March 2015 Issue
LARRY
MATY CH UK
B u siness Manag er/ F inancial S ecretary
New committee members and trustees have been
elected and the ICI ballots are in the mail. It’s been a busy
first quarter. To the outgoing committee members and
trustees, I thank you for your time and dedication. To
the incoming, I know you will take the responsibilities
your Brothers and Sisters have entrusted you with
seriously and use this opportunity to contribute to our
organization in a positive way. I would especially like to thank two (2)
committees. The Election Committee has been working their butts off since
early January and are still going strong. They have been conducting overlapping nominations and votes and have met every deadline (and there are
many) while maintaining the highest standards of integrity & unbiasedness.
Another committee that deserves your appreciation is the Negotiating
Committee. We had a good mix of experienced committee members and
first timers. They brought view points from being on the tools to being in
supervisory positions and, most importantly, they brought the knowledge
that negotiations was not about them or how it would affect them
personally. They made tough decisions that they felt would protect
members’ jobs and wages today and that would ensure our Local would
grow and prosper in the future. Regardless of how you feel personally about
the outcomes of the elections or the Memorandum of Agreement, these
committees did their jobs well and should be commended.
I’m not going to discuss the ICI Memorandum of Agreement except to say
that we worked hard to place ourselves in as strong a competitive position
as possible in these difficult economic times without slashing wages mortgages still have to be paid. Eligible voters have received comprehensive
information packages and there is additional information available for
members on our website. As well, an information meeting will be held as
advertised in the voting package and in this newsletter.
The last four or five months have given us a pretty good taste of what life
could be like if oil prices don’t rebound in the next eighteen to twenty-four
months. The good news is that we currently have enough activity to keep
the membership close to fully employed during that time. I expect that
overtime will be curtailed as much as possible and that any ‘perks’ will
disappear but, for now, calls are going through the board. We live in a
commodity based economy and, while the last sixteen years have been very
good to us, commodity based economies are prone volatility. If you’ve been
in the industry in Alberta for two decades or more you’ve experienced this
before and, you know the answer to surviving these times - make yourself
competitive without having to work for nothing. While we do not want to
engage in a ‘race to the bottom’, we must not be seen to be adding to costs
when budgets are being cut. Don’t pad the paycheque with perks. Be
professional by being on time, ready to go to work when you get there, and
be productive. One more weld or bolt-up a day may make the difference as
to who has a job tomorrow. This should not be an issue for our membership. We have the best trained tradespeople and supervision in the industry
and, over the last few years, we’ve seen how we can capture work from our
competition on a daily basis. You are professionals. You know what needs
to be done and what it takes to be invited back. Today, we are competing
for projects that will be built two years from now and now is the time to
show how much better we really are.
meeting
EDMONTON
G e n e r a l Me m b e r s h i p Me e t i n g
D ate
Saturday,
March 28th, 2015
T ime
9:00 AM
P l ace
Norman Darbyshire
Dispatch Hall
16214 - 118 Avenue
this issue
Business Reports
Long Service Awards Recipients
1 - 10
12 - 14
Director of Education Report
15
Pipeline Section Report
15
Sprinkler Section Report
16
Local 488 Annual Picnic Registration
17
Health & Safety Committee Report
18
Nominations for UA Canadian
Conference Delegates
21
Mail Bag
Long Service Awards Banquet
22 - 23
24
BARRY PRUDEN
Business Agent/Assistant Business Manager
The days are finally getting longer, thank heaven, and there are more calls coming in every day.
I have received many calls from concerned members asking about the work prospects in the near
future. The decline in the price of oil has everyone worried. I am writing this report on February
18, and am pleased to report that in the month of January, 1025 people were dispatched, and so far,
February has seen 644 people sent to work. Today, Travel Card welders went out, and the
Steamfitter calls went through to on-line dispatch (member) applicants; some Apprentice calls remained open.
There have been several recent Facebook postings regarding postings seen on the Canadian Job Bank, posted by
signatory contractors requesting Steamfitter/Pipefitter and Pressure Welders to submit their resumes to them. This
has created quite a buzz of speculation, half-truths, and downright misinformation. I will try to provide an explanation
to clear up these misconceptions.
Yes, several of our signatory contractors have posted jobs on the Job Bank site, and have actually forwarded interested
applicants’ resumes to UA Local 488. The Members who shared the information that these postings are a requirement
of HRDC/Immigration, which Canadian Employers must fill before TFWs can be brought in, are correct. The
postings are placed well in advance of any actual job openings and are posted to meet the Governments requirements
in anticipation of worker shortages. If Canadian workers are unavailable to take these jobs, the company has then met
the necessary steps to apply for TFW permits and get these workers to shutdowns, etc., in a timely manner.
If the people posting comments had clicked on the ads from Jacobs and Edmonton Exchanger, for example, and read
all the way to the bottom, they would have seen, clearly stated, the Union wages and benefits as per the Collective
Agreement statement, indicating that these are union jobs first!
As I wrote in my January 2013 Newsletter report, when you see calls unfilled, these positions have been made available
to, and turned down by, Canadian members first. They are then open to all Albertans and Canadian workers, be they
travelers from other Locals or Permit workers. Only when all of these avenues have been exhausted and companies
are still unable to fill their manpower needs, are they able to begin the process of bringing in TFWs. I hope that this
explanation provides some clarity to this concern.
It is the desire of every Union Officer and our signatory companies to employ Canadians first; however, it is the
individual member, traveler or permit who chooses to accept or decline a job offer. With this freedom we can see
situations such as occurred this week, where two TFW welders were dispatched because no Canadian or Travel Card
member picked up those jobs. If you can explain why no Canadian Member/Traveler wanted these jobs, I am willing
to listen!
The second topic I would like to bring up is the often expressed concern regarding initiation of new members when
work opportunities are slow. As I reported at the November General Meeting, yes, we initiated 170 new members at
the last Heritage meeting. However, over the three prior months, we ‘lost’ 204 members:
•
•
•
September 2014: Expelled 40, Deceased 4
October 2014: Expelled 94, Deceased 6
November 2014: Expelled 54, Deceased 6
A significant number of these expulsions were for members with cancelled apprenticeships. The Education
Department, along with AIT, has undertaken a review of all apprentice files and those members whose apprenticeships
have been cancelled, are scheduled for Executive Board appointments. The Executive Board reviewed 19 of these files
in December 2014, another 10 in February, and currently have 22 scheduled for March 6. These numbers for cancelled
apprenticeships are not unusual, as there is historically an annual drop-out rate of 40 – 50% in the first two years of
apprenticeship. This statistic has been the norm for many decades.
Many members see their ‘position’ on the out-of-work board and worry sets in; however, their ‘real’ number is relative
compared to the portion of membership that has worked in the last year. Those numbers are as follow:
As of January 2, 2014:
Apprentice 145
Pipefitter
902
B Welder
427
As of February 20, 2015:
666
- 521
2380 - 1478
1011 - 584
Again, every individual in our society has the freedom to make personal choices. These individual decisions are made
according to many factors, including personal needs at the time. However, very few of you have had to work full
Collective Agreement at Syncrude on a 5 x8’s schedule and been thankful for the job, as your fellow union brothers
and sisters attended the hall hoping to get enough hours just to qualify for pogey.
I sincerely hope we never see those days again, but in a resource based economy such as ours, this situation is always
a very real possibility. It is however a possibility that you can prepare for, by reflecting wisely on your life choices.
Short of unforeseen illness or injury, it is up to each individual to make good choices and plan for the inevitable bumps
in the journey through your lives and careers. Every one of you deserves the best for yourself and your families!
2
ROD MCKAY
Business Agent
Back to the Future…
I was fortunate enough to have Brother Diedrich Unrau give me a copy of the December 1979 Local
488 ‘Pipeline’ newsletter. This is where our pipeline newsletter started from. The copy I am looking
at is on an 8 ½ x 11 paper folded in half. The articles are very interesting, and I thought I would
share a few excerpts with you:
The address of the local was 10503-109 Street, Edmonton Alberta, aka the Rat Hole. That year, Members of Local 488,
made up half of the provincial weight lifting team at the ‘Western Canada Summer Games’ in Saskatoon.
In news from Washington:
A consumer group says test have linked caffeine with birth defects, and is demanding warning labels on coffee and tea.
This stimulant is contained in cola beverages and some other over-the-counter drugs. FDR Spokesman Wayne Pines said
the agency is working ‘very actively’ on caffeine.
And randomly: ‘It is not enough for a man to know to ride, he must know how to fall.’ Blackfoot proverb
The one article that caught my attention is called ‘REPRESENT?’ Here is what it said:
At the last Regular Meeting, a motion was passed to reduce our membership meetings to four a year for 1980. That
means a meeting in the daytime, probably a Saturday, in March, June, September and December. At these meetings
written reports will be submitted by various Officers and Committees and members will be given copies of same.
The foregoing action was taken by the approximately 125 members present at the meeting in hopes that if there are only
four (4) Meetings a year we may be able to increase participation.
When we elect people to represent us, how can they if we won’t represent ourselves to them, do we expect them to read
our minds? I’ve heard all the excuses, you cannot change anything anyways, the same people are always up talking, and
they shouldn’t let people who have been drinking into the meeting. Etc. I think all those reasons are just excuses for not
participating and shouldering your responsibilities, yes, your responsibilities, you, each of you, has an opportunity to
make a contribution by letting the rest of us know where you stand or what you feel should be our position on any given
topic.
I have heard this refrain many times over the years ‘What did they do that for? And the answer to that question is
‘because you weren’t there’.
Ok Brothers, now let’s start participating, I know, for some of you it is very difficult to stand up in front of the membership
and express your views, someone might laugh or boo, but if that is their only contributions, it isn’t much. The first meeting
I ever stood up at, was a union meeting. I got up because I felt so strongly about the issues that I felt compelled to object
to what was happening. The membership overruled my objection, but I had won anyway because I finally overcome the
barrier to my participation. However, until you can participate vocally you can participate with your vote so that we can
have more than 4% of the membership determining our policies and guidelines. See you at the next meeting.
Lindsay King.
Members, I hope this old article reminds you that we are an organization that has been around for a very long time
and is only has strong has WE make it. To know where we are going, we must know our past. The nature of
participation in the Union has not changed. We are only strong when we are united. It is interesting to note that the
refrain of ‘get involved, speak up and make your voice heard’ has not changed much in 35 years!
As for my assigned areas of responsibility:
Black & McDonald at Surmont 2 is doing well representing us. I received a call today (February 18, 2015) from Colin
Cormier that Black & Mac has picked up more work and will be calling for more UA members. Good work all! Black
& McDonald is also working 14 on 7 off with flights across Canada.
Melloy & PCL Intracon at Long Lake same old, same old, meeting Nexen’s needs and staying busy doing so.
PCL Intracon & KBR at Surmont 2: PCL will have the majority of work completed by mid-July. KBR is still
going strong with 238 members on site. Intracon doing their thing.
Clearwater Fab Shop in McMurray still a little slower than normal.
Cenovus has taken a hit on the construction side, and maintenance as well, losing a few members, working with what
I would call a ‘Skeleton Crew’.
I hope all our members are looking forward to spring! Wishing you all well for the upcoming Shutdown season!
3
TOM BAILEY
Business Agent
Greetings Brothers and Sisters
At time of writing in mid-February, it’s encouraging to see our long winter slowly going away. A
reminders of our four seasons and of course spring which is the beginning of ‘shutdown’ season.
We should see calls beginning to increase in size and to different contractors on various sites as we
move into March. Most have start dates mid-March, and beginning of April. Maintenance and shutdown work
contribute about the same amount of hours to Local 488 as construction hours, so it is very important that we man
these jobs and be safe and productive. It only takes a year or two to build these plants but they have to be maintained
for the life of the facility, which can be thirty years plus.
