When we talk with organized elevator apprentices and mechanics, a topic that comes up again and again is how the education they receive through the National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP) – and the culture of safety the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) works to instill throughout the trade – helps them come into the elevator industry with the skills and knowledge they need to keep themselves and their jobsites safe.

 

Whether someone is coming in to the IUEC as an organized apprentice or through the recruitment process completely new to the trade, the IUEC apprenticeship begins with a safety-focused curriculum centered around recognizing trade-related hazards. From the industry-specific OSHA curriculum that recently launched; to classroom lab activities where apprentices practice putting on required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as eye protection, hearing protection, respiratory protection, and fall protection; to the American Heart Association’s Heartsaver First Aid and CPR certification program embedded in the required curriculum, they receive a very different and much more thorough education than they did while working for non-union companies.

So with a trade that advances as quickly as this one, how does the IUEC stay on top of industry trends and emerging technologies that could impact the safety of apprentices and mechanics on the job? One way is through the establishment of the IUEC Safety Committee.

“The IUEC Safety Committee is a committee set up by President Christensen going back about ten years ago,” said Mike Langer, Director of Safety for the IUEC. “It takes people from across North America and puts them together in a room for brainstorming sessions on how to reduce fatalities and injuries in the elevator industry or the conveyance industry.”

Mike has been a longtime member of the IUEC Safety Committee, which is chaired by Ed Christensen, IUEC Regional Director for the Midcentral United States. Other Safety Committee members include Eric McClaskey, IUEC Assistant Director of Safety; Dave Griefenhagen, IUEC Director of Codes and Standards; Pat McGarvey, IUEC Director of Organizing; Blair MacMillan, IUEC National Organizer and Canadian Safety Director; and Ben McIntyre, IUEC National Organizer and Canadian Safety Director – along with active and retired elevator inspectors and building inspectors from across the United States and Canada. Altogether, the committee has approximately 22 members.

Eric McClaskey told us that the overall purpose of the IUEC Safety Committee is to improve safety for everyone working in the trade. This begins with research. “We look at incidents that occur throughout the course of a year or half-year when we meet annually,” he said. “We try to focus on ways in which we can better the industry through code development and other safety enhancements. It’s really an opportunity for us throughout North America to get with one another, and talk about what we see on the job and how we can prevent injuries and fatalities.”

One of the most important sources of information the Safety Committee draws on for its work is the database of incident reports put together by the IUEC Safety Department. Any time there is a close call, injury, fatality, or accident in the trade, it is investigated and an incident summary is produced. These incident summaries are then reviewed and discussed so that the IUEC Safety Committee can make recommendations based on what was learned from the accident. The reports are shared with IUEC Locals and affiliated signatory employers, and posted on the safety page of the union’s website at iuec.org. “The bottom line is, we want to do our best to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” says Mike Langer.

Eric McClaskey encouraged everyone concerned about safety in the elevator industry to visit the IUEC’s website and view these reports. “On the IUEC safety page, we have an alerts tab that you can click on – it’s open to anyone,” he said. “It’s a resource for local unions, our employers, and the public at large. We house those incident summaries and (information about) close calls, near misses, and injuries on our website so that hopefully the industry can learn from these events that have taken place.”

Mike Langer emphasized the importance of making this information and research public. “Anybody can go to that open website and gather safety information right down to OSHA training from the safety page. It can be anybody in the conveyance industry, whether they’re union or not. That’s really what it’s all about – protecting everybody who’s doing the same work we do.”

Eric McClaskey continued, “(Elevators and escalators are) the most common form of transportation that the public operates on their own, so it’s important for us to make sure that these conveyances are installed and maintained properly. For us as a committee, we focus on items that may affect the end-user, and what we can do to help make sure the public has a safe conveyance to get from place to place.”

To learn more about the work the IUEC is doing to reduce injuries and fatalities in the conveyance industry, visit https://www.elevatorinfo.org/be-safe-improving-safety-elevator-industry/.

Retired IUEC elevator constructor and United States Marine Veteran Curt Morlock is always looking for his next adventure. He credits his fulfilling retirement – specifically, being able to pursue his dream of racing solo around the world – to the lifetime guaranteed pension he received as part of his IUEC benefits package.

Born and raised in the Sunshine State, Curt Morlock has always loved the water.

“I grew up in South Florida – Hollywood and then Miami Beach,” said Morlock. “My father, who worked as a fireman, taught me everything there is to know about the beach. I was snorkeling by age six. Fishing, sailing, surfing – we really did it all.”

After his retirement from the elevator industry in January of 2023, he signed up for the Global Solo Challenge (GSC), a solo, nonstop, round-the-world sailboat race. 65-year-old Morlock is one of just five Americans currently on the GSC roster.

“This race will be the challenge of a lifetime. Only three American sailors have successfully gone around the world solo, unassisted, and nonstop,” said Morlock. “This has always been a dream of mine. To me, sailboats are like a giant surfboard. I fell in love with sailing as a young man, and as far as the race goes, I knew it was now or never.”

When we spoke with Morlock about the race, he used the phrase “now or never” several times. Having recently been diagnosed with cancer, Morlock’s friends and family, including his children Steele and Kevyn, have supported him and his racing ambitions since day one. Even his doctor has urged him to go on this journey.

“This wasn’t just some goal to accomplish or check off a list – it was a dream. I knew I had to go for it,” said Morlock. “At about the same time that I retired, I was out shopping for a boat. The race boat I ended up purchasing was about $170,000. The costs are significant – there’s a lot that goes into this that people don’t really realize.”

After completing his military service as a US Marine, Morlock worked for more than two decades as a union elevator constructor in Florida, Nevada, and Colorado.

“The union, the International Union of Elevator Constructors – it’s amazing what a career within the organized elevator industry can do for one’s life. It’s transformational,” said Morlock. “Good wages. Good benefits. And it’s even more than that. It’s about honoring your family, as well as your country. The union gave me the opportunity to do what I want – I worked hard, and now I can pursue my passions.”

Morlock talked about being a part of several noteworthy jobs over the course of his career. His work in the elevator trade, especially when he worked on the conveyance equipment at Denver International Airport, was a great post-military career path. “When I served in the Marines, I worked on A-6s. Working at the airport – it was like a giant aircraft carrier. I felt right at home,” said Morlock. “In the military and in the IUEC – we made it work by working together as a team. That’s what makes the union so great – the camaraderie and the strong sense of togetherness.”

