Category: Cleveland 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

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.

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.

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.

At the April meeting, retired NEIEP assistant director Joe Devlin stopped in to say hello and spend a few minutes talking to the members about all the continuing educational opportunities available. The most interesting benefit is the opportunity for mechanics to use their NEIEP credentials toward an associates or bachelors degree at over 100 accredited colleges and technical schools. Those applying for degree programs are eligible for up to 38 college credits. If you are a veteran, you can receive extra credits for your military service. For more information go to neiep.org, click on About and go to College Options for NEIEP Graduates.

Also on the NEIEP front, area coordinator Jeff Burns was in town to attend a job fair at Polaris Career Center in Middleburg Heights. The job fair was sponsored by the Cuyahoga County Department of Job and Family Services. According to Burns the fair was well attended by people of all ages and he had a great time talking to prospective apprentices about the best trade in the trades.

IUEC Local 11 (Cincinnati) reported that Kone my not be paying benefits on straight time hours turned in under travel. If you work for Kone, please take a few minutes and check your stub versus your statement from the National Elevator Industry Benefits Plan to confirm you are receiving the proper payments toward your benefits.

There was a death in the IUEC family on Easter Sunday in Local 2 (Chicago). Kone mechanic Greg Sebahar was killed on a callback at a steel mill. The father of six was apparently struck by a counterweight as he peered in to a hatch after removing corrugated siding to gain access to the hoistway.

Being an elevator constructor is a very dangerous way to make a living. We do what we do and are constantly aware of the dangers that surround us but, it is our responsibility to do our work in a safe manner. Always be aware that machinery does not care that you are leaving on a vacation after work or meeting your loved ones for a family event over the weekend. Machinery will always win the fight. So when in doubt, lock it out and, as I say every month, slow down for safety.

IUEC organizer Jim Lowery was in town the last week of April for a planned meeting with non-signatory Gable Elevator. At the last minute Gable backed out of the meeting saying they were not interested in signing with the union. I know that I am preaching to the choir when I talk about all the benefits of working for a union company: the pay, the benefits, the security, the educational opportunities. There are three former IUEC members working for Gable that know exactly what they are missing out on by the company not being a signatory. There are three former brothers that know exactly the kind of benefits their coworkers are missing out on by not being a signatory. We look forward to bringing these former members back into the fold and adding their coworkers fully into the greatest trade in the trades.

The Volunteer Organizing Committee would like to thank all the brothers and sisters from the other trades that report when they find a non-signatory elevator company working on their job. These reports have been taken and some have been turned in to wins for our local companies.

Now, it is our turn to return the favor.

I’m asking the correspondents from the other trades to take a few words and list the signatory companies for their locals. The larger signatories are no secret but, many of the smaller firms may not be familiar. Please include the contact information for your Business Agent or Manager. The signatories to IUEC Local 17 are Kone, Maximum, Otis, Ross, Schindler and Thyssen-Krupp. You can contact Business Manager Tim Moennich at 216 431-8088 or email him at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org.

By working together we are all stronger.

IUEC Local 17 would like to welcome our newest initiate Matt Harden to the fold. Matt is currently working in mods for Kone. If you see him out and about, give him your congratulations on getting into the best trade in the trades.

As of this writing there are 11 mechanics on the bench.

Brothers and sisters:

This has been a very busy time in the training of apprentices and mechanics at IUEC Local 17. The recently completed hydraulic controller theory and troubleshooting class had ten students, the welding class taught at Lincoln Electric had 13 members seeking certification and there are 20 mechanics enrolled in the scaffolding class that is currently running through March 16. That is a total of 43 members enrolled in classes and equates to a little over twenty percent of the Local’s members taking advantage of these continuing education opportunities.

In addition, John Taylor has agreed to teach an OSHA 30 class should there be enough interest. OSHA 30 is a thirty-hour course that goes deeper in-depth to the subjects covered in the basic OSHA 10 class. If you are interested in the OSHA 30 class or have ideas for any other continuing education class, call Business Manger Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088 or email him at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org.

When your bosses see you taking initiative to not only learn your job but improve your knowledge in all phases of the trade, they will give you opportunities to apply that knowledge. So… if you want to move forward, don’t wait for the bosses to offer the opportunity for training, take it yourself.

