Dear Brother and Sister Members;

 

            As we finally have settled in for the summer season, I hope this Newsletter finds all of our members and their families doing well. 

            I would like to first remind everyone of our Annual Family Picnic at Idlewild Park that will be held on Saturday July 21, 2007.  We are expecting another large turnout for a day of fun and camaraderie for everyone.  If you haven’t received your tickets yet, please call the Youngwood office ASAP.  We hope to see you there. 

            As you know our active members have received an economic increase effective June 1, 2007.  All of the Officers and Trustees along with myself have been searching for the last two years to implement a drug screening policy so that our members can be up to date with what will be a coming to all Building Trades members for the near future.  The Trustees of Local 354 and the LMCA Contractors have entered in to a memorandum of understanding to implement a voluntary drug testing procedure. (See attachment in the newsletter)    As of July 1, 2007, $.02 per hour will be reduced from the current $8.18 per hour for H & W to create the drug screening program.  This will generate enough funds so that anyone who exercises this option to get screened will not have to pay out of pocket for the testing procedure.  The normal cost to do this drug screening without this new program is $45.00 per member per year.  With this new policy in place it will not cost the members anything.  Effective September 1, 2007, the members can begin to get the screening done.

  This is to be done on an annual basis.  This all has come about by continuation of many labor and management meetings and concerns that will take place in the near future. Local 354 is the only Building Trades Union that does not have a screening policy in place.  There have already been some major changes that have taken place in the work field particularly on the Institutional and Commercial Projects.  With all of the different criminal background checks that take place each year, including the following main clearances required for any worker on public projects:

  1. Act 34 Clearance:  This is an official criminal background check and must be done annually.
  2. Act 151 Clearance:  This is an official child abuse background check, and also need to be done annually.
  3. Federal FBI Clearance:  This is the new FBI criminal clearance that includes fingerprinting.  It also requires the clearance to be done annually.
Including the latest one that mandates an FBI finger printing policy for school work.  This program would be an enhancement to our Local Union as a marketing tool for safety as well as a drug free workforce.  This will also bring Local 354 into compliance at the present time.  We understand that at some time in the near future this will be mandated at the state level.  I hope that everyone will appreciate and accept the fact that we are looking ahead instead of waiting until the time comes where we would have to fight and wrestle with a problem at the last minute and could possibly incur a huge problem.  The testing will be done in accordance with Mobile Medical Corporation (MMC) and the

testing can be done at any of the many testing facilities. (See Attachment) When having the testing done the member should tell the lab to bill the funds office at CDS in Pittsburgh.  Effective September 1, 2007, the members can begin to get the screening done.  At a cost of only $.02 per hour, this will permit our Health & Welfare Fund to establish a separate fund for the administration of the voluntary drug program at no out of pocket cost to the membership. 

            I would like to take this opportunity to announce that our work picture has begun with some projects finishing up and some still continuing.  There is a lot more of new school, hospital and industrial work projects that will start very soon.  In the Region III area the Hatfield Scrubber Project is continuing with WGI and B & W on site.  We hope to see some increased numbers on that job soon.  The Ethanol Plant to be built at the old Sony Plant is still in limbo.  As we have just learned the funding has not been procured yet.  Port Vue Plumbing had met with us recently and proclaimed that they were going to do the hands on mechanical work, but now have rumored they may sub contract the work out to various contractors.  However, until the funding is in order (about 250 million) everything at this point is just a rumor. We will keep everyone updated when we find out more information. 

Memorandum of Understanding Between Local Union No. 354

of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices

of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry

of the United States and Canada – AFL-CIO

 

and

 

Laurel Mechanical Contractors Association, Inc.,

and Independent Contractors.

 

 

WHEREAS, the parties are desirous of implementing a voluntary drug and alcohol program funded by employer contribution;

 

WHEREAS, the Trustees of the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union No. 354 Health & Welfare Fund (“Fund”) have indicated that they can maintain the current level of benefits with a reduction in the contribution rates set forth in Section 4.1 and 4.3;

 

WHEREAS, the Trustees of the Fund have agreed to administer a voluntary drug and alcohol program on behalf of the Union and the employers;

 

NOW THEREFORE, with the intent to be legally bound,

1.                  The Health & Welfare Fund contribution rates set forth in Section 4.1 and 4.3 are reduced by .02˘ per hour effective July 1, 2007.

2.                  The employer agrees to contribute .02˘ per hour July 1, 2007 to the Fund to administer a drug and alcohol program.

3.                  Article XXX is amended to add Section 30.2.

 

“Section 30.2         Voluntary Drug and Alcohol Program. The parties will establish a voluntary drug and alcohol program attached as Exhibit A to this Memorandum to be effective September 1, 2007.”

4.         In order not to increase the administrative costs to the employers resulting from this Memorandum of Understanding, the employer will contribute contributions to the Health & Welfare Fund in accordance with Sections 4.1 and 4.3 and the Fund office will take .02˘ per hour to establish a fund for administering the drug and alcohol program described in Section 30.2.