October, November, December 2018

Union Meetings are the 1st Thursday of the month 5:00 pm Executive Board Meeting 7:00 pm General Membership Meeting

November 6th Election Day!

And a couple more reminders on referrals: Dear Brothers and Sisters, I want to thank all of you who first, make sure your phone numbers are Local 15 extends our helped out at the Plumbers Picnic this year. current and that your mailboxes are set up We had a great day for a picnic, with the and the mailbox isn’t full. Second, Article 9 deepest sympathies to weather cooperating and a good turnout by Section 5 of our employment procedures the families of: our members and their families. I also want states that “Any member changing em- to thank our Contractors and their Associa- ployers, or anyone referred to a shop shall David Ebert age 75 tions (M.M.C.A. & P.H.C.C. metro) for their be required to have an introductory slip donations for the drawings. I saw a lot of from the office of Local #15.” This is the Stanley Larson age 93 happy children walk out of there with bikes, members’ responsibility to get the referral scooters, gift cards and other prizes. Loren Weed age 88 slip. You don’t need to come in person, Brothers and Sisters, the state of our Union is strong. Work has been plentiful just a phone call to the hall and we will Thomas McCann age 92 send it directly to the contractor. Failure in our area along with many other parts of CREDIT UNION the country remaining strong as well. Hours to have a referral is a fineable offence of worked by Local 15 members have contin- $200. We are not interested in collecting DEDUCTION ued to increase rising to 2.4 million hours fines from our members so please keep us worked for the plan year (May 2017 – April up to date on your employment status. On October 1st $32.00 will 2018), as compared to just 5 short years ago With that I would like to ask be deducted from your with just under 1.5 million hours worked that everyone have a safe hunting season during the plan year (May 2012 – April Credit Union Account to and to be sure the ice is safe before head- 2013). Local 15 has been growing; our total cover deaths #10-12 ing on to the lakes come winter. Have a membership number has risen to 1,922 as of the end of August compared to 1,627 at the Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and end of April 2013. It is through the collective a Happy New Year. efforts of Organizing, our Market Recovery Please, make sure that you program, the Residential Rebate program, With Best Regards, keep your beneficiaries up larger Apprentice classes, our skilled Jour- Joe Lane, Business Agent to date. neyman workforce, and good relationships with our contractors that we have been able It’s easy, just call the hall! to grow and maintain a strong market share instead of seeing our competition capitalize Plumbers Annual Christmas Party on the opportunities in our industry. Pipe Trades Services of The full-time officers and I recent- ly attended the U.A. Business Manager/ December 8th 12:00– 3:00 PM : Agent Seminar and the news there was ex- citing. The United Association has grown to Remember to bring your kids!!! WWW.PTSMN.ORG over 350,000 members across the United States and Canada. Organizing and growth is (651) 645-4540 priority. This is the foundation our unions were built on, and the principal that grew Wellness Centers: the Labor Movement through 1940’s, 50’s, & St Cloud Area Holiday Meeting 60’s. Along with Organizing, we need to (651) 348-8851 Metro engage and equip our Apprentices and our younger members to meet this challenge for November 26th 5:00 PM (507) 218-3095 Rochester the future. The U.A. encouraged all Local Unions to have an Apprentice in attendance at this conference, and they put together a AARP format to allow these Apprentices to see the Hello Brothers and Sisters, bigger picture, and to give them an oppor- I’m going to make this article about partic- (The Active Attractive tunity to ask questions and interact with the ipation, by inviting our brothers and sis- General Officers. Local 15 brought fourth Retired Plumbers) year Apprentice Scott Espy. I was very proud ters to make a stronger effort to attend of Scott for his professionalism, and his en- our monthly union meetings. The infor- Retired Brothers & Sisters thusiastic participation in the program. I mation shared at our meetings is im- know that we have many other bright and portant for our members to hear. The OMG….where did the sum- talented young members in Local 15 and my executive board will give a report for the mer go ???? hope is that we all embrace this, and that we month which includes where our money is I guess, for those of you all do what we can to educate and encour- being spent. The finance committee and who don’t golf, or fish on age them to be the best they can in their the JJATC will also give reports at regular careers, to understand and participate in our open water, your season is monthly meetings. Our business manager Local Unions meetings and functions, to quickly approaching , and the business agents will give reports become our future Instructors and teachers, So, gas up the snowmobiles and to be the future leaders of Local 15 and of their monthly duties and activities. the United Association. During these reports information will be and gas augers, and have at given on the pension boards, credit union it !!! I hope to see you at one of our upcoming and Pipe Trades Services (Health and Have fun, it is always a day meetings, and I wish you all a Happy Thanks- Welfare). Also included are the monthly of retirement, so enjoy it !!! giving and a great Christmas season! rebate numbers along with the man pow-

er status. During these reports the oppor- Our monthly meetings this Fraternally yours, tunity for questions and answers by the Scott Gale, Business Manager membership is welcomed and encour- quarter are: th aged. You have all heard this before, there October 16 th are no dumb questions-please ask, don’t November 20 Dear Brothers and Sisters, th With the summer busy season guess. Many topics that pertain to our December 11 ending, there has been a little bit of a slow- local union and the UA are discussed at (invite only !!) down. There continues to be some calls the break table and on social media. If you If you have questions about coming in but not as many as a few months want an answer to a question or need an the “ invite only “, you may ago. I know I will sound like a broken record, explanation of our union’s issues, please call or e-mail me…TC but I can’t express enough the City Compe- call the hall. Our average attendance for tency card. When a request comes in from a this year is only 58, we can do better than contractor, I have to refer to the work list of that! Let’s really try to boost the number certifications you have. Even though these at our meetings. Monthly meetings are contractors will have work in and out of the first Thursday of every month. 7pm at Minneapolis, if their ask is for Comp Cards, th that is how I have to try to fill. 708 South 10 St. in Minneapolis.

