Category: Union News

On behalf of the officers, executive board and staff of Local 793 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, I would like to wish all members and their families a Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year. May your celebrations be filled with happiness and prosperity. The holiday season is a time to pause and reflect on all the work you’ve accomplished over the year and the efforts you’ve made to ensure the success and growth of our Union. Your unwavering commitment and solidarity are the pillars that […]

On behalf of the officers, executive board and staff of Local 793 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, I would like to wish all members and their families a Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year. May your celebrations be filled with happiness and prosperity.

The holiday season is a time to pause and reflect on all the work you’ve accomplished over the year and the efforts you’ve made to ensure the success and growth of our Union. Your unwavering commitment and solidarity are the pillars that strengthen our Brotherhood and Sisterhood, and for that, I am honoured and grateful.

I remain confident that, united, we will continue to surpass expectations and achieve even more significant achievements in 2025.

Merry Christmas from Local 793 to you and yours!

Fraternally,

Mike Gallagher
Local 793 Business Manager

Please be advised that Local 793 offices will be closed on Monday, December 23, 2024, for the Holidays and will resume office hours on Monday, January 6, 2025. Happy Holidays to all!

Please be advised that Local 793 offices will be closed on Monday, December 23, 2024, for the Holidays and will resume office hours on Monday, January 6, 2025.

Happy Holidays to all!

Today marks the 128th anniversary of the International Union of Operating Engineers, when eleven determined steam engineers set in motion the formation of what would become, and remains today, one of the strongest labour unions fighting for working men and women in North America. The officers and executive board members of Local 793 congratulate the IUOE in achieving this milestone. IUOE represents more than 400,000 members in 123 Locals across the United States and Canada, fighting for safer working conditions and fair wages, and helping thousands of families have a […]

Today marks the 128th anniversary of the International Union of Operating Engineers, when eleven determined steam engineers set in motion the formation of what would become, and remains today, one of the strongest labour unions fighting for working men and women in North America.

The officers and executive board members of Local 793 congratulate the IUOE in achieving this milestone.

IUOE represents more than 400,000 members in 123 Locals across the United States and Canada, fighting for safer working conditions and fair wages, and helping thousands of families have a better tomorrow. IUOE Local 793 is proud and honoured to be part of International Union of Operating Engineers!

Local 793 officers, executive board members, staff and guests paid tribute to the Union’s long service members at the Dinner Dance held in their honour on Saturday at the OE Banquet and Conference Centre in Oakville. Honourees who reached long service milestones in both 2024 and 2021 were recognized for their years of service and commitment to building what the Union is today. Business Manager Mike Gallagher welcomed guests, dignitaries and long-service members to the event. “I really must thank you, the members, who have always stuck together when it […]

Local 793 officers, executive board members, staff and guests paid tribute to the Union’s long service members at the Dinner Dance held in their honour on Saturday at the OE Banquet and Conference Centre in Oakville.

Honourees who reached long service milestones in both 2024 and 2021 were recognized for their years of service and commitment to building what the Union is today.

Business Manager Mike Gallagher welcomed guests, dignitaries and long-service members to the event.

“I really must thank you, the members, who have always stuck together when it counted – not for me, not because you had to, but because that’s how you are built. I want to thank you for all that you have done.”

Business Manager Gallagher continued, “I’m the manager, it’s true, but when I look around the room, I see all these members who have built this organization. We have been through a lot together, but we have been extremely unified throughout that and have grown stronger through unity.”

Attending as special guest was Ontario’s Minister of Labour, David Piccini.

“Christmas is a time where I always reflect and give thanks, and I’m very thankful for the relationship we have with the Operating Engineers as a government under the leadership of Mike Gallagher.

“I’m also incredibly grateful for a generation of people who built the province that we all live in, love and enjoy. This is a generation that built this province and that is what we’re on a mission to do again.”

A video was shown on screens throughout the banquet hall, reflecting on the Union’s history over the past five years, highlighting the challenges overcome, the victories achieved, and the collective strength that has driven progress within the organization.

The 845 guests in attendance were then treated to a gourmet meal before the band, Sound Parade, took over and the dance floor heated up.

Site clearing at the future home of the IUOE Local 793 regional office and training centre in Oro-Medonte is near completion. Once finished, the new complex serving members in the Barrie and Simcoe County region and all surrounding areas will include a state-of-the-art training facility, a fully equipped banquet hall, and office space for the Union and the Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario (OETIO). Local 793 signatory company Bird Construction is the general contractor. “I’m incredibly proud to be part of this Union project – it’s an experience I’ll […]

Site clearing at the future home of the IUOE Local 793 regional office and training centre in Oro-Medonte is near completion. Once finished, the new complex serving members in the Barrie and Simcoe County region and all surrounding areas will include a state-of-the-art training facility, a fully equipped banquet hall, and office space for the Union and the Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario (OETIO).

Local 793 signatory company Bird Construction is the general contractor.

“I’m incredibly proud to be part of this Union project – it’s an experience I’ll always remember,” Local 793 member Sam Gregoire said. “This regional office and training centre will completely transform things for our members in the area. Even our brothers up north won’t have to drive to Oakville for their training anymore.”

Brother Sam, a second-generation 793 member, added “My son is interested in becoming an operating engineer, and I’m hopeful he’ll complete his training here.”

