Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Hard Hat - Spring 2015
Hard Hat - Spring 2015
Spring 2015
Helmets to
Hardhats
Ex-military men and women
trade up through a national
training program
Tee Time
CORDLESS
Copyright 2015 DEWALT. The following are examples of trademarks for one or more DEWALT power tools and accessories: The yellow and black color scheme; the
D-shaped air intake grill; the array of pyramids on the handgrip; the kit box configuration; and the array of lozenge-shaped humps on the surface of the tool.
*With respect to the DEWALT 20V MAX*: Maximum initial battery voltage (measured without a workload) is 20 volts. Nominal voltage is 18.
REPORT
The Collective
Bargaining Challenge
Martyn A. Piper
as industrial wages,
shifts, hours of work,
drug testing protocols
and travel had been
dealt with so the trade
tables could focus on trade-specific issues.
Of course, as our bargaining world was unfolding, the price of oil
spiralled downward, casting a dark cloud over everyones discussions.
Trying to figure out a path forward, not knowing where oil prices and
all related construction and maintenance might end up obviously
changed the dynamics. At every trades table there were extensive
shopping lists based on issues and irritants that have caused concern
over the last four years. Contractors likewise had their own lists.
We laboured for hours trying to wrestle the issues to the floor, but
in many respects the final outcome was moderation and status quo.
As in any labour negotiations one has to balance the interests of the
members we represent to ensure they get a fair days pay for a fair days
work, against keeping our signatory contractors competitive in an
ever-changing and increasingly depressed oil market. I feel at the end
of the day a fair compromise was reached, given our unions current
market share and the economic realities.
In some of our other bargaining, we have made modest gains, and
in others, very much kept the status quo and focused on saving jobs.
Integrating employees of the union Ply Gem shop with employees of
the formerly non-union Gienow shop, and integrating those employees
all into one collective agreement was difficult for both sides with many
issues and perspectives to work through. We did, however, finally get it
done, but it was a long and exhaustive process.
Collective bargaining does not always deliver everything on everyones shopping list. It does, however, ultimately cement terms and
conditions of employment for the term of the agreement and provide
certainty for our members going forward. Yes, strikes and lockouts
are always the ultimate weapons in any labour negotiations but they
cannot be taken lightly. Staying focused on the prize and exercising
caution should always be front and centre for any labour negotiator,
especially when the health, well-being and long-term futures of members are put at risk.
Contents
Undeliverable mail should be directed to ARCCAW 200-15210 123 Ave Edmonton, AB T5V 0A3 Email: lhelmeczi@albertacarpenters.com Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement # 40063788
PUBLISHED FOR
PUBLISHED BY
Ruth Kelly
18 Good as Gold
A photographic look at Calgarys
rising Brookfield Place, the tallest
tower in Alberta
ARCCAW EDITOR
Martyn A. Piper
Mifi Purvis
20 Union Pride
Members mark their milestones
with pin presentations from
Locals 1325 and 2103
EDITOR
Shelley Williamson
ART DIRECTOR
Charles Burke
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Ben Rude
PRODUCTION TECHNICIANS
Anita McGillis
ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE
Kathy Kelley
SALES ASSISTANT
Julia Ehli
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
27
DEPARTMENTS
Andrea deBoer
Spring 15
FEATURES
Site Lines
Millwrights Dispatch System;
UBC hits the Small Screen;
Building Trades of Alberta night
at the Oil Kings; and more
22
22 On the Level
By Crystal Bowen
24 Geared Up
25 Safety Report
By Jude MacLean
30 Parting Shot
31 Training & Events; In Memoriam
ON THE COVER:
Corey King trades his helmet for a hard hat.
PHOTO: Darryl Propp
SPRING 2015 | HARDHAT
Site Lines
News in Brief
Building Support
The Building Trades of Alberta were out in full force
on March 7, with representatives from the unions carrying signs to
show their solidarity as the Oil Kings took on rival Calgary Hitmen.
