(ROCHESTER, NEW YORK) – When WNYLaborToday.com last interviewed Grant Malone, who serves as District Manager of International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 158/District 832 and as President of the Rochester Building & Construction Trades Council, he was running for a seat on the Irondequoit Town Board on a promise of “trying to fix things or you don’t complain.”  Well, Malone is now working hard to “fix things” after his successful run.

“To be ‘honest,’ (he and the other Town Board Members are) ‘cleaning up’ the past administration’s mess,” said Malone, who won a four-year term in the November (2023) Election. 

So far, Malone admits his brief time in office has been “challenging” because - in part, he comes from the Private Sector, but he also admits that “public scrutiny” drives those on the Board to focus on “what people need” and “how to better the Town.”

For example, the Town Board decided it was necessary to hire a new Assessor because of so many residents “challenging” their property assessments - since those previous assessments were, unbelievably done, by using a Google Map, Malone said.

Addressing the problem of absentee landlords has also been another part of his focus.

“It’s ‘been good,’” Malone adds of the public feedback he’s received since being sworn in at the beginning of the year.  “People ‘are not irate or belligerent.’  ‘I’ve gotten the chance to get to know people, their thoughts and what they want’ (done).”

Irondequoit - a Suburb of Rochester, serves as home to more than 50,000 residents. 

“They ‘expect us’ to fix things,” Malone said of taxpayer feedback, “but if they are ‘really concerned they need to come to the Irondequoit Town Board meeting to let us know what they really want.’  (In the process) ‘they have to know what the issues are.’  I tell them ‘if they don’t like something to come to my office or our meetings and I’ll help them fix it.’”

Malone, who served in the Military (Air Force) for four years and worked as an Aircraft Mechanic, has been an IUOE Member for 39 years.  He became the Union’s District Business Manager nearly eight years ago after a multi-year stint serving as a Business Representative. 

His IUOE Local represents 1,400 Active Members - and another 200 Retirees, who work in more than nine New York State Counties.

And, for nearly six years, he’s served as President of the 17-Member Rochester Building & Construction Trades Council, which represents 12,000 Union Workers across the area.

It was Monroe County Executive Adam Bello who approached Malone and urged him to throw his hat in the political ring, said Malone, who was told by those in the Political Community that he’d “done a great job” with his IUOE Local and the Rochester Building Trades Council.

During his campaign, Malone took the time to personally introduce himself to Irondequoit residents, knocking on the front doors of their homes to talk about the platform he ran on, which included: Fiscal responsibility; Improving community services; Supporting Irondequoit Schools; Expanding housing for older residents; Safer neighborhoods; Supporting Law Enforcement; Promoting Economic Development; and Taking advantage of a bipartisan approach to utilizing tax dollars for the Town’s taxpayers.

In addition, and because he knows the benefits so well, Malone said if he was elected, he would look to highlight Union-offered Apprenticeship Programs in the Building Trades in the Town, hopefully attaching a provision in any building project funded by the Town to make sure highly-skilled and -trained Union Craftspeople are involved, but more importantly that local people get the chance to work on them.

“I would ‘like to see’ Apprenticeship (levels) built into the (construction bid process),” Malone said.  “‘It is relevant and I would hope the Town will listen to what I have to say in terms of why they make sense and are so valuable on any project.’”

Asked if he knew then what he knows now, would Malone make the decision all over again as a Union Leader to run for public office?

It took him less than a second to answer.

“‘One-hundred-percent - yes,’” Malone - who said he spends about 25 hours a week on his political responsibilities, told WNYLaborToday.com.  “‘Yes, I would do it all over again.’”

“‘Again, I tell them if you don’t like what’s going on - then get involved,’” he said. “‘Don’t sit at home, watching Tik Tok - get involved!’”

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: For More Go To: Union Members Running For Public Office: “‘You Try To Fix Things Or You Don’t Complain’” - IUOE Local 158/District 832 Manager & Rochester Building Trades President Grant Malone ‘Makes A Run’ For the Irondequoit Town Board - WNY Labor Today: Your On-Line Labor Newspaper, Bringing You Labor News From Across The Nation, New York State & Western New York