Local 150 represents over 100 bargaining units of employees employed by cities, towns, counties, and various other municipal bodies such as parks and sanitary districts throughout its jurisdiction.  These workers operate heavy equipment to patch and repair streets, perform landscaping work, vacuum leaves, plow snow, and to perform a variety of other public services.  At one time, much of this work was subcontracted to private employers.  As municipalities grew, they often invested in equipment in an effort to save tax dollars.  While that is of course a good goal, public employees are entitled to a fair wage for their work as is anyone else.  Over the years, Local 150 has increased wages, enhanced benefits, and improved working conditions for hundreds of public works employees.

            Perhaps the single biggest employer of public works employees represented by Local 150 is the City of Chicago and the Chicago Park District.  For over 15 years, “hoisting engineers” employed by the City and the Park District have operated heavy equipment to repair City sewer and water systems, rebuild curbs and gutters, patch streets, plow snow, and maintain the City’s parks and recreational facilities.  Because of their unusual skill and dedication to their craft, the hiring of hoisting engineers is widely understood as being beyond politics.

            In 2000, Local 150 was the first union representing public works employees in Illinois to strike in support of their demands.  Then in dramatic fashion the citizens of Naperville, Illinois, recognized the importance of public works employees to keeping their streets safe, their water clean, their garbage and other waste properly disposed of.  Today, the City of Naperville and Local 150 enjoy a harmonious working relationship, united in the common goal of fairly compensating public employees to deliver high-quality public services.