IUOE News - Fall 2011

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40011378 

L O C A L 1 1 5 

Serving members for 80 years 

News 

Operating Engineers 

building the province 

September 2011 www.iuoe115.com

Serving members for 80 years 

IUOE News is the official 

publication of the International 

Union of Operating Engineers 

Local 115. 

Local Executive Board 

Business Manager 

Brian Cochrane 

President 

Lionel Railton 

Vice-President 

Brad Randall 

Recording Secretary 

Don Swerdan 

Financial Secretary 

Wayne Mills 

Treasurer 

Frank Carr 

Guard 

Bob Higgs 

Conductor 

Dave Hannis 

Trustees 

Tim Cullen 

Brian Moore 

Curtis Wright 

Auditors 

Craig McIntosh 

Don Swerdan 

Patrick Watson 

District Executive Board 

1—Al Cooper 

2—Tim Cullen 

3—Brad Gerow 

4—Herb Conat 

5—Mike Spiruda 

6—Brian Lefebvre 

Publication Committee 

Brian Cochrane 

Wayne Mills 

Lionel Railton 

Editorial Services 

Susan Armstrong, COPE 378 

Face 2 Face Communications, 

CFU 2040 

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 

COVER PHOTO: 

Work continues on 

the Waneta Dam Project. 

Photo by Member Rep 

Brian Lefebvre 

FEATURES 

Younger members offer their ideas for increasing membership 11 

They “manned up and did “er” 16 

REPORTS 


This year’s accomplishment can be added to those of the first 80 1 

President 

The executive is ready for whatever the future holds 2 

District 1 

Open house enlightens contractors and WorkSafeBC case workers 6 

List of problems must be addressed 8 

Ready for the challenges that come with being a member rep 8 

A good year for members in most areas 9 

Negotiations under way with many companies 9 

Project labour agreements secure work for members 10 

District 2 

Collective agreements being ratified 14 

District 3 

Once the weather improved, work picked up 15 

District 4 

Project labour agreements providing good union work 18 

District 5 

Industrial work steady 18 

District 6 

Mine industry going strong 19 

Union Organizing 

Welcome to our members from Harbour International Truck Sales 19 

Dispatch 

Consider upgrading—the demand is growing 19 

Benefits Plans 

Plans to well in spite of the marketplace 20 

Training Association 

Annual open house 21

This year’s accomplishments can be added to those of the first 80 

Brian Cochrane, Business Manager 

It has been almost a full year since I took on the 

role of Business Manager of the Local Union. The 

2011 Election of Officers is over and the new team of 

Executive Board Members is in place. I can say, with 

confidence, that your Executive Board is committed to 

preserving the gains we have made during our rich history 

and ready to lead our organization forward to meet 

the challenges of today. Our 80th anniversary reminds us 

that we have many accomplishments to celebrate. 

This year, we have seen many areas in North America 

grappling with economic disaster. However, we have been 

fortunate to secure increases and decent employment 

opportunities for our membership. Our Local Union staff 

have been busy securing project labour agreements for 

major projects such as: 

• the Endako Mill expansion 

• Rio Tinto’s aluminum smelter modernization 

project in Kitimat 

• BFI’s project for the Mount Milligan gold mine 

• McNally/Aecon’s pipeline crossing in the Lower 

Mainland 

• Point Hope Shipyards expansion and 

construction of a new graving dock in Victoria 

We have had some challenges finalizing the Paving 

Agreement in District 1 and the provincial Crane Rental 

Agreement but they should be concluded soon. 

Projects under way in other parts of B.C. and 

Alberta are putting great demands on crane operators. 

This is the year that crane certification is required for all 

crane operators. We take great pride in the work we did 

to raise the issue and help create a safer environment for 

construction workers in this province. 

Increasing our market share and organizing continue 

to be our highest priority. I couldn’t be more proud of the 

work that our members and staff have been doing in this 


regard. In many cases, our members have initiated the 

campaigns to join the Local Union or move to Local 115 

from an employer-friendly association. 

One of our most satisfying campaigns was bringing 

in the new members from Westlake Paving in Kelowna 

and Vernon Paving. They rejected the Christian Labour 

Association of Canada. You can read about it on Pg. 16. 

President Lionel Railton and I recently went to Kelowna 

to meet these members and we had a very productive 

meeting. 

The Officers of the Local Union have been actively 

engaged with our provincial politicians, both Liberal 

and NDP, to make sure that they understand the issues 

important to Operating Engineers. 

We have three main areas of concern and we want 

to see: 

1. balance restored to the Labour Relations Code 

and specific and constructive changes that will 

support our industry. 

2. support for the development of Site C and 

a project labour agreement that will ensure 

qualified tradespeople are hired and receive 

union-scale wages and benefits. 

3. project labour agreements for all major public 

construction projects so that tax dollars don’t 

go to supporting contractors who exploit foreign 

workers as we saw on the Canada Line SkyTrain 

project. 

A provincial election is around the corner and we 

need to elect a government that will support these issues. 

We have had some staff changes within the Local 

Union. I would like to wish District 3 Member Rep Gary 

Kinnear and his wife Linda a long, happy and welldeserved 

retirement. I also want to welcome aboard 

Lynda Arland, our new office manager, and Jared 

Hamlin, our new organizer in District 1. 

September 2011 News 1

President 

I am humbled and proud to once 

again be given the opportunity to 

serve you and your family as president 

of our Local Union. I have 

always held the conviction that serving 

the membership is a privilege, 

not a right. I will do my utmost to continue the advancement 

of our great Local Union and the members it 

serves. Please accept my sincere gratitude for your continued 

support. 

The confidence that you have shown Brother Brian 

Cochrane and your Executive Board will bode well as 

we continue the restructuring and growth of our great 

organization. Brian’s 20-plus year commitment to Local 

115 has never been more focused or evident through his 

first year as Business Manager. In addition to the priorities 

of renewing relationships with our industry partners, 

strategic political alliances, our Local Union’s internal 

infrastructure and member support programs, Brian 

has sought out and brought together a team dedicated 

to the advancement of Local 115. In light of the global 

economic challenges we continue to face, you will be well 

served over the next four years. 

I am pleased to report your pension and benefits 

plans continue to perform well, despite the challenges 

of the marketplace. Your Board of Trustees continually 

seek risk adverse opportunities to enhance yield on the 

funds that you rely upon. The asset and liability matching 

investment strategy that your Board of Trustees 

began in 2002 continues to protect your Pension Plan 

during these volatile times. The assets of your Operating 

Engineers’ Pension Plan have now reached approximately 

$847 million and, at the date of filing, your plan was 

fully funded with small surpluses. Our Special Edition of 

the IUOE News disclosing the audited financial health of 

your Plans will be out later this year. 

The plans’ Board of Trustees have engaged PBI 

Actuarial Ltd. to conduct a review of the benefits. 

Information will be forwarded to the membership regarding 

future benefits improvements and enhancements. 

We continue to lobby the politicians about issues 

important to Operating Engineers. 

I am very impressed by the energy and commitment 

of Adrian Dix during the recent HST referendum. 

Adrian threw himself at this issue and was seen in every 

corner of the province debating the merits and pitfalls 

of the HST while cutting through the redbrick of the 

BC Liberals “Stickman” politics. Since the HST was 

introduced, we have paid more for most of our everyday 

needs, and our new premier, as was the case in her by- 

2 News September 2011 

The executive is ready for whatever the future holds 

Lionel Railton, President 

election, was conspicuous by her absence. 

Through a membership motion, your Executive 

Board allocated substantial resources to political action 

during the upcoming provincial election and to assist 

candidates who support issues important to Operating 

Engineers. We will provide resources to help those who 

are committed to standing up for the working families 

and bringing balance back to the labour relations in B.C. 

