Business Manager

COVID-19 Information & Vaccine

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In our industry, 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 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. More are soon to be added.  You must get vaccinated in order to work at these places, as well as many others. This has nothing to do with the vaccine mandate that is currently at the Supreme Court. It is still your choice, all I can suggest is contact your doctor and educate yourself. The contractors have expressed their exhaustion moving non-vaccinated members to other jobs, eventually a lay-off will be harder to obtain.

Click here for confirmation letters.

Business Manager Update 11/15/21

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Brothers and Sisters,

Happy Thanksgiving! On behalf of the officers and staff we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the members and families who make Local 98 so great.

UNION ELECTION INFORMATION Nominees for Local 98’s Officers and Delegates were set at the Special Called Meeting and are as follows (click here for a printable list):

President (vote for no more than 1)

Jimmy Cools

Vice President (vote for no more than 1)

Rob Moses

Recording Secretary (vote for no more than 1)

Jeff Chene

Financial Secretary/Treasurer (vote for no more than 1)

Jon DeRoo

Executive Board (vote for no more than 4)

Joe Wisniewski

Dan Willingham

Alfred “Duffy” Callert

Paul “Dirty” Smith

Inside Guard (vote for no more than 1)

Greg Dunn

Business Manager (vote for no more than 1)

Carlo Castiglione

Business Agent (vote for no more than 4)

Larry Delehant

Dan Nixon

Rufus Hamilton

Gary Glaser

Wade Kovach

Finance Committee (vote for no more than 3)

Jim Ziegler

Joe Barnhart

Jeff Kavalar

Examining Board (vote for no more than 3)

Mandy Morrison

Rick Call III

Ossie Motton

Delegate (vote for no more than 16)

Paul “Dirty” Smith

Mandy Morrison

Ossie Motton

Jeff Kavalar

Dan Nixon

Jeff Chene

Jimmy Cools

Larry Delehant

Rufus Hamilton

Joe Wisniewski

Rob Moses

Jim Ziegler

Jon DeRoo

Richard Call III

Gary Glaser

Alfred “Duffy” Callert

Carlo Castiglione

Wade Kovach

Mark Little

Joe Barnhart

Greg Dunn

Dan Willingham

Election Day is Thursday, December 2, 2021. Polls will be open from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm, all eligible members in line at 7:00 pm, closing time, will be allowed to vote. In order to vote a member must identify themselves by showing their driver’s license, plumbing license, or UA book. If they have no such identification they may vote if seven members in good standing identify them as a member of this local. The results will be read after the polls close that same evening at a Special Called Meeting. In the case of a tie in any of the races, a special Run-Off Election will be held at the Union Hall on Thursday, December 9th from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Eligibility – Journeymen members to vote must have been a member in good standing of the local union one year prior to said election. An apprentice in good standing is eligible to vote immediately after complying with Section 148 of the UA Constitution 2016 Edition and also must secure a Michigan State Journeyman Plumber license. If a member has any questions on his/her eligibility or the Union Election Process, please contact Election Chairman Bill Jester at (586) 909-1741.

MEETINGS & Union Hall

***SPECIAL CALLED MEETING*** There will be a Special Called Meeting on Thursday, December 2 at ­­­7:00 pm after voting closes at the Union Hall to read the election results. Please see above for information on the election. The swearing in ceremony will be held the following week at the regularly scheduled Union Meeting.

The next regularly scheduled Union Meeting will be held on Thursday, December 9th at 7:00 pm in person. We will be swearing in your elected officers, the new apprentice class, and some organized Brothers and Sisters. 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.

We will be having a WRAP PARTY at the Union Hall on Monday, December 13 from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm. The more hands to help, the quicker the job will go. And the more fun we will have. We haven’t had many opportunities to get together the last couple of years, this is your chance to help out and get some visiting in while you’re at it. There will be pizza and pop provided for those who volunteer.

The KID’S HOLIDAY PARTY will be held at the Union Hall on Tuesday, December 14 from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm. Santa will make his appearance at 6:30pm and will be distributing gifts to kids in attendance from ages 0 – 16 years old. Food and beverages will be provided.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Plumbers Local 98 Training Center is NOW accepting applications for our Apprenticeship Program through December 31, 2021. If you know anyone who is interested, please direct them to the Training Center’s website plumbers98tc.org/apprenticeship. For continuing education opportunities or classes, you can contact Training Center Coordinator Ryan Lyle at 248-585-1435.

