Local 793 Buys Property Next to Oakville Head Office

Written by Local 793 Staff

The executive board of Local 793 has approved the purchase of a 6.14-acre parcel of property next to the union’s head office in Oakville. The board voted unanimously to approve the purchase for $7.1 million at a meeting May 5. The deal officially closes June 15. The property is at 2201 Speers Rd and is adjacent to the east border of the union’s current property at 2245 Speers Rd. There is a single-storey, 27,000-square foot building on the property. “The purchase of this property is an investment in the future […]

The executive board of Local 793 has approved the purchase of a 6.14-acre parcel of property next to the union’s head office in Oakville.

The board voted unanimously to approve the purchase for $7.1 million at a meeting May 5.

The deal officially closes June 15.

The property is at 2201 Speers Rd and is adjacent to the east border of the union’s current property at 2245 Speers Rd.

There is a single-storey, 27,000-square foot building on the property.

“The purchase of this property is an investment in the future of our union,” said Local 793 business manager Mike Gallagher. “The property came up for sale and it made sense for us to purchase it because Local 793 is growing and in need of more space.”

Gallagher said the union will now be able to build a new residence on the property for students training at the Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario (OETIO) at head office.

In the future, he said, the union might also consider adding additional office space on the property.

Gallagher said the property came up for sale in March and he raised the idea of purchasing it with the executive board.

“With the growth of our union, I felt it was the right move to make,” said Gallagher. “
“The officers and I intend to keep growing this union and we have taken another step in the right direction by purchasing the property.”

The property was purchased from Procor Ltd., a company that manages conventional and special purpose rail tank and freight cars.

There were two other purchase offers on the table and the offer from Local 793 was selected.

Local 793 president Joe Redshaw said the local had to make a serious offer or risk losing the land. The local had CBRE Ltd., a real estate brokerage and transaction advisory firm, determine if the asking price for the property was within reason.

“If we didn’t purchase this property, we’d be locked into the approximately 13 acres that we presently own,” said Redshaw. “This purchase will allow us to grow our union.”

Redshaw said the new residence planned for the property will enable students at the OETIO to reside at one location and not have to seek accommodation in hotels around the area.

“It certainly will be good for students to be housed in one location in one residence,” he said. “Apprentices won’t be required to commute back and forth to their training.”

Procor will continue to lease half the building on the property until December.

The purchase of the building will be internally financed and the union will not have to borrow any money.

With the new property, the union will own close to 20 acres at the site in Oakville.

EI Hiring Hall Rules When Conducting an Active Job Search

Written by Local 793 Staff

Here’s what Local 793 members need to know about EI hiring hall rules when conducting an active job search. According to section 10.6.4 of the Digest of Benefit Entitlement Principles  Chapter 10 – Section 6 from Employment and Social Development Canada: Pursuing employment through a union hiring hall may be evidence that a claimant is available for work. Work through the claimant’s union hiring hall can equate to employment in the claimant’s same occupation. However like all other claimants, union hiring hall members must expand their willingness to seek and […]

Here’s what Local 793 members need to know about EI hiring hall rules when conducting an active job search. According to section 10.6.4 of the Digest of Benefit Entitlement Principles  Chapter 10 – Section 6 from Employment and Social Development Canada:

Pursuing employment through a union hiring hall may be evidence that a claimant is available for work. Work through the claimant’s union hiring hall can equate to employment in the claimant’s same occupation.

However like all other claimants, union hiring hall members must expand their willingness to seek and accept less favourable types of employment after a certain number of weeks on claim.

Union hiring hall exemptions are calculated as follows: a claimant in good standing with their hiring hall may restrict their job search to their union hiring hall for three weeks from the start of their claim, plus one week of exemption for each year of experience in the occupation with their union, to a maximum exemption of 16 weeks. After the exemption period, the worker is expected to expand the type of employment they are seeking and to conduct an active job search outside their Union Hiring Hall and their normal industry.

Once these claimants are expected to seek and accept work outside their union hiring hall, on-going registration with their union hiring hall can be considered as one activity, for the purpose of proving that reasonable and customary efforts are being made to obtain suitable employment. The onus is on the claimant to personally seek jobs outside their union hiring hall, even if they continue to be a member of that hiring hall.

