Membership Info

Monthly Union Dues (effective January 1, 2022 we will no longer accept cash as a form of payment for monthly dues).

You can now pay your dues online.  Call the Union Hall at 413-998-3230 ext. 107 for your login information.

Effective June 1, 2023, the monthly dues for Local 98 are as follows:

Branch 98: $24.00

Branch 98A: $22.50

Branch 98B: $24.00

Branch 98C: $21.00*

Branch 98D: $22.33**

Branch 98R: $21.00

** Branch 98D, municipalities in Vermont pay dues in the amount of $22.33 per month, while the municipalities in Massachusetts pay 1% of their gross monthly wages.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

DUES: Effective January 1, 2022 we will no longer accept cash as a form of payment for dues.  Your monthly dues are to be paid on the first of every month. Please keep in mind that if you are 30 days in arrears of your dues, you will be suspended. In order to be reinstated, you must pay all dues owed, 3 months in advance, and a $5.00 reinstatement fee.

Once your dues have become 6 months in arrears, you will be EXPELLED. In order to be reinstated from expulsion, you must appear before the Executive Board, pay all back dues, 6 months in advance, and a $5.00 reinstatement fee. Please do not let it come to this.  If you have any questions regarding your dues status, call the Union Hall at 413-998-3230.

¨ OUT OF WORK:  If for any reason you become unemployed, it is your responsibility to contact the Union Hall to put your name on the out of work list.  If you return to work, it is also your responsibility to call the Union Hall and remove your name from the out of work list.  This will help us know who is and who is not available for work.  Please call Heather at 413-998-3230 to update your employment status.

Click on the links below to view the Out of Work List Rules

Out of Work List Rules

Out of Work List Referral Hall Rules

WITHDRAWAL FORM – click here to print out a withdrawal card form.

You can email it to Heather at htetreault@local98.org or mail it to PO Box 1290, Southwick, MA 01077.

Download our new app UNION STRONG onto your mobile device and stay up to date with important information.  Click on the link below.

https://unionstrong.app.link/iuoe98

Click here for the link to apply for Unemployment Extension

Click here for information on Unemployment Extension

Click here for information on Coronavirus Best Practices for Building Trades Unions

Click here for the Five Unpaid Day card so you can keep track of the unpaid days due weather or other project conditions as per the Massachusetts Heavy & Highway Agreement.  It is the member’s responsibility to keep track of these days.

Click the link below to fill out the self identification form

Self Identification Form

Please note: if viewing on a mobile device fillable pdfs are only available through the Adobe Reader app.

PROTECT DAVIS-BACON PREVAILING WAGES

The Davis-Bacon Act requires contractors to pay the wage that prevails in that local labor market. The Act ensures that bottom-feeding contractors must compete for public works contracts on a level playing field with union contractors and can’t win a public construction project by lowering workers’ wages in a never-ending race to the bottom. More importantly, the law supports the quality of life and living standards of members of the IUOE.

Anti-worker politicians in Washington are attempting to slash our wages and benefits by repealing the Davis-Bacon Act, which requires that construction workers get paid the prevailing wage on projects that receive federal support.

Representative Scott Perry (R-PA) has introduced an amendment to the House America COMPETES Act, H.R. 4521, which strips prevailing wage requirements on taxpayer-financed construction of semiconducter facilities. Contact your members of Congress today and urge them to vote against this amendment.

Engineers Action and Response Network

The nation’s infrastructure is in desperate need of repair. The American Society of Civil Engineers reports that there is a water main break every two minutes in the U.S., 43% of our public roadways are in poor or mediocre condition, and over 46,000 of the nation’s bridges are considered structurally deficient, just to name a few major infrastructure issues. Please urge Congress to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act today so we can begin repairing and rebuilding America’s infrastructure.

Can you join me and write a letter? Click here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/pass-the-infrastructure-investment-and-jobs-act-2?source=email&

Thanks!

Do you have a life changing event?

• Change of address/phone number
• Marriage or Divorce
• Birth of a child

Please contact the Fund Office 413-998-3230 ext. 114

In Memoriam

We would like to offer our condolences to all of the family and friends of our dearly departed brothers/sisters.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you always.

TIPS FOR PROTECTING YOUR IDENTITY AND YOUR CREDIT

In 2017, almost 17 million Americans fell victim to identity theft. This already daunting number is expected to increase by at least one million in 2018. Most victims of identity theft lose approximately $1,500 and spend months cleaning up the fraud. In order to avoid becoming one of these statistics, you may want to consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze on your credit.

A fraud alert requires businesses to verify your identity before extending new credit. Usually, this means calling to confirm that you are in fact the individual attempting to take out new credit. Fraud alerts are free and automatically expire after 90 days. Beginning September 21, 2018, the fraud alert term is extended to one year. Fraud alerts can be renewed for as long as you want. Identity theft victims are entitled to an extended fraud alert period of seven years. You can place a fraud alert by contacting any one of three major credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion), either by phone or online. The contact information for each of the credit reporting agencies is provided below. If you decide that placing a fraud alert is the best for you, you should mark your calendar to renew the alert upon expiration of the initial term.

With a credit freeze, no one (including you) can access your credit to open a new account unless the freeze has been temporarily lifted or permanently removed by you. You can only remove the freeze by contacting the credit reporting agencies directly, in writing (which can take some time). Prior to September 21, 2018, there is a fee for placing and removing a credit freeze, but after this date, credit freezes are free. If you elect to freeze your credit, you will still be able to borrow from existing lenders, but the agencies will not release your information to any new lenders or any other new entity attempting to check your credit. This means that you will have to contact the agencies to remove the freeze before applying for any new credit cards or loans or before applying for insurance, applying for a job, or renting an apartment.

To place a fraud alert, contact one of the credit reporting agencies. That agency will then notify the others.

Equifax: (800) 525-6285 or www.alerts.equifax.com

Experian: (888) 397-3742 or www.experian.com/fraud/center.html

TransUnion: (800) 680-7289 or www.transunion.com/fraud-victim-resource/place-fraud-alert

To place a credit freeze with the major reporting agencies, call each agency or visit their websites. Each credit agency has specific requirements for placing a credit freeze, so you should review the agencies’ information first.

Equifax: (800) 349-9960 or www.freeze.equifax.com

Experian: (888) 397-3742 or www.experian.com/freeze/center.html

Tra nsUn ion: (888) 909-8872 https://freeze.transunion.com/sf/securityFreeze/landingPage.jsp