IUOE News - Fall 2011

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
Business Manager
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