Fox Valley Labor News

Fox Valley Labor News file photo
Exterior view of the Probuild facility in Yorkville, IL.

By Jennifer Rice
Staff Writer
A mediation meeting last week between ProBuild and the Teamsters Local 673 did little to resolve an ongoing strike at the Yorkville lumber business, making union officials feel like the company is taking regressive bargaining action instead of offering
concessions.
Since July 28, more than 50 employees have been on strike, mostly drivers, at both its Yorkville and Wheaton locations. ProBuild’s Hampshire location, a non-union yard, currently only does truss work. Employees are contesting contract changes that affect their health insurance, seniority rights and pay protections.
Secretary-Treasurer and Principal Officer for Teamsters Local 673, Roger Kohler, said it appears ProBuild is trying to punish its employees instead of negotiating a fair contract.
During an Aug. 24 mediation meeting, ProBuild announced it is seeking a 5 percent pay cut in the first year of the contract. In addition, offers that the Teamsters were willing to accept with the initial contract, have now been taken away. They include seniority status if ProBuild might rehire after layoffs and the return of a personal day ProBuild originally wanted to eliminate.
During the mediation meeting, ProBuild sent an executive from its Denver, Co. headquarters, but Kohler said union officials never met the executive and he was unavailable to speak.
“If they wanted to resolve this strike, why wouldn’t they be directly involved,” Kohler questioned. This week, Kohler said the Teamsters union has members striking at ProBuild’s Colorado headquarters. Also this week, ProBuild has a new CEO. Bill Myrick succeeds Paul Hylbert who has run the company since January 2007. Hylbert will now serve as a senior advisor and remain a member of ProBuild’s board of directors.
“The pay cuts, increases in insurance contributions and deductibles, all coming in the first six months, could devastate a family’s financial security and force them to go without health insurance,” Kohler said.

Jennifer Rice’s e-mail address is Jen@foxvalleylabornews.com.

Brenda Bazan photo
Yankees rookie pitcher Ivan Nova was solid, striking out seven in five and two-thirds innings of work as the New York Yankees edged the White Sox 2-1 on Sunday, Aug. 29.

By Larry Peterson
Staff writer

The Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees split the first two games of a three-game series at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago Aug. 27-28.
The rubber game of the series Sunday, Aug. 29 had a special significance for the host White Sox. It was Frank “The Big Hurt” Thomas Day and they hoped it would work as an inspirational incentive for the Southsiders, but it didn’t work out that way.
Following an emotional half hour ceremony honoring the former Sox superstar, the Yankees handed the White Sox a 2-1 defeat.
New York sent a 23-year-old rookie, Ivan Nova to the mound for only his second Major League start. His pitching opponent was Sox veteran Gavin Floyd. Both pitched well enough to earn a victory, but Nova was just a little bit better. Neither pitcher got much offensive support.
Nova allowed five hits in five and two-thirds innings, walked one and struck out seven to earn his first win against no defeats. Floyd gave up two runs on seven hits, one walk and four strikeouts. His record fell to 9-11.
The Yankees got on the board first when designated hitter Marcus Thames belted a long home run off Floyd in the second inning. They added a single run in the third inning on a double and an RBI single by their back-up catcher Francisco Cervelli, who led the Yankees hit parade, going four out of four for the day. New York led 2-0 after four innings.
Gordon Beckham led off the Sox fifth inning with a double and scored on a Juan Pierre single for the Southsiders only run. Beckham and A.J. Pierzinski led the somewhat anemic attack with two hits a piece.
Kerry Wood came in for Nova in the bottom of the fifth inning and pitched his way out of a bases loaded jam. Joba Chamberlain pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings for the Bronx Bombers. Old reliable Mariano Rivera shut out the Sox in the ninth inning to preserve the victory for his 27th save in 29 chances.
Sox manager Ozzie Guillen wasn’t around for the final inning. He got tossed by first base umpire Bob Davidson when he disputed a close call in eighth inning. Not that it mattered much because it’s usually lights out when Rivera takes over in the ninth inning.
The Sox have had bullpen problems with Jake Peavy, Matt Thornton, J.J. Putz and Erick Threets on the disabled list, but got shut out performances by rookie Chris Sale and veteran Bobby Jenks to close out Sunday’s game.
The Sox have been in their annual battle with the Minnesota Twins for the Central Division lead and trail the Twins by four and one-half games. They didn’t lose any ground in Sunday’s loss to New York as Minnesota fell 2-1 to the Seattle Mariners Sunday afternoon.
Next up for the Sox is a 10-game road trip which began with a three-game series in Cleveland against the Indians Monday, Aug. 31, a 10-6 victory by the Sox. Following two more games with Cleveland, Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, the Sox move on to Boston for three games with the Red Sox September 3-5 and conclude the road trip with a four-game set in Detroit Sept. 6-9.
Guillen was not happy with the loss, but praised the pitching on both sides.
“I was impressed with the way the kid (Nova) throw the ball. He got a good arm. Gavin Floyd pitched good enough to win, but today we couldn’t get the big hit. Both teams made big defensive plays. No matter what you say, the Yankees always play good ball.
“We still have a lot of games to play and we have a big road trip coming up. We are still in the division race. There are no more big games. They are all huge the rest of the way,” Guillen said.
The Sox negotiated a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers for Manny Ramirez and joined the Sox on Aug. 31. No other players were involved. The only obligation the Sox pick up is his remaining salary. Ramirez could be a liability in the outfield, but he could give them a boost as the designated hitter.
Guillen said, “He can play for us, but he has to follow the team rules just like the rest of the players.”
Guillen didn’t appear to be greatly enthused with the addition of Ramirez, but admitted he could help them as a designated hitter. Ramirez is a little different, but Guillen does run the show!

