IUOE News - Summer 2013

BC gets set 

for summer 

Projects across the 

province shift into 

higher gear 

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40011378 

News 

July 2013 www.iuoe115.com

IUOE News is the official 

publication of the International 

Union of Operating Engineers 

Local 115. 

Local Executive Board 

Business Manager 

Brian Cochrane 

President 

Wayne Mills 

Vice-President 

Brad Randall 

Recording Secretary 

Brian Lefebvre 

Financial Secretary 

Don Swerdan 

Treasurer 

Frank Carr 

Guard 

Bob Higgs 

Conductor 

Dave Hannis 

Trustees 

Brett Chapman 

Brian Moore 

Curtis Wright 

Auditors 

Chip Dhaliwal 

Goretti Guibault 

Craig McIntosh 

District Executive Board 

1—Al Cooper 

2—Tim Cullen 

3—Brad Gerow 

4—Herb Conat 

5—Mike Spiruda 

6—Brian Lefebvre 

Publication Committee 


Wayne Mills 

Lynda Arland 

Editorial Services 

Susan Armstrong, COPE 378 

Working Design, CEP Local 2000 

4333 Ledger Avenue, 

Burnaby, B.C., V5G 3T3 

Telephone: 604-291-8831 

Fax: 604-473-5235 

Website: www.iuoe115.com 

E-mail: iuoe@iuoe115.com 

Please 

Recycle 

FEaturEs 

Local 115 forced government changes to Temporary Foreign Worker Program ........... 19 

IUOE bursaries and scholarship can help fund education .............................................. 21 

A profile of longtime member John Freeman ................................................................. 28 

Membership Service Awards ........................................................................................... 30 

rEports 


Outcome of case disappointing, but key gains made ..................................................... 1 

President 

BC election attracted just over half of all voters ............................................................... 3 

District 1 

Temporary Foreign Workers Program encourages race to the bottom ........................... 4 

Let’s talk up the union advantage ..................................................................................... 5 

Adapting to a new way of bidding and working .............................................................. 6 

No strike, no lockout in Evergreen bid .............................................................................. 7 

Are your skills up to date? .................................................................................................. 7 

We’re active on the bargaining front and we could use your help .................................. 8 

Foreign workers controversy should lead to change........................................................ 8 

Union organizing 

We’re all about safety ......................................................................................................... 9 

Dispatch 

Still hoping for much-needed changes ............................................................................. 9 

District 2 

A good batch of work coming up on Vancouver Island ................................................. 10 

District 3 

Good progress on bargaining and working together to organize ................................. 11 

District 4 

Looking forward to LNG development and building Site C ........................................... 13 

District 5 

Tougher rules aim to ensure safe hydraulic fracturing ................................................... 13 

District 6 

Local 115 attends 38th General Convention of the Operating Egnineers ..................... 14 

Retiring with a pension. Thank goodness I’ve worked union ......................................... 16 

Now that we’re into nice weather .................................................................................... 16 

Benefit Plans 

July features open enrolment of optional life insurance ................................................ 17 

Training Association 

Our training efforts keep our skills up and our union strong ........................................ 23

Outcome of case 

disappointing, but 

key gains made 

Brian Cochrane, 


At the end of April, myself, Brother Wayne Mills, and nine 

other delegates attended the 38th Annual IUOE Convention. 

There were well over 600 delegates representing their respective 

locals throughout Canada and the U.S. 

Brother James T Callahan was re-elected as President of 

our International Union, and Brother Brian Hickey was reelected 

as General Secretary Treasurer. Our two Canadian 

members of the General Executive Board Brother Mike Gallagher 

(Ontario) and Bruce Moffatt (Alberta) were also reelected 

to their respective Board positions. 

During the convention, Local 115 was glad to secure a special 

resolution to ensure that the IUOE would continue to 

support our fight against the TFWP in Canada, as well as our 

ongoing battle with CLAC. This also includes the “Right to 

Work” movement, which is gaining ground in the U.S. and 

starting to build momentum here in Canada. It is encouraging 

to see our international brothers and sisters recognise and 

support our efforts to make sure we organize 

and empower our workforce effectively, and 

take on the fight against those who undermine 

our efforts. 

I am very proud of the work done at the 

convention by the Local 115 delegates; they all did an excellent 

job in representing the membership of our Local. 

As most are now aware, the Federal Court has dismissed 

our judicial review application challenging HD Mining’s use 

of 201 temporary foreign workers at the Murray River Coal 

project in Tumbler Ridge. 

Needless to say that we were disappointed in the outcome, 

as the evidence we brought forward was very compelling in 

demonstrating that qualified Canadians are currently available 

to perform the work. Despite vast amounts of evidence 

and overwhelming public support, the judge saw fit to allow 

HD Mining to bring in 201 Chinese miners on TFWPs to 

begin the mine’s exploration phase. 

According to our legal counsel, this type of application has 

no ability to appeal this decision, otherwise the Building 

Trades Unions would have no doubt stepped up to the plate to 

try and have it overturned. However, your Local Union has 


gained a massive win in the court of public opinion by taking 

this fight through the courts to not only protect the interests of 

our members, but the working interests of all British Columbians 

and Canadians. 

We have received hundreds of calls for support and numerous 

messages of congratulations from people and labour institutions 

glad to see us exposing the flaws and inadequacies of 

Canada’s TFWP program. Already, sweeping changes are 

being proposed by the Federal government to try bring the 

TFWP more in line with fair labour practises, rather than a 

gaping loophole in which to procure cheap labour and exclude 

Canadians from work opportunities. 

One of the highlights of the changes to the TFWP is the 

regulation allowing employers to pay up to 15% less than market 

rates for Canadian workers, which is now gone! It is a huge 

victory in protecting our interests and stopping the exploitation 

of cheap labour. The IUOE 115 will continue to speak out 

against the program where it 

fails to provide our members 

and fellow Canadians the 

first opportunity to work. 

Those interested in keeping 

up to date with our progress can do so at www.labourspeaksout.com. 

We are also looking at ways to unite our efforts in 

making further changes to the program with other 

organizations. 

Other challenges that we as a union are facing are Bill C-377 

and Bill C-525. These pieces of Conservative legislation are 

targeted directly at trying to weaken the labour movement 

across the country 

Although the proposals have been reviewed by experts and 

largely denounced as unenforceable, the Conservatives are 

pushing ahead to see if the bills can be passed. This will continue 

to play into their low-wage strategy and continued fight 

against trade unions from coast to coast. 

Both bills will be decided upon in the coming months, and 

the IUOE will keep a close eye on how things develop and will 

It is a huge victory in protecting 

our interests and stopping the 

exploitation of cheap labour. 

continued on next page 

July 2013 News 1

continued from previous page 

work diligently to try and modify the destructive intent. There 

are endless articles and debate raging online around the proposed 

legislation and I encourage you to read up on how they 

would affect your union. 

”Right to Work“ (for less) legislation is being pushed on us 

by the Conservative agenda faster and stronger than at any 

point in Canadian history. In order to be successful in our 

fight to this anti-worker agenda, we need to be knowledgeable 

and united in our stance when it comes to unconstitutional, 

discriminatory decisions like these, which will affect hundreds 

of thousands of union workers across our country 

I want to thank everyone that took the time to get involved 

in the Provincial election in May. Although the outcome may 

not have been what we wanted, the Liberals did acknowledge 

during their campaign a need to 

work closer with the workforce and 

their union representatives in the 

private sector. There is a lot of work 

to be done in developing the future 

workforce of B.C. in order to build many of the infrastructure 

projects promised during the campaign. Rest assured we have 

already begun the outreach to ensure they deliver on these 

promises, and we are currently trying to establish meetings 

with the new Ministers to discuss the value Operating Engineers 

bring to the table. 

Pipeline work over the next several years looks like it has 

the potential to become a booming sector. The Enbridge Gateway 

project, while still having some major hurdles to overcome, 

has a much greater chance of moving forward under a 

2 News July 2013 

Liberal government. All of the proposed natural gas pipelines, 

plants, and terminal expansion in Kitimat are areas that have 

great potential over the short term. 

Site C is also wrapping up the environmental review process, 

which if approved will be a great opportunity for Operating 

Engineers for many years to come. 

One of the things in common with many of the large projects 

over the next few years is that they are in Northern B.C. 

This will create great training opportunities in many of our 

Northern communities, and that is a challenge our Training 

Association is currently reviewing, as there is a huge skills gap 

between manpower demand and local supply. 

Over the past few months Brother Don Swerdan has presented 

successful Shop Steward courses throughout B.C. in 

conjunction with our Shop Steward recognition dinners. They 

have been well received and well attended, and there are a few 

more are scheduled for the coming 

months. Our Stewards are 

the backbone of our Local 

Union providing the daily “on 

the ground” representation of 

our members, and these training opportunities help to provide 

some additional tools to work with. On behalf of the Officers 

and the Executive Board, thanks to those that took the 

time to attend. 

Lastly, the IUOE Training Association’s Annual Open house 

was held on June 15th. The weather really co-operated this 

year and it was an excellent day for families, friends, and guests 

of Local 115. Many thanks to all of the volunteers and staff 

who made this day a great success. 

Work Safe. 

In order to be successful in our fight 

against this anti-worker agenda, we 

need to be knowledgeable and united 

FROM cOveR Pacific Blasting 

doing some heavy duty residential 

excavating. Photos courtesy Peter 

Palm

President 

The BC election featured 19 different 

parties and just over half of all voters 

Wayne Mills, President 

Provincial Election 

Could have been the whiskey, 

might have been the gin. 

Could have been three or four six-packs, 

I don’t know, but look at the mess I’m in, 

My head is like a football, I think I’m gonna die, 

Tell me, me oh me oh my, 

Wasn’t that a party? 

Did you know there were candidates from 19 registered political 

parties that ran in our recent provincial election this year? 

I have been around the block a time or two with elections, and 

there were some that even I was unaware of. For example, 

have any of you ever heard of The Helping Hand, The BC 

Excalibur, or The Platinum? What about The Unparty, The 

Work Less, and even Your Political Party? You gotta love 

Democracy! 

Even the wingies get to play provincial politics, but at least 

they come out, whereas 48 % of people never even bothered 

participating. That is a scary statistic when you consider they 

are simply letting others decide their fate, and not be bothered 

with what happens. And it’s not just the young people we tend 

to assume who didn’t show up; we did a member-to-member 

campaign and I spoke to two spouses over the age of 40 that 

had never voted, and didn’t know if they were even going to 

vote in this election or not. 

We are so lucky in Canada to be able to vote without fear, as 

opposed to some countries where genuinely concerned citizens 

are harassed, threatened, or even murdered when they 

express their decision and desire to go out and vote, as a democratic 

right for the benefit of them and their country. Why 

are we Canadians so complacent? 

Well it was great while it lasted. We saw different styles of 

electioneering that made you wonder in the dying days of the 

campaign as to what style people really pay attention to; the 

one where you get down and roll around in the slop and throw 

as much mud as possible at the other guys; or the one where 

everything is positive, we’re nice to each other, and generally 

take the high road. 

Well, she was close, and we all know who won. Regardless 

District 1 

of whom you voted for, I want to say thank you to those who 

got out and exercised their right to vote. 

General Convention 

I would like to say congratulations to General President James 

T. Callahan and General Secretary-Treasurer Brian E. Hickey 

on their re-election, and congratulations on the re-election of 

all the Vice- Presidents to the General Executive Board at the 

38th General Convention of the International Union of Operating 

Engineers held in Florida at the end of April. 

On the Canadian side, congratulations to Brother Mike 

Gallagher, Business Manager Local 793, on his election as the 

10th Vice President, and Brother Bruce Moffatt, Business 

Manager of Local 955, on being re-elected as Trustee. 

This was the first General Convention as Business Manager 

for Brother Brian Cochrane, and my first as the President of 

our Local. I was therefore able to take in the convention proceedings 

with a different perspective. 

The General President appointed 24 people, of whom I was 

one, to the Resolution Committee; we met before the convention 

to review 26 resolutions that went before more than 650 

delegates. One of the resolutions was about the issues of 

CLAC in Canada and their suspension from the International 

Trade Union Confederation. I was the first delegate off the 

floor to speak, and it was on this CLAC resolution. 

