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 Special recognition is coming for members who help organize(December 2007) By Gary Kroeker, Business Manager As another year comes to a close, it is important to reflect on the past 12 months. During that time, your organization made progress in building the membership. Our goal of 5% growth was not met, but we did increase our membership significantly, which was the ultimate goal. This growth came about as a result of a lot of hard work, dedication and commitment from staff, and more importantly from the members. Almost every success in organizing was a direct result of membership participation. You, the member, are the best conduit for getting the word out about the benefits and security of belonging to a real union. You know what representation, security, training, education and worker advocacy programs are really about. In Local 115, we don’t just talk about doing—we do. Thank you to those who took on the challenge and participated in the ongoing building of the union. Currently, we do not have a clear and consistent policy on how best to recognize members for their commitment, dedication and involvement. A pat on the back is not enough. Early this coming year, your officers will be making recommendations to the Executive Board on how best to acknowledge those members who have gone out of their way to assist. We are also in an early stage of rebranding the Local Union to better reflect who we are, what we do and why. You may have noticed some preliminary changes such as the ad on the back page of this edition of OE News. We will be doing more as 2008 progresses. The world of work is changing. We must recognize these changes and adapt to them. We are proud of past achievements and our role in society, bringing change to the work place in terms of safety, skill enhancements, apprenticeship training programs and a host of other benefits for the membership. We have never sacrificed our principles; we want for others what we desire for ourselves. We are a real union. We don’t play host to the merit shop by putting employers’ needs ahead of those of the members. In the area of recruitment, our union must make the transition from reactive to proactive to connect to today’s workers and address their issues. Workers have always wanted fairness, respect, flexibility, security and continuous employment. However, today things are more complex. Our members’ needs go beyond those of the past. Real unions are dealing with issues such as the duty to accommodate (taking measures to eliminate disadvantages of employees), environmental awareness, human rights, one-sided Labour Board decisions and support for members who do not speak English as their first language, to name but a few. We cannot hold onto old ideology, thinking “it was good enough then and it’s good enough now.” Transitions do not come about overnight, but we must address current issues and prepare for changes still to come. We are troubled by the recent announcement by the Environmental Review Committee regarding the Kemess North project. More than 250 members will be affected by the committee’s decision against supporting Northgate Minerals’ proposal to open up the property’s north sector—an action that would have prolonged the life of the mine for another 10 years. The full effect goes beyond the membership to the entire mining community. Federal and provincial ministries will have the final word on approval or rejection of Northgate’s proposal. We will be watching closely. The coming year is shaping up as another banner year in all areas. Some major projects will wind up, but more will start. Our hats are off to the employers and members who have done an excellent job on several major projects: Canron for PCL at the new Convention Centre, BA Blacktop for Graham Construction on the Prince Rupert Port Project, and KWH Constructors at the Richmond skating venue for Dominion Fairmile. We helped these general contractors get the job done right. In closing, enjoy the holiday season and all the best for 2008. |
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