With plans to launch on December 9, 2023, Morlock’s goal is to complete the solo, nonstop race around the world in 120 days. His 60-foot sailboat, named the 6 Lazy K, has an 85-foot mast and a 14.5-foot keel.

When asked what is required for an individual to complete such an impressive mission, Morlock responded, “Character, ability, and discipline – all things the union has given to me.”

When Morlock mentioned that wave heights regularly exceed 30 feet in the Southern Ocean, we asked if he was nervous about his upcoming voyage.

“I don’t know what that is – I truly don’t know what it is to be nervous,” he laughed. “Just like in the elevator industry, this race will be go, go, go. Thankfully, I’ve always been a physical guy. However, at the end of the day, it’s all about safety. That’s my priority – doing it right.”

To learn more about the advantages of becoming an IUEC elevator constructor, including the robust retirement plan available through IUEC’s Pension, Annuity, and 401K benefits, contact ElevatorInfo.

Several months ago, ElevatorInfo went to Nashville and visited TriStar Elevator, an up-and-coming independent International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC)-affiliated company. With company headquarters based in Columbia, TN, TriStar elevator constructors perform construction, service, and modernization work across the middle-Tennessee area.

 

“We pretty much do anything at Tristar,” said Roman Sensing, an adjuster/modernization/construction mechanic and member of IUEC Local 93. We met Roman and Michael Halfacre, another Local 93 mechanic who works for TriStar, while visiting some of their active jobsites at an airport, a parking garage, and a bar under construction right on Broadway in the downtown music district.

“Working for TriStar – and just in Nashville – is wonderful,” said Michael., When we asked him why, he said it was TriStar’s family-oriented culture, responsiveness, and focus on jobsite safety. “If you have to call somebody, they answer. TriStar ensures we have a safe jobsite by giving us everything we need to make it safe.”

Roman agreed that TriStar’s focus on safety is an important part of their work from the beginning to the end of each job – something that’s critical given the hazards elevator constructors encounter on their work sites every day. “Typically on a workday we come in, talk about the job and what we are going to accomplish, and how we are going to accomplish it safely. We include all of those steps on a JHA (Job Hazard Analysis),” he said.

Once work starts, there is an ongoing system of checking and re-checking to ensure that no potential dangers are overlooked. “During the process we talk about anything we may have missed on the JHA and then update it, or note anything we may have encountered on a repair or modernization that could become a hazard.”

This is a significant shift for a mechanic like Roman, who came into the trade after being organized from a non-union elevator company a few years back. The company he used to work for offered little to no formalized safety training before they put him on the job. But once he was organized as an IUEC apprentice, he was enrolled in the National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP), where elevator constructors complete a four-plus year USDOL Registered Apprenticeship with hands-on training in the classroom, practical labs, virtual simulations, and a major emphasis on safety. (NEIEP training is conducted concurrently with apprentices’ 8,000 hour on-the-job learning under the supervision of a trained mechanic.) Industry-specific OSHA, Arc Flash, proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), American Heart Association Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED, and Scaffold and Access Industry Association (SAIA) Competent Person for Framed and Suspended Scaffolding are just a few of the safety trainings provided for apprentice and mechanic-level elevator constructors.

“I started in the trade about six years ago with a non-union company… the training that I received through NEIEP was much more geared toward safety,” said Roman. “Non-union, not so much. I didn’t really receive much training there as far as safety goes. Very little to none. It was just on-the-job training with the mechanic I was working with…what you should do and what not to do, very vague.”

He continued, “In the (NEIEP) apprenticeship program, they outline a lot of safety issues, a lot of things that may come up on the job. They basically teach you about everything that you might come into contact with or that you might experience on the job. It’s a good base-learning program. Of course you learn a lot more on the job with the mechanics, actually seeing the equipment, but you get a lot of training and knowledge through the programs and the simulations.”

Another advantage to becoming an IUEC elevator constructor that Roman told us about was “. Health insurance – I didn’t have any at the non-union shop – I got health insurance, retirement, annuity, pension, 401(k) – we have all those benefits here with the IUEC.”

The National Elevator Industry Health Benefit Plan provides the most comprehensive health care coverage out there for IUEC members and their families, without additional out-of-pocket premium costs. This includes medical care, coverage of prescription drugs, mental health/substance abuse disorder treatment, dental care, a vision plan, and even hearing benefits.

Michael, who began his career as an IUEC apprentice after applying to a recruitment at Local 93 in Nashville, agreed that the security his benefits provide for his family is a major perk of the job. “One of the greatest things for me is the benefits package. I have two children, they’re completely taken care of by me doing this for a living. Me and my family are both super-happy about that. And I enjoy the work.”

The conveyance industry’s most comprehensive education and training program, a really good health care plan, and a solid retirement plan through the IUEC’s robust Pension, Annuity, and 401K benefits allow Michael, Roman, and the rest of the elevator constructor apprentices and mechanics at TriStar to keep their minds focused on providing consistent, quality work and attentive customer service. Take a close look at the machine room in the background of the video here – it’s an example of the clean, well-organized, and safe work areas TriStar mechanics pride themselves on. To learn more about Tristar Elevator, check out our interview with company owners Stacey and Brandon Jackson.

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 like TriStar for installation, service, troubleshooting, modernization, repair, or inspection work for the elevators, escalators, or other conveyance equipment on your property, contact ElevatorInfo.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in the Elevator Constructor journal.

For over 10 years, the International Union of Elevator Constructors has been a proud member of the Global Power Trade Unions (GPTU), an international organization of power trade workers which includes those working in the electrical trade and the conveyance industry. (In many countries outside of the U.S. and Canada, electrical workers perform conveyance work.) The GPTU includes more than a dozen labor unions hailing from all around the globe—Australia, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Switzerland, the U.S., and Canada—to name just of few of the participating countries.

The IUEC’s participation came about in 2011 and has grown and evolved ever since. The GPTU holds meetings annually to collaborate as a global union brotherhood/sisterhood to combat the challenges organized labor faces—challenges that know no borders.

This year the IUEC served as the host union for the GPTU’s annual conference, which was held in Vancouver, British Columbia, from June 26-28. The IUEC also hosted the conference in 2016 in Chicago. The conference has also been held in previous years in previous years in Australia, Ireland, Denmark, and Iceland. With the beautiful city of Vancouver as a backdrop, and the hospitality of Local 82, led by Business Manager Mike Funk, the event was set for success from the start, and a success it was.

