International Operating Engineer - Fall 2019

Canadian News
Illecillewaet portion of that work is
already underway,” Towsley said.
“We’ve been awarded the Pattullo
Bridge replacement which should start
early 2020, and then the Broadway
Subway line would be after that and
we’ve already been awarded that.
Those are the three projects currently
covered by the community,” he said.
Towsley said he expects projects
covered by a CBA will be finished on
time and under budget.
“When you look at projects built
under a similar model to the CBAs
-- those constructed under the Allied
Hydro Council Collective Agreement,
the projects that were built under a
project labour agreement through HCL
back in the late nineties -- were on time
and on budget,” Towsley said.
“This works when you have this type
of focus and this type of attention and
the terms of this type of agreement,” he
said.
Funding for training to keep
making a difference
While the demand for skilled labour
grows, so does the need for more
training to meet it, and Local 115’s
Training Administrator Jeff Gorham
said he welcomes the result of Canada’s
recent federal election which saw the
Liberals returned to government.
The Union Training Innovation
Program (UTIP) was announced in
the Liberal government’s 2016 federal
budget to boost the number of Red Seal
trades across Canada by improving the
quality of training and equipment,
supporting innovative approaches and
partnerships, and reducing barriers
for women and Indigenous people
entering the industry.
Gorham said UTIP can continue to
play its part creating a more inclusive
and diverse workforce.
“Women, First Nations, new
immigrants, people with disabilities
– we understand there’s a shortage of
tradespeople (and) we need to look
outside the traditional market in regard
to who works in the trades,” Gorham
said.
“How do we engage with those
groups to bring them into the trades?
That’s where a lot of UTIP funding is
based on,” he said.
Getting ready for 2020
Business Manager Brian Cochrane
said that with the new executive board
sworn in, IUOE Local 115 is confident
it will face the challenges that lie ahead
in BC.
“It was both an honour and
a privilege to have IUOE General
President James T. Callahan fly up to
Vancouver to perform the Installation
of Officers Ceremony. This was the
first time in Local 115’s history when
the Board has been installed by the
General President. It was a proud
day for our Board and our members,”
Cochrane said.
“We’ve achieved a lot of success so
far in 2019, but we can’t be complacent.
The work we’ve done so far is setting
the tone for what we will achieve in
2020.”
[below] General President James T.
Callahan (5th from left) was honored to
join Business Manager and International
Trustee Brian Cochrane (4th from right)
and the Local 115 Execuitive Board
to perform the Installation of Officers
Ceremony.
[article & photos] IUOE Local 115
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24 INTERNATIONAL OPERATING ENGINEER
FALL 2019 25