Category: Elevator Constructor

Brothers and Sisters:

The 2024 Local 17 Retiree’s Dinner was held May 17 at Harry’s Steak House in Independence.  The night was filled with fathers, sons, brothers and cousins.  There were life long friends and those who just met that night.  We honored out veterans and our fallen.  Mostly, we were there to honor those on whose shoulders we stand in order to see a little farther and with a clarity otherwise impossible.  

There was beer, food, and stories; lots and lots of stories.  Years ago a now retired mechanic told me “kid, there’s three parts to this:  first you listen to the stories, then you tell the stories and finally the stories get told about you.”  There were a lot of stories told that night just as there were in the past and there will be in the future. 

This is who we are, this is what we do.  This is Local 17.

Photos from the event can be seen on the Local 17 website, iueclocal17.org.

The Local 17 Golf Outing will be held at Bunker Hill Golf Course, 3060 Pearl Road, Medina on July 20.  The cost is $150 per golfer for 18 holes of golf, dinner, carts and prizes.  Registration is at 1 pm with a 2 pm shotgun start.  If you are interested in only dinner, the cost is $40 if paid before July 13 and $45 after.  There is a link on the Local 17 website, iueclocal17.org as well as a QR code which takes the person to the registration site.  For more information contact Business Manager John Driscoll Jr at the hall at 216-431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org.

Congratulations to all of the Local 17 apprentices on passing their semester exams and good luck to those preparing for the mechanics exam.  This is the only only unbiased evaluation of your knowledge as an elevator constructor you will ever have.  

The Fall 2024 semester apprentice classes will be sent in the next couple of weeks.  Watch your mailbox for your class and night assignment.

A reminder that it is the policy of Local 17 and the IUEC that hoistway doors are not to be blocked open and left for other trades to do work without an IUEC member present.  If your superintendent intimates otherwise, contact John at the hall.

Local 17 currently has 195 active members and 17 probationaries on the books.  There are 15 transients currently working in the Local.  This makes a total of 212 members and 227 with out of town workers.

Work is still active in the area.  TKElevator has the 15-story Cleveland Clinic Neuroscience Building coming up with 16 elevators.  Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse went out for modernization bid for its 10 elevators and four escalators and Schindler is making progress on the Sherwin-Williams Headquarters on Public Square.  Kone is also busy with a number of ongoing  construction and mod jobs.

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

The Brothers and Sisters of Local 17 send their condolences to the family of Brother John Driscoll Jr on the passing of his mother-in-law.

Until next month,

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don

DKnapik@windstream.net

Being presented his 45 year pin, Bob Kobasic is the longest serving, card holding superintendent in Local 17.  He is flanked by Local 17 President John Patton (left) and Business Manager John Driscoll Jr (right).

Accepting the IUEC Gold Card on behalf of Brother Tim Sinclair are Brothers Todd (middle left) and Rich Kemp (middle right).  Local 17 President John Patton is to their left and Business Manager John Driscoll Jr to the right.

Brother John Logue accepts his Gold Card from Local 17 President John Patton (left) and Business Manager John Driscoll Jr (right).

Congratulations to retired Brother Gary Thompson who was the winner of the Local 17 retiree watch raffle.  Local 17 President John Patton is to the left and Business Manager John Driscoll Jr to the right.

Brothers and Sisters:

There’s a lot going on so lets get to it…

IUEC General President Frank Christensen named Local 17 Business Manager John Driscoll Jr to the position of International Vice-President.  Driscoll had previously served the International as a Trustee and stepped down from that position to take the new VP role.  As a vice-president he will be part of the International’s General Executive Board and will remain as the Local’s Business Manager. 

The 2024 Local 17 Golf Outing will be Saturday, July 20 at Bunker Hill Golf Course, 3060 Pearl Road, Medina, OH.  Registration and lunch are at 1 PM with a shotgun start at 2 PM.  A steak dinner and awards are scheduled for 7 PM.  The cost is $150 per golfer.  If you wish to attend only the dinner the cost is $40 if paid by July 13 and $45 after July 13.  To sign up, look for a link in the announcement on the Local website, iueclocal17.org, contact John at the hall at 216-431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org.

The Local 17 Retiree’s Dinner was held Friday, May 17, 2024 at Harry’s Steak House in Independence. The event featured awards for the newly minted Gold Card retirees as well as milestone service pins for several of those present.  For photos of the event go to the Local 17 website, iueclocal17.org.