IUOE Local 115 Business Manager Brian Cochrane, 

Recording Corresponding Secretary Brother Brian Lefebvre, 

and myself also worked on a resolution regarding the Temporary 

Foreign Workers and HD Mining issue. The resolution 

also found its way to the Convention floor, as Brother 

Cochrane spoke about the matter. 

Summer 

With the summer season nearly upon us, I want you to 

remember that safety applies everywhere, and not just at 

work. When you are doing something (at home, on holiday, 

or at work), always ask yourself is this the safest way to do it? 

With those thoughts, I will leave you, and hope your 

summer is an enjoyable one. As always, many thanks are due 

to all the stewards and safety reps for their continuing hard 

work. 


District 1 

Temporary Foreign 

Workers Program 

encourages a race to 

the bottom 

Craig McIntosh, 

Member Representative 

The Federal Conservative and Provincial Liberal Governments 

have failed to defend Canadians and British Columbia’s 

people by allowing the number of temporary foreign workers 

to double in the last 10 years to 340,000 in Canada, and 74,000 

in B.C., and with an unemployment rate of over 7% in Canada 

and B.C. (and much higher for those under 24), the government’s 

job plan is simply not working. 

The governments keep telling us we need more people to 

fill all the jobs they are creating, but have allowed the number 

of temporary foreign workers to surpass working immigrants 

who can become permanent residents and Canadian citizens 

in a year. 

Richard Kurland, a Vancouver-based immigration lawyer, 

testified to the House Standing Committee and recommended 

there be a 15% premium on wages to foreigners, as an icentive 

to hire local. 

The Government did the reverse; last year the Federal Government 

started allowing employers to pay foreign workers 

15% less than Canadian workers. 

Both Federal and Provincial governments are allowing 

4 News July July 2013 

employers to use the temporary foreign worker program as a 

steady supply of lower paid workers whose circumstances 

leave them too vulnerable to exercise their rights. This not 

only affects these workers, it erodes the bargaining power of 

everyone else who works in these sectors, and the rights of 

Canadian workers, both union and non-organized. 

In B.C., the Employment Standards Act protects non-union 

workers who do not belong to a union and have a collective 

agreement. In 2001, the B.C. Liberals gutted the Employment 

Standards Branch in B.C. and laid off the people that looked 

after employee-employer complaints. Today there is little 

enforcement of the Employment Standards Act and because a 

temporary foreign worker’s status is tied to his or her employer, 

many will not report instances of exploitation to avoid 

being sent home, since under Canada’s Temporary Foreign 

Worker Program, they can only work for the employer who 

sponsors them. 

I was talking to the owner of a concrete placing and finishing 

contractor and asked him where his crew was from; he 

told me central America. He had sponsored them, and went 

on to tell me he only hired them “from the neck down”; when 

they started to think too much (or learn English and talk too 

much), he sent them home and put in another request to the 

Federal Government for more workers. I thought to myself 

“we treat our dogs better”. 

How can legitimate contractors, employers, Canadian and 

B.C. workers compete with this double-edged injustice and 

avoid a race to the bottom, putting downward pressure on 

wages and benefits while inflicting terrible work conditions 

and diminished worker rights? 

It’s yet another fight for our jobs. 

Cheque Presentation for Walk 

for Autism Member. Rep Rob 

dePfyffer, Member Brother 

Terry James, Wanda Carisse of 

Chris Rose Centre and Member 

Rep Brad Gerow.

Let’s talk up the 

union advantage 

to our friends and 

neighbours 

Everett Cummings, 


Bargaining has been completed for the District 1 Utility Standard 

Road Building Agreement, with a ratification vote on 

accepting the new changes. In this industry, we need to gain 

some ground on the CLAC/non-union sectors that are making 

the bids difficult for the signatory contractor. Always 

remember that it’s everyone’s job as a member of the local to 

let people understand the entire wage and benefits package 

when talking with friends or family that are not working for a 

real union contractor. 

I hear it all the time from the unorganized sector; on an 

hourly rate, they claim a dollar or so more per hour, but in 

fact, without the pension, various benefits and cover, and holiday 

pay that our agreements offer, they are in fact taking in 

about $8-10 less every hour. Let them know the difference of 

our defined benefit pension compared to the RRSP they might 

currently have. It takes all of us to make changes in the industry 

and the mindsets of workers, not just a few active members 

and representatives. 

District 1 

The other issue that everyone needs to speak out about to 

their MP’s are the temporary foreign workers taking jobs from 

the deserving local work force. Brother Brian Cochrane has 

done an excellent job on behalf of all Canadians exposing the 

problems and loopholes in the process which bring in foreign 

workers. Without unions doing this hard work on behalf of 

members and all Canadians, these activities would keep happening 

right here in our back yard, taking both our human 

and natural resources without a single Canadian seeing a pay 

cheque. 

The other issue that you need to be aware of and discuss is 

Bill C-377; this bill could make it more difficult for unions to 

stand up for the rights of this country by tying them up in 

needless financial red tape. 

The other side of this bill is the privacy issues that are 

attached to it; could you imagine your grandmother or wife’s 

name being posted on a site saying that she is now a widow 

and received money as part of a death benefit? It’s well known 

that people search the internet gathering information exactly 

of this nature to use against people for scams, identity theft, or 

other criminal intent, and I am sure it could definitely be used 

by these types of people. 

Go to www.labourspeaksout.com to get updated information 

on the temporary foreign workers at the Tumbler Ridge 

coal mine, and learn how we are fighting against unconstitutional 

and unfair worker employment practices. 

Work safe! 

Peace River Coal’s heavy 

operations at District 5. 


District 1 

The work picture is slowly evolving from the norm of yesterday. 

With the growth of international companies in our province, 

we have seen a different way of how business is conducted. 

We’re seeing competition not only between rival companies, 

but also between different divisions of the same company. It’s 

no longer advantageous for a contractor to sub-contract to a 

division within their own organization unless they are in fact 

the lowest bid. 

A good example of this is in the aggregate industry where 

one division found aggregate for a lesser price from their competitors 

than from their own mines. This has a huge impact 

on the companies and the membership, creating an environment 

that requires a little extra effort for management, sales 

personnel, and the members doing the work, in order to be 

successful. There are several ways for workers to stay competitive 

in this new world, but there are two “no brainers.” 

Firstly, members need to stay focused while at work, and 

lessen our lost time due to injury. This is probably the easiest 

thing to accomplish; simply always work safe. I don’t know of 

a single company out there that does not promote safety as 

priority number one. The focus on safety is at such a high level 


Adapting to a new 

way of bidding and 

working 

Bob Higgs, 


now that some companies are even hiring firms that deal 

with nothing but safety in an effort to reduce time lost due to 

injury. Considering the amount of money these losses cost, 

it’s worth their while to spend considerable amounts to 

ensure all employees go home safely every day. We can assist 

their efforts from our side if we stay alert, focused, and professional 

on the job. If through our actions we can lessen 

injury time losses, we only help make our employer more 

competitive, and our own jobs more secure. 

Secondly, is through organizing; all Operating Engineers 

are organizers. With competition fighting for the lowest bid 

price and best resources, we hear time and time again that a 

major component in a bid is labour costs. Through organizing, 

we can level this field, allowing our employers the 

opportunity to reduce the wide fluctuations sometimes seen 

between labour costs in different bids. We talk a lot about 

market share and how it’s been steadily reducing over the last 

decade; this needs to change, and we can only regain market 

share through increased organizing efforts, and retain what 

we have already fought so hard for. 

As I drive around my area of representation, it is good to 

see all the job sites in full production and the road crews out 

in force. Municipal work is not as plentiful as it once was, but 

it is keeping a few crews busy. The Vancouver dry-dock is 

installing a new crane, ominously named “Goliath”. This 

crane will have a 300 ton lift capacity and will stand 264 feet 

tall – that’s about 60 feet taller than the driving deck of the 

Lions Gate Bridge, and should be completed in 2014. 

Have a great summer, and remember to work safe. 

Families and friends 

enjoying themselves at the 

annual Training Association 

Open House event.

No strike, no lockout 

in evergreen bid 

Frank Carr, 


Hello Brother and Sisters. I hope the start of spring has treated 

you well. 

To start off, a brief update on our bargaining activities. 

We have ratified the Lower Mainland Utility Agreement, 

and are currently in negotiations for a new Paving Agreement; 

Lafarge/Columbia Bitulithic has taken the position that they 

will be bargaining independently from the rest of the Paving 

and Crushing Group of Employers, and bargaining is ongoing 

with both groups. 

Are your skills 

up to date? 

Stewart Miller, 


To start, congratulations to Mainland Sand and Gravel! They 

just reached a milestone of moving three million tonnes for 

Aggregate from their Cox Station location in just 12 months. 

Very impressive. 

The construction side of things is slowly starting to pick 

up; it’s good to see Union contractors pick up jobs in the Fraser 

Valley, but it would be good to see more, and we can all be 

part of helping them out. 

We need to educate our non-union family and friends on 

the advantages of being union. It’s not only about the dollar 

amount – we have pension, benefits, training facilities, support 

staff and most importantly, collective agreements in 

District 1 

Pile Driving Industry negotiations have started. We have 

met numerous times already, we hope to have a document to 

vote on shortly. 

A major project on the books being bid on right now is the 

Evergreen line; the union has agreed to a no strike/no lockout 

agreement to bid on the pile driving work as a requirement by 

SNC Lavalin before our companies can enter into the bidding 

process. 

Another big project on the books is the development 

planned on the Tswwassen First Nations land in Richmond; at 

this point our soil densification, the union, and our signatory 

companies are working hard to get the work and make sure 

that no non-union work is undertaken. 

In closing I would like to thank you for your support in 

electing me to represent you at our International Convention; 

I am proud and humbled by the appointment. 

Thank you, and see you at the next district meeting. 

place. Live Better, Work Union – that’s what you need to educate 

them on, focusing on the Live Better part. 

I recently was on a job site talking with a member who was 

running a skid steer, and he said he would sure like to run a 

dozer. I asked him if he had dozer training. He said he had 

done a course a few years back and had some seat time. When 

I got back to the office, I checked the member’s skills list we 

keep in dispatch, and there was no mention of dozer experience 

or training to be found, so I called him to advise him of 

this and take action. 

This got me thinking about how many other members out 

there also have skills that nobody knows of; it is your responsibility 

to update our dispatch office with your current skills, 

and check in with them to make sure the list of equipment you 

run is current, and make any changes necessary. I would hate 

to think you are running a skid steer when really you should 

be on a D11! 

In closing, I would like to say we all need to stay informed, 

and stay active. Come out to your local district meeting; ask 

questions, get informed, get involved. 

Think Safe. Be Safe. 


District 1 

Hello Brothers and Sisters. 

On the bargaining front, we have been busy to say the least. 

Wajax equipment has been negotiated and 87.5 % of the bargaining 

unit has voted in favour of their new collective agreement. 

The members at Wajax Equipment will enjoy a wage 

increase of 3.3% and 2% during the next three years, along 

with a signing bonus of $650.00. 

I am currently preparing to assist Brother Stewart Miller in 

negotiations with Parrish & Heimbecker. I am also getting 

ready for negotiations with Pacific Coast Heavy Truck, formally 

known as Volvo. There are two locations attached to 

this unit, so I can see that this will be a challenge to overcome, 


We’re active on the 

bargaining front and 

we could use your 

help 

Brett Chapman, 


but we will “get ‘er done”. 

I would like to take a moment to recognize and thank all 

the hard work the shop stewards have been doing this last year 

as we have had several challenges and hurdles to overcome, 

and must prepare for many more - keep up the good work! 

The Union would like to encourage members to get 

involved when it comes to becoming a shop steward, as there 

are several areas that could use your help. The Peace Country 

is definitely one of them, being Peace River Coal. I am looking 

to build a solid team to be able to fix the issues that have been 

ongoing, and any that arise, and need a shop steward on each 

crew as there are many different shifts and many issues to 

address on behalf of the work force there. If you are interested, 

please contact me or your current shop steward. 

As the summer and nicer weather approaches, the South 

Perimeter Highway and Fraser Transportation Group (FTG) 

will be pressing forward to completion. Several of our contractors 

will be exceptionally busy. The Evergreen Line has 

also taken off to a good start where more of our signatory 

companies have picked up a fair amount of work on this 

project. 

Be Safe, and we will see you in the field. 