We have had several meetings with Adrian Dix 

and key members of his team. He has shown a good 

understanding of our Local Union and is supportive of 

the valuable work Operating Engineers do to build the 

province. 

The upcoming provincial election will be crucial to 

the advancement of a working family agenda and must 

not be taken for granted. We all pay the price for complacency. 

Be informed, be engaged and be active. 

IUOE Local 115 2011 election 

Officers and trustees of the OE 

Benefits and Pension Plan 

This is a report of the Election Committee charged 

with conducting and overseeing the 2011 Election of 

Officers. The committee reviewed the eligibility of all 

nominees and the results are as follows. The following 23 

positions have been filled by acclamation. 

Business Manager: Brian Cochrane 

President: Lionel Railton 

Vice President: Brad Randall 

Recording Secretary: Don Swerdan 

Financial Secretary: Wayne Mills 

Treasurer: Frank Carr 

Guard: Bob Higgs 

Conductor: Dave Hannis 

Trustee (3): Tim Cullen 

Brian Moore 

Curtis Wright 

Auditor (3): Craig McIntosh 

Don Swerdan 

Pat Watson 

District 1 Executive Board Member: Al Cooper 

District 2 Executive Board Member: Tim Cullen 

District 3 Executive Board Member: Brad Gerow 

District 4 Executive Board Member: Herb Conat 

District 5 Executive Board Member: Mike Spiruda 

District 6 Executive Board Member: Brian Lefebvre 

OE Benefits & Pension 

Plans Trustees: Brian Cochrane 

Frank Carr 

Brad Randall

Out 

with 

the 

old... 

Step 1: Demolition 

When ships are loaded with coal or potash, the conveyor belt 

has to be repositioned several times. However, the materials 

from the stockpile run continuously. The surge bin holds the 

material while the conveyor belt is moved. 

The demo division at the Pacific Group of Companies had to 

remove an outdated surge bin at Neptune Terminals in North 

Vancouver in preparation for a new one soon to arrive. 

—Photos by Peter Palm 

Turn the page to see Step 2: Replacement 


...and in with the new 

4 News September 2011

Step 2: Replacement 

The new 350-ton (700,000 lbs) surge bin was put into place by the crew at 

Apex. The bin required 128 tires to move it in place and then rotate it to the 

correct position. 

This was another joint effort of the Pacific Group of Companies, Pacific 

Blasting and Demolition and Apex, a division of Pacific Industrial Movers. 

—Photos by Peter Palm 

Brother Doug Murdy 

Brother Chad Barker 

Brother Dennis Braun Brother Mark “Smitty” Smith Brother Jarrett Young 


District 1 

This year marked the 16th annual Training 

Association open house at our Maple Ridge Training site. 

This event has become a great family day for members, 

relatives and friends who want to try out our equipment 

and enjoy a lunch. 

Even though the weather did not cooperate, we still 

had over 500 people come out. We also collected a record 

$1,400 in donations for DADs Day (Dollars Against 

Diabetes). Thank you for your support! 

This year, we set the site up a day early and invited 

out-of-town contractors to tour the facilities. They were 

very impressed. We also invited WorkSafeBC case managers 

to leave their offices and give the equipment a go. 

Case managers’ duties include identifying retraining 

opportunities for injured workers, so it was an educational 

day for them. I’m sure more than a few of them 

were taken aback by the physical demands of operating 

heavy equipment. 

On May 12, I attended the 2011 WorkSafeBC public 

hearing in Richmond on proposed changes to regulations 

and gave a presentation in support of adopting the new 

CSA Standard Z151-09 for concrete pumps. If approved 

by the WorkSafeBC Board of Directors, regulation 

changes would come into effect in August 2012. The proposed 

amendments provide requirements for the design, 

manufacture, installation, operation, inspection, testing 

and maintenance of concrete pumps as well as placing 

booms and delivery systems. 

The majority of the presentations at the hearing 

focused on the proposed changes to Grant’s Law. Grant’s 

Law is named after Grant De Patie. In 2005, Grant was 

dragged to his death when he tried to stop a customer 

from leaving without paying at the gas station where he 

worked. As a consequence of Grant’s death, new regulations 

came into effect in 2008, including: 

• pay before you pump (oil companies are 

adhering to this regulation) 

• late night work regulations that prohibit 

employees from working alone in retail premises 

without safeguards between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. 

More than one worker must be present or else a 

locked door or barrier must be in place to protect him 

or her. Some retailers are not complying. They want this 


Open house enlightens contractors and WorkSafeBC case workers 

Craig McIntosh, Member Representative 

regulation repealed. Can you imagine that the cost of a 

locked door or a second worker at night would be considered 

too much for some employers? 

A number of WorkSafeBC’s regulations result from 

worker injury or death. At the hearing, Grant’s father 

and grandfather pleaded with WorkSafeBC to not give 

in to business interests after they had worked so hard to 

get this regulation into place after Grant’s horrific death. 

Common sense tells us that if there is any good coming 

from Grant’s death, it is this regulation to protect workers. 

It must be left in place. 

Work safely. 

Final stages of construction of the BC Place Stadium. More 

photos on Pg. 12.—Photo by Peter Palm

The way we were 

Brother Ed Hamson submitted 

these photos of various projects 

that he has worked on. This was 

taken at the Island Copper Mine 

in Port Hardy during his first 

year as a member in 1975. 

Hamson in Merritt working on the Coquihalla Highway in 

1985. 

Hamson during construction of the Deroche pit in 2005. 

Brother Bill Hencheroff submitted this photo of an Adams leaning wheelgrader that was used to 

build the Alaska Highway during World War II. These machines were manufactured until 1940 

and were still in service until 1954. 

Do you have historical 

photos of Operating 

Engineers at work? 

We’d like to run them 

in the future editions 

of IUOE News. Please 

send them by post to 

Office Manager Lynda 

Arland or by email to: 

larland@iuoe115.com 


District 1 

Recently, I attended an NDP 

function where Adrian Dix, the 

Opposition leader, addressed the 

audience. Part of his message included 

support for the building trades 

unions. Even with this encouraging 

sign, it is still important for us to remind our MLAs about 

the constant challenges we have to endure. 

We must all make the NDP understand that when 

it forms government, it must make the changes that will 

support us, the true builders of British Columbia. It is 

of paramount importance that it conduct a review of 

the Labour Code. Labour legislation must be rebalanced 

so workers can easily choose to be represented by a real 

union, rather than CLAC. 

The new government must also ensure that major 

public projects in B.C. are built under project labour 

agreements with the trades. 

There is an extensive list of changes needed to reverse 

the anti-worker agenda we have lived under for more 

than 10 years. 

Please remember: When you vote in the next provincial 

election, a change in government is the only way we 

will be able to get the changes we need. 

At the municipal level, elections are coming up this 

fall. Educate yourself. Understand who the labourfriendly 

candidates are. They will need our support. 

Bargaining update: 

• Crane Rental—We have had a number of 

bargaining sessions with the Construction 

Labour Relations Association and the 

employers. If all goes well, we may have a 


List of problems must be addressed 

Frank Carr, Member Representative 

I’m looking forward to my 

new assignment as a member 

representative. 

I started on staff with the 

Operating Engineers as an organizer. 

As a member rep, I will be serving 

members in Surrey, North Delta, 

Tsawwassen and Richmond. I’m looking forward to 

meeting the shop stewards and members at the signatory 

companies I’ll be representing. 

tentative agreement in place this year. 

• Paving—Our most recent meeting was in June. 

Many of the owners and all of the unions were 

in attendance. We were not able to secure a 

settlement and are looking for dates to meet 

again. 

• Hydraulic Dredging—A four-year agreement 

was ratified by 87% of the members. There is no 

retroactive increase for 2010, but the increase for 

the remaining three years averages 3% per year. 

