Can you give a little to help?
By ED FINKELSTEIN
Publisher
With Christmas only weeks away, the $5 for the Fight Fund to help our brothers and sisters is woefully lacking, but looking up just a little as a result of your response to the plea that the fund was broke.
In the two week after the appeal, $11,896 has come in.
“It’s phenomenal,” said Pat White, president of the St. Louis Labor Council. “We’ve been getting five or six envelopes sent to us a day, some of them with little notes. One gentleman made a $1,000 donation in memory of his wife, a retired IBEW Local 1 member who passed away. Laborers Local 110 and its retirees made a donation of $6,855. We’ve received $500 donations, $100 donations and numerous $5 donations. We’re certainly grateful.”
The outpouring of support is testament to the caring and generosity of union members and retirees, but not enough to meet the current needs, or keep the fund operating through the holidays and beyond.
“We can’t shut the fund down,” White said. “We get requests for help all year.”
EXAMPLES OF NEED
Here are a few new examples of the desperate need of union members who, due to layoffs, health issues or family situations, have fallen on hard times:
• A construction tradesman and single father of two small children, has chronic health conditions that have caused him to miss work. He has exhausted his savings and is no longer eligible for short-term disability benefits. He is unable to pay his past due mortgage payments.
• A single mother working at nursing home and unable to make ends meet. She has a child and is also raising her school-age brother. Her gas was disconnected in May and with winter approaching, does not have the funds to get it turned back on so they’ll have heat.
• A young family with six children. The dad, who works at a warehouse, has been the sole wage earner but recently suffered an injury requiring surgery. Due to complications, he now he needs a second surgery. The family has fallen behind on mortgage payments and is hoping to avoid foreclosure.
• A union tradesman laid-off since July 2017 because he periodically suffers from seizures. He is now living with his brother’s family, but needs help to pay for self-pay insurance and has no income.
And there’s so many more stories like this crying out for our help.
CAN YOUR FIRST CHRISTMAS GIFT BE A DONATION?
Even with the outpouring of support, at the end of November the Fight Fund was still basically broke, with some 57 union members/families a month seeking help.
Please, can your first Christmas gift this year be a check – of any size – to the Fight Fund?
One hundred percent of your donation goes to the “Fight Fund.” All efforts to promote and service the Fund are donated by the Labor Council, the United Way and the Labor Tribune.
If you can help, please write a check now for whatever you can afford to “$5 for the Fight.” Your donation will help a union brother or sister in need.
HOW TO DONATE
Donations to the “$5 for the Fight” Fund can be made by check, online or through the Schnucks eScrip program. Here’s how to donate:
• Mail a check or money order to “$5 for the Fight,” c/o St. Louis Labor Council, 3301 Hollenberg Drive, Bridgeton, MO 63044. Please include your union affiliation.
• To make an online donation, visit labortribune.com and click “$5 for the Fight” Donations in the right-hand column. An option to create a Reoccurring Automated Donation is also available.
• The Schnucks eScrip program is “free money” for the Fight Fund; it doesn’t cost you a penny to participate. Just pick up a free eScrip card at your local Schnucks. When you show it at checkout, Schnucks will donate a percentage of your purchase to the Fight Fund. The amount varies with your monthly purchases: one percent for the first $300; two percent from $301-$600; and three percent from $601- $999.
If you already have a Schnucks eScrip Card, you can add the Fight Fund to your existing card by calling 1-800-931-6258 and adding “St. Louis Labor Council-5 for the Fight” to the organizations you want to support. You can designate up to three organizations to get the funding as long as the group is registered with Schnucks to participate.
This is easy money for the Fight Fund, and it won’t cost you a dime. To date, $2,399.73 has been raised for the Fight Fund from the eScrip program.
LEVELS OF GIVING
An Honor Roll of $5 for the Fight contributors is published periodically in the Labor Tribune. (See the current Honor Roll list below.)
There are nine categories of giving:
• Apprentice – $1 to $12/ George Washington Honor Roll.
• Journeyman – $13-50/Andrew Jackson Honor Roll.
• Steward – $51-$99/ Ulysses S. Grant Honor Roll.
• Chief Steward – $100 +/Ben Franklin Honor Roll.
• Job Foreman – $500+ / William McKinley Honor Roll.
• General Foreman – $1,000 +/ Grover Cleveland Honor Roll.
• Major Donors – $2,500 +
• In Memoriam – to honor a loved one or friend or fellow union member.
• Organizations/Companies
If your gift moves you from one category to another, your name will automatically move into the appropriate Honor Roll listing.
One hundred percent of each donation goes to the “Fight Fund.” All efforts to promote and service the Fund are donated by the Labor Council, the United Way and the Labor Tribune.