One other item is for our gas distribution members- when you reach the end of the Recently, another life-time mem- distribution work season, please call the ber passed away, and the logo for hall so we can make the adjustment to non Local #15 was not part of the -working dues. When you return to work in obituary. the spring, please inform the hall you are back to work. Thank you. If you get nothing else out of this I would like to wish you all a great Thanks- newsletter, please inform your giving, Merry Christmas and a happy holi- loved ones of the Local 15 logo day season! Endorsed Candidates 2018 Election available at the Star-Trib at no Cycle cost to your family. Respectfully yours, It is the best way to inform the Scott Lichliter, Business Agent Federal Offices: membership of the passing. United States Senate Amy Klobuchar PLEASE, PLEASE NOTE !!!

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Tina Smith I want to thank you all for Thank you to the volunteers, who electing me and giving me this chance, stepped up at the annual picnic: know that I will work to the best of my U.S. House of Representatives Dan Bobb…Tom Daugherty…Ken ability to represent all our members and C.D.1– Dan Feehan Friendshuh…Gary Lichliter…Les protect the jurisdiction of Plumbers Local C.D.3– Dean Phillips Ripka 15. With that said, I would like to bring up protecting our jurisdiction by not giving C.D.6– Tom Emmer Dick Swenson…John Sydloski… away our work. If we give away work dur- C.D.7– Colin Peterson Tom Sydloski…Ernesto Tapiz… ing busy times you can bet that a portion or C.D.7– Joe Radinovich Curt Vreeman all of it that has been given away will not Plus several guys who are NOT be there to support our families in future, MN Governor/ Lt. Governor retired.. slower times. I know that we all get THANK YOU ONE AND ALL !!!! pinched for time on jobs, but that is no Tim Walz and Peggy Flanagan excuse to let other trades perform our SOME Milestone Birthdays being work, either is your contractor hiring or MN Secretary of State “subbing” it out. When we see other trades celebrated this quarter: show up to our jobs, or better before they OCTOBER: th show up and start core drilling, backing, 4 -David Krepis-60 sinks being installed when they show up MN Attorney General 13th-Dave Vomela-70 with the counter tops, fire caulking etc. we 21st-Joel Ballot-70 need to call the hall so that we can protect 25th-Bill Schiferli-70 our work. We will keep all calls confiden- 26th-Jim Kotzer-70 tial. MN Auditor th Coming from the organizing side Julie Blaha 28 -Gerald Welter-95 I have seen firsthand what collectively NOVEMBER th bargaining for wages and benefits does for 6 -Norm Hasselius-70 us and believe that we need to keep con- DECEMBER trol of our markets and grow the share of S.D.13– Joe Perske 14th-Gene Spande-80 work we do in all our markets, from single 15th-Jack Hettwer-65 family residential, service, light commer- MN House of Representatives 16th-Marshall Borom-65 cial, industrial and everything in between. 2A– Matt Grossell (GOP) 16th-Gerald Olstad-90 In order to accomplish this, we need to th remember our roots. Our founders were 3A– (DFL) 18 -Gene Fourniea-95 th people that knew that in order to grow an 26 -Pat Joyce-70 3B– (DFL) th infant organization they had to get out and 4A– (DFL) 28 -Ernesto Tapiz-70 talk to the people that weren’t members. 4B– Paul Marquardt (DFL) HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL OUR I would like to challenge each of our mem- BROTHERS AND SISTERS bers to talk to the nonmember that lives 5A– (GOP) CELEBRATING THIS QUARTER. down the street, plays on the same softball 6A– (DFL) Fraternally, team or is pumping gas next to you to 6B– David Lislegard (DFL) strike up a conversation with them about Tom Culshaw, Tom Wood- what being union means to you and how 10B– (GOP) fill, Ken Friendshuh, and everything is working out for you. I have 11B– Jason Rarick (GOP) Tom Daugherty spoken to many unrepresented plumbers 18A– (GOP) Local #15 Retired officers over the years and know that it can mean 28B– (GOP) more to hear from someone that works in Congratulations to mem- the field than someone that is getting paid 31A– (GOP) ber Steve Sydloski for to talk to them, whether that is an organiz- 32B– Jeff Peterson (DFL) er or an officer of the union. If you have 36B– (DFL) drawing a MN Elk Tag for the October season and any questions on how to start a conversa- 40A– Michael Nelson (DFL) tion with a nonmember plumber, please GOOD LUCK! feel free to call the hall and we can help. I 49B– Steve Elkins (DFL) would also like to thank all of the members 53B- Kelly Fenton (GOP) that continually go out of their way to 55B– (GOP) speak to unrepresented workers. Remem- 58B– (GOP) Remember to also check ber that the plumber in the truck next to 59A– Fue Lee (DFL) us out at: you at a stop light is a potential member! www.plumberslocal15.co I hope that every member has a 59B– Ray Dehn (DFL) m safe and productive fall. Happy Thanksgiv- 61B– (DFL) ing, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! 64B– (DFL) facebook.com/ Plumbers15 Yours in brotherhood, 67A– Tim Mahoney (DFL) Tom Pahkala, Business Agent 67B– (DFL) twitter.com/Plumbers15

Additional Endorsements of the AFLCIO can be found at Plumbers Local 15 MNAFLCIO.ORG 708 S 10th St Minneapolis, MN 55404 Office 612-333-8601 Fax 612-341-0958