Author: IUEC Local 17 Website Administrator

October 2015 Labor Citizen

Brothers and sisters:

Two new officers were sworn in at the September meeting. Robin Eaton will fill the vacancy created when John Patton took over the president position and Tim Gibbons was named to fill Patton’s seat on the Executive Board. Good luck Brothers in your new positions.

The fall semester of NEIEP school started August 16. There are currently eight probationaries and seven apprentices in the program. This is the largest class IUEC Local 17 has had in a several years.

A notice to all assistant mechanics, please be aware of the anniversary date of your agreement with your employer and be sure any continuation is signed in a timely manner to assure your status.

In July the IUEC national leadership, representatives of Work Preservation, Benefits Office and NEIEP met with business agents and managers from around the country to update these local leaders about issues at the national level and how they affect the locals.

The Benefits Office highlighted several programs for health plan participants. One involved compounded prescriptions. A compound pharmacy custom blends prescriptions for patients based on the orders of a physician. These can be creams or salves for skin conditions or injectables for chronic illnesses. The goal is to make it easier for members or their dependents to receive these compounded medications.

Two other programs involved smoking cessation and cholesterol control for people who need help with these top causes of chronic health issues. NEIBP also introduced an outreach program to members to be sure they are receiving the proper treatment.

Finally, they presented the Member Assistance Program (MAP) which is aimed to those members who are struggling with marital, alcohol, emotional, legal, financial or work related issues. This confidential service is at no or reduced cost to members. They offer eight face-to-face sessions with a licensed therapist per problem per year and unlimited follow-up telephone sessions. On legal issues the first hour is free and then charged at a 20 percent discount after that.

This is a great opportunity for members and their dependents to get help in a time of crisis.

A signatory sub-contractor for Otis in Los Angeles (Local 18) was found dead while doing work on a modernization job. On August 15, Brother Robert Khodadadian, working for RJ Electric was performing overtime machine work on a modernization job when he was found dead by another constructor working on the job. The International’s Safety Committee as well as local union representatives were called immediately to the scene. As of this writing there is no word on the cause of the death.

The November 13, December 11 and January 8 meetings are mandatory meetings for the nomination, election and installation of officers. All members are required to attend.

The Brothers of IUEC Local 17 send their condolences to the families of Brothers Ken Reihs, who passed away August 10 and Frank Yako who died July 16.

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

Please remember to work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don
DKnapik@windstream.net

October 2015 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and sisters:
In July I told the International about the bicycle trip I planned from Cleveland and Lake Erie to Cincinnati and the Ohio River. The sole mission: carry a bottle of water from lake to river, from CLE to CIN via US 42.

There were more than a few moments both prior to and in the midst of the adventure when I questioned the sanity of continuing what many believed was a quixotic folly.

My first stop on my way out of town was to see my Granny and tell her I was finally attempting the trip we had so meticulously planned in my very early youth. Her headstone marked her passing but, in that moment surrounded by silence I could hear her voice urging me forward.

The first two days were filled with hills and heat until south of Cardington, the terrain flattened and I found US 42 laid out as flat as possible all the way to Delaware. The heat took a physical toll that was difficult to overcome. My body drained of strength and fluids barely came out for day three to Xenia. From Delaware through Plain City, London, and South Charleston, the head wind checked my progress and the ubiquitous farmland taxed my spirit. Barely a soul to be seen. I kept my head down and willed the front wheel to move forward. Ever forward.

I understand the lure of farming. There is purity in the solitude of the practice that keeps a man grounded to what is important: his family, his land and his God. The crops slowly rustling in the precursor wind sang a melody that was not entirely unfamiliar to my suburban soul. Was that my Granny’s voice again urging me on?

Just out of South Charleston the clouds, which all day threatened rain, finally opened up and drenched me before I could don my poncho.

Oh well, it’s only water.

I found a rail trail paralleling 42 to Xenia just as a second front featuring thunder, lighting and high winds caught me out in the open. This is a very dangerous combination and situation. After checking into the Ramada, I showered, dried off and planned for my final assault.

