Prairie Arctic Regional Council

Contact Us

Winnipeg:

Ph: 204-774-1609

Fax: 204-786-6811

87 Cole Avenue

Winnipeg, MB R2L 1J3

Regina:

Ph: 306-585-0900

Fax: 306-584-7477

1170 Winnipeg Street

Regina, SK S4R 1J6

Saskatoon:

Ph: 306-382-4355

Fax: 306-382-5828

418 50th Street East

Saskatoon, SK S7K 6L7

Toll Free:

1-888-271-3908

www.myparc.ca

S P R I N G

2 0 1 2

New Council, New Logo,

What does it all mean?

In honour of the new merged council we have de-

veloped a new Prairie Arctic Regional Council logo.

Each element of the logo has been chosen with care

to represent the council and unite all the different

arms of our organization under one banner. Each

part and colour symbolizes something important to

the union and its members.

You will recognize the shield in the middle from the

original design of the official emblem of the United

Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America

which was adopted in August 1884 at the General

Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. The motto in the

centre “Labor Omnia Vincit” is Latin for “Labour

conquers all things”. The other elements of the

shield mean the following:

The Rule: signifying the desire of the organization to

live by the Golden Rule— “Do unto others as we

wish others to do unto us.”

The Compass: indicating that we shall endeavor to

surround our members with better conditions so-

cially, morally, and intellectually.

The Jack Plane: a tool emblematic of the trade.

The colors: pale blue signifying ideas as pure, clean

and lofty as the skies, while the dark red denotes

that ‘labour is honorable’, and through honorable

labour red blood flows through the veins of those

who toil.

The Shield: or base of the emblem; indicating that

those legally wearing the emblem are morally

bound to safeguard and protect the interests of the

organization and its members.

Source: The Carpenter, January/February, 2001

The wings on either side of the shield hold the sym-

bols for the four regions that the council encom-

passes. On the far left is a representation of the Nu-

navut Flag and next to it is Manitoba’s Coat of Arms.

On the right you see the Coat of Arms for the North

West Territories and Saskatchewan (right to left).

The ring surrounding the shield, joins the provinces

and encircles the union logo to bring all the mem-

bers—carpenters, drywallers, millwrights and allied

workers—under the leadership of the Prairie Arctic

Regional Council.

This new council logo truly represents that we are

all part of a bigger and stronger organization than

our individual trades or locals on their own. Every-

one should take pride in their contribution to the

United Brotherhood and feel secure in the represen-

tation that the Prairie Arctic Regional Council pro-

vides for them. The Council looks forward to being

your agent for change in its broadened capacity for

the union.

In This Issue:

P 2 Saskatchewan Regional Manager

P 3 Manitoba Millwright

Representative

P 4 Saskatchewan

Millwright Representative

Monthly Member

Meetings

P 5 Manitoba Carpenter

Representative

Director of Council

Operations

P 6 Saskatchewan

Carpenter Representative

P 7 Manitoba Training

P 9 Political Action

P 11 Newsletter Name Contest

Apprentice Graduates

P 13 Northern Regional Manager

P 14 Contact Us

Saskatchewan

Reception: 306-382-4355

Regional Manager

Kelvin Goebel : 306-585-0900

Fax 306-584-7477

Carpenter Representative

Lee Naylor: 306-683-0269

Fax 306-683-0667

Millwright Representative

Clarence George: 306-382-4355

Fax 306-382-5828

Union Recruitment/Organizers

Don Huber: 306-585-0900

Fax 306-584-7477

Colin Wiest: 306-382-0900

Fax 306-584-7477

Head Instructor

Robin Mullock: 306-934-8224

Employee Benefits

Saskatchewan:

FAS

1-800-770-2998

Manitoba:

