International Operating Engineer - Summer 2018

Operating Engineer 

i n t e r n at i o n a l 

WWW.IUOE.ORG • SUMMER 2018

i n t e r n at i o n a l 

Operating Engineer 

Summer 2018 • Volume 161, No. 3 

Brian E. Hickey, Editor 

Jay C. Lederer, Managing Editor 

06 NTF Job Corps Expands in Georgia 

More offerings to train the next generation 

08 Feds Move Water Infrastructure 

Job creating bill gets closer to passage 

14 Trapped! 

Operator credits training for saving his life 

20 Scholarship Winners Announced 

Union Plus awards deserving IUOE families 

Departments 

05 From the General President 

06 Training & Education 

08 Politics & Legislation 

12 Canadian News 

18 Local Spotlight 

22 GEB Minutes 

28 Union Death Benefit 

[cover] New equipment stands ready for course work at the 

International Training & Conference Center in Crosby, Texas. 

[photo] Jay C. Lederer, IUOE 

[right] Local 115 member Chelsea French enjoys the annual 

Heavy Equipment Rodeo and Open House, hosted at the 

IUOE Training Association site in Maple Ridge, British 

Columbia. 

[photo] IUOE Local 115 

2 

INTERNATIONAL OPERATING ENGINEER 

SUMMER 2018 3

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 - $5 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: 


Mailing List Dept. 

1125 17th St., NW, 3rd Floor 


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 

Russell E. Burns, First Vice President 

James M. Sweeney, Second Vice President 

Robert T. Heenan, Third Vice President 

Daniel J. McGraw, Fourth Vice President 

Daren Konopaski, Fifth Vice President 

Michael Gallagher, Sixth Vice President 

Greg Lalevee, Seventh Vice President 

Terrance E. McGowan, Eighth Vice President 

Mark Maierle, Ninth Vice President 

Randy Griffin, Tenth Vice President 

Douglas W. Stockwell, Eleventh Vice President 

Ronald J. Sikorski, Twelfth Vice President 

James T. Kunz, Jr., Thirteenth Vice President 

Edward J. Curly, Fourteenth Vice President 

Got Big 

News 

? 

from Your 

Local 

We want to 

hear about it. 

trustees 

Kuba J. Brown, Chairman 

Brian Cochrane, Trustee 

William Lynn, Trustee 

Joshua VanDyke, Trustee 

Barton Florence, Trustee 


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 

A WHIRLWIND OF spring activity 

for our union has eased into a steady 

and productive summer construction 

season. A few weeks after adjourning 

a very successful and energizing 39th 

General Convention, we welcomed 

hundreds of people to the new 

International Training & Conference 

Center for the official Grand Opening. 

Brothers and sisters from around 

the International joined busloads 

of contractors, industry leaders and 

equipment reps for a morning of 

presentations, facility tours and an oldfashioned 

Texas barbecue. Already, 

the Training Center is buzzing with 

activity, hosting an array of classes in 

various H&P, Stationary and Pipeline 

disciplines. New equipment keeps 

being added and course offerings are 

expanding. Members should look over 

the class schedules at www.iuoe.org/ 

training and consult with their local 

Training Directors to take advantage of 

this world-class facility. 

Our emphasis and expansion of 

training opportunities is coming at the 

perfect time for our union. Reports 

from around the International say that 

this will be one of the best years for 

Operating Engineer man-hours this 

decade and the federal government 

figures are backing that up. According 

to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs 

in the construction industry have 

come roaring back, adding about 2 

million since 2010. This past June, the 

unemployment rate in construction 

fell to 4.7% from a high of 27.1% in the 

worst year of the recession. 

To be sure, these are good times for 

the Operating Engineers who build and 

maintain North America. Our skills are 

in high demand, but we still face serious 

threats to our lives and livelihoods. 

The enemies of unions and unionized 

workers are pushing even harder as 

some of their attacks on prevailing 

wages, collective bargaining and safety 

standards have found success recently. 

Politics has become a four-letter 

word in our hyper-partisan society 

today. Most folks are so sickened by 

all of the noise that they would rather 

just tune out and not talk about it. That 

is understandable, but dangerous. We 

ignore it at our own peril. This struggle 

has many fronts and we need to be 

engaged because we all have a stake in 

it. 

As we go to print, our brothers and 

sisters in Missouri are fighting to repeal 

a so-called “right-to-work” law pushed 

by corporate-financed, national antiunion 

lobby groups. Our in-state 

Locals have been heavily engaged, first 

in gathering the signatures to put the 

repeal on the ballot, and now knocking 

on doors and making phone calls to 

get every union member and every 

member of their family out to vote. It is 

hard, but necessary work if we are to be 

successful. I know our members there 

are fighting for every vote and leaving it 

all out on the field of battle. 

That level of activism is needed 

in many more states and provinces 

where we live, work and raise our 

families. Local, state and federal 

elections have a profound impact on 

our profession. In the United States, 

we have seen a systematic roll back of 

labor and workplace safety standards 

as the balance of power has shifted 

to more conservative, managementfriendly 

appointments at places like 

the National Labor Relations Board 

(NLRB) and the Occupational Safety & 

Health Administration (OSHA). 

The most glaring recent example 

was the Supreme Court decision in 

Janus v. AFSCME. The appointment of 

Justice Gorsuch after the last election 

tilted the court decidedly right and 

pro-business. Therefore, it was not 

surprising that the ruling favored the 

corporate “right-to-work” position, 

forcing unions who bargain for public 

employees to represent a worker at the 

bargaining table or in a grievance even 

[James T. Callahan] 

if that employee does not pay dues or 

agency fees. 

The creation of a class of free 

riders—those who benefit from union 

contracts, but who don’t contribute 

anything—is old-fashioned union 

busting. The only way to turn this 

around is to elect labor candidates 

and create pro-labor majorities in 

state legislatures and the Congress to 

enshrine workers’ rights into law. 

This takes time and commitment, 

but most of all it takes engagement by 

each one of us. Some will volunteer on 

a campaign and others may even run 

for office. But all of must participate in 

our democracy and vote. And when we 

do, we should prioritize our livelihoods 

and workplace safety above all else. It 

is our collective strength as one union, 

spanning two countries, that creates 

prosperity for all. 

Enjoy the summer. Work safe. 

4 



Training & Education 

NTF Job Corps Expands Offerings at Turner Center 

Georgia training site gives more young people a chance at career path 

providing students the experience to 

work in an industry that parallels their 

training. Students participating in 

work-based learning do not displace 

local union members. 

THE IUOE National Training Fund 

(NTF) Job Corps program has expanded 

at the Turner Job Corps Center in 

Albany, Georgia. The center will now be 

home to three NTF trade offerings and 

five NTF Job Corps instructors. Along 

with the Anaconda Job Corps Center 

in Anaconda, Montana, the Turner 

site has become the second location 

to house five programs, creating the 

largest presence the NTF has at any Job 

Corps training facility. 

Keith Taylor, Heavy Equipment 

Mechanics Instructor at Turner, has 

been instrumental in advancing the 

program to better equip his students to 

enter the workforce. 

The latest improvements include 

a state-of-the-art TUXCO hydraulic 

cylinder repair table, electronic 

diagnostic equipment, access to online 

databases for repair specifications 

and manuals, and several workbased-learning 

agreements with local 

mechanic shops at Flint Equipment 

Company and Dougherty County 

Department of Public Works. The 

student work-based component in 

Job Corps is a temporary assignment 

Turner Job Corps also houses a 

double Heavy Equipment Operations 

program, instructed by IUOE Local 474 

members Bobby Barwick and Chad 

Gonzalez. Working with a class size 

of 12 students, the Heavy Equipment 

Operations programs utilizes a 30% 

classroom and 70% hands-on teaching 

approach, along with an updated 

equipment fleet, to prepare trainees 

to begin a career as an IUOE Local 

Union Apprentice or entry-level heavy 

equipment operator. 

Lastly, Turner Job Corps is home 

to the only NTF operated Advanced 

Asphalt Paving Program in the country. 

