100th Anniversary Photo Contest Announced

Local 793 is sponsoring a photo contest as part of the lead-up to the union’s 100th anniversary in 2019. Prizes will be awarded for best photos in several categories: 1919 – 1920 1921 – 1929 1930 – 1939 1940 – 1949 1950 – 1959 1960 – 1969 1970 – 1979 1980 – 1989 1990 – […]

Local 793 is sponsoring a photo contest as part of the lead-up to the union’s 100th anniversary in 2019.

Prizes will be awarded for best photos in several categories:

  • 1919 – 1920
  • 1921 – 1929
  • 1930 – 1939
  • 1940 – 1949
  • 1950 – 1959
  • 1960 – 1969
  • 1970 – 1979
  • 1980 – 1989
  • 1990 – 1999
  • 2000 – 2009
  • 2010 – Present

Deadline for submissions is Friday, July 26, 2019. A winner will be announced at the general membership meeting on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019.

Some of the photos may be used in a special commemorative book being published to coincide with the 100th anniversary year.

The photos will be judged by a three-member committee.

Here are the rules:

  • All photos must be high resolution, at least 5×7 inches at 300 dots per inch (DPI).
  • Photos must be accompanied by a caption with information on the year the photo was taken, who or what is in the photo, where the photo was taken, and what’s happening in the photo.
  • Only submissions with the required information will be considered.
  • Please also include your union registration number when submitting the photo(s), so we can verify you are a member in good standing.
  • Union members can submit more than one photo. In fact, multiple entries are encouraged.

Photo(s) can be sent via email to gcameron@iuoelocal793.org or mailed to Grant Cameron, director of communications, IUOE Local 793, 2245 Speers Road, Oakville, Ontario, L6L 6X8.

If you have any questions, please call Grant directly at 905-469-9299, ext. 2276.

Information Sought on Founding Fathers of Union

Local 793 will be producing a video and special commemorative book to mark the 100th anniversary of the union in 2019. We’re trying to find out more about the 11 original founders of the union. The 11 members met at the Elliott House hotel at Church and Shuter streets in Toronto on Dec. 11, 1919 […]

Local 793 will be producing a video and special commemorative book to mark the 100th anniversary of the union in 2019.

We’re trying to find out more about the 11 original founders of the union.

The 11 members met at the Elliott House hotel at Church and Shuter streets in Toronto on Dec. 11, 1919 and signed a letter, requesting a charter for the local.

If you have any information about the founders, or any of their existing family members, we’d like to hear from you.

We’d also like to hear from any members who may have a steam ticket, or whose relatives may have had a steam ticket, and may be able to provide information on the original founding members.

Following are the names of those 11 founders:

Frank Dennis
Joseph Valin
James Hawkins
William Wells
J.S. Miller
Thomas Lahey
Dave McBlaine
Mat Clark
A. Richardson
J. Wright
R.J. Elliott

Any member with information about the founders is encouraged to get in touch with Local 793 director of communications Grant Cameron at 905-469-9299, ext. 2276, or via email at gcameron@iuoelocal793.org.

Suggestions Welcome for 100th Anniversary Year

Local 793 will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2019 and we’re asking members for suggestions on how to mark the special occasion. A committee has been formed to co-ordinate activities during the commemorative year. The committee consists of: Business Manager Mike Gallagher (chair) President Joe Redshaw Assistant Director of Toronto Area Mike Scott Assistant […]

Local 793 will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2019 and we’re asking members for suggestions on how to mark the special occasion.

A committee has been formed to co-ordinate activities during the commemorative year.

The committee consists of:

  • Business Manager Mike Gallagher (chair)
  • President Joe Redshaw
  • Assistant Director of Toronto Area Mike Scott
  • Assistant Labour Relations Manager Dave Turple
  • Financial Controller Lloyd Nakaza
  • Director of Communications Grant Cameron
  • IT Manager Armand Dowdall
  • Junior Executive Assistant Heather Hamer

If you have any ideas for events, activities, contests or promotions that you would like to see during the centennial year, please send your suggestion via email to 100th@iuoelocal793.org.

Medals Presented to Local 793 Crane Apprentices

Three Local 793 mobile crane apprentices were presented with medals for receiving top marks at the 2017 Skills Ontario Competition, a three-day event held May 1 to 3 at the Toronto Congress Centre. In the competition, mobile crane apprentices were put through a series of practical exercises and had to complete a written test.

