Reason to Check Back This Weekend

I’ve obtained the December 7th filling of Attorney Robert Hanlon on behalf of Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Andrew Gasser. Since this is a case of first impression, that is, the issue has not come before the Illinois Supreme Court before, … Continue reading

Attorney Robert Hanlon Reveals He Bills Algonquin Township Only for Local 150 Union Case

Robert Hanlon, attorney for Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Andrew Gasser, has written a letter to Gasser explaining that he has not billed for work in the case of Gasser v. Lukasik, Miller and Miller. He is billing for the challenge … Continue reading

For Those Who Think the Bob Miller 5-Year Contract with Local 150 Is Too Long

One of the arguments that Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Andrew Gasser is making in his fight against imposition of the 5-year labor agreement that his predecessor and man he beat in the GOP Primary Election, Bob Miller, is that it … Continue reading

Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Andrew Gasser Rebuts Local 150 Arguments

Last week, Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Andrew Gasser replied to the latest court filing by Local 150 of the Operating Engineers effort seeking to enforce the 5-year contract that Bob Miller, the man Gasser beat, signed just before going out … Continue reading

Derek Lee Lands Job at Nunda Township Road District

Bob Miller son-in-law Derek Lee was one of the people that Andrew Gasser fired upon taking the office of Algonquin Township Road Commissioner from Miller. Lee’s father-in-law had sought to protect his job at the Algonquin Township Road District by … Continue reading

Algonquin Township Road District Workers Join Local 150 of Operating Engineers

When public officials lose their election, things change. In the case of Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Bob Miller’s loss to McHenry County Board member Andrew Gasser, not only was there a lot of publicity and statewide shock at the Township … Continue reading

Operating Engineers PAC Dumps $200,000 in John Bartman’s Campaign

When the House Republican Organization gave $100,000 to Steve Reick, I wondered if that was a sign of weakness. After all, Democrat John Bartman had just over $30,000 in the bank at the end of September, while Reick had spent … Continue reading

Bartman Reports Help from Farm Bureau and Operating Engineers Local 150

Reported today  to the Illinois State Board of Elections is $1,887.46 from the Illinois Farm Bureaus Political Action Committee, Illinois Farm Bureau ACTIVATOR Fund, for a mailing $1,595 for signs from International Union Operating Engineers 150-PAC … Continue reading

Local 150 & Democrats vs. Republicans Tonight at 7

That might be the promo for a story on the TV news, if McHenry County had TV news. Actually, last night in Hebron we did have a TV news camera from ABC Channel 7. Tonight at 7 at the McHenry … Continue reading

County Board Agrees to Repeal Resolution Supporting Bruce Rauner’s Turnaround Agenda

Yesterday McHenry County Blog was the first to reveal that McHenry County taxpayers will be shelling out $25,000 in legal fees to Local 150 of the International Union of Operating Engineers. Now, let me follow the Northwest Herald in telling … Continue reading

County Board Vents at Jack Franks and IMRF Exec.

The Thursday night meeting of the McHenry County Board consisted mostly of criticizing Democratic Party State Rep. and the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund. Executive Director Louis W. Kosiba had been invited to the meeting. No one used the word “pawn” to … Continue reading

Operating Engineers’ Endorsements

For McHenry County, the Operating Engineers are endorsing the following countywide offices: McHenry County Offices Recorder: Joni Smith State’s Attorney: Patrick Kenneally McHenry County Board: Dist. 1: Kerri Barber Dist. 1: Anna May Miller Dist. 2: Dominique Miller Dist. 3: … Continue reading

Salaries of County Local 150 Union Maintenance Workers

A reader asked about the salaries of the Operating Engineers Local 150 union bargaining union whose contract was rejected by the Facilities Management Committee. Here they are: Maintenance Technician I            $18.70 Maintenance Technician II           $20.25 Maintenance Technician III          … Continue reading

Committee Votes Down Maintenance Workers Contract

Last Tuesday, the McHenry County Board’s Facilities Management Committee could not muster a majority to recommend the maintenance workers union contract with Operating Engineers Local 150. The vote was 2-2 with three members absent. Voting in favor were Jim Heisler, … Continue reading

Joni Smith Picks Up $2,000 from Local 150, $1,000 from Title Company

McHenry County Recorder of Deeds candidate Joni Smith has scored two contributions of a thousand dollars or more during the final quarter of 2015. The first was $2,000 from the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 PAC. The second was … Continue reading

County Highway Workers Contract

Here are the guts of the McHenry County Transportation Department contract terms with the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150, Public Employees Division. This is what is being shown the Count Board: The collective bargaining agreement between the Local 150 … Continue reading

McConnaughay and Tryon Criticized for Road Fund Diversion

Part of the deal to cope with the gaping hole that Illinois Democrats passed onto Republican Governor Bruce Rauner resulted in the raiding of various earmarked funds. The Road Fund was one of them. The Democrats have raided it repeatedly … Continue reading

Operating Engineers Charge County Board with Open Meetings Act Violation

Here’s the guts of the case: On or about April 7, 2015, a meeting to discuss the Governor’s resolution at the Woodstock Opera House was scheduled for April 8, 2015. Governor Rauner, members of the Woodstock City Council, members of the McHenry … Continue reading