Operating Engineer - Winter 2014

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pipelines to bring natural gas from shale plays in other states into Connecticut. Local 478 now had a gubernatorial candidate with a proven track record and innovative ideas to get behind and they went to work. During the campaign, Local 478 members phone banked, precinct walked and door knocked tens of thousands of Connecticut voters. The Connecticut AFL-CIO stated that Local 478 put in more campaign hours than any other local union in the state. In fact, they put in more political hours than all the other local unions put together. As soon as Dan Malloy was sworn in as Connecticut’s Governor, he began working in conjunction with the Operating Engineers on a number of his proposals including the $2 billion, 10 year expansion of the UConn Campuses, rebuilding the State’s roads and bridges and, the crown jewel of his public construction plan, the Governor’s Comprehensive Energy Strategy. The plan would require constructing new transmission and distribution pipelines that would allow more than 300,000 homes and 75% of that State’s businesses to convert to natural gas for their energy needs. Still, the Connecticut Legislature needed to be convinced on the merits of the energy plan. So Local 478 Business Manager Craig Metz and COPE Director Nate Brown reached out to the gas utilities and joined forces with them to push the Governor’s energy plan through. The successful lobbying efforts by both the union and the utilities went on into the final hours of the legislative session. In the process, Local 478 hit its second objective of finding new business since the big three gas utilities were now in a solid alliance with the union. Through it all, the Local’s biggest challenge remained their ability to train and deliver enough operating engineers with pipelining skills to meet the manpower that was going to be needed. The best way for that to happen was for the International to send the National Pipeline Training Program instructors to Connecticut to teach their intensive, three-week program. With the 16 INTERNATIONAL OPERATING ENGINEER
[top] Local 478 members taking part in the Pipeline Training Program show off their new skills to members of the media and invited guests. [below, left] IUOE General President Callahan and Local 478 Business Manager Craig Metz stand with local members, pipeline trainers and union staff at the training facility. [below, right] Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy spoke at the press conference. [photos] IUOE Local 478 support of IUOE General President Callahan, Pipeline Training Director Mike Gavlock and his staff conducted two back-to-back pipeline training programs. Participants completed rigorous training on the sideboom, the angle dozer and the backhoe. During the first training session, Local 478 hosted a pipeline training showcase and press conference. Business Manager Craig Metz introduced General President Callahan and Governor Malloy who touted the benefits of natural gas and praised the union for their foresight and commitment to producing the nation’s best trained pipeline builders. General President Callahan assured the Governor of the IUOE’s commitment. “If this work is so plentiful, we’ll make sure that you have the best trained people to complete the job.” Callahan’s assurance that the International and Local 478 would ensure that Connecticut’s pipelines were built right, built safe and built to last was applauded by Connecticut DEEP Commissioner Daniel Esty, Connecticut AFL-CIO President Lori Pelletier, State Senator Dante Bartolomeo and State Representative Lonnie Reed who were also in attendance. Following the press conference, over 100 attendees including elected officials, utility company representatives and pipeline contractors got to see a demonstration of IUOE pipeline training instructors and their students performing hands-on, in-theseat practical training as Local 478 operating engineers began laying a new foundation for Connecticut’s energy future. WINTER 2014 17
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Operating Engineer - Winter 2014

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