According to NEIEP Area Coordinator Jordan Miller, Local 17 filled the 350 available slots for its apprentice list in 24 hours from opening up the opportunity.  Aptitude testing took place the week of May 13 and interviews are tentatively scheduled for the first week in June.  Good luck to those looking to join the best trade in the trades.

NEIEP has delivered new touch screen monitors as well as tables and chairs to the school.  If you have a group such as a church, school, or other organization that can use our old seating, contact John at the hall.

Finals for our apprentice classes were held the week of May 20.  Congratulations to all those moving on to the next semester as well as those looking to prepare for the Mechanics Exam.  

One of the first jobs any probationary apprentice is given is to keep their job clean.  This is not only important for the safety of those working around your area, it reflects on the quality of the job you turnover to the customer. The impression left by hand prints on doors or oily foot prints on floors lasts long after the job is done.  Take the time to clean up your job as you go or before you leave to make a good impression on those that follow.

We do don’t block open doors and leave them blocked for other trades without being present during the work.  Your local office can schedule any work necessary to be preformed during regular or off hours to accommodate another trade and have someone standby while that work is being preformed.  This is mechanics work.  If there are any questions or concerns about this policy, contact John at the hall.

The Schindler Cube monitoring units are installed by a team but can be commissioned by a single mechanic as long as there is no factor of safety involved.

On the afternoon of Thursday, April 11, the GFCI feeding the sump pumps at the school tripped and the basement flooded with about an inch of water.  There were two classes scheduled for that night and the students of both worked for almost two hours to move materials off the floor and clean up the mess.  After the weekend, the basement dried up and the pumps were running as normal.

As of this writing there is one probationary apprentice on the bench.

Until next month…

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don

DKnapik@windstream.net

Retiree Buzz Gibbons (left) and his son Tim (right) linger just a little bit longer after helping decorate the Local 17 truck for the 2024 Cleveland St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

International General President Frank Christensen (left) swears in Local 17 Business Manager John Driscoll Jr as an International Vice President at the IUEC headquarters in Columbia, Md April 24, 2024.

Regina and Don Knapik, Mike and Kathleen Hogan and Cheryl and John Goggin share drinks and laughs at Carney’s after the 2024 St. Malachi’s Run Walk.

April 8 was a big day in Cleveland as the Great 2024 Eclipse gave all of us lucky enough to be in its path three and a half minutes of totality.  It was an equally big day for this young lady as she lost her first tooth.

Brothers and Sisters:

On November 3, 2023 Schindler-Cleveland Superintendent Kodi Goins sent a text message to the downtown Cleveland mechanics saying, in part, that recent retiree Todd Keating had a heart attack earlier in the week and that the update on his condition was not promising.  He asked to keep Todd’s family in our thoughts.

Shortly thereafter, a series of support texts from the field followed.

When meeting Todd for the first time you noticed three things:  his inviting manner, large smile and piercing blue eyes.  It was after getting to know Todd you could see inside his genuine love for what meant the most to him, his family and those he chose to keep close.  It didn’t take much to feel you were part of his world and when he spoke to you it was as though you were the only person in the room. 

Only two years prior, Todd retired from Schindler as the resident mechanic at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center.  

At 2:07 pm, November 7, Goins sent a follow up text saying that the end was near and Todd’s family was saying their goodbyes.  Todd chose to be an organ donor and the family acted on his wishes.  A series of condolence texts followed and on November 11 the arrangements for his memorial the following Saturday, November 18.

The week of November 13th through the 17th, I was in Warwick assisting with a part of the RC600 rewrite.  On my previous returns from NEIEP, I’ve usually been routed through DC Reagan Airport but, this time I was sent through Atlanta.  Consequently I didn’t get home and to bed until 2 am Saturday morning and with a 10 am memorial service I felt fatigued at best.

The morning of the service was a crisp, beautiful northern Ohio fall day.  When I pulled into the parking lot, I stopped to talk with several members and retirees who came to lend their support to Todd’s family.   

This would be the first time I would be inside St. Clarence Catholic Church and it reminded me of the church in Strongsville, St. John Neumann, my family was part of building in the early 1980’s.  A raised altar with resurrected Christ hanging from huge beams supporting a three-quarter round nave.  

The service was standing room only.

The priest who lead the service, Fr. Neil Walters, was a friend of Todd’s through the Justice Center and spoke of him on a personal level that conveyed the special nature of the man that filled the church in his memory.  The gathering in the pavilion afterwards was the ideal way to remember a man who loved every aspect of life, filled with good food, cold beer and great friends.