The trail I found on my way in would serve as the starting point for my finish. I rode an easy and quick 18 miles through Spring Valley and Corwin before rejoining 42. I was forced off the road by a semi carrying stone and after putting myself back together decided that lunch in Lebanon was in order. The Golden Lamb is reputed to be one of the best restaurants in Ohio and I can tell you the spinach chicken salad is primo.

Weather reports said rain south of Lebanon was a given. After lunch, I put on the poncho and rode on. A few miles out of town, I crossed a railroad track and went down hard on the pavement. Skinned knee and bleeding elbow later, I once again righted myself and swore I’d be damned if I was going to fail.

When I reached Sharonville the road became hilly again but, this time I rode my brakes down hill in the rain instead of working my shifters up hill in the heat to climb. The momentum continued until I arrived in downtown Cincinnati and, at the foot of the Roebling Suspension Bridge, poured the bottle of lake water into the river.

I sat on a swing, called my wife and told her I made it. I could feel my Granny sitting on one side and my seven year old self on the other and they both were smiling.

Four days and 260 miles later I can report to the International I made it.
Until next month,

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don
DKnapik@windstream.net

September 2015 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and sisters:

International organizer Jim Lowery was in Cleveland for the July meeting to talk with the members about organizing efforts around the country and support the our current local Volunteer Organizing Committee efforts.

The video presentations of members Lowery and others have stripped form non-signatory companies and produced by NEIEP will be available shortly on line at iuec.org with a link on the Local 17 web page. The videos give actual members who made the choice to come over to the IUEC from non-signatories the chance to tell why they made the leap. For many it was a very emotional and difficult change because of what they were told to expect by their former employers. There were others who have strong ties to those still working at those non-signatories and are actively attempting to bring them into the IUEC family.

Lowery also talked about a failed election at Metro Elevator in his home district near Maryland. The employees were reportedly being shortchanged on their contributions to Social Security and both federal and state taxes by under reporting wages on their pay check and other practices. While everyone knew about the potential legal and tax implications of the practice, it was the IUEC that stepped in even after losing the election to support the workers in getting the proper credit for their time to Social Security. Metro is currently being investigated by the IRS and Department of Labor for these practices.

The Local 17 VOC hand billed two jobs in July. The first is the tear-out modernization being done by non-signatory Gable Elevator at the Board of Elections job. The response from everyone on both sides was very positive and the literature made it into the job. The second was an informational hand billing at CMHA’s Riverview Apartments on West 25th Street near Lutheran Hospital. This job, as of this writing has not been awarded but, the hand bill emphasized the questions that residents and visitors should be asking of the building manager about the skills of the elevator technicians working in their building.

Lowery also talked about some of the soft skills needed when approaching employees of non-signatories. “First off realize that these are men and women who are working just like you are to make a good lifer themselves and their families. They also may not know about everything that we have (benefits, 401k, annuity, vacation pay, etc.) or may have misconceptions about what it means to be a union members.” He went on to give examples from his experience of workers who did not understand all we had. His final words to us were “the one thing you have to remember is to treat them like you would want to be treated. No one wants to be part of a group were they feel unwelcome.”
Where are they working?

Mike Miller and Matt Page installing an elevator at Honda Motor Cars on Mayfield Road for Otis,

Neil Beechuck and Kevin Driscoll installing a hydro at Ohio Caterpillar for Thyssen,

Jeff Ward and Nick Meyer replacing cables at Beacon Place for Thyssen,

Don Knapik and Ken Jung doing safety tests and generator repairs at 55 Public Square for Schindler,

Gerard Szmerkovsky and Craig Nolty installing a hydro at Cleveland Heights Apartments for Otis,

John Patton and Tom Gombar replacing travel cables at Bushman Industries for Kone,

Bill Yuhas and Bill Dudas repairing water damage at Upper Chester for Thyssen,

Jason Norman from Local 45 (Akron), Brendan Hyland, Dave Gnagy, Matt Hausler, Tim Moore, Joe Gauker, Joe Reyes and Zach Lanum at the Hilton Hotel job for Kone.

As of this writing there are seven mechanics on the bench.

Until net month,

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don
DKnapik@windstream.net

August 2015 Labor Citizen

Brothers and sisters:

NEIEP has announced that IUEC members can now earn their OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 cards through the online course offered by the training organization. The 10-hour and 30-hour classes must be paid for upfront but the cost will be reimbursed once the member passes the class. To sign up or find further information, contact Business Manager Tim Moennich or go to neiep.org.

