“I would say they’re the best in the industry,” said Tony Polotto, Senior Director of Construction and Quality Assurance for the University of Notre Dame, speaking about the IUEC elevator constructors who install, maintain, repair, and inspect the university’s vertical transportation equipment.  “The mechanics that we get – the technicians and the workmanship that we get from the organization – is top notch.”

Established in 1842, the University of Notre Dame is located in South Bend, Indiana. It has grown to encompass almost 200 buildings with 11,000,000 square feet under their collective roofs. Tony told us that on a typical day during the school year, there will be about 8,500 students and 5,800 employees somewhere on the university’s grounds. And while the football stadium holds 80,000 spectators, it’s not uncommon for 150,000 visitors to show up on game day to tailgate and enjoy the campus and the camaraderie with their friends and family.

“The University of Notre Dame historically has completed about $100 million in construction per year. I think by the last count we have over 254 elevators on campus that consistently need to operate. So the elevators are widely used – not just for passengers, but freight, and also day-to-day operations,” he said.

Between the campus, grounds, and football stadium, the elevators at the University of Notre Dame move hundreds of thousands of people every year. It’s critically important that Notre Dame’s vertical transportation equipment runs smoothly, reliably, and above all, safely. Ensuring consistent, reliable service for students, faculty, athletes, and staff through the historic buildings on campus is essential, so the university has made ongoing preventive elevator maintenance a priority.

“There are several buildings on campus that only have one elevator. If it goes down and we have a special needs person in that building, (there are) consequences to that. So the elevator program – to make sure that they’re in good functionality and there’s a good program for maintenance and a good program for renewal and replacement, is top priority for the university.”

Working with an IUEC-affiliated company, a reliable maintenance control program (MCP) was simple to set up and implement.

“We visit each elevator out here every month. Some of them we visit twice a month,” said Randy Soper, a service mechanic at Notre Dame University and member of IUEC Local 44, who services and maintains the elevators on campus. Randy has been working on the university’s elevators since 2019, so he understands how important it is to keep the conveyance equipment up and running for the students, faculty, athletes, staff, and visitors who rely on it every day.

“The sooner you can catch a problem before it becomes a problem where someone can be stuck, the better off it is,” he said.

Bethany Wilson, another IUEC service mechanic out of Local 44, has worked with Randy on the elevator systems at Notre Dame. She shares Randy’s commitment to making sure the people on campus can go about their day without worrying if they are going to be able to get to where they need to go.

“The riding public doesn’t have to worry about it. You can go up to an elevator, you can push a button, and it just works. The doors open, they close, and you feel safe riding it, and you are safe riding it – and that’s because the work is completed by union elevator constructors who are and do it safely,” she said.

Safety is always a top priority for IUEC apprentices and mechanics. From the beginning of their apprenticeship at the industry’s most rigorous and respected training institute – the National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP) – to the time they are mechanics enrolled in NEIEP’s wide selection of continuing education courses online or in-person, to the ongoing safety training companies affiliated with the IUEC provides, the focus is on doing their work efficiently and safely.

While visiting Notre Dame, we also had a chance to catch up with Randy Kinder, who attended Notre Dame in the 90s and was a running back for the legendary Fighting Irish before moving on to positions with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers, where he was a member of the Packers’ NFC Championship team in 1997.

“I got here as a freshman in 1993. I played football here and ran track for a year. I left here after playing football for four years and went on and had a very short but exciting career in the NFL,” he told us.

After leaving the NFL, Randy went on to build a new career in the investment industry. He worked for more than 20 years for the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust, and today works for Entrust Global. As an Executive Board Member of Holtz’s Heroes, a charitable organization founded by the University’s football alumni, he still visits the Notre Dame campus often. We spoke at length about his experience there as a student athlete, and about his reverence for his alma mater.

“I learned a lot here, and the things I learned at this university I’ve taken with me everywhere and they still hold true,” he said. “You’re expected to be excellent both on the field and off. It’s not about being perfect, but about continuing to seek perfection, continuing to seek excellence. That’s something I learned definitely here on the campus of Notre Dame.”