Neptune Terminals Building. 

Photo by John Vosbourgh.

Union Organizing 

We’re all about SAFeTY 

Rob Duff, 

Organizing Representative 

I have been getting a lot of positive feedback about the safety 

programs at the Kitimat Modernization Project (KMP) and 

Kemano camps. 

And safety is the word of the day. Whether you are sitting 

in the seat or working on the ground, these job sites can be 

very dangerous places to work. 

Member safety is the most important aspect of these projects. 

Far too often we see work sites with less than perfect 

safety practices. The programs that have been put in place in 

BEChTEl ES&h DEPArTmEnT | KiTimAT mODErnizATiOn PrOjECT 

Our goal: zero 

incidents First Aid medical 

Treatment 

Dispatcher’s Report 

Still hoping for 

much needed 

changes 

Jim Flynn, 

Dispatcher 

I was hoping that, by the time you read this, there would be 

some changes in Victoria. Changes that were, and still are, 

long overdue. 

The hope was that a new government could bring in a balanced 

labour code so that we could start winning our market 

share back to where it once was. However, with the unfore- 

restricted 

Work Day 

lost Time near 

miss 

Lost Work 

Day 

Property 

Damage 

28 April - 04 may 6 0 0 0 4 4 2 

April 2013 17 2 0 0 11 12 10 

Year to Date 89 3 0 2 26 41 35 

Project to Date 477 12 7 6 186 185 285 

hours Worked Since last lost Time incident (13 February 2013) : 609,630 

Kemano and KMP are models to be followed on other worksites 

throughout B.C. The numbers speak for themselves, 

with the lost time due to an incident at 609,630 hours. I think 

it’s safe to say that our members are buying into the philosophy 

of safety first. 

Remember we are our brothers’ and sisters’ keeper. If you 

see something that is unsafe, correct it. If you see someone 

working unsafe, stop it. A little extra effort on the safety side 

may save a finger, an arm or even a life. 

Env 

seen re-election of the Liberals, we have at least another four 

years to wait before we can rely on them to create these 

changes. 

Our trade has been affected by a labour code that rewards 

the (non-union) union companies’ ability to set their raid 

windows when they are the least likely to have the bulk of 

their workforce employed. So the choice few make the decisions 

for the majority. Dispatch has been steady, but not setting 

the world on fire so far this year. I am hoping by the time 

you read this, things will have ramped up. 

In closing, school will soon be out so let’s all keep a sharp 

eye out for the kids. 


District 2 

A good batch of 

work coming up on 

vancouver Island 

Curtis Harold and Tim Cullen, 

Member Representatives 

Hello Brothers and Sisters from District 2. 

Work on Vancouver Island is gearing up for another steady 

construction year. The big talk of course is the John Hart Dam 

in Campbell River which we have covered briefly in other 

articles. Uplands Excavating was successful in securing some 

preliminary work for the dam, but the award is not taking 

place until the late summer. Uplands are currently at the Co- 

Gen Station in Campbell River removing services tied into the 

mill and hooking up to the city, and also at the redevelopment 

of the Campbell River Air Tanker Base at the airport. In May 

they will be back at the NVI mine site working on the tailing 

ponds as well as upgrading the dyke. After that, 

they will be back at Quinsam Coal when the 

weather has dried out towards the summer. 

There are also the two hospitals to be built in 

the Campbell River and Courtney areas, and 

we will be keeping a close eye on the outcome 

regarding the successful bidder. 

Hazelwood Construction has been busy 

picking up run of the river projects; they are back at Gold 

Bridge and heading to Canoe Creek. They have successfully 

finished up with some local projects in Nanaimo and Cedar. 

Chew Excavating has been successful at securing a sizeable 

job at the old Construction Aggregates location off Metchosin 

Road, preparing site service for the Royal Bay School to be 

constructed there. Chew is still at the Hartland Landfill and 

doing maintenance work for Telus and BC Hydro. 

Construction at the Wind Farm in Port Hardy has finished, 

apart from the erection of the mills themselves, with a total of 

six completed at the time of writing this article. There is talk 


Harold Cullen 

of the second phase starting this year; we will keep you posted 

if that transpires. 

The paving season is just starting out at a slow pace, and 

our various contractors will be bidding aggressively on work 

this season to keep the crews going. 

Point Hope Maritime has ramped up their workforce with 

several vessels in dock, and have a great year to look forward 

to. 

Industrial shops Wajax, Brandt Tractor, SMS, United Rentals, 

and Robinson Rentals, continue to enjoy their great start 

to the season. Forestry and many different construction projects 

keep the parts and repairs 

shops going strong. 

Upcoming bargaining with 

United Rentals Vancouver Island 

will be starting at the beginning of 

May, and Victoria Materials Depot 

in July. 

A thank you to the Shop Stewards 

that could attend the appreciation dinner held on April 6 

– the night went very well, with excellent entertainment and 

dinner. 

Please remember that our Victoria meeting times are at 

7:30pm and Nanaimo at 6:00pm. The next Black Creek meeting 

is at 6:00pm on September 26, 2013. 

We would like to thank the Stewards for the great work that 

they do for all the membership at their work sites. A membership 

that stays engaged continues the success of Local 115. 

Stay safe, and see you in the field and our district meetings. 

Looking ahead, work on 

Vancouver Island is 

gearing up for another 

steady construction year.

Good progress on 

bargaining and 

working together 

to organize 

Rob dePfyffer and Brad Gerow, 


Gerow 

Hello Brothers and Sisters. The summer is upon us and things 

are getting busy. We have had a good spring with bargaining for 

many contracts in place so far, and we still have more to come. 

First, we have completed bargaining with Wajax, delivering 

an 87% acceptance of a new three-year deal with increases of 

3%, 3%, and 2% over the negotiated time period. Pacific Abrasives 

in Grand Forks have just ratified a three-year deal with 

cost-of-living increases each year, and an increase to pensions 

as well. Currently, we are in bargaining with James Western Star 

and Premium Truck and Trailer in Kelowna, and hope to have 

their agreements completed by the time this publication hits 

your mail box. 

CGL in Vernon has just ratified a new three-year collective 

agreement and is busy working on a beautification project in 

the heart of downtown Vernon. There are other similar projects 

on the horizon they are investigating, and they are looking 

at staying busy for the next while, which is good news for 

members in the area. 

In the coming months we will be entering into bargaining 

with Westlake and Vernon Paving as well; this will be the first 

collective agreement with them since we raided them from 

CLAC back in the summer of 2011. We have a good foundation 

of members there, and look forward to our first round of 

bargaining for them. 

Con-Ex Civil Contractors is busy working on an infrastructure 

upgrade project for the Kamloops Band, and has 

started the earthworks for the next lot development in Juniper. 

Combine that work with upcoming negotiations and the 

plate is almost full for the crew at Con-Ex. 

The industrial sector is very busy right now; the shops in 

District 3 are doing very well and seems to be picking up as 

the spring turns into summer. Currently it is break-up time in 

the area, but that doesn’t seem to be slowing down progress 

right now, as there is work in the local mines keeping businesses 

and our members busy. 

The crane industry has been very steady over the winter 

with Sterling Crane keeping all their staff working throughout 

District 3 

the area, and not having the normal slowdown that they normally 

experience at this time of year. Entrec is continuing 

their work up at the Highland Valley Mill Modernization 

project in Logan Lake with a few more months to completion, 

and are currently running both day and night shifts to keep 

the project going, with approximately 24 workers on various 

shifts. 

The local highway work is starting to come out for tender. 

The first of these projects is 21.5kms of paving on Westsyde 

Road in Kamloops which is being done by Dawson Construction. 

B.C. 672462 has picked up phase 1 of the Pritchard to 

Hoffman’s Bluff four-laning from Kamloops to the Alberta 

border. Meanwhile, Hazelwood’s run of the river project in 

Goldbridge is in full swing, and once again will deliver some 

interesting stories to tell for years to come. The job is tough, 

with landscape and geography the prime contributors to the 

degree of difficulty; but that’s precisely why it’s the right job 

for members of the Operating Engineers. 

B.A. Dawson Blacktop is also hard at work in Salmon Arm. 

Last time I was out there they were knee deep in the mud and 

pumping ground water, but making progress installing 36” 

concrete pipe. These are the elements of the type of work that 

makes for future stories on how “we pulled together and got 

the job done”, despite difficulties along the way. B.A. Dawson 

Blacktop is also busy with paving in Kamloops and some 

pedestrian upgrades. 

In regards to organizing, I have had many conversations 

with members over the last few months on this topic and how 

it relates to their collective agreements. We need significant 

market share in order to increase the wages and pensions in 

the contracts we negotiate, and this can only be achieved by 

working together as one collective group. When you are out 

on job sites, talking to other contractors, let them know about 

the benefits and options you have; let them know about the 

pension, medical, and training that is readily available to you 

as an Operating Engineer. The seed gets planted through our 

members talking to the people they are working with, so when 

you encounter someone that wants to talk about the union, let 

us know and we will come out and help grow the idea you 

have planted. 

If you happen to be out on a site that is non-union, let us 

know where you are and we will come out to see you and the 

people you are working with, and get them started on organizing 

their work place. We all need to work together on getting 

our market share back to where it should be, one site and 

meeting at a time. 

Brothers and Sisters, remember you are the union, and by 

working together and keeping communication open, we can 

grow this great organization even further. 


Formula Contractors working on the iskut bridge in Prince 

George. 


On February 27th, 2013 

hundreds of thousands 

Pink Shirt Day supporters 

committed to “make some 

noise against bullying” and 

their message was heard. 

$275,000 was raised as 

a result of the campaign 

organized by the CKNW 

Orphans’ Fund. 

NEWS 

B U L L E T I N 

DUES INCREASE NOTIFICATION 

At the IUOE General Convention held in April 2013, 

the delegates passed a resolution to increase the 

per capita tax by $0.25 per month effective July 1 st , 

2013. These increases affect all members as per 

the following statement: 

“The per capita increase of $0.25 per month 

commencing July 1, 2013, shall be done so 

in accordance with Article XI Section 1 of the 

Constitution.” 

Should anyone have any questions regarding 

the implementation of the necessary deductions, 

please contact Don Swerdan at 604.291.8831 

Yours truly 

Don Swerdan 

Financial Secretary 

IUOE Local 115

Looking forward to 

LNG development 

and building Site c 

Herb Conat and Wayne Kemp, 


There are several projects within the district currently on the 

books, and hopefully they will kick off before the fall. The 

Northwest corridor is shaping up to be a huge opportunity for 

the membership with multiple projects proposed, providing 

that commodity prices stay high which will ensure the success 

of these projects. 

Liquefied natural gas is the big ticket item for the province and 

enjoy strong government backing and investment. These plants 

require a tremendous amount of electrical power, and this should 

fall right into place with the construction of BC Hydro’s Site C 

dam. These projects would employ many Operating Engineers, 

which will in turn support our extended families. 

Currently one of the largest project labour agreements, the 

Rio Tinto Alcan Kitimat Modernization Project, is progressing 

well. There are roughly 150 members working on this 

massive project, with the completion date set for 2015. 

Despite these forecasted projects and the benefits and positive 

outlook they provide, the union contractors are having a 

District 5 

Tougher rules aim to 

ensure safe hydraulic 

fracturing 

Mike Spiruda, 


Spring has come unusually late this year in the Northeast 

which may delay some seasonal projects. 

Hydraulic fracturing has been getting a lot of media attention 

lately as Canadians request more information as to how 

industry uses and protects our fresh ground water. 

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) 

members have established new guiding principles for hydraulic 

fracturing which will guide water management and 

District 4 

difficult time trying to compete against 

non-union and employer-dominated 

unions. Our market share continues to 

be challenged and eroded by the government’s 

continued attack on labour as 

a whole. This enforces our goal of continuing 

to “organize the unorganized” 

and bring fair, equitable treatment to as 

many deserving workers as possible. 

Conat Kemp 

Not only this, the goal of developing a 

membership that is further skilled than 

our competition means that now is the time to upgrade your 

expertise and contact the training association coordinators to 

take your abilities, and career opportunities, to the next level; 

this is what makes Operating Engineers members outclass the 

competition. 

