Labor-Management Education Committee – Lee Graham, Summer 2025
It has been an eventful spring at Labor Management. As we are diving into the all-important busy season of construction in Michigan, here is a quick recap of the great things we have had the privilege of partnering with.
In February and March, we completed our last two Contractor Roundtables for the year. The Operating Engineers 324 Southeast Michigan Roundtable was hosted In February at the OE 324 Construction Career Center in Howell. We had great attendance that included the following partners: 84 Hydrovac, Adamo, Ajax Paving, Alta Equipment Company, Angelo Iafrate Construction, Aristeo Construction, BNV Earthmovers, CA Hull, Cadillac Asphalt, CAM, Capital City Group, Central Conveyor, Christman Constructors, Cipparrone Construction, Commercial Contracting Corp., Connelly Crane, Corby Energy Services, D&R Earthmoving, Detroit Dismantling Corp., Eagle Excavation, Florence Cement, Helmets to Hardhats, Hoffman Brothers, Ideal Contracting, Infrasource, Jay Dee Contractors, JJ Curran Crane, Kaltz Excavating Co., Kokosing Industrial, MacAllister Rentals, MDOT, Michigan CAT, Miller Pipeline Corp., Nagle Paving, National Industrial Maintenance, NAWIC, North American Dismantling, Olympia Entertainment, Overhead Conveyor Company, Q3 Contracting, RAM Construction, Reco Equipment, Republic Services, Salus Group, Site Development, Snelson Companies, Solxsys, Stoneco, Sunbelt Rentals, Veteran’s Utility Services, Walter Payton Power Equip., Wayne County Airport Authority, WH Canon Company and Z Contractors. We also had guest speaker Brad Wieferich, Director of MDOT. In conclusion, the Roundtable provided meaningful discussions and collaboration that was beneficial to those involved.
Our last Contractor Roundtable took place in March at the Operating Engineers 324 Western Michigan Construction Career Center in Grand Rapids, where we were joined by AGC, Anlaan Corp., Barton Malow, Equipment Share, Grand River Construction, Hackett Construction, Hardman Construction, Helmets to Hardhats, Hoffman Brothers, Holtec-Palisades Nuclear Power, Kent Power, MDOT, MAA, Michigan CAT, Ryan Incorporated Central, Salus Group, Solxsys, USDOL Wage & Hour Division and Walsh Service Solutions LLC. Mike Mlynarek, Site Vice President of Holtec-Palisades Nuclear Power and Brad Wieferich, Director of MDOT spoke to the group of attendees.
Operating Engineers 324 was proud to sponsor and participate in Autorama 2025 in Detroit, marking our second year at this iconic event. Held in February, Autorama is known for showcasing America’s greatest hot rods, custom cars, trucks, and motorcycles. OE324 welcomed visitors all weekend at our booth, where we shared information about career opportunities in the Operating Engineers Heavy Equipment Technician Apprenticeship program and the benefits of transitioning into the heavy equipment side for skilled mechanics. We were honored to partner with Michigan CAT and work alongside Keegan Sobilo Racing, a team with a strong presence in the fight against cancer. A highlight of the weekend was opening day, when OE324 Technician Apprentice Coordinator Tim Villarreal spoke to hundreds of local career and technical education (CTE) students about the pathways available to technicians and mechanics within our union. We look forward to participating again in the future and inspiring the next generation of skilled workers.
In April, OE324 proudly sponsored and hosted the 2025 Michigan Tradeswomen Summit at our Construction Career Center in Howell. This important event, organized by the Build Initiative, serves as an annual celebration and conference allowing for all tradespeople to come together to address industry issues, and gain insight into topics relevant to women in the trades. The summit fosters collaboration across trades, encourages the exchange of ideas, and provides tangible support for attendees. OE324 was honored not only to host the summit but also to feature several of our own presenters and speakers, as well as dozens of participating members. The event was a meaningful opportunity to strengthen the community within the trades and promote inclusivity and advancement across the industry.
OE324 was also proud to sponsor and participate in the 2025 SkillsUSA Michigan State Leadership and Skills Conference. SkillsUSA is a vital platform for inspiring tomorrow’s skilled trades workforce, and we were excited to engage directly with CTE students—future apprentices and trade professionals. Our team shared information about the diverse career paths available within the Operating Engineers, from heavy equipment operation to maintenance and beyond. Participating in SkillsUSA allowed us to connect with the next generation of talent, answer their questions, and highlight the rewarding opportunities our industry offers. It was a fantastic event, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with SkillsUSA.
We are humbled to partner with the American Cancer Society Construction vs. Cancer to help sponsor their upcoming 7th Annual Big Dig of Michigan. The event will be hosted at Operating Engineers 324 Construction Career Center on July 12, 2025. Partners will serve as “hard hats” and advocates in the fight against pediatric cancer while maintaining leadership in the ever-growing industry of construction. The Big Dig of Michigan gives children and families the opportunity to attend and operate heavy machinery, including excavators, scissor lifts and more, all while raising awareness and funds for pediatric cancer research. This event will host a variety of hands-on activities and entertainment. In September, the Big Dig is held at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan for the inpatient children and outpatient children visiting the campus that day. The smiles on the faces of the participants are always priceless and OE324 is honored to host such an amazing event. This event continues to be a success because of the dedicated partners and volunteers that give their time, energy, and resources – so again, thank you for your past support.
On April 30th and May 1st, the Operating Engineers 324 Construction Career Center in Howell hosted the 17th Annual Michigan Construction Career Days, and this year yielded another great success for exhibitors, volunteers, and students. We had 7th–12th grade students from over 100 schools all over the state visit the event to learn about the skilled trades, engineering, and construction management opportunities. This event showcases career paths available while having the opportunity to try their hand at operating some heavy equipment! Students, educators, and legislators, had the opportunity to talk to dozens of experts from all types of trades including electricians, carpenters, iron workers, sheet metal workers, cement masons and others. They were also able to experience one or more of the cranes, excavators, dozers, rollers, pavers and more that were provided by the many contractor partners. A thank you goes out to all the exhibitors and trades, as well as the many contractors and employers who participated. And a special thank you to all the OE324 members and retirees who volunteered their time to help and show the students how fun and rewarding a career as an Operator can be!
All these efforts help encourage the Operating Engineers of tomorrow and let the community know about all the work we are doing daily – to build, to maintain, to operate, and to give back. Have a great summer and stay safe!
Lee Graham
Treasurer
Executive Director, Labor-Management Education Committee