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on November 12. The event was attended by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development David Piccini, Attorney General of Ontario Doug Downey, Oro-Medonte Town Councillor Dave Clark, as well as local representatives from the Barrie and Simcoe County region and construction industry leaders.

CLICK HERE to see photos and to read more about the groundbreaking ceremony in Oro-Medonte.

Local 793 celebrated breaking ground at the site of the new regional office and training centre in Oro-Medonte on Tuesday. The $25 million, 21,000 sq. ft. complex on 20 acres will include a state-of-the-art training facility operated by the Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario (OETIO), a fully equipped banquet hall and office space for union and OETIO staff. The event was attended by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development David Piccini, Attorney General of Ontario Doug Downey, Oro-Medonte Town Councillor Dave Clark, as […]

Local 793 celebrated breaking ground at the site of the new regional office and training centre in Oro-Medonte on Tuesday.

The $25 million, 21,000 sq. ft. complex on 20 acres will include a state-of-the-art training facility operated by the Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario (OETIO), a fully equipped banquet hall and office space for union and OETIO staff.

The event was attended by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development David Piccini, Attorney General of Ontario Doug Downey, Oro-Medonte Town Councillor Dave Clark, as well as local representatives from the Barrie and Simcoe County region and construction industry leaders.

“It’s a great day for the Operating Engineers in Ontario. The construction of the Oro-Medonte regional office and training centre will increase our versatility and ability to train for the future and meet Ontario’s growth needs, Local 793 Business Manager Mike Gallagher said. “It will also ensure that the province doesn’t lag in terms of its infrastructure, including future hospitals, schools, and housing.

“We’re grateful to the province of Ontario for supporting this project and being partners in purchasing equipment to ensure that we have world-class training facilities right here in Ontario that continue to develop the best operators in any jurisdiction.”

Local 793 was awarded $4.9 million in June through the provincial government’s Skills Development Fund Capital Stream program to help develop the training portion of the facility. The rest of the build cost will come from union funds.

The union has plans to add three more regional hubs to serve members in Sarnia, Sudbury and Hamilton.

Local 793 has invested heavily in training since Business Manager Gallagher was first elected to lead the union in 1996, with the Oro-Medonte project bringing the total spend close to $300 million.

The new facility is being built by signatory company Bird Construction and is scheduled to open in 2026.

Read the official press release HERE.

On Remembrance Day, we pause to honour the courage, sacrifice, and dedication of those who have served and continue to serve in the Canadian armed forces. Today, we remember not only the fallen, but also the families who have borne the heavy toll of service, and all those whose lives have been forever shaped by their sacrifices. As a Union, we stand in solidarity with all workers, whether in uniform or civilian life, who have given so much for our freedom and safety. The values of equality, fairness, and justice […]

On Remembrance Day, we pause to honour the courage, sacrifice, and dedication of those who have served and continue to serve in the Canadian armed forces. Today, we remember not only the fallen, but also the families who have borne the heavy toll of service, and all those whose lives have been forever shaped by their sacrifices.

As a Union, we stand in solidarity with all workers, whether in uniform or civilian life, who have given so much for our freedom and safety. The values of equality, fairness, and justice that we fight for in the workplace are the same principles that those who served sought to protect.

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, it is tradition to hold a moment of silence in commemoration of the armistice agreement that ended the First World War on November 11, 1918, at 11 am. With this act of silence, we honour the courage, bravery and sacrifice of the heroes who have served and continue to serve Canada. Let us take this moment to reflect on the privilege of living in a country where the sacrifices of so many have made it possible for us to enjoy peace, security, and the opportunity to thrive.

Lest we forget.

In solidarity and Remembrance,

Mike Gallagher
Business Manager, IUOE Local 793

Local 793 Business Manager Mike Gallagher has told CBC News that he believes the laying off of 10% of the workforce by Baffinland Iron Mines in Nunavut “could’ve been avoided if the regulatory process through the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) wasn’t so long”. Local 793 and the members working at the mine fully supported Baffinland’s application at the NIRB to renew its shipping permit from 4.2 to 6 million tonnes of ore annually. Baffinland’s decision to suspend its application will result in further layoffs due to operating at the […]

Local 793 Business Manager Mike Gallagher has told CBC News that he believes the laying off of 10% of the workforce by Baffinland Iron Mines in Nunavut “could’ve been avoided if the regulatory process through the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) wasn’t so long”.

Local 793 and the members working at the mine fully supported Baffinland’s application at the NIRB to renew its shipping permit from 4.2 to 6 million tonnes of ore annually.

Baffinland’s decision to suspend its application will result in further layoffs due to operating at the reduced tonnage of 4.2 million tonnes in 2025.

The large drop in the price of iron ore since the start of the year forced the company to reduce its costs and started layoffs in early October.

The Union’s collective agreement with Baffinland contains a fair process for determining layoffs and puts a priority on Baffinland to recognize members’ seniority. There’s also protective language that gives laid-off members recall rights for 12 months.

The company has announced that in scaling back current operations it will concentrate resources on building the multi-billion-dollar Steensby railway line south from the mine to Steensby Inlet. Baffinland expects to have its financing in place next year and to start construction shortly thereafter.

The Steensby railway will allow Baffinland to ship 18 million tonnes of ore annually and will provide long-term stability and jobs at the mine.

Over 900 Local 793 members are employed at the mine.

Catch Brother Gallagher’s comments on CBC Northbeat here (jump to 17:23 on the video). Read the full CBC story here.