Brothers and Sisters
Your officers and myself are in hope this letter finds you and your family well.

*SPECIAL CALLED MEETING Thursday, July 16th at 7pm for the purpose of wage allocation and approval will be held at the UFCW 876 (Food Workers next door) it may not look like a normal meeting but we will do our best to supply you with current information. Please keep an eye out for email blasts just in case we have to cancel due to changes in Covid guidelines. You will need to wear masks and keep social distancing to attend. Apprentices who are unable to vote please stay home, I do not recommend any one with a possible compromised immune system or older members to attempt to attend. All distributed allocations are posted on our 98 Web page and went into effect the 1st week in June.

* The job site return to work guidelines are published on the Mi. Department of Labor and Economic opportunity web site for the State of Michigan. Please take some time to review these before returning to work.

* Due to our compliance with Mayor Duggan’s STEP program, we have been given access to free covi-19 testing to all Local 98 members at the old State Fair Grounds on Woodward and 8 mile in Detroit. Prior to going you must call for an appointment at 313-230-0505. No Dr. note is needed, they will ask you for a code and ours is 289488PL. This is free and zero copay.

*Our auto plants as well as construction sites are up and running again. If you are asked to do any pre-hire safety of any type prior to entering the plant on your own time that is not acceptable, you must be reimbursed for your time.

If you are not supplied any PPE or feel the job is not addressing these issues you have the right to call your agent and leave the job. We have established an anonymous safety hotline call in number for our locals 98, 636 members and our Contractors to investigate any lack of protection or wrong doing by the owners we all work for, the number is 313-340-7339.

*The Union Hall will be open only to essential foot traffic on July 13th please use South entrance until further notice, masks and gloves are required.

* Until further notice E-Board meetings are slowly getting underway, if you need to contact or see the board please call V.P. Jim Cools at 734-307-9841, Retiree meetings are still cancelled.

*I repeat The Union Hall and our Training Center have been shut down to all unnecessary foot traffic, that does not mean the officers cannot be reached or center can’t be used.

* In the meantime, any pertinent information can be found on our new web page, a whole list of information is now available to you under the member only section.
https://ualocal98.com

* You now can fill out sub apps electronically, this now can be found on the web page.

* The new Out of work list available to access there as well, just follow the instructions on the top of the web page.

* If your still having unemployment issues call BA’s Gary Glaser or Tom McWilliams.

* If your looking to retire or need help with Benesys call Jon DeRoo or myself, the union hall phone # of 248-307-9800 will direct dial our cells, agents Larry Delehant and Wade Kovach are there to help as well.

*Any Must/Most, upgrades, continuity’s or letters of certifications will still be taken care of by Paul Baker 248-585-1435, or our Officers at 248-307-9800.
It’s that time again for your 2020 Plumbing License Renewal, it can be done ONLINE ONLY! For detailed instructions and requirements, please visit www.michigan.gov/bcc. Or call 98’s training Center and they will assist you. We have currently frozen taking applications for our apprenticeship classes until further notice.

We are looking for Residential and Service Plumbers at this time, it will be a great chance to expand and grow again as many members are looking to retire. So, if you know anyone working Non- Union or is a past member that may be interested in us. Have them call 98’s Organizer Rob Moses on his cell phone 248-763-2187.
The new U.A. Union cards are available at the hall when you pay your 2020 Union dues, these cards are good for 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Don’t miss out on our agreement with the Detroit Land Bank Authority. Local 98 members can purchase home or building in the Land Banks Holdings for half the list cost. Go to www.buildingdetroit.org to see what this is about or contact the hall for details.

In Brotherhood,
Carlo Castiglione
Business Manager, Plumbers Local 98

Condolences
To the families of the following members, we wish to share our sincerest condolences:
In the passing of our members. Alfred Story, Frank Styles, William Prytula, James C Phillips.

Hanging Up Their Bibs
Berrnie Kulka , Mitch Conn, Preston Banks, Don Baloh, Randy Johnson, Dan Chaffin, Tim McCabe, Frank McMahon, Paul Earforth. We thank you for your hard work and Commitment to our local, we wish you all the best in your future.

All Retiree Meetings
Cancelled

Detroit Plumbers Local 98 Scholarship Fund Golf outing will be held Saturday August 8th at Oakridge/Marsh Oaks Golf Club. For tickets or sponsorship information call Jon DeRoo at the hall.

Workers Assistance Program: I personally can’t tell you how lucky we are to have Work life Strategies, LLC, they are available to our members and their families to provide personal counseling services and when needed referrals to professionals in Recovery and Relationship/Divorce Support Groups/Child

Custody/Criminal Defense
This program is not only for medical and/or personal issues, they also can steer you thru governmental resources with any consumer rights or child disability and much more. Please don’t hesitate and call C.J. Harrison at Work Life Strategies at 313-580-6887 for an appointment.

