Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Please see the link to the Go Fund Me page of our fallen brother's family and if you can, help provide some support for his family.

It is with a heavy heart that we report the loss of a Brother Operator on the SR 520 project last night.  We aren’t releasing any details out of respect for the family and the safety investigation that is underway.  We are deeply saddened by the loss and our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends, and his fellow coworkers on the site. 

While a tragic accident, it is another example of the danger that exists on any construction site.  Be vigilant and conscientious of your surroundings and be safe out there in the field Brothers and Sisters.    

Any Operator needing assistance during this tragic time is encouraged to reach out to their Field Representative or Josh Swanson. 

My condolences to the family for their tragic loss. 

Daren Konopaski

Important Meeting Notice

Attention all Members: The Executive Board met on Friday, May 29^th and decided to cancel all June District meetings.  With the increased vaccination numbers and the enhanced safety precautions that have been implemented across the states, we are hopeful that the Covid numbers are on a steady rate of decline and we will soon be back to normal operations.  We recognize the importance of having our meetings, especially in-light of the on-going MLA negotiations, however the Executive Board felt that at least one more month of meeting cancellations was prudent and necessary for the safety of our members.   

The Executive Board will be meeting again before the July meeting dates to reassess the situation and, depending on the states’ restrictions and the current Covid case outlook, determine the appropriate course of action. If we maintain the path that we are on we are hopeful that we will have regular meetings in July.  If these meetings are able to commence, we will likely have to institute some safety protocols for the health and safety of those members attending. 

In the meantime, please continue to take the necessary precautions to protect yourself from Covid exposure and we look forward to returning to normal operations as soon as possible. 

Important Meeting Notice

Attention all Members: The Executive Board met and decided to cancel all May meetings.  The data on new cases and lack of compliance with the CDC guidelines necessitated the Executive Board’s decision to not put members in harm’s way for exposure at local union meetings.  Unfortunately, the case numbers are on the rise again with many jurisdictions strengthening their restrictions to prior levels.  While we understand the membership’s desire to restart meetings, it is only prudent that we continue on a path of continued safety and decreased exposure protocols for our members. 

We are hopeful that as the vaccination levels increase, we will see a decrease in the case numbers and a restart to normal operations.  In the meantime, we will continue to provide updates on contract negotiations and other important information via our website and social media accounts.   It is unfortunate that the Covid exposure numbers have begun moving in the wrong direction, however, as more folks begin to consider receiving the vaccinations and continue to adhere to the additional exposure protections, we believe that we will soon be able to reopen our normal business and public activities. 

The Executive Board will be meeting again before the June meeting dates to reassess the situation and, depending on the states’ restrictions, determine the plan for reinstating meetings. In the meantime, continue being vigilant on protecting yourself from exposure to the virus and we look forward to returning to normal operations as soon as possible. 

In Memory of Brother Justin Cox

IUOE Local 302 is heartbroken to inform the membership that District 7 Agent Justin Cox passed away this weekend in a tragic accident at home. Justin just went over the 6-month mark working at the Local and was doing a great job representing the membership as the North Slope and Pipeline Agent in Alaska.

Justin told us that it was the greatest honor in his life to be selected to work at the Local and represent the membership. Justin had a big heart and was one of the nicest guys you would have ever met. We just celebrated his 40th birthday recently and we are still in disbelief and shock that he is no longer with us.

Brothers and Sisters, we lost a good one, rest in peace Brother Cox. You will be missed.

Important Meeting Notice

Attention all Members: The Executive Board met today and decided to cancel all April District meetings.  Additional time is necessary for vaccinations and hopefully a continued decline in Covid cases.  We recognize the importance of having our meetings, especially in light of the upcoming Western Washington MLA negotiations, however we do not want to compromise the safety of our members. 

The Executive Board will be meeting again before the May meeting dates to reassess the situation and, depending on the states’ restrictions and the current Covid case outlook, determine the appropriate course of action. In the meantime, continue to take the necessary precautions to protect yourself from Covid exposure and we look forward to returning to normal operations as soon as possible. 

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

Please see the following statement from the International Union of Operating Engineers in regards to the Confirmation of Secretary Marty Walsh to the Department of Labor.

Brothers & Sisters,

Tomorrow morning (March 9th, 2021) our Bothell hall will be undergoing updating our phone service system. There may be a small, temporary period of time where the hall's phones are unavailable. If you attempt to call and cannot get ahold of anyone, please take a look at our Offices page and call a different hall for any assistance necessary. Once the phones have been installed, the Bothell hall will be available again.

Thank you for your understanding,

Bothell Front Office

Important Meeting Notice

Attention all Members: The Executive Board met and decided to suspend all March Union District Meetings. While all signs are positive and we are seeing an increase in the opening of business and public activities in all the states, it is still critical and necessary for the health and wellbeing of our members to continue suspending meetings for just a bit longer.  We are hopeful that within the next few months we will be able to hold our meetings, possibly in a reduced capacity depending on the states’ restrictions, while we embrace our new normal as we come out of this pandemic. 

The Executive Board will be meeting again before the April meeting dates to reassess the situation. In the meantime, continue being vigilant on protecting yourself from exposure to the virus and we look forward to returning to normal operations as soon as possible. 

If you have any questions or need anything don’t hesitate to contact us.

The Operating Engineers applaud the Biden Administration for rescinding the Trump Executive Order that created the framework for industry-recognized apprenticeship programs (IRAPs). Two years ago, the IUOE launched a campaign against the Department of Labor’s (DOL) proposed regulations governing industry-recognized apprenticeship programs. Those regulations, which were sought by greedy, anti-union contractors, would have lowered industry standards and undermined our investments in our own training and apprenticeship programs.  

The IUOE invests $180 million every year in training. Our apprenticeship programs produce the highest skilled, safest, most productive workers in the world who deliver projects on time and under-budget.  Workers who complete an IUOE apprenticeship program earn $300,000 more over the course of a career. They are also less likely to be injured or lose their life on the job.

In total, over 300,000 comments were submitted to the Department of Labor against the IRAP program. IUOE members submitted close to 15,000 comments and other construction union members submitted thousands more. As a result of our efforts, we were successful in exempting construction from the final IRAP regulations. The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and other anti-union organizations however, still strongly advocated to rescind the exemption for construction.  

The IUOE appreciates President Biden's leadership on strengthening registered apprenticeship programs and pulling the plug on an unaccountable corporate sop. Because of this decision, the Operating Engineers and other trade unions are better positioned to deliver the types of skill training required to rebuild this country.

In solidarity,

Attention Members:

The Front Office has received a large amount of calls asking in regards to where the 2020 Tax documents are at on being delivered. Please note that the Trust Office is who provides these, not the Union itself.

We have spoken to the Trust and they have already mailed out all W-2's and 10-99's, we ask that you have patience as they are on the way in the mail.

If you still haven't received them by the end of next week, please reach out to the Trust to see about getting a new form(s) mailed out to you. They can be reached at;

(206) 441-7574
For W-2's: Dial option 4 when you get to the machine.
For 10-99's: Ext. 3202 if your last name begins with A - J, Ext. 3211 if your last name begins with K - Z.

Sincerely,

IUOE Local 302 Front Office

Attention Members:

The Western WA MLA survey was recently mailed to all affected members for feedback and priority development.  We ask that you be on the look-out for this and please fill it out and return as soon as possible. 

If by some chance you do not receive your survey within the next few weeks, we’d ask that you contact your local field representative or office.   

In Solidarity,

Daren Konopaski

Business Manager