Labor-Management Education Committee – Lee Graham, Winter 2025

With fall coming to an end and winter quickly approaching, the New Year is just around the corner. We take part in several events to continue our ongoing relationships and increase our outreach.

On September 26, 2025, Operating Engineers and its partners were able to bring an amazing event to the children at the Detroit Children’s Hospital. For the 4th year, we brought the American Cancer Society’s Big Dig event directly to the children most affected by pediatric cancer. Operating Engineers 324 and other members of the construction industry helped kids experience working on heavy equipment outside the hospital. We would like to thank our partners for helping make this event a great success – McAllister CAT Rentals, Alta, Eagle Excavating, B & B Concrete Placement, Boldt, CCI Industrial Constructors, Angelo Iafrate and Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters & Millwrights. We would also like to send a special thanks to Children’s Hospital for hosting.

Operating Engineers 324 participated in Life Remodeled’s Six Day Project, September 29- October 4, to help revitalization efforts within the eastside of the city of Detroit. As part of over 5,200 volunteers, we were able to remove 270 blocks of blight from vacant properties, 373 tires recycled, and 1080 truckloads of trash and bush.

The 3rd Inaugural Annual Construction Science Expo Lansing hosted at the Impression 5 Science Center, held in partnership with MDOT, MAA, OE324 and many other industry professionals, was a great success. On September 30th, over 400 eager students from the Lansing School District spent the day with industry leaders in construction and engineering and learned what it takes to become construction design or trade skill professionals. The Construction Science Expo Detroit has educated more than 12,000 students over the last 14 years and provided job opportunities to those who are highly motivated and want to get their careers started right away.

We are looking forward to our Contractor Roundtables, kicking it off with our Upper Peninsula Roundtable in January. The Roundtables allow us to speak to our contractors directly and get a great feel for what opportunities and challenges the next year will hold. We will have a lot of progress from the last year to report, so we are excited as ever to get the Roundtables started.

Harvested on October 30, the Michigan 39th State Christmas Tree 68-foot-tall spruce started its 287-mile journey from Sault Ste. Marie across the Mackinac Bridge to Lansing. The tree arrived in the Capitol on November 1st with the help of Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association, McNally & Nimbergood Crane Rentals, and Hi-Ball.

On November 6th, the National Guard Association of Michigan kicked off their 3 day- 68th annual state conference. The opportunity allowed us the chance to speak to leadership of Army National Guard & Air National Guard about Helmets to Hardhats and our apprenticeship/organization. The conference was followed by the 20th Annual Veterans Day Parade in Corktown Detroit on November 9th. The parade is celebration of Michigan’s veterans, active military, civilian community support and the authentic patriotism inspired by that collaboration.

With the New Year, please remember to check your MUST status, and see that you have all safety modules completed. These modules expire every four years, and you should have a “current” status with your drug test. Check your status by logging on to www.mustbsafe.com or the MUST Safety App. Once logged in, you can then check your report card for your status. If you run into any problems, need access to your MUST modules or need a MUST drug screening, please contact the Union office at (248) 451-0324.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and a happy, healthy New Year.

Lee Graham
Treasurer
Executive Director, Labor-Management Education Committee