The Advanced program, a class of 10 

full-time students and instructed by 

IUOE Local 474 member Courtney 

Turner, requires a more rigorous 

training and evaluation platform than 

any other heavy equipment-training 

program in Job Corps. Students 

enrolled in this program are required 

to complete performance testing on 

a minimum of three different types 

of heavy equipment, as well as earn 

a Georgia state-accredited Class B 

Commercial Drivers’ License prior 

to graduation. Over the past two 

years, the Advanced Asphalt Paving 

program has been able to place nine 

graduates into five different IUOE 

Local Apprenticeship Programs across 

the country. 

Job Corps is a voluntary program 

that prepares young people ages 16–24 

with education and hands-on career 

training for entry-level positions that 

lead to careers in today’s job market. 

If you are interested in pursuing 

training with Job Corps, please contact: 

Zach Dixon, Coordinator – IUOE NTF 

Job Corps at zdixon@iuoe.org 

The expansion at Turner has 

doubled the Heavy Equipment 

Mechanics Program, from a class size 

of 8 to 16 students. The expansion is 

a direct result of maintaining training 

standards, building relationships, 

and placing graduates in registered 

apprenticeships. In turn, those 

Apprentices have found sustainable 

careers within the industry, increasing 

the overall performance of the Job 

Corps programs. 

NTF Job Corps continuously 

improves and updates equipment, 

tools, and curriculum in order to 

meet the training needs of the everchanging 

construction and mechanic 

industries. IUOE Local 474 member 

6 



Politics & Legislation 

Water Infrastructure Bill Likely to Pass Congress, Create Jobs 

Construction Employment Reaches 10-Year High in June 

THE U.S. SENATE is poised 

to consider America’s Water 

Infrastructure Act, S. 2800, legislation 

that guides policy for the nation’s 

ports and waterways, as well as 

flood prevention and conservation 

projects. The legislation passed 

out of the Environment and Public 

Works Committee unanimously, 

demonstrating that, at least on 

infrastructure, bipartisanship still 

exists in Congress. 

General President Callahan called 

for swift passage of the legislation, 

saying, “Senators should pass this 

legislation right away and begin 

negotiations with House leaders to 

send it to the President’s desk.” 

The House passed its version of 

the water resources legislation in 

June on an overwhelming vote, 408- 

2. House and Senate leaders will have 

to reconcile differences between their 

bills in a “conference committee.” This 

legislation appears to be the only major 

infrastructure legislation likely to pass 

in the 115th Congress, leaving the 

President’s signature commitment to 

begin rebuilding America unfulfilled. 

The senate bill incorporates a 

separate piece of legislation related to 

drinking water and wastewater that has 

also been endorsed by the IUOE. The 

Securing Required Funding for Water 

Infrastructure Now (SRF-WIN) 

Act extends low-interest loans to 

public water providers to finance 

their infrastructure. It also requires 

the payment of prevailing wages to 

IUOE members and other construction 

workers, and it requires that all the 

manufactured components be made 

in the U.S.A. under Buy American 

requirements. 

The IUOE worked with Senators 

John Boozman (R-AR) and Cory 

Booker (D-NJ) to sponsor the bill, 

and major industry groups in the 

Water Infrastructure Network (WIN) 

to develop and advocate for it. The 

legislation will finance billions in water 

infrastructure and create thousands 

of good-paying jobs subject to Davis- 

Bacon wage requirements. 

Senator Boozman said, “This 

legislation is an innovative approach 

to helping communities of all 

sizes, in every state secure loans so 

they can improve their crumbling 

infrastructure.” The IUOE agrees, and 

appreciate the bipartisan leadership of 

Senators Boozman and Booker. 

THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY is 

bouncing back. In the dark days of the 

recession the unemployment rate was 

at 27.1 percent and this past June that 

rate was at 4.7 percent, making this past 

May and June unemployment numbers 

the lowest levels in over a decade. 

Likewise, the number of individuals 

employed in the construction industry 

is close to what is was ten years ago. 

This is great news considering that back 

in January 2010 only 5.4 million people 

were employed in the industry and in 

June 2018 we have almost 2 million 

more people working in the industry 

compared to January 2010. 

Employment in the Oil and Gas 

Pipeline Construction Industry is also 

going strong. Last July employment 

hit an all-time high with 145,300 folks 

working in the industry. Employment 

is close to where it was last year, and it 

could meet or exceed last year’s historic 

high in the July data. After hitting a low 

of only 88,900 workers employed in the 

industry back in May 2010, the industry 

is healthy and there are plenty of job 

opportunities for skilled hands. 

ENGINEERS 

ACTION & 

RESPONSE 

NETWORK 

REGISTER TODAY! 

WWW.IUOE.ORG 

30.0 

25.0 

20.0 

15.0 

10.0 

5.0 

0.0 

10.5% 

Feb 2007 

160.0 

150.0 

140.0 

130.0 

120.0 

110.0 

100.0 

11.4% 

Feb 2008 

Construction Unemployment Rates 

21.4% 

Feb 2009 

27.1% 

Feb 2010 

21.8% 

Feb 2011 

17.1% 

Feb 2012 

15.7% 

Feb 2013 

12.8% 

Feb 2014 

10.6% 

Feb 2015 8.7% 

Feb 2016 4.7% 

June 2018 

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Jan-07 

Apr… 

Jul-07 

Oct-07 

Jan-08 

Apr… 

Jul-08 

Oct-08 

Jan-09 

Apr… 

Jul-09 

Oct-09 

Jan-10 

Apr… 

Jul-10 

Oct-10 

Jan-11 

Apr… 

Jul-11 

Oct-11 

Jan-12 

Apr… 

Jul-12 

Oct-12 

Jan-13 

Apr… 

Jul-13 

Oct-13 

Jan-14 

Apr… 

Jul-14 

Oct-14 

Jan-15 

Apr… 

Jul-15 

Oct-15 

Jan-16 

Apr… 

Jul-16 

Oct-16 

Jan-17 

Apr… 

Jul-17 

Oct-17 

Jan-18 

Apr… 

90.0 

80.0 

108.3 

December 2007 

Oil and Gas Pipeline 

Construction Employment 

88.9 

May 2010 

+35.2 

143.5 

May 2018 

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Senator John Boozman (R-AR) 

Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) 

8 INTERNATIONAL OPERATING ENGINEER 


HAZMAT 

There’s an App for That: Excavations 101 

Fatigue: Serious Safety Hazard in the Workplace 

THE NTF NATIONAL HAZMAT Program has released 

an Excavation Safety app for handheld devices, available in 

Apple (iTunes) and Android (Google Play) versions. Once 

downloaded, the Excavations 101 app can be used without 

Internet service. 

Whether it’s a remote jobsite, in a big city, or at home, 

you will be able to use the Excavations 101 app wherever and 

whenever you need it. 

The app incorporates the OSHA Excavation Standard, 

29 CFR 1926 Subpart P, and resources that address issues 

concerning Excavation and Trench Safety. These resources 

include: 

To download the Excavations 101 app, simply go to any 

search engine and type “Excavations 101.” For questions 

or more information, please call (304) 253-8674 or email 

hazmat@iuoehazmat.org. 

WORKER FATIGUE, often an overlooked hazard on the 

job site, can be a debilitating and deadly problem. So what 

exactly is fatigue? According to the National Safety Council, 

fatigue describes the feeling of tiredness, sleepiness, reduced 

energy and increased effort needed to perform tasks at a 

desired level. 

A 2012 guidance statement from the American College of 

Occupational and Environmental Medicine defines fatigue 

as the human body’s response to sleep deprivation or lengthy 

physical or mental hard work. One researcher notes that even 

dealing with other people can result in fatigue. Going to work 

and having poor social interactions with your coworkers can 

also be a cause of fatigued. 

