IUOE News February 2015

Talking to employees
of non union
companies is key
Don Swerdan,
Business Representative
At the time of writing this newsletter I am in negotiations with
Hiway Refrigeration and Rempel Bros. Concrete. In both
cases the Companies have identified similar problems. The
non-union Companies in their respective industries are under
cutting our signatory contractors by a significant margin.
In the case of Hiway Refrigeration, there are a number of
these non-union “Companies” who are currently working in
this Province that are from Alberta
and points east. These Companies
quite often are one and two man
operations working out of their personal
vehicles. In some cases they
are not qualified to do the work,
and they charge out at a rate substantially
less than our contractors.
In many cases the work accomplished by these Companies
is so poor that it results in a call to our contractors to repair
the sub-standard work. The fact that these non-union Companies
even get a call is having a devastating effect on the
refrigeration industry as a whole.
Collectively, we need to get out and find out where these
In many cases the work
accomplished by these
Companies is so poor that it
results in a call to our contractors
to repair the sub-standard work.
District One
Companies are operating at and from, and have a conversation
with the employees for the purpose of organizing them.
With respect to Rempel Bros. Concrete, there are a number
of similarities in that the non-union element out in the trade
is, in many cases, paying less in wages and benefits.
While there are Companies that pay a comparable wage,
the employees, more often than not, do not receive any variety
of pension and have an inferior Health and Welfare Plan, if
they have one at all.
Additionally, all Companies including the non–union are
in the midst of attempting to establish a lower rate of pay for
those employees working in the Fraser Valley (Langley eastward).
This comes as a direct result of certain non-union
Companies who have already instituted this circumstance
which is wreaking havoc with the industry.
Again, we as a collective group need to be speaking to the
employees of these Companies and have a serious discussion
on the benefits of being under a Collective
Agreement and working Union.
In both cases, we as Business Representatives,
our signatory contractors and our
organizers, Brothers Rob Duff and John
Munro, need your assistance. If you know
anyone working in either of the industries
referenced that you can contact, please
task them to contact the hall to talk to one of us. We will be
happy to answer any question they might have.
The same assistance is available for anyone you might know
in any industry in B.C. that has questions about becoming
Union.
‘Till next time.
Gemco Construction Ltd.
working on the future Mitchell
Road in Coquitlam on Burke
Mountain doing sewer and sani.
PICTURE COURTESY OF BROTHER
MITCHEL LOOR.
News March 2015 9