Local Union 2034 Assistant Business Manager appointed to Manitoba Labour Board

Lalah Casselman, Local Union 2034 Assistant Business Manager, was appointed to the Manitoba Labour Board in July as a Board member representing labour. Lalah has been employed by Local 2034 as an Assistant Business Manager since 1992 and is a graduate of the University of Manitoba's ‘University Labour Three Year Certificate Program’.

In addition to her duties at the Local Union, Lalah is a certified Mediator and is listed as an Arbitrator in Manitoba. She is also a member of Arbitration Mediation in Manitoba and Arbitration Mediation in Canada.

The Board consists of a full-time chairman, 4 part-time vice chairmen and 26 part-time Board Members (comprised of an equal representation of 13 Members from labour groups and 13 members from Employer organizations). The vice-chairmen and board members are appointed to the Board by an Order-in-Council.

The IBEW congratulates Lalah Casselman on her appointment to the Manitoba Labour Board.

Further to the Diabetes Program Introduced in Calgary

There has been some feedback from Locals and delegates as a result of testing that Angela Kennedy did at the trade show in Calgary and also from the program she presented on the Thursday morning. Now, there are locals interested in having representatives meet with the Ex-Board to discuss implementing a healthy program for the membership.

We have met with representatives from the Canadian Diabetes Care Guide Organization and they are preparing a report that will be published in a future letter. Watch for information regarding the following: Diabetes in the Workplace, Challenges in the Workplace, Prevention, Imperatives, Reaching/Treating, Front Line Educators, Strategies to Reduce the Risk, The Issues, and How the Union Can Make a Difference.

Next month there will be details from the Canadian Diabetes Care Guide about programs that can be offered to your membership with the goal of living and staying healthy.

Canada’s Top Employers

Recently a list of Canada’s Top Employers was released. It is interesting to note that two of them are signatory with the IBEW. These are Enmax Corporation, Calgary – a City-owned utility and Epcor Utilities Inc., Edmonton – Electricity, water and gas supplier. Both of these companies are signed with IBEW local 254, Calgary.

New Tactics to Win Open Shop Work

At a recent Sheet Metal Industry Week Partnership conference with the Sheet Metal Union and their Contractors, real examples of tactics used were deemed to be workable ways to capture increased market share in the residential sector in the U.S. They have had tremendous success using a "piece-rate incentive system" for roughing stages and basement installation of low rise residential.

This is a departure from traditional efforts where in the past the unions granted concessions to the contractors to provide incentive for the contractors to bid the work competitively, but this caused a problem when the workers made less than tradesmen on commercial and industrial projects. This conference made reference to the Toronto area where 80%-90% of the residential work is union with rough-in installers earning an average of $75,000 to $80,000 per year and 20% of the members earning over $120,000.

It was reported that in some areas like Detroit, St. Louis, Philadelphia and Utah, residential work is 60% of the market. This win-back-the-work campaign as they call it has seen organized sheet metal contractors grow its market share from 15% to 85% in school construction in just two years in Utah.

Duty to Keep Pension Plan Members Reasonably Informed

A Superior Court judge recently ruled that a Pension Fund Board breached its fiduciary duty when it failed to inform its members in advance of potential changes. Some former employees filed suit against the Board alleging it had made negligent representations to them because they had not been informed in advance of potential changes to the Plan. The Board asserted that its only obligation was to inform members when a final decision had been made to implement a change.

Justice Francis Kiteley ruled that the Board breached it duty to keep the employees reasonably informed and awarded the employees additional termination benefits. He found the Board had a duty to inform members in advance of potential changes to the Plan in order that the members have the ability to make informed financial decisions.

Justice Kiteley’s ruling is presently being appealed by the Pension Board.