By Jennifer Rice
Staff Writer
Last week, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka addressed members of the Alaska AFL-CIO Biennial Convention, stressing the need for unions to continue standing together, for themselves, for their children and grandchildren.
In his speech, “Defending the Union Way of Life,” Trumka took a line from a 1963 speech by former president, John F. Kennedy, when Kennedy spoke to the American people saying, “the rising tide lifts all boats.”
“It’s working people–working people–who are the tide. Good jobs are the tide. When working people rise, so does our economy,” Trumka said.
And all the way from Alaska to the Fox Valley area, other local union leaders have the same feelings and convictions. Business Manager for LIUNA Local 149 Dan Brejc said due to the nations tough economic times, unions are even more important today than ever before.
“Today, certain people, organizations or companies use this tough time to take advantage of the workers in the workforce,” Brejc explained. “Unions want to give workers what every person wants—a job. We want good paying jobs. It’s the American dream. That’s what unions promote,” Brejc added.
Trumka left Alaska and traveled to Oregon to start his Labor 2010 campaign season where he spoke with union members from across the state. He toured Oregon Iron Works as an example of the manufacturing revival that is needed on a bigger scale. He applauded the fact that OIW works well with its all union work force and values, being able to provide benefits for their workers and a fair wage for a hard day’s work.
David Raikes, Business Manager for LIUNA Local 393 in Marseilles said unions are the one entity that fights for fair wages. “We shouldn’t be happy with a $15 an hour job,” Raikes explained. “But with this down economy, if we can’t find that job, some people believe we should be happy with a job for $12. They think we should be happy we have a check, and that’s a disgrace,” he said.
Both Raikes and Brejc know when unions strike, it makes the news. And with reports in the news come announcements of union wages. “We are always painted in a bad light,” said Raikes. “We strike and the only thing people talk about is how much money we make. No one ever talks about what we do for our community, how we give money and our time to try and make our communities and towns a much better place,” Raikes said.
Raikes said the average laborer in LaSalle, Bureau and Putnam counties is making $40,000 to $45,000 a year, but added that some figures that are thrown out in news stories are part of a union member’s health care package.
“I think a lot of non-union people are misinformed about what is really going on and what unions do,” he added
As the Nov. 2 election date loom, unions are fighting hard to get the right leadership in office—leadership that will unite all the crafts and motivate its members. History has shown that nothing has ever been given to the unions. It’s all been earned.
“What we’ve accomplished over the years, we’re going to continue with it. That is going to be our mentality. We’re going to stay aggressive,” Raikes said. “We’re involved with politics, we fight the non-unions and we fight anybody that wants to take our jobs away from us,” he said.
AFL-CIO President Trumka knows the fight for unions will continue through the fall and into the November elections. “We’re not going to get jobs unless we get the right people in Washington,” he said. “Union families have to get lit up about what’s at stake in America and no one, under any circumstances, can sit this [election] out,” Trumka stressed.
No matter the outcome, unions will hang on, Brejc said. “We’ll do what we have to do. We’re not going anywhere. The people that have been disillusioned, once the jobs pick up, they will come back,” he said.
He agrees that the upcoming election is going to be difficult. A lot of voters are turned off due to unemployment and job loss. “[President Barack] Obama ignited everybody and voters got behind him two years ago. We’ve got to have that happen again,” he said.
The Democratic Party has shown it’s generated jobs through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In a report released this month from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Recovery Act put 1.4 million to 3.3 million people to work in the second quarter of this year and lowered the unemployment rate by as much as 1.8 percent.
The report shows the Recovery Act is working to rescue the economy from eight years of failed economic policy and rebuilt it even stronger than before. It is a path on which the unions want to continue.
“We don’t back down for anybody, or let anyone stand in our way,” Trumka said. “We’re going to win for every working family in America, because we’re not backing down.”