The conference, with about 40 international delegates in attendance, was organized by the four board members of the GPTU—our own IUEC General President Frank Christensen, Danish Union of Electricians General Secretary Jørgen Juul Rasmussen, Electrical Trades Union (ETU) of Australia National Secretary Allen Hicks, and Connect Trade Union (Ireland) General Secretary Paddy Kavanagh.

The meeting began with a warm welcome from President Christensen, who thanked Brother Funk and Local 82 for their support. He noted that he hoped the meeting would give everyone an understanding of what each trade does and the importance of working together. “You think you are doing things so well and then you go to another country and realize they are doing some things better,” he said. “We can all learn from each other.”

Chairperson Rassmussen also greeted the attendees, noting many things the unions all have in common – and pointing out that it’s the elevator industry that is the truly global industry because most construction companies are domestic, but elevator companies are international. The commonalities among the trades and the international unions that Brother Rasmussen highlighted were safety and health concerns, organizing, inequality and inclusion, and the climate crisis.

A major highlight of the conference was the remarks of special guest Carla Qualtrough, Canada’s Minister of Employment, Workforce Development, and Disability Inclusion. Minister Qualtrough spoke at length about the need to get more people interested in a career in the skilled trades. “Economic growth and near record-low unemployment in Canada have created a worker shortage,” she said. “Demographic shifts and high retirement rates fueling the demand and an ever-growing need to recruit and retrain hundreds of thousands more Canadians into the skilled trades is probably our biggest threat to economic success in Canada.”

Minister Qualtrough added that BuildForce Canada, a national, industry-led organization that provides information and resources to the construction industry, estimates that Canada needs to recruit about 300,000 new workers into the construction industry. She noted that the average age for entrance into the skilled trades in Canada is 26 years old, and only 1 in 15 high school students plan to pursue a career in the skilled trades – which isn’t enough to fill the worker shortage. In response to this, the Canadian government has been aggressive in its investment—nearly $1 billion—in apprenticeship support through grants, loans, and tax credits; helping communities explore and prepare for careers in the skilled trades; and creating awareness of skilled trades jobs. One creative initiative of note is a labor mobility deduction whereby Canadians can claim up to $4,000 per year in work-related travel and relocation expenses.

Minister Qualtrough’s office also oversees inclusivity and diversity initiatives, so she spoke in detail about the importance of ensuring that all who want to work are represented in the labor market. She said that only about 59% of people with disabilities are employed, as compared to 80% of those without a disability, and that tapping into this market could be an opportunity to address the labor shortage. Other groups who are underrepresented in the labor market include women, indigenous people, the LGBTQIA+ community, and BIPOC. “Our role as a government is to create an environment so that everyone who wants to work has a chance to work,” she said. “We need all hands on deck to have economic prosperity.”

Minister Qualtrough closed her remarks by noting the importance of training and the Canadian government’s efforts to provide holistic training opportunities that, in addition to trade training, include human skills training such as writing, reading, communications, problem solving, and adaptability. These are the skills that help people show up to work with confidence. “The government of Canada recognizes and respects the role unions play in addressing labor shortages and the need to establish a trained highly-skilled workforce,” she stated. “We need you!”

ETU National Secretary Allen Hicks spoke to the attendees about licensing, specifically as it relates to Australia’s expected labor shortage. “It’s incredibly important for us to make sure that if we are going to have people come from overseas to work in Australia, they need to be able to demonstrate that they can comply and meet the standards that we’ve established,” he said.

This issue facing Australia is not unlike labor shortage issues in other countries, but Brother Hicks was able to provide a glimpse into Australia’s licensing procedure. In Australia, there is a governing body called Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) that reviews foreign workers’ credentials, training, and work experience. Brother Hicks impressed upon the conference the importance of workers gaining their licensing through TRA before arriving to Australia to work.

Connect Trade Union (Ireland) General Secretary Paddy Kavanagh spoke about the power of joining forces and collaborating on things like licensing, marketing strategies, and codes. He used the example of Connect working with the ETU of Australia and the Australian embassy to offer Australian license training in Dublin, so that Irish electrical workers could arrive in Australia ready for work. Brother Kavanagh believes that the labor force is going to become much more international, so it will be important for qualifications to be standardized. However, he did say that it is important that the standardization of qualifications means that those with lower qualification standards must raise their standards to meet a higher level, rather than standards being lowered to meet others. He added that having a sort of International license would be helpful for unions and contractors to ensure foreign workers are indeed qualified for the job. “The safety issue alone is massive,” he said.

As it relates to codes, Brother Kavanagh stated that in Ireland, labor is outnumbered on code boards by about 12-1 – so they are often outvoted. He suggested that it would be helpful if the GPTU worked to share code ideas.

Many IUEC officers also addressed the conference providing information on the IUEC’s initiatives and programs—Elevator Industry Work Preservation Fund Director Allen Spears, National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP) Director Dave Morgan, Canadian Elevator Industry Educational Program (CEIEP) Director Dan Vinette, Director of Organizing Pat McGarvey, Assistant Director of Safety Jim Chapman, Regional Director Rusty Gilbert, and Regional Director Kevin McGettigan. The attendees were also inspired by motivating remarks by friend of the IUEC, Retired Navy Seal J.J. Parma.

The conference closed with the attendees eager to reconvene next year. Together the attendees addressed many pressing world issues, such as climate change, the labor shortage, and even the war in Ukraine, and the impact these global concerns will have on the power trades. The solid partnership forged by the participating unions of the GPTU will prepare organized labor for the future, and empower working men and women through strength in numbers. There is much to be done, and these labor leaders are ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work for the benefit of all.

IUEC Local 7 and Union Sportsmen’s Alliance Host Baltimore-Area Trap Shoot

Recently, members of IUEC Local 7 (Baltimore) in association with the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance hosted a Trap Shoot Competition at the Carney Rod and Gun Club in Maryland.

Walt Ingram, CEO and Executive Director, describes the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance as “a union-based organization that works on conservation with union members”. Since 2007, they’ve set up fishing, hunting, archery, and other outdoor activities for union members and their families across the country. They also host benefit dinners to raise money for conservation projects built by volunteer members of the union building trades; these include building public-use fishing piers and boardwalks, archery ranges, bird boxes, and more. All of their projects focus on preserving wildlife habitats, providing access to land and water, ensuring public access for outdoor recreational spaces, and improving infrastructure to make these spaces available to all who enjoy shooting, hunting, fishing, and similar activities.

