Greetings, Brothers and Sisters,

I hope this finds you and your family doing well, as we have continued to work through this pandemic. Work in Southeast Missouri continues as we have had a few projects finish up.

Here are a few of the jobs that have finished up and some that are still going on:

Kolb Grading has finished the clearing for the new bridge on Highway C over the St. Francois River, now they are drilling and shooting the rock bluff on the north side to widen the road.

Pace has started moving dirt for the new roadway and approach for the new Highway C bridge. Arrow Drilling is drilling the piers and Pace is driving the pile. Pace is also in Shannon County doing overlay on Highway’s F and H and then moving to Howell County to do some overlay for the County and then the City of West Plains. They are also finishing up the four bridges outside of Matthews on Z Highway.

Kozeny Wagner has started the new pedestrian bridge over the Jacks Fork River outside of Eminence. Hayes Drilling finished up the piers and Kozeny Wagner is setting forms.

Bloomsdale is working at SGI in Annapolis doing repairs on the west basin levee along with about 350,000 yards of dirt to move. They also finished up a job at Saws Creek outside of Scott City placing Rip Rap for the Corp. of Engineers. Bloomsdale also picked up the next phase on the Farrenburg Levee project, which consists of raising the levee and then rock surfacing at least five miles, possible up to eight miles.

Kelpe is finishing up installing some new storm sewer and sanitary at the Trail of Tears State Park. They are also doing some work on the wastewater treatment ponds.

3P Utilities has picked up a service contract from Liberty Utilities. Right now, they are in Cardwell area drilling new services and killing old services. They have about 200 new services to install.

Penzel finished up the bridge just outside of Zalma on Highway 51. They have also completed the northbound bridge on I-55 at Center Junction. The wastewater treatment plant in Fruitland is also about finished.

D&S Fence installed all the guard railings for the two new bridges at Zalma and the two bridges at Center Junction, along with multiple new guardrails and repairs up and down I-55.

Tarlton picked up the new Ameren Renewable Energy Center in Cape Girardeau. This will be the first of its kind in the Cape area. The job is projected to be finished by the middle June.

Our contractors are still bidding plenty of work, so I expect winter to stay fairly busy with the work we currently have going on.

I would like to take a minute to congratulate the Sappington/Gray slate and all the officers on their re-election win. This is a great group of men and women who have done a great job and will continue to keep our Local headed in the right direction for years to come. I would also like to thank the election commissioners for taking the time to do their part through the election. Last but not least, thank you to our membership for taking the time to vote.

Just a reminder to all our members, winter class schedules will be going out soon. Please keep in mind I always seem to be short on CCO, MSHA, and HazMat hands. I encourage you all to keep these up or get them for the first time. Once again, I hope to see everyone at the Union meetings and encourage everyone to participate in their local labor clubs.

In closing, I would like to congratulate Gary Howard on his well-deserved retirement and congratulate Nathan Weber on his new appointment. 

As always, if I can be of any assistance, don’t hesitate to call.

Fraternally,

Nate Sellinger

Business Representative

Southeast Missouri Area

Hunter Frymire working for Pace Construction on Z Highway bridge

Tim Heller setting cages for Pace Construction for the new C Highway bridge over the St. Francois River

Joesph McDaniel working for 3P Utilities in Cardwell

Doug Perry working for 3P Utilities in Cardwell

Operators at the Cobalt Mine in Fredericktown (left to right) Jake Davidson, EOI Safety John Kershner, Joey Lewis, Rick Dennis, Andy Kirkpatric, Tyler Slinkard, EOI Project Manager Aaron Callahan, Steward Tim Johnson, 3rd year apprentice Scott Parsley, David Youngblood, 2nd year apprentice Colton Seyer, General Formean Danny Slinkard, Fabick Mechanic Jeremey Klugh, Business Agent Nate Sellinger, (not pictured: Johnny Rose and Steve Moore)

Rick Dennis giving 2nd year apprentice Colten Seyer seat time loading trucks at the Cobalt Mine in Fredericktown

2nd year apprentice Shane Morelan working for Kozny Wagnoer on the pedestrian bridge over the Jack’s Fork River in Eminence

Bill Nelson working for Kelpe in the Trail of Tears State Park outside of Fruitland

Tim Henry and Jake Knoll downtown St. Louis at 21C Museum Hotel

Tim (Cowboy) Kirkman working at the Federal Reserve downtown St. Louis

Greetings, Brothers and Sisters,

I hope this finds you and your family safe and healthy. The work in the St. Louis area is the best I have ever seen it and our members should have one of the best years they have had in a while, with no slowdown in sight.

I would like to congratulate Gary Howard on his retirement and thank him for all his help and words of wisdom that he has given me over the years. We are wishing you a long and enjoyable retirement, Gary!

Also, I would like to congratulate and welcome Nathan Weber to his new position as Business Representative over the Shops, Ready Mix Quarries, Sand & Gravel, and Asphalt.

I would also like to congratulate and welcome Josh Schulze to his new position as mechanic and trainer at our Training School in Silex.

These are some of the Projects in my area:

• Lindbergh High School has an $89 million dollar project in the works. The Construction Manager is BSI Construction and some of the Contractors are Jacobsmeyer, Big Boy Steel, Plattin Creek Excavating, Leonard Masonry, Vee Jay Concrete, and Howard Concrete.
• Ameren Power Transmission Tower Replacement Project at Highway 55 and Union Road area is moving along. L. Keeley is the General Contractor and are performing some of the work along with Drilling Service putting in the piers for the towers.
• Anheuser Busch/InBev are investing one billion dollars over the next two years and are working on a few projects, like the new Seltzer Building, Ever Grain Chopper Project and Dryer Building. Some of the Contractors are Spirtas, Ben Hur, ACME, Corrigan, Musselman and Hall, L. Keeley, Kinder, Taylor, Subsurface, and VeeJay.
• Metropolitan Sewer District has two tunnel projects in the works: The Jefferson Barracks Tunnel and the Baumgartner Tunnel. The General Contractor is S.A.K. Construction and they have Keller Drilling Service putting in the CEE Piles for the exit shaft and some of the vent shafts on the Baumgartner Tunnel.
• Missouri Botanical Garden is replacing the Old Visitor Center with a new one. The $92 million project was awarded to Alberici Constructors and should be finished by the Spring of 2022.
• Auto Center Nissan in Herculaneum is getting a face lift and expansion with Castle Contracting replacing the sewer pipe. The General Contractor is Holland Construction.
• Axes Physical Therapy in Festus. Goodwin Bros. Construction is doing the site work.

In closing, please stay safe and healthy. If there is ever anything I might be able to help you with, please let me know.

Keith Zancauske

Business Representative

South St. Louis, South St. Louis County & Jefferson County

Robbie Pate working for Drilling Service on the Tower Replacement Project for Ameren

Tim Northcutt working at the Jefferson Barracks Crypt Expansion for Buccaneer Excavating

Elijah Neeley working on the MSD Jefferson Barracks Tunnel Project for SAK

Ryan Bohle working on the MSD Jefferson Barracks Tunnel project for SAK Construction

Dylan Naeger working on the new Axes Physical Therapy Building at Festus for Goodwin Brothers

Darryl Fritz working for L. Keeley on the Tower replacement project for Ameren

Jack McCabe working on the Auto Center Nissan in Herculaneum for Castle Contracting

As I write this, it's early October and I've been in this position for nearly two months, learning as much from Gary Howard as I can before he retires. There is an enormous amount of information to absorb. Meetings, paperwork, procedures, laws, regulations, early mornings, late nights, non-stop phone calls and emails... It's all a far cry from where I started in this trade.

I was hired as a utility worker at Fabick's Rental shop (loading and unloading trucks, washing equipment, sweeping the floor). After a year or so, I was promoted to apprentice, and about a year after that, made a move to Van Keppel in 2005. Shortly after starting there, I was given a service truck, and spent the next 16 years as a field mechanic. In 2008, I was appointed Shop Steward. In 2010, I was appointed to the Local 513 Small Welfare board, where I served until August of this year.

