Articles – Page 10 – International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 17

December ’21 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and Sisters:

Apprentice pay raises were effective with the first paycheck in September. Several signatories have been having issues with making a correct payout for hours worked. At the October meeting, Business Manager John Driscoll Jr said that if these issues continue he will instruct our members to go to the office and wait for their checks. If you have any issues with your check contact John at 216-431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org.

The August issue of the Cleveland Labor-Citizen featured an article on Local 17’s new classroom facility on Engle Road. There is also the article for the October issue of the Elevator Constructor, with photos, available on the local’s website, iueclocal17.org.

The December 10, 2021 and January 14, 2022 meeting are mandatory called meeting for the election and installation of officers. Fines will be assessed for non-attendance.

Where are they working?

DJ Spring and Deven Shields doing a mod at Southpoint Hospital for Otis,

Craig Nolty and Brendan Teets in Painesville installing one car for Otis,

Jim Thompson and Matt Dinko at Ridge Tool doing a two-car mod for Otis,

John Logue and Pat Pollock at Shoreham Apartments doing a two-car mod for Otis,

Matt Pinchot working Akron on a mod at AMHA for Otis,

Ken Bowles and Shane Huff at Mercy Hospital doing a two-car mod for Otis,

Jerry Szmerekovsky and an Akron apprentice at Lordstown Battery installing a freight for Otis,

Pat Kelly and Carl Turner at Westwood in Elyria installing one car for Otis,

Tom Peska, Ernie Rodriguez, Andie Rodriguez, Joel Reyes, Matt Ramser and Adam Klein installing six 11-stop 5500’s at Market Square for Schindler,

Bob Myer, Chris Boggess and two Houston mechanics installing cars at Metro Hospital for Schindler,

Dion Yatsko and John Smith running two cars at Metro Hospital for Berkshire,

Shawn Yatsko and Brandon Light at Owl’s Nest doing a two-car mod for Schindler,

Gary Thompson and Jason Mays doing a mod at Erieview for Schindler,

Felix DeJesus and Lem Hurd doing a mod at Commodore for Schindler,

Matt Carlton and Rob Timko doing a mod at CSU for Schindler,

Pat McCann and Ric Supinski doing door mods at Akron General Hospital for Schindler,

Matt Weingart, Lucas Janke, Aaron Reed and Mike Bowles doing a mod at UH for Schindler,

Joe Sumph, Dan Varga, Andy Mesko, Tom Holian, Jarrett Adams and Tristan Coughlin doing a mod at Forest Hills for Schindler,

Ryan Todd and Brian Seither doing a four-car mod at Winton Place for Schindler,

Joe Simcic and Don Yoho at Bendix in Avon adjusting three cars for Schindler,

Brian Bond and Tito Mike doing a two-car mod at Euclid Hill Villa for Schindler,

Dave Gnagy and Jay Carlson at Erieview doing a two-car mod for Schindler,

Todd Ross, James Hirz, Drew Williams and Russell Barrow at 55 Public Square doing a mod for Kone,

Tim Narowitz and Dave Ford doing a one-car mod at Acacia-on-the-Green for TK,

Anthony Metcalf and Brian Owens doing a one-car mod at 75 Public Square for TK,

Bill Dudas and Andrew Daniels doing a one-car mod at Slovene Home for TK,

Jason Fredrick and Chris Sipos doing a mod at Case 49 Building for TK,

Chris Scholle and Jason Saunders installing a car at Box Storage in Columbus for TK,

Kevin Thomas and Sean Canning installing a car at Berkshire School for TK,

Scott Hicks, Marc Carollo, Wing Lui and Brad Skotko at K&L buildings across from NASA doing a mod for Gable,

Jim Ehrbar and Tino Chabai doing a two-car mod at 11811 Shaker Blvd for Gable.

The Brothers and Sister of Local 17 send their condolences to retiree Dennis Dixon whose wife and mother both passed from complications of Covid-19.

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

November ’21 Labor-Citizen

Brothers and Sisters:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

November ’21 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and Sisters:

There is a lot to report…

Local 17 is fully moved into its new school building and waiting on white boards, projection screens and a new printer. At the orientation meeting, Matt Jaworski for the Cleveland Labor-Citizen, the oldest labor newspaper in the country, cover the event. Photos and the article are available in the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades blog at cbctc.org/blog as well as a separate article on the Local 17 website iueclocal17.org.