Out of Work List Changes/ SUB Pay
All working members will be required to complete a SUB application within 48 hours of their lay-off on-line or in person to ensure placement on the Out of Work List. If you are out of work due to Disability or Workers Compensation, please contact Jon DeRoo first at 248-762-9238 than BeneSys at 248-813-9800 to verify your continued Insurance eligibility.

Membership of Plumbers Local 98

Brothers and Sisters,

Some of this may be repetitive but please read the whole article as things are changing by the minute. Your officers and I are in hope this letter finds you and your family well. The Governor has now extended the stay at home order until June 15th, even though the CDC and our affiliated Governmental agencies have seen the epidemic peak in Michigan it still has a chance for a resurgence.

*If I may say briefly on the recent topic of the public execution in our streets of another Black American named Mr. George Floyd by U.S. law enforcement officers. Which triggered protests, riots, looting, and social unrest thought our country these last few weeks. No, I never meet Mr. Floyd but I can tell you no human should go out like that for a supposed fake $20 dollar bill, to beg for his life on a U.S. street and be terminated on National Television. Yes, we all know these 3 police officers do not reflect all officers in our nation, and no we do not condone the retaliation of murdering policemen or looting but again no one reads a history book and learns from it. I certainly hope his family finds some peace and that his death does not become another sticky note in American History. Your 98 officers have asked President Rufus Hamilton to address this nightmare and it will be posted as soon as he gets his thoughts wrapped around this tragedy.

At this time, your officers are working together on gathering information on updates to the historic changes, to unemployment, we have secured grant money for our hall and our training center as many locals have done across the country.

*Our goal is to have our 1st Union meeting July 9th; it may not look like a normal meeting but we will do our best to supply you with current information and allow you to regain some sense of normality. I still would not recommend anyone with a possible compromised immune system or older members to attempt to attend.

*FaceBook Posts, again younger members are still attempting to contact the hall on this medium. This may come as a shock to some of you, if you need help on anything job related, (training) safety conditions, Insurance questions, Benesys issues, or unemployment problems please use your cell phone and call any of your officers. We do not police the FaceBook page, we cannot help you nor can I dispatch an agent to a job we have zero knowledge of. If you do not notify us directly.

* The job site return to work guidelines are published on the Mi. Department of Labor and Economic opportunity web site for the State of Michigan. Please take some time to review these before returning to work.

* Due to our compliance with Mayor Duggan’s STEP program, we have been given access to free covi-19 testing to all Local 98 members at the old State Fair Grounds on Woodward and 8 mile in Detroit. Prior to going you must call for an appointment at 313-230-0505. No Dr. note is needed, they will ask you for a code and ours is 289488PL. This is free and zero copay.

*Many of you are trusting your contractor to report you back to work, they are forgetting to do so, when you return to a job call the hall or any officer to report your status.

* Due to many large volumes of calls we now are looking for organized men and women, travelers and retirees so Friday the 29th of May, sub pay was cut, your agents have gone thru the list multiple times and the calls are ranging from 6-7 days, 40 hours to 70.

*Our auto plants as well as construction sites are starting their work up again. There are many changes now for entrance to these facilities. If you are asked to do any pre-hire safety of any type prior to entering the plant on your own time that is not going to be acceptable, you must be reimbursed for your time. You will be asked medical questions on your health and your immediate family contacts. You will have your temperature taken before work. The use of 4-10s may be used at first. Shifts may be staggered for a while, watch the start times, as overtime may apply. You will no longer be allowed to leave the plant or job sites, this means going out for lunch or cashing a check and then return, they will not let you come back the same day. You will need to pack food and water for the hours the plant is working, pack a big lunch this is the new normal. The 6’ rule “when possible” must be adhered too and face masks will be supplied to you as you enter the jobs. Don’t be the guy who refuses to wear a mask and the PPE provided, you have no right to endanger your partner, the owner may have you removed for non-compliance.

If you are not supplied with any PPE or feel the job is not addressing these issues you have the right to call your agent and leave the job. We have established an anonymous safety hotline call-in number for our locals 98, 636 members and our Contractors to investigate any lack of protection or wrongdoing by the owners we all work for, the number is 313-340-7339.

This is a chance for the whole Building Trades to fight for a sanitary job site, no one person needs to be the only one bitching of poor conditions of Porta Jon’s and a clean place for lunch. All of you need to talk as one voice and help yourselves on this issue.

