Elevator Constructor – Page 12 – International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 17

May ’14 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and sisters:

Not that long ago, I was asked by another tradesmen what I disliked about my union. The question took me aback because he is a proud union member and stepped up when called upon by his local to do various things needed to further the movement.

I started by enumerating all the things the International does for us: the pension, annuity, 401K, NEIEP, Work Preservation and finally health and welfare. Then I spoke about the changes made at the International in the past couple of years and how it seemed like there was a fresh direction for the trade. I concluded that there was not very much to be dissatisfied with.

Then he pressed me. “Come on. It can’t all be sunshine, rainbows and unicorns? What is it you dislike?”

After thinking for a few moments I blurted out apathy. “Too many members take for granted what we have and are willing to take the benefits without helping to keep them.”

He lamented the same with his trade and said that all too often initiation night is the last time you see many of the members. Years ago I asked one of our current retirees why he never attended a meeting. He said “I don’t have to. I read the Constructor and the Citizen and they keep me up to date.” A time later his name came up for a gold card and it was voted down. When I asked some of the members why they voted no, the responses ranged from he was never at a meeting to he didn’t step forward to help anyone and, the most damning, nobody knew who he was.

What you read in the Constructor and the Labor Citizen is only a fraction of what goes on in the meetings. I am limited to 650 words in each publication. Sometimes it is impossible to capture what happens in that space.

In Local 17 we have a solid core of officers who work very hard to keep our local running. We also have a solid core of gold card retirees we can count on to attend the meetings and let their opinions be known. I am also proud to say that of our seven newest initiates, six are regular attendees and are actively taking part in local activities. What is missing are those between the initiates and the retirees.

There are many mechanics who patiently take the time to teach their apprentices the trade, support others by giving insight to a problem, run large and small jobs in a way that makes the company money and coming to work fun. These are who we reference and hold up as examples of good Elevator Men. These are also the men who need to be an even better example by their active participation in the local.

The member I spoke of did teach the trade to his helpers. He never ran a big job but, he made the company money on his smaller jobs. He was a good mechanic and his jobs ran well when they were completed. By this measure he was a good elevator man. On the other side, he never attended meetings, even the mandatory ones. Never took an interest in the union beyond what he was getting in the check. Never thought about getting involved and never really knew what was going on. Now he takes advantage of the pension, health and welfare benefits, all of which he earned for his time in the business even though he was not a good union man.

He did have a lot to offer the local in the way of leadership. Unfortunately his legacy will pass and his name will be forgotten.

It does not have to end like that.

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

Don
Dknapik@windstream.net

March ’14 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and sisters:

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all of those of Irish heritage and those that wish they were! Local 17 will be marching once again in the Cleveland St. Patrick’s Day Parade. We marshal for the event along Superior Avenue in the general area of the Plain Dealer building. The parade is a family friendly event. Whether your children are bottle fed or old enough to hold the bottle themselves, there is something there for everyone.

The annual Retirees Dinner for Local 17 has been changed to May 16^th. The event will still be held at Frank Sterle’s Slovenian Restaurant, 1401 East 55^th Street, Cleveland Ohio. The cost is $30 for active members and free for retirees. Please contact Entertainment Chairman Mike Hogan at m.hogan67@yahoo.com or Business Manager Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088 or TMoennich@iueclocal17.org for your reservations.

June 7^th Local 17 will hold the annual golf outing at Mallard Creek Golf Club, 34500 Royalton Road, Columbia Station. The cost this year is $100 dollars for a day filled with 18 holes of golf, food, prizes at an event that is the best way to start the summer. The deadline for reservations is May 23^rd. Contact Mike Hogan to make your reservations for this year’s event.

The new IRS mileage rate is 56 cents per mile effective January 1. This is a decrease of one-half cent a mile from 2013.

Otis recently agreed to stop shipping its flat travel cables with the jacket removed from the car side but may still strip the jacket from the controller side prior to being shipped for their MRL and hydraulic elevators. If you are on a job where you receive a travel cable that is stripped on both ends, contact Tim at the hall for a clarification on the agreement.

The Local 17 Volunteer Organizing Committee (VOC) was formed to organize the unorganized companies working in our area. If you know of a job that was taken over by a non-signatory company or where a non-signatory is working, call Tim at the hall. If you would like to be a part of the committee, contact Tim for the next meeting date.

