Business Manager

October 26th Business Manager Update

/in /by

Brothers and Sisters,

 

We hope you and your family are safe and healthy. For our hunters – don’t go light in the land of plenty, score big, and return home safe.

 

MEETINGS                                                           

The next Union Meeting will be Thursday, November 12th at 7:00 pm. We will be moving the meeting to a virtual platform. Please note we are back to our normal meeting time. For virtual meetings we will follow the same rituals and officer reports as usual.  Some sensitive information, such as organizing campaigns, may not be discussed virtually. The confidentiality of our business matters has to be our priority. All wage allocations are posted on our UA Local 98 web page (UALocal98.com) and went into effect the first week of June 2020.

 

I am sorry to report that our annual “Turkey Night” as well as the kids “Christmas Party” are both cancelled, unless a miracle happens and the plague dissipates.

 

Retiree Meetings are still cancelled until further notice. E-Board meetings are the first 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.

 

ELECTIONS

Check out our website for the most current endorsed candidate list.  The list can be found under the About section under Political Action on our webpage. Local 98 will continue backing both party’s candidates who have proven to be true Union supporters.  If you do not see your candidate it may be possible they have not requested a letter of support or are running in an uncontested race.

 

If you are voting by mail and haven’t mailed in your ballot yet, please DROP IT OFF IN YOUR BALLOT DROP BOX TODAY. Visit the Political Action webpage for a link to find your nearest drop box.

 

If for some reason you may not agree that Joe is the proper choice as president, please remember our Senators and Representatives as well as Judges all the way to clerks. Remember Associate Builders and Contractors Association, a.k.a. ABC Contractor, (that’s the guys that don’t like us in case you didn’t know) has backed the other guy, to get a national Right to Work Law passed in this country. As I write this the GOP are pushing another right wing conservative  judge to the supreme court that means our Unions are going to be further decimated by there decisions.

 

Over the past week we have had several visits from the Biden Campaign to our hall. The first being Dr. Jill Biden speaking, followed by the Biden Campaign Bus handing out Biden swag. It’s always great to see presidential campaigns in Michigan and even better when we get to be a part of it.

 

COVID-19

Anyone that knows of a Local 98 member or spouse that has died of Covid-19, please have the surviving partner or family member contact the Union hall as the U.A. has an extra bereavement fund to assist unfortunate families in their time of need. Due to HIPPA laws we cannot make first contact with the families ourselves. So please help out our member’s families.

Any concerns with COVID-19 safety protocols or lack of PPE contact the Business agent in the area or the Union Hall.

 

Michigan residents have access to free with no copay required COVID-19 testing. You can find the testing sight nearest to you by going to www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/ and clicking the Find a Test Sight button.

 

UNION HALL

The Union Hall is open to essential foot traffic only and the West doors will continue as our main entrance. Masks are required and you need to make an appointment to visit. There is a COVID-19 questionnaire that MUST be filled out by everyone entering the Union Hall. Remember, the Training Center can be used.

 

SUB APPS/OOW Changes

SUB Pay will remain closed until our travelers or job calls slow down. Please fill out SUB Apps electronically now. 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 member issues dealing with benefits contact Jon DeRoo. If you are less than a year from retiring, please set a meeting with Jon today.

 

LICENSE RENEWAL

For all continuing education opportunities or classes, see below or call Training Coordinator Paul Baker at 248-585-1435. BAs Gary Glaser and Tom McWilliams are now admins on the Must/Most program, contact them if you need help.

 

RETIREES

Congratulations to Brothers Nacos Kovanes, Donald Kelly, and Daniel McCabe who have all recently retired. May all the years ahead bring you happiness and relaxation.

 

IN MEMORIAM

Our deepest sympathies go out to the friends and family of Brother Gerald Schilke who passed away on October 10, 2020.

 

Good/Welfare

Congratulations to Brother Zachary Richardson and his wife Michelle on their wedding, best of luck to you both.

 

We now have a hearing Benefit added to our Insurance package starting September 1st of 2020 through Nations Hearing. This is for opt out members as well. Please watch your mail for the information, or call 877-241-0703 M-F. 8am-8pm, or visit nationshearing.com/local98.

 

We would like to thank the following Sisters who took time out of their Saturday to do a video conference for Women in the Trades and Represent Local 98; Mandy Morrison, Dawn Melancon, Dana Sheets, LaPonda Davis, Adrienne Bennett, Raven Henderson and Jennifer Ross-Spare.

 

We are looking for Residential and Service Plumbers at this time. 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

 

October 9th Business Manager Update

/in /by

Brothers and Sisters,

 

Happy autumn to you and your families.