He continued, “There’s a level of excellence and expectation that is live on this campus, the work that the elevator constructors do, that all of the workers on this campus do, is key and paramount to making sure that level of excellence is always there… at places like Notre Dame, you just take for granted how well things go. You take for granted that the dining hall is going to be operating the right way so that you can grab food at any point after a late practice where it may be. You take for granted that when you walk into your building you can get up to your dorm.”

Tony told us he is pleased with his experience working with IUEC mechanics, who he considers an important part of the Notre Dame community. “They are true Notre Dame people… they’re top-grade mechanics that have been at this university for a long time. They have wonderful camaraderie and relationships with all the other contractors, our building managers, and our supervisors.”

“Their technical skills are amazing,” he continued. “I can’t remember the last time we had a failure with an elevator, new or renovation, that they couldn’t quickly address. And it’s the reliability of knowing what you’re going to get, and, basically, not having to worry about what’s behind the curtain.”

On May 15, IUEC Local 82 hosted its third annual Safety Stand Down event at the Italian Cultural Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

“Safety Stand Down is a moment to take a time out and talk about safety,” began Eric McClaskey, Safety Director for the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC). “It’s for us to put down the tools, get with the employers, get with our members, and take that moment to discuss safety in the workplace.”

The event is a joint venture between the international office of the IUEC, Local 82 in Vancouver, and IUEC-affiliated elevator company employers. “It shows that both the companies and the union are on the same side when it comes to safety,” said Ben McIntyre, an IUEC National Organizer in Canada.

IUEC elevator constructors from greater Vancouver and across British Columbia showed up to listen to the featured speakers and visit tables staffed by IUEC-affiliated company representatives and manufacturers of safety equipment for the industry. From those who worked in modernization to repair to new construction and maintenance, elevator constructors who were probationary apprentices all the way to veteran mechanics gathered together to listen to the same message.

Mike Funk, Business Manager of Local 82, was pleased with the turnout for this year’s event. “It’s our third annual one. We started out small. My one rep Tyler Dunlop came to me and asked about getting something to do with safety. It started out just in the back of our one office. We had a food truck, a few vendors, the companies, and it’s just grown.”

As IUEC’s Director of Safety, Eric McClaskey is responsible for ensuring that the membership gets home safely every night. This includes ensuring elevator constructors are following their company’s safety policies, that they’re being provided with the proper PPE and equipment to work safely in their job each and every day, and that various codes and standards that are out there that protect workers are followed throughout the country.  He spoke on behalf of the IUEC Safety Department along with Assistant Director of Safety, Dave Griefenhagen and Josh Josoff, the IUEC’s Director of Codes and Standards.

As Assistant Safety Director, Dave’s primary focus is helping to develop local area safety committees (which are labor management safety committees) to encourage and educate on the safety policies of IUEC signatory companies on the job sites. Josh Josoff works with the development of the codes and standards that regulate elevators, escalators, moving walks, and other conveyance equipment across North America, Canada, and the United States.

“This year, our Safety Stand Down message from the employers was based on pre-job planning, Eric told us. “Of course, it was General President Christensen’s message to the membership to lead it off.”  Video messages from IUEC General President Frank Christensen, Canadian Premier David Eby, Canadian Minister of Labour Harry Bains, and leadership from IUEC-affiliated companies emphasized the importance of working safe

“We had two guest speakers that had horrific workplace injuries that occurred to them, and they told their stories,” he continued. Mark Johnson, who was injured in an accident involving a woodchipper, and Jack Thomas who was injured by a conveyor belt at a recycling facility, spoke about how their on-the-job injuries permanently affected their lives.

After watching presentations by the injured workers, Anne Kirkland, a Maintenance Supervisor for TKE, told us that it’s important for people who work in professions like the elevator trade to remember that workplace injuries impact more than just the person who gets hurt. “It’s not just their story. It’s a story of their loved ones. This did not just affect the one person that was injured. It affected their entire families and support systems,” she said.