With our present ICI agreement expiring this spring, negotiations have been ongoing for some time. As most members
realize, with the downward spiral of oil prices, our contractors are in tough competition with non-union and CLAC
contractors for the work in the industry. With that we must be determined to maintain our market share and do what
it takes to keep our contractors competitive. We have been able to do that with our commitment to safety, quality,
productivity and providing skilled labor to meet that need. I would hope that continuing to provide these four key
elements would ensure the edge needed to do just that, but let’s not underestimate the desire of our competition to
undermine the Building Trades in order to gain market share of their own. If we don’t maintain a presence and our
contractors are frozen out, some of our non-committed members will jump to whoever can provide employment and
erode our membership. That is also a goal of our competitors, who in many cases are the non-union spinoff of one of
our union contractors.
Committee nominations were held at the January meeting and I would like to thank all those who put their name
forward to run for these very important committees, and congratulate those who are successful when the ballots are
counted. By being a part of these committees you are contributing to the ongoing success of Local 488. I was
particularly impressed with the number of people who stepped up and ran for the first time, as we need younger
members to show interest in the affairs of this organization. It’s easy to sit back and perhaps complain about situations,
but the only way to affect change is to be involved and for newly elected members, you will realize how important it is
to be involved in decisions that affect the entire membership.
In my area of responsibility in addition to power plant shutdowns, (Sundance 3 March15th, 30 days plus, Genesee
May 8th 24 days plus, Sundance 5, May 24th, 30 days plus, and Keephills three, early September 24 days plus), KBR
revamp of five furnaces at the Nova Joffre site continues on that project with about 35 members, Aecon has picked up
work at the Hardisty tank farm beginning in April that will employ approximately 40 members and Chemco Electric
is completing its project at the Genesee site with a small crew. BFI has also picked up a contract at Hardisty, but the
scope and manpower needs are not yet known. TVE (Thompson Valley) has completed their contract on the Millar
Western site in Whitecourt and although the efforts of our members were successful in completing the work, TVE
was unsuccessful in securing more work on that site.
We have several smaller contractors pursuing work in the areas that are typically done by local non-union contractors,
but I am told it is a hard sell to compete with these locals. However, clients and owners are shopping around for the
best deal, with the biggest drawback being double time for overtime, and local residents who reside in that area. When
overtime and living out allowance are added to bids, it takes union contractors out of the running most of the time.
With Jurisdiction, I have been involved in several substantial job markups for the Suncor Fort Hills site and the
Redwater Partnership Plants 10 and 30. Markups are very important to protect our jurisdiction from other trades who
do sometimes encroach and contractors who sometimes tend to award by which trade are the general superintendents
of the project. Mark-ups also signal that the work is about to begin and shows that some projects are committed to
proceed, but I have no doubt that the clients are asking contractors to really sharpen their pencils to be productive and
bring these projects in on time and budget. If we have the engineering, information, materials, tools, equipment and
planning I am sure we can do our part to ensure goals are met, if we work to our Standards for Excellence. It is
incumbent on our supervision, the GF’s, Foremen, and craft superintendents to be on top of the aforementioned, and
document any shortfalls so our labor cannot be blamed.
In closing, I would like to thank all the stewards who represent the membership on all the jobs out there. It is a hard
job and volunteering your time shows your commitment to the membership and Local 488.
4
STU MACLEOD
Business Agent
Greeting Sisters and Brothers;
As we enter into March and April the shutdown season has arrived. I would like to mention the
following as you prepare for the long hours of shutdown: as you receive your dispatch slips please
take the time to review where and when your job starts including orientation times and location.
Make sure your rate is correct and that you understand your requirements. Often, as congestion in the dispatch hall
grows with the large number of calls we have, that we may miss some important information on our job slips. Ask
your dispatcher if you are not sure.
Here are my areas of responsibility:
AGRIUM - FORT SASKATCHEWAN
MELLOY: Base Crew. No planned spring Shutdown.
AGRIUM - REDWATER
MELLOY: Plant Shutdown 4-6 weeks between plant work
and projects. Starts 2nd week of March. Excellent work
opportunities.
AIR PRODUCTS
HYDROGEN REFORMER PROJECT- SCOTFORD
KEL-GOR:
Completion of some small underground
packages, site and job trailers mobilized; plan to start
employment of UA Members in early March. Excellent
construction opportunities.
DOW FORT SASKATCHEWAN
JACOBS: Base crew maintenance, some furnace/
maintenance work scheduled. Shutdown work in May.
HCU/DEBOTTLENECK PROJECT SCOTFORD
JACOBS: Construction of additional modules, piping
prepared for expansion; affecting several units in plant.
Will start employing workers, mobilizing in March 2015
with an approximate start April 15 2015. Excellent
construction opportunities.
SHELL SCOTFORD
JACOBS: General Maintenance shutdown, project
shutdown planned for April with some pre-work in
Mid-March 30+/- days.
KBR: Base crew maintenance.
Shutdown work
scheduled, same start dates as above. Excellent work
opportunities.
MELLOY: Shutdown Opportunity. Will be taking some
pre-workers for Mid-March. Shutdown starts in April.
WILLIAMS ENERGY - REDWATER
HB CONSTRUCTORS: Plant hiring according to schedule.
30+/- UA, Excellent work opportunities.
SHELL SCOTFORD QUEST
FLUOR: completed project on time and on budget.
Thank you to all the United Association Sisters and
Brothers that put forth a professional work ethic. Job
well done!
EDMONTON EXCHANGER: has been rewarded the
commissioning of the nearly constructed carbon capture
facility. Base crew days, small crew nights.
SUNCOR EDMONTON REFINERY
EDMONTON EXCHANGER: 55+ UA on site. Shutdown
activities March 30+/- days. 160 +/- UA Members
required.
KBR: Base crew, Shutdown activities March. Excellent
work opportunities.
IMPERIAL OIL STRATHCONA REFINERY
EDMONTON EXCHANGER: 30+ UA on site, base crew
maintenance, projects. Shutdown work may 30+/- days.
MELLOY: 30+ UA on site, base crew maintenance, and
project work. Shutdown late summer, planning in
progress. Great in town work opportunities.
NORTHWEST UPGRADER
FLUOR: main site getting busy with material and trailers
being set. Fluor has units 10 and 30 and are receiving
materials. 25+ UA on site. Expected to start hiring
spring/summer. Busing has started for suite. Excellent
long term employment.
PCL:
Praxair Plant, to start in spring. Some Site work,
excellent work opportunity.
BLUE ENERGY: 25+ UA on site, on underground unties,
looking to expand on more underground packages.
Good work opportunity.
TAURUS SITE SERVICES: installing wash cars, trailers and
lunchrooms.
I would like to thank all my Job Stewards who stepped up to help this Shutdown Season. I encourage all who are
interest to enroll into our Job Steward Courses. Wishing all members a safe and productive shutdown season!
5
ROBERT TAYLOR
Business Agent
Greetings, Brothers & Sisters.
Winter is still with us but we are moving into spring with warmer weather and longer days. With
spring comes the Shutdown season, which should put most of our members to work and lots of
travel Cards as well. With oil prices bouncing around there is some uncertainty in the investment
in Alberta’s Oil Patch. I think our local is doing reasonably well. Some of our work areas are picking
up, like the Mod Yards, NW Refinery Redwater, Suncor’s Fort Hills, plus a variety of smaller projects.
Over the past four to five years, I believe we’ve increased our market share of the piping work in our area. This is very
important for the future employment of our members and the quality of life for them and their families. To sustain
our wages and benefits we need to work safely and be productive both in the quality and the quantity of work we are
doing on the job sites. Basically, it is committing to the values we have stated in our UA Standard for Excellence. Most
of our members are doing this well, but there are still some who demonstrate a poor attitude to their chosen career in
the amount and the quality of that work, as well as their attendance at work. The success of our Union contractors is
a success for UA Local 488. There is a lot of competition between the Building trades Unions and the non-union
sectors in this province. Let’s keep our contractors in business by giving them ‘a day’s work for a day’s pay’.
In January’s issue of the UA Journal, President Hite gives a good report on opportunities in Canada and the USA for
our Union. But in the last part of the article, he also states “…if our members cannot be productive, they either need
to improve their skills or step aside. Anyone who thinks that a Union card guarantees a job without skills and being
productive is mistaken.” UA Local 488 does not need unproductive members; they are slowing down our drive to
increase market share and secure future employment for our members. Also, we should be policing ourselves, helping
each other and mentoring our apprentices. Please take the time to read President Hite’s article; he makes some good
points!
As for my assigned areas:
ACADEMY FABRICATION
Still busy, approximately 35-40 members doing piping
fabrication for KBR, Enbridge, and also Horton CBI.
AECON FAB SHOPS
NORTH: Approx. 130 members days & nights; has
ongoing work providing pipe spools for the 400 Mods
for the Northwest Refinery; Some OT.
SOUTH: Busy with approx. 90+ UA Personnel on days
& nights, doing piping for the NWR Mods; hiring to
increase as material and drawing issues are resolved.
AECON MOD YARDS
Approximately 45 members; will hire more Fitters and
Welders for Northwest Refinery Mods as more pipe
spools arrive from the shops.
CLEARWATER SHOP
Less than 20 UA members, work has slowed, have some
small contracts and are pursuing future piping contracts.
CLEARWATER MOD YARD I & II
Nothing to report at this time.
EDMONTON EXCHANGER SHOP
Small crew.
ES FOX
Slow, has some work in their shop, a few members
employed. Pursuing new contracts.
GANOTECH SHOP
Slow, have approx. 12 members working in the shop.
GANOTECH MOD YARD
Nothing to report at this time. In negotiations for new
contracts.
6
HORTON CBI
Have signed a contract for over 100+ mods for the NWR.
Steel erection of mods has begun and some hiring of 488
members began in February. Approx. 15 members on
site.
JACOBS MOD YARD
Presently working on smaller package of mods.
JACOBS SHOP
Working on piping for various Jacobs sites and spring
shutdown work. They have some pipe spools to fabricate
for their mod yard. Approx. 40 members employed.
KELGOR MOD YARD
New Ontario Contractor working on mods for Air
Products in Fort Saskatchewan; Approx. 50 members
on-site. It’s a smaller Mod Yard located on the way to
Aecon South Fab Shop & KBR Mod Yard.
Chemco: Approx. 6 members doing instrumentation.
KBR SHOP
Work has slowed, approx. 70 members employed days
and nights working 5 x 9’s.
KBR MOD YARD I
Has finished its Mods. Presently not much activity but
KBR is actively pursuing mod packages for this yard and
Mod Yard 2.
KBR MOD YARD II
Approx. 180 members on site, have work until spring.
Hiring of manpower as required. Still some issues with
engineering and material.
KBR is working some
overtime at this site.
Robert Taylor’s Business Agent Report Continued…
PCL NIS K U S H OP
Working steady, approx. 200 members between days
and nights. Some hiring of experienced shop personnel;
TIG welders, MIG, Fitters with table experience, etc.
PCL EAS T 4 0 MOD Y ARD
Some storage of Material, receiving and shipping to sites,
a couple of members. This Mod Yard will be up and
running later this year with mod work for Suncor’s Ft.
Hills Project. Hiring for this site will begin then.
PCL NIS K U MOD Y ARDS I & II
Have added some smaller Mods contracts for Alberta
and have Mods for a potash plant in Saskatchewan. PCL
has actively pursued new modular work, leading to PCL
being awarded in February over 400 Mods for SK Eng. &
Const. of Korea for Suncor’s Fort Hills Project. The steel
and piping for these mods is prefabricated in Korea so it
will not generate much work for PCL’s Fab Shop, but the
assembly of the Mods and installation of pipe, etc., will
be done in the yards.
