100th Year History of IUOE Local 77

It's 1901, the President of the United States, William McKinley, is assassinated; Vice President Theodore Roosevelt becomes President. The average annual income is $442 per year or $8.50 per week. A typical home costs $2,225, a new car is approximately $600 and chicken is .07 cents a pound. Local 77 was founded in the Washington DC area.

The National Union of Steam Engineers was organized December 7, 1886. By 1897, the name was changed to International Union of Steam Engineers of America to reflect our Canadian local unions.

By August 1901, Frank Monghan is General President of the I.U.S.E.A and there are approximately 5,823 members in 76 local unions of which 7 are hoisting and portable; the other 69 being stationary.

In August 1901, ten members (James Devlin, K. Babcock, W. Houghton, W. Tapscott, David McCracken, John Greenwood, S. Foreman, Thomas Snee, Joseph Mick and Charles Tomlinson) of the Stationary Local #14 working in the hoisting and portable or construction industry in Washington, DC submit to the International Union of Steam Engineers of America for a charter for a hoisting and portable local union. The I.U.S.E.A. charters Local #77 of Washington, DC. On July 1, 1928, the official name of our organization became the International Union of Operating Engineers (I.U.O.E)

In July 1930, the original Local #77 amalgamated with Local #949 of Washington, DC and was known as Local #67 with hoisting and portable jurisdiction over the District of Columbia. In January 1938, Local #67 and Local #724 both of Washington, DC, were amalgamated and the charter was reissued and known as Local union #77. Therefore, the original number that was issued to cover the hoisting and portable jurisdiction of Washington, DC was used. In 1938, when Local 67 and 724 amalgamated to become Local 77, Local 77's jurisdiction was the District of Columbia, the state of Virginia, the state of North Carolina, and four Counties in Maryland; namely, Price George's County, Montgomery County, Charles County and St. Mary's County.

As of July 1938, Local 77 had 390 members. In our 100 years of operation, our membership has grown to 1500. We have accomplished much in our existence. Our Health and Welfare Program began July 1963 and our Pension Program began November 1959. The Operating Engineers Skill Improvement and Joint Apprenticeship Committee began May 1962; and we began an Annuity Program in 1999 for our members.

With the help and participation or our membership, there are no barriers as to where we can proceed in our next 100 years. The future belongs to us.