WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: There’s been a change in leadership at several Labor Unions here in Western New York in recent months and this is the first of a series of Labor News Reports on those changes.  Today, we focus in on International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 17, where new President Josh Williams (on the left) and Business Manager Bill Fekete (on the right) were just officially sworn into office.  Both sat down with WNYLaborToday.com to share their vision and agenda for taking their powerful Buffalo Building & Construction Trades Union into the future.   (WNYLaborToday.com Photos)

(LAKE VIEW, NEW YORK) – There’s new leadership at International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 17, a powerful Buffalo Building Trades’ Member Union, whose future vision and agenda focuses on taking advantage of a Membership that can become the Union’s greatest Organizers that it’s ever had.

With a multitude of work already occurring - most notably the new billion-dollar-plus home of the National Football League’s Buffalo Bills in nearby Orchard Park, Local 17’s new President, Josh Williams, and Business Manager, Bill Fekete, tell WNYLaborToday.com that acutely educating the Union’s 1,100 Active Members on the benefits of being an Operating Engineer could create the Local 17’s greatest group of Organizers in the years to come.

Williams, 46, and Fekete, 52 - who along with a total of 15 Executive Board Representatives, were officially sworn in late last week at the Union’s Lake View Headquarters, both want to see Local 17 as “the Trade Union people ‘want to be in.’”

“And to do that ‘it comes down to Member education (about all the good things being a Member of Local 17 offers) because there’s no better Organizer than a Local 17 Member.’  ‘But you have to be able to explain it all to someone’ - including our pensions.  ‘Everyone needs to know what we’ve fought for to get in our contracts.’  In the past many Members ‘learned it directly from older Members during lunch breaks or over an after-work beer, but that’s not happening these days.’  Through my personal experience, ‘you have to build your future through education, because you have to sell your value as you get better in your craft,’” Fekete said.

“Member education ‘is big and we want their in-put.’  ‘We want to make sure every of our Members (are able to) explain how good it is to be a Local 17 Member and can explain those benefits to other Workers, their neighbors and family,’” Williams said.  “Some of our Members ‘don’t know’ (everything).  ‘We need to teach them, give them the tools and tell them not to be afraid to ask questions so others can compare what they have to what we’re making.’”

In addition, Fekete, Williams and the Executive Board will conduct an “accurate assessment” of Local 17’s dues structure and look to place a greater emphasis on organizing and recruiting more Members (129 Members have retired in recent years, while over that same time the Union has taken in 85 new Members).

And while Local 17’s Members “are the highest paid of the Construction Trades in Buffalo,” Fekete said they “need to be paid higher.”

“We ‘are not paid enough,’” said Fekete, who alluded to the need for an increase in wages to be around 10%.  “We have a Master Contract coming up with our employers in (2025) and we’ll be addressing that then.”

Fekete, a 26-year Member of Local 17, and Williams - an 18-year Member, are good friends who have made a good team while previously serving in a number of Union Staff positions, including Stewards and Business Agents and on the Training Staff.

“We ‘are’ a good team,” Williams said.  “We ‘think alike and we rarely argue over points of view.’  ‘We talk about where we are lacking and not falling behind’ (in the future).  Bill was a Mechanic by trade, ‘so he’s good at taking things apart and putting it back together in a better way.’  I’m ‘excited’ about this opportunity.  ‘We’ve both worked hard in the background and I think our Membership is excited too.’”

Fekete is taking over for former Business Manager Gary Swain, a well-known Western New York Labor Leader who decided the time was right for retirement. 

However, Swain, 60 (Pictured Above/WNYLaborToday.com File Photo), has agreed to stay on as Assistant Business Manager (at least through December 21st, 2024) to help smooth the transition as both Fekete and Williams gain their footing.

“This was the plan, ‘all along,’” Fekete said of taking over for Swain (Pictured Below, Swearing In The New Executive Board).  “Gary wanted to retire and there were a lot of people (that supported this transition).  Josh - ‘who’s my right arm,’ and I put together (the slate).  ‘This is the first time in decades that Local 17 will have a Business Manager and a President.’  Usually that job ‘is the same.’  Gary and I ‘have each other’s back and this all has been a team effort.’  I also ‘anticipated’ Gary ‘would stay on for an extended period - and honestly, it’s reassuring.’  ‘Where else could I go where I could walk down the hall and ask him a question?’  ‘He gives a lot of good advice and he’s pro-active.’”    

Swain’s track record precedes him. 

Among his long list of accomplishments: General Vice President of the Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation; Vice President of the Cattaraugus-Allegany Central Labor Council; President & Vice President of the Jamestown Labor Council; Trustee of the Operating Engineers Pension Fund; Playing a key role in Local 17’s Training and Education Fund; and for breathing life into the New York Foundation For Fair Contracting (FFC); just to name a few.

“My commitment to (Fekete) ‘was to stay for as long as he needs me’.  ‘But it’s time for new blood around here,’” Swain told WNYLaborToday.com, adding the passing of his Mother and good friend - Local 17 Business Agent Joe Palmeri, had a profound impact on him. 

“I’m ‘proud of so many things: Playing a role in stopping’ our Supplemental Unemployment Fund ‘from going into bankruptcy;’ Taking the FFC ‘from a local to a State organization with a five-member Staff and a ($1.5 million) budget;’ For ‘creating a better relationship with our contractors and gaining a better market share;’ as well as with the merger of IUOE Local (463) (with Local 17) a few years back,” he said.

“I think ‘I was someone who cared about our Members,’” Swain, whose Father was a Member of Local 17, added.  “‘It’s all about what you give back to your Union so the Members could make a substantial lifestyle out of it.’”

With that said, it would appear Swain’s hard work in that arena will be carried on by Williams and Fekete as Local 17 moves into to the future here in Western New York.