Winner of Emblem Competition Chosen

Local 793 members who attended the union’s general membership meeting March 29 selected a new emblem design for the union. The local received 30 entries from 14 different candidates. The emblem will be used on future promotional items of the union. First place went to a submission from Local 793 director of communications Grant Cameron. Second place went to a submission from Local 793 IT manager Armand Dowdall. Third place was tied and went to submissions from Local 793 labour relations rep Daveen Lidstone and Grant Cameron. The competition was […]

Local 793 members who attended the union’s general membership meeting March 29 selected a new emblem design for the union.
The local received 30 entries from 14 different candidates.

The local received 30 emblem design entries from 14 different candidates.

The emblem will be used on future promotional items of the union.
First place went to a submission from Local 793 director of communications Grant Cameron.

Local 793 director of communications Grant Cameron's design was selected.

Second place went to a submission from Local 793 IT manager Armand Dowdall.

Local 793 IT manager Armand Dowdall's design came in second.

Third place was tied and went to submissions from Local 793 labour relations rep Daveen Lidstone and Grant Cameron.

Grant Cameron also claimed joint third place.

Daveen Lidstone's design shared third place.

The competition was open to all Local 793 staff and members in good standing, along with their children and grandchildren.
First prize was $1,000. Movie tickets are being awarded to all those who submited entries.
Those submitting entries were asked to include a symbol of Nunavut into their designs to represent that the local’s charter has been expanded to include the territory.

Union Celebrates 95 Year History

Local 793 has bounced back from some tough times over the years, thanks in large part to the members, but it is stronger for it and looking towards a bright future, business manager Mike Gallagher told a 95th anniversary dinner dance held at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto on Dec. 6. [vsw id=”80EXliMzSak” source=”youtube” width=”640″ height=”360″ autoplay=”no”] “When we took over in 1996, when you first elected our team, the local was $12 million in debt, we had $200,000 in the bank, and just prior to supervision we couldn’t […]

Local 793 has bounced back from some tough times over the years, thanks in large part to the members, but it is stronger for it and looking towards a bright future, business manager Mike Gallagher told a 95th anniversary dinner dance held at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto on Dec. 6.

[vsw id=”80EXliMzSak” source=”youtube” width=”640″ height=”360″ autoplay=”no”]

“When we took over in 1996, when you first elected our team, the local was $12 million in debt, we had $200,000 in the bank, and just prior to supervision we couldn’t meet the payroll for staff.”

Today, he said, the union has a pension plan with around $2-billion in assets, $70 million in members’ equity, and a staff of 140 serving members across the province.

“That’s where we are now,” he said to applause from the audience of nearly 1,000 people.

Gallagher noted that he and his team were only able to do that with the help of all the members.

“I couldn’t have gotten here without the support of the people here in this room and the members. I really appreciate all the members who have supported me and my team to help us rebuild and then build this local into the great local that it is.”

In terms of the future, Gallagher said the picture looks bright.

He noted the province has announced it is committing $130 billion to infrastructure projects, and more jobs will be created if the Energy East Pipeline goes ahead.

In the years ahead, Gallagher said the officers and the executive of the union will continue to improve the local.

“In terms of Local 793 and the future, we’re not done yet. I can assure you of that. As long as we have breath in our bodies we are going to fight and build this tremendous organization so it doesn’t stop at 95 years or 100 years.

“We’re going to keep on building our organization and organizing our market, making jobs safer, building up our training and continuing to build this great organization. I can promise you that.”

IUOE general president James T. Callahan told the audience that Operating Engineers have been involved in building numerous projects across the province.

“As you all know, there’s not one roadway or building or dam or bridge that, when you travel around this great province, Local 793 hasn’t touched.”

Callahan congratulated members of Local 793 on the 95th anniversary, saying it’s an example for other locals to follow.

“Your determination over the years has been an example to trade unionists around North America and it’s an honour to walk with you.”

Callahan said he’s traveled extensively across Canada and has found that Canadians are loyal to their country — and to their unions.

He said it was fitting that the local held a special ceremony earlier in the day to honour long-service members because they’re the ones who built the union.

Callahan also noted that Local 793 business manager Gallagher, who is an IUOE VP, works tirelessly on behalf of Canadian locals.

“As a VP, he’s a voice with (IUOE Canadian regional director) Lionel (Railton) and all the other Canadian business managers. They come down and they fight for their people.”

