Local 793 urges Ford Government to repeal Bill 28 immediately

Written by Local 793 Staff

Following is a press release issued by Local 793, regarding the Ontario Government’s Bill 28 to end the potential strike of education workers in the province. STRIPPING WORKERS OF THEIR RIGHT TO COLLECTIVELY BARGAIN AND REACH A FAIR AGREEMENT UNDERMINES THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL OF RIGHTS FOR UNIONIZED WORKERS OAKVILLE — Bill 28, introduced by the Ontario […]

Following is a press release issued by Local 793, regarding the Ontario Government’s Bill 28 to end the potential strike of education workers in the province.

STRIPPING WORKERS OF THEIR RIGHT TO COLLECTIVELY BARGAIN AND REACH A FAIR AGREEMENT UNDERMINES THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL OF RIGHTS FOR UNIONIZED WORKERS

OAKVILLE — Bill 28, introduced by the Ontario Government to avoid a labour stoppage for education workers across the Province of Ontario, is a huge overreach that will have lasting impacts on unionized workers across the province.

Bill 28 ends the prospect of a strike and imposes a four-year agreement on workers. The government is also pre-emptively overriding the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by enacting the “notwithstanding clause” which will strip these workers and their unions the ability to challenge the legislation in court.

“The International Union of Operating Engineers (“IUOE”) and its Local 793 are categorically opposed to Bill 28 and any attempt by the Government of Ontario to undermine the collective bargaining rights of workers, including the right to strike which is a necessary and fundamental right of workers in Canada,” says Mike Gallagher, Business Manager of Local 793. “A government can be judged in terms of its respect for the freedoms afforded under its Constitution and those that are guaranteed to working people which fundamentally includes the right to collectively bargain. The Supreme Court of Canada has upheld this. This separates us from autocratic governments around the world. The threat or resorting to using the notwithstanding clause when it becomes politically expedient is not a road the Premier needs to go down, since I would hope the government understands the importance of upholding fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the Canadian Constitution balanced against any short inconvenience a work stoppage could bring about,” stated Gallagher.

IUOE Canadian Regional Director Patrick Campbell stated – “To be clear, the International Union of Operating Engineers is opposed to “back to work” legislation and any legislation that undermines the rights of working people to the collective bargaining process and the right to strike, if required. The Ford Government’s Bill-28 represents a clear and present danger, not only to the lowest paid education workers in Ontario, but to all Canadian workers moving forward if this legislation stands.”

Local 793 represents over 18,000 members in Ontario and Nunavut working primarily in the construction, mining and industrial sectors. Just this past spring, approximately 4,000 members of the IUOE Local 793 were on strike for three weeks in both the ICI and residential sectors of the construction industry. The IUOE has locals across every province and territory and Canada representing workers in many occupational categories.

Local 793 urges the Ford Government to repeal Bill 28 immediately.

Local 793 has a head office, banquet hall and training campus in Oakville, and another training campus in Morrisburg. For further information contact: Local 793 Business Manager, Mike Gallagher, 905-469-9299, ext. 2202.

Union Numbers Continue to Grow

Written by Local 793 Staff

Local 793 is in good shape and membership numbers continue to grow, business manager Mike Gallagher told a general membership meeting in the union banquet hall March 23. “We now have 12,539 initiated members and more than 900 waiting to be processed,” he told nearly 200 union members at the meeting. By the end of […]

Local 793 is in good shape and membership numbers continue to grow, business manager Mike Gallagher told a general membership meeting in the union banquet hall March 23.
“We now have 12,539 initiated members and more than 900 waiting to be processed,” he told nearly 200 union members at the meeting.
By the end of the year, he noted, the union will have more than 13,000 initiated members.
“This really shows our strength as an organization.”
Gallagher said the growth is a tribute to the organizers who work so hard and are often put in difficult situations when trying to bring new companies into the fold.
“They are doing their job and we are adding members, so that’s a good thing.”
Gallagher noted that hours worked by members is also up, and members’ equity is $68 million, up from $2.5 million when he was first elected in 1996.
The defence fund, meanwhile, is at $4.6 million, he said, 9.2 per cent higher than the previous year.
He also reported that the pension and life and health benefits plan are also healthy.
The ‘solvency’ windup situation has improved to $864 million and the ‘going concern” shortfall is now at $103 million, an improvement from $192 million at December 2012, he said.
“Obviously, we’ve had a very good year with the pension.”
Gallagher said the life and health benefits plan is also faring well and trustees recently announced a number of improvements, including a new Member Assistance Plan, that were announced in the 793 Operator magazine and have been posted on the union website.
Gallagher addressed a number of other topics at the meeting as well.
For example:
On recent bylaw changes approved by union members, Gallagher said they will ensure the local remains healthy in future.
One big change, he said, is that members would be disqualified from serving as an officer or on the executive board if they’ve been convicted of certain serious violent crimes and a record suspension has not been obtained.
Another change makes it an offence for any member or officer to publish via social media or online slanderous or libelous material against other members of the local.
Gallagher said people who represent a multi-million-dollar organization like the Operating Engineers should have a clean record.
“I’ve always believed that being a member of the Operating Engineers is a privilege,” he said, adding that when members join a union they also make a pledge as to how they’re going to treat each other.
With the advent of social media, Gallagher said it’s easier for people to express opinions on the Internet for everybody to see.
However, he advised members to be careful what they post because it could provide fodder for non-union groups and political parties.
On jurisdictional disputes (JDs), he said the union is presently embroiled in 14 JDs involving five trades, and the labour relations department is working to ensure Local 793 protects its jurisdiction.
Some contractors, he said, have opened up their books and are helping the union on the disputes.
On recruiting Aboriginals, Gallagher told the audience that the union has been working with companies like Aecon to get more people from First Nations communities into the trades.
“It’s the right thing for us and our contractors,” he said.
Presently, 10 Aboriginal communities in the Ring of Fire area are in the process of purchasing training from the Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario, he said, because they recognize the union offers the best training out there.
On communications, Gallagher told members that a new union website is nearing completion and, once finished, members will have greater access to information.
Once the website is finished, members will be able to see in real time what they’ve used in benefits and also pay their dues online at any time.
“Basically, we’ll have 24/7 coverage,” he said.
Also at the meeting, Gallagher and president Joe Redshaw presented a cheque to Local 793 operator Gerry Lukasiewicz of Sarnia who was injured in a construction site accident in 2012 and is now in a wheelchair.
A fundraiser was held for Gerry in Sarnia last December. The event raised $65,337 to help pay for the cost of a specially-equipped van for Gerry.
In presenting the cheque, Gallagher thanked Lukasiewicz for being such a strong member.
Lukasiewicz, meanwhile, thanked Gallagher and retired Southwestern Ontario area supervisor Bob McQueen and the union for the fundraiser.
“You can’t get a better union than this,” he said.

Photos Sought for Commemorative Publication

Written by Local 793 Staff

2014 is the 95th anniversary year of Local 793. To mark the occasion, the union will be producing a special commemorative publication later this year. We are looking for photos from the past that we can print in the publication. We are also looking for recollections or stories that members might have about the union […]

2014 is the 95th anniversary year of Local 793.
To mark the occasion, the union will be producing a special commemorative publication later this year.
We are looking for photos from the past that we can print in the publication. We are also looking for recollections or stories that members might have about the union that we can use as part of the narrative.
If you have any material that could be included in the publication, please send it to Director of Communications Grant Cameron via email at gcameron@iuoelocal793.org.
You can also send the information by mail to: Grant Cameron
Director of Communications,
IUOE Local 793, 2245 Speers Rd., Oakville, Ont., L6L 6X8.