volume 32, issue 6 plumbers, steamfitters, & hvac service ... 2017.pdfvolume 32, issue 6...
TRANSCRIPT
3747 S. High School Road, Indianapolis, Indiana 46241
(317) 856-3771 fax (317) 856-7547 Toll-Free (800) 872-0155
www.ualocal440.org
December, 2017
Volume 32, Issue 6 Plumbers, Steamfitters, & HVAC Service Technicians Local 440
Mark Your Calendars:
Dec. 25 Holiday as per contract;
Offices Closed
Dec. 26-Dec. 29 Training Office
Closed
Jan. 1 Holiday as per contract
Offices Closed
Jan. 22 4:30pm Officers &
Stewards Meeting
Jan 22 7:00pm Union Meeting
Feb. 10 Local 440 Apprentice-
ship Contest
Feb. 17 9:00am Retirement
Seminar
Feb. 26 Union Meeting
Inside this issue:
Business Manager’s Report 2
Business Agents’ Reports 2-4
Training Director’s Report 5
Photos & Announcements 6-11
Health & Welfare report 12
Activate Local 440 Family
Health Center
● 5550 S. East St., Suite B,
Indianapolis
● (317) 879-5206
HOURS:
Monday, Friday 6am—4pm
Tuesday, Thursday 9am—6pm
Friday 6am—12pm
● wwwactivatehealthcare.com/
local440
● Serving participants of the
Plumbers & Steamfitters Lo-
cal 440 Health & Welfare Plan
Fill the Foxhole Day
Ralph ‘Boomer’ Culver
(center) holds the Resolu-
tion presented by Indian-
apolis Mayor Joe Hogsett
proclaiming December 2,
2017 as Fill the Foxhole
Day in Indianapolis.
Flanking Boomer are (L-R):
Bus. Mgr. Bubba Johnson,
MCAA President Greg
Fuller, Boomer, Mayor Joe
Hogsett, and International
Rep. David Posey. More
photos from this event are
on pages 6-7.
Merry Christmas
and Happy New Year
from the Officers & Staff of
Local 440
James M. (Bubba) Johnson, Business Manager
“If you are in
need or know of
a brother or
sister who is,
please contact
the Local 440
Indianapolis
office.”
Page 2 Plumbers, Steamfitters, & HVAC Service Technicians Local 440
James M. (Bubba) Johnson
Although the holiday season is a great time to celebrate and spend time with loved ones, it is also a time to help those who are in need. I want to thank the membership for once again stepping up and allocating funds for our annu-al Local 440 Christmas Relief Fund. The monies allocated will go to assist Local 440 members and community or-ganizations set up to help those struggling to make ends meet. If you are in need or know of a brother or sister who is, please contact the
Local 440 Indianapolis office.
LOOKING BACK
2017 began strong with an abundance of work opportuni-ties in and around our jurisdic-tion. As has been the case in the previous couple of years, the associated projects are spread over many sectors of our industry. The man-hours worked are associated with energy , pharmaceut ica l , health and hospital, manufac-turing, school, and residential projects. As evident by the jobs reports included in the Business Agents articles, this trend will continue as we en-
ter 2018.
During the first quarter Local 440 not only had full employ-ment, we were also able to assist 67 UA locals around the country by securing jobs for over 250 travelers, and at the
same time increased our membership numbers through organizing those with the skills that are in demand – yes, those with weld certifica-
tions.
As spring and summer rolled around and the school pro-jects got underway we saw ourselves once again search-ing for manpower. Although we were ultimately able to fill our contractor’s requests, it also necessitated the use of travelers and once again the need to organize. This time, that need was licensed plumb-
ers.
In addition to organizing we also increased our apprentice-ship numbers to over 200 with the June addition of 45 new first-year apprentices. Apprenticeship has stood the test of time and will continue to be the way we develop the future leaders of our industry. Whether those of us of a cer-tain age want to believe it or not, the Millennials will re-place the Baby Boomers in short order. Let’s all work together to give our apprentic-es the tools needed to suc-
ceed.
July brought a different issue with it – the Indianapolis Air-port’s need to purchase our property in its entirety. Five months have passed, and alt-hough nothing has been final-ized, it is evident that in the near future we will be operat-
ing from a different location.
