiday falling on Sunday this year, Monday
January 2, 2012 will be a holiday and the Iron Workers Local 444 offices will be closed.
The regular schedule of apprentice classes will resume on Tuesday January 3, at 5:00 PM.
Remember Monday night open welding will continue starting at 5:00 PM. Any member wishing to attend may do so.
QUALIFIED RIGGER AND QUALIFIED SIGNALMAN DISTANT LEARNERS COURSE.
Starting on Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 5:00 The journeymen that have been working on the Rigger/Signalman books will
have an opportunity to attend the first class session for distant learners. Those individuals who have completed their home
studies and workbooks will be required to perform some related job tasks and take part in a review and test. For those who
have not already done so, please contact the Local 444 training center if you will be in attendance.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
There will be a journeyman upgrade class schedule posted at the hall and on this website for a variety of courses that will be
offered this class year.
Apprentice school will resume on Sept. 6 at 5:00 pm at the union hall for this years orientation. All apprentices are to be in
attendance.
Any journeyman wishing to enroll in an OSHA-10 class should contact the apprentice office ASAP. The next scheduled class
will begin on Sept. 8 at 5:00 pm.
Everyone please have a safe holiday this Labor Day weekend.
Monday July 18 will be the last day for apprentice applications. Only from 8:00 AM to noon. You must have a valid drivers
license, birth certificate, proof of residency in local 444's jurisdiction, and High School diploma.
The 2010 / 2011 class year for apprentices ended May 26. After a review of the Final Exam scores, the apprentice class
gathered at a traditional pizza establishment to finish out the evening. Congratulations to the graduating apprentices.
Anyone interested in journeyman upgrade information can call the office Monday through Friday. Next class year we hope to
publish a complete schedule for journeyman classes that will be available for sign up.
Monday night welding will be back. Starting June 13, 2011 , the weld shop will be open from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM for any
members that wish to practice or test. The welding instructors will be there for skill improvement or practice. CWI's will provide
and opportunity for those wishing to test.
Third year apprentices will be participating in their hands-on portion of the final exam on May 18 and 19. The written portion
of the final will be Wednesday May 25 at 5:00.
If any of our members are interested in taking the Signalman / Qualified Riggers Course, please see Ken Kobus at the hall.
We have prepared a packet of information for distant learners to assist them in completing this 80 hour course.
The May 9 election results for delegate to the convention are complete. Our representatives are:
Howard Norberg
Ken Kobus
Tim Norberg
Dennis Murry
Rich Plese
Steve Zier
Thursday night April 28 completed another 15 hour Signalman's class for Journeyman. Co-Instructors Jim Understahl
and Bob Hray presented the Crane Signaling course material to 15 iron workers in attendance.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
April 27, 2011
Just a reminder to the membership:
Elections for the delegates to this years International Convention will be from 3:30 PM until 7:00 PM on May 9 at
the union hall. Immediately following the election will be the regular monthly general membership meeting starting at 7:00
PM. Please make every attempt to attend this important election of delegates and the meeting to follow. Thank You.
Anyone interested in journeyman upgrade classes including Signalman and Qualified Riggers courses can visit the
Apprenticeship or Training links on this site.
We have approximately 4 more weeks of apprentice school left this year. Those apprentices that have not completed their
minimum welding requirements still have an opportunity to complete their tests. There will be a CWI available in the weld shop
every Tuesday and Wednesday evening starting at 5:00 PM throughout the month of May.
I wanted to thank all of the members of our retiree's club who came out for the spring luncheon at the Golden Corral
Wednesday April 27. It was a nice gathering of old friends. Anyone wishing additional information on upcoming events or
suggestions for the future may contact Eldon Lafever or Ron Gregory.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
March 28, '11
The Special Meeting for the nomination and election of judges, and the nominations for Delegates to the International
Convention has concluded. The nominees for "Delegate to the International Convention" are as follows:
- TIM NORBERG
- TONY SINCHAK
- RICH PLESE
- DENNIS MURRY
- KEN KOBUS
- STEVE ZIER
- DENNIS BAILEY
These names will appear on the ballot in the order shown above.