On the topic of training, Brother Don Swerdan conducted 

Steward Training in Prince George during April, where 30 

members attended the course. The event was well received by 

all who participated, and the stewards appreciated the colourful 

presentation by Brother Swerdan. Thanks to those stewards 

who took the time out of their weekends to participate in 

this course, including the members who travelled long distances 

to attend. 

In closing, we would like to thank the great work that the 

stewards and safety committee members do for all members 

at their work sites. These women and men stand up for the 

wellbeing of the membership and their efforts should be 

noticed and appreciated. Thank you, and work safe. 

improve the water and fluids reporting practices for shale gas 

development in Canada. 

Environment Canada also wants the oil and gas industry to 

become transparent about the unidentified fluids and chemicals 

which are injected deep underground to extract natural 

gas and liquids. 

Shale gas is the game changer that will enable British 

Columbia to produce the large volumes and enable us to 

export Liquefied Natural Gas from the Northwest to Asian 

markets. 

Now that the election is behind us and with proper hydraulic 

fracturing principles coming into play, the major oil and 

gas producers should be in a better position to move forward 

with some of the planned major projects. 

There is $50 million plus in road work approved for the 

Northeast this coming summer which creates the opportunity 

for Local 115 and membership to increase our market share 

within the road building industry. Please let us know where 

you may be working. Have a safe summer. 


District 6 

From April 28th to May 1st, 2013, delegates from Local 115 

attended the 38th General Convention of the Operating Engineers 

in Hollywood, Florida. The theme of the Convention 

was “Honour the Past - Shape the Future” and this theme was 

very prevalent throughout the entire convention. There were 

622 delegates and 37 guests in attendance from all over Canada 

and the USA. 

Local 115`s Delegates were as follows: 

• Business Manager, Brian Cochrane 

• President, Wayne Mills 

• Recording Corresponding Secretary, Brian Lefebvre 

• Financial Secretary, Don Swerdan 

• Union Treasurer, Frank Carr 

• Manager Administration & Special Projects, Lynda Arland 

• District 1 Members’ Representatives, Craig McIntosh & 

Brett Chapman 

• Training Association Instructor, Steve Carter 

• District 4 Members’ Representative, Wayne Kemp 

• District 5 Members’ Representative, Mike Spiruda 

General President James Callahan began the General Convention 

with a few messages to all delegates. Some of the highlights 

were: 

• The Membership is the Union. 

• Hold politicians accountable. 

• Our need to educate, motivate, and mobilize our 

membership. 

• Turn challenges into opportunities. 

• Leave this organization even better than the great shape 

we receive it in. 

The delegates were tasked with the election of the General 

Executive Boards. I am happy to report that the General President, 

James Callahan, and the General Secretary-Treasurer, 

Brian Hickey, were re-elected. Also re-elected were all 14 of 

the current Vice Presidents and five International Trustees. 

As part of “Honouring the Past”, our previous General 

President, Vincent Giblin, was in attendance and spoke to the 


Local 115 attends 

the 38th General 

convention of the 

Operating engineers 

Brian Lefebvre, 


delegates about our organization as leaders in the union 

movement, and how well-respected we are within our industries. 

He also spoke very highly of our re-elected General 

President, General Secretary-Treasurer and Vice Presidents, 

and how there is no doubt in his mind that the organization is 

in great hands. 

The delegates also heard from a wide array of speakers during 

the convention, such as, 

• Richard Trumka – President of the AFL-CIO 

• Richard Durbin – United States Senator of Illinois 

• Richard Griffin Jr. – Board Member of the National 

Labour Relations Board 

• Timothy James – Director, Legislative and Political Affairs 

of IUOE International 

• Gary Doer – Canadian Ambassador to the USA 

• James Ray – Lawyer, James Ray PLLC 

• Stephen Lindauer – CEO of the Association of Union 

Constructors 

• Michael Fanning – CEO of the IUOE Central Pension 

Fund 

• Maureen Ehrenberg – Global Director of CBRE`s Global 

Facilities Management 

• Buddy White – President and CEO of White Construction 

Inc. 

• Douglas McCarron – General President of the Carpenters 

& Joiners of America 

• Raymond Poupore – Executive Vice President at National 

Construction Alliance II 

• Donald Taylor – President of UNITE HERE 

All of the speakers spoke on topics that are close to the 

organizations that they represented, but the prevailing theme 

was how the Operating Engineers’ focus on building improved 

quality, careers, and secure futures for their membership. 

The delegates also had an opportunity to vote on 17 amendments 

to the International Constitution and 27 resolutions, 

including a resolution submitted by your Local 115 Delegates 

in regards to the fight against abuse of Temporary Foreign 

Worker permits. Business Manager Brian Cochrane addressed 

the delegates on supporting this resolution, who voted unanimously 

to support our proposed resolution. 

As this was the first General Convention that I have attended, 

I have to say how impressed I was with our International 

Union and the direction we are headed in as part of it. It is also 

great to see first-hand the amount of unfettered support we all 

have from General President Callahan and the entire International 

Organization membership when called upon.

The 2013 IUOE Convention theme. 

Local 115’s delegates with President Wayne Mills. 

District 6 

IUOE Local 115 



spoke to a motion 

condemning 

Canada’s 


Workers Program. 

The resolution 

was unanimously 

accepted. 

July July 2013 2013 News 15

District 6 

Hello from the Sparwood Office! 

The coal industry is holding its own right now, but coal 

sales for the upcoming year hasn’t been made public yet. 

Those working in the industry will be keeping a close eye on 

these results to see how performance has fared so far this year. 

Line Creek has one less hurdle to clear before being granted 

an extension permit. You may notice I used the word extension 

and not expansion. Without this extension, the mine 

could close its doors in about five years, whereas now it should 

stay open for the next 20 years. This is great news, as the con- 


Retiring with 

a pension. 

Thank goodness 

I’ve worked union 

Gord Chaisson, 


Now that we’re into 

nice weather... 

Rob Foskett, 


Now that we’re finally into nicer weather... road construction! 

Isn’t it great? 

Some might think that these comments are sarcastic, as 

most people consider road construction nothing other than a 

hassle; but not me. We all know it happens, so you might as 

well plan ahead for it. And while you are waiting in line, have 

a look around at the scenery; for most of us, it’s like we live in 

a postcard. When the Flagger turns the sign around and it’s 

finally your turn to go through, take a look at the people doing 

the work on that road. They could very well be your fellow 

Union Brothers and Sisters, and any time I see our membership 

back to work, it’s a good thing. 

The Waneta Dam expansion is still going strong, and the 

project has created a steady source of income for a great number 

of our members. I believe applause is well deserved for 

both past and present members that have both worked and 

are currently working on the project for how safely they work. 

tractors that survive by working for mines such as Line Creek 

are having a tough time lately. Almost no contracts of significance 

have been issued for almost a year, and it’s tough to 

make a living in the Elk Valley if you don’t have steady work 

on one of the mines here. 

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program issue and random 

drug testing continue to be important issues to our memberships, 

which is why the local continues fighting on these 

issues with such vigour. We need your support to continue to 

stand up for workers’ rights and bring about much-needed 

reform in these topics! 

Summer is just around the corner, and with that comes new 

safety concerns. Please have a safe holiday season with your 

family on the roads, at home, and at your destination. 

In closing, I want to thank the members and executives of 

this Local for a wonderful experience. After representing this 

Union in one capacity or another for 29 years, it’s time to go. 

Retirement; Pensions – great words! Thank goodness I’ve 

worked Union! 

Sincerely, 

Gord Chaisson 

On a project this big, it’s an amazing accomplishment. Not 

too long ago the attitude and mentality around safety 

issues was different on many construction sites, and a lot 

of chances would be taken, often with negative results. The 

culture is changing for the better, and safety is becoming 

the norm; it’s great to see. 

Things are looking up for the Contractors supporting 

the five mine sites in the Elk Valley, as they are slowly 

starting to pick up more work after a slight downturn in 

the coal mining industry. Thankfully only a small number 

of members have been affected by the temporary layoffs, 

and with any luck they will be back to work soon. 

On a more positive note, congratulations are in order 

for the Bargaining Committee and the Membership working 

for Wajax Equipment in the ratification of their Collective 

Agreement by 87%. Good job everyone! 

In closing, I would like to invite all our readers to 

become more involved with your Union, and the issues of 

our province as well as our country. We all know about the 

“rumour mill” and how it works to skew the facts, so rather 

than getting caught up in it, come out to a District meeting, 

ask questions, and find out what is really going on as 

well contribute to the valuable information and opinions 

that are shared at every meeting. You deserve to know the 

truth so that when you hear any rumours, you can help set 

the record straight for everyone else. 

Work safe.

This is a reminder that during the month of July members 

under age 65 will have a one-time opportunity to purchase up 

to $40,000.00 of optional life insurance coverage without any 

medical qualification. This medical evidence-free insurance is 

only available on the member’s life. Spouses are not eligible for 

medical evidence-free coverage. 

Great-West Life will hold this open enrolment in July only. 

Members interested in purchasing coverage can obtain an 

Age of 

member 

or Spouse 

July features 

open enrolment 

for optional life 

insurance 

Shawn Hatch, 

Administrator 

male 

non- 

Smoker 

male 

Smoker 

Benefit Plans 

application form from the Operating Engineers’ Benefits Plan 

office. The completed application must be returned to the 

office, or postmarked, no later than July 31, 2013. 

This insurance is available in units of $20,000 to a maximum 

of $40,000. Once a member turns 65 the coverage will 

terminate. The premium varies with age and your initial costs 

is noted in the chart below. As you get older the premium will 

be adjusted the first day of the month following your reaching 

the ages listed. 

In addition to the medical evidence-free coverage, members 

and their spouses can purchase optional life insurance for 

up to $300,000.00. Coverage is subject to approval by Great- 

West Life. See your Benefits Plan booklet for more information 

or contact the Operating Engineers’ Benefits Plan office. 

The applicable premiums for optional life insurance are the 

same as those noted in the chart for the medical evidence-free 

insurance. 

Female 

non- 

Smoker 

Female 

Smoker 

To age 34 $ .05 $.08 $.04 $.06 

35 – 39 .05 .11 .05 .08 

40 – 44 .08 .16 .07 .12 

45 – 49 .15 .29 .12 .21 

50 – 54 .25 .49 .20 .33 

55 – 59 .46 .85 .32 .50 

60 – 64 .64 1.10 .41 .60 

IUOE115 IS GOING DIGITAL! 

The IUOE News, and many of our other Local 115 publications will soon 

be available online for digital reading, downloading, discussion, and 

sharing. Our website is being completely rebuilt in the coming weeks 

to create an interactive, informative experience for all our members 

and readers. Get your digital copy and keep up with our progress and 

website relaunch at www.iuoe115.com. 



IUOE LOCAL 115 

Annual Defence Fund 

This is a notice to all members who will be paying their dues in the 

next couple of months. The annual defence fund dues of $40 

is payable on july 1. Be sure to include this additional amount 

with your dues payment because any dues payment is applied to 

outstanding assessments first. 


Brother Don Swerdan conducting 

a Shop Steward Training Course in 

Prince George.

tEmporary ForEign WorkEr program 

iUOE local 115 forced 

government changes to 


Worker Program 

By Bill Tieleman 

THANKS TO A MAJOR COURT BATTLE started by the 

International Union of Operating Engineers Local 115, the 

federal government has been forced to make significant 

changes to the flawed Temporary Foreign Worker Program 

that allowed coal miners from China to work in B.C. 

IUOE Local 115 filed legal action in the Federal Court of 

Canada last fall after Chinese-owned HD Mining announced 

it had received approval to bring 200 Temporary Foreign 

Workers from China to work on a coal mine development 

near Tumbler Ridge. 

“The challenge to even have the Court consider the union 

arguments was enormous,” says Brian Cochrane, IUOE Local 

115 Business Manager. 

“And that’s not to mention cancelling the order work permits 

already granted to HD Mining by the federal Human 

Resources and Skills Development ministry.” 

But IUOE Local 115, along with the Construction and 

Specialized Workers Union [Labourers’ Union] Local 1611 

and the BC Building Trades unions, knew the case was the 

only way to expose the systematic abuse of the Temporary 

Foreign Worker Program by employers with government 

acceptance, Cochrane said. 

“Even before the Court decision was given, the federal 

Conservative government had already announced very significant 

changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program 

because of evidence produced in Court about how qualified 

Canadians were not considered for HD Mining jobs,” 

Cochrane says. 