• Sleep loss – less than 7 hours of sleep a day (43%) 

• No rest breaks – lack of short rest break during his/her 

shift (10%) 

• Quick shift returns – less than 12 hours off between 

shifts (14%) 

• Long commutes – commute of 30 minutes or more 

(31%) 

• Work overtime 

• Work many days in a row 

• Work where they are exposed to harsh environmental 

conditions 

• Work in noise and/or vibration 

• Perform heavy mental task loads for long periods of 

time 

• Key definitions 

• Soil classification and procedures/methods to 

determine the soil classification 

• Protective systems 

• Excavation hazards 

Interactive tools include a Slope Calculator that shows 

the degree of an existing slope when the device is placed 

against the slope, and a Sloping or Shielding Calculator that 

compares sloping vs shielding for a proposed excavation. 

Enter data into the Slope Calculator for soil classification, 

trench depth, width of bottom, and length of trench, and 

this tool will configure a drawing of the cross-section with 

measurements including the total top width of the trench, 

and a tentative yardage of material that would be removed if 

sloping were used for the trench. This can be used to assist 

the competent person to determine if a protective system 

should be used or if the trench should be sloped instead. 

Fatigue is cumulative and the result of inter-related 

factors. These factors include: 

• Sleep loss (lack of sleep) 

• Time of day 

• Time on task 

• Long work hours 

• Heavy work load 

• Environmental conditions 

• Medical conditions 

• Job demands 

• Shift work—works a non-daytime shift (difficult to get 

proper sleep in their time off) 

• Rotating shift work—worst for working against our own 

biology and putting ourselves at risk for sleep debt 

The effects of fatigue can include slower reaction 

time, more errors and decreased cognitive ability. David 

Lombardi, principal research scientist at the Center for 

Injury Epidemiology at the Liberty Mutual Research Institute 

for Safety in Hopkinton, MA, is quoted as saying, “Fatigue is 

an increasing health and safety problem in our lives due to 

the 24-hour society with decreasing emphasis on sleep.” 

Research has shown that fatigue can be equated to 

the same amount of impairment from alcohol intake and 

therefore the same amount of cause for concern. 

IUOE National 

HAZMAT Program 

Phone: (304) 253-8674 

Email: hazmat@iuoehazmat.org 

www.iuoehazmat.org 

Indicators that you work in an industry that may be at 

high/highest risk for fatigue include:* 

• Shift Work – non-day shift (17%) 

• Demanding jobs – work tasks that require sustained 

attention for long periods of time, or tasks that are 

monotonous, tasks that are repetitive or mentally 

demanding (81%) 

• Long shifts/Long work hours – as shift duration 

increases, safety risks also increase (21% work 10 

hours or more each shift) 

• Long weeks – weeks of 50 hours or more (22%) 

Now that the effects and indicators of fatigue on the job 

site has been covered, look in the next issue of International 

Operating Engineer magazine for further discussion on 

different ways to handle fatigue and be safe on the job. 

*Fatigue in the Workplace: Causes & Consequences of Employee 

Fatigue; National Safety Council, 2017 

10 



Canadian News 

Local 115 Receives Sizeable Federal Government 

Training Grant at Annual Open House 

Locals Stand Together During Natural Disasters 

Members in Alberta and British Columbia pick each other up 

IUOE LOCAL 115’s Annual Open 

House is a day when members and 

their families get to try out the heavy 

equipment at its training site. This 

year, there was added excitement, 

when Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan 

announced funding to support training 

for apprentices, including women and 

indigenous peoples. 

“We recognize that labour is at the 

heart of our growing economy,” said 

Sajjan “and we know that labour is the 

reason we have a strong middle class in 

Canada.” 

The $575,000 grant was matched by 

Local 115 to purchase a Manitowoc 8500 

mobile crane and a Caterpillar 323 excavator. 

“IT WAS PROBABLY one of the scariest days of my life!” 

recalls IUOE Local 955 Business Agent Anthony Noseworthy, 

remembering the wildfires that swept through Fort McMurray 

in May of 2016. “When I drove through town, there must have 

been 200 foot flames.” 

Earlier in the day, there was no sign of any imminent 

danger when Noseworthy went to his job as a cranes manager 

at Suncor. Some neighborhoods were on evacuation alerts 

and a wildfire was burning near town, but the smoke had 

cleared and it was a beautiful clear, sunny day. 

With no warning, the winds suddenly shifted and monster 

flames began devouring the city. 

By the time it was over, 2,600 homes in Fort McMurray 

were gutted by fire including some owned by IUOE members. 

Local 955 Business Manager Chris Flett’s house was among 

them. “There was no warning. I picked up my kid at school 

and rushed home to get the dog. We only had a few minutes 

to get out.” 

The massive blaze forced the largest wildfire evacuation 

in Alberta’s history. More than 88,000 people were forced 

from their homes. Many escaped with only the shirts on their 

backs. 

When Flett was allowed to return home, he discovered 

only the charred remains of his house. Everything he owned 

was lost in the fire. His insurance paid for the cost of rebuilding, 

but not everything was covered. 

IUOE’s International Disaster Relief Fund provided 

$5,000 to Fort McMurray members who lost their homes and 

Operating Engineers across the country also made significant 

donations. That led to the creation of a Canadian Disaster 

Relief Fund. 

“When we learned that IUOE members were losing their 

homes during the Fort McMurray wildfires, we knew we had 

to help,” says Local 115 Business Manager Brian Cochrane. 

“Local 115 donated $115,000 to Local 955 to help our brothers 

and sisters get through the crisis.” 

IUOE Local 115 Business Manager Brian Cochrane 

said the grant recognizes the value of trades training. 

“This equipment will ensure training focused on safety 

and quality, and help us build a skilled and inclusive 

workforce for the future.” 

More than 1,500 people turned out to enjoy the Open 

House – a record for attendance. 

The training site spans over 40 acres and has more 

than 25 pieces of equipment to give students a realistic 

hands-on experience. Three hundred-plus students 

access training and upgrading annually. The site is 

considered one of Canada’s leading Heavy Equipment 

Operator training centres. 

Fort McMurray was still rebuilding in the summer of 2017, 

when BC was hit by the worst wildfire season in history. At its 

peak, 39,000 people were evacuated from their homes and 

the Province declared a state of emergency. 

Back in Alberta, IUOE members remembered how 

Local 115 had supported them during the wildfire crisis. So 

Noseworthy spearheaded a campaign to help BC members. 

He passed the hat around at worksites and raised $4,500. 

Their members also signed a jersey and it was presented to 

Local 115 earlier this year. 

“We want to thank Local 955 for the donations and the 

jersey,” said Cochrane. “IUOE really shows its strength in 

times of crisis and I’m so proud to be a member. This is what 

our union does -- we’re there for one another when it counts.” 

[above] Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and Local 

115 Business Manager Brian Cochrane. Minister Sajjan was 

on hand to announce the awarding of a federal grant that will 

help support the Local’s training programs. 

[left] Mariana Pope and Goretti Guilbault enjoy the annual 

Open House. 

Fortunately, Local 115 members did not experience home 

losses in the BC fires. The $4,500 from Local 955 was donated 

to the Fire Fighter Burn Fund, as some of their members 

fought fires in Fort McMurray and one was seriously injured 

in a car crash. 

[article & photos] IUOE Local 115 

[article & photo] IUOE Local 115 


SUMMER 2018 

13

Safety & Health 

Trapped! 

Operator survives 2.5 hours submerged in dozer cab 

“The radio in the dozer wasn’t working so I played songs 

on my phone, which I had picked up. I played Frank Sinatra, 

‘My Way,’ because I thought I’d like to go out that way. I 

watched videos of my kids, of my daughter, Kloe, singing. I 

cried. 

THINKING HE COULD swim to shore if his arms were 

free, Local 139 member Robbie Gunderson hurriedly 

removed his safety vest, then his sweatshirt, then a t-shirt, 

and readied himself to jump from the sinking Caterpillar D6 

dozer. 

“I was getting ready to bail. I was thinking I had a little bit 

of time,” he said later of his near-death experience shortly 

before 8 a.m. May 21. 

Fortunately, Gunderson’s mind rejected the thought and 

recalled a scene from his MSHA training. His new thought 

was, “… them corny videos.” An equipment Operator in 

one of the videos Gunderson once had watched at his local 

union’s training center had decided to flee a dozer cab in an 

emergency situation. The man survived, however, his legs 

were drawn under the machine and crushed, leading to a 

double amputation. 

