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District 6
Along with a lot of work comes organizing Line Creek investing in apprentices (October 2007)  Along with a lot of work comes organizingBy Brian Lefevre, Member Representative This summer was busy for the construction sector in the Kootenays. With the windup of the Brilliant Dam project came an explosion in the residential market. On Aug. 1, only 28 members who were booked in were available for work. Wow! Busy is good, but it can be deceiving. As we get to work, so do the CLAC and non-union companies. We must not be lulled into a false sense of security. Our market share is not growing fast enough. When the economic adjustment comes, as it did in the ’80s, it will be lean times again for many. There have been many references in OE News about the need to organize so that we can increase market share. Organizing needs to be ongoing, and everyone needs to pitch in and get involved. Your union is here when you need assistance. Your union is out there fighting on your behalf to keep what our predecessors fought for. We all need to pull in the same direction and get our market share back. When we reach our goal, it might not look like it did in the ’60s and ’70s when it was easier to make gains for the membership. However, it will look better than what we have today with CLAC and others sinking to new lows in their collective agreements. How do we get there? Attend union meetings. Read the newsletter. Tell people how you have benefited from your union membership through a successful WCB appeal or grievance. Tell them how the union benefits our communities by providing volunteers, making donations and offering scholarships. Tell them about our regular democratic elections. Can CLAC claim the same? I don’t think so. Work safely.  Line Creek investing in apprenticesBy Gordon Chaisson, Member Representative The rotating summer shutdowns at the coal mines affected our members at other companies as well. No work is no work. Christmas shutdowns are also on schedule, generally starting on Dec. 24 and going to Jan. 3. However, this break is usually welcomed because it allows members to spend time with family over the holidays. The Line Creek Mine has been hiring employees. We’ll also be bringing in apprentices in the near future due to the fact that the apprenticeship quotas are low. If more employers would invest in apprenticeships, maybe the shortages of skilled labour could be alleviated, both in the province and across Canada. Oh, dare to dream! |
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