Where are they working?

Gary Thompson and Ryan Todd finishing a mod at Statler Office Tower for Schindler,

Gerard Szemerkovsky and Craig Nolty installing a car at Orlando Bakery for Otis,

John Goggin and Mike Hogan doing escalator clean downs at the airport for Schindler,

Jim Thompson and Jeff Ward cabling at Key Tower for Otis,

Bill Yuhas and Kevin Driscoll installing an elevator at Case Western Reserve for Thyssen,

Tim Narowitz and Tony Kuhn doing a two-car mod at Southgate Towers for Thyssen,

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

Joe Broz, Jr. and Scott Erison doing a jack job at Point 5 for Thyssen,

John Patton and Tom Gombar doing a valve job at Highland Woods for Kone,

Bill Sellers and Tim Gibbons doing a mod at Victoria Plaza for Schindler,

Mark Byram and Eric Crossgrove installing escalators at the casino welcome center for Schindler,

Greg Seaman and Tom Peska at 1717 East 9th doing a mod for Schindler,

The members of Local 17 send their condolences to retired Brother Pete Nuccio whose wife recently passed away.

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

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety,

Don

DKnapik@windstream.net

February ’14 Constructor

There is a great book, a pamphlet really, written by E. Ronald Fishman titled “The Union Worker’s Bible.” In this small tome is a wealth of answers to some of the questions a brother or sister working in an unorganized company might ask as well as answers that we working in organized companies take for granted.

Because we take our benefits, retirement, wages and education in this great trade as a given it is easy to develop a disconnect as to what it means to be a good union member and what exactly it is that the IUEC does on our behalf. Here are some points to ponder.

The IUEC negotiates and enforces the contract. The contract is an agreement between the union and the companies that spells out wages, benefits and work rules and conditions that both sides must abide by. Without representation you would be at the mercy of the companies as to what they offer. In the second year of the current contract, the company pays $27.085 per hour on our behalf in benefits. How many people do you know in unorganized companies that make that as their hourly wage and then pay for their own benefits? Think about it.

Settles your grievances. When someone is unjustly disciplined, shorted on wages or benefits, or the company violates the work rules, the union stands behind its members in the same way an agent and legal team stands behind celebrities and sports figures when there is a contract dispute. If you worked in an unorganized company, you would have to hire your own attorney that may or may not be familiar with labor law. Do you really want to put your future in the hands of an amateur?

Organizes our unorganized brothers and sisters. The heart of any organization is its ability to grow. By organizing our unorganized brothers and sisters, the IUEC grows its membership, makes the life of the new members instantly better through wages, benefits and schooling through NEIEP. The companies, in exchange, gain access to new markets and a predicable cost structure for the term of the contract. It really is a win for everyone.

Provides insurances, retirement benefits, etc. If you come to the retiree’s dinner, talk to the former members about the quality of life they have in their retirement. Compare that to retirees that worked in offices or unorganized companies. There are several Local 17 members whose loved ones have been helped through the health benefits to the tune of several tens of thousands of dollars a year and there is at least one million dollar wife whose life was saved through the medical benefits we have. What would be the 80/20 copay on your medical benefits?

Supports fair labor legislation. Local 17, in conjunction with ACT OHIO and the International, is actively working to educate legislators about the evils of right-to-work-for-less and turning jobs that went non-union to employing a union workforce. We have had success on the local level with project labor agreements (PLAs) and prevailing wage laws to keep the bar high in Cleveland for all organized workers.

Keeps you informed about its activities. Local 17 has at least four opportunities to keep informed about what is going on. First is the Elevator Constructor, the magazine you are holding right now. Second is the Labor Citizen published by the North Shore Federation of Labor and distributed to union members in northern Ohio. Third is the local’s website, iueclocal17.org, which has news, photos, articles and the AFL-CIO RSS feed. Last, and most important, is to attend the union meetings. They are at 6 pm on the second Friday except for August.

Make it a point to be there.

The IUEC is your union. You will get out of it what you put into it.

Till next month,

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don

DKnapik@windstream.net

January ’14 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and sisters:

Happy New Year! On behalf the officers and members of Local 17, I pray that 2014 will be a year of blessings and prosperity for everyone in the International family.