Dylan Angus, the son of IUEC Elevator Constructor Ross Angus, who lost his life in an accident in 2021, spoke about his family’s experience after his father’s death. Today, Dylan has dedicated his life to improving safety on the jobsite as a Construction Safety Supervisor for TKE in Burnaby, British Columbia.

Chris McIntyre, Program Director for the Canadian Elevator Industry Educational Program (CEIEP) also attended the event, along with CEIEP’s Assistant Director, Dan Vinette. ElevatorInfo recently put out a story about CEIEP, the largest trainer of elevator constructor apprentices across Canada, coast to coast.

“CEIEP has taken great advances to improve safety starting with our 24-hour safety course. We’ve introduced the CEIEP Safety VR, which allows all new hires to the industry to access the machine room, car top, an elevator pit in a safe and controlled manner before their first day of employment,” he said.

“CEIEP is really where it starts, right?” said Dave Griefenhagen. “The education of safety starts from the day the apprentice steps on the jobsite, and CEIEP is where that’s captured.”

Major IUEC-affiliated elevator companies KONE and TKE had a strong presence at the event. “This is the second year I’ve been involved,” said Jennifer Mitchell, Maintenance Supervisor for KONE Elevators. When asked why it was important for her to attend, she told us “I’m just trying to learn how to keep my team as safe as possible. I want them to go home safe every day to their family, their friends, and make sure nobody gets hurt on my watch.”

Companies that develop and sell safety equipment used by elevator constructors in the field also had tables set up. We visited with Mike Hurley from Wurtec elevator and talked with him about the equipment he was demonstrating at his table. “We have wire rope, travel cable, we’re kind of a one-stop shop for the elevator industry. We’ve got mechanics that are coming around and checking out our wares and hopefully seeing something that might help them in their day-to-day jobs that would make it safer,” he said.

Darrin Porch, founder and CEO of SafeRise, spoke to us about how the hoistway protection equipment his company developed can create safer jobsites for elevator constructors. “SafeRise was founded with the focus on bringing engineered, reusable safety solutions to the construction industry,” he said. “I was very honored to be invited as a vendor to come here and be a part of this. We are looking to grow into Canada, so this was a great event to get to meet a lot of people here. And the event really focused on putting safety at the forefront for the workers. The IUEC does a great job of doing that and keeping that focus there.”

“The dangers are always around us and it only takes a split second for you to become one of the statistics,” said Ward Dicks, National Coordinator for the Canadian Market Recovery Fund in Canada and the Elevator Industry Work Preservation Fund in the US. “I have a son in the trade, and I want to make sure that he gets home every day safe, just like every other brother and sister in Canada and the US. It’s the whole thing about changing the way we think about safety.”

Eric McClaskey explained how events like this don’t just benefit mechanics and apprentices who work on vertical transportation equipment, they benefit elevator companies, elevator customers, and the riding public:

“When we focus on safety in a stand down arena like this, we take that time out to think about safety. When we get back to the job site, I think that it goes right back to the type of work you’re performing. At the end of the day, when you’re in construction and you’re focused on the task at hand and putting out a top-notch piece of equipment that is safe, tested, and ready to go for the riding public, safety just leads right into that mindset. It promotes higher quality work, too. If you’re working safe and you’re not rushing and not cutting corners, it provides a safer product for the riding public.”

“Over the years I’ve seen this city grow so much it’s unbelievable – the area we’re currently in right now, they’ve cleaned it all up and now you see modern buildings all around,” said John O’Connor, a lifelong resident of the Washington DC area and Business Manager for International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) Local 10, which represents the vertical transportation industry’s best-trained and most highly-skilled elevator mechanics and apprentices in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

In the last ten years, the southwest area of Washington DC has experienced rapid growth and development. Once a blighted industrial area and site of a decommissioned power plant, today the Anacostia Waterfront Development Zone is experiencing a construction boom. Among the buildings under construction is the award-winning¹ Stacks building – described by developers as “an energetic multi-use development in DC set in the heart of the iconic Buzzard Point district²” – which comprises three condo towers equipped with 18 elevators. All of these conveyance systems are installed by and will be serviced by elevator constructors from one of the IUEC’s most well-established and respected affiliated companies, TK Elevator.

