IUOE News December 2014

District Two
Members can feel
proud to be part of
our union
Curtis Harold,
Business Representative
Greetings Brothers and Sisters. Another year has come and
gone, and with all of the Bargaining and Projects this year,
time has moved very quickly. We have had a good year for
civil works upgrades and Road Building. Emil Anderson is
finished for the year installing Fibre Optic cable from Campbell
River to Port McNeil, but plans are to continue to Port
Hardy.
The membership has worked many hours this summer for
Dawson Construction upgrading the Malahat. As of this
article, the majority of the heavy blasting and subgrade work
is slowing down. The finishing work still needs to be completed
and Island Asphalt crew are laying down as much blacktop
as they can before the weather really turns.
Work being performed on the Malahat this year has been
well thought out. Traffic plans and due diligence from Dawson
and Island Asphalt have made for minimal impact on wait
times, coupled with a practiced-not-just-preached approach
to public and worker safety. This has shown the difference
from the non-union contractors that had the contract last
year. Dawson was low bid on rock removal work at Maple Bay
which should keep them on the Island till mid next year.
The John Hart Dam is gaining some momentum, and
currently Upland Contracting is digging the Portals to the
tunnel. Frontier-Kemper has received most of the equipment
for the tunneling and once the portals are down to grade, they
can get started drilling and blasting.
We have had a staggering number of inquiries and applications
about potential work on the project. But being
underground, it will not see the amount of Heavy Equipment
operators that some seem to think. We will be able to fill the
positions with our members locally.
Bargaining
We have ratified the OK Industries Group and Chew Excavating
so far, and we are close to getting a deal to bring to the
membership with Upland Contracting and Hub-City Paving.
We have ongoing bargaining with Hazelwood Construction,
Port Hardy Bulldozing, Robinson Rentals, BFI
- Progressive Waste Services, the District of Port Hardy, and
Hyland Precast.
I would like to acknowledge those who have been coming
to the District Meetings. We are pleased to see great turnouts
to the Nanaimo and Victoria meetings. The fact that the
younger generation are increasing in numbers at the meetings
speaks highly to the membership and leadership, showing
how important it is to be an Operating Engineer.
Everyone can feel proud to be a part of this Union. We
continue to be a resource to every worker in B.C. with our
membership always at the forefront. Whether it is Collective
Bargaining, Benefits, Pension, Training, Grievances or just
knowing that you are part of the important donations to the
Children’s Charities we participate in. collectively we do better.
As the year closes and the weather turns for the worse,
please be careful in whatever line of work you are doing this
winter. IUOE and your families need you to be safe and make
it home at the end of each day.
The fact our members have the confidence to deny unsafe
work, without fear of repercussions because of representation
is something many of the workforce out there have yet to
experience. Have a great Christmas and Happy New Year this
holiday season. All the best wishes to you and your families.
50 Year Member, Brother Floyd Werning brought in his 1964
dues book as well as the attached picture of him waving out of
his cabin in the tower crane in November 1965. ‘We were sitting
down inside our cabins but as you can see it was quite primitive.
There was no walk way out to the cabin or even any hand lines.
Hardly any rules if any then’ says Brother Werning. This was the
second crane in Vancouver to have a cabin.
12 News December 2014