In closing, I would like to thank our Job Stewards, the Officers and Staff of 488 who help to maintain the Local. Also,
to our members for their commitment to their Union and its effort to advance the cause of working people, and to
secure a better quality of life. On April 11, 2015 we have our annual Awards Banquet where the Local recognises our
longer serving members for this commitment. If you can make it, try to Attend. Our next General Meeting will be
held on Saturday, March28; See you there!
ROD CARLS ON
B u siness Ag ent
I don’t know about you but I am ready for spring. On my last visit to Kearl Lake it was -48 degrees
with the wind chill. Some folks were sent home and others continued on.
We are all aware of what is going on with oil prices, so I will not repeat what the other Agents and
Reps might be telling you. Downsizing is going on all sites.
ALB IAN S ANDS
F LIG H TS
EDMONTON/ CALG ARY
ONLY
Transfield is spread out between Jackpine and MRM on
maintenance with less men since the New Year. A small
crew has started the pre shut down spools in what Shell
calls a fab shop.
Edmonton Exchange will be looking for about 50 B
pressure welders with their 661T overlay. So, for $5, I
would swing by our welding shop and run a few beads.
Between days and nights they will be looking for just
under a 100 pipe fitters and about 30 plus apprentices.
Melloy will be at MRM Froth with about 40 plus UA for
about a month.
Shell plans to try a new GPS tracking card which I hope
everyone is informed about before they go to site and are
not sent back to the hall because they refuse to sign the
consent form. This will monitor the construction delays
for the turnaround and where they might improve
processes in Permits delays, travel times to and from
lunch rooms, etc. Camp will be at the Athabasca camp.
They will be using upgraded school busses to travel to the
camp; seats that are higher with seat belts and more leg
room?? I know this is going to be an issue but we are
addressing it.
K EARL LAK E
F LIG H TS
EDMONTON/ CALG ARY
ONLY
Jacobs has 24 UA working on 14/7 blended rate between
the 3 shifts.(ABC) Jacobs is having a hard time with
hiring, to find out IOL won’t release the work they
intend to fixed or replaced, leaving Jacobs to cancel
flights and return the craft to their halls.
PCL has about 31 UA working 14/7 PLA on little
projects from KEP to the tank farm.
S UNCOR B AS E PLANT
NO F LIG H TS
There have been layoffs to all contractor on this site.
With Suncor looking to tighten their own belts,
Millennium’s kitchen has been shut down and camp
food quality has declined. It’s almost as bad as eating
something I made! Lunch bags are smaller with less food
to choose from. Suncor was looking into this. Suncor
has a relocation program for Fort McMurray; I will have
copies of this put in our dispatch in Edmonton and Fort
McMurray offices, but this could change at any time.
Jacobs is preparing for the Spring Turnaround and
should have calls in the hall soon. Just like last year, there
will be smaller numbers of UA on site. Suncor’s
turnaround managers found that with smaller crews
there were less incidents and more productivity.
Babcock & Wilcox will be involved with the turnaround
with a small crew also.
S UNCOR F IREB AG
F LIG H TS
EDMONTON/ CALG ARY / S AS K ATOON ONLY
Transfield Maintenance is working a 14/14 with about
60 UA on site. They were told to cut their numbers and
with that, a lot of good Travel cards and Permits had to
go. Even a few members had to leave.
Transfield: Sustaining is working 10/4 with about 21
UA, but by the time you read this they may be working a
14/7, another sign of cut backs by the Clients.
CBI Horton has contacted me for information about
supplying them with manpower for a May shut down. I
don’t have the numbers at this time.
CIMS has about 20 UA working on pad 104 for about a
2 months.
H US K Y S UNRIS E
There is nothing to report.
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to vote for a nominee who ran for a committee. May your choices be
helpful with your union hall.
In closing I hope you will have a safe and prosperous turnaround season and we can look forward to an enjoyable
summer.
7
KEVIN MORIN
Business Representative
Hello Brothers and Sisters!
We have seen our share of turbulence early this year. However, we should consider ourselves
fortunate that this economic turmoil has coincided with a heavy shutdown season and owner driven
initiatives which show a clear vision on proceeding with several major construction projects. With
financial prudence and committing to the fundamentals of what makes us so valuable in the eyes of
our contractors – Safety, Professionalism, and Productivity, I have no doubt that we’ll be able to weather this storm.
And by holding strong to those fundamentals, we may even find ourselves in a position to increase our market share.
Our ability to supply highly skilled labour on demand continues to be one of our strongest selling points. It has long
been the case that Alloy Welders are the most sought after commodity in our industry and whomever can supply the
Alloy Welders gets the work. If we seriously intend to capture market share, we need our B Welders to step up and
get their alloy tickets.
We need to secure the confidence of the owners once we have established our presence on site. One area where this
can be shored up concerns A&D non-compliance. We are all well aware that we are required to be prepared for work
every day and an overwhelming majority of us display this professionalism on a daily basis. Recently, a survey of A&D
non-compliance during a fall turnaround put our members slightly better than non-union contractors, but
surprisingly, quite far behind CLAC contractors during the same period. While this a small sample size, and in my
estimation, not an accurate reflection of the whole, it is an alarming statistic to say the least. We pride ourselves on
being the most professional workforce in the industry. What you choose to do on your own time is your business,
however, when you are on an owners site, your choices reflect on your brothers and sisters, and a poor choice has the
unintended consequence of painting the rest of us with a broad brush.
SYNCRUDE & AURORA
Aecon’s SUSP Project has been put in abeyance pending
re-engineering and a recovery in the price of oil. I
anticipate this project to return some time in 2016.
Rope Access Calgary (RAC) has secured a long term
maintenance contract at Syncrude. Their business
model utilizes fully ticketed trade professionals to do
maintenance work which is inaccessible by permanent
deck and where scaffolding is impractical or cost
prohibitive. While relatively new to North America,
rope access has become commonplace in Europe due to
its economical nature and safety. RAC currently has 10
on site and expects to increase its workforce to about 35
by year end. This work requires strength, dexterity,
ability to work at heights, and as such, is not suited for
everyone. Beyond this, the week-long training that
employees must go through is both rigorous and
expensive. Jobs for this contractor will be subject to an
interview prior to dispatch. Information about Rope
Access work is available at the Fort McMurray office,
and at Dispatch in Edmonton. If you are interested and
have a desire to be a pioneer in this emerging field of
work, please feel free to contact me for more
information.
Project Olympus Turnaround is scheduled to begin in
April and as of this date will proceed as originally
planned. As in last year’s turnaround, craft will be
staying in Noralta camp and travel assistance will be
available for those travelling from out of province.
CNRL
As there are no major turnaround events pending this
year, CNRL has focused their resources on construction.
Black and McDonald has increased numbers by about 36
on site and continue to perform work on the VDU/HSU
Project. HB Construction is continuing work on HLEP.
JLG Industries, Bruce Steel Erectors, CarBer, and
Westlake Industries also have construction work on site.
FMR continues to procure work subbing under FT
Services on site and Clearwater is nearing completion of
work and may pick up more due largely to the hard work
and professionalism of our members.
FORT HILLS
With the ground work largely completed, site roads have
been built and the skyline is littered with cranes in
preparation for construction.
We currently have FMR Mechanical and Schendel
Mechanical on site performing site services work and
mechanical infrastructure respectively.
Horton is
continuing work with the PSV and Fluor has also picked
up work on Utilities and Off-sites which will require
about 500 total manpower at peak – approximately 100
UA. This project will commence in June 2015 and is
anticipating completion in spring of 2017. The schedule
for this project will be 14&7 under the SPNA and will
include flights from Edmonton and Calgary with the
possibility of other locations.
With the reduction in work, it goes without saying that we will be under a very discerning microscope for the next
several months. When times are good, owners often have to settle for anyone and everyone who can work on their
projects. As I mentioned earlier, I believe this is our time to seize a rare opportunity to show that we are definitively
the most qualified, highly skilled, and safe workforce available. The work we perform in the coming months will
resonate for years to come and determine the long term work that will be performed by the UA in Alberta.
Have a safe and productive spring!
8
S TEV E ENNIS
B u siness Rep resentativ e
Hello Brothers and Sisters
Contractors continue to land projects in the plumbing sector. Hiring in the early part of January was brisk for
plumbing contractors. To give some idea, one contractor alone increased their number of apprentices by 32 in one
month. The month of February has not seen a big number of calls come in; this is not due to a lack of work but more
a result of the large number of people dispatched in the months of December and January. In speaking to our
contactors, as projects such as Grant McEwan and others come on line, we will continue in late March to see hiring in
the plumbing sector for all levels Journeymen through apprentices.
The need for 2nd and 3rd year apprentices is still urgent. Our current pool of apprentice members at this level are fully
employed.
I have met with many individuals who want to enter the union as starters and become members of our great Local,
and while I would like to be able to dispatch them all, it is the contractor needs that provide the opportunity. A large
inventory of applications from education and people I have met with are on file and when the need arises for starters,
we will be able to mobilize these individuals.
With the positive work forecast in the plumbing sector, I have been dealing with a couple of situations that need
discussion. When our contractors put in a call for a Journeyman plumber, that is what they are looking for; a
competent Journeyman plumber. Having a plumbing ticket that you have not worked under in 10 years and now,
because things have slowed down in the industrial sector or you have been away working in the non-union industrial
sector, you feel you can just go out plumbing because you have ticket. It may be your feeling but sorry, it certainly is
not mine. I am therefore asking our brothers and sisters to act responsibly. Many of our plumbing members have
had a rough go in the past few years; work has been sporadic with not much overtime. These ‘true’ plumbers as I like
to call them have taken the knocks in the plumbing sector and are now seeing the results collectively made to bring
back work to the plumbing sector. Yes, you have the right to pull the slip if you met the requirements set out regarding
dispatch rules. The contractor also has the right to refuse you if they feel you are not competent in the position. The
Standard of Excellence is being exercised in the plumbing sector now as the value of it is finally being realized by our
members and our contractors. Pulling a Journeyman plumbing slip just because you have the ‘ticket’ is NOT
responsible. Pulling the Journeyman slip because you have the ticket and competencies of a Journeyman plumber IS.
The other issue of an ‘Out of Work’ member, and I use that term loosely, who has been away from working union for
a few years or more and strolls on in, takes a slip and when asked, ‘Where have ya been?’ answers with, ‘What does it
matter?’ Meanwhile, the ‘real’ out of work member who has been carrying the union lunch is left high and dry. This
leaves a bad taste with me. While I know people will say, ‘… it is their right they were on the out of work board’, I feel
the people who use our union hall as a ‘union of convenience’ should have to explain themselves. While under our
Working Rules & Bylaws these actions are perfectly OK, I believe they are not serving the best interest of our plumbing
contractors in being effective in increasing market share.
These issues are not enjoyable to discuss, and I am sure I have riled up a few of the people reading this. I didn’t take
this positon to appease people and make friends. I took it to ensure that the local 488 plumbing sector is a viable option
for members that want to be plumbers. While the work continues and work opportunities grow I see a good future
ahead for the plumbing sector.
‘Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you all’
Slainte Mhath
DOXTATER, Robert
December 22, 2014
GALLANT, James (Jim)
December 25, 2014
DOBBS, B. Jack
January 27, 2015
GALLANT, Lawrence
February 5, 2015
DUCHESNE, Lawrence
January 15, 2015
GRUEBER, Gerhard
December 31, 2014
HYNES, Rick
January 9, 2015
MORK, Helmer
January 19, 2015
KERRIGAN, Jerry
January 13, 2015
MYKITIUK, Victor
January 16, 2015
LEATHEAD, Leopold
December 22, 2014
RUSSELL, Frank
January 30, 2015
MAISONNEUVE, Marcel
January 10, 2015
SNEED, Nathan
January 30, 2015
McPHEE, Roger
December 27, 2014
WALDRON, Ronald
January 3, 2015
F rom th e staf f and members of th e L ocal , ou r deep est sy mp ath ies to th e f amil ies
and f riends of ou r B roth ers and S isters w h o h av e recentl y p assed aw ay .
