November ’17 Labor Citizen

Brothers and sisters:

The International reported that on September 18th a mechanic working for KONE in Montreal, Canada was killed in an on the job accident. The mechanic, Simon Viel, 40, leaves behind a wife and children.

For those who have experienced a co-workers passing, anytime someone in the trades meets that fate it brings up thoughts of whether there was something we could have done to keep that fateful moment from coming to pass. The impact of a work fatality has a far reaching effect to beyond the immediate family and co workers. It impacts supervisors, office staff, customers and vendors as everyone looks for answers. OSHA and other authorities will always be looking for root causes and ways to minimize the potential for accidents, injuries and deaths from occurring again.

The only way to keep a safe workplace is to always be aware of what is going on around you, the hazards you encounter and minimize the exposure of yourself and others around you to those hazards. As cumbersome as some of those requirements imposed by contractors may seem, always remember that every OSHA requirement is written in blood. Do your best to see the next on his not written in yours.

NEIEP is offering a class in motor alignment. To those of you who have never trammed a motor, tramming is truing the worm and motor shafts of a geared machine to minimize the potential for the premature wear of rotational parts that out-of-alignment conditions will cause. This includes worn shafts, bearings, worm and gear wear and ride quality issues. Geared machines are not going away and this important skill can keep you busy for some time. If you are interested in finding out more about the class, contact Business Manager Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088 or email him at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org.

While I was cycling up the Vermont side of Lake Champlain this past September, Hurricane Maria destroyed Puerto Rico. As of this writing there are efforts to restore power to the US island territory and deliver food and supplies to those in need. With power out, the banking system is at a standstill and even if people had access to cash there is virtually nothing to buy. With this in mind, the International set up a relief fund for the Los Gladiadores, the union representing elevator constructors on the island. Money received by the fund will be used to purchase and ship supplies from the mainland to Puerto Rico to directly aid members and their families. To donate please address your check or money order to the IUEC headquarters Los Gladiadores Relief Fund, 7154 Columbia Gateway Dr., Columbia, MD 21046.

The November 17, December 8 and January 12 meetings are mandatory required meeting for the nomination, election and installation of officers. There is a $20 fine for non-attendance.

Congratulations go out to Kaitlyn DeJesus the daughter of Chris DeJesus for being selected one of five recipients of an IUEC Scholarship.

As of this writing there are two mechanics and one apprentice on the bench.