Category: Cleveland Citizen

Brothers and sisters:

The IUEC Local 17 apprentices are done with the spring semester and enjoying the break until class resumes on August 10. If all goes well, there will be three apprentices eligible to take the Mechanics Exam this fall. For those who are preparing for the test remember this: it is the only unbiased evaluation of your knowledge of the trade you will ever receive. Study hard and continue learning. It is the only way to guarantee you will remain valuable to your employer.

There is a sign up sheet for both CPR and welding classes. The CPR class is a valuable tool you hope you will never need use. Taking the class will give you the confidence you may need to remain calm in an emergency situation and it may save a life. The welding class is the some one offered through NEIEP and taught at the world headquarters of Lincoln Electric in Euclid, Ohio. The class give you the opportunity to gain certification in 3G and 4G welding. If you are interested in either of these educational opportunities or would like see a particular continuing education class taught, contact Business Manager Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088 or email him at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org.

The major story at the June meeting was the presentation by IUEC International Organizer Steve Bruno on the state of organizing across the International. Bruno broke down the organizing efforts of the International by region and local.

The top of the list was Madison, Wisconsin with only one non-signatory accounting for only a handful of units giving the local almost 100% control. Cleveland was close to the national average of 84% but, Akron Local 45 did not fare as well and had a market share that put it in the red. The major source of the drop off was the increased aggressiveness of non-signatory Gable Elevator in the Akron market.

According to Bruno, the International is looking to add ten members to the organizing staff with six to eight additional organizers on the road. This is will allow the existing organizers to concentrate their efforts on key personnel or companies that can be signed. The remaining two to four positions would be support for the field organizers.

“The whole key to organizing and what we do at the International,” Bruno started “is to make things better for having been here.”

On June 29, the Local 17 Volunteer Organizing Committee hand billed the East Fourth Street entertainment area. While the crowd was light for a Wednesday, there was a good response from the residents of the district to our hand bill. We were joined in our efforts by four probationary members and one of our honored retirees. This is the first handbill the VOC has done this year and the first since our efforts at CMHA Riverview.

The VOC would like to thank all the tradesmen that have called the hall when finding a non-signatory on their job. Your efforts make our goal to bring these unorganized workers into the best trade in the trades possible. A list of IUEC Local 17 signatories is at the end of every article.

Members and their families can expect to see a letter from American Income Life Insurance arriving soon in their mail. AIL is an organized company that offers insurance products to union member households. You are under no obligation to speak with a representative unless you are interested in purchasing a policy or making changes to an existing policy.

The members of IUEC Local 17 send their condolences to the families of retired Brother Eddy Ference who passed away May 25th and retired Brother Tom Carey who lost his wife the first week of June.

As of this writing the bench is clear.

Brothers and sisters:

IUEC Local 17 recently completed the application process for the new apprenticeship list. 253 people requested applications and the Joint Apprenticeship Committee did over 130 interviews. All those who went through the process should be receiving their slotting letters shortly.

In comparison, Local 2 (Chicago) set a limit of 1000 applicants for its most recent apprenticeship list and received 1014 requests in only an hour and a half. Local 2 has 1261 members and twelve mechanics on the bench at this time.

NEIEP has a new Certified Signal Person and Rigger Level 1 and 2 course available online at neiep,org for all journeyman constructors. The prep course is eight to ten hours online and NEIEP recommends that students also enroll in the 20 hour classroom course in practical rigging. The certification test is a multiple choice exam that takes approximately an hour and a half to complete. In the practical exam, the student has to demonstrate 21 different hand signals in a variety of rigging scenarios that will take about two and a half hours to complete. This is an ANSI approved course and the certification card is good for three years.

Rick Myers is again teaching the First Aid and CPR class. If you are interested or missed the class before, contact Business Manager Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088 or email him at TMoennich@iueclcal17.org.

Local 17 is also looking for NEIEP instructors for the apprenticeship program. If you are interested, contact Tim.

The Annual IUEC Local 17 Golf Outing will be held on August 20th at Emerald Woods Golf Course,12501 North Boone Road, Columbia Station. This is always a well attended event and is a great time for active and retired members and their guests. Expect a 9 AM tee time. Cost and other details will follow as soon as they are available.

Work has been strong for Local 17 and many of our neighboring Locals share that wealth. Local 10 (Washington DC) has 1169 members with 34 mechanics and four apprentices on the bench with 42 probationaries working. Local 34 (Indianapolis) has only one member out of work. Locals 44 (Toledo), 45 (Akron), 37 (Columbus) and 11 (Cincinnati) all report full employment. Local 36 (Detroit) is at full employment and recently signed Great Lakes Elevator. Great Lakes is currently at the Bradley Building in downtown Cleveland doing a one car modernization.

