Membership of Plumbers Local 98

Brothers and Sisters,

Have you checked out our website? Announcements, information on meetings, links to your benefits the Training Center, and more can be found there. Go to UALOCAL98.COM to see what’s happening.

Plumbing License. The State of Michigan renewal notices have gone out for Journeyman and Apprentices. It has moved to online for renewal, go to https://aca3.accela.com/LARA this site may not be compatible with some mobile devices. If needed you can receive help at the training center or the Union Hall (make sure to bring all your information).

MEETINGS & Union Hall

The next Union Meeting will be held-on Thursday, April 14^th at 7:00 pm. The meeting will take place indoors at our Union Hall and all Covid restrictions in place will be adhered too. We are currently reevaluating the mask requirements here at the hall.

Retiree Meetings

THE MARCH RETIREE MEETING IS CURRENTLY CANCELLED. Your Retiree Association Board has decided to restart Retiree Meetings, the next Retiree meeting will be Wednesday, April 13^th from 12pm – 2pm at the hall. Please note, any existing Covid-19 protocols are still being adhered to for these meetings.

Education Opportunities

For continuing education opportunities or classes, you can contact Training Center Coordinator Ryan Lyle at 248-585-1435.

COVID-19 Information – Vaccine – Tests

We thank all of you for helping each other out and doing the best you can. We have many, many companies outside of the healthcare industry who have implemented their own rules and guidelines that include vaccination. DTE has recently joined the fray with a hurdle to get on site. It is still your choice; all I can suggest is contact your doctor and educate yourself. I can assure you there will be another variant of this latest one so “we together” are in this for the long haul. The less this thing spreads the sooner it will stop mutating into new variants.

You can now get 4 free at home COVID-19 tests per residential address. Go to COVIDtests.gov to request yours today.

Please visit ualocal98.com/covid-update-3 for the most current COIVD-19 updates.

SUB Apps/OOW

You have 48 hours to report being out of work and to fill out a SUB App. Once you have proof of unemployment, please send that to the hall at [email protected] so we can set you up in the SUB system. We are now able to offer Direct Deposit on SUB Pay. You should have received a letter in the mail with the form for Direct Deposit on SUB Pay. Please return that to the hall and note that it takes 30-60 days to set up. It is your responsibility to check your location on the Out of Work List. Make sure your contact information is up to date as well as MUST and other certifications. If you have any problems with state agencies involving unemployment, or questions on MUST models and staying current, please contact Gary Glaser at 313-580-0148 or Dan Nixon at 248-752-3702 and hopefully they can help you get that resolved.

Benefits

We have exciting news as we now have a dedicated BeneSys employee at the Union Hall to help with benefit issues. His name is Andrew Hill and he will be at the hall daily. As we make this transition Financial Secretary Jon DeRoo will still be receiving the calls coming into the Union Hall benefits line and Andrew will be receiving the calls coming into the Local 98 dedicated number at BeneSys. That number is (248) 641-4988 for those members who may not have known. Andrew and Jon will be working together to create a process that assures members issues get addressed quickly and properly. Jon will report this progress at the monthly Union Meetings.

Dues

You can pay your dues online, over the phone, or by mailing in a check. You can also set up auto payments. If you have questions or want to pay your dues by phone, please call the hall at (248) 307-9800 ext. 4.

NOTE ON DISABILITY/RETIREMENT

If you are filing for Social Security Disability you will need to file for your Local 98 Disability Pension at the same time in order to make sure you get all of your pension checks. Social Security normally takes at least a year and sometimes a lot longer. If you file for your Local 98 Disability Pension at the same time, when you receive your award from Social Security, we will be able to pay you all the retro money owed. If you are less than a year from retirement, we suggest you set up a meeting with Jon DeRoo prior to your retirement date.

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

All of the information regarding the scholarships available through Local 98 and the UA can be found on our website, ualocal98.com/scholarship. These scholarships are open to the dependents of our members who are seeking a higher education. Please note, the UA scholarship deadline is June 9, 2022. The deadline for the Local 98 Scholarship is June 30, 2022, but it is best to get your application submitted sooner rather than later.

In Memoriam

Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Brother Clifford Board, Brother Edwin Tostige and Brother Robert E. Zube who all passed away on February 25, 2022. Brother Tostige was the father of Brother Thomas Tostige and Brother Zube was the son of Brother Robert D. Zube and brother to Brother Craig Zube.

Good/Welfare

We are currently looking for Residential and Service Plumbers. This is a great opportunity to expand and grow, as many members are looking to retire. If you know anyone working Non-Union or is a past member that may be interested, have them call Organizer Rob Moses at 248-763-2187.

In solidarity I remain, Carlo Castiglione Business Manager Plumbers Local 98