But, this is not the end of the story…

On February 22, the Team USA Transplant Curling team based in Columbus, Ohio posted on Facebook “a friend of Team USA Transplant Team lost a loved one this year and chose to honor him by sponsoring Team USA.”  The Team had Todd’s name and dates embroidered on the shoulder of their competition uniforms. Todd would be their mascot as they competed in the 2024 World Transplant Winter Games in Bormio, Italy.  Among other photos, the Team posted one of the uniform sleeve and a smiling, blue-eyed Todd.  To say the least, the family was shocked and amazed by the generous gesture of the Olympians as messages of gratitude flowed all around.

Shortly after the post, the team left for Europe.  On March 4th, they took the bronze medal.

During his life, Todd spread happiness and laughter.  With his passing, he gave a new lease on life to others, including the gift of sight with his donated blue eyes.

Until next month…

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don

DKnapik@windstream.net

Team USA Transplant Curling Team honors IUEC Local 17 Brother Todd Keating on their World Transplant Winter Games 2024 uniform.

Marshall Peterson (Left) and Stephanie West (Right) show off their bronze medals for curling from the 2024 World Transplant Winter Games in Bormio, Italy.

A small celebration for Team USA Transplant Curling before returning home from the 2024 World Transplant Winter Games.

Brother Todd Keating

Brothers and Sisters:

There are five apprentices in the Mechanic’s Review Course being taught by Rick Myers.  Four of the five have received their invitations from Prometrics and have until May 8, 2024 to schedule their exam.  The fifth was short on his 8000 OJT hours but has since completed the required time.

Business Manager John Driscoll Jr has yet again been monitoring and help correcting payroll issues with the local offices.  The current issues revolved around vacation pay and annuity deposits.  As a reminder, anyone who worked a minimum 1750 hours in the calendar year must receive either 120 or 160 hours of vacation pay based on whether they are an apprentice or journeyman.  If you suspect there was a discrepancy in your check contact John at the hall at 216-431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org.

The five Ohio business managers recently received the initial draft of the state licensing rules and regulations.  All five took part in a Zoom call along with Work Preservation and our lobbyist to discuss issues such as cost, disqualifying offenses and whether there should be Class A and B licenses.  The Ohio Department of Industrial Compliance is the lead agency for the program.

The recent OSHA ruling on suspended scaffolding and lifeline anchorage points has been a hotly debated issue with the International.  A letter for General President Frank Christensen said no member should be preforming work with their lifeline attached to the same point as suspended scaffolding.  The Local is working with the companies to identify and eliminate this hazard from modernization and construction sites around town.  If you have a question about the compliance of your setup, contact John at the hall.

Where are they working?

Jim Thompson and Eric Johnson at Cleveland Clinic M doing a mod for Otis,

Shane Huff and Mark Thomason at Hillcrest Hospital doing a mod for Otis,

Craig Nolty and Luke Schnitzler at Chestnut Village installing a car for Otis,

Jerry Szmerekovsky and Mike Janson at Apex installing seven cars for Otis,

Deven Shields and Matt Dinko at Easthaven doing a mod for Otis,

DJ Spring and Mike Hassel at Beachwood Porsche installing a car for Otis,

Dion Yatsko and Matt Dinko at the Diplomat doing a mod for Otis,

Pat Pollock and Spencer Adams at Cleveland Clinic L doing a mod for Otis,

A lot of guys at Sherwin Williams Headquarters installing a lot of cars for Schindler,

Jason Mays, Brian Bond, Lucas Janke and Mike Gallagher at Fidelity doing a mod for Schindler,

Joe Sumph and Tito Mike doing a mod at the Leader Building for Schindler,

Brian Seither and Sean Kelly doing a mod at Envoy Condos for Schindler,

Don Yoho, Ryan Bissell, Tom Peska and Todd Ault installing six cars at Ashtabula Hospital for Schindler,

Dan Varga and Herb Fouts at Progressive Field tearing our two cars for Schindler,

Jason Barnett and Adam Klein installing cars at Sherwin Williams R&D in Brecksville for Schindler,

Dave Gnagy and Jay Carlson doing a two car mod at Lake Erie College for Schindler,

Ryan Todd, Andy Mesko, Rob Timko, Jarrett Adams, Ricky Kemp and Nick Seaman doing a mod at 45 Erieview for Schindler,