Members of the Alberta Regional Council of Carpenters and Allied
Workers (ARCCAW)s Local 1325 and 1460 were in good union
company at Rexall Place for the mini-battle of Alberta, which saw
Edmonton dominate Calgary 3-2. Warren Fraleigh, executive
director of the Building Trades of Alberta, which represents
75,000 skilled building trade professionals in 21 affiliated unions,
dropped the puck for the sold-out match. The Building Trades
of Alberta is also allied with Canadas Building Trades Unions
(CBTU). This national organization is an alliance of 14 building and
construction unions, representing 500,000-plus skilled building
tradespeople in Canada.
Artists Wanted
Members of Local 1325 are invited to throw their
original hard hat designs into the ring for a new sticker contest.
Computer-generated images (CGIs), as well as drawings and
sketches are all welcome from participants, to vie for a $500 cash
prize. To enter, send your original designs
before June 30 by email to
1325contest@gmail.com or by mail to:
Sticker Contest, Local 1325,
Suite 133, 15210- 123 Avenue,
Edmonton, Alberta T5V 0A3.
Trades on TV
The United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC) has
Millwright Dispatch
to Net Changes
thanks to a new dispatch system.
Ted Remenda, senior business rep with Millwrights Local 1460 says the
updated system, which will allow users to log on and search job postings,
will make the entire process simpler and workers, more informed. Before,
registered millwrights with Local 1460 would have to wait for a call from a
dispatcher, reading them off the available work, but under the soon-to-be
revealed bid system they will be able to learn about the available jobs, as
well as what contract the jobs are a part of, at albertamillwrights.com.
Remenda says the new system will efficiently use the dispatch office resources
as they currently have to call members for each request. We are getting large
enough that we have to officially change what weve been doing at dispatch, he
says. Its very time-consuming right now. This way the jobs are posted on the
Internet, and workers will have a time to view and select.
Another useful feature is members being able to log back in to track their
work history.
Local 1460 members can look for a postcard in the mail in the near future
explaining the new system, which Remenda says will also keep a phone
component for members without computer access.
ANSWER: These are Swan Neck Lock Mortice Chisels, which are
used to clean and square up the bottom of blind mortises. This is
also a tool that can be used for clearing deep, narrow recesses when
setting locks and other hardware into furniture.
BY THE NUMBERS
550,000 30,000
The number skilled workers in Canada
and the United States represented by
The United Brotherhood of Carpenters
(UBC). Of these, 60,000 members are
in Canada.
12,500
The number of members of the Alberta
Regional Council of Carpenters and
Allied Workers (ARCCAW).
$4 million
1,600
The number of ARCCAWs members
who are millwrights.
30%
56,900
The workforce needed for on-site oil
sands construction, turnaround and
ongoing maintenance by 2020, after a
projected 17 per cent increase over 2014
levels. This projection includes 11,265
pipefitters, 6,750 carpenters, and 9,150
labourers.
SPRING 2015 | HARDHAT
Site Lines
News in Brief
15th Annual
REGI ST RAT I O N FO RM
REGISTRATION FEE: $130/player (includes green fees, power cart, prizes and BBQ steak dinner)
Name:
Phone: (
Fax: (
Enter
team(s) of golfers at $520/team (4 players at $130 each). Team would include:
(All foursomes will be chosen from pairs or singles)
1)
Phone: (
2)
Phone: (
3)
Phone: (
4)
Phone: (
$150
$200
$250
(other)
Provide prizes:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
10
From
Bullets
To Bolts
11
VETS WITHOUT BORDERS: Since crossing from the U.S. into Canada
in 2012, Helmets to Hardhats has put 3,700 military veterans like Corey
King into apprenticeships and jobs in the trades.
13
The
Country
CLUB
14
Hardhats (H2H), an industry-led program that supports the transition from an active career in the military to a career in the trades.
(For more on H2H turn to page 10.)
Martyn Piper, executive secretary treasurer of ARCCAW, says
the decision to move the annual golf tournament to the Edmonton
Garrison Memorial Golf and Curling Club is an attempt to
strengthen his organizations commitment to the Canadian
military. Weve had a relationship with the Canadian military for
about 10 years now, and we saw Helmets to Hardhats as a natural
fit for giving these people opportunities in the trades, he says.