Fall semester will be starting soon for the apprentices enrolled in the program. There are several new probationaries entering the trade and they all require guidance. While it is up to NEIEP to supply the apprentices with the formalized part of their training, it is important that the mechanics they work with support them by teaching the way to do things right and safe. If you have a probationary apprentice and you have a question about the work rules, please consult your copy of the Standard Agreement or call Tim for clarification if there is a conflict between the agreement and your work assignment for the day.

At the July meeting, IUEC organizer Jim Lowery spoke to the members about the success and challenges of organizing non-signatory companies. “One of the challenges we have as a union is breaking through the lies told to those we want to organize about what union membership is about” he told the assembled group. To counter that, the International along with NEIEP put together a series of videos featuring members stripped from non-signatories telling their stories about what there thoughts were before becoming members, the reasons they joined and their feelings after becoming members of the IUEC.
“The amazing part,” according to Lowery “was that they all said the same thing even though they didn’t know each other.” He told the story about one new member who was injured at home shortly after signing on and instead of sitting at home and worrying about how the bills were going to get paid, the union stepped in with $625 per week relief until he went back to work. “He said that at his former employer that would have never happened.”

He also told of an election the union lost at Metro Elevator. In the election the union came up one vote short of winning recognition. One of the issues the workers faced was they were not getting proper credit for the dollars paid into Social Security on their behalf by the company as well as their own contribution for the full amount of the dollars they actually earned. After the election, the union interceded on their behalf and the company is currently under investigation by the IRS and Department of Labor for unfair labor practices.

Lowery scored a win for Local 37 (Columbus) when he recruited a route maintenance mechanic from Twinsburg, Ohio based non-signatory Gable Elevator. The 30 year-old mechanic, with eight years in the trade split between Gable and Oracle Elevator, started last week.

There were also two hand billings done by the VOC this past month. The first was at the Board of Elections job being done by Gable. The second was at CMHA’s Riverview Apartments on West 25th Street across from Lutheran Hospital. The hand hill asked residents and visitors to ask questions about the qualifications of the elevator constructors the county agency is planning on using for the modernization of its five elevators.

The brothers and sisters of IUEC Local 17 wish to again extend their gratitude to those in the other trades who engaged the employees of the non-signatory companies in the area. It does make a difference. The local signatories are Otis, Schindler, Maximum, Kone, Thyssen and Ross Elevator.

At the end of July, Brother Brian McTaggert left his position as route mechanic for Thyssen and local union president to take a job as maintenance superintendent. Brother John Patton assumed his duties. Patton’s replacement has yet to be named.

As of this writing there are seven mechanics on the bench.

August 2015 Labor Citizen

Brothers and sisters:

NEIEP has announced that IUEC members can now earn their OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 cards through the online course offered by the training organization. The 10-hour and 30-hour classes must be paid for upfront but the cost will be reimbursed once the member passes the class. To sign up or find further information, contact Business Manager Tim Moennich or go to neiep.org.

Fall semester will be starting soon for the apprentices enrolled in the program. There are several new probationaries entering the trade and they all require guidance. While it is up to NEIEP to supply the apprentices with the formalized part of their training, it is important that the mechanics they work with support them by teaching the way to do things right and safe. If you have a probationary apprentice and you have a question about the work rules, please consult your copy of the Standard Agreement or call Tim for clarification if there is a conflict between the agreement and your work assignment for the day.

At the July meeting, IUEC organizer Jim Lowery spoke to the members about the success and challenges of organizing non-signatory companies. “One of the challenges we have as a union is breaking through the lies told to those we want to organize about what union membership is about” he told the assembled group. To counter that, the International along with NEIEP put together a series of videos featuring members stripped from non-signatories telling their stories about what there thoughts were before becoming members, the reasons they joined and their feelings after becoming members of the IUEC.
“The amazing part,” according to Lowery “was that they all said the same thing even though they didn’t know each other.” He told the story about one new member who was injured at home shortly after signing on and instead of sitting at home and worrying about how the bills were going to get paid, the union stepped in with $625 per week relief until he went back to work. “He said that at his former employer that would have never happened.”