Dave Drnak and Brandyn Alley at IMG doing water damage repair,

Russell Barrows, Pat Kelly, Kyle Fallon and Joe Gauker at Case SRV installing cars for Kone,

James Hirz and Mike Miller Jr at Van Aken District 2 installing cars for Kone,

Brendan Hyland and Bob Savnik at EMI Corp doing a hydro mod for Kone,

Todd Ross and Eric Schaffran doing a mod at Bulkley Building for Kone,

Kenny Bowles and Sasha Vujkovic cabling at Hilton Hotel Downtown for Kone,

Tim Narowitz and Vince Smrdel doing a mod at Avery Denison for TKElevator,

Kevin Thomas and Matt Ramser installing five cars at City Club for TKElevator,

Chris Sipos and Jon Ranney at Crestview doing a four car mod for TKElevator,

Anthony Metcalf and Christian Thompson at Scranton Castle doing a four car mod for TKElevator,

Jim Ehrbar and Dan Quigley at Lakehouse Condos doing a mod for 3Phase,

Marc Carollo and Brian Owens at Tudor Arms doing a mod for 3Phase.

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

Until next month…

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don

DKnapik@windstream.net

The Miller family celebrates grandfather Paul’s 80th birthday.  Pictured from left to right Zack, Mike Sr., Paul, Mike Jr. and Greg Miller.

A youngster waits his turn to assist with a magic trick at the 2023 Local 17 Children’s Christmas Party.

The reason we are here.  Children and grandchildren of Local 17 members and retirees pose with Santa at the 2023 Local 17 Children’s Christmas Party.

Active and retired members of Local 17 pose with Santa at the 2023 Local 17 Children’s Christmas Party.

Brothers and Sisters:

There are two basic functions that all employers, whether there is one paid employee or 100,000 paid employees, must adhere to in order to have a reasonable chance of success.  First is to collect money for the goods and services they sell and second is to pay their bills.  The most important part of paying bills is to make payroll.

Making payroll for small operations can be very stressful at times for the owners.  This is a truth since the first employee was hired on and is true today.  When we hear on a regular basis that one or more of our major IUEC employers has trouble with their payroll system, it makes us all stand up and pay attention.  

Each one of us runs our household in a very similar manner to a company.  We sell our time to our employers, receive pay for that time which equates to income or sales.  We then pay our household expenses and what is left is our profit.  The same as any company.  

Our households do not per se pay payroll.  An argument can be made that paying a child an allowance is analogous to making payroll but, I will leave that to your own interpretation.    

In my 25 years in the elevator trade, I have had one major payroll issue when I was shorted 17 hours in a check.  A phone call to the office made a check appear for the balance of the hours that afternoon.  The taxes were sorted out the following week.

I do have some questions and observations about what seems to be a never ending conversation between the signatories, local offices, union and the employees.  These problems do not seem to be localized to one company, all share in some variation of the problem.  

Is there a locus, or starting point which can be identified? Is the processing company getting the data from the employers in a form it can use?  Are the employers properly inputing the data for the employees?  Is the processing company aware of the different rates paid in the different jurisdictions?  Do they have a way of calculating the proper benefit information based on hours worked?  Are they supplied with that information?  By whom?  Is the processor aware of the difference between a represented and non-represented employee and the payroll implications of those differences?  Are the supervisors authorizing time in a timely manner?  Are the Locals informing the local offices of the changing status of apprentices as they work their way through the program and are the local offices making those changes?

When I know the name of the head of Labor Relations for my company and have access to his personal phone number, the fire has hit the Executive Suite.  This is when good investigation and troubleshooting skills by everyone on both sides of the ledger are the most valuable tool the union and signatories hold.  

At the end of the day, we as employees, whether represented or non-represented, have a symbiotic relationship with our employer:  we sell them our time, which they bill our customers for and pay us as agreed to in either the Collective Bargaining Agreement or corporate employment agreement. 

As I’ve told many of my apprentices, problems are like onions.  Peel away each of the layers and eventually you find the core issue.  Fix the core issue and the problem goes away.

The Brothers and Sisters of IUEC Local 17 send their condolences to the family of Honorary Retiree Jim Dacey.

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

Until next month,

work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don

DKnapik@windstream.net

Sister Andrea Rodriguez (right) at the Women Building Nations Conference with her husband Ernie (left) and IUEC General President Frank Christensen.