Coughlin and Associates

100-175 Hargrave Street

Winnipeg, MB R3C 3R8

942-4438 or 1-888-204-1234

Manitoba

Reception: 204-774-1609

Executive Secretary-Treasurer

Jason Rowe: Ext 2227

Regional Manager/Director of

Organizing

John Reczek: Ext 2231

Carpenters Representative

Sean Ramsay: Ext 2228

Millwrights Representative

Alan Szmerski: Ext 2223

Training Director

Kristina Peterson: Ext. 2236

Training Registration

Denise Schimnowski: Ext. 2222

Union Organizer

Lloyd Jacobson: Ext. 2231

Outreach Coordinator

Charlie Moar: Ext 2234

Accounting Department

Karen Epp: Ext 2224

Jessie Eilers: Ext 2225

Director of Council Operations

Samantha Warden: Ext. 2226

Northern Regional Manager

Wayne McLennan: 781-3313

792-3758

Northern Representative

Brian Smith Ext. 2231

Out of Work Line Ext. 2232

Letter from the Executive Secretary-Treasurer

Executive Secretary-Treasurer

Jason Rowe

In August of 2011, UBC Vice-president for

the Canadian district, Jim Smith, announced

that the Manitoba and Saskatchewan region-

al councils would merge. The expectation

was that the merger would be finalized by

December 31st, 2011. This was a tight time-

line but the staff and members of both coun-

cils made it possible with their hard work,

dedication and support. I would like to take

this opportunity to thank everyone for what

they did, and how they did it.

The members saw the advantages to the

merger and most of the calls and comments

were positive once people understood what

the merger meant to them and realized that,

going forward, the new council would be

even stronger than what had previously been

in place. The staff in both provinces also add-

ed their support to the new structure and

provided positive ideas and an extensive

amount of knowledge to the project. This

meant that we could take everything that

was being done successfully in both areas

and bring it all together to make what should

turn out to be a Regional Council that every-

one can be proud to be a member of.

There will obviously be some growing pains,

some items to be worked out and the occa-

sional wrong turn but together, as members

and staff, we can iron things out and look

forward to a bright future under the new

Prairie Arctic Regional Council.

I hope that you and your families all have a

good summer and I look forward to meeting

you or seeing some of you again at a union

meeting or union function in the near future.

Take care, and stay safe!

Fraternally,

Jason Rowe

If you are interested in attending the 125th

Anniversary Celebration Gala of the Carpenters

Local Union 343 this October at the Fairmont

Hotel, please let the office know as soon as

possible but no later than June 1. Call reception

at 204-774-1609 to reserve your seats.

Attendance Deadline: June 1, 2012

125th

Local 343 125th Anniversary

October 6, 2012

If you are having any issues or problems

that you need to resolve with your local

union please follow the proper channels

of communications in the order that

follows:

1. Your local Business Representative

2. Your Regional Manager

3. The Executive Secretary Treasurer:

Jason Rowe

4. The Vice President:

Jim Smith

Please do not contact the next person in

command until you have tried to resolve

things with the previous representative

and have not achieved the desired results.

PROPER

COMMUNICATION

CHANNELS

Looking To The Future Of Our Brotherhood

Saskatchewan Regional Manager

Kelvin Goebel

A Brief Introduction To Our Work In The North

Northern Regional Manager

Wayne McLennan

The Prairie

Arctic Re-

gional Coun-

cil, Nunavut

and North-

west Terri-

tories Initia-

tive began

with our

representatives attending a convention of

the Greater Northwest Territorial Federation

of Labour. This allowed us to introduce our-

selves and to promote the development of a

Safer Schools and Communities program to

be sponsored by organized labour in the

territories. The second step included spend-

ing a five week period living and learning in

Pangnirtung Nunavut to get familiarized with

the people, land and culture.

Part of the time in Pangnirtung was spent

doing community projects such as rebuilding

and installing a landing and new set of stairs

at the Uqqurmiut Center - a local tapestry

and print workshop. This particular project

gave me an opportunity to talk with the lo-

cals and begin explaining who we are and

what we do.

Another focus has been the community of

Arviat, where, as a result of a working rela-

tionship with carpenter Rod Barton, Airo

Pameolik contacted us. He began the pro-

cess that resulted in many workers joining

the union and Pameolik Construction signing

the first Carpenters’ Collective Agreement in

Nunavut. Now we are working in Arviat to

establish another center in the Kivalliq Re-

gion of Nunavut.

We have also begun talking to communities,

government and industry in the Northwest

Territories and will continue the process as

established in Nunavut.

The region offers many challenges and op-

portunities for our union and its residents.

We offer potential careers and training that

have not existed before. The ability for

members to travel to work and gain experi-

ence, wealth and certification is a powerful

tool. Work in the North is often unavailable

to locals and companies have difficulty bid-

ding on work without certified employees.

Our combination of training, mobility and

sustainability will be a force to be reckoned

with.

Since our first visit we have returned to

Pangnirtung to begin negotiations with the

Hamlet in order to establish a Regional Cen-

ter for Baffin Island. We are currently look-

ing at a joint

venture to re-

habilitate an

abandoned

health care

facility that will

serve as our center and meet community

needs for space.

The following web links will take you on a

virtual tour of the North and the communi-

ties and people we are working with.