Now… here’s what’s going on.

Instructor John Taylor is deep into his motor-generator class. This is an advanced version of the class we took through NEIEP as helpers/apprentices that goes much deeper into the relationship these two vital devices have in making an elevator operate safely.

The application process for the new hire list has been completed by the JATC and everyone who applied should have been notified by now of their position on the list. Best of luck to all those who had family and friends seeking employment in the trade.

The Elevator Contractors of America (ECA) signed a safety agreement with the IUEC that is the same as the Schindler agreement reached a couple of months ago. This draws the independent companies in line with the current safety trend. How long before Otis, Kone and Thyssen follow suit?

The big news at the November meeting was IUEC organizer Jim Lowery speaking to the body on the local’s efforts to organize Gable Elevator. He stressed that although our last effort to sign Gable to the IUEC met with a firm rebuke from their accountant, there were other avenues available to organize the company. To that end a Volunteer Organizing Committee (VOC) was formed in late November and is in the early organizational stages.

Lowery also touched on the joint efforts of Local 17’s Tim Moennich and Local 45 (Akron) Business Agent Dave Morrow to interest local signatories in the Industry Advancement Program (IAP) at a meeting held at Canton Elevator in Canton, Ohio. The IAP is a fund offered through the Elevator Industry Work Preservation Fund (EIWPF) that pays a signatory company a fee to help offset the difference between what an unorganized company can charge versus a signatory company. That fee is based on the type of unit (hydraulic, traction or handicapped lift) and is for a fixed period of time. There is also a program offered on the installation of home lifts, a market that is virtually non-existent for majors.

If you are interested in being a part of the effort to bring Gable and other unorganized companies into the IUEC fold, please contact Business Agent Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088 or TMoennich@iueclocal17.org.

Where are they working?

Mark Byram and Ryan Todd at the Casino installing two escalators for Schindler,

Joe Broz, Jr. and Dave Adrian installing roller guides at the V.A. Hospital for Thyssen,

Matt Pinchot and Al Ward doing a three car mod at Metro for Otis,

Jerry Szemerkovsky and Craig Nolty at Camp Bedford installing an elevator for Otis,

Ken Bowles and Lucas Jenke doing a mod at Helen S. Brown for Otis,

Don Knapik and Tim Gibbons doing full loads at East Ohio Gas for Schindler,

Jason Faber and Joe Gouker doing a door mod at Double Tree for Thyssen,

Don Kaiser and Eric Crossgrove cabling and doing full load tests at University Hospital,

John Goggin and Mike Hogan doing escalator clean downs at the airport for Schindler,

Matt Weingart and Taurus Ogletree installing a three stop elevator at Miles Point for Schindler,

John Patton and Tom Gombar at St. Vincent doing a jack job for Kone.

The brothers and sisters of Local 17 send their condolences to the family of Brother Richard Sotelo, Local 21 (Dallas/Ft. Worth), who was killed at an after-hours callback.

As of this writing there are 18 mechanics and three apprentices out of work.

Until next month,

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety,

Don

DKnapik@windstream.net

December ’13 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and sisters:

By the time this sees print the latest round of off-year elections will be over. I hope that every person reading this that was eligible to vote exercised their franchise. While the majority of the issues on the ballot were local and county issues, they are even more important because they have a larger impact on the quality of your everyday life than the hotly debated state and national issues.

Although Ohio went for President Obama in 2012, all the major state office holders and the majority of the Ohio House and Senate as well as the Congressional delegation are Republicans. The reason for the state and federal turn is a direct result of gerrymandering by the apportionment board making it even more vital to elect labor friendly candidates to whatever position possible.

To this end, Cleveland area labor leaders and ACT-Ohio director Matt Szollosi have been meeting with Ohio representatives to gauge which ones stand up for labor. Lorain Republican Gayle Manning is working on a plan to deal with Kroger going non-union on capital improvements at their stores and the John Marshal High School project was turned around adding $20 million of work for Cleveland building trade employers.

This is no longer a Democrats are good and Republicans are bad argument. There are those on what may be perceived as the “other side” that realize in order to stay an elected official, it is in their best interest to represent our best interest. We have one more year until the next state and congressional election so take the time to educate yourself about the issues and candidates. You may be surprised by the results.

