History of I.U.O.E. Local 132

On the eve of the darkest decade in the history of the United States following the stock market crash of October, 1929, a small group of equipment operators made an unsuccessful attempt to organize and form a local union under charter of the International Union of Operating Engineers.  The Depression and high unemployment rates made organizing almost impossible.  The New Deal administration of President Franklin Roosevelt, from 1933-1940, failed to restore American employment and industrial production to their 1929 levels.  But, by public investment and wholesale restructuring of the economy, above all by accustoming the public to economic leadership from Washington, they prepared the country for a predominant role in the second World War, which brought complete economic recovery.  The revitalization of economy and the National Relations Act of July 5, 1935 renewed the attempt for workers to organize under the banner of the Operating Engineers.

On May 1, 1935, ten men organized and filed for a charter under the banner of the International Union of Operating Engineers.  This was the formation of the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 132, Charleston, West Virginia.  By the end of the year, there were 34 members.  William W. Taylor was elected as the first Business Agent and G.L. Casey was elected President.

By the turn of the decade, 1940, I.U.O.E. Local 132 had approximately 257 members.  As the United States entered World War II, Local 132 membership was on a roller coaster ride.  The Local was at the mercy of Uncle Sam's needs.  During this era, Local 132 was under the leadership of William W. Taylor and then succeeded by S.H. "Red" Welch, early in 1953.

By the mid 40's, Local 132 had roving offices open in Charleston, Point Pleasant, Parkersburg, New Haven, Wheeling, Hinton and Elkins, West Virginia.  The Local utilized paid stewards in the rural areas to monitor work.  Some of the major projects included:  Elkins Flood Control Dam, Kanawha Airport, Bluestone Dam and the Ohio River bridges.

Entering the 1950's, Local 132 was in stable growth.  H.L. Melton became Business Manager replacing S.H. "Red" Welch.  B.B. Murphy fell into the Assistant Business Manager job.  At this time, Local 132 had offices in Wheeling and St. Albans.  During the winter of 1953, B.B. Murphy became Business Manager as H.L. Melton stepped down.  William White was installed as the Assistant Business Manager.  An office in Clarksburg was opened in mid 1954.  The Charleston office, at this time, was located at 115 Court Street.  Major projects of the decade:  DuPont Plant, Keyeser, Sutton Dam, Various pipeline jobs, steel mills in the Northern Panhandle, Phillip Sporn Power Plan, Glasgow, West Virginia Turnpike and Greenbank Observatory.

The decade of social and ethical reform and the escalation of the Vietnam War brought change to the United States that had not been seen before.  Local 132 leadership had a change in the election of July, 1958.  Joseph L. Handley was installed as Business Manager, to begin a reign of 31 years at the helm of Local 132.  This was for the purpose to provide a health and welfare program.  The Health & Welfare and the Pension Fund was incorporated in following collective bargaining agreements in the early 1960's.

A need for worker representation was becoming more prevalent with the increase of activity of equipment service shops, industrial service companies, aggregate and sand companies, and other specialty companies involved in the construction industry.  Local 132 was granted a C-Branch charter from the International Union of Operating Engineers on the first of November 1960.  The workers of companies of companies such as:  Vecellio Equipment Shop, Walker Machinery, Beckwith Service, Rish Equipment, and the International Mill Service signed on to Local 132C for representation during the next two decades.

At the beginning of 1963, the Bureau of Public Roads announced that the Interstate Highway System was about one third complete.  Major projects of this decade was:  Interstate 77 - 64, Fort Martin Power Plant, General Motors Plant, Mount Storm Power Plant, Summersville Dam, John Amos Power Plant, various bank buildings, Charleston House Holiday Inn, Racine, Obekiski, Hannibal Locks and Dams, Belle Dupont plant, Naval radar station Sugar Grove.

The decade of the 70's brought on a rapid growth of members to Local 132.  The Interstate system was in full construction and with increased demand for electrical power, major power generating plants were being built at numerous sites in West Virginia.  The need for skilled operators in West Virginia was at an all time high.  On the down side, a wage-price freeze was announced by President Richard Nixon in February 1971, a program that was to last until November 1971.  Operating Engineers made it clear that they would participate in the wage-price freeze program, even though it voided legal employee-employer contracts made in good faith.  In the process I.U.O.E. Local 132 lost wages and benefits.  Local 132 started an Apprenticeship Program in 1965, but it was not until 1971 that a fully committed apprenticeship program and training facility was opened.  Business Manager Handley established his leadership of Local 132 with the International and was selected to serve as an International Trustee.  At the end of the 1970's, Local 132 had 3,529 members.  Major projects of the decade:  New Haven 1301, Pleasants, Harrison 3rd unit Mount Storm, Mitchell Plan, New Riger Gorge Bridge, I77-I64 Interchange I-79, Corridor 50, Point Pleasant and St. Mary's Bridge.

Entering the decade of the 1980s and Reaganomics, Local 132 faced one of their toughest challenges in its existence.  The construction industry in West Virginia had fallen on extreme hard times.  Fierce competition between non-union and union contractors on a smaller market share prevailed into a hard money situation, before this most major projects were cost plus.  The union contractors struggled to adjust to the changing industry.  The incorporation of project labor agreements and modifications to the local agreements slowly enable Local 132 to be competitive in a bottom dollar industry. 

During this decade the leadership of Local 132 was with Business Manager Joseph Handley, who had moved up to Sixth Vice-President of the International Union of Operating Engineers.  Alan B. Tarpley defeated Joseph Handley for Business Manager in August of 1989 to end his 31 years of control of Local 132.  Major projects of the decade:  Town Center Mall, Morgantown Mall, Pipeline, Logan, Beckley, precipitator added to Mount Storm, Memorial Tunnel Bypass, East End Bridge, Weirton Suspension Bridge.

The United States entered the 1990s, the last decade of the twentieth century with increased concerns of environmental issues.  The implementation of Acts and Standards such as The Clean Air Bill, created a large amount of work in the electrical utilities.  Business Manager Tarpley recognized the need for changes to regain strength in the construction industry.  Local 132 utilized project Labor Agreements and modifications to local agreements to capture this work.

The Annuity Fund was added to the Health & Welfare and Pension Benefit package in June 1993.  The Local 132 Pension Fund grew at a rapid rate from increased contributions and bullish returns in this decade.

Business Manager Alan B. Tarpley suddenly passed away on July 4, 1999.  Assistant Business Manager Ronald L. Burdette was selected to lead Local 132 into the 21st Century.  There are 2,718 members in Local 132 entering into the year 2000.  Major projects:  Grant town, Morgantown and North Branch Co-Generation Plants, S2O Scrubbers, Harrison Power Plant, Belleville Hydro Electric, Winfield Locks-Dam, Matewan Flood Walls, and Route 19.