IUEC LOCAL 17
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CLEVELAND
2024
December
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Brothers and Sisters:
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The IUEC Local 17 Annual Children’s Christmas Party will be held Saturday, December 14 at 1pm at the hall located at 3250 Euclid Avenue. Children up to 12 years old will receive gifts. Local 17 will be catering light appetizers and beverages. Members are encouraged to bring baked goods. Contact Business Manager John Driscoll Jr at the hall at 216-431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org or Entertainment Chairman Todd Kemp with any questions about this always fun and well attended event.
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The December 13, 2024 and January 10, 2025 meetings are mandatory meetings for the election and installation of officers. Members not in attendance without a recognized reason will be fined by the Executive Board.
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As this publication reaches your mailbox, apprentices should be preparing for their final exams for the Fall semester. None of you should need to be reminded that all homework, tests and attendance must be up to date prior to sitting for your final. Do not let something you directly control hold you back from advancing in the program.
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Congratulations to Mike Miller Jr and Aaron Sipos on passing the Mechanics Exam. To all apprentices looking forward to the challenge; passing the exam is the only unbiased evaluation of your knowledge of the trade. Use the time between where you are and where you want to be to its full advantage. Your mechanics, peers and instructors are incredible sources of knowledge to round out and fill in the areas you may struggle to understand. Learning the trade does not stop with the Exam, it is a career-long quest to keep up with changing technology and techniques. Everyone’s ultimate goal should be to become a resource for those who will follow in our footsteps and carry on our work.
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Local 17 is planning a welding class to be held in early January between the Fall and Spring semesters. The Local holds its classes at the world headquarters of Lincoln Electric in Euclid. The course is a 40 hour course (10 nights at four hours per night) giving the student the opportunity to earn a 3G and 4G welding certification. Those interested in taking the class must complete the CE019 Welding Preparation course on the NEIEP website, neiep.org. For more information, contact John at the hall.
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A reminder that those Brothers and Sisters requiring Continuing Education hours per the current contract, visit the NEIEP website, neiep.org, to sign up and complete the course before the end of the year.
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Independent company Maximum Elevator has been bought by ATTA out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This is ATTA’s second move into the US market as they recently completed the purchase of a St. Louis independent. The goal of the new ownership is to grow the business beyond maintenance and small repair into modernization work. Former Thyssen supervisor Lou Cozza will run the operation. As the company grows, this gives Local members an additional work option.
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Work in Cleveland has been steady with full employment and many transients working in the jurisdiction. Schindler is still working the Sherwin-Williams job which will continue into the second quarter of 2025 as well as thirteen additional mod and construction jobs. KONE is operating 12 construction or mod jobs while TKElevator and Otis currently have six crews on construction or mod while Gable/3 Phase has four mod teams in the field.
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As of this writing the bench is clear.
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Until next month…
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Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.
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Don
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November
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Brothers and Sisters:
The Annual Local 17 Children’s Christmas Party will be held Saturday, December 14 at the hall located at 3250 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland. There will be gifts for children 12 and younger. Watch your mail for the sign up slip and return it as soon as possible to the hall.
The November 8 and December 13, 2024 and January 10, 2025 meetings are Special Called Meetings for the nomination, election and installation of officers. All members are expected to attend unless otherwise exempt per Local 17 By-Laws. Exemptions must be called into the hall at 216-431-8088 or by contacting Business Manager John Driscoll Jr at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org. Members not in attendance will be fined.
Local 17 is holding a forklift certification class at the hall. The class is designed for those seeking a forklift certification for use on construction sites. Brother Tim Narowitz is teaching the eight-hour class.
For those interested in a welding class, Local 17 is tentatively set for January 2025. This gives apprentices and those interested mechanics the opportunity to get a 3G and 4G certification. This is a 40-hour class held for four hours a night over two weeks. To register, compete CW019 Welding Preparation class on the NEIEP website, neiep.org, under the Training, Training and Licensing, Welding Training menus. For more information contact John at the hall.
Another classroom space has been added in the basement of the school. This gives the Local the opportunity to offer additional continuing education classes as well as make-up classes as needed. All classrooms have been painted in the standard NEIEP color scheme and logos added to each classroom. This is part of an effort by the organization to standardize the learning experience across the International. The work was done by a local signatory painter.
So far, there have not been any reported issues with the vacation checks issued July 15 or the pay raises due the apprentices the first full pay period after September 1.
