Category: Articles

Current Constructor and Citizen articles

August ’13 Labor Citizen

Brothers and sisters:

 There are four members of IUEC Local 17 eligible for the Mechanics Exam to be held September 11.  As all journeymen know, the final exam of your apprenticeship is actually the easiest one you take.  The true test comes every day after that when you have to balance the pressures of safety on the job, company imposed time restraints and the desire to do your best as a union craftsman.  These are not always easy obstacles to overcome.  Sometimes, when the sun, moon and stars are all in alignment, the job moves forward flawlessly to the satisfaction of all.  Sometimes Mr. Murphy visits the job and the best laid plans fly out the window.

An airline mechanic friend once summarized the philosophy of the industry as “if you find it, fix it because that is one less thing to make the aircraft crash.”  For the most part, this culture of safety has resulted in the airline industry having a very good safety track record.  Because the elevator industry is unique in our scope of work and our exposure to the general public after the pile of parts becomes a living, breathing machine, we have a special responsibility to the riding public to ensure their mode of transportation is, first and foremost, safe and then reliable.  If this means taking extra time to reset the actuating pressure or speed of a safety device, take it.  If that means leaving a unit down until the proper adjustment can be made, take it.  It is far better to error on the side of safety than to leave a safety device designed to protect the public in a state that will never allow it to work.

Think about it like this:  when you’re done with a job, would you feel good about having your family ride than elevator or escalator?  If you have a nagging voice saying “no” then damn the yelling you’re going to get.  Do the job right.

There are still slots available for the welding class offered at Lincoln Electric leading to G3 and G4 certification.  If you are interested, then contact Business Agent Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088 or email him at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org.

NEIEP is rolling out two new hands-on labs for apprentices and mechanics.  They cover hydraulic valve simulations, similar to the hydraulic controller lab you are familiar with, and a freight door lab based on the Peelle door system.

The fall semester will start on August 12th.  Letters informing all apprentices of their class assignments should have been received by now.  If you haven’t received a letter, then call Tim at the hall.

Striking IUEC locals in Ontario province reached an agreement on June 28th to end their two-month long walkout.  The solidarity locals 50, 90 and 96 showed got members the money they were looking for as well as protecting seniority and double time.  No matter when your contract expires, ever member of the trades should have a personal strike fund available in case of a stoppage

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

Local 17 is left with six signatory companies:  the four majors (Kone, Otis, Schindler and Thyssen) and two independents, Maximum and Ross.

According to a letter from State Representative Sandra Williams there will be no further hearings on House Bill 151 and House Joint Resolution 5 the legislation designed to turn Ohio into a RTWFL state.

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

 This is just a reminder that the first Labor Day Festival will be held at Euclid Memorial Park on August 31st from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.  This is a family oriented event and everyone is encouraged to attend.

August ’13 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and sisters:

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

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

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

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

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

Where are they working?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Till next month…

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don

dknapik@windstream.net

July ’13 Labor Citizen

Brothers and sisters:

IUEC Local 17 is accepting applications for its apprenticeship program.  To be eligible applicants must be at least 18 years old, hold a high school diploma or GED, pass a written test and an oral interview given by the IUEC Local 17 Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee before being slotted for the list.  Those interested in becoming an apprentice must request an application from NEIEP Area Coordinator Jeff Burns, 433 Little Canada Road East, Little Canada, MN 55117.  All requests must be postmarked no later than July 10th.  If you have any questions, call Business Agent Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088 or email him at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org.  Good Luck.

There are still openings for the welding class to be held at the world headquarters of Lincoln Electric, the leading manufacturer of welding equipment and supplies located in Euclid, Ohio.  This is a two-week, 40 hour class that offers the welding student the opportunity for 3G (vertical up) and 4G (overhead) certification.  Do not miss this chance to learn or hone a valuable skill that can make you more employable.  For more information or to sign up, contact Tim at the hall.

The IUEC lost two brothers to fatal on the job accidents in June.  The first was Brother Don White a 63 year-old mechanic with Local 8 (San Francisco).  He was killed when a counterweight struck him while working on a ladder in the pit of a car at the new football stadium for the San Francisco ‘49er’s.

