IUOE Local 542 Winter 2021 Newsletter

THE LOCAL 542 BiG SCOOP WINTER 2021
DiSTRiCT 3
DiSTRiCT 3 REPORTS
James Gittens
Vice President and
District Agent
Brothers and Sisters,
The year 2020 has proven to be one of the most
challenging in recent history, the effects of the
pandemic have been devastating to work in the area.
The work we have in the district is near completion.
Our work at the Wilkes-Barre School is all but
complete, with Stell and J&H doing some clean-up
work.
Petillo has finished their work at the new distribution
center in Hazelton.
James D. Morrissey is currently working on Rt. I-84,
doing crossover work in preparation for the spring.
Clearwater Construction replaced three bridges on I-84
this year, and will have one bridge next year.
M.J. Spott has had some crane rental work in the area,
employing a few operators for the season.
Pipeline work has been slow throughout the country,
as well as the Local. Williams has elected to award
Greenfield Compressor Station 607 to a non-union
contractor, despite market recovery concessions given
by all trades involved.
We are cautiously optimistic about pipeline work in
2021. Rockford is planning on starting 8 miles of
24"/16" sometime in March 2021, and Encompass
Pipeline has been awarded roughly 17,000 feet of
10"and 8" pipe from Williams. Pending permits, this
work will begin early 2021.
Organizing efforts remain extremely difficult during the
pandemic; however, we were able to secure letters of
understanding with a few non-union contractors,
including Stell, EBI, and Site Services Group. The
operators we provided have been doing a fantastic job
for them and the Local, proving the benefits of skilled
union labor. Future agreements with these contractors
look promising.
We would like to thank all the members of District 3
and Local 542 for their dedication to Local 542.
It's this dedication that enables us to uphold the wages
and conditions we deserve. We are fully aware of how
Al Ankerway doing the slopes for Petillo at the
Hazelton distribution center.
Rich Keen on the 390 Cat Hoe and Ken Lynch on the
D8 Dozer at the Hazelton distribution center.
difficult 2020 has been, and we look forward to the end
of the pandemic and all the suffering that has come
with it.
Yours in solidarity,
James Gittens
Bob Dale
Hiring Hall Agent
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