Mike Gallagher will continue to lead the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 793, after being re-elected unopposed for an eighth term as Business Manager. Gallagher’s re-election marks a historic moment for the union, as it is the first time the entire leadership team has been elected without opposition.
In a letter to the union’s more than 19,000 members, Gallagher expressed his gratitude and commitment to their ongoing support. “It is a great privilege to represent you and fight for better job site conditions, benefits, training opportunities, jobs, and first-class pension and benefit plans,” he wrote.
Joining Gallagher in their unopposed re-election are:
- Dave Turple, President
- Mike Scott, Vice-President
- Rick Kerr, Treasurer
- Brian Alexander, Financial Secretary
- Steve Booze, Recording-Corresponding Secretary
Additionally, the Executive Board will include Jordan Glendenning, Jeff Hewitt, John Kelly, Paul Knight, Virgil Nosè, and Justin O’Neill. The Trustees will be Mike Barons, Kyle Schutte, and Martin Tassé. The Auditors are Eric Giroux, Stephen Rubinoff, and Andrew Saunders, with Gord Vandevenne serving as Conductor and Shawn McLeary as Guard.
Gallagher has been at the helm of Local 793 since 1996, guiding the union through a transformative period that saw it emerge from International supervision and achieve significant growth and stability. The union has bolstered its finances, increased membership, expanded training programs, and brought its pension and benefits plan in-house under his leadership.
Looking ahead, Gallagher aims to focus on the ambitious goals outlined in the union’s new five-year Strategic Plan. This includes organizing efforts, enhancing training and health and safety programs, and reaching out to traditionally marginalized groups in construction, such as women and Indigenous communities.
“The Team Gallagher commitment is to build on our progress in Ontario and Nunavut,” Gallagher said. “We will continue to improve the lives of members and their families through growing a strong union that provides quality and progressive agreements, world-class training, and platinum-level life & health benefits and pension plans.”
The I.U.O.E. Local 793, founded in 1919, represents over 19,000 crane and heavy equipment operators and other skilled workers in the construction, industrial, and mining sectors across Ontario and Nunavut. Members operate a variety of heavy machinery, including mobile cranes, tower cranes, concrete pumps, bulldozers, excavators, graders, and tractor loader backhoes.