Category: Union News

What an empowering moment to be part of! Our delegates walked side by side with our fellow IUOE sisters through the streets of Houston, Texas, on Saturday as part of the TWBN Banner Parade. Our 793 members cheered with union pride as we marched with thousands of our sisters in other trades to show women and girls everywhere that there are no limits to what they can achieve! Sunday is the final day of the event, but we will be posting more pictures and videos of our members on their […]

What an empowering moment to be part of!

Hear what our female delegates have to say about what if feels like to take part in the massive Banner Parade at Trades Women Build Nations in Houston.

Hear what our female delegates have to say about what if feels like to take part in the massive Banner Parade at Trades Women Build Nations in Houston.

Local 793 members are bringing the heat to downtown Houston this morning as they joined thousands of other unionized tradeswomen at the Trades Women Build Nations Banner Parade. We’re so proud of our wonderful delegates in Texas and all our female members. Go girls!

Carla St. Louis leads the way for the Local 793 delegation alongside Torie Coqu and Daniella Dines during the Banner Parade in Houston.

Isobel Keating-Downey and Emma Harrington bringing the energy for 793.

Local 793 members are bringing the heat to downtown Houston this morning as they joined thousands of other unionized tradeswomen at the Trades Women Build Nations Banner Parade. We’re so proud of our wonderful delegates in Texas and all our female members. Go girls!

The Local 793 delegation enjoyed a successful first day at the Tradeswomen Build Nations Conference (TWBN) in Houston, Texas, on Friday, where they spent the day getting to know sisters from their fellow building trades unions. On Saturday, members Thea Julia Hawkyard, Michelle McDonald, Emma Hamilton, Amanda Harrington, Isobel Keating-Downey, Daniella Dines, Torie Coqu, Sarah Blais and Carla St. Louis will be taking part in the massive Banner Parade through the streets of Houston. Check out our social media channels for all the latest pictures and videos.

Local 793 delegates to TWBN (L-R) Thea Julia Hawkyard, Michelle McDonald, Emma Hamilton, Amanda Harrington, Isobel Keating-Downey, Daniella Dines, Torie Coqu and Sarah Blais. The delegation is being led by Carla St. Louis, OETIO's Director of Marketing and Indigenous Affairs.

The Local 793 delegation enjoyed a successful first day at the Tradeswomen Build Nations Conference (TWBN) in Houston, Texas, on Friday, where they spent the day getting to know sisters from their fellow building trades unions.

On Saturday, members Thea Julia Hawkyard, Michelle McDonald, Emma Hamilton, Amanda Harrington, Isobel Keating-Downey, Daniella Dines, Torie Coqu, Sarah Blais and Carla St. Louis will be taking part in the massive Banner Parade through the streets of Houston. Check out our social media channels for all the latest pictures and videos.

The Trades Women Build Nations (TWBN) Conference officially gets under way today in Houston, Texas, with Local 793 delegates Thea Julia Hawkyard and Sarah Blais already brushing up on their networking skills! The women dropped by the IUOE booth in the George R. Brown Convention Center where they were greeted by IUOE General President John Downey. Nine female members of Local 793 have travelled to Texas for the three-day event, the showpiece of which will be Saturday’s union Banner Parade through the streets of downtown Houston. Stay tuned for more! […]

The Trades Women Build Nations (TWBN) Conference officially gets under way today in Houston, Texas, with Local 793 delegates Thea Julia Hawkyard and Sarah Blais already brushing up on their networking skills! The women dropped by the IUOE booth in the George R. Brown Convention
Center where they were greeted by IUOE General President John Downey.

Nine female members of Local 793 have travelled to Texas for the three-day event, the showpiece of which will be Saturday’s union Banner Parade through the streets of downtown Houston. Stay tuned for more!

High school students visiting the Level Up! careers fair in Barrie this week were able to test their skills on the OETIO simulators under the experienced eyes of Local 793 retired members John Monti and Dan Davey. Level Up! events are being held throughout Ontario until December, giving students and jobseekers the chance to check out more than 140 skilled trades. OETIO is again taking part, with instructors, staff and Local 793 business reps all on hand to provide expert knowledge and career advice. The next event OETIO is attending […]

High school students visiting the Level Up! careers fair in Barrie this week were able to test their skills on the OETIO simulators under the experienced eyes of Local 793 retired members John Monti and Dan Davey.

