For 20 years, Lynne Larkin-Wright helped union members get through the ‘bumps on the road’

July 28, 2020 by

Lynne Larkin-Wright receives a letter of appreciation from U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum for her four decades of service to the community. McCollum’s district director, Josh Straka, presented the letter on her behalf.

Lynne Larkin-Wright had been in the workforce five years when her father, George, a member and officer of Laborers Local 132, confronted her with a question: “Why would you work anything other than union?”

Soon thereafter, Larkin-Wright never did. She took a job with the City of St. Paul, where she would remain for 20 years as a member of Local 2508 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Her father was onto something.

“Just knowing how much better your life can be and how much more stable your life can be, rather than being at the whim of someone else,” Larkin-Wright said. “It makes such a difference.”

But a union card isn’t a shield against economic hardship. Layoffs, downturns, work stoppages and unexpected medical expenses are just some of the life events that can throw union members’ lives into turmoil.

When union members in the East Metro have found themselves in economic crisis over the last 20 years, they’ve had a friend in Larkin-Wright, who retired July 2 from her position as an AFL-CIO Community Services liaison with the St. Paul Labor Studies and Resource Center. The LSRC is the nonprofit arm of the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, and a longstanding partner organization of Greater Twin Cities United Way.

Larkin-Wright reflected on that partnership – and the 40 years she’s spent in the local labor movement – in this interview, published in the August 2020 issue of The Union Advocate.

UA: How did you go from payroll clerk at the city to AFL-CIO Community Services liaison?

LLW: At some point the city and my union loaned me to the United Way to help raise money at campaign time. I was also on the board of United Way of St. Paul as a labor representative, where I worked in fund-distribution with local nonprofits. I also got involved on the Community Services Committee as a delegate to the St. Paul Trades and Labor Assembly, and went through their union counselor training, learning about resources available in the community.

UA: Tell me about your dad’s influence on your career path.

LLW: When we were kids, we were the first on the block to buy a color TV. I have a friend who reminds me of it to this day! We had good health insurance and dental insurance. My mother, she lived 20 years longer than my dad, but she never had to worry about paying for surgery or medication or dialysis. All the work Dad did maintaining good contracts for members helped him as well.

UA: You remained a dues-paying member of AFSCME Local 2508 even after leaving the city. What has it meant to be part of that union?

LLW: Getting involved in my local was one of the best things I ever did. That and being loaned to the United Way, those are the two best things that ever happened to me. After getting up and public speaking at United Way meetings, when I went back to my local, I wouldn’t say no to getting up and saying something in front of the City Council. I’m sure for the city it was like, “Look what we’ve created!”

But for me it was a huge shift. I remember one of the first things (former RLF President) Shar Knutson had me do in this job was go in front of the City Council and request a Workers Memorial Day proclamation. I remember thinking, “I don’t know if I need to do that.” But I marched up there and did it. And it opened up a path to a lot of things I didn’t know I could do.

Lynne Larkin-Wright’s appointment to the United Way board made news in the the Feb. 21, 1994, issue of The Union Advocate.

UA: What else surprised you about the job?

LLW: I remember in my interview there were like 13 people at the table. Shar always wanted to have other people’s input, and I think because we were friends, she also wanted to make sure there wasn’t any bias, that I had all the tools.

But the work we were doing 20 years ago is different than the work we’re doing now. And it will change again. I think that’s the beauty of what the United Way does. They change based on the needs of the community. Every United Way is different because every community is different. That means LSRC’s program is going to change, and we have to.

UA: What’s changed in 20 years?

LLW: People used to come in with one thing that was going on. You helped them with that, and they were on their way. Now the issues are multiple. I think health care is a big piece of that. Retirement security is a big piece of that.

UA: What’s the one resource you wish more people knew about?

LLW: We’ve been talking about United Way 211 first call for help for 40 years! People still don’t know it’s out there. But also our program, for union members to know that it’s a resource that’s there, and that Community Services liaisons are there to help? You can only say those things so many times.

Union folks aren’t used to asking for help. They’re used to being the folks out there helping. I’ve seen that recently with unemployment. People are proud and want to take care of themselves, but we all experience bumps on the road of life. If there’s help out there to make that path a little less bumpy, why not take it?

