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The
IUOE is a progressive, diversified trade union which primarily represents
Operating Engineers, who work as heavy equipment operators, mechanics, and
surveyors in the construction industry, and Stationary Engineers, who work
in operations and maintenance in building and industrial complexes, and in
the service industries. The IUOE also represents health industry workers
as well as significant numbers of public employees engaged in a wide
variety of occupations.
Founded in 1896, the IUOE today has 400,000 members in some 200 Local
Unions throughout the United States and Canada. The IUOE is the 12th
largest union in the AFL-CIO. Further, nearly 100 apprenticeship and
training programs, jointly managed by the IUOE and employers, work hard to
ensure that IUOE members are highly trained, highly skilled craft workers
The IUOE offers employment and training opportunities to all regardless of
race, sex, creed, color, religion, or national origin. Thus, a diverse
membership is welcome—a membership that illustrates the commitment to
the labor movement and tireless dedication to the industries the IUOE
represents.
www.iuoe.org
WHAT
IS AN OPERATING ENGINEER?
Operating
engineers are found on any project using construction equipment, working
as heavy equipment operators, heavy equipment mechanics, or surveyors.
Heavy equipment describes many types of machines used on a construction
site, including cranes, bulldozers, graders, front-end loaders and paving
equipment.
Although each operator has his or her favorite type of machinery to
operate, operating engineers are masters of a variety of equipment. A
broad range of skills keeps IUOE members employable, since employers’
needs vary from project to project. Heavy equipment mechanics are also
very important on the job site. Mechanics repair and maintain the
equipment to make sure it is available as needed.
Operating engineers’ work is essential to the smooth running of any
construction project, especially since they must work with other crafts
on-site. This occupation is worthy of a great deal of pride and sense of
accomplishment for a job well done.
What do I need to become an operating engineer?
-
Three
to four years of apprentice training, including on-the-job, field and
classroom training.
-
A
good work ethic and, since you will be working on expensive and
potentially dangerous equipment, a responsible attitude.
-
An
interest in working outdoors.
-
The
ability to work “regular” construction hours of 6:00 or 8:00 a.m.
to 5:00 or 6:00 p.m., as well as overtime at short notice or swing
shifts on some projects. If you have children, this requirement makes
reliable and flexible child-care essential.
-
An
understanding that you may be out of work during seasonal down-time in
the construction industry.
-
The
ability to work for many different employers during your career.
-
Reliable
transportation.
BACK
TO TOP
How
do I get accepted into an IUOE Apprentice Training Program for Operating
Engineers?
Selection
criteria vary from one local to another, so you should contact an IUOE
construction local in your area for specific information. However, minimum
requirements include that applicants be at least 18 years old, have a high
school diploma or GED, be legal to work and drug free. Having a drivers
license and previous experience with heavy equipment would be helpful. (For
more info on apprenticeship click here.)
What
training does IUOE provide for apprentice operating engineers?
IUOE locals provide excellent skills development training programs
nationwide, and most are registered with a state or federal apprenticeship
agency. They are designed to give someone who knows little or nothing
about the trade the opportunity to earn while they learn.
The average length of an operating engineer apprenticeship is three to
four years. Apprentices learn their trade by working with skilled journey
level operators on actual job sites and attending related classroom
instruction and field training.
After completing apprenticeship, many journey workers take additional
training classes offered by their local. Continued training upgrades
members’ skills, making them more employable. It has also helped many
IUOE members move up to management or supervisory positions.
Wages?
Journey level and apprentice wages vary considerably from one part of
the country to another, so you will need to contact the IUOE local in your
area for specific information. Starting pay for an apprentice varies from
one local to another, from 45% to 60% of the journey level rate. Pay
increases are scheduled at designated times during apprenticeship and are
negotiated as part of each local’s contact with employers. By the last
year, apprentice wages are 80% to 95% of the journey level rate.
Working Conditions?
Almost all the work performed by operating engineers, including some
mechanics, takes place outdoors in all weather conditions. You can expect
to be cold, hot, dusty, muddy, and greasy.
The work may not be predictable or regular. In some parts of the United
States, weather conditions cause the construction industry to slow down
during the cold season from a few weeks to several months. Applying for
unemployment benefits during down-time is common for operating engineers
but an interruption in income is likely and should be planned for.
The amount of work in the construction industry varies with the strength
and health of the economy. When the economy is vibrant, there is lots of
work. During slowdowns or recessions, work is less available and may
remain so for several years.
The length of time you work for an employer varies by project. Large
projects may employ an operating engineer for years, but others may last
only a few weeks. In general, you should expect to work for more than one
employer in a year.
In most operating engineer local unions, members are sent to work from a
non-discriminatory referral list.
Working
Hours?