At the September meeting it was announced Brother Al Jerson was stepping down ahead of retirement as a trustee of Local 17. Jerson had 40 years in the trade and spent the last 16 years as a trustee handling the officers payroll, withholding taxes and W2s. He was elected in 2008 and helped shepherd the Local through the economic downturn of that year as well as shore up the finances during that rough period in the Local’s history.
Brother Brian Chambers was appointed by President John Patton to take his place and was sworn in as a trustee. Chambers most recent officer role was as the Entertainment Chairman.
Retirement is something we all strive to achieve. The notion of having total control over your day is an especially enticing notion since our employers have us scheduled to the moment, geopositioned to within six feet and increase our responsibilities without a consummate increase in authority to perform them.
What happens when that constant onslaught of demands suddenly ends? Quiet.
The quiet of a day without the the screech of an alarm notifying the recipient of yet another requested visit by a customer looking to keep their ancient elevator running for yet another sixty years. The constant phone calls demanding “what’s your ETA, the customer is complaining about (fill in the blank), I need you to get there, what do you mean you left their only car down?”
This is why good men and women seek release in a liquid concoction or find themselves in a corner in the fetal position.
And then… quiet.
As of this publication date, four years, seven months and twenty-eight days to go.
Not that I’m counting.
As of this writing there is one mechanic on the bench.
Until next month,
Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.
Don
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October
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Brothers and Sisters:
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The November 8 and December 13, 2024 and January 10, 2025 meetings are Special Called Meetings for the nomination, election and installation of officers. All members are expected to attend unless otherwise exempt per Local 17 By-Laws. Exemptions must be called into the hall at 216-431-8088 or by contacting Business Manager John Driscoll Jr at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org. Members not in attendance will be fined.
Over the course of the last six years I’ve had the pleasure of being able to instruct our Local 17 apprentices in a number of RC subjects. Every semester starts out with the orientation night with the Area Coordinator and the first class night the mandatory two-hour sexual harassment training. After a few semesters, this has become routine.
The start of the third hour of week one is where the instruction begins. One of the early questions I like to pose to the class is “what did you do before the elevator trade?” I’ve had a real variety of answers and the breadth of experience in every class amazes me every semester.
I’ve had apprentices only a year or two out of high school all the way up to full-blown journeymen tradesmen. In Local 17 we have one mechanic who taught welding and signed the cards of half the Local. There is more than one member who worked for the railroad and gave that up for a career that allowed for more family time.
In one of my RC 200 classes I had apprentices who worked together as tree trimmers and helped with knot tying as we worked to get the class their SIG RIG cards. When I taught RC 800, I had a Year Three apprentice who was a journeyman boilermaker who I asked to correct me if I made a mistake on running pipe. In another I substituted during an RC 600 with an electrician who helped explain a particularly sketchy solid-state circuit. More than a few have been in in the armed forces and showed the discipline to keep up with their work and excel in the field.
The first semester Year One apprentices are the most wide-eyed and impressionable. They come to the trade with only the experience they bring from their previous employment and what they have learned in the field from their mechanics.
The trade and their career path are filled with possibilities. I tell them the story of Rick Myers and how he started work in Cleveland, worked full-time at NEIEP, went back into the field and had the opportunity to travel the world for Otis. I then point out that on page four of every issue of this magazine is a list of International officers who all started in the business by stacking rails, building cabs, setting machines, running hundreds of miles of travel cord and wire rope and studying for the semester finals that would determine if they could advance in the program along with the shared anxiety of the Mechanics Exam.
Each and every one of them started exactly where these apprentices currently are: working eight hours during the day and studying at night while fulfilling their family obligations. I also point out that for some reason, each and everyone of them took a chance and became active in their Local and then the International.
I tell my Year Ones this is a trade that offers so much opportunity for experience and to make a real, positive difference in the lives of members and their families. This is the place they start but, it does not have to be the place where they finish.
Until next month,
Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.
Don
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September
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Brothers and Sisters:
The Local 17 Golf Outing was held at Bunker Hill Golf Course on July 20. There was a change in the guard as the Champion’s Jackets were won by the team lead by former Local 17 member and current Gable Elevator superintendent Scott Hicks. Congratulations to Scott and his team.
The other big winner was Jacob Kemp, son of Brother Todd Kemp, who walked away with a three-day, two-night trip to Las Vegas sponsored by Laborers Local 310. Kemp won the trip by first sinking a 20-foot putt to qualify and then, in a two way putt-off lagged his 50 footer closest to the hole. For photos from the event, go to the Local 17 website, iueclocal17.org.
