Plumbers & Gasfitters Local Union No. 5, U.A. Local 5 Pipeline OCTOBER 2014 Local 5 Leadership Tim Haley President Jim Killeen Business Manager Financial SecretaryTreasurer Jack Taylor Assistant Business Manager Joe Short Business Representative Organizer Janice Boismenu Recording Secretary Jeff Guido Vice President Cedric Gooden Inside Guard Dan Garrison Hugh Riddell Jim Stacho Calvin Perry Executive Board Chris Biondi Bill Garity Mike McKenzie Finance Committee Mike Bell Percy Jackson Scott Caudill Examining Board VOLUME 1, ISSUE 4 Things seem to be picking up a bit and we are cautiously optimistic about our employment situation. Employment in the construction industry continued to grow with 20,000 jobs added in August. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the unemployment rate for the construction industry was at 7.7 percent in August. The unemployment rate is slightly higher than the 7.5 percent reported in July, but is the lowest rate for the month of August in seven years. The construction industry has added 232,000 jobs over the last 12 months with 192,000 of those jobs being added in 2014. Construction employment was at 6,068,000 jobs in August and is the highest it’s been since the 6,100,000 jobs reported in May 2009. All sectors in the construction industry saw job gains in August with specialty trade contractors adding 11,500 jobs in August. The construction industry has averaged 24,000 jobs added each month in 2014. Are we back? Not yet, but we’re headed in the right direction. The graph below shows steady gains August 2013 - August 2014: We send our congratulations to the following members who earned “Years of Service Awards” in the third quarter of 2014 (July, August and September 2014):  Sixty-five Years  Raymond E. Mitchell  Sixty Years  John Z. Baltimore Edwin T. Healy James F. Martinez  Fifty Years  James R. Newman Rodrick C. Wiser  Forty-five Years  John T. Beavers Carlton R. Etter Leonard M. Weakley  Forty Years  Joseph J. Deprato Joseph Hehl Connie D. Overton William R. Wiles  Thirty Years  Michael H. Brown Keep the date of Saturday, April 18, 2015 free and clear! Local 5 will be celebrating our 125th Anniversary on that date. Final preparations are coming together. The next newsletter should include more details. Midterm elections will be here in about a month. Your vote is your voice as an American citizen. It’s your opportunity to be heard, to hold elected officials accountable for their decisions and to have a say in important issues that affect your community. On Election Day, every vote matters. If you’re not registered, it’s not too late. Register and vote! Make your voice heard! Foreman, please fill out your Foreman cards. If you don’t have any, they can be downloaded here: http:// www.local5plumbers.org/ contractors_tool_box.asp . The Foreman’s Form is the last item on the page. We got a little lazy when things were slow, but now that things are picking up, we really need the information these forms provide. Finally, we had a very poor turnout for “Heat’s On, Water’s Off.” We had only six trucks and nine plumbers to service twenty-five homes. On a bright note, we had ten apprentices with a couple upper level apprentices who were able to cover some of the calls. We need to do better next year. LOCAL 5 PIPELINE Page 2 Spotlight on the U.A. Constitution and Local Bylaws SEC. 146. (a) No journeyman member will be permitted to work with an apprentice or helper who is not a member, except apprentices who have made an application for membership in the Local Union and the United Association and who are covered by a written apprenticeship agreement and are serving a probationary period of one (1) year in a training program under the administration of an apprenticeship committee, or if he is a helper, he is working under the grace period of a union security clause. Bylaws Section 87. Any journeyman and or apprentice plumber working with a helper or laborer who is doing the work of the plumber or an apprentice, or working on a job site and has knowledge of this abuse and fails to immediately notify the local union full time officers of this violation shall be subject to disciplinary action. Members, It is imperative that Burial Benefit assessments be paid up to date. As of this newsletter, the fund has $25,870.00 of unpaid assessments. Let’s all hope the wife that is turned away, unpaid, is not ours. Picture of first year apprentices first night of school, an open house for family and friends. Very good event to let family and friends see the five year requirement and commitment that these apprentices are about to undertake. Walls going up in the Welding Shop at the new Training Facility. Second thru fifth year apprentices eager and ready to learn. THEIR future is greater than their past. Challenge. Action. Results. Structural steel going up to support the roof of the auditorium at the new Training Facility. VOLUME 1, ISSUE 3 Page 3 Bits & Pieces It is imperative that you get a DC Journeyman’s license by either testing for it or obtaining a waiver. We are approaching the enforcement phase which means anyone doing plumbing work in the District of Columbia must carry a DC Journeyman license. Classes to assist with filling out Waiver Application: Oc- tober 3, 2014 and November 7, 2014 at 4 p.m. in “A” Building at the UA Mechanical Trades School. Please call Jack Taylor at (301) 899-7861, ext. 1015 to sign up. The class is free, but DC does charge $175 for the waiver. If you currently hold a DC License, please contact Jack. He is compiling a list of DC licensed journeymen. Jim Killeen (l) and J. Russell