If a claimant is restricting their availability for work to only certain types of work, they may be disentitled from regular benefits until they expand the types of work they are willing to seek and accept, if this is a restriction and not just a preference. A claimant will not be disentitled from benefits as soon as they impose restrictions on their availability for work, if they have not previously been warned that such a restriction is not permitted. They will be given a short period of time to adjust their job search before a disentitlement is imposed. Each claim will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

 

View on the Provincial Budget

Written by Local 793 Staff

The provincial budget tabled April 27 by Finance Minister Charles Sousa promises to balance the books while keeping tax rates for individual and corporations unchanged. It is the first balanced budget in the decade since the global recession of 2008. Local 793 business manager Mike Gallagher says he’s pleased with some items in the budget but is disappointed with others. He likes the fact it is a balanced budget, and that the Kathleen Wynne government has delivered on a commitment originally set by her predecessor. The governing Liberals have fulfilled […]

The provincial budget tabled April 27 by Finance Minister Charles Sousa promises to balance the books while keeping tax rates for individual and corporations unchanged.

It is the first balanced budget in the decade since the global recession of 2008.

Local 793 business manager Mike Gallagher says he’s pleased with some items in the budget but is disappointed with others.

He likes the fact it is a balanced budget, and that the Kathleen Wynne government has delivered on a commitment originally set by her predecessor.

The governing Liberals have fulfilled their pledge to return to black ink by 2017-18. The budget forecasts a deficit of $1.5 billion for 2016-17 before forecasting three straight years of balanced books beginning in 2017-18, all due to a booming economy that’s bringing higher than expected revenue into government coffers.

Gallagher also likes some of the measures, such as the launch of the new OHIP Children and Youth Pharmacare drug coverage proposal, and more money for hospitals and social housing.

The OHIP Children and Youth Pharmacare plan would provide universal drug coverage for all children and youth aged 24 and under, effective Jan. 1, 2018. It will cover the cost of all medicines covered by the Ontario Drug Benefit Program with no deductible or co-payment. Four million children up to age 24 will be covered for prescription drugs.

The government also announced it would be increasing operating funding for all Ontario public hospitals with an additional $518 million or three-per-cent increase in the sector.

Five major hospital projects have also been approved:

  • A redevelopment project will take place at Hamilton Health Sciences that will see aging infrastructure updated to meet current hospital standards.
  • A new hospital is to be built in support of service transformation in the Niagara Region.
  • A new hospital is to be built in support of service transformation in the Windsor region.
  • Investments will also be made in the Mississauga Hospital and Queensway Health Centre to add spaces and renovate existing space.
  • Ontario has committed to the provincial share of project costs for a new hospital to serve the population along the James Bay coast.

Meanwhile, the 2017 budget committed an additional $30 billion in infrastructure investment over the next 11 years. This brings the government’s total infrastructure investment between 2014-15 to 2026-27 to $190 billion, up from $160 billion.

On the social housing front, the province will allocate some of its unused lands, worth between $75 and $100 million, for the development of 2,000 new housing units in Toronto.

However, Gallagher is disappointed there was no money for the Ring of Fire or announcements about funding for more renewable energy projects.

He says he would like to see the province commit to funding for infrastructure to support developments in the Ring of Fire area, but there has been no follow-through on that.

He’s also disappointed the government did not commit to any funding on the energy file.

However, he noted he is awaiting release of the province’s Long Term Energy Plan and hopes the government can be convinced to go to 50 per cent generation of electricity by renewables.

On the economic front, the government forecasts that growth will slow over the next few years, but non-residential construction will increase.

Ontario’s gross domestic product is expected to decrease to 1.7 per cent in 2020 from 2.7 per cent in 2016.

However, non-residential construction is expected to increase by 3.5 per cent in 2018, followed by an even greater increase of 5.3 per cent in 2019.

