Category: Cleveland Citizen

Brothers and Sisters:

There are 33 apprentices currently enrolled in the program with six in their final semester. Spring semester will consist of RC100 and RC400.

All apprentices are reminded to post their JATC hours once a week to avoid an appearance in front of the board.

The first of two apprentice makeup classes is scheduled for Tuesday, November 9th from 5 to 9 at the school on Engle Road. A second makeup class will be scheduled later in the semester for those requiring an additional class.

Apprentice pay raises went into effect in September. Several signatories have had problems in issuing correct paychecks to apprentices. If you have ongoing issues, contact Business Manager John Driscoll Jr at 216-431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org. Also, if problems continue, John said he will instruct members to go to the shop and wait for their checks.

Congratulations to Brothers Brandyn Alley, James Hirz and Deven Shields on passing their Mechanics Exam. Remember that this is the only unbiased evaluation of your knowledge as an elevator constructor you will have.

The November 12, December 10, 2021 and January 14, 2022 are special called mandatory meetings for the nomination, election and installation of officers. Those not in attendance will be fined in accordance with the Local by-laws.

At the October meeting, John reported that 20 resolutions regarding safety issues were passed at the 32nd General Convention held in Las Vegas, Nevada the last week of September. Of those 20, seven are applicable to the International Constitution and By-laws and went into effect on November 1, thirty days after the convention. The remaining 13 are items which need to be negotiated into the contract.

IUEC Local 17 currently has a strong work situation with all companies reporting a healthy backlog of work. Columbus (Local 37) reported that companies working in its territory have a two-year backlog of work and the Local just put on 15 probationaries.

The Brothers and Sisters of Local 17 send their condolences to retired Brother Dennis Dixon and his family on the loss of his wife and mother-in-law to complications of Covid-19.

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

Brothers and Sisters:

The Elevator Industry Work Preservation Fund (EIWPF) has developed a website, elevatorinfo.org, to inform non-signatory elevator technicians, company owners and customers that are not happy with non-signatory contractors about the benefits of union employment and services.  Work Preservation is a cooperative effort of the International and signatory companies to promote work place safety and support the efforts of the International organizers.

On the home page of this site is a link to the alphabetical list of Local 17 signatory companies.  If you notice a company not listed working in the area, please call Business Manager John Driscoll, Jr at 431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org.  

Remember to report all job changes and jobs lasting three days or longer to the hall.    Also, if you have had a life change such as a marriage, divorce, birth or death, be sure to call the hall with the information.

Several Brothers have been out of work due to Covid exposure and three have been hospitalized because of infection.  As companies and customers have been rolling out vaccination requirements for employees and contractors, it is increasingly important to be aware of and in compliance with those requirements.  With that in mind, masks and hand sanitizer have become default additions to the standard issue personal protection equipment (PPE).  Please keep an adequate supply available for you and your co-workers.

Congratulations to Brother Jason Tischler on passing the Mechanics Exam.  As if this writing there are three additional apprentices waiting to take the exam.  Remember that this is the only unbiased evaluation of your knowledge as an elevator mechanic you will ever have in your career.  

The November 12 and December 10, 2021 and January 14, 2022 are mandatory special called meetings for the nomination, election and installation of officers.  Those not in attendance are subject to fines in accordance with the Local By-Laws.

The Brothers and Sisters of Local 17 send their condolences to the families of retired Brother John Sopochak who passed away in September and retired Brother Dave Zepeda whose wife passed away in July.

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

Brothers and Sisters:

As the International revs up its preparations for the 32nd Convention being held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the end of the month, I want to share something I wrote on behalf of IUEC Local 17.

In March of this year, the Local voted to buy two advertisements in the convention book: one a congratulatory ad and the other a two-page spread of photos along with a short history of the Local. As your correspondent, I was tasked with preparing both of these pieces for the book. After going through my own personal archive spanning my time as correspondent to the journal and the photo albums prepared by former correspondent Eddie Ference and others, I selected 108 possible images for inclusion.

