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Members Ratify MARBA, CAICA, and Will, Grundy, Kankakee County Contractors Association Agreements

July 21-Approximately two thousand members came to the Donald Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont tonight and unanimously ratified the tentative agreements between Local 150 and MARBA, CAICA, and the Contractor Association of Will Grundy and Kankakee Counties. This ratification officially ended the strike, which began on July 1.

"Employers never thought that members would be willing to strike to protect healthcare," said President-Business Manager James Sweeney. "These benefits were achieved through decades of work by the members who came before us, and our members showed how important it is to them to protect this legacy for themselves, retirees, surviving spouses, and the members who will come after us."

"This show of solidarity made me very proud to be a part of this organization," said Sweeney. "Union solidarity lives on in Chicago."

District 5 Ratification Meeting Sunday

July 20- On Sunday, July 25, there will be a ratification meeting held for members working under the Illinois Valley Contractor Association agreement in District 5. Important allcoation decisions must be made at this meeting, so all members working under this agreement are encouraged to attend.

The ratification meeting has been set for:

Sunday, July 25

8:00 am

District 5 Hall

740 E. Route 6

Utica, Illinois

Local 150 Executive Board Passes Resolution to Support Striking Members, Families

July 6- At a teleconference meeting tonight, the Local 150 Executive Board approved a resolution pledging the Union's full support to members on strike. After talks surfaced that the contractor associations involved in the negotiation of the heavy highway, building and underground agreements could be planning to "starve out" Local 150 members in an extended strike, Local 150 pledged to take action to ensure that members and their families are provided for in this difficult time.

"If the employers think they are going to starve us out, they are sorely mistaken," said President-Business Manager James M. Sweeney. "We have provided for our own with the Food Bank and healthcare subsidies through this recession, and with the full backing of our International Union as well as millions of dollars potentially made available by this resolution, we will make sure that our members are taken care of during this critical time in the history of Local 150."

Click here to read the entire resolution

NW Indiana Members Approve Proposed Building Agreement

June 23- At a meeting on June 22, members gathered at the District 7 Hall in Merrillville, Indiana voted to accept a one-year proposal put forth by the Northwest Indiana Contractors Association. Local 150 will work to prepare and finalize a contract with the Association.

Sunbelt Employees Settle Strike, Return to Work

June 14-On Saturday, June 12th, Local 150 members employed by Sunbelt Rentals settled their strike with the Company, which began on May 24th. As part of the settlement, they voted to accept a contract proposal from the company, which included increases in wages and benefits. The members returned to work, and a contract will be prepared and finalized between Sunbelt and Local 150.

Illiana Expressway Agreement Signed by Quinn, Daniels

June 9- Today, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels came together at the Lansing Municipal Airport to sign a memorandum of understanding that indicates both states' commitment to working together to build this brand new expressway. The memorandum was signed after Quinn signed into law a piece of legislation that wil allow the Illiana to be financed by public and private dollars.

Local 150 members and leadership have actively supported this project, now estimated at more than 50 miles in length. It would connect I-65 in Indiana to I-55 in Illinois, creating a more efficient shipping corridor that would also spur additional construction and development.

"This project has been discussed for over 100 years, and today we saw a major step toward its realization," said Local 150 President-Business Manager James M. Sweeney. "This project would provide thousands of jobs for Local 150 members and strengthen Chicagoland's status as a transportation hub of America. We thank the Governors and all the legislators from both states for showing true bipartisan leadership in bringing the Illiana to this point."

U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood, Halvorson Talk Jobs at Training Site

U.S. Sec. of Transportation Ray LaHood speaks to guests at the Training Site

March 30- This morning, the Local 150 Apprenticeship and Skill Improvement Program welcomed United States Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson, who both came to address a group of more than 100 municipal representatives at a transportation summit in the Training Site’s auditorium.

The summit marked the final stop on LaHood’s trip to Chicagoland, where he saw firsthand the desperate need for repair and reconstruction on many of the roads in Will County and throughout the region. LaHood credited the spirit of cooperation and bipartisanship in the recent advancement of the Illiana Expressway from a mere conversation piece into the planning stages.

LaHood assured attendees that Illinois would get its due share of work in the upcoming transportation program, and he affirmed that the President is firmly committed to the program, but Halvorson reminded him that “we cannot tolerate 30 percent unemployment in the building trades any longer.” Halvorson remarked at length about the apparent consensus in Illinois for the Illiana Expressway, and referred to it as Illinois’ “next number-one project”

Local 150’s Training Site served as an ideal backdrop for the summit, demonstrating the investment that the Operating Engineers have made in maintaining the highest level of skill in the industry.

“Nowhere in the United States will you find a facility to match this one, and our members paid for it themselves,” said President-Business Manager James M. Sweeney. He added, “Local 150 Operating Engineers are the best in the world at what they do, and we trust that Secretary LaHood will do everything he can to put them back to work.”

IDOT Lettings

You can review the Illinois Department of Transportation's letting lists by clicking the links below.

March 31: Bringing Hope for Area Roads

About Local 150

Local 150 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, AFL-CIO, is a labor organization representing employees principally in Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa. At 23,000 strong, Local 150 is one of the largest local unions in the Country. Originally chartered as a construction union, Local 150 now represents working people in a variety of industries including construction, construction materials production, steel mill services/slag processing, landscaping, and many, many others.

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