Campaign Launched by Unions Over BC Pipeline

Written by Local 793 Staff

A coalition has been formed and an online campaign has been launched to tell Kinder Morgan to keep its promise to British Columbians and build the Trans Mountain Expansion Pipeline with unionized labour. Business manager Mike Gallagher is encouraging Local 793 members to visit the web page set up by the B.C. Coalition for Safety Before Profits at www.safetybeforeprofits.ca and sign up to receive information on the issue. “This is a very important issue for our Brother and Sisters in British Columbia, and those who work in the pipeline industry,” […]

A coalition has been formed and an online campaign has been launched to tell Kinder Morgan to keep its promise to British Columbians and build the Trans Mountain Expansion Pipeline with unionized labour.

Business manager Mike Gallagher is encouraging Local 793 members to visit the web page set up by the B.C. Coalition for Safety Before Profits at www.safetybeforeprofits.ca and sign up to receive information on the issue.

“This is a very important issue for our Brother and Sisters in British Columbia, and those who work in the pipeline industry,” said Gallagher. “Pipelines built by experienced Canadian union workers will be safer than those built using unqualified or temporary foreign labour.”

At the website, you will find a link to a Facebook site, where stories will be showcased, and where you can like and share with friends, relatives and neighbours. The Coalition plans to add new stories as the campaign unfolds over time to build momentum. The Facebook site is at https://www.facebook.com/SafetyBeforeProfits/.

The Coalition was formed in response to a growing community of British Columbians who are concerned about Kinder Morgan’s level of commitment to safety.

Founding coalition members include the International Union of Operating Engineers, the Labourer’s International Union of North America, United Association Canada (Canadian Piping Trades), and Teamsters Canada.

Collectively, members of these unions have safely built the majority of pipelines in Canada.

However, in spite of efforts by the trades over many months to meet with Kinder Morgan, they have still not secured a commitment from the company to hire union trades for the pipeline. The trades are seeking a Project Labour Agreement for the pipeline project.

The question then is: Why would Kinder Morgan rely on anyone other than the most experienced workers to build its Trans Mountain Expansion pipeline?

The Coalition wants Kinder Morgan to hire the same union workers that built the original pipeline without incident.

It also wants people to join B.C.’s skilled, unionized workers in telling Kinder Morgan to keep its promise to B.C. and put safety before profits.

The campaign is built around the following key positions:

  • Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Expansion project is a significant opportunity for British Columbians.
  • For B.C., that means ensuring all of the government’s five conditions are met and that B.C. gets a fair share of the economic benefits of the project.
  • For B.C.’s skilled trades workers and workforce of the future, that means not getting undercut by temporary foreign workers so Kinder Morgan can cut costs.
  • For Kinder Morgan, that means meeting B.C.’s five conditions and keeping its promise to put safety before profits.
  • If Kinder Morgan is willing to cut costs with unqualified cheap labour, then it is definitely putting profits before safety.

The Coalition notes that to grow and support the workforce of tomorrow, pipeline unions have invested $85 million in rigorous training to ensure well-paying middle class jobs for B.C. and for Canada.

Local 793 Offices Closed on Easter Holiday

Written by Local 793 Staff

Please be advised that all Local 793 offices will be closed for the Easter holiday on Friday, April 14, 2017. Offices will be open on Monday, April 17, 2017.

Please be advised that all Local 793 offices will be closed for the Easter holiday on Friday, April 14, 2017.
Offices will be open on Monday, April 17, 2017.

New District Office in Thunder Bay

Written by Local 793 Staff

Local 793’s district office in Thunder Bay will be moving to a new location at 979 Alloy Drive, Suite 101 on Monday, April 3, 2017. The current office location at 107 Johnson Ave. will be closed March 30 and 31 in preparation for the move. Monthly district meetings will be held at the new location. The next district meeting is Thursday, April 6 at 8 p.m. The office phone number remains the same at 807-344-7612.

Local 793’s district office in Thunder Bay will be moving to a new location at 979 Alloy Drive, Suite 101 on Monday, April 3, 2017.

The current office location at 107 Johnson Ave. will be closed March 30 and 31 in preparation for the move.

Monthly district meetings will be held at the new location. The next district meeting is Thursday, April 6 at 8 p.m.

The office phone number remains the same at 807-344-7612.

