 GPP's Founder was an IBEW Union Member (Local 6 & 617) - "We are the ONLY wind farm developer I know of that supports Union Labor!" |
ONLINE CLASS: How Unions can pry open the door to Renewable Energy and Rebuild their Pension Funds and Labor Pools
Exclusively for
AFL-CIO Unions and their Members
Dear Union Brothers and Sisters,
Before I founded Gold Pact Power, I was a member of the IBEW
(Electricians), locals 617 and local 6 - what some folks call
the highest paid hall in the world. I have a great many friends
at those places and I will always thank my friends who dragged
me into the hall: that moment saved my bacon at a time when
America was on its knees, just as it is today.
I learned about caring for each other, helping each other and
a feeling of family between the various trades. From the Iron Workers
and Heavy Equipment Operators, to the Teamsters and even the folks
assigned to do Housekeeping and Clean Up: it didn't matter what trade you came from:
if you were in a Union and on a site, you were family and you watched
out for each other, cared for each other, fed each other, gave rides
to each other and I don't know of any other organization, club
or agency that has such a wide cross-culture, heart-felt, enduring
level of support as Unions have brought to America.
Sure, there are some crummy Union bosses (and some pretty good ones too) and
sure, there are some crummy employers (and good ones too). That goes
with the territory. I noticed most Union workers don't whine: they know
the drill, they get down to it and get the job done, for the most
part, "Right the first time" and "On time and under-budget".
Every employer in the world should be so lucky to have that kind of team
and that kind of training that goes with it. While it is true that
Union labor generally costs more and some folks quote three times the
price for half the productivity: I don't think so. Before joining the
IBEW, I was an auditor for the nuclear industry. I am often called "Grand-Ma"
(and I am a man), for my bitchy reports when things aren't going right.
I am cold-hearted and honest in my audits and for the most part, things
run better with Union labor - much better - and you can turn your back
on a Union crew, come back in the afternoon and it was built TO-SPEC,
it passes inspection the first time and you can move on with the rest
of the project without having a ton of re-work. If everything
else in life ran like that, life would be simple.
Maybe we should force Government officials to be in a Union and report
to a Union Boss and work to Union Standards. Certainly, the
Government pay-scale is already out-of-sight and warrants it, but
I don't remember getting a Union-paid ride in a limousine paid for
by tax-payers, so I doubt the high ranking Politicians will be forming a
Union any time soon.
What they are doing these days is wagging a finger at the UAW for
the crisis in Detroit. Well, maybe they forgot that GM had an
ALL-ELECTRIC CAR back in the 1980s and caved in under pressure from
the Oil Companies and scrapped production. I bet if GM had continued
to produce it, by now it would be a number one global hit and dominate
the market.
Maybe the UAW was hard on the automotive industry and maybe its
wrong for American workers to charge more than Japanese and
Chinese workers, but if this nation is going to be strong, we
need to treat our people, especially our skilled labor force, a
little better than the rest of the world treats their people. The idea that
a firm like Wal-Mart, who abuses tens of thousands of employees every single
day, can continue to treat people that way really lights my rockets, but
I guess the Unions haven't penetrated that firm yet: give them time.
Another area that Unions can't seem to get any traction is in the
RENEWABLE ENERGY INDUSTRY. While it is true some States are
requiring certification for Electricians doing wind and solar work,
most wind farms (so far all that I have polled), refuse to allow
Unions on-site, even though the cost of the labor is small compared
to the cost of the Fixed Assets (turbines). That means that a little
extra pay for highly-skilled labor is a drop in the bucket compared
to the overall Job Cost. There is absolutely no reason why
Unions shouldn't be involved in Renewable Energy projects, both
during the build and during operations and maintenance.
Now that's my humble opinion as the owner of a Wind Farm company
and I am sure to make enemies out there, just as I made tons of them
when I said Landowners (farmers and ranchers) deserved more than
the pathetic 1/2 - 1 1/2 percent rent royalty other Wind Farm Developers
were paying. I made that statement in 2006 at a conference of 400
bankers and wind farm developers and they have hated me ever since.
My firm Gold Pact Power (GPP), went on to blaze a trail through
Texas and New Mexico, up into Kansas and points North and one-by-one,
the other Developers either had to match our higher rental royalty
we offered Landowners or lose the contract to us.