Thanks to Brothers Ken Vallance, Mike Gillis 

and Steve Arcand for their participation on the 

negotiating committee. 

• Seaspan International—We have exchanged 

proposals, had two meetings with the employer 

and will be meeting again in September. There 

are still a number of issues on the table. 

Arbitration over owed wages and benefits began 

in August. 

Over the last few months I have met with a number 

of members and company representatives at Brandt 

Tractor and SMS Equipment in the Lower Mainland. I 

look forward to working with them in the future. 

In closing, congratulations to Brother Wayne Mills 

on his move to Superintendent of Staff Operations, and 

Brother Brett Chapman on his new appointment as a 

member representative. Also, welcome to Brother Jared 

Hamlin as an organizer and congratulations to Brother 

Gary Kinnear on his retirement. 

Work safely, and thank you from all of us for your 

ongoing support. See you at the general membership 

meeting on Sept. 17. 

Ready for the challenges that come with being a member rep 

Brett Chapman, Member Representative 

I would like to thank Brother Brian Cochrane for 

giving me this opportunity to move forward and grow 

within the Local Union. 

The representatives and organizers have been very 

supportive during my job transition and I thank them 

as well. I’m looking forward to learning from their 

experience. 

Lastly, thank you to Brother Rob Duff, for all that 

you taught me about organizing. You have a wealth of 

knowledge. See you in the field.

A good year for members in most areas 

Bob Higgs, Member Representative 

Hours of work were up across the board in most 

areas this summer. In some industries it was hard to find 

bodies to fill the seats. 

One factor is the impact of the baby boom generation. 

There are many senior employees with the maximum 

allowable vacation time. Naturally, everyone wants 

vacation in the summer and it can get difficult for companies 

to cover them off. 

We’re about to enter the fourth quarter of the year 

hoping for a strong finish to what has been a fairly good 

year for most members. As the economy continues to 

improve, we should see the number of hours increase. 

Aggregate sales are still down from their peak a few 

years ago, but continue to improve as time goes on. There 

has even been talk of reopening some pits that have been 

dormant for some time. 

Road work is still going flat out with all employers 

scrambling for good workers. The bigger projects are eating 

up a large percentage of our experienced road build- 

District 1 

ers, leaving the smaller crews shorthanded. This situation 

has a bright side: it opens up positions for entry level 

workers to gain the experience needed to advance to the 

major project crews. 

If you have been to Delta recently you can’t help 

but see the progress on the South Perimeter Road. Many 

months of work are still ahead. Work on this project has 

been steady and has gone quite smoothly. 

On the bargaining front, I have not yet received a 

final offer from International Bulk Services, although 

I recently sent a wake-up letter. Despite this delay, the 

employees’ attitude remains positive. They are just as 

united as they were in January when they joined Local 

115. We have applied to the Labour Board under section 

55 and hope an agreement is in place by the time these 

new members get this edition of IUOE News. 

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at the general 

membership meeting on Sept. 17. 

Negotiations under way with many companies 

Chip Dhaliwal, Member Representative 

I’m in bargaining with Atlas 

Copco, BC Conveying, Pacific 

Radiator and Williams Machinery 

and I’m assisting Brother Don 

Swerdan with Owen G. Carney. In the coming months, 

I should be bargaining with Hertz, Hiway Refrigeration, 

Hiway Fuel Services and Clean Harbors with Brother 

Swerdan. 

Members at Pacific Radiator voted down the company’s 

last offer and the company refuses to meet for 

further bargaining. We will be taking another ratification 

vote and possibly a strike vote. 

At Atlas Copco we’re working on the final piece of 

the puzzle—a new letter of understanding regarding the 

members’ pension contributions and overtime rates. 

When I came aboard, I inherited a few shops that, 

for a variety of reasons, didn’t have any shop stewards. 

We now have members at some of those facilities who 

have stepped up to serve as shop stewards. I have recently 

posted sign-up sheets at three other facilities. Thanks to 

everyone who has stepped up so far to serve their fellow 

members. I look forward to working with these members. 

I’ve now had some time to develop good working relationships 

with most of the employers. It makes the job 

a lot easier when you can deal quickly with a member’s 

issue with just a phone call to the right person. 

In closing, welcome to Brother Brett Chapman in his 

new role as member representative. I have no doubt he 

will do a fine job while bringing his own unique style to 

our Local Union. 


District 1 

IUOE Local 115 


Project labour agreements secure work for members 

Everett Cummings, Member Representative 

In my last article, I mentioned that we had signed 

a project labour agreement for the McNally Aecon 

JV Fraser River Crossing. Since then, the Operating 

Engineers and Labourers Local 1611 have signed another 

agreement on the Fraser River crossing with Bencor 

Canada (Bencor Group of America). Bencor will be doing 

the slurry walls on each side of the river and employing 

crane operators and heavy duty mechanics. 

Local 115 and other building trade affiliates have also 

signed an agreement with Aecon for the construction of 

compressor stations in the northern part of the province. 

Aecon will be building them for Spectra, which traditionally 

builds with non-union or CLAC companies. Keeping 

our members working and securing work often done by 

Christmas Dance 

Saturday, Dec. 10 

OE Auditorium 

4333 Ledger Avenue 

Burnaby 

Cocktails: 6:30 p.m. 

Deluxe Smorgasbord: 7:30 p.m. 

Dancing: 8:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. 

Advance sales only 

Tickets: $35 per person 

(Pensioners $30 per person) 

To purchase your tickets, 

call 604-291-8831. 

the unorganized sector is a great achievement for the OEs 

and the building trades unions. 

Out in the Fraser Valley, we’ve signed up a new 

welding company, RDM Metal Works. RDM does the 

same work as RMW did on all types of plants, including 

preventative maintenance service work with millwrights. 

The addition of RDM will be appreciated by 

our other signatory companies who require a welding sub 

contractor. 

I would like to congratulate Brother Brett Chapman 

on making the change from organizer to member 

representative. Brett was a steward for me at Frontier 

Kemper, and I know he will do a great job for the 

membership in this new role.

Younger members 

offer their ideas for 

increasing membership 

By Leslie Dyson 

Members under the age of 30 were invited to come to 

the union hall in Burnaby in June to talk about strategies 

to increase membership in the Local Union. 

Working in small groups, they said there are many 

persuasive reasons for people to want to become members 

of Local 115. They said that membership: 

• opens the door to a variety of trades, projects 

and employers 

• leads to good wages with regular pay increases 

• means more attention to job safety 

• gives access to a dispatch system 

• comes with apprenticeships and upgrading 

training 

• brings better working conditions, representation, 

mentoring and dignity 

• leads to camaraderie with other members 

They were supportive of the decision to create a series 

of promotional 

videos. They said 

the videos should 

stress exciting 

careers, BIG 

equipment and 

pride in the beautiful 

things that 

are built by operating 

engineers. 

“Go back to 

how fun it was and 

is to build and create 

things,” wrote 

Doug Suffield. 

“Show that this 

is a complex, 

problem-solving, 

Taping for a series of promotional videos 

took place over the summer. 

think-on-yourfeet 

career.” 

Younger members of the Local Union were invited to come to 

a meeting in June to talk about ways to connect with members 

and help develop strategies to increase membership. 

They recommended a good soundtrack and showing 

attractive people. 

Taping for the videos began shortly after with visits 

to the training site and several OE contractor companies. 

The Local Union thanks everyone who came out for 

the meeting and especially everyone who’s participated 

in the production of the videos. 

If you want to be among the first to see what the 

videos will look like, come to the general membership 

meeting at the OE hall at 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 17. 