As I said, nothing has been finalized, but I have been told that the timetable will allow us to remain in our buildings into 2019. The majority of our land, including the pond and our east parking lot, will be turned over to the Airport once the purchase agreement is completed. Parking on the north side of our building will remain, with the addition of parking to the west of High School Road for school and
meeting overflow.
CLOSING
Thanks once again go to Boomer, Alice, and all the vol-unteers who participated in Fill the Foxhole day on Decem-ber 2nd. What a great way to close out 2017! Through Boomer and Alice’s yearlong planning over 200 volunteers, including Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, met the goal of packing 440 care packages for those men and women of our armed forces who are away from their families dur-ing the holidays. Great job by
all!
Merry Christmas and
Happy New Year!
As the year of 2017 comes to an
end, I would like to stop and give
thanks for the many opportuni-
ties of employment our member-
ship has enjoyed this year. As a
Local our work has continued to
be very plentiful for the member-
ship and our signatory contrac-
tors. I witnessed several instanc-
es where our members turned in
a termination slip and walked
out of the main office with a re-
ferral, just like the “good old
days.”
I would like to wish all of the
members and their families a
Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year. May this season be
filled with joy, love of family, and
prosperity. In the spirit of time
honored traditions please help
the local economy by spending
like a fitter working seven
twelves with spotty overtime.
Work in the southern part of the
Gary R. Beaman, Business Representative Columbus area
Gary R. Beaman
Page 3 Volume 32, Issue 6
Robert R. Stieneker, Business Representative Indianapolis area
Work in the West is holding
steady and should be that way
throughout the winter months.
Work at the Hendricks Regional
Hospital is finishing up and I
would like to acknowledge the
work that was performed on
this facility. It is wonderful to
see the local news agencies
reporting on the state-of-art
medical facilities that are being
built and knowing that our
members played an integral
part in making it happen. So a
“Tip o’ the Hard Hat” goes to
the members who worked tire-
lessly to make this job a huge
success.
Quite a few members have
asked me when the next Local
440 Retirement Seminar will
be. The date has been set for
Saturday February 17th. The
seminar is open to all pre-
retirement members and
spouses, although the targeted
audience is those ages 50 and
older who want to make sure
they are maximizing all of the
benefits available to them as
they make plans for retirement.
Representatives from Health &
Welfare, PNC (record keeper for
the 440 Defined Contribution
Plan), and Social Security will
be on hand. In addition, I will
be presenting on the National
Pension Fund application pro-
cess.
The Trustees for the Health &
Welfare Plan had our quarterly
meeting and I would like to re-
port on a few things that we as
members can do to help save
the plan money. First we had
396 Emergency Room (ER) vis-
its that were deemed as avoida-
ble for the 3rd quarter of 2017.
What this means is that these
visits could have been handled
by going to the Local 440 Clinic,
a Prompt-Med facility, or by
utilizing the Live-Health-On-Line
(LHOL) service. On these visits
the plan covered $481,000 in
medical charges. The average
cost of an ER visit has risen to
around $1,600 compared to
$60 for LHOL or $200-$300 for
Prompt-Med. Remember that if
you use the LHOL app and are
referred to the ER, the $20 co-
pay is refunded to you.
Another way to help the Plan is
by monitoring your prescription
medication. Many doctors pre-
scribe the brand name medica-
tion without offering the generic
equivalent. Always ask if there
is a suitable generic for any
medication that you are pre-
scribed. This not only saves the
plan money but also saves you
money as well. I recently re-
ceived a call from a member
who was prescribed a brand
name medication that was
$900 to fill at the pharmacy.
By contacting Sav-Rx we found
out that there was a generic
available for $110. In this case
it saved the plan around $640
and the member saved $160 in
co-payments. For those of you
who have prescriptions filled at
CVS or Walgreens you may
have seen an increase in the
cost, even in generics. They
have made a business decision
to increase prices, but you can
also make a decision. What I
am saying is that at this time of
the year when we are all shop-
ping, we always hunt for the
best deal on anything we buy,
so why not our medications?
