Month: May 2012

Three hundred heavy equipment operators who work on projects across Essex and Kent Counties, including the Windsor-Essex Parkway, are on strike. The operators, represented by Local 793 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, had been working without a contract since April 30, 2012. The union was in a legal strike position May 19, 2012. Talks with the Heavy Construction Association of Windsor broke down May 24, 2012. The operators work on all types of heavy construction equipment, including excavators, backhoes and bulldozers. They’re involved in road, sewer and watermain, […]

Three hundred heavy equipment operators who work on projects across Essex and Kent Counties, including the Windsor-Essex Parkway, are on strike.

The operators, represented by Local 793 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, had been working without a contract since April 30, 2012. The union was in a legal strike position May 19, 2012. Talks with the Heavy Construction Association of Windsor broke down May 24, 2012.

The operators work on all types of heavy construction equipment, including excavators, backhoes and bulldozers. They’re involved in road, sewer and watermain, bridge and general excavating projects.

The main issue in the dispute is hours of work and overtime. Both sides had agreed on almost everything for a new four-year contract, but the contractors made a final offer demand to extend the regular work week for operators doing sewer and watermain and general excavation from the current 50 hours before overtime is paid to 55 hours before overtime provisions kick in.

Local 793 Business Manager Mike Gallagher said such a move contravenes the Employment Standards Act, which states that overtime pay for sewer and watermain work must be paid for all hours worked in excess of 50 hours in a work week at an amount not less than one and one-half the employee’s regular rate.

The union has filed bargaining in bad faith charges against the Heavy Construction Association of Windsor. The complaint states that the Association bargained the issue of overtime threshold to an impasse, contravening Section 17 of the Labour Relations Act.

The union states that the Association’s conduct in failing to be candid and forthright about their bargaining priorities and then pressing an illegal position to impasse constitutes a violation of the Act.

“We are asking the Ontario Labour Relations Board to make this declaration and enforce the status quo with respect to hours of work in compliance with the Employment Standards Act,” said Gallagher. “We are calling on the Board to expedite a hearing into our complaint so that this matter can be resolved and the work disruption throughout the area can be brought to an end.”

The union wants the Ontario Labour Relations Board to order the contractors to sign its final offer memorandum of agreement, which would resolve negotiations to renew the collective agreement.

Gallagher said the union is encouraging the Heavy Construction Association of Windsor to review its position.

“If they value their employees and the contributions of our members, the employers should sign our final offer memorandum, as we had agreed to all other issues over the course of several months of bargaining. The Heavy Construction Association should not continue to insist that our members work beyond the hours set out in the Employment Standards Act before overtime is paid.”

Gallagher said the Act is in place to protect workers from being forced to work excessive hours without proper compensation.

“Our members work hard and are proud of the quality of their workmanship, as will be evident when the Windsor-Essex Parkway project is completed. They would like to at least be paid in accordance with the provincial standards, which is what the expired collective agreement requires.”

Gallagher noted that the union regrets any inconvenience to the residents of Windsor caused by the dispute and is calling on the Ontario Labour Relations Board to act quickly to deal with the issue.

“We prefer to work in partnership with our employers, as we do in areas of training and health and safety, but we need to see a reasonable approach from them when it comes to the Employment Standards Act.”

Local 793 of the International Union of Operating Engineers represents thousands of highly-skilled crane and heavy equipment operators across Ontario. The union has a head office, banquet hall and training campus in Oakville, and another training campus in Morrisburg.

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For additional information contact:
Local 793 business manager Mike Gallagher
905-469-9299, ext. 2202

Click here for story on the strike that appeared in The Windsor Star.
Click here for story on the strike that appeared in Daily Commercial News.
Click here for story that appeared on CBC website.

 

Skilled trades workers from across Canada were in Ottawa today to meet with their Members of Parliament and request that they vote against Bill C-377. The meetings were organized by the Canadian division of the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD). The meetings provided an opportunity for skilled trades workers to voice their concerns about Bill C-377 directly to their MPs. Bob Blakely, director of Canadian affairs for the BCTD, said skilled trades workers from Vancouver to St. John’s are worried about the impacts of the legislation and it’s […]

Skilled trades workers from across Canada were in Ottawa today to meet with their Members of Parliament and request that they vote against Bill C-377.

The meetings were organized by the Canadian division of the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD).

The meetings provided an opportunity for skilled trades workers to voice their concerns about Bill C-377 directly to their MPs.

Bob Blakely, director of Canadian affairs for the BCTD, said skilled trades workers from Vancouver to St. John’s are worried about the impacts of the legislation and it’s costly negative impacts on major oil sands developments and other large-scale energy projects.

“Our workers rely on their unions to provide necessary benefits and training with the dues that they pay,” he said.

“Our partner contractors – and clients they work for – rely on them to use the skilled manpower we provide in a cost-efficient manner. C-377 is going to see that money spent on creating more government bureaucracy.  It will slow down Canada’s economic recovery in the construction sector.”