“This is a start of a very big project,” John continued. “A lot of these streets in the Stacks job are going to be themed streets – like on one street it’ll be like walking down a street in Italy, on another, walking down through a street in Germany… it’s a lot of retail space, office space, childcare – you name it, it’s here.”

When the ElevatorInfo Media Team visited the site last spring, we had the opportunity to speak with Marty Walker Jr., a Construction Manager for TK Elevator, who supervises operations on the job. Another longtime resident of the area, he described the rapid growth of the up-and-coming southwest waterfront district.

“There’s a lot of development. This is a condominium complex – around us you’ve got Audi Field, the soccer stadium, behind us – you’ve got the DC Wharf, which is a couple of blocks down on the waterfront – so really, this whole Buzzard Point southwest is being redeveloped,” he said. “(There are) a lot of condominiums, a little bit of office, really the whole southwest waterfront of DC is being revamped. There’s lot of construction going on, a lot of work opportunity… probably the biggest development area in the District of Columbia over the last five to ten years.”

Marty took us through the site and showed us the state-of-the art equipment his team was installing. “This is a machine room-less traction elevator – so the machine is in the overhead as opposed to in a machine room at the top above the elevator shaft itself, and then the control system is in a room that’s up on the rooftop landings.”

In cities like Washington DC space is at a premium, so installing new, modern equipment was an excellent choice for the building’s developers – and TK Elevator had just the equipment they needed. In addition to maximizing the building’s available space, the belt-driven traction elevators being installed will provide a smooth, quiet ride for the people who will live in, work in, and visit the building once it’s complete.

As with every IUEC jobsite we’ve visited, mechanics and supervisors alike were vocal about safety being a priority for the skilled elevator technicians installing vertical transportation equipment.

“When I come in, the first thing we do is come and check that all the barricades are up,” said Tom Sorzano, Construction Foreman on the project. “If (hoistway) netting is not up, we have to put that up, and then when our guys get here, we’ve got to make sure that every day they have all the material they’re gonna need … all their safety supplies and PPE (personal protective equipment) – gloves, glasses, hard hats – (and that) all of our lifelines are installed, making sure everybody’s safe.”

Tom stressed that safety isn’t just about communicating with his team of elevator constructors, it’s also about communicating with the people from other trades such as carpenters, steelworkers, and electricians who work alongside them.

“Communication in general is huge,” he said. “Keeping everybody on the same page, focused, making sure we have power, making sure the building is getting drywall around the frames, and (people are) not working above us – it’s constant communication with not only my people, but other trades, too.”

To ensure the job is done well and done safely, projects as big as this one require all of the elevator mechanics and apprentices on-site to hold the appropriate certifications necessary to do their work. Because TK Elevator is an IUEC signatory company, making sure elevator constructors are up to date with the certifications they need is as easy as making a phone call to the Business Manager, who will set up their training courses.

“A lot of these projects require certifications,” Marty said. “I can count many times where I’ve reached out to Local 10 and John (O’Connor) about welding, sig rig, forklift, certifications – and they’ve conducted the classes at Local 10. That basically removes the barrier from us from having any issues with providing manpower to these projects, because a lot of these projects do have strict requirements for certifications.”

As IUEC members, all Local 10 elevator constructors have access to the industry’s most comprehensive training through the National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP). There are classrooms and a welding lab on-site at the hall in Lanham, Maryland, just outside the city, as well as satellite classrooms for students who live further out in the Local’s jurisdiction. All have access to NEIEP’s online courses as well.