Jennifer Rice’s e-mail address is Jen@foxvalleylabornews.com.

By Christina Hazelwood
Staff Writer

Stacey Hofert took the old business adage, ‘Find a need and fill it,’ to heart when she started Union Guardian, a financial services company. Hofert began the company after recognizing that the needs of her clients were greater than the services offered by the company she worked for.
Hofert’s interest in unions was cultivated at a young age when she got a job as a laborer working at Granite City Steel in southern Illinois, where she grew up. She took the job while in high school and worked there until starting college.
She earned a Bachelors of Business in Human Resource Management from Western Illinois University in Macomb, IL, and started working at Concord EFS providing customer support and developing new products. She helped build the business from $7 million to $120 million in sales.
It was a busy period for Hofert. While working at Concord, she got married and had her first-born son, Tyler. When her son was age two, Hofert got divorced and enrolled in a masters program at Keller Graduate School of Management, where she met her husband, Kevin, who was also getting a master’s degree.
After a couple of job changes, Hofert had a daughter, Delaney, and decided to work part-time. She taught business classes at Elgin Community College and worked in marketing and finance for a fitness center.
From there Hofert joined Wells Fargo as a mortgage consultant, but thought her customers needed more services than she was offering. “I felt we could do it better and expand into real estate,” Hofert said.
She approached Capital Financial Bancorp with this idea and started working under its direction providing mortgages and real estate sales. When the economy took a turn for the worse, Hofert saw a need for services that she was unable to provide while at Capital. “People were hurting. There was high unemployment in the building trades,” she said.
Wanting to provide her customers with more, Hofert cashed in her retirement accounts and in January started her own company, Union Guardian. Hofert said she wants to offer her customers financial relief and financial solutions. “A lot of union members are losing their homes.”
After a lot of research, Hofert brought on several associate companies that she felt comfortable referring her customers to in order to provide a full range of financial services including asset protection, insurance, mortgage payment relief, credit restoration, real estate sales, home financing and grant writing.
Her company is paid by referral, allowing her to focus on customer service. “It is the consultative approach that I like best,” Hofert said. “If there is a financial need that comes up, I can fill it.”
The associate companies Hofert vetted and selected to provide services to her customers are: Country Financial; Illinois Credit Services, Inc.; AEC Solutions, LLC; Wells Fargo Bank and Realty Executives.
“We’ve pulled well over a hundred union members out of foreclosure since January,” Stacey said. “Losing your job is a big affront to your ego. You know that first it’s your job, next your house goes and then it’s your family. We’re changing customers’ lives by helping them keep their house.”
Hoefert said she selected AEC because of the company’s reputation and for its ability to work through federal programs and bank systems at a nominal fee. “Banks are making it incredibly difficult to get through these systems,” she said. “The bank is just waiting for the customer to trip up so they can be denied a loan modification or loan reduction.”
When banks discover that her customers are working “with a third party, they change their tune,” Hofert said. She and her associates have been able to reduce her customers’ mortgage payments 25 to 50 percent or more, as well as obtain principal reductions—and not a single client has gone back into foreclosure.
“Every case is different. It all depends upon the bank,” Hofert said. She said clients must be patient and allow time to get through the paperwork. She said securing loan modifications might take from six weeks to six months.
Hofert said some union members are trading in their retirement annuities due to financial hardship, but she recommends against it. She said one ironworker had pulled out all his savings and turned in his annuities in order to keep his house, but then the bank turned him down for a loan modification because he now had too much money.
Hofert said her company makes use of the Fair Credit Reporting Act to help restore credit and remove negative items from credit reports. She said people often do not realize the impact their credit reports have on their lives. She said they are used to determine mortgage and loan rates, insurance rates and even employment. “You don’t want your credit score to prevent you from getting a job,” she said.
“Right now is the very best time to buy a house,” Hofert said. “You can get 25 to 35 percent off the price and rates are the lowest they have ever been.” She said this is also an excellent time to purchase investment property.
Hofert said she enjoys working with unions and union members and focuses most of her time on education and customer service. She said she has held several free finance seminars for unions and finds that they are particularly useful to apprentices and their families.
“I volunteer a lot of my time to unions,” Stacey said. “They know I’m a hard worker and a lot of them have embraced the concept. It’s a good feeling that we’re helping so many people.”
Hofert said she has been increasing her efforts to help unions obtain federal grant monies, recently obtaining a $1.7 million grant for a Chicago union to do energy efficiency education. “The grants that are out there right now have a heavy focus on green technology, veterans’ programs, safety and alternative energy.”
Hofert’s fees are built into the grants she writes, so there is no cost to the unions. She said she might work for weeks drawing up a federal grant and not earn a dime, if the grant is not awarded. “I’m not about the money. I’m about helping people,” Hofert said.