 

Sportsmen alliance union & IUEC leadership

Pictured (L-R): Kinsey M. Robinson, Union Sportsmen’s Alliance Chairman of the Board and International President Emeritus of United Union of Roofers, Larry McGann, IUEC General Secretary-Treasurer, Frank Christensen, IUEC General President

For approximately ten years, IUEC General President Frank Christensen and General Secretary-Treasurer Larry McGann have sat on the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance Board of Directors, providing oversight and direction. President Christensen is proud of the work IUEC elevator constructors and other members of the union building trades have done to support their work in the community. He says, “I think it’s so important that union members are running these projects on their own, volunteering – not only us, but the carpenters, the electricians, they’re all helping out – they’re rebuilding the decks, rebuilding the cabins, bridges, whatever is needed. And after the work is complete, they put a plaque up that says ‘built by union members’.”

President Christensen said being able to give kids from urban areas the opportunity to experience outdoor activities like hunting and fishing is a big part of why this organization is so important to him. “For me, being a city kid – some would say an inner-city kid – to see the kids who never had the chance to go fishing with their first rod and reel, their first fishing pole – it’d make you smile for a day, hey, it might make you smile for a week or year…most kids from the city never get that opportunity which sometimes we take for granted.”

For General Secretary-Treasurer Larry McGann, the highlight of his involvement with the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance is about giving union members the chance to participate in events like the Trap Shoot together with their families. “It’s about family values – not just for the member, but for their spouses, their kids – there are a lot of events they can do together. I came up hunting and fishing, I know how valuable it is to have events the whole family can participate in,” he said.

Local 7 Business Representative Jason Danker and his father, Local 7 past President Hank Danker

Pictured (L-R): IUEC Local 7 Business Representative Jason Danker and his father, Local 7 past President Hank Danker

Jimmy Demmel, Assistant National Director of the Elevator Industry Work Preservation Fund (EIWPF) and Local 10 member, joined this year’s Trap Shoot with his son Jack, a fourth-year apprentice in the trade. “I got involved because I hunt and fish with my whole family – my son, my wife, my other son, my daughter – we come up here for the camaraderie, the fun – plus, you’re giving back. We also did a Union Sportsmen’s Alliance project several years ago, building a fishing pier under the new Wilson Bridge with Local 10 and the rest of the building trades. The outdoors is a part of life – being involved with other like-minded tradesmen, it’s a lot of fun. I’ve got a 23-year-old son who’ll come hang out with me for the afternoon if we go shootin’.”

While Union Sportsmen’s Alliance events all have a focus on conserving spaces where people hunt and fish, another goal is to bring together union leadership, union members, their families, and the community. “We engage high school kids, apprentices from union locals, and almost invariably, union leadership shows up – folks who haven’t worked with tools in years all of a sudden will put a tool belt on again, because they’re doing something good in the community and there’s a lot of pride in their craft. And that will show them there is an opportunity for a career – you don’t need to go to college, you can actually get paid to learn as an apprentice, and make a good wage, have great benefits, and 4-5 years later come out as a journeyperson.”

Pictured (L-R): EIWPF National Coordinator / Local 21 Member Ryan Donnell and IUEC Local 21 Business Representative Zack Cutburth

Ingram told us that according to the AFL-CIO, 74% of all active and retired union members shoot, hunt, fish, or recreate in the outdoors, making events like this a natural fit for the IUEC. “Having the ability to connect members who enjoy that – it’s important…this event here today brings all those folks together, having fun, enjoying themselves – they’re building relationships they’ll take back home and use in their work. It might be a Business Manager from DC and a Business Manager from Houston who meet for the first time, and they’ll find that there’s common interest or challenges in their work. Now they have someone who they can pick up the phone and call.”

In addition to being a good time, events like the Trap Shoot have been an important way for union members and leadership from across the country to get to know each other (with some friendly competition, of course). “Events like this one today are good for a whole lot of reasons,” Walt Ingram says. “Union members and leaders meet a lot, but usually over things that are not a lot of fun to deal with – here today, they’re having fun… people are here from all over the country, maybe they haven’t seen some of their brothers or sisters since last year’s shoot. It’s kind of like a reunion – a renewing of fellowship, or making new friends. There are some folks here who have never shot before, and today they’re shooting a shotgun for the first time – so you get to introduce people to the shooting sports.”

In addition to setting up events like the trap shoot in Maryland, the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance organizes a pheasant hunt and plans family camping trips. Through their popular Take Kids Fishing days, they have introduced about 27,000 kids to fishing in the last five years. Ingram says, “these take kids fishing events that are sponsored by the union local – families come, people in the community at large come, it gives them an opportunity to learn about fishing, about conservation, and also about unions. So our take kids fishing events are really powerful, because it impacts the family of the member, and the people who aren’t members at all… if you can get more people involved in fishing and the outdoors, this world’s a better place.”

“We had one of those in Chicago and there was a great turnout,” said President Christensen. “I heard from several guys there – they just couldn’t get the smiles off those kids’ faces. They were just blown away. It’s something you don’t even think about.”

This year, three IUEC Locals received awards from the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance for leading the membership in participation and support. They were:

  • #1 IUEC Local 10 (331 members)
  • #2 IUEC Local 2 (315 members)
  • #3 IUEC Local 18 (281 members)

Trophy winners of this year’s 2023 IUEC Baltimore-Area Trap Shoot included:

