Welcome to the digital edition of Making Tracks, the magazine. In this edition, you’ll read about Mike Gallagher securing his eighth term as Business Manager of Local 793, the pension increase announced at the General Membership meeting, hear from women of Local 793 on what it takes to make it as an OE, read a fascinating feature on how three generations of Chéniers came together to rescue the 1940s dragline shovel that laid the foundation for a Local 793 dynasty, and much, much more. Digital magazines can be instantly accessed […]
Welcome to the digital edition of Making Tracks, the magazine.
In this edition, you’ll read about Mike Gallagher securing his eighth term as Business Manager of Local 793, the pension increase announced at the General Membership meeting, hear from women of Local 793 on what it takes to make it as an OE, read a fascinating feature on how three generations of Chéniers came together to rescue the 1940s dragline shovel that laid the foundation for a Local 793 dynasty, and much, much more.
Digital magazines can be instantly accessed and read on tablets, smartphones, or other digital platforms anywhere and anytime. They enhance the user experience and offer links to important resources and information for quick access, as well as great video content!
June 20, 2024 Members of Local 793 On behalf of the Officers, Executive Board, and the entire team, a heartfelt thank you to our membership for re-electing us by acclamation! To my knowledge, this is the first time in our history that we have been so united as an organization to elect the entire team unopposed. It is a great privilege to represent you and fight for you and your family for better job site conditions, benefits, training opportunities, jobs, and first-class pension and benefit plans. With your support, we […]
June 20, 2024
Members of Local 793
On behalf of the Officers, Executive Board, and the entire team, a heartfelt thank you to our membership for re-electing us by acclamation!
To my knowledge, this is the first time in our history that we have been so united as an organization to elect the entire team unopposed.
It is a great privilege to represent you and fight for you and your family for better job site conditions, benefits, training opportunities, jobs, and first-class pension and benefit plans.
With your support, we will continue to build a better union and future for you and your family.
In solidarity,
Mike Gallagher
Business Manager – Local 793
International Vice President
L to R: Business Manager Mike Gallagher, Recording Corresponding Secretary Steve Booze and President Dave Turple at the Toronto area district meeting on June 19.Business Manager Mike Gallagher gives thumbs up after Recording Corresponding Secretary Steve Booze casts his ballot at the Toronto area district meeting on June 19.
The Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario (OETIO) welcomed a group of Hammer Heads students to its Oakville training campus on Thursday, providing an opportunity for young people interested in the skilled trades to get up close to some of the construction industry’s biggest machines. The Hammer Heads Program was created in 2009 by the Central Ontario Building Trades (COBT), partnering with Local 793’s training arm since then to host visits. It is a skills and employment-based training program within the construction industry offering apprenticeship career opportunities to the […]
In the picture: Hammer Head Students with Jeff Hewitt, OETIO Director of Training and Apprenticeship; Peter Reed, former COBT Business Rep; James St. John, COBT Business Manager and Hammer Heads Director; Alden Paradise, OETIO Senior Instructor and Dave Viggiani, OETIO Senior Instructor.
The Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario (OETIO) welcomed a group of Hammer Heads students to its Oakville training campus on Thursday, providing an opportunity for young people interested in the skilled trades to get up close to some of the construction industry’s biggest machines.
The Hammer Heads Program was created in 2009 by the Central Ontario Building Trades (COBT), partnering with Local 793’s training arm since then to host visits. It is a skills and employment-based training program within the construction industry offering apprenticeship career opportunities to the youth of under-resourced neighbourhoods.
Hammer Heads director James St. John thanked OETIO for hosting the students and added, “This is the coolest training centre we come to, the stuff the kids get to do and see here is just unbelievable. It’s a unique experience and we really appreciate OETIO opening up its facilities to us.”
Young people on the program try many different trades during their 12-week course, after which they are placed in a registered apprenticeship in their chosen trade.
Their visit to OETIO certainly left a big impression on Class 61, with participant Devonte Haye especially excited by the prospect of a career as an Operating Engineer.
He said, “I worked as a general craftworker last summer doing asphalt and I realized then that non-Union jobs were just a dead-end.
“We’ve had the chance to try a few trades so far – finishing trades, elevators, boilermakers – but, honestly, I’m liking this because I’m able to operate a big machine. I’ve been doing quite well at the tasks so far, so it’s a definite possibility.”
OETIO Director of Training and Apprenticeship Jeff Hewitt told the students, “We have three Hammer Heads in our Institute right now and they’re all great apprentices, so I certainly appreciate what the Hammer Heads are doing.”