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$5 for the Fight Honor Roll
Donations – January to November 30, 2017
Apprentice
Jioena Bollmann, UFCW retired • Paul Collins, Laborers 42 • Daendo • M.L. & D.E. Dickerson, IBEW #1 • Steven and Corine Duepner, IBEW 1 • Carolyn and Thomas Fischer • Nile Holmes • HoneyFund • Thomas and Veronica Hughes • Konner Krebeck • Kenrick and Deborah Maddock, IAM 777 • Vito and Lucymarie and Joseph Mantese • Tienda Online • John and Patti Sabo • Tony Sifkarovski • Boris Tarnarov • Jay Weber • David and Blanche Wells, Local 1 • Michael & Virginia Willmering, UFCW 655 • Glenn Wunsch, Local 513 • Christine Zalocusky
Journeyman
Tommy Alcaraz, Roofers 2 retired • Haris and Medina Baltic, Painters DC 58 • Daniel Beck • John and Patti Beckman, Laborers 110 • James Block, IBEW 1 retired • Rick Boston • John Brockman, Plumbers & Pipefitters 562 Retired • Patrick Burke, Plumbers & Pipefitters 562 Retired • Laura and Joe Canepa • John Caola • Sammy Cody, Boilermakers 27 • John & Rosemary Collins, Local 562 • Darryl Curtis, Plumbers & Pipefitters 562 • Joan & James Douglas, IBEW 1 • Timothy Dresch • Elizabeth Faust, AFT 410 • Robert and Patricia Forchee, Glaziers 513 Retired • Wesley Fritzsche, IAM 660 • Donald and Judith Graham, Smart 36 retired • Raymond and Joan Haffer, UFCW 655 • John Hayzlett, UFCW 655 • Keith Henderson • Tamara and Clifford Hoss, Boilermakers 27 • Charlene Jansen • Jodie & Michael Jeffries • Walter & Janet Karase, IBEW 1 • Richard Katke, IBEW 1 • James and Patricia Kehoe, Laborers 110 retired • Norbert Klostermann • Reita Kraemer • Norbert Lehmann, Ironworkers 396 • Rose Lehmann, UFCW 655 • Ronald and Connie Lester, IAM 688 • Everett & Florence Loy, IAM 660 retired • Ronald Lundry • Angelo and Joanna Maltagliati, IBEW 1 • John and Judith Mamino, Local 101 • T. Mantia, Insulators 1 • Edie and Terry Matejka, IBEW • Leo Moeller, IBEW 1 • Tracy and Jacob Moellmann, Plumbers & Pipefitters 562 • Sandra Moll, Laborers Local 110 • Dale & Donna Morrison, 562 Retired • Paula Mrozewski, UFCW 655 • Clayton and Georgena Mudd, Plumbers & Pipefitters 562 • David and Valerie Mueth, IBEW 4 • Henry and Victoria Nagel, IAM 660 • Susan Niederberger • Donald and Catherine Niemeyer, IBEW retired • Jeff O’Connell • Dennis & Lynn Obrien • Jeri and William Patient • G.F. or B.J. Petersen, Plumbers & Pipefitters 562 • Donald & Concetta Peterson, Ironworkers 396 • Michael and Joan Price, IAM 777 • Neil Purcell, Painter 115 retired • Nelson II Reed, IBEW 1 • Michael Roth, Laborers 110 • Sherry Salls, IAM 1345 • Dale & Donna Schlueter, IAM 313 retired • Pat Schulte, Plumbers & Pipefitters 562 Retired • Othmar & Betty Schuner, Cement Masons 527 • Ronald and Barbara Sherman • Scott and Bridget Sinamon, IBEW 1 • Jason Smith • Barbara and Paul Thomasson, Plumbers & Pipefitters 562 • Charles and Kathryn Thomson, IBEW 1 • Daniel Tivener, Pipecoverers retired • Raymond and Deborah Underwood • Victoria and David Villani • Phillip Vitello, Plumbers & Pipefitters 562 retired • Harold and Judith Walters, IBEW 1 retired • Roy White, IBEW 1 • Robert Wittmann, Teamsters 688 • Darling and Robert Wors, Laborers 42 • Norma & Thomas Wylie, From: BB’s & BFD’s Bocce Teams, Spouse of Plumbers Pipefitters 562 • Randy and Barbara Ziegler
Steward
Dan Allison, Local #562 • Francis Barborek, IAM 41 • R and H Feldhaus • Anthony Gentry • Bevery and Samuel Giamo, Plumbers & Pipefitters 562 retired • Daniel and Lois Hart, Painters DC 58 • Patrick Hickey • David and Rhonda Meczkowski • Ed Taylor • Peters Travers • Clarence Von Talge, UFCW 655 retired
Chief Steward