This is a tough job, with a lot of responsibilities. There are nearly 60 collective bargaining agreements between the dealers, rental shops, quarries, ready-mix plants, sand and gravel plants, asphalt plants, and landfill. Next spring, 22 of those agreements expire. Each contract is unique, and as such, I will need to rely on the Stewards to handle their business and, when necessary, share with me the contract and job site specific knowledge that it takes years to acquire. 

Gary made it look easy. He has created and maintained great working relationships with our signatory companies. He leaves big shoes to fill. I would like to wish Gary a long, happy retirement. He has earned every day of it.

On to business: Business is good. Everyone is cranking at full throttle, and it looks like there will be plenty of work in the years ahead. This is good for our members, good for the Funds, and should be good for us at the bargaining table.

The only trouble I hear about is a lack of availability of equipment, vehicles, parts, materials...you name it. The blame for shortages usually falls on a worker shortage, or a worldwide pandemic, or whatever else you can think of this week. Speaking of worker shortages, there is a major shortage of qualified mechanics. There are dealers and contractors paying over scale, and offering bonuses, extra vacation time, etc., to fill vacant mechanic positions. 

In other news, there are ten new Local 513 members at the newly signed United Rentals in Scott City. Gary and Brian Graff have been working on that deal for over a year and finally hammered it home at the end of September. Also, there are two new Local 513 members at the newly signed HERC in St. Peters. This was another year-long campaign that was finalized in October. Welcome these new mechanics and drivers when you see them on the job site. There are more new contracts in the works. I don't think Brian is going to stop until every man, woman, and child in Local 513’s jurisdiction is organized.

Finally, I want to extend special thanks to President and Business Manager Tim Sappington and to the Executive Board for offering this opportunity to me. Tim knows how much this job entails, so the fact that he trusts me with this responsibility is encouraging. I will carry on where Gary left off, fighting for the best possible wages and working conditions for our members.

If anyone has questions for me, feel free to call. That is all.

Nathan Weber

Business Representative

Shops, Ready Mix & Quarries,

Sand & Gravel, Asphalt

Bussen Quarry at Jefferson Barracks Dave Boehle (Steward)

Fred Weber at Festus - Jeremy Higginbotham (Steward), Marty Rieser (Steward), Thomas Lee

Brothers & Sisters, 

I hope this finds everyone safe and healthy. 

Work in my area is still going well. I have a few different jobs going on out at the Labadie Power Plant with Vernaci installing a concrete pad and Budrovich removing the existing MCC’s. After a new concrete pad is finished then Budrovich will set the new MCC’s in place.  

Madison Industrial Service is also at the Labadie Power Plant making repair to Labadie U3 ductwork, coal mill expansion joints, economizer horizontal SH, air preheater rebasket, PV313 and turbine foam cleaning piping. Kolb Grading will mill existing plant roads going over to the employee parking lot, the parking lot itself and the road going to the construction parking lot and will overlay everything with 2” of asphalt. 

KCI was awarded a $30.5-million contract for signal and drainage improvements, and L. Keeley will be helping KCI do that work along Manchester Road between Maplewood and Kirkwood. KJ Unnerstall is at Greensfelder Recreation complex and is a part of the $9.2-million renovation. 

XL Contracting is a part of a $1.5-million contract from MODOT to do a bridge rehabilitation on Seven Pines Drive overpass on 364.

Ideal Landscape Management was awarded a $3.4-million contract for a Great Rivers Greenway Connector project that consists of demolition, roadway improvement, a trail construction, storm sewer installation, storm water BMP construction, retaining walls and landscaping. The project is located from S. Brentwood Blvd., East to Mary Avenue and Manchester Road South to Marshall Avenue. 

Pride. I would like everyone to think about how much pride you have in what you do every day, day-in and day-out, the way you start in the morning and where you leave off in the evening. It says a lot about a person when they say, “I have pride in what I do.” The Operators I’ve met through the years that have pride in operating equipment become one with the equipment and in a way, can make the machine dance. What I’m trying to say is take pride in what you do and how you do things. Your knowledge is something that the younger members should ask for and older members should be willing to share with any member. 

The best Union person is the person that works with other Operators efficiently to get a job done - and not the Operator who hurries up to sit and wait for the other Operators to catch up, making others look slow and inefficient. Nobody wins in this scenario. 

Fraternally,

Charlie Williams

Business Representative

Franklin County,  West St. Louis County and St. Louis City

Bill Blanke on the boomtruck for J&J Boring on an MSD job on the north outer road of Hwy 64

Two Alpha Contracting Charles Parisi, Henry Womack, Curtis Crocker

Brothers and Sisters,

As I write this, the season is quickly changing to fall, which usually means work will start slowing up a bit. But the outlook continues to look very good. I hope you and your families have had a healthy year with good work.

In the organizing department, we are finishing up a few contracts that have been a battle from the beginning. One such contract being United Rentals in Cape Girardeau. The workers and I sat down for the first time last September and just now ratified the agreement. These workers together fought hard to become members of our Union and I would like to congratulate and welcome them. It is never easy being the first to try becoming a Union equipment rental shop in the region. All odds were against them, and the finish line kept being pushed further out, but in the end, they were victorious and have a good contract I believe we can continue to build upon.

I would also like to welcome the workers from Sitech Mid America. This successful organizing campaign opens the door for our Union in the GPS and technology sector. The employees at Sitech program, install, maintain, repair, and update all things relating to GPS machine control, GPS site surveying and even drones. Having these workers as Operating Engineers will help educate us on this technology as it becomes an everyday part of our industry. 

I also want to welcome the entire team at ChaseCo Rentals. After a few meetings with the ownership team and employees, we were able to come to an agreement and signed contract. ChaseCo is a company on the move and growing leaps and bounds. The ownership and management team really does care about their employees, and it shows with a good first agreement and a productive workforce. 

Please, if you see any of these new members on the job sites, take a moment to introduce yourselves and welcome them to our Union.

One organizing campaign I could use your help on is with Luby Equipment. Currently we have taken seven of their employees and put them in positions with our signatory shops. We are still not getting to the table with them, though. If you see them on the job, please call the Hall. If you hear management talking about using Luby to buy or rent equipment, try to discourage them. Keeping the pressure on may generate a meeting or phone call from Luby.

For those of you not aware, our own Ms. Brittoni Calhoun won 2021 Missouri Women in Trades (MOWIT) Tradeswoman of the Year. Brittoni always does a great job representing Local 513 on and off the job. Brittoni always puts her best foot forward at anything that is asked of her as an Operator. Taking pride in her work and pride in being a 513 member are just a few reasons that made her Tradeswoman of the Year. Congratulations, Brittoni, on being the first member of Local 513 to receive this honor.

I would also like to congratulate Gary Howard on a well-deserved retirement. Gary has been a great help to many members of this Local, including myself, throughout his career. Gary, I hope you enjoy a long, healthy, happy retirement, and no more gas station pizza. 

I would also like to welcome Nathan Weber as the new Business Agent over the Shops and Quarries. Nathans’s years in the Local as a disciplined mechanic and shop steward have enabled him to hit the ground running as an agent. I know Nathan will do a great job and look forward to working with him on organizing campaigns in the future. 

In closing, I would like to congratulate the reelected officers of Local 513 in the August election. I look forward to working with you as you continue progressing our Union in the right direction with positive and sustainable changes that improve the membership.

Fraternally,

Brian Graff

Organizer

Roger Struckoff, Danny Bottoms, MOWIT Tradeswoman of the Year Brittoni Calhoun, President Tim Sappington and Organizer Brian Graff

Welcome ChaseCo to Local 513

Benefit Office Changes 

Due to COVID-19

As most of you are aware, St. Louis County has continued to loosen restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the easing of those restrictions, the Local 513 Benefit Office is happy to announce, effective Monday, May 24th, 2021, Local 513 Benefit Office will no longer require appointments for visitors. The Benefit Office will be open to walk-in visitors during normal business hours Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

Although we are pleased to welcome walk-in visitors into the Benefit Office, all visitors will be required to wear a mask to ensure the safety of the staff and other visitors who may be in the office. Visitors without masks will not be permitted to enter. 

Your patience and understanding are appreciated as we continue to make our way through this unprecedented time. We are looking forward to being able to better serve you by reopening our office to visitors!

Welfare Benefit Changes

Recently there have been a few changes to the benefits available through the Welfare Plan. 