In the picture (L to R): Jeff Hewitt, OETIO Director of Training and Apprenticeship, Dave Viggiani, OETIO Senior Instructor, James St. John, COBT Business Manager and Hammer Heads Director and Peter Reed, former COBT Business Rep.
Hammer Head trainees in the OETIO simulation room.
Hammer Head students with Jeff Hewitt, OETIO Director of Training and Apprenticeship, Dave Viggiani, OETIO Senior Instructor, and Peter Reed, former COBT Business Rep.
Trencher Matteo Stellino and backhoe operator Josh Eade are in action at the $89.9 million HWY 400 road widening construction project at King Rd. The Local 793 members are working for GIP Paving Inc., operating a Vermeer Commander II trenching machine and a Toromont CAT backhoe. Brother Stellino is trenching roughly 600 metres to accommodate a weeper tile to upgrade the drainage system. According to the province, about 122,500 vehicles pass through Aurora Road daily until south of King Rd. The road widening project aims to expand HWY 400 into eight […]
Image of Matteo Stellino
Image of Josh Eade
Trencher Matteo Stellino and backhoe operator Josh Eade are in action at the $89.9 million HWY 400 road widening construction project at King Rd.
The Local 793 members are working for GIP Paving Inc., operating a Vermeer Commander II trenching machine and a Toromont CAT backhoe. Brother Stellino is trenching roughly 600 metres to accommodate a weeper tile to upgrade the drainage system.
According to the province, about 122,500 vehicles pass through Aurora Road daily until south of King Rd. The road widening project aims to expand HWY 400 into eight lanes, including HOV lanes, a new truck inspection station and upgraded lighting, utility, and sewer systems.
Approximately 30 heavy equipment operators are on-site during peak production hours to complete the project.
Spotters are essential when working around different hazards at a job site. They are a second pair of eyes and ears for heavy equipment operators with limited visibility to maneuver safely. Spotting has been effective in preventing accidents, but there are safety precautions a spotter must follow to keep everyone safe. These include: Wearing highly visible clothing Avoid walking into the path of a vehicle, moving equipment, or a swinging load Avoid walking behind heavy equipment while spotting Stand where an aerial lift or equipment is going while flagging it […]
Spotters are essential when working around different hazards at a job site. They are a second pair of eyes and ears for heavy equipment operators with limited visibility to maneuver safely.
Spotting has been effective in preventing accidents, but there are safety precautions a spotter must follow to keep everyone safe. These include:
Wearing highly visible clothing
Avoid walking into the path of a vehicle, moving equipment, or a swinging load
Avoid walking behind heavy equipment while spotting
Stand where an aerial lift or equipment is going while flagging it back
Scan a worksite for hazards and remove them before a job
Focus on your job
Do not use a phone, headphones, or other items that can be distracting while spotting
Agree on hand signals before you start a spotting job
Make sure you keep constant visual contact with the driver while the vehicle is in motion
Spotter plays a pivotal role in preventing accidents, minimizing workplace injuries, and maintaining a secure working environment by focusing on proper training, communication skills, and vigilance. This practice not only protects the spotter and equipment operators but also contributes significantly to overall workplace safety and productivity.
IUOE Local 793 stands as a dedicated advocate for the protection of all workers involved in building and maintaining Ontario. The importance of this mission cannot be overstated, emphasizing that safety is not a matter of chance – it’s a deliberate choice that each person must make.
“A prolonged heat event will begin today. Dangerously hot and humid conditions are expected through most of the week.”, Environment Canada said in a statement. Working under extreme heat can cause bodily stress and heat-related illnesses. Construction workers are especially susceptible to direct sunlight and humidity exposure. Drinking a cup of water every 20 minutes and wearing light-coloured clothing are preventative measures when working in such conditions. Local 793 operators who are concerned that employers are not taking appropriate steps to help workers avoid heat stroke and exhaustion should contact […]
“A prolonged heat event will begin today. Dangerously hot and humid conditions are expected through most of the week.”, Environment Canada said in a statement.
Working under extreme heat can cause bodily stress and heat-related illnesses. Construction workers are especially susceptible to direct sunlight and humidity exposure.
Drinking a cup of water every 20 minutes and wearing light-coloured clothing are preventative measures when working in such conditions.
Local 793 operators who are concerned that employers are not taking appropriate steps to help workers avoid heat stroke and exhaustion should contact their business rep.