The election for these delegates will be on May 9, 2011 from 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM. This is prior to the regularly scheduled
monthly meeting. We have six delegates to represent Local 444 at the convention. Howard Norberg, by virtue of his office as
BMFST will lead the delegation. There are five positions to fill with the upcoming election. The five individuals receiving the
greatest number of votes will represent the local as delegates. It was moved that two of the nominees not securing a position
in the election to act as alternates and serve as may be needed.
Thank you for your participation.
The Judges for the election of delegates to the International Convention are as follows:
SAM PERSICO
KEN LOVATI
BOB HRAY
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
There will be a special meeting March 28, 2011 at 7:00 at the union hall for the nominations of candidates to be Delegates
to the International Convention. The convention will be held in Chicago, Illinois this year. In addition to the nomination of
convention delegates, we will be nominating and electing judges for the upcoming election of those delegates.
That election will be held May 9, 2011 from 3:30PM to 7:00 PM at the union hall prior to our monthly meeting.
All members are required to show a paid dues receipt.
Local 444 recently completed a 40 hour HazMat worker course. There were 28 members completing the course and receiving
their cards.
MSHA recertification was held February 26.
HazMat recert. was completed on March 5, 2011
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
5-27-09
We are continuing to look at an open welding night at the hall throughout the summer. This will be an opportunity to spend
some time with one of our welding instructors or CWI's. The CWI will be offering time for individuals that want to take their
weld test. There are a number of weld certification tests offered through the Ironworkers Welding Certification Program. One
option may be Monday evenings from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. You can come right after work and it works with meeting nights.
As soon as we confirm a day and time there will be an anouncement.
The new addition to the building is being erected and the steel framework should be complete this week. It will probably be a
couple of weeks before the start of the new parking lot next door and the work inside the shop should start soon after that.
May 21st was the last evening of class for the apprentice class. Regular scheduled classes will resume September 8,2009.
There will be a formal mailing for all apprentices to meet for orientation on that first evening of class.
We still need some volunteers to work on the handrail project for the Manteno Veteran's Home. If you happen to be free
during the day, grab a buddy and come down to the weld shop. We can make arrangements for evenings and weekends.
Apprentices required to do make up classes will report June 6 at 7:00 AM at the hall.
4-12-09
Meeting Monday April 13, 09
The excavation has started on the addition to the new building. They will start the concrete work the week of April 13.
Work continues to be slow.
3-8-09
Meeting Monday night 3-9-09 7:00 pm
There have been a number of members working on weld certification over the last month. We have added about 12 new
welder certifications in the last few weeks.
The last two weekends have been busy with the 8 hr. Haz-Mat recertification class 2-28-09. A 40 hour Hazardous Waste
Workers course ended on 3-8-09 and MSHA training courses began Saturday morning March 7, 09.
Friday, March 6, we met at the Manteno Veteran's Home for a job schedule update. The committee is pushing for a
completion date this summer for the new lake facility. The handrail fabrication is more than half complete and AZZ galvanizing
in Joliet has offered to do the galvanizing at material cost.
The permits for the building addition may be in hand this week after the variance has been reviewed by the City of Joliet
planning commission and sent to the City Council for approval.
2-16-09
Work continues to be slow as reported at the Feb. 9 meeting. There have been a number of our members working on getting
their welding certifications. The shop remains open everyday for those who want to work on their welding skills.
If any members are interested in attending a pre-access training class for the Exelon facilities, they can leave their name at
the hall. The class dates offered are March 2 and March 4. The attendance specifics are posted on the board at the hall.
The retiree's club will meet Wednesday February 18 at the hall for a late winter get together.
1-09-09
Next general membership meeting is Monday, January 12, 2009 at 7:00 PM.
The building and parking lot addition is still waiting on building permits to be issued for construction to begin. We have taken
delivery of the structural building package that will be the 40' by 100' addition to the existing training center. When completed
this additional space will serve as a multi purpose training and storage area with secure outside storage to the rear. This area
will also be serviced with an overhead crane that will enhance the training capabilities for structural, reinforcing, ornamental,
layout work, and fabrication courses.