Hamlet of Pangnirtung:

http://www.pangnirtung.ca/home

Hamlet of Arviat:

http://www.arviat.ca/

City of Iqaluit:

http://www.city.iqaluit.nu.ca/

Nunavut:

http://www.nunavuttourism.com/

default.aspx

Northwest Territories:

http://www.spectacularnwt.com/

Yellowknife:

http://www.yellowknife.ca/

The Uqqurmiut Center in Pangnirtung:

http://www.uqqurmiut.com/

I leave you with the view of Cumberland

Sound in late July.

View of Pangnirtung and Pangnirtung Fiord.

Uqqurmiut Center with new deck and stairs. Young local

who stopped to help.

New Benefit of the Merged Prairie Arctic Regional Council:

You no longer need to go through the work of switching locals in order to work in any of the council regions. This means

that you can remain a member of your home local and work in the neighbouring Province. Contact your local for more

information. Given that this is the first newsletter since

the establishment of the Prairie Arctic Re-

gional Council, I thought it best to provide a

short biography of myself for those of you I

have not had the chance to meet yet. I be-

gan my career in the UBC thirty six years ago

in 1976 by joining Local

1867; later it became

Local 1985 as a result of

several mergers. From

1976 to 1991 I worked on

the tools, primarily in the

plant as a carpenter for a pre-cast company

commonly known as Con-Force Structures.

For brief periods during those years I also

had the opportunity to work for Ellis Don

Construction, Federated Co-op and Kilborn-

Fluor. I began my apprenticeship in 1978 and

gained my journeyperson status in 1982.

During those years I also became increasing-

ly active in the affairs of my local union. I

regularly attended the monthly meetings

and was appointed as the shop steward on

several occasions. I also assisted by being a

member of the negotiating committee to

renew the agreements at Con-Force. In June

of 1991, an opportunity arose which allowed

me to become directly employed by the local

as an assistant business representative. I

held this position until becoming the Execu-

tive Secretary of the Saskatchewan Regional

Council. Now, as a result of the merge of our

two councils, I am honoured to be the Re-

gional Manager for Saskatchewan under the

banner of the Prairie Arctic Regional Council

of Carpenters, Drywallers, Millwrights and

Allied Workers.

Looking Back

As I look back over the years, I can truly say

that the UBC as I know it has not been with-

out change. First there were the mergers of

several local unions in Saskatchewan. Then

there was the establishment of regional

councils and now the merger of two provin-

cial councils, which also includes the North-

west Territories and Nunavut. Each and eve-

ry one of these changes, as difficult as they

seemed at the time, was for the primary

reason of making our organization stronger,

more responsive and more effective.

Because of these changes, our brotherhood

is now ready to meet the

challenges we are facing

in our industry. Our focus

has to continue to be on

training and upgrading

the skills of our member-

ship. We must also con-

tinue to organize new members into the

brotherhood and new contractors into our

contractor base.

Over the past few years in Saskatchewan we

have seen the steady erosion of the legisla-

tion that once assisted those of us who work

in the unionized construction sector. This

has happened at the same time that our

province has seen unprecedented economic

growth, which has resulted in a surge in op-

portunities for employment for our mem-

bers. The obstacle, however, being that the

opportunities for employment are not just

through the traditional building trades con-

tractors. We

have experi-

enced growth

over the past

few years, but

unfortunately so

have our com-

petitors.

We have to keep asking ourselves what we

can do to remove the apparent desire that

some purchasers of construction services

have for choosing contractors that are not a

part of the UBC for their construction needs.

We do have the answer— it’s all in our atti-

tude. We are professionals and our attitude

has to reflect this fact. We have to be open

minded and receptive to participate in offer-

ings of all forms of trade training and skills

upgrading. Then, when we are on the job we

will be the most productive and efficient

choice. We demand more for what we do,

but we also deliver more. The UBC Interna-

tional Training Centre is second to none

when it comes to the delivery of training

programs. From the hands on training for

millwrights to the train-the-trainer course

for our instructors to the superintendent

training, the UBC is providing us with the

tools we need so that we will be ready to

meet the challenges that lie ahead.

I look forward with renewed optimism.

In Saskatoon we will soon see the comple-

tion of our new training centre and office

facility. Similarly, we are seeking to acquire

the same for Regina to better serve the

needs of those in the southern part of our

province. Prospects for continued employ-

ment opportunities still look favourable. We

are continuing to grow our membership

base in both the millwright and carpenter

locals to better meet the manpower require-

ments. We all have a lot of work ahead of us.