Long before the Lions or Whitecaps play a 

single game in the new stadium, another team 

has been at work. Photos by Peter Palm, Pacific Group of Companies 



District 2 

Collective agreements being ratified 

Tim Cullen, Member Representative 

Like most British Columbians, we waited for months 

for summer to kick into high gear. It was cool and wet 

for far too long. Hopefully, we will have a dry fall to look 

forward to. 

In bargaining, we have ratified collective agreements 

at the District of Port Hardy, Upland Excavating Ltd., 

OK Group of Companies (Tayco Paving, OK Upper 

Island, Haylock Bros. Paving Ltd., Duncan Paving, 

Island Crushing and Island Asphalt) and Hub City 

Paving. We are either still in discussions or ratifying with 

Hazelwood Construction Services Inc., BFI, Morningstar 

Golf Club and EPCOR. 

We are already planning for next year’s bargaining 

with Northwest Sealcoating Ltd., WEQ (Old Country 

Rentals), BFI—Victoria, Brandt Tractor Ltd., Walco 

Industrial and Waste Management—Vancouver Island. 

Members who are working for these companies should be 

getting their proposal notices soon. 

We have also been very busy with Brandt Tractor at 

the Labour Relations Board. 

In addition, I met with the Ralmax crew to extend 

the agreement to support the Point Hope shipyard 

expansion. 

As for construction work on the Island, Chew has 

almost completed the Uptown excavation work and 

the project at Six Mile. Hazelwood is going full bore 

on Bowen Road in Nanaimo, has almost finished the 

Ahousat project, and has started on the run of the river 

project in Tahsis. 


The happy Port Hardy EPCOR crew: (front) Brothers Kenn Oliver, 

Kris Hagen, Sister Jamie Matson and Dennis Dugas; (back) 

Brother Justin Reusch, Manager Trevor Kushner, Brothers Joe 

Jewell, Roland Lefort, Cory Henschke and Sean Mercer; and (not 

shown) Sister Emily Cox. Everyone assembled for the contract 

approval just before a key game in the Stanley Cup finals. Things 

wrapped up in time for just about everyone to watch the game. 

Upland Excavating is having a very slow season this 

year. 

The wind farm at the north end of the Island went 

to Borea, with which we have no affiliation. However, 

we hope to get the crane work on the approximately 55 

windmills that are going in. 

Stay safe. 

If all OE members and their families voted in the 

upcoming November 19th municipal election, we could 

elect civic councillors who care about our issues. 

VOTENov19 OUR VOTES COUNT

Once the weather improved, work picked up 

Brad Gerow, Member Representative 

After a long winter that wouldn’t 

let go, the construction season finally 

got under way. It is turning out to be 

a good year with some projects from 

last year remaining to be finished. 

• Brentwood Enterprises is completing its job 

in Sorrento; Dawson Construction will do the 

paving. 

• Dawson’s paving crew is busy with jobs on 

the Coquihalla Highway and in Gold Bridge. 

Dawson also has crushing and other projects on 

the go. 

• Conex is busy with waterlines, parking lots and 

subdivisions in Sorrento, Aberdeen, Thompson 

Rivers University and Juniper Ridge. 

• In Kamloops, B.A. Blacktop has a few projects 

around town. 

• Kamloops Augering is working all over the 

province, including the North and on the coast. 

• The long-awaited Pritchard job is out to tender 

and we hope one of our contractors has the 

successful bid. 

Because of the mining industry, our shops are doing 

well. Mining is taking up the slack for the losses we’ve 

had from the forest industry slowdowns. The shops are 

looking for skilled and qualified technicians, but they are 

harder to find with the mines now pulling them away. 

On the organizing front, we would like to welcome to 

Local 115 the crews from Vernon Paving and Westlake 

Paving. After many years, these people now have representation 

from the Operating Engineers. The ballots 

were counted on July 5 and they voted out CLAC. (See 

article, Pg. 16) 

This campaign lasted a long time. The votes were cast 

in February, but they sat sealed at the Labour Relations 

Board until the decision was made in our favour to open 

the box and count the ballots. There were many people 

involved in this and I say “Good job!” to our members 

and all the others who made this campaign a success. 

Organizing in the Okanagan Valley has been difficult 

over the years. Maybe this is the foothold we need to get 

some momentum. 

I would also like to say thank you to Brother Gary 

Kinnear for his many years of dedication to this organization. 

He made the difficult decision to retire and move 

District 3 

on to the next phase of his life. To Gary and his wife, 

Linda, we wish you many years of happy retirement so 

that you can enjoy the other things in life, like the view 

from your deck at the lake, the open rode from the seat 

of your motorcycle and good times with your grandson. 

Thanks, Gary, for all the years of hard work and dedication 

to the members. 

Don’t forget to get out to the district meetings in 

your area or wherever you are working, because you keep 

this union strong! 

We’re looking for photos 

Send us your action photos from the sites where 

you’re working. If your photo is used, you will 

receive an IUOE Local 115 logo item. 

Include your name and a description identifying who 

is in the picture and what is taking place. We’ll make 

sure we get your prints or CDs back to you. 

Traditional glossy colour prints — 

Send them to your district office c/o Susan 

Armstrong, 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 

sarmstrong@iuoe115.com. (You will only be able 

to e-mail 1 or 2 at a time because the files will be 

large.) Large files can also be sent to this email 

address via www.yousendit.com. One large file 

or compressed folder at a time can be sent at no 

charge. 


Moving from CLAC to IUOE Local 115 

By Leslie Dyson 

They “manned up and did ‘er” 

The International Union of Operating Engineers 

Local 115 is welcoming nearly 40 new members 

from Vernon Paving and Westlake Paving 

in Kelowna. They are former members of the 

Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC). 

The two companies had long-standing agreements 

with CLAC. Vernon’s agreement goes back to 1993. 

However, Westlake was certified by the association in 

1977. David De Sousa, special representative for the 

operating engineers, said it was likely one of CLAC’s first 

agreements in B.C. 

Attempts to reach the CLAC rep Quentin Steen or 

other association spokesperson were unsuccessful. 

Frankie Potvin, a batch plant operator from Westlake, 

transferred from a sister company in Prince George. He 

went from a collective agreement with Local 115 to 

one with CLAC. All that CLAC had negotiated for the 

employees was small RRSP contributions. 

He said, as a 30-year member of Local 115, “I knew 

what the wages should have been and what the benefits 

should have been...I have a pension with the OEs. The 

OE pension is one of the best that I know of. And some 

of those guys [at Westlake] have worked just as long as 

me and you look at what they’ll get…it’s just sad.” 

The word spread to key people at Vernon Paving. 

Shop Foreman Roy Giger said Vernon has some very 

long-serving employees. “There’s 90 years of experience 

among three of the guys. And yet you look at what they 

have in their RRSPs and there’s maybe enough for four 

years [after retirement].” 

Giger also saw that the younger members wanted 

training. “I don’t really think it [CLAC] is a construction 

union. There’s no real training. 

“I asked about a tool allowance and I was told ‘We 

don’t do that kind of stuff.’ I thought to myself, ‘So what 

do you do?’” 


Tom McMahon, a heavy duty mechanic, was one of 

the people at Westlake who didn’t like what was going on. 

He said CLAC did not represent the workers during grievances. 

When negotiations in the past came to a standstill, 

the employees asked if mediation was an option. 

McMahon said they were told by the CLAC rep that 

mediation and arbitration are not done in this province. 

“I asked about a tool allowance and 

I was told ‘We don’t do that kind of 

stuff.’ I thought to myself, 

‘So what do you do?’” 

As the case against CLAC continued to build, 

McMahon went to the Internet to do some research. 