The Brothers and Sisters of Local 17 send their condolences to the family of retires Brother Bernie Pfriem who recently passed away.

As of this writing the bench is clear.

Brothers and Sisters:

On March 24th the application process for Local 17’s apprenticeship list closed with 253 people requesting applications. The testing is complete and at publication time we should be deep into the interviewing. Best of luck to all those looking to join the best trade in the trades.

NEIEP is getting set to release a virtual hydraulic controller lab similar to the first person games available on gaming consoles. The purpose is to immerse the student in as close to an actual troubleshooting experience as possible. Students will be greeted by a virtual character that will explain the problem and leave it up to the students to troubleshoot the problem. The student will be able to move freely through the environment, use a meter and remove wires just as they would in a real life experience.

This virtual lab will be introduced in three phases. First as a classroom version that instructors can use as part of their classroom experience. The second will be a stand alone course that students can take at home and finally a version will be used as part of the practical assessment toward qualifying for the mechanics exam.

Please take a minute on your next work day to check that all the components of your personal fall arrest system are compatible and rated for the proper capacity. If you have any questions, please contact your supervisor to obtain the proper equipment. It might just save your life.

With the 31st General Convention coming up in July and the current contract a little over a year away from negotiations, the International would like to remind everyone to start to save your money in the event there is a job action. You can never be too prepared.

On May 5th, the Elevator Industry Work Preservation Fund hosted a meeting for our signatory companies to learn about funds available to assist them in recovering units from non-signatory companies and the RLP program to assist them in gaining residential elevator installations.

The EIWPF is a cooperative organization of the IUEC and signatory companies to establish safe work practices for new hires, elevator code committees and standards, QEI training and programs designed to assist member companies to maintain market share. To find out more you can visit the website eiwpf.org either directly or through the link provided on the Local 17 website iueclocal17.org.

Part of being a good tradesman is doing good in your community. Honoring veterans has always been a large part of the American experience. This has never been truer than in the post 9/11 era. IUEC Local 5 (Philadelphia) established a charity called “Lift For A Veteran” to install elevators, stair lifts and wheel chair lifts in the homes of disabled veterans. The charity partnered with Federal Elevator, a Local 5 signatory, to purchase the lifts at cost and then have local members volunteer to install and maintain the equipment. As word of their mission spread they have completed jobs all over the country. For more information on the program go to the local’s website, iuec5.com, and click on the Lift For A Vet tab on the left side of the home page.

Last year the Local 17 Volunteer Organizing Committee handbilled the CMHA Riverside Apartment building when it learned that the government agency was leaning to awarding a contract for the elevator modernization to non-signatory Gable Elevator. Recently, Gable made news after Cleveland Fire responded twice to reports of people trapped in elevators at the 15-story building. To hear the report done by WEWS News Channel 5 reporter Jonathan Walsh go to newsnet5.com and search CMHA elevator problems.

The Volunteer Organizing Committee is thankful to everyone who has taken the time to talk with workers from non-signatory companies about the advantages of union membership. Organizing is an ongoing process and your efforts are appreciated. If you see a non-signatory company working on your job, please feel free to contact Business Manager Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088 or email him at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org. A list of IUEC Local 17 signatory companies is at the end of this article.

The Brothers and sisters of IUEC Local 17 send their condolences to the family of Larry Jarrett Sr. who passed away March 10.

As of this writing the bench is clear.

Brothers and sisters:

The recruitment for the Local is closed. As of March 9th we had 123 people request applications for the apprenticeship program. The applicants are graded on a written and tool aptitude test and an oral interview. All applicants will be slotted according to the results and offered employment in the order of their ranking. Best of luck to all that apply.

The bench is clear and IUEC Local 17 has 24 probationary apprentices working in the Cleveland area.

Instructor John Taylor is currently teaching a class on solid state motor control. The class covers the theory and application of these ubiquitous pieces of equipment and attempts to demystify their operation.

Brother Rick Myers is teaching a combined first aid and CPR class in one night. The goal is to give the student the knowledge to safely assess and react in an emergency situation. The class covers the how to do CPR and use an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED). If you are interested in this or any other class, contact Business Manager Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088 or email him at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org.

In February, two IUEC members lost their lives in on the job accidents. Brother Eric Martel, Local 89 (Quebec) lost his life in an escalator accident. The 28-year-old leaves behind a wife 13-weeks pregnant with their first child. Local 89 started a GoFundMe page for Martel and his family. On February 24, Brother Brent Hutchins, Local 79 (Little Rock), was killed doing preventative maintenance at the University of Arkansas Medical Center. He worked for Schindler and he leaves behind a wife, 12 year-old daughter and six year-old son.

