Gaining Ground Fall 2014

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ALL SET FOR THE NEXT 40 YEARS A big crowd joins IUOE General President Callahan to celebrate the September re-opening of Local 115 headquarters after a major renovation Abig crowd joined IUOE General President James T. Callahan to celebrate the re-opening of the Local 115 headquarters after a major renovation turned the 43-year-old building inside out. The gathering on September 20 marked a milestone for the Local, which made a challenging decision to construct a new building and move from Vancouver to Burnaby in 1971. Business Manager Brian Cochrane welcomed General President Callahan, hundreds of members, “WE’VE COMBINED AN AMAZING HISTORY WITH THE FOUNDATION FOR A GREAT FUTURE!” IUOE LOCAL 115 BUSINESS MANAGER BRIAN COCHRANE IUOE Local 115 Table Officers with General President lowering a time capsule at the September 20 General Membership Meeting. From Left to Right: Recording Secretary Brian Lefebvre; President Wayne Mills; Business Manager Brian Cochrane; General President James T. Callahan; Vice President Brad Randall; Treasurer Frank Carr; and Financial Secretary Don Swerdan.
The updated IUOE Local 115 headquarters underlines our union’s confidence as we move forward guests and especially some of the Local’s former officers who made the decision to construct a new office on the site of a plant nursery in 1971, a then sparsely-populated Burnaby. “We were moving from Vancouver to the sticks, as Burnaby was seen then. 43 years later we got some prime real estate as a result,” Cochrane told the crowd. “We took a building with a 43-year history and updated it for the next 40 years,” Cochrane said. Cochrane said with the renovations complete, the union is ready to make more history as British Columbia gears up for several major construction projects that will depend on the skills of the Local’s membership. “Now we’re ready for another big step forward in our Local’s long record of success – with a new, modern and very functional office we can serve the members better than ever as we plan for growth,” he explained. Callahan spoke highly of the accomplishments of the Local and the foresight members had to create the then-new headquarters in 1971. “This building underscores the success of Local 115; it gives everyone a sense of home and history,” Callahan said. “It’s great to see the tribute to the older members who put their skin on the line for the local.” “This is where a member comes at the best of times and the worst of times, Callahan added, pointing out that members access health and welfare and other services through the union office. Cochrane and Callahan paid tribute to past Business Managers Mike Parr and the late Fred Randall, who were among those responsible for the decision in 1971 to purchase a large plot of land for just $35,000 to build the office, on land now worth millions. Brad Randall, IUOE Local 115 Vice-President, said of his father: “Fred Randall brought the land purchase to the members for approval at a general meeting - and there was lots of debate!” And former Business Manager Gary Kroeker agreed, saying things were more challenging in the 1970s. “THIS BUILDING UNDERSCORES THE SUCCESS OF LOCAL 115. IT GIVES EVERYONE A SENSE OF HOME AND HISTORY.” IUOE GENERAL PRESIDENT JAMES T. CALLAHAN “People have a lot of confidence in the way things are done now,” Kroeker said by comparison. Former Local 115 President Tony Tennessy, a 50- year member, pointed out the enormous value in buying the land for the office in 1971: “The Burnaby Lake Greenhouses ran up to Canada Way and we bought the nursery for $35,000. We sold the corner lot for $180,000 a few years later!” Tennessy said of the building, which replaced the IUOE office at 58th and Fraser in Vancouver: “There’s a lot of history here. And this building was used by a lot of labour organizations for their meetings.” Kroeker agreed, saying: “This has been the hub of the wheel of the Operating Engineers. This was the magnet.” After the General Membership Meeting, Callahan, Cochrane and other officers participated in lowering a time capsule into the ground in front of the newlyrenovated building with a miniature crane. A SPECIAL SWEARING IN FOR NEW IUOE MEMBERS IUOE Local 115 new members take their oath and are sworn in by General President James T. Callahan on September 20th at the General Membership Meeting.
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Gaining Ground Fall 2014

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