As this reaches your mailbox, the 2024 Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Labor Day Softball Tournament will be in progress. Under the coaching of the Kemp Brothers, Local 17 has advanced in each of its last two outings past the first round. For the results of this year’s effort, go to the Local’s website.
The 2024-25 school year is in full swing with a compliment of 49 apprentices enrolled in the NEIEP program. Brothers Tom Goggin, Don Knapik, Jean LaFontaine, Tim Narowitz and Jerry Reitz are teaching one class of RC 100 and two classes each of RC 200, 300 and 400 for a total of seven classes. This is the Local’s largest apprentice class in many decades.
Brother Reitz is teaching the Mechanic Exam Review to the three test-eligible apprentices. Good luck to them as they start this new phase of their career.
Brother Rick Myers has returned to Local 17 and is working full time for NEIEP as a Subject Matter Expert.
State Licensing is moving forward. The nine-member Elevator Safety Review Board is taking shape and Local 17 Business Manager John Driscoll Jr is expected to be named to the Board by Governor Mike DeWine. The Board is responsible for oversight of investigations of elevator mechanics and contractors and establishing and administering appropriate disciplinary actions.
This is the final stretch of a multi-year effort to convince a once skeptical Ohio legislature of the value in licensing elevator constructors. Special recognition is due to Gable Elevator who early on took a lead role in demonstrating the complexity of the work we do and the value of the education received through the NEIEP program.
For those apprentices advancing in the apprentice program, pay raises are effective beginning the first pay period after September 1. If there is an issue with or questions regarding the timing or amount of the raise, contact John at the hall at 216-431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org.
Work in the area is strong with Schindler holding the biggest mod and construction market share. As the Sherwin Williams job winds down in the first quarter of 2025, TKElevator is expected to begin the Cleveland Clinic Neuroscience Building project. The job is 16 cars and 16 floors and TKElevator will also be doing a full mod at Rocket Mortgage Field House. Otis is doing a lot of modernization work at the Cleveland Clinic and an upcoming job at the steel mill. Kone currently has ten crews working mod and construction with Gable keeping three teams busy.
The Brothers and Sisters of IUEC Local 17 send their condolences to the families of Honorary Retiree Howard Stephenson who passed away June 6 and Brother Dave Yasenchack whose father passed away July 8.
As of this writing there is one mechanic on the bench.
Until next month,
Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.
Don
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August
Brothers and Sisters:
Fall semester begins the week of August 5 with a mandatory orientation for all apprentices. This semester there will be 48 apprentices in the NEIEP program spread over one class of RC 100 and two classes each of RC 200, 300 and 400. If you have not received your class assignments, contact Business Manager John Driscoll Jr at the hall at 216-431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org.
There were 175 applicants for the Local hire list with interviews completed the first week of June. The members of the Local extend thanks to Brothers Tom Goggin, Bill Lynsky, Tim Narowitz and Jerry Reitz for contacting the interview portion of the slotting.
The IUEC Pension Department announced all six retirement benefit rates were increased by $3. In addition, retirees also saw an increase in their monthly payout. The weekly income rate for someone on temporary disability rose from $500 per week to $715 per week.
Where are they working?