When the weather breaks the additional parking lot proposed will include an additional 40 parking spaces to relieve the
parking problems that we have seen on meeting, training, and regular business days.
When the modifications to the existing building are complete, we will see three new second level rooms for training,
conferencing, and storage. In addition to that we will install an elevator lift, office file and storage area, and additional
restroom facilities.
The retiree's club had a great turnout in November for their holiday luncheon. We are attempting to complete a mailing list of
future events for the retirees that will be hopefully sent out soon. Until then, all correspondence will be through the office at
the union hall or published in the "Labor Record".
The welding shop is currently at full capacity on the regular week nights. Again, we invite any of our members wishing to work
on improving their welding skills that the shop is normally available throughout the weekdays if needed for practice and weld
testing.
We have made some progress on the Manteno Veterans Home handrail project with our volunteers. Go to Manteno and scroll
down.
6-30-08
The next scheduled general membership meeting will be on Monday, July 14, at 7:00 PM.
Anyone interested in attending a CPR/First Aid or a OSHA-10 class can sign up at the union hall. We will set a date when the
list fills up.
The Impact drug test collection date is tentative for the August 15 / 16 weekend. The specific time and location is currently
being coordinated with Mobile Medical Corporation who is the company contracted by Impact for collection. The Ironworker's
union hall at 2082 Oak Leaf St. will be the primary collection site. There is discussion if a possible second collection site could
be made available to reduce the driving distance for some of our members living and working far to the west and south.
Official notice of date, location, and times will be posted in the Labor Record Newspaper and/or a letter sent to the
membership with details.
We would like to remind all of our members that throughout the year they are welcome to come in and use the welding
facilities for practice or weld testing. The requests for certified welders has increased dramatically over the last couple of
years. If you have any questions on the AWS - Ironworkers Welding Certification Program stop by or call the apprentice office.
The regular apprentice school year concluded May 22. The student group gathered afterwards for pizza to with the 7
apprentices scheduled to graduate this year.
The application process for the apprenticeship is complete for the 2008 class year. We took 300 applications during the 2
weeks with 232 applicants taking the test. The JATC has interviewed the top scoring individuals for acceptance into the
apprentice program.
Members of the training staff attended a career day held at Romeoville High School on April 9, 2008. A presentation on Union
Ironworking as a career given to 6 different groups of young people.
3-13-08 Retirees are invited to meet at the union hall on March 19 to meet and greet old friends. Refreshments will be
available.
3-13-08 Members of the training staff will be attending local schools in the weeks to come representing Union Ironworkers as
a career choice for many young people soon to be graduating high school. Eldon Lafever and Ken Kobus were at Lincoln-
Way High School on March 6 and will be traveling to Illinois Community College on March 14 for their event. Next Joliet West
High School will host a similar event that our staff will attend. This is an opportunity for young people unfamiliar with local
trade unions to see the accomplishments of our training and work in the community.
Saturday March 15, starting at 8 AM Local 444 will have a MSHA recertification class at the training center. All members who
are in need on updating their current certification are invited. Course will be conducted by Dennis Murry with Sandra Ernat,
MS, RN, CNAA to present the First Aid portion of the program.
3-1-08 Local 444 conducted an 8hr Haz-Mat Refresher course with 15 members in attendance.
3-1-08 Local 444 participated in the annual St. Patrick's Day parade in Manhattan, IL. Brent Larue with many friends and
members organized and assembled a float entry to represent the Ironworker's Local 444 union in this annual event. A good
time was had by all at this popular community event. Thanks to all who helped make this successful.
Local 444 in Joliet hosted a Ironworkers District Council of Chicago train the trainer program on February 25 and 26 for
CPR and First Aid Instructors. Jim Coyne of Coyne First Aid, INC. Sellersville, PA. conducted the class. Seven
participants completed the 2 day course to support the health and safety training program in the following Chicago District
Council local unions. Angela Dial #380, Gary Ely #112, Vince DiDonato #112, Jeff Crompton #444, Jason Bernicky #444,
Julio Cantu #498, and Ryan Scudder #498.