That led him to make a call to De Sousa in June 2010. He 

learned a lot about CLAC and found out that the soonest 

the organizing drive could be held was between January 

and February 2011. The winter months are usually a 

dead time of year in the paving industry. Fortunately 

for the employees at Westlake, the company had a batch 

plant upgrade under way over the winter and many were 

called in to work. But just three employees were available 

to vote at Vernon Paving. 

On Feb. 4, a certification application was made to the 

Labour Relations Board for both companies. The vote 

was held on Feb. 16 and 18. 

There was a lot of activity leading up to the vote. 

CLAC scheduled a meeting to “tell the truth about the 

OEs,” said McMahon. “It was hilarious.” 

Expecting the worst, McMahon took along the actuarial 

valuation report of the Operating Engineers’ pension 

plan and Potvin brought his personal pension plan 

statement. It was clear to everyone in the room what the 

employees were missing. 

“To our pleasant surprise, all the young guys wanted

Loader operator Doug Petrie and plant operator Vaughan 

McIndoe work with Vernon Paving, and were among those 

workers who voted to move from CLAC to IUOE Local 115. 

a pension rather than a crappy RRSP,” said McMahon. 

“The young guys jumped all over that. They [CLAC] 

were just demolished at their own meeting and they cancelled 

the Vernon meeting for the next night.” 

It was nerve-racking work getting everyone to sign a 

second time and many were concerned about losing their 

jobs, said McMahon. “But we manned up and did ‘er.” 

Then CLAC opposed Local 115’s application at the 

LRB. This delayed the count of the ballots. “They postponed 

it and kept collecting the dues,” said Potvin, “but 

they weren’t really doing anything for us.” It amounted 

“To our pleasant surprise, 

all the young guys wanted 

a pension rather than a 

crappy RRSP.” 

to between $80 and $90 a person per month. 

The ballot box was finally opened on July 5. When 

the votes were counted, the vast majority had voted in 

favour of joining the Operating Engineers. 

Under CLAC, McMahon said, “Everybody was afraid 

to say anything. You had no recourse because you knew 

CLAC wouldn’t speak up for you. But now the bosses 

have tamed down and everyone’s more confident. Before 

we were a whole bunch of individuals. We’re united now.” 

Loader operator Chris Bennett and plant operator Frankie Potvin 

from Westlake Paving, which also became a Local 115 signatory 

in July. 

Roy Bertram, general manager of both paving 

companies, said, “nothing that has really changed.” An 

official meeting with Local 115 had not yet taken place. 

Local 115 Member Rep Brad Gerow said he expected 

that “we’re going to have a good working relationship 

[with the employers] as we do with our other employers. 

We’re going to see what we can do to keep the waters 

calm.” A get-acquainted meeting was being scheduled for 

August (before press time). 

Gerow said the new members he’s spoken to are looking 

forward to the change in representation. They told 

him they were pleased that they’d seen more of their 

Local 115 rep in the first month after the vote than they 

had of their CLAC rep over several years. 

McMahon said that the move to Local 115 “won’t 

have much effect on me, but it will for the younger guys. 

The biggest thing for me is proper representation for 

everyone.” 

Giger said, “It will be really great for the new guys 

coming in. If they have any ambition and they’re intelligent, 

there’s lots of opportunity. 

“As a crew, nothing will really change,” he said, “but, 

hopefully, we’ll have a better life when we retire.” 

The story isn’t over. In late July, CLAC submitted an 

application to have the Labour Relations Board overturn 

the Operating Engineers’ successful organizing drive. A 

LRB decision could take weeks or months. 


District 4 

Project labour 

agreements providing 

good union work 

Herb Conat and Wayne Kemp, 

Member Representatives 

We’re extremely busy in District 4 this 

year. 

The Kitimat Modernization Project 

(Bechtel Canada) has kicked off again. Fifteen 

contractors are working on several projects on 

the site and the demolition of the Rio Tinto 

Alcan pot lines 7 and 8 has begun. 

New camp facilities, with 440 Jack & 

Jill beds, are due to open this fall and two 

additional phases of construction will be 

completed this year. Up to 1,500 workers will 

be accommodated. This site is covered by a 

project labour agreement(PLA) modeled on 

the Heavy Construction Agreement. 

Lockerbie Hole’s work on the Endako Mines expansion is 

almost complete. It is also covered by a PLA. The Operating 

Engineers will be finished this winter. 

BFI Constructors has picked up the civil work, with 18 to 24 

months of construction, at the Mount Milligan Gold & Copper 

Mine. BFI has signed an agreement with five of the building 

trades unions. 

This new mine is owned by Thompson Creek covered by a 

PLA. Work has been contracted to a couple of the building trades 

contractors. 

We have not seen any projects of this magnitude in the past 20 

years. This should be the start of good things to come, including 

many jobs and increased market share! 

In closing, we would like to thank our stewards, organizers 

and safety committee members who provide leadership in your 

work places. Work safely. 

ThinkSafety 


District 5 

Industrial 

work steady 

Mike Spiruda 

Member Representative 

The work picture 

has been steady in the 

Northeast throughout the 

summer. 

The local crane companies 

were busy with shutdowns, gas plant 

construction and projects in the oil and gas 

industry. 

Premay Pipeline Hauling have been unloading 

and stockpiling 50 km of 36” mainline pipe 

at Chetwynd, Hudsons Hope and Groundbirch. 

Premay will also unload and stockpile approximately 

75 km of pipe near Fort Nelson in the 

fall. 

Louisbourg Pipeline will construct the 23 

km of 36” pipe for Trans Canada Pipeline’s 

Saturn project west of Dawson Creek. 

BC Hydro has initiated the environmental 

assessment phase for the proposed Site C 

hydroelectric project. Upgrades in the design 

of the dam such as foundation stability, seismic 

protection and improved generating capacity 

have now pegged construction costs at $7.9 billion. 

Field research carried on throughout the 

summer. 

During the summer months, we were in 

negotiations with Peace River Coal in Tumbler 

Ridge. We’re hopeful that the company will 

recognize that the many issues on the table 

are a priority that must be resolved in order to 

move forward. 

Work safely. 

L O C A L 1 1 5 

It’s not just a slogan. It’s a way of life.

District 6 

Union Organizing 

Welcome to our members from Harbour International Truck Sales 

Rob Duff, Organizer 

Mine industry 

going strong 

Gordon Chaisson, Member 

Representative 

Work in the Elk Valley was very busy this summer. 

The mines are going full out with no scheduled shutdowns. 

The companies that do business with the mines 

are keeping pace. 

We negotiated a first agreement with KMC Mining in 

early June and it was ratified by 70%. To our new members 

at KMC: Welcome aboard! It should be noted that 

our dispatch system in our Cranbrook office supplies the 

workforce for this company. Many individuals, interested 

in hiring on with this company, have come to see us. 

The Line Creek operation is still going steady. There 

have been dozens of new hires since January. 

The workers at Sparwood Finning Tractor branch 

were on strike for several weeks, but members gave 

the Sparwood unit their full support. Solidarity is our 

backbone. 

I wish everyone at Peace River Coal the best of luck 

with this round of negotiations. As we all know, bargaining 

is a process that can’t be rushed. 

Maxam Explosives has had its contract renewed with 

Teck Coal Ltd. That should ensure some well-earned job 

security for those members. Nothing moves until the rock 

is blasted! 

In solidarity... 

A warm welcome to our new members at 

Harbour International Truck Sales and Service, 

located in Langley. The mechanics and shop 

employees voted overwhelmingly in favour of 

being represented by the Operating Engineers 

Local 115. This has sent a strong message to the 

employer. 

I wish to thank members for promoting 

Local 115 to non-union workers and CLAC members. 

I know that people are listening because I 

have been hearing about it on the various job 

sites that I visit. Your pride in being members 

Dispatch 

Consider 

upgrading— 

the demand 

is growing 

Jim Flynn, Dispatcher 

I hope everyone enjoyed our late-arriving 

summer. 