T h eir commitment and su p p ort of U A L ocal U nion # 4 8 8
w il l not be f org otten.
9
B RIAN H EARN
B u siness Rep resentativ e - RE F RI G E RAT I O
N
Hello Brothers and Sisters.
I would like to start with a safety moment: distracted driving has now overtaken drunk driving
when it comes to the cause of accidents. In our industry, our members drive hundreds of thousand
kilometers a year in company service vehicles and their own private vehicles. PLEASE pull over if
for any reason you cannot keep your focus on the road. Remember, your life and others lives are
more important than any text you might possibly need to read.
Over the past several years we have gone to mail-in ballots for most elections and votes concerning the Local. For
those who do remember, decisions used to be made at Refrigeration Union meetings, allowing forty or fifty members
to decide the fate of hundreds on issues like allocations for health/welfare and pensions.
You, the member, have the right and obligation to make your choices in all these decisions by retuning your ballots.
If you choose not to, then others will make these decisions for you. Information is sent with the packages to help
inform the members who are unable to attend meetings due to the shifts they work or where they live. Remember,
Local 488 has approximately 140 members working in the Wood Buffalo area at any given time.
The percentage of ballots retuned is, in my opinion, very low. Local 488 works very hard at getting this information
out to members, so again, this is your and family’s future. We are fortunate to live in a society where you do have the
freedom to vote on issues that directly affect you...Please take the time to exercise that right and VOTE!
We have been working with Black & MacDonald at Surmount 2 in Fort McMurray. They were awarded some
commissioning work on HVAC equipment. Four of our Refrigeration Members did this work alongside other trades.
The client owner was impressed with the work performed and this lead to a non-union company being removed from
site and Black & MacDonald being awarded the maintenance. Since then, six more members are now working at the
site with more calls coming in.
This information was shared at the last General Membership Meeting and was greeted with applause from those in
attendance. Our members worked hard to accomplish this, and I would like to personally thank those members! You
know who you are! And thanks to both Colin Cormier and Craig Miller for making this happen.
Remember you belong to a democracy! It is your right and obligation to vote as a member.
Get involved!
B RY AN ROONEY
B u siness Rep resentativ e –
RE F RI G E RAT I O N , S O U T H E RN
AL B E RT A
Hello Local 488.
Thank you to all the members who accepted nomination, and to those who voted in the recent Local
488 Committee elections. Representing the membership as Trustees, Delegates and on Committees
is a big responsibility and I’d like to wish all the elected the best of luck in their new positions.
Work opportunities are still trickling in as we go through our slowest time of the year in Refrigeration; the mild winter
has also had an impact, particularly on the service sector as we look forward to things picking up for the spring startup season right around the corner.
A large part of the success of Local 488 is the hard work our Job Stewards perform, their dedication is highly respected
in the hall and we can’t thank them enough for getting involved. In Refrigeration, we have a need for more stewards
at job sites and in shops to better represent and communicate to our membership in the field. If you are interested in
becoming a 488 Job Steward, don’t hesitate to contact your representative.
We need to acknowledge Brother Travis Brown for stepping up at a recent membership meeting and volunteering to
be a union member representative on the Refrigeration Education Advisory Committee. Travis is working Industrial
Refrigeration for Gateway Mechanical in Calgary and will bring valuable contributions to the committee. Currently
the committee is working on the blueprint for enhancing the training opportunities for Local 488 HVAC-R mechanics.
I’d like to thank all the members who have submitted their training suggestions, and encourage everyone that it’s not
too late for your input.
As requested by the members, the Calgary office will be running Standard First Aid courses starting in March. The
course will include CPR-C with AED training, there will be a $35 registration fee with the remainder of the costs being
covered by your Education Fund. Carrying a valid First Aid certification is a requirement for all Journeyman working
under the Refrigeration Agreement, if you want to take the course in Calgary please contact Kristi at 403-253-3516
and get your name on the list.
In closing, I’d like to thank all of our members who go to work every day and represent UA Local 488 with pride and
professionalism. Stay safe and productive!
10
DOUG
S af ety
DORY
O f f icer
Greetings Brothers and Sisters,
Hindsight, Risk Savvy, and the Unexpected
People often talk about the ‘benefit of hindsight’; but does hindsight prepare us to manage the
unexpected?
Hindsight - it is a good thing, it helps us make sense of the world and it sometimes gives us the courage to continue
right?
These things are all true. There is much to be gained from looking back. It can help shore up our confidence that we
can and have overcome some obstacles in our lives. It can help amuse us and support us when we think of pleasant
previous experiences. It may also even give us some guidance and confidence that if previous circumstances are
repeated we can make some educated guesses as to future performance.
The problem with that argument is that history (hind-sight) only gives us a ‘view’ of an outcome, a view of a past event;
and then only our interpretation, or someone else’s interpretation, of that view. The other thing about hind-sight is
that it is like looking in a mirror. Sometimes, in the act of looking back, we are distracted from what is ahead; and also
sometimes the mirror obscures our view forward. In other words, looking behind us is not always helpful.
The clue, to the danger of relying on hind-sight, lies in the term ‘unexpected’. The Thesaurus provides a number of
alternatives to the word ‘unexpected’ including: ‘unforeseen, unanticipated, unpredicted, surprising, startling,
astonishing, sudden and bewildering’. The Encarta English Dictionary gives us more help when it says: ‘something
that is unexpected is surprising, because you did not expect it at all, or you expected it to happen in a different way.’
The thing is that if something is unexpected it surprises you because you did not think it was likely to happen.
If a thing or event is unexpected, we only know it has happened, after it has happened. It is through the lens of hindsight that we become aware of the unexpected and the circumstances which may have brought it about. It now
becomes something that, with the benefit of hind-sight, we make the claim that we should have seen the event coming;
the event should have been ‘expected’. Of course it is then too late.
Being ‘risk savvy’ and being prepared for the unexpected is now my preferred approach. ‘Savvy’ means acute, astute,
and wise. But being risk savvy is more than being well informed. It requires courage to face an uncertain future as
well as to stand up to authority and to ask critical questions So, one of the keys to becoming better at discerning risk,
and the unexpected, is to be constantly challenging the status quo; to be introducing doubt about our capacity to
understand the current situation and to doubt our capacity to manage it. We need to be constantly mindful of
uncertainty.
Being mindful of uncertainty and what could go wrong and then catching it early before it becomes overwhelming, is
the critical consideration. Being able to cope with a situation as it unfolds and then recover from the outcome (being
resilient) enables us to better live with risk and the unexpected. High reliability organizations, i.e. those organizations
that are prepared for the unexpected, have at their core a ‘collective mindfulness’ about risk and uncertainty.
So how do we develop this collective mindfulness? The key is founded in:
•
Ensuring that our people are constantly aware of what may go wrong such that the event is recognized
before it escalates to a major event. And also in not getting so carried away by our successes such that we
are seduced/ numbed by the sense that we cannot fail;
•
Making sure that in our efforts to understand issues we don’t simplify them to the extent that we miss vital
data or clues to the unexpected;
•
Constantly checking with those at the coal face, those that really know what is happening, to gauge their
‘feeling’ for what may go wrong;
•
Developing resilience and being prepared to manage an unexpected event as it unfolds (i.e. having early
reporting and well prepared response capacity/ capability); and in
•
Ensuring that the people with the expertise to manage an event are those that are given the problem to
solve. This means that when an event is unfolding hierarchies and authority levels are flexible enough that
deferring to expertise is accepted and egos are held in check.
Hindsight will provide us with a view of our relative success in managing the unexpected, but not with the capacity
to predict it.
It is far better that we become risk savvy; better that we have the courage to question the status quo, to raise doubt, and
to constantly challenge our understanding and perception of risk and our capacity to manage it. It is far better that we
develop a collective mindfulness and capability to manage the unexpected when it inevitably happens; because if there
is anything certain about uncertainty, it is that the unexpected will inevitably happen.
We are our Brothers’ and Sisters’ Keepers and I know we can Actively Care for one another and make 2015 another
successful year in Safety.
11
SERVICE AWARDS
65 YEARS OF SERVICE
KING, Albert L.
MURPHY, David J.
60 YEARS OF SERVICE
BAILEY, Richard C.
ENGLAND, Ronald
55 YEARS OF SERVICE
CAMERON, Glen
HELFRICH, Henry
HENDRICKS, Leroy
HEUTINCK, Ted
HIRZER, Robert J.
IACOBELLI, Luigi
LIEDTKE, Gerry H.
MACPHERSON, Robert A.
O'NEILL, Kevin
PAULHUS, Marcien
RAKOWSKI, Dennis J.
SEMKOWICH, Walter V.
TENNEY, Raymond
50 YEARS OF SERVICE
ALGAR, Harry E.
BERTHOLET, Andrew
BOUCHARD, Gilbert
BRENNEIS, Melvin
COUPER, Donald E.
DAVIDSON, Bert
DUMAIS, Magella
GARON, Richard A.
HARRISON, Verne A.
HUBLER, John P.
AVIGDOR, Leslie
BLANEY, Edison F.
BRUTON, Lawrence F.
CROWHURST, Dennis
DALLA COSTA, Angelo
DANIELSON, James A.
DAVIES, Harvey
ERHARDT, Allan
FARIS, Charles A.
FENIAK, Lawrence
GRAY, Darryl B.
GREEN, Peter
GROSSHAUSER, Frank
HAY, Angus F.
HENLEY, Robert J.
HERBERS, Dan C.
HIMSCHOOT, Gary
HOLTERHUS, Vernon
JANG, Steven
JONES, Geoffrey E.
KEMPS, Leo L.
KOLOCHUK, Allan
KORNAK, Victor
KUSAKSIZ, Adnan
LANOUETTE, James A.
LARAMEE, Joseph G.
LARAMEE, Roland
LAW, Laurence R.
LAYNE, Maurice B.
LAZOV, George
LECORDIER, Jean C.
LOCHTIE, Ian
LUKE, Guy E.
MACINTYRE, Grant K.
MATHER, Lawrence
MCALEESE, Patrick
ANDERSON, Terry L.
ANTON, Eric M.
ASHWELL, Douglas R.
BALENOVIC, Steve
BALZER, Ulrich H.
BISSOON, Selwyn
BOUVIER, Luc D.
CAMERON, Rory
CHATTERLEY, Wesley J.
CHIMERA, Donald
CLAYDON, Frank E.
DICKSON, Paul
JETTE, Roland
KRUEGER, Ernst
LUNDSTROM, Roger
MCDONALD, Donald
NIELSEN, Jens E.
ROMANUK, Ken
TEUBER, Joachim
VILLANYI, John W.
WOODLEY, Fred P.
45 YEARS OF SERVICE
MCFAULL, Stanley D.
MCGUIRE, Mark
MCKENZIE, Randy L.
MERSEREAU, Jerry
MOHN, Sherman L.
MOHR, Martin
MONSEBROTEN, Lawrence
MORELLATO, Louis
MOSHUK, Orville
MUNROE, Joseph A.
MURRAY, Brian
NELSON, Richard B.
NORGREN, Ronald
PANCHUK, Peter
PARENTEAU, Jean N.
PAWLYK, Phil
PELLETIER, Pierre R.
R ,
n
SARAPUK, Peter
SELMAN, Norman B.
SERTIC, Stefan
SEYLER, David
SMART, Delbert R.
SOBOLEWSKI, John
STARKO, Kenneth
STECYK, Dennis
THOMPSON, David M.