UA: What’s kept you doing this work? What’s been frustrating?

LLW: I really liked reducing stress for folks, even if it’s temporary. That has been so rewarding. I’ve been very fortunate to do this work.

The frustrating part? You can encourage people to help themselves, but sometimes they don’t. All you can do is keep encouraging people in the right direction.

UA: You’ve built so many relationships in this movement. What are some that have meant the most?

LLW: I’ve been blessed to work with great people, and not everybody can say that. I’ve still got friends I worked with 40 years ago!

I had been mentored by several people and didn’t even realize it was happening. Wayne Wittman (former Community Services Committee chair and Machinists union delegate) was a big one, and so were Shar and Robin Madsen from AFSCME. We did a lot of fun things, and we got a lot of good stuff done. Getting up at 8 a.m. on a Saturday and pounding lawn signs with other unions, or having picnics together – knowing we were all in the same boat, working together.

Because if employers find out they can divide you? Well, good luck.

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Resources for workers impacted by COVID-19 response

March 30, 2020 by

Efforts to halt the spread of COVID-19 are creating immediate economic hardship for many working families.  

Minnesota employers slashed payrolls after Gov. Tim Walz issued emergency orders temporarily shutting down restaurants, schools, movie theaters and other spaces where contagion was likely to occur.

As of last Friday, over 204,000 Minnesotans had applied for unemployment insurance benefits, flooding the state’s website with such a high volume of traffic that the agency today rolled out a new process limiting who can apply on certain days of the week based on Social Security number.

Unions, meanwhile, have been busy advocating for broad health and economic protections for workers during the pandemic response, while also scrambling to connect impacted members with support they need.

Twin Cities worker center CTUL, which advocates for people working in low-wage industries, has compiled a “Know Your Rights” list with information on access to safety equipment, earned sick time and other protections during the COVID-19 emergency.

The Saint Paul Labor Studies and Resource Center, the nonprofit arm of the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, has compiled a evolving list of resources that may be available to help people make ends meet during the public-health crisis. 

Unemployment Insurance can provide immediate, emergency relief for many workers impacted by COVID-19, including people who have been laid off or who have seen their hours reduced. Gov. Tim Walz moved quickly to streamline UI benefits during the crisis.

People seeking health insurance during the COVID-19 outbreak can shop for coverage on the state’s health exchange, MNsure.org. 

Greater Twin Cities United Way is a longstanding partner in the AFL-CIO Community Services program, and the nonprofit is stepping up to help working families during the COVID-19 response in several ways. 

Evictions have been suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, but resources remain are available to working people concerned about keeping their homes. 

Financial assistance may be available through your county. Call to arrange an intake interview. 

Xcel Energy has announced it will not disconnect any household’s utilities during the pandemic. Learn more about the company’s response here. 

Some schools are giving students free meals while schools are closed due to the COVID-19 virus. 

The deadline for filing state and federal income taxes has been pushed back to July 15, 2020. 

Student loan borrowers may be able to suspend payments during the pandemic response. Click here for more information. 

The American Red Cross has a “critical need” for blood donors right now. To schedule an appointment call  651-291-6789, or click here to find a drive. 

Be on the lookout for scams! Here’s a list of tips from the Federal Trade Commission on how to avoid scams related to the coronavirus. 

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Entertainment, giveaways, volunteer opportunities at State Fair’s Labor Pavilion

August 23, 2017 by

Volunteers participated in United Way Day at the Labor Pavilion in 2015.

The Minnesota AFL-CIO Labor Pavilion will offer a daily lineup of family-friendly programming from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. all 12 days of the Minnesota State Fair, Aug. 24 to Sept. 4.

Stop by the pavilion, located at the corner of Dan Patch and Cooper near the Snelling Avenue entrance, for live music, demonstrations, giveaways and to meet the working people who make up our state’s labor movement. Find a complete schedule of events at mnaflcio.org.

United Way Day at the Fair

The Labor Pavilion will celebrate United Way Day with special volunteer opportunities Monday, Aug. 28. Volunteers will assemble “Heads of Hair” kits, an early learning kit focused on science. Completed kits will be distributed to the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities for their early learning programs.