Congratulations to Brother Jason Tischler on passing the Mechanics Exam. Remember that this is the only unbiased evaluation of your knowledge as an elevator mechanic you will ever have in your career.

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

Where are they working?

DJ Spring and Deven Shields doing a mod at Carnegie Towers for Otis,

Craig Nolty and Brendan Teets at Lubrizol installing a car for Otis,

Jim Thompson and Matt Dinko at the Carlyle in Lakewood doing a mod for Otis,

John Logue and Pat Pollock at the Cleveland Clinic main campus doing a two-car mod for Otis,

Matt Pinchot working in Akron doing a mod for Otis,

Ken Bowles and Shane Huff at Mercy Hospital doing a two-car mod for Otis,

Jerry Szmerekovsky, Pat Kelly and two Akron apprentices at the Lordstown Battery plant installing a freight car for Otis,

Tom Peska, Ernie Rodriguez, Andie Rodriguez and Matt Ramser installing sis 11-stop 5500’s at Market Square for Schindler,

Bob Meyer, Chris Boggess and two Houston mechanics installing 14 cars at Metro General Hospital for Schindler,

Dion yatsko and John Smith running two cars at Metro for Berkshire Construction,

Gary Thompson and Jason Mays doing a mod at Erieview for Schindler,

Felix DeJesus and Lem Hurd doing a mod at Commodore Apartments for Schindler,

Matt Carlson and Rob Timko doing a traction mod at CSU for Schindler,

Pat McCann and Ric Supinski doing a door mod at Fenn Tower for Schindler,

Matt Weingart and Aaron Reed at Skylight Office Tower doing a mod for Schindler,

Joe Sumph, Dan Varga, Andy Mesko, Tom Holian, Jarret Adams and Tristan Coughlin doing a mod at Forest Hills for Schindler,

Ryan Todd and Brian Seither doing a four-car mod at Winton Place for Schindler,

Joe Simcic and Don Yoho at Bendix in Avon adjusting three cars for Schindler,

Lucas Janke and Mike Bowles doing a mod at UH for Schindler,

Brian Bond and Tito Mike doing a two-car mod at Euclid Hill Villa for Schindler,

Dave Gnagy and Jay Carlson st Bentley Park doing a two-car md for Schindler,

Bill Sellers and Joe Walter replacing hoist machines at Pine Ridge for Schindler,

Drew Williams and Russell Barrows at Rockside Park doing a mod for Kone,

Tim Narowitz and Dave Ford doing a one-car mod at Acacia for Thyssen,

Bill Dudas and Andrew Daniels doing a one-car mod at Slovene Home for Thyssen,

Anthony Metcalf and Brian Owens doing a mod at 75 Public Square for Thyssen,

Jason Fredrick and Chris Sipos doing a mod at Case 49 Building for Thyssen,

Chris Scholle and Jason Saunders installing one car at John Carroll for Thyssen,

Kevin Thomas and Sean Canning installing a freight car at 75 Public Square for Thyssen,

Scott Hicks and Tino Chabai at the Center for patrol Care installing one car for Gable,

Jim Ehrbar and Wing Lui doing a two-car mod at 11811 Shaker Blvd. for Gable.

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

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

Until next month…

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don
DKnapik@windstream.net

Fundraiser for IUEC Local 17 Member’s Daughter

October ’21 Labor-Citizen

Brothers and Sisters:

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

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

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

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

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

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

October ’21 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and Sisters:

In the August issue of the Elevator Constructor, NEIEP Director John O’Donnell wrote about the brand new national training center NEIEP opened in Warwick, Rhode Island across from TF Green International Airport. The dedicated facility for training instructors has been a long project for NEIEP and the COVID-19 pandemic gave them additional time to be sure they had everything right.

In many ways NEIEP and Local 17 were on parallel courses. In May 2020, the Joint Apprenticeship Committee was informed that the building it was renting on Superior Avenue in downtown Cleveland was sold and it would have to find a new home for the school. While that may have been bad news in some Locals, that was not necessarily the view in Cleveland. The space was in a part of town that is transitioning from a commercial/residential neighborhood to an attempt at gentrification. There were ongoing issues with after hours safety of persons and property and the space was also not conducive to the growing educational needs of the Local.

After searching the downtown Cleveland area, Business Manager John Driscoll Jr, with the help of a local real estate agent, found a building previously used as a credit union across from the Ford Engine Plant near Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in Brookpark, a southern suburb of Cleveland.

Once the lease was signed on the Engle Road facility, it took several months of work to refurbish the former credit union building into the training center. “We are very excited to be in the building” Driscoll said.