2023 IUEC Baltimore-Area Trap Shoot
Team Name Individual Name Scores Team Score Winners
IUEC Local 7 Team B Dave 40 HOA TEAM
Dylan Zepp 42 HOA Youth
Tom 41
Wayne 45
Tim 44 212
Iron Workers Local 5 Luke 35 A 1st Place
Darryl 46
Robbie 39
Dave Dulin 48 HOA Individual
Matt 35 203
IUEC Local 7 Team J Lewis 41 A 2nd Place
Mike 42
Greg Yohn 47 HOA Senior
Kyle 27
Matt 34 191
IUEC Local 7 Team E Paul 36 A 3rd Place
Gary 47
Rick 40
Jesse 32
Ghost 32 187
C. Winters/Eberts/IUEC 25 Dan 42 B 1st Place
Craig 37
Tyler 33
Dane 33
Ghost 32 177
Roofers International Kinsey 26 B 2nd Place
Mona Robinson 29 HOA Lady
Chuck 34
Chen 46
Bill 40 175
IUEC Local 7 Team I Shawn 38 B 3rd Place
Bobby 34
Tony 34
Matt 33
Ghost 32 171
IUEC Local 7 Team C Allen 29 C 1st Place
Bernie 34
Robbie 40
JD 19
Jeffrey 26 148
Buch Construction Scott 40 C 2nd Place
Dan 25
Randall 26
Ryan 27
Joe 29 147
IUEC International Frank 34 C 3rd Place
Larry 20
David 15
Zack 28
Ryan 45 142
Jason Danker 41 HOA Veteran

 

HOA Team

HOA Team, IUEC Local 7 Team B

Iron Workers Local 5

1st Place Division A, Iron Workers Local 5

IUEC Local 7 Team J

2nd Place Division A, IUEC Local 7 Team J

IUEC Local 7 Team E

3rd Place Division A, IUEC Local 7 Team E

Winters/Eberts/IUEC 7 K

1st Place Division B, C. Winters/Eberts/IUEC 25

Roofers International

2nd Place Division B, Roofers International

IUEC Local 7 Team I

3rd Place Division B, IUEC Local 7 Team I

IUEC Local 7 Team C

1st Place Division C, IUEC Local 7 Team C

Buch Construction team

2nd Place Division C, Buch Construction

IUEC International

3rd Place Division C, IUEC International

 

Because the IUEC is a Charter Union Affiliate of the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance, IUEC members can join at no cost. When they do, they get a monthly magazine with articles about union members’ involvement in outdoor activities and projects, calendars, info on organized hunting trips, and discounts on fishing equipment and guns. President Christensen hopes to have more IUEC members join soon, saying “we’re going to start getting a push out there and telling them how important it is – not just for hunting and fishing, but for the kids, for the parks – this is the right thing to do. It’s the right thing to show how much the unions are involved and helping out.”

If you are an IUEC member or member of another Charter Union Affiliate who wants to activate your no-cost membership in the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance, visit https://www.myusamembership.com/union

A list of upcoming Union Sportsmen’s Alliance events is below:

2023 CONSERVATION PROJECTS & OUTREACH EVENTS
Sept. TBD Marietta Take Kids Fishing Day Marietta, OH
Sept. 9 Kansas City Take Kids Fishing Day Kansas City, MO
Sept. 10 IAFF Chicago Fish with a 1st Responder Chicago, IL
Sept. 10 Roofers Twin Cities Get Youth Outdoors Day Clear Lake, MN
Sept. 17 Boilermakers Kansas City Get Youth Outdoors Day Lenexa, KS
Sept. 23 Spring Hill Campin’ in the Park Spring Hill, TN
Sept. 30 Ryan Helms Memorial Pheasant Reading, PA
Oct. 7 Chicago Family Outdoors Day Chicago, IL
Oct. 14 Patuxent National Wildlife Refuge Pavilion Project Dedication Laurel, MD
Oct. 14 Patuxent National Wildlife Refuge Community Bird Box Build Laurel, MD
Oct. 21 Montgomery Bell Family Campout Burns, TN
Dec. San Antonio BCTC Take Kids Fishing Day San Antonio, TX
TBD SMART Take Kids Fishing Day TBD, MD
TBD Montana Take Kids Fishing Day Helena, MT

2023 SHOOTING TOUR SCHEDULE
*Event names, dates and locations are subject to change
Aug. 26 New England Sporting Clays Shoot North Kingstown, RI
Sept. 9 Roofers Twin Cities Sporting Clays Shoot Clear Lake, MN
Sept.16 Boilermakers Kansas City Sporting Clays Shoot Lenexa, KS
Sept. 23 SMART/Cigna Colorado Sporting Clays Shoot Brighton, CO
Sept. 30 IBEW Southern California Sporting Clays Shoot South El Monte, CA
Oct. 3 OPCMIA Maryland Sporting Clays Shoot Glenn Dale, MD
Oct. 21 BAC N. Kentucky Sporting Clays Shoot Owenton, KY

Airport Metrorail Station Miami

In recent weeks, there has been some exciting elevator industry news in Miami-Dade County – conveyance units at Miami International Airport (MIA), one of the busiest airports in the world, are set to undergo some substantial upgrades. After a competitive bidding process with a number of vertical transportation companies in the region, the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners approved a contract with Schindler Elevator, an affiliated company of the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC).

Airport Metrorail Station Miami January 2020 - 02

A recent article from Airports International Magazine describes how the multi-year contract will involve the repair, maintenance, and upgrade of vertical transportation equipment over the next several years. Schindler’s recent press release reports that the company will maintain all of the elevators, escalators, and moving walks at Miami International Airport and across Miami-Dade Transit’s Metromover system.

“Much of the equipment at Miami International Airport is outdated – so Schindler employees will be going in and ripping out those old units and replacing them with new, state-of-the-art equipment,” said Richard Romeo, one of the foremen in charge of day-to-day operations at the airport. “The work our members, the brothers and sisters of IUEC Local 71, are doing is going to make the airport more efficient, and I’m so proud to help lead a project of this magnitude.”

Romeo, an elevator industry veteran of more than two decades, went on to explain how the new contract – which will ensure elevator constructors are on-site at the airport 24 hours a day, 7 days a week –will benefit the airport, airport vendors, airport employees, and passengers traveling through the airport each day.

“The new contract is a 24/7 contract – this means a more efficient response time and better service for MIA and MIA passengers. A 24/7 contract ensures service and maintenance crews are on-site every day and at every hour,” added Romeo. “Other airports operate like this, and it is very efficient. We will have three shifts now – a morning, an afternoon, and a night shift. No matter the day – holidays or whatever it may be – there will be a crew at the airport ready to jump in and help should a need arise. People have places they need to go, and airports need to run efficiently. A 24/7 contract creates a pathway to better, timelier service. If a repair needs to happen overnight, for example, a 24/7 contract allows the work to happen at a time when there’s tremendously less foot traffic. It’s a better, more practical time to get certain work accomplished.”

