Brothers and Sisters, I have shared at District Meetings that we are in the middle of one of our most difficult contract negotiation seasons. This year is particularly critical because so many contracts are up at the same time. Currently, we are in negotiations for the heavy highway and building agreement, equipment rental and repair shops, crane rental, surveyors, landscaping, and others.
Local 150 has been at the table for several months working on a good number of agreements in industries across Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa. We’ve asked for member input and listened to your feedback. We also went into each meeting knowing we needed to achieve a certain number to help us overcome the inflation that has hit everyone so hard.
For some of our contracts, we are further along in the process having reached tentative agreements. We have a small number of those that have been ratified by members. These agreements that I’ll share more details about show the union has come back with some incredible wins for you. However, in certain industries, the process is moving slower; and we foresee tough negotiations ahead.
I’ll start by recapping some of the major achievements with the crane rental agreements, for Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. We have ratified contracts with Central Contractors Services, Inc., LaGrange Crane, Stevenson Crane, and Nichols Crane. We have tentative agreements with Ware Crane, O’Donnell Crane, and Creative Crane. These have not yet been ratified with the members. The date is forthcoming.
The major takeaways for these three-year crane rental agreements are that Local 150 members all get the same hourly wages, hourly benefits, as well as the same working rules across all five Districts. Journeymen get six paid holidays, Apprentices get three paid holidays, and anyone who works on a holiday will get triple time on the first eight hours of that holiday. Members will receive bereavement pay – three days for immediate family and one day for extended family. The craft foreman will be involved in the process of the assignment of work, layoffs, overtime, and more, which is key because the craft foreman knows his people best.
We brought back significant wins related to hire and fire and the steps of discipline before being terminated. Jobs requiring a permit and working outside the normal start time are guaranteed 10 hours at the double-time rate. When called back to work after finishing your shift, language now includes a continuation of shift to when your first shift ended. Operators at crane barns will now receive 25 cents an hour for boots, and mechanics will receive fifty cents an hour for boots and clothing, which will be included in the total wage package. We had to fight for every addition to these contracts. As a result, Local 150 has produced one of the best crane rental agreements in North America.
We also have started Heavy Highway negotiations in Illinois for Districts 1, 2, and 3.
Please keep in mind, we are currently negotiating Indiana Heavy Highway agreements and will continue reporting out on both of these.
Equipment rental and repair shops were some of the first agreements negotiated and ratified this year, but work continues with certain shops. United Rental and Sunbelt both signed five-year deals, which are the highest hourly total economic packages negotiated to date. Negotiations with the rest of the equipment rental companies are still in the works. We will keep you posted throughout the process.
Last, Surveyors now have two prevailing wage classifications thanks to the work of the Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa Foundation for Fair Contracting (IIIFFC). This has been in the making for 10-plus years and is a notable achievement. These two classifications coincide with Local 150’s organizing efforts making it tough to undercut wages. We will be seeing ongoing work as unionizing surveyors is going to be key as we move forward.
Our success at the table for negotiations is due in large part to the team Local 150 has. We’ve got the right people pushing for the right measures. What we also have on our side to make groundbreaking changes for our members is a Legal Department. Having a Legal Department, let alone a standout one, is not the norm for most unions. I need you to remember how fortunate we are to have a team that protects our members, arbitrates for the union, and wins landmark rulings like the one most recently against Spike Enterprise.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a decision of major significance to Local 150 and the entire American Labor Movement regarding the unfair labor practices committed by Spike. Two of our members, who endured nothing short of workplace terror, were ordered to be reinstated immediately to work, and Spike was ordered to pay consequential damages to the employees, as well as reimburse Local 150’s strike expenses.
The NLRB’s ruling to this extent passes a substantial milestone in protecting the rights of hardworking men and women. It sends a very loud message to businesses that they will be hit where it hurts most – the pocketbook- if they break the law. We do know that Spike has filed an appeal, and that the case will be heard in Washington D.C.; Local 150 will continue to fight to ensure workers have the right to unionize.
Our Legal Department also has been influential in our ventures to ensure we have a financial endowment so that we can withstand any type of recession, strike, or downturn that may come our way. By investing in real estate near our training site, land near Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, sites in Hoffman Estates and more, and certain infrastructure projects like the Houbolt Bridge, we’ve secured additional sources of revenue to protect the financial future of the union.
Our fight for Local 150 members related to contract negotiations, labor policy, protecting the pension funds, and more pushes us to the forefront on every issue we face. Local 150 does many things that are groundbreaking in nature. And yet, last month we also achieved a significant milestone in our history. On April 11, Local 150 broke ground on a new and long overdue Union Hall for the men and women union members in District 8.
The IUOE Hoisting and Portable unions in the Rock Island area date back to 1896. For nearly six decades after that, four different IUOE Locals operated in the region, and finally merged into Local 537 in 1955. Then, in 1991, Local 537 Business- Manager Jack Shadt approached Bill Dugan, then President- Business Manager, about a merger with Local 150 in order to strengthen his 1,000-member Local. Since that time, it has always been our intention for our members in the Quad Cities to have a new home.
At the ceremony, Local 150 was joined by The City of Rock Island Mayor Thoms, our architect Zingrone Architects, project manager Valley Construction, local aldermen, board members, legislative representatives, and a large crowd of union members. We then followed up a great groundbreaking event with an even better District 8 Union Meeting. Thanks to all who could be there.
The groundbreaking was the culmination of a four-year process just to get us to construction. I’m adding a note, this is the first Union Hall being built since I have been President-Business Manager. I worked with a great group that knew we had to get the project right. From acquiring the 14-acre site and studying the land, to designing the building, to bidding and awarding the contract, and more, we scrutinized the details to be sure that in the end, the result will be an impressive building. The 10 to 12-month-long construction project on the 15,000 square-foot Union Hall stands out for a number of reasons, but two in particular I want to share with you are:
First, this building will highlight the legacy of the many Locals that have built the important presence of unions in the Quad-Cities. Today, we face ongoing battles for jobs, fair pay, benefits, and safe workplaces in Iowa. Local 150’s roots are deep, and the Hall will showcase memorabilia and our connection to the community. It also will emphasize the family ties that continue to bolster our Local 150 membership. We have grandsons, great-grandsons, and even great-great grandsons of members of Local 537 and its predecessors.
Second, the new Local 150 District 8 Union Hall has a distinct design and will be the first Union Hall in the entire United States fully constructed from Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) and Glulam columns and beams. This Union Hall sets a standard for other Union Halls across the nation. Using sustainable materials such as CLT and Glulam is a key example of Local 150’s dedication to you – our members, the communities in District 8, and being a leader of responsible development.
I am a proud IUOE Local 150 union member. You should be as well, knowing that in a world that can be divided into two groups: those who go first and achieve something, and those who come after and criticize, Local 150 is in the first. Whether we are setting the pace for contracts in every industry we work, winning landmark rulings in the courtroom to protect workers everywhere, or thinking outside the box to safeguard our pension and benefits, what we are doing is making a difference in the lives of working men and women.
Have a great work season. We must remember, every day the fight is worth taking on even if it means we must strike. We will use whatever lawful measure is necessary for each situation knowing that we are keeping Local 150 strong for our retirees, our current members, and for those who will join us in the future.
United We Stand, Divided We Fall.