GEB Minutes General
GEB Minutes General Executive Board Minutes of the International Union of Operating Engineers Monday, January 14, 2019 Call of Meeting General President Callahan called the meeting of the General Executive Board to order at 7:40 a.m. on Monday, January 14, 2019 at the San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina in San Diego, California. General Secretary-Treasurer Hickey then read the call of the meeting, whereupon the roll call was taken which disclosed all members of the General Executive Board were present. Also present were Chief of Staff Joseph Giacin, General Counsel Brian Powers and Associate General Counsel Matt McGuire. Case No. 1 Minutes of the Previous General Executive Board Meeting The minutes of the General Executive Board meeting conducted on October 24, 2018 were approved and made a part of the official records of the Board. Copies of these minutes had been distributed previously to all Board members. Case No. 2 Expenses and Actions Taken Since the Last General Executive Board Meeting Payment of expenses incurred and actions taken by the International Union since the last Board meeting were thoroughly discussed. It was regularly moved and seconded that all such expenses and actions be approved. The motion was put to a vote and unanimously carried. Case No. 3 Adoption of Agenda General President Callahan presented a schedule and agenda of the General Executive Board’s sessions. It was regularly moved and unanimously carried to adopt the agenda as presented. Executive Session General President Callahan then called the Board into an Executive Session. In addition to the General Executive Board, also present were Chief of Staff Joseph Giacin, General Counsel Brian Powers and Associate General Counsel Matt McGuire. Upon conclusion of new business in this Executive Session, General President Callahan advised the Board that the meeting was adjourned until the Open Session of the General Executive Board meeting, which would convene at 8:45 a.m. in the Marina Ballroom. Open Session General President Callahan called the Open Session of the General Executive Board meeting to order at 8:45 a.m. in the Marina Ballroom with all those previously present in attendance. Also present were all properly registered delegates and attendees of the IUOE Winter Meetings consisting of International staff members, Local Union Business Managers and Business Representatives, as well various other Local Union staff members and invited guests. General President Callahan welcomed the delegates and attendees and thanked them for taking time from their busy schedules to attend this Open Session of the General Executive Board. He also thanked the Western Conference of Operating Engineers and their respective staffs for their gracious hospitality and their coordination with the International staff which helped to make the Winter Meetings a success. General President Callahan first called on California’s Secretary of State Alex Padilla to address the delegates and attendees. Mr. Padilla thanked President Callahan for the opportunity to address the IUOE. He then spoke to the delegates and attendees about some of the issues that his office was focusing on, including increasing voter registration and participation, as well as strengthening voting rights. General President Callahan introduced the General Executive Board and noted changes to the Board since the recent IUOE Convention, including newly elected General Executive Vice Presidents Edward Curly and Charlie Singletary, as well as newly elected International Trustee Barton Florence. General President Callahan then briefly reviewed some of the major developments in 2018, highlighting the surge in membership. He noted that membership is at a ten year high of nearly 395,000 members due to efforts of the IUOE Headquarters and Field staff in the organizing and special projects departments, as well as the work of Locals showcasing our unparalleled training, state of the art equipment, and bright career paths. He encouraged Locals to continue to utilize their effective practices of hosting open houses and recruiting. General President Callahan reported that the grand opening of the International Training and Education Center in June was a resounding success. He updated the delegates and attendees on the many classes that were currently available at the ITEC in the Hoisting and Portable, Stationary, and Pipeline areas. He reported that a new electronic registration system was being developed and finalized that would streamline the process of registering for training classes at the ITEC. General President Callahan then turned to the issues of legislation and politics and began these remarks by mentioning the very serious threats to organized labor including, but not limited to, Right to Work legislation in 28 states, the recent Supreme Court decision in Janus v. AFSCME, as well as the appointment of two new conservative Justices to the Supreme Court. He also reported on recent victories due to grassroots organizing and successful campaigns, and he specifically mentioned the rejection by Missouri voters of the State’s anti-union Right to Work law. He also reported on victories of labor friendly candidates in the November elections across the United States, and he highlighted the important role that many members of the International’s Headquarters and Field Staff played in these victories. General President Callahan discussed some of the goals for 2019, including holding the politicians the IUOE helped get elected accountable. He also spoke about the need to help enact additional infrastructure legislation that would mirror the successful infrastructure legislation that was recently enacted in places like California and New Jersey. General President Callahan also reported on the successes in Canada at both the Federal and Provincial level. He stated that our efforts helped bring back worker protections, strengthen collective bargaining rights, and infrastructure investments. General President Callahan concluded his remarks by providing a brief review of the past year. He informed the delegates and attendees that jobs in the construction agency have come roaring back since the worst year of the recession. He reported that the International would try and capitalize on the improved economy and the ever increasing demand for skilled Operating Engineers by reinvesting resources in organizing efforts. He stated that we will continue to engage in outreach efforts by working closely with programs like Helmets to Hardhats in order to offer our deserving veterans an opportunity to enter the trade. He also spoke about boosting the number of women in the trade by working with organizations such as Women Building Nations, and also by developing a similar organization within the Operating Engineers to help achieve this goal. General President Callahan then called on Nathan Fletcher, a former state legislator, veteran, and current member of the San Diego County Board Of Supervisors. Mr. Fletcher addressed delegates and attendees about the efforts he led to make major transportation investments that employ Operating Engineers. He also gave fullthroated support to workers’ rights and the importance of unions to the middle class. General President Callahan called on Chief Financial Officer John W. Loughry, CPA who presented the International Union’s internal financial results to the General Executive Board. Loughry began his presentation with a review of the Balance Sheet information reported by Calibre CPA, LLC as of June 30, 2018. He detailed the assets and liabilities of the Organization, and explained all unusual variances. He noted that the Net Assets (assets less liabilities) of the International was at an alltime high. His presentation continued with the results from current operations. He reported that membership continues to grow and has increased by nearly 10,000 members over the past two years. He reported that cash reserves were adequate at this time. He described the challenges encountered with investments during the final quarter of the year due to the stock market performance. He also detailed the revenue and support activity. Loughry reported year-todate revenue and expenses as a percentage of the totals and explained major expense categories. Loughry concluded his presentation with an overview of the financial activity of the International Training and Conference Center, including details of the Local Loan Program and details of the total pre-opening and post-opening costs paid to date. General President Callahan then called on General Counsel Brian Powers who reported on efforts by the NLRB General Counsel to challenge the use of inflatable rats and banners to publicize labor disputes as unlawful secondary activity under the National Labor Relations Act. He noted that this is an abrupt departure from what was settled law by the NLRB, as well as Court findings that these peaceful publicity campaigns were protected activity under the Act and that to find otherwise would raise serious problems under the First Amendment. General Counsel Powers urged Locals to resist this attempt to undermine worker rights, and he stated the IUOE Legal Department could and would provide assistance to Local Unions if they faced NLRB complaints or attempts to secure injunctions from federal courts to muzzle Scabby the Rat. Specifically, he stated that the Legal Department could provide Local Unions and their attorneys a long list of favorable decisions in this area of the law if they are ever faced with NLRB charges. Next, General President Callahan asked IUOE Associate General John Leary Counsel to report to the delegates and attendees in his capacity as legal counsel to the General Pension Plan on the status of IUOE General Pension Plans I and II and the IUOE General Pension Plan (Canada). Mr. Leary reported on the status of the Plan, and in the course of his report he described the three parts 22 INTERNATIONAL OPERATING ENGINEER SUMMER 2019 23