Newman (r) receiving his 50-year certificate at the September Union Meeting. Membership News We send our congratulations to the following members who retired on July 1, 2014: Brother Julius E. Proctor, with 25.6 years of service; and Brother Jeffrey D. Taylor with 29.6 years of service. We send our congratulations to the following who retired on August 1, 2014: Brother David F. Ross with 30.3 years of service; and Brother Philip I. Posey with 18.6 years of service. We wish them all long, happy and healthy retirements! Upcoming Training Classes Med Gas 40-hour Course Dec. 4, 9, 16, 23, 2014 and Jan. 8, 13, 20, 27, February 5, Test Date: February 12, 2015 Backflow Full Course Nov. 18, 20, 25, Dec. 4, 5, 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, 2014 OSHA 30 Course Feb. 17, 19, 24, 26, Mar. 5, 6, 10, 12, 17, 19, 2015 Welding Open most nights at 3 p.m. during regularly scheduled classes. Customer Service March start date scheduled by number of participants. Rigger II Certification Requirements: Current Rigger I working with Rigger II. Letter from Employer Required. April 2, 9, 16, 23, 2015 WSSC Journeymen/Master Code Review and Prep Test Oct. 21, 23, 28, 30, Nov. 6, 7, 13, 14, 2014 Classes are provided to members in good standing free of charge. Interested members should call the school at (301) 322-8810 to sign up for classes. First come, first served. Our prayers and sympathy are extended to the family of Brother George C. Carlisle. Brother Carlisle was born November 4, 1947, initiated March 10, 1971 and passed away on August 20, 2014. We also send our sympathy to the family of Brother Ronald E. O’Bier. Brother O’Bier was born October 26, 1960, initiated June 9, 2014 and passed away on August 29, 2014. We send our congratulations to Brother J. Russell Newman who was recognized at our September Union Meeting for attaining Life Membership. Those fifty years just flew by, didn’t they? We congratulate our incoming apprentice class, “Class of 2019.” Nearly all have been initiated and placed with contractors at this point. Apprenticeship is the lifeline of our union. Much of their training is learned in the field with active members. If you find yourself working with an apprentice, teach him or her well. Our future depends on it. Calendar Wednesday, October 8, 2014 - Monthly Union Meeting at 5:00 p.m. at the U.A. Mechanical Trades School. Wednesday, October 22, 2014 – Executive Board Meeting at 3:00 p.m. at the Union Hall. Tuesday, November 11, 2014 - Veteran’s Day (Paid Holiday) Wednesday, November 12, 2014 - Monthly Union Meeting at 5:00 p.m. at the U.A. Mechanical Trades School. Wednesday, November 19, 2014 – Executive Board Meeting at 3:00 p.m. at the Union Hall. Thursday, November 27, 2014 - Thanksgiving (Paid Holiday) Friday, November 28, 2014 - Day after Thanksgiving - Paid Holiday per the Basic Construction Agreement. (See Supplemental Service Agreement for language). Wednesday, December 10, 2014 - Monthly Union Meeting at 5:00 p.m. at the U.A. Mechanical Trades School. Monday, December 22, 2014 – Executive Board Meeting at 3:00 p.m. at the Union Hall. Thursday, December 25, 2014 – Christmas Day (Paid Holiday) Reminders • The Medical Fund requires coordination of benefits with Medicare eligible retirees and eligible dependents. It is important that you and/or your dependents enroll for Medicare at age 65, or if disabled prior to age 65, when you are eligible for Medicare coverage. Be sure to enroll in both “Part A” and “Part B” of Medicare. Failure to do so will result in lower medical protection and greater out-of-pocket expense. Refer to “Coordination with Medicare” in the medical plan’s Summary Plan Description. • Your medical coverage is under a reserve account. In order to qualify to use the reserve account, you must:  Remain available for work in covered employment on a daily basis. You must remain in the geographical jurisdiction covered by the Union unless you are working under a United Association or UA Local collective bargaining agreement outside the Union’s geographical jurisdiction (working as a Traveler).  Sign the referral book every thirty days. Cannot refuse more than two jobs in covered employment.  Cannot work at the trade for employers not signed to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, or to any United Association or U.A. local union collective bargaining agreement. • Some of you let your assessments get way out of hand. Please do not put us in the position of telling your family there is no death benefit for you upon your death because you are too far in arrears in your assessments. Currents assessments are available at the end of each monthly article, our website www.local5plumbers.org , or by calling the Union Hall. • 125th Anniversary Gala Celebration is coming on April 18, 2015. Mark your calendars! Special Order of Business The Special Order of Business at our November 12, 2014 Union Meeting will be: • Vote on the Finance Committee’s Report. • Vote on Bylaws. The Special Order of Business at our December 10, 2014 Union Meeting will be: • Vote on the Finance Committee’s Report. • Vote on Bylaws. The Special Order of Business at our January 14, 2015 Union Meeting will be: • Vote on the Finance Committee’s Report. Current Assessments Due: Death 1189 and Michael A. Collins Assessment (2014). Proudly serving the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area Since 1890 5891 Allentown Road Camp Springs, MD 20746 Phone: (301) 899-7861 Fax: (301) 899-7868 http://local5plumbers.org Plumbers & Gasfitters Local Union No. 5 Presort Standard U.S. Postage Paid Southern, MD Permit No. 139