Miami-Dade County selected Schindler Elevator from a number of other bids for the contract. The contract awarded to Schindler Elevator includes significant improvements to MIA’s elevators, escalators, and moving walkways – and Schindler employees, including Romeo, are ready to get to work on this impressive conveyance overhaul.

Miami International Airport enjoyed record numbers in 2022, as it handled nearly 51 million passengers. These tens of millions of passengers will certainly benefit from this vertical transportation endeavor, as Schindler Elevator already has proven relationships with major airports, universities, stadiums, and other noteworthy facilities across the country and around the world.

In a recent interview, Miami-Dade County Mayor Danielle Levine Cava referred to the modernization project at MIA as a “game-changer that will future-proof the conveyance units at Miami International Airport for decades to come.” Upgrading the elevators, escalators, and moving walkways at MIA is a large-scale project that will require significant knowledge, skill, and expertise – and by choosing an IUEC-signatory contractor (Schindler), it ensures this job will be completed in accordance with the industry’s highest standards.

In the Airports International Magazine article referenced above, MIA Director and CEO Ralph Cutie talks about transitioning MIA, an airport that is rapidly growing, to becoming more future-ready – and that the goal behind this effort is to match this growth with customer service excellence at all touchpoints.

Airports are such a critical part of our nation’s infrastructure, and investing in our airports is especially important in today’s fast-paced global community.

“Working at the airport is incredibly exciting and rewarding. It’s the same – but it’s also quite different – every day. There are always new challenges to take on,” said Romeo. “And with employees ranging from 38 years in the industry to just five years of elevator experience, we have quite the team. Everyone brings something critical to the table, so there’s no shortage of credible professionals to turn to when someone is looking for knowledge and help. No one person knows everything, but together we can tackle any job.”

For more information about the importance of escalator & elevator upgrading, and what it involves, be sure to check out our article on elevator modernization.

What To Do if You Get Trapped in an Elevator

Picture this – you’re going about your normal workday. After a busy morning of meetings in your second-floor office, you decide to go outside and get some fresh air. You step into the elevator and push the ground floor button. The doors close, the elevator starts to descend… and then jolts to a stop between floors. You wait a few seconds, frantically push the buttons, and nothing happens. You realize you are trapped in the elevator.

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With millions of people using them multiple times each day, elevators are the busiest, most popular form of transportation in the world. While they are also one of the safest forms of transportation, from time to time, members of the riding public can occasionally find themselves stuck in an elevator.

In the unlikely event that this was to happen to you, it’s important to know precisely what to do – and, perhaps even more importantly – precisely what not to do in this situation. Let’s take a closer look at elevator entrapments, and what members of the riding public, building managers, and other building personnel must do to ensure that nobody gets hurt.

What if I Get Trapped in an Elevator?

If you ever find yourself trapped in an elevator, the first thing to remember is not to panic. There is no danger of the elevator running out of air – the ventilation systems installed in the elevator system guarantee a steady supply of fresh, breathable air, even in the event of entrapment.

Despite the stories you may have heard about elevators falling, the likelihood of an elevator falling is incredibly low (in fact, because of the way an elevator is designed, it is far more likely to ‘fall up’ than to fall down!). But – in the extremely rare event that you do find yourself in a falling elevator, you can’t jump at the last second to save yourself. Thankfully, the odds of someone being caught in a falling elevator are so slim that the “jump” is essentially a non-issue.

The great majority of the time, the reason the elevator stopped in the first place is because of a building-wide power outage or because the elevator’s safety features kicked in. All elevators are equipped with sophisticated monitoring systems equipped to detect irregularities in functioning and speed. Should it detect a problem, its braking system will automatically engage and hold the elevator in a safe position until a skilled elevator technician can arrive on the scene to assess the situation, free the trapped passengers, and then diagnose and correct the issue that caused it to stop.

Do not attempt to force the doors open, do not pry open the escape hatch in the ceiling, and do not interfere with any other parts of the elevator’s equipment. Especially in a situation where a power outage caused an elevator to stall, the elevator could re-start abruptly at any moment. Passengers attempting to free themselves from stuck elevators have been hurt and even killed when the power came back on and the elevator started moving again unexpectedly.

One piece of equipment that is there for use by passengers is the elevator’s emergency phone or communication device. If you are trapped inside an elevator, immediately call for help. This device will automatically connect you with building security, emergency services, or an elevator service company. All have people ready to answer calls 24 hours a day.

You can also press the elevator’s alarm bell, which produces a loud ringing noise others in the building can hear; this will alert them to the fact that you are stuck.

The Protocol for Building Managers

If you are a building manager who receives notice that someone is trapped in your building’s elevator, your first responsibility will be to contact emergency services or your elevator service company immediately. If there is a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency services department right away. After giving them information about where the building is and what floor of the building the elevator is on, reassure the trapped person that they are not in any danger, they must not panic, and they must not attempt to free themselves or interfere with the elevator equipment until a professional arrives. Communicating with the people inside will help relieve their anxiety.

Once the elevator constructor or emergency services arrives to free the trapped occupants, you and your staff may be asked to accompany them to the stalled elevator and/or the elevator machine room. Once you’ve given them the information they need, it’s time to sit back and let them do the work they’ve been trained to do.

Professionals: They’re Trained for This

While elevators are extremely safe for the riding public, they contain complex and potentially dangerous machinery behind the scenes. The industry’s most qualified elevator constructors participate in years of training and education through a nationally recognized registered apprenticeship program like the National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP). NEIEP apprentices must complete 4+ years of classroom courses along with 8,000 hours of supervised on-the-job learning under the supervision of an experienced mechanic – and pass a capstone mechanic exam – to achieve status as a mechanic.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has created extensive elevator safety codes that vary by jurisdiction. IUEC elevator constructors are knowledgeable about how to interpret and apply these code requirements to ensure the safety and well-being of the riding public. Don’t put your elevator equipment and the people who use it at risk by allowing individuals without the proper education and experience to service it.

Final Thoughts

Remember – if you ever find yourself trapped in an elevator, don’t panic, and don’t ever attempt to get out of it yourself! Use the emergency phone/communication device to speak with building security, emergency personnel, or a dispatcher from the elevator service company, and someone will be on their way immediately to help you safely exit the elevator and resume your daily routine.

