What Have You Done For Me Lately?

“What have you done for me lately?” is a question many ask during these difficult times being experienced by our members. As unemployment escalates, members and their families become more and more desperate for an answer to the question. It is a reasonable question considering trade unions and in particular, Local 3, have always prided themselves upon the fact that one of their primary purposes is to ease the burden of working men and women.
During the present economic downturn Local 3 has tried to ease the effects of unemployment upon its members. Although the union cannot create a job, it can assist in creating an environment that will create work opportunities.
One means of doing so has been to work in cooperation with the New York City Building and Construction Trades Council in negotiating project labor agreements that open up work opportunities for every affiliate of the Council, as well as for members of Local 3 employed in the construction industry and those areas of the electrical industry dependent upon a healthy construction industry to survive.
Although PLA’s create work opportunities, they also create controversy within the membership. Some members view the terms of PLA’s as undermining the standards that have been established under the industry-wide collective bargaining agreement. This view has its supporters; however those who have obtained work because of the PLA may not hold the same view. They see it as having been helpful to them, even if they have concerns about some of its terms. A paycheck at the end of the week is always appreciated and brings with it the dignity of being able to “pay one’s own way.”
PLA’s have become a tool to assist members in obtaining work. They insure that work that has been lost in certain areas of the market, specifically low-voltage and data, is performed by Local 3 members. At the Beekman Tower job alone, that insured thousands of man-hours of such work was performed by Local 3 members. Without the PLA that work may have been performed by others. So the trade-off must be weighed.
In addition to PLA’s, the Union and ­Employer Trustees of the Pension and ­Hospitalization Plan of the Electrical Industry have a long-standing policy that to be eligible to access medical benefits for members and their families, a member must be either working or available for work with a contributing contractor. Under most other Plans within the construction industry, to be eligible a member must work 1,000 hours for a contributing employer. Presently, the Trustees have extended coverage an additional 13 weeks so that during this period of unemployment members and their families are covered for a total of 39 weeks upon becoming unemployed.
The Union and Employer Trustees also have a policy to accumulate a pension credit. A participant who is registered as  available for work with the Employment ­Department of the Joint Industry Board (or other applicable employment department affiliated within the Union) shall receive credit toward a year of vesting service for hours of service based on the standard straight-time work week set forth in the collective bargaining agreement ­covering the Employee, or if none, 35 hours per week, for up to 26 weeks. A total of 1,000 hours per year must be credited to earn a pension credit for the year.
Members who are unemployed are also eligible for week-end work and work at the Javits Convention Center and other venues where short-term employees are needed in order to cover the jurisdiction. Members interested in these opportunities should contact the Employment Department of the Joint Industry Board of the Electrical Industry to make themselves available for the opportunity when it arises.
The Union and the employers in the construction industry also have a long history of administering the Work Sharing Plan of the Electrical Industry through the Employment Department of the Joint Industry Board. The Plan is designed to insure that during times of unemployment that every member within the industry experiences some level of unemployment. It also provides for a limited rotation of unemployed members into the ranks of the employed. Although not perfect it is an attempt to insure that every member is at the very minimum able to collect unemployment benefits as well as supplemental benefits from their Additional Security Benefit Fund (ASBF) account if they have a balance and from the Deferred Salary Plan if their ASBF account is depleted.
The Union also negotiated a Health ­Reimbursement Account so that members who have medical costs or co-pays have a means to access tax-free monies to help defray the cost.
The Local 3 Loan Fund permits those members who have purchased bonds to become participants in the Fund to access an interest-free loan of up to $4,000 for specific purposes. Presently because loan payments do not have to be paid when unemployed, the significant number of unemployed has impacted the ability to give out loans at this time.
The Educational and Cultural Fund provides college tuition reimbursement to members and spouses in pursuit of a college education. This can provide members and their spouses with an additional means of support by having a college education. It also provides low interest loans to aid in paying for college education for members’ dependents.
So in answer to the question, “What have you done for me lately?”, members only need to pick up the phone and make an inquiry to the Desk Agent at Local 3 and they will become more aware of just what is available to them, simply because they are a member of Local 3, IBEW.