The National Elevator Constructor Political Action Committee (NECPAC) was setup by the IUEC to support candidates and issues that affect our membership. It is funded by a voluntary check-off by the members and the money goes to candidates that support project labor agreements (PLA’s) and Davis-Bacon laws. There is a card in the back of the Standard Agreement to authorize the amount you wish to contribute. A donation of ten cents an hour is about $200 a year. If you have any questions or want to contribute, please contact Business Agent Tim Moennich.

Where are they working?

Don Knapik and Tim Gibbons doing service work for Schindler,

Joe Broz Jr. and Todd Belak at Rocky River Professional Building doing a jack for Thyssen,

Dave Francis and Mark Byram doing a three-car mod at Equity Trust for Schindler,

Charlie Donner and Randy Thompson dong a mod at Case for Thyssen,

Jason Sohayda and Steve Keating joined the crew at 900 Euclid for Otis,

Bill Sellers and Eric Crossgrove doing service work at Avon Lake Ford Plant for Schindler,

Bob Garman and Max Desotell installing an elevator at Mother Teresa’s Convent for Thyssen,

Scott Hicks and Mark Carollo installing two cars at Victory Building for Schindler,

Shawn Yatsko and Greg Seaman doing a two-car mod at Lake Park Tower for Schindler,

Ed Gimmel and Tony Karovich doing a door mod at Terrace Tower for Schindler,

Gerard Szmerkovsky and Craig Nolty installing a four-stop car at Vita-Mix for Otis,

Neil Beechuk and Nick Meyer at Gates Mills Apartments doing a three-car mod for Thyssen,

Bill Yuhas and Kevin Driscoll doing a two-car mod at Case for Thyssen,

Matt Pinchont and Jonathan Koch at Metro doing a three-car mod for Otis,

Matt Wiengart and Taurus Ogletree installing a four-stop hydro for Schindler,

Don Kaiser and Brian Owens doing full-load tests at the Avenue District for Schindler.

As of this writing there are 18 mechanics and two apprentices out of work.

Till next month…

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don

DKnapik@windstream.net

November ’13 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and sisters:

Every member of Local 17 should have received a letter from the local about two important upcoming events. The first is the special called meetings for the nomination, election and installation of officers. These dates are November 8th, December 13th and January 10th. Special called meetings are mandatory and there is a $20 fine for not attending. No excuses will be accepted unless you call the hall prior to each meeting.

The second event is the annual Children’s Christmas Party which will be held on Saturday December 21^st at 1pm at the hall located at 3250 Euclid Avenue. Children up to and including 12 years old will receive gifts. Mothers are asked to bring baked goods and beverages will be provided. There is a form at the bottom of the letter to return to Entertainment Chairman Mike Hogan at 26962 Southwood Lane, Olmsted Township, Ohio 44138 or contact him via email at M.Hogan67@yahoo.com. Deadline for responses is November 22, 2013.

Local 17 tested 100 candidates for the apprenticeship program in September, interviewed them by the end of October and slotted them by the time this sees print. If you’ve ever had a probationary for a helper you know that they can be a source of entertainment. They believe everything you say, will do almost anything for you and, if you get a good one, will laugh at your bad jokes.

How many of us were sent to the tool box to get our mechanics’ left-handed screwdriver? What about painting the machine room with a one-inch brush or packing overhead sheave bearings with red grease because you were smaller than the mechanic? Then there were the fun days when you got an EQ because you busted the job out and spent the afternoon goofing off.

Ahh. The good old days.

When you have fresh meat and you start a conversation with another mechanic with “it was an easy OT call. The controller was throwing a 9 error so I did a double boot, checked the switch, ran it on KFM for a half hour and was out of there.” If your fresh probie looks confused, good, they should be. If your probie has been around for nine months and can’t understand brake switch circuit, then teach them. Ours is a business of unique names and references that are easy to get confused.

And by the way, a car operating panel is also known as a car station… not a button box.

Where are they working?

