IUOE News Fall 2013

Hazelwood and Chew. We have also taken proposals for our
paving industry, which consists of Hub City Paving, Haylock
Bros. Paving, and the OK Industries Group of Companies.
These agreements expire in February 2014, and we are doing
our best to get a good head start towards getting our new
agreements settled as soon as we can.
We have an interesting development in Port Hardy right
now with the district cancelling their subcontract with
EPCOR, who were the appointed contractors handling the
district’s water and waste water; this means that the eight
members who were working for EPCOR will be coming back
into our group of members. It will be nice to have the group all
back together again. We are also in bargaining with the Port
Hardy district offices, so this works out well for dealing with
bargaining and successorship issues, all at the same time.
All in all we have had an interesting 2013 so far on Vancouver
Island. It started with us hoping for an NDP Provincial
Government, but turned out that not only are the Liberals
back in charge, but we also have a new Union to consider.
UNIFOR is a new Private Sector Union that was formed by
the joining of CEP. (the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers
Union of Canada) and CAW. (the Canadian Auto
Workers). This makes UNIFOR the biggest industrial union
in the history of the Canadian labour movement, with well
over 300,000 members coast to coast, and $50 million pledged
over five years to further increase membership.
We are concerned that UNIFOR may become another
Union that starts to get more involved with representing
people who work in Local 115’s traditional construction and
industrial sectors.
Add to this the fact that UNIFOR openly admits to adopting
a more militant approach, there are concerns floating
around that they may become supporters of mass protest
District Two
Wind turbines installed near Cape Scott. Phase 1 has been completed,
with the installation of 55 windmills, while Phase 2 has recently
started and will see at another 28 going up.
action rather than negotiations, should their (large) voice not
be heard in political circles. The keynote speaker at UNIFOR’s
launch, activist and open critic of corporate culture Naomi
Klein, is well known for her support of sometimes violent
social uprisings. During her speech, Klein sent the message
out that, thanks to their big membership, the time has come
“to make big bold demands, and take big action. The kind of
action that will shift the public’s imagination, and change our
sense of what’s possible.”
We should never let our guard down against possibilities
such as this, or one day we could all be on the outside looking
in. It is up to every concerned member to pay attention to not
only what the politicians are doing, but be aware of what other
unions are up to as well.
The Brothers and Sisters of this Union make us strong and
need to get even more involved, and if that means simply
going out to your Union meetings, then please do it.
Stay safe.
Chew Excavating at Royal Bay with
Brothers Clint Hogarth, Rob
Rossbourough, and Ian Johnson. Chew
are also busy at the Metchosin
Producing Pit (inset), converting the
closed gravel pit for residential use.
News October 2013 17