He also told of an election the union lost at Metro Elevator. In the election the union came up one vote short of winning recognition. One of the issues the workers faced was they were not getting proper credit for the dollars paid into Social Security on their behalf by the company as well as their own contribution for the full amount of the dollars they actually earned. After the election, the union interceded on their behalf and the company is currently under investigation by the IRS and Department of Labor for unfair labor practices.

Lowery scored a win for Local 37 (Columbus) when he recruited a route maintenance mechanic from Twinsburg, Ohio based non-signatory Gable Elevator. The 30 year-old mechanic, with eight years in the trade split between Gable and Oracle Elevator, started last week.

There were also two hand billings done by the VOC this past month. The first was at the Board of Elections job being done by Gable. The second was at CMHA’s Riverview Apartments on West 25th Street across from Lutheran Hospital. The hand hill asked residents and visitors to ask questions about the qualifications of the elevator constructors the county agency is planning on using for the modernization of its five elevators.

The brothers and sisters of IUEC Local 17 wish to again extend their gratitude to those in the other trades who engaged the employees of the non-signatory companies in the area. It does make a difference. The local signatories are Otis, Schindler, Maximum, Kone, Thyssen and Ross Elevator.

At the end of July, Brother Brian McTaggert left his position as route mechanic for Thyssen and local union president to take a job as maintenance superintendent. Brother John Patton assumed his duties. Patton’s replacement has yet to be named.

As of this writing there are seven mechanics on the bench.

August 2015 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and sisters:
This has been another busy spring in the continuing eduction front. Rick Myers had 15 Brothers pass the scaffolding class and John Taylor completed an OSHA 30 class in late May. If you have not been to the NEIEP website recently, please take a minute and check out the some of the new offerings in the continuing education front.

One of the new offerings is called Financial Tools for the Trades and covers such topics as budgeting, savings, long term financial planning and understanding credit reports. This is another great tool to have in your bag to manage the uncertainties of the life in general.

Ron Larsen from the Cleveland Clinic spoke to the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades about a new class all tradesmen and their supervisors will have to take on infection control risk assessment. The class covers infection prevention, recognizing risks and preparing for safe entry and exit from potentially hazardous areas. According to Larsen, 1.7 million people every year come down with infections while hospitalized and 99,000 will die as a consequence. The training requirement begins May 1, 2016.

For those apprentices in the NEIEP program, raises will be effective September 1st for those who have earned another year of credit.

Brother Tom Goggin will replace his father, Jim, on the Local 17 Joint Apprenticeship Committee.

The International has advised all members to not sign toolbox talks or safety meeting attendance forms.

Where are they working?

John Patton and Tom Gombar installing a Life Jacket at Knickerbocker Apartments for Kone,

Bill Yuhas and Bill Dudas installing a hydro at Cleveland Heights High School for Thyssen,

DJ Spring and Joe Simcic installing a Gen 2 at Case Western Reserve University for Otis,

Dave Francis, John Brunner, Matt Weingart, Taurus Ogletree and Jim Rogers installing escalators at the Hilton Hotel for Schindler,

Scott Hicks and Tom Peska installing two cars at the Scofield Building for Schindler,

Mike Miller and Matt Page installing two cars at Hyatt Place for Otis,

Gerard Szmerekovsky and Craig Nolty installing a hydro at Best Western for Otis,

Joe Broz, Jr. and Dave Adrian doing a mod at Pine Ridge for Thyssen,

Anthony Young and Keith Poskocil doing a two car mod at the Cleveland Administration Building for Kone,

The Brothers and sisters of Local 17 send their condolences to retired Brother Mel Chaps whose wife passed away May 28 and Brother Ken Chung whose mother, Bonita, passed away.

As of this writing there are seven mechanics out of work.
Until next month,

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.
Don
DKnapik@windstream.net

Funeral Arrangements for Brother Frank Yako

Brother Frank Yako passed away Thursday, July 16 .  There will be a viewing at Ripepi & Sons Funeral Home on Bagley Rd. in Middleburg Hts., Ohio on Monday July 20th, from 3 pm to 8 pm.  There will be a Burial Mass at St. Colette Parish in Brunswick, Ohio on Tuesday the 21st and on Wednesday, July 22nd, Yako will be lay to rest on Kelley’s Island.

