Brothers and Sisters:
The 2024 Local 17 Retiree’s Dinner was held May 17 at Harry’s Steak House in Independence. The night was filled with fathers, sons, brothers and cousins. There were life long friends and those who just met that night. We honored out veterans and our fallen. Mostly, we were there to honor those on whose shoulders we stand in order to see a little farther and with a clarity otherwise impossible.
There was beer, food, and stories; lots and lots of stories. Years ago a now retired mechanic told me “kid, there’s three parts to this: first you listen to the stories, then you tell the stories and finally the stories get told about you.” There were a lot of stories told that night just as there were in the past and there will be in the future.
This is who we are, this is what we do. This is Local 17.
Photos from the event can be seen on the Local 17 website, iueclocal17.org.
The Local 17 Golf Outing will be held at Bunker Hill Golf Course, 3060 Pearl Road, Medina on July 20. The cost is $150 per golfer for 18 holes of golf, dinner, carts and prizes. Registration is at 1 pm with a 2 pm shotgun start. If you are interested in only dinner, the cost is $40 if paid before July 13 and $45 after. There is a link on the Local 17 website, iueclocal17.org as well as a QR code which takes the person to the registration site. For more information contact Business Manager John Driscoll Jr at the hall at 216-431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org.
Congratulations to all of the Local 17 apprentices on passing their semester exams and good luck to those preparing for the mechanics exam. This is the only only unbiased evaluation of your knowledge as an elevator constructor you will ever have.
The Fall 2024 semester apprentice classes will be sent in the next couple of weeks. Watch your mailbox for your class and night assignment.
A reminder that it is the policy of Local 17 and the IUEC that hoistway doors are not to be blocked open and left for other trades to do work without an IUEC member present. If your superintendent intimates otherwise, contact John at the hall.
Local 17 currently has 195 active members and 17 probationaries on the books. There are 15 transients currently working in the Local. This makes a total of 212 members and 227 with out of town workers.
Work is still active in the area. TKElevator has the 15-story Cleveland Clinic Neuroscience Building coming up with 16 elevators. Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse went out for modernization bid for its 10 elevators and four escalators and Schindler is making progress on the Sherwin-Williams Headquarters on Public Square. Kone is also busy with a number of ongoing construction and mod jobs.
As of this writing there are two mechanics on the bench.
The Brothers and Sisters of Local 17 send their condolences to the family of Brother John Driscoll Jr on the passing of his mother-in-law.
Until next month,
Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.
Don
Being presented his 45 year pin, Bob Kobasic is the longest serving, card holding superintendent in Local 17. He is flanked by Local 17 President John Patton (left) and Business Manager John Driscoll Jr (right).
Accepting the IUEC Gold Card on behalf of Brother Tim Sinclair are Brothers Todd (middle left) and Rich Kemp (middle right). Local 17 President John Patton is to their left and Business Manager John Driscoll Jr to the right.
Brother John Logue accepts his Gold Card from Local 17 President John Patton (left) and Business Manager John Driscoll Jr (right).
Congratulations to retired Brother Gary Thompson who was the winner of the Local 17 retiree watch raffle. Local 17 President John Patton is to the left and Business Manager John Driscoll Jr to the right.
International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 17 