This year has seen more dispatches than 

last year. We are still short of crane operators. 

If you know of operators who are working 

non-union or under CLAC, please encourage 

them to give us a call. 

If you have a chance to take some upgrading 

in the sewer and water side of excavator 

work, take advantage of the opportunity. 

Schools are back in session, so please take 

extra care on the roads. 

DISPATCH REPORT 

Orders Received 103 

Cancelled 0 

Referred 0 

Orders Completed 103 

Members Booked In 175 

of Local 115 is coming through loud and clear to 

non-union workers. Keep up the good work! It 

makes us all stronger. 

Congratulations to Doug Fisher from Rempel 

Concrete for winning the Name the Rat Contest. 

The winning name is Festus. 

I would also like to welcome Brother Jared 

Hamlin to our organizing team. Jared comes 

with a great deal of enthusiasm and experience 

and he will be a great asset to Local 115. Welcome 

Jared. 


Benefit Plans 

Operating Engineers’ Pension plan 

The unaudited financial results for your pension plan 

have been presented to the Board of Trustees. The report 

shows Market Value of Assets for the Plan Year Ending 

April 30, 2011 of approximately $ 847,610,522 

The Plan received a total of 7,826,995 hours of contributions 

from employers and self-payments, for a total 

of $28,509,185 in contributions for the 2010/11 Plan Year. 

The Plan paid a total of $44,378,908 in Pension, 

Death and Cash Termination Benefits for the 2010/11 

Plan Year. 

Operating Engineers’ Benefits Plan 

The audited financial results for the Operating 

Engineers’ Benefits Plan reflect total assets, as at 

December 31, 2010, of $34,216,220. 

The Plan received $13,377,710 in contributions for 

the 2010 Plan Year and paid $14,723,834 for benefits for 

the membership and their dependents. The Plan saw a 

$284,842 increase in reserves for members’ future benefits 

and total administrative disbursements of $837,022. 

Watch for a full report of the audited financial standings 

of both your Operating Engineers’ Benefits and 

Pension Plan in the 37th Annual Special Edition of the 

Operating Engineers News to be published later this year. 

Members find help through Family 

Assistance Program: 

Since its introduction in December of 1998 members 

and their families have had the ability to seek assistance 

for personal problems through the Family Assistance 

Program. 

The assistance program is available to those members 

and their families who have benefit coverage through the 

Operating Engineers’ Benefits Plan. 

The program is strictly confidential and is provided 

through Wilson Banwell Ltd. 

Wilson Banwell offers professional services on a 24- 

hour, 7-day a week, 365 days per year basis for a wide 

range of personal and family problems. 

Human Solutions can be reached in the Vancouver 

area at 604-689-1717 or throughout the province at 

1-800-663-1142. 


Plans do well in spite of the marketplace 

Lionel I. Railton, CEB, PPAC Administrator 

If you or your family needs help, please do not hesitate 

to call Human Solutions and find the assistance you 

require. 

Please note: all counseling benefits are provided 

through Human Solutions – counseling benefits are not 

covered under your Extended Health Benefits Plan. 

Pensions awarded 

April 2011 to June 2011 

Avtar Basra 

Ronald Bealey 

Daniel Bell 

Bert Broeckx 

Ronald Burbee 

John Bush 

Dave Cardin 

Guy Champagne 

Robert Clark 

James Cooper 

Cameron Dunn 

Keith Edmondson 

John Engelland 

Garry Espeseth 

Rick Gill 

Ken Gunderson 

Mikhael Harruthoonyan 

Ronald Heinrichs 

Jerry Higgins 

Bradley Hippensteel 

Rae Johnstone 

Michael Keel 

Craig Kinnear 

Charles Kleij 

Allan Klus 

Kenneth Kornelson 

Leonard Lomond 

Antonio Lourenco 

Donald Mackenzie 

Ashley Macleod 

Dale Macrobbie 

Robert Magee 

John Mathers 

Jim McIntosh 

Gordon Miskulin 

Larry Odland 

Louis Paul 

Edward Pazur 

Richard Pellerin 

Gerald Penner 

Eldon Petrescue 

John Pineau 

Albert Poirier 

Darcy Price 

Gary Procknow 

Elmer Quiding 

Kenneth Robinson 

Nick Samsonoff 

Robert Severinski 

John Shomody 

Michael Stephenson 

Keith Street 

Robert Tanner 

Garey Tomlinson 

David Turnbull 

Arnold Usher 

Clement Vaillancourt 

Henry Van Epp 

James Warner 

James Wilson

Annual open house 

Brad Randall, Administrator 

June 18 marked our 16th annual open house and 

heavy equipment rodeo at our Maple Ridge training site. 

We also celebrated the Local Union’s 80th anniversary 

with a large display of balloons to mark the occasion. 

Close to 600 attended, including members, their 

families and the general public. They had a great time 

operating equipment and enjoyed the hamburgers and 

hotdogs that the Training Association provided. Our very 

own Kim Monfee, dressed as a clown, and provided face 

painting and blew up balloons to entertain the kids. Once 

again, we had our popular six-person golf cart to shuttle 

people up the hill to the equipment. 

It was a wet day but that did not stop people from 

coming. We had fewer people than last year but that 

made for shorter lineups and more opportunity for seat 

time on the equipment. 

Several dealers and contractors provided additional 

equipment again this year. Thanks to SMS Equipment 

for providing three mini excavators and Great West 

Equipment for providing two mini excavators. Thanks 

also to Brother Eric Kan, owner of Kansen Crane 

Service, for providing the new 120-ton Liebherr with 

Brothers John Sleigh, Mike Anderson, Miles Evans, Mike 

Weber and Rod Barclay. Thanks to Gastaldo Concrete 

for providing its 58-meter Putzmeister concrete pump 

along with Brother Rick Dallas. A huge thank you to the 

80-plus volunteers who came out to make the day a great 

success. Without their tireless effort, there would be no 

such event. I would also like to thank Brother Marvin 

Salvail for doing such a good job of taking the photos 

of the event. Of course the Training Association staff 

did another fantastic job of organizing and running the 

Open House. Thanks! 

In conjunction with the open house, donations were 

accepted for Dollars Against Diabetes Day. We broke 

our record and raised $1,420 for this worthwhile charity. 

Thanks to Brother Mike Suzberic for selling 50/50 tickets 

to assist in raising the funds. Brother Barry Conroy was 

the winner and graciously donated his $345 winnings 

back to the cause. Thanks Barry and to all who donated. 

WorkSafeBC 

On the Friday before our open house, we had over 

40 WorkSafeBC entitlement officers, case managers, 


WorkSafeBC employees at the Training site prior to the open 

house. 

vocational rehabilitation consultants, medical advisors 

and client services managers come out to the site to see 

at first-hand what an equipment operator goes through 

on a daily basis. Practical demonstrations were provided 

on an excavator and a mobile crane, showing them that 

operators don’t just sit in the seat all day and pull levers. 

They were shown the physical aspects of the job such as 

changing buckets, cleaning the tracks on an excavator 

and putting heavy wooden pads under the outriggers of 

a crane. After the demonstrations, everyone was sent out 

in the field to try operating the equipment. 

For the past few years, the Local Union has been 

meeting with WorkSafeBC on a regular basis to discuss 

health and safety issues relevant to the construction 

industry. Brother Craig McIntosh, a member rep and 

training association trustee, came up with the idea of 

having WorkSafeBC staff come out to the site. The day 

was a huge success and gave the participants a better 

understanding of the physical aspects of our work. 

Here’s what some of the participants said: 

“It was a total blast,” said Jason Jang, vocational 

rehab consultant. “But not only was it fun, it gave me 

an understanding of whether or not an injured worker 

looking for a new line of employment might be able to be 

trained, and then find work in this field.” 