The ANSI-accredited Certified Signal Person and Rigger Levels 1 and 2 (CSPR-1/2) certification course, along with OSHA 10, Arc Flash Safety, SAIA Scaffolding, and American Heart Association Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED, are all part of NEIEP’s required apprenticeship curriculum. Welding, Forklift, and Aerial Lift certifications are available to mechanics as continuing education offerings. All can be earned by apprentices and mechanics with no additional out-of-pocket costs, as they are covered by the IUEC’s education benefits.

As John O’Connor said, learning this craft isn’t easy – but as the IUEC recruits the best and brightest elevator apprentices and mechanics in the industry, he has confidence in the new members coming in who will be the future of the skilled elevator trade. “I learned it, just like these guys all learned it, our members are learning it, and these probationaries are going to come up the same way.”

Marty, who worked together with Local 10 as part of the interview and onboarding process for new apprentice elevator constructors, spoke of his excitement about opportunities for growth within the trade and growth in construction in the southwest DC area. “Driving up South Capitol Street in the last three, four, five years, there’s been a lot of redevelopment. Just the amount of peripheral impact, these types of projects and types of development have created have brought a lot of employment opportunity – without a doubt…you can see how jobs like this and jobs in the nearby areas are creating that opportunity.”

¹ https://thestacks.com/files/NAIOP_DC_MD_Awards_Release_Final.pdf
² https://thestacks.com/

“We are looking to help Veterans in all aspects of their needs,” said Jason Gray, IUEC Local 32 member, U.S. Marines Corps Veteran, and Chairman of the International Union of Elevator Constructors’ new Veterans Assistance Program (VAP). “A lot of Veterans don’t understand there are benefits that are available to them…our plan is to get the word out and let Veterans know we’re going to be a resource for them if they have a need that’s related to their military service. We want to be that community they can go to seek assistance.”

Because teamwork, leadership, and technical skills learned in the military provide a great starting point for careers in the elevator trade, there are thousands of Veteran servicemembers in the IUEC. To support elevator constructors who are Veterans and spouses of Veterans, the Elevator Constructors Veterans Assistance Program (VAP) will assist them through the application process for education/GI Bill, disability, and other VA benefits they earned through their military service.

Leading the initiative along with Jason are Lead Officer Ryan Donnell (IUEC Local 21), Elevator Industry Work Preservation Fund (EIWPF) National Coordinator, and spouse of a U.S. Air Force Veteran; Gil Duncan, IUEC IT Director and U.S. Navy Veteran; and Ben Valinsky, National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP) Writing and Development Coordinator and U.S. Army Veteran. Together, they have been traveling to IUEC Locals in cities across the United States to share information about the VAP and how it can benefit Veterans and spouses of Veterans in the elevator trade.

Ben Valinsky is the VAP Director of Programs and Education at NEIEP. “I’ve talked to so many apprentices who are Veterans… because it was an apprenticeship and it was on-the-job training they didn’t know that they qualified for the GI Bill. The VAP is really working to ensure that they have access, and that we are spreading the awareness,” he said.

Veterans deserve our unwavering backing, and as Americans, it is our responsibility to serve as advocates on their behalf. Over the years, our union has had a number of conversations with individuals in the Veterans community – in an effort to understand the issues they face and to identify viable paths forward. Upon learning of the various obstacles faced by Veterans in their pursuit of the military benefits they are owed, our union’s leadership viewed this as an opportunity for the IUEC to intervene and provide valuable resources, including hands-on support in navigating the Veterans Administration (VA) benefits system.

VWhether a Veteran is trying to file a new claim with the VA or appeal a rejected claim, our new program will be there for IUEC members as a resource – as an extension of their toolkit – helping Veterans navigate any and all matters they may encounter.”

– IUEC General President Frank J. Christensen

Many elevator constructors who are Veterans came in through the Helmets to Hardhats program, which assists transitioning military service members with quality career training and helps them find employment opportunities within the construction industry. Others, like Local 2 member Nate Heffner, came in through NEIEP’s standard recruitment process. However they find their way to the elevator industry, the Veterans Assistance Program is another valuable addition to the benefits IUEC apprentices and mechanics receive.