The unions proved that while HD Mining rejected all 300 

Canadian applicants, many of them were extremely qualified 

for coal mining jobs. HD Mining demanded Mandarin language 

as a job requirement. 

In April the federal government announced changes to the 

Temporary Foreign Worker Program that include ending an 

option that allowed employers to pay 15 per cent lower wages 

than Canadian prevailing wage rates, removing an Accelerated 

Labour Market Opinion process to bring in Temporary 

Canadians were outraged when Temporary Foreign Workers from 

China got BC coal mining jobs 

Foreign Workers, giving the government increased authority 

to suspend and revoke worker permits for abusing the program 

and ensuring foreign languages are not job 

requirements. 

“This Federal Court case was the catalyst to demonstrate 

conclusively that the dramatic increase in the use of Temporary 

Foreign Workers has come at the cost of Canadian jobs,” 

Cochrane added. “We fought to win many of the changes proposed 

by the federal government but will continue to demand 

even more improvements to end abuse of the system.” 

The Federal Court ruled in May against overturning the 

HD Mining work permits, with Justice Russel Zinn excluding 

some key evidence produced in Court by the unions from 

consideration – but Cochrane says there is no reason for 

disappointment. 

“By taking on this case, our union and the BC Building 

Trades exposed a fundamentally broken Temporary Foreign 

Worker Program and won in the most important court in the 

country – the court of public opinion.” 

“Without this case we would have not have seen a single 

improvement to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program – 

the lesson is that you have to fight for changes to make any 

progress and we will keep doing that,” Cochrane said. “Now 

everything has changed and employers can no longer blatantly 

abuse the system.” 

“Canada has seen the use of Temporary Foreign Workers 

explode in the last 10 years to over 330,000 – and 71,000 of 

those workers are in British Columbia,” Cochrane said. “Our 

union is determined to ensure that qualified Canadians are 

always first in line to get jobs – not be rejected and replaced 

by workers from other countries. 

Bill Tieleman is a communications and strategy consultant 

who also writes a weekly column in 24 Hours Vancouver newspaper 

and The Tyee online magazine. 


iUOE local 115 Annual Financial Statement FYE 2012 

20 News July 2013

iUOE bursaries and scholarships can help fund 

post-secondary education for your families 

M.L. (Mike) Parr Bursary 

or Bursaries 

Amount: total $2,000. 

May be divided between more than one 

applicant. 

CriteriA: Awarded annually to a son, 

daughter or legal ward of a member of 

the International Union of Operating 

Engineers Local 115 entering first-year 

studies in any discipline at a recognized 

Canadian college, university or vocational 

school as a full-time student. 

Awards are based upon secondary 

school academic standing. 

Applications are available from: 

Sandie Bird 

Operating Engineers’ Benefits Plan Office 

Phone: (604) 299-8341, ext. 407 

Fax: (604) 473-5236 

Deadline: Applications to be 

submitted before Sept. 30, 2013 and 

awards are presented in November. 

IUOE Canadian 

Conference Bursary 

Amount: 10 bursaries of $750.00 each. 

Two of these are allotted to British 

Columbia. 

CriteriA: Awarded annually to a 

dependant of a member of a Canadian 

local of the Operating Engineers. 

The bursary recipient must be entering 

their first or subsequent year of a 

full-time course of study (at least 2 years 

in length) leading to a diploma, certificate 

or degree from any recognized 

public Canadian college or university. 

Applications must be supported by 

transcripts of high school achievement 

and accompanied by a detailed letter of 

recommendation from an individual 

with personal academic knowledge of 

the candidate, outlining reasons why 

the bursary should be awarded. In addition, 

applicants must submit a 1,000word 

essay on the reason why the 

bursary will be of assistance or the 

impact that being a dependent of a 

union member has had on the applicant’s 

life. 

For more information, contact: 

Canadian Conference of Operating 

Engineers 

1030 Upper James St, Suite 401 

Hamilton, Ontario, L9C 6X6 

Phone (905)-527-5250 

Fax (905)-527-6336 

Email: iuoe772hamilton@shaw.ca 


submitted no later than August 1, 

2013. 

B.C. Building Trades 

Fred Randall Bursary 

Amount: the British Columbia Building 

trades established two $500 bursaries 

in memory of Fred randall, 

former mLA and business manager of 

operating engineers Local 115. 

CriteriA: 

• A member in good standing 

• Enrolled in a union-recognized trades 

training program 

• A 250-word essay must be submitted 

by the applicants on the topic of “Commitment 

to Trade Union Principles.” 

The committee will make its selections 

considering financial need, proficiency 

in the trade and the applicant’s 

commitment to trade union principles. 

Joint training boards from each affiliat- 

ed local union can submit a name from 

their membership for consideration. 

The two selections will be made from 

those applicants. Following the committee 

selection, the successful applicants 

will be awarded their bursary 

upon confirmation of their attendance 

in their training program. 

For more information please contact: 

Brynn Bourke, Researcher 

BC Building Trades 

Phone: 778-397-2220 

Email: bbourke@bcbuildingtrades.org 

Deadline: the end of June 

Pipe Line Contractors’ 

Association Cal Callahan 

Memorial Bursary 

Amount: A bursary, or bursaries, not 

exceeding $10,000 in total, is awarded 

in the fall of each year, by the Pipe 

Line Contractors Association of Canada 

to a son, daughter, or legal ward of 

persons who derive their principal 

income from pipeline construction. 

CriteriA: 

To qualify, the parent or guardian of the 

applicant must be employed by, or have 

a history of employment with, a firm 

that is a member of the Pipe Line Contractors’ 

Association of Canada. The 

applicant must be enrolled in first-year 

studies at any recognized Canadian university 

or college in a program leading 

to a degree or diploma in any field. 

Visit www.pipeline.ca/bursary.html or 

call (905) 847-9383. 

For more information visit 

www.iuoe115.com/for.members/ 

scholarships. 


Deadline: Applications must 

be received by the Executive 

Committee of the Pipe Line 

Contractors’ Association of Canada 

no later than Oct. 31, and must be 

supported by evidence of enrolment 

in a fall or winter session during the 

current year. 

Community Savings Credit 

Union OECU Pioneers 

Memorial Bursary 

Amount: Originally established in 

1989 by Operating Engineers Credit 

Union, which merged with Community 

Savings Credit Union in 2008, the 

memorial provides an annual donation 

to honour the pioneers of the Operating 

Engineers Credit Union. 

CriteriA: This trust incorporates the 

original memorial established for Harry 

& Doris Berger. Harry was a founding 

charter member, President and Director 

LoCaL 115 

Scholarships 

and Bursaries 


of Operating Engineers Credit Union. 

Doris was a dedicated volunteer serving 

as Secretary to the Credit Union’s Board, 

the Credit Union Foundation of B.C. 

and other associated organizations. 

Much of Doris and Harry’s volunteer 

work reflected their keen interest in less 

privileged children. Awards from the 

Community Savings Credit Union 

OECU Pioneers Memorial bursary are 

designed to help disadvantaged youth 

pursue higher education. 

For an application, visit www.cufoundation.org 

or stop by the Operating Engineers 

branch of Community Savings 

Credit Union at 4590 Hastings Street in 

Burnaby, B.C. 

Deadline: Applications for students 

starting school in the fall are 

accepted beginning September 

1, 2013 with the deadline being 

October 15, 2013. 

Scholarships 

and Bursaries 

Donald Smith Scholarship 

Amount: Up to $1,000. 

CriteriA Awarded annually to a son, 

daughter or legal ward, a member or a 

member’s spouse who is in full-time 

attendance at the UBC, SFU, University 

of Victoria, University of Northern British 

Columbia or BCIT pursuing studies 

in engineering, industrial relations or 

law at either the graduate or undergraduate 

level. Awards are based upon academic 

standing. 

Applications are available from: 

Sandie Bird 

Operating Engineers’ Benefits Plan 

Office 

Phone: (604) 299-8341, ext. 407 

Fax: (604) 473-5236 


submitted before Sept. 30, 2013 and 

awards are presented in November. 

Pipe Line Contractors’ Cal Callahan Memorial Bursary 

Donald Smith Scholarship 

M.L. (Mike) Parr Bursary or Bursaries 

IUOE Local 115 Credit Union Pioneers’ Bursary 

IUOE Canadian Conference Bursary 

B.C. Building Trades Council Fred Randall Bursary 

For more information, check out 

iuoe115.com/for-members/scholarships/

CELEBrating thE First 25 yEars oF our training assoCiation 

Our training efforts keep our skills up 

and our union strong 

Standing in front of our 62.5 ton American truck crane in our 

Mobile Crane Lattice Friction Level 2 class are Brothers Calvin 

Meier, Tim Muhs, Jason Castle, Cory Albright, Ken Collins and Rick 

Anderson, (Instructor). 

Standing in front of the Training Association’s 30 to Grove at 

the Skills Canada Competition are Brothers Cody Fisher, Paul 

Wallman, Gordon Lindberg (Judge), Tom Kinnear (Training 

Coordinator), Brad Randall (Administrator), Kyle Thompson, Scott 

McRae, Matt Baker, Grant Washington (Judge), Rick Anderson 

(Instructor), Randy Grisewood (Training Coordinator) and Jeff 

Gorham (Training Coordinator). 

It was back in 1987 that the Operating 

Engineers Training Association conducted 

an earthmoving course in Kamloops 

for our members in support of the 

Cariboo College’s track and field project, 

when we were referred to as the 

Operating Engineers Training Plan. 

Recently, on behalf of the local Union, 

Brother Gordon Patterson had a plaque 

made and installed at the site to commemorate 

the 25th anniversary of the 

local Union’s contribution to the City of 

Kamloops. 


Brad Randall, 

Administrator 

At the time, the association donated the use of four scrapers, 

three dozers, and two graders, which were transported 

from our training site in Maple Ridge. Two compactors and a 

water truck were also used on the project, which was donated 

by local contractors. In addition to the equipment donations, 

the project was supported by funds from the Cariboo College, 

and generous donations from local union contractors such as 

Dawson Construction and various equipment dealers 

The project included the excavation of 275 thousand meters 

of material on two sites, the preparation of the track and field, 

and the student housing development. The entire project was 

the vision of, and organized by Brother Gordon Patterson, a 

Training Coordinator working out of the Kamloops office at 

the time. The project was supervised by Brother Pete Zanatta, 

the earth moving instructor. 

Trainees used the skills and industry contacts they developed 

from this project to go on to build major roads around 

the Province, including the Coquihalla Highway. 

The commemoration of the plaque was attended by the 

college, local politicians, and news media, along with Brothers 

Brian Cochrane (Business Manager), Pete Zanatta, and Lionel 

Railton ( International Representative). 

It is fitting to extend many thanks and give recognition to 

Brother Gordon Patterson for his hard work and dedication to 

our local Union and their historical achievements. 

continued on next page 



continued from previous page 

Skills Canada Competition 

The Skills Canada Competition, hosted by Skills Canada BC 

(Skills BC) in association with Skills Competences Canada 

and WorldSkills, offers a unique opportunity for young people 

across the Province to experience and compete in careers 

in the skilled trades and applied technologies. 

Skills BC hosts 13 Regional and one Provincial Competition 

each year. Winners of the Regional competitions advance 

to the Provincials where they have the chance to advance to 

the national and/or world skills competitions. 

The competitions serve two main purposes; firstly, to celebrate 

and reward students for excellence in their mastery of 

skilled trade and technology skills in a manner that directly 

involves industry in evaluating student performance, and that 

keeps training relevant to employers’ needs; and secondly, to 

create an interactive and engaging environment for the thousands 

of young people who attend the competitions as 

spectators. 

On April 17th Skills BC held their provincial competitions 

at the Tradex in Abbotsford. This featured over 30 different 

competitions involving more than 400 contestants, attracting 

up to 9,000 visitors. 

The IUOE Local 115 Training Association has always been 

a strong supporter of this program, and approached Skills BC 

in April 2012 regarding starting a competition for mobile 

crane apprentices. After working closely with Skills BC over 

the past year, we were given approval to run the first provincial 

competition for mobile crane apprentices in B.C. 

