Shortly after the August storms that devastated parts of southeastern Minnesota, "several local unions were meeting to discuss the labor movement\'s response to the floods and their aftermath," said Russell Hess, an organizer for the Laborers District Council of Minnesota and North Dakota.

"We received a call that there was a fire truck they needed to get from Esko to Rushford. We said, \'Not a problem.\'" Local union representatives contacted colleagues in the Duluth area who lined up a union contractor, Lakehead Constructors, to haul it south.

The truck was used for fire protection during flood relief efforts because Rushford\'s equipment had been damaged.

After serving for several months with the Rushford Fire Department, the truck is now back in Esko. Mike Daniels, business representative for Operating Engineers Local 49, contacted another local union contractor, Fraser Construction, when he found out it was time for the truck to head north again.

"When Mike from Local 49 called we were happy to help out," said Mike Soltis, project manager for Fraser Construction. "The people in Rushford have been through a lot and our company and employees work hard to give back to our communities."

The truck could have been driven from Esko to Rushford and back, but transporting it on a trailer saved both time and wear-and-tear on the vehicle, he said.

Local unions are chipping in with donations to cover some of the cost of transporting the truck back to Esko.

"Our members and employers work hard every day building Minnesota," said Hess. "But when someone needs a helping hand, we are there to support them. That is what being a union member is all about."

The Esko fire truck was loaded on a flatbed trailer for its trip back up north. Photo courtesy of Fraser Construction