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The
International
Union
of
Steam
Engineers
(IUSE)
was
founded
on
December
7,
1896
There
were
6
Charter
Locals:
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Denver
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|
St. Louis
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Chicago
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Boston
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Detroit
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Kansas City
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The
total
membership
of
this
new
organization
was
less
than
700.
The
original
membership
was
primarily
stationary
engineers
who
operated
steam
engines,
which
produced
heat,
electricity,
refrigeration
and
power
for
buildings.
Membership
in
this
National
union
grew
slowly
the
first
six
years.
A
serious
attempt
to
organize
took
place
in
1902
and
1903
in
the
Midwest,
Pennsylvania
and
New
York.
Local
106
in
Albany
was
chartered
on
April
23,
1902
and
was
one
of
68
Locals
chartered
in
this
period.
Local
106
was
chartered
as
a
“mixed”
local
with
jurisdiction
over
stationary
engineers
as
well
as
hoisting
and
portable
engineers.
The
charter
membership
consisted
of
20
men
from
the
south
end
of
the
city
of
Albany.
The
Local
at
this
time
has
no
full
time
employees
or
office.
Union
officers
worked
their
full
time
job
during
the
day
and
took
care
of
union
business
at
night
out
of
their
home.
In
1907,
the
American
Federation
of
Labor
(AFL),
predecessor
of
the
AFL-CIO,
gave
the
International
Union
of
Steam
Engineers
jurisdiction
over
construction
equipment.
Probably
the
most
significant
event
in
the
history
of
the
IUOE.
Local
106
organized
vigorously
by
1910
membership
had
grown
to
90
men.
In
1911,
the
Local
appoints
its
first
business
agent,
Thomas
F.
McGraw
on
a
part
time
basis.
In
1918,
McGraw
became
the
full
time
agent
and
serves
in
that
roll
for
over
50
years!
Local
106
continues
to
organize
most
of
the
stationary
engineers
in
the
City
of
Albany
and
the
hoisting
engineers
throughout
the
1920’s.
In
1927,
the
IUSE
merged
with
the
Internal
Union
of
Steam
Shovel
Operators
and
Dredgers.
This
gave
them
a
toehold
on
the
Heavy
and
Highway
Industry.
By
1930,
Local
106
had
Albany
County
organized
and
now
looked
to
expand.
Between
1927
and
1930,
Local
106
was
given
jurisdiction
over
16
additional
counties
in
upstate
New
York.
Local
106
now
represented
engineers
from
Poughkeepsie
to
the
Canadian
border.
During
the
1930’s,
Local
106,
like
the
rest
of
the
country,
suffered
throughout
the
Great
Depression.
Construction
work
was
slow
but
106
survived
intact
mainly
through
the
strength
of
its
stationary
members
working
in
the
many
buildings,
hotels,
breweries
and
theaters
throughout
its
area.
Although
construction
was
slow,
there
were
some
major
projects,
such
as
the
Dunn
memorial
bridge,
Port
of
Albany,
Alcove
Reservoir
and
Alfred
E.
Smith
Building
that
106
was
instrumental
in
building.
1940’s,
Local
106
continued
to
expand
and
organized
many
of
the
quarries
and
material
suppliers
in
their
jurisdiction.
This
was
not
easy
and
often
involved
long
and
costly
strikes.
One
of
the
larger
strikes
during
this
time
was
against
Callanan
Industries
Quarries.
Former
Governor
Malcolm
Wilson,
attorney
for
Callanan
in
the
1940’s
remembers
the
strike
well
and
says,
“The
industry
gained
a
lot
of
respect
for
106
at
that
time.”
Local
106
emerged
from
the
1940’s
with
control
over
the
building
and
heavy
and
highway
construction
industry.
The
end
of
the
1940’s
organized
nearly
all
of
the
large
construction
firms
in
the
Albany
area.
The
1950’s
saw
the
boom
of
the
heavy
and
highway,
work
with
the
interstate
highway
system.
To
deal
with
these
large
projects,
Local
106,
along
with
the
locals
throughout
upstate
NY,
negotiated
a
regional
H
&
H
agreement.
The
1950’s
saw
a
boom
in
construction
membership
for
106.
Unfortunately,
stationary
membership
decreased
as
the
buildings
and
industries
in
the
Albany
area
that
employed
them
began
to
close
down
-
Thruway
-
State Campus on Washington Avenue
-
Missile sites in the North Country
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Many 106 members worked on the gigantic St. Lawrence Seaway where over 3,000 operating engineers were employed.
The
end
of
the
1950’s,
Tom
McGraw
stepped
down
and
looked
back
with
pride
with
the
state
of
the
Local,
which
had
grown
from
20
to
over
2,000
members.
106’s
wages
and
working
conditions
were
the
highest
in
Upstate
New
York.
The
Local
overwhelmingly
elected
Daniel
J.
McGraw
as
Business
Manager
to
replace
“Old
Tom.”
In
the
1960’s,
Local
106,
along
with
the
other
operating
engineer
Locals
in
upstate
New
York
formed
a
pension
plan.
The
EJPF
which
all
of
our
current
members
enjoy
today.
At
that
time,
the
monthly
benefit
was
a
meager
(?).
Sixty
retired
engineers
immediately
received
a
pension.
-
Pension plan was a milestone for the Local as it had pushed for decades.
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The 1960’s were boom years for the engineers. Massive South Mall project. Biggest public work job in the country. In 1964, the first contract for the Empire State Mall was awarded to J. H. Maloy and work began. In 1973, Governor Rockefeller officially dedicated the mall as the “Empire State Plaza.” At that point, hundreds of 106 operators had worked on the project.
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The 60’s were a tremendous time for 106. Other big projects included the Northway, which stretched from Albany to the Canadian border, all of which is under the Local’s jurisdiction. Additionally, many of the arterial projects were built during this period and work on the Gilboa dam began.
In
the
early
1970’s,
work
continued
to
be
good.
Gilboa
dam
employed
over
200
106
operators
and
employment
was
steady.
In
1971,
Local
106
petitioned
for
and
received
a
registered
apprentice
engineer’s
charter,
officially
starting
the
Local’s
training
program.
The
Local
soon
established
a
formal
training
program
and
built
its
facility
in
Westerlo,
NY.
Program
offers
apprenticeship
training
and
journeymen
upgrade
and
new
skills
training
in
heavy
equipment
operation,
mechanics
and
welding.
The
site
is
also
used
by
New
York
State
for
crane
operator
certification.
The
1970’s
ended
strong
for
Local
106
with
the
building
of
Interstate
88
from
Schenectady
to
Binghamton.
Big
projects
in
the
1980’s
–
1990’s
included:
Iroquois
Pipeline
Power
Plants
Highway
work
Year
2000
and
beyond:
We
look
forward
to
massive
Hudson
River
cleanup.
Our
current
membership
is
approaching
1800.
From
Local
106
Website
|
OPERATOR