The January Special Called Meeting for the installation of officers.  Brothers Mike Hogan (far left) and Jack Finucan (fourth from right) join as the new Conductor and Trustee.

Brothers and Sisters:

Local 17 will be participating in the 2024 Cleveland St. Patrick’s Day Parade.  The event falls on a Sunday so the expected crowd will be large.  Watch this space next month and the Local website, iueclocal17.org, for more information.  

If you are looking stay downtown and make a weekend celebrating Cleveland’s Irish heritage, St. Malichi Catholic Church, 2459 Washington Avenue, will hold its 45th Annual Run/Walk on Saturday, March 16th.  The event benefits its community outreach programs.  Preregistration is required.  For more information go to stmalachi.org.  

Apprentice school is in full swing with Brothers Jerry Reitz, Tim Narowitz, Tom Goggin and Don Knapik teaching RC 100, 200 and 500.  This is the largest apprentice class in recent history with at least two classes going every night Monday through Thursday.

Congratulations to newly elected Local 17 Trustee Jack Finucan and the return of Mike Hogan as an officer in the role of The Warden.

The definition of news is something unusual happening.   By this definition, payroll troubles in the IUEC have fallen off the category of news.  They are continuing at Schindler Cleveland as four probationaries did not receive their six-month increase with four more scheduled soon after for the same increase.  The first four were made whole, and according to the hall the second group was scheduled correctly.  

On a larger note, 400 Schindler modernization workers across the US with 30 of those from Cleveland, had a variety of issues regarding their Thanksgiving week checks.  If you have concerns about your check, contact Business Manger John Driscoll Jr. at the hall at 216-431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.

All 2023 vacation time must be turned in by January 31, 2024.  This is in accordance with Article X, Section 21 of the Local 17 By-Laws.  If you did not turn in your time, expect to be contacted by the Executive Board.

Local 17 has taken a strict approach to reporting and taking time to keep companies honest about giving time off and assuring each member takes off what they deserve.  This also keeps companies from picking and choosing who they give time off as well as maintaining the requirements of the CBA.  Those with five years service must take a minimum of 160 hours of vacation and members with less than five years need to take 120 hours.

Vacation time is paid twice a year, January and July, with the amount in the check based on the number of hours worked the previous six months.  Paid Time Off (PTO) pay can be arranged with the employer based on how much is available for the person based on hours worked.  If you have any questions, contact your superintendent or John.  

Work has continued to be brisk in Cleveland.  The Sherwin-Williams headquarters has topped out and several other larger jobs are manned and in full swing.  Modernization and service work are strong with no let up seen in the near future.

Anytime a team is using a company vehicle to move material from the shop (stake body or pickup) that needs to be returned to the shop at the end of the day, the driver must return the vehicle to the shop by quitting time.  This means, for example, that a mechanic must allow the apprentice to leave the job in time to return the vehicle by quitting time not keeping them on the job and expecting them to return the vehicle on their own time.  

The Brothers and Sisters of Local 17 send their condolences to the family of Honorary retiree Carl Mueller who passed away November 24, 2023.

As of this writing there is one mechanic on the bench and 20 transients working in the jurisdiction.

Until next month,

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don

DKnapik@windstream.net

Brothers and Sisters:

As this issue of the Elevator Constructor reaches your mailbox, the world will be ringing in the New Year 2024.   The Local has a lot to be proud of moving into 2024.  Membership stands at 213 constructors, our highest number since before 2008.  With the transients that number increases to 233 dues paying members.

As you will see below, work is good in Cleveland.  Schindler has the largest project in town and the most members at 88 while the other signatories are growing their numbers.  In the spring there will be 45 apprentices in the NEIEP program and five eligible for their Mechanics Exam.

This is a good time to be in Cleveland.

Where are they working?

Jim Thompson and Eric Johnson at Cleveland Clinic M Building doing a mod for Otis,

Shane Huff and John Logue at Hillcrest Hospital doing a mod for Otis,

Craig Nolty and Luke Schnitzler at Chesterfield Terrace installing a car for Otis,

Jerry Szmerekovsky Nd Pat McHugh at Apex installing seven cars for Otis,

Deven Shields and Matt Dinko at Easthaven doing a mod for Otis,

Erne Johnston and Mark Thomason at the Federal Reserve doing a mod for Otis,

Dion Yatsko and Mike Hassel at the Diplomat doing amid for Otis,

Pat Pollock and Spencer Adams the Cleveland Clinic L Building doing a mod for Otis,

