Apprenticeship & Training

History

The International Union of Operating Engineers has 400,000 members and was founded on December 7, 1896. Local 649 was granted its charter from the International Union on September 18, 1917.



The union office is located on the west side of Peoria on the corner of Rt. 116 and Maxwell Road. The Local 649 training site is located in Mapleton. The jurisdiction of Local 649 covers the geographical areas of Peoria, Fulton, Mason, Henderson, Knox, McLean, Woodford, Marshall, Tazewell, Bureau, Stark, East of Henry, Putnam, Warren, McDonough and Hancock Counties.

Local 649 has approximately 1550 members and they perform work operating heavy equipment such as cranes, bulldozers, front-end loaders, backhoes, graders, hoists, dredges, etc., on highway, building, water, sewer and river projects. We also have members who operate equipment in sand and gravel operations, rock quarries and ready-mix plants. Some of our members are mechanics and perform work on the equipment in the owners' shops as well as in the field on construction projects.