THORNEWELL, Joseph A.
VEITCH, Brent J.
VERBEEK, Louis
VEZINA, Maurice A.
WEISGERBER, Harold
ZELEZAROF, Dimiter
40 YEARS OF SERVICE
BELLEFONTAINE, Gerard
BESHARA, Michael
DREVER, William R.
DUCHESNE, Camile R.
DUNN, Patrick B.
DUTCHAK, John L.
FISCHER, Albert
FRANCIS, David R.
FRIESEN, Daniel D.
GAGNON, George J.
GILLIS, Angus
GOGICH, Pero
GRIMOLDBY, Robert J.
GUTHRIE, R. D.
HAGEN, Lawrence D.
HANSEN, Allan C.
From all of the Officers and members of UA Local Union 488, we would like
to extend our heartfelt congratulations and express our sincere gratitude to
all the recipients who will receive their Long Service Awards for their
years of service and dedication to our Union on April 11, 2015.
12
SERVICE AWARDS
40 YEARS OF SERVICE
HEFFERAN, James G.
HRYNDA, George
HURTEAU, Gordon L.
HUSEREAU, Leon W.
JHAGROO, Wesley R.
JOHNSON, Lyle G.
KATHREIN, George C.
KING, Ralph F.
KLAPSTEIN, Ronald K.
KOZUN, Grant R.
KWASNYCIA, Alfred
LACOURSIERE, Norman
LECLAIR, Paul A.
LEDUC, Denis J.
LEEDER, Gerald
LEHMANN, Hugo
LELKES, George J.
LETOURNEAU, Gerald
LINKERT, Harvey
MACDONELL, Stan D.
MACINTYRE, Melvin
MACLEAN, James P.
MACPHERSON, Andrew
MATERNA, John M.
MATHURA, Harry
MCGAUGHEY, Raymond
MCMILLAN, Glen R.
MEGLEY, Delnor W.
MELENKA, Randall
MELTZ, Terry L.
MICHAUD, Rejean
MOISLEY, Frank R.
CONTINUED...
MONRO, Alex H.
MYNIO, Donald D.
NELISSEN, Rick
NOBLE, John A.
NORDQUIST, Theodore
OUELLET, Jess G.
PALLISTER, Guy M.
PATTERSON, Robert
PEDRO, Natalino
PLAQUIN, Morris E.
PLASHKA, George M.
POIRIER, Marc
POWELL, Robert H.
RASMUSSEN, Ronnie L.
RISSLING, Jacob (Nels)
ROBBINS, Vern
ROBERGE, Patrick
RUKAVINA, John
SALING, Dennis W.
SAMAROO, Seely
SCHMIDKE, Royden A.
STOLIC, Rajko
SUCKDEO, Hosein
THOMPSON, Freeman
VIENNEAU, Gary
WAMBACK, Bruce R.
WATTIE, Thomas J.
WILLEY, Ian M.
ZAROWNY, Kenneth E.
ZIMMER, Albert
35 YEARS OF SERVICE
AASGARD, Cory L.
ABDUL-RAHEEM, Yusuf
ALBAY, Yilmaz A.
ALVES, Antonio
AUBE, Gervais
BAILEY, Thomas J.
BASIUK, David J.
BERG, Daniel T.
BISSET, John Alan
BJORKMAN, Calvin
BOBINAC, Ivan
BOROWSKI, Walter
BOUCHER, Joseph H.
BRUCE, Reg
BURKE, Jeffrey K.
CANN, Dean
COTY, Roy S.
COUTURE, Gerald J.
CRAWFORD, Robert L.
CSANDL, Josef
CUNNINGHAM, Clayton
DANYLCHUK, David M.
DAVIS, Carl E.
DEERY, Patrick
DEMIRBAS, Yusuf K.
DEVEAU, Daniel J.
DEVRYER, Robert E.
DOUCET, Claude
DOWNIE, Harvey R.
DUHANEY, Octavious
EVARISTO, Aurelio G.
FRASER, Terry W.
GARDNER, Pierre
GAUTREAU, Romeo
GILLIS, Vincent A.
GOMEZ, Aurelio G.
GOULET, Kevin L.
GRAHAM, Robert
GRAINGER, Theodore
GRAY, William G.
GUILTNER, Richard R.
HANNA, Cecil S.
HANNAM, Daniel V.
HAWKINGS, Wesley W.
HELGASON, David W.
HELLER, William R.
HIRNY, Jerzy G.
HOLOWAYCHUK, Walter
KABAN, Lawrence W.
KASHA, Lester J.
KELLY, Frank C.
KIM, Beung H.
KIRTON, Norman K.
KOVACS, Richard G.
KUCHER, Barry G.
KUNCIO, Conrad G.
LANDRY, Real
LYONS, Gerald A.
MANNING, Oswald K.
MATTHEWS, David I.
MCGINN, Wilfred R.
MCLEAN, Keith
MEEHAN, Joel Vincent
MERCER, Walter
MESQUITA, Manuel A.
MOHAMMED, Michael
MOUNTENAY, Paul R.
MYERS, Nicholas J.
NICHOLLS, Paul
NOLAN, Kenneth P.
NONG, Nam H.
NUNES, Silvio S.
ORLECKI, David W.
OTT, Lester B.
PARADIS, Rickey B.
PENNEY, Kenneth A.
PLUIM, Richard
POPIKAITIS, Paul
PRITCHARD, Kenneth
PROULX, Stephen T.
RAMKINSON, Danasar
RAND, George
RAW, Cecil
REID, David R.
RIGLER, Dean R.
RUMAN, David F.
RUSSELL, James H.
SCABAR, Merlin W.
SCHNEIDER, William R.
SCHULTZ, Keith A.
SEVERIN, Wally W.
SHMYR, Terry
SIEBEN, George R.
SILVA, Jose J.
SIMONS, Allen R.
SIMPSON, Terry O.
SMITH, James F.
SMOOK, Darrell
ST. PIERRE, Gerald
STALLKNECHT, Myles L.
STOR, Andre
TATE, George C.
TAVARES, Joaquim M.
THORNE, Raymond K.
TING, Peter S.
TOOKEY, Wayne H.
TORONCHUK, Larry D.
TOWNSEND, Ronald
TRACEY, Seamus J.
TRUMAN, William
UNGER, Dennis G.
VAN RENSEN, Peter
VASCONEZ, Mario P.
VRIEND, Alan E.
WATTERS, James
WOODS, David C.
From all of the Officers and members of UA Local Union 488, we would like
to extend our heartfelt congratulations and express our sincere gratitude to
all the recipients who will receive their Long Service Awards for their
years of service and dedication to our Union on April 11, 2015.
13
SERVICE AWARDS
BATES, Gordon F.
BOISVERT, Richard
BOYKO, Harvey T.
BROWN, Ian G.
CAMPBELL, Robert G.
CARON, Hector J.
EDLUND, Rod
ANDERSON, Dave
ANDERSON, Robert G.
BABCOOK, Dale G.
BACH, John D.
BARDWELL, Randy
BAXTER, Troy
BILODEAU, Joseph A.
BONN, Daniel
BONWICK, Bentley T.
BOOTH, Sean
BORCHERT, Kevin
BOUCHARD, Alphee W.
BOUCHARD, J.Gilles
BOURQUE, Charles B.
BOUTIN, Gregory L.
BOWERS, Randy
BOYKO, Alex
BRAKE, Dwayne
BROWN, Robert M.
BUHLER, Peter
BUXTON, Corby J.
CAMERON, Michael
CAMPBELL, John G.
CARRUTHERS, Ken D.
CARSON, Darcy B.
CARSON, Jason C.
CEBRYK, Michael D.
CHAMBERLAND, Denis
CHAPCHUK, Robert D.
CHENEY, Dale R.
CLAUSEN, Ed
CONNOLLY, Edward T.
COOK, George W.
CORREIA, Gary M.
COTE, Maurice
CRAWLEY, Wayne
CROUCH, Gordon
CUROE, Richard K.
DAVIES, Terry
DELORME, Gary L.
DEMMONS, Roy E.
14
30 YEARS OF SERVICE
FERREIRA, Plinio M.
KELEMAN, Jan
KIM, Ha-jong
KIM, Sung Y.
KINDLEY, Richard H.
KURTZ, Al L.
LANDRY, Simon
MACAULAY, Steve
MACKINNON, James
MAHONEY, Fred
MARTINEZ, Carlos F.
MATTIE, Richard
MCKAY, Donald D.
NEWTON, Soloman A.
25 YEARS OF SERVICE
DENNIS, Errol L.
DESROCHES, James
DEVISSER, John
DI PINTO, Angelo J.
DORE, Pierre
DUNN, Brian M.
DUPRAS, Kenneth
DURANT, David D.
ENTZ, Timothy
ERICHSEN, Glenn H.
ERIKSSEN, Daniel A.
FRISKE, Brian
GAGNON, Norman P.
GEILENKIRCHEN, Peter
GILLESPIE, Andrew
GOBEIL, Brian J.
GOGUEN, Randy
GONA, Benjamin A.
GOULET, Louis N.
GULLASON, Dwayne R.
HAAB, Charles
HAYWARD, Alex
HEARY, Ronald D.
HELMAN, Grant
HINGLEY, Lon D.
HODGSON, Jay
HOFFMAN, Chuck
HUMPHRIES, Robert G.
JALBERT, Jerry L.
KENNEDY, Jack
KILCUP, Charles H.
KLIPPERT, Gary A.
KOOZNETSOFF, William
LAIRD, Bruce
LAKE, Jerry K.
LALIC, Stjepan
LANG, Melvin E.
LATREILLE, Gilbert
LEVOIR, Lionel G.
LUKOW, Raymond P.
LUPASCHUK, Rodney
MACDONALD, Robert
MACKEY, Glenn G.
MAH, Edward
MALONEY, George E.
MARTEL, Gregory O.
MARTIN, James L.
MATEAR, Keith
MATWYCHUK, Michael
MAYER, Ken
MCDONALD, Robert
MCINTOSH, Frank A.
MCKEOUGH, Brian P.
MCLEAN, Darryl T.
MCLEAN, William L.
MEADS, Kevin
MECELE, James
MEIER, Raymond
MELAN, Farren
MORIN, Jean P.
MORISSETTE, Germain
MORISSETTE, Roger J.
MURPHY, Paul V.
MURRAY, Richard
NEWMARCH, Glen G.
NIELSEN, Karl C.
NOYES, Donald D.
OEHLERKING, Eric
OELE, George
OLECHOW, David E.
OLSCAMP, Mark J.
O'NEILL, Shane M.
PACQUETTE, Dorothy
PALMER, Earl W.
PALTZAT, Gary A.
PARSONS, Todd
PICKUP, William
PITCHER, David
PLACHY, Frank A.
POHL, Randy M.
POWER, Adrian
QUINN, Duane L.
NORRENA, Karl A.
PATEL, Dolatbhai M.
RICHARD, Chris
SENGER, Patrick G.
SIDOROFF, Tim
ZINCK, Doug
QUINN, John
RICHARDS, Gary D.
RIVEROS, Antonio I.
ROBINSON, Tom B.
RONDEAU, Harvey J.
ROSE, Lloyd M.
ROWSELL, S. Dean
RUIZ, Edgar H.
SANFORD, Bobby S.
SCHERBA, Walter E.
SCHMERMUND, Donald
SEBESTA, Willie T.
SENECAL, Michel
SHAVER, Arthur M.
SMITH, Forrest P.
ST. ARNAULT, Michel F.
STEPHENS, Robin C.
STEWART, Darby
SWEENEY, Richard
TASCI, Koksal
TATE, Stephen R.
THACKER, Troy
THERIAULT, Brian M.
