Operating Engineers Local Union No 3

What Operating Engineers Local Union No 3 does

Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3 (OE3) is a private, nonprofit labor union founded in 1939 and chartered under the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE). It represents more than 40,000 members across four U.S. states — Northern California, Northern Nevada, Utah, and Hawaii — and is described as the largest construction trades local in North America. Members include heavy-equipment operators, mechanics, surveyors, inspectors, miners, public employees, and California state workers (Unit 12), working in construction, mining, dredging, and public-sector roles.

OE3 delivers its services through a network of 17+ district offices and dedicated apprenticeship training centers in each state, administered jointly with signatory contractors through Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committees (JATC). Core offerings include collective bargaining representation, journeyman and apprenticeship training (heavy-equipment operation, paving, surveying, crane operation, mechanics), Engineers News magazine (published monthly since 1943), retirement and health/welfare benefits administration, a member-only scholarship foundation, and political advocacy via the VOTE (Voice of the Engineer) and EARN (Engineers Action & Response Network) programs. The union also maintains three affiliated entities: a 501(c)(2) Building Holding Association for property management, a 501(c)(3) Scholarship Foundation for college grants, and a 501(c)(3) Community Service Fund.

The business model is dues-funded: members pay recurring monthly dues in exchange for representation, training access, benefits eligibility, and political voice. OE3 monetizes its relationship with signatory contractors indirectly through negotiated wage scales, benefit contributions, and apprentice placement — formalized via multi-year collective bargaining agreements such as the March 2023 Nevada Gold Mines deal delivering 8.5% wage growth over three years. Revenue, payroll, and dues rates are not publicly disclosed, consistent with nonprofit union reporting norms. Marketing and member engagement occur through district meetings, picnics, a podcast (Breaking Ground), the Engineers News print magazine, and social channels (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube).

Name

Operating Engineers Local Union No 3

Legal name

Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3

Website

https://oe3.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3 is a four-state (CA, NV, UT, HI) labor union founded in 1939, representing 40,000+ heavy-equipment operators, mechanics, surveyors, miners, and public employees through collective bargaining, apprenticeship training, and benefits administration.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labor Union Services

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Occupational Safety, OSHA & Workplace Compliance Training (EDAOAMAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Occupational Safety & OSHA Compliance (EDABAEAA), Onboarding, Offboarding & Employee Lifecycle Administration (BPACAHAL)

Keywords

• Labor union representation
• Heavy equipment operation
• Apprenticeship training programs
• Collective bargaining agreements
• Construction trades workforce

Headquarters

HQ city

Livermore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices20 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Union Membership Dues: Operating Engineers Local 3 generates revenue through membership dues paid by its 37,000+ members. Members include heavy-equipment operators, public employees, miners, surveyors, mechanics, and inspectors working across construction, mining, and public sector roles.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3 (OE3) is a labor union representing more than 40,000 heavy-equipment operators, mechanics, surveyors, inspectors, miners, and public employees across California, Nevada, Utah, and Hawaii. The union delivers collective bargaining representation, apprenticeship and journey-level training through state-level Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committees (JATC), health and welfare benefits, retirement programs, scholarship support, political advocacy through its VOTE/EARN programs, and the Engineers News monthly magazine.

Product overview

Operating Engineers Local Union No 3 (OE3) is a labor union that provides a portfolio of member services rather than a unified software product. The core offering is union membership, which encompasses collective bargaining representation, job security, and benefits administration. Supporting services include apprenticeship training programs (offered through JATC in four states), the Engineers News monthly magazine (published since 1943), scholarship programs for members' children, retirement and health/welfare benefits, political advocacy through the VOTE program, and contractor services for signatory employers. These services are not modular software products but rather organized programs delivered through the union's district offices and training centers across California, Nevada, Hawaii, and Utah.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Engineers News: Award-winning monthly magazine publication for members, in circulation since 1943.