For our inaugural competition year, we had five mobile 

crane apprentices participate. The apprentices were tested on 

their theoretical knowledge, rigging, pre-operational inspection, 

set up, crane operating, and shut down procedures. For 

the practical portion of their competition the apprentices 

operated the Training Association’s RT530E Grove Mobile 

Hydraulic Crane. 

I would like to congratulate Brother Cody Fisher on winning 

this first ever Mobile Crane Operators Competition. 

Cody is well on his way to becoming a Journeyperson operator, 

and currently working for Entrec. 

For this competition to be a success we needed to have a lot 

of support both from industry and our membership. I would 

like to thank the following for their participation: 

• Rob Magee, President from GWIL Crane Service, for 

donating a die cast model crane that was presented to Cody 

Fisher. 

• Jamil Borge, Branch Manager from Harrigan Rentals, for 

donating the use of a 7,000 watt generator. 

24 News News July July 2013 

• Brother Gordon Lindberg and Brother Grant Washington 

for volunteering to be competition judges. 

• The Training Association staff for putting in the extra 

hours to get this competition off the ground and being a 

success. 

Women in trades 

At this year`s Skills BC Competition, a mentoring program 

was put in place to encourage women to enter the trades. 

Skills BC chose 10 different women, who are successful journeypersons 

in their craft, to spend a few hours with female 

high school students who have expressed interest in trades 

careers. 

Sister Goretti Guilbault, a member of our Local Union 

Executive Board, volunteered her services for the day as a 

mentor. Goretti took her group for a tour of over 30 different 

competition stations. The highlight for her group was operating 

the excavator simulator at the Training Association booth 

and watching the Mobile Crane competition. 

Goretti spoke of the many challenges she had to face in her 

pursuit of her dream of becoming an operator, but that her 

focus and determination led her to achieving that dream, and 

how Local 115 was very influential in her reaching her goals. 

I would like to thank Goretti for volunteering her time and 

sharing her experiences with her group. I am sure that the 

effort she has put into this program will have a positive effect 

on the future of women entering our trades. 

M.L. Parr Award 

The M.L. Parr Award is presented annually to the heavy duty 

mechanic apprentice who achieves the highest marks upon 

completing their four-year apprenticeship, and obtaining an 

interprovincial Red Seal endorsement on their Provincial 

Trades Qualification Certificate. 

The M.L. Parr Award was established in 1980 and is named 

on behalf of Brother Mike Parr, who first joined the Operating 

Engineers Union Local 115 in 1948, and later served the union 

as a Business Representative in 1952. Brother Parr was elected 

Business Manager in 1963 and remained in that position until 

his retirement in 1980. 

The recipient of this prestigious award is presented with a 

small plaque and a cheque for $300.00, and has their name 

engraved on a large plaque that hangs in the Training Association 

office. 

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the IUOE Local 115 

Training Association, it gives me great pleasure to announce 

that the award for the top heavy duty mechanic apprentice for 

2012 goes to Brother Clayton Landals. Clayton completed his 

apprenticeship with Wajax Industries in Kamloops.

Brother Clayton Landals being presented with the M.L. Parr Award at the 

Annual Prince George Shop Stewards Dinner by Brothers Brad Randall 

(Administrator), Brian Cochrane (Business Manager) and Wayne Mills 

(President). Craig served his apprenticeship with Wajax Industries in Prince 

George. 

Brother Cody Fisher (Apprentice) being judged by 

Brothers Gordon Lindberg and Grant Washington 

on the Association’s 30 ton Grove RT at the Skills 

Canada Competition. Also judging the competition 

were Brothers Rick Anderson (Instructor) and Randy 

Grisewood (Training Coordinator). 

Members working for Geopac/Agra participated in a one-day 

rigging course delivered by Brother Gordon Lindberg. Pictured 

are Brothers Dave Holmgren, Chris Rowe, Colin Paterson, Al 

Hurley, Danielle Fayant (Safety Officer), Le Xuam Lam and Brad 

Slyman. 


Brother Tom Kinnear (Training Coordinator) 

manning our display booth at the Skills Canada 

Competition and talking to attendees about 

the benefits of belonging to the Operating 

Engineers Union and the many different training 

opportunities we have. 

Sister Goretti Guilbault stands in front of the Training Association’s 

display booth with a handful of the many women who participated in 

the Women in Trades mentoring program this year at the Skills Canada 

Competition. 

Members working for Fraser River Pile & Dredge attended a 

one-day Jay Lift course delivered in their yard by Brother Gordon 

Lindberg. Pictured are Brothers Jeff Billingsley, Chris Carroll, 

Rod Nierva, Jesse Tidmarsh and Daniel Bowyer. 

July July 2013 2013 News 25 

25

25th annivErsary 

traCk anD FiELD projECt 

kamLoops 

A picture of the track and field as it looks today at the Thompson River University. 

Brother Gordon Patterson shows some 

of the many pictures of the track and 

field project in Kamloops from 25 

years ago, and in particular a picture 

of himself operating a dozer, assisting 

in the training of the students. 

Brother Percy Snow receives his Partsperson BC Certificate of 

Qualification with Red Seal endorsement from Brother 

Jeff Gorham (Training Coordinator)on the left. On the right is 

Mark Kettlewell (Parts Manager). Percy served his apprenticeship 

while working at First Truck Centre. 

26 26 News July 2013 

Brother Gordon Patterson 

speaking to the media at 

the unveilingof the plaque 

to commemorate the 25th 

anniversary of the track and field 

project in Kamloops. 

Brothers Brian Cochrane (Business 

Manager), Pete Zanatta (Retired Training 

Site Supervisor and Earth Moving 

Instructor), Gordon Patterson (Retired 

Training Coordinator) and Lionel Railton 

(International Representative) standing in 

front of the commemorative plaque. 

The commemorative plaque. 

Members working for Pro-Tech Industrial Movers 

attended a 1 week under 40 tonne stiff boom crane 

course delivered by Brother Gordon Lindberg.Pictured 

are Brothers Gordon Lindberg (Instructor), Jad Deklava, 

Mike Stone and Allan Guzzo.

Brothers James Klement, Doug MacFarlane, Curtis Laverty, Steve 

Carter (Instructor), Jeff Scott, Sister Shannon O’Brien and Brother 

Levon Filipponi. at the Asphalt Laydown class. 

Our Heavy Equipment Operator students on a field trip to 

Columbia Bitulithic’s Port Kells asphalt plant. Pictured with the 

class is Brother Reynold Amey taking the class for a tour of the 

site. Reynold is very supportive of our training and Appreticeship 

programs. Reynold also sits on our Trade Advisory Committee for 

Plant Operator. 


Brothers Eduard Gjoni, Luigi Tempesta, Steve Carter (Instructor), 

Keith Duncan and Gord Macklin at the Asphalt Laydown class. 

Brother Macklin is from Columbia Bitulithic 

and came out to the site to lend his expertise and assist in 

training the students on the milling attachment for our new 

JCB Skidsteer. 

Brother Steve Carter instructing the Asphalt Laydown class 

on our Caterpillar 1050 paver. 

Brothers John Choi, Joe Bagri and Jeremy Bird being presented 

with their Diesel Engine Mechanics Certificate of Apprenticeship 

by Brother Jeff Gorham (Training Coordinator). 

All three members served their apprenticeship while working for 

Cummins Western Canada in the engine rebuild shop. Standing 

in front of a Cummins QSK 60 engine in a Komatsu 930E module 

frame are Brothers Ray Warke, Justin Paterson, John De Pourcq 

(up high), Cal Boyle, John Choi, Joe Bagri, Jeremy Bird, Vince 

Moznik, Murry Murdoch, Danilo Martinez, Dan O’Connor and 

Rob Rivett. 


union in thE souL 

Long time Local 115 member John 

Freeman looks back on a varied career 

John at 18; while working as a dispatcher; and today at 83. 

by Marco Procaccini 

Anyone who thinks the life of a construction 

tradesperson and activist is 

average really needs to talk with a guy 

like John Freeman 

The life-long Local 115 member (will 

be a 65-year member as of this July), 

journeyman welder and dispatcher, currently 

still active on the union’s application 

committee, has a wealth of 

experiences that speak for 

legions of working people 

who built BC’s infrastructure 

and fought for social justice. 

“My parents were from 

England and settled in Saskatchewan 

as homesteaders,” says the 83 

year-old sibling of 12 brothers and sisters. 

“We went through the Great 

Depression. My dad lost his farm and 

we moved to Regina and tried to live 

doing what we could. In 1939, we moved 

to BC with the start of the big war 

machine. My dad got work in the shipyard 

in North Van.” 

They lived in a small two-bedroom 

“war house,” built strictly for shipyard 

workers during the wartime boom. 

Working there gave his father direct 

experience with union activism and the 


importance of workers organizing 

together to get a democratic say in the 

businesses they work in — a fundamental 

understanding shared by his whole 

family, including sons, daughters and 

grandkids, to this day 

“My dad was a strong union member,” 

he said. “But he started to suffer 

from failing health. I was the oldest 

brother, so I ended up becoming the 

Freeman was really inspired by the 

World War II veterans returning to work, 

especially their pride and dedication. 

main bread winner. But working in construction 

in the union, I made more 

than my dad ever did.” 

Freeman started working as a construction 

labourer at 17 for Northern 

Construction, building the Lajoie Reservoir 

Dam (near the small town of 

Gold Bridge north of Whistler) in 1947. 

“One day the shop steward for the 

welders saw me and said, ‘hey we need 

helper.’ So I started working with them. 

I joined the union for $11. That’s how I 

got trained.” It’s also, apparently how he 

really grew up. “I was a skinny little kid. 

I grew seven inches in just a few months 

eating the good food in the camp.” 

Freeman was really inspired by the 

World War II veterans returning to 

work, especially their pride and dedication 

to quality work and standing up for 

their rights as union members. “The 

guys that came back from war were fantastic,” 

he said. “They were really strong 

unionists who really organized our 

industry in BC. You don’t see this attitude 

that much anymore.” 

After working on numerous jobs 

across BC, including the massive Kemano 

project, he went back to help complete 

the Lajoie dam project in 1952, 

where he was appointed the foreman of 

a 14-member welding crew. 

“Joyce, my girlfriend of three years, 

came up from Vancouver. We went to 

Kamloops and got married on May 8, 

1952. She was 19 and I was a week from 

my 22nd birthday,” he said. “The job 

was so busy, I only managed to get a 

week off.” 

Freeman then worked on a variety of 

other projects until 1959, when he went 

back to North Vancouver to work in 

Northern’s fabrication shop, where he 

eventually became a welding superintendent 

directing large Local 115 

crews. 

“I went into the permanent yard 

in 1959, where we made steel fabrication 

work for projects all across 

the country,” he said. “We had hundreds 

of Local 155 guys work there over the 

years. I had crews of up to 55 guys working 

for me.” 

“I enjoyed my 27 years of employment 

and association with Northern’s 

engineers and many job supervisors — 

and our IUOE 115 engineer operators, 

mechanics, welders, machinists, oilers, 

trainees, electricians and master 

mechanics, to name a few,” he said. 

“Local 155 tradesmen need to be very 

versatile and ready to work on every 

kind of job. They deserve much praise.”

“Bert Brooker, Jim Biddle, Gordy 

Patterson and Matt Sterling were the 

dispatchers when I worked (at the 

Northern fabrication plant),” Freeman 

said. “I would put in an order for ten or 

more ticketed welders a 2 PM, telling 

them they were needed ASAP, and the 

next morning ten additional men were 

at work. That was really appreciated.” 

Northern was shut down in 1975 due 

to a corporate merger. Freeman, at the 

suggestion of several union colleagues, 

took upgrading courses, including 

drafting and blueprint reading, and 

worked a stint as a welding instructor. 

“I took a few courses at PVI (Pacific 

Vocational Institute: now BCIT) and 

started teaching at night school,” he 

said. “Most of the instructors there were 

Plumbers Local 170 members, and they 

talked me into teaching a couple tenmonth 

courses … I know at least two 

Members are welcome to send action 

photos from the sites where they’re 

working. If your photo is used, you will 

receive an IUOE Local 115 logo item. 

We can use either traditional prints 

or digital images. 

Glossy colour prints 

Send them to your district 

office c/o Media, IUOE 

News, 4333 Ledger Avenue, 

Burnaby, B.C., V5G 3T3. 

