Category: Articles

Current Constructor and Citizen articles

July ’14 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and sisters:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Where are they working?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Don
DKnapik@windstream.net

June ’14 Labor Citizen

I hope that all the fathers or fathers-to-be reading this article had a great Father’s Day. While we do not get all the press mothers do, our part in raising a happy and healthy child is very important. Remember, when you are watching the kids you are not a babysitter, babysitters are someone you hire to watch your kids, you are a parent and it is called parenting.

On May16, IUEC Local 17 held its annual Retiree’s Dinner at Frank Sterle’s Slovenian House Restaurant. This is always a great time for past and present members to get together and swap stories about when “men were made of steel and rails were wood.” During the fifty-fifty raffle Al Jerson along with retirees Joe Lijana, Lenny Kessler and John Ward took single honors and the big double winners were Hugh Taylor and retiree Bob Hess.

Taking home service pins were Tim Moore and John Patton for 25 years in the business; Dan Tinner for 30 years; Jack Saunders, Tim Moennich, Dennis Dixon and Rick Myers each took home 35 year pins and the big winner of the night was Pat Culligan who is celebrating 40 years in the elevator business. Congratulations to everyone on reaching these career milestones!

Those of you that have signaling and rigging cards from NEIEP please take note. Your cards are good for three years. In the final year of your certification you must go to the NEIEP website and open a recertification link at the bottom of the screen. This can be done any time in the last twelve months of certification.

If you hold a scaffolding card and need to renew your license there is no refresher course, you must take the course again. It is a 12-hour course and if there is enough interest Local 17 will schedule a class.

NEIEP is also offering OSHA 10 certification through the website. It is a ten hour course that covers all aspects of OSHA and is required on many construction and large modernization jobs.

In May two issues passed that should help out the organized trades. First was state Issue 1 which is set to fund infrastructure projects like roads, bridges and schools. It is expected to help all 88 Ohio counties pay for these important public improvements.

Also passing was county Issue 7, the Sin Tax renewal on cigarettes and alcohol. All three of the major Cleveland sports teams backed this effort to help maintain their venues. The large advantage for the trades is they do all of their work through union contractors and the expected upgrades to the facilities should keep the trades working for some time.

The ACT-Ohio website has added a new link called Campus Safety Information. This was created to address the hiring of non-union contractors at Ohio campuses. The site includes photos of OSHA violations and is setup to prevent dangerous situations from developing on college campuses. There is a link to the ACT-Ohio site through iueclocal17.org on the Links page.

There has been some concern recently about company truck drivers and what they can and cannot do. On a construction site, if IUEC members are not allowed to operate the lift truck, then the truck will be unloaded by hand. If you are on service, the company drivers are not allowed to unload or pickup weights or any job material without a member there to do the work. If you have any questions, call Business Manager Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088 or email him at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org.

The Volunteer Organizing Committee will be hand billing twice in the month of June and once in July. If you would like to be a part of the effort to recapture our work, please give Tim a call so we can show up in force.
The VOC would also like to thank everyone that continues to call the hall with information on non-signatory elevator companies working around town. The signatories to IUEC Local 17 are Kone, Maximum, Otis, Ross, Schindler and Thyssen Elevator.

June ’14 Elevator Constructor

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

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

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

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

Where are they working?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jim Ehrbar and Tim Moore at Ameritrust for Thyssen,

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

Don
DKnapik@windstream.net

May ’14 Labor Citizen

Over the years, the celebration of May Day has brought a sense of joy, sadness and fear. Originally May Day began as a celebration of summer, planting and new life by Celtic and Germanic tribes as a way of cleaning house and shedding winter garb.

Think about it, when does Spring cleaning start in earnest?

Around the end of April beginning of May when the weather is more receptive to outdoor activities. On the morning of May 1st in St. Andrews, Scotland locals celebrate with a torch light procession to the North Sea where revelers plunge into the sea naked. In Germany, the day is traditionally celebrated with festivals and the delivery of a streamer draped tree or pole to the home of a love interest.

In America, May Day has a bloodier connotation. In 1886 four strikers at McCormick Harvesting Machine Works were killed by police. As a response a May 1st rally was called for at Chicago’s Haymarket Square. When police tried to disperse the crowd, a bomb went off and the resulting police riot left at twelve dead. Four alleged anarchists were later tried and hanged for their part at the rally. In the wake of this bloodbath the Second International of the Communist Party, trying to seize the mind and hearts of their American comrades, appropriated the date as International Workers Day and, for years, celebrated it with military parades. Since then uttering the phrase “Happy May Day” branded you as a Fellow Traveler and in the 1950’s would have given you a front row seat to meet Senator Joe McCarthy.

As for me, when I wish someone a Happy May Day it is more in the vein of my Celtic and Germanic friends than the Second International. I also take a moment to remember the men and women who bled in the streets for our right to organize for a better life. So fellow travelers however you choose to take it…

HAPPY BELATED MAY DAY!

