From: urkastig@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu (Robert Kastigar)
Subject: Re: Charter for newgroup ALT.AMATEUR-COMP
Organization: Educational Computing Network
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 21:25:53 GMT

What a fascinating idea!  I'm a very new subscriber to the Educational
Computing Network, looking for material related to labor and the labor
movement.  Imagine my surprise when, on Labor Day 1992, I came across this
new newsgroup!  

There has been, within the past few years, another growth of the labor
community using computers for communications, and another grass-roots
movement in the formative stage. 

Several local unions have set up, and maintain, dial-in Bulletin Boards. 
Although initially these were to have served the local union members, each
experienced growth from interested labor members from many other labor
unions.  

Within a short period, several of these dial-in Bulletin Boards formed an
ad-hoc netmail system.  The system was called SoliNet, and contains only
one conference: LaborChat.  These local Bulletin Boards maintain contact by
mail exchanges on a regular basis.  
 
What is interesting to note is that none of these local bulletin boards is
controlled by any large organization!  Each is operated and maintained by
volunteers from the local unions, and in most cases a minimum amount of
money from the local unions is supplied to maintain these public dial-in
Bulletin Board services.  From the beginning, each of the participants in
the net decided that this network would remain independent of any
International union influence, and that the LaborChat conference would be
made available to ALL callers - union and non-union as well.  

The larger information services (Compuserve, Genie, etc.) are all
subscription services, commercial services which cost money.  Even the free
services, such as Usenet or Internet are not widely available to the
general public.  (I gained access only because I attend school part-time!) 
The dial-in Bulletin Board system serves a real need, because it is
available to anyone with a computer and modem - and the only cost is that
of a phone call!

The following is a list of known union-related dial-in Bulletin Board
systems, as of September 1992.

The CURRENT list of SoliNet Participants.
ALL are 24-hour operation, as far as I know.

HUB: Pipefitters Local 533 - Kansas City, Missouri (816) 737-3406
     System Operator: Gary Goodman
     (816) 737-3406, 2400 baud, maybe higher
     (816) 737-5257, 9600 baud


Node: IUE International - Secacus, New Jersey (201) 223-0485 
     International Union of Electronic Workers
     System Operator & NET ADMINISTRATOR: Mike Lostutter

Node: IBEW Local 1220 - Rosemont (Chicago area), IL (708) 292-1223
     International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
     System Operator: Bob Kastigar
     300/1200/2400 Baud

Node: IAFF Fireline, White Plains, NY (914) 684-0188
     International Association of Firefighters
     System Operator: Duncan Macrae
     Not sure about the baud rate. Try 9600, step down
     to 2400 if it doesn't work!

Node: Salt City Caverns, IBT Local 1149, Syracuse NY (315) 695-3077
     International Brotherhood of Teamsters
     System Operator: Steve Richmond
     Not sure about the baud rate. Try 9600, step down
     to 2400 if it doesn't work!

Node: IAFF Fireline, Albany, NY (518) 436-8143
     System Operator:
     Not sure about the baud rate. Try 9600, step down 
     to 2400 if it doesn't work!

Node: UWUA, Melrose (Boston area), Mass (617) 662-4214
     Sysop: Leo Macgillivray

Current as of August, 1992

------------------------------------------------------------------

        POTENTIAL future participants in LaborChat.  

If a BBS on this list is "local" to you, call them AND ASK THEM TO
BEGIN PARTICIPATION IN THIS NET!!!

San Diego Labor Council, San Diego, California (619) 283-6672
     System Operator: Sue Schaffner

NABET International, Chicago, IL (312) 427-5454
(National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians)
     System Operator: Bill Bryan IST

The Meany Center Labor Line, Washington DC (or close) (301) 431-0534
     System Operator: Chuck Hodell

AFSCME (East Coast) (202) 429-1118
(Association of Federal, State, and Municipal Employees)
     System Operator: Don Holstrum

NABET Local 43 (Detroit) (313) 424-8585
     System Operator:

The Broun Board, Silver Springs, MD. (703) 979-1154
     TNG (The Newspaper Guild)
     System Operator: James Griffin/Eric Geist

If you know of any other Bulletin Board systems associated with
the labor movement that are not on this list PLEASE LEAVE A NOTE
OR COMMENT!

Each of the BBS's on this "Potential" list has been contacted and
invited to join in SoliNet.  Union BBS Users are encouraged to call
one of these labor-associated BBS's.  By the time you call, they
may be associated with SoliNet.  If they aren't, leave a message
to the sysop requesting that you be entered into the BBS, AND ASK
THEM TO CONSIDER JOINING THE SOLINET LABOR NETWORK!


Bob Kastigar  -   urkastig@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu
IBEW Local 1220 BBS System Operator
9801 W. Devon Avenue,  -  Rosemont, IL 60018