Christina Hazelwood’s e-mail address is christina@foxvalleylabornews.com.

“These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.” 2nd Thessalonians 1:9-10

By Dan Richardson
Recently, someone accused me of espousing hate because of my belief in the Christian doctrine of hell. It is puzzling how some can be so close minded about heaven and hell and treat the idea as if they are simply fairy tales with no evidence or reason. If the belief of heaven and hell are backed with good reasoning and an authoritative source, would it be consistent and moral for believers to inform others of the promises and perils of the afterlife? After all, man did not originate the idea of hell. God Himself revealed it to us through His inspired word. All sixty-six books of the Bible, written by over forty authors over a span of 1,600 years teach it.

Is Hell hateful or just?
On the surface, the idea of hell does sound hateful. Yet, when one begins to understand the nature of a perfect and holy God, the teaching of hell sounds more reasonable. It is hard to understand hell without a high view of the holiness of God.
Some say God is all-loving. But that is not all true. God’s overriding quality is His holiness. Love, justice, forgiveness, vengeance, favor and wrath are just some of His perfections that derive from His holy nature. His holiness guarantees every characteristic is expressed perfectly. Example, His love cannot be perverted nor his wrath be capricious.
Therefore, Christians believe there will be a time where God will make all wrongs right. Every atrocity and evil act will be dealt with by a Holy and Perfect Judge. The Day of Judgment will be one where all will see final justice. Not only murderers, rapists and thieves; but liars, blasphemers and adulterers will face extreme punishment for eternity. Though many say, “I don’t want anything to do with a God like that”, it doesn’t matter. If it is true, they will still have to face God on judgment day.
It makes sense that a holy God with infinite love should also have a contrasting infinite hate. Indeed, the prophets tell us about things God hates: lying and divorce are just a couple. So a good and Holy God must hate evil things. Since God rewards those who love His Son with infinite pleasure and joy in heaven, it makes sense to have a place to punish those who break His laws and reject the pardon made possible by His Son.
Judgment is different for young children. God’s grace ensures children are safe in their early years of understanding.
Personally, hell is not my favorite topic. It’s scary, it’s terrible, it’s horrifying. Yet, I don’t enjoy talking about cancer either, but that doesn’t change the reality of its existence. If hell is real, and there are plenty of reasons to believe it is, then a reasonable person will investigate the evidence to avoid going there. Not only that, but we would demonstrate our love and concern for others by causing them to think about the reality: All of us will die someday and be judged by a holy God.
If hell were not real, then our hope of God’s eternal love is undermined.

Our Godly Heritage Quote of the Week
“I am at last reconciled to my God and have assurance of His pardon through faith in Christ, against which the very gates of hell cannot prevail. Fear hath been driven out by perfect love.”
—John Randolph of Roanoke, Congressman, 1818

Dan Richardson’s e-mail address is danrichardson@foxvalleylabornews.com.

Jennifer Rice photo
Amos Nicholson (in green jump suit) and his tandem instructor, Dave Elliott prepare to touch the ground.

