125 Years Strong – An IUOE History

INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS
In the longer-term aftermath of the
September 11, 2001, attacks, and
recognizing the critical role operating
engineers fulfill in such emergency
situations, in July 2002 the union
established the I.U.O.E. Homeland
Security Division and the National
Emergency Response Center in
conjunction with the federal Office
of Homeland Security. The center’s
programs would prepare members
to deal safely and effectively with
emergencies as first-responders. In
January 2004 during his address at the
I.U.O.E. General Executive Board open
session, National Homeland Security
Secretary Tom Ridge recognized the
I.U.O.E. for its role in homeland
security, stating, “Our nation thanks
you for your patriotism, your actions
and your continuing commitment to
homeland security.”
More than two years earlier, shortly
after “9/11” (as the attacks have become
known) while he and the many other
I.U.O.E. members were working on
cleanup of the World Trade Center site,
Brother Kenny Klemens of Local No.
14, like so many other members, was
adamant in his resolve:
“The men who broke me in as
an engineer built these towers. I
feel it’s my duty to them and as an
American to be here ... and as an
operating engineer to help with the
cleanup and to rebuild.”
More Wins and More Goodwill
With the events of 9/11 emblazoned
into its collective spirit, the
I.U.O.E. forged ahead and in
early 2002 greatly expanded its organizing and
political programs. By that time, it was deeply
involved in leading the fight on a number of
Members of I.U.O.E. Local No. 463 of Niagara Falls, New York, help rebuild
the Prospect Point Observation Tower (or Niagara Falls Observation Tower)
in Niagara Falls just east of the American Falls between 2001 and 2003.
critical legislative issues that had the potential
of creating hundreds of thousands of jobs in
the construction industry and related services,
the topmost of which were budget proposals on
federal highway spending and a comprehensive
energy bill.
One particular effort alleviated a projected
funding shortfall of $23 billion per year for
investments needed over the coming 20 years
to replace aging and failing pipes and to meet
the mandates of the Clean Water Act and Safe
Drinking Water Act. The I.U.O.E. joined the
Water Infrastructure Network, a broad-based
coalition of local elected officials, water-service
providers, state environmental- and healthprogram
administrators and engineers formed
to encourage greater federal funding assistance
to help preserve and protect the health,
environmental and economic gains provided by
the nation’s water and wastewater infrastructure.
The following year during the I.U.O.E. 36 th
General Convention held April 7 to 11 in Lake
Buena Vista, 610 delegates again unanimously
re-elected General President Hanley to another
five-year term. They also ratified a number of
constitutional amendments that included an
increase in the per-capita tax from $7 to $7.75
on July 1, 2003, and to $8.25 July 1, 2005 –
which would still be one of the lowest rates in
the labor movement.
The delegates also approved resolutions
calling for increased participation in the
political-legislative arena to support the passage
of jobs-creating legislation such as investment
in infrastructure projects, to protect Davis-
Bacon prevailing wage laws, to oppose repeal
or weakening of the Service Contract Act,
and to oppose passage of any fast-track trade
legislation lacking core labor and environmental
protections. They further approved a measure
Members of I.U.O.E. Local No. 148 of St. Louis working at the Joppa Power Station in southern Illinois in 2001.
designating organizing as a priority interest of
the I.U.O.E. and urging the union to “continue
to pursue innovative programs and strategies to
further its organizing efforts and to increase
membership participation in those efforts.”
Among the ongoing organizing victories
gained by I.U.O.E. locals around the country,
in 2004 Local No. 39 joined with Service
Employees Local No. 1292 to organize over
550 public-sector employees working for
Tehama County, California, with the operating
engineers representing 475 of the workers.
Meanwhile, Local No. 18 of Cleveland,
Ohio, secured a first contract for 210 workers
at Ralston Foods in Lancaster, Ohio, with a
four-year agreement that was ratified by an
80-percent margin among the employees.
General President Hanley retired on March
1, 2005, and was succeeded by General
Secretary-Treasurer Vincent J. Giblin after
the General Executive Board voted for him
to serve out the unexpired term, which would
run until the next I.U.O.E. Convention in
the spring of 2008. A 40-year member of the
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