Greater Twin Cities United Way, along with the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation’s Labor Studies and Resource Center and the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation’s Working Partnerships, is sponsoring the volunteer opportunity, open to all fairgoers.

 

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This summer job is a crash course in construction careers

August 19, 2016 by

MN Trades Academy grads Romeo Guevara (L) of Harding Senior High and Austin Fink of Open World Learning Academy level scaffolding at the Laborers Training Center in Lino Lakes.

MN Trades Academy grads Romeo Guevara (L) of Harding Senior High and Austin Fink of Open World Learning Academy level scaffolding at the Laborers Training Center in Lino Lakes.

 

One by one Friday, graduates of the inaugural MN Trades Academy stepped up to the podium inside IBEW Local 110’s union hall and offered their three favorite construction crafts.

Welding was a popular choice – not surprisingly, given the teenage demographic – but there was something for every one of the 20 graduates, who spent nine weeks this summer working as paid interns, touring the apprenticeship centers of 16 local Building Trades unions.

At the IUPAT District Council 82 training center in Little Canada, apprenticeship instructor Kerry Gallagher offers tips on filling in the color wheel to Randy Cuate of Minneapolis Roosevelt.

At the IUPAT District Council 82 training center, apprenticeship instructor Kerry Gallagher offers tips on the color wheel to Randy Cuate of Minneapolis Roosevelt.

In other words, finding a construction craft they like was their summer job.

“Knowing all the trades gives them insight into all the opportunities available out there,” Como Park Senior High shop teacher Bob Prifrel said. “Now it’s up to them to take advantage of it.”

Prifrel led one of two crews of interns participating in the inaugural MN Trades Academy. His consisted of students from the St. Paul and White Bear Lake school districts; another included students from Minneapolis Public Schools.

Interns worked 30 to 35 hours per week and earned $9 per hour. On workdays they bused to local technical colleges and apprenticeship centers for crash courses in various crafts. They also completed the OSHA 10 training.

Although in its first year, MN Trades Academy has been more than a decade in the making. It grew out of forerunner programs like UnderConstruction, a summer program that provided urban youth with work experience on a construction job site.

Launching MN Trades Academy took a great deal of collaboration between the school districts and Building Trades unions, as well as contractors, public agencies and community groups like Greater Twin Cities United Way, all of which provided logistical or funding support.

Organizers say the program is in line for a funding boost that will enable it to increase enrollment next year, creating more summer jobs for young people that, down the road, might spark interest in a career.

So beyond welding, what crafts did the graduates enjoy most?

Laborers instructor Darrell Jones (R) works with Highland Park student Akshay Schneider.

Laborers instructor Darrell Jones (R) works with Highland Park student Akshay Schneider.

“My favorite was commercial painting,” Nicholas Eichrodt of Minneapolis said. “I just love how you’ve got to do it specifically right, or you’ve got to do it all over again.”

Austin Fink of St. Paul liked the trip to Operating Engineers Local 49 best. “We got to sit in all the big, heavy machinery that we wanted to, and we learned a little about each one,” he said.

“I like the hands-on experience we got at IBEW, the wiring we did,” Randy Cuate of Minneapolis said. “I also really like math, so it worked out.”

Como Park student Lah Htoo took to crafts like tiling and bricklaying. “You get to make stuff that people will actually see,” he said. “It’s like a work of art.”

Chris Sheffield of St. Paul isn’t afraid of heights. He was the only intern to put the visit to Ironworkers Local 512 at the top of the list.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do since I was little,” Sheffield said. “I want to be that guy standing 100 stories up on that high beam, getting to see the whole town.”

Da’Shawn Gordon
Romeo Guevara offers his top three trades during graduation.
The Minneapolis crew works on color wheels.
Representatives of the White Bear Lake School District pose for a photo at graduation.

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Sarah Caruso: Strength through the years, building for the future

May 2, 2016 by

04022015_Caruso_Sarah_EricaLoeksPhoto_0035“It takes strength to stand alone, it takes courage to lean on another…” – From the poem “It Takes Courage,” by Anonymous

We at Greater Twin Cities United Way work to help people and communities realize their full potential. But we cannot accomplish this work alone; it’s most effective when everyone participates through the strength of collaboration.

