Local 697 Job Referral Procedures
Link to PDF of Referral_Procedure_7-10.pdf Sign-in Times are 7:30 am - 4:15 pm Mon. Tues. Thur & Friday. 7:30am - 4:45 on Wed.
Frequently asked questions. Below is a long list of questions about re-sign, turn downs and short calls. As stated in the above Referral Procedure, effective July, 2010, re-sign day will be on the "second Tuesday" of the first month of each quarter" (Jan. April, July, Oct.)
Re-Sign Questions_______________
Q. If I originally sign the book one week prior to a re-sign day, do I need to re-sign again a week later? Ans. No. As before, if you sign the book on any day in a month, you are signed for that month. Therefore, if your original sign day is any day in the month of Jan, April, July, or Oct., you will not be required to "re-sign" on the second Tuesday of that month.
Q. If I originally sign the book in the month after a "re-sign month" when would I re-sign again? Ans. In the month of the next re-sign. (Jan, April, July, Oct.). For example: If you originally registered on May 15, you would not be required to "re-sign" until the second Tuesday of July. This would be the same for a June 15 sign date as well.
Q. Can I come in to sign the book and register on the out of work list on re-sign day? Ans. Of course, this has always been the case.
Q. Can I still have my Business Manager fax my re-sign into the Local 697 office as before? Ans. Absolutely, but it must be on the second Tuesday of the re-sign month. This has not changed.
Q. Why won't you accept a re-sign by e-mail? Ans. We have tried e-mail in the past and have run into many problems. Spam Blockers & FireWalls have screened out too many e-mails causing a great deal of confusion. Narrowing the options greatly reduces the opportunity for false claims.
Q. Can I re-sign on any day of the re-sign month? Ans. No. As before, we only accept re-signs on the second Tuesday of the re-sign month.
Q. Why have I had difficulty verifying that my Business Manager's fax was received? Ans. The faxes are received and placed in a bin throughout the day. With several hundred people on the Out of Work List, it is impossible to address all the phone calls and "rifle through" the faxes to find your name.
Q. Does my local need a special form to use for re-sign? Ans. No. Anything on your local's letterhead from your local union with your name and card number will do. For multiple members from the same local, a list is acceptable.
Q. How do I find out what my new position is after re-sign day? Ans. It will be posted on the Local 697 website late during the business day on the following Wednesday.
Q. How would referrals be handled on that Wednesday morning? The list will be adjusted prior to completing any referrals following re-sign Tuesday.
Q. If I forgot to re-sign on the proper day, why can't I just re-sign on any day the next week? Ans. Sorry, but once we have adjusted the list in accordance with re-sign, we will not keep re-adjusting the list due to a lack of responsibility on your part. Too many people would be negatively affected. (One is too many) This has alway been the case.
Q. Won't this quarterly re-sign cause Book II numbers to pile up? Ans. It may, but only for people who are eligible to be on the OUT OF WORK LIST anyway. Remember, it is your responsiblity to have your name removed from the OUT OF WORK LIST if you receive a permanent call (14 calender days) in ANY Local Union!
TURNDOWN QUESTIONS____________
Q. How are turndowns administered? As stated in the referral procedures, anytime a permanent job is referred to someone below you on the out of work list, you will receive a turndown.
Q. What if I am not qualified to take the call? Jobs which require Specialty Skills will not be subject to turndowns. Example: High Voltage Cable Splicer, EPRI or ISA instrument certification, CERTIFIED welders
Note: Often a contractor will give a description of the type of work needed to be done, but this does not mean it is a specialty skill, only a description of the work and/or environment.
Q. Is a "Combo Journeyman/Welder" considered a special skill? No. Fundamental welding and torch skills are expected of any Journeyman registered on the Out of Work List. These are basic JW skills no different than motor control, conduit bending, etc.
Q. I can't weld at all. Will I still get a turndown if a call for a "Combo Journeyman/Welder" is referred to someone below me on the Out of Work list? Yes. This is why there are multiple turndowns available.
Q. Then I should bid on a call even if I can't weld? NO! If you lack the skill for any job, you should not bid on the job and accept the referral. If you accept a job and cannot perform the work, you will be sent back and will lose your position on the book!
Q. If I bid on one job and don't get it, but a different job was available the same day and did get below me, do I still receive a turndown? Yes, if any regular permanent call (over 14 days) gets referred to someone below you, you will receive a turndown.