DJ Spring and Ellaina Harris at Fairview Hospital doing a mod for Otis,

Ric Supinski, Dave Adrian, Joel Reyes, Joe Simcic, Scott Daugherty, Lee Barkschat, Nacho Badillo, Del Gay, Juan Rodriguez, Jeremy Sesma, Nick Bowlen, Cory Oldham, Paul Verga, Cody Dempster, Marcus Luxenburg, Kyle Drnak and Fran Farhm at the Sherwin Williams Headquarters installing a bunch of cars for Schindler,

Andrea Rodriguez and Jason Mays at Clifton Plaza doing a mod for Schindler,

Tom Peska and Todd Ault ant Great Lakes Manufacturing for Schindler,

Joe Sumph and Tito Mike at the Leader Building doing a mod for Schindler,

Shawn Yatsko, Lucas Janke, Herb Fouts and Tom Hollan at the Justice Center doing a five-car mod for Schindler,

Brian Bond and Mike Gallagher doing a mod at UH Main Campus for Schindler,

Brandon Light and Dan Varga at CMSD Data Center installing a freight car for Schindler,

Matt Carlton and Sean Kelly doing amid at Rockside Medical for Schindler,

Don Yoho and Ryan Bissell installing six cars at Ashtabula Hospital for Schindler,

Jason Barnett and Adam Klein installing several cars at Sherwin Williams Tech Center in Brecksville,

Dave Gnagy and Jay Carlson doing a two-car mod at Sacred Heart Nursing for Schindler,

Gary Thompson and Kyle Meyer doing amid at Medina Hospital for Schindler,

Ryan Todd, Andy Mesko, Rob Timko, Jarrett Adams, Ricky Kemp and Nick Seaman doing a mod at 45 Erieview for Schindler,

Todd Ross, Russell Barrows, Joe Gouker and Jake Driscoll installing six escalators at the Convention Center for KONE.

James Hirz, Brendan Hyland, Eric Schaffran and Kyle Fallon at Van Aken District Two installing cars for KONE,

Drew Williams and Bob Savnik at Shaker Villa doing a mod for KONE,

Kenny Bowles and Sasha Vojkovic replacing machines at Bratenhal Place for KONE,

Tim Narowitz and Vince Smrdel doing a mod at Judson Park for TKElevator,

 Bill Dudas and Dave Ford at Stratton House doing a mod for TKElevator,

Jason Fredrick and Brad Skotko doing a mod at Judson Manor for TKElevator

Kevin Thomas, Matt Ramser and John Smith installing cars at City Club for TKElevator,

Sean Canning and George McDonald installing a car at Mayfield Center for TKElevator,

Chris Sipos and John Ranney at Crestview doing a four-car mod for TKElevator,

Anthony Metcalf and Christian Thompson at Scranton Castle doing a four-car mod for TKElevator,

Jim Ehrbar and Dan Quigley at Lakehouse Condos doing a mod for 3Phase,

Marc Carollo and Brian Owens at Lakewood Cliffs doing a mod for 3Phase,

Wing Lui and Tino Chabai doing a mod at Luckman Building for 3Phase.

The Brothers and Sisters of Local 17 send their condolences to the families of Honored Retirees Jim Batteiger, Todd Keating and Wilbur Wilhelm.

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

Brothers and Sisters:

On November 5, 2023, IUEC Local 17 celebrated the 120th anniversary of its founding.  The Local was established to “encourage a higher standard of skill among its members, cultivate a feeling of friendship among the craft, obtain and maintain a fair standard wage, assist each other in securing employment, protect the jurisdiction of the craft, engage in cultural, civic, legislative, fraternal, educational, charitable, welfare, social and other activities which further the interests, directly or indirectly, of the organization and its membership.”   

In commemoration, over the course of the next year, the Local 17 website, iueclocal17.org, will feature galleries of photos taken over the course of its history.  The first gallery is a reimagining of the advertisement in the International book from the most recent convention.  If any member, past or present, has photos they would like to share they can be emailed to webadmin@iueclocal17.org.  The photos can be from union events, parties, work sites or anything that speaks to the founding objectives of the Local.

The Local 17 Children’s Christmas Party is scheduled for December 9 at 1 pm at the hall located at 3250 Euclid Avenue.  There will be entertainment and a visit from Santa bearing gifts for children 12 and younger.  Members are encouraged to bring baked goods.  Soft drinks will be provided.  This is a great opportunity to meet and mix with other members and their better halves.