The takeaway from the videos offered Gunderson a path 

to survival in the opposite direction of jumping. The message 

was, “Stay in the cab, stay alive.” 

Gunderson stuck with his training. He stayed put. He 

would remain seated in the cab for the next 2.5 hours while 

the 25-ton dozer settled under 12-15 feet of sand, water, silt 

and clay in a detention pond at the Hi-Crush Partners LP 

sand mine near Whitehall, Wisconsin. That brownish mixture 

flowed quickly into the bottom of the cab as soon as the dozer 

entered the pond. For reasons unknown, the mix stopped 

rising at a level slightly below Gunderson’s knees. Incredibly, 

the cab stayed air-tight even though its windshield “spidered” 

as soon as the dozer submerged. 

Because his cell phone had fallen from its cup-holder 

perch in the cab, the Operator reached for a two-way Midland 

radio on board and called fellow Local 139er Scott Anderson, 

who was on shore. 

Foreman Todd Schmidt, also a 139er, remembers an 

exchange of words as Anderson quickly reported news of the 

accident to Schmidt. “Robbie said: ‘Help! Help! I’m going in 

the pond,’” Schmidt said. 

“And Scottie told him, ‘Just relax. Save your air. We’ll get 

to you.’ ” 

processing site, according to media reports. 

At about 7:49 a.m., Gunderson was dozing sand toward 

the pond when his machine slid forward and would not stop 

sliding. He shifted the dozer into reverse, but had no success 

in halting the slide. “I thought I was gonna die,” he said. 

Gunderson is a personable soul; a jokester. He has 

retained a quirky sense of humor despite his ordeal. 

He said he does not consider himself a religious person, 

yet he said he prayed that the water would stop coming in 

and it did. 

“I started talking to my grandpas (Gene Sosalla and Eric 

Gunderson) who are gone, and to my first wife, Amanda, who 

died 13 years ago of cancer. I told them I wanted to join them, 

but not this day. 

“I told Scottie, ‘Just tell my kids I love them.’ It was best 

that I was talking to Scottie. With other guys I would have 

been joking around, burning up oxygen.” 

To further pass the time, Gunderson scrawled “family” 

on the dozer dashboard. Outside the cab, bubbles rose in a 

watery mixture Gunderson likened to “chocolate milk.” 

Above this murky and claustrophobic world, an army of 

rescuers assembled. Divers, firefighters, emergency medical 

technicians, and law enforcement officers tried to organize a 

rescue plan. A Flight-for-Life helicopter arrived. 

A number of those in this gathering knew Gunderson 

and the Gunderson family, from nearby Independence. They 

were determined to save one of their own, Schmidt said. 

As minutes elapsed into hours, a decision was made to 

breach a dike separating the pond from a tributary of the 

Trempealeau River, and to drain the enclosure, Hi-Crush 

Chief Operating Officer Scott J. Preston told the media. 

Schmidt and Chad Gerke, another 139er and an owner of 

Gerke Excavating, manned Cat model 349 and 390 excavators 

to open the dike, Schmidt said. Ultimately, about 10 million 

gallons were released, according to published reports. 

Meanwhile, news of the accident arrived at Evergreen 

Elementary School in Holmen, where Gunderson’s wife, 

Lindsay Prokop, teaches second grade. She drove to the mine. 

A relative, Randy Niedercorn, who is a former Trempealeau 

County sheriff, cautioned that she likely would get there and 

be asked to identify her husband’s body. 

Anderson and Gunderson had a history of butting heads, 

Gunderson said. On this day, the pair set their past differences 

aside. “Scottie stayed on the radio, talking to Robbie the 

whole two and half hours,” Schmidt said. “At times Scottie 

said, ‘Save your air. Just key the mic so we know you’re with 

us.’ ” 

Gunderson’s assignment had been to push 15 piles 

of “reject” sand into the pond. He and other Operating 

Engineers there work for Gerke Excavating Inc. 

The pond spans an area approximately 100 feet by 600 

feet, Schmidt said. It’s part of a 1,447-acre sand mine and 

“I told God I’d be a better dad, a better son, a better 

husband. But I wasn’t gonna stop drinkin’ … 

[left] The dozer in which Local 139 member Robbie Gunderson 

was trapped is revealed after a detention pond into which the 

machine slid was drained. This photo shows the dozer and a boat 

used in the rescue. 

[above] Local 139 member Robbie Gunderson. 

[article & photos] Dave Backmann, Local 139 

At the clay pond, Schmidt finally had reason for hope. He 

spotted the dozer’s GPS antenna sticking out of the muddy 

water. “I yelled to the guys in a boat,” he said. “They weren’t 

really close to Robbie. They were about 30 yards from where 

they thought he was.” 

The rescuers smashed a window in the cab to free 

Gunderson, hauled him aboard a 14-foot, flat-bottom boat, 

then ferried him to shore. Gunderson was shaking, a sign that 

hypothermia was setting in. His right thumb was bleeding, 

cut on the broken window glass. 

...Continued page 16 

14 



Safety & Health 

Anti-union politicians 

want to cut your pay. 

“You won’t believe how good fresh air can feel,” Gunderson 

recalled. 

he said several times during an interview with Wisconsin 

News. 

Reminiscent of a scene from a movie, the Operator was 

greeted by dozens of people shaking his hand, taking his 

photo; he in turn offering his gratitude. His father, Robert, 

was in the crowd along with his mother, Sandra, and his 

sister, Stacie. And of course, his wife. “When she saw me, it 

was unbelievable,” Gunderson said. 

An EMT on the scene examined Gunderson and, finding 

no physical harm, released him. Lindsay Prokop later drove 

her husband to Mayo Clinic Health System – Franciscan 

Healthcare in La Crosse where he underwent tests to check 

oxygen levels in his blood, his lungs, heart, and other 

functions. The couple has been meeting weekly with a 

counselor to discuss the trauma. 

Gunderson said he has not had any post-traumatic 

experiences such as nightmares. “I think I left it all in the cab,” 

“Robbie surviving is truly a miracle,” Lindsay Prokop said. 

“The men digging really believed they were digging for his 

body as they frantically tried multiple attempts to find this 

dozer. 

“At the beginning, when Rob went in, there was no sign of 

his dozer. The pond was completely still ... When they finally 

broke the dike, there was still no sign of his machine. The 

desperate digging where bubbles were was in hopes that was 

where he was buried. Even with the water clearing, the muck 

completely had pulled the dozer under, still leaving no trace 

of him. 

“The rescue divers started jumping through the muck 

with ropes tied to them, while others in the boat dug with 

shovels. Diggers were sliding into the muck as they kept 

digging. Finally (when the GPS antenna appeared) the team 

realized the dozer was up to 60 feet from where they initially 

were digging. 

Crony capitalists 

and their friends 

in Washington 

keep attacking 

the prevailing 

wage laws that 

protect Operating 

Engineers. We 

can’t afford to 

let them win. 

OE17-010 

“The incident has given Robbie a second chance at life. 

He has a new appreciation for his family, his friends, Scottie 

Anderson, his coworkers, and especially his employer. 

Miracles happen everyday, but to be here today because of the 

non-stop effort of the rescuers, coworkers, and his employer, 

Robbie has a special place in his heart for the word, miracle.” 

She said her husband “reluctantly” took off the remainder 

of the week to work through his experience. On May 29, 

he was back on the job, where another emotional scene 

unfolded. 

He said, “I will say that I work with basically bad-ass guys. 

We run heavy equipment. We don’t cry. 

“And then, one week and one day later (after the accident) 

we’re hugging. And there were tears.” 

[left] Local 139 member Robbie Gunderson spent 2.5 hours 

trapped in this dozer after it slid into a detention pond on May 21 

in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin. The dozer was revealed after 

the pond was drained. Rescuers broke the rear window to permit 

Gunderson’s escape. 

Taxpayer money should 

support skilled workers, 

not greedy contractors. 

The Davis-Bacon Act requires that 

workers on government funded 

projects be paid equal to local 

prevailing wages for similar work so 

tax dollars aren’t used to undercut 

workers’ pay. 