Products and services

• Union Membership Membership in Operating Engineers Local 3 providing job security, collective bargaining representation, health care and retirement benefits, and access to training facilities across a four-state jurisdiction for heavy-equipment operators, mechanics, surveyors, inspectors, miners, and public employees.
• Apprenticeship Training Programs Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) earn-while-you-learn programs for heavy-equipment operators, mechanics, surveyors, and paving equipment operators, available in California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah.
• Engineers News Magazine Award-winning 32-page monthly magazine published since 1943, keeping members informed about union activities, industry news, training, and member achievements.
• Scholarship Program Academic and merit scholarship program supporting children of Local 3 members pursuing higher education, administered through the Operating Engineers Scholarship Foundation.
• Retirement and Health/Welfare Benefits Retirement planning services, pension programs, health care benefits, member assistance and recovery programs, and access to the union's credit union services for members.
• Political Advocacy (VOTE/EARN Programs) Grassroots political advocacy programs enabling member participation in political endorsements and policy engagement that affect the workforce and infrastructure investment.
• Contractor Services Services for signatory contractors including access to a trained workforce, apprentice and journeyman training, benefits administration, and collective bargaining agreements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 80 years of continuous operation since 1939
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Teichert ConstructionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeichert Construction is a signatory contractor that has employed Operating Engineers Local 3 members. The company has credited OE3 members' contributions as a vital part of their growth in Northern California. This is a long-standing relationship where OE3 provides skilled workers and Teichert provides employment opportunities and market access.
• Construction Testing ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction Testing Services provides apprenticeship hours for construction inspector apprentices like Taylor Wilson at UCSF Hellen Diller Children's Hospital. OE3 apprentices gain on-the-job training experience with this partner company.
• Flatiron Dragados WestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlatiron Dragados West is a signatory contractor providing journey-level work opportunities for OE3 members at projects like the Anderson Dam in Morgan Hill. The company benefits from access to OE3's trained workforce.
• Signatory ContractorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOE3 has established relationships with hundreds of signatory contractors who have collective bargaining agreements with the union. These contractors gain access to a skilled, trained workforce while OE3 members gain employment opportunities.
• Operating Engineers 324coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperating Engineers 324 joined the Road Commission for Oakland County in urging motorists to pay attention in work zones during National Work Zone Awareness Week. This represents inter-union collaboration on worker safety issues.
• Genesee County Road CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGenesee County Road Commission partnered with OE3 and RCOC to raise awareness about work zone safety during National Work Zone Awareness Week.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU): Umbrella organization for 14 building trades unions including IUOE. Coordinates multi-craft project labor agreements (PLAs) and apprenticeship coordination across affiliated locals, directly affecting OE3's market access on large projects.
• Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC): National trade association representing open-shop (non-union) contractors. Operates apprenticeship programs competing with JATC models, represents OE3's primary competitive threat on construction projects in the four-state jurisdiction.
• International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM): Large U.S. labor union with some overlapping industrial/mechanical trade representation (machinists, mechanics). Comparable multi-state local structure and benefits administration, though focused more on manufacturing/aerospace than construction.

Direct peers

• Operating Engineers Local 12: Sister local of IUOE covering Southern California and Southern Nevada. Identical trade representation (heavy equipment operators, mechanics, surveyors), similar apprenticeship/JATC model, and directly comparable membership and benefits structure.
• Operating Engineers Local 49: IUOE local covering Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Same craft representation with JATC training centers, collective bargaining agreements, and benefits administration comparable to OE3's four-state structure.
• Operating Engineers Local 139: IUOE local serving Wisconsin and Illinois with a comparable apprenticeship and collective bargaining model. Same craft, same training infrastructure, similar membership scale (~10K-12K members).

Broad incumbents

• International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE): OE3's parent international union; represents 400,000+ operating engineers across the U.S. and Canada. Same craft jurisdiction, broader geographic scope, and sets national bargaining strategy that OE3 executes at the local level.
• International Brotherhood of Teamsters: One of the largest U.S. labor unions with construction-related members (e.g., dump truck drivers, ready-mix). Comparable scale, multi-state structure, and benefits/retirement administration footprint overlapping with OE3's mining and construction segments.
• Laborers' International Union of North America (LiUNA): Large AFL-CIO construction trades union with overlapping jurisdiction on many heavy/highway and infrastructure projects where OE3 operators work. Competes and collaborates with OE3 for signatory contractors and project labor agreements.
• United Brotherhood of Carpenters: Major building trades union with adjacent jurisdiction on construction sites where OE3 members operate equipment. Comparable structure: apprenticeship training, multi-state locals, signatory contractor networks, and political advocacy programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/operatingengineerslocal3
• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/oe3members
• Instagraminstagram.com/engineersnews

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Operating Engineers Local Union No 3