IUOE Magazine - International Union of Operating Engineers

legislation authorizing badly needed funding for recovery
efforts. All 36 votes against the measure were Republicans.
The House of Representatives had already passed the
measure, H.R. 152, two weeks earlier by a margin of 241-180.
Unfortunately, 179 Republicans saw fit to vote against the
legislation to rebuild major sections of New Jersey, New York,
and Connecticut, home to one in every six Americans. The
Senate passage of the bill sent the long-awaited measure to
President Obama’s desk, where he quickly signed it into law.
Calling on Congress to pass the legislation, General
President Callahan said, “No region in the country is immune
to disaster…What is clear now is that the nation must come
together to assist the region. There is no time for delay.”
The package included over $50 billion in resources to aid
people whose homes were damaged or destroyed, as well as
to business owners who had heavy losses. It will also pay for
replenishing shorelines, repairing subway and commuter
rail systems, fixing bridges and tunnels, and reimbursing
local governments for other emergency spending. These
resources are in addition to $9.7 billion Congress had already
approved for FEMA’s Flood Insurance Program.
[left] High storm surge and heavy wave action washed away homes
and carved a channel from the ocean to the bay, cutting the town
of Mantoloking, NJ in half. A week later, Operating Engineers from
Local 825 had reconnected the island and opened access to rescue
workers and utility crews. [photo] AP/Doug Mills; AP, Mel Evans
[above] With NJ Governor Chris Christie looking on, Local 825
member Warren Kuhlthau operates the piledriver kicking off
reconstruction of the boardwalk in Belmar, NJ. [photo] Tim Larsen/
NJ Governor’s Office
[right] Local 30 Business Manager and International Trustee Jack
Ahern (center) hands out some of the first checks to members from
the IUOE National Charity Fund. [photo] IUOE Local 30
fall 2012
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