As I said earlier, I have seen many changes

over the years. There were times of good

and not so good governments, of economic

upswings and down

turns. The decision

we had to make

during these times

were usually wheth-

er we should trench

in or should we ad-

vance. Now is the

time for us to advance.

We must continue to grow in terms of mem-

bership base and contractor base. Expanded

use of our training centres is a priority. Find-

ing ways to get lost work back and new work

for our members may include changing our

traditional way of doing business. Are you

ready for change?

We have to keep asking ourselves what

we can do to remove the apparent

desire that some purchasers of

construction services have for choosing

contractors that are not a part of the

UBC for their construction needs.

Because of these changes, our

brotherhood is now ready to

meet the challenges we are

facing in our industry.

Millwright Local 1443 News

Millwright Business Representative

Alan Szmerski

2012 started with our members manning jobs

in Kelsey, Pointe du Bois, Wuskwatim, South

Floodway Overhaul, steady maintenance at Ste

Agathe and 6 apprentices attending school in

The Pas. Recently, work has almost been at a

standstill as Wuskwatim while Kelsey and the

Floodway jobs are wrapping up. Kelsey is ready

to commission in late April while Wuskwatim’s

commissioning will be ongoing until July. In

other news, Manitoba Hydro has been negoti-

ating with their in house union since January 1,

2012 and they have released bids for work in

Jenpeg and Great Falls with the start dates

fluctuating.

January 1, 2012 the Manitoba Regional Coun-

cil, Saskatchewan Regional Council, North

West Territories and Nunavut all merged to

create an area covering approximately 4.5 mil-

lion square kilometres of land and formed the

new Prairie Arctic Regional Council. The Sas-

katchewan Millwright Business Agent, Clarence

George, and I are looking forward to acquiring

new relationships with each other’s contrac-

tors and getting members working with local

hires while offering training and Apprentice-

ships.

Local 1614 Flin Flon

The members in Local 1614 were in negotia-

tions in January and February of this year.

There were sensitive issues discussed around

trade rates and contracting out. A tentative

agreement was reached and was narrowly rati-

fied by the membership vote in late March. I

would like to thank the negotiating committee

for their hard work at the table over the last 5

months and the membership for asking ques-

tions of clarification from the legal counsel and

HBM&S.

Millwright Local 1443 recently purchased a used Optilign Plus

from our sister hall Local Union 2736 in Vancouver. Now we

can actively start a dialing training program for our members.

The progression of the program

will be as follows:

Rim and face

Reverse dialing/cross dialing

Lazer alignment

Please call me when you have a

group of 2, 4 or 6 participants to

schedule a class.

F. Y. I. All Locals Even though we are now all one organization, you can still contact your own local and benefits ad-

ministrators accordingly if you have any inquires regarding your benefits or pension. It is not neces-sary to forward all calls to the Winnipeg offices if you are not from the Winnipeg locals.

Millwrights Local 1443 Upcoming Work:

There will be work in Saskatchewan starting late April at Rocanville.

Alberta might need some shut down relief workers but some of the work will

not include travel money or live out allowance.

BC is looking for manpower late this fall for Bechtel at a Kitimat expansion.

Newfoundland may be looking for Millwrights at the Long Harbour job.

I am always available to answer any questions you might have.

Thank you and work safe.

Please remember that to work in Saskatchewan or Alberta you need

to do drug and alcohol testing and have valid a CSTS course. In

Saskatchewan you also need to take the Rights and Responsibilities

course. Also, for all Manitoba Hydro work you need criminal

background check clearance.

Congratulations to the latest Graduates from the Apprenticeship Program

The Prairie Arctic Regional Council is

pleased to congratulate Clifford

Houston who was the highest

achieving apprentice graduate in

Manitoba in the Trade of Industrial

Mechanic for 2011. This award is

based on performance throughout

all levels of apprenticeship training,

including both practical and

technical training. Clifford is a valued

member of Local 1443 and is a great

asset to the Millwrights Union.

Congratulations Clifford, we look

forward to attending the award

ceremony with you.

CLIFFORD HOUSTON

Millwright Local 1021 News

Millwright Business Representative

Clarence George

Congratulations to our members who have

achieved their Journeyman status. There were

16 in total that passed. At the start of the year

we had a total of 75 fourth year apprentices.

As they move onto Journeyman status, it helps

the system by taking the pressure off the ap-

prentice list and because it seems we are al-

ways short of Jour-

neyman. We have

many apprentices

who have set an ex-

ample for the rest,

upholding union val-

ues while working

hard at their appren-

ticeship. The union

movement is certain-

ly in good hands with

this type of example.