Level Up! events are being held throughout Ontario until December, giving students and jobseekers the chance to check out more than 140 skilled trades. OETIO is again taking part, with instructors, staff and Local 793 business reps all on hand to provide expert knowledge and career advice.

The next event OETIO is attending is at the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition in Thunder Bay on October 21. See you there!

Dan Davey keeps watch as a visitor to the OETIO booth tries his hand at the simulator.

John Monti provides some hands-on tips for a student using the excavator simulator.

The OETIO booth and trailer are always a popular stop for students at Level Up! events.

Our members are always working hard to achieve the impossible. Check out these pictures of our members getting it done!  

Our members are always working hard to achieve the impossible. Check out these pictures of our members getting it done!

Victoria Monardo has been part of the Local 793 family since May 2020 and we recently had the opportunity to visit her on the jobsite. Listen to what she has to say about working as an Operating Engineer and what she loves most about being a member of this union.    

Victoria Monardo has been part of the Local 793 family since May 2020 and we recently had the opportunity to visit her on the jobsite.

Listen to what she has to say about working as an Operating Engineer and what she loves most about being a member of this union.

Our Oakville OETIO campus recently hosted members of the Durham Regional Police Service’s Tactical Support Unit, who were using our cranes to hone the skills that will save lives and protect the public during emergencies at heights. DRPS isn’t the only police force in the GTA to take advantage of our training sites. Last year, the Peel Regional Police Service came out to use our site for similar training. We’re proud to provide emergency responders with access to our training grounds, whether it’s firefighters, police or paramedics; we have deep […]

Our Oakville OETIO campus recently hosted members of the Durham Regional Police Service’s Tactical Support Unit, who were using our cranes to hone the skills that will save lives and protect the public during emergencies at heights.

DRPS isn’t the only police force in the GTA to take advantage of our training sites. Last year, the Peel Regional Police Service came out to use our site for similar training.

We’re proud to provide emergency responders with access to our training grounds, whether it’s firefighters, police or paramedics; we have deep appreciation for the difficult and dangerous work they do.

Local 793 Business Managers past and present enjoyed a double celebration this week, as Mike Gallagher and Joe Kennedy got together to celebrate their birthdays. Joe, who led the union from 1974 until 1992, turned 100 on September 29, while Mike turned 65 on the same day. Mike was joined by Local 793 President Dave Turple at Joe’s current residence at the Veterans Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto today to present him with an engraved pocket watch, letters of congratulations from IUOE General President John Downey and […]

Local 793 Business Managers past and present enjoyed a double celebration this week, as Mike Gallagher and Joe Kennedy got together to celebrate their birthdays.

Joe, who led the union from 1974 until 1992, turned 100 on September 29, while Mike turned 65 on the same day.

Mike was joined by Local 793 President Dave Turple at Joe’s current residence at the Veterans Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto today to present him with an engraved pocket watch, letters of congratulations from IUOE General President John Downey and Ontario Premier Doug Ford, and a commemorative booklet charting Joe’s career with the union.

Also present were Joe’s grandson Kayle and great-grandson Erin, generations four and five of Kennedy family Operating Engineers.

Mike, who was brought onto the union staff by Joe in 1987, said, “Joe was a very strong leader and I learned a lot from him about how to carry yourself and how to lead an organization.”

Joe achieved much for members during his time with Local 793, including leading the push to create the pension plan in 1973, forcing a change in legislation to make hoisting engineer a compulsory certified trade in 1979 and publishing the first edition of 793 Operator in 1974 as a way to better connect members to their union.

With a lifelong focus on worker safety, which led to him being awarded the prestigious Roy A. Phinnemore award for his contribution to the prevention of accidents, Honourary Lifetime Member Joe had a special message for the current membership.

“Be safe, be cautious and be kind to your fellow members!”

Happy birthday Joe and Mike!

Mike Gallagher and Joe Kennedy are joined by Local 793 President Dave Turple (left) and Kayle and Erin Kennedy.

Joe Kennedy is shown the engraved pocket watch presented to him by Business Manager Mike Gallagher by grandson Kayle.