The second fatality was Brother Ron Zimbro from Local 10 (Washington DC).  He was on a late night/early morning callback where all the cars in a building were out of service.  He was somehow crushed between two cars while working on a divider beam.  He, too, was 63 and had 37 years in the business.  Both of these brothers worked for Schindler Elevator.

As a result of these tragic accidents, during the week of June 17th, Schindler performed a safety stand down in all US and Canadian offices to refocus its emphasis on safe work practices.  This included safety walks by superintendents, area and district managers as well as vice-presidents and concluded with presentations at each Schindler office the week of the 24th.

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

It does not matter whether you are an elevator constructor, iron worker, electrician, bricklayer, pipefitter or anyone working in the trades, one thing is true:  being a fatality is not the way to be remembered.

At the last meeting, Tim reminded all members that whenever they are on a job lasting longer than two day, start a new construction or modernization job or work out of town, they must call the hall to report where they are working.  They must also call in when starting a job that has a hydraulic cylinder hole dug or any other work being done by elevator constructors.

Also at the June meeting, Tim advised that no one at KONE should sign any form or volunteer for a drug test.  This has not been agreed to or approved by the IUEC.

Business Agent Tim Moennich was also a guest on 1490 AM WERE’s America’s Workforce Radio hosted by Ed “Flash” Ferenc.  During the interview they talked about the requirements for the apprenticeship program and the newly completed Medical Mart.  If you are interested in hearing Tim’s interview, go to iTunes and search for American Workforce Radio and download the May 31st podcast.  The show airs Monday through Friday from 4 to 5 pm.

Strike Update

As of this writing, three Canadian locals (Toronto, Hamilton and Ottawa, Ontario) are still on strike as talks have broken off with Thyssen, Otis, KONE and Schindler and no new talks are expected.

Our brothers and sisters to the north need our support and a strike relief fund has been established to aid members walking the picket lines.  Any individual or local can send a contribution to the Ontario Strike Fund, C/O IUEC Local 50, 400 Westnery Road, Ajax, Ontario, Canada, L156M6.

IUEC Local 17 would like to send its condolences to the familiy of Brother Jim Moore who passed away in late April and to Brother Doug LaFontaine whose father Jim LaFontaine also passed away.  Jim LaFontaine was the past president of Emco Elevators.

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

July ’13 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and sisters:

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

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

Don
Dknapik@windstream.net

June ’13 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and sisters:

A couple of months ago I was sitting in our repair department safety meeting before going into the company safety meeting and I looked around at the people gathered in the room.  The mechanics sat on one side of the desk and the apprentices on the other.  While our boss rattled off data points on performance versus time and BDP and GPS and blah, blah, blah, I wondered where all the old-timers went.

When I started at Millar and into the Schindler merger I worked service with the likes of Ron Waleri, Gene Steiner, Dave Zapeda, John Ward, Mark Mayo and Big Bill Sellers.  When I worked as a floating maintenance helper I helped almost every Millar/Schindler maintenance man in Cleveland.  If there was one I missed then it was due to the superintendent not grabbing me in time to get me out to them before they quit or retired.  I grew to appreciate them all for their unique approaches to their job and the skills they had that kept their customers happy and equipment running.  From some I learned what not to do which can be an even more important lesson than what to do in any given situation.

A couple of years ago I was talking with two other young mechanics who also worked as helpers with one of the service mechanics I helped for a period.  We all said that when we ran into a tough task we would stop and say “what would he do” or admonish ourselves with “that’s not how he would have done it.”  All three of us laughed because we knew the standard and it was set very high and we all hoped to live up to it.

So… Where are all the old timers?

On April 19th Local 17 held its annual Retiree’s Dinner at Frank Sterel’s Slovenian Restaurant.  In between my duties of taking photos for the local’s website, iueclocal17.org, and catching up with those retirees and active members I see only this one time a year, I took a count of those in attendance that I had the honor to work with even for a short period of time as a helper and those that helped me as a mechanic.  I stopped counting at 15.

All of them had stories to tell, memories to stir and laughs to be shared.

Drifting back to the meeting, it was not so much a hit from an I-beam but a subtle nudge from above that said we had become the old-timers.  We were the ones that the apprentices across from us would be looking up to and referencing for the rest of their careers just like those I worked with as a helper.  It was an awesome and sobering thought and I think every day about living up to the standard that those before us set.