Tom Gombar and Bob Charron doing a cable job at Euclid Beach Villa for Kone,

Jim Thompson and Lucas Jenke doing a mod at Euclid Hospital for Otis,

Scott Hicks and Pat McCann installing an elevator at Victory Center for Schindler,

John Sopochak and Heath Kramer doing controller work at RTA Brookpark for Kone,

Don Knapik and Eric Crossgrove repairing water damage at Marine Towers East for Schindler,

Joe Broz Jr. and Dave Adrian at Case repairing water damage for Thyssen,

Mark Byram and Dave Francis doing a mod at Equity Trust for Schindler,

Shawn Yatsko and Greg Seaman finishing up a mod at North Point for Schindler,

John Brunner and Jim Rogers installing a four-stop at Parkwood for Schindler,

Keith Poscocil and Anthony Young installing two cars at Case for Kone,

DJ Spring and Joe Simcic installing an elevator at the airport for Otis,

Ed Gimmel and Dave Lehotan doing a jack job at Lakewood High School for Schindler,

Jeff Ward and Tom Peska at 900 Euclid for Otis.

Local 17 sends its condolences to the families of retired Brother Dan Zupancic who lost his wife and Brother Tim Keating who passed away September 1.

As of this writing there are 17 mechanics and two apprentices on the bench.

Till next month,

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don

Dknapik@windstream.net

October ’13 Constructor

Brothers and sisters:

As I sit on my patio in the last days of August writing what you will read in October, I am humbled by the events of the month.

I am very proud to have helped with the current issue of NEIEP’s Lift Magazine which deals with the very important subject of safety. The problem with covering the subject is that it is so very broad and encompasses so many facets that to do a complete job would require an entire bookshelf of space and, unfortunately, at some point you have to put a back cover on the issue. I am sure that this will be a subject we reopen in future issues of the magazine or through other avenues available through NEIEP, the International and the signatory companies.

Over the course of the last year, Schindler has placed a greater emphasis on its safe hoistway access procedure. While the procedure has been in place for over three years, the renewed emphasis on that and lock out tag out comes in the wake of several deaths across the country. The procedure outlined in the pocket-sized book covers car top and pit access with and without hoistway access and is very similar to the procedure I learned while working as a helper with Bud Krause.

The actual text of the procedure is proprietary to Schindler and covered by copyright law so it cannot be reproduced without permission. If you are reading this and work for another company, I am sure that you know or come into contact with a Schindler employee in some part of your monthly routine. You may want to ask them about it and they may happen to drop their copy on the floor or leave it on the table after coffee. It can save your life.

I talked last month about the impending wedding of my oldest daughter Michele. At the rehearsal dinner I told the longer version of the story of her first steps and how I did not see the wedding day as giving her away but instead walking with her the last few steps of her old life into her new. Words cannot begin to express the pure joy I felt when the church doors opened and we began our walk to the altar together.

I was once told that you can tell the quality of someone you meet by the people they have gathered around them. If there were any lingering doubts about the quality of my then future son-in-law they evaporated quickly at the dinner. After meeting and talking with those he chose as groomsmen and sharing a drink or two with his parents, I realized that the person I was first introduced to almost five years before had matured into someone that was truly worthy of my daughter.

The two of them, through some trying times, had grown together as people to the point where the journey they began separately is now indistinguishable from the journey they now share together.

Whether you reading this are an International officer, officer of your local, superintendent, mechanic, apprentice, spouse, child or significant other we in the IUEC family are all bound together in a communion which transcends words. I believe that we share this life journey together and are a family trusted every day with the care of all.

That is, by definition, what a family does. That is the meaning of union.

Till next month,

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don

Dknapik@windstream.net

September ’13 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and sisters:

On September 11, four apprentices will be eligible to take the Mechanics Exam. In the November edition I will have the names of these newly minted mechanics. To those taking the exam and those studying in the apprenticeship program, always remember that this is the easiest test you will ever take in your career as a constructor. Your real test is how you handle the everyday situations and pressures placed on you by exigent forces. No matter what anyone says to you about how much time you take on a job always remember that doing it in a safe manner is paramount to keeping yourself and those you are responsible too and for safe. Use all of your appropriate safety equipment and policies because, as I said before, the last way you want to be remembered is as a fatality.

There are still opening for the welding class offered at Lincoln Electric. If you are interested, please contact Business Agent Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088 or by email at TMoennich@@iueclocal17.org.

