IUOE Local 793 came together at the OE Banquet & Conference Centre in Oakville over the weekend for its Special Executive Board and General Membership meetings. 280 members, area supervisors, business reps, staff, delegates, officers, honourary lifetime members and invited guests attended over the two days. Business Manager Mike Gallagher opened his report recognizing the […]
IUOE Local 793 came together at the OE Banquet & Conference Centre in Oakville over the weekend for its Special Executive Board and General Membership meetings. 280 members, area supervisors, business reps, staff, delegates, officers, honourary lifetime members and invited guests attended over the two days.
Business Manager Mike Gallagher opened his report recognizing the honourary lifetime members in attendance and announced the newest members – former Local 793 Vice-President Joe Dowdall and retired Toronto Area Supervisor, Gianni Monti.
Business Manager Gallagher reported that the Local remains in great shape, with finances returning to growth after weathering the worst of the pandemic. To underline that point, he said that the Insurance Committee reported the defence fund was back at its pre-strike level. He also thanked International and General President, James T. Callahan, for reimbursing the fund following last May’s strike action.
The pension fund has also proved resilient, remaining among the best performing funds during the pandemic and returning to growth this year. As a result, Business Manager Gallagher said he now feels confident that he will be able to announce an increase to payments in the very near future.
“There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of the retirees and want to increase the pension for them,” he said, adding that the decision had only been delayed while actuaries monitor the market reaction to two recent bank failures in the U.S.
Having worked so long to make sure members get the respect they are due, it was with particular pride that Business Manager Gallagher reported on figures released by StatsCan this month showing Operating Engineers as among the best paid newly qualified journeypeople in Canada.
Making growth a priority, he said, is now paying off in other ways.
“We are in a great position and are exactly where we should be as far as being able to capitalise on our efforts to organize and grow the Union and thus increase the number of benefits for everyone.”
More good news for Operators was the fact that the Ontario government under Premier Doug Ford and his Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development Monte McNaughton was continuing to invest in the construction industry, with infrastructure projects such as Hwy 413 and the Bradford bypass, highway extensions in the west and subway expansion projects, such as the Ontario Line.
With $240 million also being made available to build and upgrade skilled trades training facilities, the Union is also hoping to tap those funds to help pay to develop its planned provincial hub offices.
Business Manager Gallagher congratulated the successful delegates who were elected to attend the International Union of Operating Engineers General Convention in Hollywood, Florida at the end of April. Due to the Union’s growth, they will be part of the largest delegation sent to a General Convention in Local 793 history.
The Local will also be sending a small delegation in May to the Canadian Labour Congress convention in Montreal, while the annual IUOE Canadian Conference will take place in Ottawa in late August.
Director of Operations Ken Lew opened his presentation on Saturday with an update on the situation at Baffinland’s Mary River mine.
While membership has swelled to more than 900 at the Nunavut iron ore mining operation, Lew insisted that this could grow further if the Union’s efforts to aid Baffinland’s application to expand operations in the long term prove successful.
Provincial Pipeline and EPSCA Business Representative Mike Scott delivered his report, telling members that the industry’s move away from fossil fuels will make change inevitable and impact future negotiations – with the mainline agreement first in line for negotiation this spring.
The sector’s outlook remains positive overall, he said, with the nuclear sector – particularly surrounding the expected rollout of Small Modular Reactors – likely to provide plenty of work for Operators over the coming years.
Director of Organizing Kyle Schutte gave an overview of the organizers’ activities, with plenty of success stories coming in from every corner of the province as new members continue to be added.
He also gave an overview of a nationwide training course being developed that will give new organizers the tools to be successful.
“Local 793 had a lot of influence on the course curriculum, we’ve created that culture of organizing here that I hope will inspire new organizers taking this course to go back to their home province and change lives – because that’s exactly what we’re doing here, we’re changing lives,” said Schutte.
Labour Relations Manager Melissa Atkins-Mahaney used her report to explain the background to a jurisdiction dispute arising from Ontario Power Generation subcontracting work to a single trade LIUNA contractor, Quantum Murray, at Lambton and Nanticoke. The case has gone to the Ontario Labour Relations Board, where hearings are set for May 17 and June 2.
The Training Report was delivered by OETIO Executive Director Rick Kerr on Sunday and by Director of Apprenticeship and Training Jeff Hewitt on Saturday. They reported on the findings of an outside agency that estimates IUOE/OETIO will need to recruit an average of 650 new apprentices/operators annually to meet the industry demand for skilled crane operators and heavy equipment operators up to 2027.
Successful applications for provincial funds that have allowed the training institute to continue to modernize its fleet were also reported on.
Local 793 area delegates reported on the work situation in their own locations across Ontario, including: Mike Reynolds (Barrie), Jordan Jewell (Belleville), Jason Vey (Cambridge), Stephen Bianco (Hamilton), Tory Lampman (London), Brad Martin (Oshawa), James Tracy (Ottawa), Gary Johnson (Sault Ste. Marie), Jim Fleckie (Sarnia), Greg Kelly (St Catherines), Frank Horan (Sudbury), Kellen Hartviksen (Thunder Bay), Derek Morin (Timmins), Jason Dowdall (Toronto), Lukasz Bienasz (Toronto), Denis Tremblay (Windsor).
After two extremely positive days in Oakville and with construction season also about to switch into high gear, there continues to be plenty for Operating Engineers to get excited about.
