Firefighters Are Warning People to Never Leave Hand Sanitizer in Your Car

Without being alarmist, the rising temperatures mean the inside of your car will get hot very quickly – so don’t leave a bottle of hand sanitizer in there, just in case. The fire department of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, has issued a warning that alcohol-based sanitizer bottles should not be left in cars because there’s a possibility […]

Without being alarmist, the rising temperatures mean the inside of your car will get hot very quickly – so don’t leave a bottle of hand sanitizer in there, just in case.

The fire department of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, has issued a warning that alcohol-based sanitizer bottles should not be left in cars because there’s a possibility they could explode.

Their warning is echoed by the National Fire Protection Association, which issued a video (below) in April saying hand sanitizer’s flash point is below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, which means a bottle of it doesn’t need any external heat source to give off flammable vapors. All it would then need is a flame source – someone smoking in the car, for instance – for it to be in danger of explosion. The CDC considers alcohol-based hand sanitizer a flammable liquid “which readily evaporates at room temperature into an ignitable vapor.”

But the Wisconsin firefighters posted an alarming photo on their Facebook page, which subsequently spread to CBS News and elsewhere, showing a door blown apart by an explosion. It turns out, as the Poynter media group reported, that this photo depicts a deliberate explosion set in 2015 that had nothing to do with any hand sanitizer. It is extremely unlikely that your personal sanitizer bottle will cause that, the firefighters admit, but they still say that with just the wrong combination of concentrated bright sunlight and excessive heat on a bottle of hand sanitizer, it could happen.

So, do you have to worry the bottle will spontaneously blow up in a hot car? Probably not, but why would you risk it? Take it with you when you get out of the car.

Read the article at prevention.com

Ontario Helps People Impacted by COVID-19 Get Back to Work

Government of Ontario News Release: May 22, 2020 1:00 P.M. TORONTO — As the economy gradually reopens, the Ontario government is helping people affected by COVID-19 get back to work. The province is investing in Ontario’s first Virtual Action Centre, an online counselling and training portal, to support laid off and unemployed hospitality workers, and […]

Government of Ontario News Release:
May 22, 2020 1:00 P.M.

TORONTO — As the economy gradually reopens, the Ontario government is helping people affected by COVID-19 get back to work. The province is investing in Ontario’s first Virtual Action Centre, an online counselling and training portal, to support laid off and unemployed hospitality workers, and is helping apprentices by providing grants to purchase tools, protective equipment and clothing for their trade, along with forgiving previous loans to purchase tools.

The announcement was made today by Premier Doug Ford, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, and Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development.

“The impact of COVID-19 has been devastating for many business owners, workers, and families, and that’s why we are doing everything we can to help people through this difficult period,” said Premier Ford. “Hospitality workers and our skilled tradespeople have been among those hardest hit by this pandemic. These new programs will ensure they’re ready to get back on the job and play an important role in our economic recovery.”

The government is providing an Ontario Tools Grant of $2.5 million in 2020-21 and $7.5 million in 2021-22 and ongoing. This will help new eligible apprentices purchase the equipment they need to start their careers. The funding amounts will be distributed as follows:

  • $1,000 for those in motive power sector trades;
  • $600 for those in construction and industrial sector trades;
  • $400 for those in service sector trades.

To be eligible for the new grant, apprentices must have:

  • completed level 1 training on or after April 1, 2020;
  • an active registered training agreement; and
  • been registered as an apprentice for at least 12 months.The government is also forgiving more than $10 million in outstanding loans owed by apprentices for tool purchases made at the beginning of their careers. The Loans for Tools Program allowed thousands of new apprentices to buy tools, equipment, clothing, manuals and code books required for their trade. About 19,000 apprentices who participated in the program owed, on average, $495.

“If we are going to rebuild our economy, we must reach out and help the workers and businesses that are suffering as a result of COVID-19,” said Minister McNaughton. “The programs that we are announcing today will leave more money in the pockets of our apprentices and support those hospitality workers who have been laid-off by providing access to the training and services they need to recover and rejoin the workforce.”

The government is also investing nearly $2 million to open a Virtual Action Centre in partnership with UNITE HERE Local 75. This virtual job training resource will provide up to 7,000 unemployed workers in the hospitality sector with access to a wide range of services and supports online and over the phone, including:

Stress management and mental health resources through video conferencing;
Immediate health and safety online training for workers who return to work at designated quarantined sites;
Technical skills online training;
Online training to upgrade English language and digital skills;
Peer group facilitation and employment preparation through videoconferencing.
UNITE HERE will operate the Virtual Action Centre. UNITE HERE is a union that represents workers in hotels, restaurants, racetracks and casinos, laundry and food service companies, airport concessions and apparel, textile and general manufacturing and distribution centers.

