MEMBER RESOURCES.
For more member information and updates, click the button to access our Members Portal.
Learn about heavy equipment classes for high school students
Welcome to the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 49 website. My name is Jason George and I am the elected Business Manager/Financial Secretary for the Union. Local 49 was formed in 1927, and we have a proud tradition of fighting for the rights of workers in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. We represent heavy equipment operators/mechanics and stationary engineers that work in the following industries:
During the last few decades in which organized labor has been under attack across the nation, Local 49 has managed to grow, and we are now more than 14,500 active members strong. We are one of the largest trade unions in our region. We are also part of the 400,000 member strong International Union of Operating Engineers with Local Unions covering the United States and Canada.
Local 49 negotiates and enforces large private construction agreements that cover thousands of workers and hundreds of employers. We are proud to partner with one person firms, as well as some of the largest construction companies in America.
Local 49 also negotiates and enforces hundreds of stand alone private and public agreements representing shops as small as 2 people, and as large as 700. We represent workers under nationwide agreements in pipeline construction and maintenance as well. We are a large Local with a diverse membership that touches every aspect of infrastructure in our region.
Local 49 also provides world class benefits to our members. In conjunction with our employer partners we manage one of the largest privately funded health care plans in the region providing health care for more than 38,000 people that includes our members, their spouses, and dependents. We also partner with our employers to provide the best heavy equipment training in the industry, spending millions of dollars per year on direct training, all privately funded. Our Local and our employer partners, are the largest contributor to the 2nd largest Pension fund in America, the IUOE Central Pension Fund. Our Pension Fund is 95% funded and currently has zero withdrawal liability.
Our members are the most highly skilled workers in all industries they work in. Local 49 has earned respect in these industries among workers, within the business community, and within the political and regulatory arena. We are active, we are mobilized, and we stand together.
Local 49 has a long history and our members are very proud of their Union. Local 49 members are respected across the nation for their work ethic and skill. Our members build and maintain the infrastructure of this region and nation, and it is truly an honor to work for them.
For more member information and updates, click the button to access our Members Portal.
Do you want to earn wages and benefits that afford you a good lifestyle without racking up student loan debt?
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Do you have skills as a heavy equipment operator but aren’t getting paid what you deserve or lack benefits?
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Do you want your job to have meaning, and to help build our country?
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If you answered yes to any of these questions – becoming a member of our Union is the future you are looking for.
Local 49 Business Manager Jason George released the following statement regarding today’s move by the Biden administration to withdraw more than 225,000 acres of land in northern Minnesota from mining…
READ MOREToday, Local 49 front-line workers at the Metropolitan Airports Commission overwhelmingly ratified a new three-year agreement. The agreement provides well-deserved compensation for the hard-working members who enable the MSP airport…
READ MOREMembers, make your voice heard during Local 49’s Lobby Day at the Minnesota Capitol Thursday, Feb.23, 2023. Lawmakers need to hear directly from their constituents. Local 49 is always working on…
READ MOREMinnesota’s 2023 legislative session kicked off earlier this month in St. Paul, and Local 49 is actively advocating for members, both in committee hearings and through one-on-one meetings with legislators…
READ MOREThe Minnesota Highway Heavy Agreement expires May 1 this year. As Local 49 heads into negotiations, members are welcome to share proposals for the new contract. Twin Cities proposal meetings…
READ MOREDue to weather conditions, the Mankato and Rochester area union meetings scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 22, are canceled. The Minneapolis private sector holiday party will still take place Wednesday, Dec….
READ MORELearn more about our non-partisan approach to politics, and what IUOE Local 49 is doing to create jobs and protect our collective bargaining rights.
LEARN MOREAt Local 49’s Training Center we are committed to the best possible educational opportunities for members of IUOE Local 49
VISIT PAGEThe Operating Engineers Local 49 Health and Welfare Fund is a self funded multi-employer health plan with approximately 38,000 participants. The Fund is overseen by a board of trustees made up of both Labor and Management.
VISIT PAGEMake your voice heard! Get details and RSVP here.