12-5-07 The next regular meeting will be December 10, 2007 at 7:00 PM. Immediately following the meeting, Local 444 will
be hosting a Christmas Holiday get together at Cemino's Pizza, 1630 Essington Rd. in Joliet from 8:00 to 10:00. All
members invited. As you know the I-355 extension and bridge was featured on the cover of the Ironworker magazine this last
month. You may also be interested in the following:
The I-355 Des Plaines River Valley Bridge project will be featured on "Man Made: Super Roads" on the National
Geographic Channel on Thursday, December 6th, at 7:00 P.M.
Local Union Members Dig Deep for a Worthy Cause
Union construction workers at excelon's Dresden Nuclear Station recently collected more than $8,000 among themselves to
donate to a local organization whose purpose is to provide pre-paid phone cards and customized care packages to U.S.
soldiers serving abroad. Ironworkers' Local 444 steward Paul Falasca was one of 8 trade union representatives working for
Stone and Webster Construction, Inc. that was pictured presenting a check to Mom's Cookies. Mom's Cookies provides direct
aid in the form of phone cards, individual care packages, holiday items, etc., to U.S. Soldiers across the globe. "Our soldiers
really appreciate being remembered buy those of us at home, particularly at this time of the year. Everyone at Mom's Cookies
is grateful to stone & Webster and it's union workforce for remembering our troops abroad."
8-17-07
The ground breaking ceremonies for the Illinois Veterans Home in Manteno was today Friday, August 17. A strong support by
the Union trade organizations and local leaders will get this project started in about a week. We have pledged our support to
our Veterans and community to help with this well deserved project. We will be needing some volunteers to start tying rebar in
a week or two. Any members, retirees, or apprentices that could schedule a little time to help with this project would be very
much appreciated. Let's help give back to these veterans who gave so much for us. Thanks
8-15-07
Work continues to be good as reported at the August general membership meeting. The Local 444 Ironworkers will be
donating some work time to help the Illinois Veterans Home in Manteno, Illinois construct some improvements and accessible
areas for the disabled. Anyone wishing to add their name to the list can call Ken at the hall. The next monthly meeting will be
on Monday, September 10 at 7:00 PM.
In addition to regular business at the August meeting. Eldon Lafever was presented a plaque of appreciation for all his work
and dedication to the Local 444 union and apprenticeship. Eldon retired August 1st of this year as coordinator of the Local
444 apprenticeship program. He was very active in community work groups and served on many union workforce
committees. A retirement dinner is planned for Eldon Sept. 29 at Al's steakhouse in Joliet. Members, friends and family
wishing information can call Sara at (815)-725-1804 for tickets.
Instructors and members of the J.A.T.C.
For those outside of our local communications, we are saddened to announce the passing of one of our retired
members, Tom McGinnis. Tom served as Business Manager for Local 386 in LaSalle, Illinois for 19 years. He will
be missed.
The '07 - '08 class year for apprentices will begin Tuesday, September 4 at the Union Hall. This session will start at 6:00 PM
and finish at 9:00 PM. All students are required to attend this session for class assignments and schedules. Items, such as
equipment required, class procedures, and general topics will be discussed. After class assignments are finalized at this
session, the students will be required to purchase the appropriate books for their schedule. No books will be issued prior
to payment in full. Book costs will be no less than $69.00 or no more than $82.00 at this time.
5-14-07
Negotiations for Ironworkers Local 444 are complete and a three year contract with the contractors of all three zones is
resolved. The wage sheets will be available at the hall and the "wages" page on this site will be updated in the next couple of
days. All zones will receive a $3.25 hourly increase to the package this year and the breakdown of the increase was voted on
and accepted at the general membership meeting We will list this breakdown in detail soon. 5-14-07
4-11-07
At the April general membership meeting, a vote was passed to amend the monthly meeting start time. Starting at our May
monthly meeting, we will meet one hour earlier than in the past. The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM on the second Monday of
every month.
The Business Manager and board officers are currently working on contract negotiations for all three zones. We will post
additional information as it comes available and hopefully will be able to talk in detail at the May meeting.