Repealing Davis-Bacon 

means more workplace 

injuries and fatalities. 

Untrained, low-paid workers mean 

unsafe working conditions, which 

lead to more injuries and fatalities. 

epi.org/publication/bp215 

The federal government 

sets prevailing wage 

rates, not unions. 

The prevailing wage rate is 

determined by a survey of all local 

construction wages conducted by the 

US Department of Labor. 

Prevailing wage does 

not raise the cost of 

construction. 

Workers paid a decent wage are more 

productive. Studies show that cuts in 

wages can actually raise the cost of 

construction projects. 

faircontracting.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Wage 

differential-method-critique-Duncan-2016-1.pdf 

[article & photos] Dave Backmann, Local 139 

Tell your Members of Congress to oppose any efforts to 

weaken the Davis-Bacon Act. Call today: (202) 224-3121 

16 



Local Spotlight 

Local 158 Hits the Road in Tour de Cure 

Maryland Governor Recognizes Training School 

IN JUNE, Local 158 was proud to 

participate in the 2018 Tour de Cure, 

Capital Region, a 100 mile bike ride 

held to raise funds for the American 

Diabetes Association. It was the fourth 

year of participation for Local 158 and 

they raised over $4,700.00 this year 

alone. 

Riding for Team 158 this year were 

Business Manager and International 

Vice President Dan McGraw, Business 

Representative Jeff Kellogg, Jeff’s 

daughter in-law Joanne Burns and 

Business Representative Mark Mincher. 

Tour de Cure is the American 

Diabetes Association’s signature 

fundraising event. With strong 

support from the business community 

including sponsorship and corporate 

teams, the events raise funds for 

research, advocacy, programs and 

education. 

More than 1,200 participants, 300 

volunteers, sponsors and spectators 

came together to raise $550,000 to 

fund critical research, advocacy efforts, 

programs and education to support 

all children and adults living with 

diabetes. 

Local 15 Dedicates Welding 

Shop to Deserving Members 

LOCAL 15 welding instructor Frank 

Papik recently retired after 39 years of 

service to the union. Frank was one 

of the original pioneers of the Local’s 

Apprenticeship School and one of the 

first instructors to be certified through 

the IUOE National HAZMAT Program. 

In appreciation of his service, the Local 

15 Welding Shop has been named in 

his honor along with fellow Local 15 

honoree Edward Feddock. 

MARYLAND GOVERNOR Larry 

Hogan and Secretary of Labor Kelly 

Schulz paid a recent visit to IUOE Local 

37’s Training School in Baltimore. 

Business Manager Bob Holsey took 

them on a tour of the facility and the 

Local training staff demonstrated some 

of the techniques the school utilizes 

in its course offerings. The Local is 

celebrating 50 years of operations at 

the Training School this year. 

The Governor also presented 

a special “Governor’s Citation” to 

recently retired Local 37 Business 

Manager and International Trustee Joe 

Shanahan in recognition of his years of 

service. 

[above, L to R] Retired Local 37 Business Manager and 

International Trustee Joe Shanahan, Maryland Governor Larry 

Hogan, and Local 37 Business Manager Bob Holsey. 

[below] Local 37 Instructor Mike Funk demonstrates egg skills 

challenge on an excavator. 

[left] Governor Hogan tries his hand at the Excavator 

Simulator with help from Local 37 Instructor Garry Khal. 

[photos] Local 37 

[above, L to R] Local 158 Business 

Representative Jeff Kellogg, Local 158 

Business Manager and International Vice 

President Dan McGraw, and Joanne Burns. 

[photo] Local 158 

[right] Local 15 Business Manager Tom 

Callahan and Welding Instructor Frank 

Papik, along with other Local 15 members 

and staff, stand in front of the Frank Papik/ 

Ed Feddock Welding Shop. 

[photo] Local 15 

18 



Union Plus Awards 2018 Scholarships 

to IUOE Member Families 

Winners honored for academic achievement and union values 

UNION PLUS RECENTLY awarded $150,000 in scholarships 

to 115 students representing 32 unions, including four 

winners representing the International Union of Operating 

Engineers (IUOE). This year’s group of scholarship recipients 

includes university, college, and trade or technical school 

students from 36 states. 

The Union Plus Scholarship Program, now in its 27th year, 

awards scholarships based on outstanding academic 

achievement, personal character, financial need, and 

commitment to the values of organized labor. The program is 

offered through the Union Plus Education Foundation. 

Jacob Kingsley 

Since starting the program in 1991, Union Plus has awarded 

more than $4.3 million in educational funding to more than 

2,900 union members, spouses, and dependent children. 

Union Plus Scholarship awards are granted to students 

attending a two-year college, four-year college, graduate 

school, or recognized technical or trade school. The 

selection process is very competitive, and this year over 6,000 

applications were received from 70 unions and all 50 states, 

plus the District of Columbia and two U.S. territories. 

Visit UnionPlus.org/Scholarship for applications and 

benefit eligibility. 

Meet the 2018 IUOE Honorees 

IUOE Local 39—Jacob Kingsley 

Kingsley, whose mother, Debora Kingsley, is a member of IUOE Local 39, has been 

awarded a $500 scholarship. Jacob is a statistics major and economic policy minor 

at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). He plans to pursue a law degree following 

completion of his bachelor’s degree next year. Jacob graduated sixth in his class from 

Cosumnes Oaks High School in Elk Grove, California, and was awarded the school’s 

Community Service Cord for more than 500 hours of community service. Kyle C. 

Monson, a part-time Sacramento law professor, has known Jacob for over a decade 

through the Boy Scouts of America. “Jacob is an outstanding leader, a dedicated servant 

to others, and a fine young man of character,” 

he said. “I’m certain he will continue to be an 

outstanding citizen and leader for our nation in 

the future.” 

Activities and honors: UNR mock trial team; Phi 

Alpha Delta; Boy Scouts of America: Eagle Scout, 

Order of the Arrow Vigil Honor, National Youth 

Leadership Training (NYLT) 

Monique Tate, is a member of the California School Employees Association (CSEA). San Leandro High School counselor Leena 

Yee said Anthony is an exceptional student who she believes will excel in college. “In all my interactions with Anthony, I’ve 

found him to be mature, inquisitive, level-headed, friendly, intelligent, and motivated,” Yee said. “Anthony is an upstanding 

student and is an active participant in school life and his community.” 

Activities and honors: President, Black Student Union; African American Achievement Award; varsity cross country; varsity 

track 

Volunteerism: STEM tutor; event photography and videography 

IUOE Local 101—Jolie Welch 

Welch, whose father, Bryan Welch, is a member of IUOE Local 101, has been awarded a 

$1,000 scholarship. Jolie is a first-year biology and psychology major at the University of 

Missouri, where she is a Dean’s List honoree. She aspires to be a pediatrician and serve 

as a children’s health advocate in developing nations. Jolie graduated valedictorian 

from East Buchanan High School (EBHS) in Gower, Missouri. Her father is a secondgeneration 

IUOE member, and she sees her father’s IUOE membership as a gift. 

“Because of my dad’s strong work ethic and his union membership, he’s been able to 

support a family of six children,” Jolie said. “We feel protected knowing that we have 

great health care, and we are comforted knowing that my dad is in an environment 

where workplace safety is a priority.” 

Activities and honors: President, National Honor Society; EBHS I Dare You Award; 

EBHS student council; 2017 Elite Dance Cup Senior National Champion 

Volunteerism: Mosaic Life Care at St. Joseph Medical Center 

IUOE Local 302—Jess Harris 

Harris, who is a member of IUOE Local 302, has been awarded a $500 scholarship. Jess is a first-year student at the University of 

Washington, where he was awarded direct admission to the construction management program. He is a member of IUOE Local 

302 and plans to follow in his father’s footsteps professionally with a career in the construction industry. Jess graduated from 

Snohomish High School (SHS) in Washington state. With multiple members of his immediate and extended family in unions, 

Jess is proud of his strong union heritage. “From providing top-of-the-line health insurance to securing me a job that allows 

me to make enough money to fund most of my college education, unions have played a vital role in my life,” he said. “IUOE is 

a blessing that will continue to provide for my family and so many others for years to come.” 

