Funeral Scheduled for Ray Goodfellow

Funeral arrangements have been announced for Ray Goodfellow, a longtime Local 793 member and management trustee on the union’s training and life and health benefits trust funds. Ray died on Sunday, Feb. 21. He was 45. Visitation will be held on Thursday, Feb. 25 from 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at […]

Funeral arrangements have been announced for Ray Goodfellow, a longtime Local 793 member and management trustee on the union’s training and life and health benefits trust funds.

Ray died on Sunday, Feb. 21. He was 45.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, Feb. 25 from 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at the DeStefano Funeral Home, 1289 Keith Ross Dr., Oshawa (south side of Taunton Road, east of Thornton Road by the Oshawa Airport)

A funeral service to celebrate Ray’s life will be held on Friday, Feb. 26 at 11 a.m. at the funeral home.

Interment will be at Thornton Cemetery.

Ray was the proud owner of Whiskey Jack Cranes, former co-owner of Cooper’s Cranes, and president of the Crane Rental Association of Ontario.

He is survived by his beloved partner, Jennifer. He was the loving father of Britney, step father to Megan and Andrew, cherished son of Ella Mae and the late Dennis Sr. He will also be sadly missed by Margot, Dennis Jr., Kathy, Mike, Lee, and his parrot Frank.

Click here for the location of DeStefano Funeral Home

 

Notice to Local 793 Members

The following notice regarding changes to the union’s executive board has been issued by Local 793 business manager Mike Gallagher. Click here to see the notice.

The following notice regarding changes to the union’s executive board has been issued by Local 793 business manager Mike Gallagher.

Click here to see the notice.

Drill Rig Course to be Launched at OETIO in January

As of July 1, 2016, operators will need mobile crane hoisting credentials and 40 hours of specific training that has been approved by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities if they want to operate a foundation rotary drill rig in Ontario. Employers will have to ensure that a worker who operates a rotary foundation […]

As of July 1, 2016, operators will need mobile crane hoisting credentials and 40 hours of specific training that has been approved by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities if they want to operate a foundation rotary drill rig in Ontario.

Employers will have to ensure that a worker who operates a rotary foundation drill rig is qualified and has completed or is participating in a training program.

Operators will also have to have written proof of training available at the project for Ministry of Labour inspectors.

The new regulations are part of an amendment to O. Reg. 213/91 (Construction Projects) made under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

To ensure operators can get the training they need, Local 793 is launching a new foundation drill rig operator-training program at the OETIO campus in Oakville.

A Liebherr LB28 drill rig will be used to deliver the first course being offered on January 25th, 2016. The course will consist of 40 hours of classroom training, along with hands-on training and simulation.

OETIO crane-drill rig Instructor Ray Doyle will deliver the program to eight members who have been approved for the course. There is no charge to take the course, as long as members are in good standing and meet the prerequisites and criteria to complete the training.

Operators can register in one of three drill rig program streams. The stream that the operator goes into depends on the type of mobile crane licence the operator possesses. Modular training forms must be filled out by the operator and employer as to which program stream the operator is to be registered in.

Click here for information about the three program streams and the required prerequisites.

For information on the course, call either:

  • OETIO Director of Training and Apprenticeship Joe Dowdall at 905-469-9299, ext. 2328
  • OETIO Assistant Director of Training and Apprenticeship Brian Alexander at 905-469-9299, ext. 2327

OETIO Pipeline Course Accepting Students

A pipeline training course is being offered at the OETIO in Morrisburg. The course is designed to give participants basic knowledge and skills required to safely and efficiently operate a sideboom, excavator or dozer during pipeline construction. The course is three weeks long. Accommodations and meals are provided by the OEITO. The selection process will be […]

A pipeline training course is being offered at the OETIO in Morrisburg.

The course is designed to give participants basic knowledge and skills required to safely and efficiently operate a sideboom, excavator or dozer during pipeline construction.

The course is three weeks long.

Accommodations and meals are provided by the OEITO.

The selection process will be the responsibility of the OETIO. Members will need the required experience and must be in good standing with IUOE Local 793.

The list is first-come, first-served.

If members don’t qualify because of lack of work experience, they can apply at a later date.

Click here to find out more about the program and to register.

New Regulations Announced for Drill Rigs

The Ontario government has taken action to strengthen training requirements for operators of rotary foundation drill rigs. As of July 1, 2016, operators will require a crane licence and specific training to operate a foundation and piling drill rig in Ontario. The announcement was made at a construction site in Toronto on Dec. 9 by […]

The Ontario government has taken action to strengthen training requirements for operators of rotary foundation drill rigs.

