Union Plus Introduces Mortgage Grants for Veterans
November 04, 2014

The American dream of homeownership is far too often out of reach, especially for those who make significant sacrifices to protect our country.

Union Plus wants to make the dream of homeownership a reality for hard-working union members who have served in our armed forces.

Starting November 1, 2014, Union Plus will begin offering the Union Plus Mortgage Veterans Grant to provide qualified union member veterans with a $1,000 grant to help offset the costs of a down payment on a home. The grant will not have to be repaid.

Only 33 percent of veterans report looking for a home within the first year of their return from active duty, citing the high cost of home prices and the inability to come up with a down payment as reasons that deter them.

Union Plus wants to make sure that veterans who have joined a union after their service time receive help in making their dream of homeownership a reality.

To be eligible for a grant, members must meet the following qualifications:

Finance the mortgage of their primary residence through the Union Plus Mortgage program on or after November 1, 2014
Be an active or retired union member of a participating union
Be a veteran of the United States Armed Services
Applications must be submitted within 90 days of closing on a mortgage. Limited funds are available and will be awarded in the order eligible applications are received.

Call 1-866-378-1486 or visit UnionPlus.org/Mortgage to learn more about the Union Plus Mortgage Veterans Grant.

New Contact Info for IAM Employee Assistance Program
November 06, 2014

IAM members needing the confidential services of the IAM Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can contact an EAP facilitator directly at 1-800-788-9044, by email at iameap@iamaw.org, or by calling the Retiree, Community and Membership Services Department at 301-967-3433.

EAP services are available for those needing assistance due to debilitating modern day stressors, which include all forms of psychosocial addictions and depressions. EAP services will work with those in need to help locate professional service providers.

All information remains confidential, with the exception of issues threatening physical danger.

A reminder:

August 28, 2014

Dear Affiliated Local Lodges:

Nominations for Directing Business Representative, Business Representative(s) and District Delegate(s) of District Lodge 4 of the IAMAW will be conducted at your first regular monthly meeting in the month of October of 2014.

• One (1) nomination for Directing Business Representative
• Five (5) nominations for Business Representative(s)
• One (1) nomination for District Delegate (1,000 members or less)

To be eligible for the position of Directing Business Representative and Business Representative(s), a member must be in continuous good standing of an affiliated Local Lodge for at least two (2) years prior to his nomination, must be actively  employed under a collective bargaining agreement coming under the jurisdiction of this District or employed by the District or one of the affiliated Local Lodges, and free from delinquencies of any nature to a Local, District or Grand Lodge.

Please notify your membership of these nominations being conducted at your October 2014 regular monthly meeting. Post on all union bulletin boards in all shops and include the date, time and location of your local lodge’s October 2014 meeting.

In Solidarity,

Danny N. Loudermilk, Jr.

Danny N. Loudermilk, Jr.

Recording Secretary

IAM District 4

Maryland Workers’ Compensation Law

Hearing Loss and Tinnitis Claims – Maryland Workers’ Compensation Law  

By Clifford B. Sobin, Esq.

Occupational Deafness claims under Maryland Workers Compensation generally involve two different medical problems.  The first is actual inability to hear sounds.  This is referred to as hearing loss.  The second often shows up as “ringing in the ears” and frequently is caused by tinnitus. Despite the fact that they both impact your ability to hear and understand what other say, they are treated differently by Maryland law.

This blog entry is part of a three part series.

• This blog post discusses hearing loss.
• My next blog will cover tinnitus.
• The third in this series will talk be about money you may receive if your case is found compensable and the importance of filing a claim due to the potential future expense of hearing aids.

How Much Hearing Loss Do You need to File a Claim?

Unfortunately, not all hearing loss that you may have is covered.  Typically, occupational hearing loss first appears at the higher frequencies. If your employer provides hearing tests, as is the case with many fire fighters, the records will include a chart that summarizes the testing results.  The same is the case if you go to your private physician.

Usually, if you have hearing loss it will first show up at the higher frequencies; between 4,000 and 6,000 hertz. Although that type of loss is annoying because it means you have difficulty hearing high pitched sounds and perhaps voices on the telephone – it is not covered under Maryland Worker’s Compensation law. Only frequency loss in the 500 to 3,000 range is covered. And then, only if the average is more than 25 decibels of loss and your age was less than fifty when you were last exposed to noise (your hearing tests will show the loss at 500, 1000, 2000, and 3000 herz).

If you were older than fifty when last exposed to loud noise on your job, the average goes up by one half decibel for each year.  Therefore, if your last exposure was at age 54, you need more than an average of 27 decibels of loss.

Which Employer Pays?

Generally, the last employer you worked for when last exposed to loud noise is responsible for paying your hearing loss claim if you worked there for at least ninety days. However, that employer has the right to try to lay off some of the responsibility to pay you if they can prove your prior employers caused some of your hearing loss. But that is their problem, not yours.

However, if you worked for more than one employer at the same time of your last noise exposure, and you were exposed to loud noise while working for both, then things get a little bit more complicated. Frequently, both employers will be added to your Workers’ Compensation claim and both will share the responsibility to pay you.

How Long Do You have To File a Hearing Loss Claim?

The easy answer is two years, but two years from what? To be on the safe side you should seek legal advice as soon as you think you are suffering from hearing loss. It is a simple matter for your attorney to review your medical records and determine if it is time to consider filing a claim.  I usually ask my clients to forward me their last hearing test and then I tell them in a quick telephone call if they should move forward.  If you are curious for yourself, I invite you to contact me. There is no charge for me reviewing the records.

But what if it has been more than two years since you first have had tests showing hearing loss? The simple answer is … it’s complicated. There is an appellate case that said an employee filed his claim too late because he waited more than two years from when he was told by his doctor that he had hearing loss caused by his job and – this is important – the test showed a level of hearing loss that was covered under Maryland law. The bottom line is the following factors matter:

• When were you advised that you have hearing loss?
• What were the test results when you were told?
• Did your physician say it was occupationally related?
• Has your employment changed since your last test and has your hearing worsened in the new employment?
• Has it been more than two years since you first have had hearing test that is compensable under Maryland law?

Unfortunately, as you might guess by now, I can’t provide you with a definite answer for you to be sure how long you have to file a claim. To what extent the factors above make a difference is very fact specific. Only an attorney can make an informed decision and provide you with the proper advice customized to you.

 Clifford B. Sobin, Esq.  Gretchen A. Rogers, Esq. 

Berman, Sobin, Gross, Feldman & Darby, LLP www.bsgfdlaw.com

A Machinist Founded Labor Day.

Happy Labor Day Everyone!

At Augusts Local 24 Union meeting, Gregory Coleman was sworn in as Shop Steward for LOGMET. LOGMET supports AKIMA and the Navy at Joint Base Andrews.

LOGMET Shop Steward Gregory Coleman and District 4   Assistant Directing Business Representative Rick Compher

District 4 Assistant Directing Business Representative Rick Compher reports that AKIMA members have overwhelmingly ratified a new 3 year agreement to run October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2017. Details will be posted as soon as they become available.