COVID-19, Flu and Respiratory Illness Testing Coverage at 100%

COVID-19 screening and testing, and flu and respiratory illness test related to COVID-19 symptoms will be paid at 100% with no pre-approval necessary for all eligible Active Participants, Non-Medicare Retirees and their eligible dependents through April 30, 2022.

Mercy Member Assistance Program

As of May 2020, the Operating Engineers Local 513 Welfare Fund has implemented a Member Assistance Program through Mercy. This program can help with video and telephone counseling services such as:

• Strained relationships

• Stress at home or work

• Anger, resentment 

• Budgeting and debt management

• Parenting concerns

• Addictions

• Depression and anxiety

• Conflicts/communication problems

• Grief and loss

Services are free and confidential for you and your household. Treatment beyond the scope of MAP is coordinated through your medical benefit or community services.

You can speak with a counselor or schedule an appointment by calling 314 729-4600 #2 or 1-800-413-8008 # 2.  Their website is:

www.mbh-eap.com/members.

Vision Benefits

The Plan provides vision benefits through VSP for eligible Active and Retired Participants. Benefit coverage available by class with a VSP provider is:

Active Employees and Dependents

Well Vision Exam – Copay $0 every Calendar Year period

Frames- Copay $0 Allowance $200 for wide selection of frames every other calendar year

Lenses- Copay $0 for single vision, lines bifocal, lined trifocal lenses, and progressive lenses every calendar year

Contacts- Copay $0 Allowance $200 for contacts and lens exam every calendar year in leu of glasses

Retiree Plan A (Medicare and Non-Medicare Eligible) Employees and Dependents

Well Vision Exam – Copay $0 every Calendar Year period

Frames- Copay $0 Allowance $150 for wide selection of frames every other calendar year

Lenses- Copay $0 for single vision, lines bifocal, lined trifocal lenses and , progressive lenses, every calendar year

Contacts- Copay $0 Allowance $150 for contacts and lens exam every calendar year in leu of glasses. 

For an extensive list of available benefits please reach out to VSP at 1-800-877-7195 or vsp.com. 

(There is no vision benefit available for Retiree Plan B)

Annual Annuity Statements

The Annuity Plan year end is April 30 of each year.  However, the annual statements are not prepared and distributed until after the annual audit is completed.  Participants should anticipate receiving the annual statements no later than the end of the year.

Vacation Fund 2021 Annual Distribution Reminder

The Vacation Fund 2021 Annual Distribution is scheduled to take place in November 2021. Direct deposit is available for eligible Participants. Direct Deposit Authorizations have been sent to all vacation eligible Participants. This form should be completed and returned to the Benefit Office for new direct deposit authorizations and for updates to your account information no later than October 15, 2021. If you have previously provided your account information your vacation benefit will be direct deposited into that account unless new information is received. Please ensure your account and address information is up to date with the Benefit Office. Failure to do so may impact your timely receipt of benefits.

Information At Your Fingertips!

Don’t forget that you can access benefit information by logging onto the Fringe Benefit Web site at www.iuoe513fringe.org. The Fringe Benefit Website is a great resource for forms and information regarding the Fringe Benefit Funds. Forms available through the Web site include:

• Address change form (all Plans)

• HIPAA Disclosure form (Welfare)

• Coordination of Benefits (Welfare)

• Form W-4P (Pension and Annuity)

• Direct Deposit form (Pension)

• Beneficiary Designation form (Pension and Annuity)

• Pension Information Request form

• Annuity Information Request form

• Vacation Early Issue Request form 

After printing and completing any form, it should be forwarded to the Benefit Office for processing via mail, fax or email at Staff@IUOE513Benefits.org . In order to protect you and your rights, signatures are verified before the Benefit Office releases information or prior to making any changes.

Please contact the Benefit Office if you need assistance with log in and/or password information.

Not advising the Benefit Office of changes in your current mailing address or family status (marriage, divorce, birth/adoption of a child) will result in your not receiving very critical information which may impact yours or your dependent’s rights to certain benefits.

Web Site: www.iuoe513fringe.org

Local 513 Benefit Office

3449 Hollenberg Drive, Suite 150

Bridgeton   MO   63044

314-739-2973

800-511-0101

FAX: 314-739-8059

As of August 1, 2021, the Trustees of the Fringe Benefit Plans are:

Union Trustees 

Timothy J. Sappington

President and Business Manager 

I.U.O.E. Local 513

3449 Hollenberg Drive 

Bridgeton, MO 63044 

Steve Straatmann

I.U.O.E. Local 513 

3449 Hollenberg Dr.

Bridgeton, MO 63044 

Lealon Vaughn

I.U.O.E. Local 513 

3449 Hollenberg Drive 

Bridgeton, MO   63044

EMPLOYER TRUSTEES

Charlie Goodwin

Goodwin Brothers, Inc.

1766 Highway 61 South

Crystal City   MO   63019

Jeremy Bennett

SITE Improvement Association

2071 Exchange Dr.

St Charles, MO 63303

John Gribb

Alberici Constructors

2150 Kienlen Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63121

First off, I want to congratulate Brittoni Calhoun on receiving MOWIT’s Tradeswoman of the year award. Brittoni graduated from our apprenticeship program in 2018 and the entire staff at the school is very proud of her for this accomplishment.

Winter classes will be starting again before we know it in January and February. As I am writing this, the current COVID-19 policy at the school is if you are not feeling well, do not come. Masks are required, but with proof of full vaccination, masks are optional. I cannot predict the situation we will be in by January, but I’m hoping everyone gets vaccinated and stays safe so all this craziness can be put behind us. This can be a touchy subject with some people depending on what they believe or have heard or read, but I’m going to write about it anyway. In my opinion, all of the information going around about the COVID-19 vaccine, whether it is coming from social media, the Internet, or even a Sister or Brother member, is not always factual.  If you want to know about whether or not to get vaccinated, ask your doctor. They are trained medical professionals who know what they are talking about.

The winter schedule is printed on pages 32-33, and posted under the training tab on 513’s website (iuoe513.org) or the app. Registration will open for classes in November. Winter class registration forms are available at all Local 513 offices, or you can register on the website. Letters will be sent to all members who need to do a refresher class. If you have any questions about the winter class schedule, please call the school.

If you have any concerns whether the school is going to be open because of inclement weather, you can call the school at (573)485-2200 and choose option 4. The recording will tell you if school is going to be open, closed or have a delayed start. This service will be available seven days a week and will be updated by 4 a.m. on days in question.

CCO has changed application procedures for the practical tests. Candidates must apply online for specific exams (using a credit/debit card) prior to your practical test. Candidates will receive an email with an authorization code for each exam applied for within an hour. Exams must be taken within 180 days of receiving the authorization code, no exceptions. The secretaries at the school can do the online application process for you with your email and credit/debit card. Also, after December 1 of this year, CCO will no longer be using the shortened test for re-certification. They will be using the longer test for all candidates, whether for initial certification or to re-certify as required every five years.

The school has ordered a DitchWitch SK600 Mini Skid Steer loader for training. It has been brought to my attention from a few of our agents that the Laborers are training on these and have a card showing that they have been trained in the operation of these machines. We have to take delivery of the Mini Skid Steer first, and secondly, prepare a class so that we can get a card in our members pockets to combat the Laborers on this. I do not know yet when we will have this available for our members, but it is coming.

I would like to congratulate Barb Colbert on her retirement at the end of October after 25 years at our school. Cristy Wheeler is now taking care of the accounting for our school. Congratulations also go to Gary Howard on his retirement and Nathan Weber taking the reins over the Shops and Quarries. I wish all three of them the best.

The Training Center also wants to welcome Josh Schulze as another Mechanic/Instructor at the school. Rodney has needed some assistance for quite a while now, as we have a lot of equipment to keep running and to maintain. Josh is already doing a great job!

As always, if our Training School can be of any help, please call (573)485-2200.

Stay safe.

Dan Bottoms

Operating Engineers Training Center

Silex, Mo.

Second Year Apprentice Kyle Orf running a tractor for Semke Grading

Apprentices Gabe Henderson, Codey Brookman, Jeff Lovell and Dan Anich training on the GPS Rover

First Year Apprentice Logan Swyers working for Northland Construction at Royal Oaks in Salem, Mo.