“Ontario’s hotel and hospitality sectors create thousands of jobs across the province,” said Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. “This new virtual platform will make sure that those workers are supported as we gradually reopen the province and prepare our $35 billion tourism sector to welcome visitors back.”

“We are very grateful for the generous support of the Ontario government,” said Guled Warsame, President of UNITE HERE Local 75. “This support will provide services and skills training to our members who are laid-off due to COVID-19. We know that people are at the heart of the hospitality industry. We are very grateful and proud to work with the provincial government to ensure that people are provided with support and the opportunity to upgrade their skills and get back to work as soon as possible.”

Click here to read the official news release

 

IUOE Local 793 2020 Nomination and Election Update – May 8

May 8, 2020 Dear Brothers and Sisters: Re: IUOE Local 793 2020 Nomination and Election Update I am writing further to my letter dated April 9, 2020 with a further update on behalf of the IUOE Local 793 Election Committee (“Election Committee”). The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a fluid situation. As of today, there […]

May 8, 2020

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Re: IUOE Local 793 2020 Nomination and Election Update

I am writing further to my letter dated April 9, 2020 with a further update on behalf of the IUOE Local 793 Election Committee (“Election Committee”).

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a fluid situation. As of today, there is no sense of when Local 793 will be permitted to hold regular monthly meetings in the normal course.

In recognition of the fact that the only step in the election process which requires in-person attendance is the nomination of candidates as all other aspects are done via mail-in ballot, the Election Committee has sought further advice from our International in Washington and General President Callahan to allow the election to move forward. The enclosed Notice provides the modified election schedule.

It is important to note that nominations will be held in the month of June on the dates when regularly scheduled monthly meetings would have occurred in each district. We have outlined a procedure in the attached Notice to ensure that nominations can be made in person but in a safe manner that takes every reasonable precaution to protect against COVID-19.

We are confident that allowing the nominations to move forward in the month of June in the manner outlined herein is the right decision in order to avoid delaying the election unnecessarily.

Yours truly,
Alex Law
Chair, IUOE Local 793 Elections Committee

2020 NOMINATIONS FOR LOCAL UNION OFFICE

During the month of June 2020, nominations will be held for the upcoming election in September 2020.

The offices to be filled are:

  • President (1)
  • Vice-President (1)
  • Recording-Corresponding Secretary (1)
  • Financial Secretary (1)
  • Treasurer (1)
  • Business Manager (1)
  • Trustees (3)
  • Auditors (3)
  • Conductor (1)
  • Guard (1)
  • Executive Board Members (6)

The election will be held in accordance with Article XXIV, Subdivision 1, Section (b) of the Constitution, and Article XXVI, Section 1, (h) and (j) of the Constitution.

MEETING DATES

The following list provides the date, time and location for the nomination meeting to be held in each district.

TIMMINS – June 3, 2020
54 Waterloo Rd., Unit 2, Timmins. 7:30 p.m. 1st Wednesday of the month.

OSHAWA – June 4, 2020
1255 Terwillegar Ave., Unit 7, Oshawa. 7 p.m. 1st Thursday of the month.

THUNDER BAY – June 4, 2020
979 Alloy Drive, Suite 101, Thunder Bay. 7 p.m. 1st Thursday of the month.

ST. CATHARINES – June 9, 2020
188 Bunting Rd., Unit 5, St. Catharines. 7:30 p.m. 2nd Tuesday of the month.

WINDSOR – June 9, 2020
3383 Walker Rd., Windsor. 7 p.m. 2nd Tuesday of the month.

SAULT STE. MARIE – June 10, 2020
432 Great Northern Rd., Suite 203, Sault Ste. Marie. 7:30 p.m. 2nd Wednesday of the month.

CAMBRIDGE – June 10, 2020
55 Fleming Drive, Unit 26, Cambridge. 7:30 p.m. 2nd Wednesday of the month.

SUDBURY – June 16, 2020
430 Westmount Ave., Unit H, Sudbury. 7 p.m. 3rd Tuesday of the month.

TORONTO – June 17, 2020
2245 Speers Rd., Oakville. 7:30 p.m. 3rd Wednesday of the month.

BELLEVILLE – June 23, 2020
1 Millennium Pkwy., Suite 102, Belleville. 7 p.m. 4th Tuesday of the month.

LONDON – June 23, 2020
4096 Meadowbrook Dr., Unit 115, London. 7 p.m. 4th Tuesday of the month.

HAMILTON – June 24, 2020
35 Goderich Rd., Unit 5, Hamilton. 7:30 p.m. 4th Wednesday of the month.

OTTAWA – June 24, 2020
174 Colonnade Rd. S., Unit 2, Nepean. 7 p.m. 4th Wednesday of the month.