“The hands-on experience was invaluable,” said 

Medical Advisor Mary-Louise O’Driscoll. “It will really 

help when I have to give an opinion on the causation of 

an injury, or when commenting on job-specific limitations 

and restrictions.” 

Entitlement officer Andria Sutton agreed: “I learned 

there’s quite a lot of prep work involved before a job can 

even start. It’s not just about sitting in a cab moving 

levers and pedals.” 

Thanks to everyone who came out on that Friday 

and for the staff who did another great job organizing 

the event. 

continued next page 



continued from previous page 

Contractors visit training site 

Member Reps Herb Conat and Brian Lefebvre 

arranged to have representatives from Integrated 

Contractors Ltd (ICL) and Selkirk Paving, part of the 

YCS Group, tour the training site on the Friday before 

the open house. 

ICL is from the Prince George area and Selkirk is 

based in the Castlegar area. The employers saw the kind 

of programs we provide, the equipment we use and the 

content of the courses and were able to meet with the 

instructors and staff to discuss their wants and needs. 

I was very pleased to have our employers come to the 

site. We welcome more contractors to see what we do and 

the services we can provide for them. 

Training Coordinator Jeff Gorham, Administrator Brad Randall, 

Maple Ridge-Mission MLA Marc Dalton and Minister Pat Bell at 

the training site. 

Minister of Advanced Education 

Pat Bell, the minister of Jobs, Tourism and 

Innovation, and Marc Dalton, MLA for Maple Ridge- 

Mission, visited our training site recently. 

One of Bell’s responsibilities is the Industry Training 

Authority (ITA). It is through the ITA that we provide 

our heavy equipment operator and crane training 

programs. 

They were very impressed with the amount of equipment 

we have, the layout of the site and the different 

programs we offer. Their visit gave us an opportunity to 

discuss training issues. Bell has been very supportive of 

the Training Association in the past and we look forward 

to his continued support in the future. 


International Rep Allan Bruce, Organizer Rob Duff, Member 

Rep Brad Gerow, Training Coordinator Jeff Gorham, Training 

Coordinator Randy Grisewood, Member Rep Brett Chapman, 

International Rep Dave De Sousa, Administrator Brad Randall 

and Member Rep and training trustee Craig McIntosh at the 

Skills Canada Competition. 

Skills Canada B.C. Competition 

Once again, the Training Association participated 

at the Skills Canada Competition at the Tradex Centre. 

Participants were winners of regional competitions. 

Contests, developed by Skills Canada BC, are practical 

challenges designed to test skills required in trades and 

technology occupations. Top contestants went off to the 

nationals. 

We set up a display booth with a working model 

crawler crane. Our simulator trailer was also a big hit 

with the students. 

Equipment Purchases 

We recently purchased a used 2007 Volvo EC240B 

excavator with 1,800 hours from Great West Equipment 

and traded in our 1993 690E-LC. We also purchased a 

used 2006 John Deere 450J dozer with 2,100 hours from 

Progressive Contracting and traded in our 1992 John 

Deere 450G dozer. 

Milan Ilich 

Milan Ilich, owner of Progressive 

Contracting, passed away on June 

29. 

Progressive Contracting has had 

a collective agreement with Local 

115 since 1972. 

Milan was a good employer who 

treated his employees well. Our condolences 

go out to his family. 

Work safely.

Sister Cheryl Lucyk receives her Mobile Crane- 

Lattice Boom Friction BC Certificate of Qualification 

with Red Seal Endorsement. Sheryl completed her 

apprenticeship with Fraser River Pile & Dredge. 

Brother Darcy White with his BC Heavy Duty 

Mechanic Certificate of Qualification with Red Seal 

endorsement. Darcy served his apprenticeship at 

the United Rentals Burnaby location. 

Brother Dave McConnell (centre) receiving 

his Heavy Duty Mechanic BC Certificate of 

Qualification with Red Seal Endorsement from 

Training Association Trustee Dave Reynolds and 

Foreman Lambert Head. Dave completed his 

apprenticeship working at Traxxon Rock Drill and 

Pacific Blasting and Demolition. 


The Training Association’s 65-ton American truck crane assisting with Tall 

Crane Equipment’s repair of the tower crane power cable. 

The Training Association went to Kamloops to give members at Dawson 

Construction a three-day crane refresher course in preparation for their B.C. 

crane certification assessment. Instructor Gordon Lindberg with Brothers 

Steve Ramsey, Dustin Wishnowski, Ben Hystad, Russel Blanc and Mitch 

Amies. 

Brothers Jason Copp, Douglas Murdy, Mark Smith, Chris Dickey, Chad 

Barker, Jarrett Young and Mark Friesen, working for Apex Industrial Movers, 

in a rigging course instructed by Brother Gordon Lindberg. 


16th annual open house 

Close to 600 people attended this year’s annual open house 

in June at the Training Association’s site. 



Honouring Members 

Welcoming our new Local 115 members April to June, 2011 

Jeffrey J. Aeichele 

Christopher A. Allbee 

Ron Allen 

Steve B. Allen 

Dean Amendt 

Brittney Antosko 

Noel S. Aragones 

Justin Arnason 

Frederick W. Ayers 

Larry Baker 

Steven Barron 

Steven Barron 

Matthew Bayley 

Ryan Beeson 

Michael J. Beiderwieden 

Donald Bigcharles 

Quinn Blanchard 

Mitchell J. Blokhuizen 

John K. Bonevitch 

Nicholas L. Bowman 

Dale Brooks 

Jason Brousseau 

Thomas C. Brown 

James Bruder 

Charles Burton 

Chris R. Campbell 

Bryce Cassidy 

Kerry Chamberlin 

Reid J. Chartrand 

Reuben Chernekow 

Ryan Clark 

Thomas Clarke 

Jessy Clarkson 

Reginald A. Cleave 

James D. Colbeck 

Vitor Jose A. Conceicao 

Travis Condin 

Jordan S. Coombs 

Stacey L. Cunliffe 

Joel C. Currie 

Shan Davis 

Nicolas De Montigny 

Joseph A. Delos Reyes 

Remi Desroches 

Lyle T. Dixon 

Christopher Dokkie 

Amber Doonan 

Ashley M. Dupuis 

Colin K. Eckert 

Randy L. Enns 

Ashton Fallon 

Roger Faucher 

Hanz Fischer 

Cody D. Fisher 

Donna Flaman 

James Flanagan 

Keli G. Fontaine 

Justin Fournier 

Gordon J. Fuller 

Halisi Giddings 

Chris Gorbett 

Brendan Grace 

Miles R. Green 

Liam Greig 

Stefan Grumpner 

Richard J. Guinevan 

Jeff Hall 

Mitchell Hall 

Mark Halliday 

Michael B. Hanney 

Dusty Hansen 

Flemming Hansen 

Derek Hanson 

Larry Heigh 

Chris Hemmelgarn 

Mike Herring 

Jeffrey H. Hill 

Jody Hoefels 

Brent Hoehne 

Tony Hoffmann 

Former Member Rep Gary Kinnear presents 

Brother Jack Hammond with a 40-year pin. 


