Category: Elevator Constructor

Brothers and sisters:

The brothers and sisters of Local 17 wish a Happy New Year to everyone in the IUEC family. If you are interested in seeing the local’s year in pictures then, please feel free to visit the website iueclocal17.org and click on the galleries page. It is filled with photos of our members and their families enjoying the best of what it means to be part of the IUEC family.

There are numerous continuing education opportunities available to Local 17 members this new year. The weeks of January 19th and 23rd there will be a welding class held at the world headquarters of Lincoln Electric in Euclid. The class is four hours a night for two weeks and can lead to 3G and 4G certification. There is a refundable deposit of $500 required for the class which fills up on a first come, first served basis. If you want to be part of this, contact Business Manager Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088 or email him at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org.

The hydraulic controller theory and troubleshooting class is back and will be again taught by John Taylor. It is a four week class and will be taught on Tuesday nights. It is a great way for new or veteran mechanics to sharpen their troubleshooting skills in a controlled environment.

Anyone that took the scaffolding class three years ago, your certification is up and needs to be renewed with the upcoming scaffolding class. If you did not take the class, it is a great opportunity to get certified in this very important phase of the business. If you are interested in taking advantage of these two continuing education opportunities, then contact Tim at the Hall.

On November 19th, Local 17 hosted Jimmy Dimmel and Joe Rapine from the Elevator Industry Work Preservation Fund. The two brothers did a fantastic job with the Training Education Activist Membership (TEAM) class which covered the history of organized labor and how the IUEC fits into that history. The four-hour class was one of the fastest and most engaging four hours I have ever spent.

It was the equivalent of attempting to take a drink of water from a fire hose.

Personally, one of the most searing images was the photo of flag-bearing immigrant strikers facing down police who had bayonets fixed and leveled. The next day I went over my mom’s house for dinner and told her about the class. She told me the story of the 1937 steel strike here in Cleveland where she, at seven years-old, witnessed Pinkertons beating strikers, how her father stopping a “cop” from beating one to death and how that was the image she took with her every day into the labor movement.

Never, ever, ever forget that good, brave men, women and children bled the factory floors and picket lines red from wall to wall and curb to curb for everything we have today.

It is on the shoulders of these giants we stand.

Where are they working?

Gerard Szemerkovsky and Craig Nolty installing an elevator in Hubbard, Ohio for Otis,

Joe Broz and Dave Adrian doing a jack at Granada Garden for Thyssen,

Shawn Yatsko and Joe Sumph doing mod work at Lake Park Tower for Schindler,

Clint Williams and Heath Kramer doing a door mod at Progressive Field for Kone,

Tom Gombar and Tim Moore doing escalator clean downs at South Park Mall for Kone,

Jeff Ward and Nick Meyer doing a Jack at Great Northern for Thyssen,

Gary Thompson and Ryan Todd doing a mod at Highland Square for Schindler,

John Logue and Steve Keating doing a mod at Lutheran Hospital for Otis.

As of this writing there are 15 mechanics and two apprentices on the bench.

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

Don
DKnapik@windstream.net

Brothers and sisters:

As many of you know Local 17 has not and will not be picketing the Board of Elections renovation job. This does not mean that our organizing effort is over, in fact, it means that the Volunteer Organizing Committee is moving in the right direction. The VOC was formed a little over a year ago to educate our unorganized brothers and sisters about the advantages of being a part of the best union in the trades and offer them a path to membership. Many hours were spent early on educating the members of the committee about the NLRA and other laws regulating organizing. Believe me when I tell you the decision to not picket was received in all quarters with a variety of reactions. Ultimately it allows us to continue on the path we originally started.

The purpose of the VOC is to see that every elevator constructor working in our jurisdiction has the best wages, benefits and working conditions in the trades. Until all our unorganized brothers and sisters join the IUEC that mission will not be complete.

Congratulations to Tom Peska for passing the Mechanics Exam. I have said here many times that the mechanics test is the only unbiased evaluation of a member’s knowledge they will have. It also is the end of the easy part of their career in the trade. The successful completion of the job and the safety of all those involved now falls on their shoulders.

One very important thing to remember is that education in this trade is a never ending task. Local 17 has a signup sheet for a scaffolding class and is putting together a welding class for the weeks of January 12th and 19th. If you are interested in either of these continuing education opportunities, please contact Business Manager Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088 or email him at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org. NEIEP also offers many continuing education classes through its website neiep.org.