Today, we still offer the highest royalty in the industry and have
crow-barred it up from the ditch of 1 percent average, up to 5 percent,
paying a full 10 percent to the landowner after the turbine debt-service
is complete: that's based on GROSS REVENUE, not net, with zero deductions,
so its easy for Landowners to calculate how much they are going to
make with a GPP deal and they love us for it, even though the other
Developers hate us. That's ok: I'd rather have dinner with a farmer
than a banker any day.
And I'd rather have lunch with a Union man or woman than a Rat.
And that is what this class is about: earning enough money in the
Renewable Energy Industry to buy yourself lunch instead of standing in
the unemployment line waiting for a handout (see article
below). 99.9% of the people in Unions
would rather work than be on welfare, but the way things are going,
its doubtful that most of you will be finding work anytime soon.
Unemployment is skyrocketing, Detroit is a train-wreck and other
cities and industries are sure to follow. The IBEW, Local 6 in San Francisco,
once a bustling hall, is a ghost town compared to when I was there.
Its sad and what's even worse is that most of your Pension Funds have
evaporated into thin air. As an Auditor, I can tell you exactly where
that money went and contrary to what many of you believe, it wasn't into the vest pockets of your Union
Leaders:
Think I am kidding? Think I'm wrong?
Look around you and visit any Union hall you want: the story is the same in every city and in every hall.
And if we don't do something and do it quick, they'll win. As far as they are concerned, they already have and its too late. As far as they are concerned, America's debt is so crushing (the bailouts didn't help, since much of the capital left the country and went overseas to FOREIGN BANKS!), if you do nothing, they have won and the face of America will be changed forever. We all know that America has nearly lost its manufacturing base. Many people blame that on the UAW, but I would suggest it is the inability of Americans to BUY UNION, BUY MADE IN U.S.A. and BUY QUALITY. And you have to DESIGN AND BUILD QUALITY as well. Most of us know that a Toyota will outlast a Pontiac: I am sorry if that is news to you or you're mad at me for saying it, but I was an auditor and call 'em like I see 'em. The Japanese used 'cottage industry' techniques, getting women at home to build wiring harnesses, while the men built the chassis in factories and the result of that team work was a car they could produce cheaper, that was more reliable and it took our nation by storm. If we had learned from them and had a similar focus on women, whereby a single-mother, Union member, female worker could be at home with her family and a group of other women earning a great wage, we probably could have stayed competitive and continued to turn out quality cars. Its not too late to change that mentality and adopt that technique, but we'd better do it quickly in many industries across the Board. From high-tech and software to industrial fabrication and everything in-between, we need to support our single parents with telecommuting jobs and tasks they can do at home and get everyone working together to pitch in and rebuild this nation. Investor's Business Daily ran an article the other day (early April, 2009), that said we are also losing our innovative edge and intellectual property, like our bio-tech and software firms. Genentech, a HUGE San Francisco based, American owned company where many of my friends work, just sold out to - who else? - Eli Lilly Roche - owned by who else? European Bankers. It was a hostile takeover and the U.S. employees took a major hit on their stock options, once planned to hit $150/share (new molecules in development), with the crash, it dove and Lilly picked it up easily (a little legal wrangling), even though the firm is doing just fine and many employees did not want to sell out.
When I say they are taking control of U.S. Corporations, do
you think I am kidding? Look at the distribution of the
RED DOTS on the map
below from Eli Lilly Roche; taken from a screen shot on their web site.
 They might as well be working for Wal-Mart of Europe. I can't blame it on the UAW or on Silicon Valley and the Politicians are too slow and dim-witted to have foreseen the errors of their ways 20 - 30 years ago when these trends began and they were all busy taking bribes from the Foreign Bankers. You can't blame them: if someone offered your family a few million bucks to 'cheat' the children of America out of their future, you'd probably take it right? Wait! I forgot you are a Union Brother and Sister who would never do that and I bet you don't own a Toyota or any other foreign car or household item either and all of your clothing and your Children's basketball all say MADE IN U.S.A. on them, right? If you can answer YES to that, great. And if not, then they bribed you too, with cheaper prices at the expense of your neighbor's job, food for his children and overall, a declining Standard of Living for us all. So don't get on the bandwagon and bring pitchforks to Washington. The problem isn't there (well, there are a few major problems there), but really, the solution starts at home, in your neighborhoods and in your schools and in your markets and in your choices every single day. If you want America to survive, you really need to BUY MADE IN U.S.A. and you need to SUPPORT YOUR UNIONS and if you have a friend who is unemployed or under-employed, get them into an apprenticeship program. And if you're a Union Leader and expect there to be a Union in 5 - 10 years, like the GM Executives, you better be ready for a pay-cut. There's nothing wrong with taking a pay cut to rebuild a nation.