On behalf of United Way, I want to express our deep appreciation and recognize our partners at the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation and St. Paul Regional Labor Federation’s Labor Studies and Resource Center for helping us to bring about change.

We highly value our longstanding partnership with the Labor Community. This teamwork has, at times, extended to providing assistance to union members when they’ve been confronted with difficult circumstances, such as layoffs, medical emergencies or other financial challenges.

As I reflect on Greater Twin Cities United Way’s Centennial year in 2015, our 100-plus-year relationship between United Way and the region’s labor community continues to be strong.

Allow me to share some of the highlights of an extremely busy and fulfilling year of the labor and United Way partnership:

  • We marched together in the annual Winter Carnival Parade.
  • Working Partnerships, the nonprofit arm of the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, also assisted with the Volunteer United Child’s Play project at Catholic Charities’ Northside Child Development Center through securing and guiding apprentice painters to paint the building’s exterior.
  • Labor and United Way volunteered at the Great Minnesota Get-Together – the State Fair – by creating T-shirt tote bags. More than 70 totes were made and donated to the NorthPoint Health and Wellness foodshelf
  • And the key pinnacle, labor community donors contributed to a significant increase in their annual campaign!

Labor’s longstanding commitment to United Way campaigns ranges from smaller organizations’ one-time donations to our large corporate partners’ fundraising and volunteer efforts. I’m excited to report that as a community, we raised over $82 million to be invested in our Safety Net and Education & Jobs goal areas.

We also salute your brothers and sisters in the labor community who are represented in United Way’s top corporate partners. That includes CenturyLink, The Toro Company, UPS and Xcel Energy.

The Twin Cities are often referred to as one of the best places to live in America. We’re committed to making that true for all people, ensuring everyone can make the most of their lives. We recognize our diversity, and access to education, jobs and basic needs makes us all stronger.

Looking ahead in 2016, we are enthusiastic about the meetings that have taken place so far this year between the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation and United Way where we developed strategies and set a foundation that we believe will generate excitement about the partnership.

Collectively we are unstoppable. We are humankind.

­– Sarah Caruso is president and chief executive officer of Greater Twin Cities United Way, which serves people in need in nine metro-area counties. Learn more about how you can “live united” at http://www.gtcuw.org.

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Remembering Wayne Wittman, the conscience of St. Paul’s labor community

February 28, 2016 by

Wayne Wittman, who served as chair of the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation’s Community Services Committee for three decades, died unexpectedly Wednesday. He was 86.

A passionate activist for peace and social justice, Wittman attended the labor federation’s first meeting at the new St. Paul Labor Center earlier this month. Today at the same labor hall (353 West 7th St.), friends and family will gather for a celebration of life from 4 to 7 p.m. [Click to view Wittman’s Pioneer Press obituary.]

Wittman guided St. Paul’s Community Services Committee through a pivotal time in its history, helping expand the labor movement’s relationships with non-profit, faith and social-justice organizations. For Wittman, the committee’s work was an extension of his day job as an advocate for Minnesotans with disabilities.

Community Services Chair.
Wittman (L) observing elections in El Salvador with Ernest Jenkins.
Wayne and Joan Wittman accept an award for their activsm from the DFL Party.

A member of AFSCME and, later, the Machinists union, Wittman was appointed Community Services Committee chair in 1983. St. Paul was going through a rocky economic time, with union shops like Whirlpool, Grain Belt, American Hoist and Derrick, and Schmidt’s closing or relocating, leaving hundreds of workers without jobs.

Labor leaders looked to the Community Services program to help – a role, former Community Services liaison Bob Bonacorda said, program staff hadn’t taken on before.

“We were deluged with plant closings,” Bonacorda said. “The Assembly leadership was looking for ways we could use the Community Services program to deal with the downturn in the economy.

“Prior to that, we dealt with Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, blood drives and that sort of thing – all good things, all helpful things. But we had to switch gears, and it was important that Wayne had an open mind. It was a whole new ballgame for us.”

With Wittman as chair, the Community Services Committee began setting up programs designed to address the needs of union workers left jobless by St. Paul’s changing economy.

