Electrical Workers Member Becomes 10,000th Member of Sportsmen’s Alliance

by James Parks, Apr 27, 2009

IBEW member Martin Reir, the 10,000th member of the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance, and his son on a recent pheasant hunt in Iowa.

Big news out of the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA). Last month, the group welcomed its 10,000th member. Launched in 2007, the USA is a joint venture of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) and 22 unions. The nonpolitical hunting and fishing club is open to union members, retirees and their families.

Martin Reier, a member of Electrical Workers Local 242 from Duluth, Minn., is the USA’s 10,000th member. As a special recognition, Reier received a U.S.-made Beretta 3901 American Citizen shotgun with the USA logo on the receiver. Reier says he learned about the USA at one of his local meetings and was eager to join a club supported by his union.

Once I heard about the USA and all they had to offer, I was ready to sign-up. I think it’s very important for hunters and anglers to belong to organizations, like the USA, that are working to protect their hunting and fishing heritage.

“Recruiting our 10,000th member represents a significant achievement for the USA,” said Fred Myers, the group’s executive director.

The USA is not just another hunting or fishing club. When union members join the USA, they know they’ll be part of a community of hunters and fishermen who share the special bond of union brotherhood as well as a passion for the great outdoors. They know they’ll continue a proud tradition of conserving and celebrating North America’s natural wonders and hunting and fishing heritage.  In short, they know they belong.

The alliance also welcomed a new union as a charter member. The Boilermakers (IBB) became the 22nd union to support the USA. IBB Secretary-Treasurer Bill Creeden, an avid outdoorsman, encouraged all his union brothers and sisters “to join this worthy club.”

 In other news for union outdoor sports enthusiasts:

• USA’s inaugural Sportsmen’s Dinner will be held April 30 in Minneapolis. The  dinner will include a special presentation by Ron Schara, outdoor writer and TV host of “Backroads with Ron and Raven.” The event will feature a silent auction and raffles for prizes, including a two-day South Dakota pheasant hunt, a Lincoln Electric Stick Welder and a special edition Beretta 3901 12-gauge shotgun featuring the USA logo. For more information, click here.
• The TV show, “Escape to the Wild” on VERSUS Country, is issuing a casting call for its upcoming fourth season. The Union Sportsmen’s Alliance supports the union-sponsored television series. Learn more here.

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