Category: Articles

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.