Union members picketed near 2800 Central on August 7 by a giant inflatable rat and a sign that read “Cranemasters Inc. is being investigated for federal law violations” to bring attention to labor disputes between IUOE Local 150 and Cranemasters Inc. (Michael McKinney)
On Thursday, August 7, a half-dozen people gathered along Central Avenue in Northeast Minneapolis, setting out lawn chairs and sitting side-by-side.
This was no ordinary get-together, though: this group was seated in front of Cranemasters, Inc.’s Minneapolis location to call attention to what they described as unsafe working conditions. (Cranemasters, Inc.’s Northeast Minneapolis business center is located at 2800 Central Avenue NE.) Cranemasters, Inc. is a nationwide company that constructs, maintains, repairs and dismantles railroad tracks.
A representative from Local 49, a union headquartered in St. Anthony, was present. “We represent grain operators, heavy equipment operators, and a lot of public-sector people here in Minneapolis,” he said. (The representative refused to provide his name.) “The goal, ultimately, is to get our union contractor in there.
“Rather than a using a non-union contractor that has a terrible safety record, just use one of our good guys — they’re right here,” he continued. “We want what’s best for workers. We want them to be making fair wages and benefits and have a safe workplace.”
The group set up two things to grab passersby’s attention: first, a sign which read “Cranemasters Inc. is being investigated for federal law violations,” and, secondly, an inflatable rat that stood twice the height of the demonstrators. “The rat,” the Local 49 representative said, “represents labor — that we’re being squashed.”
The Northeaster obtained a copy of a union handbill on-site. The sheet outlined the terms of the labor dispute between the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) and Cranemasters, Inc. The alleged activity, which stretches from September 2023 to February 2025, includes three instances of “bad-faith bargaining” and three instances of “discharg(ing) employee for engaging in union activity.”
When asked about the demonstration on Central Avenue, Neal Gifford, Cranemasters, Inc.’s vice president of human resources, said, “Nothing’s going on. That was transplants from Chicago that drove up there.” He said the labor dispute in question is strictly related to locations in Shiller Park, Illinois, and Merrillville, Indiana. He claimed that on Wednesday, August 6, Cranemasters, Inc. held a job fair in the area, “and I guess they wanted to picket that.”
Kristine Kavanagh, communications director at IUOE Local 150, a union representing 23,000 employees in “construction and related industries,” sent the Northeaster several statements about the event. One of them reads, in part, that “It is standard practice for IOUE Local 150 to actively involve members of a bargaining unit in activities pertinent to ongoing disputes. (The workers’ resolve) is evident in their willingness to travel wherever necessary to raise awareness about the dispute and hold Cranemasters accountable for their actions. Unfair labor practices affect all employees universally, no matter your location.”
Another statement supplied by Kavanagh titled “IUOE Local 150 Statement Regarding Strike Against Cranemasters, Inc.,” alleges the company participates in “unfair labor practices.”
The statement continues: “Local 150 is actively participating in protected activities, such as picketing, to protest these unfair practices. One of our primary objectives as a Union is to protect the rights of our members and to support workers who choose to exercise their right to unionize or engage in protected concerted activities. Local 150 believes in a fair and equitable workplace environment where every employee has the opportunity to voice their concerns and seek representation without fear of intimidation or retaliation.”
(Michael McKinney)
A tangled back-and-forth
That said, the dispute appears to have crossed state lines.
In a separate statement, Kavanagh wrote that “The jurisdiction of IUOE Local 150 for railroad construction and re-rail work extends into Minnesota. Currently, we have a primary dispute with Cranemasters based on conduct involving their employees working out of their locations in Elkhart and Merrillville, Indiana, as well as Schiller Park, Illinois. However, we will publicize our dispute with Cranemasters wherever they operate, particularly since its unfair labor practices impact all their employees. As we have observed over the past several years, Cranemasters has proven themselves to be a substandard employer that disrespects its employees.”
In a phone call with the Northeaster, a Cranemasters, Inc. employee who preferred not to be named said there is “ongoing activity” in the area but that “there is no issue in Minneapolis.”
Gifford told the Northeaster that Cranemasters, Inc. has accused Local 150 of unfair labor practices through the National Labor Relations Board. “They’re alleging that they’re striking for unfair labor practices, and we’re saying it’s not unfair labor,” he said. “It’s an economic strike, which is wrongful in this scenario.” (An economic strike is a work stoppage initiated by employees in the hopes of obtaining higher wages, improved working conditions or new benefits.)
Gifford later said this dispute has been going on since 2023. “We’ve been bargaining in good faith, and we’ve made a lot of progress,” he added. Things may have stalled out, though. “We’re currently at an impasse,” he said, “and there’s not a clear path forward with negotiations.”