The committee started a rapid-response program, which put Community Services liaisons in job sites and union halls as soon as news broke that layoffs were coming so they could direct workers to available services and resources. The committee also solicited donations to an Emergency Fund, which liaisons could tap to provide assistance to individual members in dire financial straits. Both programs remain in place today.

Wittman brought a rolodex full of connections to the Community Services Committee. He served as a deacon at Sacred Heart Catholic Church and was a founding member of the local chapter of Veterans for Peace.

He also made more than 15 trips to El Salvador, working as an international election observer and advocate for two principles: “Peace and justice,” he said. “I’m called that way. Peace and justice issues motivate me to be active. I know that work changes things.”

Colleagues in the labor movement will remember Wittman’s quiet strength, humility and willingness to serve.

Shar Knutson, former president of the St. Paul RLF and the Minnesota AFL-CIO, called Wittman “the conscience of the labor movement in the East Metro.”

“He’s always been on the workers’ side,” Knutson said. “He’s always been on the side of those who need help. In his gentle way, he has been able to make such a difference for our community.”

“I know that things change when people take an interest and articulate and participate,” Wittman told The Advocate in 2010. “If I figure out what I can do as one person to make sense out of this crazy world we live in, then I have some purpose in life.”

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Turning t-shirts into totes on United Way Day at the Labor Pavilion

September 1, 2015 by

web.unitedway-fair-closeVolunteer fairgoers helped repurpose about 85 t-shirts into reusable tote bags for a Minneapolis food shelf yesterday during United Way Day at the Minnesota AFL-CIO Labor Pavilion.

“Most food shelves have a lack of bags to send food out,” Greater Twin Cities United Way volunteer coordinator Mary Smith said. “They never seem to have enough because bags aren’t something people think to donate.”

During planning sessions for United Way Day, AFL-CIO Community Services liaisons and United Way staff saw an opportunity to put the agency’s inventory of unused t-shirts from previous campaign events to good use.

Several fairgoers passing through the Labor Pavilion – many of them union members and their children – stopped to join the volunteer activity, which required basic scissors skills and took about 10 minutes. It was an opportunity, Smith said, to have a seat in the shade and support a good cause.

Cooper Lenz shows off the tote bag he finished at the Labor Pavilion.
Judy and Gary Lothenbach pitch in during United Way Day at the Labor Pavilion.
Volunteers Claudia Brau (R) and Debra Madden-Petersen joined United Way Day at the Labor Pavilion in 2015.
Volunteers counted toward Greater Twin Cities United Way’s goal of mobilizing 100,000 volunteers in its 100th anniversary year.
Mary Smith (L), a volunteer manager with Greater Twin Cities United Way, helps Robin Walters of Oakdale with the project.

Each volunteer also counts towards Greater Twin Cities United Way’s goal of mobilizing 100,000 volunteers in 2015, it’s 100th anniversary year. “We’re at about 61,000 now, so we’re well on our way,” Smith said.

Labor unions and United Way have long partnered together in support of fundraising and volunteer initiatives that support communities across the U.S., including the Twin Cities.

Organizers plan to donate the tote bags to NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center in Minneapolis.

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O’Mara receives St. Paul labor federation’s Humanitarian Award

May 30, 2014 by

St. Paul RLF President Bobby Kasper presents Biz O’Mara with the 2013 Humanitarian Award for her career as liaison between labor and United Way.

St. Paul RLF President Bobby Kasper presents Biz O’Mara with the 2013 Humanitarian Award for her career as liaison between labor and United Way.

The St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, awarded its 2013 Humanitarian Award to longtime United Way staff member Elizabeth “Biz” O’Mara. President Bobby Kasper presented O’Mara with the award at the RLF’s May delegate meeting.

O’Mara, who retired from Greater Twin Cities United Way over the winter, embodied the connection between area unions and the charitable organization, Kasper said.

“Biz truly understands us and has worked toward educating folks at United Way about us and our partnership both locally and nationally,” Kasper said.

O’Mara has been working to engage union members in United Way’s annual fundraising campaign since 1982, a year after she joined the staff of United Way of the St. Paul Area. She continued as the liaison to labor after the Minneapolis and St. Paul chapters merged, and O’Mara became a fixture in union halls during United Way’s campaign drive and at labor events throughout the year.

