Administration
Business Manager Russ Burns and the officers of Local 3 are an experienced and dedicated group of operators who have given the membership a commitment to truth, integrity and accountability that will bring transparency and strength back to Local 3. Through the democratic process, you the members have shown your resolve and commitment to Local 3 by demanding change. By electing a group of officers who are ready to serve the membership of Operating Engineers Local 3, Russ Burns and this group of officers aim to deliver, starting with the following principals:
Trust
We aim for the high standards our membership deserves, and this means trust. We will tell the truth, even when it is difficult and will demand the same level of standards from all Local 3 staff.
Fiscal Responsibility
We promote a fair dues structure created by a rank-and-file Bylaws Committee and approved by the members. This new structure will include a reassessment of the fairness of supplemental dues. This will include a budget that will seek modest reserves each year. We are in the process of auditing all funds focusing on the principal operating entity, the General Fund. This audit will also be completed on the pension and annuity funds, the apprenticeship funds, Health and Welfare, the Foundation for Fair Contracting (FFC) and state and local Political Action Committee (PAC) funds.
Organizational Transparency
This administration promises to be a transparent organization. With that being said, we will provide greater access to Executive Board minutes and support publication in the Engineers News of the following:
- Quarterly financial reports on the use of members' dues money
- Quarterly pension investment returns
Checks and Balances
This administration supports an Executive Board that will adopt policies and a membership that will pass Bylaws changes that will establish checks and balances on the business manager, officers and Local 3 staff.
Benefits
We will make sure there is effective management of Fringe Benefits: pension, annuity, Health and Welfare and Retirees’ Health and Welfare. In so doing, we will continue to look for ways to increase our pension returns by comparing our investment consultants to their peers. We will retain the consultant producing the best returns. We will pursue the best possible pricing on quality health and welfare benefits and will break away from the “good old boy” network by opening up the bidding from competing vendors of Trust Fund services.
Member Services
This administration aims to improve service to our members and their families by applying high service standards for the districts and internal operations. We will adopt the best business practices of performance review, measurement, accountability and consequences. We are committed to overseeing the training and development of Local 3 staff in order to negotiate the best possible wages, fringe benefits and working conditions, with the help of rank-and-file negotiating committees.
We will increase our commitment to invest in the membership, for both apprentices and journeypersons, by providing the best practical training available in the industry. With that in mind, we will develop qualified, committed and experienced business agents who have experience in the industry for which they are hired.