A very successful turnout for apprenticeship testing last Saturday, April 7, 2007. Approximately 125 applicants completed
their tests at the union hall. Once again we would like to thank the members and apprentices that showed up to set up the
tables, chairs, and assist the applicants as they arrived.
A Health and Welfare, Social Security, and Pension seminar was held for Local 444 members and their spouse at the
Operator's hall Saturday, March 10. The seminar was well attended by the membership. A very informative presentation on
all segments of our pension, Social Security, Health and Welfare, and Comerica were given by managers and staff. The
information was extremely valuable for our youngest members to our oldest. There were morning refreshments with a lunch to
follow the seminar. Thanks to everyone who worked to make this a successful event for the membership and their families.
General meeting will be Monday night 3-12-07 . 8:00 PM at the hall.
Local 444 will be accepting applications for apprenticeship starting March 19, 2007. Link
Local 444 election of officers will be held Sept. 9 2006 from 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM at the Union Hall. The following are the
candidates for the offices of this Local Union.
President Ken Kobus
Vice President Jonathon Stefancic
Business Manager Howard Norberg
Recording Secretary Rich Plese
Examining Committee John Sinchak elect 3
Dick Packley
Dave Pacheco
Ron
Mcmillin
Sargent at Arms Tony Sinchak
Conductor Howard Norberg
Executive Committee Dennis Bailey elect 5
Bob Hray
Paul Falasca
Phil Young
Tim Norberg
Rich Pacheco
Ron Zier
Trustees Jim Jadron elect 3
Greg Verklan
Tim Cullom
The election judges will be: Bud Shiner
Bob Jadron
Mike Arambasich
Sam Persico
Bob Ventura
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
6-13-06
Congratulations to Rich Plese and Dennis Bailey. Rich was sworn in as Recording Secretary and Dennis was sworn in as a
member of the Executive Committee at the June 12, 2006
The Delegates to the International Convention will be:
Howard Norberg
Ron Zier
Ken Kobus
Eldon Lafever
Jonathon Stefancic
Dan Aussem
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3-24-06
Election for Delegates to the International Convention will be held prior to the monthly Union Meeting, Monday, April 10,
2006 voting from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m., at Local #444 Union Hall, 2082 Oak Leaf Street, Joliet, IL.
The MSHA and Haz-Mat recertification classes have been completed with very good attendance of members continuing to
update their certifications. Thanks to all of the members that continue to make these programs successful.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
2-26-06
Nominations of Delegates. Alternates, and Judges for Election to the International Convention will be held at the monthly
Union Meeting on March 13, 2006 at 8:00 PM. 2082 Oak Leaf Street, Joliet, IL.
A 40 hour Haz-Mat course will be held at the union hall starting March 4 at 7:00 AM. Class will be in session 10 hours per
day excluding lunch break. Those members requiring an 8 hour refresher course will be notified of class date and time. If you
need training or an update and have not been notified, contact Eldon Lafever at 815-725-0725. The 40 hour course is
scheduled for March 4, March 5, March 11, and March 12.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
1-14-06
There will be a variety of classes available to journeyman and apprentices in the upcoming months. OSHA 10, Subpart R steel
erection, 40 hour Haz-Mat course, 8 hour Haz-Mat refresher, CPR and First Aid. For additional information or tentative dates
call the coordinator at 815-725-0725.
The Christmas party was well attended and enjoyed. Thanks to everyone involved that made it happen.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
1-07-06
The January meeting will be held Monday the 9th at 8:00 PM.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
12-16-05
There will be a Christmas Party at the hall December 23 from 12:00 noon till 6:00. Stop by and spend some time with some
old and new friends.
Monthly dues will increase to $39.00 per month starting January of '06. This represents a $1.00 increase in dues and the
addition of the $6.00 per month to cover the local union "death benefit". Anyone who has not payed the $40.00 initiation fee
or not up to date on death benefit payments should do so as soon as possible.
Business Agent, Richard Paraday is retiring this year after a lifetime in the Ironworkers. Richard was honored at the Chicago
District Council and the December Local 444 membership meeting with a gift and Plaque. Thanks again Richard.