“This building is a major upgrade from our Superior location” said NEIEP Area Coordinator Wally Wuelling. “Everyone is happy we are back in the classroom.”

On August 9th, IUEC Local 17 opened its new training center with an apprentice orientation. This was the first event in the building because the Covid-19 outbreak kept instruction online for all of last year.

The center, which is four times larger can the previous classroom space on Superior Avenue, features a two classrooms upstairs, two downstairs, two restrooms and multiple storage options for labs and materials.

Photos from the day and the facility can be seen on the IUEC Local 17 website, iueclocal17.org.

As you receive this issue, the International will be holding their convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. Conventions are not big parties just thrown together at the last minute for the purpose of socialization. Conventions are where the direction of the International for the next five years is debated, argued and wrestled over point by point. It is where the priorities for the upcoming contract negotiations are hammered out.

If history is any indication, the priorities coming out this gathering will help prepare the union as a whole for any eventuality, good or bad, foreseen or unforeseen, which may arise. On behalf of the Brothers, Sisters, officers and delegates of IUEC Local 17, congratulations on a successful convention and upcoming contract negotiations.

Until next month…

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don

DKnapik@windstream.net

Congratulations IUEC

local-17-congratulatory-ad-delegates Download

September ’21 Labor-Citizen

Brothers and Sisters:

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

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

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

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

Don Knapik
Correspondent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is Cleveland. This is Local 17.

It’s Hard To Keep Good Men Down

Former Business Manager John Driscoll Sr planned an impromptu retiree’s luncheon at Slyman’s on Rockside in Independence. This is the first opportunity many of these retirees have had to get together since retirement. Photos courtesy of John Goggin.

September ’21 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and Sisters:

Over the last several months, my YouTube feed has been suggesting job-oriented videos. The themes range from how to identify a toxic work environment, bad bosses, five signs you should quit your job right now, negotiating a salary… Hmmm.

Is the cosmos trying to tell me something?

After clicking on several of these videos a common theme seemed to emerge that is appropriate for the trades — career planning.

Career planning is not something limited to the corporate world, it has a direct application to what we in the field do everyday. We all started in this trade as probationaries with a skill set brought from our previous work experience. As we progressed in the trade, we identified areas where our skills directly applied and we could be an asset to our job and also identified areas we needed assistance.

For me, I was stronger in mechanical systems where I could see the interactions of parts and the result of their work. I also knew enough about electricity to know that I did not know enough. I knew this was an area I would need to concentrate on if I was going to be successful in this business.

I tackled Basic Electricity and finally understood exactly what was going on in AC and DC motors, came to grips with inductance and capacitance, tried to stay awake through transformers and reveled in circuit tracing. I developed skills I applied to my daily work experience. Work was easier and fun.

Along the way I had opportunities to interact with guys from other companies and saw through their stories how different offices worked, or didn’t. I also saw several of my peers take the plunge into management or jobs with different aspects of field support. For someone focusing on the day-to-day tasks at hand, it was very expansive. I knew enough about myself to know that being a superintendent was not for me but, there might be other jobs I could do that would make a difference.

In November of 2006 I was going to my truck to get my phone prior to a union meeting when Mike Moennich asked if I would be interested in running for the correspondent to the Journal. Mike knew from our time working together I had a background in journalism. I agreed and was elected at the December meeting. That put my feet on the path I am today.

As a newly elected officer, it did not take long for me to realize that union meetings are a conversation and in order to understand what was going on it took many months to see how the conversation progressed. I did my best to keep the Journal readers up to date on happenings and eventually found my voice within the Local.

In 2010 the sixth issue of Lift Magazine showed up in my mailbox. I read through the issue and the back issues I had saved and thought it was interesting. They contained a lot of good information and background on a variety of subject written by people who spent at least part of their careers working in the field. On one of the pages was a box asking those interested in writing for Lift to email NEIEP and I did. A few months later I received an email and it opened up a new opportunity to apply my editorial skills to a project where I could make a positive impact on the trade. That lead to becoming an instructor and meeting some of the best people from around the country. All of them dedicated to making the trade a little bit better.

It’s strange how life puts you where you are supposed to be. I never thought that initial short conversation in the parking lot would lead me to where I am today. I don’t know where the rest of my time in the trade will take me but I just have two things to say: thank you Mike Moennich and enjoy your retirement. You’ve earned it.

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

Don
DKnapik@windstream.net