Some images, such as those of Brothers that left us far too soon, were of paramount importance for inclusion. Others represented touchstone points in our history which, when looked at individually, transcend time and speak to not only our past but, our present and future.

On September 26 the advertisements as well as the photos I selected for inclusion will be posted on the Local’s website, iueclocal17.org, for all to view. The text below is the history of the Local I wrote for the two-page spread.

Don Knapik
Correspondent

A Very Short Overview of Local 17 for the 32nd IUEC Convention

IUEC Local 17 was chartered November 5, 1903 with the objectives of “encouraging a high standard of skill among its members, cultivating a feeling of of friendship among the craft, obtaining and maintaining a fair wage, assisting each other in securing employment, protecting our jurisdiction and engaging in activities which further our interests.”

Local 17’s territory covers Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Lake and Lorain counties and the Local’s members are routinely found working in other jurisdictions. This is especially true as most of the Local’s signatory companies have regional or area operations which overlap other jurisdictions, especially Akron (Local 45).

The close relationship between Cleveland and Akron was highlighted by the three-year long organizing campaign for Gable Elevator of Twinsburg. Since Gable was headquartered in Akron’s territory but, also worked in Cleveland this created a special need for cooperation between the Locals. The Cleveland Volunteer Organizing Committee (VOC) took the lead in the effort and with the aid of Organizer Jim Lowery, the cooperation of Business Managers Tim Moennich of Cleveland and Dave Morrow of Akron, Gable became a signatory three years to the month from the first hand billing. After the campaign, the program pioneered by Local 17 was submitted to the International and now forms the basis for VOCs and organizing efforts across the union.

Local 17 has also made a special effort along with the International in recognizing the importance of mental health awareness and suicide prevention among its members and their families. The International has highlighted the need for awareness in the 2019 and 2020 October issues of the Elevator Constructor where services for those in crisis and their families are discussed in an open forum. The Local also financially supports several local charities, chief among them the Holy Family Cancer Home in Parma.

As with any human endeavor, there is a desire for togetherness and the Local holds several gatherings and dinners every year. The retirees are honored early on at the Retiree’s Dinner, followed by a golf outing, participation in the Cleveland trades softball tournament and the annual Children’s Christmas Party.

Throughout the years, Local 17 has strove to live up to the challenge laid down in its charter. With each succeeding generation of constructors building upon the foundation of those who came before, our predecessors efforts are never in vane. We as a Local and an International only have the view to see farther because we stand on the shoulders of these giants.

This is Cleveland. This is Local 17.

Brothers and Sisters:

The Fall Semester starts August 9th with a general apprentice meeting at our new school building located at 5145 Engle Road in Brookpark. NEIEP Area Coordinator Wally Woulding will be attending to give an overview of the year to the apprentices. Brothers Jerry Reitz will be teaching RC100 on Monday and Tim Narowitz has a class in RC300 on Wednesday.

There are currently 19 apprentices in the NEIEP program and four apprentices Mechanics Exam eligible. Rick Meyers is willing to teach a review class which may start as early as August 16th. Watch your email for updates.

Local 17 currently has 11 probationary apprentices working on their new-hire modules. They should be ready to start the program in the spring.

Schindler Elevator continues to hold the lions share of the work in Cleveland. As a result they have hired ten probationaries and Otis has picked up two in the last month. Gable, Kone and Thyssen are all indicating they may need help in the coming months.

As of right now, the Local 17 list looks like it will open at some point after the first of the year. Watch this space and the Local’s website, iueclocal17.org for more information.

Do not forget to call the Business Manager John Driscoll Jr whenever you will be on a job lasting more than two days. He can be reached at 216-431-8088 or you can come to the hall located at 3250 Euclid Ave.

