October ’14 Labor Citizen

Brothers and sisters:

The Volunteer Organizing Committee will be contacting every member of Local 17 in preparation for the picket line at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections job. The committee is asking every member to donate two vacation days to the picketing effort. It is important that Local 17 sends a clear message that every elevator constructor working in our jurisdiction be paid the prevailing wages and benefits whether on a government job or not. These are the same benefits that members in the past have fought for at the negotiating table and, sometimes bled and died for in the streets.

At the most recent IUEC national meeting General President Frank Christensen spoke about the importance of being involved in the political process and organizing our non-union brothers and sisters. Christensen reported that the market share of organized elevator companies in North America dropped to 83% after the most recent survey. In western Canada Richmond Elevator, a non-union company, controls 25 percent of the work in its region.

There have also been sightings of Delaware Elevator and Oracle Elevator trucks in Cleveland. These are two non-union companies, the first from the mid-Atlantic and the latter based in Florida but with an office in Columbus. If you see a non-signatory company on one of your jobs, please call Business Manager Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088 or email him at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org.

The signatories for Local 17 are Kone, ThyssenKrupp, Schindler, Otis, Maximum and Ross Elevator.

The IUEC is making a serious effort to establish companies in the home access market. There is money available through Work Preservation for regaining the home units. If the IUEC can capture 1% of the market it would result in 250 jobs for our members and 450,000 man hours of work.

Out of the 24,000 IUEC members in the US and Canada currently 500 are participating in the National Elevator Constructors Political Action Committee. The committee researches candidates and issues that support organized labor and supports them through the contributions it receives from its members. A five cent per hour contribution is approximately $100 per year. For more information or to receive a form, please contact Tim.

On Wednesday, November 19th Brothers Jimmie Dimmel and Joe Rapine from the Elevator Industry Work Preservation Fund will be presenting a team class on the history of the IUEC. This is an outstanding opportunity for every member to understand exactly how we as a union and as a local came into existence and the battles fought for the opportunity work in the best trade union in the trades. The session will be held at the school located at East 25th and Superior Ave. and will start at 5pm.

NEIEP is now offering an online escalator class using 3-D computer modelling. The class gives the student the chance to increase their familiarity with the major mechanical and electrical components of the escalator. This is another important class that separates the IUEC from the non-signatory companies looking to take our work.

There is a signup sheet for a scaffolding class. If you are interested in taking the class for the first time or need it to re-up your credentials, then contact Tim at the hall.
The November 14th, December 12th and January 9th meetings are mandatory meetings for the nomination, election and installation of officers. You must call the hall prior to the meeting with a valid reason to not attend or you will be assessed a $25 fine.

As of this writing there are eleven mechanics and 1 apprentice out of work.