Third Year Apprentice Levi Clifford working for Raider Mechanical at Riverview & 270

Brother and Sister members, 

As I am writing this, we are going into fall. Historically, October was always a wet month. With global warming though, it is anybody’s guess now.  Hopefully the weather holds off since the summer was so wet. 

A few jobs have been winding down and there are more apprentices on the list now than we have had all year. Work seems to show no sign of slowing down, so the few that are on the list shouldn’t be there long. With the work being as good as it has been, lots of apprentices are out doing work they have never been around before. They know that they can give me a call if they need help. They all want to do a good job, but they also need the guidance of 513 journeymen to help them along. A big part of the Apprenticeship is learning on the job. The apprentices can use all the help they can get so that the Local can prosper. If you think an apprentice needs some extra help, give me a call so I can come out on the job and help them out. 

For the apprentices that graduated last year, I have your graduation pictures and jacket. Give me a call about picking yours up. 

Be safe out there and I will see you on the job.  

Gabe Suddarth

J.A.T.F.

On-The-Job Training

Third Year Apprentice Nick Graeler working for KJ Unnerstall Construction

Third Year Apprentice Dylan Naeger running a backhoe for Goodwin Brothers

Third Year Apprentice Justin O'Neill operating for Custom Crane at Washington University Medical Center

First Year Apprentice Brian Davis oiling for Alberici at the Soccer Stadium

First Year Apprentice John Hoenig working for Sterett

Second Year Apprentice Kristian Rossmiller working for Rich Gullett & Sons

Third Year Apprentice Case Bottoms oiling for Luke Weld for Alberici at Mercy Hospital

Second Year Apprentice Shelby Porter working for Price Gregory on the pipeline

Greetings to all Retirees and their spouses!

It has definitely been a long year. Hopefully, things will return to normal soon. 

I am sorry I did not get a letter done the last time. The club has started meeting again. We only have one meeting left this year - December 1.

We will restart our meetings on March 2, 2022. Attendance has been low, but I have faith it will get better. 

Congratulations to those who have retired this year. I know you will enjoy it; I know I have. 

See everyone at the next meeting. Don’t forget to bring a covered dish or dessert.

Gary Banderman

Retiree Club President

Due the rising number of COVID-19 cases we have canceled our February 2022 meetings. First and foremost, the safety and health of our membership, their families, and our staff is our top priority. With that being said, we regreat to tell you that the St. Louis, Jefferson City, Louisana, and Cape Girardeau February 2022 union meetings have been canceled. 

We will provide updated information via Local 513 app, our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, regarding th March 2022 meeting. 

If you are a participant in the IUOE Central Pension Fund and you received a notice from the Central Pension Fund’s actuary, Horizon Actuarial Services, LLC, about a potential data incident, please contact the assistance line at (855) 541-3574.  This customer service center is staffed with representatives specially trained and waiting to assist you with this matter.  This is a legitimate letter.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month – that means there’s no better time to start tackling any issues you or your loved ones may be dealing with. And there’s no better place to start than our Everside Health clinics that offer free access to virtual primary care for participants ages 18 and up. Call 866-808-6005 to schedule an appointment.

Every year, thousands of workers are victims of wage theft. In 2017 alone, nearly 8,000 workers were cheated out of their wages, and the Department of Labor recovered almost $30 million in back wages through enforcement actions.

Stealing workers’ wages harms the worker, taxpayers, and local communities. It must stop. Take action now and submit comments to the U.S. Department of Labor in support of their proposed updates to the Davis-Bacon Act regulations.

Submit your comments to the U.S. Department of Labor HERE.

Brothers and Sisters,

You will be receiving a booklet in the next several weeks regarding additional benefits that will be available to you and your family.  The Executive Director of Midwest Coalition of Labor (MCL) will be at the Friday, June 10^th St. Louis Union meeting to explain these benefits. Visit www.coalitionoflabor.org to find out more.

Also, our Investment Consultant from NEPC and our Actuary from Milliman will be at this meeting for a presentation.

Please make every attempt to be at the Friday June 10^th St. Louis meeting to get informed on this important information

Fraternally,

Tim Sappington

CLICK HERE for a to view the message from Tim Sappington

The April 7^th union meeting in Louisiana, MO location has been changed for this meeting only.  Due to circumstances beyond our control.  The location for this meeting only is:

 The Elks Lodge

120 N. 5^th Street

Louisiana, MO 63353

The meeting will be at the normal time 7:00 pm.

I hope this finds everyone and their family doing well and healthy through all the craziness that has been going on in the world.

Work in my areas has been going very well all summer. It doesn’t look like it’s going to slow down any time soon. If the weather holds off, we should have a busy winter. I will keep my fingers crossed and hope for a mild one.

Up in Troy, Alberici is still in Bodine Aluminum. This usually keeps one to three operators busy all the time and through the cold months.

Plocher is finishing the water treatment plant in Troy. This is a project that has been going on for over two and half years.

Alberici is still working on the paint shop at General Motors. This job has kept five or more Operators working through the winter and the summer and they have another shutdown coming up this December. We will be needing CCO and fork truck operators. This is a money maker, so don’t miss out. Get your CCO as soon as you can. Also, at G.M., International Industrial Contracting are still working in the stamp plant. This project should go on for some time.

In Wentzville, Holland Construction has broke ground on a new apartment complex with Gelly Excavating doing the site and sewer work. This should go into the spring of next year. Wright Construction is mid-way through the new recreation complex for the City of Wentzville. This may be ready by late spring or early summer.

In Lake Saint Louis, Paric is building a new Dierberg’s store off highway N. Plattin Creek is doing the excavating, site, and sewer work. Big Boy Steel is doing the steel erection.

In St. Peters, Kadean Construction broke ground on two warehouses. These are both half a million square feet a piece. Gelly is doing the excavating and sewer. Vee-Jay is doing the concrete and tilt-up.

In Augusta, the Hoffman family has started the $125 million project. This will bring a hotel and Cruise Ship with a major docking and tours. This will be a big deal for the area.

In St. Charles, a new restaurant called Chicken and Pickle has agreed to build a 100,000-square foot building with pickle ball courts. This will be in the Riverpointe area across from Streets of Saint Charles.

In closing I want to wish Gary Howard a long, happy, and well-deserved retirement. I would also like to welcome Nathen Weber. 

As always if there is anything I can help with give me a call.

Lealon Vaughn

Business Representative

St. Charles, Lincoln, 

and Warren Counties

Kevin Engeman Lamke Excavating

Ricky Jackson Lamke Excavating

Steve Smith C.K. Crane

I hope everyone is well and has had a very prosperous year. We are going into fall and winter, and what I hear from Phil is that he is still having trouble finding people to fill the jobs. We have been very lucky in St. Louis, as work in our area has been very good through this whole pandemic. Hopefully, the Democrats will get their infrastructure bills passed and work will continue to be very good for a long time to come. 

As we all know, Missouri weather can go from one extreme to the other in the same day. With all the work this year, I would like to stress to every member the need to check your monthly status report that you receive from the Benefit Office. Make sure that you are not getting shorted hours that the Contractor is reporting on your behalf. Compare the report to your paycheck stubs to make sure your hours match. If there is a problem with your hours, I will be more than happy to collect those hours you have been shorted, but first, you must contact me and let me know the situation. Often it can be a simple error with payroll and a phone call can fix the problem, provided you have saved your pay stubs. 

By the time this newsletter is out, you should have received your Annuity statements for the plan year that ended April 30, 2021. If you have not received this statement, please contact the Benefit Office at (314)739-2973 to request a reprint. 

Annual Vacation Fund checks were either direct deposited or mailed to all members that participate and contribute to the Local 513 Vacation Fund on November 19, 2021. Any contributions sent in after the October 31, 2021, deadline will be sent out in mid-January 2022 in the second Vacation Fund check disbursement. 

At the time you read this, you should have received a letter from the Benefit Office explaining the additional improvements to our Health and Welfare Plan, approved by the Trustees, that start in January 2022. These changes are very beneficial to every member and their families’ coverages. Local 513’s entry into the Health Clinics, as announced by President/Business Manager Tim Sappington, are also an added Benefit to our Health and Welfare Plan. Everside Health Representatives gave an informative presentation a the October Union Meeting. 

