Business Agents

David Butterworth has been a Local 798 member in good standing for 25 years. He served in the US Army from 1995 to 1997 and was honorably discharged. He worked his first pipeline job as a Welder Helper in 1998. In 2002 David graduated from West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism. He changed his classification from Welder Helper to Journeyman Welder in 2005 and worked as a Welder Foreman, Job Steward, and Fabrication Foreman until 2015. David was elected as a delegate to the UA Convention in 2016 and 2021. He was appointed to the position of Business Agent in January 2016. He is also a member of the West Virginia Pipe Trades and the Pennsylvania Pipe Trades, and he serves as a member of the Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association’s Market Development Committee. David and his wife Maria have two children, William and Bobby. The family currently resides in Elkview, West Virginia.

 918.270.6745

 butterworth@local798.org

Jerry Dale Crabtree, Jr. joined Pipeliners Local Union 798 in 1986. He is very proud to be a third-generation union member following in the footsteps of his grandfather, the late A.D. “Buddy” Crabtree, and his father, Jerry Dale Crabtree, Sr.

He has had the pleasure of serving this Local in multiple capacities: Welder Helper, Journeyman Welder, Job Steward, Welder Foreman, and Mechanized Welding Technician. Thanks to the generosity of fellow members, he was elected as Inside Guard in 2014 and a U.A. delegate in 2011, 2016, and 2021. He also served as UA Sergeant of Arms in 2016. Since his appointment in 2017, Dale has proudly and humbly served as Business Agent of the southeast region.

Dale has been married to Shawna Crabtree since 1988. Together they have three children, Autumn Brooke Crabtree (Razian), August DeLainey Crabtree (Huff), and Jerry Dale Crabtree III. They also have seven grandchildren. He is a resident of Fouke, Arkansas. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, spoiling his grandkids, hunting, fishing, and restoring old vehicles.

 918.991.5341

 jdcrabtreejr@local798.org

Joe W. Gaines is a proud 20-year member of Pipeliners Local Union 798. He started “working on the pipeline” when he was 16 years old and has worked as a Welder Helper, Journeyman Welder, Welder Foreman, and Job Steward. Joe married his wife, Stephanie, in 1999, and together they have three children, Madison, Joseph, and Emily. They reside in Dalhart, Texas, located in the Northwest corner of the Texas Panhandle. In his spare time, Joe enjoys hunting, golfing, traveling, and spending time with his wife and kids. He is humbled and honored to be selected as the Business Agent for Texas and looks forward to serving the members of this great local.

 918.237.3573

joe@local798.org

Todd Hartle has been a proud member since his initiation on June 5, 1997. He changed his classification from Welder Helper to Journeyman Welder on April 15, 1999. Since then, Todd has worked as a Journeyman Welder, Welder Foreman, and Job Steward. Todd was elected as a delegate for the 40th UA General Convention. Todd was appointed as Business Agent in January 2022. Todd has been married to his wife Kim since October 1999, and together they have three children, Gracie, Hope, and Sarah. They reside in Rose Bud, Arkansas. “I am honored to serve Pipeliners Local Union 798 as a Business Agent for the Midwestern states.”

 918.230.1884

todd@local798.org

Justin Head has been a proud member of Pipeliners Local Union 798 since his initiation as a Welder Helper in 2002. In 2005 he changed his classification to Journeyman Welder. Justin has worked as a Journeyman Welder, Welder Foreman, Job Steward, and Mechanized Welding Technician. He was also elected as a delegate for the 40th UA Convention. Justin resides in Wyoming with his wife, Jaime Head, and their four children, Wyatt, Paityn, Bowen, and Cyrus. Being chosen to represent and work for the finest pipeliners in the world is one of the proudest and most humbling experiences of his life. He looks forward to doing everything in his power to see this great local union succeed well into the future.

 918.398.3380

 jhead@local798.org

Charles Yates, Jr. is a second-generation Pipeliners Local Union 798 member who has been in continuous good standing since his initiation on May 20, 1981. He joined Pipeliners Local Union 798 as a Welder Helper and changed his classification to Journeyman Welder in 1989. In 2003, he began to represent the membership on the ROW as a Job Steward. Charles was elected as a UA delegate for the 38th, 39th, and 40th General Conventions. In 2013, he was also elected to serve as an officer on the Executive Board to uphold the constitution and by-laws, where he remained until his February 2016 appointment as Business Agent covering Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. His territory expanded in 2021 to include Kentucky and Tennessee.

Charles resides in Ohio with his wife, Stephanie. He would like to extend his sincerest appreciation to the membership for all the support and encouragement. “I am humbled to be given such an opportunity and honored to be an advocate for both union labor and 798’s tradition of excellence. I am proud to stand with my brothers and sisters UNION STRONG TOGETHER.”

 918.270.6746

 charles@local798.org