The general president said Operating Engineers are now 382,000 strong in the U.S. and Canada and he doesn’t see a border when it comes to the union.

The IUOE is one organization, he said, because anything that goes on in Canada affects Operating Engineers in the U.S. as well.

Minister of Labour Kevin Flynn said in remarks that Local 793 is a classy organization that gives back to the community.

“In the Town of Oakville, you moved in a few years ago, you set up a beautiful headquarters there and the town has just grown to love this organization more and more every day.”

He said the training and work that the local has done in the community and internationally sets the union apart from other organizations.

Flynn also said that Local 793 business manager Gallagher and president Joe Redshaw have set a very high example for other labour organizations to follow.

“Any time people speak about the Operating Engineers to me as Minister of Labour, there’s a degree of reverence behind it. It doesn’t matter if there’s an argument taking place, or debate taking place perhaps around various issues, your organization and the people that lead your organization are respected in Oakville, they’re respected in Ontario amongst organized labour, but let me tell you they’re really respected at Queen’s Park amongst the members of the Wynne government.”

Flynn noted that he has been working with business manager Gallagher on mandatory training for drill rig operators, an issue that came to a head after the death of 24-year-old apprentice Kyle James Knox in a drill rig accident Oct. 11, 2011 at a Toronto construction site.

“Let me tell you, on the drill rig issue it’s been a little bit of a challenge, it’s been a little bit of a balance, but I’m proud to stand before you tonight and say it’s almost over the finish line.

“If you’re going to operate a piece of equipment like that you need training and the only place to get that from, and the proper place to get that training, I’ve found, is right here in the rooms of Local 793.”

Oakville Mayor Rob Burton congratulated the union on its 95 years.

“Oakville is very proud that Local 793 has chosen our community for its headquarters and training campus,” he said. “We have your leadership and your membershp to thank for the integrity of engineering that we enjoy in our daily lives and for the way you’ve given back to help build the broader community of Oakville.”

NHL Star Brad May Joins Local 793 at Charity Tournament

Former National Hockey League star Brad May crosses the red line, looks up and makes a pass to a Local 793 Operating Engineer streaking across the blue line. Yes, you read that right — a Local 793 Operating Engineer. May, who played 18 seasons in the NHL, joined a team of Local 793 representatives in a tournament at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville on Nov. 21 to raise money for Easter Seals Ontario. Twelve teams participated in the Celebrity Hockey Classic. Each team had an NHL star on the […]

Former National Hockey League star Brad May crosses the red line, looks up and makes a pass to a Local 793 Operating Engineer streaking across the blue line.

Yes, you read that right — a Local 793 Operating Engineer.

May, who played 18 seasons in the NHL, joined a team of Local 793 representatives in a tournament at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville on Nov. 21 to raise money for Easter Seals Ontario.

Twelve teams participated in the Celebrity Hockey Classic. Each team had an NHL star on the roster.

May was drafted to play for Local 793 at a VIP event held the night before the tournament.

The Local 793 team played three games in the tournament. The team consisted of business reps, members and staff, and was coached by Ron Hillis, the union’s director of organizing. The Local 793 team won all three of its games.

Local 793 business manager Mike Gallagher was in the stands, supporting the Local 793 team.

His daughter, Breeann, was one of the players on the union team.

“Our players looked pretty good out there on the ice,” said Gallagher. “More importantly, though, we supported a good cause and raised funds for Easter Seals Ontario.”

Lisa-Marie Smith, co-ordinator of the tournament and senior development officer with Easter Seals Ontario, said the money goes towards helping children with physical disabilities.

“We’ve had a great tournament,” she said. “It’s been amazing.”

The tournament raised a total of $120,000. Local 793 raised about $12,500 and was one of the top three fundraisers.

“That’s a great figure,” Smith said of the money raised by Local 793.

May, who won a Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007, said he enjoyed playing with the Operating Engineers.

“It was fun,” he said, during a break between games. “They’re a solid, solid hockey team.”

May wasn’t a stranger in the Local 793 dressing room.

He recalls playing with Local 793 business rep Mike Schutte when the two were in training camp with the Phoenix Coyotes.

“He (Schutte) came to training camp in Phoenix and played a couple of games. That was in 2002, I think. He was a really good player. I haven’t seen him in 10 or 12 years so it was kind of nice to see him here today.”