I would also like to thank Gary Howard for his devotion to Local 513 as the agent for the Shops and Quarries. Negotiating all the different contracts is a hard job, and Gary has done an excellent job for the members of Local 513. I wish him a long, healthy, and happy retirement. I would like to congratulate Nathan Weber as the new agent for the Shops and Quarries. I’m sure he will do a great job, as well. 

Congratulations are in order to Josh Schultz for his appointment to the Training School as a Mechanic/Instructor. Josh will do well and be a benefit to the Training School in helping assist Rodney as they take care of the equipment that they must maintain and keep up and running. 

In closing, due to the ongoing spread of COVID-19, the Union Christmas parties were canceled again this year for the safety of the Members and their families. Hopefully, we will be able to resume normal activities again next year. I do want to mention, I strongly recommend that if you have not been vaccinated, please consider doing so, if not for yourself, for your loved ones. 

As always, save your check stubs and if I can be of assistance, please call me at (314)739-5410. 

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to everyone.

Mike Tierney

Trustee & Collection Coordination

Rick Dengler servicing the equipment for Alberici Constructors at the Missouri Botanical Gardens

Vernaci Operators Daren Light and Will Shipman at Aldi’s in Rolla

Brothers and Sisters,

Fall is upon us, and work in the Northeast is still steady. We have enjoyed very high employment this year despite the COVID-19 challenges. However, owner requirements and government mandates have begun to be implemented. Other crafts have also been touting their vaccinated members as a selling point to contractors. Like it or not, the fact remains we must protect our work. If the Operating Engineers cannot provide the required vaccinated manpower to a mandated project, another craft will. The physical and financial health of our members must take priority over politics. If you are not vaccinated at this time, I strongly encourage that you consider doing so.

At this time, work has all but wrapped up at the Next Gen Medical Complex in Columbia. This is just in time to begin the New Women’s and Children’s Hospital a stones throw away. The erection of the first tower crane is underway, with the second to follow shortly. 

Work is set to begin on the New I-70 Rocheport Bridge. This project is estimated at over $240 million dollars and is scheduled to be completed in 2024. The scope of the work covers two jurisdictions for the Operating Engineers. Therefore, the manpower will be split between Local 513 and Local 101. 

Price Gregory, OZ Drilling, Southeast Directional Drilling, Gabe’s Construction and Lonestar Drilling are starting to wrap things up on the Phillips 66 line replacement in Pacific. 

With the holiday parties canceled this year, I would like to extend a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone. I wish you and your loved ones a healthy and happy holiday season. I look forward to seeing you all soon, and to the continued growth of this organization. Please don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.

Fraternally,

Matthew Enloe

Auditor & Business Representative

Pipeline Representative

Hannibal

Budrovich Crane erecting the second tower crane at the MU Womens & Children’s Hospital

Phillips Hardy clearing for the I-70 Rocheport Bridge

Scotts Crane Rental preparing to set girders on a county bridge in Hartsburg

In remembrance of Trustee and Steward Ben Ballard. In this photo, taken by Jeremy Lindsey, Ben was working on the Phillips 66 Line Replacement in Pacific

Rich Gullet & Sons at the new Ameren Sub Station in New London

Business Agent Matt Enloe with Steward Ben Ballard and Operator Leroy Castens at the Phillips 66 Pipeline

Brothers and Sisters,

I hope this report finds you and your family safe and doing well. It has been a stressful time and we are now thankfully turning the corner with this new phase of COVID-19 vaccines. Please get vaccinated so that we can eradicate the terrible life-threatening virus. This week, as I write this report, we have lost two members to the COVID-19 virus. Please wear a mask and wash and sanitize your hands to help keep you, your family, and friends safe. 

Please call your Congressperson and Senator to let them know how important it is to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act H.R. Bill 3684.  This will make a lot of Highway and Infrastructure work for us for years to come. MODOT will receive billions of dollars from the Federal Government when it passes. 

Work is the best it’s been in all the years I have been in IUOE Local 513. We are almost 99 percent employed. 

I’ve been a member of IUOE Local 513 for almost 39 years, and there is one thing I will never understand: If someone stole your truck or your property, you would be angry or even hostile. But, too often, we (Business Agents) come to see Operators on the job, stand by and watch others steal our work. We cannot be on every job every day policing the work. It is logistically impossible. If Operators on the job do not have the courage to keep people off of equipment that doesn’t belong there, then it is a losing battle. It has to be controlled by the Operators on the job. That is what I was taught when I got in the Local over 30 years ago. We (Business Agents) have all our strength when the whole membership stands with us. We look forward to seeing all of us stand together to fix this problem. 

I would like to congratulate Gary Howard and all the recent retirees and wish them a healthy, long-lasting retirement. For those who received their years of service awards, I congratulate them, as well. Their service, sacrifice and dedication has provided a solid foundation to build upon.

St. Louis City is very busy. Here are some of the jobs in my area that have been going on, just starting or soon to be starting:

NGA (National Geospatial Intelligence Agency) has a $1.7-billion project going on and McCarthy/Hitt is the general contractor. 

Walsh has a $220,000,000 project on the Merchants Bridge. 

MAK (Mortenson, Alberici, L. Keeley) joint venture general contractors has a $250,000,000 project on the MLS Soccer Stadium.

McCarthy is working on a $616,000,000 project at Washington University Neuroscience Research Facility and parking garage. 

B.S.I. Constructors is working on a $10,000,000 project at Doorways 2.0 Administration and Housing. 

B.S.I. Constructors is the general contractor on a $54,000,000 project on a hotel/apartment complex at the Chemical Building downtown.

Opus is the general contractor on a $34,000,000 apartment and commercial building project.

Fairway Construction in the general contractor on a $10,000,000 project for Vandeventer Place II Senior Independent Living.

Holland is the general contractor on the Duncan Apartment/Retail building with a pool and parking garage. This will be a $60,000,000 project.

St. Louis University Jesuit Residential Building has a $16,000,000 project going on and B.S.I. Constructors will be the general contractor. 

Brinkman will be the general contractor on the $90,000,000 project at the Expo at Forest Park Apartment and Retail building job. 

21C Museum Hotel (the old Y.M.C.A. building) has a $25,000,000 project going on and H.B.D. Construction will be the general contractor. 

Alumnus Garden Housing has a $25,000,000 project going on. 

The Bridge Apartment building and parking garage a $30,000,000 project going on with Paric being the general contractor. 

L. Keeley is working on a $37,000,000 project at The Cortex MX Apartments.

Washington University School of Medicine, Cancer Research and Ambulatory Care Facility has a $220,000,000 project going on and Clayco is the general contractor. 

I look forward to seeing all of you working in my area in the field, as we all bring strength and unity to our great Local. If I can be off assistance, please do not hesitate to call me.

Work safe, stay healthy and have a great day!

Fraternally,

Byron Saunders Sr.

Treasurer & Business Representative

City of St. Louis & MSD

Kevin Donovan Working for Castle at the new Neurology and Science Research Project. McCarthy is the General Contractor

Kevin Grass working for X L Contracting downtown installing new water lines for St Louis City Water

Andrew Martin working for Drilling Services

Andrew Martin working for Drilling Services

Andy Schalk, President Tim Sappington, Business Representative Byron Saunders Sr. and Patrick Esslinger visiting Merchants Bridge

Kevin Dillon, Steward on the new MLS Soccer Stadium

Bryon Johnson working for Badger Daylighting downtown at the new MLS Soccer Stadium

Charles Palmasano and Carl Word Jr the Steward for Alberici at the new MLS Soccer Stadium

Mark Konieczny and Jacob Derousse working at the Auto Center Nissan in Herculaneum for Castle Contracting

Chad Stewart and Nicholas Seelbach working for Concrete Stratigies on the new Washington University School of Medicine. Clayco is the General Contractor

Richard Christensen working for Bommarito

I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe. As I write this letter, it is already the first week of October. The work is really going out of here. It has been non-stop. My biggest problem is finding qualified Operators.  