Congratulations to Eric Dean. Eric was elected President of the Ironworkers Chicago District Council at the winter meetings
Dec. 10, '05. We will be looking forward to working with Eric in the coming years .
Special thanks to Dan Aussem for his dedication and service as President of the Chicago District Council. The council was
well served under your leadership.
The resolutions were accepted with minor changes in wording from the Ironworkers International. They will be entered and
become part of the Local 444 By-Laws.
___________________________________________________________________________________________ ________
12-06-05
At the November local union meeting, the third reading of the proposed resolutions were read, discussed, and presented to
the membership for a vote.
A very brief explanation is:
Resolution 2005-1 states that: area representatives may be appointed as needed when work justifies by the Business
Manager Financial Secretary-Treasurer. In lieu of an automobile and expenses, an Assistant Business agent and /or
Organizer may receive an allowance as set by the Executive Committee and provide their own transportation.
Resolution 2005-2 states that::Delegates to the District Council will be, by virtue of their office, the President and Business
Manager Financial Secretary-Treasurer. The President shall appoint any additional Delegates.
Resolution 2005-3 states that: A Local 444 Union death benefit will be administered by the Trustees. An assessment of
$6.00 per month will fund the program. Not the $10.00 per occurrence as in the past. The resolution explained the operation,
benefit, and eligibility requirements of the fund.
All three resolutions were passed by the membership and submitted to the International..
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Tri-State Welfare has a new third party administrator, OBA Midwest Ltd. After August 1st, 2005, if your have any questions or
need claim forms for your medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life insurance,accidental death and dismemberment or
weekly accident and sickness benefits, please contact:
OBA Midwest, Ltd.
1000 Burr Ridge Parkway
Suite 200
Burr Ridge, Illinois 60527
(630) 960-3322
(866) 463-9418 (Toll Free)
(630) 789-0414 (FAX)
Tristate@obamidwest.com
Current Health and Welfare Fund Blue Cross Blue Shield card is still valid. You will receive a new card in early September.
Local 444 instructors recently attended the annual instructor training and update classes at USD. Local union apprenticeship
coordinators met to discuss the new ironworker core curriculum which will be taught in the fall session. In addition,
The recent mergers of Kankakee local 465 and LaSalle local 386 have been completed. Anyone wishing information on
current wage sheets or working information may contact the local 444 office. 815-725-1804
We are sorry to announce the recent passing of one of our retired members, William Moser Sr.
The following is a breakdown of the raise voted on at the May 9th 2005 Local 444 general membership meeting.
$0.10 Apprenticeship
$0.25 health and welfare
$0.50 earned when paid
$0.70 SMA
$1.00 on the check
We are sorry to announce the passing of two of our retired members recently. Lyell Traser and Larry Cunea
The Ironworkers Local 444 Apprentice committee will be accepting applications for possible openings in
the Ironworkers Apprenticeship program. Applications will be available at 2082 Oak Leaf St., Joliet,
Illinois. 8AM until 12 noon May 23rd through June 3rd, 2005.
Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or equivalent, have a valid
drivers license and reliable transportation, and live in the 444 jurisdictional area. EEOP
We had 14 members attend the Haz-Mat recertification class Saturday March 5. This makes 11 years of Haz-Mat training our
local has participated in. 5 of the 14 members returning for their refresher have stayed current in their training from the first
class we had.
Any member wishing to practice welding or work on their welding certification can call Eldon at 815-725-0725 to make
arrangements. The welding facility is normally open Monday through Friday 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM please call ahead.
OSHA 10 course held on Feb. 8, 9, & 10. had a great turn out. Thanks to all the members who attended. We had a good
exchange of ideas and experiences.
Haz-Mat recertification will be on Saturday, March 5 at 7:00 AM. Letters will be sent out to all members eligible for class.
The monthly meetings will be held the 2nd Monday of every month at 8:00 pm at the union hall. A current dues receipt is
required.
Anyone wishing to pay dues or death benefits can do so at the union hall Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm
(closed 12:00 to 1:00 for lunch). Dues can also be paid prior to the monthly meetings.
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Last update
Dec. 29, 2011
Dec. 29, 2011
