OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 148

What OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 148 does

Operating Engineers Local 148 (also known as IUOE Local 148) is a regional labor union affiliated with the International Union of Operating Engineers, representing approximately 3,000 operating engineers and skilled labor workers in the Midwest region of the United States. Headquartered at the Union Hall on 11000 Lin Valle Drive in St. Louis, Missouri, the union is led by Business Manager Dave Bahr and operates with a small core staff of approximately 5 employees while serving a membership base nearly 600 times larger. The union holds monthly membership meetings at the Union Hall and maintains a basic informational website (local148.com) with downloadable PDF forms for membership applications, payroll deduction, PAC authorization, and life insurance enrollment.

The union's core service offering is collective bargaining representation, including negotiation of wages, health and welfare benefits, workers compensation assistance, workplace safety advocacy, and protection against right-to-work legislation. It maintains strategic partnerships with the Missouri AFL-CIO (state federation), two legal service providers (O'Brien Law Firm and Hammond and Shinners Law Firm) for member representation, and United Way of Greater St. Louis for charitable programming. Training partnerships developed by the union ensure skilled labor quality among its members, functioning as a credentialing mechanism within the heavy equipment operating trades.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring union membership dues collected via payroll deduction from represented workers' paychecks. The union does not publicly disclose specific dues amounts, pricing structures, or financial figures, and the membership dues amounts are determined through collective bargaining agreements and may vary by employer. Beyond dues, the union operates ancillary member-facing touchpoints including The Gauge newsletter, an online merchandise shop (iuoe148.itemorder.com), and the long-running Reel Help For Kids Charity Bass Tournament, which has operated for 38 years and raised over $2,050,000 for children's charities including a $50,000 donation to Ronald McDonald House Charities in 2025.

Name

OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 148

Legal name

Operating Engineers Local 148

Website

https://local148.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Operating Engineers Local 148 (IUOE Local 148) is a Midwest labor union based in St. Louis, Missouri, representing approximately 3,000 operating engineers and skilled labor workers through collective bargaining, health and welfare benefits, workers compensation assistance, and workplace safety advocacy, funded primarily by recurring membership dues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labor Union Services

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction & General Labor Staffing (BPACAEAA)

Keywords

• Labor union representation
• Collective bargaining services
• Union membership dues
• Skilled labor training
• Workplace safety advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Union Membership Dues: Operating Engineers Local 148 generates revenue through membership dues paid by the nearly 3,000 employees it represents. Members pay union dues which fund the union's operations, representation activities, and member services.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Operating Engineers Local 148 is a regional labor union (IUOE Local 148) that provides union membership representation, collective bargaining for wages and benefits, workers compensation assistance, workplace safety advocacy, health and welfare benefits administration, and skilled labor training partnerships to nearly 3,000 operating engineers and heavy equipment operators across the Midwest.

Product overview

Operating Engineers Local 148 is a labor union (IUOE Local 148) representing approximately 3,000 employees in the Midwest. The organization provides union membership representation, collective bargaining, worker compensation assistance, workplace safety advocacy, and skilled labor training partnerships. It does not offer a technology product platform but provides member services including newsletters, charity events (such as the annual Reel Help For Kids Bass Tournament), and access to union forms and resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Union Membership Representation Core union membership product providing collective bargaining representation, fair pay advocacy, and job security protection to nearly 3,000 operating engineers and skilled labor workers in the Midwest.
• Health and Welfare Benefits Administration Administration and provision of negotiated health and welfare benefits to union members, including life insurance coverage evidenced by union forms.
• Workers Compensation Assistance Direct assistance to members navigating workers compensation claims, provided through the union's Good and Welfare program.
• Skilled Labor Training Partnerships Training partnerships developed by the union to produce credentialed, high-quality skilled labor for members and the employers they work with.
• Reel Help For Kids Charity Bass Tournament Annual community fundraising bass tournament hosted by Local 148 since 1989, raising money for children's charities including Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 3,000 employees represented
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• O'Brien Law FirmsupportingOthersLegal partner providing legal services and support for union matters and member representation.
• Hammond and Shinners Law FirmsupportingOthersLegal partner providing legal services and support for union operations and member representation.
• Missouri AFL-CIOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level labor federation affiliated with the national AFL-CIO, providing broader labor movement support and advocacy.
• United Way of Greater St. LouissupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerNonprofit charitable partner collaborating on community giving and social impact initiatives through events like the Reel Help For Kids Bass Tournament.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE): IUOE is the national/international parent union that Local 148 operates under. As the broader umbrella organization for all operating engineers' locals, IUOE is the directly comparable governing body and provides the structural framework within which Local 148 operates.
• Laborers' International Union of North America (LiUNA): LiUNA represents construction laborers and is a parallel building trades union to IUOE. While LiUNA members perform different specific tasks (general labor vs. equipment operation), they serve the same construction industry employers and are direct peers within the building trades labor ecosystem.
• Missouri AFL-CIO: Missouri AFL-CIO is the state-level labor federation of which Local 148 is an affiliate member. It is a peer in the sense of serving overlapping union members in Missouri and providing collective advocacy, training resources, and political coordination.
• International Brotherhood of Teamsters: The Teamsters represent a diverse workforce including construction drivers, equipment operators, and freight workers. While broader in scope, they overlap with IUOE on equipment operation and construction-related work, making them a comparable labor union peer.
• North America's Building Trades Unions: NABTU is the umbrella organization for the construction trades unions in the U.S. and Canada. As IUOE is a member union of NABTU, this is a comparable labor federation serving the same construction industry employers and workforce.

Direct peers

• Operating Engineers Local 150: IUOE Local 150 is one of the largest operating engineers' locals in the U.S., covering parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa. It is a direct peer as another IUOE local representing heavy equipment operators and skilled construction workers in the Midwest region.
• Operating Engineers Local 49: IUOE Local 49 represents operating engineers across Minnesota and parts of the upper Midwest. As a neighboring IUOE local serving heavy equipment operators and stationary engineers, it is directly comparable in mission, member base, and services.

Emerging players

• United Steelworkers (USW): USW represents workers in steel, manufacturing, and some construction-related sectors. While not a direct peer in operating engineers specifically, USW is a comparable private-sector labor union with collective bargaining, training, and member representation services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/operating-engineers-local-148

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 148