Digital images 

• Use the highest quality 

setting (“Fine/Superfine” 

or “Large”) on your digital 

camera. 

• Drop off a CD at your 

district office or e-mail your 

photos to: media@iuoe115. 

com. (You will only be able 

to e-mail 1 or 2 at a time 

(students) joined 115 as trained welders 

and got steady employment on the 

dredges.” 

But since he was no longer paying 

into the Local 115 pension plan and 

concerned about future retirement, he 

returned to seek work through the local. 

“That’s when (late Business Manager) 

Fred Randall offered me a job as 

dispatcher.” 

“It was with great trepidation that I 

accepted the position. It was always so 

busy,” he said. “Every day for the first 

ten days I would say ‘this is my last day.’ 

But it got better. Everyone was great to 

work with. There were some characters 

too, but I liked them as well.” 

However, when Joyce began to succumb 

to long-term illness, he retired to 

help care for her. “My retirement decision 

in 1992 was prompted by my wife’s 

handicap condition,” he said. “She passed 

because the files will be 

large.) 

• Large files can also be sent 

to this email address via 

yousendit.com. One large 

file or compressed folder 

at a time can be sent at no 

charge. 

• When sending photos 

please make sure to include 

the location, date, name 

of person(s) and a small 

description of what is 

taking place. We’ll make 

sure we get your prints or 

CDs back to you. 

We’re looking 

for photos 

from the field 

TiPS FOr GrEAT PhOTOS 

away on May 12, 2004 — four days after 

our 52nd wedding anniversary.” 

But despite this tragic loss, Freeman 

has continued to remain involved in 

union work. As the dispatcher, he was 

required to be on the local’s Application 

Committee, the position he still holds 

today, even after 21 years of retirement. 

“We need to really encourage young 

people — men and women — to join 

Local 115 and get a trade with benefits,” 

he says. “I got what I got today: a good 

pension, skilled trade, because of the 

union. I say join the 115 and get a trade. 

It’s the best way to go.” 

Anyone interested in joining the 

local — whether in construction or in 

the industrial and services — can send 

a resume to the local’s hiring hall office. 

John would be happy to take a look at 

it. 

• Try to shoot outdoors whenever possible. 

• Watch for the flare that can be reflected from your 

flash when photographing people wearing safety 

vests. 

• Watch for hard hats that can throw harsh shadows on 

faces. You may have to shoot from a different angle. 

• With group photos, have people arranged in a semicircle 

rather than a straight line. To avoid harsh 

shadows, move them a couple of metres away from 

back walls. 

• Shoot your photos with the automatic date feature 

turned off. 


Membership Membership Service Awards January 2013 to April 2013 

Honouring our members 

OUR 60-YEAR MEMBERS 

William Chucko and Frank Slyman. Steve Hunchuk and Frank Slyman. 

30 News News July July 2013 

IUOE member Frank 

Slyman presents 60-year 

plaques to three retirees. 

At left is F.J. Moodie

Membership Service Awards January 2013 to April 2013 

Honouring our members 


Norman Pigeon receives his watch from Member 

Rep Rob dePfyffer. 

Vern McBride 

William Doug Edstrom receives his watch from Member Rep Mike 

Spiruda. 

July July 2013 2013 News 31 

31

Membership Service Awards January 2013 to April 2013 

OUR 40-YEAR MEMBERS OUR 30-YEAR MEMBERS 

Phil Johnson receives his ring from Member Rep 

Brian Lefebvre. 

Bruce Cameron. 

Lisa Doberthien (receiving from Member Reps 

Curtis Harold and Tim Cullen 

Chris Paul receives his ring from Member Rep Mike Spiruda. 


Joe Duruisseau receives his ring 

from President Wayne Mills. 

OUR 10-YEAR MEMBERS BURSARY RECIPIENTS 


Craig Hobbins receives his ring from 

Member Reps Curtis Harold and Tim 

Cullen. 

Allison Matfin receives the Don Smith Scholarship from Training 

Administrator Brad Randall, looking on is father and member Brother 

Michael Matfin.