Three Local 793 mobile crane apprentices were presented with medals for receiving top marks at the 2017 Skills Ontario Competition, a three-day event held May 1 to 3 at the Toronto Congress Centre.

In the competition, mobile crane apprentices were put through a series of practical exercises and had to complete a written test.

Local 793 Buys Property Next to Oakville Head Office

The executive board of Local 793 has approved the purchase of a 6.14-acre parcel of property next to the union’s head office in Oakville. The board voted unanimously to approve the purchase for $7.1 million at a meeting May 5. The deal officially closes June 15. The property is at 2201 Speers Rd and is […]

The executive board of Local 793 has approved the purchase of a 6.14-acre parcel of property next to the union’s head office in Oakville.

The board voted unanimously to approve the purchase for $7.1 million at a meeting May 5.

The deal officially closes June 15.

The property is at 2201 Speers Rd and is adjacent to the east border of the union’s current property at 2245 Speers Rd.

There is a single-storey, 27,000-square foot building on the property.

“The purchase of this property is an investment in the future of our union,” said Local 793 business manager Mike Gallagher. “The property came up for sale and it made sense for us to purchase it because Local 793 is growing and in need of more space.”

Gallagher said the union will now be able to build a new residence on the property for students training at the Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario (OETIO) at head office.

In the future, he said, the union might also consider adding additional office space on the property.

Gallagher said the property came up for sale in March and he raised the idea of purchasing it with the executive board.

“With the growth of our union, I felt it was the right move to make,” said Gallagher. “
“The officers and I intend to keep growing this union and we have taken another step in the right direction by purchasing the property.”

The property was purchased from Procor Ltd., a company that manages conventional and special purpose rail tank and freight cars.

There were two other purchase offers on the table and the offer from Local 793 was selected.

Local 793 president Joe Redshaw said the local had to make a serious offer or risk losing the land. The local had CBRE Ltd., a real estate brokerage and transaction advisory firm, determine if the asking price for the property was within reason.

“If we didn’t purchase this property, we’d be locked into the approximately 13 acres that we presently own,” said Redshaw. “This purchase will allow us to grow our union.”

Redshaw said the new residence planned for the property will enable students at the OETIO to reside at one location and not have to seek accommodation in hotels around the area.

“It certainly will be good for students to be housed in one location in one residence,” he said. “Apprentices won’t be required to commute back and forth to their training.”

Procor will continue to lease half the building on the property until December.

The purchase of the building will be internally financed and the union will not have to borrow any money.

With the new property, the union will own close to 20 acres at the site in Oakville.

EI Hiring Hall Rules When Conducting an Active Job Search

Here’s what Local 793 members need to know about EI hiring hall rules when conducting an active job search. According to section 10.6.4 of the Digest of Benefit Entitlement Principles  Chapter 10 – Section 6 from Employment and Social Development Canada: Pursuing employment through a union hiring hall may be evidence that a claimant is […]

Here’s what Local 793 members need to know about EI hiring hall rules when conducting an active job search. According to section 10.6.4 of the Digest of Benefit Entitlement Principles  Chapter 10 – Section 6 from Employment and Social Development Canada:

Pursuing employment through a union hiring hall may be evidence that a claimant is available for work. Work through the claimant’s union hiring hall can equate to employment in the claimant’s same occupation.

However like all other claimants, union hiring hall members must expand their willingness to seek and accept less favourable types of employment after a certain number of weeks on claim.

Union hiring hall exemptions are calculated as follows: a claimant in good standing with their hiring hall may restrict their job search to their union hiring hall for three weeks from the start of their claim, plus one week of exemption for each year of experience in the occupation with their union, to a maximum exemption of 16 weeks. After the exemption period, the worker is expected to expand the type of employment they are seeking and to conduct an active job search outside their Union Hiring Hall and their normal industry.

Once these claimants are expected to seek and accept work outside their union hiring hall, on-going registration with their union hiring hall can be considered as one activity, for the purpose of proving that reasonable and customary efforts are being made to obtain suitable employment. The onus is on the claimant to personally seek jobs outside their union hiring hall, even if they continue to be a member of that hiring hall.

If a claimant is restricting their availability for work to only certain types of work, they may be disentitled from regular benefits until they expand the types of work they are willing to seek and accept, if this is a restriction and not just a preference. A claimant will not be disentitled from benefits as soon as they impose restrictions on their availability for work, if they have not previously been warned that such a restriction is not permitted. They will be given a short period of time to adjust their job search before a disentitlement is imposed. Each claim will be considered on a case-by-case basis.