This is an excerpt from elevator constructor monthly, what do you think?
Local 12 Kansas city Missouri.
Commentary: Websites
From a two stop hydro to the tallest high-rise, I carry a card that says I can fix it, but sometimes I could use a little help. Who do you talk to when the equipment is older than dirt, and the last guy to shoot trouble on it retired two years back? Or maybe the latest and greatest equipment that company X put out the door is down and their tech boys are not about to help you make their equipment run. It would be great to call on a brother and get some advice or a new direction on how to fix it. I had thought that this would have been a natural for our union but alas, the liability for NEIEP to do this is to great. There are to many lawyers in in the world and local 12 has learned just how much lawyers cost.
I have found several elevator Internet sites where they welcome elevator personnel , also building maintenance men, building managers, contractors, and owners. It is a great idea and one we really need in our industry but it should be restricted to IUEC members where where ony members could access it. Is anyone else worried about who is reading these forums? Why hire a union consructor if this type of experience and knowledge is readily available to anyone who comes looking, including non union and bilding maintenance men? I have read some of these forums. Those who have posted are well informed and most likely union members providing the critical information. They are well intentioned but definitely not helping the industry. I would recommend that none of our members provide information to any of these types of sites.
However, if any of these websites change their format to provide a secure union meber only forum online, then I would be the first to recommend it. Providing a forum or site where ONLY union elevator constrictors could enter to discuss with other union members specific questions, problems and solutions,and share their knowledge would be a natural progression of our industry into the future. Verifying union membership though may be a problem. Who would have a list of active members from month to month? So I guess what I am saying is if it is not a union site, then don't supply any information. It is a shame our union could not be the one to provide and control it for us but I understand.... To many lawyers.
Opposing views are good. Email me. Jim linn.
[email protected]That was the article in this months elevator constructor. As I am one of the members with the most posts to this forum, I was wondering your thoughts on the subject. I personally do not think we are harming the elevator industry. It is hard enough for a trained IUEC elevator mechanic to fix most of the equipment out there. Does Jim really think that there is a copious amount of building managers, maintenance men etc. , surfing the web trying to find a way to fix there broken elevator? To tell the truth, there are only a few elevator guys that go the extra distance to better themselves by searching for such forums as this one. I know this because look at the membership numbers for this forum, they are still low and it jas been open for nearly 2 years. I realize that ther could be a liability issue here, but how long should we walk on eggshells to appease the overwhelming number of frivolous lawsuits that our industry has to indure. What do you think?