THERIAULT, Dale
TIMPERLEY, Ken
URBANOVITCH, Cory
VONCONRAD, Peter
WASYLENKO, Darrell
WEGNER, Perry G.
WELLS, Brian P.
WHITWORTH, Brett H.
WINTER, Darryl
WOJCIK, Andrew
WOLKOWSKI, John K.
WOODWARD, Dale E.
WORKUN, Jeff
YEE, Gary K.
ZABIELSKI, Mark
ZACCARIA, Demi
ZAPISOCKI, Darrell T.
ZIEGLER, Kelly G.
From all of the Officers and members of UA Local Union 488, we would like
to extend our heartfelt congratulations and express our sincere gratitude to
all the recipients who will receive their Long Service Awards for their
years of service and dedication to our Union on April 11, 2015.
DW
IG H T Y ORK
B u siness Rep resentativ e - P I P E L I N E
Hello Brothers and Sisters.
OJ Pipelines is working on the Enbridge Leismer project in the Conklin area. This job will be welded
out in the next couple of weeks. Our members have had a very low repair rate on this project a job
so it’s another job well done by the UA! The tie in crews will not be done until sometime in April.
This project went very well.
Banister Pipelines is working on the Woodland Extension for Enbridge; 97 kilometers of 36 inch pipe is going very
well with the lowest repair ever. The welding crew should be done in 2 weeks. The UA members should be very proud
of this workmanship. The rest of this project should be done in April.
Michels Canada in Fort Mac Murray is working on a TransCanada project, 42 inch casing job for directional drilling.
There are 3 drill sites adding up to 6 kilometers of pipe to be welded.
OJ Pipelines started welding 42 inch pipe in Camrose at the double jointing rack. This pipe is for the Montney project
in BC and we are anticipating about 4 weeks plus work there.
Aecon at the tank farm for Enbridge in Edmonton is going very well. This will wind down in June or July and again,
the UA members have done a great job.
The work this summer is not looking very good with the 30 inch for Enbridge put on hold. There are 43 kilometers
of 24 inch for this summer for Enbridge. This is being bid now and we expect more spreads for the winter of 2015/2016
and more work for the summer of 2016.
B ILL W
ILS ON
D irector of E du cation
E P T - E du cation D ep tartment
Thanks to all the members that have taken the Industrial Instrument Fitter course. It has been a
great success! It is full for the next couple of months; so if you have heard the positive feedback
please try to sign up. The skills you will learn will be a benefit on the job immediately.
It is almost spring time again and time for the UA Apprenticeship contests to start rolling out. We
are not hosting this year, but we will be sending 5 competitors to the Western Regional Competition in Vancouver on
April 27th to May 1st and hopefully have competitors going to Toronto for the Canadian Competition on June 8th to
12th, 2015.
There is some good news from the Redwater Refinery job. They are planning to have an Apprentice Mentoring
program that will keep people moving through all the different areas of the job to gain as much experience as possible.
We are crossing our fingers that the job will hit 30% Apprentices. That is an iffy goal but will be very good for us if it
is reached. I hope it will set the standard for future jobs.
School registration is coming up again in May. Last year we didn’t anticipate the numbers that came to register. This
year, it looks like we are going to stagger the days for each trade to come in and register. The information on
registration will be posted on the APT website when the dates are finalized.
INDUSTRIAL/COMMERCIAL/INSTITUTIONAL (ICI) AGREEMENT
INFORMATION MEETING
TIME: 9:30 AM
DATE: SUNDAY, MARCH 22ND, 2015
LOCATION: RAMADA HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTRE
11834 KINGWAY AVENUE
EDMONTON, AB
15
LORIN B ATES
B u siness Rep resentativ e - S P RI N K L E R F I T T I N G
Brothers and sisters,
I want to start out by saying thanks to all thirteen Sprinkler Advisory Committee members. These brothers have made
a major time commitment away from their families and friends to attend the eleven evening meetings that we have
held since the special called sprinkler meeting at the end of October 2014. The committee was tasked with tackling
the hard questions of how we can recapture lost market share and grow our sprinkler membership. The feeling of our
hardworking committee members is that every sprinklerfitter deserves a pension.
The Sprinkler Advisory committee has made recommendations and some favorable outcomes have resulted from this.
We have come up with submitting a new wage page to our current Residential - high rise - low rise Agreement and
leaving the National Road Sprinkler Fitter Collective Agreement alone. We realize that just changing a wage page is
not going to recapture market share we have lost. The Sprinkler Advisory group understands that this will also require
a commitment from our contractors to bid aggressively. The union needs to organize the open shop contractors. We
will need to focus on hand billing campaigns and others to strip the non UA contractors of their supervisory level guys.
There have been many heated discussions and well thought out planning during our meetings. Everyone in attendance
has worn their hearts on their sleeves. The passion and commitment each committee member brings to these meetings
is why we have been able to come up with a fair and competitive wage package for every Sprinklerfitter. This in turn
will grant more working opportunities for our sprinkler members. Once again I want to thank every committee
member for all the hard work you have done to ensure that our great industry only becomes better.
There will be a Sprinkler System Installer Meeting held as follows:
TIME:
DATE:
LOCATION:
5 : 3 0 PM
MARCH 2 5 TH , 2 0 1 5
NORM DARB Y S H IRE DIS PATCH
UA LOCAL UNION 4 8 8
H ALL
Alberta's fiscal crisis will not prevent the province from proceeding with a promise to install fire suppression sprinklers
in seniors' residences, Premier Jim Prentice said Wednesday. The premier said more information about the plan will
be released shortly, but he remains committed to protecting seniors.
“Obviously it's important that seniors' lodges in this province meet fire standards,” Prentice told reporters at the
legislature. “We stand by our commitment to have proper fire suppression in homes”. Prentice announced last year that
the province would allocate $70 million toward upgrading fire suppression systems in older seniors' facilities after a
fire at a Quebec residence killed 32 seniors. He followed up with another announcement in November committing
$160 million of federal and provincial funding over four years to tackle the issue.
Most Alberta senior’s facilities were constructed before sprinkler systems were required. The government says 455 of
657 seniors facilities are not fully protected with fire suppression systems. It has estimated the cost of installing
sprinklers in all 455 facilities at more than $250 million. Prentice said Wednesday his government has nearly
completed its assessment of what needs to be done to upgrade the facilities where seniors are at the greatest risk. Liberal
Leader David Swann said the governing Tories should make installation of sprinklers mandatory, following the lead
of Ontario and Quebec. But Swann said the government may have to phase in the sprinklers over an extra year because
of the projected $7-billion revenue shortfall expected this year.
If any of you are wanting to take a fire pump course this spring, we will require a class of twelve to proceed, so let me
know if you are interested and we will put it on.
I am still growing the sprinkler email list so please send me your email addresses.
3RD YEAR APPRENTICE DESMOND THOMAS
Brother Thomas has spent the majority of his apprenticeship with Abraxus and
Clearwater in their Edmonton Fab Shop. Brother Jose Da Silva has been mentoring
Des the last 2 ½ years.
16
LOCAL 488’S ANNUAL FAMILY
SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015
12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
LAURIER PARK - VALLEY ZOO
ENTRANCE: Check in to get your tickets and your deposit cheque back
hot dogs, hamburgers, watermelon, drinks, and ice cream!
T h e E ntertainment Committee is p l eased to annou nce th at ou r Annu al F amil y P icnic w il l be h el d at
L au rier P ark - V al l ey Z oo th is y ear. Y o u m u s t r e g i s t e r y o u r f a m i l y f o r t h e p i c n i c b y Ma y 2 7 , 2 0 1 5 .
T h is w il l ensu re y ou r f ree admission to th e V al l ey Z oo. F or th is reason, w e are u nabl e to accep t any
l ate reg istrations and y ou cannot reg ister once y ou arriv e.
PLEAS E NOTE TH AT DUE TO MANY ‘ NO S H OW S ’ , W E REQ UIRE A CH EQ UE F OR $ 2 0 PER
F AMILY AS A DEPOS IT. Y OU W ILL RECEIV E Y OUR CH EQ UE B ACK W H EN Y OU CH ECK IN
TH E DAY OF TH E PICNIC. If you do not show up at the Picnic, the cheque will then be cashed.
Th i s f u n c t i o n i s f o r m e m b e r s a n d t h e i r i m m e d i a t e f a m i l i e s ONLY !
P l ease comp l ete th e Reg istration F orm and mail it al ong w ith y ou r dep osit ch eq u e to:
At t e n t i o n : In g r i d
℅ Lo c a l 4 8 8 En t e r t a i n m e n t Co m m i t t e e
1 6 2 1 4 - 1 1 8 Av e n u e
Ed m o n t o n , AB T5 V 1 M6
LOCAL UNION 488’S ANNUAL PICNIC REGISTRATION FORM
MEMBER’S NAME:
MEMBER’S SIN/CARD #:
PHONE #:
S POUS E’ S NAME:
NUMB ER OF TICK ETS REQ UIRED: ( P L E AS E I N D I CAT E H O W
MAN Y T I CK E T S P E R AG E G RO U P )
U N D E R2
2 - 1 2
1 3 - 1 7
1 8 & O V E R
H OW
MANY ARE ATTENDING :
17
HEALTH & SAFETY
COMMITTEE
Greetings Brothers and Sisters,
At our last General meeting the concern of having to buy new safety glasses for each plant we go to was brought up. The question
was asked, can we have a standard safety glass or glasses that our contractors and clients will accept. After discussions with many
of our contractors and clients the response has been favorable to prescription safety glasses only as long as they meet the
standards listed below and your Optometrist will know exactly what you need for High Impact Lenses. Many sites require the
foam insert so it is highly recommended you buy your frames with the foam inserts and that the frames are in compliance with
the standards outlined below.
Compliance with Standards
If eye protection equipment is used, section 229 of the OHS Code requires the employer ensure that the worker wears properly
fitting eye protection equipment that is appropriate to the work being done and the hazard involved, and be approved to one of
the following Canadian Standards Association (CSA) standards:
(1) CSA Standard Z94.3-07, Eye and Face Protectors, or
(2) CSA Standard Z94.3-02, Eye and Face Protectors, or
(3) CSA Standard Z94.3-99, Industrial Eye and Face Protectors.
Prescription safety eyewear which has glass lenses does not meet the impact requirements of the CSA Z94.3 Standards. If there
is a danger of impact, prescription eyewear having glass lenses must not be used unless it is worn behind equipment that meets
the requirements of one of the three CSA Standards. If there is no danger of impact and the use of plastic prescription lenses is
impracticable, a worker may use prescription lenses made of treated safety glass that meets the requirements of one of these
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards:
(1) ANSI Standard Z87.1-2003, Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices, or
(2) ANSI Standard Z87.1-1989, Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection.
If prescription safety eyewear has lenses that meet the requirements of CSA Standard Z94.3-07, it is permissible that the frames
meet the requirements of ANSI Standard Z87.1-2003 in place of the requirements of one of the three CSA Z94.3 Standards. For
the member that needs some help with reading, inspection or other fine detail work the Uvex Seismic is a very good choice for
sites that allow you to bring your own safety glasses to site. On some sites the Seismic safety glasses conform to monogoggle
standards as the vent holes are at the front of the foam, creating a tight seal at the face.
Uvex Seismic S0661X
Specialized SCT-Gray and SCT-Low IR tints offer added protection from IR radiation hazards, such as arc flash,
while offering true color recognition.
Reading magnifiers are offered in a black frame with clear, anti-fog lenses in three diopter strengths.
Meets ANSI Z87.1-2010 (High Impact) standard when worn with or without cushion-lined frame.
Certified to the requirements of CSA Z94.3 standard only when worn with cushion-lined frame.