There was a sighting of a truck owned by non-signatory Kent, Ohio-based Handel and Son at the Truman Building on Euclid Avenue. After Tim talked to the mechanic and reported back to the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades that all the trades on the job were non-signatories, the board decided to hand bill the job. The general contractor on the job is Pride One, a notoriously anti-union company.
If you know of a job that is being done by a non-signatory trade, or suspect that a company is not organized, then please call the hall. The signatories to IUEC Local 17 are Kone, Maximum, Otis, Ross, Schindler and Thyssen-Krupp.

International Organizer Jim Lowery is scheduled to have a second meeting with Gable Elevator to discuss them signing onto the IUEC contract. Twinsburg-based Gable is the major non-signatory elevator company in the Cleveland-Akron area. There is also a report that the West Virginia company Emar Elevator is going union. As you may remember, Emar did modernization work at Millennium Properties buildings Lourexis Senior Housing in Slavic Village and Abington Arms Apartments in what is now known as Uptown at Mayfield and Euclid in 2010-2011.

The national health insurance provider Anthem was recently hacked in a cyber attack that compromised millions of individuals health care information. The National Elevator Industry Health Benefits Plan reported that they do not have a direct relationship with Anthem but, they do have a relationship with Blue Cross-Blue Shield. To this point, no IUEC members have been effected by this data breach. Anthem has pledged to notify members if they are effected and enroll them in a credit repair service. This is similar to the situation a few years ago when a data tape containing medical information was lost between the IUEC and the then prescription provider to its members. Watch this space and your mailbox for any updates.

There are many members and their dependents that struggle with legal, financial, mental health, chemical and alcohol dependency issues. The NEIHBP contracted with Value Options to provide Member Assistance Programs (MAP) to IUEC members. This is a free and confidential program that offers counseling, referral and online resources and information to those in need. If you have an issue, know that this service is there to help. You can call 1-800-331-4824 or access their website, http://www.achievesolutions.net/nei 24/7/365.

The 2015 IUEC Local 17 Retiree’s Dinner is tentatively scheduled for May 15 at Frank Sterle’s Slovenian House Restaurant, 1401 East 55th Street Cleveland, Ohio. Letters will be coming soon so you can reserve your place at this well attended annual event to honor those who worked so hard to make Local 17 the best local in the best trade in the trades.

The Brothers and Sisters of IUEC Local 17 send their condolences to the family of retired Brother Richard Stumm who recently passed away.

As of this writing there are 19 mechanics and one apprentice on the bench.

Till next month,
Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don
DKnapik@windstream.net

By the time you read this, the apprentices will be hard at work on the spring semester. Just a reminder that you can only miss two classes a semester. Do not forget to turn in your JATC sheets to Business Manager Tim Moennich or your instructor to log your hours

On the continuing education front, the local has a approximately 35 members involved in the welding, hydraulic controller troubleshooting and scaffolding classes. The welding class ran the weeks of January 12th and 19th at the world headquarters of Lincoln Electric in Euclid. The class gave participants the opportunity to earn a 3G or 4G welding certificate. The hydraulic controller theory and troubleshooting class is the same one the apprentices use in year three and, without a doubt, the most valuable class a new or experienced mechanic can master. The third class is the scaffolding class which certifies the recipient to erect scaffolding. If you took this the last time it was offered, chances are your card is lapsed and this class must be taken to be rectified in scaffold erecting.

As Tim reminds us every month, “the more you know, the more valuable you are.” There are many more options available on the NEIEP website at neiep.org. Our hours pay for this education, take advantage of it.

On the international labor front, Otis workers in Australia were locked out in October 21st after the $62 billion elevator industry giant offered a below inflation one percent wage increase. The 174 Otis Australia workers attempted to negotiate a new contract since April and in September began industrial action with bans on overtime, shift work and starting new projects. The company also attempted to pit construction workers against maintenance workers to no avail.

In response, the company began a lockout which lasted eight weeks. During the lockout, Otis workers in New Zealand, the United States, Canada, Denmark and Ireland took part in an international day of solidarity that played a significant role in Otis management agreeing to a new contract. The workers received a 14 percent pay raise and an increase in travel expenses. They wanted double time for all overtime but, did not get that in the final agreement.