Two notes for apprentices. First, the last day to make up missed classes is May 29th. Second, turn in your completed OJT forms or you will be called to appear in front of the Joint Apprenticeship Committee.

For those with 2G and 3G welding certification, section D1.1 of the requirements says that in order to maintain your certification, you must make at least one documented shielded arc weld every six months. It is your responsibility to maintain your documentation and have a supervisor sign-off on your welds. If your certification lapses you have to private pay for the cost of recertification. NEIEP will not cover recertification.

If you are working as an assistant mechanic, please check to be sure that your Appendix A forms are being signed by yourself, the company and the union. This will avoid future problems.

On April 3rd the Volunteer Organizing Committee hand billed the businesses and apartments on East 4th Street. The effort was to raise awareness of the residents and patrons of the neighborhood to issues of elevator safety. The response to the hand billing has been encouraging for the VOC. There are several other actions planned for the coming months and the local needs the help of everyone in the trades to protect not only the elevator work but the work of all the trades. If you are on vacation and stay in a hotel where there is renovation going on, ask the owner or manager if they are employing union labor. If they aren’t, go somewhere else. This is a way of voicing your fraternity with our fellow tradesmen and keeping your money earned by union labor supporting union labor.

The VOC is also asking all trades to keep reporting to our hall anytime they see a non-signatory on their job. This has been a successful effort and aided the Committee in identifying several buildings for follow-up by Business Manager Tim Moennich, our International organizer or members of the committee. IUEC Local 17 signatories are Kone, Maximum, Otis, Schindler, Ross and Thyssen-Krupp Elevator. Tim can be reached at 216-431-8808 or emailed at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org.

IUEC Local 17 sends its condolences to Brother Bob Kobasic whose father, Ed, passed away. We also send condolences to the friends and family of Brothers Jim, John and Tom Goggin on the untimely passing of Jim’s son James. James was a member of IUEC Local 45 (Akron) and recently initiated into this great trade.

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

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

April Labor Citizen

Brothers and sisters:
Although it was a Monday and the weather was cold and clear, St. Patrick’s Day 2014 was a success for IUEC Local 17. Almost a dozen members, many with their families in tow, showed their green in the annual parade. An addition to the local’s entry was Jason Faber and his restored 1952 Chevrolet Suburban wagon. Also new this year was the donation of the stake body truck by Kone so the children could take part in the festivities. If you would like to see pictures from the day, go to the local’s website iueclocal17.org and cursor down to the posted images.

John Taylor will be teaching a class on microprocessor-based control systems. The course covers processor-based systems, circuits, maintenance, service and elevator applications. The course is six weeks long. If you are interested in attending, contact Business Manager Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088 or by email at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org.

Do not forget the annual Retirees Dinner for Local 17 has been changed to May 16th. The event will still be held at Frank Sterle’s Slovenian Restaurant, 1401 East 55th 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 for your reservations.

June 7th 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 23rd. Contact Mike Hogan to make your reservations for this year’s event.

April will be a special called meeting for the third reading of resolutions regarding the Volunteer Organizing Committee for Local 17. As with all special called meetings, this one is mandatory and will result in a fine for non-attendance.

With the political season around the corner, the National Elevator Constructors Political Action Committee is looking for support to build its war chest. Contributions to NECPAC come from an hourly contribution made directly from the members check. The amount can be as small as five-cents an hour which translates to about $100 a year. Any active or retired members wishing to make a contribution from their monthly pension checks can do so by filling out a PDF form available from the IUEC website, iuec.org, under My IUEC and the Political Action tab.

IUEC Local 17 is proud to announce that Business Manager Tim Moennich was named to the executive board of the Cleveland Building Trades. Besides his business Manager duties for the local, Moennich is also a trustee of the National Elevator Industry Educational Program. NEIEP is responsible for administering the apprenticeship program in all locals for the IUEC.

The Volunteer Organizing Committee is asking all members of the Cleveland building trades to keep their eyes open for non-signatory companies working on any of their jobs. Cleveland’s signatory companies are Kone, Maximum, Otis, Ross, Schindler and ThyssenKrupp. If you have a question about whether a company is a signatory, please call our hall at 216-431-8088. We would also like to thank all those who have called to report non-signatories on their jobs. Together we all make the trades stronger.

Where are they working?
DJ Spring and Joe Simcic installing two cars at 1010 Euclid for Otis,
John Patton and Tom Gombar doing repair work at Lockhead Martin in Akron for Kone,
Ric Supinski went to work for Thyssen in Akron,
Jim Sinclair left Otis Elevator to work for Maximum Elevator,
Matt Pinchot and Al Ward doing a three-car mod at the Cleveland Clinic Lyndhurst for Otis,
Dave Hess and Dave Adrian doing a door mod at Beachpark Apartments for Thyssen,
Todd Kemp and Randy Thompson cabling at the VA for Thyssen, and
Ken Hasek and Craig Haller at Kaiser doing a jack for Otis.