The December 12th and January 9th union meetings are mandatory meetings for the election and installation of officers. Meetings start at 6 pm and are held at the hall located at 3250 Euclid Avenue.
The Local 17 Children’s Christmas Party will be held this year on December 6th at the hall. The festivities start at 1 pm and feature a visit by Santa Clause and family-oriented entertainment. This is a great opportunity to mix with members and friends from other companies and their families.

Where are they working?

 

Jeff Ward and Nick Meyer replacing a machine at Erie Square Apartments,
Gary Thompson and Ryan Todd doing a mod at Highland Square in Akron for Schindler,
Tom Kelly and Mark Mehnert doing service work at the Stokes Office Building for Otis,
Drew Williams and Lem Hurd doing a mod at Case Parking garage for Thyssen,
Jim Thompson and Joe Simcic doing a mod at South Point Parking Garage for Otis,
John Brunner and Jim Rogers installing a three-stop car at Wiggins Place for Schindler,
Dennis Dixon and Ric Supinski doing a mod at Moreland Courts for KONE,
Jason Fredrick and Bob Garman doing a mod at Reserve Square for Thyssen,
Jason Sohayda and Steve Keating doing a mod at Willoughby Library for Otis,
Dave Gnagy and Matt Harden doing a mod at Shoregate Towers for Ross Elevator,
Shawn Yatsko and Joe Sumph doing a mod at 1717 for Schindler,
Mark Byram and an Akron helper doing a two-car mod at Wadsworth Towers for Schindler,
John Patton doing retrofit work in Akron for KONE,
Jerry Szemerkovsky and Craig Nolty at Akron Children’s Hospital for Otis.

The Brothers of Local 17 send their condolences to the family of retired Brother Tom Ross who passed away September 30. Tom was the founder of Ross Elevator.

As of this writing there are 14 mechanics and one apprentice on the bench.

 

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

 

Don
DKnapik@windstream.net

Brothers and sisters:

 

In the time I have been fortunate enough to be your correspondent to the Constructor and the Labor Citizen, I have at times shared too much about my personal life. It’s not about my adventures with Murray or the restoration of Bridget, it’s the revelations about my familial life that causes pause around my dinner table.

 

When my wife was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in April of 2005 her doctors prescribed interferon as a way of slowing the progression of her disease. In 2013 the benefits office paid $70,500 just for the interferon and other medications to treat her symptoms. Over the course of the last ten years, a conservative estimate puts the payout for her medication, doctor’s bills and testing at about $750,000. How many members have a million dollar spouse or child?

 

She is why I get up in the morning. She is why I do all the overtime I do. She is why I do what I do for the union.

 

As this issue of the Elevator Constructor goes to print, Local 17 is preparing for its picket of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections renovation. This action is something that the Local and Volunteer Organizing Committee have not taken lightly and has been a long time coming.

 

Gable has been operating for years in the home market and was not much of a rival until recently hiring away a salesman from Thyssen who took away enough work that Thyssen dropped a route. They have also been chipping away at Kone, Schindler and Otis, both here and in Local 45, with varying degrees of success. For many years on some construction jobs, the elevator constructors were the only organized trade on the job, now Gable will be the only unorganized company on the BOE job.

 

After the last VOC meeting, the question came up whether the card we all carry in our pockets is worth fighting for. Is it worth fighting for every retiree that came before us? Is it worth fighting so every wife; son and daughter can live a good healthy life without fear of financial catastrophe for seeking out medical professionals? Is it worth fighting for the people that fight for us? Is it worth fighting the lies that have been fed about unions and union membership? Is it worth all the effort to bring the unorganized into the fold? Can you honestly look into the eyes of your loved ones and tell them that they are not worth the fight?

 

You know where I stand.

 

Now stand with me.

 

On Wednesday, November 19th, Brothers Jimmie Dimmel and Joe Rapine from Work Preservation will be in town to give a presentation about the history of the IUEC and the struggles of the trade unions. The presentation starts at 5 pm at the school located at East 24th and Superior Avenue.

 

Where are they working?