I do not always know whether I measure up, but when I leave this trade, by whatever means it happens, my most sincere hope is that I will make a positive impact and leave it better than when I found it.

Till next month…

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don

dknapik@windstream.net

May ’13 Cleveland Citizen

Brothers and sisters:

The National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP) is happy to announce they are now offering an OSHA 10 class to IUEC members through their website, neiep.org.  OSHA 10 is the ten-hour course that many construction sites require in order to be able to work onsite.  It covers the history of OSHA and basic safety procedures every elevator constructor must know.  The course requires little or no computer experience and can be self-paced.  There is a refundable fee of $72 to enroll.  For more information on this and other opportunities for advanced education, go to the NEIEP website.

There is a sign-up sheet for the welding class offered in conjunction with Lincoln Electric at their world headquarters on Euclid.  This is a 40-hour class that leads to G3 and G4 certification.  If you have any questions contact Business Agent Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088 or email him at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org.

There is still time to get in on the IUEC Local 17 Golf Outing.  The two-man scramble will be held June 1st at Mallard Creek Golf Course, 34500 Royalton Road, Columbia Station.  The festivities kick off at 9:00 AM and feature a full day of golf, food and prizes.  The cost is $100 for the day.  Please get your name into Entertainment Chairman Mike Hogan or Business Agent Tim Moennich.

Lessons Learned

Congratulations to the Strongsville Education Association on ending their eight-week long strike against the Board of Education with their first contract in two years.  While many looking in from the outside might see spoiled public servants attempting to grab as much as they can at the expense of the students they say they care so much about, the issues go so much deeper than that superficial statement.

Strongsville, like many school systems, requires that teachers advance their education over and above the basic bachelor’s degree and compensates them for the time and effort.  The belief is that teachers with advanced degrees bring more value to the classroom and give a more complete and better education to their students.  In other words, if the system is loaded with masters and PhDs, their pay scale is going to be closer to the top than if most of the teachers were holding masters and below.

Strongsville has consistently ranked high in their state evaluations and the community at large supports the good work the teachers do.  The most current report card put out by the state ranked the system 97th out of the 610 public systems in Ohio and gave it an Excellent with Distinction ranking.

Unfortunately for the school system they were hit with a double whammy as decreased state aid by Governor Kasich and a decrease in property values cut into their operating budget.  State aid to the system peaked in 2010 at $21.6 million after increasing from $16.4 million in 2007.  The system took a $700,000 hit in 2011 but bounced back in 2012 with a $2.1 million increase for a total of $22.9 million in state aid.  The local revenue received peaked in 2009 at $53.1 million but decreased to $48.1 million today which is $500,000 above the 2006 levels.  Federal aid to Strongsville is off by $2 million versus the 2010 numbers.  While this looks bleak, the system is still operating with a budget that is $6.5 million over their 2007 revenue.

There are many out there that will use this as a lever to revive SB5, the failed attempt to limit public-sector collective bargaining rights, but the broader issue is union busting by the GOP lead statehouse and turning Ohio into a “Right-To-Work –For Less” state.  As has been reported previously in these pages, there are groups gathering signatures to place a measure called the “Workplace Freedom Act” that would turn collective bargaining back to the pre-NLRB days.

It is ironic that two Republican legislators , Ron Maag of Lebanon and Kristina Roegner of Hudson, introduced sister bills to turn Ohio into a Right-To-Work-For-Less state on May 1st, or as our friends in the former Soviet Union refer to it, May Day.  A day set aside to honor the working man and woman.

As a Strongsville High School graduate of too long ago to count, I think about the lesson plans that a returning striking teacher would prepare for their first class in eight weeks.  I would spend the week talking about the history of labor relations, collective bargaining and why it is as important today as it was in 1935 when the National Labor Relations Act took effect.  Then I would talk about the collective bargaining process and why it is still the best model for management-labor relations and finally using strikes as a last measure.  A lesson plan like this would put the collective bargaining process in perspective and teach a real life lesson the kids will not soon forget.

May ’13 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and sisters:

As I said in my April article, we in Local 17 are blessed with having seven probationaries in our local.  At the March meeting, Business Agent Tim Moennich addressed them as they sat in on their first meeting of the local.

