Body of Greg Jolstad, member of Local 49, recovered from the bridge collapse

08/21/2007

Tuesday, August 21, 2007 — The body of Greg Jolstad was discovered yesterday at the site of the 35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis. It has been 20 days since the bridge fell into the Mississippi River, killing 13 and injuring many more.

Jolstad was a heavy equipment operator for Progressive Contractors Inc. (PCI) of St. Michael, MN. He was one of the construction workers doing resurfacing work on the bridge deck. He was the only one among them who remained missing after the bridge collapsed.

Regarding today’s solemn news, Glen D. Johnson, the Business Manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 49, issued the following statement:

“At Local 49, we understand more than anyone what a tragedy this was for the state of Minnesota. On behalf of our membership, I want to extend my deepest sympathy to Greg’s family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Jolstads and to all the families whose lives have been affected by this unexpected collapse.”

“Our organization represents the men and women who work to build and maintain our state’s highway and transportation system. Every day, members of Local 49 are working on these roads and bridges. It is unfortunate that it takes a catastrophe of this magnitude to draw attention to the importance of investing in our infrastructure.”

“We call on Governor Tim Pawlenty and the state legislature to take the leadership role we so desperately need to make sure there are no delays in dealing with our infrastructure needs. Now is the time for all of our political leaders to put their differences aside and do what’s right for the state of Minnesota. This issue is too important to all of us.”