The Health & Welfare Fund be-
longs to all of us, and we
should all be stewards in how
our money is being spent.
In closing this month’s article I
want to wish all of you a Merry
Christmas and a safe and joy-
ous New Year.
PS: Pitchers and Catchers re-
port the 2nd week of February!
Bob Stieneker
“Work in the
West is holding
steady and should
be that way
throughout the
winter months.”
jurisdiction is busy and should
remain steady for at least the
first and second quarter of
2018. Work at the Masonic
Home in Franklin, Franklin Col-
lege, Johnson Memorial Hospi-
tal, Cummins Columbus, Walnut
Grove Elementary in Bargers-
ville, and the Toyota expansion
in Columbus should give several
of our members the opportunity
to work at home in the months
ahead.
In the spirit of Christmas our “Fill
the Foxhole” campaign has once
again left me very honored and
humbled to be a member of Lo-
cal 440. The examples of kind-
ness from Brother Ralph
“Boomer” Culver, his wife Alice,
the apprentices of local 440,
and the generosity of our mem-
bership have made Fill the Fox-
hole an enormous success. Be-
cause of their dedication to this
cause we are going to send well
over 400 care boxes to active
military personnel who are away
from home during the Christmas
season so we can all live in the
Land of the Free.
Merry Christmas to All!
Gary R. Beaman, Business Representative, Columbus area
“Work in the
southern part of the
jurisdiction is busy
and should remain
steady for at least
the first and second
quarter of 2018.”
Jamie Fife, Business Representative Kokomo area
Jamie Fife
Page 4 Plumbers, Steamfitters, & HVAC Service Technicians Local 440
Jack E. Neal Jr., Business Representative Muncie area
“ Work in the
North East was
steady throughout
fall and remains so
going into winter.”
Jack Neal
“Overall, work
should reamin
steady throughout
this winter and
into spring.”
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Where did this year go? It
seems like just yesterday that
we were hanging out on the
boat or taking weekend trips on
the bike - now we are scraping
our windshields! Still no deer
in the freezer, but I have only
been in the woods twice so far
this year.
I hope everyone had a great
Thanksgiving and was able to
spend time with family, I know
we sure did. Santa will be here
before we know it, and with my
grandson living with us now it
will rekindle the excitement of
waking up to Christmas morn-
ing. I am looking forward to
that for sure! I hope everyone
has a blessed Christmas this
year with family and friends.
Although work in the Kokomo
area has slowed down since
my last report, Quality Plumb-
ing & Heating has secured a
project at Park Place Apart-
ments which received exten-
sive tornado damage earlier
this fall. Sixteen apartment
buildings have been gutted and
QPH will be doing all the plumb-
ing and HVAC on them begin-
ning at the first of the year.
Overall, work should remain
steady throughout this winter
and into spring. Newjac is in-
stalling a new line at the Skodjt
-Barret baby food plant in Leba-
non that should take a few ad-
ditional journeymen. The Eli
Lilly work is starting to fill up
manpower wise, but will still
take a few before the end of
the year. Word is also that
there is more work ready to bid
at Rolls-Royce after the first of
the year and Pioneer Agro in
Tipton also has a project on the
books.
At this time I would like to give
a big “Shout Out” to Brother
Ralph Culver and his wife Alice
for putting together another
successful “Fill the Foxhole”
project. With the help of sever-
al volunteers, on December
2nd, we filled 440 boxes with all
kinds of goodies to be sent to
our Troops overseas for Christ-
mas. I would personally like to
say “Thank You” to Boomer,
Alice, and all the volunteers
who made this happen.
I wish all my Brothers and Sis-
ters Happy Holidays and a
Blessed New Year!
Brothers and Sisters,
Work in the North East was
steady throughout fall and
remains so going into winter.
Blue Buffalo Pet Food Manu-
facturing in Richmond is mov-
ing ahead. Freitag-Weinhardt
is working on-site and it looks
like they have met their man-
power requirement for now.
The next two phases of this
project have not been awarded
at this time; hopefully we will
know something by the end of
the year. We also have some
hospital work going on in An-
derson and Muncie.