“In our collective bargaining agreement the probationary period has been extended to from six months to twelve.  The Executive Board decided that the probationary apprentices should attend the next six union meetings as part of their education in what it means to be a union member.

All seven are here tonight.

Welcome to what we all hope is the first meeting of what we all hope is a long career as an elevator constructor.  The International Union of Elevator Constructors as the most highly skilled membership in the building trades and we take great pride in the fact we are the highest paid trade with the best benefits in the industry.  These great benefits of health care, pension, annuity and 401 k were started by all the hard working elevator constructors that have and do now work in this great union.

You should know that the companies just do not give us these benefits. The IUEC negotiated with the companies on our behalf to secure them for past, present and future generations of elevator constructors.  To maintain them, we have a responsibility to keep up with our craft through education.  In other words, we have to continue to be the best at what we do.  This means as you start your career putting in the time and effort to be the best elevator constructor for the good of the union, your company and yourself and then keep learning through continuing education opportunities the union makes available.

To reach retirement we need to remember to be safe at all times.  This means you are responsible for your own safety and that of everyone around you.  We are being pushed by the companies to do more with less and do it faster than before but this MUST NOT result in an untimely injury or death.  You have a responsibility to yourself, your family, your friends, your company and your union to work safe.

It is OK to be proud of the company you work for.  You cannot forget that they pay your wages and allow you to practice your trade.  At the end of the day, every brother and sister in this local must be a member of Local 17 first and then an employee of their company.  Anything you get, wages, benefits, vacations, now or in the future depends on the strength of your union.  Part of the way to do this is protecting Article IV, the Work We Claim, and assisting each other in securing employment, engaging in education, brotherhood and politics.

I wish every brother and sister in the International a long and prosperous career as an elevator constructor. 

Remember, we got into this trade for a better life… not a shorter one.”

I am very pleased to report that Local 17 Business Agent Tim Moennich has been named as a trustee of NEIEP by International General President Frank Christensen.  He will be one of four union and four company representatives that will set the direction for the educational organization.

To the mechanics working with probationaries — you have a special responsibility to teach them the RIGHT and SAFE ways to work.  You are their first teachers in the trade and the impression you make will be carried with them for their careers.

Local 17 sends their condolences to the families of retired Brother Dan Tomon who passed away February 17 and Brother Keith Triner whose mother passed away.

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

Till next month,

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety,

Don

Dknapik@windstream.net

April’13 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and sisters:

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

I am pleased to report that Local 17 currently has 13 apprentices on our rolls.  They are currently in class with Jerry Reitz and will be shortly completing the spring semester.  With that in mind, please keep your eye on the local’s website, iueclocal17.org, the Cleveland Citizen and this space for news and dates of the upcoming apprenticeship recruitment.  While dates have not yet been set, it will be held this summer.  So if you know someone who is interested in entering the trade, talk to them now about this upcoming opportunity.

Local 17 in conjunction with NEIEP is once again sponsoring the very popular welding class held at Lincoln Electric.  This 40-hour class is designed to qualify the participant for 3G and 4G certification at the world headquarters of Lincoln Electric in Euclid.  It is an extremely valuable class that gives you or helps refine a skill that will last a lifetime.

On Friday, April 19, 2013 Local 17 will honor our retired members at Frank Sterle’s Slovenian Restaurant, 1401 East 55th Street.  Refreshments will be served at 5:30 and dinner will begin at 6:30.  As always, this is a members only event.  The cost at the door is $30 per person and includes the family-style dinner.  All retired members attend for free, but a reply should be sent in for a reservation.  Please contact Business Agent Tim Moennich at the hall, 3250 Euclid Ave, at 216-431-8088 or by email at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org for your reservation.

The Annual Local 17 Golf Outing will be held this year on June 1st at Mallard Creek Golf Course.  The format is a two-man scramble with prizes, food and beverages before, during and after the event.  The cost has not been announced, but watch this space and our website, iueclocal17.org, for further information.

Former Local 17 organizer and now regional director Jim Chapman reported at the Tri-State meeting that non-union Oracle Elevator lost the OSU contract and is now down to four employees in Columbus. There was also a report that work in Local 37 is picking up and they are looking for help.  Looks like a good time to be a UNION elevator constructor in the Capitol City.