Barry Hore 

Kevin House 

Shane Hoyt 

Don W. Hunt 

Corrienne Hunter 

William Jensen 

George A. Jobb 

Taylor Johansen 

Dawn K. Johnson 

Marcus S. Johnston 

Mel Johnston 

Warren P. Johnston 

Bradley Jones 

Melanie E. Jones 

Justin Karbowski 

Blair Keddy 

Chris P. Kelly 

Troy J. Kelly 

Stephen J. Kennedy 

Darin V. Keraiff 

Steven M. Kerr Lazeski 

Adam Kirk 

Ritchie Knight 

Randy A. Kulyk 

Dion M. L Hirondelle 

Aaron K. Lachapelle 

James Lafleur 

Weng Lee 

Russell W. Legge 

Kevin Lekei 

Kurtis Leney 

Shane E. Leslie 

Michael Lievers 

Sean Lightle 

Tsai T. Lu 

James Lutman 

Will Macburney 

Dale V. Maier 

Clayton Mallette 

Joel Marcer 

Brother Lloyd Neil receives his 30-year 

membership pin from Member Rep Wayne 

Kemp. 

Ken B. Mason 

Mike McCauley 

Dennis McCutcheon 

Walter D. McCutcheon 

Melinda McIntosh 

Michelle R. McJunkin 

Brett McMillan 

Edward A. Meier 

Thomas Methner 

Karl Mikkola 

Ryan Miller 

Brent A. Milne 

Cody J. Milton 

Catia Miotto 

Bill Mitchell 

Robert Mogielka 

Glen Monds 

Dallas Moore 

Barry Munroe 

Chris M. Murphy 

Kent Nesbitt 

Lenard Newton 

Angela B. Nikirk 

Sean Noseworthy 

Ed Novak 

Brian O’Rourke 

Daniel Ohmenzetter 

Wayne Orbell 

Luke Panagopoulos 

Lee Parker 

Zachary Patrick 

Gerry D. Penney 

Mark Peters 

Rory Procknow 

Damian Radzik 

James Reading 

Martin Reid 

Dante Revereza 

David Richards 

Lee Richter 

Nadine Richter 

Melvin M. Ricketts 

Dean Riggs 

William G. Sallenback 

Todd S. Salway 

Kevin D. Saunders 

Joshua Scheck 

Ray Scheerschmidt 

Brady Schultz 

Nathan Senior 

Ronald Seward 

Aaron Shlakoff 

Eamonn Shortt 

Jason Sousa 

Allan Spetch 

Michael Stevens 

Bryn Tarasenko 

Ken C. Thomson 

Kory Tianen 

Craig Tytler 

Tom Van Steele 

Peter Vanderwielen 

Jonathan Viergever 

Rheal Vincent 

Keith R. Watson 

Tracey Weeks 

Terrance Wenaas 

Anthony Wiebe 

Scott Wiebe 

Aaron Willison 

Stephen Woods 

Clayton C. Wright 

Mike Yaskowich 

Candida Young 

Kane Zeabin 

Luis Zeledon 

Brother Bruno Flora receiving his 40-year 

pin from Member Rep Tim Cullen.

Michael Fulop receives one of the 2010 Mike Parr Bursaries from 

Member Rep Everett Cummings. Michael is the son of Brother Ed 

Fulop. The second recipient was Emily McMaster, daughter of Brother 

Greg McMaster. Mike and Emily received $1,000 each. 

Brother David Jasske is presented with his 20-year membership 

pin by Brother Frank Slyman. 

From the archives: Backfilling a domestic water supply tunnel 

from a dam in 1922. 

Honouring Members 

In MeMorIAM 

We remember Local 115 members who 

have recently passed away. 

March, 2011 age 

BIBERDORF, Edward 78 March 23 

April, 2011 

HEADRICK, Robert C. 84 April 2 

HALMANS, Hugh J. 71 April 14 

ZEILER, Reinhold D. 81 April 15 

JONES, Frank R. 69 April 17 

MILLS, N. Kern 90 April 18 

CHANNELL, Samuel A. 84 April 21 

BATCH, Lawrence 88 April 25 

CHUBBY, Marvin J. 77 April 25 

BUSKEY, Donald A. 72 April 26 

FORTUNE, John A. 84 April 29 

May, 2011 

GALLA, John T. 74 May 1 

HERBERT, John E. 68 May 3 

HEILING, Harold M. 72 May 17 

LOCHRIE, Robert M. 83 May 21 

SEIFERT, Ralph S. 56 May 23 

TOCHER, Terrance N. 67 May 23 

PITMAN, Hubert L. 84 May 24 

YARETZ, Shane B. 55 May 25 

KERELUK, Malcolm 72 May 28 

STUART, Kenneth M. 73 May 28 

June, 2011 

POPOFF, Dennis P. 63 June 3 

CUMMINGS, Charles C. 85 June 11 

DANVERS, Alex C. 85 June 13 

FRASER, Verne T. 58 June 18 

ROGERS, Carl A. 79 June 21 

HIK, Mike 64 June 23 

PACHECO, Victor M. 62 June 23 

GOW, Doug C. 59 June 27 

HORCHUK, Adam 84 June 27 

July, 2011 

MASSON, Jim W. 70 July 1 


Show your Local Union pride 


Toques navy $ 8 

Hat $ 15 

Navy or black, embroidered logo 

Navy “Safety” T-Shirt (L – 4XL) $ 20 

Long sleeve, logo on back, 

“Safety” on right sleeve 

Navy “Organizing” T-Shirt (L - 4XL) $ 20 

Long sleeve, logo on back, 

“Organize” on right sleeve 

Hooded Sweatshirt (L - 3XL, navy) $ 38 

Pullover, logo on front left 

Hooded Sweatshirt (L - 3XL, navy) $ 40 

Full zip, logo on front left 

Microfibre Vest (M - 4XL, black) $ 45 

Logo embroidered on front left 

Cool-Max Golf Shirt (S - 4XL) $ 38 

Charcoal grey, black—embroidered 

“Operating Engineers, Local 115” on front left 

Golf Shirt (M - 4XL) $ 38 

Navy, logo front left and rise above on right sleeve 

Bomber Jacket (M - 4XL, black) $ 70 

Logo embroidered on front left 

Custom Bomber Jacket (M – 4XL, black) $100 

Logo embroidered across back 

Union Pulsar Watch (men’s and women’s) $125 

All prices include tax and shipping charges. 

Make cheque or money order payable to IUOE Local 115 and send to: 

IUOE Local 115 

4333 Ledger Ave. 

Burnaby, B.C. 

V5G 3T3

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: Lionel Railton 

Office Manager: Lynda Arland 

Superintendent—Staff Operations: Wayne Mills 

Member Representatives: 

Frank Carr Brett Chapman Everett Cummings 

Chip Dhaliwal Bob Higgs Craig McIntosh 

Don Swerdan 

Dispatcher: Jim Flynn 

Organizing Representatives: 

Rob Duff & Jared Hamlin 604-473-5206 

Benefits and Pension Plans: 

Lionel Railton, Administrator, CEB, PPAC 

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

Training Association: 

Brad Randall, Administrator 

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

District 2 

Vancouver Island: 

Tim Cullen, Member Representative 

35 Wharf Street 

Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 2X3 

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

District 3 

Kamloops-Revelstoke-Okanagan: 

Brad Gerow, Member Representative 

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 

Suite# 205 – 235 Front Street, Tumbler Ridge 

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

District 6 

East and West Kootenays: 

Brian Lefebvre, Member Representative 

#102 - 105 9th Avenue S. 

Cranbrook, B.C. V1C 2M1 

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

Gordon Chaisson, Member Representative 

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 

Meeting Notices for 2011 

General Membership 

September 17 

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, 7:30 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. 

CAMPBELL RIVER/COURTENAY— Members will be advised 

of meeting dates. 

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. 

Member Information 


Feel secure about 

your finances. 

For People. Not Profit. 

BETTER RATES 

+ LOWER FEES 

BIG SAVINGS 

Discover why fellow union Sisters and Brothers are switching their banking 

to Community Savings. Visit www.ComSavings.com/Difference. 

(604) 654-2000 • Burnaby • New Westminster • Port Coquitlam • Surrey • Vancouver • Victoria

IUOE News - Fall 2011

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