They were there for our country, and so now we feel that stepping
up to the plate and making this commitment to the Edmonton
Garrison Memorial Golf and Curling Club is the right thing to do.
Local 1325 will also hold an annual bonspiel at the Golf and
Curling Club, and is considering moving its childrens Christmas
party there as well. And without the cost of the golf course to offset,
the Regional Council will be able to turn over more of the proceeds
to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, with whom it has
had a relationship for almost 30 years. So while everyone is certainly
looking forward to getting on the green, the tournament is not necessarily about your golf game, says Piper. Its about networking,
relationships and raising money for a worthwhile charity.
15
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MAXIMIZING
PERFORMANCE
IS A MUST....
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THE 14OZ.
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Good as Gold
ELLIS DON CONTRACTORS ARE HARD AT WORK ON
the first of two towers that will become Brookfield Place Calgary.
Bordered by First and Second Streets and Sixth and Seventh Avenues
SW, Brookfield Place Calgary is at the heart of the citys expanding core.
The impressive project comprises two towers, an east tower thats
now under construction slated to stand 56 storeys and span more
than 1.4 million square feet and a west tower of 42 storeys, which will
boast another million square feet when its completed in 2017.
Once complete, the east tower will be the tallest building in Alberta.
Brookfield, the towers developer, is aiming to achieve LEED Gold
Core and Shell Certification for the project, which has been projected
to create up to 1,300 construction jobs and 7.5 million work hours.
Cenovus Energy has leased one million square feet of the east tower as
anchor tenant, while other offerings in the office tower will include a
60-foot-high transparent glass pavilion, restaurants, retail shops and
amenities at street level, and 1,100 underground parking stalls.
Hard Hat spent a day on site capturing skilled trades, many of them
ARCCAW members, in action.
18
19
Milestones
Marked
LOCALS 2103 (THIS PAGE) AND 1325 (OPPOSITE PAGE)
recently honoured their respective members for their years of service
in the unions. Both evenings featured service awards banquets followed by formal pin presentations for the locals long-term members.
Here are a few snapshots of the notable members milestones marked.
20
21
on the level
A BANNER
MOMENT
22
please join us
www.buildingtradesalberta.ca
Our unions offer the best training in the industry for all levels and all construction crafts.
From start to completion, our construction projects meet the highest standards in the industry.
Our unions offer the best wages and benefits in the business.
You are not just hiring labour: you are hiring skilled craftsmen with a proud tradition.
Geared Up
By MARTIN DOVER
24
Never again will you have to suffer through a workday or construction project in silence. With its new Jobsite Bluetooth Speaker,
DEWALT has just the instrument to allow you to stream the music
of your choice.
The DCR006 runs on the same 12V or 20V MAX DEWALT lithium
ion battery as other DEWALT tools, and is lightweight and portable.
The speaker, ruggedly designed to withstand the wear and tear
of the jobsite, works with Bluetooth-compatible MP3 players and
devices, and even charges devices while powered by battery or
AC power.
The DCR006 is crafted from a durable moulded rubber, and
includes rubber feet, cut outs for hanging and a handle for easy carrying from site to site. A mute button silences the speaker without
having to turn it off, allowing users to keep a Bluetooth connection
in case of phone calls, and the auto shut-off feature powers the
unit down when disconnected, conserving battery power. An LED
light bar and large rubber buttons allows good
visibility and ease of use, even while wearing
work gloves.
The DCR006, which retails for $99,
is available where DEWALT
products are sold. For more
information, visit dewalt.
com or follow DEWALT on
Facebook or Twitter.
GO THE DISTANCE
Gone are the days of eyeballing measurements thanks to
STANLEYs new TLM99s Laser Distance Measurer. Complete with
Bluetooth connectivity, users can even link their smartphone or
tablet via the STANLEY Floor Plan app.
Accurate within two millimetres, the Laser Distance Measurer
makes calculations of longer distances a cinch and is small enough
to fit into your pocket, making it a great tool for contractors, landscapers, painters, builders or even novice handymen. Featuring an
addition or subtraction function, calculations can be set to work in
English or metric, and fractional or decimal modes.
