When the Local 57 Facts team first discussed how to counter the anti-IBEW rhetoric being spread through various public forums by Terry Nelson we decided the best strategy was to simply place our trust in the larger labor community. The team agreed to publish the actual documentation and let union members form their own opinions - knowing full well what the outcome would be once the facts were presented. It is difficult to find a true trade unionist who makes empty promises and misleading quotes, yet Nelson's claims have been promoted without factual support since November of 2007. We are here to set the record straight! The information provided below is a summation of the correspondence between St Louis Loftworks owner Craig Heller, Deputy Mayor of St Louis Barbara Geisman, BSI Contructors Inc. employee Mark Weller, and City of St Louis Department of Public Safety Engineering Manager John McDonald regarding the "pre-installed puck lights" Nelson has claimed as one of the jurisdictional issues that caused to him to form his electrical division. It should be noted that NONE of the above named individuals are members of the IBEW.Understand that this is just a summary of the documents obtained by Local 57 Facts through the Freedom of Information Act and many more documents are available that include detailed communications between St Louis City Lead Electrical Inspector Jerry Feagans, Paul Comfort of Intertek Group PLC, Chris Tress from Tresco Lighting, Kevin Corzatt of BSI Constructors, and Keith Markus of Markus Cabinet Company - in all of this documentation and correspondence only one IBEW member was every involved in this dispute - St Louis City Inspector John Peek who during the course of his daily routine was simply doing his job enforcing the city ordinance regarding licensing, permit requirements, and installations per the National Electrical Code. The document presented below is a Notice of Stop Work Order placed by St Louis city inspector John Peek. Please take the time to read this order carefully making special note of the hand written details and the date of November 19, 2007 - more than four days after Terry Nelsons called a meeting with non-union electrical contractors in St Louis where he announced his new non-AFL-CIO and non-BCT group 57. This timeline supports our belief that jurisdiction had nothing to do with Terry Nelsons actions in St Louis. A plan to undercut the area wage standards of a powerful union like the IBEW does not spawn overnight.

Download the Stop Work Order

Many building trades union members in St Louis have worked on various projects in the loft district downtown and know many of these structures contain wooden structural beams, wood plank flooring, and other highly flammable construction materials. As a developer would you take the chance detailed in the documents below? Would you prefer the St Louis City Department of Public Safety "look the other way" to appease Terry Nelson? Ask yourself this question: If IBEW Local 1 was legislating jurisdiction through the inspection department then why haven't there been published complaints from non-union electrical contractors in St Louis? If the IBEW controlled the Department of Public Safety then surely "red-tags (Nelson's term)" would be placed on every non-union job in St Louis. Why hasn't this happened? Terry Nelson claimed his 57 (non-AFL-CIO non-BCT) group was anti-IBEW, but if this is true then why haven't any of them come forward to support his claims regarding "red tags" or "Notice of Stop Work Orders"? The reason is they are licensed electrical contractors. To infer that a local government agency would violate the law to rule in favor of one labor union over another is at least ridiculous, if not slander against our city's Department of Public Safety.

The next document presented is from Professional Engineer John McDonald. To receive a Professional Engineering license is no small accomplishment. The PE after Johns name means he has completed the rigorous testing and fulfilled the experience requirements for this rating. John is not a member of the IBEW, but in the ruling detailed below he validates the judgements made by city electrical inspector John Peek. Please note the fax cover sheet shows 11 pages - these additional pages detail all the sections of the St Louis city ordinance and portions of the National Electrical Code that were violated. If our users request these sections be detailed more fully, we may add these pages in the future.

Download the John McDonald Ruling

The following letter is from St Louis Loftworks owner Craig Weller instructing his general contractor to remove the cabinets that contain the improperly installed puck lights; a responsible, professional letter! Ultimately then, was the additional cost incurred by this developer the result of the IBEW or the result of a cabinet maker without the knowledge or certifications required to install this equipment properly? You decide!

Download the Craig Heller Letter

And finally, after numerous emails and communications from all the parties listed above Deputy Mayor of St Louis Barbara Geisman explains every violation in detail. Please read this document carefully and contact us if you see any IBEW influence here.

Download the Barbara Geisman Email

In conclusion we want to point out that Terry Nelson was quoted in the Illinois Business Journal as saying that this problem , "...absolutely stops at the Mississippi river," yet his group of 57 (non-AFL-CIO non-BCT) contractors are moving into Illinois (see JURISDICTION tab in Main Menu). Do you still think this is about jurisdiction?

St Louis Business Journal - A plea to our local business leaders.

The St Louis Business Journal was quoted in an editorial as saying that, "We don’t pretend to understand the subtleties of union work rules or the jurisdictional disputes". The Local 57 Facts team implores our local business leaders to make every attempt to understand the details presented here. Not understanding the facts surrounding these issues is what Terry Nelson is banking on from the St Louis business community. The details above are black and white. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact us - we need your support!

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