Operating Engineers Local 3
Organized Labor
Feb 2009
Kurt Wiederholt, Crane Operator, 24 years I was in junior high school, and my friend’s parents owned a drilling company. I started messing around in the yard seeing what was going on and helping out. Then I started oiling on their cranes, and now I run one. We get to work outdoors, and there's always something different. It’s great to see the project when it’s done and you drive by with your family. I show them all the different spots I’ve worked. I worked on the Benicia Bridge, high rises, and big shoring jobs. I like drilling big shafts, like missile silos in Alaska. You have to know your limitations, what you can get away with, without tearing the rig up, because when you're down you’re down for a while. They can't get these parts overnight. I've been around a few crane wrecks, some pretty dangerous stuff. Safety is the biggest concern out here, watching out for each other and not getting yourself in a position where you shouldn’t be.