OR THERE WON'T BE AN AMERICA LEFT Do you think I am I wrong? If so, ignore the rest of this article and walk down to Wal-Mart and turn in your application. You belong there. But if you think I am right and are ready to knuckle down and re-invent American Unions with brand-spanking new technology that is in hot demand, read on - I WANT YOU IN MY COMPANY EARNING A GREAT WAGE AND WORKING AS A UNION MEMBER. While the rest of the American Wind and Renewable Energy industry has shut the Unions out, at Gold Pact Power, we have invited them to:
Now I am not a Union Boss and I have absolutely no idea how much corruption and stupidity is going on at that level and frankly, I don't care. If they are stupid, they will be erased by the Foreign Bankers and if they are smart, they'll get with the program and help me get the people they care for, the people who are 'their own Children, their own Family, their own Blood' and get them educated, enrolled, down to the hall and out to a GPP job that is Union sponsored, where the Union laborers are gleaning a nice chunk of the profits and the facility is built "Right the First Time", and "On Time and Under Budget." And within a few years, hopefully before America has fallen off the economic abyss (you think its bad now, wait until you see the sequel), if things go as I predict, it will be the American Unions and the American Workers who save this nation from the disaster our Politicians, Bankers and Wall Street Gurus have created for us all. Think about this: if a huge surge in Union Employment, Recruiting and Education were to take place and if various Union Labor forces could gently agree to work together, both to put the right Politicians in Office and to create innovative policies from lessons we have learned to support the American Worker and the American Family, do you honestly believe there is any Banker or Politician on Earth who could oppose that trend? Get real or get out. I personally believe that our greatest treasures, strongest minds and courageous hearts are beating in the breast of each and every one of you. Certainly the rage has built up with all of the unemployment and declining healthcare, salaries and foreclosures. You have a couple of options on how you handle that anger:
After that phase, we will be destitute, broke, homeless and hungry. While I know you might think I am nuts for describing that kind of future, having performed audits and designing financial trending systems for multi-million dollar companies for almost three decades, old Grandma here knows a thing or two about economic cycles. And the writing is on the wall plain as day. That is our future if something doesn't change. And in my mind, by my estimate, according to what I know about America, that change has to start with the strength of our Unions, with each and every one of you. If you are going to riot, try not to destroy other people's property: why should American citizens suffer more just becuse American politicians are slow to get a clue? Instead, burn your foreign made t-shirts and your cheap Chinese tennis shoes - not to demonstrate hatred for the Chinese - their people suffer gravely every single day - but to demonstrate your support for them and your own family to have a good job, a decent wage, a solid roof over their heads and healthcare they can rely on. And for the rights you all have for that and more: an education and a future for our children. If you don't believe in that dream, get out - you deserve what you get and believe me, its coming like a freight train. Some say its already here. And if you do believe, please write to your Union Pension Fund Administrators today. I want every single Pension Fund Admin to:
That's my personal opinion about Union Members. Whats yours? Thank you for your time. Good luck whatever you choose to do.
Sincerely,
Recession outlasts even extended jobless benefits
By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER, AP Economics Writer Christopher S. Rugaber, Ap Economics Writer - Sun Apr 5, 4:57 am ET
Congress extended unemployment aid twice last year, allowing people to draw a total of up to 59 weeks of benefits. Now, as the recession drags on, a rolling wave of people who were laid off early last year will lose them.
Precise figures are hard to determine, but Wayne Vroman, an economist at the Urban Institute, estimates that up to 700,000 people could exhaust their extended benefits by the second half of this year.
