From Mike Brown, Assistant Business Manager - Spokane

"Lou Walter, Brandon Arkle, and I went to visit Brother Rusty Long today in North Spokane at his retirement community. Rusty was born on August 19, 1918. Here in about a month, he will turn 101 years old. Back in March, Local 77 sent him his 55-year Service Pin and invited him to the Spring Unit Conference. We met with him today and he told us stories of jobs he was on and working. He was an Equipment Operator for the IBEW. He initiated on August 1, 1964 and he went to pension in September of 1984. He’s coming up on 35 years of drawing a pension from the IBEW. When he retired, he was 66-years old. This is pretty cool to think about!!! He was very happy and very “In It”. One of the things he said about his age is, all it is, is a number, I don’t pay attention to it. He said, “In the morning, when I get out of bed, I feel like I’m 100. After that, it ain’t bad.” Another thing he had to say was, “Don’t stop moving.” When you think about that, it’s pretty powerful!!!"

The Stand: Let's Take Healthcare Off the Bargaining Table