EST Wayne Jennings has begun recording regular video updates to keep members informed about how COVID-19 is affecting SSMRC, our members, and their work opportunities.

If you have a question related to COVID-19 and our council and would like EST Jennings to answer it in an upcoming video message, please send it to [email protected] or leave a message at 855-57-SSMRC (855-577-7672). EST Jennings will answer as many questions as possible during the recordings, and we will respond directly to additional questions as well.

Samuel E. Williams is a fourth-period apprentice from Local 1263 who was activated in the Georgia National Guard. An E-4 specialist with the 810 ^th engineering company, Williams will be working with the Georgia National Guard through May 21.

SSMRC is working with labor-friendly members of Congress to promote passage of the Worker Health Coverage Protection Act. The bill would cover the full cost of COBRA premiums for workers who have been laid off, furloughed, or had their hours reduced. Click here to read more about the bill.

The SSMRC is launching a quarterly challenge to encourage members to volunteer in their communities. Please send us photos, descriptions, and/or videos illustrating your community service. Email them to [email protected]. We might share these images/stories on social media and in this newsletter. Each quarter, one person who submitted their work will be rewarded with a $250 gift card and a job-site cooler and bottle set.

For ideas about assisting your community during the COVID-19 pandemic, see the community-service-opportunities item below.

If you want to buy clothing, tools, furniture, household items and more that are made in the United States, this list can help.

Western Region:

 

Local 216

 

Local 729

 

Local 2232

 

Local 1421

 

Central Region:

Automotive

Power Generation

The Tennessee Valley Authority recently instituted COVID-19 testing and temperature-check guidelines. Click below to read more.

Pulp and Paper

Eastern Region:

 

-A project schedule change is being implemented. RCC craft and Bechtel Field Non-Manuals will move to a five-day, 10-hour work week schedule. Work on Saturdays and Sundays will be limited scope. This schedule will continue until further notice.

-Because some employees on the Plant Vogtle Units 3&4 construction site have tested positive for COVID-19 and others are in quarantine, management has decided to implement a reduction in force to allow for better social distancing and increased efforts to control the environment on site. Management reached an agreement with the union to start by laying off those who agree to be laid off. Employees who are part of this reduction in force will be eligible for rehire ahead of others on the referral list. Click here to read more about the reduction in force.

-Individuals have the option of staying home if they feel unsafe coming to work. If a member chooses to stay home or is given a quarantine order from an offsite doctor, there is no compensation package. If an onsite doctor tells a member to quarantine, that member is given a compensation package equal to pay for 40 hours and per diem if they received it before.

We encourage all SSMRC members to take the 15-minute COVID-19 Preparedness course to learn how to protect themselves and co-workers at job sites. Click here to find out how to access the course.

The Gulf Coast Training Trust Fund is sponsoring a system of online courses for union millwrights in Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. For apprentices, completing this coursework will be applied to your advancement.

 

Classes are updated regularly, but a sample list of courses includes: 

 

 

Registering for the coursework is fast and simple. Get started here .

Two new federal laws – the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act) and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) – offer financial relief for workers who have been affected by COVID-19 through job loss, reduced hours, illness, loss of child care, and more. Here are links to information and resources:

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service has created an online tool that allows users to check the status of their economic-impact payments.

This application will give you information about:

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced that as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency is extending by 180 days the expiration date of any Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) with an expiration date between March 1, 2020 and July 31, 2020. TSA indicates that because many states and localities have imposed “stay at home” and “social distancing” measures, it has made untenable the requirement that current TWIC holders seeking to renew their credential must do so in person and only at approved enrollment sites. Click here to read more.

Please tell us about essential work you are performing as a millwright and let us know how you and your family are doing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Click here to learn how to share your story.

If you would like to help your community respond to COVID-19, there are many volunteer opportunities:

SSMRC local offices will remain closed through April 30. Please continue to stay in touch with your business agent through the contact information below, and let him know of any COVID-19-related job changes you experience. As always, we will provide all forms of service and support to our members. For locals that do not have an online dues payment system in place, a staff member will go into the office one or two days a week to process dues payments. Local leaders will inform members of scheduled operation days.