May said he doesn’t get a lot of time for hockey these days, as he does a lot of broadcast work in the evenings now, so it was nice to lace up the skates for a good cause.

“I cover so many hockey games in the evenings and there’s a lot of late nights so I don’t get to play a lot of hockey anymore.”

It didn’t take May long to get back into the swing of things, though.

“I feel pretty good,” he said. “I love hockey. Every time I get on the ice I think, ‘Why don’t I do this all the time?’ I enjoy it.”

He admitted, however, that the muscles were a bit sore.

“I think the body is starting to seize up,” he said.

The most important thing, said May, is that funds raised at the tournament go to a good cause.

“At the end of the day, it’s about raising money for a good cause and that’s Easter Seals,” he said. “It’s just great.”

Emblem Competition Deadline is March 15, 2015

Local 793 members are being reminded that there is a competition under way to design an emblem for the union. The deadline for the competition is Sunday, March 15, 2015. The deadline for the competition was extended because of the addition of the Territory of Nunavut to the local’s charter. The competition is open to all Local 793 staff and members in good standing, along with their children and grandchildren. Those who have already submitted an emblem can re-submit their entry. First prize is $1,000. Second and third prizes will […]

Local 793 members are being reminded that there is a competition under way to design an emblem for the union.

The deadline for the competition is Sunday, March 15, 2015.

The deadline for the competition was extended because of the addition of the Territory of Nunavut to the local’s charter.

The competition is open to all Local 793 staff and members in good standing, along with their children and grandchildren.

Those who have already submitted an emblem can re-submit their entry.

First prize is $1,000. Second and third prizes will also be awarded. Movie tickets will be awarded to all those who submit entries.

The winner will be announced at the union’s general membership meeting March 22, 2015.

The winning emblem design will be used on future promotional items that are distributed by Local 793.

Business manager Mike Gallagher is encouraging union members to try incorporating the union’s current dial logo, along with the red and blue colours that are used in the logo, into their emblem designs.

The dial logo is below.

He is also recommending that members include a symbol representative of Nunavut into their designs. For more information about Nunavut, go to www.assembly.nu.ca.

Emblems can be emailed to executive@iuoelocal793.org. Please send the emblems as high resolution PDF, EPS or JPG files at 300 dots per inch. Emblems can also be mailed to:

Union Emblem Competition
IUOE Local 793
2245 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON
L6L 6X8

Please include your name, phone number and union registration number.

IUOELOGO_dial

 

2014 Redshaw Scholarship Winners Announced

Local 793 has announced winners of the 2014 Jack Redshaw Scholarships. The winners are: Name of Winner, Member, Area Office 1. Danielle Drysdale, Anthony Drysdale, Belleville 2. Morgan Hughes, George Hughes Jr., Thunder Bay 3. Erin Turpin, Robert Turpin, Sault Ste. Marie 4. Corrie McIntyre, Gordon McIntyre, Hamilton 5. Josephine Redshaw, Joe Redshaw, Toronto 6. Meaghan White, Daniel White, Barrie 7. Riley McGee, Steve Hill, Hamilton 8. Janie Pepin, Robert Pepin, Sudbury 9. Riley Greene, Jack Redshaw, Hamilton 10. Samatha Van Dyk, Peter Van Dyk, Barrie Each winner received $4,000. […]

Local 793 has announced winners of the 2014 Jack Redshaw Scholarships. The winners are:

Name of Winner, Member, Area Office
1. Danielle Drysdale, Anthony Drysdale, Belleville
2. Morgan Hughes, George Hughes Jr., Thunder Bay
3. Erin Turpin, Robert Turpin, Sault Ste. Marie
4. Corrie McIntyre, Gordon McIntyre, Hamilton
5. Josephine Redshaw, Joe Redshaw, Toronto
6. Meaghan White, Daniel White, Barrie
7. Riley McGee, Steve Hill, Hamilton
8. Janie Pepin, Robert Pepin, Sudbury
9. Riley Greene, Jack Redshaw, Hamilton
10. Samatha Van Dyk, Peter Van Dyk, Barrie

Each winner received $4,000.

The awards are available to the sons, daughters and grandchildren of members who are in good standing at the time of the selection of the awards.

The scholarship recipient must be entering the first or subsequent year of a full-time course of study (at least two years in length) leading to a diploma, certificate or degree from any recognized public Canadian college or university.

