Category: News & Events

Upcoming events and announcements

IUEC Local 17 To Participate in St.Patrick’s Day Parade

IUEC Local 17 will be participating in the 2023 Cleveland St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The Parade is an annual Cleveland tradition revived last year after a two year hiatus due to Covid.

The Parade steps off at 1:00 pm from East 18th and Superior across from the former Plain Dealer Building. The Parade is a family friendly event and members are invited to bring friends and family, including children, to celebrate the day.

This year instead of a stake body to bring along those who wish to ride, a trailer will be pulled along the route with transportation back to the starting point afterwards. Participants can gather east of the step off point anytime prior to the start but traditionally, noon is a good time to arrive on site.

For more information contact Business Manger John Driscoll Jr at 216-431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org.

February ’23 Labor-Citizen

Brothers and Sisters:

The Spring semester started the last week of January and will run for the next 18 weeks through June.  Those apprentices enrolled in RC500 will be doing a Practical Exam which is part of your Mechanics Exam score.  Treat the Practical with the same seriousness you would your Exam.  

The welding class started February 2 and will run on Thursdays for 10 weeks at the headquarters of Lincoln Electric.  The probationaries and apprentices in the welding class will be in school two days per week for the first ten weeks of the semester.  

As part of the new contract, mechanics passing the Exam after July 9, 2022 must complete eight hours of Continuing Education credits through NEIEP every year in order to receive their January 1 raise.  Any mechanic taking the education will be paid eight hours through NEIEP after completion.  This includes any grandfathered mechanic.  The portal is on the NEIEP homepage, neiep.org.

Governor Mike DeWine signed the bill making elevator licensing in Ohio a reality.  This has been a multisession effort by signatory companies and the International to make this a reality.  The nine-member Elevator Safety Review Board will be appointed by the Governor and is about nine months from taking effect.  This places elevator constructors  on the same level as other trades and professionals in the eyes of the State.

Local 17 members will be able to pay second quarter dues by credit card through Unionly, a payment processor.  There will be a 4 percent surcharge on top of your dues payment to use the service.  Dues will still be payable through traditional methods.  Expect more information on the Locals website, iueclocal17.org, as the service rolls out.

Payroll still is an issue with the major companies.  12 Otis employees did not get their January 1 raise.  The issue was apparently resolved and the employees made whole.  

Business Manager John Driscoll Jr has advised members who do not receive their pay on time to contact him so each instance can be resolved in a timely and appropriate manner.  This has happened a few times over the past year and the member has been paid every time.  If you have any questions about your pay contact John at 216-431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org.

The Brothers and Sisters of IUEC Local 17 send their condolences to the families of retired Brother Carl Metzger and City of Cleveland Inspector Andy Valek.

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

February ’23 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and Sisters:

The first week of spring semester is underway with Jerry Reitz teaching RC300, Tim Narowitz teaching and RC500 and Don Knapik teaching RC800.  

NEIEP Area Coordinator Jordan Miller is trying to organize a welding class at Lincoln Electric.  The main push is due to the Sherwin Williams headquarters project coming out of the ground and Schindler wanting as many certified welders as possible on the job.  Watch your email for updates from Business Manager John Driscoll Jr.

The Local 17 Executive Board voted to renew the Accidental Death and Dismemberment Policy with American Income Life.  A letter will be sent out on Local 17 letterhead offering this to members of the Local.  This is a voluntary offering and no member is required to respond in order to be covered by the ADD policy.  Returning the enclosed card will result in a call made by a representative of AIL to offer additional insurance products.  If you have any questions, contact John at 216-431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org.

Work is slow right now with Otis and Schindler having material delivery problems.  TKElevator, Kone and 3Phase appear to be steady but not busy enough to pick up anyone.  Otis and 3Phase have Akron mechanics finishing jobs and will be asked to return to Local 45 after they are completed.

