International Operating Engineer - Summer 2016

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
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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
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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
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Washington, D.C., 20036
From the General President
Facts Trump Fiction Everytime
Don’t be distracted by Donald’s three-ring circus
IT’S BEEN SAID that just because
you don’t take an interest in politics
doesn’t mean politics won’t take an
interest in you. This is absolutely true
for the members of this union and the
millions of other working families in
this country. In a few short months,
someone new will occupy the most
powerful position in our democracy
and we all have a stake in the outcome.
That is why I feel so strongly that
the men and women of the Operating
Engineers must play an active role in
this election. The stakes couldn’t be
higher.
We have been fighting against the
rollback of our collective bargaining
rights and the repeal of prevailing
wages in the states and in Congress
for many years now. Some of these
fights have made their way into the
courts and will likely be decided by the
Supreme Court.
At the same time, the National
Labor Relations Board has been
working diligently to level the playing
field between workers and employers
after years of one-sided decisions that
put working people at a disadvantage.
Many of these decisions may also
find their way into the courts or be
overturned by a new administration.
That is why Senate Republicans
have made it clear that they will do
anything— mainly by not doing their
jobs— to block any new judges from
being named to the court. They know
that having the power to appoint
federal judges and Supreme Court
justices is one of the most powerful
tools a President possesses. And the
decisions those judges make can last
for generations— greatly affecting
our rights on the job, our wages and
benefits, and our retirement security.
The power to appoint judges that
have so much influence over our
rights is only one consideration for
evaluating Presidential candidates, but
it’s a big one. The next President will
probably appoint two, maybe three
new Supreme Court justices.
Clearly, the Senate Republicans
are betting on Donald Trump. They
know that Trump will appoint extreme
conservatives who will side with
big business over the interests of
unionized workers. With Trump, they
will continue their assault on working
people and union rights, move forward
with a national Right-to-Work law and
repeal Davis-Bacon prevailing wages.
The circus that is Trump’s campaign
this year has been quite a show so
far—noisy, rowdy, full of comedy
and tragedy— but mostly mindless
entertainment. And like any circus
parade, after the elephants have passed
by, all that’s left is a big mess.
Trump claims to be on the side of
blue-collar workers. That he’s the only
one who can create jobs and make the
middle-class strong. That he knows
how “to build things.” But what the
former “reality TV” star fails to mention
is the actual reality behind his bogus
claims and empty promises.
On being a so-called friend to the
working class, the truth is that he fights
unions and tries to stop workers from
organizing. Workers at his Las Vegas
hotel voted to join a union despite
Trump’s company spending over
$500,000 on union-busters.
When Trump visits a “Right-to-
Work” state, he tells audiences that
he “loves the right-to-work” and that,
“my position on right-to-work is 100
percent.” When he holds a press
conference at the site of his new hotel in
D.C., he trots out a non-union laborer,
who is not being paid the prevailing
wage, as a prop to claim his solidarity
with workers.
And what about those buildings
[James T. Callahan]
with “Trump” on the side of them?
When he was developing condos and
hotels in New York and Atlantic City in
the ’80’s, we were on the job. Because
our market share in those areas is so
strong, he had no choice. But what
about when Trump has a choice?
A report by the IBEW found that
for every union-built development
outside of New York and Atlantic City,
Trump built nearly two non-union. If
there is no PLA, Trump hires union
workers once for every four projects
that go non-union.
Our choice this year is very clear.
In Hillary Clinton, we have a proven
champion for Operating Engineers
and working families. She is a strong
supporter of the labor movement and
understands how important unions
are in building a strong middle class in
America.
Hillary has stood with us on
prevailing wage, collective bargaining
and project labor agreements. She has a
plan to invest heavily on infrastructure
and has made it a priority for her first
100 days in office.
So let’s not get distracted by the
sights and sounds of the three-ring
circus. Let’s stay focused on what’s
best for Operating Engineers and our
families. Let’s turn out, work on behalf
of pro-labor candidates and then cast
our vote.
Have a great summer and work safe.
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INTERNATIONAL OPERATING ENGINEER
SUMMER 2016 5