Category: Latest Industry News

Toronto Football Club (TFC) is getting ready to kick off another season. The first home game is Saturday, March 24, 2012 against San Jose. Game time is 1 p.m. For more information on single game or group package tickets, call 416-360-4625 (GOAL) or click here. For 2012 schedule, group pricing and seating chart, click here.

Toronto Football Club (TFC) is getting ready to kick off another season.

The first home game is Saturday, March 24, 2012 against San Jose.

Game time is 1 p.m.

For more information on single game or group package tickets, call 416-360-4625 (GOAL) or click here.

For 2012 schedule, group pricing and seating chart, click here.

The Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO) is using the power of the Internet to draw attention to the importance of infrastructure investment. The organization has published a video on YouTube that characterizes what will happen in the future if society fails to invest properly in public infrastructure. The RCCAO is an alliance of management and labour groups, including Local 793 of the International Union of Operating Engineers. The video is titled A Child’s Future in Ontario? It can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6S4pmwouQw. RCCAO executive director Andy Manahan […]

The Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO) is using the power of the Internet to draw attention to the importance of infrastructure investment.

The organization has published a video on YouTube that characterizes what will happen in the future if society fails to invest properly in public infrastructure.

The RCCAO is an alliance of management and labour groups, including Local 793 of the International Union of Operating Engineers.

The video is titled A Child’s Future in Ontario? It can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6S4pmwouQw.

RCCAO executive director Andy Manahan said infrastructure is something the public rarely thinks about, but the future looks bleak if investments aren’t made.

The RCCAO recently released a study showing that the average worker in Ontario could lose some $400,000 in potential wages over his or her working life as a result of system failures and inefficiencies caused by underinvestment in infrastructure.

“We recognize that the province has to get its financial house in order, but delaying infrastructure programs is not the way to get there,” said Manahan.

He said even the recently-released Drummond Report urged the province not to address its fiscal problems by postponing needed infrastructure projects.

The RCCAO video portrays a young girl visiting her own future in Ontario. She finds that her generation is paying the price for the failure of the present generation to spend wisely on infrastructure.

“It looks at this as an inter-generational issue, and it suggests that we are selfishly leaving our children fewer opportunities,” Manahan said. “Perhaps, for some, it will be a wake up call.”

Inspectors from the Ministry of Labour (MOL) are conducting a month-long blitz of construction sites in March. They’re targeting construction projects employing workers in high-rise formwork, low-rise formwork and masonry, siding and built-up roofing work. The blitz began March 1. It is aimed at protecting workers from preventable workplace injuries. The MOL says the inspections will help ensure that: Work areas are safe from hazards that cause dangerous slips, trips or falls; Workers are using fall protection systems properly and equipment such as ladders, platforms and scaffolds. The blitz is […]

Inspectors from the Ministry of Labour (MOL) are conducting a month-long blitz of construction sites in March.

They’re targeting construction projects employing workers in high-rise formwork, low-rise formwork and masonry, siding and built-up roofing work.

The blitz began March 1. It is aimed at protecting workers from preventable workplace injuries.

The MOL says the inspections will help ensure that:

• Work areas are safe from hazards that cause dangerous slips, trips or falls;
• Workers are using fall protection systems properly and equipment such as ladders, platforms and scaffolds.

The blitz is in addition to regular inspections already being undertaken by the MOL.

Labour Minister Linda Jeffrey said the blitz is part of the government’s Safe at Work Ontario strategy.

“The safety and well-being of all Ontario workers is a priority of our government,” she said. “It’s especially important to make sure we’re protecting workers in high-risk trades from slips or falls that would be disastrous for them and their families.”

George Gritziotis, Ontario’s chief prevention officer, said construction workers lose more time at work due to injuries than those in many other sectors.

“Most of the incidents involve young workers. Our goal is to improve worker health and safety and prevent injuries and deaths at Ontario’s construction sites.”

