Local 793 Lauds Long Term Energy Plan

The province released its 2017 Long Term Energy Plan (LTEP) Oct. 26. It’s the first energy blueprint released since 2013 and is a road map that sets out the direction for Ontario’s energy future. Thousands of people from across Ontario were engaged in the development of the LTEP during a consultation and engagement process took […]

The province released its 2017 Long Term Energy Plan (LTEP) Oct. 26. It’s the first energy blueprint released since 2013 and is a road map that sets out the direction for Ontario’s energy future.

Thousands of people from across Ontario were engaged in the development of the LTEP during a consultation and engagement process took place from October 2016 to January 2017.

The Renewable Energy Alliance of Ontario (REAO) provided input during the consultation process. Local 793 business manager Mike Gallagher had spearheaded formation of the REAO, bringing together a broad coalition of employers, labour and industry groups, to ensure that renewable energy continues to play a vital role in Ontario’s energy mix.

The REAO presented a brief to the Minister of Energy that made five recommendations for the LTEP.

Members of the union and coalition also attended the consultation sessions across the province.

The involvement of Local 793 and the REAO was acknowledged in the new LTEP.

The report stated:

“The tremendous growth of Ontario’s clean tech and renewable energy sectors has attracted billions of dollars in investment to Ontario and led to the creation of thousands of new jobs across many trades and professions. That explains why a broad coalition of employers, labour and industry groups, including the International Union of Operating Engineers, the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA) and the Aboriginal Apprenticeship Board of Ontario, support Ontario’s investment in renewable energy.”

Following is a statement on the LTEP from Local 793 Business Manager Mike Gallagher:

For Immediate Release
Oct. 26, 2017

CONSTRUCTION UNION LAUDS LONG TERM ENERGY PLAN

OAKVILLE — Mike Gallagher, business manager of Local 793 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, says the Long Term Energy Plan released today by the province is a step in the right direction because it ensures nuclear and renewable energy projects remain part of the mix.

“On behalf of the more than than 14,500 IUOE Local 793 members, I applaud Premier Kathleen Wynne and her Liberal government for showing a continued commitment to both nuclear and renewable energy projects because they provide reliable, near-endless sources of clean, low-cost electricity for families and businesses as well as long-term employment for Operating Engineers.”

Gallagher said the plan reaffirms that renewables are increasingly competitive with conventional energy sources and will continue to play a key role in helping Ontario meet its climate change goals, and that Ontario will move forward refurbishing six nuclear units at the Bruce Power plant and four units at the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station between 2016 and 2033.

“This plan ensures the province will be able to generate the affordable power it needs for current and future demand while reducing greenhouse gases and protecting the health of Ontarians.”

In addition to his role as union leader, Gallagher is a director on the Renewable Energy Alliance of Ontario (REAO), which is a broad coalition of employers, labour and industry groups dedicated to ensuring renewable energy continues to play a vital role in Ontario’s energy mix. The REAO presented a brief to the Minister of Energy that made five recommendations for the LTEP.

Gallagher said nuclear and renewables are the safest, most economical, environmentally-friendly and healthiest way to produce electricity and are a vital part of the province’s energy plan.

“In the plan, the provincial government has committed to supporting the renewable energy sector. By transitioning to renewables, we are improving our air quality and addressing global warming.”

Gallagher noted that investments in clean energy are benefitting the economy, as projects like wind and solar have invested more than $14 billion in Ontario’s economy, creating more than 200,000 good-paying jobs. The renewables sector is forecast to contribute nearly $5.4 billion to Ontario’s gross domestic product and create 56,500 jobs between 2017 and 2021.

“Ontarians need and want renewable energy and the infrastructure that supports it. I am glad that the government has listened to groups like REAO and indicated that renewables are part of the energy plan going forward.”

Gallagher also said Ontario’s commitment to refurbishment projects at Bruce Power and Darlington Nuclear Generating Sation will ensure that families in Ontario have a stable supply of energy for years to come.

The refurbishment at the Bruce is expected to create 22,000 direct and indirect jobs each year over the term of the project while Darlington is expected to create 11,800 jobs each year over the term of the project.

“Ontario’s nuclear industry contributes more than $5 billion annually to Canada’s economy and supports about 50,000 Ontario jobs,” he said. “I am hopeful that the Long Term Energy Plan released today helps Ontario move to a lower carbon economy.”

Local 793 of the International Union of Operating Engineers represents more than 14,500 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.

For additional information contact:
Local 793 Business Manager Mike Gallagher
905-469-9299, ext. 202

Business manager Gallagher was also quoted in a statement on the Bruce Power website. Click here for the statement.