The TLM99s is designed to be used alone or with the STANLEY
Floor Plan app (which is available for iOS or Android devices on
iTunes or Google Play stores for $2.99 per floor plan or $9.99 a
month for unlimited floor plans). The app allows users to stand
in the middle of a room and simply tap their device to designate
corners and doorways. The app automatically displays a rooms
dimensions and square footage calculations, and even allows for
the addition of furniture, appliances, windows and doors.
The STANLEY TLM99s Laser Distance Measurer is available
beginning this spring from $149.99. For more information, visit
STANLEYtools.com or follow STANLEY on Facebook or Twitter.
REPORT
Safety
has not only become stronger and lighter, but it offers better protection and
is more comfortable. So the question is why are injuries and incidents still
occurring?
First, lets take a look at each piece of PPE commonly worn in the industry today,
starting with how to decide whats needed for the job. To determine the kind of PPE to
be worn, keep in mind the following: maintenance procedures; MSWPs (maintenance
safe work practices); shop hazard assessments; safety data sheets for the products
being used; manufacturers user manuals; PPE grids; and worker input.
With these above standards in place, we can select the best protection for the task.
What we have found is that PPE, when not maintained, worn properly and stored
incorrectly, can lead to eye injuries and incidents. These incidents can happen while
putting on (donning) and taking off (doffing) your safety eyewear and hard hats.
For example, dust and debris can enter the eyes if the proper donning and doffing
practices are not followed.
Jude MacLean,
Safety Advisor, Dow Chemical
Local 1460 member
Dont leave your safety eyewear lying around on shop benches, even during coffee
breaks. Dust and debris can accumulate on them.
Dont store your gloves inside your hard hat as they can be a collector for dust or
debris and chemical contamination can happen when donning it.
Do upgrade your PPE when conditions change.
Do inspect your PPE after each use.
Do keep your PPE clean at all times.
Goggles must fit tightly against the face. Opt for sealed eyewear with the best fit.
Donning: Lean head forward and place face piece of goggles over eyes and against
the face. Pull strap overhead until it rests at the centre of the back of your head. Do
not put the strap around your hard hat. If the hard hat is accidently knocked off,
the goggles will become dislodged, exposing your eyes to the hazards. Tighten the
strap until comfortable, making sure of a tight fit.
Doffing: Remove hard hat from head, lifting up and away from the face. Bend forward with eye protection in place and use hands to brush loose materials away from
hair, face and eye protection. While still in the bent position, remove eye protection
on an angle away from your face. While still facing down, brush eye surface of face
where eye protection rests before standing back up.
25
By PAMELA ROTH
Master Craftsman
something and you either have to create it out of your mind or follow a
drawing to make it look nice for other people, says Belliveau, who also
learns things from his students, such as new products that are on the
market.
I can go through and see the work that Ive done, so thats what I tell
the students take pride in your work. Its going to be there for a long
time and a lot of people are going to see it.
COLIN BELLIVEAU
26
By PAMELA ROTH
MIKE FITL
SPRING 2015 | HARDHAT
27
REPORT
28
Len J. Bryden,
Director of Training and Apprenticeship
Alberta Carpenters Training Centre
lbryden@abcarptc.ab.ca
REPORT
Fair Trade
give for delaying their technical training. I think every journeyman from my
generation reading this can relate to this statement.
In a perfect world apprentices would become journeymen following three or four
periods of technical training within a four- or five-year period. However, many of our
apprentices take longer. As it stands, Millwrights Local 1460 has approximately 275
apprentices who still require technical training as millwrights, machinists and welders.
And with all the financial help available, theres really no reason not to pursue
more training. Researching the funding out there simply requires Internet access.
Locally, provincially and federally, various funds are available to help apprentices to
complete their training in a Red Seal trade (learn more at www.red-seal.ca). Having
said that, it is surprising only that just 50 per cent of apprentices take advantage of
these incentives. Some of whats available includes the following:
Go Local: The Millwrights Training Trust Fund offers a $400 grant, plus two
months of union dues for successful completion of each training period.