If you have had any changes changes in your immediate family situation (marriage, divorce, birth, death) or need to update your Local Death and Dismemberment policy beneficiary, please notify John so the proper insurance coverages can be maintained.

The Brothers and Sisters of Local 17 send their condolences to the family of retired Brother Tom Gibbons and his son active member Tim on the passing of their mother and grandmother June 30.

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

Brothers and Sisters:

On August 9th IUEC Local 17 will be holding the first apprentice class in its new classroom building at  5145 Engle Road in Brookpark.  NEIEP Area Coordinator Wally Wuelling will be attending for an orientation session with the instructors and apprentices to answer any questions about the program.  

Apprentices will be split between 100 and 300 and have the option of completing the Pipe and Wire Lab as well as the Hydraulic Controller Lab.  These labs are optional but encouraged.

Brothers Brandyn Alley, James Hirz, Deven Shields and Jason Tischler passed their last finals and are eligible for the mechanics exam.  Good luck to these Brothers as they come into the home stretch of the apprenticeship program.

The Elevator Licensing Bill (HB 107) has passed the Ohio House.  The measure passed the House with a 81-9 vote and was introduced in the Senate on June 28 where it awaits debate and a vote.  The Bill spells out licensing requirements for people working on elevators, escalators and other conveyances and puts the constructors on par with other trades and professions within the state.

Work is still strong in Cleveland as Schindler hired eight probationary apprentices in the last month.  They still hold the lion’s share of the market but work at the other companies is on the upswing.  

For those wishing to enter the elevator trade, IUEC Local 45 (Akron) is currently holding their apprentice recruitment.  The application process begins with a visit to the National Elevator Industry Educational Program’s website, neiep.org, and a click on the recruitment tab.  this will take the applicant to the page with all the information on registering for the process.  The Akron recruitment drive runs through July 23.

Local 17 is expecting to open the application process after the first of the year.  Watch this space and the Local’s website, iueclocal17.org for more information.

The Brothers and Sisters of Local 17 send their condolences to the family of Brother Kevin Driscoll on the passing of his father.

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

Brothers and Sisters:

All of IUEC Local 17’s test eligible apprentices passed their Mechanics Exam.  Congratulations to Sean Canning, Brian Chambers, Shane Huff, Cory Ptak, Brian Seither, Rob Timko and Dion Yatsko. This is the only unbiased evaluation of your knowledge of the trade you will ever have.  Make the most of the rest of your careers!

NEIEP also announced that the apprentice list will not be opened for at least the next year.  Area Coordinator Wally Wuelling indicated that Locals with the oldest lists would be updated first.  This means Akron (Local 45) will be opening up soon. 

On April 28, the International in cooperation with its signatory companies, conducted a Safety Stand Down with the idea of refocusing member and employer attention on the essential work of safety in the trade.  General president Frank Christensen as well as the heads of all the majors contributed to the effort with words of encouragement to members across the union.

NEIEP announced that apprentice classes will be returning to face-to-face instruction for Fall Semester 2021.  More information is available on the NEIEP website, neiep.org, or through Business Manager John Driscoll Jr. at the hall.  You can contact John at 216-431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org.

The work on the new school is moving along with NEIEP approving the purchase of new desks, chairs and dry erase boards for the classrooms.

The 32nd IUEC General Convention will be an in-person event rescheduled for September 27 through October 1, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  The change was approved by the Secretary of Labor, Marty Walsh.

The Brothers and Sisters of IUEC Local 17 send their condolences to the family of Brother Pat Zubal whose father passed away.

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

IUEC Local 17 article for May Labor Citizen

Brothers and Sisters:

April 28 was Workers Memorial Day and The National Day of Mourning.  The International, in cooperation with many of its signatory companies, put together a series of videos along with a message from IUEC General President Frank Christensen aimed at driving home the continued need for on-the-job safety.  The presentation was available on a link presented through he IUEC website and many signatories employee communication channels.