International Organizer Steve Simpson was in attendance at the the October general meeting to discuss organizing activities across the International and in our area.  The major push of the night was to pass a series of organizing resolutions which align the resolutions passed by Local 17 during its Gable campaign with those across the International.  They passed without objection.

Fall semester is scheduled to end the week of December 11 and the Spring semester will begin the week of January 22.  Business Manager John Driscoll Jr will be sending out notices of class assignments and dates as soon as the finals from Fall are received.  If you have any questions or concerns, contact John at the Hall at 216-391-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org.

Those mechanics who passed their Exam after July 9, 2022 must take the continuing education courses offered on the NEIEP website in order to get their January 1 pay increase.  All mechanics are eligible to take CE courses and are paid eight hours by NEIEP for their time.  For more information go to the NEIEP website, neiep.org, and cursor to the Continuing Education tab on the right side of the home page.

The Local 17 By-Law Committee is in the process of creating a safety liaison for jobs with five or more constructors.  Since there is no provision for a steward, the liaison would be a primary contact of a large job and report to the Business Manager to resolve safety related issues on large job sites and speak about those issues at the quarterly safety meetings with the signatory companies.

The Ohio Board of Building Standards wanted to remove mine and wind turbine lifts from the Ohio elevator licensing law.  Prior to the meeting, the Board withdrew its request after reviewing the comments and concerns raised during the pre-meeting discussions.  There is no further timeline on implementation of licensing at this time.

Schindler has the largest part of work in Cleveland but, the other majors (Kone, Otis and TKElevator) have all picked up in the past few months.

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

Brothers and Sisters:

There is a lot going on so let’s get to it.

For those whose September issue of the Elevator Constructor did not have the report for Local 17, that article and all articles from 2011 through today are on the IUEC Local 17 website, iueclocal17.org.  I encourage everyone to read this very special piece.

The November 10th meeting has been moved to November 17th to accommodate the observance of Veterans Day.  The November 17 and December 8, 2023 and January 12, 2024 meetings are Special Called Meetings for the nomination, election and installation of officers.  All members are required to attend.  Those not attending without a valid excuse will be fined by the Executive Board. 

Where are they working…

Jim Thompson and Matt Dinko at Cleveland Clinic M Building doing a mod for Otis,

Shane Huff and Pat Pollock at Chardon High School doing a mod for Otis,

Craig Nolty and Luke Schnitzler at McGregor Senior Living installing two cars for Otis,

Jerry Szmerekovsky, Craig Nolty, Luke Schnitzler, Pat McHugh and Mike Janson at Apex installing seven cars for Otis,

DJ Spring and Devon Shields at Fairview Hospital doing a mod for Otis,

Ric Supinski, Dave Adrian, Joel Reyes, Joe Simcic, Scott Daugherty, Lee Barkschat, Josh Lowe, Del Gay, Juan Rodriguez, Jeremy Sesma, Nick Bowlen, Cory Oldham, Paul Verga, Cody Demster, Marcus Luxenburg, Kyle Drnak and Adam Farhm at Sherwin Williams HQ installing a lot of cars for Schindler,

Andrea Rodriguez and Jason Mays at Clifton Plaza doing a mod for Schindler,

Tom Peska and Todd Ault at Space Storage on Brookpark installing a car for Schindler,

Joe Sumph and Tito Mike at the Leader Building doing a mod for Schindler,

Shawn Yatsko, Lucas Janke, Jack Corrigan and Tom Holian at the Justice Center doing a mod for Schindler,

Brian Bond and Mike Gallagher doing a mod at UH for Schindler,

Brandon Light and Dan Varga at CMSD Data Center doing a freight car mod for Schindler,

Matt Carlton ad Sean Kelly doing a mod at Rockside Medical for Schindler,

Jason Yoho and Ryan Bissell installing a car at Vitalia Solon for Schindler,

Jason Barnett and Adam Klein installing car at Sherwin Williams Tech Center in Brecksville for Schindler,

Dave Gnagy and Jay Carlson doing a mod at Regency Towers for Schindler,

Gary Thompson, Rob Timko, Kyle Meyer and Herb Fouts doing a mod at Medina Hospital for Schindler,

Ryan Todd, Pat Kelly, Andy Mesko, Jarrett Adams and Nick Seaman doing a mod at 45 Erieview for Schindler,