Some of the operators that are good, are getting on the list and the next day going right back out for another Contractor. With all the work that we have going on right now, it is very important that we send qualified Operators to work. When I send out Operators that are not qualified, they just send them right back the same day. 

I’ve had a few Operators not show up because they got on the list and I dispatched them to a different Contractor, and then they turn around and go back to the Contractor they were working for - and not to the one I dispatched them to. This leaves that Contractor without an Operator. If you get on the list and I dispatch you, it is very important that you go where I send you! 

So, with all that being said, the dirt work has been crazy all summer. It has left us no choice but to send out some permit hands to fill some of these dirt jobs that I cannot fill with our members. We know it’s not popular, but if I don’t fill the jobs with qualified Operators, the Contractors will put Laborers or some other craft on the equipment and then that will just make things worse than they already are. 

Our Agents are out there every day fighting with some of these Contractors about that very issue. It is a problem, and we know it is a problem, because some of our Operators are letting it go on. All they care about is themselves - and not the Organization as a whole. We cannot fight this alone. We need your help, so call the Hall and let us know if you see other crafts on our equipment, or other Operators letting it go on. We will do our best to fix the problem and I promise it won’t be good if they have to come down here in front of the Executive Board, which has been giving out some heavy fines lately. 

I would like to congratulate Gary Howard on his well-deserved retirement. I would also like to congratulate Nathan Weber on his new roll as Business Representative for the Shops and Quarries upon Gary’s retirement. I know that Nathan will do a great job for the Local.

If there is anything I can do to help, please call me. 

Thank you,

Phil Nicolay

Dispatcher

Brothers and Sisters,

I hope everyone had a busy and prosperous summer. Judging by the way the contractors are begging for more help, I would think a lot of our members are working more hours than they would like. The work outlook remains strong in the foreseeable future, though we will see how it is affected with the early predictions of a bad winter.

Project Updates:

There is another tilt-up building going up at the Hazelwood Tradeport Business Park. The panels were just set and presently Big Boys Steel Erection is setting the steel to close it up. Kelpe Contracting is on site, as well, working on the sewers. Kamadulski Excavating handled the building pad and Fenix did the concrete pad and tilt-up.

Also, at Tradeport, Kamadulski Excavating is working on the building pads for two more tilt-up buildings. Korte Construction is general contractor for the interior of building one with Hawkins Concrete and Karrenbrock Excavating on site as subcontractors.

There is a lot of work going on St. Charles Rock Road across my area. Gershenson Construction has been working on a 13-million-dollar ADA improvement package between Pennridge Drive. N.B. West is working on sidewalks, curb, and gutter from Pennsylvania Ave. to Kienlen Ave. N.B. West also just completed the road resurfacing from Taussig Rd. to Highway 141.

Millstone Weber is keeping a lot of people busy moving along on the Highway 270 Project with roughly two years remaining until completion. The project covers the stretch of 270 from Riverview Drive to Highway 67/Lindbergh Boulevard.

The new Mercy Hospital Outpatient Center is going well they are still working on the parking garage and setting steel presently. Alberici is the General Contractor on the project with Budrovich Excavating, Concrete Strategies, C2 Service Group as a few of the subcontractors.

These are just a few of the many jobs that are going on in my area. If you have questions or an issue on the job in my area please call me so I can try to get it resolved. Take the time to read your contract so you are informed on the rules you are working under. The contracts are available on the website, the Local 513 app and hard copies are available at the Union Hall. Don’t cost you and your family money by not getting all the hours you deserve by working through lunch and leaving early or getting paid for actual hours worked if it is not a provision in the contract. 

Take the time to get involved in your local labor club, attend the Union meetings, stay involved for a Union is only as strong as its members. Please feel free as always to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Fraternally,

Steve Straatmann

Financial Secretary & 

Business Representative

City of St. Louis & MSD

Brothers and Sisters,

I hope everyone had a busy and prosperous summer. Judging by the way the contractors are begging for more help, I would think a lot of our members are working more hours than they would like. The work outlook remains strong in the foreseeable future, though we will see how it is affected with the early predictions of a bad winter.

Project Updates:

There is another tilt-up building going up at the Hazelwood Tradeport Business Park. The panels were just set and presently Big Boys Steel Erection is setting the steel to close it up. Kelpe Contracting is on site, as well, working on the sewers. Kamadulski Excavating handled the building pad and Fenix did the concrete pad and tilt-up.

Also, at Tradeport, Kamadulski Excavating is working on the building pads for two more tilt-up buildings. Korte Construction is general contractor for the interior of building one with Hawkins Concrete and Karrenbrock Excavating on site as subcontractors.

There is a lot of work going on St. Charles Rock Road across my area. Gershenson Construction has been working on a 13-million-dollar ADA improvement package between Pennridge Drive. N.B. West is working on sidewalks, curb, and gutter from Pennsylvania Ave. to Kienlen Ave. N.B. West also just completed the road resurfacing from Taussig Rd. to Highway 141.

Millstone Weber is keeping a lot of people busy moving along on the Highway 270 Project with roughly two years remaining until completion. The project covers the stretch of 270 from Riverview Drive to Highway 67/Lindbergh Boulevard.

The new Mercy Hospital Outpatient Center is going well they are still working on the parking garage and setting steel presently. Alberici is the General Contractor on the project with Budrovich Excavating, Concrete Strategies, C2 Service Group as a few of the subcontractors.

These are just a few of the many jobs that are going on in my area. If you have questions or an issue on the job in my area please call me so I can try to get it resolved. Take the time to read your contract so you are informed on the rules you are working under. The contracts are available on the website, the Local 513 app and hard copies are available at the Union Hall. Don’t cost you and your family money by not getting all the hours you deserve by working through lunch and leaving early or getting paid for actual hours worked if it is not a provision in the contract. 

Take the time to get involved in your local labor club, attend the Union meetings, stay involved for a Union is only as strong as its members. Please feel free as always to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Fraternally,

Steve Farrar

Recording Corresponding Secretary

Business Representative

North and Central 

St. Louis County

Night Mass Excavation Crew for Castle Contracting, Olive and 170 – Costco Project Pictured left to right: Colin Rende, Matt Bacott, Robert Weber, Robert Warren, Eddie Johnson, Rose Pezzo, Joshua Tucker,
Rich Leonhardt, Christopher Pickett, Jesse Derousse, Richie Mueller, Tracy Eckhoff, Andy Earhart, Brittoni Calhoun

Darin Kleindienst working for Drilling Service and Scott Braband working for Fred Luth at Delmar and 170

Todd Satre working for L.S.M. Grading at Eskridge Estates

Mark Dalton working for Korte Construction, Tradeport - Hazelwood

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! This year has gone by so quickly. I’m sorry that we won’t be having our Christmas parties together at all the different Union Halls again this year. Hopefully, vaccination rates continue to rise, and we can put this virus behind us and celebrate as Brothers and Sisters again. 

Work in my area has been exceptional this year. The out of work list has remained short and new projects continue to start. The new hospital at Ft. Leonard Wood continues its progress. The Ft. Wood project is a five-year project so I will be reporting on it for some time. Current contractors on the project are C2 Service Group, Bloomsdale Excavation Co., Inc., SDS Builders, Inc. (DeWitt), and Maxim Crane Works. With the amount of work that has taken place in my area this year, I’d like to highlight a few of the other projects. 

University Drive realignment - Don Maggi, Inc. St. Roberts wastewater treatment plant - L. Keeley Construction. Royal Oak charcoal plant expansion – Northland Constructors, Inc. Quaker Windows expansion – Verslues Construction Co., Inc. Jefferson City High School sports complex – JS Excavating, Inc. Bicentennial Bridge – Phillips Hardy, Inc. Business 50 W improvements and Lawson Elementary School Road – Don Schnieders Excavation Co., Inc. Bagnell Dam roadway improvements – Concrete Strategies, Inc.

In closing, I would like to congratulate this administration on its election victory this year. I would like to thank all the members who took the time to participate in the Union and exercised their right to vote. I am proud to serve in this administration and even more proud of its ability to serve and produce more benefits for the members. I would like to thank the Trustees for raising our Health and Welfare coverage from 75 percent to 85 percent, reducing our calendar year deductible, eliminating the hospital admission co-payment, and for their actions getting involved with Everside Health. These decisions will only benefit our members and produce savings for our funds.