Local 793 members employed by Richard Steel Ltd. are building a new parking garage as part of the $2.1 billion Ottawa Hospital’s Civic campus project. Brothers Stephane Deschamps, Mathieu Moreau, Simon Campeau Foucault, Apprentice Carl Thompson-Chartrand, and Manager Benoit Kenney are at the new Ottawa Hospital site with a Liebherr 500-ton crane for the next 12 to 14 months lifting precast pieces for the parkade. The four-storey building can accommodate 2,500 parking spaces, 310 secure indoor bicycle parking spots, and another 225 outside with a rooftop park. The $2.1 billion new […]
Local 793 members employed by Richard Steel Ltd. are building a new parking garage as part of the $2.1 billion Ottawa Hospital’s Civic campus project. Brothers Stephane Deschamps, Mathieu Moreau, Simon Campeau Foucault, Apprentice Carl Thompson-Chartrand, and Manager Benoit Kenney are at the new Ottawa Hospital site with a Liebherr 500-ton crane for the next 12 to 14 months lifting precast pieces for the parkade.
The four-storey building can accommodate 2,500 parking spaces, 310 secure indoor bicycle parking spots, and another 225 outside with a rooftop park.
The $2.1 billion new state-of-the-art healthcare facility and academic research centre on the Ottawa Hospital grounds will be finished by 2028.
Local 793 members Stephane Deschamps, Mathieu Moreau, Simon Campeau Foucault, Manager Benoit Kenney, and Apprentice Carl Thompson-Chartrand in front of a Liebherr 500-ton crane.
Being a father requires hard work and dedication. More than providing for your family, it’s about stepping up and showing up, influencing your children’s lives. Let’s honour and celebrate all the dads, stepdads, adoptive dads, and father figures in our lives. Happy Father’s Day!
Being a father requires hard work and dedication. More than providing for your family, it’s about stepping up and showing up, influencing your children’s lives.
Let’s honour and celebrate all the dads, stepdads, adoptive dads, and father figures in our lives.
Local 793 Indigenous Relations Coordinator Jim Jacobs attended The Chiefs of Ontario Annual Chiefs Assembly and Regional Chief Election on June 11-13, hosted by his home community of Six Nations of the Grand River in Oshweken, ON. Brother Jacobs was staffing the Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario (OETIO) booth, giving assembly attendees a chance to try their hand at the excavator simulator while also providing young Indigenous visitors with information on apprenticeships and training offered by OETIO as well as insight on life as an Operating Engineer. Pictured with […]
Local 793 Indigenous Relations Coordinator Jim Jacobs attended The Chiefs of Ontario Annual Chiefs Assembly and Regional Chief Election on June 11-13, hosted by his home community of Six Nations of the Grand River in Oshweken, ON.
Brother Jacobs was staffing the Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario (OETIO) booth, giving assembly attendees a chance to try their hand at the excavator simulator while also providing young Indigenous visitors with information on apprenticeships and training offered by OETIO as well as insight on life as an Operating Engineer.
Pictured with Brother Jacobs (left) at the event is former Six Nations Chief Mark Hill (right).
Brother Jacobs (left) and former Six Nations Chief Mark Hill (right).
Brother Jacobs (left) and former Six Nations Chief Mark Hill using an excavator simulator.
Nineteen inspectors from Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) visited the Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario (OETIO) facility in Oakville to receive comprehensive training in job site compliance. During the training session, the Inspector’s Handbook, designed and created by OETIO for MLITSD, was presented and reviewed to provide information about proper safety inspections. The OETIO instructors also showed the inspectors critical areas of inspection on the tower cranes, mobile cranes, and drill rigs. This collaboration aims to ensure that industry standards are met and […]
Ministry of Labour inspectors group picture
MOL Visits OETIO image button
Ministry of Labour inspectors getting orientation about drill inspection
Ministry of Labour inspectors in the OETIO practical field
Ministry of Labour inspectors getting orientation about crane inspection
MOL Visits OETIO in the conference room
Nineteen inspectors from Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) visited the Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario (OETIO) facility in Oakville to receive comprehensive training in job site compliance.
During the training session, the Inspector’s Handbook, designed and created by OETIO for MLITSD, was presented and reviewed to provide information about proper safety inspections. The OETIO instructors also showed the inspectors critical areas of inspection on the tower cranes, mobile cranes, and drill rigs. This collaboration aims to ensure that industry standards are met and proper job site compliance is maintained to decrease workplace accidents.
OETIO is a world-class training institute that offers crane operators, heavy equipment operators, and construction safety training programs to support the construction industry.
