Business Manager

Business Manager Update 4/4/2022

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Brothers and Sisters,

Wishing you sunshine, good times and a very happy Easter!

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 14th at 7:00 pm. The meeting will take place indoors at our Union Hall and all. We are currently reevaluating the mask requirements here at the hall.

Retiree Meetings

The APRIL RETIREE MEETING is Wednesday, April 13th from 12 pm – 2 pm. Please note, any existing Covid-19 protocols are still being adhered to for these meetings.

Education Opportunities

The Apprentice Applications process is now open. To learn more and apply please visit Plumbers98TC.org/Apprenticship.

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

COVID-19 Information

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. 3.

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 Joe Pitts who passed away on March 2, 2022. Joe was the brother of Brother William Pitts.

Retirees

Congratulations to Brothers Thomas Ross, Bradley Young, Thomas Baranski, and Genaro Simancas, all who recently retired. May this be the best chapter of your life.

Good/Welfare

ATTN: HOCKEY PLAYERS!

Plumbers Local 98 is looking into forming a hockey team to play league and tournament hockey. Any member interested in playing hockey for Local 98 please contact BA Dan Nixon. Call or text 248-752-3702 or email [email protected] for more information.

Springtime is here! Time to get on the field and play some softball. If you are interested in playing for the Local 98 Softball Team, please contact Manager Jeremy Pitts at (586) 405-9425. In addition, the UA National Softball Tournament held in Cincinnati, OH on the weekend of June 24th – 26th is a fully vaccinated event. If you are COVID Vaccinated and would like to play, please contact Rob Moses at (248) 763-2187.  

Macomb County Adopt-A-Highway week is April 23rd thru May 1st. Join us on April 30th as we clean up our stretch of I-94. Please call BA Gary Glaser (313)580-0148 for more information and to sign up so we can assure we have adequate equipment for the number of volunteers. This is a great volunteer opportunity for any high schoolers in need of volunteer hours.

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

Business Manager Update 3/7/2022

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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 14th 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 13th 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

Business Manager Update 2/7/22

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Brothers and Sisters,

Have you checked out our website? Announcements, information on meetings, links to your benefits and the Training Center, and more can be found there. Go to ualocal98.com to see what’s happening.

MEETINGS & Union Hall

The next Union Meeting will be Special Called Meeting for the State of the Union held on Thursday, March 10th at 7:00 pm. We will also have a guest speaker. Jason May of Merrill Lynch will be here to give an update on the defined contribution plan. The meeting will take place indoors at our Union Hall and all Covid restrictions in place will be adhered too. Masks are required WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE VACCINATED.

Retiree Meetings

THE RETIREE MEETINGS ARE CURRENTLY CANCELLED for at least the next couple of months. Your Retiree Association Board will reassess in the spring to decide when they can safely restart the meetings.

UA New Contractor Seminar

On March 23 & 24 the UA will be holding a New Contractor Seminar at the Union Hall for current UA members who are interested in becoming signatory contractors in the future. You must be vaccinated to attend in person or there is an option to attend virtually. You can RSVP by sending an email to [email protected].

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

Yes it’s getting old. Yes we are all ticked off about this pandemic in our industry. We thank all of you for helping each other out and doing the best you can. We have many Brothers and Sisters working in hospitals, surgical centers, and other healthcare facilities. Any facility that is a Medicare/Medicaid facility is required to comply with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Interim Final Rule. The CMS Rule requires all staff, including anyone contracted to work in the facilities, to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and the flu. We have received confirmation letters from Ascension, Henry Ford, and Trinity Health Systems. You must get vaccinated in order to work at these places. Many companies outside of the healthcare industry have implemented their own rules and guidelines that include vaccination. DTE has recently joined the fray with hurdle to get on site. It is still your choice; all I can suggest is contact your doctor and educate yourself. The contractors are running out of options to place non-vaccinated members to other jobs they may not have available, eventually a lay-off will be harder to obtain.

Here is some of the misinformation I have been sent from members this week, and yes I am worn out as well. If you worry about being chipped, I hope you do not carry a phone, that’s a big chip right there. I am very serious about this as I have been told this is the start of concentration camps. I strongly recommend any member who believes this to visit the Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills to see humanity at its height of evil against our fellow  man and recheck your thoughts. 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/Benefits

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.

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.

In Memoriam

Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Brother Richard Smith who passed away on February 1, 2022. Richard was the father of Brother Adam Smith.

Good/Welfare

Local 98 Softball and Hockey. Any member interested in playing on a softball or hockey tournament team please join us on Saturday, February 19th at noon for an informational meeting. Any questions please contact Rob Moses. And yes, you must be fully vaccinated to attend and participate in UA functions.

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