Congratulations to our Brothers and Sisters in Ontario province who reached a three-year agreement to settle their two-month strike on June 28^th. Although we have three years left on our current agreement in the US, this is a good time to remind everyone that creating a personal strike fund is prudent.

After 138 years in business, Edmonds Elevator, Cleveland’s oldest independent elevator company, was purchased by Thyssen Krupp effective July 1. In a letter to Local 17, former Edmonds president Tina Schaffer said “I would like to thank you (Tim Moennich) and the union board members and local members for being so supportive and helpful while we transitioned through the personal and company loss of Big Mike (Schaffer). You will never fully understand how much that meant to me but I assure you it did not go unnoticed.” Big Mike Schaffer passed away last year.

Local 17 is left with six signatory companies: the four majors and two independents, Maximum and Ross.

Currently in the Ohio Statehouse, House Bill 151 and Joint Resolution 5 have been scheduled for no further hearings. These are the bills that would move to turn Ohio into a Right-to-Work-for-less state.

On a personal note, my daughter Michele will be married by the time this reaches print. The time between her birth and her marriage is just a flash. Where did it go? I clearly recall her first steps. She looked up at me and her eyes got wide and she smiled the biggest smile ever. Then she stood up and walked over to me. As I walk her down the aisle at the same church my grandfathers served together as altar boys, my thoughts will be on how I have the honor to walk her into her new life as a married woman.

There will never be a prouder man walking earth.

Where are they working?

Bill Yuhas and Kevin Driscoll at Breckenridge in Willoughby for Thyssen,

Bob Meyer and Paul Scheutzow at Cliff Tower doing a mod for Kone,

Mark Byram and Jim Rogers installing three hydros at Victory Center for Schindler,

Dave Laudermilk and Dave Gnagy doing a two-car mod at Holiday Inn for Ross Elevator,

Doug Lafontaine and Todd Ross replacing rope grippers at Forest Hills Apartments for Kone,

Charles Donner and Randy Thompson at Westlake High School installing a two-stop hydro for Thyssen,

Matt Pinchot and Ric Supinski doing a three-car mod at Metro General for Otis,

Scott Hicks and Taurus Ogletree installing an elevator at 1000 Lakeside for Schindler,

Tim Narowitz and Tony Kuhn working at Southgate Apartments for Thyssen.

As of this writing there are 15 mechanics and four apprentices off work.

Till next month…

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety,

Don

DKnapik@windstream.net

August ’13 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and sisters:

In June, the Ohio State Building Trades introduced Matt Szollosi as the executive director of ACT Ohio, their watchdog for the state building and construction trades. Szollosi is a former four-term member of the Ohio House of Representatives and a managing partner in a Toledo law firm specializing in labor law. As director his main duties will be to lobby the legislature to support the labor related issues that affect ACT Ohio’s 120,000 union members. The organization has a website, actohio.org, to keep union members and their families updated on the latest labor news from around the state and the nation. There is a link to their website at the local’s website, iueclocal17.org, in the union links page.

By the time you read this, the time to request an application for the local’s apprenticeship program will be past and we will be eagerly awaiting the slotting process for the new list of probationary apprentices. Good luck to all.

The month of June was a deadly one for Schindler and the IUEC as we lost two union brothers to workplace related accidents. As a result of these tragic events, during the week of June 17^th, Schindler performed a safety stand down in all US and Canadian offices to refocus its emphasis on safe work practices. This included safety walks by superintendents, area and district managers as well as vice-presidents and concluded with presentations at each Schindler office the week of the 24^th.

In the trades, accidents happen. The elevator trade has its own unique set of dangers that we accept as real and respect for the damage they can inflict. We become aware of them and learn the necessary steps to keep them at bay from the mechanics who apprentice us. This is why it is vitally important that every mechanic that has a probationary takes the time to teach them the safe way to ply our trade. We are the ones that they will reference as their careers grow, so give them a solid foundation of safe practices and reinforce them on a regular basis.

It does not matter what part of the business you are involved in one thing is true: being a fatality is not the way to be remembered.

Where are they working?

