IUOE LOCAL 25 MARINE DIVISION
MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT/BUSINESS MANAGER JERRY ABELL
COVID-19 UPDATE: March 31, 2020
OFFICES AND STAFF UPDATE:
We continue to serve the membership with the services you have grown to expect and deserve. Some staff members have been working remotely when possible, though all staff can be reached via phone at their respective offices and/or their cell phones and through email. We will list all pertinent contact info below. Please remember that no outside foot traffic (including members) is allowed in any of the Halls or Plans Office at this time. Keeping our staff healthy ensures that the business of the Union is uninterrupted and our Local 25 Office and Benefits Plans Staff have been flexible and creative in making sure work continues during this critical time. I want to thank each of them for their perseverance and commitment to the membership. Meghan Brodowski, the Local 25 Plans Administrator, says that the members have been patient and appreciative as they work to return calls as soon as possible and continue to process claims and authorizations in a timely manner. The Halls have been continuing operations via phone and email and it has been nice to hear from so many of you that are just checking in. We are grateful for each of you and your hard work on the jobsites while we continue the work “behind the scenes” to ensure Local 25 gets through this global crisis stronger than ever.
If you need to collect Vacation pay in person (which we are discouraging unless absolutely necessary), contact the Plans Office ahead of time at (800) 548-6662 so they can have it ready for you when you arrive.
MEMBER AND JOBSITES UPDATE:
After much conversation with our signatory contractors and the daily feedback we are receiving from our Executive Board Members, Shop Stewards and members, we believe the employers are doing their best to keep their equipment and jobsites as clean and low risk as possible. We are asking every member to do their part to keep the rigs/equipment clean at all times. We must work together to ensure that our jobs can continue safely. As we have stated repeatedly, if you don’t believe you are getting the resources or supplies you need on your vessel to assist in these efforts, contact your Business Agent or contact me directly. The responsibility we each have to keep ourselves, our families and our Union Brothers and Sisters safe means that the actions we take off the jobsite are just as important as those on the jobsite. When not working, it is still imperative to follow the CDC and local guidelines for your area regarding limiting your exposure, including social distancing, not gathering in groups of 10 or more, hand washing, disinfecting surfaces and limiting unnecessary trips to stores, etc. The guidelines and protocols to keep ourselves safe are the same whether we are at work or at home. It is all about limiting exposure, no matter the situation.
We been classified as “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers” by the Department of Homeland Security and we take our work seriously. This designation is being used when local and state officials are considering the workers that need to be able to continue their work in regions impacted by COVID-19 quarantine and shelter-in-place orders. IUOE construction Locals around the country have been lobbying diligently in their respective states and regions for the continuation of their work. Members need to have an opportunity to earn a paycheck. This holds true for Local 25 as well. The federal government has deemed our work critical. That designation has proven itself accurate already with the quick response DonJon Marine and Local 25 crews were able to provide for the emergency deepening needed in NY in order to welcome the USNS Comfort hospital ship. This entire country should be applauding the efforts of our members and signatory contractors.
I would like to thank every member of this great Union for the professionalism and BROTHERHOOD you are showing during this time. Luckily, we are able to limit our exposure to the public and procedures are in place to ensure that all workers on our jobsites are symptom-free and healthy, unlike many of the frontline workers we see on the news each day, including healthcare professionals and grocery store workers. Many of the workers in this country that are most at-risk right now are low wage workers with no protections in the form of Union representation or brotherhood, a Collective Bargaining Agreement outlining appropriate wages and benefits or procedures in place to ensure their safety. We are grateful for the protections we have as Local 25 members and we hope these underserved workers on the frontlines can use their voices to create their own Brotherhood. We must not take for granted our ability to continue to work when so much of the country cannot and, more importantly, being able to continue to work in a SAFE ENVIRONMENT when many are showing up each day in environments that are far from it. Let’s continue to do our part to protect ourselves and each other, ON THE JOBSITE AND OFF.
Be sure to read your respective employer’s COVID-19 policies to ensure you are following all necessary precautions and protocols.
WE ARE LOCAL 25 PROUD, WE ARE LOCAL 25 STRONG.
CONTACT INFO:
NJ Hall: (732) 446-6262
Philadelphia Hall: (215) 336-7700
Tampa Hall: (813) 265-0410
Benefit Plans Office: (800) 548-6662
President/Business Manager Jerry Abell: (727) 480-0322
Business Agent Anthony Gonsiewski: (732) 778-6177
Business Agent Scott Reeves: (732) 284-1135
Business Agent Anthony Stewart: (813) 220-3953
Business Agent Melson Goodloe: (843) 814-8221
Fraternally,
Jerry Abell
President/Business Manager