Blakely said Bill C-377 is intended to fix a problem that does not exist and endangers the ability of the building trades to build projects across the country and create jobs.

He said it would create an expanded, expensive and redundant bureaucracy and actually duplicate processes that are already in place to provide accountability and transparency for workers.

“Our workers belong to private sector unions,” he noted. “Unlike charities and political parties, they do not receive any public subsidies or public monies. Our workers and their families enjoy tax deductibility on the dues they pay to their unions, the same way other professionals like doctors and lawyers do. If enacted, C-377 will negatively impact 500,000 Canadian skilled trades workers.”

The BCTD co-ordinates activities and provides resources to 15 affiliated trade unions in the construction, maintenance and fabrication industries. In Canada, the BCTD represents 500,000 skilled trades workers.

The Ministry of Labour plans several enforcement blitzes targeting construction sites over the next year. Tower and mobile crane operators, in particular, should be especially vigilant as a blitz in July and August will target their sector. Fines for non-compliance are very steep so operators should report any known workplace hazards or contraventions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) to their supervisor or employer. The province says inspectors will be sent to workplaces in a number of target industries, including construction. The first construction sector enforcement blitz began […]

The Ministry of Labour plans several enforcement blitzes targeting construction sites over the next year.

Tower and mobile crane operators, in particular, should be especially vigilant as a blitz in July and August will target their sector.

Fines for non-compliance are very steep so operators should report any known workplace hazards or contraventions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) to their supervisor or employer.

The province says inspectors will be sent to workplaces in a number of target industries, including construction.

The first construction sector enforcement blitz began in May and runs for a four-month period. It is aimed an ensuring students are safe and don’t get injured while working on summer jobs. Inspectors are visiting workplaces – including construction sites – where new and young workers are employed.

Between 2006 and 2010, 34 young workers aged 15 to 24 died in work-related incidents in Ontario. During the same time period, more than 46,000 young workers received injuries resulting in lost time at work.

The blitz will ensure young workers:

• Are protected by required safety measures, equipment and procedures to prevent injuries;
• Are properly instructed, trained and supervised on jobs; and
• Meet minimum age requirements.

The inspectors have been ordered to shut down unsafe worksites when necessary and employers could face fines under the OHSA.

The second construction sector enforcement blitz runs in June and targets hazards associated with traffic control during roadwork.

The third construction sector enforcement blitz runs through July and August and will be aimed at tower and mobile cranes.

The fourth construction sector enforcement blitz runs through September and October and will target supervisors on construction projects.

In early 2013, the province also plans an enforcement blitz on ladder safety and fall protection hazards in the construction and industrial sectors.

According to the province, enforcement blitzes in 2010 included 9,000 visits to worksites, resulting in 26,000 compliance orders being issued.

The province’s team of more than 400 health and safety inspectors have conducted 25 inspection blitzes and issued more than 360,000 compliance orders since June 2008.

Two architectural firms – Diamond Schmitt Architects Inc. and DIALOG Ontario Inc. – have been selected to plan and design renovations and a new structure at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. The project will include the construction of a 17-storey patient-care tower at Queen and Victoria streets, and the renovation of 150,000 square feet of existing space. Once the planning and design aspects are completed, the hospital and Infrastructure Ontario will issue a request for qualifications for a company to do the construction work. A date has not yet been […]

Two architectural firms – Diamond Schmitt Architects Inc. and DIALOG Ontario Inc. – have been selected to plan and design renovations and a new structure at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.

The project will include the construction of a 17-storey patient-care tower at Queen and Victoria streets, and the renovation of 150,000 square feet of existing space.

Once the planning and design aspects are completed, the hospital and Infrastructure Ontario will issue a request for qualifications for a company to do the construction work.

A date has not yet been set for construction to start.

The additional space will allow the hospital to relocate patient beds and make room for:

• Five new operating rooms, each large enough to include state-of-the-art medical imaging equipment.
• Enlarged, state-of-the-art facilities for orthopedic surgery, oncology, coronary care and a cystic fibrosis program, as well as critical care space for coronary and medical-surgical units.
• Expansion of the emergency department. It was designed to accommodate 45,000 patient visits, but now accommodates 70,000 a year.

Health and Long-Term Care Minister Deb Matthews said the project will enable the hospital to deliver high-quality care closer to home.

“This is an important step forward in the redevelopment of St. Michael’s Hospital and great news for patients and residents.”

Dr. Robert Howard, CEO of the hospital, said the project will enable hospital staff to provide quality care within a state-of-the-art facility that includes the latest advances in technology and lifesaving equipment.