Province-wide: Provincially, the Apprenticeship Incentive Grant offers $1,000
toward training to first- and second-year apprentices; a $2,000 Apprenticeship
Completion Grant is available to fourth-year apprentices upon acquiring their
journeyman status (servicecanada.gc.ca/apprenticeship); and the Alberta Income
Support Grant is available to those whose household expenses are higher than their
income. This not only addresses childcare needs, but is also available across the board
to all periods of training (tradesecrets.alberta.ca).
Ted Remenda,
Senior Business Rep
Local 1460 Millwrights
Well Fed: Federally the Canada Apprenticeship Loan offers $4,000 in interest-free
tuition for each period of technical training, until a trade reaches journeyman status
(canada.ca/apprentice). Meanwhile, Employment Insurance (EI) also grants
funding based on income, with only a two-week waiting period required, until
journeyman status is achieved (servicecanada.gc.ca).
Employers can also benefit from using apprentices. For one, they can access an
Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit in the amount of $2,000 per apprentice
they take on. And incentives for women in the trades go one step further, to include
$1,500 annually to three women comprised of one journeyman and two apprentices
(actims.ca).
During my early tenure in the trades, applicants were offered Unemployment
Insurance, but with a two-week waiting period for each level of technical training.
Grants were not available and loans always came from the bank. I encourage all of
our apprentices to maximize the use of these incentives to gain the valuable knowledge acquired through technical training. Knowledge is power. For those that have
completed training and used the resources available to them, I would encourage you
to spread the word!
Reviewing the above programs and incentives, the question each apprentice
should be asking is: How can I NOT afford to go to trade school?
SPRING 2015 | HARDHAT
29
Parting Shot
Dow Chemical opened its first sales office in Alberta in 1956. A year later, to meet the
expanding needs of petrochemical customers in Western Canada, the company bought land in
Fort Saskatchewan, and by 1961, Dow began manufacturing products for the agricultural, oil,
gas, transportation, and pulp and paper industries out of this site.
Poised on 2,128 acres of land, Dows Fort Saskatchewan location houses one of the
largest petrochemical complexes in Canada, and is one of two sites that comprise Dow
Canadas Alberta operations. The Fort Saskatchewan site also has a joint venture
with MEGlobal Canada, to produce ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol.
30
UPCOMING
Training + Events
MEETINGS
First Wednesday of each month, except for
February, May, August and November, when
meetings are the second Saturday of the month:
Local 1325 meeting
Third Thursday of each month:
Local 2103 meeting
Fourth Tuesday of each month:
Local 1460 meeting
TRAINING
Alberta Carpenters Training Centre
The following is a sample of training courses
that are open for registration at the time of
publication of this edition of Hard Hat.
For full listing or more information on
training courses, visit abcarptc.ab.ca or phone
the Edmonton office at 780-455-6532 or toll-free
at 1-877-455-6532.
In Memoriam
ARCCAW notes with sorrow the
passing of the following members.
LOCAL 1325
Ernesto Dasilva
August 19, 2011
Age 80
John MacLellan
August 28, 2014
Age 63
Visit www.albertamillwrights.com
for a current listing of training courses available.
Roy Delmotte
November 4, 2014
Age 81
Dieter Rosnick
November 7, 2014
Age 73
Rae Barton
November 16, 2014
Age 63
Otto Eichmann
December 13, 2014
Age 79
Patrick Lavers
December 20, 2014
Age 45
Bertil Stavely
December 28, 2014
Age 80
William Duguay
January 31, 2015
Age 58
Jason Tropmann
February 3, 2015
Age 32
Travis Cox
February 5, 2015
Age 25
Ronald Saul
February 10, 2015
Age 71
Serge Brideau
February 14, 2015
Age 50
Michael Christie
February 19, 2015
Age 59
Local 1460
Daniel Melanson
January 14, 2015
Age 65
Local 2103
Ronald Dancer
May 13, 2013
SPRING 2015 | HARDHAT
31