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Job Steward Training
Fairbanks Union Hall
Saturday, March 3, 2012
9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Highly respected labor attorney Helene M. Antel and Alaska Local 302 staff will review all of the topics necessary to become a successful job steward, including:
The Local, the International, and Its Employers
How Your Local Actually Works
Members and Dues
The Constitution and Bylaws (charges & trials)
Organizing
Local 302 Political and Community Involvement
The Job of the Steward
Labor Law Basics
Grievance Procedures and Investigation
Due to the cost and time required of staff for this training, any member wanting to take this course must sign up in advance with the Fairbanks office by calling
(907) 452-8131
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Producers of "Dirty Jobs" Seeking Skilled Heavy Equipment Operators for new TV show
The producers of "Dirty Jobs" are looking for the best heavy equipment operators in the business to take on a series of "Big Machine" challenges with extreme precision for a new, unscripted TV show that will be aired on a major cable network.
This will be a paid position. Deadline to apply is January 25, 2012. Applicants must be properly licensed construction/heavy equipment operators, at least 21 years of age and citizens or legal residents of the United States. The show will film in late March 2012.
Click here for Application Instructions
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Fairbanks Snow Removal
City of Fairbanks operators plowing the streets
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Taking down a Northwest legend: Husky Stadium
Operators began demolition work on the UW Husky Stadium this month. The demo work is expected to be completed by the end of January 2012. More photos can be found in the Photo Gallery section on this website.
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Dismantling the Manette Bridge
Operators removed the trusses from the old Manette Bridge near Bremerton on Monday, November 28th.
Photo courtesy of The Kitsap Sun
Additional Photos from The Kitsap Sun
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Deep Bore Tunnel Training Requirements for Operators
Seattle Tunnel Partners will be hiring Operators as early as January 2012 to work on the new Deep Bore Tunnel. Every Operator dispatched to this project is required to have an OSHA 10 card. All dirt hands are also required to have 40 hours of HazMat training.
To help Operators meet these training requirements, classes will be offered at the Local 302 hall in Bothell on the following days:
OSHA 10 Training
January 30 through February 2
6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. each night
HazMat Training
January 14-15 and January 21-22
7:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Hazmat Training
March 17-18 and March 24-25
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Please contact the Ellensburg Training Center at (509) 968-3203 to register for these training classes.
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LOADLINE
The new Loadline is here! Included in this issue are important general election issues for the State of Washington, information about our new Alaska Training Center, the Christmas Party schedule and much more. Members should receive copies of the 4th quarter Loadline in the mail during the first week of November. Click on the Loadline cover page to view the contents.
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Unions can go a long way in restoring middle class America
New state income data released September 22, 2011 by the U.S. Census Bureau shows the importance of unions to boosting incomes for all middle-class households—union and nonunion alike. The 2010 income data makes it clear that strong unions are a critical factor in creating a middle-class society. Restoring the strength of unions would go a long way toward rebuilding the middle class. As Unions Weaken, So Does the Middle Class
from the Center for American Progress Action Fund
Six Ways Unions Build a Strong Middle Class
from the Center for American Progress Action Fund
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Demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct
Demolition of what was known as the "Southern Mile" portion of the viaduct was completed in October, several days ahead of schedule. A time-lapse video shows the entire demolition in 65 seconds. More photos are posted on the Photo Gallery page of this website.
Time Lapse Video
Courtesy, Washington State Department of Transportation
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Juneau Access Improvements Project Moves Forward
This critical infrastructure project for Juneau and Southeast Alaska will increase transportation capacity and reduce travel time, according to Alaska Governor Sean Parnell. It will also create jobs for Alaska Operating Engineers.
Full details are contained in the State of Alaska DOT & Public Facilities press release
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Customized cutting tool reduces construction time
on Southern Mile project
An unidentified Operator stands next to the BCM 10 cutter soil mixing tool developed by Malcolm Drilling. This specialized tool is being used to cut the underground cell walls that will help support the new elevated highway, which will eventually replace the "Southern Mile" portion of the existing Alaskan Way viaduct. For more details, click on the link below.
DJC article
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Local 302 headquarters in downtown Seattle, circa 1950. A collection of historical photos is posted to the Photo Gallery page. |
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Highway 520 Pontoon Construction Progress
Now you can watch the work as it happens on the Highway 520 pontoon construction project. A webcam installed recently takes pictures every 10 minutes, 7 days a week.
Highway 520 webcam photos
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Project Help
According to the Washington State Labor Council, workers in the construction industry are making a common mistake when they file for Workers' Compensation that ends up causing a denial of the claim, or significant delays in receiving the requested compensation. On the Report of Accident form, injured workers are listing their Union as their Employer because they are dispatched. This is not the correct thing to do. If you need to file a workers' compensation claim due to an on-the-job injury, your Employer is the Contractor you worked for at the time the injury occurred.
For more information and assistance in completing the workers' compensation forms, please visit the Project Help section of the WSLC website.
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NCA Responds to Inaccurate Laborers Assertions
In a recent newsletter to LIUNA members, Laborers Local 242 Business Manager Dale Cannon claimed that the National Construction Alliance (NCA) - an alliance of the Operators and Carpenters - is trying to "raid" other construction unions. This is not at all true nor is Mr. Cannon's opinion based on any facts or evidence. The NCA has formulated a reply to Mr. Cannon's allegations that you can read here:
NCA Response to Dale Cannon
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A Message about our Pension Trust from the Operating Engineers Local 302 The current financial market crisis has caused anxiety for savers and investors, and retirement plan participants. We want you to know that your Board of Trustees have been discussing these issues with our financial experts and we want to share with you why we feel your pension program is safe and secure. The broad stock market lost nearly 40% over the last year. This followed five years of a very strong market compounding at 13% per year. Market declines of this magnitude are traumatic but not unique. They happened most recently in 2001-02 and before that in 1973-74. This decline has been driven by a meltdown of the Sub Prime Mortgage Market. It has brought down large financial institutions including Bear Stearns, Lehman, Washington Mutual and Wachovia, and restructured many others: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, AIG, and Merrill Lynch. Congress has passed dramatic legislation and the Federal Reserve has acted to support a recovery of the banking and financial industry. Most believe the recovery will happen but that the volatility is not over yet. Previous recoveries in 2003 and 1975 resulted in dramatic rebounds of the markets. The Trustees of the Operating Engineers Pension Plan maintain a broadly diversified investment portfolio. It is constructed in a manner that is consistent with the long-term actuarial assumptions that underlie the Plan’s benefit structure. Due to the investment program’s design and professional oversight and monitoring, it has been successful throughout the years and in all types of market conditions. For the past 5 years it earned 12.9% per year ranking in the top 5% of other plans. The Trustees employ an asset valuation method that provides for the “smoothing out” of fluctuations in the value of invested assets due to market volatility over time. Participants should also take comfort in the fact that the Pension Plan continues to operate from a very strong funded position and is well-poised to contend with the current volatility. Your Plan was recently certified as a well-funded “Green Zone” plan under the Pension Protection Act and has amassed a substantial credit balance over time against the Federal government’s minimum funding requirements. In summary, the Pension Plan is well-positioned to meet its future obligations and weather market volatility along the way. The long-term nature of this defined benefit pension program and the prudent measures and policies employed by the Trustees allow for uninterrupted operation in turbulent times and retirement security for its participants and beneficiaries.
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