 

MEETINGS                                                           

The next Union Meeting will be Thursday, November 12th at 7:00 pm next door at the Food Worker’s Hall. If the Food Worker’s Hall is unavailable we will be moving the meeting to a virtual platform. Please note we are back to our normal meeting time. For virtual meetings we will follow the same rituals and officer reports as usual.  Some sensitive information such as organizing campaigns may not be discussed virtually, the confidentiality of our business matters has to be our priority. At September’s Special Called Meeting we ratified the 2020 allocations. All distributed allocations are posted on our UA Local 98 web page (UALocal98.com) and went into effect the first week of June 2020.

 

Retiree Meetings are still cancelled until further notice. E-Board meetings are the first 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.

 

ELECTIONS

If you would like a Biden/Harris lawn sign and haven’t received one, you can contact the Office Administrator, Kristina, at [email protected] or 248-331-7232.

Are you registered to vote? You can check your voting status by logging on to the Secretary of State website mvic.sos.state.mi.us.

 

We have finished our final round of endorsement interview for political candidates. Check out our website for the most current endorsed list.  The list can be found under the About section under Political Action on our webpage. Local 98 will continue backing both party’s candidates who have proven to be true Union supporters.  If you do not see your candidate it may be possible they have not requested a letter of support or are running in an uncontested race.

 

If you are voting by mail and haven’t mailed in your ballot yet, please do so ASAP. We encourage you to mail your ballot today to ensure your ballot makes it to your clerk’s office. Or, better yet, drop it at your county clerk’s office. Visit the Political Action webpage for a link to find your nearest drop box.

 

If for some reason you may not agree that Joe is the proper choice as president, please remember our Senators and Representatives as well as Judges all the way to clerks. Remember Associate Builders and Contractors Association, a.k.a. ABC Contractor, (that’s the guys that don’t like us in case you didn’t know) has backed the other guy, to get a national Right to Work Law passed in this country.

 

COVID-19

Anyone that knows of a Local 98 member or spouse that has died of Covid-19, please have the surviving partner or family member contact the Union hall as the U.A. has an extra bereavement fund to assist unfortunate families in their time of need. Due to HIPPA laws we cannot make first contact with the families ourselves. So please help out our member’s families.

Any concerns with COVID-19 safety protocols or lack of PPE contact the Business agent in the area or the Union Hall.

 

Michigan residents have access to free with no copay required COVID-19 testing. You can find the testing sight nearest to you by going to www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/ and clicking the Find a Test Sight button.

 

UNION HALL

The Union Hall is open to essential foot traffic only and the West doors will continue as our main entrance. Masks are required and you need to make an appointment to visit. There is a COVID-19 questionnaire that MUST be filled out by everyone entering the Union Hall. Remember, the Training Center can be used.

 

SUB APPS/OOW Changes

SUB Pay is still closed until our travelers or job calls slow down. Please fill out SUB Apps electronically now. 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 member issues dealing with benefits contact Jon DeRoo. If you are less than a year from retiring, please set a meeting with Jon today.

 

LICENSE RENEWAL

For all continuing education opportunities call Training Coordinator Paul Baker at 248-585-1435. BAs Gary Glaser and Tom McWilliams are now admins on the Must/Most program, contact them if you need help.

 

IN MEMORIAM

Our deepest sympathies go out to the friends and family of Brother Jonas Zgorski, who passed away on September 19, 2020.

 

Good/Welfare

Please look to the training section for upcoming classes

 

We are looking for Residential and Service Plumbers at this time. 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 Brotherhood, Carlo Castiglione Business Manager Plumbers Local 98

 

Message from Sean Egan:

/in /by

I wanted to touch base in light of the recent Michigan Supreme Court ruling and questions around its impact on MIOSHA’s work to ensure workplace safety during the COVID-19 crisis.  We know that the ruling has created confusion and led to many questions on which rules are, or are not, in effect governing workplace safety.

MIOSHA’s authority to conduct investigations and enforce workplace safety protections arises from statute.  The state legislature tasked the agency with ensuring that employees are provided safe work environments that are free of recognized hazards.  This is not impacted by the Supreme Court’s decision. MIOSHA will continue to operate within its statutory authority to protect Michigan’s workers and keep workplaces safe.

The safety requirements MIOSHA has been enforcing relating to COVID-19, and the citations issued to date, are based on MIOSHA’s statutorily supported general duty clause, which requires all employers to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards.

As it relates to COVID-19, employers must continue to comply with current workplace safety guidance published by the CDC, OSHA, and other applicable public health guidance. The guidelines, found at Michigan.gov/COVIDworkplacesafety, include mitigation strategies and protections provided in CDC guidance for Businesses and Employers, and OSHA guidance on preparing workplaces for COVID-19.

Many of the COVID-19 workplace protections and mitigation strategies required in the Governor’s executive orders largely mirrored CDC workplace guidance as well as the OSHA guidance on preparing workplaces for COVID-19.

