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January 27, 2012
Upcoming Events:
District 1 (Seattle area) meeting
Feb 02, 2012
Bothell Union Hall 18701 120th Ave NE
District 3 Meeting (Aberdeen)
Feb 09, 2012
Eagles Hall 200 W. Market St. Aberdeen, WA
District 4 meeting (Wenatchee, WA)
Feb 09, 2012
Coast Wenatchee Hotel: 201 N. Wenatchee Ave.
District 2 meeting (Mount Vernon, WA)
Feb 09, 2012
NW Wash. Electrical Ind. JATC: 306 Anderson Road
District 3 meeting (Silverdale, WA)
Feb 15, 2012
Union Hall: 3599 Carlton Street
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Important Links
Alaska Operating Engineers-Employers Training Trust
Operating Engineers Regional Training Program of Washington
International Union of Operating Engineers
AFL-CIO
Alaska AFL-CIO
The Stand - A project of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO
Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council
U.S. Department of Labor
U.S. DOL - Employment & Training Administration
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
U.S. Department of Labor - Wage & Hour Division
National Labor Relations Board
Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Prevailing Wage in Alaska
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
Prevailing Wage in Washington
Job Steward Training

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

Casting Call for Heavy Equipment Operators

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

Alaska at Work

Fairbanks Snow Removal
City of Fairbanks operators plowing the streets

Husky Stadium demolition

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.

Operators dismantle the Manette Bridge

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

Deep Bore Tunnel: New Training Requirements

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.


Loadline

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.

Unions Can Help Restore the Middle Class

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

 

Alaskan Way Viaduct Demolition

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

Juneau Access Project

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

SR 99 Construction

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

Historical Photos

Local 302 headquarters in downtown Seattle, circa 1950. A collection of historical photos is posted to the Photo Gallery page.
A collection of historical photos showing Local 302 Operators at work is now posted to the Photo Gallery page.

 

 

520 Pontoon Progress

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

Filing Workers' Compensation Claims

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.

 

NCA Response to Laborers

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

A Message about our Pension Trust

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.
 
 
Contracts available online

Members can download all contracts

The following contracts are publicly posted:

Alaska's master contract with Associated General Contractors

Washington's master contract with Associated General Contractors

All of Local 302's contracts are now posted on this site's Contracts Page.  However, access to that page is restricted to Local 302 members who have registered to use the site.  Click here to register, or if you have forgotten your user name or password click here.  If you are looking for a contract that is not posted on this site, please contact us.

 


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Daily Headlines

 $90 million wind farm off Anchorage clears key hurdle
Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce (10.13.11)

New Manette Bridge rounding into shape
Kitsap Sun (10.04.11)

 After five years of construction, Brightwater opens on Saturday
Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce (09.23.11)

Viaduct demolition: a look at how it all comes down
Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce (09.20.11)

 Feds OK the tunnel; final design begins
Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce (08.24.11)

Mining finished for Brightwater tunnels
Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce (08.18.11)

A look at tunnel team's efforts to keep buildings from settling
Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce (08.15.11)

 520 Bridge bids are in; Hood Canal Bridge builder is lowest
Seattle Times (08.11.11)

 Hitachi Zosen will provide machine to dig downtown tunnel
Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce (7.19.11)

WSDOT starts $160M project to widen SR522 near Monroe
Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce (7.18.11)

Alyeska study says TAPS can operate down to 350,000 barrels per day
Juneau Empire (07.11.11)

 City may add $3 million for road projects
Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce (07.12.11)

Operating engineers show off skills at Top Hand Competition
Ellensburg Daily Record (06.20.11)

Major firms end bid to build gas line to Canada
Juneau Empire (05.17.11)

 Anchorage to see robust summer construction season
Alaska Journal of Commerce (05.13.11)

First TBM arrives at stadium site
Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce (05.10.11)

March construction spending up 1.4% 
Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce (05.03.11)

$419 million rental car complex under construction at Sea-Tac
Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce (04.26.11)

 State gets $145M for rail projects 
Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce (04.11.11)

  

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