years Vol. 72, #10/OCTOBER 2014 For The Good & Welfare By Russ Burns, business manager It’s a frightening future without your political participation CONTENTS Mid-October is when a lot of is when the Napa earthquake struck Semi-Annual .................................. 4 jobs get buttoned up for the winter, very close to my home. Some of our although many districts are reporting operators have been in the affected areas Fringe .......................................... 6 a continuation of work through the providing necessary clean-up. They colder months. Please read their come in and take care of the aftermath ATPA ............................................ 7 reports on pages 20-26. when others are overwhelmed by the Public Employee News ...................... 8 This month also marks the start of consequences of these crazy natural a big election cycle, as districts across disasters. Sometimes it’s easy to forget Credit Union ................................. 10 our four-state jurisdiction provide just how valuable the work that we do many Voice of the Engineer (VOTE) is. For you brothers and sisters who Rancho Murieta .............................. 11 volunteer opportunities for the Nov. answered the call and continue to do so 4 General Election. Call your district to help others, thank you! Election recommendations ................ 12 office to get signed up to help. There is a I hope by now you have had a chance 75 years strong .............................. 15 phone bank or precinct walk scheduled to go online to the Members Only near you! portion of our website and review the Making the cut ............................... 16 A General Election without your favorable ruling Local 3 received on our participation is a frightening thought motion to dismiss the Slack Lawsuit. As Pulling it off in Eureka ..................... 18 – much scarier than any ghost or you know, this administration has been District Reports .............................. 20 goblin showing up on your doorstep transparent from the very beginning. this Halloween. Local 3 has been We believe that you, the membership, Meetings and Announcements ............. 28 participating in elections since 1939, have a right to know what is going on in and the connection between our jobs your union. In keeping in line with our Health News ................................. 30 and who is in office is very strong. We beliefs, we have provided a summary of have mobilized our membership for the ruling as well as the entire 46-page Swap Shop .................................... 31 decades to stand in the path of any decision by Judge Edward M. Chen foe trying to take away our rights to online. Get the facts, not the hearsay. organize and collectively bargain. You According to U.S. Transportation Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3 must remember that while Local 3 is Secretary Anthony Foxx, as the U.S. Russ Burns Business Manager nearly 35,000-members strong, we are economy continues to improve, more Carl Goff President also under the direction of the 400,000- and more people are on the road. This Dan Reding Vice President members-strong International Union means more and more highways are in of Operating Engineers (IUOE), which need of repair, and the challenges of Jim Sullivan Rec. Corres. Secretary coordinates political direction for the how to pay for these repairs continue Pete Figueiredo Financial Secretary 123 locals it represents. Together, we to plague lawmakers. Steve Ingersoll Treasurer truly do make a difference. Your vote They recently patched together $11 and participation matters. We must billion for the Highway Trust Fund, look to our local and state elections keeping it solvent until May 2015, but (for these endorsements, see pages this is obviously a short-term fix. Engineers News Staff 12-14), but we must also think on The issues with highway funding Russ Burns Editor a national level, as leaders in other further support the concept of rail Carl Goff Editorial Adviser states continue to try to spread the travel in a future where people can Mandy McMillen Managing Editor Jamie Johnston Associate Editor cancer that kills middle-class jobs – rent cars once they reach their right-to-work laws. In Congress, bills destinations. This is drawing national Dominique Beilke Art Director to take away Davis-Bacon laws are interest and means that in California, also offered on a regular basis. Local where High-Speed Rail is a reality, we 3 researches these issues daily. (See are ahead of the game. Rail-lines for the www.oe3.org President Carl Goff’s column on the state’s southern half are also possibly in opposite page for more on how we the works. We will continue to give you Engineers News (ISSN 1069-2185) is published monthly recently won another prevailing-wage transportation updates here. by Local 3 of the International Union of Operating