Among these strategies are having a preparedness and response plan, conducting daily health screenings, ensuring social distancing, providing cloth face coverings, providing PPE, the use of engineering (e.g., physical barriers) and other administrative controls, as well as record keeping.

Over the coming days and weeks, as we review the impacts of the Supreme Court advisory opinion, we hope the lines of communication and discussion can continue to be open.  We look forward to our continued collaboration with Labor and employers to keep workers, customers, and communities safe from COVID-19.  We will continue to act quickly to add clarity and information as we move forward and will certainly continue to communicate that to you.

In addition to our work in LEO, please review the MDHHS epidemic order recently issued including capacity and facial covering requirements and certainly continue to watch for future epidemic orders.

Sincerely,

 

Sean Egan

Labor & Economic Opportunity (LEO)

Director-COVID Workplace Safety

Deputy Director-Labor

September 28th Business Manager Update

/in /by

Brothers and Sisters,

 

Happy autumn to you and your families.

 

MEETINGS                                                           

The next Union Meeting will be Thursday, October 8th at 6:00 pm. Please notice the time change.  It’s an hour earlier than in the past. Due to Covid-19 restrictions we will be putting a tent outside for this meeting, weather permitting. You are required to wear a mask and social distance as per our State’s orders. Please keep an eye out for an email blast. At our last meeting on September 24th the members agreed to the wage allocation set forth in June, we thank everyone who participated and came down to vote.   All distributed allocations are posted on our UA Local 98 web page (UALocal98.com) and went into effect the first week of June 2020.

All Retiree Meetings are cancelled until further notice. E-Board meetings back underway on the first 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.

 

ELECTIONS

If you would like a Biden/Harris lawn sign and haven’t received one, you can contact the Office Administrator, Kristina, at [email protected] or 248-331-7232.

Are you registered to vote? You can check your voting status by logging on to the Secretary of State website mvic.sos.state.mi.us.

We are just finishing a final round of endorsement interviews of political candidates in our districts. An updated current list of candidates we are supporting should be on our website by the time of this publication. The list can be found under the About section under Political Action on our webpage. Local 98 will continue backing both party’s candidates who have proven to be true Union supporters. If for some reason you may not agree that Joe is the proper choice as president.  Evan after the ABC contractor association has backed him, (that’s the guys that don’t like us in case you didn’t know) to get a national Right To Work Law, please remember our Senators and reps as well as judges all the way to clerks. The grass roots we start with to day take sometimes years to flourish.

 

COVID-19

Anyone that knows of a Local 98 member or spouse that has died of Covid-19, please have the surviving partner or family member contact the Union hall as the U.A. has an extra bereavement fund to assist unfortunate families in their time of need. Due to HIPPA laws we cannot make first contact with the families ourselves. So please help out our member’s families.

Any concerns with COVID-19 safety protocols or lack of PPE contact the Safety Hotline number at 313-340-7339.

Michigan residents have access to free with no copay required COVID-19 testing for members and family. Located at the old State Fair Grounds on Woodward and 8 Mile Road in Detroit, you must call for an appointment at 313-230-0505, our code is 289488PL.

 

UNION HALL

The Union Hall is open to essential foot traffic only and the West doors will continue as our main entrance. Masks are required and you need to make an appointment to visit. There is a Covid-19 questionnaire that must be filled out by everyone entering the Union Hall. Remember, the Training Center can be used.

 

 

SUB APPS/OOW Changes

SUB is still closed until our travelers or job calls slow down. Please fill out SUB Apps electronically now. 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 member issues dealing with benefits contact Jon DeRoo. If you are less than a year from retiring, please set a meeting with Jon today.

 

LICENSE RENEWAL

For all continuing education opportunities call Training Coordinator Paul Baker at 248-585-1435. BAs Gary Glaser and Tom McWilliams are now admins on the Must/Most program, contact them if you need help.

 

RETIREES

Congratulations to our brothers Douglas Greenleaf and Clarence Ladwig on their retirement October 1, 2020.

 

IN MEMORIAM

Our deepest sympathies go out to the friends and family of Brother James Phillips, who passed away on June, 22, 2020, and Brother Robert W. Downey, Jr. who passed away on September 13, 2020.

 

Good/Welfare

Congratulations to Joe Marciniak on becoming a Journeyman here at Local 98, we wish you the best in the years to come.

 

We are looking for Residential and Service Plumbers at this time. 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 Brotherhood, Carlo Castiglione Business Manager Plumbers Local 98

 

Special Called Meeting

/in /by

Join us on Thursday, September 24, 2020 at 6 PM for a Special Called Meeting. Please dress for the weather this meeting will be held outside. Also, you will have to pass through a COVID Screen area and fill out a form in order to attend.

 

We will have Flu Shots available starting at 5:30 PM. Flu shots are available for all members and their families.