As of July 1, 2016, operators will require a crane licence and specific training to operate a foundation and piling drill rig in Ontario.

The announcement was made at a construction site in Toronto on Dec. 9 by Labour Minister Kevin Flynn.

The announcement came four years and two months after Kyle James Knox, a 24-year-old Local 793 crane apprentice, was killed when a drill rig collapsed onto a backhoe he was operating at a construction site at York University.

Another Local 793 member, Dan DeLuca, was seriously injured in the Oct. 11, 2011 accident.

Local 793 business manager Mike Gallagher, who has been fighting for regulatory changes since the accident, spoke at the announcement ceremony and called it a historic event.

He said construction sites will be safer now that the province has introduced regulations to ensure that the operators of rotary foundation drill rigs are properly trained and licensed.

“We have never given up on making sure we corrected the loophole that allowed an operator who is not licensed to operate this type of equipment. That will never happen again.”

Gallagher said the changes announced by Labour Minister Flynn will make it a requirement that operators of foundation rotary drill rigs go through a full apprenticeship program.

“That is going to make Ontario the gold standard in North America with respect to operating this equipment and I believe other jurisdictions will turn to us when they’re trying to discover how they should raise the bar and raise standards.”

Gallagher thanked the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario for also supporting the effort to change the regulations, as well as Local 793 operators Jeff Brett of Deep Foundations and Edward Christensen of Bermingham Construction who participated in a video that was shown to provincial officials to show the complexities of operating drill rigs.

Gallagher also spoke about apprentice Knox, saying that he had a promising career ahead of him and was only one week from graduating and becoming a journeyman crane operator.

“He went to work one day, like we all do, expecting to return at the end of the day.”

Gallagher noted that his sympathies continue to lie with Knox’s mother, Sherry, and the Knox family.

While the changes announced by Flynn are welcome, Gallagher said there is still more work to be done.

“This is a beginning and not an end,” he said, noting that training should be made compulsory for more types of heavy equipment.

Gallagher said he is hoping that with completion of the Tony Dean report by the College of Trades that “we can get to work on making those other trades mandatory that should be mandatory.”

The changes announced by Labour Minister Flynn amend a regulation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Specifically, an employer now has to ensure that a worker who operates a rotary foundation drill rig must have completed or is participating in an authorized training program and hold a valid certificate of qualification issued under the Ontario College of Trades and Apprenticeship Act, 2009. The certificate of qualification needed will depend on the torque of the drill rig.

The operator will also have to have written proof of training available at the project to an inspector upon request.

Labour Minister Flynn said the new requirements will make Ontario a leader on rotary foundation drill rig training.

“The men and the women who operate these machines can do amazing work with this machinery, but we know that drill rigs need to be treated with respect and if they’re not used properly the potential for accidents is there.”

Flynn said the new regulations will ensure that drill rigs in Ontario are used properly and only by qualified operators.

“These changes are going to ensure that anybody working on a drill rig in this province is doing so with full training and as safely as possible.”

George Gritziotis, Ontario’s chief prevention officer, said the changes will have an impact on the construction industry.

“The number of fatalities in our construction industry is still far too high,” he noted. “I am pleased that these new changes enhance training for drill rig operators.”

Local 793 president Joe Redshaw, who is labour chair of the hoisting committee of the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association of Ontario, said strengthening the regulations for operators of rotary drill rigs is a step forward for safety and the regulations will make Ontario a leader in drill rig operator training.

“These new regulations will ensure that only licensed, fully-trained operators are permitted to operate rotary drill rigs. Construction sites in Ontario will be much safer as a result of these regulations.”

Ontario Labour Minister Kevin Flynn and Local 793 Business Manager Mike Gallagher with workers after new rules for the operation of drill rigs was announced. Minister Kevin Flynn chats to an operator. Labour Minister Kevin Flynn announces new rules for the licensing of drill rig operators in Ontario. Mike Gallagher and Minister Kevin Flynn with workers in Toronto after announcing new rules for licensing drill rig operators in Ontario.

District Meeting Schedule for December

A number of monthly district meetings have been cancelled in December, as they fall in the week leading up to Christmas. The London, Hamilton, Ottawa, North Bay, Barrie and Sarnia meetings are cancelled in December. Meetings in these districts will resume on their regularly schedules dates in January. District meetings will continue to be held […]

A number of monthly district meetings have been cancelled in December, as they fall in the week leading up to Christmas.