In 2011, 22 people were killed in construction site accidents and the year before 25 died.

Since 2008, MOL inspectors have conducted more than 266,000 field visits, 36 inspection blitzes and issued more than 426,000 compliance orders.

Canada’s building trades have launched a new website to lobby against Bill C-377. If passed, the legislation would create more bureaucracy and dramatically increase costs for unions. The website is at www.workersbuildcanada.ca. The website contains a list of myths and facts about Bill C-377 and information how union members can email, fax or mail comments to MPs. The Canadian branch of the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department, which represents more than half a million unionized trades, opposes the Bill because it is intended to fix a problem that does […]

Canada’s building trades have launched a new website to lobby against Bill C-377.

If passed, the legislation would create more bureaucracy and dramatically increase costs for unions.

The website is at www.workersbuildcanada.ca.

The website contains a list of myths and facts about Bill C-377 and information how union members can email, fax or mail comments to MPs.

The Canadian branch of the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department, which represents more than half a million unionized trades, opposes the Bill because it is intended to fix a problem that does not exist.

“Instead,” says a statement on the Department’s website, “it actually duplicates processes that are already in place to provide accountability and transparency for our workers and would create an expanded, expensive and redundant bureaucracy. Our costs of compliance will be extraordinary and beyond that required of any other tax entity.”

The proposed legislation is a private member’s Bill. In a nutshell, it would require labour organizations in Canada to file detailed, annual financial statements that go into much greater depth than your typical income statement and balance sheet.

Once submitted to the Canada Revenue Agency, the complete financial package would be made public for anyone to view by way of the Internet.

Conservative estimates put the additional administration costs for compliance in the neighbourhood of 20 per cent. This can be attributed to increased labour costs associated with statement tracking and preparation, and will increase the expenses of unions.

Meanwhile, union pension and benefit plan administrators would also be faced with additional administrative costs.

The building trades are also concerned that the Bill would infringe on members’ privacy.

A component of the Bill requires that the union disclose any trust fund transaction or disbursement (i.e. health and welfare payment, pension payment, etc.) to a member in excess of $5,000, accompanied with the name and address of the recipient, and the purpose for the payment.

Another concern is that regulations to be established after the Bill is passed would require extensive information to be filed on political lobbying activities.

As part of the campaign, the Department is asking union members to call their local Members of Parliament in an effort to convince them to vote against Bill C-377.

A lobby day is also scheduled to be held in Ottawa on May 15.

For poster, click here.
For myths and facts, click here.

A blitz of tower crane inspections across the province last year resulted in 245 orders and 15 stop work orders being issued to contractors and owners. The figures were released recently by the Ministry of Labour (MOL). Inspectors checked more than 30 construction projects in the Greater Toronto and Niagara areas last June. They checked that tower cranes were erected and inspected properly, maintained in good condition and safely operated. The month before the field visits, ministry inspectors and engineers met with 30 owners and suppliers of tower cranes to […]

A blitz of tower crane inspections across the province last year resulted in 245 orders and 15 stop work orders being issued to contractors and owners.

The figures were released recently by the Ministry of Labour (MOL).

Inspectors checked more than 30 construction projects in the Greater Toronto and Niagara areas last June. They checked that tower cranes were erected and inspected properly, maintained in good condition and safely operated.

The month before the field visits, ministry inspectors and engineers met with 30 owners and suppliers of tower cranes to ensure they understood their responsibilities under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and the Regulations for Construction Projects.

Of the 245 orders that were issued:

• 32 orders (13 per cent) were for violations involving tower crane erection, inspections and testing;
• 32 orders (13 per cent) were for fall protection violations;
• 17 orders (seven per cent) were for electrical safety violations; and
• 10 orders (four per cent) were for fire safety violations.

The 15 stop work orders were issued for serious health and safety concerns that presented an immediate danger to workers.

