There was plenty on the agenda once again, as Local 793 members and staff came together at the OE Banquet and Conference Centre in Oakville for the Special Executive Board and General Membership meetings over September 23-24. But there was one piece of breaking news that grabbed everyone’s attention: the announcement that long-serving President Joe […]
There was plenty on the agenda once again, as Local 793 members and staff came together at the OE Banquet and Conference Centre in Oakville for the Special Executive Board and General Membership meetings over September 23-24. But there was one piece of breaking news that grabbed everyone’s attention: the announcement that long-serving President Joe Redshaw will be retiring on November 1.
The loss to the Union of the well-respected president will be felt by all members and staff – and especially Business Manager Mike Gallagher, who has worked closely with Brother Redshaw since they were both hired as business reps by former business manager Joe Kennedy just 10 days apart 36 years ago.
Special Executive Board Meeting
Business Manager Gallagher told the 109 officers, members and staff who were present on Saturday, “Joe’s been with me every step of the way and I can tell you that any time I gave Joe a challenge, he accepted it – even if it was not a challenge he was particularly glad to get!”
Whether that meant helping members navigate workplace injury compensation claims, Canada Pension Plan appeals or helping guide the Union through the dark days of Covid, Brother Resdshaw could be counted on to come up with solutions that benefited the membership.
“Joe’s predecessor, Gary O’Neill, left very big shoes to fill, but without a shadow of a doubt Joe picked up that mantle as president and did great honour to his family and his father, Jack Redshaw, who we have a scholarship named after. I know he would be proud of Joe and his reputation and everything he has achieved on behalf of the members,” added Brother Gallagher. “So, on behalf of all the members and staff, I thank you for everything, Joe.”
President Redshaw responded, speaking fondly of his time with the Union, but adding that the time was right to begin the next chapter of his life.
“Local 793 has become my family but it’s come time for me to take a break and look after my own family. It’s been a great 36 years and I really appreciate all the staff and especially the members who have supported Team Gallagher and our movement since 1996,” he said.
Despite Brother Redshaw’s appeal not to clap, the audience rose as one to give him a lengthy and well-deserved round of applause.
The Executive Board meeting began with a presentation by Calvin Renkema, a construction manager with Bird Construction. Bird has been chosen by Local 793 to develop the Oro-Medonte hub office for members in the Barrie area.
It is a project close to the heart of Business Manager Gallagher, who assured members that the build will go ahead and that his long-term goal to develop properties for members in Sarnia, Hamilton and Sudbury remains in place.
Business Manager Gallagher was passionate about the dangers posed by right-wing populist politicians to workers, including the current leader of the federal Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre. He warned that years of Union gains could be rolled back with a stroke of a pen in the legislature.
“Does Pierre Poilievre care about our members? Does he believe in having free Unions? Not a chance. He’s not like any of you in this room who tie your boots on in the dark in the morning, work for 12 hours and take your boots off in the dark at night. I’m certainly not buying what he’s selling, and I’ll never support him,” he said.
Vice President Dave Turple provided an update on negotiations with Baffinland Iron Mines in Nunavut ahead of December’s first renewal of the collective agreement. He reported on his recent trip to the mine, along with Director of Operations Ken Lew and International Representative André Chenier, and how valuable it was to hear directly from members about what their contract priorities were.
“You get people from all walks of life at the mine. You meet lots of folks from the Indigenous community and from all over Canada,” Turple said of his trip North. “There are some wonderful people there who it is a real privilege to represent.”
Vice President Turple also reported that the future of the mine now looks secure after important decisions were made in the territory which would see a new railway being built and an increase in the trucking limit from 4.2 million tonnes to 6 million tonnes a year. Final approval of the plan is expected to be received soon from Federal Minister of Northern Affairs, Dan Vandal.
The Executive Board meeting also heard reports from Andrew Saunders, Provincial Director of Health and Safety, and Justin O’Neill, Toronto Area Supervisor and Executive Board member, about how they are spearheading efforts to continue working with regulatory bodies and employers to keep the health and safety of members at the top of the agenda.
Toronto Area Dispatcher, Ryan Hammel, delivered an update on the new systems that have been put in place to better capture and present clearance card data, which can now be helpfully broken down by member, area and employer.
Attendees also heard that it has been another busy six months for the Labour Relations department, with Director Melissa Atkins-Mahaney informing members of five active jurisdiction disputes in front of the Ontario Labour Relations Board – the highest number of active cases for eight years.
General Membership Meeting
Sunday’s meeting was the first chance for the wider membership to hear of President Redshaw’s retirement decision. Again, the 150 officers, members and staff who were present stood to recognize President Redshaw for his decades of service to the Local with a round of applause.
Brother Gallagher, who announced that he intends to run for re-election as Business Manager next year, closed his remarks to members by saying how proud he was of what the Union has achieved over his tenure, but that his focus now is entirely on what comes next.
“I have been very fortunate to have had your support for so long and will never take it for granted. I feel grateful to just be a member alongside you, never mind standing up here at the mic. I believe the record is there and the ideas for the future are there – that’s the most important thing.
“This Local is only going to get bigger and greater and I feel very optimistic about the future. I feel good, I feel happy. I feel like fighting,” he said.
Treasurer and Executive Director of OETIO, Rick Kerr, delivered both the training report and the financial report, with both sets of figures painting a picture of an organization “firing on all cylinders” – as President Redshaw rightly noted during what was his final outing as Chair of a Local 793 General Membership meeting.