James T. Callahan, general president of the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), says the union shares TransCanada’s determination to see the Keystone XL pipeline built and fully supports the company’s decision to reapply for a federal permit. “It’s time to put politics aside and put thousands of construction workers back to work,” he said in a statement released May 4. “The Operating Engineers strongly encourage the State Department and other relevant federal agencies to aggressively implement President (Barack) Obama’s March executive order to approve this project as quickly as […]

James T. Callahan, general president of the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), says the union shares TransCanada’s determination to see the Keystone XL pipeline built and fully supports the company’s decision to reapply for a federal permit.

“It’s time to put politics aside and put thousands of construction workers back to work,” he said in a statement released May 4. “The Operating Engineers strongly encourage the State Department and other relevant federal agencies to aggressively implement President (Barack) Obama’s March executive order to approve this project as quickly as possible.”

In January, the Obama administration rejected TransCanada’s application for a proposed $7-billion, 1,700-mile Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to Texas. Obama later reversed course, saying he was fast-tracking approvals on part of the project which he had earlier rejected.

Obama has said he will expedite approval for a portion of the Keystone XL pipeline.

“After three years of study and significant environmental improvement, after the rerouting of the pipeline around the sensitive Sandhills area of Nebraska, it is beyond time to approve this project,” said Callahan. “America’s construction workers simply cannot afford to wait.”

Callahan said the pipeline project will create the kind of high-paying, skilled jobs that are vital to the American economy.

April employment data showed that construction contractors again cut workers from their payrolls, he said, even as the construction season should be in full swing.

“It is clear that Keystone XL offers game-changing potential to the sector hardest hit by the recession and where the unemployment rate is still near 15 per cent.”

Callahan said Operating Engineers are among the most highly trained and skilled pipeline workers in the world.

“Their expertise will ensure that Keystone is built right, built safe and built to last.”

The IUOE represents more than 400,000 members in 123 local unions across the U.S. and Canada, including Local 793.

The Ontario College of Trades is seeking input on its proposed membership fees. An online survey has been set up on the College’s website at www.collegeoftrades.ca. The College is encouraging all of its stakeholders, including employers, employees, apprentices and members of the public to provide their feedback on the fees. Following are the four classes of membership to be affected and the proposed fees: Apprentices – $50 to $100 annually Tradesworkers (voluntary and compulsory) – $50 to $100 annually Journeypersons – $100 to $200 annually Employers/Sponsors – $100 to $600 […]

The Ontario College of Trades is seeking input on its proposed membership fees.

An online survey has been set up on the College’s website at www.collegeoftrades.ca.

The College is encouraging all of its stakeholders, including employers, employees, apprentices and members of the public to provide their feedback on the fees.

Following are the four classes of membership to be affected and the proposed fees:

Apprentices – $50 to $100 annually

Tradesworkers (voluntary and compulsory) – $50 to $100 annually

Journeypersons – $100 to $200 annually

Employers/Sponsors – $100 to $600 annually, depending on the number of trades employees

The deadline for receipt of comments is June 3, 2012.

The College says the consultation is important because membership fees have an impact on each member of the College and support its ability to meet its mandate.

For more information about the proposed membership fees, click here.

To fill out the online comment form, click here.

The College represents more than 150 skilled trades, tradespersons, apprentices and employers across the province.

When fully operational, the college will regulate persons practicing in skilled trades in Ontario and employers who employ them.

The College will also be promoting the trades and apprenticeship.

 

Cameron Hunter, a principal at Eckler Ltd., which is the actuary for Local 793’s pension trust fund, recently co-authored an article on Bill C-377. The article – entitled Privacy Risks Within Bill C-377 – appeared in the May/June 2012 issue of Plans & Trusts, which is published by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. To view the article click here.  

Cameron Hunter, a principal at Eckler Ltd., which is the actuary for Local 793’s pension trust fund, recently co-authored an article on Bill C-377. The article – entitled Privacy Risks Within Bill C-377 – appeared in the May/June 2012 issue of Plans & Trusts, which is published by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. To view the article click here.

 

Local 793’s Banquet Hall & Conference Centre at head office has been nominated for a 2012 Readers Choice Award in the North Oakville Today newspaper. The centre was nominated in the Banquet Facilities category. The public is being invited to cast votes online for the best banquet facility in the Oakville area. Winners of each category will be announced in the June 14 issue of the paper. To get to the online site click here. Once you register, go to the Best Services link and scroll down to the Banquet […]

Local 793’s Banquet Hall & Conference Centre at head office has been nominated for a 2012 Readers Choice Award in the North Oakville Today newspaper.
The centre was nominated in the Banquet Facilities category.
The public is being invited to cast votes online for the best banquet facility in the Oakville area. Winners of each category will be announced in the June 14 issue of the paper.
To get to the online site click here.
Once you register, go to the Best Services link and scroll down to the Banquet Facilities link. The OE Banquet Hall & Conference Centre is listed there.
Oakville is waiting to see who has the best banquet hall. Your vote could put us in the winner’s circle.