IBEW Local 134 (Chicago) Business Manager Retires

Letter from Business Manager/Financial Secretary Tim Fol
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As you probably heard, on Wednesday, October 11th, our Business Manager, Mike Fitzgerald submitted his resignation to the Local 134 Executive Board, effective immediately. His letter, which the Board reluctantly accepted, read "...because of personal reasons and family matters that require my full attention, I will be resigning my position of Business Manager/Financial Secretary..." I know that this was a very difficult thing for Mike to do, knowing how much he cares for each and every member of this union and for the union's welfare and future. But after dedicating himself for the past eleven years to those ends, he felt that he could not fulfill his family responsibilities and do proper justice to the needs of the membership. It was a courageous decision and one that all of us should give the respect it deserves. I am glad to tell you that Mike will be staying on as General Counsel/Senior Administrative Assistant so that we can continue to draw upon his expertise and commitment.

As per the Constitution of the IBEW, the Executive Board is required to select a replacement. On Wednesday, they fulfilled that requirement. I will be serving the remainder of Mike’s term which expires in June of 2007. Rich Rioux was selected to finish my term as President, and Frank Cunningham will be filling Rich’s position as Recording Secretary. Combined, we have more than a century as members of Local 134.

We are dedicated to following the high standards of leadership that Mike Fitzgerald set during his tenure at the helm of this local. While the names on the doors may have changed, the priorities of the officers of Local 134 have not. Our goal, and that of Vice-President Russ Ponder and Treasurer Gary Niederkorn, remains doing the very best job that can be done for our members and their families. Working together, all of us can make that happen and Local 134 will continue to be an example and inspiration for IBEW locals everywhere. I pledge to do everything in my power to keep this union strong and moving forward.
In Brotherhood,Tim Foley
Business Manager/Financial Secretary