Operating Engineer - Summer 2014

International Operating Engineer
(ISSN 0020-8159) is published by the:
International Union of
Operating Engineers, AFL-CIO
1125 17 th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
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be submitted in writing to the IUOE
Membership Department (address
above). Include your new address,
registration and local union number.
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Printed in the U.S.A.
International Union of Operating Engineers
AFL-CIO
general officers
James T. Callahan, General President
Brian E. Hickey, General Secretary-Treasurer
William C. Waggoner, First Vice President
Patrick L. Sink, Second Vice President
Jerry Kalmar, Third Vice President
Russell E. Burns, Fourth Vice President
James M. Sweeney, Fifth Vice President
Robert T. Heenan, Sixth Vice President
Daniel J. McGraw, Seventh Vice President
Daren Konopaski, Eighth Vice President
Michael Gallagher, Ninth Vice President
Greg Lalevee, Tenth Vice President
Terrance E. McGowan, Eleventh Vice President
Louis G. Rasetta, Twelfth Vice President
Mark Maierle, Thirteenth Vice President
Randy Griffin, Fourteenth Vice President
trustees
Kuba J. Brown, Trustee
Bruce Moffatt, Trustee
James T. Kunz, Jr., Trustee
Joseph F. Shanahan, Trustee
In Memorium
Local 30 Business Manager and International
Trustee John “Jack” T. Ahern passed away June 17
after a long illness. He was 60.
Ahern began his career with the Operating
Engineers as an apprentice in 1974. He was
elected Business Manager and Financial
Secretary of Local 30 in 1999.
Ahern will be remembered as a dedicated union
leader and activist. He was also very active in the
Irish-American community, serving on the board
of the Emerald Isle Immigration Center.
From the General President
Vote Like Your Job Depends On It
Our livelihoods closely tied to political outcomes
This summer we are receiving
encouraging news from every region
within the International about
increased hours and opportunities for
Operating Engineers. Many projects,
large and small, that had been delayed
or sidelined as we emerged from the
recession are now underway.
The pipeline industry in particular
has seen steady growth, reaching an
all time high for employment in that
sector last month. Natural gas has been
the primary engine behind this growth,
bringing increased work for our
members in Canada and the Northeast
and North-Central Regions.
Other energy projects have also
contributed. The Plant Vogtle nuclear
site in Georgia continues to employ
many in the South Atlantic Region. The
Western Region is beginning to see the
benefits of wind power construction,
while the Western Initiative for Nuclear
promises to bring good jobs into the
future. Two major tunneling projects
in the Pacific Northwest, along with
the return of traditional building
construction to the Greater Los Angeles
area and Hawaiian Islands are making
this one of the best construction
seasons we have seen in quite some
time.
This trend has also been evident
among our Stationary membership. A
committed effort to training and new
organizing across all regions is proving
very successful. In conversations with
General Secretary Hickey and Business
Managers representing Stationary
Engineers, they are reporting near full
employment with organizing efforts
underway in many sectors of the
industry.
While we continue to work on
solidifying gains and creating new
opportunities, political ideology and
legislative malpractice threaten to slow
this positive momentum.
Once again we find ourselves in an
uphill struggle to preserve our right to
organize and to collectively bargain.
Extreme right-wing politicians
continue to try and weaken our union
through so-called Right-to-Work
initiatives at the state and local levels.
In Congress, attempts to strip Davis-
Bacon prevailing wage coverage from
federal spending are offered regularly
by anti-union lawmakers.
But perhaps worst of all, the U.S.
Congress is now playing games with
the Highway Trust Fund. Funding
the construction and repair of our
roads and bridges is a basic function
of government and we are working to
ensure that they don’t drop the ball
on this one. Too many construction
jobs – our jobs – are at risk. Failure is
definitely not an option.
We know all too well that the
livelihoods of IUOE members are tied
to political outcomes. This is why I
feel that the midterm elections on
November 4th are such a priority for
Operating Engineers. We must engage
at every level, but I want to put specific
emphasis on the U.S. Senate.
A handful of competitive campaigns
around the country will decide who
controls the Senate. The IUOE has
always looked at issues first and
political party last, but if Republicans
gain control, their leader Mitch
McConnell has vowed that he will push
to repeal Davis-Bacon prevailing wage
and institute anti-union laws like Rightto-Work
on a national scale. They will
also be in control of the committees
that will write the new transportation
bill, giving non-union contractors like
the ABC a primary seat at the table.
Make no mistake, we cannot afford
to sit this election cycle out. We must
stand up and ask candidates the hard
questions about collective bargaining,
Davis-Bacon and the right to organize.
[James T. Callahan]
We must take the fight directly to
politicians like Mitch McConnell in
Kentucky and others who share his
extreme agenda. We must send a
message that anti-worker, anti-middle
class positions will cost them the
election.
Operating Engineers make a real
difference in federal, state and local
elections. We will weigh all the facts
and continue to support candidates
from both sides of the aisle who vote
along the lines I’ve spelled out here.
Each one of us should put these
important issues at the forefront of
our decision making when we enter
the voting booth November 4th. Our
collective future depends on it.
So once again, I urge you to vote for
those who support our way of feeding
our families, educating our children,
and retiring with dignity when our
time comes. Stand with those who
stand with us. Visit the IUOE website
and keep an eye on your mailbox
for important information on the
upcoming elections.
As always, I consider it a great
honor to serve as your General
President. I have been blessed with
an engaging General Executive Board,
a tireless International staff, and
knowledgeable field representation
second to none, who all work to serve
this great membership. For that I am
truly grateful.
Work safely and have a great
summer.
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SUMMER 2014 5