Jim Thompson and Eric Johnson at Cleveland Clinic M doing a mod for Otis,
Shane Huff and Mark Thomason at Cleveland Clinic F doing a mod for Otis,
Craig Nolty and Mike Janson at Woodhill installing two cars for Otis,
Jerry Szmerekovsky and Pat McHugh at Hathaway Brown installing two cars for Otis,
DJ Spring and Mike Hassel at Margaret Wagner doing a two-car mod for Otis,
Ric Supinski, Dave Adrian, Joel Reyes, Joe Simcic, Lee Barkschat, Nacho Badillo, Del Gay, Juan Rodriguez, Jeremy Sesma, Nick Bowen, Cory Oldham, Paul Verga, Cody Dempster, Marcus Luxenburg, Kyle Drnak, Adam, Farhm and Josh Larson at Sherwin Williams for Schindler,
Lucas Janke and Andrea Rodriguez running cars at Sherwin Williams for Schindler,
Brian Bond and Mike Gallagher at Fidelity doing a mod for Schindler,
Joe Sumph and Tito Mike doing a three-car mod at Public Utilities for Schindler,
Shawn Yatsko and Tom Holian at Kirby Manor doing a mod for Schindler,
Brian Seither and Sean Kelly doing a mod at Envoy Condos for Schindler,
Don Yoho and Sean Canning at Driftwood Apartments installing a car for Schindler,
Jason Barnett and Adam Klein at Ganley Village installing a car for Schindler,
Dave Gnagy and Jay Carlson doing a two-car mod at Lake Erie College for Schindler,
Rob Timko and Matt Carlson at Painesville Hospital doing a mod for Schindler,
Jack Finucan and Brandon LaFontaine doing a jack at Glenbeigh for Schindler,
Mike Hogan and Aaron Sipos at HK Stubs in Akron cabling for Schindler,
Bernie Sickle and Nick Seaman at the Airport installing pump units for Schindler,
Russell Barrows, Ellaina Harris, Pat Kelly and John Smith at Case SRV installing cars for Kone,
James Hirz, Mike Miller Jr, Ernie Rodriguez and Justten Kavedzic at Van Aken District 2 installing cars for Kone,
Brendan Hyland and Bob Savnik at Post Office Plaza doing a two-car mod for Kone,
Todd Ross and Eric Schaffran doing a mod at Bulkley for Kone,
Drew Williams and Jake Driscoll at Oberlin Manor doing a two-car mod for Kone,
Ken Bowles and Sasha Vujkovic at RTA Headquarters doing door operators for Kone,
Tim Narowitz and Vince Smrdel doing a mod at Southwest Hospital for TKElevator,
Dave Ford and Matt Ramser at Chagrin Plaza doing a mod for TKElevator,
Jason Frederick and Brad Skotko doing a mod at Judson Manor for TKElevator,
Chris Sipos and Jon Ranney at Crestview doing a four-car mod for TKElevator,
Anthony Metcalf and Christian Thompson at Avon High School doing a mod for TKElevator,
Jim Ehrbar and Dan Quigley at Chardon Opera House doing a mod for 3Phase,
Marc Carollo and Brian Owens at Tudor Manor doing a mod for 3Phase and
John Evanco and Jack Corrigan doing a two-car mod at Bellaire Gardens B for 3Phase.
As of this writing there is one mechanic on the bench.
Until next month…
Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.
Don
June
Brothers and Sisters:
There’s a lot going on so lets get to it…
IUEC General President Frank Christensen named Local 17 Business Manager John Driscoll Jr to the position of International Vice-President. Driscoll had previously served the International as a Trustee and stepped down from that position to take the new VP role. As a vice-president he will be part of the International’s General Executive Board and will remain as the Local’s Business Manager.
The 2024 Local 17 Golf Outing will be Saturday, July 20 at Bunker Hill Golf Course, 3060 Pearl Road, Medina, OH. Registration and lunch are at 1 PM with a shotgun start at 2 PM. A steak dinner and awards are scheduled for 7 PM. The cost is $150 per golfer. If you wish to attend only the dinner the cost is $40 if paid by July 13 and $45 after July 13. To sign up, look for a link in the announcement on the Local website, iueclocal17.org, contact John at the hall at 216-431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org.
The Local 17 Retiree’s Dinner was held Friday, May 17, 2024 at Harry’s Steak House in Independence. The event featured awards for the newly minted Gold Card retirees as well as milestone service pins for several of those present. For photos of the event go to the Local 17 website, iueclocal17.org.
According to NEIEP Area Coordinator Jordan Miller, Local 17 filled the 350 available slots for its apprentice list in 24 hours from opening up the opportunity. Aptitude testing took place the week of May 13 and interviews are tentatively scheduled for the first week in June. Good luck to those looking to join the best trade in the trades.
NEIEP has delivered new touch screen monitors as well as tables and chairs to the school. If you have a group such as a church, school, or other organization that can use our old seating, contact John at the hall.
Finals for our apprentice classes were held the week of May 20. Congratulations to all those moving on to the next semester as well as those looking to prepare for the Mechanics Exam.
One of the first jobs any probationary apprentice is given is to keep their job clean. This is not only important for the safety of those working around your area, it reflects on the quality of the job you turnover to the customer. The impression left by hand prints on doors or oily foot prints on floors lasts long after the job is done. Take the time to clean up your job as you go or before you leave to make a good impression on those that follow.
We do don’t block open doors and leave them blocked for other trades without being present during the work. Your local office can schedule any work necessary to be preformed during regular or off hours to accommodate another trade and have someone standby while that work is being preformed. This is mechanics work. If there are any questions or concerns about this policy, contact John at the hall.