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

March ’14 Labor Citizen

Brothers and Sisters:

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all of our friends of Irish decent and those that, for one day, claim it!  This is the day that Cleveland wakes up from its long, cold winter’s slumber and dresses in the green of spring’s new birth.  And everyone, no matter where they or their ancestors hail from, are Irish for the day.  For the latest news on IUEC Local 17’s participation, visit our website, iueclocal17.org.

The April 11th union meeting will be a mandatory special called meeting to vote on resolutions involving Local 17’s Organizing Committee.  All meetings are at the hall located at 3250 Euclid Ave and start at 6 pm.  Fines will be assessed for non-attendance.

On the school side, all the apprentices passed their fall semester and by now are deep into the spring semester schooling.  Also, all the mechanics that took the motor generator class passed their final.  Congratulations to all.  Our educational opportunities are an important part of what separates us from our unorganized brothers and sisters.

Retired Brother John Taylor will be teaching a new class on microprocessor–based control systems.  These are the same systems we have seen on new construction and modernization for years.  The purpose of the class is to demystify the way these ubiquitous systems work.  It is a 24 hour class and delves into processor based systems, microprocessor circuits, maintenance and servicing.  If you are interested in the class please contact Business Manager Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088 or at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org.

The Union Sportsmen’s Alliance is holding its Second Annual Ohio State Conservation Dinner on March 14th in Columbus.  For more information go to unionsportsmen.org.

At the end of January, IUEC General President Frank Christensen attended the Tri-State meeting in Columbus.  He spoke on a couple of issues, the most important being safety on the job.  As a result of losing 45 brothers in ten years to accidents, the International set up a safety committee at the headquarters level to investigate all accidents and report on necessary safety improvements.  All of the members of the committee will be QEI certified.  Christensen has also asked that all accidents be reported to the International.  The International also sent a wristband to all members with the phrase “we came to this trade to have a better life not a shorter one.  In memory of our lost members.” The phrase is meant to remind everyone that one moment of inattention could cost you your life.

Christensen reported that the IUEC, NEIEP and the EIWPF are working together too aggressively capture the home elevator, sidewalk and handicap lift markets as well as the windmills that are going up all over the country.  This dovetails with Local 17’s efforts to organize several companies doing just that work in the Cleveland area.  If anyone sees one of these companies on a job, please call the hall.

On the subject of health and welfare, the union’s plan is firmly in the green zone while other trades plans are suffering.  As a side note, of the 15,000 retirees in the International only 6,000 participate in the health benefits.

On the work front, Akron and Columbus report full employment while Toledo and Cincinnati each have ten on the bench.  If you know anyone living in the Toledo or Columbus areas, these locals are currently running recruitment drives.

Local 17 sends its condolences to the family of Brother Jim Waleri whose brother unexpectedly passed away.

As of this writing there are 11 mechanics and one apprentice on the bench.

To all of our brothers and sisters… 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 16th.  The event will still be held at Frank Sterle’s Slovenian Restaurant, 1401 East 55th 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 7th 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 23rd.  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 Labor Citizen

Brothers and sisters:

There is a  lot going on, so I’ll get right to it….

The National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP) is offering a new online course called “Arc Flash Safety in the Workplace.”  The purpose is to introduce the student to the cause and dangers of arc flash.  Arc flash is the sudden release of electrical energy between conductors or ground.  The results can range from minor burns and blurred vision to hearing or vision loss, second or third degree burns and electrocution if the arc uses the person as a conductor to ground.  According to OSHA every year 2000 people are treated for arc flash injuries every year.  The course is available through the NEIEP website at neiep.org.  

The annual Retirees Dinner for Local 17 has been changed to May 16th.  The event will still be held at Frank Sterle’s Slovenian Restaurant, 1401 East 55th 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 7th 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 23rd.  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.

With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act there are several changes that are being rolled out in the health and welfare benefits.  Children under the age of 26 will be covered under the plan.  If your child is covered, you will be receiving a letter from the benefits office explain the change.  If they are covered by another plan, then the coordination of benefits rules will apply.

The International is advising all Schindler employees to not sign the vehicle policy.  There is a form agreed to between the International and Schindler and that is the only accepted form to sign.

Otis recently settled a grievance over the use of flat travel cables being shipped to the job with the jacket removed from both ends.  Otis is allowed to ship flat cables with the controller end stripped but not the car end.  If you receive something different at your job or have a question about the settlement, then call Tim to give him the details or ask for clarification.   

Also with health care, there are changes being made to the Medco and Express Scripts programs that supply medication to members and their dependents.  If you are one of the affected, you will be receiving a letter from Express Scripts on the changes.  There is also an increase in the hearing aid benefit from $1200 per ear to $2000. 

The next meeting of the Volunteer Organizing Committee will be Monday, February 17 at 5 pm at the school located at East 25th and Superior Ave.  For more information, contact Tim at the hall or chairman Don Knapik at dknapik@windstream.net or 440-453-9012.  Everyone is encouraged to be a part of the committee.

IUEC Local 17 sends its condolences to the family of retired Brother Pete Nuccio whose wife recently passed away.

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

 

Until next month,

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