Some will find new jobs, but prospects will be grim: Layoffs are projected to go on, and many economists expect the jobless rate, already at 8.5 percent, to hit 10 percent by year's end.
"It's going to be a monstrous problem," Vroman said.
U.S. employers shed 663,000 jobs in March, and the jobless rate now stands at its highest in a quarter-century. Since the recession began in December 2007, a net total of 5.1 million jobs have disappeared.
Those who know that their unemployment aid is about to run out are counting the days, taking on odd jobs, moving in with relatives and fretting about the future.
"My biggest fear is we'll lose the house," said Hernan Alvarez, 54, an Orlando, Fla., construction worker who lost his job in July and whose benefits will end in four weeks. "The only thing I can do is keep looking for work and hope tomorrow will be better than today."
That so many people have remained on jobless aid for more than a year underscores the depth and duration of the recession, which began in December 2007. If the downturn extends into May, it will be the longest recession since the Great Depression.
The jobs crisis it has created has proved worse than most economists forecast — not to mention what lawmakers expected when they extended jobless benefits last year.
In March, nearly a quarter of the unemployed had been without work for six months or more, the highest proportion since the 1981-82 recession.
And the problem will probably get even worse. Employers typically remain reluctant to hire even months after a recession has officially ended. In the 1990-91 and 2001 recessions, the jobless rate peaked more than a year after the recovery began.
"What comes next, I'm afraid, will be the mother of all jobless recoveries," said Bernard Baumohl, chief global economist at the Economic Outlook Group, a consulting firm. "While we may emerge from recession from a statistical standpoint later this year, most Americans will be hard-pressed to tell the difference between a recession and a recovery the next 12 months."
That's grim news for Sterling Long, 40, of Pittsburgh, who said he's willing to take any job available to support his wife and four children. He has cleaned houses and done other odd jobs since being laid off from a plumbing distributor in March 2008. He is dreading the expiration of his benefits this month.
"I'll work in McDonald's," he said. "I got no pride as long as the people in this house eat, have hot water — that's all I need."
Long, like many of the long-term unemployed, has tried to learn new skills. For three months, he spent Saturdays and Sundays working to get his commercial driver's license. That led to work as a cargo loader for a couple of months at the supermarket warehouse. But since then, nothing.
States typically provide 26 weeks of unemployment benefits, an average of about $350 a week. Last year, Congress tacked on 20 extra weeks of benefits, and later it added 13 additional weeks for people in states hardest-hit by unemployment.
Experts said food stamps and other social programs provide a partial backstop for many recipients who exhaust benefits. Some will also take low-paying "tideover" jobs — if they can find them, said Rebecca Blank, an economist at the Brookings Institution.
One of them is Rainie Uselton, 39, who also lives in Pittsburgh. She took a course to become a certified nursing assistant after being laid off from a restaurant early last year. She landed a job at an assisted-living facility but lost it after her car broke down and she couldn't make it to work.
Uselton is caring for a friend's mother part-time in exchange for a meal, bus pass and $50 a week. She hopes to use that money to help pay for car repairs before her benefits run out in four weeks.
"It takes a little longer to fall asleep because of all the scenarios in your head," Uselton said.
Unemployment has risen so high that in some states a third leg of benefits is kicking in — a new lifeline for many who would otherwise run out. Under federal law, states found to have particularly high unemployment under complex formulas must provide 13 to 20 more weeks of benefits.
It has already taken effect in 18 states, twice as many as activated it in either of the last two recessions.
The National Employment Law Project, an advocacy group for low-wage workers, wants more states to change their laws to make it easier for the extended benefits to kick in.
The federal stimulus package provides full federal funding for the extension, which otherwise would be split between the states and federal government. California's Legislature took such a step last week, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to sign the legislation.
That comes as a huge relief to Beth Lambert, 58, of San Diego, who's been out of work since January 2008 after losing her job as an administrator at a construction company.
"I can breathe for a few more weeks and just keep trying," she said.
AP Writer Ramit Plushnick-Masti in Pittsburgh and AP Business Writer Stevenson Jacobs contributed to this report.
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WASHINGTON - In the coming weeks and months, hundreds of thousands of jobless Americans will exhaust their unemployment benefits, just when it's never been harder to find a job.
