IUOE News February 2015

Declining economy
a challenge for jobs
and bargaining
Brett Chapman,
Business Representative
As we move forward into the new year of 2015, I have several
bargaining sessions lined up. Starting off I will be assisting
Brother Lefebvre with H.M. Trimble and Sons (Trimac),
Wajax Equipment, then Deere/Hitachi, First Truck formally
known as (Freightliner) and Harbour International.
I suspect that negotiations will be a
challenge due to the declining economy.
With potential projects on the table set to
commence this year, hopefully the impact of
the weakening economy doesn’t have quite the effect it did
back in 2008.
Peace River Coal has now completely shut down. Two of
our members remain as part of the Care and Maintenance
District One
team, maintaining the equipment and the water system to
fight against the bitter cold in the great white north.
This is a far cry from the 300 of our members previously
working. It is extremely disappointing considering HD Mining
and the Murray River project is still in full swing. Other than
the Canadian contractors HD Mining is using to deliver fuel,
building materials etc., only two Canadians (from what I
understand) have been hired. However, there are still 51
Temporary Foreign Worker’s completing work that could be
done by Canadians.
The Operating Engineers will keep our eye on this project
and continue to put pressure on the company to do the right
thing and hire as many local Brothers and Sisters that make up
the large labour pool that is available to them.
In the meantime Tumbler Ridge
is now struggling to keep people in
town as there is no work for the
locals. Many of our members are
doing an extensive amount of
travel, leaving their families behind in order to find gainful
employment to keep food on the table.
We wish all our members the best in 2015, stay safe and we
will see you in the field.
Tumbler Ridge is now struggling
to keep people in town as there
is no work for the locals.
AN IUOE Member has some straight talk for his MP
IUOE Local 115 Member Brother
Alfred Regehr wrote to his MP Mark
Stahl on December 8th, 2014 asking
him to stop Bill C377 and Bill C525.
Along with his letter he sent a copy of
an article that OE News featured in
the December 2014 publication on
LNG in BC for reference.
Thank you Brother Regehr for your
continued efforts and support and we
hope that you inspire other Brothers
and Sisters to get the pen out and write
to their MPs and MLAs on this issue.
Dear Mark,
Enclosed are copies of an article on
LNG in B.C. — very interesting.
My main reason for this letter is to
ask you to stop Bill C377 and C525.
They will be yours and the conservatives
Gov. defeat next election specifically
in the west. Mulcair & Trudeau
will make this a real issue specifically
for the NDP. Surely your people can
see this as the bill only goes after union
labour. Why not lawyers, doctors and
large corporations, let’s make it fair.
If you want our union’s financial
statements? I will send them to you free
of charge every year, imagine postage
free.
Now getting to the protesters against
Kinder Morgan and Pipelines and Site
C dam, I have a solution.
(1) Ask David Susuki how he got to
Burnaby mountain from Salt
Spring Island? Did he take a handmade
boat and walk from
wherever?
(2) Stop all the TV networks from
broadcasting all these protests.
(3) Where are the protesters getting
there funding from to get to all
these sites?
God put the tar sands, the trees, the
water and gas into this great country.
He also gave us technology to develop
it, surely some politician will have the
courage to tell Canadians this.
Again stop Bill C377 and C525 they
will only destroy and cost hard workers
and pensioners money.
Yours Truly
Alfred Regehr
CC: Laurie Throness, MLA
Christy Clark, Premier BC
News March 2015 11