Where are they working:

DJ Spring  and Deven Shields doing a one-car mod at Eton on Chagrin Boulevard,

Jim Thompson and Matt Dinko at Metro Critical Care Pavilion doing a two-car mod for Otis,

Shane Huff and Luke Schnitzler doing a one-car mod at Crestmont North Nursing Home for Otis,

Ken Bowles and John Ranney doing a two-car mod at Fairview Hospital for Otis, 

Nick Ward and Pat McHough at CCF Mentor installing four cars for Otis,

Pat Kelly and Cory Oldham installing a car at Lubrizol for Otis,

Craig Nolty and Brendan Teets at Meridian doing a three-car mod for Otis,

Bill Sellers and Joe Walter changing out a machine at Schofield for Schindler,

Tom Peska and Matt Ramser installing a car at Battery Park on West 70th for Schindler,

Shawn Yatsko and Brandon Light at Euclid Beach Club doing a two-car mod for Schindler,

Felix DeJesus and Brian Seither at Winton Manor doing a three-car mod for Schindler,

Pat McCann and Ric Supinski doing door mods at Cleveland Clinic Beachwood for Schindler,

Matt Weingart, Lucas Janke, Joe Sumph, Aaron Reed, Mike Bowles and Tito Mike doing mods at UH for Schindler,

Dave Gnagy and Jay Carlson installing a car at Fairmount Condos for Schindler,

Dan Varga and Jarrett Adams at Euclid 3 doing a two-car mod for Schindler,

Joe Gauker and Eric Schaffran installing twelve cars at Ahuja for Kone,

Brendan Hyland, James Hirz, Russell Barrows, Jake Driscoll and Mark Thomason at Artisan installing three 23-stop cars for Kone, 

Tim Narowitz, Vince Smrdel, Chris Sipos and John Smith at Bratenhal II doing a four-car mod for TK,

Anthony Metcalf and Christian Thompson doing a one-car mod at UH Geauga for TK,

Bill Dudas and Chad Nestor doing a one-car mod at Randall Park Apartments for TK,

Jason Fredrick and Brad Skotko doing a one-car mod at Marine Tower West for TK,

Kevin Thomas and Sean Canning installing one car at Parma Self Storage for TK

Mitch Klemp and Brian Owens at Shaker Court Condos doing a mod for 3Phase,

Marc Carollo and Dan Quigley at River Park Apartments doing a two-car mod for 3Phase,

Wing Lui and Justin Kavedzic at Cellular Technology doing a mod for 3Phase and,

Jim Ehrbar and Tino Chaibai doing a two-car mod at Chelsea Apartments for 3Phase.

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

Until next month,

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don

Dknapik@windstream.net

January ’23 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and Sisters:

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

Photos from the 2022 Children’s Christmas Party held December 10th at the hall are now available on the Local 17 website, iueclocal17.org.  This is the first party since the pandemic and, as always, was a great time for parents and children.  

There will be 40 apprentices in the spring semester NEIEP classes.  Jerry Reitz will be teaching RC300 on Monday and Tuesday, Tim Narowitz will teach RC500 on Tuesday and Wednesday and Don Knapik will teach RC800 on Thursday.

All enrolled apprentices should have received their class assignments.  Also, all new apprentices to the program will be receiving a laptop to use in class.  If you have any questions about your class assignment, day or have not received your laptop, contact Business Manager John Driscoll Jr at 216-431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org.

Local 17 is planning a welding class between the fall and spring semesters at the world headquarters of Lincoln Electric in Euclid.  Any mechanic or apprentice interested must first complete an online prep course on the NEIEP website, neiep.org.  If you have any questions, contact John at the hall.

The January 13, 2023 meeting is a mandatory meeting for the installation of officers.  Those without a valid reason for not attending will be fined.