* As you know wage allocation is upon us and it has been allocated until a meeting can be held to ratify by the membership. All wage rates and allocation have been posted to our web page, whether it is temporary or becomes permanent, none of us wants to move money to a check than pull it back for some unforeseen run on a fund. Once we have an official meeting you can then have a vote to approve the final allocation.

* Until further notice only E-Board meetings are slowly getting underway if you need to contact or see the board please call V.P. Jim Cools at 734-307-9841, Union meetings and Retiree meetings are still canceled. The Union Hall and our Training Center have been shut down to all unnecessary foot traffic, that does not mean the officers cannot be reached or center cant be used.

* Apprentices our training center is reopening this week to classes pay attention to any emails and calls to you.

* I am getting complaints from agents that 18 Apprentices can’t return calls, if you are working and haven’t reported in, the computer didn’t register you or you can’t work due to some reason, I would hate to replace you due to fact you are to busy to return a call.

* In the meantime, any pertinent information can be found on our new web page, yes 98 has a Web Page (not FaceBook) your officers can individually report on upcoming work in their areas or issues and a whole list of information is now available to you under the member-only section.

* I suggest to the officers of 98 you update your column this week or this new option will fail. https://ualocal98.com

* You now can fill out sub-apps electronically, this now can be found on the web page.

* The new Out of work list available to access there as well, just follow the instructions on the top of the web page. Please be patient as we are working out the bugs on the system.

* If your still having unemployment issues call BA’s Gary Glaser or Tom McWilliams.

* If your looking to retire or need help with Benesys call Jon DeRoo or myself, the union hall phone # of 248-307-9800 will direct dial our cells, agents Larry Delehant and Wade Kovach are there to help as well.

*Any Must/Most, upgrades, continuity’s or letters of certifications will still be taken care of by Paul Baker 248-585-1435, our Officers at 248-307-9800.

It’s that time again for your 2020 Plumbing License Renewal, it can be done ONLINE ONLY! For detailed instructions and requirements, please visit www.michigan.gov/bcc. Or call 98’s training Center and they will assist you. We have currently frozen taking applications for our apprenticeship classes until further notice.

Our Local 98 PAC committee has come out in support of past V.P. Joe Biden for President of the United States, with all the twisted things that Washington and our great state have done to the working class and every Local Union in this country, it did not take long to come to this conclusion. I was asked for proof President Trump was not the man he portrayed himself to be and yes, I’m putting this in writing, “The only wall he built was around himself and the White House and we as a Nation will pay the price for it 10-fold”. That does not mean in any way shape or form we have shut the door on the Republican Party.

Good men & women like Dr. Singh running for Republican Congress in the 10th is proof of our commitment to you the members. We will work on a list of candidates your PAC committee is recommending soon on our web page, we will always back anyone who stands with the working people of our state of Michigan and this country just like we have done in the past. You stand with us or against us!

We are looking for Residential and Service Plumbers at this time, it will be a great chance to expand and grow again as many members are looking to retire. So, if you know anyone working Non- Union or is a past member that may be interested in us. Have them call 98’s Organizer Rob Moses on his cell phone 248-763-2187.

The new U.A. Union cards are available at the hall when you pay your 2020 Union dues, these cards are good for 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Don’t miss out on our agreement with the Detroit Land Bank Authority. Local 98 members can purchase home or building in the Land Banks Holdings for half the list cost. Go to www.buildingdetroit.org to see what this is about or contact the hall for details.

The new Log books and new Contract books are in, so grab only what you need for your job. It figures now that work is slow the new contract books have arrived, agents can distribute them to your job site.

In Brotherhood,

Carlo Castiglione
Business Manager, Plumbers Local 98

Retiree Meeting
Cancelled
Northern Retiree Meeting
Cancelled
Thumb Area Meeting
Cancelled

Workers Assistance Program: I personally can’t tell you how lucky we are to have Work-life Strategies, LLC, they are available to our members and their families to provide personal counseling services and when needed referrals to professionals in Recovery and Relationship/Divorce Support Groups/Child Custody/Criminal Defense

This program is not only for medical and/or personal issues, but they also can steer you through governmental resources with any consumer rights or child disability, and much more. Please don’t hesitate and call C.J. Harrison at Work-Life Strategies at 313-580-6887 for an appointment.

Out of Work List Changes/ SUB Pay
All working members will be required to complete a SUB application within 48 hours of their lay-off to ensure placement on the Out of Work List. If you are out of work due to Unemployment, Disability or Workers Compensation, please contact Jon DeRoo first at 248-762-9238 first than BeneSys at 248-813-9800 to verify your continued Insurance eligibility.