Some construction projects run around the clock, but “regular
hours” are usually 6:00 or 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. Overtime is
common since employers often want to make the best of good weather
conditions. Overtime is often necessary to stay on schedule since, in many
cases, operating engineers must finish specific tasks before other trades
can begin.
Travel?
Each IUOE local union covers a specific geographic area and its
members must be able to work anywhere within this area, so you need
flexible and reliable transportation. Fortunately, IUOE members are spread
throughout each local’s area, so you will usually be able to work within
commuting distance, probably under 2 hours from home. Flexible
transportation is essential because construction projects are often
situated “off the beaten path” and the unusual hours of a construction
project usually rule out public transportation.
BACK TO TOP
WHAT IS A LABOR UNION?
A labor union is an organization of employees whose purpose is to
represent workers working for an employer or a group of employers over pay
and working conditions. In the United States about 18 percent of all
employees belong to unions and employee associations. In some countries
labor unions are divided into Christian and socialist groups. Frequently,
labor-supported parties control the governments in their respective
countries. Although U.S. unions are politically active, they have no such
direct affiliations with political parties.
The four functions of unions in the United States are to pursue policies
and initiatives that enable them to better represent their members,
negotiate with employers, recruit new members, and engage in politics by
supporting political candidates who are favorable to them and by working
to influence legislation which effects its members. Unions maintain
professional staffs to manage these various operations.
In 1998 about 15 million workers belonged to unions and employee
associations in the United States. They constituted 18 percent of the
total labor force, and 38.7 percent of all union members were government
employees. Union membership has been generally increasing since the early
1960’s, largely because of the growth of public employee unions. At the
same time, the proportion of all workers and employees enrolled in unions
has been declining. This decline is probably due to the shift of the labor
force away from manufacturing and manual work—areas in which unions have
always been strongest—and into service occupations.
Importance of Labor Unions
The importance of labor unions in American life cannot be measured by
the number of workers who are represented by them. Many non-union
employers are influenced by the standards set in collective-bargaining
agreements between unions and other employers. Unions also have great
political influence both in Washington, D.C., and in the state capitols.
They are the major organized force behind government policies on
employment and social welfare. By means of lobbying, testimony before
congressional committees and general public relations, they also influence
government decisions on other economic matters and foreign affairs.
Union Structure
Unions are classified either as craft unions industrial unions, or
public employee unions.
Membership in a craft union is composed of those who practice an
established craft or trade, for example, electricians, carpenters, and
operating engineers. The major craft unions are composed of workers in the
building and construction trades, printing, metal, maritime, and railroad
industries. The primary employers of craft unions members are non-factory
businesses and small-scale, highly competitive, local enterprises.
The membership of an industrial union is composed of skilled,
semiskilled, or unskilled workers in a particular workplace, industry, or
group of industries. Industrial unions are primarily found in the more
technologically advanced industries and in large-scale national and
international corporations.
The craft union is likely to be more decentralized with craft union
locals undertaking all of the representational duties. Industrial unions
are likely to be more centralized undertaking most of the representational
activity while the local unions of the industrial union play a less formal
role.
Public Employee Unions
Public employee unions are organizations of municipal employees such
as firemen, teachers, and policemen. The major difference between unions
in the private sector and those in the public sector is that the latter
generally do not have the right to strike. They often strike anyway, or
circumvent the ban on strikes by proclaiming that their members have been
taken ill. One of the most important issues in union-management relations
today is that of what to do about strikes in the public sector. (President
Ronald Reagan’s reaction to the 1981 strike of the Professional Air
Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO)—he fired 11,500 controllers and
decertified the union—was unprecedented. For the most part, public
sector unions have been able to call strikes with relative impunity.) A
closely related problem is how to settle disagreements without a strike
and on terms that are fair both to the employees and to the public
Union Organizational Levels
The typical union operates on five organizational levels. In the
plant, a shop committee discusses day-to-day, on-the-job problems with
management. One or more shop units make up a local union, which in urban
industrial areas may have many members. The local union is the basic unit
and has authority to levy dues or fees, discipline its members, and enter
into written agreements with management. Sometimes unions in a
geographical or industrial area form an association (known as a district
council, joint council, and so on) to coordinate their efforts on matters
of common interest. The national union is composed of locals and
intermediate bodies and is the kingpin in the trade union structure. The
national (frequently called the international if it has Canadian locals)
typically exerts the decisive influence in collective bargaining with
local employers.
Self-Governing Organizations
Unions are self-governing organizations. Major decisions at all levels
are make by the elected leadership. In the administration of their
internal affairs, however, and in their relations with employers, many
unions have developed a high degree of professionalism. Leaders often
devote full time to their union positions. In addition, unions
occasionally employ lawyers, doctors, economists, educators, and
publicists.
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