GOOD/WELFARE

Congratulations to Brother Dan Baranyia and wife Heather on the birth of their newest bundle of joy, Lyla Rose. Big brother Hudson can’t wait till baby sister is big enough to play together.

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 11/1/2021

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Brothers and Sisters,

When this article gets to you, we will have our nominees set for Local 98’s Officers and Delegates. Please visit our website for a list of nominees and see below for voting information. We will be listing the nominees in the next issue.

UNION ELECTION INFORMATION

Nominees for Local 98’s Officers and Delegates were set after the deadline to get this issue to press. You can find a list of our nominees on our website, ualocal98.com. Election Day is Thursday, December 2, 2021. Polls will be open from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm, all eligible members in line at 7:00 pm, closing time, will be allowed to vote. In order to vote a member must identify themselves by showing their driver’s license, plumbing license, or UA book. If they have no such identification they may vote if seven members in good standing identify them as a member of this local. The results will be read after the polls close that same evening at a Special Called Meeting.

Eligibility – Journeymen members to vote must have been a member in good standing of the local union one year prior to said election. An apprentice in good standing is eligible to vote immediately after complying with Section 148 of the UA Constitution 2016 Edition and also must secure a Michigan State Journeyman Plumber license. If a member has any questions on his/her eligibility or the Union Election Process, please contact Financial Secretary-Treasurer Jon DeRoo at (248) 762-9238.

MEETINGS & Union Hall

The next Union Meeting will be held on Thursday, November 11th at 7:00 pm in person. It will also be Turkey Night so we will also be distributing turkeys to the members at this meeting. 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.

***SPECIAL CALLED MEETING***

There will be a Special Called Meeting on Thursday, December 2 at ­­­7:00 pm after voting closes at the Union Hall to read the election results. Please see above for information on the election. The swearing in ceremony will be held the following week at the regularly scheduled Union Meeting.

E-Board Meetings

E-Board meetings are the first and second Thursday of the month at 6:30 pm. If you need to contact or see the board, please call V.P. Jim Cools at 734-307-9841.

Retiree Meetings

The next Retiree meeting will be Wednesday, November 10th from 12pm – 2pm at the hall. Please note, any existing Covid-19 protocols are still being adhered to for these meetings.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Plumbers Local 98 Training Center is NOW accepting applications for our Apprenticeship Program through December 31, 2021. If you know anyone who is interested, please direct them to the Training Center’s website plumbers98tc.org/apprenticeship.

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

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 at 248-307-9800 ext. 4 or Jon DeRoo after hours at 248-762-9238.

 

GRADUATES

Congratulations to Brother Luke Garcia who completed the apprenticeship program on October 19th  and is now a Journeyman.

RETIREES

Congratulations to Brother William Benscoter on his retirement. May this be the best chapter of your life.

IN MEMORIAM

Our deepest condolences go out to the friends of family of Brother Felix Charlier, who passed away on October 13, 2021, and Brother Philip Thomas, who passed away on October 20, 2021.

COVID-19 Information & Vaccine

Please visit ualocal98.com/covid-2 for the most current COIVD-19 updates.

Our International is pushing for all employees and members to be vaccinated throughout our industry, at the halls, work places, and especially our training centers. I am just giving fair warning that anything in Washtenaw for training , apprentice contests, or any UA funded events will soon be mandating that you must have a vaccine for Covid-19. As I said this is coming sooner rather than later. In the meantime please wear a mask if you are not vaccinated. Over 700,000 Americans have now died. I may not be able to convince all of you as there is so much misinformation out there, I can only hope we can all stay safe until this thing runs it course.

SUB APPS/OOW CHANGES/BENEFITS

SUB pay is hit and miss as we are experiencing manpower adjustments. It is always a go for medical or COVID related injuries. It is your responsibility to fill out a SUB App when you are laid off, you have 48 hours to report a layoff. Call the Agent on the Books or come down to the hall to fill out a SUB App. It is your responsibility to make sure you are on the out of work list and your contact information is correct. If you’re still having unemployment issues call BAs Gary Glaser or Tom McWilliams. Both officers are administrators on the Must/Most program, contact them if you need help.

