International Operating Engineer - Fall 2019

From the General President
James T. Callahan
IT SEEMS LIKE people have been
talking about 2020 for about a year
already. But before we close the books
on 2019, let’s take stock. Operating
Engineers throughout North America
had a very productive year. We
continued to grow membership and
gain market share. Our organizing
campaigns and political activities were
very successful. Most importantly,
we continued to expand our training
programs and set the standard for
others to follow in the Hoisting &
Portable, Pipeline and Stationary
Engineering industries.
Local 399 in Chicago opened a new,
state-of-the-art Technology Center
that will offer more opportunities for
members to upgrade skills and attain
certifications. By simulating real-world
conditions in the safety and comfort of
modern classrooms and labs, members
will continue to have the best training
available.
In Texas, new equipment and
classes continued to be added at the
International Training & Education
Center (ITEC). Over the summer,
several new cranes were installed and
more pads constructed. The Center
now has six tower cranes available
for training along with a new Tower
Crane curriculum, which is under
development. So far, there are over
100 construction classes scheduled for
2020, with more to come throughout
the year.
Altogether, there have been over
90,000 training hours reported at ITEC
this year. The 2019-2020 Pipeline
Training Program is already underway,
offering 175 classes during the training
season. Course descriptions and dates
for all classes offered at ITEC are found
at www.iuoe-itrs.org Members should
check the class schedule regularly for
updates.
In October, Canadians went to
the polls to elect their next federal
government. Despite a loss of 20
seats, including two high-profile
Cabinet ministers, the Liberal Party
was able to retain power as a minority
government. During the election, the
IUOE remained non-partisan and did
not endorse any leader, any party or
any candidates.
However, we are confident that
Liberal Party control will continue to
safeguard workers’ rights and open up
opportunities to expand employment
for Operating Engineers through
increased federal investments on
large-scale transportation and energy
infrastructure projects.
In the United States, there were
only a few high-profile state elections
this year. The races for Governor in
Kentucky and Louisiana were both
won by IUOE endorsed candidates.
The election in Kentucky was notable
due to the fact that the incumbent
had pushed through so-called “rightto-work”
laws and repealed the state’s
prevailing wage early in his term.
Local 181 is looking forward to working
with Governor-elect Andy Beshear to
restore worker rights and the prevailing
wage as soon as possible.
Historic elections in Virginia saw
the Democratic Party take full control
of state government for the first time in
a generation. Many of the candidates
elected to the General Assembly
pledged to repeal the state’s “right-towork”
law, which has been on the books
since the Truman Administration. We
will have to wait and see, but there
have been several encouraging trends
pushing back against anti-worker laws
and we will continue the fight into 2020
and beyond.
Lastly, I would like to bring to your
attention an event that occurred this
past summer. On or around August 20,
a ransomware bad actor hacked into
and corrupted the computer systems
at IUOE headquarters in Washington,
DC. Our Information Technology
Department took action immediately to
shut down any active communication
with our Locals to ensure that any
corruption was contained within
Headquarters and did not subject any
of our Locals to undue cyber harm.
These efforts were successful
and no Locals suffered any damage.
Furthermore, I can report that your
vital membership information was
not affected nor lost. The International
office and staff were without email
service for two weeks and we had a
temporary disruption to our phone
system, which was tied to our email
servers.
After many days spent restoring
our systems from offsite servers, we set
about replacing and shoring up many
of the vulnerabilities left from outdated
software. Lessons learned, we have
now adopted a cloud-based system
that brings an extra layer of security to
protect all of your important personal
data.
As General President, I take
protection of the personal information
that you have entrusted to me very
seriously. We will spare no expense
to ensure its security. I apologize
if this technology intrusion caused
disruption or delay in service to any
member.
This past year, like so many, had its
highs and lows, but our union marches
forward with unity and strength.
We are ready for the challenges and
opportunities that await us in the new
year. Together, we will continue to
achieve great things.
I hope every member enjoys a
relaxing holiday season filled with
family and friends.
See you next year. Work safe.
4 INTERNATIONAL OPERATING ENGINEER
FALL 2019 5