NORTH BAY – June 24, 2020
Holiday Inn Express & Suites, 1325 Seymour St., North Bay. 7:30 p.m. 4th Wednesday of the month.

BARRIE – June 25, 2020
240 Bayview Drive, Unit 12, Barrie. 7:30 p.m. 4th Thursday of the month.

SARNIA – June 25, 2020
1390A Lougar Ave., Sarnia. 7 p.m. 4th Thursday of the month.

2020 ELECTION RULES AND PROCEDURES FOR LOCAL 793 OF THE INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS

This is an election year for the members of Local 793, and all of the correspondence on this important issue should be read carefully.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in the closure of many businesses and a prohibition on group gatherings or meetings, Local 793 remains unable to hold regular monthly membership meetings at this time.

Normally, nominations would be made during regular monthly meetings in the month of May. We recognize that because of COVID-19, we cannot comply with every constitutional requirement if we are to proceed with the election.

However, in consultation with IUOE General President Callahan, to the extent the following procedure departs from the Constitution, the General President has used his executive power to allow a modification to the rules to allow elections to move forward in the manner proposed herein.

Rules and procedures of the 2020 election shall be as follows:

1. Election of Officers and Executive Board Members of Local 793 shall be conducted as per Article XXIV, Subdivision 1, Section (b) of the Constitution, and Article XXVI, Section 1, (h) and (j) of the Constitution.
2. Notice of the upcoming election is enclosed.
3. Nominations shall be conducted by districts and sub-districts in June 2020.
4. Letters of acceptance from nominees shall be returned in stamped self-addressed envelopes to the Recording-Corresponding Secretary of Local 793 within ten (10) days after having been notified by the Recording-Corresponding Secretary of their nomination to Local Union office. Letters of acceptance shall be opened by the Recording-Corresponding Secretary by Monday, July 20, 2020, in the presence of members of the Election Committee. This will be the only accepted method.
5. The election shall be by mail referendum conducted by a secret ballot.
6. Elections shall be conducted by the Election Committee.
7. The Financial Secretary shall be responsible to provide a complete up-to-date list of all members eligible to receive a ballot by no later than Monday, July 20, 2020.
8. Ballots shall be mailed by Tuesday, August 4, 2020, and received no later than Wednesday, September 2, 2020, and shall be counted on Thursday, September 3, 2020.
9. Any candidate or their representative may be present at the counting of the ballots.
10. Each Committee Member shall receive a copy of all incoming correspondence pertaining to the election.
11. No member shall be in good standing unless they have paid all current dues to the Local in the month in which they are due and all current years’ assessments are paid in full no later than June 30, 2020.
12. Members’ names identified on the June 2020 suspension list (unless identified by error) shall not be eligible to receive a ballot.
13. Any member may contact the Election Committee by writing to the Election Committee Secretary, IUOE, Local 793, 2245 Speers Road, Oakville, Ont., L6L 6X8.

TERMS OF OFFICE & CONDITIONS OF ELIGIBILITY

Terms of office and conditions of eligibility are printed in the spring 2020 issue of the 793 Operator and also available on the union website at www.iuoelocal793.org.

NOMINATION SAFETY MEASURES

In order to facilitate the nomination process for the upcoming election while maintaining the members’ health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, the following safety measures have been implemented:

1. Members who wish to cast their nomination shall attend their respective area offices and must line up outside said office with a minimum separation of 2 metres between each individual in line (temporary chalk markers shall be outlined on the pavement to ensure mandated social distancing protocols are followed);

2. Only one member shall be permitted inside the office at a time to cast their nomination;

3. IUOE Local 793 staff shall have a check point set up at the entrance to the building wherein all members must have their temperatures taken prior to being granted entry to the building (any member who is screened positive for a fever will not be permitted entry);

4. Thermometers used to screen members shall be contactless, meaning temperatures will be taken from a safe distance;

5. This same staff shall ask each member screening questions to ensure they do not pose a risk to other members/staff. This includes “Have you been tested positive for COVID-19? Are you experiencing any symptoms of illness, including even minor cold/flu symptoms? Have you recently travelled? Have you been in contact with anyone else who has tested positive for COVID-19, displayed symptoms of illness, or recently travelled?” If a member answers yes to any of these questions they will not be permitted entry to the building.

6. Each member must use a pump of hand sanitizer prior to entering the building, and another upon exiting the building, to prevent cross contamination;

7. Each member shall be provided their own pen to use when completing the nomination in order to prevent cross contamination;

8. A self-seal express post envelope shall be available in the office for the members to place their own nomination into without requiring contact;

9. Since studies have shown that COVID-19 can survive on cardboard for 24hours, the nominations shall remain sealed in the express post envelope for a minimum of 24hours after nominations, in order to prevent contamination during processing;

10. All staff present to assist members and screen members prior to entry shall be equipped with masks and gloves;

11. If any member does not feel comfortable entering the building to cast their nomination, they shall be provided a nomination form outside the building and allowed to cast their nomination outside.