Deadline for receipt of applications for 2015 is Sept. 11, 2015.

Application forms are available on the members section of the Local 793 website or from area offices.

Local 793 to Participate in Oakville Parade

Local 793 members and staff are invited to participate in the Oakville Santa Claus Parade scheduled for Nov. 15, 2014. The union will have a float in the parade. Members and staff are welcome to walk in the parade and celebrate the occasion. Theme of this year’s parade is “A Canadian Christmas.” Union members and staff wishing to walk in the parade are asked to gather at Trafalgar Road and Robinson Street in Oakville at 8:30 a.m. The parade starts at 9 a.m.

Local 793 members and staff are invited to participate in the Oakville Santa Claus Parade scheduled for Nov. 15, 2014.

The union will have a float in the parade.

Members and staff are welcome to walk in the parade and celebrate the occasion.

Theme of this year’s parade is “A Canadian Christmas.”

Union members and staff wishing to walk in the parade are asked to gather at Trafalgar Road and Robinson Street in Oakville at 8:30 a.m. The parade starts at 9 a.m.

Third Anniversary of Drill Rig Accident

It was mid-afternoon, Oct. 11, 2011. Kyle James Knox of Stouffville, a promising young apprentice with Local 793, was operating a loader at a subway construction site at York University in Toronto, next to the Schulich School of Business. Suddenly, a massive rotary drill rig collapsed and fell on the loader that Knox was driving, crushing the smaller machine and trapping him in the wreckage. Another worker and Local 793 member, Dan DeLuca, who was operating an excavator at the site, was also trapped and injured after the liner and […]

It was mid-afternoon, Oct. 11, 2011.

Kyle James Knox of Stouffville, a promising young apprentice with Local 793, was operating a loader at a subway construction site at York University in Toronto, next to the Schulich School of Business.

Suddenly, a massive rotary drill rig collapsed and fell on the loader that Knox was driving, crushing the smaller machine and trapping him in the wreckage.

Another worker and Local 793 member, Dan DeLuca, who was operating an excavator at the site, was also trapped and injured after the liner and auger from the drill rig landed on his machine.

Emergency Medical Services and Toronto Police attended the site.

Three Local 793 members, Kirk Winter, Ryan Blyth and David Tustin, helped in the rescue of DeLuca.

They took the initiative and acted quickly to do the right thing.

Tustin was first at the accident scene. He was operating a rubber tire loader at the site. He used the loader to stabilize the liner and auger of the collapsed drill rig, allowing firefighters to place jacks under it.

Winter and Blyth were working on another site near the accident scene. Winter drove a mobile crane to the scene. The crane still had the counterweights on and two of the tires blew on route.

At the scene, Winter used the crane to lift the auger and liner, enabling firefighters to extricate DeLuca. Blyth used an excavator to hold down the rear of Winter’s crane so he could lift the auger.

After two hours, DeLuca was extricated from the excavator and taken to hospital with serious injuries. He still can not work.

Knox, a 24-year-old Anchor Shoring & Caissons Ltd. employee, was pronounced dead at the scene.

After the accident, Anchor Shoring president Dawn Demetrick-Tattle issued a press release.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our employee and above all else, our thoughts and condolences are with his family,” the press release stated. “Our focus also continues to be on supporting all of our employees and their families during this difficult time.”

The Ministry of Labour conducted an investigation into the accident. The operator of the drill rig was not licensed.

* * *

Although three years have passed since the day of the accident, Dan DeLuca remembers it like yesterday.

He was operating an excavator for Dibco Construction when the rotary drill rig collapsed.

“I got lucky,” says the father of two. “When it fell I got in between a space so the rig didn’t hit my head or body with force.

“I was knocked around like a pinball, though.”

The casing of the drill rig landed on his leg and hip, trapping him.

It took firefighters two hours to rescue him.

“Everybody was scrambling. Two operators came with mobile cranes and pulled the drill rig up so I could get out.”

During the rescue, DeLuca was in and out of consciousness, partly due to the pain medication that paramedics gave him. However, he still remembers most of what happened.

“The adrenalin was keeping me up.”

Firefighters eventually pulled DeLuca from the wreckage.

He suffered severe injuries. His foot was broken in five places. He also had a cracked shoulder and a broken femur and ribs.

DeLuca was taken to Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto and remained in the critical care unit for four months. After that, he went to rehab for three months.