For building managers, your primary responsibility is to ensure that the professionals and/or emergency services can get to where they need to be to assist the trapped passengers. It’s important to know what to do in an entrapment situation, but it’s even more important to do everything you can to prevent one from happening in the first place. The best way to do this? Make sure your elevator systems are inspected, tested, and serviced regularly, including receiving the recommended preventive periodic maintenance. And don’t forget to test the alarm bell in your elevator!

Contact ElevatorInfo to be connected with a reliable elevator service company who can help ensure your conveyance systems are running the way they should.

NEIEP apprenticeship

Several times a year, engineers, writers, and other Development staff along with Area Coordinators from the National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP) travel from the NEIEP Instructor Training Center in Warwick, Rhode Island to locations throughout the country to showcase the elevator industry’s most comprehensive education and training program.

This year, the state of Texas featured prominently on the list of places where NEIEP fairs were held. International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) Local 133 members Pat Coker, Jarred Baker, and Bobby Harper stopped by a NEIEP fair in Austin. Pat, Jarred, and Bobby all work as elevator constructors in the field for TK Elevator. While they were checking out demonstrations of the hands-on lab materials at the NEIEP fair, they also had the chance to spend time talking with Development Department head Lester White and some of the other experienced staff and subject matter experts who write the textbooks and lab manuals and design the hands-on labs NEIEP uses in its IUEC elevator constructor apprentice and mechanic training in classrooms across the United States.

Pat told us that years ago when he became an elevator constructor, he didn’t have access to the type of intensive, hands-on training that IUEC apprentices participate in through NEIEP today. “It’s a lot different,” he said. “They are required to be there four hours a night – it’s more hands-on with the labs.” He continued, “all the lab work that you see in here today – we didn’t have that when I went through (the education program), so seeing the technology and the growth – it helps them out in the field so they can apply what they do in the field in the classroom, and vice-versa.”

Through on-site classes held weekly at IUEC Locals across the US, as well as online classrooms that the students can access using their home computers, NEIEP courses teach IUEC elevator constructors the foundational and specialized skills they’ll need to build, modernize, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair complex pieces of conveyance machinery including elevators, escalators, moving walks, Automated People Movers, wind turbine conveyance systems, and more – all safely and efficiently. A USDOL-registered apprenticeship program held to the highest standards, NEIEP’s is the most respected education program in the trade. In fact, a number of colleges and universities recognize NEIEP courses as equivalent to college-level learning.

The NEIEP apprenticeship program for elevator constructors doesn’t stop at classroom learning; incoming apprentices also log 8,000 hours of field work under the supervision of an experienced mechanic. After that, they must pass a capstone Mechanic Exam to advance to mechanic status. This combination of classroom courses and field work is why incoming IUEC elevator constructors quickly become the best-trained, most well-rounded workers in the conveyance industry.

Bobby, an IUEC elevator constructor apprentice who works under Pat’s direction, spoke about how important the apprentice – mechanic partnership is, and how being able to apply the skills he learns in the classroom to his work in the field has enhanced his learning all around. “Whenever you mention following in his lead, that’s step-by-step,” he said. “When it comes to safety or troubleshooting, we’re starting our process off in the truck in the morning – what are we doing today? What are we getting into? From the start – even before work starts – we’re brainstorming how we’re going to tackle this task efficiently, and most importantly, safely.”

“He and I have a routine,” Pat continued. “It’s always, ‘let’s go look at it’ first. ‘Let’s go get a visual game plan of what we want to do, how we’re going to accomplish it’ – then we’ll tool-up and we’ll discuss it all the way back and forth to the jobsite. So the stuff that they’re learning in class, that goes along with it. I think it’s a great benefit to have.”

“Coming up as an Apprentice, your Mechanic is a person to lean on every single day,” said Bobby. “Pat has been around the nation working on elevators from two-stops all the way up… I’ve devoted the past five years of my life to an education program to get to where I am now – to hopefully fill (his) shoes.”

 

For more information about the most comprehensive education program in the elevator industry, check out https://www.neiep.org/.

ElevatorInfo recently traveled to Nashville, Tennessee to speak with Stacey Jackson, owner of TriStar Elevator and Brandon Jackson, TriStar’s Vice President. Headquartered in the suburb of Columbia, TN, TriStar’s crew of 14 IUEC elevator constructors install and service conveyance systems across the middle-Tennessee area. Described as “a full-service elevator company,” TriStar provides residential and commercial services including modernization, repair, and new installation.

While Brandon started his career as an elevator constructor years ago, the decision to launch a new elevator company as a family business was fairly recent. “We started this four years ago – it’s very hard, but it’s very rewarding as well,” said Stacey.

Being an IUEC-affiliated elevator company was a priority for TriStar from the start. “We are an independent union company. We look at each one of our employees like they’re a family member,” said Brandon. “When we hire somebody, we want them to succeed – so being able to provide that workplace for them – (that’s important) to me, knowing that everyday they’ve got a company that wants them to work safe, wants them to go home safe – and we have resources to make that happen.”

Stacey spoke about how the reputation of IUEC-trained mechanics as highly-skilled and safety-focused has benefitted TriStar when it comes to securing new work. “When a potential customer finds out that we are a union company, it changes the game in the fact that they know what they’re getting. They know the safety procedures, the training – they’re going to get good-quality workers.”

Brandon described it as an investment. “A lot of our larger, new equipment installations – our contractors, that’s one of the first questions they ask. ‘Are you a union company?’ And when you say yes, they realize we have resources to find employees that are trained. We’re not hiring off the street, we’re hiring people who have come through an apprenticeship program. They’ve been properly trained and have those elevator safety resources and that safety background to do the job right.”

While in many cases non-union elevator constructors aren’t required to participate in any formal training program before beginning work in the field, upon hire, IUEC elevator apprentices are immediately enrolled in the industry’s most comprehensive education and training program through the National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP). NEIEP administers a four-plus year USDOL Registered Apprenticeship with hands-on training in the classroom and 8,000 hours of supervised training under the direction of an experienced mechanic. Once an elevator constructor completes their apprenticeship and passes a capstone Mechanic Exam, they can keep learning through NEIEP’s continuing education courses, available online and in classrooms nationwide.

NEIEP training prepares apprentices and mechanics not only to work on the latest conveyance equipment on the market, but also to service, troubleshoot, and repair older equipment that many elevator constructors encounter on their service routes. Brandon describes how having access to this type of education and training when he was just starting out made him a well-rounded elevator constructor ready to handle whatever type of conveyance equipment his customers needed help with, and how it drove him to prioritize staffing TriStar with elevator constructors who have diverse and varied field experience. “While TriStar is a younger company, we have years of experience,” he said. “Most of our mechanics are 10 years plus – and we have a great new group of young workers coming into the trade,” he said.