Joe Gauker and Jake Driscoll at Avon Library installing a car for Kone,

James Hirz and Eric Schaffran at Restoration Hardware installing a car for Kone,

Todd Ross and Russell Barrows at the Bulkley Building tearing out cars for Kone,

Drew Williams and Bob Savnik at Shaker Villa doing a mod for Kone,

Kenny Bowles and Sasha Vujkovic replacing a machine at Bratenhal Place for Kone,

Dave Ford and Vince Smrdel at Westwood Meadows doing a mod for TKElevator,

Tim Narowitz and Christian Thompson doing a mod at Judson Park for TKElevator,

Bill Dudas and Jon Ranney at Lake West doing a mod for TKElevator,

Jason Fredrick and Brad Skotko doing a mod at Judson Manor for TKElevator,

Kevin Thomas and Matt Ramser installing cars at Valor Acres at TKElevator,

Sean Canning and George McDonald at Parma Self Storage installing a car for TKElevator,

Jim Ehrbar and Dan Quigley at the salt mines doing a mod for 3Phase and,

Marc Carollo and Brian Owes at Lake House Condos doing a mod for 3Phase.

The Brothers and Sisters of IUEC Local 17 send their condolences to the families of Brother Scott Daugherty on the passing of his mother Margaret on August 28, retired Brother Corey Sanchez on the passing of his daughter Katie on August 26 and the Hess family on the passing of their mother and grandmother Lois on September 2.

As of this writing there are one mechanic and one assistant mechanic on the bench. 

Until next month…

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don

DKnapik@windstream.net

Brothers and Sisters:

I would like everyone reading this to take a moment and turn back to the title page ( the page with the International officers ) for a moment and scan the names, which part of the union they work and their titles.  

As you scan the names, from Frank Christensen through the other General Officers, the vice-presidents, department directors and regional directors, Organizing and Work Preservation, NEIEP, CEIEP and the finally the benefits office realize that every single person on that list has something in common:  they all started their careers as probationaries.

They stacked rails, set machines, assembled jacks, cabs and counterweight frames.  They pulled motors and generators as well as miles and miles of wires, travel cords and cables.  They wired controllers, cars and hall fixtures.  They adjusted compounding and valves for the smoothest possible ride.

They spent countless hours on call troubleshooting why the right hand car won’t answer the top floor hall call and doing so in less than secure situations.  They injected barrels of grease into bearings and changed hundreds of light bulbs.

Each one went through the NEIEP program, angsting over the mechanics exam and felt the relief and celebration when they found they passed.  

Every single one of them has done our job.  Every single one of them knows what we do everyday as well as we do.

What is different about them is that at some point each and every one of them made a decision to become involved in their local.  That decision was the spark that set them on the path to where they are today.

My moment came when I received my first issue of the Constructor.  Local 17’s correspondent was John Goggin.  I read his article as well as those from other locals and knew that this was a job I could do well.  My background in college as the editor of the newspaper, minor in Journalism and lifelong interest in publishing gave me enough credibility to ask for members support.  I won by one vote.  

John is a very good writer and I hope he takes it back up in retirement.

Along the way I’ve had the honor of being a part of and documenting a lot of Local 17 history.  Since 2007, parades, golf outings, Christmas parties and union events have been a constant part of my calendar.  I took part in our VOC and truly enjoy my time in the classroom as a NEIEP instructor.

This trade is not just about plumb, square, straight and level to 1/64th of an inch.  It’s about taking part and becoming part of the ongoing conversation we all have as a Local, International and trade union movement.  

The monthly meeting is where that conversation takes place.  It is where the members can ask questions of their officers and speak up when they feel there is a wrong being done.  The conversation in Local 17 has been going on for almost 120 years and keeping up on what is going on and understanding why something happens comes through participation.

Your time as an elevator constructor is not defined by your company.  This is not your superintendent’s career, this is not your mechanic’s career, it is not your apprentices career. This career belongs to you.  

Own it and leave the Local, IUEC and the trade union movement better for you having been here. 

In the August issue of the Constructor, I printed a photo I took at the NEIEP Training Center in Warwick, Rhode Island and asked if anyone could identify what it represented.  The winner would get a mention in these pages.  Well, we have two winners.  First is Brother Ryan Foley who guessed gearless machine.  The second is Charlie Reitz, the son of Brother Jerry Reitz, who wrote naming it as a synchronous motor. Good job to both of you!

Until next month…

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don

DKnapik@windstream.net