Uvex Seismic sealed eyewear is also available in a range of diopter strengths - +1.5, +2.0 and +2.5 - for workers needing increased
magnification for reading, inspection, and other fine detail work. The wrap-around design provides exceptional coverage while
precise placement of the magnifiers allows for distortion-free vision.
We are told that some of our contractors are supplying safety glasses with a range in diopter strength - +1.5, +2.0 and +2.5 in
clear lenses only, but they are available at some sites.
Diopters Explained
The optical power of a lens with a focal length of 1 meter (about 39 inches) is said to be 1 diopter. Because the formula is based
on the reciprocal of the focal length, a 2 diopter lens is not 2 meters but 1/2 meter, a 3 diopter lens is 1/3 meter and so forth.
This is important because magnification increases as the focal length gets shorter, which is why a prescription for a higher
diopter correction means you need more magnification.
The optical power of the human eye is about 40 diopters. The eye of a normal young person can adjust an additional 20 diopters.
By age 25 this accommodation (the ability to alter focus) is usually reduced to about 10 diopters and by age 50 to a mere 1
diopter. It is this diminishing capacity for adjustment, called presbyopia, which warrants reading glasses. Reading glasses
compensate for the loss of natural adjustment. Optical power is additive so the correction is straightforward. An optometrist
prescribes a lens that increases the magnifying power of the eye, usually in steps of a quarter-diopter over a range of 1 to 3
diopters. A quarter-diopter is a large enough step that most people can self-prescribe their own reading glasses by simple trial
and error. The level of magnification in the lenses of reading glasses is called diopter strength. A very weak magnification would
be found in reading glasses with a diopter strength of +.75 or +1.00. Off-the-shelf reading glasses sold in drug stores or elsewhere
on the Internet are often offered in diopter strengths that start with 1.50, and with only a few options for stronger lenses. We do
not sell pre-fabricated glasses. Instead, each pair of our glasses is custom fitted by a certified optician. Generally, the eye care
industry classifies reading glasses lenses in diopter strengths that increase by a factor of .25 (e.g., +.75; +1.00: +1.25; +1.50; +1.75;
+2.00; +2.25; +2.50; +2.75; +3.00 etc.).
Presbyopia sometimes affects your left eye and your right eye differently. Therefore, you may need, for example, a +1.50 in your
right eye and a +1.75 in your left eye. This is normal, although many people can overcome their Presbyopia perfectly by using
glasses that have the same diopter strength in each eye. Nevertheless, if you fall in the category of people who need differing lens
strengths for each eye, you could be doing yourself a grave dis-service if you bought a cheap pair of one-size-fits-all drug store
glasses that had the same diopter strength in both lenses. Those are also the kind of stock reading glasses sold on most of the
other Internet sites.
Respectfully submitted,
18
Andy Gruber
Alan Hansen
Rodney Carlson
Bob MacDonald Kenneth Nolan
Tom Bailey
Doug Dory
RMA
1 st RMA G
2 nd CRI B
1 4 th T E L U S
S H O W
L U N CH
CO S T :
P L E AS
RE G I S
1 6 th CRI B
L E
AS
E
P
AY
B
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CH
E
Q
U
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O
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!
APRIL 2 0 1 5
E N E RAL ME E T I N G / L U N CH
W O RL
S : 2 :0 0
: 1 2 :0 0
$ 3 0 .0 0
E P AY
T RAT I O
6 th RMA G E
7 th CRI B
2 1 st CRI B
3 0 th ‘ T H E V E
‘ Martin S
S H O W :
CO S T : $
P L E AS E
RE G I S T
3 rd RMA G
4 th CRI B
1 6 th RMA P
L U N CH
H ambu
CO S T :
P L E AS
RE G I S
1 8 th CRI B
P
CALENDAR and UPCOMING EVENTS
MAY
D O F S CI E N CE
P M and 3 : 0 0 P M
P M ( May f iel d I nn)
P E R P E RS O N
F E E S W IT H
N
TELUS WORLD OF SCIENCE (TWOS)
April 14th, 2015 ~ Shows: 2:00 PM & 3:00 PM
Lunch: 12:00 PM @ Mayfield Inn Restaurant
Name(s):
Address:
Postal Code:
Phone #:
Number of People:
2 0 1 5
N E RAL ME E T I N G / L U N CH
N U E ’ AT RI V E R CRE E
h ort’ Comedian
9 :0 0 P M
3 5 . 0 0 P E R P E RS O N
P AY F E E S W I T H
RAT I O N
J UNE 2 0 1 5
E N E RAL ME E T I N G / L U N CH
I CN I C AT RU N D L E P ARK
: 1 2 : 0 0 P M( N O O N )
rg ers, h ot dog s, & drink s
$ 1 5 . 0 0 P E R P E RS O N
E P AY F E E S W I T H
T RAT I O N
Fees enclosed @ $30.00/person:
PLEASE PAY FEES AT TIME OF REGISTRATION.
REGISTER EARLY AS THESE EVENTS OFTEN SELL OUT
‘THE VENUE’ AT RIVER CREE CASINO
“Martin Short” World Famous Comedian
May 30th, 2015 ~ Show: 9:00 PM
Name(s):
Address:
Postal Code:
Phone #:
Number of People:
Fees enclosed @ $35.00/person:
PLEASE PAY FEES AT TIME OF REGISTRATION.
REGISTER EARLY AS THESE EVENTS OFTEN SELL OUT
RMA PICNIC AT RUNDLE PARK
June 16th, 2015 ~ Lunch: 12:00 PM
Name(s):
RMA
S OCIAL COMMITTEE
J ack H u bl er
7 8 0 -4 6 6 -6
J im H omeniu k
7 8 0 -4 7 6 -0
L eon H u sereau
7 8 0 -4 5 8 -5
O sk ar N erenberg
7 8 0 -4 6 5 -2
Address:
3 1
7 6
0 7
0 1
Postal Code:
0
Number of People:
8
2
1
Phone #:
Fees enclosed @ $15.00/person:
PLEASE PAY FEES AT TIME OF REGISTRATION.
REGISTER EARLY AS THESE EVENTS OFTEN SELL OUT
PLEASE NOTE:
As many of our trips & events have a maximum number of participants, we will require that
you register EARLY with fees payable at time of registration.
Please make cheques payable to:
Forward Form and Fees to:
(780) 452-7080
LU 488 Retired Members Association
Shelley Klassen, RMA Liaison
UA Local Union #488
16214 - 118 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5V 1M6
19
POLITICAL ACTION & EDUCATION
Committee
It seems to be that there is never a shortage of 'political activity' in the city, the province or in the country. There is a
strong possibility of a 2015 spring election in the province of Alberta and a federal election in the fall of 2015.
The Federal Harper Government has been sitting in parliament since late January of 2015 and except for a short break,
will continue sittng until the Easter break of 2015. All political parties that will be involved in the federal election are
in the process of scoring political points and getting prepared for the upcoming fall election. Our understanding
is that the Harper Government has not withdrawn Bill C-377. It appears that it is still at the senate. The Committee
will attempt to get an update regarding this unnecessary and uncaring proposed legislation.
Along with everyone else we are waiting for the fallout from the decline in the price of a barrel of oil. Up to this time
the drop in the price has had an effect on negotiations, also the financial situation of the province of Alberta has been
seriously affected. This is creating many difficult circumstances for the province of Alberta and the financial situations
for all cities, towns and municipalities and many other groups that make up the citizens of Alberta.
The Provincial Legislature will commence sitting on March 10, 2015 with a budget to be introduced shortly afterward.
It is quite possible that an announcement for a provincial election will be made for some time in the spring of 2015.
This will present an interesting situation for the Political Action Committee. Once the legislature is in session, the
economy will be the focus of much attention but also Health Care and Education issues will get their share of the
questions.
The price of a barrel of oil has no doubt affected the economy in the cities, however, in Edmonton there is still a fair
amount of construction activity. Contractors that have collective agreements with the Building Trades have been
successful in getting contracts in a number of the projects in the city, but the other organizations that are in opposition
to the Building Trades are certainly getting their share of the contracts as well and perhaps even more than their share.
The Building Trades Contractors have the best trained employees and should be able to obtain their share of the
available contracts and projects.
The Political Action Committee (PAC) would like to thank the members for their continued interest and support.
Respectfully submitted,
Jack Hubler
Bill Wilson
Carl Wilson
Peter Gardner
Stu MacLeod
Sean Johnston
RMA REPORT
Retired Members Association
2015 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President: John P. (Jack) Hubler
Secretary: Marge Barnes
Members at Large:
Vice President: Brian Filax
Treasurer: Jim Homeniuk
Oskar Nerenberg
Marv Kowalchuk
Leon Husereau
Dave Campbell
Mel Brenneis
The RMA Social Committee as always continues to be busy organizing and setting up all the interesting and
enjoyable events and trips for the members. As well, the RMA continues to keep the Coffee Counter functioning,
as well as the Visiting Committee, Crib Tournament and looking after the Vending Machines and the garden.
The Golf Club and Dinner Club continues to provide some excellent opportunities for those who wish to
participate and want to see old colleagues and meet new friends.
All retired members and their spouses are invited to attend the Retired Members Association events including
Lunch and the General Meetings held in the Norman Darbyshire Dispatch Hall on the first Wednesday of each
month, excluding July and August. Lunches commence at 12:00 PM with the meeting following at 1:00 PM. All
Widows of deceased retired members, all widowers if they are retired members or single retired members are invited
to bring one guest to all the events at the price outlined in the ‘Pipeline’. All events are advertised in the ‘Pipeline’
newsletter which includes dates, prices and locations.
All retired members and their spouses as well as those others outlined in this report, are encouraged to participate
in the RMA activities where you will meet with friends and colleagues.
20
NOTICE OF NOMINATION
FOR
UA CANADIAN CONFERENCE DELEGATES
AT THE MARCH 28, 2015 GENERAL MEMBER MEETING
Ten (10) Journeyman members will be elected to attend the
UA CANADIAN CONFERENCE ~ TORONTO, ONTARIO ~ AUGUST 18 - 19, 2015
The UA Canadian Conference is held bi-yearly to discuss the business of the
UA in Canada and to make and vote on resolutions that will govern the
operations of Canadian Locals. Future programs and strategies for the UA
in Canada will also be presented at this important conference.
In order to run, a member must be a Journeyman and have dues paid or sufficient credit
for January 2015, by noon, (5:00 PM), March 27, 2015 and be a member in good standing
for one (1) year (prior to March 1, 2015).
In the event that an elected Delegate cannot attend this Conference, alternates will be
chosen from the ballot list in order of votes received.
Balloting/Election will take place at the General Meeting, Saturday, June 13, 2015. In the
event of a tie, a run-off election will take place at this same meeting.
It will be the elected Delegates’ and Alternates’, responsibility to ensure he/she remains
in good standing up to and including the month of the conference.