Several months ago, the ElevatorInfo editorial and production staff traveled to Arlington National Cemetery to meet with the leaders of the IUEC VAP, Colonel David Sutherland (Ret.) of the Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services, Phyllis Wilson, the President of the Military Women’s Memorial, and Jan Scruggs, the founder of the Vietnam memorial wall. All expressed support for the IUEC’s newest initiative, and spoke about the positive things Veterans bring to the building trades.

“It’s not the skills alone that they bring,” said Col. Sutherland. “It’s the skills, knowledge, and attributes.”

“The skill sets that the military gives us are some of the things that we take for granted during our time in the military, leadership, teamwork, the ability to coalesce around a team and know that what you’re doing is incredibly important, not for yourself, but for the team,” said Phyllis Wilson.

IUEC General President Frank J. Christensen emphasized the importance of supporting Veterans in the elevator trade. “The Elevator Constructors are always trying different things. It’s our survival. And one of them is we’re getting better with our Veterans – our IUEC veterans, and really any Veterans out there that we can help out…I don’t care if it’s management. I don’t care if it’s non-union. If they need our help as a Veteran to get what is owed to them, we’re going to do it.”

“What I’m really excited about with this program is you have an organization now organized labor to help these guys get the benefits they deserve and that will have knowledge about the benefits that are available and it gives people a chance to reconnect,” said Jan Scruggs.  “When you sign on to be an apprentice you have a lot of challenges ahead of you but you’ve got yourself a really great career…I’m all about doing what’s right and organized labor always does what’s right.”

IUEC elevator apprentices, mechanics, and retirees who are Veterans or spouses of Veterans may register for the program by filling out the VAP form located in the back of the Elevator Constructor journal or emailing vap@iuec.org with their name and contact information, International Union number, and ULink ID, branch of military service, years served, and rank.

Visit the IUEC official VAP page to learn more and see an extended version of the video here.

Can you guess how many elevators there are in the state of Florida?  Think about it – all of the commercial or industrial buildings with two or more floors, multi-story condos and apartment buildings, hospitals, airports/transportation hubs, and world-famous theme parks rely on elevators and other vertical transportation equipment to ensure the people who live, work, or vacation in the state can get to their destinations quickly, reliably, and most importantly, safely.

If you guessed there were approximately 65,000 elevators in the state of Florida, you’d be right. And wherever there are elevators, there is a need for a highly-skilled, safety-focused workforce to keep them up and running for the people who need them.

Most elevators in Florida are within the jurisdiction of IUEC Local 71, which covers the areas of Miami, Miami Beach, and the greater South Florida region. The approximately 1,100 elevator constructor apprentices and mechanics who are members of Local 71 install, maintain, service, repair, and inspect the majority of them.

“I’m very proud to be a member of Local 71,” said John Herbert, an IUEC elevator constructor mechanic who serves in the top leadership position as the Business Manager for the Local. John has been an elevator constructor for 24 years, and has spent 22 of them in the Miami area. “Our work is our signature. So as long as we do it right – safe – the first time, we’re good. And that’s what we take pride in.”

“We all strive for one common good, and that’s to make sure that all our people go home every day safe and that the riding public continues to be safe every day on our equipment,” said Tommy Scudiero, who is the Business Representative for Local 71.

One of the largest projects serviced by IUEC Local 71 members is the Miami International Airport (MIA). IUEC signatory company Schindler Elevator was recently selected to step in to repair and modernize the aging vertical transportation equipment used by more than 60 million passengers every year.

IUEC members also take care of the elevators, escalators, and moving walks at PortMiami, the busiest cruise terminal in the entire world, which moved close to 7.3 million passengers last year. The vertical transportation equipment at PortMiami is serviced by several signatory companies including TK Elevator and Evolution Elevator, a family-run elevator company that ElevatorInfo profiled as part of a series on exceptional independent companies.

