Operating Engineers 324 Responds to Detroit Free Press Article, Calls Out Continued Disparities for Oakland County Road Commission Workers
Bloomfield Township, MI — International Union of Operating Engineers Local 324 (OE324) is responding to a recent Detroit Free Press story that both misrepresented key facts about our organization and ignored the real story: the ongoing struggle of Oakland County Road Commission (RCOC) employees to secure fair wages and benefits.
The article inaccurately described OE324’s membership — we represent 15,000 skilled trades professionals across Michigan — and used the phrase “union boss,” language that is both outdated and inappropriate in a non-editorial news piece. Most notably, the piece suggested impropriety in OE324 Political Director and Oakland County Commissioner William Miller’s vote to confirm a contract between the county and RCOC workers represented by OE324.
Correcting the Record
Commissioner Miller’s vote was procedural. The contract in question was negotiated independently between the Road Commissioners and OE324-represented RCOC employees, with no role for the County Commission in bargaining. The vote before the Commission was to ratify a previously reached agreement — a standard process for labor contracts. Operating Engineers 324’s advocates for working people by defending collective bargaining, fair wages, and workplace dignity.
The Missing Story: Workers’ Fight for Fairness
While the Detroit Free Press is now interested in the contract’s approval, it never reported on the 15-month fight and 36 separate proposals it took to get that agreement in place — coverage that other local outlets provided. The struggle of these workers to secure fair pay and benefits went unreported, and now the focus is being misplaced on a procedural vote rather than the workers’ real challenges.
Those challenges continue today. The RCOC is again in negotiations with OE324 members — and progress is stalled. RCOC workers are paid $8–$12 less per hour than other OE324 members doing similar road work. They fund 6% of their own retirement and pay 20% of their monthly healthcare costs directly from their wages.
Despite spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on market rate studies confirming that OE324-represented RCOC employees earn 11.5% less than workers in comparable municipalities, the RCOC has offered significantly less. Meanwhile, they have granted their own senior leadership raises of 25%–30%.
The disparity is further compounded by the misuse of Davis-Bacon funding, which the RCOC receives for federally funded projects. Instead of ensuring those funds go to the employees performing the work — as they could — the RCOC diverts them to senior leadership. While current state law allows this, nothing prevents the commission from choosing to direct those dollars toward its frontline workforce.
Our Commitment
Operating Engineers 324 will continue to stand with the skilled and dedicated RCOC employees who keep Oakland County’s roads safe and passable, even as they are undervalued and underpaid compared to their peers. These workers deserve fair compensation that reflects their skill, responsibility, and the standards already met in surrounding communities.
“Workers shouldn’t have to fight year after year just to be paid what market data and common sense already show they deserve,” said OE324 Business Manager Douglas W. Stockwell. “The real story is not about procedural votes — it’s about the ongoing inequity faced by the people who maintain the infrastructure Oakland County relies on.”
About Operating Engineers 324
Operating Engineers 324 represents 15,000 highly trained and skilled heavy equipment operators, technicians, and stationary engineers across Michigan. For over 120 years, OE324 has built and maintained Michigan’s roads, bridges, and critical infrastructure, delivering the highest standards of safety and professionalism.