OPEIU Local 39
February 2015Vol 2, Issue 8
Your Voice 
Your Choice 
OPEIU Local 39 Newsletter
There's a lot going on with the Union this month. The Quarterly Membership meeting is coming up and we'll be nominating positions for the Executive Board. We'll take a quick tour of the new offices in advance of the meeting. And don't forget, there are scholarships to apply for and taxes to be filed as well!

Who said there's nothing going on after the holidays?
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In This Issue
New Offices
Membership Meeting
Dues may be Deductible
2015 Scholarships
Quick Links
  
Check out the New Offices
               
The Quarterly Membership meeting (information below) will be held at the new Union offices. Wait? What? The offices moved? (Did I know where the old offices were?)

Yes! The offices have moved, and I spoke with the President of our Local about the reasons why.

Q: How are you settling in to the new offices? Is it working out as you'd hoped?
A: We are not completely unpacked but the necessities are done. The office space is smaller than our last office but this new office is more conducive to the way we work. 

Q: What prompted the move? Were there benefits to Members that prompted the relocation? 
A: Our lease was expiring at the old location which facilitated the move. The main reason to move was cost. The union is always looking at ways to best serve our members and keeping our rent down is one of those ways. The last location had rent that escalated every year which was not a good use of member funds. We were also disappointed in the dismal conference space and lack of space for membership meetings. 

Our new location has no escalating rent and our rent is less than half of what we were paying at the old location. We have a more professional conference room space and space for membership meetings that we share with our Union brothers of IBEW 965.

Q: The Quarterly Membership meeting is coming up. Can you describe the new space the meeting will be in?
A: Our membership meetings will take place at our offices in the upstairs meeting room. We share this space with our Union brothers IBEW 965. The [meeting room] is spacious enough for our membership meetings and for larger events when necessary.  Because of the size of the place we should be able to hold more membership and unit meetings in the space and hopefully reduce our costs of renting halls or conference spaces.

Q: In the past, Union offices were often located on the property of the Company itself and people just dropped by if they had questions. We have a pretty far-flung membership and it seems less likely people will just show up. What are the best ways to reach you or Debi? If someone wants to meet with you at the Union office, how should they go about that?
A: Members are always welcome to stop by the Union offices. Debi Eveland, our business agent, or myself can be reached at the office number 257-4764. Members are also welcome to call either one of us at our cell phones. Debi 334-3135 Kathryn 443-7304.
 
You can get directions to the new Union offices by clicking on this link.
Quarterly Membership Meeting - New Location!
P.S. - OPEIU Local 39 Membership Meeting
Wednesday,February 18th, 2015
5:30 PM

All union members invited and encouraged to attend
               

701 Watson Ave, Ste 102

Madison WI 53713

Agenda           
  • Executive Board Nominations
  • Unit Updates
  • Financial Update
  • Your Questions

Our Union works because of the people who are willing to get involved. If you want to make a difference in how the Union is run, now is your chance.

 

Nominations will be accepted for Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer, Sergeant-at-Arms and Trustee Position 1 at the February Quarterly Membership meeting, with elections to be held at the May membership meeting.

 

Come to the Quarterly Membership meeting on the 18th to nominate or stand for nomination. This is your chance to make a difference.

 

NOTE: Meeting is to be held at the new Union offices. Directions are here. 

Tax Season Approaches
The old year ends, which means the new tax season begins! Preparing taxes is never an easy thing to do, but here are two things that will help.
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  1. Your Dues may be deductible on your taxes! They are "non-reimbursed employment expenses." Be sure to check that box in your tax prep software, look for that section in your paper form, or tell your tax preparer (even if that's just your spouse). The dues you pay already provide good value, but getting money off of your taxes makes your dues a GREAT value!
     
     
  2. Free Tax Return prep for "qualifying" taxpayers. State Senator Jon Erpenbach provided this information in his recent newsletter: "The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to people who generally make $53,000 or less, persons with disabilities, the elderly and limited English speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals. In addition to VITA, the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program offers free tax help for all taxpayers, particularly those who are 60 years of age and older, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues unique to seniors. The IRS-certified volunteers who provide tax counseling are often retired individuals associated with non-profit organizations that receive grants from the IRS." You can find out more about VITA here.
2015 OPEIU Scholarships
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OPEIU offers several scholarships for students of Union members. Among them are the John Jelly Labor Studies Scholarship, the Houward Coughlin Memorial Scholarship, and the Romeo Corbeil/Gilles Beauregard Summer Camp.

The deadlines are coming up soon, at the end of March and in mid-May, so get more information if you have a child about to graduate and see if they should apply. You can find more information and application forms here..

The OPEIU Scholarships are just another great benefit for our Members and their families.
  
Upcoming Membership Meetings
Unions = Gym Membership
Membership meetings are held the third Wednesday of the second month of the quarter, at 5:30 PM.

 

February 18th, 2015
May 20th, 2015
August 19th, 2015
November 18th, 2015 

This is your Union. Your participation gives us the tools we need to face the continued opposition of both companies and politicians. We strive to make the meetings relevant and to the point. Please  stop by and participate in the democracy that is your Union.
The Executive Board positions are vital to the efficient and active running of the Union. If you've been enjoying the benefits of Union membership for some while, you may have ideas on how to improve what we already have. We look forward to seeing you at the new Union offices on the 18th (this Wednesday!). See you then.
  
In Solidarity,
  
OPEIU Local 39
  
Copyright OPEIU Local 39. Content written and/or edited by David O. Engelstad
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