Memorial Reception Scheduled for Brenda O’Sullivan

Written by Local 793 Staff

A memorial reception will be held Saturday, April 1, for Brenda O’Sullivan, clinical research manager of the mesothelioma research and screening program at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto. Brenda passed away Friday, March 17. She was involved in the mesothelioma research program since its inception and touched the lives of many Local 793 members who booked CT appointments. The memorial reception will be held at 1 p.m. at Sunnybrook Estates McLean House, 2075 Bayview Ave. (enter at Armistice Drive at Sunnybrook Hospital). Following is the obituary: Brenda Kathleen O’Sullivan passed away […]

A memorial reception will be held Saturday, April 1, for Brenda O’Sullivan, clinical research manager of the mesothelioma research and screening program at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto.

Brenda passed away Friday, March 17. She was involved in the mesothelioma research program since its inception and touched the lives of many Local 793 members who booked CT appointments.

The memorial reception will be held at 1 p.m. at Sunnybrook Estates McLean House, 2075 Bayview Ave. (enter at Armistice Drive at Sunnybrook Hospital).

Following is the obituary:

Brenda Kathleen O’Sullivan passed away peacefully at Sunnybrook Hospital, Toronto, on Friday, March 17, 2017, in her 55th year after a courageous battle with an unexpected 3-month illness. Predeceased by her mother Margaret (Rita) Thompson (O’Sullivan). Beloved daughter of a devoted stepfather Richard (Rick) Thompson, who never knew what “step” meant. She will be greatly missed by her brother Sean O’Sullivan, sister-in-law Lydia Evans, niece and nephew Lauren and Evan, all of Vancouver, as well as her brother Michael O’Sullivan and sister-in-law Efi Komninou of Athens, Greece and by her sister Maureen McGregor, nephews and nieces Ryan, Michael, Alex, Paige, Madison and Riley. She will also be sadly missed by her best friend Andrea Ebidia.

We all will remember Brenda’s smile and wicked sense of humour and her gestures of kindness to all. Her joys in life included Bandit her loyal four-legged companion of eight years, all things fine in life – food, wine, travel and good friends. She was highly committed to her work at the Princess Margaret Hospital, managing the asbestos and mesothelioma clinics where she made everyone feel at ease. The family would like to thank Dr. Marc De Perrot for all of his support and the nurses, doctors and extended team at Sunnybrook Hospital for their fine care. Brenda’s cremated remains will rest alongside her mother’s casket in Holy Cross Cemetery, Thornhill. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Mesothelioma Research Fund in honour of Brenda O’Sullivan, Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation, 610 University Ave., Toronto, M5G 2M9, 416-946-6560, www.thepmcf.ca 

See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?n=brenda-osullivan&pid=184677668#sthash.qtQdEPKz.dpuf.

Joe Kennedy Granted Honorary Lifetime Membership

Written by Local 793 Staff

Retired Local 793 business manager Joe Kennedy has been granted honorary lifetime membership in the union. The union’s insurance committee voted on the honour March 24 and business manager Mike Gallagher made the announcement at a special e-board meeting in Oakville the next day. Kennedy attended the e-board meeting with his grandson, Simon. “It’s a great privilege to announce that the insurance committee has unanimously afforded you this great honour of being made an honorary lifetime member of Local 793,” Gallagher said at the meeting. “I certainly believe Joe is […]

Retired Local 793 business manager Joe Kennedy has been granted honorary lifetime membership in the union.

The union’s insurance committee voted on the honour March 24 and business manager Mike Gallagher made the announcement at a special e-board meeting in Oakville the next day.

Kennedy attended the e-board meeting with his grandson, Simon.

“It’s a great privilege to announce that the insurance committee has unanimously afforded you this great honour of being made an honorary lifetime member of Local 793,” Gallagher said at the meeting.

“I certainly believe Joe is deserving of this honour. He built a pretty important foundation for us to build on. This is the right thing for us to do.”

Gallagher had recommended in a letter to the insurance committee that Kennedy be approved.

Kennedy was at the helm of the union for 18 years. He was elected business manager of the local in 1974 and held the post until his retirement in 1992.

