By: Duane Ballard

Greetings Brothers and Sisters,

By the time this article gets to you, most of the kids will be back in school. That means that the school shopping has probably already started, and the effects of it has probably already hit your pocket books. The prices of things are already ridiculously stupid these days, then add the cost of groceries and the $4.00-a-gallon gas you are already paying. This is one of the reasons politics are so important in our world these days.

We need candidates who will look out for the working people in today’s world. Do your research when voting in November. I know it is a couple months away, but trust me I will remind you. The primaries are done, so now it is heads up in November. Take some time and vet the candidates and vote what affects your wallet.

Along the lines of voting, the International Union’s ballots will be mailed out by August 22nd. If you do not receive one, contact us here at the Union Hall and we will have a number for you to contact to get one.

These elections are very important to our Union’s future and the negotiations that will be upcoming in 2028. As I said previously, research the candidates who you think will represent “you” and what you want to see in the future.

We now have the 2027 Union Sportsman Alliance calendars at the Union Hal for sale again. They are still $30. The first ten people who come in and buy one will receive a free Union Sportsmen’s Alliance hat to go with it. Again, it will be two guns a week for 52 weeks. This year is their 20th Anniversary, and some calendars have a special chance to win a gun in them.

Don’t forget our meetings start back up on September 13th. Keep yourself informed and get involved with what is going on in your plant and in your Union. I hear often that a member did not know something that was going on. This is the way to find out what is going on in all aspects. This is the time to ask the questions that you want answered.

As the summer winds down and the kids make their way back to school and put their noses to those study books, let’s not forget that they will need a break also. Hopefully, they spend a lot of time over the summer enjoying the outdoors.

Whether they were outside fishing, playing baseball, soccer, or just riding their bikes, let them continue and get a break from the school books and electronics devices. We all need a break every now and then, especially if your daily routine changes when going back to school. Get a child outdoors and give them a break also.