The Schindler Cube monitoring units are installed by a team but can be commissioned by a single mechanic as long as there is no factor of safety involved.
On the afternoon of Thursday, April 11, the GFCI feeding the sump pumps at the school tripped and the basement flooded with about an inch of water. There were two classes scheduled for that night and the students of both worked for almost two hours to move materials off the floor and clean up the mess. After the weekend, the basement dried up and the pumps were running as normal.
As of this writing there is one probationary apprentice on the bench.
Until next month…
Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.
Don
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May
Brothers and Sisters:
On November 3, 2023 Schindler-Cleveland Superintendent Kodi Goins sent a text message to the downtown Cleveland mechanics saying, in part, that recent retiree Todd Keating had a heart attack earlier in the week and that the update on his condition was not promising. He asked to keep Todd’s family in our thoughts.
Shortly thereafter, a series of support texts from the field followed.
When meeting Todd for the first time you noticed three things: his inviting manner, large smile and piercing blue eyes. It was after getting to know Todd you could see inside his genuine love for what meant the most to him, his family and those he chose to keep close. It didn’t take much to feel you were part of his world and when he spoke to you it was as though you were the only person in the room.
Only two years prior, Todd retired from Schindler as the resident mechanic at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center.
At 2:07 pm, November 7, Goins sent a follow up text saying that the end was near and Todd’s family was saying their goodbyes. Todd chose to be an organ donor and the family acted on his wishes. A series of condolence texts followed and on November 11 the arrangements for his memorial the following Saturday, November 18.
The week of November 13th through the 17th, I was in Warwick assisting with a part of the RC600 rewrite. On my previous returns from NEIEP, I’ve usually been routed through DC Reagan Airport but, this time I was sent through Atlanta. Consequently I didn’t get home and to bed until 2 am Saturday morning and with a 10 am memorial service I felt fatigued at best.
The morning of the service was a crisp, beautiful northern Ohio fall day. When I pulled into the parking lot, I stopped to talk with several members and retirees who came to lend their support to Todd’s family.
This would be the first time I would be inside St. Clarence Catholic Church and it reminded me of the church in Strongsville, St. John Neumann, my family was part of building in the early 1980’s. A raised altar with resurrected Christ hanging from huge beams supporting a three-quarter round nave.
The service was standing room only.
The priest who lead the service, Fr. Neil Walters, was a friend of Todd’s through the Justice Center and spoke of him on a personal level that conveyed the special nature of the man that filled the church in his memory. The gathering in the pavilion afterwards was the ideal way to remember a man who loved every aspect of life, filled with good food, cold beer and great friends.
But, this is not the end of the story…
On February 22, the Team USA Transplant Curling team based in Columbus, Ohio posted on Facebook “a friend of Team USA Transplant Team lost a loved one this year and chose to honor him by sponsoring Team USA.” The Team had Todd’s name and dates embroidered on the shoulder of their competition uniforms. Todd would be their mascot as they competed in the 2024 World Transplant Winter Games in Bormio, Italy. Among other photos, the Team posted one of the uniform sleeve and a smiling, blue-eyed Todd. To say the least, the family was shocked and amazed by the generous gesture of the Olympians as messages of gratitude flowed all around.
Shortly after the post, the team left for Europe. On March 4th, they took the bronze medal.
During his life, Todd spread happiness and laughter. With his passing, he gave a new lease on life to others, including the gift of sight with his donated blue eyes.
Until next month…
Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.
Don
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April
Brothers and Sisters:
There are five apprentices in the Mechanic’s Review Course being taught by Rick Myers. Four of the five have received their invitations from Prometrics and have until May 8, 2024 to schedule their exam. The fifth was short on his 8000 OJT hours but has since completed the required time.
Business Manager John Driscoll Jr has yet again been monitoring and help correcting payroll issues with the local offices. The current issues revolved around vacation pay and annuity deposits. As a reminder, anyone who worked a minimum 1750 hours in the calendar year must receive either 120 or 160 hours of vacation pay based on whether they are an apprentice or journeyman. If you suspect there was a discrepancy in your check contact John at the hall at 216-431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.org.
The five Ohio business managers recently received the initial draft of the state licensing rules and regulations. All five took part in a Zoom call along with Work Preservation and our lobbyist to discuss issues such as cost, disqualifying offenses and whether there should be Class A and B licenses. The Ohio Department of Industrial Compliance is the lead agency for the program.