By Jennifer Rice
Staff Writer
As unnatural as it sounds, it’s not uncommon for a 90-something individual to go skydiving. It happens quite frequently and usually winds up making the news. There are even entire websites devoted to skydiving grandmas and grandpas.
But a jump Aug. 20 at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa by a 93-year old grandpa was different. He jumped as part of a three-generation jump, which included his son and grandson.
Amos Nicholson of Aurora was joined by his son Kent, 56, of Batavia and his grandson Adam Nicholson, 20, of Elmhurst. All men skydived for the first time last fall. Kent and Adam skydived on the same day last fall.
“When dad found out about it, he said he wanted to go, too,” explained Kent. “Well, before dad did anything, I wanted to make sure he’d get some tender loving care and I had some questions to ask, too,” Kent said.
Kent quickly found out that his father would be in the best of care. “The first thing I saw when I came [to Skydive Chicago] was an article on the wall of a 93-year-old man who jumped for his birthday,” he said. “So I thought, the upper age bracket doesn’t matter,” Kent said with a laugh.
Amos did his first jump Sept. 1 at 92. With that jump, he got video and pictures taken while in mid-air. You can see Nicholson giving the thumbs up to the camera while the cameraman spins him in a circle.
“I show that video to people and they still say I’m nuts,” Nicholson said. “That’s why I got the video, because no one will believe me.”
He also carries with him a copy of a photo of him skydiving with his instructor. “That’s why I carry that,” he says, pointing to his photo. “Because no one believes it,” he added.
The jump was originally scheduled for Aug. 17, but cloudy skies and a light drizzle postponed the jump until a few days later. Between the men’s schedule, they only had a few days left to make the jump. The younger Nicholson is returning to Elmhurst College for the fall semester, where he’s majoring in elementary education.
All the Nicholsons did a tandem skydive where both student and instructor are harnessed to the same parachute system. They jumped from 13,000 feet, plummeting in free fall at 125 mph. There were no butterflies for Amos. He was calm as a cucumber just waiting for the jump to get over.
As a World War II veteran of the Air Force, Amos never once jumped out of a plane. “We never even practiced jumped. I was in the Air Force for years and I have to wait until I’m 92 for my first time out of a plane,” he said, laughing.
The elder Nicholson’s instructor was David Elliott, Student Operations Manager with more than 3,000 jumps. “I’ll make sure he’s alright,” said Elliott to Amos’ son and grandson, as they watched Amos step into his flight suit.
Each Nicholson gave some pre-jump hugs to each other and posed for pictures. The three-generation jump was a significant bonding moment for them. “I guess it’s important, right?” Amos asked the other Nicholsons. “It’s not like a three-generation jump comes every day,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone.
And before you knew it, the men were walked down the runway and into the belly of the awaiting plane, reminiscent of The Right Stuff. Instead of Sam Shepard, Ed Harris and Dennis Quaid, it was Amos, Kent and Adam.

Jennifer Rice photo
(From left), Adam, Kent and Amos embrace each other after the jump and walk together off the landing field and into the hanger.

And like that, they were gone. Milky clouds hid their small twin-engine plane as it crawled to 13,000 feet. There were no family members awaiting their arrival on the ground, just me. Squinting my eyes to the heavens, listening for the engines, darting my eyes back and forth, looking for parachutes.
You heard the parachute material ripping through the wind before actually seeing them. Like wisps of dust, one by one, they broke through the clouds and appear in the sky. Adam was the first Nicholson down. “I kept my eyes open the whole time. Not like before,” he said. “Before I kept them closed. I tried to look around more this time.”
Second was Amos. His bright green jump suit easy to pick out against the blue of the sky. He landed nicely, but need some help to his feet. “The wind was stronger than before. I could feel it in the turns,” he said. “I couldn’t bring my arms around to read the altimeter.
“It goes pretty fast. It’s just amazing.”
Kent was the final Nicholson to touch the ground. With his parachute off, he ran to his son and father and put his arms around each one. Together, the walked off the landing field. “The first three or four seconds when I’m kneeling there, looking out the door, I’m going, ‘Why am I doing this?’ And then we just go,” Kent said.
“The first time I jumped, I was expecting that feeling when you’re on a roller coaster, but it didn’t feel like that. It’s just a freefall and there is a lot of resistance there.”
Back in the hangar, instructor Elliott goes over Amos’ jump and exit from the plane. “You had a nice exit, Amos. How many times did you check the altimeter?” he asked Amos.
“I tried a couple times, but my eyes aren’t that good,” he told his instructor.
“That’s alright, we’ve got your back,” Elliott said. He continued going over Amos’ performance. “We did our 360-degree turn and our right-hand turn. You did a great job, Amos,” Elliott said, shaking the man’s hand.
As Amos sat across from Elliott, other instructors were entering the hangar, preparing for the second jump of the day. Several remembered Amos from his jump last fall. Several casual exchanges were given between each other and hands were shaken. Admiration for the 93-year-old jumper was noticeable.
“I’m here with my son and grandson. We did a three-generation jump today,” Amos would tell them.
“We’ll see you next year,” said one instructor, Frank Shisler, not as a question, but as a statement.
“On my 94th?” Nicholson questioned.
“Sure, why not?” Shisler responded.