Remembering members who 

have recently passed away 

Name Age Date 

January 2013 

Doyle, Russel R. 67 January 11, 2013 

Evans, Robert L. 67 January 14, 2013 

Petrow, John 86 january 17, 2013 

Arnold, Bernard C. 86 January 21, 2013 

Dana, Lyle G. 64 January 24, 2013 

February 2013 

Carrier, Emile J. 78 February 4, 2013 

Sieppert, Edvin 80 february 4, 2013 

Heisler, Myles 50 February 6, 2013 

Mcintosh, William J. 75 February 6, 2013 

Van Zandt, Aldon C. 66 February 12, 2013 

Hill, Kenneth G. 81 February 14, 2013 

Dinner, Leonard J. 80 February 15, 2013 

Murphy, Dennis J. 58 February 22, 2013 

Cordonier, Peter E. 81 February 23, 2013 

O’flaherty, Kevin O. 85 February 25, 2013 

March 2013 

Zadow, Terry 85 March 1, 2013 

Thompson, Walter 79 March 3, 2013 

Watkins, Harold B. 79 March 7, 2013 

Friesen, Darren 40 March 8, 2013 

Henderson, Jack 76 March 9, 2013 

Lodge, Maxwell 88 March 10, 2013 

Doerksen, Karl W. 68 March 18, 2013 

Carlson, Llewellyn K. 89 March 27, 2013 

Wilcox, Leslie John 61 March 28, 2013 

April 2013 

Matte, Matthew 22 April 5, 2013 

Sihvo, Martti 64 April 9, 2013 

Sward, George I. 78 April 10, 2013 

Treleaven, Neil 65 April 13, 2013 

Savoie, Joe A. 84 April 16, 2013 

Rogers, John R. 77 April 20, 2013 

Krasey, Walter W. 77 April 22, 2013 

Mitchell, Colin 83 April 23, 2013 

Smith, Ron W. 74 April 28, 2013 

No hospitalized members as of May 1, 2013 

Pensions awarded 

January 2013 to April 2013 

W. Balcke 

Kirk Battryn 

Neil Benner 

Stephen Booth 

Russell Bourk 

Timothy Brenton 

Dennis Campbell 

Donald Chimko 

Kenneth Collins 

Cliff Cory 

Patrick Eagles 

Tore Engqvist 

Duncan Gay 

Grant Gingras 

John Brian Greer 

Ed Hannah 

Rick Hardy 

Gordon Hildebrandt 

Allan Holmes 

Robert Jackson 

William Joe 

William Kabel 

Dale Mack 

Glen McDonald 

Keith McGladdery 

Randy Mitchell 

Steve Morgan 

Keith Mufford 

Dennis Murphy 

Russell Nilsson 

Donald Noel 

Steven Palmer 

Robert Pelletier 

Gerald Pockrant 

Gerald Puhan 

David Rallison 

Edward Roze 

Bob Shimoyama 

Robert Steeves 

Terry Tollefsen 

David Varney 

Olga Welychka 

Charles Westlind 

Kenneth Wilbern 

Harald Wold 

in memoriam 

July 2013 News 33 

33

Members 

Membership awards 

November 2012 to April 2013, 

all districts 

10 Years 

Santo Amante 

Chris Ayers 

Neil Benner 

David Bloomfield 

Dan Boyce 

Shane Chicoine 

Mark Cowin 

Daniel Dankwerth 

Rodney Dembowski 

Michael Dezeng 

David Dobbs 

Lisa Doberthien 

Tyler Ellery 

Ronald Fisher 

Jason Hammond 

Darrin Harrison 

Brandon Hebert 

William Hencheroff 

Bertram Hutchins 

William John 

Christopher King 

Joe Kokkelink 

Eric Kozlowski 

Jerome Lean 

Donald Lewis 

Troy Lewis 

Clifford Loberg 

Leonard Lott 

Dante Massari 

Denis Mayert 

Tom McKersie 

Darrin Meroniuk 

George Monaghan 

Kirk Odne 

Rob Osachoff 

Kenneth Osmond 

Michael Ostberg 

Robert Patton 

Rod Payne 

Ivan Pendleton 

Jim Pereversoff 

Rae Potter 

Wally Reis 

Victor Ribeiro 


David Riggs 

Frank Smekal 

Morgan Smith 

Clinton Stiles 

Thomas Stringer 

Ivan Thomas 

Terry Trainor 

Carmin Traversano 

Brad Vessey 

Lee Walker 

George Waller 

Richard Wallin 

James Webb 

William Welch 

Andrew Wiebe 

David Woolman 

Rodney Zaytsoff 

John Ziegler 

20 Years 

Emilio Aviani 

Frederick Belway 

Steve Bezak 

Robert Billey 

David Brooks 

James Cochrane 

Rudy De Paoli 

Jim Doyle 

Joe Duruisseau 

Robert Fosty 

William Galloway 

Clive Gambling 

Ken Gatzke 

George Gibson 

Mark Gilbert 

Ken Hadden 

Ian Hawes 

Norman Henderson 

Brian Hiebert 

Guy Hilchey 

Craig Hobbins 

Brenda Hoffman 

Keith Holloway 

Archie Jensen 

Darryl Kokoska 

Peter Kooistra 

Harcharan Kundan 

Vincent Lambert 

Glen Lange 

Brian Lefebvre 

Scott Lozie 

Giovanni Macera 

Allan Mandruk 

Stephen Moore 

Ian Nelson 

Paul Newcombe 

Gordon Poole 

Cody Pritchett 

Carl Quechuck 

Dick Rankins 

Augustin Rehak 

Edward Riddall 

John Robertson 

Robert Sanders 

Francis Schwarz 

Chester Seles 

Bob Semenoff 

Maurice Siebert 

Timothy Simpson 

Mike Strelaeff 

Miles Thomas 

Terry Wanke 

Albert Webster 

Gerald Whitehead 

30 Years 

Garth Baher 

Wayne Baldwin 

Johnstone Barr 

David Bjarnason 

Stephen Bucchiotti 

Timothy Burns 

Robert Carter 

J Davidson 

Douglas Gilbert 

John Green 

Kevin Hodgins 

Max Kohen 

Robert Mason 

Tom McGregor 

Tom Moskalyk 

Chris Paull 

Alvin Scarff 

William Wilson 

40 Years 

Bryan Albers 

Arthur Allard 

Robert Annas 

James Ayotte 

Bosko Begusich 

Larry Bellamy 

Ken Bonner 

Jim Brooks 

Laurie Broughton 

Norman Cameron 

Cyril Cope 

Ronald Croteau 

Charles Crowley 

Jim Cruch 

Morgan Cummings 

Leonel Custodio 

Harry Derksen 

Alfred Fester 

Edward Fiedler 

Paul Ford 

John Gabara 

Glenn Gallagher 

Edward Giesbrecht 

Larry Giroux 

William Gudwer 

Foster Harding 

Lloyd Harding 

Herbert Heise 

Paul Hindle 

Dale Hyams 

Phil Johnson 

David Kennedy 

Bryan Klassen 

Albert Rudy 

Koopmans 

Brian Kuzyk 

Larry La Fave 

Arne Lauridsen 

Ernesto Mancin 

Gordon Les McClure 

Richard McNamara 

James Mutter 

Jerry Olynyk 

Andrew Ordogh 

Richard Pellerin 

Norman Penner 

Lloyd Perkins 

Charles Person 

Brent Prato 

Arthur Rau 

Jack Rice 

John Ross 

Kjell Sorensen 

Mario Stancati 

Ronald Swart 

Stanley Swetlikoff 

Robert Thiessen 

John Van Diemen 

Robert Verdiel 

Wayne Vickner 

Dennis Walker 

Godfrey Watson 

Bernie Wiebe 

50 Years: 

Gordon Crawford 

Glen Ecklund 

William Edstrom 

James Fraser 

John Hernon 

Rudolph Johnson 

Norman Pigeon 

David Quaife 

John Rempel 

Hans Rosvold 

Bill Sorensen 

James Walske 

60 Years 

Sebastian Biegler 

Clark Brodie 

William Chucko 

Steve Hunchuk 

Henry Jerema 

Howard Mackenzie 

James Malange 

Robert Malange 

Victor Menini 

C. Ed Mills 

Francis Moodie 

Morris Oerlemans 

Anthony Perrino 

William Ward

Welcoming new members to Local 115 

Norm Acker 

Ken Ahner 

Dale Ambler 

Vadana Amistad 

Braedon Anderson 

Dean Anderson 

Erik Anderson 

Martin Anderson 

Donald Angelucci 

Felix Antoine 

Michael Aspinall 

Jerome August 

Alina Aussem 

David Bagur 

Cole Bailey 

Tyler Barlow 

Abdullahi Barre 

Brent Bayliff 

Cameron Bedard 

Esther Bejarno 

Sean Bennett 

Darren Benson 

Keith Bertrand 

Glen Bezak 

Pritpal Bhumrah 

Jeffrey Bilenki 

Rick Birch 

Kenny Birchmore 

Nestor Bonilla 

Sara Booth 

Noah Bordian 

Anita Boreen 

Ken Borring 

Evan Braun 

Aaron Breu 

Jaquelyn Broad 

Tim Caldwell 

Robert Callaghan 

Dennis Cameron 

Christopher Carlson 

Dwayne Carlton 

Charles Casselton 

Clarence Chong 

Eric Chou 

Matthew Clarke 

Michael Clyde 

Sean Collier 

Tyler Collins 

Brad Cook 

Robert Cook 

Jordan Cool 

Chad Cosar 

Brandon Cowan 

Brandon Daniel 

Roger Danis 

Aaron Davison 

Michael Dawson 

Shane Desbiens 

Sawraj Dhaliwal 

Justin Donais 

Petra Donk 

Lloyd Doyle 

Troy Doyle 

William Drake 

Gurjinder Dulay 

Geralt Dyck 

Lance Edwards 

Jeremy Engel 

James Evans 

Mike Fewchuk 

James Figler 

Will Finch 

Bradley Fisher 

James Flint 

Darcy Forbes 

Evan Fulton 

Andreas Funk 

Lisa Fynn 

Michael Galla 

Travis Gallagher 

Jason Gatto 

Justin Geernaert 

Daniel Girard 

Jorge Gomes 

Daniel Goodfellow 

Wayne Grewcock 

Vernon Gustafson 

Garret Halicki 

Devon Halpin 

Brandon Hammer 

James Hammond 

Nicholas Hanischuk 

Tanya Hasler 

G. Matt Hatala 

Murry Hearl 

Michael Heppell 

Jason Hevey 

Danny Hiebert 

Frank Hillyer 

William Hitchman 

Pargat Hoonjan 

Owen Horbatuk 

Cody Horne 

Christopher Horntvedt 

Eric Hutchinson 

Barry Hyslop 

Joel Inouye 

Franklin Isadore 

Shawn Jackson 

Mahad Jama 

Nicolaas Jimmie 

Kathleen Joe 

Bill Jones 

Davin Josephson 

Waldemar Kanzler 

Shane Kavolinas 

Sean Kealy 

Michael Keating 

Allister Kennedy 

Dale Kluserits 

Jordon Korven 

Carolyn Kristensen 

Dean Kuny 

Sylvia Lachapelle 

Trever Lambeth 

Dale Lamon 

Branden Landry 

Ryan Landry 

Brendan Lane 

Derek Lane 

Sterling Laughren 

Kenneth Lawrence 

Cody Leek 

Leslie Leier 

Kenneth Lenart 

David Lukaitis 

Chris Lyall 

Will Macburney 

Cory Macdonald 

Layton Maloney 

Richard Martin 

Raul Martinez 

Nathaniel Mason 

Jonathan Massimiliano 

Ojay Matias 

Coleton Maurer 

Darren Mauthe 

Jeff May 

Grant Mayers 

Steven Mcgraw 

Stephen Mckenna 

Aaron Mclean 

Mike Meyer 

Allan Miller 

Levi Milne 

Marc Mincieli 

Lyndon Molo 

James Moody 

Daniel Morris 

Bret Morrison 

Brad Mulholland 

Taiho Myung 

Mahesh Naicker 

Patrick Nickel 

Rod Nierva 

Tyler Palmer 

Wayne Parsons 

Darnell Paul 

Robin Perrin 

Cory Perry 

Michael Petrunia 

Mack Phillips 

Michael Pockrant 

Rudolf Polic 

Tys Pool 

Thomas Power 

Nishel Prasad 

Gerald Ramoli 

Chris Ramsay 

Daniel Reoch 

Kristopher Rice 

Bradley Riddoch 

Graham Roberge 

Stewart Robertson 

Jeff Rockwell 

Josh Rudolph 

Jay Rutherford 

Sean Salter 

John Sawatzky 

Rod Schadlich 

George Schreiber 

Edward Schulz 

New Members 

Nathan Scott 

Patrick Scott 

Tom Service 

Kevin Seto 

Alexander Shapovalov 

John Shury 

Daniel Siebert 

Brendan Simpson 

James Simpson 

John Sinclair 

Robert Skovgard 

Christopher Smeltzer 

Kasey Smith 

Owen Stacey 

Jordan Stanek 

Jaime Strom 

Robert Sykes 

Sean Tagert 

Jeff Tanner 

Riley Thomas 

Russell Thomas 

Ryan Tilley 

Robert Todosychuk 

Andrew Turnbull 

Seth Van Der Kamp 

Riley Walsh 

Kristopher Warkentin 

Darryl Wendland 

Edward White 

Katherine 

Wigglesworth 

Nick Willmott 

Ross Wilson 

Kenneth Yagelnesky 

Kevin Yearley 

Brandon Zimmer 


Member Information 


MERChANDISE 

Toques (black) $11 

With or without a cuff 

hats (navy or black) $18 

Embroidered logo 

hats (new style) $ 20.00 

Black and navy with a diamond pattern on peak 

Safety T-shirt (navy) (m – 4Xl) $25 

Long sleeve, logo on back, right sleeve “Safety” 

Organizing T-shirts (navy) (l - 4Xl) $ 25 

Long sleeve, logo on back, right sleeve “Organize” 

hooded Sweatshirts (navy) (S – 4Xl) $ 40 

Full zip, logo on front left 

hooded Sweatshirts (black) (S - 4Xl) $ 40 

Full zip, logo on front left 

microfibre Vests (black) (m - 4Xl) $ 45 

Logo embroidered on left front 

Bomber jacket (black) (m - 4Xl) $ 70 

Logo embroidered on left front 

Custom Bomber jacket (black) (m – 4Xl) $115 

Logo embroidered across back 

Union Pulsar Watches $125 

(men’s and women’s) 

make cheque or money order payable to: 

“IUOE Local 115” and send to: 

IUOE Local 115 Merchandise 

4333 Ledger Avenue, Burnaby, B.C. V5G 3T3 

All prices include tax and shipping charges

local Union Offices 

District 1 and main Office 

4333 Ledger Ave., Burnaby, B.C. V5G 3T3 

Phone: 604-291-8831 Toll Free: 1-888-486-3115 

Fax: 604-473-5235 

E-mail: iuoe@iuoe115.com 

Business manager: Brian Cochrane 

President: Wayne Mills 

mgr. Administration & Special Projects: Lynda Arland 

Office manager: Arlene Lindsay 

Communications Coordinator: Kevin Willemse 

member representatives 

Frank Carr Brett Chapman Everett Cummings 

Chip Dhaliwal Bob Higgs Craig McIntosh 

Stewart Miller Don Swerdan 

Dispatcher Jim Flynn 604-473-5231 

Organizing representative 

Rob Duff 604-473-5206 

Benefits and Pension Plans 

Shawn hatch, Administrator 

Direct line: 604-299-8341 Fax: 604-473-5236 


Brad Randall, Administrator 

Direct line: 604-299-7764 E-mail: oetp@iuoe115.com 

District 2 

Vancouver Island: 

Tim Cullen and Curtis Harold, Member Representatives 

35 Wharf Street, Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 2X3 

Mailing Address: PO Box 213 Stn A, Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 5K9 

Phone: 250-754-4022 Fax: 250-754-5513 

District 3 

Kamloops-Revelstoke-Okanagan: 

Brad Gerow, Member Representatives 

785 Tranquille Road 

Kamloops, B.C. V2B 3J3 

Phone: 250-554-2278 Fax: 250-554-1766 

District 4 

Central Interior-Yellowhead: 

Herb Conat & Wayne Kemp, Member Representatives 

#115 - 513 Ahbau Street 

Prince George, B.C. V2M 3R8 

Phone: 250-563-3669 Fax: 250-563-3603 

District 5 

Peace River and Yukon Territory: 

Mike Spiruda, Member Representative & Organizer 

Site 20, Comp 19 SS2 

Fort St. John, B.C. V1J 4M7 

Phone: 250-787-9594 Fax: 250-787-9491 

Tumbler Ridge Mining Office 

220 Main Street, Tumbler Ridge, B.C. V0C 2W0 

Phone: 250-242-3888 Fax: 250-242-3881 

District 6 

East and West Kootenays: 

Brian Lefebvre, Rob Foskett, Gordon Chaisson Member Representatives 

#102 - 105 9th Avenue S. 

Cranbrook, B.C. V1C 2M1 

Phone: 250-426-4562 Fax: 250-426-6882 

103 Centennial Square, Sparwood, B.C V0B 2G0 

Mailing Address: PO Box 1567, Sparwood, B.C. V0B 2G0 

Phone: 250-425-2161 Fax: 250-425-2166 

Member Information 

meeting notices for 2013 

General membership 

Saturday, September 21, 2013 

9:30 a.m. at 4333 Ledger Ave., Burnaby 

District 1 

BURNABY—1st Thursday of every month 

EXCEPT: March & September (because of general 

membership meetings) 

7:30 p.m. at 4333 Ledger Ave., Burnaby 

District 2 

Monthly meeting locations alternate: 

NANAIMO— 2nd Monday of odd months, 6:00 p.m. 

at the Coast Bastion Inn, 11 Bastion St. 

VICTORIA—2nd Wednesday of even months, 7:30 p.m. 

at the Pro Pat Legion Branch 31, #292—411 Gorge Rd. E. 

District 3 


KAMLOOPS—2nd Thursday of even months 

7:30 p.m. at the Union Hall, 785 Tranquille Rd. 

KELOWNA—2nd Tuesday of odd months 

7 p.m. at the Teamsters Hall, 185 Froelich Rd. 

District 4 

PRINCE GEORGE—2nd Wednesday of each month, 

8 p.m. at the Days Inn, 600 Quebec St. 

PRINCE RUPERT, TERRACE, KITIMAT, SMITHERS 

—Members will be advised of meeting dates. 

District 5 


FORT ST. JOHN—2nd Tuesday of odd months, 

7:30 p.m. at the Masonic Hall, 10441 100th Ave. 

DAWSON CREEK—2nd Tuesday of even months, 

7:30 p.m. at the Carpenters Hall, 900 118th Ave. 

TUMBLER RIDGE/PEACE RIVER COAL— 

Date, time and place will be posted. 

WHITEHORSE—Members will be advised of 

meeting dates and times. Teamsters Hall, 407 Black St. 

District 6 


CASTLEGAR—1st Wednesday of odd months 

7 p.m. at the Super 8 Inn, 651 18th St. 

CRANBROOK—1st Tuesday of even months 

7 p.m. at the Labour Centre (Boardroom), 

105 9th Ave. South 

ELK VALLEY COAL CORP.—Line Creek Mine— 

Date, place and time as posted. 


FINANCIAL STRENGTH 

FOR THE WORKING COMMUNITY 

At BC’s largest fully unionized credit union, Community Savings dedicates its time and 

resources to improving the financial strength of hardworking British Columbians. As a 

union member, your union dues entitle you to host of financial perks.* 

DISCOUNT on loans and mortgages 

DISCOUNT of $300 on your legal fees 

with any closed mortgage 

POSTPONE regular mortgage and loan 

payments for up to 3 months, in the 

event of a labour dispute 

FREE single-signature travellers cheques 

FREE safety deposit box for 3 months, 

then receive a $5 annual discount 

FREE chequing for 3 months. Think of it 

as a free test drive. 

BONUS RATES on term deposits 

The commitment we have to our Sisters and Brothers is unmatched. Visit a branch 

to discover how Community Savings Credit Union puts people before profits. 

1-888-963-2000 • www.ComSavings.com 

• Burnaby • New Westminster • 

• Port Coquitlam • Surrey • 

• Vancouver • Victoria • 

* Some qualification, conditions, and restrictions may apply. Visit a branch for details.

IUOE News - Summer 2013

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