The recent OSHA ruling on suspended scaffolding and lifeline anchorage points has been a hotly debated issue with the International. A letter for General President Frank Christensen said no member should be preforming work with their lifeline attached to the same point as suspended scaffolding. The Local is working with the companies to identify and eliminate this hazard from modernization and construction sites around town. If you have a question about the compliance of your setup, contact John at the hall.
Where are they working?
Jim Thompson and Eric Johnson at Cleveland Clinic M doing a mod for Otis,
Shane Huff and Mark Thomason at Hillcrest Hospital doing a mod for Otis,
Craig Nolty and Luke Schnitzler at Chestnut Village installing a car for Otis,
Jerry Szmerekovsky and Mike Janson at Apex installing seven cars for Otis,
Deven Shields and Matt Dinko at Easthaven doing a mod for Otis,
DJ Spring and Mike Hassel at Beachwood Porsche installing a car for Otis,
Dion Yatsko and Matt Dinko at the Diplomat doing a mod for Otis,
Pat Pollock and Spencer Adams at Cleveland Clinic L doing a mod for Otis,
A lot of guys at Sherwin Williams Headquarters installing a lot of cars for Schindler,
Jason Mays, Brian Bond, Lucas Janke and Mike Gallagher at Fidelity doing a mod for Schindler,
Joe Sumph and Tito Mike doing a mod at the Leader Building for Schindler,
Brian Seither and Sean Kelly doing a mod at Envoy Condos for Schindler,
Don Yoho, Ryan Bissell, Tom Peska and Todd Ault installing six cars at Ashtabula Hospital for Schindler,
Dan Varga and Herb Fouts at Progressive Field tearing our two cars for Schindler,
Jason Barnett and Adam Klein installing cars at Sherwin Williams R&D in Brecksville for Schindler,
Dave Gnagy and Jay Carlson doing a two car mod at Lake Erie College for Schindler,
Ryan Todd, Andy Mesko, Rob Timko, Jarrett Adams, Ricky Kemp and Nick Seaman doing a mod at 45 Erieview for Schindler,
Dave Drnak and Brandyn Alley at IMG doing water damage repair,
Russell Barrows, Pat Kelly, Kyle Fallon and Joe Gauker at Case SRV installing cars for Kone,
James Hirz and Mike Miller Jr at Van Aken District 2 installing cars for Kone,
Brendan Hyland and Bob Savnik at EMI Corp doing a hydro mod for Kone,
Todd Ross and Eric Schaffran doing a mod at Bulkley Building for Kone,
Kenny Bowles and Sasha Vujkovic cabling at Hilton Hotel Downtown for Kone,
Tim Narowitz and Vince Smrdel doing a mod at Avery Denison for TKElevator,
Kevin Thomas and Matt Ramser installing five cars at City Club for TKElevator,
Chris Sipos and Jon Ranney at Crestview doing a four car mod for TKElevator,
Anthony Metcalf and Christian Thompson at Scranton Castle doing a four car mod for TKElevator,
Jim Ehrbar and Dan Quigley at Lakehouse Condos doing a mod for 3Phase,
Marc Carollo and Brian Owens at Tudor Arms doing a mod for 3Phase.
As of this writing there are one mechanic and one apprentice on the bench.
Until next month…
Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.
Don
DKnapik@windstream.net​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
March
Brothers and Sisters:
There are two basic functions that all employers, whether there is one paid employee or 100,000 paid employees, must adhere to in order to have a reasonable chance of success. First is to collect money for the goods and services they sell and second is to pay their bills. The most important part of paying bills is to make payroll.
Making payroll for small operations can be very stressful at times for the owners. This is a truth since the first employee was hired on and is true today. When we hear on a regular basis that one or more of our major IUEC employers has trouble with their payroll system, it makes us all stand up and pay attention.
Each one of us runs our household in a very similar manner to a company. We sell our time to our employers, receive pay for that time which equates to income or sales. We then pay our household expenses and what is left is our profit. The same as any company.
Our households do not per se pay payroll. An argument can be made that paying a child an allowance is analogous to making payroll but, I will leave that to your own interpretation.
In my 25 years in the elevator trade, I have had one major payroll issue when I was shorted 17 hours in a check. A phone call to the office made a check appear for the balance of the hours that afternoon. The taxes were sorted out the following week.
I do have some questions and observations about what seems to be a never ending conversation between the signatories, local offices, union and the employees. These problems do not seem to be localized to one company, all share in some variation of the problem.