Local 793 calls on Ford Government to reconsider Halton Region Courthouse project

For Immediate Release May 12, 2020 OAKVILLE – Local 793 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, one of Ontario’s largest construction unions, is extremely disappointed with the Ontario Government’s wrongful decision to cancel the procurement for the Halton Region Consolidated Courthouse project and asks that the decision be reversed. “IUOE Local 793 calls on […]

For Immediate Release
May 12, 2020

OAKVILLE – Local 793 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, one of Ontario’s largest construction unions, is extremely disappointed with the Ontario Government’s wrongful decision to cancel the procurement for the Halton Region Consolidated Courthouse project and asks that the decision be reversed.

“IUOE Local 793 calls on the Ford Government to reconsider the project right away and invest in the infrastructure and jobs that are a vitally needed shot-in-the-arm stimulus for our economy,” Local 793 Business Manager Mike Gallagher said.

Scheduled to begin construction in early June, the shovel-ready project would have an immediate beneficial impact by creating jobs and stimulating the province’s economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“One could, in the face of uncertainty, find some hope that our government could agree that projects like the $500 million-plus Halton Courthouse would not only realize all political party recognition of the need for justice facilities in one of the fastest growing communities in Canada, but which timing is perfect to help get jobs moving again,” Gallagher said.

He stated that the cancellation will only begin to undermine confidence in the province’s infrastructure program at a time when the government wants to get the economy going.

“Canada and Ontario are not some backwater jurisdiction that replaces years of planning and a job tendering process with knee-jerk decisions that make us appear to be so unreliable that no contractors could waste their time and energy on bidding jobs here,” Gallagher warned.

The decades-old Milton courthouse has been facing challenges for years. Progressive Conservative MPP Ted Arnott delivered a message in the Ontario Legislature in 2015, stating it was time for the government to commit to building a new Halton courthouse. “The current Halton Courthouse is aging, overcrowded, unsafe, and inadequate to meet the needs of our rapidly growing region.”

Ontario Superior Court Justice Peter Daley said on November 19, 2018: “In excess of $2 million has been spent on mould remediation at the Milton Courthouse thus far, with an additional $600,000 forecasted to be spent on further mould remediation.”

Building a new courthouse is an expensive endeavor but given the age and physical condition of the Milton courthouse, no plan to renovate or expand the facility will address these issues.

The provincial government said it will direct its resources for the courthouse project toward developing ways of delivering justice remotely and online, which will raise concerns over privacy and transparency.

“It is unfathomable that the Attorney General’s office would cancel the hundreds of jobs needed and a project two years in the planning with the absolutely ridiculous notion that ‘virtual justice’ could replace the real justice that courtrooms with juries, judges and the legal profession bring to ensure that justice is not denied,” Gallagher concluded.

***

Local 793 of the International Union of Operating Engineers represents more than 16,000 highly-skilled crane and heavy equipment operators across Ontario and Nunavut. The union has a head office, banquet hall and training campus in Oakville, and another training campus in Morrisburg, Ontario. Canadian locals of the International Union of Operating Engineers represent more than 50,000 operators and have hundreds of millions of dollars invested in equipment at training centres across the country.

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

Sanitizing Your Equipment, Presented by OETIO

Rod McKenzie, director of training at OETIO Morrisburg, and Craig Giles, training supervisor at OETIO Oakville, share steps for sanitizing the cab of a piece of heavy equipment. Click here for the Federal safety guidance to protect drivers and limit the spread of COVID-19 in commercial vehicle operations CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO:

Rod McKenzie, director of training at OETIO Morrisburg, and Craig Giles, training supervisor at OETIO Oakville, share steps for sanitizing the cab of a piece of heavy equipment.

Click here for the Federal safety guidance to protect drivers and limit the spread of COVID-19 in commercial vehicle operations

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO:Proper sanitizing of equipment is important to keep COVID-19 at bay.

VIDEO UPDATE: Great news regarding the Local 793 SUB plan

Local 793 Business Manager Mike Gallagher reports from head office in Oakville to provide members with great news on the progress of the Union’s development of a Supplementary Unemployment Benefits (SUB) plan. “It looks like everything is falling into place,” Gallagher said. CLICK IMAGE TO WATCH VIDEO:

Local 793 Business Manager Mike Gallagher reports from head office in Oakville to provide members with great news on the progress of the Union’s development of a Supplementary Unemployment Benefits (SUB) plan.

“It looks like everything is falling into place,” Gallagher said.

CLICK IMAGE TO WATCH VIDEO: