International Operating Engineer (ISSN 0020-8159) is published by the: International Union of Operating Engineers, AFL-CIO 1125 17 th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 Subscription Terms - per year Change of Address - Requests must be submitted in writing to the IUOE Membership Department (address above). Include your new address, registration and local union number. POSTMASTERS – ATTENTION: Change of address on Form 3579 should be sent to: International Operating Engineer Mailing List Dept. 1125 17th St., NW, 3rd Floor Washington, DC 20036 Publications Mail Agreement No. 40843045 Canada Post: Return undeliverables to P.O. Box 2601, 6915 Dixie Rd, Mississauga, ON L4T 0A9 Printed in the U.S.A. International Union of Operating Engineers AFL-CIO general officers James T. Callahan, General President Brian E. Hickey, General Secretary-Treasurer Jerry Kalmar, First Vice President Russell E. Burns, Second Vice President James M. Sweeney, Third Vice President Robert T. Heenan, Fourth Vice President Daniel J. McGraw, Fifth Vice President Daren Konopaski, Sixth Vice President Michael Gallagher, Seventh Vice President Greg Lalevee, Eighth Vice President Terrance E. McGowan, Ninth Vice President Louis G. Rasetta, Tenth Vice President Mark Maierle, Eleventh Vice President Randy Griffin, Twelfth Vice President Douglas W. Stockwell, Thirteenth Vice President Ronald J. Sikorski, Fourteenth Vice President Got Big News ? from Your Local We want to hear about it. trustees Kuba J. Brown, Chairman Bruce Moffatt, Trustee James T. Kunz, Jr., Trustee Joseph F. Shanahan, Trustee Edward J. Curly, Trustee International Operating Engineer appreciates the stories and photos we receive from local affiliates throughout North America. Send us your submissions or ideas for stories you would like us to consider. Send your submissions, plus photos (digital images are preferred), to Jay Lederer at jlederer@iuoe.org, or mail 1125 Seventeenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20036 From the General President Infrastructure Matters to All I LOVE THIS time of year. The construction season has begun throughout North America. Projects great and small are breaking ground. And demand for our skilled tradesmen and women is strong. This year presents another opportunity to increase our market share and grow our ranks through organizing. It is also the time of year that we mark Infrastructure Week. This is our chance to shine a spotlight on the incredible amount of work that needs to be done repairing and rebuilding critical infrastructure from coast to coast. It brings labor and business together to press our case with the Administration and Congress to get serious about long-term plans to address financing and funding shortfalls, and regulatory and permitting reform. The jobs that are generated for IUOE members through investments in transportation, water, and energy infrastructure projects are the lifeblood of our union. The millions of hours worked strengthen our training programs, healthcare plans and pensions for the benefit of every member and their families. Rebuilding and repairing the roads, bridges and tunnels that we travel each day to get to work, that carry our kids to school and that enable our communities to thrive is important throughout our membership. Infrastructure that is reliable and accessible strengthens the overall economy and encourages development and job growth. There is quite a bit of momentum around infrastructure this year. Several states have taken bold steps recently to increase funding and streamline permitting processes. Last month, the California legislature passed a major infrastructure package that will raise the gas tax and dedicate those funds to tackle the massive backlog of transportation infrastructure projects facing that state. But we need to keep up the pressure in more state houses and the Congress. In addition to our work with the business community, the IUOE is also supporting a new nationwide effort called ReBuild USA. The campaign gathers together the strength of all 14 unions that make up the North American Building Trades Unions (NABTU). The ReBuild USA campaign will raise public awareness to the deplorable state of our infrastructure and the solutions we support to address it. The initiative will serve as a vehicle to bring grassroots voices and sustained pressure on our politicians to take action. There was a lot of talk during the recent elections, but we need to see real plans debated and enacted into law. Infrastructure is not and should never be a partisan issue. We will hold elected officials of both parties accountable for their actions on infrastructure as well as core worker protections, like prevailing wage standards at both the federal and state levels. I encourage every member, no matter where they live or what job they perform, to reach out to their elected officials and let them know that you believe infrastructure is one of the most important policy issues facing our country today. It is time to put our professionally trained, highly skilled Operating Engineers to work rebuilding our highways, bridges and transit systems. Speaking of training, there is no doubt that our programs are the gold standard. When I visit locals throughout [James T. Callahan] the International, I see a high level of activity getting apprentices started and upgrading our seasoned journeymen. Many locals are making smart investments to expand and modernize their training facilities, adding stateof-the-art equipment and updating their curriculum. These investments will pay dividends for current and future members and our signatory contractors for years to come. In addition, I am happy to report that progress on the International Training and Education Center is going very well. Work at the 225 acre site in Crosby, Texas is moving at a brisk pace. The design and concept, incorporating ideas of some of the top local training coordinators from across the International, is becoming more of a reality each day. We look forward to opening the doors and welcoming members early next year. You can follow the progress via webcam by logging into the member’s only section of the International website: www. iuoe.org So, as the weather and the work begins to heat up out there this season, remember your training and take care to look out for each other. Thank you for the skill and professionalism you bring to the job every day. Work safe. 4 INTERNATIONAL OPERATING ENGINEER SPRING 2017 5