battle.) Our recommendations come to There are good things in store for Engineers, AFL-CIO; 1620 South Loop Rd., Alameda, CA 94502. Periodical postage paid at Alameda, CA you after lots of homework. If you want us, as our funds and our work picture and additional mailing offices. Engineers News is sent to learn more about this process, visit continue to show signs of improvement. without charge to all members of Operating Engineers us online at www.oe3.org. Please visit us online for the slideshow Local 3 in good standing. Non-member subscription The giant San Clemente Dam I presented during last month’s price is $6 per year. POSTMASTER: Send address project, our cover story this month, is a Semi-Annual Meeting, which illustrates changes to Address Change, 1620 South Loop Rd., great example of how public and private these improvements. Alameda, CA 94502. entities, which are often federally Also, please enjoy the upcoming regulated, fund projects. Details of this holidays with your families and friends. nearly $100 million job can be found I look forward to seeing you during next on pages 16-17. To create more jobs month’s round of District Meetings. See like this, please vote Nov. 4! the schedule on page 28. I was recently made aware of just how important the work that we do 2 | Engineers News Report & Review By Carl Goff, president WWW.OE3.ORG Want more Operating Engineers news? Visit How do you want to be remembered? Local 3’s website at www.oe3.org for some exclusive features we only post online. The year is winding down, and what a special year it has been, given that we’ve been celebrating the union’s 75th anniversary in ways big and small all year. For those of you who attended last month’s Your PAC members hard at work Semi-Annual Event, I think we can all agree it was a success (see pages 4-5 for event coverage), particularly the informative meeting, the fellowship and the slideshow of our membership having fun at the Anniversary Celebration at Six Flags. At the end of this year, we will be celebrating our Diamond Anniversary in one more way – dedicating a time capsule at the union’s headquarters in Alameda that will be opened during Local 3’s 100th anniversary in 2039. Deciding what should be included in a time capsule that won’t be viewed for decades has been a good exercise in appreciating the value and strength of Local 3. We included items inside from the year 2014, including photos, a calendar and copies of this magazine. It reminds us that through many obstacles, we have succeeded. Before every election, Local 3 lists its Many of these successes have been front-page news, such as recommendations here and online. But these High-Speed Rail (HSR) breaking ground this summer in Fresno or recommendations don’t just happen by chance. the 49ers’ new Levi’s Stadium opening in August in Santa Clara. Each district’s member-elected Political Action Other successes may be more obscure but no less important, such Committee (PAC) members, such as District 80’s as a new apprentice getting through the eight-week Probationary Bruce Lockwood, Brian Schmidthans and Ernest Orientation Period (POP) at the Rancho Murieta Training Center “Mike” Guenza, pictured above, spend literally (RMTC) with the confidence to jump on any piece of equipment hundreds of hours interviewing candidates offered or a Voice of the Engineer (VOTE) volunteer convincing a from both sides of the aisle and listening to the fellow member over the phone to vote for a union-friendly candidate. viewpoints of committees dedicated to passing (For our recommendations for the Nov. 4 General Election, see pages or opposing certain measures. The PACs’ 12-14.) endorsements as of press time can be found on Another victory worth mentioning is the recent ruling by a San pages 12-14. For the most recent list as well as Diego Superior Court judge that upholds Senate Bill (SB) 7, a law an up-close look at the detailed process of your enacted last year that encourages more of California’s charter cities PAC, log on to the Members Only section of our to pay prevailing wage on locally funded construction projects. website. As a construction union, we know that prevailing wage, which provides a standard pay-rate for workers on public-works projects, is very important. It keeps contractors honest, projects on time with Breaking news skilled craftsmen providing intended results and the middle-class Local 3’s website is regularly updated with employed with good-paying jobs. We have often called public-works all things OE3. Make sure to visit the site often jobs our “bread and butter,” because when private money dries up, to look for our breaking news – anything from we can count on these jobs to continue to provide decent wages. Want upcoming last-minute meetings and job postings to know what happens when a state loses its prevailing wage? Ask to news from the officers.