Activities and honors: SHS Associated Student Body (ASB); SHS varsity football; SHS varsity track 

Jolie Welch 

IUOE Local 3—Anthony Tate 

Tate, whose father, also named Anthony Tate, is a member of IUOE Local 3, has been 

awarded a $1,000 scholarship. Anthony is a 2018 graduate of San Leandro High School 

in California. He plans to major in computer science when he begins college this fall 

and hopes to work in the technology field or as an entrepreneur. Anthony’s mother, 

Anthony Tate 

Volunteerism: Make-A-Wish Foundation; Friends of Lord Hill Park 

Union Plus, founded by the AFL-CIO in 1986, uses the collective buying power of America’s 12.5 million union members to deliver 

top-quality benefits and services at competitive prices to working families. In addition to the scholarship program, Union Plus 

offers the new Free College program which makes it possible for union members and their families to earn an associate degree 

completely online at no cost. To learn more, visit unionplus.org. 

20 



Union Death Benefit 

Benefits paid 

May - June, 2018 

WEDNESDAY 

January 24, 2018 

Executive Session 

General President Callahan 

called the meeting of the 

General Executive Board into 

an Executive Session at 7:40 

a.m. on Wednesday, January 

24, 2018. Also present for 

this Executive Session were 

Chief of Staff Joseph Giacin, 

General Counsel Brian 

Powers, Chief Financial 

Officer John Loughry, 

Associate General Counsel 

Matt McGuire and Assistant 

to the General Secretary- 

Treasurer Hugh Delaney. 


re-introduced Richard 

Griffin the General Executive 

Board. General Counsel 

Powers explained that 

following his tenure as the 

NLRB General Counsel, 

Mr. Griffin joined the law 

firm of Bredhoff & Kaiser 

in Washington DC. Mr. 

Powers stated that the IUOE 

has entered into a retainer 

agreement with the law firm 

allowing for Mr. Griffin to 

provide consultation and 

advice to the IUOE subject 

to any conflict of interest 

limitations imposed by 

the federal government 

for departing employees. 

Mr. Griffin noted his deep 

appreciation to General 

President Callahan to 

graciously allow him to 

accept his appointment 

by President Obama to a 

position of NLRB Board 

member in 2012 after 28 

years with the IUOE legal 

department. He stated that 

he looks forward to working 

with General Counsel Brian 

Powers and the IUOE legal 

staff to assist the IUOE in 

any way he can. President 

Callahan welcomed Mr. 

Griffin back to the IUOE, 

and he noted that requests 

to utilize Dick Griffin should 

be made through General 

Counsel Powers. Mr. Griffin 

thanked General President 

Callahan and the General 

Executive Board and then 

excused himself from the 

meeting. 


then reminded the General 

Executive Board that the 

supplemental pension for 

former General President 

Giblin had to be approved 

on an annual basis. He 

called on John Loughry to 

provide additional details 

of the pension, after which 

a motion was made, duly 

seconded, and unanimously 

adopted to approve the 

pension for another year. 

Call of Meeting 


called the meeting of the 

General Executive Board 

to order at 7:45 a.m. on 

Wednesday, October 24, 

2017. 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, Chief Financial 

Officer John Loughry, 

Associate General Counsel 

Matt McGuire and Assistant 

to the General Secretary- 

Treasurer Hugh Delaney. 


then read a letter from 

Joseph Shanahan resigning 

his position as International 

Trustee. General President 

Callahan nominated 

Joshua VanDyke, Business 

Manager Local 77 to fill 

the International Trustee 

vacancy created by Brother 

Shanahan’s retirement. It 

was regularly moved and 

unanimously carried to 

elect Joshua VanDyke as an 

International Trustee. 

General 

President 

Callahan engaged the 


in a discussion about the 

possibility of the IUOE 

issuing its own credit card 

with a low interest rate for 

the membership. 

Case No. 1 

Minutes of the Previous 


Meeting 

The minutes of the General 

Executive Board meeting 

conducted October 5, 2017 

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 


Meeting 

MAY 2018 

LOCAL 002 

ST LOUIS, MO 

JAMES E BUTLER 

LOCAL 003 

ALAMEDA, CA 

DONALD R 

FELLION 

J M SPEYER 

CLYDE W PITTS 

ARNOLD 

MACKLIN 

DOUG W 

CARTER 

JOHN 

BROTHERTON 

JOSEPH A 

HENDRIX 

LYLE E KIBBE 

LOUIS A HALL 

C GREEN 

MANUEL 

CASTILLO 

LOCAL 004 

MEDWAY, MA 

MARIO 

COPPOLA 

DAVID L 

PARSLOW 

EUGENE D 

TAVARES 

LOCAL 012 

PASADENA, CA 

HENRY VOGT 

DAVID E. 

RADLEY 

GLEN OLINGER 

FRANKLIN 

THOMAS STEPP 

HAROLD E. REED 

ROBERT O. 

RUSSELL 

JOHNSIE R. 

MCALESTER 

WILLARD G. 

SCOTT 

WILL E. HAYNES 

SAMUEL F. 

HORTON 

EARL L. 

BLESSING 

JIM ZAVAS 

HERBERT W. 

NEWTON 

LYLE A. WELLS 

HAROLD E. 

MILTON 

STANLEY W. 

SHACKLETT 

HARRY R. 

