The International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) is a

trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

in the United States and Canada that represents members who construct, modernize, repair, and service

elevator An elevator (American English) or lift (Commonwealth English) is a machine that vertically transports people or freight between levels. They are typically powered by electric motors that drive traction cables and counterweight systems suc ...

escalator An escalator is a moving staircase which carries people between floors of a building or structure. It consists of a Electric motor, motor-driven chain of individually linked steps on a track which cycle on a pair of tracks which keep the st ...

moving walkway A moving walkway – also known as an autowalk, moving pavement, moving sidewalk, travolator, or travelator – is a slow-moving conveyor mechanism that transports people across a horizontal or inclined plane, over a short to medium distance. T ...

s, and other conveyances. The IUEC claims a membership of over 25,000. The IUEC is a

bargaining unit A bargaining unit, in labor relations, is a group of employees with a clear and identifiable community of interests who is (under US law) represented by a single labor union in collective bargaining Collective bargaining is a process of negotiat ...

for its members who in turn pay quarterly dues to compensate for the representation. There are various locals throughout the United States and Canada made up of members from the same geographic areas. In conjunction with union employers, the union administers the National Elevator Industry Health Benefit Plans to offer pension benefits and healthcare. The IUEC forbids

modular construction Modular construction is a construction technique which involves the prefabrication of 2D panels or 3D volumetric structures in off-site factories and transportation to construction sites for assembly. This process has the potential to be superior ...

of elevators, preventing the kind of preassembly and prefabrication that have become standard in elevators in the rest of the world, leading to higher elevator costs in the United States. The union limits entry of new workers into the field, and has constrained the ability of firms to use new technology to streamline elevator production in the United States. Data indicates that elevator-related work is the highest paid

trade Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. Traders generally negotiate through a medium of cr ...

in the United States, with a median wage $47.60 per hour in 2021.

History

In 1932, the union threatened a strike, which prompted the Elevator Manufacturers Association to raise wages. In 1972, the union was involved in a major elevator strike. Historically, the union has excluded black members. In 1963, the head of the New York local of the union said it had "maybe three" black members and argued that this was because black people were "afraid of heights." In 1974, the union entered into an agreement with the Labor Department where it pledged to make a "good faith effort" to hire more minority workers. In 1977, 1,500 union members went on strike against the Westinghouse Elevator Company. In the early 2000s, Local 1 of the union, which represented 2,900 members, was subject to a federal labor

racketeering Racketeering is a type of organized crime in which the perpetrators set up a coercion, coercive, fraud, fraudulent, extortionary, or otherwise illegal coordinated scheme or operation (a "racket") to repeatedly or consistently collect a profit. ...

investigation, leading to the indictment of several union leaders. In 2005, the union was embroiled in a labor dispute with New York's elevator companies over wage increases and over proposals by the companies to streamline elevator construction guidelines. The union also sought to prevent companies from using what it said was unskilled people to make elevator repairs. The union has lobbied for New York state legislation to require all elevator repairmen to be

licensed A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another part ...

Presidents

:1904: Frank Feeney :1905: William Havenstrite :1906: P. E. Cryder (acting) :1907: Joseph Murphy :1916: Frank Feeney :1938: John C. MacDonald :1955: Edward A. Smith :1959: Thomas Allen :1962: John Proctor :1966: R. Wayne Williams :1976: Everett A. Treadway :1991: John N. Russell :1998:

Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television host, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Daily News'' and the Chicago Tribune New York News ...

:2000: Dana Brigham :2012: Frank J. Christensen

Notes

External links

* * Elevators Trade unions in the United States Trade unions in Canada AFL-CIO affiliates Building and construction trade unions Columbia, Maryland Organizations based in Maryland Trade unions established in 1901 1901 establishments in the United States {{US-trade-union-stub

History

Presidents

See also

Notes

External links