Brother Rob Boughner is working for Kiewit as a supervisor on Ottawa’s long-running Light Rail Transit (LRT) project. Responsible for coordinating work between five crews and solving problems on the fly. Rob makes sure work is planned out well in advance to keep the machines moving and workers safe.
Having joined Local 793 six years ago from a non-Union company, Rob is grateful to now be a member of an organization that has his back.
“There’s a big difference between Union and non-Union, for sure. There’s the money, of course, which means that you finally feel like you’re getting paid what you’re worth. We have the health benefits to back you up and help the family out at home, and having a pension in the background really helps, too.”
Rob cut his teeth on equipment such as excavators, dozers and loaders, and although he now has a different role on site, he always finds time to pass on what he has learned.
“Educating and teaching people is one of the most enjoyable parts of the job, especially when somebody is willing to take your experience and skillset and doesn’t get bent out of shape,” he said.
“I have a couple of lads who I’ve taken under my wing this year and if they’re struggling I’ll ask if I can jump in the machine for 10 minutes, because it’s easier to show them than tell them, and they’ll say, ‘Oh, I didn’t know you could do it that way’, or ‘I never thought of it that way’. ”
Rob’s best advice for a new OE?
“I’d recommend this career to a youngster, you get to see and do a lot of cool stuff. But I would tell them to keep an open mind – it’s not a gentle trade, we work with a lot of big machines and some rough guys. You’ll take some ribbing, so you must have thick skin and not take things personally.
“Also, if they’re lucky enough to have an older operator willing to teach them then my advice would be to shut up and learn, don’t be chirping back. Learn, enjoy.”