BLOOM 

LOCAL 014 

FLUSHING, NY 

WILLIAM G 

PRIGGE 

LOUIS 

VOWVALIDIS 

MORRIS M SIER 

LOCAL 015 

LONG ISLAND 

CITY, NY 

RONALD D 

KNAUST 

JOHN C LICONTI 

LOCAL 017 

LAKEVIEW, NY 

WILLIAM A 

BENZ JR 

LOCAL 018 

CLEVELAND, OH 

LEON C 

MCCAMAN 

JAMES R 

RUMSEY 

JAMES G TAYLOR 

EDWARD C 

STROHSCHER 

RICHARD H 

HARDESTY 

ALFONZO 

SMITH 

JAMES C 

SWINEFORD 

EDWARD J 

MARIOTTI 

FREDERICK G 

LAYTON 

KENNETH J 

GRIME 

ARTHUR R 

ROBERTS 

EUGENE E 

BOLEN 

ROBERT 

SANDERS 

LOCAL 030 

RICHMOND 

HILL, NY 

CHARLES J 

REINERS 

WHITESTONE, 

NY 

CHARLES J 

REINERS 

LOCAL 049 

MINNEAPOLIS, 

MN 

ELWOOD B 

DANIELSON 

GENE L 

RISTVEDT 

RICHARD 

OLSON 

HENRY M 

HEINTZ 

JOHN PARTYKA 

M R CLIFFORD 

SWENSON 

LOCAL 066 

PITTSBURGH, PA 

ARTHUR M 

ZAMBANINI 

RAYMOND H 

CURTIS 

DAVID J GIRDISH 

RALPH A 

GERVASIO 

JIMMY R 

SAUNDERS 

PAUL L RESSLAR 

GEORGE 

YURKANIN 

LOCAL 070 

WHITE BEAR 

LAKE, MN 

ALBERT 

BRUGGENTHIES 

LOCAL 077 

SUITLAND, MD 

HUSHEL SETTLE 

LOCAL 095 


NICK DEFALLE 

KENNETH W 

BERNAUER 

LOCAL 098 

EAST 

LONGMEADOW, 

MA 

ROBERT H FOISY 

LOCAL 103 

FORT WAYNE, IN 

RICHARD 

YEARLING 

INDIANAPOLIS, 

IN 

RICHARD 

YEARLING 

LOCAL 115 

BURNABY, BC 

RONALD G 

BROWN 

DONALD F 

DAHLQUIST 

KURC ZEVIAR 

LOCAL 119 

HAYSVILLE, KS 

C E WAGGONER 

WICHITA, KS 

C E WAGGONER 

LOCAL 132 

CHARLESTON, 

WV 

F M CHADDOCK 

RONALD 

GEBHARDT 

CARLTON 

TRICKETT 

LOCAL 138 

FARMINGDALE, 

NY 

EDWARD C 

SMITH 

DANIEL H SMITH 

LOCAL 139 

PEWAUKEE, WI 

LOWELL 

NORRISH 

DONALD J 

GOEBEL 

THOMAS G 

COWDY 

RICHARD A 

HORNUNG 

LOCAL 150 

COUNTRYSIDE, 

IL 

WAYNE E 

HORTON 

CLETUS A 

BOZYCH 

GEORGE J LUX 

JR 

WALTER 

JEFFERSON 

HARVEY W 

BRITTON 

JOHN F ALLEN 

RICHARD G 

MILLER 

LOCAL 158 

GLENMONT, NY 

ROBERT L FIENE 

EARL L WAITE 

DONALD THEW 

LOCAL 16B 

NULL, NULL 

EARL D BRYANT 

LOCAL 181 

HENDERSON, KY 

BILLY W GRIDER 

LOCAL 302 

BOTHELL, WA 

JAMES PAVEL 

GAROLD A REID 

MELFORD J 

MIKKELSEN 

ROBERT E 

KUERSTEN 

LOCAL 310 

GREEN BAY, WI 

GEORGE LENZ 

OCONTO, WI 

GEORGE LENZ 

LOCAL 317 

OAK CREEK, WI 

ESKIL A 

BERGSTROM 

AUREL MOGA 

LOCAL 318 

MARION, IL 

VICTOR BARGER 

LOCAL 324 

BLOOMFIELD 

TOWNSHIP, 

ROY J RANCK 

JOSEPH T 

HAZARD 

GEORGE L GEAN 

JOHN G BARG JR 

BERNARD 

THOMPSON 

DONALD F 

THOMS 

FREDERICK A 

NEIHARDT 

STANLEY J 

CHOVANEC 

WADE GROUT 

CLARENCE E 

WUERTH 

ALLEN H LAW 

CLAUDE D ASH 

TED R WYATT 

NORMAN 

CURTIS 

EUGENE D 

WHELTON 

LOCAL 399 

CHICAGO, IL 

ANTHONY 

MASIARZ 

HARVEY E VAN 

BUSKIRK 

LOCAL 406 

NEW ORLEANS, 

LA 

CHARLES J 

NELSON JR 

LOCAL 407 

LAKE CHARLES, 

LA 

WILLIAM E DAY 

LOCAL 428 

PHOENIX, AZ 

HARRY 

MARCOTT JR 

LOCAL 463 

RANSOMVILLE, 

NY 

GLENN L WENDT 

LOCAL 478 

HAMDEN, CT 

FRANK TANUCCI 

KENNETH W 

DOWDING JR 

LOCAL 513 

BRIDGETON, MO 

VERNON STORIE 

EMIL L 

WALLACH JR 

ALLAN G 

ANDERSON 

LOCAL 520 

GRANITE CITY, IL 

MARVIN D ELLIS 

LOCAL 542 

FORT 

WASHINGTON, 

PA 

DALE C CULLEN 

JR 

HARRISBURG, PA 

DALE C CULLEN 

JR 

LOCAL 564 

LAKE JACKSON, 

TX 

TRAVIS R 

MILLSAP 


SUMMER 2018 22 



Union Death Benefit 

Benefits paid 

May - June, 2018 

RICHWOOD, TX 

TRAVIS R 

MILLSAP 

LOCAL 649 

PEORIA, IL 

DELMAR BEAMS 

LOCAL 701 

GLADSTONE, OR 

WYLLYS T. 

INSLEY 

C. A. JOCK 

HALLADAY 

LOCAL 793 

OAKVILLE, ON 

RODNEY 

HOLDER 

LOCAL 832 

ROCHESTER, NY 

ELMER W 

DODDS 

ALVIN R 

OSTERHOUT 

LOCAL 917 

CHATTANOOGA, 

TN 

HAROLD HALL 

LOCAL 965 

SPRINGFIELD, IL 

DONALD SMITH 

JUNE 2018 

LOCAL 002 

ST LOUIS, MO 

EDWARD E 

MUICH 

LOCAL 003 

ALAMEDA, CA 

HUGH D 

MATTHEWS 

JOHN D 

WINCHELL 

EDWARD 

ROGERS 

HENRY S 

HONGO 

JAMES TAKOS 

LOCAL 004 

MEDWAY, MA 

RICHARD A 

EVANS 

ANTHONY J 

MANCUSO 

THOMAS J HAJJ 

JAMES T GRIFFIN 

THOMAS R 

MORELLO 

LOCAL 009 

DENVER, CO 

JAMES B 

COLGLAZIER 

DONALD A 

PARKER 

LOCAL 012 

PASADENA, CA 

GEORGE G. 

KIRKSEY 

H. E. POOL 

B. L. MILLER 

EUGENE L. 

AMUNDSON 

J. J. AGUILAR 

FELIPE 

GUTIERREZ 

RICHARD P. 

HOLMAN JR 

ROBERT L. 

OLIVER 

FRANK 

SENTENO 

RUDOLPH 

ARELLANO 

C. L. BREWER 

JIM ZAVAS 

CHARLEY J 

DAVIS 

DANIEL PAVICH 

FRED H 

GUGLIELMETTI 

RAY M. KUNS 

HAROLD I. 

DAVIS 

MARTIN L. 

SHIFFRAR 

LLOYD SCOTT 

EARLING W 

SUNDELL-BA 

PASQUAL 

SALAZAR 

HERMAN D. 

WADLEY 

HERMAN C. 

HESSE 

LINUS K. 

SHELTON 

THOMAS G. 

MILLS 

RUSSELL D. 

LYNCH 

ERIC PETERSON 

HAROLD E. REED 

ALFRED M. 

GARCIA 

RONALD E. 

NOVAK 

JOSE L. JIMENEZ 

LARRY A. 

BUENTING 

RUDY YBARRA 

CAMACHO 

JOHN W. REEVES 

STEPHEN L. 

