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 Democracy in Action Clinton best choice to lead on our priorities Paychecks. Healthcare. Pensions. Skills training. We know these things are not given, but hard earned. For the past 120 years, our union has worked and fought tirelessly to build a better future for our families and for the next generation of Operating Engineers. We have always believed that our best days are ahead of us. That’s why this year’s presidential election is so important. The stakes couldn’t be higher and we must keep up the fight to ensure that our livelihoods and our families are protected. Hillary Clinton is a fighter too, with a forward looking vision for the country that, above all, values and rewards hard work. So I wasn’t surprised that recent polling of IUOE members found a large majority who plan to vote or caucus in the presidential primaries, along with strong support for Hillary Clinton as their preferred candidate. Hillary Clinton knows that building roads, schools and hospitals strengthens our country and creates good jobs – good Operating Engineer jobs. She understands that our challenge over the next few years is not to make America great again – it’s already great – but to make it even better. And that’s why the IUOE General Executive Board voted unanimously to endorse her. Our union has always been made up of men and women whose actions speak far louder than our words. We are working class folks who put our time, our money, and our strength where our mouths are. Whether organizing workers, fighting anti-union legislation, standing up for job-creating projects, or turning out votes, when we decide to get behind something or someone, Operating Engineers can’t be stopped. This election, let’s make some history. Any organization can issue an endorsement, but our support means action on the ground that can, and does, make a difference. We know because we just did it. On a warm summer morning this past August, Local 793’s training site in Ontario became the launching pad for Justin Trudeau to become the next Prime Minister of Canada. That day, surrounded by IUOE journeymen and apprentices, he announced a bold infrastructure plan to move Canada forward. That proved to be the difference in a close and contentious election. And we can do it again. Let’s make this the year we help elect President Hillary Clinton. I don’t care much for politics, especially the way it’s practiced in Washington, DC these days, but elections do matter. We cannot afford to sit on the sidelines while powerful corporate interests move aggressively to gut our pensions, eliminate our collective bargaining rights, and tilt the playing field even further against the middle-class. If they take the White House, the union jobs we hold dear will be threatened. So let’s commit to making this election cycle one in which we begin to build a political foundation that allows us to play offense, not just defense. Let’s make this the year we begin to turn the corner on prevailing wages, so-called “right-to-work” laws, attacks on collective bargaining, and other issues that directly affect our jobs, our livelihoods, and our families. Over the next few months, each and [James T. Callahan] every one of us will have an opportunity to play a significant role in moving our nation forward. We’ll be called upon to phone bank, canvass neighborhoods, and talk to our brothers and sisters. Your Local Union may call upon you, asking for your time, and your help, in turning out the vote for Hillary Clinton and other pro-union candidates. It’s a request we don’t make lightly, because we know how hard you already work and how valuable your time is. But when that call comes, I hope you’ll step up to the plate and help make history. I hope you’ll join me, and your union brothers and sisters, as we work together, stand together, fight together, and win together to build a better future for this great nation. I wish everyone a healthy and prosperous New Year. Thank you for your professionalism and solidarity. Work safe. 4 INTERNATIONAL OPERATING ENGINEER WINTER 2016 5