Today, DeLuca still can’t work. Although he loved his job, he doubts he will ever return to construction because of his restrictions. He can’t sit, stand or walk for any length of time.

“I’ve thought about what to do but it’s a tough thing,” he says. “I’m sort of in a predicament.”

DeLuca says he’s astounded that operators of rotary drill rigs don’t need to be licensed crane operators.

“When I heard those drillers were not licensed I was in shock,” he says. “I can’t believe you can run a machine like that without a licence. They are big pieces of equipment that can destroy.

“You can’t get into a car without a licence but you can run a drill rig.”

* * *

After the accident, officials from the programs branch of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) decided that rotary drill rigs, like the RTG Rammtechnik RG 25 S drill rig that toppled and killed Kyle James Knox, did not meet the definition of a mobile crane and therefore did not require the operator to hold a 339A or 339C crane licence, or a mobile crane operator 0-8-ton construction certification, depending on the torque of the drill rig.

The MTCU made this interpretation without consulting Local 793 or other construction stakeholders.

As a result, Local 793 argued that the directive of the MTCU was wrong and it should be retracted immediately. The union has also been lobbying for changes to the rules, arguing that rotary drill rig operators should hold a valid Ontario Hoisting Engineer 339A or 339C licence.

On Oct. 20, 2012, then Training, Colleges and Universities Minister Glen Murray announced that mandatory training for rotary drill rig operators would be implemented by the government. He made the announcement to more than 200 delegates at a meeting of the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario in Toronto.

Today, two years later, a committee of industry stakeholders has developed a training standard but training still has not been made mandatory.

Local 793 business manager Mike Gallagher says he was astonished that the MTCU took the position that operators of rotary drill rigs didn’t need to have a crane licence, as drill rigs are massive pieces of equipment with booms that operate the same as those on a mobile crane.

Not only that, he says, the drill rigs are capable of moving loads in both a vertical and horizontal plane, the same as mobile cranes.

“Clearly, these drill rigs must be operated by a licensed crane operator,” says Gallagher. “These drill rigs are obviously hoisting devices, as they also have load charts.”

Gallagher says Ministry of Labour inspectors should be going out to construction sites and checking to ensure that operators of rotary drill rigs are properly licensed.

Gallagher says he is disappointed the government has not yet taken action.

“It’s been three years since Kyle James Knox was killed and nothing has been done to prevent a future tragedy,” he says. “We’re calling on the government to do the right thing.”

* * *

Local 793 member Jeff Brett has been operating rotary drill rigs for the better part of 25 years. He says there is little doubt that operators need to be licensed, as the machines can be dangerous.

“It can be very dangerous to the public if you’re not trained to use this rig because, just like a mobile crane, if I don’t follow my load chart and my cable specs I could easily snap a cable and it could fly out into hydro wires or the public.”

At a minimum, says Brett, rotary drill rig operators should have a crane licence. Once an operator has a crane licence, he believes they should also receive more training specific to drill rigs.

“I believe mandatory training, especially with this machine, a 339A would be the minimum.”

Brett was interviewed recently at a construction site in Toronto. He has operated all sorts of drill rigs and cranes for Deep Foundations. He’s had his 339A hoisting ticket since 1990.

It’s imperative, he says, for operators to be properly trained.

“These drill rigs have very complicated load charts, and being an operating engineer with a 339A licence helps me greatly to understand and interpret the different kinds of load charts with different applications and apparatus that you put on the machines.

“You can lose over a third of your chart with a four-degree inclination change in ground and that can upset the drill rig very easily.”

Brett says rotary drill rigs are similar to mobile cranes in that the booms can move in both vertical and horizontal planes and lift loads.

“A drill rig is similar to a mobile crane by the fact that this drill rig is on tracks and can move and you can also boom up and boom down and change the inclination of your boom the same as a mobile crane. You’re also hoisting, you’re cabling loads up and you’re cabling loads down at different angles and in different situations. In a drill rig, you’re moving material in a horizontal as well as vertical plane.”

Brett says understanding the load charts is essential because drill rigs are often traveling over uneven ground on construction sites.

“Things can get very dangerous if you don’t understand the capacity. If you don’t follow your load charts it’s very easy to upset one of these machines.”

* * *

Mike Cianchetti, field operations manager at Deep Foundations Contractors Inc., says the company requires that operators have a hoisting licence before they’re allowed on a rotary drill rig.

