Business Manager Update 5/28/2021
Brothers and Sisters,
Your officers and I hope everyone enjoyed an enjoyable holiday weekend. When the weather warms up the motorcycles come out. Please remember to share the road safely. Look twice, save a life.
WAGE ALLOCATION
The new wages and allocation were approved at the Special Called Meeting on May 13, 2021. Find the rates on our website ualocal98.com/wage-allocation.
MEETINGS
The next Union Meeting will be held on Thursday, June 17th at 7:00 pm in person.
Please note this will be on the third Thursday of the Month due to the State Convention. June’s meeting will take place outside at our Union Hall and all Covid restrictions will be in place using social distancing and masks. Join us starting at 5 o’clock for a BBQ, we will provide hamburgers, hot dogs, and refreshments.
Our meeting in July will go back to our usual 2nd Thursday of the month. That will be Thursday, July 8th at 7:00 pm.
E-Board meetings
E-Board meetings are the first and second Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m. If you need to contact or see the board, please call V.P. Jim Cools at 734-307-9841.
Retiree Meetings: The President of the retiree association has worked out a detailed plan for restarting these meetings. All Covid-19 protocols and distancing will be adhered to. They are exercising extreme caution so everyone can remain healthy and safe. The next Retiree meeting will be Wednesday, June 9 from 12pm – 2pm at the hall.
OTHER EVENTS
The National Pipe Trades Convention will be taking place in San Diego in August. Jon DeRoo will be sending out details to the delegates once all of the information is received.
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
For continuing education opportunities or classes, you can contact Training Center Coordinator Ryan Lyle at 248-585-1435.
BAs Gary Glaser and Tom McWilliams are admins on the Must/Most program, contact them if you need help.
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 any questions or need to pay dues, please contact Kristina Lodovisi at (248) 307-9800 ext. 4 or on her cell at (248) 331-7232.
COVID-19 Information & Vaccine
For up-to-date information on COVID-19 you can go to the website Michigan.gov/protectmicommision. Or, if you would like to be a part of the conversation and join a workgroup, you can reach out to [email protected] or michigan.gov/covidvaccine for locations or information regarding COVID-19 updates. WEAR YOUR MASKS! Any concerns with COVID-19 safety protocols or lack of PPE contact the Business Agent in the area or the Union Hall.
Additional information on vaccination sites is available on our website, please visit ualocal98.com/covid.
We are also offering FREE coronavirus antibody testing through the Fringe Benefit Fund. This is part of the Building Trades Welfare Foundation – Mayo Clinic Labs COVID-19 Resilience Project. Testing is available for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. For more information, as well as a link to sign up for testing on either June 17 or June 26, please go to ualocal98fringe.org.
UNION HALL
The Union Hall is Open by APPOINTMENT ONLY. Properly worn masks are required. There is a COVID-19 questionnaire that MUST be filled out by everyone entering the Union Hall.
SUB APPS/OOW CHANGES/BENEFITS
Due to influx of travelers, SUB pay is closed to all except for medical or COVID related injuries. It is your responsibility to fill out a SUB App when you are laid off. SUB Apps should now be filled out electronically. This can be found on the web page under the OOWL section. If you’re still having unemployment issues call BAs Gary Glaser or Tom McWilliams.
For any issues that are unresolved at BeneSys, please get the name of the person you are dealing with and contact Carlo, Jon, or the Union Hall immediately.
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 fast approaching, June 9, 2021. The deadline for the Local 98 Scholarship is June 30, 2021, but it is best to get your application submitted sooner rather than later.
GOOD/WELFARE
Plumbers Local 98 Training Center is NOW accepting applications for our Apprenticeship Program, through July 16, 2021. If you know anyone who is interested, please direct them to the Training Center’s website plumbers98tc.org.
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