A poet once wrote that “no man is an island entire of itself”. Everyone at some time in their life has needed some help, we are only human. The upcoming holiday season is statistically a time of year when levels of stress are at their highest. Issues such as loss of relationships, financial worries, and abuses and addictions (substance, alcohol, gambling, etc.) are magnified during this time of year. Our local has an excellent employee assistance program, administered by Mr. Terry Harman of Awakenings Community Services, 1-866-327-2726. Remember, no one should have to “go it alone”.

 With the year almost at an end there are many members asking about retirement. If you are considering retirement at the end of this year, it is in your best interest to come in early in the next 2 months to do your paperwork. Waiting for the last minute can cause unnecessary delays in receiving your health care benefits especially with Caremark.

Congratulations to Don Watson (38 years) and Troy Asher (46 years) of the 84” Hot Strip on their recent retirement. We wish them and their families the very best.

 I have been receiving many phone calls and emails concerning what will happen with the new health care laws and our newly elected Congress. The honest answer right now is we don’t know. I can say that there are no changes concerning the recent open enrollment in benefits in relation to dependents. Any active member or retiree who needs a copy of the Summary Plan Description or Program of Benefits books can email me, www.marianoflores1011@yahoo.com, and I will send an electronic copy. About a year ago I changed my cell phone number. As a reminder it is 219-746-4660.

  I will be attending the ICD National Conference 11/18 – 11/19. Also, I will be on vacation the weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Larry Oar Jr. will be in my office, ext.19, to answer any insurance or sickness and accident benefits questions.

 I am happy to announce that Local 1011 will be sponsoring an Angel Tree for the Salvation Army of East Chicago. The Angels will be available approximately the week of November 21^st. Also our local will be sponsoring a food drive to help the hungry of East Chicago. There will be a “drop box” at the hall. Even in tough times the good people of Local 1011 have been generous to those who need our help

 I would like to extend my personal thanks to Jim Flores, Jaime Quiroz, Dwayne Locher, Brian Tucker, and Dino Manous for their tremendous assistance with keeping me informed on members who are on sickness and accident..

 We of Local 1011 have prided ourselves as being a family, dysfunctional at times, but a family none the less. With that I would like to share another quotation; "We've been through some things together, with trunks of memories still to come.”

 Wishing You and Your Family a Safe and Happy Holidays,

 Mariano “Chief” Flores

April  29, 2010

I will be on vacation the week of 5/3/2010. I will be back in the office on 5/10/2010.  I can still be reached on my office phone (398-3150 ext.19), cell phone (746-4660), union e-mail address (mariano.flores@usw1011.com), or company e-mail address (mariano.flores@arcelormittal.com).  

 Effective 6/7/2010 I will be implementing a schedule to better serve the membership;

Monday, Tuesday, and Friday will be for pensions and sickness and accident cases.

Tuesdays and Wednesdays will be for insurance and sickness and accident cases.

Walk-ins are always welcome. 

It is important to remember to make an appointment concerning pensions. Also, spouses are always welcome when discussing matters of pensions. 

In Solidarity,

Chief 

Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

As of 3/24/2010 we cast our first slab at # 3 Steel Producing. I would like to congratulate the maintenance crew of # 3 SP for their outstanding work at getting Steel Producing ready despite the adversity they had to face. Secondly, I would like to congratulate the people of “A- Crew” with having the honor of casting the first slab.

Because of the recent increase in people asking for pensions, I will soon be posting a schedule on days that I will be able to work exclusively on s&a and insurance issues. Our local continues to have problems with s&a benefits, if you or anyone you know has to go on s&a, please get in contact with me. Also, I hope by this summer to start a new program where I will be in the plant on scheduled days to address member’s questions on benefits. As of 3/17/2010 Mike Crague of the Hot Strip will be helping me with pensions for awhile due to the fact that we have been receiving the majority of inquiries concerning pensions from Finishing and the Hot Strip.

Our Highmark representative, Anne Pennington, will be at our local on; 4/14, 4/28, 5/12, 5/26, 6/29, 6/23, 7/14, 7/28, 8/11, 8/25. Her scheduled times will be from 9 a.m. till noon. I will post Ann’s fall schedule when it becomes available.

I will be out of the office from 4/2 until 4/12. In case of an emergency please get in contact with Tom or your griever and they will be able to contact me.

In the past ten months we have faced some tough times and we managed to get through because we have stayed together. Our industry is a volatile one. In my 36 years I have been through major layoffs and shutdowns 4 times and each time we have been back just as strong because we have stuck together.

 In Solidarity,

 Chief

I will be taking vacation days between 12/4/2009 and 12/31/2009. I can still be reached on my office phone, cell, union e-mail address, or company e-mail address.

                                                Chief 

USW 1011

RETIREMENT CHECK LIST

  1)     Call steelworkers pension trust @1-800-848-1953 or get a pension request fax sheet from the racks by the front door at our hall and request an estimate on your pension, the average response time is 30 to 60 days.

  2)     After you have reviewed your estimate call Mariano “Chief “ Flores for an appointment to talk about your pension benefit and explain the various options on your read out

  3)     If at that time you elect to retire Chief will have a list of documentation (birth certificate, marriage certificate, social security card, etc.) that will be required to complete the process.

  4)     Also, Chief will explain the $ 10,000.00 pension enhancement payment and the bridging over of your health care and optional life insurance (if applicable)

 IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS CALL CHIEF @398-3150 EXT. 19 OR 746-4660

September 2, 2009

To The Membership of L.U. 1011,

Please be advised that representatives from the company will no longer be at our local on Mondays to assist with unemployment sign ups or to assist with problems. Members will have to go to their local WORK ONE office for initial sign ups or problems. The computer lab will still be open on Mondays for members to use for unemployment sign ups.

Also, as of 9/8/2009 my new cell number will be 219-746-4660. I can still be reached at 219-398-3150 ext. 19.

                                           chief

7/30/2009

To The Membership of L.U. 1011

July 9, 2009 

To The Membership of L.U. 1011

An alarming trend we are seeing lately is that members are incurring out of network insurance expenses. It is important to check with your provider if they are within the network. In case your provider should refer you to specialist/clinic check with the corresponding insurance company to see if the specialist and or the clinic you are being referred to is in the network.

It is important that you ask questions concerning any procedure. You should ask who is involved and are they within the network, what medications are being used and are they covered, what test are involved and are they covered, it is important to document any and all information and conversations that you may have with any doctor’s or insurance representative.

Ann Pennington, our Highmark representative, will be at our local these following dates;

7/22, 8/12, 8/26, 9/9, and 9/23 between the hours of 9:00am and noon.

In Solidarity,

Mariano “Chief” Flores

June 30, 2009

To The Membership of L.U. 1011

 I apologize to any and all who have been trying to get a hold of me concerning pension and insurance issues, I am still having problems with 398-3150 ext. 19, hopefully they will be resolved before the end of this week. I can still be reached @ 391-2413 or on my cell @ 219-776-3791.

 Beginning today information concerning insurance and job postings can be found via a link on our website.

Fraternally,

Mariano “Chief” Flores

May 18,2009

To the Membership of Local 1011

As of May 15, 2009 Mariano “Chief” Flores will be our local’s contact person for pensions and insurance issues. Chief can be reached at 391-2413, 398-3150 ext. 19, or 776-3791.

Ann Pennington will continue to be our insurance representative. She can be found at our local between the hours of 9:00 am and noon, Ann will be in Kelley’s old office, ext 19. Ann’s next 3 scheduled visits are 5/27/09, 6/10/09, and 6/24/09