Jennifer Rice’s e-mail address is Jen@foxvalleylabornews.com.

By Jennifer Rice
Staff Writer
Last week, Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) announced it will re-affiliate with the AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest labor coalition, effective October 1 per a unanimous vote by LIUNA’s general executive board. This news followed a unanimous approval of the union’s General Executive Board, said LIUNA General President Terry O’Sullivan.
Four years ago, LIUNA left the AFL-CIO to join the Change to Win federation, which at the time, was a fairly new coalition founded as an alternative to the AFL-CIO. The Service Employees International Union had a large part in forming Change to Win. Change to Win currently has undergone internal changes, with Anna Burger retiring as its chairwoman. She also retired as secretary-treasurer of SEIU. The organization currently is discussing a succession plan to continue “to build on the strong foundation left by Burger.”
Change to Win is a 5.5 million-member coalition. With the departure of LIUNA, it will consist of four unions. It was founded in 2005 to represent workers in the industries and occupations of the 21st century economy. Affiliated unions are SEIU, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the United Farm Workers of America.
O’Sullivan said LIUNA’s participation in Change to Win provided invaluable assets in building the union’s organization and research efforts. He added that LIUNA is a different organization due in large part to the strength of Change to Win’s Strategic Organizing Center.
“Neither our ongoing organizing efforts in weatherization and residential construction—the biggest campaigns we have ever launched—would have been launched without Change to Win,” he explained.
LIUNA, which has more than 50,000 members, noted that when it left the AFL-CIO in 2006, it expressed an eventual reunification. O’Sullivan said LIUNA continued to organize much of its political efforts through the AFL-CIO and continued to have ongoing discussions with the federation.
O’Sullivan went on to stress the need for unity, citing the struggling economy’s toll on the construction industry, whose workers it represents.
“Now more than ever, working people and our country need a united union movement,” O’Sullivan said. “Despite the historic success of the 2008 federal elections, too much is not getting done on Capitol Hill. A united union movement can better focus Congress—and particularly the U.S. Senate—on helping to lead our nation, rather than being locked in inaction.”
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said the re-affiliation is happening at a critical moment for working people. He acknowledges union members have been hard hit by a “brutal economy” and decades of policies that have undermined the middle class. He also realizes that in the construction industry, 2 million jobs nationwide have been lost in the current recession, with nearly one in five construction workers jobless.
“More than ever, now is the moment for a unified labor movement. And as we rebuild and strengthen the labor movement, we will work together to create good jobs, restore a middle-class economy, and elect leaders who stand with working people,” Trumka explained. 
“Together, brick by brick, we will build an economy that works for everyone. LIUNA brings a proud history and dedication to the union movement and we are delighted to welcome them back to the AFL-CIO,” he added.
Trumka also personally recognized O’Sullivan for his leadership and commitment to working people.

Jennifer Rice’s e-mail address is Jen@foxvalleylabornews.com.

Brenda Bazan photo
Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox announced his retirement before the season began. He has his Braves leading the division as September approaches.

By Larry Peterson
Staff writer

Two highly respected, long-time baseball legends managed their last game at Wrigley Field last Sunday, Aug. 22.
The Atlanta Braves handed the hapless Cubs a 15-6 whitewash as a parting gift.
Bobby Cox, Braves manager, announced at the start of this baseball season that he was going to retire at the end of the season. Sunday was the Braves last scheduled appearance at Wrigley Field for the 2010 season. Cox was given a warm reception and a fond farewell by the Cub players, management and fans.
Robert Joseph “Bobby” Cox, born May 21, 1941 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was a player for the New York Yankees 1968-1969, but his playing career was cut short by bad knees.
He first led the Braves from 1978 to 1981, and then managed the Toronto Blue Jays from1982 to 1985. He later rejoined the Braves in 1985 as a general manager.
He moved back to the manager’s role during the 1990 season. As of 2010, Cox is the manager with the longest tenure in Major League Baseball. He led the Atlanta Braves to the World Series championship in 1995. He holds the all-time record for ejections in Major League Baseball with 156, a record previously held by John McGraw. He ranks 4th on the Baseball All-Time Managerial Wins list.

