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 Cooperation and tenacity pay offBy Brian Cochrane, Assistant Business Manager On Jan. 12, the B.C. Association for Crane Safety and WorkSafeBC announced new regulations for crane operators. Assessments and competency testing will be in place by Dec. 31, 2007. The job is far from over, but progress is being made in bringing structure to this industry. Many of our members have done a great job in speaking out on this issue and they are the legacy builders for future generations. Congratulations and thank you for your efforts. This has been a great example of government, contractors and the operators who run the equipment working together for the betterment of the industry. The Foreign Worker Program There have been many changes affecting the construction industry. The abuse of the federal government’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program is one. Some employers claim that foreign workers are required to complete the numerous projects in Canada. However, the fundamental issue of training Canadians to provide future skills gets lost in the fog. Many of the temporary workers are brought here by labour brokers. The government does very little to monitor what conditions these people work under. We recently discovered a foreign worker labour broker who arranged to have seven people live in a one-bedroom apartment as part of their employment contract. This is disgraceful. For some of these workers, the conditions here may be better than where they came from, but when they are put to work for substantially less than our agreements and standards, it is bad for everyone. Last year, one contractor was paying $3.77 per hour to employ an underground miner who came from South America. Enough pressure was put on the contractor to make him increase the rate to $14 per hour. What a deal! The miner had to pay for his own room and board out of that amount, but he saw his wages increase 300%! We all know companies that would love to hire this guy. He’s happy to receive $14 per hour, willingly pays for his own room and board and has a lot of skilled experience. What does that mean for the rest of us? Imagine the pressure that puts on decent union contractors who have to compete in this environment. When the government allows unscrupulous contractors to get away with this, it not only hurts the temporary workers but you too. Eventually, the contractor will want the same deal from you! The average British Columbian who wants to buy a house, accept a mortgage, feed a family, pay for transportation and all the basics will feel the effect of the government turning a blind eye to this issue. The government should be making sure that when temporary foreign workers are approved to work in Canada, the contractors who employ them pay market rates. If not, it creates a slippery slope for all Canadians. Many unions looking at construction True craft unions have the resources and the skills and invest in training. However, many outside influences are forcing changes. As many of you know, the Provincial Council of Carpenters has merged with the Communication Energy and Paperworkers’ Union. The International Carpenters (Floorlayers) have started a union called CAST (Canadian Association of Skilled Trades). The Canadian Auto Workers is also moving into the construction industry in Ontario, and the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC) has been up to its usual tricks signing inferior agreements. Our future may see different alliances develop that are necessary to advance the interests of our membership. As a result of the support from the International Office, the local continues to benefit from a complement of four organizers on staff. Organizing will remain a strong focus for 2007. Improvements always our goal We are continually working on improving services and benefits for our members. Increasing our share of the market remains a number one priority for the Local Union. A strong and united membership, a healthy construction market and an increased union market share are our keys to a positive future. Work safe. |
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