The Renewable Energy Alliance of Ontario also issued a statement on the LTEP. Click here for the statement.

Gallagher Urges Trades to Support OCOT Boards

Following is a story from a recent Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario convention that was published Oct. 25 in Daily Commercial News. Gallagher, Cunningham urge Building Trades convention attendees to support OCOT boards Construction stakeholders and new members of the Ontario College of Trades (OCOT) Appointments Council Mike Gallagher and Ian Cunningham […]

Following is a story from a recent Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario convention that was published Oct. 25 in Daily Commercial News.

Gallagher, Cunningham urge Building Trades convention attendees to support OCOT boards

Construction stakeholders and new members of the Ontario College of Trades (OCOT) Appointments Council Mike Gallagher and Ian Cunningham teamed up to urge delegates attending the recent convention of the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario to get on board with OCOT and start nominating trades representatives to various boards.

Gallagher, business manager with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 793, and Cunningham, president of the Council of Ontario Construction Associations (COCA), said in their addresses to delegates there is an urgency to recruit new board members.

There are already openings on various boards and, in the next year, numerous terms will expire, requiring a major influx of new appointees.

“We need strong, committed, connected people to fill these vacant positions on the trade boards, the division boards and on the board of governors if the College is going to work for the best interests of the industry,” said Cunningham in an interview following his address to the delegates in Niagara Falls.

Gallagher explained in his interview, “There are some 40 vacancies that are coming up in the next year on the employer and the employee sides on the various trade boards at different levels, and people should be thinking who should be on those boards.

“And the Appointments Council, we have a pool of applications that are presented to us, and if it’s not a very big pool, we have to pick the best. So the idea is to encourage more applications so we have better options in terms of people that are there for the right reason.”

Click here for the full story.

Building Trades Amends Constitution

As a result of efforts by Local 793 business manager Mike Gallagher over the last four years, the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario (PBCTCO) voted unanimously at its 60th annual convention recently to amend its Constitution and Bylaws to promote mutual respect for the core jurisdiction of each other’s trade. In light […]

As a result of efforts by Local 793 business manager Mike Gallagher over the last four years, the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario (PBCTCO) voted unanimously at its 60th annual convention recently to amend its Constitution and Bylaws to promote mutual respect for the core jurisdiction of each other’s trade.

In light of the resolution, the executive board of Local 793 passed a motion on Oct. 16 in favour of Gallagher meeting with PBCTCO business manager and secretary-treasurer Pat Dillon to discuss the possibility of the union re-joining the organization.

Local 793 had left the PBCTCO in September 2013 because it was faced with 10 jurisdictional disputes (JDs) at various stages of the process with affiliates of the Building Trades regarding work done by Operating Engineers. In other words, many of the other trades weren’t respecting the core jurisdiction of Local 793 members.

The disputes were with the Carpenters, Pipefitters, Labourers, Ironworkers and Electrical Workers. All these disputes have now been settled.

Gallagher sent a letter to Dillon on Sept. 4, 2013 clearly explaining why Local 793 would not longer be attending building trades meetings.

In the letter, he stated that the unity required at the PBCTCO to face challenges is non-existent.

“We are currently faced with a large number of jurisdictional disputes regarding our work, with some of our affiliates to the building trades,” he stated. “We therefore feel that our time is best spent representing our members and protecting our jobs rather than listening to reports at the building trades meetings.”

In the letter, he said the decision was not made lightly but was the right decision at the time, as there did not seem to be any resolve to the matter.

Gallagher noted it is interesting that at a time when construction unions faced a number of challenges, such as CLAC and right-to-work challenges, some affiliates seemed more interested in doing work other than their own.

PBCTCO business manager Dillon responded with a letter on Sept. 9, 2013, stating that he agreed that JDs are completely counter-productive to the overall mission of the building trades.

He noted that the Operating Engineers were a key part of the establishment of the PBCTCO and fragmentation has the potential to negatively impact the lives of construction workers and their families in a number of ways.

Since leaving the PBCTCO, Gallagher has had informal discussions with Dillon about the issue and actions by the Building Trades on Local 793’s request. Throughout, he made it clear on a number of occasions Local 793 would not re-join the Building Trades until there was an amendment to the organization’s Constitution, requiring trades to have mutual respect for each other’s core jurisdiction.

Gallagher and Local 793 president Joe Redshaw were invited as guests to the PBCTCO annual convention in Niagara Falls on Oct. 12.

At the meeting, the executive board of the PBCTCO presented the resolution to amend the organization’s Constitution and Bylaws.