 

Tom Gombar and Tim Moore at Life Care doing a door mod for Kone,

Jim Thompson and Joe Simcic doing a mod at South Pointe for Otis

John Goggin and Mike Hogan doing service work at the Hoyt Building for Schindler,

Dennis Dixon and Chris DeJesus doing a mod at Moreland Courts for Kone,

Gary Thompson and Ran Todd doing a mod at 1717 parking garage for Schindler,

Kevin Thomas and Pat McCann at Max Hayes installing a hydro for Schindler,

Joe Broz and Todd Kemp doing service work at the Solon Club Apartments for Thyssen,

Ken Bowles and Lucas Jenke at Hillcrest Hospital installing two cars for Otis,

Bill Yuhas and Kevin Driscoll installing three cars at Upper Chester Housing for Thyssen.

 

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

 

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

 

Don
DKnapik@windstream.net

Brothers and sisters:

We work in a trade that requires all of us to interact with others either directly or indirectly to accomplish the goal of providing the best possible outcome for our customers. For those of us working in construction, modernization or service, this means a partner (mechanic or apprentice) that we rely on to accurately communicate what is going on, be a second set of eyes for safety issues and perform tasks to move the job along to completion.

This is how we define team work.

I attended the 2014 Cleveland Building and Construction Trades softball tournament and, even though our men in blue took another early exit, it served as a real lesson in what disparate individuals can accomplish when working together. Think about what it takes to be successful in any team endeavor: First, everyone knows what their part is; second everyone knows their teammates part, third; they can make adjustments on the fly to compensate for changing conditions and last they all are focused on both the short term tasks and long term goals. These four factors really came to light when watching softball teams that had been together for a time play versus the teams that were obviously cobbled together at the last minute. There was a precision in their movements and certainty in the outcome.

So, how does this apply to the elevator trade….

When two or more people are working on a job, whether it is small or large, everyone needs to know their part, know what their partner is doing, make adjustments for changing work conditions and be focused on achieving the best outcome. This does take time working together to learn how your partner works, how to communicate with them and the best way to deal with their personality.

When a superintendent shuffles teams around the efficiency of the operation can suffer because everyone has to relearn their part. About a year ago I was teamed for the first time with a newer mechanic. Our task was to do repacks on inverted jacks, no small feat given the hurdles the engineers placed in our way. The first day was spent relearning how to do the task and learning how my new partner worked. The second went better as we both grew accustomed to the others work style until the end of the week when we just did the job and actually had time at the end of the day to relax. This was team work, plain and simple.

Trying to work with difficult partners makes an already hard job even harder. Lack of communication, different work styles and personalities are all hurdles we must overcome. I have no magic answer on the best way to deal with this issue except to remind you that to someone you may be the difficult person to work with.

How would you deal with you?

Please keep in mind that the November 14, December 12 and January 9 meetings for the nomination, election and installation of officers are mandatory required meetings for all members of Local 17. If you cannot attended or have an accepted reason for not attending you must give notice to the hall prior to the meeting. All meetings start at 6 pm at 3250 Euclid Avenue.

Apprentices must have their JATC forms up to date or risk being called in front of the board to explain why. If you are in need of additional forms, contact Tim.

Everyone is reminded that when they are on a new construction, modernization or service job that lasts more than two days, they are required to call the hall to report their location.

Brothers and sisters,

On August 25th the Volunteer Organizing Committee hand billed the new Cleveland Institute of Art dormitories in the Uptown development on Euclid between Mayfield and East 117th Street with our message of elevator safety. This is the sixth location the VOC has hand billed since its initial drop at East Fourth Street. The property was developed by MRN and constructed largely with unorganized labor.

The VOC and Local 17 continues to extend its gratitude to everyone who has called the hall about unorganized elevator companies working on their job. If you have or suspect you have a non-signatory elevator company working on your job you can contact Business Manager Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088. The signatory contractors to Local 17 are Kone, Maximum, Otis, Schindler, Thyssen and Ross.

Please keep in mind that the November 14, December 12 and January 9 meetings for the nomination, election and installation of officers are mandatory required meetings for all members of IUEC Local 17. If you cannot attended or have an accepted reason for not attending you must give notice to the hall prior to the meeting. All meetings start at 6 pm at 3250 Euclid Avenue.

Apprentices must have their JATC forms up to date or risk being called in front of the board to explain why. If you are in need of additional forms, contact Business Manager Tim Moennich.

Everyone is reminded that when they are on a new construction, modernization or service job that lasts more than two days, they are required to call the hall to report their location.