Brenda Bazan photo
Cubs skipper Lou Piniella announced his retirement in July, but managed his last game on Aug. 22 following concerns over his mother’s ailing health.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella announced on July 20 that he also was going to retire at the end of the 2010 season. However, prior to Sunday’s game Piniella said due to family matters and the illness of his mother, Sunday would be his last game.
Cubs general manager Jim Hendry reluctantly accepted Sweet Lou’s early retirement, but understood the situation and wished Piniella the best.
Tears rolled down Piniella’s face as he choked out the words, “This will be the last time I will put on the Cub uniform, but I will never forget the wonderful four years here and the fantastic treatment I received from the Cubs’ organization, media and fans.”
After his tearful farewell, Piniella smiled and said, “This was a day to remember and a game to forget. Thanks.”
Louis Victor Piniella was born August 28, 1943 in Tampa, Florida. He signed with the Cleveland Indians as a free agent in 1962. He made his Major League debut September 4, 1964 with the Baltimore Orioles, joined the Cleveland Indians for one season in 1968. He played briefly with Seattle in 1969 and then played from 1969 to 1973 with the Kansas City Royals.
Piniella played 11 outstanding seasons with the New York Yankees. He was the American League MVP four times during his 18-year playing career.
He managed the New York Yankees from 1986-1988. He led the Cincinnati Reds from 1990-1992, winning the World Series in his first year at the helm of the Reds. He managed the Seattle Mariners from 1993-2002 and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays from 2003-2005. Piniella finished his managerial career with the Cubs for four years from 2007-2010.
He was named American League Manager of the Year in 1995 and 2001 and National League Manager of the Year in 2008.
Hendry named Cubs third base coach Mike Quade as interim manager for the remainder of the year. The Cubs are looking for the next full-time manager and said Quade, who has 19 years managing experience in the minor leagues, will be considered for the job, but bench coach Alan Trammell would not be in the running. There have been several names suggested, but at this time it is all speculation.

By Dan Richardson
Christians with little faith (like me) don’t value God’s word as they should. In our weakness, we find it hard to study and relate. We pray hoping to hear God’s voice as clear as five bars on a cell phone. But without Scripture reading, our prayers are shallow because we don’t know what to pray. We want to hear God and we wish He’d make it easier for us.
The apostle Peter heard God’s audible voice. He recollects a time when he saw Jesus on a mountain and heard a voice from heaven saying, “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him.” Afterwards, Peter and Jesus continued their friendship day after day. Hearing God doesn’t get clearer than that. Or does it?
Peter said the Scripture is a surer mode of hearing God. “We ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts (2 Peter 1:18-19).”
The prophetic word consists of the writings recognized as God’s words transferred to the prophets of old. Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me (John 5:39).” Before ascending to heaven he said, “These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled (Luke 24:44).”

Sure, personal and purposeful
The Scriptures, known as the Old and New Testaments, are the surest words of God. Thankfully and to God’s praise and glory, they are translated into the heart language of many people groups. When God communicates with His people, it makes sense to include them in the process to do it. If you were an ambassador to an unknown people group, you would find a way to relate in a way they could understand.
The purpose of communication is to expect a response. Scripture is no different. It places an absolute obligation upon the hearers to believe and obey fully. To disbelieve Scripture is to disbelieve God Himself. Jesus said, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels (Mark 8:38).”
Keep in mind some major themes when reading: the nature of God and of people, God’s holiness and our lawlessness, God’s response to pride and humility, our responses of rebellion and repentance, God’s work of atonement through Jesus Christ, our need for a Savior, God’s love and His gift of faith, God’s expectations on his children, His children’s trust in His word and mercy.

It takes some guts and a lot of grace
When Scripture reading is difficult, take Peter’s words for encouragement, “And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand… (2 Peter 3:15-16a).” Even Peter found Scripture reading difficult at times.
A couple of the passages above continue with cautionary statements to those who refuse God’s word or follow false teachings (John 5 and 2 Peter 3). It’s intriguing how as God’s word is external to us (my Bible rests on the table, not in my body), so the faith required to believe His word is external as well. It takes a miracle to get faith from the outside to the inside of our being. Faith is a gift. When God grants faith, He expects us to nourish it by His word. If you desire God’s word and His Son Jesus, give thanks for His gift of faith. If your faith is weak, nourish it by Scripture reading and praying.
If you do not desire God’s word, please turn things around. Look to His law, see your need for a Savior, and ask Him for help. Confess and forsake your sin. He will not refuse a broken and contrite heart. Ask for faith to love Him and begin reading the Scriptures. Find life.

Our Godly Heritage Quote of the Week
“A strong habit of virtue, and a great degree of holiness, may cause a moral inability to love wickedness in general, and may render a man unable to take complacence in wicked persons or things; or to choose a wicked in preference to a virtuous life.”
—Jonathan Edwards, 18th century theologian and philosopher, President of Princeton University

Dan Richardson’s e-mail address is danrichardson@foxvalleylabornews.com.