Greiner Brothers is on site at
Ball State University's new
Medical Building. This project
has been slow coming out of
the ground, but this will
change as the basement walls
come up and they begin pour-
ing floors. I also expect sever-
al new projects to be an-
nounced for Ball State in
2018.
Other new projects coming to
the area include HVAC work on
multiple schools, expansions
at Ivy Tech-Muncie, and vari-
ous water treatment plant pro-
jects. I will keep an eye on
these projects as they develop.
As a reminder, All Journeyman
and Contractor Indiana State
Plumbing licenses will expire
on 12/31/2017. Failure to
renew by the end of the year
will result in a $50.00 late fee
and could prevent you from
taking a job call. Renewal in-
formation can be found at
h t t p : / / i n . g o v / p l a /
plumbing.htm
As we celebrate the Holiday
Season, let’s not forget that
we still have young men and
women serving our Country
overseas. I would to thank
Ralph Culver and the Appren-
tices for their work on the Fill
the Foxhole program. With the
support of additional volun-
teers, they put together over
400 care packages. I am sure
our Troops will appreciate the
packages they receive while
they are away from home dur-
ing the Holiday Season. If you
have a moment, please say a
little prayer for their safe and
timely return to their families.
I wish everyone a Safe and
Happy Holiday from my family
to you and your family. Merry
Christmas and Happy New
Year.
Page 5 Volume 32, Issue 6
Brothers and Sisters,
I want to give sincere thanks
for all the prayers and well
wishes received following my
surgery. Anyone that doesn’t
know, on October 9th I had
complete replacement of my
left hip. The surgery went ex-
ceptionally well and as of now
rehab is ahead of schedule.
The surgeon said it would get
better for up to a year, so the
workouts will continue to in-
tensify.
Thanksgiving at the Bough
house was full of family and
included Christmas with Mom
and all her great grandchil-
dren. A good time was had by
all. I hope your time spent
with family was also enjoyable
and I also want to wish all our
members and their families a
very Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year.
This year’s National Appren-
ticeship Week was held across
the Country from November
13-19. We participated in
many career fair events during
the week spreading the word
of our Apprenticeship Pro-
gram. This included a social
media blitz for Built to Suc-
ceed, a statewide awareness
and recruitment program de-
veloped by The Indiana Ca-
reers in Construction Associa-
tion. Built to Succeed was
recognized at the Pacers
game on Friday the 17th and
was also advertised heavily at
the IHSAA state football cham-
pionship games at Lucas Oil
Stadium and on television
broadcasts.
The initial Infection Control
Risk Assessment (ICRA) clas-
ses are set to begin. ICRA is a
new certification offered
through ASSE and the UA in
reference to work in existing
hospitals. All 1st year appren-
tices will be scheduled for an
8-hour awareness program.
The full certification class,
which requires 24 hours of
training, is recommended for
any supervisors working in
hospital settings. The first
certification class is scheduled
for three 8-hour Saturdays,
February 17th through March
3rd. If you are interested in
this certification, call the train-
ing office to register.
I leave you with this quote:
"Whatever their faults, unions
have been the only powerful
and effective voice working
people have ever had in the
history of this country."
--*Bruce Springsteen*--
Don’t forget to buy American
and union whenever you
can ! ! !
Donald J. Bough, Director of Training
Don Bough
“ICRA is a new
certification offered
through ASSE
and the UA…”
Class Updates and Information—contact Training Office to register 317-856-6426 Upcoming Classes
Plumbing Contractors and Journeyman Plumbing License: Current licenses will expire December 31, 2017. You can renew online at
https://mylicense.in.gov/eGov/ by using your license number (including PC or JP) as the login ID and the last 4 digits of your Social Security
number as your password.
Recertification Dates: Recertification dates for Industrial Rigging, Medical Gas Installer or NCCCO Signalperson are: February 10, 2018,
March 17, 2018 or April 7, 2018. Please contact the Training Office to register.
Continuity Reminders: Med Gas continuity payments are $30.00. Update reminders for Med Gas and Weld certifications are mailed the
month before your expiration month. THIS WILL BE YOUR ONLY NOTIFICATION FROM THE TRAINING OFFICE REGARDING YOUR EXPIRA-
TION.