For those of you who

think you can mock

the union and play

both sides, the game

is over.

As our local grows,

our ability to respond to the growing demands

on the office staff makes it challenging to im-

mediately deal with your requests. Therefore,

we ask you to have patience and we will re-

turn your calls as soon as possible. If a call is

not necessary please hold off.

A letter will be going out to our apprentices

letting them know what our position is in re-

gards to being a union member and working

for our competitors. This is an issue that needs

to be addressed and you will have a to make a

choice about what direction you want to take

with your apprenticeship.

Now for some good news, the new training

centre is moving along ahead of schedule. We

look forward to moving into our new place

and developing a consistent training program

where year-round

programs will be

scheduled well in

advance so mem-

bers can plan. I

also hope to have

a full-time trainer.

Our current train-

ing program is run-

ning smoothly with

classes continuing

throughout the

winter. We will be

offering training in

different locations

this summer. If you

are interested,

please phone the

office and let us

know what you are interested in and we will

make arrangements when we have sufficient

numbers to run a course.

Again, we are a craft union that represents

millwrights and trains apprentices in our craft.

It is up to us to set the standard in the con-

struction industry. It is our skill, productivity

and attitude that keep us moving forward.

Take pride in your craft; stand solid together.

Have a GREAT SUMMER, work safe and take

time to relax with friends and family.

Millwright Local 1021

Membership Numbers

452 total Members

Broken down into:

303—Journeymen

22—1st Year Apprentices

25—2nd Year Apprentices

34—3rd Year Apprentices

68—4th Year Apprentices

*from our database not reconciled with

the Ultra System

Please Note

Tuition will be going up to

$600.00 for your level train-

ing.

Funding is available for

members who would like to

study before they challenge

the journeyman test. Con-

tact Clarence for more infor-

mation.

Millwrights Local 1021 Work Picture

Expansion at Rocanville hiring end of April

Shand shut down end of April

Shut down GETSCO Lloydminster end of

April

Clean Coal Estevan

There will be several shut downs at the pot-

ash mines in the coming months at Agrium,

Allan, Colonsay and Cory

We are still hoping to pick up some of the

work in PA at the pulp mill

We will have a Millwright going into Jansen

for Tesc; the Work is on the head frame

“Building and Construction Trades Canada has launched a special

website today that allows members to communicate directly with

their local MP by e-mail, fax and through the mail.

It is simple and easy to use—all you need to do is visit

workersbuildcanada.ca, put in your information and follow the

instructions.

Please come back often, as there will be new activities and actions

for you to take over the coming weeks and months. We will

always respect your time and make showing your support quick

and easy.”

www.workersbuildcanada.ca

Monthly Member Meetings

Winnipeg

Carpenters Local 343 7:30 p.m. 1st Wednesday of the month

The Union Hall, 87 Cole Avenue

Millwrights Local 1443 7:00 p.m. 3rd Tuesday of the month

The Union Hall, 87 Cole Avenue

Saskatchewan

Carpenters Local 1985

Regina 7:30 p.m. 2nd Tuesday of the month

Regina Union Center, 12th and Angus

Saskatoon 7:30 p.m. 3rd Wednesday of the month

Ramada Hotel, Idylwyld Drive and 30th Street

Millwrights 10 a.m. 2nd Saturday of the month

Local 1021 At the Town Hall in Davidson

Executive Board 9 a.m.

Joshua Schultz

Jovan Cyr

Trevor Dengler

Matthew Klassen

Blair Nordstrom

Dale Sayese

Brett Zerr

Clinton Davis

Cory Holden

Justin Waddington

Please Help Us Name Our Newsletter

As you know by now, the Manitoba and Saskatchewan councils merged as of January 1, 2012 and this is our first

combined newsletter. We envision it continuing to get bigger and better.

We would like your help in deciding on a name for our publication so please email your suggestions to Amber at

avanmaiingan@myparc.ca. Deadline for submissions is October 1, 2012.

The winner will be recognized in the fall newsletter with the unveiling of the new name. We look forward to hearing

your ideas.