May he rest in peace.

July 2015 Labor Citizen

The members of IUEC Local 17 hope that everyone reading this had a happy and safe Independence Day.

There is a lot going on so let’s get right to it.

The National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP) is offering a new online course called Financial Tools for the Trades. The course is geared to the younger members of the trade and covers a variety of topics important to those starting their careers. This is another benefit brought to you by NEIEP and paid for though the hourly contribution of the employers.

At the June union meeting, Business Manager Tim Moennich reported that Ron Larsen from the Cleveland Clinic talked to the recent meeting of the Cleveland Building Trades about an upcoming class that all construction workers and supervisors working on Clinic projects must take. The eight hour class covers infection control risk and assessment.

According to Larsen, nationally 1.7 million patients become infected while in the hospital and 99,000 will die from that infection. The training starting May 1, 2016 will teach tradesmen to recognize potential hazards and entry and exit procedures for contained areas.

Moennich also reported that in Local 34 (Indianapolis) Otis had supervisors riding elevators checking operation and making it appear they were doing a maintenance inspection. In Akron (Local 45) had a state elevator inspector change a fuse on a job in Medina and when Local 10 (Washington DC) Schindler field employees received their new phones they were not working properly. The management had them clock in at 5:00 am and clock out at 1:30 pm.

Work in the area has been picking up. Akron has three mechanics off, and Toledo has two while Cleveland’s number has shrunk to seven. Local 37 (Columbus) and Local 11 (Cincinnati) report full employment with Local 11 adding 23 probationaries to their rolls.

The International has advised all members to not sign toolbox talks or safety meeting attendance forms.

There was a changing of the guard on the Local 17 school board as long-time member Jim Goggin stepped down and was replaced by his son Tom. The school board administers the NEIEP program in the local.

The annual IUEC Local 17 Golf Outing will be held on August 1st at Emerald Woods Golf Course, 12501 North Boone Road, Columbia Station. Tee times start at 9 am and the cost is $100 for a full day of golf, lunch, dinner, refreshments and prizes. To secure your reservation, mail your check to Entertainment Chairman Mike Hogan, 26962 Southworth Drive, Olmsted Township, Ohio 44138 no later than July 10th.

The Brothers and Sisters of Local 17 send their condolences to retired member Mel Chaps whose wife passed away May 28th and Brother Ken Jung whose mother, Bonita, passed away in June.

July 2015 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and sisters:

As you read this I will be readying for yet another bike trip. This one will take me from Cleveland to Cincinnati where I intend on dump a jar of Lake Erie water into the Ohio River.

I know this sounds really stupid. Why would you expend all that effort to dump a bottle of lake water into the river? Well, it’s not about the bottle of water, its about getting the bottle of water there.

My trips to Buffalo and South Bend where really very simple in the planning. There was no planning. I made the decision and just left without a real agenda and decided I’d just figure it out along the way. After all, I was only a few hours drive away from home. To Buffalo it worked out well, South Bend not so much.

When I rode from Boston to Portland, Maine I knew that rescue from home was not an option. So, I planned my route, my nightly stops, kept to the coast and let fate handle the rest. It was perfect. The weather, the people, the experience, the train travel there and back. Absolute perfection.

So, why the trip to Cincinnati on a bike?

When I was young I found maps magical. They have the capacity to illustrate where we are and give us options on how to get where we want to go. I remember sitting on the floor with my Granny tracing the route on a Sohio gas station folding map between lake and river with my finger, telling her how I would ride my bike across the state and trying to picture in my young mind all I would see.

The magic that is in the mind of a young child often becomes disillusionment in the eye of a middle aged man. As I sit here one month away from my departure my mind wanders as I trace my route on Mapquest. I can feel the magic of the seven-year-old come back for one last visit, eager to all the possibilities he can finally experience.

It will be good to have him along for the ride.

Local 17 filed two grievances in May. The first involved two mechanics from Local 45 (Akron) working at the new Hilton Hotel project. Kone was working one as a mechanic-in-charge and the second as a safety superintendent. The second grievance had another Local 45 member taking overtime call backs in the Cleveland jurisdiction. Stay tuned for further updates.