We are stronger standing together than we are kneeling alone.

In the Elevator Industry Work Preservation Fund TEAM class last month, Brothers Jimmy Dimmel and Joe Rapine talked about the efforts the IUEC has been making with organized labor overseas and how that played into the Big Four settling the lockout in New York City a few years back.

Another point was that the negotiating team for the IUEC is selected from the rank and file delegates at the International Convention every five years. Many who believe that this gives the company negotiators an upper hand at the table only have to look at the gains we have made over the course of the last three contracts. This highlights the fact that the elevator constructors are not only the best trade in the trades but the best negotiators in the trades.

The members of the IUEC are definitely NOT your stereotypical union workers.

I would like to thank all the members of the trades that have been engaging the employees of the non-signatory companies they have encountered over the course of the last year and a half. The positive image you are providing goes a long way to changing the prevailing image of union non-union relations and is changing the way we are viewed by those we wish to bring into the fold. Please keep speaking the truth about the trades and keep in mind that no one wants to be a part of a club where they feel unwelcome.

As of this writing there are 13 mechanics and two apprentices on the bench.

Until next month,

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don
DKnapik@windstream.net

Brothers and sisters:

While New Year’s is traditionally a season for making promises to ourselves and loved ones on self-improvement issues we know in or hearts we will never keep, there is another way of looking at those resolutions that can result in actually making progress to personal improvement.

Anyone that has worked with me in the last three years has heard me repeatedly use these two phrases: first things first and this job is only hard if we make it hard. The two phrases go hand in hand to remind the listener that every large job is really many small jobs that when strung together give a large result.

Think about the hotel going up next to the convention center. The project relies daily on hundreds of tasks, both large and small, being completed in a craftsman like fashion and timely manner. When the job is complete the city will have a 32-floor jewel in the heart of downtown all because every tradesman put first things first and made each job as easy as they could.
Next time you are on a job that at first glance looks impossible, remember first things first and the job is only hard if you make it hard. I’ll bet things go far easier than you’d otherwise expect.

Learning a new skill is a lot like building a structure, it takes time, focus and determination to master. IUEC Local 17 has several continuing education opportunities on-tap for our members. There are welding, scaffolding and hydraulic controller and troubleshooting classes all available through NEIEP. Each one of these classes are highly recommended to become a more well-rounded constructor. For information on openings call Business Manager Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088 or email him at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org.

As of January 1 there were many changes to dollar and cent related issues for the IUEC. First, the IRS millage rate increased to 57.5 cents per mile for business use of a vehicle. Second, every IUEC member received an increase in the amount paid as part of their defined benefits plan. Mechanics received 75 cents in the check and $1.60 in employer paid benefit contributions. All assistant mechanics, apprentices and probationary apprentices received a raise based on the 75 cents given to the mechanics. If you have any questions about what your rate should be, please call Tim at the hall.

The third and most important change was that the Trustees of the National Elevator Industry Pension Plan voted to increase the benefit rate from $98 per credit year to $103 per credit year for all hours worked through June 30, 2015. Every hour worked after that date will be credited at $110 per credit year. One credit year equals 1700 hours worked. Someone retiring between January 1 and June 30 with 30 years worked at 2000 hours a year will have a defined benefit of $3529 per month. Someone with 15 working years at $103 per credit and 15 working years at $110 per credit will have a defined benefit of $3758 per month.

Also, every retiree received an increase of between one and three percent depending on when they retired from the trade.
On the organizing front, Business Manager Tim Moennich and International Organizer Jim Lowery have a meeting with Gable Elevator later this month. The most recent rumor that Florida-based non-signatory Oracle Elevator was purchasing Gable turned out to be false. As of now, Oracle has passed on purchasing Gable.

Operating Engineers Local 18 is using non-union contractor CT Taylor to build their new hall on Triplett Boulevard in Akron. The operators are refusing to hire union laborers, finishers and iron workers for their new hall construction. It was not that long ago that they attempted to have an out-of-state non-signatory elevator company install a car in their current building on Prospect. It was quick work on the local’s part that turned that job around and had it finished by Local 17 members. The phone number of the Operating Engineer’s International General President James Callahan is 202-429-9100. Call him and let him know what you think about the situation.

As of this writing there are 18 mechanics and two apprentices on the bench.