IUOE News - Fall 2011

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.
September 2011 News 17