Photo courtesy of Flickr
Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich

By Christina Hazelwood
Staff Writer

So maybe former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich isn’t so “cuckoo” after all. Just like Martha Stewart and many other powerful people, the feds got Blagojevich on a technicality: Lying to federal prosecutors. Who among you wouldn’t lie your pants off to federal agents who poked, prodded and hounded you days on end, insisting you did things you did not do while threatening to lock you up and throw away the key? I know I would.
The two sins Blagojevich really committed were: 1.) Being too blatantly bold about the business of politics and 2.) Being a throughway for a U.S. prosecutor’s ambitions.
Blagojevich is an upfront Chicago-style kind of guy. Listen in on the conversation of any gathering of male Chicago construction workers and you will soon get more than your fill of braggadocios, grandiose tales of absurdity, with a few healthy facts thrown in for good measure. It’s a blue collar guy’s idea of a good time. The only unknown is who is going to enjoy themselves more: The storytellers or the listeners. Give this conversation art a political twist and now we’re having big fun. It’s to your own folly if you actually believe what’s said. Part of the thrill is to give listeners something to ponder later, like figuring out which parts of the tale were actually true.
The trouble is, too much of what Blagojevich said was true. It revealed to “the people” how Illinois politics works, making it difficult for politicians to be taken seriously or to take themselves seriously. Blagojevich is like Dorothy’s little dog, Toto, in The Wizard of Oz who ran over and pulled away the curtain to reveal that all the fiery pomp and circumstance being spewed were the result of some silly, old guy pushing levers for kicks. What an insult to a fellow like current Governor Pat Quinn who wants so badly to be taken seriously. Whereas Rod, being one of the guys, knows most of it is nonsense and enjoys and relishes the part all the more because of it. This view, to me, is a lot saner and healthier than the one held by other Illinois politicians and an Illinois prosecutor, who take the game seriously.
Providing the public with a peek behind the curtain was all Rod needed to do to get himself kicked out of office. How can the rest of the Illinois politicians continue on with the usual show, now that the voters know how the system works? It’s time to join ranks, call in reinforcements, and get the fellow thrown out of office and discredited before he reveals more of the game. One little peek and Rod was promptly impeached in a 114-to-one vote, making him the second state official in Illinois history to be impeached, and all just because he was having a little fun with the guys.
The second mistake Blagojevich made was being a traditional pathway to a U.S. State’s attorney’s political ambitions. Any moviegoer or fiction reader knows that there’s only one way to get a hero, and that is by finding a villain first. The more evil the villain is, the more heroic the hero. And if your goal is the governor’s mansion, as U.S. States Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald’s is, guess who gets cast as the villain? Fitzgerald is following in the footsteps of the many state’s attorneys who have gone before him. So he’s not even original or creative in his attempts to paint poor ol’ Rod black.
Our longest serving Illinois governor, Jim Thompson, won the heroic role after convicting Illinois Governor Otto Kerner, Jr. on corruption charges. Thompson held the office of U.S. State’s Attorney at the time and used his position to turn Kerner into a villain. Kerner, who served as governor from 1961 to 1968, was charged with improper use of influence on behalf of the racetrack industry. But don’t feel too bad for Kerner. After all, he won the governorship the exact same way, making a name for himself by prosecuting American automobile designer Preston Tucker for fraud. Of course, marrying the daughter of Chicago’s mayor probably didn’t hurt either.
Blagojevich’s conviction coincidentally occurred the same week that political power broker Dan Rostenkowski was laid to rest. Rostenkowski served as a U.S. representative for Illinois from 1959 to 1995 and was convicted of mail fraud in 1996 in a case lead by then future U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. After serving 17 months in prison, Rostenkowski was pardoned by U.S. President Bill Clinton who was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives in 1998. Clinton, however, was spared conviction on obstruction charges by a senatorial tie vote.
Criminalizing Blagojevich is Fitzgerald’s pathway to the governor’s mansion, just as it has been for many an ambitious state’s attorney. But “Drats!” a lowly “Liar, liar pants on fire” conviction probably isn’t enough to thrust him into the mansion. Poor Fitzgerald may just have to do the whole thing over again until he gets the Blago conviction he wants, all on the taxpayer’s dime. And you thought it was good to be king. Maybe being a U.S. state’s attorney is even better.

Christina Hazelwood’s e-mail address is christina@foxvalleylabornews.com.