International Operating Engineer - Summer 2019

GEB Minutes
January 14, 2019
of the Plan, which covers
officers and employees
of U.S. local unions and
Related Organizations,
officers and employees
of Canadian local unions
and Related Organizations
and employees of the
International. Mr. Leary
then detailed the assets of
the Plan as of the close of
2018 and he reported on the
characteristics of the Plan
participants. Mr. Leary also
advised the delegates and
attendees that the General
Pension Plan had recently set
up new administrative offices
on the seventh floor of the
International Headquarters
building, and had hired
three new employees. Mr.
Leary reported that all
three parts of the Plan are
in good financial health
and in compliance with all
applicable requirements
regarding their funding.
He said that the employer
contribution rates currently
in effect for the Plan would
remain unchanged. Finally,
he emphasized that the
overriding goal of the Board
of Trustees remains to
preserve and strengthen the
long-term financial health of
the Plan.
General President Callahan
then called on Legislative
and Political Department
Director Jeff Soth who
reviewed the policy record
of the first two years of the
Trump Administration,
specifically detailing the
administration’s position on
the Jones Act, Davis-Bacon,
prevailing wages, Right to
Work, and its relationship
to public-sector workers
with a specific emphasis
on federal employees. Mr.
Soth also provided the
delegates and attendees with
a comprehensive review of
the 2018 midterm elections,
while emphasizing some of
the vital issues and ballot
initiatives directly affecting
IUOE members, such as
Missouri’s Right to Work
legislation, the California
gas tax ballot measure, and
several key governor’s races.
General President Callahan
then called on Director of
Healthcare Initiatives Joanne
Lye-McKay who reported
on the IUOE Prescription
Benefit Management
Coalition and the move to
OptumRx. Sister Lye-McKay
reported on the power of
coalition buying illustrated
with our contracts with
OptumRx, SwiftMD, and
ULLICO. OptumRx’s Vice
President, Vince Condino,
reported on the status of
rising costs and illustrated
their goal is to grow the
pharmacy coalition. Ms. Lye-
McKay then asked Local 478’s
Director of Health and Safety
Kyle Zimmer to present
important information on
a new four-day training
course directed at assisting
Local Union benefit funds in
develop their own Member
Assistance Programs to help
fight the opioid epidemic,
behavioral health issues and
suicide prevention. Brother
Zimmer reported that classes
will be offered at the ITEC
this spring, and he showed
a video in which IUOE
members from across the
country shared their stories
about addiction, recovery,
and behavioral health.
General President Callahan
announced that the IUOE
is in the process of entering
into an agreement with
Built Robotics to help
ensure that the IUOE would
be at the forefront of the
development and use of any
automated equipment in the
construction industry. He
reported that Built Robotics is
a company that is committed
to developing ways to make
construction safer and
faster through automation.
General President Callahan
then called on Mr. Noah
Ready-Campbell, the
CEO and Founder of Built
Robotics, to address the
delegates and attendees.
Mr. Ready-Campbell spoke
about his company’s goals
and shared some of the
particular benefits that the
IUOE would see as a result
of its partnership with Built
Robotics.
General President Callahan
then called on retired IUOE
General Counsel Richard
Griffin to address the
delegates and attendees. He
stated that Mr. Griffin was
currently assisting the IUOE
in his role as outside legal
counsel with the law firm of
Bredhoff & Kaiser. Mr. Griffin
expressed his appreciation
for the opportunity to be
among friends and former
colleagues from his many
years with the IUOE legal
department. Mr. Griffin
spoke to the delegates and
attendees about the current
legal landscape as it affected
organized labor and the
IUOE in particular.
There being no further
business to come before the
General Executive Board,
General President Callahan
adjourned the Open Session
of the General Executive
Board meeting. He advised
the General Executive Board
that the Closed Session of the
meeting would reconvene at
12:30 p.m.
Closed Session
General President Callahan
called the Closed Session
of the General Executive
Board meeting to order at
12:30 p.m. with all Board
members previously present
in attendance. Also present
were Chief of Staff Joseph
Giacin, General Counsel
Brian Powers, Associate
General Counsel Matt
McGuire, Chief Financial
Officer John Loughry,
Director of Jurisdiction
Terry George, Regional
Directors Martin “Red”
Patterson, Todd Smart, Carl
Goff and Lionel Railton,
and Assistant to the General
Secretary-Treasurer John
“Jack” Ehrhardt. Northeast
Regional Director Alan Pero
was unavoidably absent and
his absence was excused.
Case No. 4
Construction Department
Report
Brother Joseph Giacin
delivered his report to
the Board in his capacity
as IUOE Director of
Construction reported to
the Board on the status of
the Orders Construction/
United Steelworkers vs.