Jim and Cristina Aulbach, IBEW 1 retired • Steven and Ginne Bailey, Tri County Labor Club • Henry Bandini, IBEW 1 retired • Frank & Joan Barteau • Gary Batteiger, Insulators 1 • Douglas Beck • Patricia and Roy Begley, Plumbers & Pipefitters 562 retired • Michael and Mary Bender, IATSE 6 • Leo Bierling, Plumbers & Pipefitters 562 retired • Donald Bohler, Plumbers & Pipefitters 562 retired • James Brunts, Plumbers & Pipefitters 562 • Michael Chenot, Letter Carriers, Local 343 • Gene Chumbler, Ironworkers 396 • Richard Allen Coffey • Margaret and (Thomas, dec.) Connors, Elevator Constructors Union • Nancy Cross, SEIU 1 • Mark and Nancy Denny, CWA 6300 (Aloha Print & Copy, LLC) • Gerald and Denise Donovan, Insulators 1 • Timothy Dotson • Tamera and James Douglas, IBEW 1 • Robert Dussold, IBEW 1 • David Foree, IBEW 309 retired • David Foree, BMO Coporate • Louis Gatter • John Gestrich • Neil Goldkamp • Robert and Linda Goodrich, United Media Guild TNG-CWA 36047 • Jon Gould • Charles Gray • Thomas Grither, IUOE 513 • Roberta and Jeffrey Halley Hanks • James and Marietta Hassler • Donald Haynes, Plumbers & Pipefitters 562 retired • Jerome Heman, Plumbers & Pipefitters 562 retired • Bill and Peggy Higginbottom, Iron Workers 396 • George House, Roofers 2 • Michael Kavahaugh • Richard and Kathleen Kellett • Daniel and Denise King, Plumbers & Pipefitters 562 • Francis and Linda Linck, CWA 14620 retired • Brian Lucido, IBEW 1 • Walter Mayfield • Gerald and Tina Mcatee, Insulators 1 • John & Norma McDonald, Cement Masons 524 • Tom McFetridge, Laborers 42 retired • Larry and Rosemarie Miller, IAM 41 • Eric and Denise Mooshegian • John and Connie Mylnarczyk, IBEW 1 • James and Barbara Nauert, IAM 822 • Hong Nguyen • Daniel and Mary Nordmann • Marilyn and Charles Perkins, Ironworkers 396 • William and Margaret Price • Betty and Edward Remiger, Plumbers & Pipefitters 562 retired • Gary and Terry Rolfing, Pipefitters 562 / CWA retired • Tim and Mary Rone, Pipecoverers 1 • Dennis Roth • Michael and Joyce Ruopp • William Schanuel, IAM 313 retired • Mark and Peggy Schmidt, Plumbers & Pipefitters 562 • Christopher Schneider, IBEW 1 • Ronald Schodroski, IBEW 1 • Ted and Gretchen Schulte, IAM 777 • James Sendobry, IUEC 3 • Richard Shinners • Dana Spitzer • E. Laurence & Barbara Thomas, Bricklayers 1 • Vincent Todt, IUEC 3 retired • Donald and Jacqueline Veanes, Plumbers & Pipefitters 562
Job Foreman
Richard Creason • Ed Finkelstein • Stanley Ripperda, IBEW #1
General Foreman
Chris Guinn • Jeffrey Heuermann, IBEW 1• Robert and Barbara Kelley, UFCW Local 655 Retired
Organizations/Companies
National Electrical Contractors Assn., St. Louis Chapter • Schuchat Cook & Werner • St. Louis Blues Hockey Club, L.P. • St. Louis Union Label and Service Trades Council • Tri County Labor Legislative Club • Utility Workers Union 335
Major Donors
Laborers International Union of North America Local #110 • Simmons Hanly Conroy Law Firm
In Honor
In Honor of Ed Finkelstein – Lisa Bedian Kurtz, Writers Guild of America – East
In Memoriam
In Memory of Thomas P. Coleman, Local 36 retired – Daniel and Joan Coleman
In Memory of Joe Farrell, Heat & Frost 1 – James and Jane Fetsch, Insulators 1 retired
In Memory of Bo Farrell, Heat & Frost 1 – James and Jane Fetsch, Insulators 1 retired
In Memory of Audrey R. Hopkins – Donald Hopkins, IBEW Local 1
In Memory of James D. Kelley, Plumbers & Pipefitters 562 – Steve and Roma Lawler, Plumbers & Pipefitters 562 retired
In Memory of Dick Mantia, Insulators 1– Toni Mantia
In Memory of Karen McEwen Lyons – Rosie Ferrell, UFCW 655 retired
In Memory of Adam Mlynarczyk – John and Connie Mlynarczyk, IBEW 1 retired
In Memory of James Moll, Laborers 110 – Mrs. James Moll
In Memory of Robert Nenninger, Local 688 – Marjorie Nenninger
In Memory of Dick Sullivan – Dick and Kathleen Kellett, Plumbers & Pipefitters 562
In Memory of John Szyhowski, IUOE 513 – Edith Szyhowski
In Memory of Connie Walsh, Bricklayers 1 – James and Jane Fetsch, Insulators 1 retired
In Memory of Glennon Walsh, CWA 6320 – James and Jane Fetsch, Insulators 1 retired
In Memory of Larry Walsh, Heat & Frost 1 – James and Jane Fetsch, Insulators 1 retired
In Memory of Patrick Walsh, Bricklayers 1 – James and Jane Fetsch, Insulators 1 retired
In Memory of Terry Walsh, Sr., Heat & Frost 1 – James and Jane Fetsch, Insulators 1 retired
In Memory of Vince Walsh, Heat & Frost 1 – James and Jane Fetsch, Insulators 1 retired
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