The London, Hamilton, Ottawa, North Bay, Barrie and Sarnia meetings are cancelled in December. Meetings in these districts will resume on their regularly schedules dates in January.

District meetings will continue to be held at normal times in December in Timmins, Oshawa, Thunder Bay, St. Catharines, Windsor, Sault Ste. Marie, Kitchener, Sudbury, Toronto and Belleville.

Below is the district meeting schedule:

TIMMINS – 54 Waterloo Rd., Unit 2, Timmins, 8 p.m., 1st Wednesday of the month.

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

THUNDER BAY* – 107 Johnson Ave., Boardroom, Thunder Bay, 8 p.m., 1st Thursday of the month.

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

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

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

KITCHENER* – 100 Sheldon Dr., Unit 10, Cambridge, 7:30 p.m., 2nd Wednesday of the month.

SUDBURY* – 430 Westmount Ave., Unit H, Sudbury, 8 p.m., 3rd Tuesday of the month.

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

BELLEVILLE* – 43 Pine St., Belleville, 7 p.m., 4th Tuesday of the month.

LONDON* – 523 First St., London, 7 p.m., 4th Tuesday of the month. (Cancelled in December)

HAMILTON* – 35 Goderich Rd., Unit 5, Hamilton, 7:30 p.m., 4th Wednesday of the month. (Cancelled in December)

OTTAWA* – Best Western Plus, 1274 Carling Ave., 7 p.m., 4th Wednesday of the month. (Cancelled in December)

NORTH BAY – Voyager Inn, Greenery Room, 123 Delaware Ave., North Bay, 7:30 p.m., 4th Wednesday of the month. (Cancelled in December)

BARRIE* – 240 Bayview Drive, Unit 12, Barrie, 7:30 p.m., 4th Thursday of the month. (Cancelled in December)

SARNIA* – 1390A Lougar Ave., Sarnia, 7 p.m., 4th Thursday of the month. (Cancelled in December)

* – District Hiring Hall Present

Local 793 Participates in Santa Parade

Local 793 had a float in the Oakville Santa Claus Parade on Nov. 21. The float was called The OE Express. The float tied for third place in the Best Commercial Float category. Thousands of people lined the streets in Oakville to watch the parade. Below are some photos from the event.

Local 793 had a float in the Oakville Santa Claus Parade on Nov. 21. The float was called The OE Express. The float tied for third place in the Best Commercial Float category. Thousands of people lined the streets in Oakville to watch the parade. Below are some photos from the event.The OE Express won third place in the float competition.

The OE Express makes its way through Oakville. There was plenty of room on board the OE Express for children. The Santa Claus parade attracted Local 793 members and families. Lloyd Nakaza and Julie Nakaza in control of the OE Express. Local 793 members and staff enjoy the parade. Families enjoy the parade in Oakville. Staff members wave to the crowds in Oakville.

Safety Concerns Over Crane Subject of Story

Below is a link to a story that appeared recently in The Toronto Star, regarding a derrick crane at the top of the distinctive L Tower condo building in downtown Toronto. Click here to read the story. Click here for a checklist from the Ministry of Labour that outlines the proper procedures that must be […]

Below is a link to a story that appeared recently in The Toronto Star, regarding a derrick crane at the top of the distinctive L Tower condo building in downtown Toronto.

Click here to read the story.

Click here for a checklist from the Ministry of Labour that outlines the proper procedures that must be followed when refusing to work due to unsafe working conditions.

List of Federal Election Candidates to Support

Canada goes to the polls Oct. 19. Following is a list of Ontario ridings and candidates that Local 793 members are encouraged to support. The list was compiled with the assistance of Local 793 area supervisors, organizers and several officers, and the Canadian office of the International Union of Operating Engineers. Click here for the […]

Canada goes to the polls Oct. 19. Following is a list of Ontario ridings and candidates that Local 793 members are encouraged to support. The list was compiled with the assistance of Local 793 area supervisors, organizers and several officers, and the Canadian office of the International Union of Operating Engineers.

Click here for the full list.

EPSCA Special Called Ratification Vote Meetings

Your Union will be holding ratification vote meetings on Thursday, October 22, 2015 to renew the terms and conditions of the Electrical Power Systems Construction Association Collective Agreement. Click here to see the notice.

Your Union will be holding ratification vote meetings on Thursday, October 22, 2015 to renew the terms and conditions of the Electrical Power Systems Construction Association Collective Agreement.

Click here to see the notice.