D E C E M B E R   T H O U G H T S   T O   C A R R Y

This month, I'm slowing down to notice the little questions that make life richer:

  1. Are we thankful because we have enough, or do we have enough because we are thankful?
  2. Do we give gifts, or do we give ourselves in the act of giving?
  3. Is it the lights on the tree that make the season bright, or the warmth they remind us to carry in our hearts?
  4. If peace and goodwill are celebrated once a year, do we truly know them if we don’t live them every day?
  5. If joy is shared, does it multiply, or was it always infinite?

In conclusion, think deeply, give generously, and the let the season unfold.

A   H O L I D A Y   H E A D S   U P

Mo Flores, RIA, will be in-house on Monday, December 15th, 2025 .

The Board has made Mo available to help anyone with an Empower account think through their financial plan. It's a valuable resource-one many organizations don't offer, let alone at no cost.

I'd encourage you to take advantage of it. In investing, doing nothing out of uncertainty is often the most expensive decision of all. Use the opportunity to make choices your future self will appreciate.

👉 Schedule Your Appointment with Mo - Click below:

https://ibew-local697.empowermytime.com/#

D E C E M B E R   3 1 S T ,   2 0 2 5 .   1 2 : 0 0 P . M .   S H A R P .

That's when all shortage-of-hours payments are due.

This deadline has been clearly stated in the H&B SPD and communicated for six months. Missing it isn't just inconvenient-it's unnecessary. In health, as in life, the cost of inaction is often far higher than the effort required to act.

Don't let a simple deadline turn into a lesson in what C.O.B.R.A. stands for. Plan ahead, pay on time, and avoid needless complications.

WE ARE MORE THAN HALFWAY THROUGH THE YEAR
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE………IT’S STILL SUMMER!

QUOTES TO CONTEMPLATE FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST

“Lively up yourself, and don’t be no drag”

Bob Marley

“Summer night – even the stars are whispering to each other”

Kobayashi Issa

SPACE IS STILL AVAILABLE!

Attention all Apprentices, Journeypersons, and Early Retirees
If you are interested in learning the “ins and outs” of your Health and Benefit Plan
Make certain to reserve your space at either of the September 14th or September 28th
Gatherings in the Union Hall
Those meetings will begin at 6:00 P.M. on both those two Thursdays
Spouses are Welcome
To reserve your spot, call the Fund Office at: 219-940-6181.

NEED SOME SUMMER READING? CLICK THE NEWSLETTER TAB.

3rd CALENDAR QUARTER – SHORTAGE OF HOURS

PAYMENT REMINDER

Shortage of hours payments for Health and Benefit Fund coverage in the third calendar quarter of 2023 are due at the Benefit Fund office no later than 4:30 P.M. on Friday, June 30th. As always, the rules as it relates to participants with a HRA balance large enough to cover their full shortage of hours payment are in effect. (Hey, we got your back!)

For those that do not have sufficient enough HRA balances to cover the full shortage of hours payment, but wish to utilize some or all of their HRA benefit to offset a portion of your shortage of hours payment, make certain that:

  • You make that election within the Create portal at least fourteen days in advance of the aforementioned due date and,
  • Your balance payment arrives at the Fund Office well in advance of 4:30 P.M. on Friday, June 30th.

THE 2023 SUMMER NEWSLETTER IS OUT!

It contains some very important information that each MPP&T participant needs to know as well as the dates and times of September’s Health & Benefit Plan educational meetings.

To access that information, and the rest of the Summer 2023 newsletter, click on the newsletter tab of this site.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH OF JUNE 2023

“If you can’t tell what you desperately need, it’s probably sleep.”

Kevin Kelly

WE ARE AFFILIATED WITH THE FOLLOWING ENTITIES