A crane operator by trade, Kennedy joined the union while working in Mattawa, Ont. with his father. He used to fire up the boilers for his father’s steam-powered crane.

Kennedy was initiated Oct. 17, 1951 and is a 66-year member of Local 793.

As an operator, he worked on projects across Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia, including the Angus MacDonald Bridge in Halifax, the Burlington Skyway, the mines of Elliot Lake and the Bruce Generating Station. He was frequently appointed union steward on many of the jobs.

At the e-board meeting, Gallagher said he learned from Kennedy what it takes to be a good leader and business manager.

He also noted that Kennedy oversaw the introduction of Local 793’s pension and life and health benefits plans and it was through his persistent efforts that the long-sought-after compulsory indentured apprenticeship for the trade of hoisting engineer became reality.

“What we have as far as our pension was started by Joe,” said Gallagher. “Before Joe Kennedy there was no mandatory training for the hoisting trade and it was because of him that came about.”

Expansion Plans Moving Ahead

Written by Local 793 Staff

Plans to expand the union’s banquet hall and build a student residence at the head office property in Oakville are moving ahead. Local 793 business manager Mike Gallagher reported at a general membership meeting of the union March 26 that the executive board has set a budget of $25 million for both projects. He assured members that the projects will be completed without the union incurring any debt. To fund the project, the union will take $12.5 million from its reserves and the rest will come from operating capital. “I […]

Plans to expand the union’s banquet hall and build a student residence at the head office property in Oakville are moving ahead.

Local 793 business manager Mike Gallagher reported at a general membership meeting of the union March 26 that the executive board has set a budget of $25 million for both projects.

He assured members that the projects will be completed without the union incurring any debt.

To fund the project, the union will take $12.5 million from its reserves and the rest will come from operating capital.

“I had promised during the last election that we would be prudent in expanding the banquet hall and building the new student residence and that the local would not be at any risk. I plan to deliver on that promise. We will enhance this property and make it more valuable for our members and we will do it without incurring any debt whatsoever.”

Gallagher said the banquet hall expansion will be started first, followed by construction of the student residence.

Construction on the banquet hall will begin early next year. The hall will be expanded to the east.

The new banquet hall will be about 70 per cent larger.

Gallagher said the union is seeking a zoning change for the student residence from the Town of Oakville.

The residence will have 42 rooms, a gym and a lounge. It will be built to the north of the existing training centre and incorporate elements of the former Elliott Hotel in Toronto, where the founding fathers of Local 793 met in 1919 to draft a letter requesting a charter for the union.

Gallagher noted the union recently built a 70-room residence at the OETIO in Morrisburg and did it all out of operating capital.

He said he will be looking for provincial and federal funding to help offset some of the cost of the projects.

At the meeting, Gallagher asked members to support the executive board decision to expand the banquet hall and build the residence because it benefits all members around the province and it’s the right thing to do.

Retired Local 793 member Mike Quinn moved a motion to support the executive board “so they have our total, uncommitted support.”

The motion passed unanimously.

Union Pension Plan Surpasses $2.5 Billion

Written by Local 793 Staff

2016 was a good year for the Local 793 pension plan, business manager Mike Gallagher said in remarks at a union general membership meeting March 26 in Oakville. The plan returned 10.7 per cent last year, well above the benchmark of 7.7 per cent, he noted. Gallagher said the plan is successful because the labour and management trustees have made sure that the investments are sound. “We’re getting good returns because the asset allocation structure is good.” Gallagher said assets of the union’s pension plan are now above $2.5 billion […]

2016 was a good year for the Local 793 pension plan, business manager Mike Gallagher said in remarks at a union general membership meeting March 26 in Oakville.

The plan returned 10.7 per cent last year, well above the benchmark of 7.7 per cent, he noted.

Gallagher said the plan is successful because the labour and management trustees have made sure that the investments are sound.

“We’re getting good returns because the asset allocation structure is good.”

Gallagher said assets of the union’s pension plan are now above $2.5 billion and the plan is 102 per cent funded on a going-concern basis, up from 97 per cent a year ago.

The fund had a surplus of $65 million as of Dec. 31.