Brothers and Sisters,

With Memorial Day approaching, your officers and I would like to thank the brave men and women who courageously gave their lives for our country. Let’s continue to be smart and stay safe out there.

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 17^th 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.

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

As of this moment, the State Pipe Trades Convention is on for the second week in June. Your delegates have met and are ready to represent us.  It has been presented that the convention centers in both Michigan and California are requiring attendees to be vaccinated against Covid-19. As for the National Convention, we should be hearing news by the end of the month as to whether it will be taking place.

LICENSE RENEWAL

If you are looking to take your journey plumber or master plumber exam the Training Center is having a code study class on Wednesday, May 26^th at 4:30pm. This will be a 4-hour class. Please bring your code book if you have one. There are a limited number of code books available for sale for $76.85 through the Training Center if you do not have one already. For more information, or any other 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.

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.

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 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.

RETIREES

Congratulations to Brother Don Priest, Brother Reginald Freeman, and Brother Joseph Montagano on their retirements. We wish you all endless days of relaxation.

IN MEMORIAM

Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of our Brothers who have recently passed away. Brother Dennis Rooke passed on April 12, 2021. Brother Frank Zaleski passed on April 29, 2021. Brother Fonando “Freddy” Cirilli passed on May 1, 2021. Brother Edward “Ed” McIlroy passed on May 9, 2021.

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