The International would like to remind you that if you had a change in marital status or family members, please update that information with the Benefits Office.

Almost every month I have a list of where are brothers and sisters are working in Local 17.  While this is the easiest part of the article to write, it is also a reminder that Article IV, work we claim, is a vital and important part of our contract and our trade.  Many of those listed below may not be working if we continue to allow companies to give away that work.  Next time you are on a job and see our work being done by others, bring it to your supervisor and Tim’s attention.  The job you save could be yours.

Where are they working?

Mark Carollo and Tim Moore have moved over to the Med Mart for Schindler,

Denny Dixon and Brendan Hyland doing a mod at Bonneville Towers for Kone,

Kevin Thomas and Matt Johnson doing a mod at Lake Park Towers for Thyssen,

Don Knapik and Dave Grantham at CSU Heritage Hall repairing water damage for Schindler,

Al Ward and Ken Eaton installing cars at Fairview Hospital for Otis,

Jim Thompson and Scott Erison dong a four-car mod at Euclid Hospital for Otis,

Tom Peska joined the crew at Key Tower working the modernization for Otis, and

Jim Archer and Ryan Todd doing a mod at Easterly Sewage for Schindler.

 

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

 

Till next month,

Work safe, work smart and slow down for safety.

 

Don

Dknapik@windstream.net

March ’13 Cleveland Citizen

Brothers and sisters:

There is a lot going on in IUEC Local 17 with education for our membership.  I am proud to report that IUEC Local 17 has thirteen members in its apprenticeship program.  This is the largest apprentice class the local has had in years and they are lucky enough to be instructed by Jerry Reitz.  Retired Brother John Taylor is currently teaching a mechanics class in the mysteries of solid-state motor control.

IUEC Local 17 is once again offering, in cooperation with NEIEP, the highly popular welding class taught at Lincoln Electric, the world leader in welding equipment and supplies.  The 40-hour class is geared to certifying the constructor in 3G (vertical up) and 4G (overhead) positions.  The class runs for two weeks and is four hours a night.  If you are interested in the welding class or any other educational opportunities offered by the local, please contact Business Agent Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088 or at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org.

Please watch this space and the local’s website, iueclocal17.org, for information on an upcoming apprentice recruitment.  Dates and times have not been announced, but if you or anyone you know would like to enter this challenging trade then this is your time.

Sunday, March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day and once again IUEC Local 17 will be taking part in the annual parade honoring Ireland’s favorite son.  This is always a well-attended family oriented event and everyone is encouraged to attend and march.  The route travels down Superior and we usually set up near the Plain Dealer building about East 20th Street.  This is a great opportunity to create memories and friendships that last a lifetime.

On Friday, April 19, 2013 IUEC Local 17 will honor our retired members at Frank Sterle’s Slovenian Restaurant, 1401 East 55th Street.  Refreshments will be served at 5:30 and dinner will begin at 6:30.  As always, this is a members only event.  The cost at the door is $30 per person and includes the family-style dinner.  All retired members attend for free, but a reply should be sent in for a reservation.  Please contact Business Agent Tim Moennich at the hall for your reservation.

Saturday, June 1st is the date for the annual IUEC Local 17 Golf Outing to be held again this year at Mallard Creek Golf Course, 34500 Royalton Rd., Columbia Station.  It is a two-man scramble format over one of the best public courses in Cleveland.  Please watch this space for times and costs.

At the Tri-State meeting Local 17’s former organizer and recently appointed regional director, Jim Chapman, reported that Oracle Elevator, the Florida-based non-union elevator contractor, recently lost the highly lucrative contract at The Ohio State University.  This brings the total number of employees in their Columbus office down to four.  Oracle was started in 2004 by former Otis Elevator NA president Bill Miller and former NAES president Mark Boelhouwer.

It is no secret that Right-to-Work-For-Less is a top priority for the Republican-led statehouse. Their greatest ally in the struggle to drive down wages and benefits to workers is the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), an anti-union group based in Alexandria, Virginia.  The ABC’s agenda is to spread false information about union contractors and attempt to push anti-worker legislation like RTW through statehouse after statehouse.  To counter this movement, the AFL-CIO is looking for volunteers to work phone banks to educate the public about the issues relating to RTW and its consequences.  If you can give a couple of hours, please contact Tim at the hall for further information.

