Ricky Nelson, a member of Local 14 of the operating engineers, stood up to speak.

He said later that he, the teamsters union, the operating engineers and other unions would meet to set a strategy for the elections.

Ten weeks after the World Trade Center attacks, it is hard to find an operating engineer who has taken more than a few days off.

The operating engineers say that they have been put between a rock and a hard place.

Mr. Ward said the association had offered the operating engineers a five-year contract with raises of 6 percent every year.

His father was an operating engineer at a local refinery.

In the past, these traits required dedicated operating engineers and large complex plants to reduce pollution.

He had two children and worked as an operating engineer.

But officials with the operating engineers said they made a counteroffer on Friday and had not yet heard back from the contractors association.

Some are radio controlled without an operating engineer present in the cab.