Where are they working:

DJ Spring and Deven Shields doing a one-car mod at Eton on Chagrin for Otis

Jim Thompson and Matt Dinko at Metro Critical Care Pavilion doing a two-car mod for Otis,

Shane Huff and Luke Schnitzler doing a one-car mod at Crestmont North Nursing Home for Otis,

Ken Bowles and John Ranney doing a two-car mod at Fairview Hospital for Otis,

Nick Ward and Pat McHugh at CCF Mentor installing four cars for Otis,

Pat Kelly and Cory Oldham installing a car at Lubrizol for Otis,

Craig Nolty and Brendan Teets at Meridian doing a three-car mod for Otis,

Bill Sellers and Joe Walter changing out a machine at Schofield for Schindler,

Tom Peska and Matt Ramser installing a car at Battery Park on West 70th for Schindler,

Shawn Yatsko and Brandon Light at Euclid Beach Club doing a two-car mod for Schindler,

Felix DeJesus and Brian Seither at Winton Manor doing a three-car mod for Schindler,

Pat McCann and Ric Supinski doing door mods at Cleveland Clinic Beachwood for Schindler,

Matt Weingart, Lucas Janke, Joe Sumph, Aaron Reed, Mike Bowles and Tito Mike doing mods at UH for Schindler,

Dave Gnagy and Jarrett Adams installing one car at Fairmount Condos for Schindler,

Joe Gauker and Eric Schaffran installing 12 cars at Ahuja for Kone,

James Hirz, Russell Barrows, Brendan Hyland and Jake Driscoll at The Artisan on East 106th and Chester installing three 23-stop cars for Kone,

Tim Narowitz, Vince Smrdel, Chris Sipos and John Smith at Bratenhal II doing a four-car mod for TKElevator,

Anthony Metcalf and Christian Thompson doing a one-car mod at UH Geauga for TKElevator,

Bill Dudas and Chad Nestor doing a one-car mod at Randall Park Apartments for TKElevator,

Jason Fredrick and Brad Skotko doing a one-car mod at Marine Tower West for TKElevator,

Kevin Thomas and Sean Canning installing one car at Parma Self Storage for TKElevator,

Mitch Klemp and Brian Owens at Shaker Professional doing a mod for 3Phase,

Marc Carollo and Dan Quigley at Center for Pastoral Care doing a mod for 3Phase,

Wing Lui and Justen Kavedzic at 20521 Chagrin Boulevard doing a mod for 3Phase,

Jim Ehrbar and Tino Chaibai doing a two-car mod at Chelsea Apartments for 3Phase.

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

Until next month,

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don

DKnapik@windstream.net

December ’22 Labor-Citizen

Brothers and Sisters:

At the November meeting, Sister Andrea Rodriguez reported on her and her husband Ernesto’s attendance at the Tradeswomen Build Nations Conference held in Las Vegas October 28 through 30.  Sister Rodriguez talked about the common themes of union involvement, encouraging women to enter the trades and the challenges they face once there.  Speakers included North American Building Trade Unions President Sean McGarvey, Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh and AFL-CIO President Liz Schuler, a former IBEW electrician.   

When IUEC Sisters in attendance started discussing forming a women’s group within the International, the IBEW’s Affinity Program, which offers a variety of services to all members not just women, became a better option.  “Learning about the IBEW’s success with such a group was enlightening and encouraging” said Rodriguez.  “Anything that helps the IUEC at any level makes it worth attending.”

IUEC Local 17 hosted the 2022 Children’s Christmas Party on Saturday, December 10 at 1 PM.  While members and their families brought baked goods, soft drinks and entertainment featuring a magician as well as a visit from everyones favorite elf were supplied by the Local.  This is the first party since the pandemic and, as always, will be a great time for parents and children.  Photos from the event are available on the Local’s website, iueclocal17.org.

Local 17 has the largest apprentice class in years this spring with 40 students enrolled.   Jerry Reitz will be teaching RC300 on Monday and Tuesday, Tim Narowitz will teach RC500 on Tuesday and Wednesday and Don Knapik will teach RC800 on Thursday.  Classes are scheduled to begin the first week of February with an orientation class the last week of January.  

If you have any questions about your class assignment, day or if you are new to the program and have not received your laptop, contact Business Manager John Driscoll Jr at 216-431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org.

