Volume 5 Issue 1 - Operating Engineers Local 520

Page 5 Volume 5, Issue 1Mike Parkinson,TreasurerVern Parmley,Financial SecretaryBrothers and Sisters,Winter has not released us from its’ grip yet, proven by the twoto seventeen inches of snow depending on your location in SW Illinoison March 24 th . I have no doubt that spring will arrive, followed bysummer and the hot days in July and August. By that time we will betrying to make up some hours lost to the long winter. The questionon everybody’s mind is will there be work so hours can be made up.Local 520 has without question not participated in the employmentdecline experienced by the rest of the country. In 2008 whenthe financial collapse trigged by the bursting of the housing and realestate bubble occurred, considered to be the worst financial crisissince the Great Depression of the 1930’s, Local 520 was well intowhat would become five years of near record hours.The average annual hours worked from 2002-2006 was 1.42million hours. The average annual hours worked from 2007-2011 was2.3 million. As predicted 2012 was a big step moving back to normalwork load, 1.5 million hours reported.Prairie State Energy Campus is a project that largely contributedto the hours reported in that five year run. It continues to providework for Local 520 members and other trades with the outage workbeing done under the National Maintenance Agreement. In addition tothe ongoing maintenance work, other projects have developed there.In mid-2011 Plocher Construction was awarded the construction ofthe Nearfield West Sediment Pond. Later that year they wereawarded and began construction on a “temporary ash storage area”.Early in 2012 they again were awarded and began to install foundationpiers for the new Nearfield Bulk Material Handling Conveyor. In Julyof 2012 Bloomsdale Excavating started construction of a 61 acre landfillcell with an estimated 1million yds. of dirt to move. The cell issimilar to the ones public landfills build with a liner barrier of clay, adrainage layer and a leachate collection system. This cell is to receivefly-ash from the power plant. The project provided great work fromJuly until December for 25 operators. Two more projects wereawarded in March 2013 to Plocher Construction. The first was theNearfield and Fuels Maintenance Buildings and the second is anotherlandfill cell. Cell #2 is smaller in scope with an estimated 400,000 yds.of dirt, with a completion target of September 1, 2013. All of theseprojects were worked under Local 520’s Building and Heavy Agreementthrough the Southwestern Illinois Building Trades PLA.Private work is a vital segment that provides employment formembers of Local 520. Public work on roads and bridges is an equallyimportant provider of work. The inability of our state to pass a CapitalPlan that includes a Road Program jeopardizes work in the nearfuture. Information taken from a consulting firm reported that by 2018nearly 1 in 3 miles of state roads and 1 in 10 state bridges will beunacceptable. The work is there, it’s a question of priority and funding.The continued raiding of Road Tax Funds must be stopped, if notit will become as big a problem as the under-funded Pension Plans.Thank you, have a safe summer.Respectfully,Michael ParkinsonBrothers and Sisters,Once again, thank you for taking the time out to read your 520Hoister. It allows you and your family an overview of updates andevents for the upcoming work season. Please take a moment toreview the on-going and upcoming proposed work. Gillespie Middle School: Estimated at 90% complete. This job isprojected to be 100% complete before the 2013/2014 school year. Contegra: Work has not yet commenced. This project has a proposed1 million sq. ft. Logistics building site. Work is planned tobegin this Spring, Summer and Fall, 2013 as soon as weather permits. Kamadulski Excavating: Work has not yet commenced; however,it will begin very soon. This project has a 200,000 sq. ft. Fed Exbuilding in Sauget, IL. In addition, a new Fire Station in FairviewHeights, IL has recently begun. Keeley & Sons and Kilian Corporation: Will soon start patching,milling and resurfacing work at Collinsville, IL on I-255 in bothnorthbound and southbound lanes. It is estimated over $15 millionon this 2 mile section of Interstate between Route 40 andHorseshoe Lake Road. This work will commence soon. Illinois Valley Paving: Beginning early May, 2013, with weatherpermitting, this job will consist of paving and shoulder work onRoute 67 North. This job will cover approximately 6.5 miles inboth northbound and southbound lanes. Foltz Welding: There is on-going work on the Marathon PetroleumLine between Wood River, IL and Patoka Tank Farm. It isundetermined how much time this project has remaining for the58 mile stretch of 22” line of anomaly digs. In addition, Foltz hasbeen installing 20” and 30” lines in Hartford, IL from Robins Roadto 7 th Street. Accurate Underground Boring Company is boringroad and railroad bores. This job employs together 7 to 8 operatorsfor this phase 1 project. Enbridge Pipeline Company: Beginning early next year, Enbridgewill be installing a 36” line through Fayette and Marion countiesinto Patoka Tank Farm. It has an estimated cost of $700 millionfor this 160 mile project.I hope to keep you updated on future information throughupcoming Hoisters.Apprentices: Unfortunately, this winter has been slow. We arehopeful this spring and summer will be much more promising formany of our fellow apprentices.I would personally like towish you all a safe and profitablework season. I look forwardto seeing you at the nextunion meeting!Respectfully,Vern Parmley