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.

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 10/18/2021

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Brothers and Sisters,

Time is flying and it is already almost time for nominations for officers and delegates. Please note all of the important dates coming up here at Local 98. We have nominations on November 4 and election day is December 2. Mark your calendars and be sure to participate if you are eligible and let your voice be heard.

MEETINGS & Union Hall

***SPECIAL CALLED MEETING***

The next Union Meeting will be a Special Called Meeting on Thursday, November 4 at ­­­7:00 pm at the Union Hall in order to nominate Officers and Delegates for the December election for Local 98. Please see below for more information on the offices up for election.

UNION ELECTION INFORMATION

Local 98’s Officer and Delegate Elections – At the Special Called Meeting on Thursday November 4th, 2021 Nominations will be held for the following offices: (1) Business Manager; (1) Financial Secretary-Treasurer; (4) Business Agent; (1) President; (1) Vice President; (4) Executive Board; (1) Recording Secretary; (3) Examining Board; (3) Finance Committee; (1) Inside Guard; (16) Delegate. Article 3 Section 1 of Local 98’s Bylaws defines eligibility for running for office: “Journeyman members eligible to hold office must have been in good standing in the local union for a period of two (2) years prior to the election. Section 121 of the U.A. Constitution 2016 Edition.” If a member has any questions on his/her eligibility or the Union Election Process, please contact Financial Secretary-Treasurer Jon DeRoo at (248) 762-9238.

The regularly scheduled Union Meeting will be held on Thursday, November 11th at 7:00 pm in person. We will also be distributing turkeys to the members at this meeting. 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 as too many of our members are not adhering to the CDC recommendations as I thought.

E-Board Meetings

E-Board meetings are the first and second Thursday of the month at 6:30 pm. If you need to contact or see the board, please call V.P. Jim Cools at 734-307-9841.                  

Retiree Meetings

The next Retiree meeting will be Wednesday, November 10th from 12pm – 2pm at the hall. Please note, any existing Covid-19 protocols are still being adhered to for these meetings.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Plumbers Local 98 Training Center is NOW accepting applications for our Apprenticeship Program through December 31, 2021. If you know anyone who is interested, please direct them to the Training Center’s website plumbers98tc.org/apprenticeship.

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

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 at 248-307-9800 ext. 4 or Jon DeRoo after hours at 248-762-9238.

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.

IN MEMORIAM

Our deepest condolences go out to the friends and family of Brother Frank “Jeff” McMahon who passed away on October 13, 2021.

COVID-19 Information & Vaccine

Please visit ualocal98.com/covid-2 for the most current COIVD-19 updates.

Our International is pushing for all employees and members to be vaccinated throughout our industry, at the halls, work places, and especially our training centers. I am just giving fair warning that anything in Washtenaw for training , apprentice contests, or any UA funded events will soon be mandating that you must have a vaccine for Covid-19. As I said this is coming sooner rather than later. In the meantime please wear a mask if you are not vaccinated. Over 700,000 Americans have now died. I may not be able to convince all of you as there is so much misinformation out there, I can only hope we can all stay safe until this thing runs it course.

SUB APPS/OOW CHANGES/BENEFITS

SUB pay is hit and miss as we are experiencing manpower adjustments. It is always a go for medical or COVID related injuries. It is your responsibility to fill out a SUB App when you are laid off, you have 48 hours to report a layoff. Call the Agent on the Books or come down to the hall to fill out a SUB App. It is your responsibility to make sure you are on the out of work list and your contact information is correct. If you’re still having unemployment issues call BAs Gary Glaser or Tom McWilliams. Both officers are administrators on the Must/Most program, contact them if you need help.

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.

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 10/4/21

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Brothers and Sisters,

There is a lot going on at Local 98 this fall. We have free flu shots in October, nominations for officers and delegates, as well as Turkey Night, in November, and elections in December. See below for more information on each of these events and, as always, we will be keeping the Local 98 website up to date with information on all of these events and more.