IUOE International & Local
18 arbitration that was
conducted in November, in
which the IUOE challenged
Orders expansion into the
State of Ohio as well as
performance of work other
than Highway/Bridge repair
and into the construction
of Waste Water Treatment
Plants. Director Giacin
reported that he was pleased
with the preparation,
cooperation
and
representation of Mr. Lucas
Aubrey in his capacity as
legal counsel to the NABTU
during these proceedings.
Director Giacin noted that
Arbitrator Harden has not yet
delivered a ruling in this case
but that he would update the
Board when a decision was
issued.
Director Giacin reported
that due to the elimination
of Coal Fired Powerplants,
construction of the
associated stack and chimney
work has greatly diminished.
He reported that the scope of
work now being performed
by the Specialty Stack &
Chimney Contractors
Association is the demolition
of those plants being shutdown.
He reported that the
other associated trades had
granted the elimination of
any premiums for demolition
work and the Association was
requesting the IUOE follow
suite in our stand-alone
Demolition Addendum, but
that the IUOE has not agreed
to such concessions.
Director Giacin reported on a
policy change by the National
Maintenance Agreement
Policy Committee (NMAPC)
regarding procedures
when a contractor requests
termination of their NMA to
an affiliated International
Union. He reported the
effects that this could have
on any future requests to the
IUOE and the procedures
that will be implemented.
Case No. 5
Jurisdiction Report
IUOE Director of Jurisdiction
Terry T. George updated the
General Executive Board
about the ongoing issues
with the outside lineman of
the IBEW. Director George
reported that the NLRB had
moved forward with the
10-K hearings concerning
the two contractors in
California who were working
on a Building Trades Project
Labor Agreement (PLA) and
assigned work of the IUOE to
the outside wireman of the
IBEW. He reported that the
NLRB had not yet issued a
final decision in those cases.
Director George reiterated
the IUOE’s dedication
to protecting its craft
jurisdiction, and he advised
the Board that strategies
were being formulated to
properly address and resolve
this issue going forward.
Case No. 6
North Central Region
Report
North Central Regional
Director Todd Smart
reported the out of work
numbers for the last quarter
of 2018 mirrored the
numbers from last year. He
reported that having a wetter
than normal fall contributed
to the unemployment
percentage. Brother Smart
reported ample carryover
work is expected to start the
spring construction season.
Director Smart reported
on several large projects in
the North Central Region
that will provide work over
the next several years: in
Minnesota, Local 49 has the
Southwest Light Rale project
estimated at $2 billion
dollars; in Nebraska, Local
571 has the Facebook data
center estimated at $3 billion
dollars; and the Martin
Luther King Bridge in Local
520 at $24 million dollars.
Director Smart reported that
Senate Bill 203 in Illinois
passed both chambers with
bipartisan majority in late
November. Director Smart
reported the bill will benefit
all of the local unions in
Illinois through Language
in the bill which adds a
framework establishing
that prevailing wage rates
are based on collective
bargaining agreements per
county.
Director Smart reported
on organizing victories
and current campaigns
in the region. Brother
Smart reviewed the latest
statistics for NLRB Elections
conducted in the North
Central Region.
Director Smart reported on
the new Rotating Equipment
training curriculum being
added to the SEATT program.
He concluded his report
by advising the Board that
due to recent retirements,
there were two new Business
Managers in the Region: Alex
Tetzlaf for Local 420 and
Mark Johnson for Local 520.
Case No. 7
Southern Region Report
Southern Regional Director
Martin Patterson reported
on the out of work numbers
from December 2017 through
December 2018 for his
Region. Director Patterson
reported on Upcoming
work in the region. He
reported on ongoing jobs
in the region and the locals
that need operators from
NCCCO Crane operators
to finish grade dozers and
excavator operators. Director
Patterson then updated the
Board regarding the ongoing
supervision of two locals
in the Southern Region.
Brother Patterson concluded
his report by updating the
Board on the organizing
efforts in the Region and
listing some of the newly
signed companies.
Case No. 8
Western Region Report
Western Regional Director
Carl Goff reported on recent
mergers of Local Unions
in the Western Region. He
reported on some of the
successful midterm elections
results that had occurred in
his Region. Director Goff then
updated the Board on some
of the important organizing,
agreement, negotiation,
and jurisdictional efforts
and issues within the
Western Region. Director
Goff also stated that
some of his International
Representatives and some
Local 9 staff members
have been attending the
Governor’s task force
meetings
regarding
employee misclassification.
He also advised the Board
that the Colorado Building
Trades began discussions
on repeal of the Colorado
Peace Act and establishing
a State Prevailing Wage.
Director Goff reported that
Local 280 Business Manager
Debbie Hendrick retired
December 31, 2018 and the
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