It seems as though Article IV work, or our work jurisdiction according to our contract, is constantly under assault by the companies.  Over the years there have been attempts to erode the work, mostly due to advances in technology like plug and play, we as elevator constructors perform in the field.  Remember when every push button box was hard wired?  Remember when making cross connects on construction or mod meant pulling a series of multi-cords between controllers?  Remember when controllers actually had relays?  These are all examples of how the industry has changed and our work has been given away in the name of progress.

Now the current ploy is to say that our company does not have anyone “qualified” to do the work.  Whether it is cab work, setting machine beams, boxing out cable holes, welding jacks or laying flooring if it goes in an elevator it is our work.  The only way to protect it is to stand up and say “this is work we claim under Article IV and according to the Standard Agreement signed between the union and companies it is to be done by union elevator constructors.”  Sometimes a boss will make excuses about giving it away.  Even though your boss did not sign the contract, someone higher than him did.  Remind him that when he gets to make decisions about the content of the contract and its approval, he can comment, otherwise he is as bound by it as we are.

It is, after all, a two-way street.

March ’13 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and sisters:

It’s March so that means the start of NCAA college basketball tournaments and St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner.  So whether you’re Irish, wish you were or are just cheering for them, enjoy your month.

I’m writing this at the end of January as the debate over gun control rages in the wake of Sandy Hook and a half dozen other events where people resorted to using firearms to make a point.  While the Far Left looks to seize all firearms and the Far Right says they’ll have to pry them out of their cold, dead hands, the millions of us who are in the middle watch as the debate produces more heat than light.

My youngest daughter was curious about the debate and decided to research the issues herself.  She started with a literal reading and then looked at the history of case law spanning back to just a few years after the adoption of the Constitution.  She quickly realized that the issue, while clarified in case law, was still open to interpretation after over 224 years of debate.

What I encourage everyone reading this to do is no matter what side of any issue you fall, research the opposite side to give yourself a well-rounded view.  Then, and only then, can you form a complete and informed opinion.  This is how the law is argued in schools, briefs and courtrooms around the world.  With your new expanded perspective, you may just turn that heat into light.

NEIEP is offering the welding class taught at the world headquarters of Lincoln Electric, the leader in welding products and supplies.  This is a 40-hour course, four hours a night for two weeks.  The class offers the opportunity to qualify for a 3G and 4G certification.  This is an outstanding class taught in the best facilities in the world.  If you are interested in taking advantage of this unique opportunity contact Business Agent Tim Moennich at 216-431-8088 or email him at TMoennich@iueclocal17.org.

Local 17 maintains an email list for immediate communication with members, both active and retired, in the event of a death, accident or important event.  You can get on the list by contacting Tim at the hall.

Welcome to the 18 new brothers in Local 34 (Indianapolis).  These new brothers came to the IUEC through the efforts of members of the Indianapolis local reaching out to their non-union brothers at Amco Elevator.  Amco was eventually purchased on January 1 by Thyssen-Krupp.  This added 2000 units to their portfolio and brought these new members into the local.  Their outreach efforts can be a model for further efforts by the IUEC and is applicable to other trades.

Where are they working?

Ron Rittwage and Taurus Ogletree at Lorain County Community College installing a four-stop hydro for Schindler,

Tom Gombar and Chris Scholle at Judson Manor doing machine work and cabling for Kone,

Mike Miller and Ric Supinski doing inspections at Eaton Corp headquarters for Otis,

Don Knapik and Dave Grantham at PNC installing phones and speakers for Schindler,

Neil Beechuk and Nick Meyer at St. John’s Hospital finishing a job for Otis,

Dave Francis and John Masko at Southerly doing a mod for Schindler,

Kevin Thomas and Matt Johnson at Southwest General Hospital for Thyssen,

Joe Broz Jr. and Dave Adrian doing a jack at Case Western for Thyssen,

Gerard Szmerkovsky and Craig Nolty at Hunting Valley installing a three-stop hydro for Otis, and

Gary Thompson and Joe Sumph doing a two-car mod at Regency Towers for Schindler.

Local 17 sends its condolences to the families of Brothers Tom Kelly and Mark Carollo who lost their fathers and Brother John Patton who lost his mother.

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