International Union of Operating Engineers
Local 612 Tacoma Washington
District 1
International Union of Operating Engineers - Local 612 chartered in 1935
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International Union of Operating Engineers Local 612 Tacoma Washington
International Union of Operating Engineers - Local 612 chartered in 1935
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District 1 Phone: 253.572.9612 Fax: 253.591.9882
Business Manager Ernie Evans Brothers and Sisters, Once again, we have a very important election year ahead of us. We really need to take a long hard look at who it is in the political arena that is a friend of working families. By this I mean we need to look at the scoreboard and hold our elected officials accountable for their voting record. Every year our prevailing wage protection is threatened and this year was no exception This year’s 110th Congress produced a variety of legislative attacks in an attempt to remove the prevailing wage protections of the Davis-Bacon Act. Attempts to strike Davis-Bacon protections were defeated by strong bipartisan majorities because of our friends in Congress. The Davis-Bacon Act was passed by Congress in 1931 as a way to protect local construction wages from itinerant contractors who bid on federal contracts on the basis of paying lower wages than those prevailing in the area and then bringing a lower paid work force to do the job. The justification for the Act is still as valid today as it was in 1931 and we must protect it. We know that Davis-Bacon ensures a higher-paid, higher-skilled workforce which results in the highest productivity at the lowest cost. So…..we need to ask the politicians running for office if they support the Davis –Bacon Act. Davis –Bacon guarantees that federal construction work does not undercut the area standard wages, workers’ pensions or family medical coverage we must insist that all infrastructure bills include full Davis-Bacon coverage! The Political Arena is the best organizing tool we have! Electing the right people will help us promote good family wage jobs and secure the funding to get the work started. Get Involved and vote for the right people! Fraternally, Ernie Evans
Business Representative Ed Taylor It looks as though we are finally emerging from a long wet winter and before we know it we will be in the middle of the work season. Work in District 1 is still good with a lot of work yet to bid in the Public sector. As most of you are aware of the private market has flattened out a bit which means the number of bidders for public work has increased. I am however confident that the skilled members of Local 612 will provide our union contractors with a competitive edge over the non-union contractors in that scenario. Local 612 has recently signed two new contractors - Johansen Excavating Inc and Titan Earthwork LLC. The dedication and skills of Local 612 members are the reason both of theses contractors decided to sign an agreement. These contractors represent new work opportunities for our members and we look forward to working together. We recently ratified a 3 year contract with Schnitzer Steel and the 43 Operating Engineers employed there. The agreement provides over a 4% increase in wages each year, a pension increase and maintenance of Health & Welfare benefits. I hope to see all of you and your family at the Semi Annual Meeting at Cheney Stadium on Saturday, June 7th. Remember to bring your mitt! Be Safe, Productive and Professional. In Solidarity, Ed Taylor
First of all, “you” the membership, ratified one of the best contracts ever in the history of local 612. This was my first time to be a part of the negotiating team for local 612 and I was proud to be involved in the bargaining efforts of the new Master Labor Agreement. Just a reminder for the crane hands out there, it will be mandatory that you have an NCCCO certification in 2010 to operate cranes in State of Washington. Give training a call to get signed up to get your NCCCO certification to help yourselves out by getting ahead of the program and be prepared for when the Union contractors call when this all comes in play. Local 612 continues to work hard in the organizing arena and it will always be a main staple with our local. We work hard to give more job opportunities for our members and continue to build on our Union contractor density. I would like to thank the members that have been helping us with the contractors that we have ongoing campaigns with. Your expertise is paying off to convince the non-union contractor to be part of this great organization. I want to thank the membership for the hard work and sacrifices that you make daily to get the job done for our contractors. It is the reason why they keep calling us back and continue their relationship with the Union. Be proud; it’s your union so get involved in one of the best labor movements around. I hope you and your family are doing well and for those who have family members or friends that are serving in the war in Iraq, my prayers are with you. Future work continues to increase as seen in the Dodge reports.
Todd
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Business Representative Todd Mickelson