GOLDEN 

LOCAL 015 

LONG ISLAND 

CITY, NY 

JAMES M 

NICHOLSON 

DONALD A 

ROSSILLI 

LOCAL 017 

LAKEVIEW, NY 

THOMAS J 

WAGNER 

RAYMOND 

DEHN 

LOCAL 018 

CLEVELAND, OH 

NEIL H SELINSKY 

EUGENE 

MAROUS 

JOHN N 

BENNETT 

ROBERT A 

WELCH 

ALVIN E 

RINEHART 

GEORGE R 

REYNOLDS 

JAMES M JONES 

FLEETWOOD 

MAPLES 

DON MAPLES 

EDWARD F 

BRANDSTETTE 

CHARLES E 

WILSON 

WILLIAM C 

MANNING 

GEORGE I 

FLINCHUM 

PHILIP B 

KOEWLER 

JERRY B ALLEN 

JOHN L 

DICKERSON 

WILLIAM M 

ROLF JR 

LOCAL 019 

ELDON WEIKART 

LOCAL 025 

MILLSTONE 

TOWNSHIP, N 

JAMES SMITH 

LOCAL 037 

BALTIMORE, MD 

JOHN T SCOTT 

JAMES A 

BURRESS 

LOCAL 039 

SACRAMENTO, 

CA 

CATARINO A 

REDE 

LOCAL 049 

MINNEAPOLIS, 

MN 

NORMAN E 

NIKKOLA 

LOCAL 057 

JOHNSTON, RI 

ROY FRANCISCO 

LOCAL 066 


PETER J BALDI 

RUSSELL C 

MARTIN JR 

DWIGHT O 

JENNINGS 

HARRY C HOWE 

ROBERT 

BANNER 

RAYMOND E 

WOLFE 

LARRY M 

REICHART 

GEORGE T SYE 

ZANE W 

GRAFFIUS 

LOCAL 068 

WEST 

CALDWELL, NJ 

JOHN C. DOLAN 

LOCAL 077 

SUITLAND, MD 

ADDISON W 

THOMPSON 

WILLIAM K 

GROOMS 

LOCAL 098 

EAST 

LONGMEADOW, 

MA 

DAVID C 

DUGRENIER 

LOCAL 101 

KANSAS CITY, 

MO 

RUBEN W 

KUEHN 

JAMES J 

SHEPHERD 

EDWIN C 

BONNARENS 

DAVID L NAYLOR 

LOCAL 106 

GLENMONT, NY 

JAMES 

OPPEDISANO 

LOCAL 115 

BURNABY, BC 

JAMES M 

METCALFE 

GORDON I 

DOUGLAS 

JOSEPH JOSEPH 

MIRKO SAKIC 

CARL A WOOD 

ROY 

CHRISTENSEN 

WILLIAM J 

CANN 

ALBERT B 

COLDWELL 

REGINALD L 

VICKNER 

NORMAN B 

MALLABY 

LOCAL 132 

CHARLESTON, 

WV 

M E COGAR 

ELVIN E PYNE 

CHARLES 

BOGGESS 

IVAN G EHLERS 

LOCAL 137 

BRIARCLIFF 

MANOR, NY 

EDWARD A 

LUCAS 

LOCAL 139 

PEWAUKEE, WI 

HUBERT H 

ROBENHORST 

LEROY J 

ALTENBURG 

HAROLD SEARS 

GORDON J 

MARKHAM 

GERALD G 

AXTELL 

GARY L 

THIELMAN 

HILLERY KASTEN 

DUWAYNE 

STRATTON 

LEONARD 

JIRIKOVEC 

JOHN P WALTER 

LOCAL 148 

SAINT LOUIS, 

MO 

ALFRED J ELAM 

LOCAL 150 

COUNTRYSIDE, 

IL 

CONRAD 

SHELLEY 

ROCCO 

CHRISTOFANO 

H H KOHN 

FRANCIS F TATE 

MICHAEL 

MORETTI 

RICHARD L 

COOP 

DONALD A 

AUDINO 

J K DIBBLE 

WILLIAM R VON 

DINKEL 

CHARLES T 

PUTCHAVEN 

ROBERT B 

ROMAN 

WILLIAM R 

MCEVOY 

DARREL K NULL 

CHARLES D 

ROSE 

RONALD H 

BROWN 

WAYNE M 

FOGEL 

LOREN E KERR 

JAMES L 

JOHNSON 

RICHARD 

WILLIAMS 

LARRY L VIERS 

ROBERT E 

EVANS 

LOCAL 158 

GLENMONT, NY 

ROBERT W 

YORAN 

GERALD 

HAMMOND 

P CARPENTER 

WALTER CROMP 

JAMES H 

LEONARD JR 

LOCAL 181 

HENDERSON, 

KY 

ELBERT R 

RUSSELL 

DELL H 

STEENBERGEN 

RODERICK M 

CARTER 

LOCAL 234 

DES MOINES, IA 

FRANCIS L FYE 

LOCAL 302 

BOTHELL, WA 

CHARLES 

DOOLITTLE 

D F LOVE 

LYLE SOMA 

WILLIAM MC 

CULLOUGH 

CHARLES E 

NICOLET 

GERALD J 

TRAULSEN 

ROGER L 

BROWN 

LOCAL 318 

MARION, IL 

GEORGE E 

JONES 

RICHARD L 

WRIGHT 

EVERETT L 

ESCUE 

LOCAL 324 

BLOOMFIELD 

TOWNSHIP, 

EDWIN L 

MCNEILLY 

CARL YORKS 

CARL GILBERT 

WILLIAM H 

JOHNSON 

PAUL H PERRY 

WILLIAM A 

CLARK 

LARRY MISEL 

EDWARD L 

HAVER 

PAUL J 

FRANKOVICH 

DEWAIN J 

SIVYER 

RICHARD W 

BROOKS 

LOCAL 351 

BORGER, TX 

E T DACUS 

LOCAL 381 

EL DORADO, AR 

UTAH DANIELS 

LOCAL 399 

CHICAGO, IL 

EDWARD H 

MORITZ 

JAMES 

HENNESSY 

LOCAL 400 

HELENA, MT 

RONALD 

BANSCHBACH 

LOCAL 406 

NEW ORLEANS, 

LA 

FELIX L 

JOHNSON 

PETER P FORET 

GEORGE 

LAWRENCE 

WALTER B 

HUGHES JR 

LOCAL 428 

PHOENIX, AZ 

ROBERT F 

WAMSLEY 

JAMES R 

SANSOM 

LOCAL 450 

MONT BELVIEU, 

TX 

RAFEL E 

LAMPIN 

LOCAL 478 

HAMDEN, CT 

KENNETH W 

DOWDING JR 

VICTOR 

MALICKI 

RALPH 

PATERNOSTER 

LOCAL 501 

LOS ANGELES, 

CA 

RUPERT F ROSE 

LOCAL 513 

BRIDGETON, 

MO 

KENNETH 

SCHWALBERT 

CALMON 

GRANNEMANN 

RICHARD A 

SCHWANE 

LINCOLN A 

SIEG 

JAMES VANLOO 

LOCAL 542 

FORT 

WASHINGTON, 

PA 

KENNETH E 

SMALL 

ROLAND T 

DEMOSS 

BENJAMIN D 

BARTRON 

CHARLES J 

MIHALITSCH 

WILLIAM J 

HELLER 

LOCAL 612 

TACOMA, WA 

LEONARD C 

WARNOCK 

LOCAL 649 

PEORIA, IL 

CHARLES H 

MAAS 

LYNN W 

WILSON 

LOCAL 793 

OAKVILLE, ON 

ROY 

MCMASTER 

MURRAY N 

MCCLURE 

ANTHONY P 

SCHALK 

LOCAL 825 

SPRINGFIELD, 

NJ 

ARTHUR D 

ROSE 

RONALD 

CARDELL 

RICHARD C 

MITCHELL 

WILLIAM SEAL 

BILLY J SEXTON 

ROBERT X 

WALSH 

ANGELO 

VOCATURO 

LOCAL 832 

ROCHESTER, 

NY 

RICHARD A 

WILCOX 

LOCAL 841 

TERRE HAUTE, 

IN 

MERLE D COX 

LOCAL 891 

BROOKLYN, NY 

DENNIS 

MITCHELL 

LOCAL 912 

COLUMBIA, TN 

R W FOX 

LOCAL 917 

CHATTANOOGA 

TN 

ROY W PICKETT 

JR 

LOCAL 955 

EDMONTON, AB 

HERBERT J 

SCOTT 


SUMMER 2018 24 



240 

300 

360 

180 420 

120 

60 

0 

 

600 

 

540 

480 

 

International Union of Operating Engineers 

1125 17 th Street, NW 


NON PROFIT ORG 

US POSTAGE 

PAID 

KELLY PRESS, INC. 

Printed in the U.S.A. 

You Served Your Country. Now Secure Your Future. 

Become a Skilled Construction 

Professional...At NO COST to You! 

Free College 

WIRELESS 

DISCOUNTS 

• Connects men & women to REWARDING CAREERS in the construction industry 

• HIGH EARNING POTENTIAL through the best Apprenticeship Training Programs in the country 

• Utilize your G.I. BILL EDUCATION BENEFITS to supplement your income 

• EARN WHILE YOU LEARN - No experience required 

• BENEFITS PACKAGE - Comprehensive healthcare and secure pension 

The Union Plus Free College Benefit offers working families an 

accessible, debt-free and convenient higher education opportunity. You, 

your spouse, children, financial dependents and grandchildren, can all 

benefit from this program. 

Find out more about this and other great Union Plus programs by visiting 

unionplus.org. 

CREDIT 

CARDS 

FLOWERS 

& GIFTS 

MORTGAGE 

PROGRAM 

Secure Your Future Today 

www.helmetstohardhats.org 

Learn more at unionplus.org 

UNION 

ORGANIZED 

LABOR 

INTERNATIONAL 

OF 

OMNIA 

OPERATING 

DEC. 7, 1896 

ENGINEERS 

VINCIT 

26 


INTERNATIONAL OPERATING ENGINEER • SUMMER 2018

International Operating Engineer - Summer 2018

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?