IUEC Local 71 has been around for a long time – it was chartered to be a part of the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) on January 9, 1924. Members of the Local recently celebrated the 100^th anniversary with guests and supporters from around the country, including IUEC General Officers Frank Christensen (General President), Jim Chapman (Assistant General President), and Jim Bender (Ret. Assistant General President), along with representatives from the International, Organizing, Safety, the Elevator Industry Work Preservation Fund (EIWPF), the @Local 1 Pipes and Drums, and hundreds of brothers and sisters from IUEC Locals in the U.S. and Canada who traveled to Hollywood, Florida for the event the Local hosted in January. Supporting fellow members is a big part of what it means to be a member of the IUEC.

ElevatorInfo was on location in Hollywood to speak with some of the Local 71 members who were involved with planning the event.

“The 100th anniversary is something very special here in Local 71. It’s a century and we want to make sure that we honor everyone that came before us and made that path for what we have today,” said Tommy Scudiero.  “We have to celebrate these milestones and also understand that Local 71 is one of the largest locals in the South and we need to show that and be proud of that.”

In addition to his role as an IUEC Local 71 Business Agent, Tommy gives back to his brothers and sisters in the trade as an instructor for Miami-area elevator constructor apprentices in the National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP), a QEITF Certified Elevator Inspector (CEI), and a member of several American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) building code committees. These committees write the standards for building and maintaining vertical equipment in the United States and Canada. Involvement with the development of ASME building code is important because it helps ensure that elevator constructors and workers from other building trades – along with the riding public – are able to stay safe on and around vertical transportation equipment.

Abel Arabitg, an IUEC International Organizer, is a member of Local 71 who was also in attendance for the 100^th anniversary celebration. “I’ve always been a local guy. I grew up here in Miami and never did I ever hear about a union this strong, this well put together and the way that they handle themselves – and I’m so proud of being part of this union,” he said.

Abel emphasized the importance of honoring the elevator constructors who built the Local and strengthened its standing in the community through their hard work and dedication to quality craftsmanship, values the Local continues to uphold today. “We’re here today because of them and what they’ve accomplished in their career to pass on to the next generation. And that’s what I look forward to too, is that I want to make sure that when I step forward into my retirement someday, that I can look back and leave a footprint for those that are coming in in the future.”

John Herbert echoed his remarks. “The last 20 years I’ve grown and become the mechanic and rep that I am today…there are a lot of people I have to thank for that,” he said.

Mike Stella, Local 71’s Financial Secretary and another longtime instructor for the National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP), also helped to organize the event. “This weekend we have the 100th year anniversary. It is such a big achievement for local 71 to (have been) around that long,” he said. “We’re really looking towards the future to make it even better. And it’s super-exciting to be to be part of.”

Along with having taught the Semester 100 apprenticeship curriculum to elevator constructor apprentices for more than 20 years – which he describes as one of his greatest achievements – Mike teaches a train-the-trainer course in SAIA Scaffolding for NEIEP instructors from around the United States at the NEIEP Instructor Training Center in Warwick, RI. Once they’ve completed the training and become certified instructors for SAIA, these instructors return to their home Locals and are able to certify apprentices in SAIA Scaffolding as part of the standard IUEC apprenticeship curriculum. The certification apprentices earn enables them to do scaffolding work on jobsites all over North America. Mechanics can also earn their SAIA scaffolding certifications through continuing education courses held at their Locals.

“It’s important for mechanics to participate in CE training because we never stop learning in this business,” said Mike. “You always are continuously learning systems. Computer systems are changing, elevators are evolving…the more you know, the more important you are to this industry.”

Unmatched craftsmanship, professionalism, a solid educational foundation, showing support for fellow members in the trade, and a focus on safety – these are all part of what it means to be an IUEC elevator constructor and the reason that Local 71 in Miami has sustained for more than 100 years.

To learn more about the advantages of becoming an IUEC elevator constructor, or if you are a building owner or manager interested in hiring an IUEC-affiliated company in the Miami area or anywhere in North America to install, service, troubleshoot, modernize, repair, or inspect the elevators, escalators, or other conveyance equipment on your property, contact ElevatorInfo.