IUOE News Spring 2014

District Two
Local 115 going from strength to strength
as Tim Cullen bids farewell
Curtis Harold and Tim Cullen,
Member Representatives
Note to District 2 Members: There will be a Meeting held for
Black Creek members on Wednesday May 14, 2014 at 6:00p.m.
at the Halbe Hall, 8369 N. Island Highway.
So here we are at the beginning of another year. Curtis and
I hope all Brothers and Sisters, and your families, have had a
great holiday season.
This is probably the last article that I will write for the
magazine as I will be taking early retirement at the end of
March 2014, and it will be Curtis’ turn to write about all the
news that is happening on the Island.
I have worked 25 years for the Local, and
am looking forward to some new challenges,
like trying to get my wife’s ‘Honey Do
List’ completed! At this point, I cannot
over-emphasize how important having a
great pension plan like ours is.
I would like to say welcome to our new Brothers that work
at Hyland Precast in the Courtenay area. Brother Todd Jones’
organizing efforts were successful, thanks also to the added
hard work of Curtis and Rob Duff assisting these members in
joining our Union. As always, if you know of any other group
of potential members, please call us and we can get Todd (or
another of our Organizers/Member Reps) out to see them and
discuss the many benefits we offer.
It was a rather successful 2013 for our construction companies
this past year. Upland Excavating Ltd. has been busy with
some preliminary work at the John Hart Dam site in Campbell
River. Upland also worked at both mine sites again this
past year, and are continuing to do upgrading work to the
downtown core infrastructure in Campbell River.
Hazelwood Construction Services Inc. has been very
involved in run of the river projects. Right now they are
completing one in the Interior, one on Vancouver Island, and
were the successful lowest bidder on one in Toba Inlet as well.
Chew Excavating Ltd. also had a very busy season in the
Victoria area. A large project for them was on the old Producers
Pit property in Metchosin.
Advantage Cranes and RKM were very involved with the
first phase of the Cape Scott Wind Farm. It looks like the
second phase will be out for tender in the summer.
18 News March 2014
We are hoping that our paving contractors are going to
have another great year. We are currently in bargaining with
the paving companies and the utility contractors on Vancouver
Island to try to make this a reality in the coming year.
Our industrial shops have had a mixed bag of it lately; some
were very busy and others just did ok. But there was work to
be had, and hopefully everyone will be a bit busier this year.
The big news on the Island is the John Hart Dam. The good
news is that it looks like it will be built using the Building
Trades Unions. There will be a slow start to the project and we
At this point, I cannot are not yet sure of the number of Operators
that will be required, but we will find out
over emphasize how
soon enough once the project gathers
important having a great speed. While the John Hart is getting ready
pension plan like ours is for liftoff, there still has been no finalization
on who landed the contracts for the
hospitals in Comox and Campbell River.
I would like to give my best wishes to everyone I have
shared my career with over the years, and to say a special
thank you to all the Brothers and Sisters I have had the privilege
of working with for all the support you have given me
over these past 25 years.
To say that I will miss everyone is an understatement, but I
am leaving with full confidence that Brother Curtis Harold is
fully capable of handling things. Please give him and the rest
of the IUOE Local 115 team the courteous support that you
have shown me for all these years.
So long, farewell, and I wish you all the best.
The mechanical crew at Upland Excavating: Brothers Terry Chomeczko,
Rick Kilby, Jeff Rogers, Jeff Aydon, Brent Tickell, and Brian Adey.