The last tower crane inspection blitz was in 2007. Inspectors visited 120 project sites between April and September that year and issued 1,415 orders, including 151 stop work orders.

The MOL says the fact that fewer orders were written in the 2011 blitz period indicates a trend towards improvement in health and safety compliance.

The condition of tower cranes in Ontario is a concern as there have been a number of serious incidents at construction sites in recent years.

The MOL says inspectors will continue to inspect tower cranes at construction projects and industrial establishments such as shipping yards and pre-cast concrete operations.

Local 793’s head office and all district offices will be open a half hour longer on Fridays. The new Friday office hours will be 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The change takes effect Friday, March 2, 2012. The change was made as a result of a new collective agreement with Local 343 of the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union, which represents office staff at Local 793 offices.

Local 793’s head office and all district offices will be open a half hour longer on Fridays.

The new Friday office hours will be 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The change takes effect Friday, March 2, 2012.

The change was made as a result of a new collective agreement with Local 343 of the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union, which represents office staff at Local 793 offices.

The Working Families Coalition has won a prestigious U.S. political award for its advertising campaign during the last Ontario election. The Coalition recently received a 2012 Reed Award for excellence in the category of best international campaigns from Campaigns & Elections (C&E) magazine. Working Families is a coalition of unions that includes Local 793 of the International Union of Operating Engineers. C&E covers the strategies, techniques and personalities of modern politics. The award is named for C&E founder Stanley Foster Reed. To read more about the award, click here.

The Working Families Coalition has won a prestigious U.S. political award for its advertising campaign during the last Ontario election.

The Coalition recently received a 2012 Reed Award for excellence in the category of best international campaigns from Campaigns & Elections (C&E) magazine.

Working Families is a coalition of unions that includes Local 793 of the International Union of Operating Engineers.

C&E covers the strategies, techniques and personalities of modern politics.

The award is named for C&E founder Stanley Foster Reed.

To read more about the award, click here.

Ontario is a great place in which to live and raise a family largely because of unions, according to Training, Colleges and Universities Minister Glen Murray. He told an audience at Local 793’s banquet hall on Feb. 9 that unions deserve respect, not criticism from politicians. “We’ve lost respect for labour and hard work in our society,” he said. “But we shouldn’t begrudge people who have pensions and security for their families.” Murray was keynote speaker at a fund-raiser for Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn, who is his parliamentary assistant. About […]

Ontario is a great place in which to live and raise a family largely because of unions, according to Training, Colleges and Universities Minister Glen Murray.

He told an audience at Local 793’s banquet hall on Feb. 9 that unions deserve respect, not criticism from politicians.

“We’ve lost respect for labour and hard work in our society,” he said. “But we shouldn’t begrudge people who have pensions and security for their families.”

Murray was keynote speaker at a fund-raiser for Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn, who is his parliamentary assistant.

About 250 people attended the event, many from Local 793 and the construction industry.

In a speech, Murray, who is MPP for Toronto Centre, said unions are the reason today’s workers have decent wages and weekends – and Opposition parties don’t seem to respect that.

Other political parties, he said, want to freeze the wages of unionized workers, but they aren’t too concerned about their banker friends who are making big money.

Instead of a race to the bottom, he said, the Liberal government prefers that today’s workers and young people get proper wages.

“This government won’t tolerate paying young people low wages,” he told the audience.

Instead of attacking unionized workers, Murray said the focus should be on providing opportunities for a more skilled workforce.

That, he said, is one of the reasons the Liberals are behind the newly established College of Trades.

The College was set up to help modernize the province’s apprenticeship and skilled trades system.

Murray noted that in the last eight years the Liberals have opened the doors for more young people to have careers, and Ontario now has the most highly skilled workforce in the world.

On a political note, he said the province does not want to go back to the dark days of the Tories when hospitals were closed.

“We must never forget that the Conservatives gutted this province when they were in power.”