Q. If I bid on a call, get it, then don't pick it up or don't get your phone call, will I get a turndown? You will be removed from the Out of Work list. This is why you are required to leave a phone number where you can be reached.
Q. Can I recieve more than 1 turndown per day? No, if multiple jobs are referred to applicants below you, you will only receive 1 turndown that day.
Q. Can I receive a turndown for the same job that I received a turndown on the previous day or week? YES
Q. Are turndowns enforced for short calls (scheduled less than 14 calender days) ? No, short calls are not subject to turndowns. However, If you have accumulated turndowns and you accept and complete a short call in Local 697, your accumulated turndowns will be removed and reset to zero.
Q. What if I am on medical restrictions for work. Will I receive turndowns for work? Yes. To be registered on the Out of Work List, you must be able to accept regular Journeyman work.
Q. Item 6 of the Referral Procedure mentions "documented emergencies". Can you give an example? An unexpected emergency involving an immediate family member or death of such family member that can be documented.
Q. What if I have to appear in court? There is no exemption for this. This is why you have multiple turndowns available. However, prior proof of complying with mandatory jury duty will be exempt from turndowns.
General Referral Questions__________________
Q. When are available jobs posted? At the end of the business day. However, just because the Union Office may close at 4: 30 pm, it doesn't mean all available jobs will be posted by 4:35 due to factors occuring within the office. It is best to wait well past the closing time before checking the Hotline and/or website. You have all evening and up until 9am the next morning to check on available jobs. As of Jan 2012, Website bidding is not available until after 6pm.
Q. When will benefits be reported?Any hours worked in a month are not required to be reported to the NECA office until the 15th of the following month. NECA takes about a week to process it and the fuds are then sent to the various funds offices. They will take a few days to process as well. RECIPROCAL HOURS will take even longer, up to 6 weeks after the report date of the 15th. Example: hours earned the first week of August won’t be available until the fourth week of Sept. at the earliest.
Q. Vacation Fund? The vacation fund is a 5% deduct from your gross pay. It is deposited in an account in your name in the IBEW local 697 credit union. This is a liquid account that allows you to withdraw funds as they are deposited. (See "Q. When will benefits be reported?" above)
Short Call Questions_______________________
Q. What does "short call rotation" mean? Do I have to sign a separate list to be considered for short calls? Ans. There is no separate list to sign. Everyone who is registered on the Out of Work List is considered for a short call. Once you recieve a short call, you will be "rotated" to the bottom of the short call rotation if the call is longer than 3 days. For example, if there were 100 applicants on Book II and you were #10 on both Book II and #10 on the short call rotation and took a short call, you would then be rotated to #100 on the short call rotation while retaining #10 on Book II upon completion of the short call provided it was longer than 3 days. Three days or less, you will retain your position on both the short call rotation and Book II.
Q. Can I bid on a permanent call and a short call on the same day if available? Yes, list your bids in the order you would like to be considered for a call. i.e. if your first choice was a 3 month long call and your second choice was a short call, you would be sent on the long call if it was still available when the calls got down to your name. If the long call was filled and the short call was still available you would recieve the short call. Keep in mind that the short call rotation number is used for assigning short calls.
Q. Can I quit a short call to take a permanent call? NO
Q. Can I bid on a permanent call while I am on a short call? Ans. Only if your short call is scheduled to end the day you bid. For example,if your short call ends on a Wednesday, you could bid on a call that is scheduled to start on Thursday. ( As long as you are terminated with an ROF, Reduction Of Forces)
Q. Can I work a short call in another local and maintain my position on local 697's Out of Work List? Yes, as long as the short call is within the same description of a "short call" in Local 697 which in Local 697 is limited to 14 calender days. (If you started on a Wednesday, you would end on Tuesday.)
Q. Can I be exempt from turn downs in Local 697 if I am working a short call in another local? Yes. We would need ADVANCED verification of your short call status from the local from which you were referred. Keep in mind that any turn downs accumulated in 697 up to the start of your short call will remain. Essentially, your status here would freeze only for the duration of the VERIFIED short call.
Note:...... We would ask that you not "drag up" a short call in another local just to take a call in 697 unless you receive a Reduction of Forces from the short call employer.
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