Breaking Ground

Learn about what union organizing actually is, how it helps the union and the wages of all and how members can help organize, as well. Local 3's Senior Organizer Steve Cubbler talks about his role in Local 3's Organizing Department and his career. 

OE Federal Credit Union Business Development Officer Carmel Sangco sits down with Engineers News Managing Editor Mandy McMillen to discuss the benefits of having a credit union specifically tailored to the needs of OE3 members and other union workers and their families, as well as what services, features, perks and benefits are available to individuals who bank with OE Federal Credit Union.

Nevada Retiree Dennis Griffith shares what it was like in the field, when he joined Local 3 in the 1970s, after transferring in from Local 12. His Local 3 retirement and health insurance have helped him and wife, Rita, and their kids, have a great life. Dennis has worked on some amazing projects throughout Local 3’s jurisdiction and offers good advice for those still actively working in the indust...

Local 3 Business Agent Armie Morgan represents Local 3 members in the counties of Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo, but he wears many other hats, including being a commissioner for the SF Fire Department. Get to know Armie, his job duties and how he got involved in the Construction Trades and helping members in the largest Construction Trades Local in North America.

Meg-Anne Pryor has done it all and made it look easy, from graduating valedictorian in SF’s City Build program to being the keynote speaker for President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address, she is an inspirational figure for us all. Previously a successful Construction Equipment Operator (CEO) in the field and now serving OE3’s apprentices as a coordinator for the CA Training Center and board...

Did you know Local 3 represents close to 10,000 Public Employee members throughout Northern California and Northern Nevada, and this representation includes a 90 percent success rate when it comes to handling grievances, pay issues and disciplinary actions? Learn about the many benefits of Local 3 representation for our Public Employee members and how to get organized, if you’re not!

Hear straight from the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Legislative and Political Director Jeff Soth, as he discusses Labor’s gains during the current administration and what’s at stake during this critical Election Year. He works hard in Washington to lobby for major infrastructure investments at the federal level that put Operating Engineers to work. OE3’s own Political Director...

Please enjoy the Election Season Kick-Off podcast from Local 3’s Political Department, which includes Political Director Chris Snyder and Deputy Political Director Patrick Boileau. Learn how the political process works, from how union endorsements are made, where funding for projects you work on comes from and important races to pay attention to this year.

Local 3 Stockton Business Agent Michelle Gianelli has asked questions her whole life, and it’s this curiosity that has helped her succeed in her career, in the field, as an instructor at the CA Training Center, as a dispatcher in Stockton District 30 and now as a Stockton business agent. Listen and watch as she shares her story and helps provide correct information to the members she represents.

Learn about the almost 30-year Local 3 member’s early days working in the pit in Utah, as well as his climb to becoming the Utah District Rep. and Union Trustee today. Utah district Rep. Brandon Dew is also an active member of coalitions, has helped strengthen the membership and apprenticeship opportunities in the Utah District Office, is actively engaged in union politics and is proudest of his f...

Local 3 Burlingame District Rep. / Trustee Charley Lavery has built a lifetime around union activism. The Irish immigrant recalls how becoming a Local 3 member revolutionized his life and the life of his family. He has used his story of unionism to change the lives of apprentices, members and more, while making sure Labor’s issues are at the forefront of San Francisco politics.

NorCal Construction Industry Compliance (NCIC) Executive Director Dina Morsi discusses the NCIC's role in protecting workers from wage theft, holding non-compliant contractors accountable and ensuring a level playing field for contractors bidding on the public works projects that OE3 members rely on for employment.

Sacramento District 80 Political Action Committee (PAC) members Frank Fuller, Travis Damiani and Miguel Gonzalez explain how the PAC works, how members can participate in their PAC and how these committees determine which local candidates do or don’t get a Local 3 recommendation. If you ever wondered how the union determines endorsements, listen now. Also available to watch on YouTube here .

An in-depth interview with Local 3 member, County Employees Management (CEMA) president and Hollister City Council Member Dolores Morales, who discusses what the union movement means to her, how engagement in politics is a necessity and how caring about and involvement in your community is all you need to make a difference.

The country is perhaps more divided right now than ever, and as we sit in the middle of an Election year, it is even more troubling. We, as a union, must find a way to get united. The way to do that is by coming together and rallying around our shared core needs. This video looks at how we are all more alike than we realize and how we, as Operating Engineers, are very much in agreement about sever...

OE3 District Rep. Mike Pickens gets really honest about his childhood struggles and how finding a career through Job Corps and then Operating Engineers changed the course and direction of his entire life. His insight and journey helps point those who may be struggling in a better direction … and a career option!

Get an insider's perspective on the Operating Engineers Local 3 crane world, from crawler cranes to tower cranes in this latest episode of OE3's Breaking Ground podcast. Topics include how to get in the seat, income, what operating cranes was like 20 years ago and how much it has changed today. Industry experts and Local 3 staff members Jimmy Jacobs and Tom Kohlenberg cut to the chase on...

Local 3 Director of Organizing John Curtin provides a candid perspective on organizing unions today.   What does a Local 3 organizer do? Why does it benefit any construction or Public Employee entity to get organized and become a part of Local 3? Listen to Local 3's Director of Organizing John Curtin discuss all of this in Local 3's thirteenth podcast, Breaking Ground . Whether you know...

For Local 3's twelfth podcast, "Breaking Ground," mental health expert Christina Torizzo explains all that Kaiser has to offer for people who may be struggling with severe or mild mental health issues during these strange pandemic times. There's no shame in getting the help you need, and Kaiser's websites have all kinds of tools and assessments that you can access from you...

Listen to Local 3’s 11th Breaking Ground Podcast: Everything there is to know about OE3’s Technical Engineers  What is a Local 3 Technical Engineer? Hear from experts John Rector, Sacramento District Rep., and Michael Strunk, Testing and Inspection Special Rep. Both were surveyors and inspectors in the field and explain candidly the process for applying to the apprenticeship program, what a career...

Listen to Local 3 Public Employee Director Tim Neep and Senior Business Agent Mike Eggener discuss the Local 3 Public Employee Department, including our Craft and Maintenance Unit 12 division. From who they are and what they do, to contract negotiations, contentious battles with some local governments and how to organize your own Public Employee Unit, find everything you need to know here. You can...

Do you have a Local 3 Pension negotiated into your Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)? Have you ever wondered how this Pension is funded, when it started or how it’s doing right now? Get the history of Local 3’s Pension, how you can calculate yours, how the Pension is funded and what it means for you and your family. Local 3 Treasurer Nate Tucker talks frankly about all of this. You can also vi...

The Operating Engineers Local 3 Journeyman and Apprentice Training Center (OE3 JATC) is nationally recognized as one of the biggest and best training programs in the country, producing skilled and trained Operating Engineers every year, who enter the workforce with a career path that is free and a trade that gives them a comfortable life and retirement. Apprentices in this program literally earn w...

After the giant mining companies Newmont and Barrick formed a joint-venture in Elko, called Nevada Gold Mines (NGM), it was obvious they wanted Local 3 out. The union had been representing workers at the mines since 1965, and we weren’t just going to back down. Hear about the strategies we used to gain back our collective bargaining rights for some 1,300 mine workers and the challenges that contin...

Join Local 3’s Business Manager Dan Reding and Assistance and Recovery Program (ARP) Director Tamra Luft, as they discuss how COVID-19 has created a pandemic beyond physical illness. It has also created a mental health pandemic. People are struggling now more than ever with depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. Often, people cope with these by turning to substances, and this use or over-use c...