Brothers and sisters:

Two years ago my wife Regina and I spent a week wandering around the Boston area. In the process we discovered Cape Anne and the absolute quintessential New England town of Rockport, Massachusetts. When people picture a New England seaside town they picture Rockport. I stood at the tip of Cape Anne and could see up the rocky coast all the way to Maine and said to myself “I want to ride that.” Over the July 4th week, my bike Murray and I spent three days traveling along a coastal route from Boston to Portland, Maine through Cape Anne.

We rode the Lake Shore Limited out of Cleveland early on the morning of June 29th. On the train I met a man who was very active in the Cleveland music scene in the late 70’s and early 80’s returning to New York City from the College World Series as well as a Indian national trying to do his medical residency in the US.

In Rockport the hotel clerk was from Alliance, Ohio. We talked about the irony of running into someone from our backyards so far from home. He pointed me to Roy Moore’s Lobster Company where I had dinner with a couple from New Jersey on their way to Maine to visit her brother. We laughed, drank and ate lobster that was literally pulled directly from the ocean that afternoon.

After arriving in Portsmouth, Hew Hampshire and watching the US World Cup team go down in defeat, I found a coffee shop and spent part of my evening talking with a group coming out of their AA meeting. The following day I ate lunch in Kennebunkport, Maine and talked with a man about how crazy the world seemed lately. I arrived in Portland late that afternoon greeted by a rain storm and found out about the hurricane chasing me up the coast.

Early on the morning of July 3rd, I boarded the Downeaster headed for Boston and my long train ride home. On the Lakeshore Limited westbound I sat with a lawyer and we talked all the way to Pittsfield. The conversation we had covered a gamut of subjects from law to politics, nature watching and family relationships. As I sat and listened it seemed like this man lived the life I could have lived had I made different life choices. I am very happy with my life and who I am now versus who I was years ago. The question I ask now is the same question I posed years ago after my trip to Buffalo: “if I had taken Route 5 instead of 20 or turned left instead of right, what would I have found?” The answer is a different life.

It just goes to show – you never know who you are going to meet on a train.

Where are they working?

Jeff Lindell, Heath Kramer, Brendan Hyland, Matt Haussler, Keith Poscocil and

Dave Collins working at the Browns Stadium for Kone,

Dennis Dixon and Anthony Young doing a mod at Cliff Towers for Kone,

Scott Hicks and Taurus Ogletree installing a two-stop car at the Strongsville Giant Eagle for Schindler,

John Brunner and Jim Rogers installing three cars at Rocky River Apartments for Schindler,

Chris Scholle and Tom Lane doing a mod at Granada Apartments for Kone,

Ed Gimmel and Brian Owens doing a door mod at Terrace Towers for Schindler,

Shawn Yatsko and Joe Sumph doing a mod at Shaker Towers for Schindler,

Gerard Szemerkovsky and Craig Nolty installing a two-stop hydro at Honda House for Otis,

Dave Francis and Greg Seaman doing a mod at Notre Dame College for Schindler,

John Patton and Tom Gombar at Presidential Apartments for Kone.

Brothers and sisters:

By the time you read this I will be involved in another cycling adventure. In 2009, I took to the road and found myself after four days with a swollen knee and strained patellar tendon headed back to Elyria from Buffalo, New York on the Lakeshore Limited. In 2012 I battled headwinds, boredom and pure exhaustion on my way to South Bend, Indiana and relaxed on the Capitol Limited all the way home.

I learned a lot on those two trips. On my way to Buffalo I learned about appreciating the freedom of the road, don’t believe everything you see, how we overcome adversity defines us as individuals and there can be accomplishment in failure. South Bend served up lessons in living in the moment, expecting the unexpected and being open to the kindness of strangers.

Part of the reason I take these trips is as a challenge to reach a goal or destination. Another reason is it gives me personal time to reflect on the past and look forward to the future. There is a beauty to the solitude of a bike ride and those I meet along the way add to my understanding of the human experience. When I return, it is with a deeper appreciation for the company of my family, friends and the others with whom I share my daily journey.

On May 16th, Local 17 had its Retiree’s Dinner at Frank Sterle’s Slovenian House Restaurant. I truly enjoy this event because it bridges the past (retirees) with the present (members in the middle of their careers) and the future (our first and second year apprentices). Every year I look around and see fewer and fewer faces of the older retirees and younger faces joining their ranks. Some are not there because of illness, others because they can’t make it on their own and others because they’re not with us anymore.