Is there a locus, or starting point which can be identified? Is the processing company getting the data from the employers in a form it can use? Are the employers properly inputing the data for the employees? Is the processing company aware of the different rates paid in the different jurisdictions? Do they have a way of calculating the proper benefit information based on hours worked? Are they supplied with that information? By whom? Is the processor aware of the difference between a represented and non-represented employee and the payroll implications of those differences? Are the supervisors authorizing time in a timely manner? Are the Locals informing the local offices of the changing status of apprentices as they work their way through the program and are the local offices making those changes?
When I know the name of the head of Labor Relations for my company and have access to his personal phone number, the fire has hit the Executive Suite. This is when good investigation and troubleshooting skills by everyone on both sides of the ledger are the most valuable tool the union and signatories hold.
At the end of the day, we as employees, whether represented or non-represented, have a symbiotic relationship with our employer: we sell them our time, which they bill our customers for and pay us as agreed to in either the Collective Bargaining Agreement or corporate employment agreement.
As I’ve told many of my apprentices, problems are like onions. Peel away each of the layers and eventually you find the core issue. Fix the core issue and the problem goes away.
The Brothers and Sisters of IUEC Local 17 send their condolences to the family of Honorary Retiree Jim Dacey.
As of this writing there is one mechanic on the bench.
Until next month,
work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.
Don
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February
​​Brothers and Sisters:
Local 17 will be participating in the 2024 Cleveland St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The event falls on a Sunday so the expected crowd will be large. Watch this space next month and the Local website, iueclocal17.org, for more information.
If you are looking stay downtown and make a weekend celebrating Cleveland’s Irish heritage, St. Malichi Catholic Church, 2459 Washington Avenue, will hold its 45th Annual Run/Walk on Saturday, March 16th. The event benefits its community outreach programs. Preregistration is required. For more information go to stmalachi.org.
Apprentice school is in full swing with Brothers Jerry Reitz, Tim Narowitz, Tom Goggin and Don Knapik teaching RC 200, 500 and 700. This is the largest apprentice class in recent history with at least two classes going every night Monday through Thursday.
Congratulations to newly elected Local 17 Trustee Jack Finucan and the return of Mike Hogan as an officer in the role of The Warden.
The definition of news is something unusual happening. By this definition, payroll troubles in the IUEC have fallen off the category of news. They are continuing at Schindler Cleveland as four probationaries did not receive their six-month increase with four more scheduled soon after for the same increase. The first four were made whole, and according to the hall the second group was scheduled correctly.
On a larger note, 400 Schindler modernization workers across the US with 30 of those from Cleveland, had a variety of issues regarding their Thanksgiving week checks. If you have concerns about your check, contact Business Manger John Driscoll Jr. at the hall at 216-431-8088 or email him at JEDriscoll@iueclocal17.
All 2023 vacation time must be turned in by January 31, 2024. This is in accordance with Article X, Section 21 of the Local 17 By-Laws. If you did not turn in your time, expect to be contacted by the Executive Board.
Local 17 has taken a strict approach to reporting and taking time to keep companies honest about giving time off and assuring each member takes off what they deserve. This also keeps companies from picking and choosing who they give time off as well as maintaining the requirements of the CBA. Those with five years service must take a minimum of 160 hours of vacation and members with less than five years need to take 120 hours.
Vacation time is paid twice a year, January and July, with the amount in the check based on the number of hours worked the previous six months. Paid Time Off (PTO) pay can be arranged with the employer based on how much is available for the person based on hours worked. If you have any questions, contact your superintendent or John.
Work has continued to be brisk in Cleveland. The Sherwin-Williams headquarters has topped out and several other larger jobs are manned and in full swing. Modernization and service work are strong with no let up seen in the near future.
Anytime a team is using a company vehicle to move material from the shop (stake body or pickup) that needs to be returned to the shop at the end of the day, the driver must return the vehicle to the shop by quitting time. This means, for example, that a mechanic must allow the apprentice to leave the job in time to return the vehicle by quitting time not keeping them on the job and expecting them to return the vehicle on their own time.
The Brothers and Sisters of Local 17 send their condolences to the family of Honorary retiree Carl Mueller who passed away November 24, 2023.
As of this writing there is one mechanic on the bench and 20 transients working n the jurisdiction.
Until next month,
Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.
Don
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January
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Brothers and Sisters:
As this issue of the Elevator Constructor reaches your mailbox, the world will be ringing in the New Year 2024. The Local has a lot to be proud of moving into 2024. Membership stands at 213 constructors, our highest number since before 2008. With the transients that number increases to 233 dues paying members.
