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Union contractors losing contracts by narrow margins (June 2008) By Gary Kinnear, Member Representative and Brad Gerow, Member Representative We hope the work picture will improve this summer. Not a lot of construction work has been let. Now is a good time to talk again about organizing. The Okanagan Valley is a nest of rat union employers. There are also many unorganized workers. Peter Brothers got the $1.5 million Kelowna paving contract, beating our contractor, Emil Anderson Construction, by just $1,800. I cannot understand why the city leaders would award such a close contract to an outside (Penticton) contractor when local taxpaying union people could have done the job. This company should have been assigned to a legitimate union company. Non-union Arthon Construction got a $38 million job north of Summerland, beating a union contractor by a mere $232,000. The employees of this company deserve the representation and collective agreement of a proper union—Local 115, your union. With the economy strong and qualified people in short supply, the time is ripe for organizing. Your Local Union needs your help to secure a prosperous future. Call with your tips, attend your district meetings—GET INVOLVED! Negotiation update The collective agreements for Gable Construction and Sure Crop Feeds have been completed. We are currently working on an agreement for Action Concrete, True Fit Form Rentals, Village of Cache Creek and Cache Creek Machine Shop. By the time you receive this, the Brant Tractor negotiations will have started, as well as Williams Machinery, Coneco, Cummings, Kamloops Jet Vac and Grand Forks Ready Mix. Project update Vancouver Pile Driving and Emil Anderson Construction are continuing with work on the Kelowna bridge. CGL Contracting is very busy with jobs throughout the Okanagan Valley. Columbia Hydro Constructors is busy working on the No. 5 generator at the Revelstoke Dam. Brentwood Enterprises is doing service work up towards the ski hill. Heading west, there are rumours of new projects (Hoffman Bluffs, etc.), but nothing concrete as of yet. In the Kamloops area, Dawson Construction is working at the airport and has the in-town paving this year. Work is continuing at Tobiano. Cache Creek Landfill We are waiting to see what happens with the Cache Creek Landfill. The politicians and bureaucrats in the Lower Mainland will decide whether to keep the Cache Creek option going or send our trash and jobs south of the border. If they decide to go south, some 120 jobs will be lost. These are unionized, good-paying jobs for people who pay taxes and support their families and the local economy. Is this what you voted for? Talk to your MLAs. In closing, we hope you have a safe and prosperous work year. Remember, attend your Local Union meetings and help organize. |
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