Nothing else is known about these fatalities at this time. I encourage all those reading this piece to take a few minutes and search for the article “In the Shadow of the Super Bowl” by Lars Anderson which was reprinted in the March issues of the IUEC’s journal, The Elevator Constructor. The article covers the death during the construction of Levi Stadium, the home of the 49er’s, of Schindler mechanic Don White. The article is not about him per se but, about the affect of his death, both immediate and almost a year out, on his family and those closest to him. It is a powerful insight into the dangers that all who work in the skilled trades face and the consequences to those we leave behind. In my humble opinion, it should be required reading for all in the trades.

The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections is rolling out a messaging tool for those who wish to vote by mail. The service, VoterNotify, is designed to keep the voter informed on events with their request to vote by mail including when the ballots are mailed out to the voter and received by the Board, alerts about possible issues with the ballot and reminders on when to have the ballot returned. For more information go to voternotify.i3ballot.net.

In case you haven’t noticed, there is an election coming up in November and Cleveland is going to be center stage in the fight over who the Republican Party will send to the ballot. As long as Governor John Kasich is in the fight, do not look for the state GOP majority to take on any controversial issues that would cast the governor is a bad light with the general public. The time to watch is going to be after the election and going forward into the new term when anti-labor legislation like Right-To-Work-For-Less and language banning project labor agreements can come to the forefront once again.

One way that labor has sought to fight this battle is through Community Benefit Agreements (CBA) that outline what the community receives relating to project development. These benefits could be local or minority employment on the job, woman or minority owned business involvement or any number of benefits. As of January there are eighteen construction projects totaling $1.8 Billion in investment embracing this CBA concept. This puts all members of the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades in the mix and serves to benefit all of the organized trades.

Regardless whether your state and local representative is a D or an R, pay attention to how they vote on labor related issues. If you don’t know, find out.

There is still time to get your reservation in for the Annual Local 17 Retiree’s Dinner to be held on May 20th at Frank Sterle’s Slovenian House Restaurant, 1401 East 55th Street. Festivities start at 5:30 with food served at 6:30. All members, active and retired, are invited to attend. The cost at the door is $30 for active members and retirees are free. Contact Entertainment Chairman Bill Yuhas or Business Manager Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088 or email Tim at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org.

IUEC Local 17 from now through March 24th is accepting applications to its apprenticeship program. The process is started online by filling out an application through the National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP) website, neiep.org, click on Careers and then the link in the Apprenticeship opportunities. There is also a link on the local’s website, iueclocal17.org.

Applicants must be 18 years old, have a high school diploma or GED equivalent along with official transcripts or test results. All applicants must pass an examination designed to test their knowledge of reading and math skills and a tool assessment designed to asses their knowledge of basic tools and their use along with measuring skills. All applicants must be capable of performing the physical requirements of the job with posing a threat to themselves or the health and safety of others. Everyone must have a photo ID present during al phases of the process.

If you have any questions, please contact Area Coordinator Jeff Burns at JBurns@neiep.org or call Business Manager Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088.

At the IUEC regional meeting, General President Frank Christensen, who along with the other general officers visited Local 17 in December, reported that the union controls 84 percent of all the elevator work in the US and one of their top priorities is to increase organizing efforts by adding six more organizers to the nine currently serving the US and Canada. Over the last three years, the IUEC organized 300 new members.

One of the main draws of the union is the fact that elevator constructors have consistently placed as the top blue collar job over the last six years.

Also at the meeting, Work Preservation Director Allen Spears talked about the lift designed in conjunction with Canton Elevator. The unit is designed for the home market and representatives of Work Preservation have been working with independent signatories to market these units at home and flower shoes to the general public. The IUEC sees this as a growing market with the greying of America and the desires of older Americans to stay in their homes as long as possible.

On Friday, May 20th, Local 17 is honoring its retired members at Frank Sterle’s Slovenian Restaurant, 1401 East 55th Street, Cleveland at the Annual Retirees Dinner. Refreshments start at 5:30 pm and dinner is served at 6:30 pm. The cost remains at $30 per person and will include a family style dinner. For more information, please contact Entertainment Chairman Bill Yuhas or Business Manager Tim Moennich no later than May 1st to secure your spot at this always well attended event.

Any Local 17 member wishing to submit a resolution to the 31st General Convention in July must have their resolution submitted to Tim as soon as possible. The deadline for resolutions to be submitted to the International is Tuesday, April 12, 2016. You can email your resolution to Tim at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org.

The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 880 is asking the support of all Local 17 and Cleveland area union members to not shop at non-signatory companies such as Marc’s, Walgreen’s, BJ’s, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Save-A-Lot and Aldi’s. UFCW Local 880 recommends supporting organized brothers and sisters by shopping at Giant Eagle, Heinen’s, Dave’s, Acme, Zagara’s and CVS. For a list of all signatories email UFCW@ufcwlocal880.org.

As of this writing all members wishing to work are working.