As you will see below, work is good in Cleveland. Schindler has the largest project in town and the most members at 88 while the other signatories are growing their numbers. In the spring there will be 45 apprentices in the NEIEP program and five eligible for their Mechanics Exam.
This is a good time to be in Cleveland.
Where are they working?
Jim Thompson and Eric Johnson at Cleveland Clinic M Building doing a mod for Otis,
Shane Huff and John Logue at Hillcrest Hospital doing a mod for Otis,
Craig Nolty and Luke Schnitzler at Chesterfield Terrace installing a car for Otis,
Jerry Szmerekovsky Nd Pat McHugh at Apex installing seven cars for Otis,
Deven Shields and Matt Dinko at Easthaven doing a mod for Otis,
Erne Johnston and Mark Thomason at the Federal Reserve doing a mod for Otis,
Dion Yatsko and Mike Hassel at the Diplomat doing amid for Otis,
Pat Pollock and Spencer Adams the Cleveland Clinic L Building doing a mod for Otis,
DJ Spring and Ellaina Harris at Fairview Hospital doing a mod for Otis,
Ric Supinski, Dave Adrian, Joel Reyes, Joe Simcic, Scott Daugherty, Lee Barkschat, Nacho Badillo, Del Gay, Juan Rodriguez, Jeremy Sesma, Nick Bowlen, Cory Oldham, Paul Verga, Cody Dempster, Marcus Luxenburg, Kyle Drnak and Fran Farhm at the Sherwin Williams Headquarters installing a bunch of cars for Schindler,
Andrea Rodriguez and Jason Mays at Clifton Plaza doing a mod for Schindler,
Tom Peska and Todd Ault ant Great Lakes Manufacturing for Schindler,
Joe Sumph and Tito Mike at the Leader Building doing a mod for Schindler,
Shawn Yatsko, Lucas Janke, Herb Fouts and Tom Hollan at the Justice Center doing a five-car mod for Schindler,
Brian Bond and Mike Gallagher doing a mod at UH Main Campus for Schindler,
Brandon Light and Dan Varga at CMSD Data Center installing a freight car for Schindler,
Matt Carlton and Sean Kelly doing amid at Rockside Medical for Schindler,
Don Yoho and Ryan Bissell installing six cars at Ashtabula Hospital for Schindler,
Jason Barnett and Adam Klein installing several cars at Sherwin Williams Tech Center in Brecksville,
Dave Gnagy and Jay Carlson doing a two-car mod at Sacred Heart Nursing for Schindler,
Gary Thompson and Kyle Meyer doing amid at Medina Hospital for Schindler,
Ryan Todd, Andy Mesko, Rob Timko, Jarrett Adams, Ricky Kemp and Nick Seaman doing a mod at 45 Erieview for Schindler,
Todd Ross, Russell Barrows, Joe Gouker and Jake Driscoll installing six escalators at the Convention Center for KONE.
James Hirz, Brendan Hyland, Eric Schaffran and Kyle Fallon at Van Aken District Two installing cars for KONE,
Drew Williams and Bob Savnik at Shaker Villa doing a mod for KONE,
Kenny Bowles and Sasha Vojkovic replacing machines at Bratenhal Place for KONE,
Tim Narowitz and Vince Smrdel doing a mod at Judson Park for TKElevator,
Bill Dudas and Dave Ford at Stratton House doing a mod for TKElevator,
Jason Fredrick and Brad Skotko doing a mod at Judson Manor for TKElevator
Kevin Thomas, Matt Ramser and John Smith installing cars at City Club for TKElevator,
Sean Canning and George McDonald installing a car at Mayfield Center for TKElevator,
Chris Sipos and John Ranney at Crestview doing a four-car mod for TKElevator,
Anthony Metcalf and Christian Thompson at Scranton Castle doing a four-car mod for TKElevator,
Jim Ehrbar and Dan Quigley at Lakehouse Condos doing a mod for 3Phase,
Marc Carollo and Brian Owens at Lakewood Cliffs doing a mod for 3Phase,
Wing Lui and Tino Chabai doing a mod at Luckman Building for 3Phase.
The Brothers and Sisters of Local 17 send their condolences to the families of Honored Retirees Jim Batteiger, Todd Keating and Wilbur Wilhelm.
As of this writing there are two mechanics on the bench.
Until next month,
Work smart, work safe and slow down for safety.
Don
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