All IUEC Locals have been instructed to form safety committees comprising local members and company representatives to discuss  safety-related issues.  This is being driven by the International’s continued emphasis on member safety.  International Safety Director Mike Langer met via ZOOM with the IUEC Local 17 Safety Committee to explain its purpose and the results of investigations on recent accidents.  A follow-up meeting is being scheduled for June.

Congratulations to Rob Timko, Brian Seither and Cory Ptak for passing the Mechanics Exam.  There are four other eligible apprentices waiting to take the test.

All apprentice class work must be completed by Friday, May 14 to be eligible for the finals which begin Monday, May 17.  Be sure your computer is working properly and you have a strong internet connection prior to starting your final.  If everyone passes their current classes, there will be 18 apprentices in the NEIEP program in the fall.

Area Coordinator Wally Wuelling told Local 17 that he has to hold recruitments for locals whose lists are the oldest first.  This means pushing Local 17’s recruitment out possibly another year.  

NEIEP has not officially announced we will have in-person classes for the fall, although it is looking more likely as time goes on.

Work Preservation is putting together a case against non-signatory Oracle Elevator as an irresponsible contractor.  At the Miami International Airport several escalators were found with safety devices physically jumped out.  We have been fortunate Oracle is not in the Cleveland market but they do have a presence in Columbus (Local 37).  Columbus was able to provide a list of jobs Oracle lost.

If anyone hears of an elevator company not listed at the end of this article working in the area please call Business Manager John Driscoll Jr. at 216-431-8088.

Tim Moennich of Work Preservation along with Local 11 (Cincinnati) Business Manager Jim Mill and Gable CEO Phil Issac testified in favor of HB 107, the elevator licensing bill, at a hearing in Columbus.  If the bill passes committee and goes on to the House and Senate for passage, the hope is to have it on Governor DeWine’s desk before the end of the legislative session.

Emails will be going out soon regarding the May meeting status. 

There has been a run of Covid and Covid-related infections and quarantines.  As of this writing we have eight members affected

The Brothers and Sisters of Local 17 send their condolences to the family of retired Brother Tom Carey who passed away.

As of this writing there are three mechanics on the bench

Brothers and Sisters:

The International wants every Local to establish a Safety Committee.  The purpose is to have open discussions with the local signatory companies on safety-related issues and not argue CBA issues.  The first Zoom meeting was held March 23rd.  The International supplied an agenda and ran the initial meeting.

The plan is to have the Committee along with the International do job site visits with the emphasis on safety once travel bans around the country are lifted.

There has been an increase in participation in the online mentoring sessions with Jerry and Tim compared to last semester.  Hopefully this will eliminate the possibility of fails this semester.  When an apprentice fails a semester, they are called in front of the JATC to determine what can be done to assist them in passing the class.  

The JATC realizes that this has been a difficult couple of semesters for apprentices and wants them to take full advantage of all the resources available.  A letter has been sent to all apprentices encouraging them to sign into the online mentoring sessions so they can be familiar with the system.

Work on the new school on Engle Road is continuing and the hope is to return to face-to-face instruction with the Fall semester in August.

The IUEC Local 17 Golf Outing will be held June 12 at Hickory Nut Golf Course, 

23601 Royalton Rd, Columbia Station.  The event will be a four-man scramble format.  Tee times start at 10 AM with a cost of $100 per person.  The cost covers golf, food, beer and pop.  

If you have any questions about the event contact Business Manager John Driscoll Jr. at 431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org or Entertainment Chairman Brian Chambers at 216-272-3636.  To lock in your spot you can send a check made payable to Brian to the hall at 3250 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH. 44115  or use PayPal by entering Brian’s email brianchambers.cle@gmail.com. 

The Brothers and Sisters of Local 17 send their condolences to the families of Retired Brothers Ken Hilpert, Dan Sziriski and Dennis Samad who passed away this February.

