MEMBER RESOURCES.
For more member information and updates, click the button to access MemberLink.
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 MemberLink.
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.
Jason George, business manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 49, today released the following statement regarding the end of Minnesota’s 2023 legislative session (download a list of…
READ MORELocal 49 received 36 completed scholarship applications this year from a diverse and competitive group of individuals. Recipients of a scholarship award from Local 49 were announced at the General…
READ MOREAs the Minnesota Senate prepared to take up a cash-only bonding bill, Local 49 Business Manager Jason George sent a letter to senators expressing bitter disappointment that Republicans in the…
READ MORESixty-one students, including potential 49ers, graduated May 5 from Building Strong Communities, a multi-trade apprenticeship readiness program that focuses on preparing women, veterans and people of color for careers in…
READ MOREWith the Minnesota legislative session nearing its end, Local 49 and other trades welcomed legislators from both parties at a reception in St. Paul on Wednesday. Here are a few…
READ MORETwo members of Local 49 who died on the job were among those remembered at a Workers Memorial Day ceremony outside the Minnesota State Capitol Friday, April 28. Member Terry…
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 PAGEThe new Minnesota Highway and Heavy wage rates, effective May 1, 2023, are posted here.