Operating Engineer - Summer 2014

Education & Training
Massive Training Center Expansion Underway in Wisconsin
Demand for Certifications on the Rise, the Union has it Covered
WORK PROGRESSES ON THE 108,000-SQUARE-FOOT
addition to the Joseph J. Goetz Jr. Training Center near
Coloma, WI. The addition is being built to allow members of
IUOE Local 139 an opportunity to train on heavy equipment
year-round, even during periods of severe winter weather in
Wisconsin.
[photo] Dave Backmann, Local 139
Governor O’Malley Tours New IUOE Local 99 Engineer Center
IUOE LOCAL 99 BUSINESS MANAGER Michael R.
Murphy recently invited Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley
to tour their new Training Facility “Engineer Center” in Largo,
MD. While at the facility the Governor met with Training
Coordinator Sam Redden and Business Representative
Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley (center) visits with
Local 99’s Sam Redden and Don Havard at the local’s new
training facility.
[photo] Executive Office of the Governor
Don Havard to discuss the Apprenticeship Program and the
Advanced Training Classes that are offered by Local 99. “The
Governor was very impressed and complimentary of the
facility, classrooms and the curriculum,” reports Murphy.
THE TRAINERS AT IUOE LOCAL 399
work closely with their business agents to
keep up with job market demands so that
they may continue to offer the skills training
and certifications the membership requires
for job qualification and advancement. Many
employers require specific certifications in
order to even be considered for employment.
Sometimes, an engineer will watch a great
opportunity pass them by because they
missed the chance to earn a certification
which would have qualified them for a
desired position.
Local 399 Operating Engineers employed
at the University Of Chicago (UIC) know this
all too well. As a condition of employment,
all of the UIC Utilities, Heat, Light and
Power engineers are required to have the
EPA 608 universal certification. This level
of certification, like other credentials, help
ensure that our union engineers can attain these highly
skilled positions.
Other areas of opportunity for engineers are in the energy
conservation, sustainability and green technology fields.
Those topics have been around for quite a while now, but have
picked up momentum and show promising opportunities for
our members.
Spotting this trend, Local 399’s instructors Dave Arvans
and Ralph White turned to the IUOE National Training
Fund’s Energy Conservation course to educate members on
the importance of being proactive in energy management, as
well as understand what a critical role the operating engineer
has in energy management in North America.
The steady increase in the cost of energy has renewed
interest and attention around sustainability and its effects
on facilities operations. Perhaps the most recognizable
accreditation in this area is the Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Associates.
Understanding and acquiring this accreditation can prove to
be very beneficial for engineers, especially when seeking new
positions in a wide range of facilities. Recently, instructor
Barbara Hickey of Local 399’s Facilities Sustainability class
provided guidance while assisting 12 of her students in
receiving their LEED Green Associates
accreditation.
The training and credentialing offered
through IUOE locals is an important part
of our profession. It provides an enormous
amount of power when showing current and
prospective employers the importance of
hiring an educated and professional union
Operating Engineer.
[above] Engineers at UIC display their
certification cards. L to R: Robert Franzese, Jack
Brennan, John Campbell, Kevin Casserly, Brian
Mahoney, Kevin Nagle
[left] L to R: Mike Scanlon, Jim Tornabene, Mike
Walz, Tim Hamilton, Shawn Marshall, John
O’Shea, Tim O’Shea, Robert Davenport
Bruce Langele, Kenneth Shipp
[photos] Local 399
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INTERNATIONAL OPERATING ENGINEER
SUMMER 2014 7