December ’19 Labor-Citizen

Brothers and Sisters:

By now all apprentices should be submitting their OJT hours electronically through the Student Portal on the NEIEP website.  This process eliminates the need for paper tickets but not the responsibility to submit hours in a timely manner.

Brothers Tim Narowitz and Don Knapik administered the RC500 Practical Exam on December 2nd and 3rd to the 10 apprentices in the class.  It may take time for the results to be posted, so patience is asked of all those participating in this first round of testing for the Mechanics Exam.

American Income Life Insurance will be sending a mailer to all members of IUEC Local 17.  If you are looking for insurance products for yourself or your family, then send in the reply card to AIL and a representative will contact you to set up an appointment to assess your needs.  There already exists a policy through AIL and the Local in the case of accidental death and dismemberment that is separate from this solicitation.

IUEC Local 4 (Boston) had a job site fatality while a team was performing a safety test.  According to the best information available, the team was not using radio or phone communication but was yelling down the hatch.  The car was turned back to normal before the man in the pit was able to exit and he was subsequently caught on the put ladder.  As a result of this death, Otis is going back to two-way radios across the country.

If you have been working as a temporary mechanic, check your paystubs to confirm you have been properly compensated for the Veteran’s Day holiday at mechanics rate instead of apprentices rate.  If there is an issue contact Business Manger John Driscoll, Jr. at the hall at 216-431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org.

To those members who find themselves or a family member is crisis, The IUEC offers a free service through Beacon Health Options called the Member Assistance Program.  This program is run through the National Elevator Industry Benefits Plan and administered by Beacon Health Options.  A variety of services are offered from smoking cessation, financial services consultation as well as mental health and crisis intervention.  For more information, there is a link through the Health and Wellness page of the IUEC Local 17 website, iueclocal17.org.  Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the services offered.  There are no cookies or trackers on the Local 17 site.

The Brothers and Sisters of Local 17 send condolences to the family of Brother Donald Knapik whose son Jon passed away November 1.

As of this writing there is one mechanic and one apprentice on the bench.