Steiner Elevator owner Gene Steiner has submitted a letter of intent to International Organizer Jim Lowery. The letter states his intention to not only maintain his International membership but to also become a signatory contractor. There was no firm timetable set for the signing.

Where are they working?

Gary Thompson and Ryan Todd starting a mod at Erieview Tower for Schindler,

Tim Narowitz and Tony Kuhn at CMHA Ambleside Apartments doing a two-car mod for Thyssen,

Gerard Szmerkovsky, Jason Sohayda, Craig Nolty, Lucas Jenke at the Residence Inn installing two cars for Otis,

Joe Broz Jr., Dave Adrian at Knickerbocker Apartments replacing oil lines for Thyssen,

Jeff Lindell and todd Ross at Kohl’s Westlake replacing an escalator motor for Kone,

John Goggin and Mike Hogan cabling at University Hospital for Schindler,

Greg Seaman and Don Kaiser at the airport doing an escalator mod for Schindler,

Jim Ehrbar ad Brian Owens at The 9 doing a mod for Thyssen,

Pat McCann and Chris Scholle at Pine Ridge Apartments doing a mod for Thyssen,

DJ Spring and Joe Simcic at Case installing two cars for Otis.
As of this writing there are eight mechanics out of work.

Till next month,

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.
Don
DKnapik@windstream.net

June 2015 Labor Citizen

Brothers and sisters:

By the time this sees print the 2015 school year will be completed for the apprentices. Please remember to keep turning in your apprenticeship forms to the hall no later than the 10th of the month until school starts again in September.

John Taylor’s OSHA 30 class is over and all the participants should be watching their mailboxes for their card. If you have any questions about this or the results of any other NEIEP class you have taken you can contact Business Manager Tim Moennich at 216-361-8088, email him at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org.

Clear the date of August 1st for the 2015 IUEC Local 17 Golf Outing. This year the annual event will be held at Emerald Woods Golf Course, 12501 North Boone Rd., Columbia Station, Ohio. Whether you are a scratch golfer or scratch your head wondering why you play, this is a fun scramble-style event that gives you the chance to have a day away from the family, share some time with friends and get to meet people outside of work you may not have seen since your apprenticeship classes.

The event tees off at 9 AM and the cost is $100 for a full day of golf, food and prizes.
On May 5th an elevator constructor working for the non-signatory company G-Tech Associates in New York City fell 24 floors to his death. According to the New York Daily News, Christian Ginesi, 25, was installing fronts on the 23rd floor of the RIU Hotel Times Square when the hoist he and a partner were working off of stalled five feet above the 24th landing. Ginesi’s co-worker was able to jump to safety but, according to reports, Ginesi lost his footing and fell to the pit below. He was later declared dead at New York’s Bellevue Hospital.

This is not the first problem on this job for the Rinaldi Group, the general contractor.
In July 2013, the Buildings Department shut it down after answering a complaint about a worker falling three stories. Inspectors found floor openings without the required railings and cited the owner for unsafe work conditions. In May and September of 2014, the job was cited for scaffolding without supports and proper OSHA certification. As a result the GC was fined $16,000 for their non-compliance.

Ginesi was an Air Force veteran who served in Iraq.

In Onondaga, New York, an Otis Elevator employee was pinned between a ladder and a divider beam when a second elevator descended from an upper floor. According to CNYCentral.com, the 53-year-old mechanic was responding to a call of a malfunctioning elevator at a nursing home. There is no further news on the investigation and no signs of foul play.

IUEC Local 17 has filed two grievances over alleged contract violations. The first grievance involves two mechanics from Local 45 (Akron) working at the Hilton Hotel job for Kone. One is working as a mechanic-in-charge and the second as a safety superintendent. The second grievance involves a Local 45 member taking overtime callbacks in Cleveland.

Steiner Elevator owner Gene Steiner has sent a letter of intent to become a signatory company to IUEC Organizer Jim Lowery. While there was no specific time frame set for signing, Steiner did commit keep up his IUEC membership by paying his quarterly dues.

As of this writing there are eight mechanics out of work.