The purpose, as stated in the resolution, is to “promote industrial peace among building and construction trades through mutual respect of each other’s core jurisdiction.”

The resolution states that solidarity among the Building Trades is a core principle of organized labour in Ontario’s construction industry and that JDs between PBCTCO unions cost members millions of dollars per year in legal and other fees, in addition to incalculable reputational damage.

If those same resources were devoted to organizing and growing the number of represented workers in the construction industry, the resolution states, the collective voice of all construction workers would be much more formidable in the province’s political and economic life.

The resolution states that a working committee of Building Trades representatives from each affiliated union, engaging an industry-respected mediator/facilitator, will determine the precise language of respect for each other’s core jurisdiction.

In light of the resolution, Gallagher will now meet with Dillon to talk about how the union and PBCTCO might re-affiliate.

If the terms are acceptable, Gallagher will present a recommendation to Local 793’s executive board for approval.

While the precise language must still be determined, Gallagher said the resolution passed by the PBCTCO is a step in the right direction.

“This will mark the beginning of discussions, but the Building Trades appear to have stepped up and made good on their commitment to address our concerns.”

Gallagher said he looks forward to working with the PBCTCO working committee, and perhaps re-joining the organization, as a provincial election looms next year.

“We are obviously much stronger when the building trades are united,” he said. “There will be a provincial election next spring and it makes sense for us to come together as a cohesive group.”

IUOE Responds to Pipeline Cancellation

The following statement regarding the decision by TransCanada to shelve the Energy East Pipeline Project was released Oct. 5 by the Canadian office of the International Union of Operating Engineers. “The Energy East Pipeline is a nation building project. Its cancellation is a huge loss of opportunity for Canada and our country’s highly skilled tradespeople who would […]

The following statement regarding the decision by TransCanada to shelve the Energy East Pipeline Project was released Oct. 5 by the Canadian office of the International Union of Operating Engineers.

“The Energy East Pipeline is a nation building project. Its cancellation is a huge loss of opportunity for Canada and our country’s highly skilled tradespeople who would have built this pipeline. A true opportunity squandered.”  – Lionel Railton, Canadian Director of the IUOE.

The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) expresses great disappointment with the announcement of the cancellation of the proposed Energy East Pipeline. Despite TransCanada’s significant investment in this project, the combination of changing market conditions and an uncertain National Energy Board (NEB) regulatory approval process have impacted the viability of the Energy East Pipeline Project. 

TransCanada’s Energy East Pipeline would have safely transported Canadian bitumen over 4,500 kilometres from Western Canada to refineries and port terminals in Quebec and New Brunswick. This project would have offered significant social and economic benefits to Canadians across all provinces and territories. As a nation building project, the Energy East Pipeline would provide energy independence for Canada and would not only have allowed Canada to get market access for its natural resources, but also curb the importation and use of foreign oil by Canadian customers.

Most importantly, the Energy East Pipeline would have created tens of thousands of good, high paying jobs for Canadians. Upwards of 14,000 full-time jobs would have been open to Canadian workers over the course of the project’s seven-year construction and development phase. For young people starting a career in the trades, this project would have represented a fantastic opportunity for developing their much needed skills. 

Local communities across Canada, including First Nations and Métis communities, would have seen significant new economic opportunities become available with the employment of local people from their communities. This would have had a huge positive impact on many areas of the country, particularly in Northern Ontario and New Brunswick, which have been severely hurt by years of economic decline and slow job growth.

Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between TransCanada and the Pipe Line Contractors Association of Canada, the IUOE would have participated in building the Energy East Pipeline. A project which would have been built to the highest safety and environmental standards. The signing of the MOU demonstrated TransCanada’s commitment to employing Canadian contractors, First Nations and the highly skilled men and women of the Building Trades. 

Our members have safely built nearly all NEB approved pipelines over the past 60 years. When we build and maintain pipelines, they are built right, built safe, and built to last. In keeping with our long and proud history of pipeline construction, our various Locals across Canada invested significantly to upgrade and enhance capacity in our training facilities to ensure the next generation of skilled tradespeople were available and ready to work on Energy East. We look forward to working with TransCanada and the federal government to find employment through Project Labour Agreements on other pipelines, specifically Keystone XL.

The Energy East Pipeline would have supported Canadian tradespeople and Canadian communities across the country. Highly trained and skilled men and women are committed to building these state-of-the-art pipelines. Energy East Pipeline Project cancellation is a huge setback for them, and for all Canadians, in particular to the province of New Brunswick who will be devastated by this announcement. This is a very sad day for Canada.