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

Brothers and Sisters:

All apprentices must have their Spring unit exams completed by 23:59 Friday, May 14, 2021 in order to be eligible to sit for their final exams.  Finals will be made available Monday, May 17, 2021.  Check your NEIEP mailbox for further information as the time draws closer.  If you have any questions, contact Business Manager John Driscoll Jr. at 216-431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org.

Instructors Rick Myers, John Taylor and Jerry Reitz are taking part in a remote OSHA 502 renewal workshop.  This renewal allows them to continue teaching the OSHA 500 class.

Myers, Reitz along with Tim Narowitz are currently available to help the seven IUEC Local 17 apprentices eligible for the mechanics exam review the material.  Reitz and Narowitz are available for mentoring Monday and Wednesday respectively with Myers offering assistance as needed.

The February meeting was an officers-only event held in the main hall due to Covid restrictions on distancing.  The Business Agent report normally read at the meeting will be posted to the IUEC Local 17 website, iueclocal17.org, by the Monday after the meeting.  John will send an email to members on the status of future meetings as events unfold.

The officers voted to update the Local’s website.  This update will offer more options for interacting with members and the general public as well as new features and an updated look and feel.  The changes will be rolled out over the next six months.  If you have any ideas on features which would benefit the site, email the administrator at webadmin@iueclocal17.org.

The IUEC International Convention planned for San Diego will be held virtually due to the pandemic.  Those members wishing to submit resolutions to the convention are encouraged to submit them in writing to John at the hall as soon as possible.  The deadline for all locals to submit resolutions is May 3, 2021. 

Even thought he St. Patrick’s Day Parade was cancelled for the second year in a row, there is a possibility the golf outing can take place this year.   Watch this space and the website for updates.

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

Brothers and Sisters:

All apprentices currently enrolled in the NEEP program began their instruction in 800 and 200 on January 18. Classes are once again being offered online. Brothers Jerry Reitz and Tim Narowitz are available to help those taking the virtual classes.

If any apprentice has difficulties with accessing the material through the NEIEP website they can contact NEIEP at support@neiep.org or Business Manager John Driscoll Jr. at 216-431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org.

Seven Local 17 apprentices are eligible for the Mechanics Exam. Their window to take the exam is from February 8 through May 9.

Rick Myers will again be volunteering his time to assist apprentices with the review class. Along with Rick, Jerry and Tim who will be available for mentoring once the applicant enrolls in CE025. Applicants are strongly encouraged to take full advantage of the guidance opportunities available for the exam.

The Scaffold and Access Industry Association (SAIA) is allowing those currently holding scaffolding cards to renew them online. This does not apply to instructor renewals or new certifications. If you are in need of renewal, contact John at the hall for further information on how to apply.

IUEC Local 17 has multiple members quarantined due to COVID or COVID exposure over the last several months. The IUEC offers a 14-day quarantine income during the time a member is off. For more information go to iuec.org and search COVID resources for the links to the International offerings.

Work for the elevator constructors is currently strong with several major projects underway. There are currently four mechanics from Houston working on the MetroHealth project going up on the main campus as well as several members of Local 45 (Akron) in the jurisdiction.

There is a concern for a downturn in the trades as the initial ripple effects of the shutdowns across America reach to projects where funding would have been available and breaking ground in the coming year. This concern may not be unfounded as the initial effects of the 2008 meltdown hit the trades in 2010 but did not fully pass until the 2016 timeframe when pent-up demand drove our current work situation.

A wise approach heading forward is to monitor your personal financial situation and be ready to make adjustments as needed to weather any storm heading our way. NEIEP offers a personal financial planning continuing educational class through its website, neiep.org. Login with your ID and search out the continuing education courses to signup.

The Brothers and Sisters of Local 17 extend their condolences to the family of retired Brother Bob Hess Sr. who passed away December 16.

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

Until next month…

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don
DKnapik@windstream.net