IUOE News Spring 2014

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District Four New premises, new challenges, and new opportunities await us all Herb Conat and Wayne Kemp, Member Representatives District 4 is excited to announce that after 33 years at the 513 Ahbau St. location in Prince George, the office has moved! The new office is located at Unit B, 3339 8th Ave., just down the street from where we were, at the corner of 8th and Ahbau. Many dedicated people have worked out of that office and have served the membership of Local 115 very well. Reflecting back on these people over the past years reads like a ‘who’s who’ of Union pride and dedication: Frank Slyman, John Patton, Ken Thom, Gary Crossman, Frank Harmon, Wayne Mills, Helen Bealey, and many more. This new office demonstrates the foresight of the organization and the leadership of Business Manager Brian Cochrane, who is preparing for the future growth of the Local, steadily evolving the Local, including into the northern half of the province The Northern B.C. Strategy will increase training opportunities and engagement for local residents and First Nations. It is good to see that we, as members and representatives, are part of this. It will feature in the coming decade which will no doubt see many shifts in the construction industry, including the opportunity for the members of Operating Engineers to increase our market share. This year there are several Collective Agreements up for The new office demonstrates the foresight of the organization and its leadership negotiation. As always, it is a challenge to be the leaders within an industry when we have so much competition from the non-union sectors and employer-dominated unions that always rear their ugly heads. This also means there are great opportunities to organize the unorganized. This will ensure greater market share within our industry that will improve our working conditions, our voice in industry and political decision-making, and especially our Collective Agreements. As spring is just around the corner, there are many projects waiting to be given the green light. We are anticipating another busy year within the District; as in previous years, Kitimat and Prince Rupert are two areas that are employing many Operating Engineers. With the next wave of large projects around the corner, members should ensure that all of their ticket requirements are up to date and current. If you have any concerns about the renewal of your tickets or upgrading of your skills to make yourself more employable, contact the Training Association. In closing, we would like to thank our stewards, safety reps, and their spouses for the endless hours of hard work they put in on behalf of the membership. Work safe. 20 News March 2014 Sterling Crane trucks heading Home From Zellstoff Pulp Mill in Castlegar.
A long winter shows the importance of our natural resources Mike Spiruda, Member Representative District Five It has been a long winter in the northeast, and we are all looking forward to the greener pastures of spring. In late January, the joint review panel concluded the hearings on the $7.9 billion Site C dam project near Fort St John. The panel heard from an array of stakeholders including First Nations, environmentalists, regional districts, and community representatives just to name a few. The panel will have their work cut out for them over the coming weeks as they start to reach a final decision. Drilling and fracking work has remained fairly active, as winter weather conditions help them get into the more remote areas. The frigid temperatures experienced in eastern Canada and the ‘polar vortex’ sweeping the U.S. have resulted in record volume sales of natural gas, which is used to heat hundreds of The Joint Review Panel will have their work cut out for them over the coming weeks to reach a final decision thousands of homes and businesses across North America. This has also helped increase the depressed price of the commodity—good news for the B.C. economy which has high hopes pinned on its marketability and value. As the workload is expected to increase over the coming years, the Provincial government has begun to cast their eyes on the need for safety and road improvements in many areas where projects are slated for construction. Tenders will soon be out for some of these infrastructure projects, and one major improvement will be the $26 million four-laning of the South Taylor hill, which is a two-year road works job. Hopefully we will see some adding of road lanes leading to the Alberta border too. Work safe! wear your Union pride hats $18 long sleeved shirts $25 hooded sweatshirts $40 microfibre vests $45 golf shirts $48 custom lined hoodies $48 weatherproof bomber jackets $70 custom bomber jackets $115 Plus more to choose from! Visit www.iuoe115.com to view our full range of Local 115 merchandise and order online News March 2014 21
Page 1 and 2: News Evergreen Line leads BC’s 20
Page 3 and 4: Careful strategy and planning will
Page 5 and 6: Safety Project Labour Agreements ar
Page 7 and 8: Our economy depends on ongoing deve
Page 9 and 10: Bargaining and agreements are alrea
Page 11 and 12: With projects coming, everyone shou
Page 13 and 14: Steady growth and our industry infl
Page 15 and 16: “Tireless effort” is what makes
Page 17 and 18: Feature Article Evergreen Line goes
Page 19 and 20: Feature Article Heavy lifting of co
Page 21: Contractors and members are keeping
Page 25 and 26: In praise of the Steward Who’s th
Page 27 and 28: Benefits Plan Union Orientation at
Page 29 and 30: Training Association Mobile Crane L
Page 31 and 32: Training Association Brother Luke H
Page 33 and 34: Member Recognition Welcome to 215 n
Page 35 and 36: Contact Details Local 115 District

IUOE News Spring 2014

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