Weld Shop: The weld shop is open Monday through Friday during the day. There is also open welding on Thursday nights and Saturdays
(registration required.) Please contact Todd Hendrickson at (317) 856-6426 Ext 114 to register for weld sessions or weld tests.
Like Us on Facebook: Be sure to “Like” the Training Center’s Facebook page for updates on classes, reminders and any other news related
to the Training Center.
CFC Certification Saturdays January 6 – January 13 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Human Relations Saturdays January 6 – February 3 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Backflow Saturdays January 6 – February 3 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Foreman Certifica-
tion
Tuesdays January 16 – May 15 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Foreman Certifica-
tion
Thursdays January 18 – May 17 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
NCCCO Certification Wednesday January 17 – March 14 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
NCCCO Certification Thursdays January 18 – March 15 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Industrial Rigging Saturdays February 3 – March 10 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Page 6 Plumbers, Steamfitters, & HVAC Service Technicians Local 440
2017 Fill the Foxhole
Page 7 Volume 32, Issue 6
2017 Fill the Foxhole
Plumbers, Steamfitters, & HVAC Service Technicians Local 440
Announcements
Page 8
UA General President Mark McManus with Local 440 member and Mechanical Con-
tractors Association of America President Greg Fuller (right) at the recent 2017 Labor
Relations Conference.
7 Time Management Tips for the Holidays and Every Day
1. Ditch multitasking: Jumping from task to task can
actually waste time, and multitaskers could be low-
ering productivity by as much as 40%.
2. Take a single view and prioritize: We all want to do
it all, but there are only 24 hours in a day. If it
won’t hurt to miss it, it may be time to let it go.
3. Prepare for delays and downtime: Have an easy
activity to use waiting time wisely, and taking time
out to rest helps us re-focus and get more out of
our remaining hours.
4. Carve out ‘me time’: Once in a while it’s OK to put
up the ‘busy’ sign and spread the word that now is
not the time you want to be disturbed.
5. Schedule and use a ‘to-do’ list: If there’s no plan in
place in the beginning, then there’s nothing to be
flexible with.
6. Leave extra time: Adding a little padding to the cal-
endar is necessary, especially during the holidays.
7. Practice saying ‘no’ in a nice way: Too busy? Ex-
plain that you’d like to say yes, but can’t right now.
Or, offer to reschedule at a mutually-convenient
time in the future.
Source: Healthways
Page 9 Volume 32, Issue 6
Announcements
Flu Immunizations are available at the
Local 440 Activate Family Medical Center
at no cost to you. Appointments are re-
quired, and you must be an eligible par-
ticipant in the Local 440 Health & Wel-
fare Fund. (317) 879-5206
Clinic hours are:
Monday & Wednesday: 6am-4pm
Tuesday & Thursday: 9am-6pm
Friday 6am-12pm
Reminder: Your 2018 Health Information Form and Beneficiary Form from the Local
440 Health & Welfare Fund have been mailed to you. You must complete these forms
every year, even if no information has changed.
Congratulations to Holly Moyer, Medical
Assistant at the Local 440 Activate Family
Medical Center. She was awarded the Ac-
tivate 2017 S.E.R.V.I.C.E. Award, and she
was specifically named the Outstanding
Activate Associate in the Central Indiana
Region. Any associates (including provid-
ers) are eligible to be nominated, and
from the Central Indiana Region there
were 10 people nominated, and Holly was
one of two chosen by a vote.
Pictured at left are (L-R): Activate Presi-
dent Nathan Mowery, Holly Moyer, and Ja-
son Vore, Activate Healthcare of Indiana
Central Region Practice Manager.
Page 10 Plumbers, Steamfitters, & HVAC Service Technicians Local 440
Announcements
PLUMBING LICENSE RENEWAL
The PLA online renewal service is quick and available 24/7 with a credit or debit card. Visa, Master-
Card, and Discover are all accepted forms of payment.
Your license number (including PC or JP) is the login ID and the password is the last 4 digits of your
Social Security number. An enhanced security feature has been added to the renewal process request-
ing you create a security question and an answer, as well as create a unique login ID and password for
future use. You will use this newly-created ID and password for any future logins.