Ryan Dowsett

Robin Epp

Kris Favel

Garry Head

Nicholas Horeczy

John Hudrick

Colin Johnson

Michael Long

Cameron MacLean

Jason McAuliffe

Adrian McIvor

Jerad Shibata

Richard Simpson

Andrei Sipos

Kent Stewart

Valerian Trombinski

Saskatchewan

Millwrights

Cameron Paulson

Travis Leitchman

Angela Laventure

Chad Olafson

Alan Kuzma

Carter Lamont

Gille Henri

Landon Thack

Daniel Kuntz

Curtis Sywenky

Curt Chudyk

Richard Clifford

Daren Seafoot

Ryan Sande

Alex Dombowsky

Manitoba

Millwrights

Cody Stamler

Neil Nolin

James Szmerski

Russ Ketchesan

Clifford Houston

Carpenters

Sean Austman

Maximillian

Burachynsky

Adam Cattani

Matthew Chrusch

Dean Cianflone

Devon Coppell

Lucas David

Trevor Doherty

Remembering Our Honoured Members Who Have Passed On

Local 1443—Aldwyn “Al” Taggart Local 1985—Willie Fuchs and Wasyl Predenchuk

Sheldon Kirchener

Carpenters

Joshua Shimshaw

Ryan Sauder

Stan Broda

Daniel Fleet

Cory Gies

Nolan Weimer

Brent Sunshine

Scaffolding

Allan Beckett

Riley Chase

Cody Murdock

Desmond Hawryluk

Christopher Paposi

Anthony Tse

Carpenters Local 343 News

Carpenters Business Representative

Sean Ramsay

Myth: Unions receive $400 million

per year in public subsidies through

the tax code.

Fact: Unions do not receive any

public subsidy—workers and their

families receive this money back in

income tax deductions, NOT unions.

The tax treatment of these workers

is exactly the same as that for

members of the Law Society,

Medical Association or employers

who belong to a contractors’

association.

Myth: Some provinces regulate

union finances and their disclosure,

others do not, C-377 seeks to

ensure that all union finances are

regulated.

Fact: Constitutionally, trade unions

are regulated by the Provinces, and

some Provinces have opted not to

regulate union finances because the

transparency and accountability

provided by the union by-laws and

constitutions would be redundant

and create unnecessary

government bureaucracy. The tax

treatment of these workers is

exactly the same as that for

members of the Law Society,

Medical Association or employers

who belong to a contractors’

association.

For more Myths and Facts about Bill C-377 visit

MYTHS & FACTS

www.workersbuildcanada.ca/myths-and-facts/

I have recently been appointed representa-

tive of Display Fixtures and Dormond Indus-

tries and I am making my way around to the

jobsites to get to know the membership. If

you have any questions about your agree-

ment, have an issue at work or questions

about benefits please do not hesitate to ask

me when we meet. You can also feel free to

give me a call to discuss matters or we can

arrange to meet at your jobsite or at my

office.

Display Fixtures

We have found the Tool Fund Wording! I

will discuss the wording with Trevor Norman

and ensure that it correctly reflects the way

the Tool Fund is operating. I have made it to

a couple of sites and I am planning to visit

more; I will go to job sites on a regular basis.

The collective agreement expires next year

and I am starting to look for things that

need to be added. If you have something

that you would like to bring up during bar-

gaining please let me know by phone or

email so that I can start a list.

Dormond Industries

I am glad to have made it to the shop a cou-

ple of times since I have been the repre-

sentative. While the collective agreement

does not expire for another two years, I will

still be looking for things that need to be

added or changed. If you have any thing

that you would like brought up in bargaining

please let me know and so I can comprise a

list.

I look forward to being your representative

and meeting your needs.

New Representative for Display Fixtures and Dormond Industries

Director of Council Operations

Samantha Warden

Well, I must say it is good to be back! After

a four year hiatus with Apprenticeship Mani-

toba I have returned to the UBC and appre-

ciate how good it is to be working for an

organization that believes in the benefits of

well-trained tradespeople. Working at Ap-

prenticeship Manitoba was a positive experi-

ence but the draw of the opportunity to re-

turn to the UBC was undeniable.

For those of you that do not know me, allow

me to provide a brief biography. I am a cer-

tified carpenter and have been a member of

the United Brotherhood of Carpenters for

nearly 13 years. During this time I have

worked in the field, as a trainer, as the Train-

ing Coordinator and now in my current role

as the carpenter representative. During my

absence I was the Apprenticeship Manitoba

training coordinator for the province.

I am currently working on improving lag

times for our members’ applications to Ap-

prenticeship Manitoba. As many of you are

aware, applications are currently taking 5

months or longer to process. This is simply

unacceptable as it has a negative effect on

our members’ careers. It means they cannot

apply for technical training and therefore

their careers are at a standstill. In many

cases I believe it is also costing our members

money. If you are an apprentice and are

experiencing this please email me at

sramsay@myparc.ca and I will contact you

to discuss further.

