Consolidated Convention charts Brotherhood’s course

MORE THAN SIX hundred delegates to the 32nd Consolidated Convention met at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas July 25-28 to elect International officers and reaffirm the Boilermakers’ Constitution. Over 70 resolutions — from local lodges, the International Executive Council, and the Constitution and Law Committee — were considered, along with motions from the floor.

International President Newton B. Jones opened the event with a stirring address describing the Boilermakers’ place in history and the union’s legacy.

Throughout the week, delegates heard reports from the various committees and caucuses and voted on proposed changes to the Boilermaker Constitution. They elected all International officers running as the Proven Leadership Team by acclamation.

President Barack Obama and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis each addressed the convention through recorded video presentations. Delegates also heard from speakers at the dais who addressed the challenges and opportunities facing labor unions in North America and around the world. They included AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka, Building and Construction Trades Department President Mark Ayers, ICEM President Manfred Warda, UMWA President Cecil Roberts, Canadian Ambassador to the United States Gary Doer, and Roofers International President Kinsey Robinson.

Delegates took time to honor the late President Emeritus C.W. Jones, the late Legislative Affairs Director Abe Breehey, veterans of the United States and Canada, and recently deceased members of the Brotherhood. As the convention closed, IP Jones presented Joe Moreland, the union’s parliamentarian and general counsel, with the first Charles W. Jones Distinguished Service Award, upon his retirement.