The renewal fee for a plumbing contractor is $105.57 ($100 renewal fee plus $5.57 in online pro-
cessing fees). The renewal fee for a journeyman plumber is $34.17 ($30 renewal fee plus $4.17 in
online processing fees).
Please make sure your email address and phone number are up-to-date before submitting the re-
newal. License cards may be purchased online after your renewal has been processed for
$13.77. You may also print your own card for free. Paper renewals may be printed from the Renewal
Information webpage and must be mailed to the Commission.
Online renewals submitted after 12/31/2017 at 11:59 p.m. EST will be assessed a $50.00 late fee
and online processing fees. Paper renewals postmarked after 12/31/2017 will only be assessed a
$50.00 late fee.
You may contact the Board by email at [email protected] or visit us on the web.
Dues Increase Effective January 1, 2018
From the Archives...Building and Property History on High School Road March 23, 1987 Regular Meeting Minutes excerpt:
Brother Carr then presented a proposal to purchase the property adjoining the Local Union
property. The Finance Committee and Building Trustees recommended to present it to the
membership. The cost would be approximately $26,500.00.
Motion was made and seconded to purchase the property. Motion was voted on and carried.
Part 2 of ??? Look for the next installment in the February newsletter.
Volume 32, Issue 2 Page 11
Annoucements
Recent Retirees
Rick Mallory, Jr., 66,
passed away October
14, 2017. Initiated on
February 18, 1994, he
was a retired plumber.
James E. Wright August 1, 2017
James R. Myrick November 1, 2017
J. Gregory Elkins December 1, 2017
Charles E. Whaley, 83,
passed away October
23, 2017. Initiated
October 23, 1968, he
was a retired pipefitter.
Member Obituaries
James C. Couch, 82,
passed away October
10, 2017. Initiated
September 23, 1964,
he was a retired
plumber.
James A. Wycoff, 81,
passed away Novem-
ber 9, 2017. Initiated
September 28, 1966,
he was a retired
plumber.
Retirement Seminar: Saturday,
Feburary 17, 2018
Location: Local 440 Meeting Hall
9:00am
Representatives from Social Se-curity Administration, Health & Welfare, and PNC Bank will be presenting valuable information. Information on your National Pension Plan will also be re-viewed. Don’t miss this pre-retirement planning seminar! This is open to all members and spouses.
Stewart C. Miller & Co., Inc.
HEALTH & WELFARE
Plumbers, Steamfitters, & HVAC Service Technicians Local 440
3747 South High School Road
Indianapolis, IN 46241
First Class
Presort
U.S. Postage
PAID
Indianapolis, IN
Permit No. 7159
Benefit Areas October '17 November '17 % Paid Dec'16 - Nov '17 12 Mo %
In-Patient Hospital $906,227.39 $538,350.09 27.03% $5,988,475.35 27.79%
Outpatient Hospital $422,522.78 $569,575.30 28.60% $5,792,509.31 26.88%
Diag, X-ray,Lab $118,244.51 $119,616.35 6.01% $1,349,676.05 6.26%
Prescription Program $172,520.38 $209,251.75 10.51% $2,947,030.11 13.67%
Surgical $112,930.28 $154,253.98 7.75% $1,026,158.53 4.76%
Other $145,626.72 $158,339.59 7.95% $1,743,629.23 8.09%
Physician $47,139.90 $60,107.14 3.02% $527,220.52 2.45%
*Prescriptions $18,364.81 $24,134.87 1.21% $315,663.54 1.46%
Psych/Sub Abuse $45,189.38 $42,853.21 2.15% $455,571.04 2.11%
Dental $71,360.31 $64,824.66 3.26% $805,491.98 3.74%
Vision $13,922.78 $17,347.79 0.87% $206,877.38 0.96%
Disability $32,652.31 $20,053.15 1.01% $248,945.71 1.16%
Life Benefits $0.00 $4,500.00 0.23% $59,000.00 0.27%
Taxes $7,778.47 $5,409.64 0.27% $56,948.65 0.26%
Healthy Rewards $7,386.72 $2,800.00 0.14% $28,611.72 0.13%
TOTAL $2,121,866.74 $1,991,417.52 100.00% $21,551,809.12 100.00%