After Murray’s speech, Local 793 business manager Mike Gallagher thanked the audience, in particular the building trades and those from the construction industry who attended the event.

He said Local 793 and other building trade unions appreciate the investments that the Liberals have made in training and are pleased to work with the minister on the College of Trades.

Gallagher reminded the minister that unions south of the border are fighting right-to-work initiatives, something they shouldn’t have to do, and in Ontario unions want to make sure their contractors do not lose infrastructure contracts to large offshore companies.

Canadian municipalities issued building permits worth $6.9 billion in December, up 11.1% from November, according to a report by Statistics Canada. The figure is the highest level since June 2007. The value of building permits was up in five provinces, led by Ontario, Alberta and Quebec. British Columbia reported the largest decrease. Both the industrial, commercial, institutional (ICI) and residential construction sectors recorded permit value increases. In the ICI sector, the value of permits grew 2.8 per cent to $2.4 billion in December. Alberta posted a large increase, which more than offset declines in most provinces. […]

Canadian municipalities issued building permits worth $6.9 billion in December, up 11.1% from November, according to a report by Statistics Canada.

The figure is the highest level since June 2007.

The value of building permits was up in five provinces, led by Ontario, Alberta and Quebec. British Columbia reported the largest decrease.

Both the industrial, commercial, institutional (ICI) and residential construction sectors recorded permit value increases.

In the ICI sector, the value of permits grew 2.8 per cent to $2.4 billion in December. Alberta posted a large increase, which more than offset declines in most provinces.

Permits in the commercial component of the ICI sector increased 41 per cent to $1.6 billion in December. The increase was largely attributable to higher construction intentions for office buildings and warehouse facilities in Alberta, as well as hotels in Ontario.

Permits in the industrial component decreased 24 per cent to $353 million in December. The decline was mostly due to lower construction intentions in all provinces except Quebec.

Permits in the institutional component declined 42 per cent to $402 million. The largest declines were in construction intentions for educational institutions in Ontario, health care facilities in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and government buildings in British Columbia.

In the residential construction sector, meanwhile, the value of permits increased 16.1 per cent to $4.5 billion. It was the second consecutive monthly increase. Ontario accounted for much of the growth recorded at the national level.

Short-listed teams have submitted their bids to build a multi-purpose aquatics and athletics facility for the Toronto 2015 Pan-Parapan American Games. The proposals will be evaluated over the next several months by Infrastructure Ontario, the Games committee, the City of Toronto, and the University of Toronto. The successful project team will be selected and announced this summer. Construction is expected to begin shortly after that and the facility will be completed in 2014. The value of the contract will be announced publicly following financial close. The facility will be built […]

Short-listed teams have submitted their bids to build a multi-purpose aquatics and athletics facility for the Toronto 2015 Pan-Parapan American Games.

The proposals will be evaluated over the next several months by Infrastructure Ontario, the Games committee, the City of Toronto, and the University of Toronto.

The successful project team will be selected and announced this summer. Construction is expected to begin shortly after that and the facility will be completed in 2014.

The value of the contract will be announced publicly following financial close.

The facility will be built at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus and include:

• A Pan American Aquatics Centre: The aquatics centre will seat approximately 6,000 people and feature two 10-lane, 52-metre pools and a five-metre-deep diving tank.
• A field house: The field house will seat approximately 2,000 people and feature an indoor recreational track, fitness area and flexible gym space for training.
• A Canadian Sport Institute Ontario: The Institute will provide coaching and training facilities.

Infrastructure Minister Bob Chiarelli said the announcement brings the province one step closer to breaking ground on the facility.

“This project will not only serve as a focal point for competition during the Toronto 2015 Pan-Parapan American Games, it will provide long lasting benefits to the community as a hub for local activities, university and high-performance sport once the Games are over.”

The Games are one of the world’s largest international multi-sport events, held every four years for athletes of the 41-member nations of the Pan American Sports Organization.