MEETINGS & Union Hall

The next Union Meeting will be held on Thursday, October 14th at 7:00 pm in person. 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 as too many of our members are not adhering to the CDC recommendations as I thought.

We will have FREE flu shots, blood sugar testing, and blood pressure checks available before the meeting on October 14th from 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm for members and their families.

E-Board Meetings

E-Board meetings are the first and second Thursday of the month at 6:30 pm. If you need to contact or see the board, please call V.P. Jim Cools at 734-307-9841.                                                   

Retiree Meetings

The next Retiree meeting will be Wednesday, October 13th from 12pm – 2pm at the hall. Please note, any existing Covid-19 protocols are still being adhered to for these meetings.

UNION ELECTION INFORMATION

Local 98’s Officer and Delegate Elections – At the Special Called Meeting on Thursday November 4th, 2021 Nominations will be held for the following offices: (1) Business Manager; (1) Financial Secretary-Treasurer; (4) Business Agent; (1) President; (1) Vice President; (4) Executive Board; (1) Recording Secretary; (3) Examining Board; (3) Finance Committee; (1) Inside Guard; (16) Delegate. Article 3 Section 1 of Local 98’s Bylaws defines eligibility for running for office: “Journeyman members eligible to hold office must have been in good standing in the local union for a period of two (2) years prior to the election. Section 121 of the U.A. Constitution 2016 Edition.” If a member has any questions on his/her eligibility or the Union Election Process, please contact Financial Secretary-Treasurer Jon DeRoo at (248) 762-9238.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Plumbers Local 98 Training Center is NOW accepting applications for our Apprenticeship Program through December 31, 2021. If you know anyone who is interested, please direct them to the Training Center’s website plumbers98tc.org/apprenticeship.

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

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 at 248-307-9800 ext. 4 or Jon DeRoo after hours at 248-762-9238.

GRADUATES

Congratulations to the following members who successfully completed the apprenticeship program on September 27, 2021 and are now Journeymen: Cortez Bens, Preston Chapman, Jeffery Chene, Tyler DeFrank, Zackary Diehl, Brandon Fisher, Gary Gmeiner, William Kelly IV, Cody Latimer, Kevin Malburg, Timothy Oakley, George Scott, Leon Starkey, and Dorian Tagai. Thank you for fulfilling all of your obligations. The future is yours, welcome to the NFL.

RETIREES

Congratulations to Brother Michael Milinko on his retirement. Wishing you all the best in the next phase of your life.

IN MEMORIAM

Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Brother Scott Monroe who passed away on September 18, 2021 and Brother Patrick Worden who passed away on September 29, 2021.

COVID-19 Information & Vaccine

Please visit ualocal98.com/covid-2 for the most current COIVD-19 updates.

SUB APPS/OOW CHANGES/BENEFITS

SUB pay is hit and miss as we are experiencing manpower adjustments. It is always a go for medical or COVID related injuries. It is your responsibility to fill out a SUB App when you are laid off, you have 48 hours to report a layoff. Call the Agent on the Books or come down to the hall to fill out a SUB App. It is your responsibility to make sure you are on the out of work list and your contact information is correct. If you’re still having unemployment issues call BAs Gary Glaser or Tom McWilliams. Both officers are administrators on the Must/Most program, contact them if you need help.

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.

GOOD/WELFARE

From Business Agent Gary Glaser:

I’d like to thank all the 98 brothers that came out and helped with our Adopt-A-Highway Project on September 25th. Even though it was a very wet morning and not ideal working conditions, we all pulled together and still picked up over 100 bags of trash on I-94. It’s always great comradery and an excellent way for us to give back to our community. Thanks again to all the attendees for sharing your Saturday off work with us for a good cause! Kevin Dulapa, Michael Kalso, Tom Hamann, Daren Peel, Tony Szalkiewicz, James Emon, Jeffery Cushard, Garry Richardson, Nicholas Rodrigues, Brandon Bott, Chris Wright, Michael McCroy, Lance Pitcel, Duffy Callert, Paul Smith, James Cools, Rufus Hamilton, Tom McWilliams, and Jon DeRoo.

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