Describing his own experience as an apprentice and field mechanic, he said, “I learned how to work on generators, I learned how to work on relay logic – and I think that’s something that a lot of people are losing sight of. We as a company pride ourselves on being able to work on that because so many other companies have lost a lot of that over the years. I feel like that’s one thing we’ve done well at TriStar elevator – we’re able to go in where other companies couldn’t necessarily keep the equipment running. We have the experience level to go in and still maintain that equipment. I learned from someone, and we’re doing the same thing – we’re trying to make sure that our apprentices are learning those skills.”

While in Tennessee, ElevatorInfo staff visited several of TriStar’s active job sites including one at a major airport, one at a busy parking garage, and another at a building under construction on lower Broadway in the heart of downtown Nashville. We were impressed with both the state-of-the-art systems they were installing in the new building as well as the meticulously clean and neat machine spaces around the elevator systems they were maintaining.

The knowledge that TriStar employees are taken care of by a generous benefit plan is also a plus for Brandon and Stacey. The IUEC provides the best health care coverage there is for its members and their families, without extra premium costs. Through the National Elevator Industry Health Benefit Plan, their employees have access to medical, prescription drug, mental health/substance abuse disorder, dental, vision, and hearing benefits well beyond what other companies offer.

Top-quality education and training, a robust health care plan, and the security of a reliable plan for retirement through the IUEC’s Pension, Annuity, and 401K benefits allow the elevator constructor apprentices and mechanics who work for TriStar Elevator to focus on getting their work done without the worries or distractions that workers at companies without this security may face. Consistent quality work and attentive customer service are the result.

“(With) a company like TriStar as an independent, you get specialized care – we do better with our goals in customer service. We answer the phone, we respond to emails, this is a service-based company, a service-based trade,” said Brandon. “When we can take that elevator off of that property manager’s mind, they can worry about the rest of their building. When we can take that elevator installation off of the project manager’s mind… we’ve done our job.”

To learn more about the advantages of becoming IUEC-affiliated or about hiring an IUEC-affiliated company like TriStar Elevator to install, service, troubleshoot, modernize, repair, or inspect your elevators, escalators, or other conveyance equipment, contact ElevatorInfo.

ElevatorInfo visited the Memorial Garden at International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) headquarters in Columbia, Maryland, to speak with Mike Langer, IUEC Safety Director, and Eric McClaskey, IUEC Assistant Safety Director about the work the IUEC is doing to reduce injuries and fatalities in the conveyance industry. They told us about BE SAFE, a targeted strategy developed to address the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA)’s Construction Focus Four hazards.

 

According to OSHA, construction is one of the most dangerous industries in the country. Construction inspections make up a staggering 60% of all of the inspections OSHA performs each year. OSHA found that United States Bureau of Labor Statistics show that in the year 2009, there were 816 fatal on-the-job injuries to construction workers – comprising nearly one out of every five work-related deaths in the country. They also reported that the fatal occupational injury rate for private industry construction workers was close to triple that of all other US workers1. When OSHA dug deeper to identify the most common accidents in the construction industry, they discovered that injuries and fatalities resulting from four categories were at the top of the list: falls, caught-in-or-between, struck-by, and electrocution.

The IUEC Safety Director and Assistant Safety Director wanted to build on OSHA’s work by developing a safety-focused program tailored specifically to the needs of people who install, service, maintain, troubleshoot, repair, and inspect elevators, escalators, and other conveyance equipment. That’s why they launched the BE SAFE awareness campaign.

“BE SAFE is a phrase that we use when we’re saying goodbye to one another – hey brother, hey sister, be safe,” said Eric. “We took those words and we wanted to associate hazards within the industry as a reminder for mechanics and apprentices out in the field.”

The major hazards they identified for elevator constructors included the following:

  • Barricades – Are proper barricades in place?
  • Elevator location – Have you identified/verified the elevator’s location prior to entering the hoistway?
  • Struck by – Is overhead protection in place?
  • Adjacent car – Is adjacent car protection in place?
  • Fall protection – Are you using a Personal Fall Arrest System (PFAS) where fall hazards exist?
  • Electrical protection – Are you using electrical safe work practices?

“BE SAFE really brings everything together for our safety culture, because within BE SAFE we have the OSHA Focus Four hazards where we see most of the injuries and fatalities in the industry – so we’re really trying to build upon that within (the IUEC) safety committee, local safety committees, and even within our alliance with OSHA,” continued Eric.

“If we keep talking about it, drilling it home every time we have an opportunity, creating the stickers that you can put on a wall, or a hard hat, or a door – it’s bringing home the awareness of safety,” said Mike.

When ElevatorInfo interviewed IUEC President Frank Christensen a while back, he emphasized how developing a culture of safety that allows all elevator constructor apprentices and mechanics to get home safe to their families at the end of the workday has been a major priority since the beginning of his time as president. “It never is going to be enough for me until we don’t have any fatalities. Never. No injuries is probably a dream or fantasy. But that’s my goal as long as I’m going to be the General President,” he said.

The best way for someone coming into the elevator trade to establish a solid foundation of safe work practices begins with the hands-on safety training students receive in the National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP) classrooms during their elevator constructor apprenticeship (and the continuing education courses that are offered to mechanics who have completed their apprenticeship). This is an important distinction that sets a NEIEP education apart from some of the other training programs in the conveyance industry, which are limited in scope and offered via correspondence course with no opportunity for hands-on learning.

Through NEIEP and the IUEC, elevator constructor apprentices and mechanics receive basic elevator constructor safety training including OSHA certification courses covering equipment, processes, and procedures they need to know to work safe (employers are required to provide more comprehensive safety training.). This safety training is one of the most important benefits members get from the IUEC and its union-affiliated employers.

For more information about the BE SAFE campaign and other ways the IUEC is working to improve safety for people who work in the elevator industry, check out the March 2023 issue of the Elevator Constructor magazine (a monthly industry publication sent to all active and retired members of the IUEC) for an in-depth article on the topic. Also, browse our article on the fundamentals of safety for elevator technicians and constructors.

 

1Source: OSHA Construction Focus Four: Outreach Training Packet Module Training Materials