Charlie Donner and Randy Thompson installing a two-stop hydro at Westlake High School for Thyssen,

Jeff Ward and Tom Peska installing a two-stop traction at Hillcrest Hospital for Otis,

Bob Meyer and Paul Scheutzow replacing oil lines at three cars at University Square for Kone,

Neil Beechuk and Nick Meyer doing a mod at Rocky River Professional Building for Thyssen,

John Brunner and Jim Rodgers doing a tear out at Parkwood Apartments for Schindler,

Matt Pinchot and Ric Supinski doing a three-car mod at Metro Hospital for Otis,

Ken Leonard and Lemroy Hurd doing service work at Cleveland Thermal for Edmonds,

Scott Villanueva and Jonathon Koch doing a mod at 900 Euclid for Otis,

Jim Archer and Chris Dejesus doing a mod at Easterly Sewage for Schindler,

Todd Kemp and Max Desotell doing a jack job at Marcel Apartments for Edmonds.

Local 17 would like to extend their condolences to the families of retired Brother Jim Moore who passed away from cancer and Brother Doug LaFontaine whose father Jim also passed away this last April. The local also extends their most sincere condolences to the families of Brothers Don White (Local 8) and Ron Zimbro (Local 10) both of whom were killed on the job.

As of this writing there are 14 mechanics and five apprentices out of work.

Till next month…

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don

dknapik@windstream.net

July ’13 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and sisters:

Monday, May 6. 3:45 PM
After wresting an oversized generator down four flights of stairs and setting floor heights on an old Shepard-Warner, I was exhausted and on-call downtown. Southbound on I-71 I passed easily through the Metro General curve. The hospital buildings visible from the highway reflect the governmental austerity of the times they were constructed and belie the world-class Level 1 Trauma Center and burn unit housed inside.
While UH and the Clinic to the east feature gleaming glass towers and public art, county-run Metro serves the poorest of Cleveland’s poor. Overt displays of prosperity are not on the agenda.
It is 72 degrees outside with crystal clear blue skies. I rolled down the truck window to breath deep the welcome warm spring day.
5:00 PM
After I walked the dog, I flopped on my patio chair, kicked up my feet and promptly fell asleep.
God, I hope my phone doesn’t ring.
6:00 PM
I roused from my nap by a grumble in my stomach. Might as well go in, turn on the news and eat something before my phone starts to ring. My wife left me a heat-and-eat in the microwave and it didn’t take long before that was gone. I settled into my easy chair for what was sure to be round two of nappy-time. I sighed “is there ever any good news?”
6:20 PM
WOIO-TV was going into their nightly sports coverage when Tony Zarrella was interrupted for breaking news. That is when Ed Gallek came on set and announced to the world that Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and a third unnamed woman where found together and alive! I bolted up in my chair and my mouth dropped to the floor.
As the world now knows, Berry and DeJesus, then 17 and 14 respectively, were kidnapped on their way home a decade ago and their images have been all over Cleveland since. Many times through the years there were tips that one or the other was dead and buried in various locations around town. All of them, for now obvious reasons, were wrong.
I, along with the rest of the world, watched Charles Ramsey colorfully explain his role in the rescue and the throngs of cheering people gathered on Seymour Avenue and Metro General to celebrate the end of twelve years of horror for previously unknown Michelle Knight and a decade for DeJesus, Berry and Berry’s six year-old daughter born in captivity. After watching the initial coverage, I sat back and realized that my two daughters are the same age as Amanda and Gina and my heart filled with sadness for all the events missed by the young women and their families.
As the news raced around the world and the eyes of the globe turned to the miracle unfolding in the ER on West 25th Street, you could sense something shift. It is hard to explain exactly what it was, but there was something different about the day and now the night. It was midnight before I finally turned off the television and settled into bed.
Tuesday, May 7. 2:45 AM.
My phone rings and I’m off to downtown. Driving to my call I listened to the radio for any new information on the Miracle Four. The national networks picked up on the story and were reporting what Cleveland knew nine hours earlier. As I closed in on downtown I could actually physically feel something I cannot explain.
When the buildings of Metro General loomed over the highway, they radiated a light I had never seen in the thousands of times I drove by before and the dozens of times since. They radiated pure love and joy.
That night, the world embraced Michelle, Gina, Amanda and her daughter and welcomed them home.

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

Don
Dknapik@windstream.net