July ’16 Labor Citizen

Brothers and sisters:

The IUEC Local 17 apprentices are done with the spring semester and enjoying the break until class resumes on August 10. If all goes well, there will be three apprentices eligible to take the Mechanics Exam this fall. For those who are preparing for the test remember this: it is the only unbiased evaluation of your knowledge of the trade you will ever receive. Study hard and continue learning. It is the only way to guarantee you will remain valuable to your employer.

There is a sign up sheet for both CPR and welding classes. The CPR class is a valuable tool you hope you will never need use. Taking the class will give you the confidence you may need to remain calm in an emergency situation and it may save a life. The welding class is the some one offered through NEIEP and taught at the world headquarters of Lincoln Electric in Euclid, Ohio. The class give you the opportunity to gain certification in 3G and 4G welding. If you are interested in either of these educational opportunities or would like see a particular continuing education class taught, contact Business Manager Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088 or email him at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org.

The major story at the June meeting was the presentation by IUEC International Organizer Steve Bruno on the state of organizing across the International. Bruno broke down the organizing efforts of the International by region and local.

The top of the list was Madison, Wisconsin with only one non-signatory accounting for only a handful of units giving the local almost 100% control. Cleveland was close to the national average of 84% but, Akron Local 45 did not fare as well and had a market share that put it in the red. The major source of the drop off was the increased aggressiveness of non-signatory Gable Elevator in the Akron market.

According to Bruno, the International is looking to add ten members to the organizing staff with six to eight additional organizers on the road. This is will allow the existing organizers to concentrate their efforts on key personnel or companies that can be signed. The remaining two to four positions would be support for the field organizers.

“The whole key to organizing and what we do at the International,” Bruno started “is to make things better for having been here.”

On June 29, the Local 17 Volunteer Organizing Committee hand billed the East Fourth Street entertainment area. While the crowd was light for a Wednesday, there was a good response from the residents of the district to our hand bill. We were joined in our efforts by four probationary members and one of our honored retirees. This is the first handbill the VOC has done this year and the first since our efforts at CMHA Riverview.

The VOC would like to thank all the tradesmen that have called the hall when finding a non-signatory on their job. Your efforts make our goal to bring these unorganized workers into the best trade in the trades possible. A list of IUEC Local 17 signatories is at the end of every article.

Members and their families can expect to see a letter from American Income Life Insurance arriving soon in their mail. AIL is an organized company that offers insurance products to union member households. You are under no obligation to speak with a representative unless you are interested in purchasing a policy or making changes to an existing policy.

The members of IUEC Local 17 send their condolences to the families of retired Brother Eddy Ference who passed away May 25th and retired Brother Tom Carey who lost his wife the first week of June.

As of this writing the bench is clear.