The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) is a trade union within the United States–based AFL–CIO representing primarily construction workers who work as heavy equipment operators, mechanics, surveyors, and stationary engineers (also called operating engineers or power engineers) who maintain heating and other systems in buildings and industrial complexes, in the United States and Canada.
| Abbreviation | IUOE |
|---|---|
| Formation | December 7, 1896 |
| Type | Trade union |
| Headquarters | Washington, DC, US |
| Location |
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| Membership | 409,840 |
President | John L. Downey |
| Secessions | Canadian Union of Operating Engineers |
| Affiliations |
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| Website | iuoe |
Formerly called |
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Founded in 1896, it currently represents roughly 400,000 workers in approximately 123 local unions and operates nearly 100 apprenticeship programs.
History
In the late 1800s, working conditions were harsh for construction and stationary workers. Low wages, no benefits and 60–90 hour workweeks were the norm. In 1896, 11 individuals met in Chicago and formed the National Union of Steam Engineers of America, the forerunner to the IUOE. One year later, the organization began to admit Canadian members and changed its name to the International Union of Steam Engineers. By 1912, the organization changed its name again to the International Union of Steam and Operating Engineers. In 1927, the union absorbed the International Brotherhood of Steam Shovel and Dredgemen.
The union dropped the word "steam" in 1928 as both the technology and the scope of labor had moved beyond steam technology. During the era of the two world wars and beyond, IUOE members were a significant part of the defense effort, from the Navy Seabees, who created the bases, airfields and roads, to the federal Highway Trust program, which created thousands of jobs for operating engineers. They also were part of many other important construction projects, including San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, Chicago’s Sears Tower (renamed Willis Tower in 2009), Toronto’s CN Tower and Sky Dome (renamed Rogers Centre), New York’s Empire State Building and Holland Tunnel, the Statue of Liberty, Vancouver’s Lions Gate Bridge, the Alaskan pipeline, the Hoover Dam and countless others.
Training facilities
IUOE locals and the IUOE national organization run training facilities throughout the country. The largest training facility, the International Training & Education Center (ITEC), is located in Crosby, Texas, and covers 265 acres. It was opened in July 2016. The purpose of the ITEC is to provide hands-on training and education for union members in North America on new technologies and methodologies in construction such as excavation, drones, earthmoving, crane operation, mechanics, welding, and OSHA guidelines.
Technology and equipment providers such as Tadano, Link-Belt Cranes, Terex Cranes, Manitowoc Cranes, Liebherr, Morrow Equipment, and Built Robotics donate, fund, or partner with the Union in providing access to different types of technology. These include cranes, virtual simulators, drones, autonomous equipment, welding bays, and heavy equipment. Additional industry partners include Lincoln Electric, Genie, DeWalt, Proto, Mac Tools, Lenox, John Deere, Caterpillar, Komatsu, and Simformotion.
Events
On April 10, 2019, President Donald Trump visited the IUOE Training and Education Center and issued two executive orders to change the process for how pipeline projects were approved, which aimed to simplify the process for oil and gas companies in the United States.
Presidents
- 1896: Charles J. DeLong
- 1897: Frank Bowker
- 1898: Frank Pfohl
- 1898: Samuel L. Bennett
- 1899: Philip A. Peregrine
- 1900: Frank B. Monaghan
- 1901: George V. Lighthall
- 1903: Patrick McMahon
- 1904: John E. Bruner
- 1905: Matthew Comerford
- 1916: Milton Snellings
- 1921: Arthur M. Huddell
- 1931: John Possehl
- 1940: William E. Maloney
- 1958: Joseph J. Delaney
- 1962: Hunter P. Wharton
- 1976: J. C. Turner
- 1985: Larry Dugan
- 1990: Frank Hanley
- 2005: Vincent Giblin
- 2011: James Callahan
- 2025: John L. Downey
Notable members
- Thomas P. Giblin (born 1947), New Jersey General Assembly member
- Robert Rita (born 1969), member of the Illinois House of Representatives
- Lee Savold (1915–1972), heavyweight boxer
See also
- International Union of Operating Engineers Local 18
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