If you need assistance don’t hesitate to call me. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

In Solidarity,

Aaron Gray

Vice President

Business Representative

Jefferson City, Rolla &

Ft. Wood Area

Maxim Crane at the Callaway County Jail

Don Schneiders Excavating Josh Batye at Lawson Elementary

Northland Constructors Gavin Stricklan at Royal Oak

Verslues Construction Operator Tom Graham at Quaker Windows

Scott’s Crane Rental at Marys Home Ameren Sub Station

Don Maggi University Drive Realignment

Lloyd Winter and Kori Zancauske at Ameren Solar Farm

L. Keeley Construction Co. Sam Rowland at the St. Roberts Waste Water Treatment Plant

Bloomsdale Excavating, Co. Steward Garret Baquet working at Ft. Wood

Blankenship Construction, Co. Seth Shern at the Ameren Solar Farm

Brothers and Sisters,

I hope this newsletter finds you and your family safe and healthy. The different strains of COVID-19 are still affecting our daily lives. According to our Health & Welfare data, we have had over 730 members or family members test positive for COVID-19, 40 admitted to the hospital, and 19 in intensive care units. At the time of writing this article, I have been informed of two more of our members that have passed away from this horrible virus. I’m not one to tell anybody what to do with their body or how to live their lives, but I strongly encourage you to get the vaccination. Do it for your family, friends, and co-workers. We do not need to lose any more of our Brother and Sister members or their families. 

Marty Evans snapped this photo of operator Mike Davis working under a rainbow. Marty and Mike work for Buccaneers Excavating

While on this subject, we have been fortunate to be able to continue holding our Union meetings by wearing our masks and continuing to social distance. With that being said I regret to tell you the Executive Board has decided to cancel the December Christmas meetings. This was not an easy decision, but we feel it is in the best interest of our members and their families. Once again, we will be mailing the annual gift to our entire membership, and we look forward to 2022 being more forgiving to allow us to hold our December meetings, where we can celebrate the Holidays the way we are accustomed to. Regularly scheduled meetings will resume in January. 

Work in our area continues to be very good and all signs point to it continuing to be good for the next two to three years. It could possibly be longer if Congress would get off of their butt’s and pass the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. Operating Engineers need this to pass, it would put $110 billion into roads and bridges. This alone will create projects for up to 10 years. $73 billion in energy infrastructure, $66 billion for passenger and freight rail repairs and expansions, $55 billion for water infrastructure, $48.5 billion in public transit repair, $47 billion for flood mitigation, $25 billion in airports, $16 billion for dredging ports and waterways, and $11 billion for pipelines. So, as I said, we need Congress to pass this legislation. It will keep Operating Engineers working for years to come while improving the crumbling infrastructure throughout the country. If it hasn’t passed by the time you receive this newsletter, call your Representative in Congress and tell them to pass this Bill. 

The Executive Board has approved doing some remodeling at our Cape Girardeau Hall. This will include painting the entire inside of the building, updating the restrooms in the hall area, and remodeling the kitchen/bar area along with some other miscellaneous repairs. These are needed and well overdue repairs. 

I want to take a minute to congratulate both Gary Howard and Barbara Colbert on their well-deserved retirements. Gary is a 44-year member and has done one heck of a job for Local 513 while serving as the Business Agent over our shops and quarries for the last seven years. Nathan Weber was appointed to fill his position and I am confident he will do a great job. Barbara has done an outstanding job as the accountant at the training school for the past 25 years. Christy Wheeler has replaced Barbara as the accountant and I’m sure she will do a fine job. I hope they both have long, healthy, and happy retirements! 

I would also like to congratulate the members that received their years of service awards this year. Thank you for your dedication to Operating Engineers Local 513.

Thank you to the members that took the time to vote in the Election of Officers for Local 513 this past summer. Myself, the Officers, Agents, and Staff of Local 513 appreciate your continued confidence and support for the next three years. We will continue to represent our members and this Local to the best of our ability and I will guarantee you we will continue to keep our Local heading in the right direction. 

We will continue to work with the management Trustees on our funds to improve benefits for our membership. Recently, you received a letter from the Health and Welfare Trustees about improvements to our medical benefits starting January 1, 2022. These include lower deductibles and increasing the co-insurance coverage. This, along with the added benefit of Everside Health Clinics equates to less money out of pocket for our members and their families. Again, thank you for your continued support, it is an honor and a privilege to serve our membership in this capacity.

I also want to personally thank the Election Commissioners James Straatmann (Chairman), Joe Wallace, Virgil Jeffery, Mark Becker, and David Youngblood for their service to our membership during the election. 

In closing, I hope you and your families have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Fraternally,

Tim Sappington

Now Offering Access to Everside Health Clinics

We are excited to announce that you now have access to Everside Health clinics throughout the St. Louis area. IUOE Local 513 eligible members, retirees (including Medicare eligible retirees) and covered dependents now have easier, more convenient access for annual physicals, urgent and sick care, chronic condition management, and much more with Everside Health. The best part – there are no copays, no deductibles, and no-coinsurance.

With Everside Health you can:

• Schedule same- and next-day appointments for urgent issues
• Reach your Everside care team 24/7
• Spend as much time as you need with an Everside doctor
• Have virtual access, in addition to convenient in person care, with the Everside mobile app

Schedule your welcome visit and receive a $15 gift card (appointment must be scheduled and completed by the end of February 2022.)

We encourage you to call an Everside Health provider first before going to the emergency department or urgent care. Same-day sick appointments are typically available, and after hours your provider may be able to guide your health with a phone call or virtual visit.
 

And 3 new locations opening in 2022!

Get started today by visiting members.eversidehealth.com or learn more at eversidehealth.com/IUOE513.

BIG congrats to I.U.O.E. Local 513 Sister, Brittoni Calhoun on earning 2021 Tradeswomen of the Year! She will be honored at the Missouri Women in the Trades Blue Collar/Black Tie Award Gala. Would you like to attend the Gala? You can find out more information here. 

Please get the COVID-19 vaccine to protect you, your loved ones, your brothers, and your sisters!

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine has been known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, and will now be marketed as Comirnaty (koe-mir’-na-tee), for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older. The vaccine also continues to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA), including for individuals 12 through 15 years of age and for the administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals.

“The FDA’s approval of this vaccine is a milestone as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. While this and other vaccines have met the FDA’s rigorous, scientific standards for emergency use authorization, as the first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine, the public can be very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “While millions of people have already safely received COVID-19 vaccines, we recognize that for some, the FDA approval of a vaccine may now instill additional confidence to get vaccinated. Today’s milestone puts us one step closer to altering the course of this pandemic in the U.S.” 

Since Dec. 11, 2020, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine has been available under EUA in individuals 16 years of age and older, and the authorization was expanded to include those 12 through 15 years of age on May 10, 2021. EUAs can be used by the FDA during public health emergencies to provide access to medical products that may be effective in preventing, diagnosing, or treating a disease, provided that the FDA determines that the known and potential benefits of a product, when used to prevent, diagnose, or treat the disease, outweigh the known and potential risks of the product.

FDA-approved vaccines undergo the agency’s standard process for reviewing the quality, safety and effectiveness of medical products. For all vaccines, the FDA evaluates data and information included in the manufacturer’s submission of a biologics license application (BLA). A BLA is a comprehensive document that is submitted to the agency providing very specific requirements. For Comirnaty, the BLA builds on the extensive data and information previously submitted that supported the EUA, such as preclinical and clinical data and information, as well as details of the manufacturing process, vaccine testing results to ensure vaccine quality, and inspections of the sites where the vaccine is made. The agency conducts its own analyses of the information in the BLA to make sure the vaccine is safe and effective and meets the FDA’s standards for approval. 

Comirnaty contains messenger RNA (mRNA), a kind of genetic material. The mRNA is used by the body to make a mimic of one of the proteins in the virus that causes COVID-19. The result of a person receiving this vaccine is that their immune system will ultimately react defensively to the virus that causes COVID-19. The mRNA in Comirnaty is only present in the body for a short time and is not incorporated into - nor does it alter - an individual’s genetic material. Comirnaty has the same formulation as the EUA vaccine and is administered as a series of two doses, three weeks apart. 