With respect to work, we are currently busy

but not overwhelmed. There are a few

members on the out of work list but by no

means is it extensive. Members who are on

the out of work list must phone in minimum

every 2 weeks to keep their place on the list.

I encourage members on the list to get in

the habit of phoning in weekly as it is an

automated system and can be done at any

time.

Come On Out And Compete! What: Manitoba UBC Apprenticeship Contest

When: Saturday, June 16th 2012 from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M.

Where: Manitoba Trades Training Center, 87 Cole Avenue, Winnipeg

This is an opportunity to showcase the talent of the best and brightest apprentice graduates of 2011—2012. All carpenters, mill-

wrights and scaffolders who became or will be become a journeyperson between June 2011 and June 2012 are eligible to compete.

Out of town contestants will be provided with lodging and travel for the contest.

Join in the action by coming to support the contestants by watching them compete. Join us for coffee, lunch and a barbeque that will

be provided on the day of the contest.

The Council will provide cash prizes for the first, second and third place contestants and a final presentation and banquet will be held

at a later date. The winners of the carpenter and millwright competitions will attend the National Contest to be held in Edmonton, all

expenses paid. To submit your name and for more details please contact Kristina 774-1609 extension 2236

Workers in Saskatchewan, and across Canada,

won a significant legal victory last month. Jus-

tice Dennise Ball ruled that the right to strike is

a protected freedom for all workers under the

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

He also found that the right to strike is protect-

ed by international law, and that governments

are bound by international law when assessing

the constitutionality of our laws under the Char-

ter.

As a result of these findings, he ruled that the

Sask. Party government’s “essential services”

legislation (also known as Bill 5), violates our

fundamental freedoms and human rights. He

said the law, in its entirety, is unconstitutional.

The Judge said that when a law violates the

Charter, if the government has failed in its duty

to consult prior to passing the law, the law must

be struck down. Just like the United Nations’

International Labour Organization (ILO) warned

the Saskatchewan government, they must con-

sult with citizens before introducing legislation

that affects Charter rights.

Justice Ball even paid attention to the role of

government as employer. He said that govern-

ments cannot use their sovereign power to leg-

islate in a manner that eliminates the obligation

to respect their employee’s collective bargain-

ing rights.

What happens now?

The Judge ruled that the invalidity of the old law

is suspended for 12 months, to give the govern-

ment time to fix it if possible.

The government is appealing the Judge’s ruling

that freedom of association includes the right to

strike, in the hopes that, if they win, Bill 5 will

stay in force. At the Saskatchewan Court of Ap-

peal, the unions will defend the right to strike

finding, and will cross-appeal on the unconstitu-

tionality of Bill 6 (the 2008 changes to The Trade

Union Act).

What about Bill 6?

The Judge did not agree with our argument that

the changes to The Trade Union Act violated

workers’ fundamental freedoms under the

Charter. He did not, however, dispute our facts

about the number of union certifications de-

creasing since the passing of the laws. Regard-

ing employer communication, he says “even a

reasonably courageous employee can be cowed

by employer statements that directly or implicit-

ly threaten negative consequences if the wishes

of the employer are opposed.”

What kind of input will labour have into any

new essential services law?

Minister Don Morgan asked us for written feed-

back, with a deadline of two weeks. Working

people’s organizations (which already submitted

feedback on Bill 5 and 6 to the government

when its introduced, and also to the court in its

written and oral arguments) has asked for face-

to-face meetings to discuss what kind of consul-

tation would comply with Judge Bali’s decision.

What are the remedies?

The Judge has agreed to hear submissions on

remedies for the violation of working people's

rights.

Political Action: Court Decision Upholds Working People’s Rights

Saskatchewan Federation of Labour Excerpt (Page 4)

May 2012

Quotable Quotes

“I am satisfied that the right to strike is a fundamental freedom protected by s.2(d) of the Charter

along with the interdependent rights to organize and to bargain collectively. That conclusion is

grounded in Canada’s labour history, recent Supreme Court of Canada jurisprudence and labour

relations realities. It is also supported by international instruments which Canada has undertaken

to uphold.” — Justice Dennis Ball, Saskatchewan Court of Queen’s Bench, February 2012

“This is an extremely important decision for working people, not only in Saskatchewan but for

those across the country. An important message has now been sent to Legislatures from B.C. to

the Maritimes: that working people’s Charter rights are more important than any government

ideology.” — Larry Hubich, SFL President

We are proud to congratulate

Local 343 member, Chris Erbus,

on being the winning carpenter

for Skills Manitoba. It was held

on April 12th at Red River

College. Chris now has the

opportunity to represent

Manitoba at Skills Canada in

Edmonton May 12 – 16.