“It’s important for all of our operators to be properly trained, specifically the drill rig operators, because it’s such a large piece of equipment. You’re working in and amongst all the other construction crews and always in very close quarters.

“At Deep Foundations we only use licensed operators on our drill rigs and we do that because we’re continuously hoisting with that piece of equipment. We feel that it qualifies as a crane and it meets the definition of a crane because we’re hoisting.”

Cianchetti was interviewed recently at a construction site in Toronto. He says drill rigs and mobile cranes are essentially the same.

“The main similarity between the drill rig and the crane is the fact that it has winches, very powerful winches, to raise and lower materials into the holes. It’s based on a crane body, and it’s got a mast that moves horizontally and vertically.”

Cianchetti says drill rig operators also have to be properly trained to read the load charts.

“Load charts with this type of equipment are critical because the stability of the machine is based on the centre of gravity and the tipping point. When you’re operating a crane your centre of gravity is lower. The centre of gravity with a drill rig is above the operator’s head. He has to refer to the load charts to calculate his lift.”

If an operator is untrained and reaches out too far with a drill rig, the machine can topple, he says.

“If you don’t have a trained operator he can not read the load charts, he doesn’t know how to calculate his load and he doesn’t understand the physics behind how the machine operates.”

As an employer, Cianchetti says, he has an obligation to ensure workers on a site are safe and properly trained.

“These drill rigs are more than a crane so what we do is take a licensed crane operator, we train them, we explain to them how to drill shafts, how to analyze and look at soil conditions, and how to look at ground conditions. We take their base knowledge as a crane operator and we expand on that and we make sure that they’re qualified to drill shafts.

“The basis of the training is a hoisting engineers certificate. We take that employee and we give them additional training, additional time on the jobsite, additional time as front-end men working around that piece of equipment, and we give them those experiences. You have to have that knowledge of how to operate the equipment and operate it safely.”

* * *

Local 793 business manager Gallagher says it’s time for the government to step up and do the right thing.

“Mandatory training of rotary drill rig operators will provide better protection for both the operators of the equipment and also for the workers on construction sites in Ontario.

“Rotary drill rigs are dangerous pieces of equipment and those who operate them must be properly trained.”

Gallagher says that, like most accidents, the one that killed Kyle James Knox could have been prevented.

“It was a preventable accident. We can not stand idly by and allow another drill rig accident to occur.”

Emblem Competition Deadline is March 15, 2015

Local 793 has re-launched a competition to design an emblem for the union. This is being done because of the addition of the Territory of Nunavut to the union’s charter. The new deadline for the competition is Sunday, March 15, 2015. The competition is open to all Local 793 staff and members in good standing, along with their children and grandchildren. Those who have already submitted an emblem can re-submit their entry. Second and third prizes will also be awarded. Movie tickets will be awarded to all those who submit […]

Local 793 has re-launched a competition to design an emblem for the union.

This is being done because of the addition of the Territory of Nunavut to the union’s charter.

The new deadline for the competition is Sunday, March 15, 2015.

The competition is open to all Local 793 staff and members in good standing, along with their children and grandchildren.

Those who have already submitted an emblem can re-submit their entry.

Second and third prizes will also be awarded. Movie tickets will be awarded to all those who submit entries.

The winner will be announced at the union’s general membership meeting March 22, 2015.

The winning emblem design will be used on future promotional items that are distributed by Local 793.

Members are encouraged to submit their best designs in colour and perhaps incorporate the red and blue colours that are used in the union’s current logos into their designs.

Emblems can be emailed to executive@iuoelocal793.org.

Please send the emblems as high resolution PDF, EPS or JPG files at 300 dots per inch. Emblems can also be mailed to:

Union Emblem Competition
IUOE Local 793
2245 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON
L6L 6X8

Please include your name, phone number and union registration number when submitting a design.

Ron Jones Passes Away

Ronald G. Jones of Richmond Hill, an honourary lifetime member of Local 793, has passed away. Ron died Monday, Sept. 29 at his home. He was 83. Ron was a crane operator and longtime union member. He was initiated into the union on April 1, 1963 and was a 51-year member. He received his 50-year award from Local 793 business manager Mike Gallagher during a long-service awards ceremony in the union banquet hall Nov. 16, 2013. Ron became an honourary member of the union in 2004. Business manager Gallagher said […]

Ronald G. Jones of Richmond Hill, an honourary lifetime member of Local 793, has passed away.