RETIREMENTS
RONALD BLACKBURN ~ JANUARY 1, 2015 ~ 32 YEARS
VITO CARAMIA ~ MARCH 1, 2015 ~ 37 YEARS
STEPHEN COMEAU ~ JANUARY 1, 2015 ~ 36 YEARS
ROBERT CRAWFORD ~ JANUARY 1, 2015 ~ 35 YEARS
EUGENE DANILAK ~ JANUARY 1, 2015 ~ 32 YEARS
CLAUDE DOUCET ~ NOVEMBER 1, 2014 ~ 35 YEARS
CLARENCE DUPUIS ~ DECEMBER 1, 2014 ~ 14 YEARS
JEFFREY HAM ~ MARCH 1, 2015 ~ 33 YEARS
WILLIAM HELLER ~ JANUARY 1, 2015 ~ 35 YEARS
BRIAN HOLLANDS ~ JANUARY 1, 2015 ~ 37 YEARS
JOHN HUDDLESTAN ~ DECEMBER 1, 2014 ~ 32 YEARS
MICHAEL HUEMMERT ~ FEBRUARY 1, 2015 ~ 15 YEARS
CRAIG E. JOHNSON ~ JANUARY 1, 2015 ~ 36 YEARS
STUART JOHNSON ~ FEBRUARY 1, 2015 ~ 14 YEARS
RICK KOVACS ~ JANUARY 1, 2015 ~ 35 YEARS
KO WOONG LEE ~ DECEMBER 1, 2014 ~ 8 YEARS
WILLIAM LEEMAN ~ DECEMBER 1, 2014 ~ 32 YEARS
GERALD LYONS ~ JANUARY 1, 2015 ~ 35 YEARS
GEORGE W MARTIN ~ JANUARY 1, 2015 ~ 27 YEARS
KELVIN MCELDERRY ~ JANUARY 1, 2015 ~ 24 YEARS
MITCHELL MELTON ~ DECEMBER 1, 2014 ~ 18 YEARS
ALAN MILL ~ JANUARY 1, 2015 ~ 48 YEARS
WENDELL MORGAN ~ JANUARY 1, 2015 ~ 13 YEARS
ANDREW MROZ ~ FEBRUARY 1, 2015 ~ 7 YEARS
PAUL MURPHY ~ JANUARY 1, 2015 ~ 25 YEARS
PETER NEARY ~ JANUARY 1, 2015 ~ 34 YEARS
EVALD NORDLUND ~ JANUARY 1, 2015 ~ 33 YEARS
JUBBIE NYATHI ~ JANUARY 1, 2015 ~ 16 YEARS
DONALD ORD ~ JANUARY 1, 2015 ~ 39 YEARS
GEORGE QUINLAN ~ FEBRUARY 1, 2015 ~ 38 YEARS
RICHARD M.RASBERRY ~ JANUARY 1, 2015 ~ 19 YEARS
JEAN MARC RIVEST ~ FEBRUARY 1, 2015 ~ 32 YEARS
RAMON A. ROBINSON ~ MARCH 1, 2015 ~ 32 YEARS
LLOYD MAXWELL ROSE ~ JANUARY 1, 2015 ~ 25 YEARS
DONALD TARRABAIN ~ JANUARY 1, 2015 ~ 17 YEARS
KEN IRVING TRIDER ~ JANUARY 1, 2015 ~ 24 YEARS
ALAIN TREMBLAY ~ MARCH 1, 2015 ~ 13 YEARS
RON YANCHUK ~ FEBRUARY 1, 2015 ~ 16 YEARS
21
488 MAIL BOX
22
488 MAIL BOX
Dear Members of Local 488.
I hope you are having an excellent start to 2015! I am writing with some
very positive and exciting news.
I started off the 2015 half with a few weeks of training on the Calgary
track before heading to Lake Placid, NY. My team was there for two
weeks, joined by the team representing Ontario to combine for almost a
full Canadian ballot. We spent two weeks in the frigid town, the first
week of training, and the second week of official training with two races.
Lake Placid is notorious for being a very technically difficult track, but
I had great runs in training and was feeling confident as ever. I got paired
up with one of the Ontario brakeman, Cynthia Appatha for both races.
In the first race we had great ice conditions. Cynthia and I out pushed the
field by a whopping 3 tenths, but after the first heat were only in the lead
by 1 hundredth. In the second heat we improved our push by 3
hundredths. If we would have been pushing in the World Cup race we
actually would have had the 6th fastest push (quite impressive). I drove
very constantly and we won the race by just over 6 tenths. Not only was this my medal finish but it was my first win. The
second race was very similar. We out pushed most of the sleds by 3 tenths and won again by over 6 tenths. Could not have been
more excited and proud to win both races!
We then left straight to Park City, Utah. Again, we had a week of training followed by a week of official training and two races.
The only difference was that there were a few more woman's sleds entering the race and after the two 2man races there were
two 4man races. The track in Park City is very different than Lake Placid. It is not technical and quite easy to get down, but it
is very difficult to go fast. I had a little bit of a hard time in the first week adjusting and my downtimes were not competitive
with the rest of the field. Then we were faced with a big decision. One of the men's 4 man sleds from New Zealand had to drop
out of the race, leaving only 7 sleds. A race can't be fielded without a minimum 8 sleds. The American women had already
entered a 4 woman team. This is the first year ever that any sled can have a combination of genders compete in international
races, but it was going to be the first time anyone had entered a 4 woman team. We had an extra 4 man sled with us because one
of our boys got called up to Europe, and my coach asked if I would be interested in entering. I was hesitant because I hadn't
been driving perfectly and it would mean taking away training time from my 2 woman sled. I was also nervous, driving a 4 man
sled is like driving a semi truck vs a sports car and now I had 3 people behind me, not just 1. After some confidence was instilled
in me from my coach I agreed and entered. We would combine the two national development 2 woman teams to make one 4
woman team and I would drive. We did just two runs during official training, enough to qualify for the race, then the focus was
back to the 2woman.
The first race was really close. I was teamed up with my usual brakeman Josee. We pushed well, second and third fastest pushes
of the day. After the first heat we were in second by only 5 hundredths of a second. Again I drove very constantly, and put
together a solid second run, enough to pull ahead and win! The second race I was with another teammate, Courtenay. Although
we exceeded our expectations and were the second fastest team on the push, the margin was very tight. I drove well in the first
heat but we were sitting in third by three tenths. The second heat I drove exceptionally well until I
made a crucial error near the bottom of the track. We finished in third, out of gold by 0.28 of a second.
Overall I was very happy with the results. The last two races gave me enough points to win the overall
event. And I finished as the North Americas Cup 2 woman champion. It was an incredible feeling,
and apparently exceeded most of my coaches’ expectations.
After two tough races the media started to buzz about the 4 person event. This was the first time ever
in history that 4 woman would push a bobsled in an international race. I was lucky enough to draw
ahead of the American women, so we were actually the first ever all woman sled down the track. I
was surprised how well I was able to navigate the sled having such little experience. Although the allmen's sled us beat us by a large margin, it was important to note they had an 85 kg advantage on us
heading down the track. Girls will never weigh as much as the boys. We out-pushed and beat the
American woman's sled by quite a bit, and came 7th in both races. It was a blast to be able to compete
in the event, and we were honored to be part of another step in breaking down gender barriers.
Again, I thank you and Local 488 for being a part of my journey. I've included a few pictures from
the last 2 months, as well as links to one of the news articles I was featured in.
23
U
LOCAL 488 OFFICERS
President
Ken Klassen
Vice President
Ivan Penny
Business Manager/Financial Secretary
Larry Matychuk
Treasurer
Jack Hubler
Recording Secretary
Brian Filax
Inside Guard
Oskar Nerenberg
Business Agents
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Shaw Conference Centre
9797 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, AB
AWARDS (25 - 45 YEARS) @ 3:00 PM
COCKTAILS @ 6:00 PM
BUFFET DINNER @ 7:00 PM
AWARDS (50+ YEARS) @ 8:00 PM
DANCE @ 9:00 PM - 1:00 AM
~ LIVE MUSIC ~
Tickets are $45.00 per person
TICKETS AVAILABLE UNTIL MARCH 27 , 2015
At the Edmonton Local Union Office
16214 - 118 Avenue ~ Main Floor
TH
SUBMISSIONS: Please submit contributions electronically, Attention: Pipeline
Newsletter Editor via e-mail to lorie.bronson@local488.ca. Contributions are invited
from officers and members of UA Local Union 488.
PLEASE NOTE: Articles, statements or other materials published are not to be
construed as the opinion or policy of the Union or this paper.
*printed by ABC Press
FOR EASIER CONNECTION, CALL EACH DEPARTMENT DIRECTLY!
Edmonton Office ~ Phone: (780) 452-7080 (press 5) // Fax: (780) 452-1291
Fort McMurray Office ~ Phone: (780) 791-6488 // Fax: (780) 790-9393
Calgary Office ~ Phone: (403) 253-3516 // Fax: (403) 253-3534
Health & Welfare Office ~ Phone: (780) 452-1331 // Fax: (780) 487-4063
EPT - Education Office ~ Phone: (780) 488-1266 // Fax: (780) 482-9520
Welding Shop ~ Phone: (780) 451-6880 // Fax: (780) 454-6040
Edmonton Dispatch Tape ~ Phone: (780) 451-3620 • call tape after 4:30 pm
www.local488.ca ( View available Job Calls on-line! )
Edmonton Office ~ 16214 - 118 Avenue • Edmonton, AB • T5V 1M6
Fort McMurray Office ~ 9703A Franklin Avenue • Fort McMurray, AB • T9H 2K1
Calgary Office ~ 162, 6223 - 2 Street SE • Calgary, AB • T2H 1J5
EPT - Education Office ~ 16120 - 118 Avenue • Edmonton, AB • T5V 1C6
Welding Shop ~ 16107 - 121A Avenue • Edmonton, AB • T5V 1H1
24
Barry Pruden, Tom Baliey, Robert Taylor, Rod McKay,
Stu MacLeod, Rodney Carlson
LOCAL 488 COMMITTEES
Alberta & NWT Building Construction
Trades Council
Eric Adams, A. (Jimbo) Brown, Dave Campbell, Jack
Hubler, Bill Johnston, Rob Rankin, Desmond (JJ) Francis,
James (Jim) Sharp, Kelly Twa, Carl (Flip) Wilson,
Alberta Refrigeration Health/Welfare &
Pension Trustees
Larry Matychuk, Brian Hearn, Bryan Rooney,
Michael Harper
Benevolent Fund Committee
Andy Heron, Shelley Klassen, Stu MacLeod, Rod McKay,
Barry Pruden, Glen Sargent
Edmonton Pipe Trades
Fraternal and Building Society
Tom Bailey, Dave Campbell, Clark Cruickshank,
Andy Herbert, Jack Hubler, Ivan Penny, &
Robert Taylor
Education Trust Fund Trustees
Tom Bailey, Bill Johnston
Election Committee (UA Local 488)
Desmond (JJ) Francis, Dave Olechow,
Dave Campbell, Ingrid Franchuk
Entertainment Committee
Jean Deslauriers, Brian Filax, Leanna Nelson, Irene
Herbert, Mike Todd, Jimbo Brown, Pauline Lavallee,
Dwight York, Jose DaSilva & Sean Johnston
Examining Board
Derrick Gilbert, Keith Black, Scott Fulmer,
Jim Homeniuk, Richard Gomez
Executive Board
Carl J. Wilson, Clark Cruickshank,
Rob Rankin, Terry Frazer
Finance Committee
Lorin Bates, Pascal Contant, Bill Wilson
Health & Safety Committee
Tom Bailey, Rod Carlson, Andy Gruber, Allan Hansen,
Bob MacDonald, Kenneth Nolan
Health & Welfare & Pension Trustees
Lee Adkins, Barry Pruden, Robert Taylor
Joint Conference Board
Clark Cruickshank, Andy Gruber, Andy Herbert, Kenneth
Nolan, Glen Sargent, Carl (Flip) Wilson
Political Action & Education Committee
Pete Gardner, Jack Hubler, Stu MacLeod, Bill Wilson,
Carl (Flip) Wilson, Sean Johnston
Retired Members Association
Jack Hubler, Marge Barnes, Brian Filax, Jim Homeniuk,
Dave Francis, Oskar Nerenberg, Leon Husereau, Mel
Brenneis, Marv Kowalchuk
Supplementary Benefit Trust Fund
Eric Adams, Hank Blakely, Ivan Penny,
Robert Taylor, Bill Wilson
Welders Advisory Committee
Carl (Flip) Wilson, Jimbo Brown, John Thalen,
Bob Johnston, Miles Paquette, Mike Wipf, Ken Ross,
Hamed Ibrahim