“Our scientific and medical experts conducted an incredibly thorough and thoughtful evaluation of this vaccine. We evaluated scientific data and information included in hundreds of thousands of pages, conducted our own analyses of Comirnaty’s safety and effectiveness, and performed a detailed assessment of the manufacturing processes, including inspections of the manufacturing facilities,” said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “We have not lost sight that the COVID-19 public health crisis continues in the U.S. and that the public is counting on safe and effective vaccines. The public and medical community can be confident that although we approved this vaccine expeditiously, it was fully in keeping with our existing high standards for vaccines in the U.S."

FDA Evaluation of Safety and Effectiveness Data for Approval for 16 Years of Age and Older

The first EUA, issued Dec. 11, for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for individuals 16 years of age and older was based on safety and effectiveness data from a randomized, controlled, blinded ongoing clinical trial of thousands of individuals. 

To support the FDA’s approval decision today, the FDA reviewed updated data from the clinical trial which supported the EUA and included a longer duration of follow-up in a larger clinical trial population. 

Specifically, in the FDA’s review for approval, the agency analyzed effectiveness data from approximately 20,000 vaccine and 20,000 placebo recipients ages 16 and older who did not have evidence of the COVID-19 virus infection within a week of receiving the second dose. The safety of Comirnaty was evaluated in approximately 22,000 people who received the vaccine and 22,000 people who received a placebo 16 years of age and older.

Based on results from the clinical trial, the vaccine was 91% effective in preventing COVID-19 disease. 

More than half of the clinical trial participants were followed for safety outcomes for at least four months after the second dose. Overall, approximately 12,000 recipients have been followed for at least 6 months.

The most commonly reported side effects by those clinical trial participants who received Comirnaty were pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle or joint pain, chills, and fever. The vaccine is effective in preventing COVID-19 and potentially serious outcomes including hospitalization and death.

Additionally, the FDA conducted a rigorous evaluation of the post-authorization safety surveillance data pertaining to myocarditis and pericarditis following administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and has determined that the data demonstrate increased risks, particularly within the seven days following the second dose. The observed risk is higher among males under 40 years of age compared to females and older males. The observed risk is highest in males 12 through 17 years of age. Available data from short-term follow-up suggest that most individuals have had resolution of symptoms. However, some individuals required intensive care support. Information is not yet available about potential long-term health outcomes. The Comirnaty Prescribing Information includes a warning about these risks.

Ongoing Safety Monitoring

The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have monitoring systems in place to ensure that any safety concerns continue to be identified and evaluated in a timely manner. In addition, the FDA is requiring the company to conduct postmarketing studies to further assess the risks of myocarditis and pericarditis following vaccination with Comirnaty. These studies will include an evaluation of long-term outcomes among individuals who develop myocarditis following vaccination with Comirnaty. In addition, although not FDA requirements, the company has committed to additional post-marketing safety studies, including conducting a pregnancy registry study to evaluate pregnancy and infant outcomes after receipt of Comirnaty during pregnancy.

The FDA granted this application Priority Review. The approval was granted to BioNTech Manufacturing GmbH.

Related Information

• Comirnaty Prescribing Information
• Cormirnaty and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine | FDA

St. Louis, MO - It is with great sadness and frustration that we are forced to cancel the 2021 St. Louis Labor Day Parade. This annual tradition has been a St. Louis staple for years to celebrate the working families and the strong labor roots of St. Louis. 

“We are canceling due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the growing concerns of the Delta Variant,” stated St. Louis Labor Council President Pat White. “This situation could have been avoided but much of our community continues to refuse to get vaccinated. Vaccinations work. Over 95% of those in our hospitals are unvaccinated and over 99% of the deaths due to COVID are those who are unvaccinated.” 

The 2021 Labor Day parade was set to be held on September 6, 2021 in downtown St. Louis. The Labor Day parade attracts dozens of labor unions, union members, their families and supporters each year. The parade takes many months to plan and organize. The 2020 parade was also cancelled due to the global pandemic. 

“I am encouraging those who have not been vaccinated against this pandemic both union members and non-union members to get their shot,” expressed Pat White. “This is something I look forward to each year. I am afraid that we are headed in the wrong direction and that if vaccination rates don’t increase we will see many more events in our community get canceled. Together we can beat this. This isn’t about politics, it is about science and loving thy neighbor. Protect yourself, your loved ones, and our community, get the damn vaccine.” 

IUOE Local 513 has been informed that a member who was in attendance at the union meeting on 8.13.21 has tested positive for COVID-19. Because of the union hall’s mask requirement and social distancing at the meeting members should only monitor themselves for symptoms, no other action is required. If you start to show symptoms please get tested.

Here is more information from the CDC on guidelines: https://bit.ly/3j8kR1T

The official results are in for the August 10, 2021 Union Election.  Please click here to view the results.

The bipartisan infrastructure framework agreed to by President Biden and a group of U.S. Senators is a down payment on world-class infrastructure that is safer, more reliable and will create good-paying jobs for Operating Engineers across the United States.

BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE FRAMEWORK:

• Makes the single largest investment in roads and bridges since the construction of the interstate highway system, which will help us stay safe.
• Delivers clean drinking water to American families by eliminating lead pipes.
• Modernizes our power grid and makes it more resilient against cyber-attacks and extreme weather.
• Delivers reliable high-speed internet access to American homes, drives down prices for internet services, and closes the digital divide.
• Creates good-paying union jobs that will provide a pathway to the middle class for millions of American working families.

Connects prevailing wages and labor standards to the jobs created, helping to drive a strong and just economic recovery.

The bipartisan infrastructure framework is a blue-collar plan to invest in America by creating jobs for Operating Engineers and ensuring our communities have safe and resilient infrastructure.

Now we need Members of Congress to pass this legislation and create hundreds of thousands of good-paying construction jobs rebuilding our nation. Let’s get to work!

CALL YOUR SENATOR:  202-224-3121

EMAIL YOUR SENATOR NOW!

Friendly reminder of our changed locations for our upcoming meetings. 

This Week in Labor History April 12 - 18

This Week in Labor History April 5 - 12.

This Week in Labor History March 29 - April 4

Election of Election Commissioners was held Friday, April 9th, 2021 at the St. Louis Union Hall per the Local 513 by-laws Article XV, Section 15.01.  The results are as follows:

Virgil Jeffery - 295

David Youngblood - 292

Mark Becker - 286

Chuck Margherio - 198

Mike Hart - 190

Steve Leslie - 199

Local 513 would like to thank the membership for participating in this process. 

This Week in Labor History

This week in Labor history.

Please note the changes for the April and June meetings. All meetings will start at their normal time, 7 pm. The location changes have been made to allow for social distancing. 

Missouri’s infrastructure is crumbling. Our state is falling behind and putting our working families at risk. Missouri's transportation network directly impacts the quality of life for Missourians. Good roads and bridges connect us to work, school, healthcare, and recreation. Poor roads and bridges are a threat to the health and well-being of Missouri’s working families.

Senate Bill 262 is a bipartisan bill that aims to fix these problems. Despite maintaining the 7th largest transportation system in the United States, Missouri ranks 45th in transportation funding.

• $825 million in high-priority transportation needs go unfunded every year.

• Due to inflation and the ever-improving vehicle fuel economy, the purchasing power of Missouri’s state fuel tax has effectively dropped from 17 cents to 6 cents.

• More than 6,700 miles of Missouri roadways are in poor condition.

• Over 2,000 bridges in Missouri are rated as structurally deficient

By passing Senate Bill 262, we provide our state with the tools to fix these problems. And SB 262 will provide our state with good-paying UNION jobs for years and years to come. Those good-paying jobs with benefits will benefit Missouri workers and will build a stronger community and economy for all working families.

CALL your Senator and ask them to support the bipartisan Senate Bill 262 for good-paying jobs and investment in our aging infrastructure.

Take a look into the past to see all the struggle and hard fought battles

Check out the article from the Labor Tribune

President Biden is living up to his pledge to fully support labor.  Please see the link below to read the article.

President Biden fires GC Peter Robb!

Fall 2020

Fall 2019

Fall 2018

Spring 2018

Fall 2017

Summer 2017