Ron died Monday, Sept. 29 at his home. He was 83.

Ron was a crane operator and longtime union member. He was initiated into the union on April 1, 1963 and was a 51-year member.

He received his 50-year award from Local 793 business manager Mike Gallagher during a long-service awards ceremony in the union banquet hall Nov. 16, 2013.

Ron became an honourary member of the union in 2004.

Business manager Gallagher said members will miss Ron for his wisdom and sense of humour, something he was generous with over the years.

Ron was a well-known and respected member of Local 793. He helped organize with the International on the east coast and in his home province of New Brunswick.

He came to Toronto in 1963 and settled in the Richmond Hill area, raising two sons and two daughters.

He worked many years for Superior Crane Rental and was a strong union activist.

Ron’s presence on various jobsites is well remembered through his operating expertise on many types of cranes, including the conventional Lima mobile that was part of Superior’s fleet.

His patience helped many operators develop the extra skills necessary to excel at the trade.

Eventually, Ron’s position at Superior Crane Rentals changed to a managerial one. He retired in May 1991.

Ron was a regular at the Labour Day Parade in Toronto. He was known for the Indiana Jones style hats which he wore to most union events.

Marshall Funeral Home, 10366 Yonge Street, Richmond Hill, is in charge of funeral arrangements. The funeral home is at the fourth traffic light north of Major Mackenzie.

Visitation is Friday, Oct. 3 from 4 to 6 p.m. A non-denominational service will be held at 6 p.m. and a reception will follow.

The family is asking that memorial donations be made to the Odette Cancer Centre at Sunnybrook Hospital.

Ron was predeceased by his wife Joan. He is survived by his children Ronalda, Errol, Alanna and Cleve.

Canada is Moving Backwards, Broadbent says

Canada has regressed in the past five decades and there is now a greater divide between the rich and poor, says former federal NDP leader Ed Broadbent. He told the 56th Canadian Conference of the International Union of Operating Engineers in Toronto that instead of people becoming more equal, precisely the opposite has happened. “Instead of moving forwards we’re moving backwards.” Broadbent was one of the speakers at the Aug. 25 session of the conference. He is chair of the Broadbent Institute, a non-partisan organization exploring social democratic policies and […]

Canada has regressed in the past five decades and there is now a greater divide between the rich and poor, says former federal NDP leader Ed Broadbent.

He told the 56th Canadian Conference of the International Union of Operating Engineers in Toronto that instead of people becoming more equal, precisely the opposite has happened.

“Instead of moving forwards we’re moving backwards.”

Broadbent was one of the speakers at the Aug. 25 session of the conference. He is chair of the Broadbent Institute, a non-partisan organization exploring social democratic policies and ideas.

In the late 1950s, he said, there were plenty of jobs and trade unions were flourishing, and in the 1970s laws were adopted that provided new freedoms to women, gays and ethnic minorities.

But today, he said, affordable housing is no longer available to thousands of families across the country, most workers have no private pensions, students graduate with an average debt of $25,000, and child poverty has become a serious issue.

Canada also used to be admired for its vigorous debate and civil liberties, he said, but the government of Stephen Harper has trampled on the rights of the country’s workers.

“Not in over 60 years has Canadian government worked so hard to undermine the rights of the trade union movement. It’s been right wing ideology of the most intolerant kind that has shattered Canada’s reputation.”

Broadbent said a “rich minority” has also emerged that pays a smaller portion of the tax burden than they did a decade ago.

He said the Liberal government slashed federal programs in the 1990s and Harper’s Conservatives later brought in tax cuts that favoured the rich.

“It was Robin Hood in reverse,” he said, noting that under Harper “rich Canadians have never had it so good.”

He said Canadians need to put an end to the fundamentalist way of thinking and create a more balanced approach.

With a federal election looming in 2015, he said, there is no better time.

“Canadians are now open to change and they want a federal government that leads.

“They want a fair share of income.”

Broadbent said there is no better way to address that inequality than strengthening trade unions.

“Trade unions in Canada are good for everyone and we must get that message out,” he said to resounding applause. “Workers’ rights are human rights.”

Local 793 business manager Mike Gallagher said Broadbent’s message might sound bleak but it’s one that unions should take to heart.

He noted that it’s nice to have a sane voice amidst all the other right-wing think tanks that are out there spewing their messages.