May/June 2006
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Ontario Construction Secretariat Holds Town Hall Meeting

The first Regional Town Hall style meeting supported by the Welland-Lincoln-Haldimand Building Trades Council and presented by the Ontario Construction Secretariat (OCS) was held June 14, 2006 in St. Catharines.

The OCS represents the 25 Employee and 25 Employer Bargaining Agencies of the unionized industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) sector of Ontario’s construction industry. The OCS works under a balanced Board of Directors of labour and management and the provincial government.

The theme of this meeting “Is Your Future Secure” was intended to allow the rank and file Building Trades members an opportunity to hear first hand what the work future in the Ontario organized construction trades in general and the Niagara area in particular looks like, and to allow the rank and file members an opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas of what can be done to help make that work future more secure.

The meeting was called to order by Scott Macivor, CEO of the Ontario Construction Secretariat and he introduced the keynote speakers and outlined the evening’s agenda. Opening comments were made by Pat Dillon, Business Manager/Secretary Treasurer of the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario.

The first keynote speaker was Bob Blakely, Director of Canadian Affairs for the Building and Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO. Brother Blakely presented a slide show titled “We are in Trouble” outlining the serious problems facing our industry. Brother Blakely shared the “Alberta experience” with those in attendance and warned us of how easily things in Ontario could get worse.

Brother Blakely’s presentation was followed by Geoff Smith, President and CEO of Ellis Don Limited. Mr. Smith assured us that his company preferred to use unionized trades and was prepared to help us in our fight, however, he pulled no punches in telling us about the concerns of clients regarding some of our work practices. Mr. Smith told us straight out that clients are willing to pay more to have their projects built on time, and will no longer tolerate slow downs caused by labour problems. Mr. Smith also cautioned us all to not take ‘advantage of’ or ‘milk’ what work we do have.

Following Mr. Smith’s address Katherine Jacobs, Director of Research & Analysis for the OCS provided statistical information on the “Changing Economic Realities” in the Niagara Region. The Niagara Region like so many other areas of Ontario has seen an exodus of manufacturers resulting in a sharp decline in their industrial base. At the same time they have witnessed growth in what have become non-traditional markets such as light commercial and residential construction.

Next up on the agenda were two local contractors; Spencer Fox, President of E.S. Fox Ltd. and Greg Galbraith who gave a local perspective of the issues facing our signatory contractors.

The next segment entitled “Agents of Change” had presentations by Bill Nicholls, Business Manager/Secretary Treasurer of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, and Fred Clare Jr., Business Manager of the International Association of Heat & Frost Workers.

The attendees then heard from Jeff Grabelsky the Director of the Construction Industry Program at Cornell University in New York. Brother Grabelsky is a thirty (30) year member of the IBEW and an electrician by trade. As many of you may know Brother Grabelsky was one of the key architects of the highly successful IBEW COMET program, which has been adapted and adopted by most of the Building Trades affiliates.

Brother Grabelsky also shared the dire situation our American sisters and brothers are facing in the U.S. where they have seen their market share nation wide drop to a dismal 12%. He too, like Brother Blakely, warned us about allowing our market share to further erode. Brother Grabelsky spoke on the need for us to adapt to the many changes facing our industry. He suggested that what ‘fit our needs’ and ‘served us very well’ forty years ago could result in our demise today. Brother Grabelsky then led the 175 members in attendance through the Town Hall discussion segment, answering questions as well as directing them to the other keynote speakers.

This meeting was the first in a series of events tentatively scheduled for other regions around Ontario. It was an excellent event and perhaps the first opportunity for the rank and file members to hear first hand what the issues affecting our industry are.

Local Union 625, Halifax Continues to Make Gains

In the period between June 1, 2005 and May 31, 2006 Local Union 625 in Halifax, Nova Scotia has certified four contractors and had three sign Voluntary Recognition Agreements and an additional one become signed through a Common Employer application. As a result of their organizing efforts the Local Union has initiated 121 new members.

Perhaps what is most impressive and of what the impact that Local 625’s organizing efforts are, is that two Wal-Mart stores and one Home Depot store have recently been awarded to union contractors without the use of any market recovery programs or funds.

Local Unions 1149, Kapuskasing & 1861, Terrace Bay - Negotiations Concluded

On June 1, 2006 a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was reached with Tembec Paper Mill, Kapuskasing, Ontario with members of IBEW Local Union 1149, United Steel Workers and CEP. The MOA was for a five (5) year agreement with no increase for the first 3 years and at the start of the 4th year they would receive the wage increases of the first 3 years and then pick up the pattern Abitibi settlement. The MOA was ratified by all the unions of the coalition.

On May 31, 2006 Local Union 1861 Terrace Bay, Ontario and the United Steelworkers of America reached a Memorandum of Agreement with Terrace Bay Pulp Inc. The mill was formally owned by Neenah Paper and had been shut down for 3 months and part of the deal for the mill to re-open was for the unions to reach an agreement with Buchanan Forestry Industries. A five (5) year deal approved on June 6, 2006 by the Steelworkers and Local Union 1861 calls for an immediate wage cut of 10 percent when it come into effect July 1, 2006, as well as reduced life insurance, pension, and vacation benefits.

The Canadian Labour Congress honoured with a 50th Anniversary Stamp

Fifty years of the Canadian Labour Congress’ accomplishments were honoured by Canada Post on April 19, 2006 in Ottawa with the official unveiling of a stamp commemorating the 50th anniversary of Canada’s largest labour organization.
The stamp depicts the CLC logo with a list of accomplishments achieved in the organization’s 50 years of existence in the background.
CLC President, Ken Georgetti said, “Public Medicare, Canada Pension Plan, workers’ compensation and health and safety, parental and maternity leave; all these things are so important and so valuable to people that they just become part of society and they are locked in and they are there forever, but it took at lot of struggles to get there.  Sometimes people lost their lives to get legislation like the Westray Bill; but unions are to protect Canadians and make their lives better.  This stamp represents that.”
Former CLC President Bob White said, “For some of the public it will raise the awareness of what the Canadian Labour Congress is and what it does because it is not every organization that gets a stamp in their honour.”
Three million CLC stamps will be printed and circulated this year.

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, AFL-CIO, CLC

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