“She has always participated in our events – our Labor Day parade in the fall and our Winter Carnival parade in the dead of winter,” Kasper said. “Biz has been a constant help to us, we will miss her and her friendship, and we wish her all the best in retirement.”

The St. Paul RLF has a longstanding partnership with United Way through the AFL-CIO Community Services Program. Community Services liaisons on staff with the RLF’s non-profit arm, the St. Paul Labor Studies and Resource Center, assist union members facing financial crises as a result of strikes, layoffs or other economic factors.

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Loaned executives look to grow labor’s support of United Way

August 13, 2013 by

Sheila Pokorny (left) and Joan Killeen are loaned labor executives for the 2013 Greater Twin Cities United Way campaign.

Sheila Pokorny (left) and Joan Killeen are loaned labor executives for the 2013 Greater Twin Cities United Way campaign.

United Way was there to support Sheila Pokorny and Joan Killeen when they needed a helping hand. Now the two are returning the favor as loaned labor executives supporting Greater Twin Cities United Way’s 2013 campaign.

Pokorny and Killeen began work July 25 and will continue through mid-November, reaching out to area union offices and encouraging officers, employees and members to give, advocate or volunteer in support of United Way’s work in the Twin Cities.

“Both of us have used United Way’s services, and it’s time to give back,” Pokorny said. “This is a personal connection for both of us.”

A former state employee and AFSCME member, Pokorny took advantage of St. Paul’s Neighborhood House as a young mother. Killeen, who worked 32 years for Ford Motor Company, benefited from a Salvation Army food shelf in her early years on the job.

Both women have long been supporters of United Way. Pokorny served as a campaign ambassador for 17 years while on staff at the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees.

Killeen worked as a loaned labor executive on the 1997 campaign and served on the United Way committee at the Ford plant for several years. “I wanted to come back out of retirement and do some meaningful work,” said Killeen, who maintains a retiree membership in the United Auto Workers.

The primary mission of Greater Twin Cities United Way is to create pathways out of poverty, making the non-profit organization a natural ally of the labor movement. In fact, unions and United Way share a long history of working together to benefit communities nationwide.

United Way funds Community Services programs and staff in central labor bodies in St. Paul, Minneapolis, Duluth and Stillwater. (Pokorny serves on the St. Paul RLF’s Labor Studies and Resource Center, which directs the Community Services program’s work.) Community Services liaisons help union members facing hardships access services they otherwise may not know about.

That’s why both the St. Paul and Minneapolis regional labor federations sponsor Greater Twin Cities United Way’s annual campaign – and urge their affiliates to do the same.

Greater Twin Cities United Way supports 322 programs at 175 non-profit organizations across its nine-county service area, focusing its work on three areas of need: stabilizing families, helping children succeed and empowering healthy lives. It also provides referrals and information by phone via its 2-1-1 helpline.

“We help stabilize families with job training and by using tax credits to increase earnings for over 11,000 people last year,” Killeen said.

Pokorny and Killeen succeed longtime Twin Cities loaned labor executive Mary Ystesund, who retired after the 2012 United Way campaign.

To support the Greater Twin Cities United Way’s work – or to get a United Way campaign started at your workplace – contact Lynne Larkin-Wright or Vicki Beebe, Community Services liaisons for the St. Paul RLF, at 651-222-3787.

“I’m looking forward to getting out there and maybe starting more local union staff campaigns and participating in all the existing fundraising activities out there with local unions,” Pokorny said.

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Labor volunteers needed for United Way Action Day

July 29, 2013 by

AFL-CIO_UW-LU_lockup_4p-300x85It only takes 15 minutes to make a difference at United Way Action Day! Union members can get involved in the second metro-wide volunteer event Aug. 14 by joining the St. Paul Labor Studies and Resource Center’s Community Services team.

Union volunteers are needed at two events:

• “Speed volunteering” downtown at Ecolab Plaza, 370 Wabasha St. N, for as little as 15 minutes over the lunch hour, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• “Team challenges” in the Mall of America’s main rotunda from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Five-person teams will compete in speed volunteering races. Winners get to donate funds to an agency partner of their choice.

To sign up for either event, call 651-222-3787 or e-mail vbeebe@stpaulunions.org.

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