Local 17 is planning a welding class between the fall and spring semesters at the world headquarters of Lincoln Electric in Euclid.  This is a two-week, 40 hour class which gives the participant the opportunity to earn a 3G or 4G welding certification.  If you are working construction or repair and do not have this certification, regardless of your mechanic or apprentice status, you are encouraged to take this class.

Any mechanic or apprentice interested must first complete an online prep course on the NEIEP website, neiep.org, and select their size of welding gear.  If you have any questions, contact John at the hall.

The December 9, 2022 and January 13, 2023 meetings are mandatory meetings for the election and installation of officers.  Those without a valid reason for not attending will be fined.

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

Election Night 2022

IUEC Local 17 Election night saw three races on the ballot. Sister Andrea Rodriguez campaigned for the positions of President and Delegate to the AFL-CIO which were held by Brother John Patton. There was also a race for Vice-President between current office holder Fran Adams and challenger Pat Kelly.

As the Hall filled up on Election Night 2022, officers setup and readied the ballot box.

All four candidates had the opportunity to speak to the body prior to the ballots being cast. Sister Andrea Rodriguez (right) spoke about her qualifications to be elected president of Local 17 followed by sitting President John Patton (left). Both Adams and Kelly declined.

Members line up to get their ballots and cast their vote.

Ballots are readied for counting by the talliers.

The final tallies had Patton retaining the President and Delegate offices and Kelly coming out ahead over Adams.

December ’22 Elevator Constructor

Brothers and Sisters:

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

The 2022 Children’s Christmas Party will be held Saturday, December 10 at the hall located at 3250 Euclid Avenue.  The event starts at 1 pm and the highlight is, as always, a visit from Santa Claus to pass out gifts to all the children 12 and younger.  

The spring school semester looks to be a packed house as Local 17 will have 37 apprentices in class.  The RC courses have yet to be determined for the group but, orientation will be the last week of January while classes start the first week of February.

John Taylor will be teaching the AC motor class and the hydraulic valve course after the first of the year.  These are two Continuing Education classes that do a deep dive into subjects that are touched upon in the regular NEIEP curriculum.  The motor class covers how an AC motor works, both across the line and wye-delta starting along with a section on soft starts.  The JATC is also looking at doing another welding class between the fall and spring semesters at the world headquarters of Lincoln Electric in Euclid, Ohio.  If you are interested in any of these offerings contact Business Manager John Driscoll Jr at the hall at 216-431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org.

All quarterly work cards are to be picked up from the hall by the first day of the quarter.  If you want your card to be mailed to you, include an SASE with your dues payment.  

The 36 story, one million square foot Sherwin-Williams headquarters project going up on Public Square will be done with a Project Labor Agreement ensuring that the 4000 construction jobs on the project will all be union labor.  

Otis has picked up a considerable amount of work recently and has three out of town teams working construction.  Schindler laid off a mechanic and is threatening layoffs in the future while TK Elevator and KONE are keeping their crews working steady.  KONE has said they expect the first quarter of 2023 to be the start of a very busy time for them.  3Phase has a good amount of work on the books with one team from Akron working in the Cleveland jurisdiction. 

Schindler has been having problems processing pay checks in Cleveland and the region.  AGP Bender sent emails to the affected areas and the issue was corrected in a short time.  If you were shorted or have continuing issues with your pay, contact your administrator and superintendent but also let John know an issue exists.

The six probationaries in Group 1 all should have received raises to 55%.  Also, all the Local 17 apprentices should have received their raises as long as they completed and passed two semesters of school.

The Members Assistance Plan is a benefit for IUEC members and their families that cover a variety of issues from weight management, financial planning assistance, smoking cessation, and counseling for a variety of issues.  The phone call is confidential.  Information is available from John at the hall or through the link on the Local 17 website, iueclocal17.org.

Congratulations to Brad Skotko on being sworn in at the October meeting.

The Brothers and Sisters of Local 17 send their condolences to the family of Brother Chris Boggess who passed away October 7.

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

Until next month…

Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.

Don

DKnapik@windstream.net