These are the men that we look to as examples of good Elevator Men and good Union Men. I know I will feel sad when it is my time to get a free dinner and some of the faces I look at as peers will no longer be there to share the meal. This is the inevitable passing of the torch from one generation to the next.

Of all the paths I could have chosen, of all the lives I could have led, I cannot think of one that gives me greater joy. My experiences with the IUEC, Local 17, my close family and those few I call friend are the reason I stick around to see how this whole life thing turns out.

Where are they working?

Scott Hicks and Taurus Ogletree at Bass Temple installing a two-stop hydro for Schindler,

Joe Chaykosky and Greg Miller doing service work at the West side Market for Maximum,

Gary Thompson, Jim Archer, Tom Peska and Ryan Todd working the mod at the East Ohio Gass Building for Schindler,

Denny Dixon and Brendan Hyland doing a valve replacement in Alliance for Kone,

Dave Hess and Dave Adrian doing a mod at Westin for Thyssen,

John Patton and Tom Gombar doing a jack at Presidential Apartments for Kone,

Jim Thompson and Jeff Ward doing a mod at South Point Hospital for Otis,
Bob Myer and Paul Scheutzow doing a three-car mod at 75 Erieview for Kone,

Kevin Gallagher is doing escalator repair work at the airport for Kone.

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

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

Don
DKnapik@windstream.net

Brothers and sisters:
By the time this goes to press the mid-term primaries for the Congressional and State legislatures will be over and the battle lines drawn for the coming November clash. I hope that everyone reading this that was eligible to vote in the May 6th primary exercised their right of franchise.

The race for Ohio Governor is between Republican incumbent John Kasich and Cuyahoga County Executive Ed Fitzgerald. Kasich is best remembered by those familiar with this space as trying to strip our organized brothers and sisters in the public sector of their collective bargaining rights with his ill-fated Senate Bill 5 initiative. Organized labor in Ohio spoke loud and clear that we stand united against anyone that tries to limit the right of any workers to organize and collectively bargain. More importantly for private sector workers like those in the trades, the right-to-work-for-less crowd was shot down by the huge margin of defeat the pro-SB5ers experienced at the polls.

As in all circumstances, vigilance in maintaining ones rights is paramount to a democracy. It is no secret that if Kasich is reelected in November, with lame duck status assured for four years, he will actively seek to turn Ohio into the next RTWFL state. This is a situation that everyone in organized labor must work diligently to hold at bay. This is why we must keep labor’s interests front and center in the political discussion. It is not about yelling at the top of your lungs to be heard above the din, it is about speaking quietly to the hearts of those around you to realize that, organized or not, we all are stronger when we stand together.

I would encourage everyone reading this to look into becoming part of the National Elevator Constructor Political Action Committee. This committee is charged with supporting candidates for office that support labor and our goals.

Where are they working?

DJ Spring and Joe Simcic installing three cars at 1010 Euclid for Otis,

Matt Weingart and Mark Carollo installing an escalator at the Racino inYoungstown for Schindler,

Bill Sellers and Tim Gibbons doing a jack job at University Hospital Mayfield for Schindler,

Kevin Thomas and Pat McCann installing an elevator at Maple Heights Senior Center for Thyssen,

Greg Seaman and Chris DeJesus doing a two-car mod at Lake Park Tower,

Jeff Ford and Jean Lafontaine doing service work at Jane Adams for Kone,

Bob Myers and Paul Scheutzow doing a three-car mod at 75 Erieview for Kone,

Tom Kelly and Mark Mehnart doing a jack at Renaissance for Otis,

Mark Byram, Chris Wyant, Robin Eaton and Max Desotell doing a four-car mod at Gateway North Parking for Schindler,

Jim Ehrbar and Tim Moore at Ameritrust for Thyssen,

Joe Chaykosky and Greg Miller are doing repair work at the West Side Market for Maximum,

Jerry Szemerkovsky and Craig Nolty doing a four-car mod at Commerce Park for Otis and,

Denny Dixon and Brendan Hyland doing a two-car mod at Bratenhal Place for Kone,

 

The local extends its condolences to the family of Brother Bob Kobasic who lost his father Ed. We also send out condolences to Brother Jim Goggin on the unexpected passing of his son James. James was a recently inducted as a member of Local 45 (Akron). James’ brother Tom and uncle John are members of Local 17.

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

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

Don
DKnapik@windstream.net