CHRIS ERBUS

Organizing Report: Political Action and Bill C-377

Director of Organizing

John Reczek

As directly reported by Canadian Labour Re-

porter, www.labour-reporter.com, Proposed

changes to Canada’s Income Tax Act to make

union spending public:

A private member’s bill introduced in Cana-

da’s House of Commons intends to force

unions to file financial statements to the

Canada Revenue Agency, which would then

make that information available online to

the public.

The bill introduced by Conservative MP Russ

Hiebert would amend the rules governing

labour organizations under Canada’s Income

Tax Act, which currently exempts unions,

along with charities and municipalities from

paying taxes. According to the proposed

changes to the Act, if unions didn’t comply

with the new law, they would risk losing that

exempt status...

The information that unions will be required

to submit under the new section includes

the following:

The status of accounts receivable and

loans payable

The sale and or purchase of investments

and fixed assets, including a description,

cost outline, book value and sale price

The salaries, benefits, bonuses and gifts

given to officers, directors, trustees, em-

ployees and contractors,

The costs related to labour relations ac-

tivities, political activities and lobbying

The costs of contributions, gifts and

grants, and

Costs relating to conferences and con-

ventions.

Unions will also be required to highlight

transactions greater than $5,000 in value in

the document.

The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) says

that the bill is merely an attack on unions in

Canada.

“This is an attempt to create an issue that

doesn’t exist,” says CLC president Ken

Georgetti. “our financial records have always

been open to our members.”…

Unions will be given six months to comply

with the new regime after the changes re-

ceive royal assent, according to the bill.

© Copyright Canadian HR Reporter, Thomson

Reuters Canada Limited. All rights reserved.

Political Action: Changes to CPP and OAS; Bill C-377

Millwright Business Agent

Alan Szmerski

As working Canadians our members must be

disappointed in our federal government who

has decided to gradually increase the age of

eligibility for Old Age Security from 65 to 67

beginning April 1, 2023. This means that if

you are 54 years old by March 1, 2012 you

will not be affected but if you were born

after April 1, 1958 the age will gradually in-

crease to 67 based on the actual date of

your birthday. This was a result of Federal

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s failure to

increase the annual CPP contribution to the

amount he and the provinces had originally

agreed upon last year. The increase was

meant to cover future short falls but Flaher-

ty was lobbied hard by our financial institu-

tions who claimed that too much of an in-

crease to CPP contributions – which would

lead to larger CPP payments to retirees –

would cause the market to suffer due to

people not feeling it necessary to fully invest

in other retirement savings options. In the

end, Flaherty reduced the agreed upon in-

crease by 10 cents an hour and failed to cov-

er the CPP’s short falls, spurring the move to

increase the OAS age to 67.

The PC’s have also introduced a private

member’s bill which, while it has been pre-

sented as an accountability measure for or-

ganizations that receive tax benefits through

the Income Tax Act, is an unfair blow di-

rected at organized labour. No other profes-

sional or charitable organizations are being

asked to comply with the measures put forth

in Bill C-377 even though they receive the

same tax benefits under the Income Tax Act.

In reality this Bill is more about attacking and

undermining organized labour unions then it

is about accountability or transparency.

More information regarding the content of

the bill follows in the Organizing Report.

Please take the time to email the MPs in your riding and clearly sate that the CPP and OAS reforms are unfair and were not part of the Tories campaign during elections and that you are not in favor of Bill C-377. Let them know that we did not vote for a gov-ernment that is willing to sacrifice the well-being of its workers the way they are on these issues. Visit www.workersbuildcanada.ca for help contacting your local MP.

Strike funds

Anyone in any family assistance

program with benefits exceeding

$5,000

*added to original

Carpenters Local 1985 Training News

Carpenters Business Representative

Lee Naylor

I would like begin by welcoming all the new

members. Over the past few years our local

has grown by leaps and bounds. We in the

training department have tried to keep up

with this growth by offering more scaffold

apprentice classes and member updating

classes in confined space and fall protection,

etc.

We have come to a point where we have

outgrown our present training facility in

Saskatoon. This September we will be mov-

ing into a new training facility, which is cur-

rently under construction. The new training

facility and offices will be located at 3730

Kinear Place. Schedules for upcoming train-

ing will be coming out shortly. It is our hope

that in the near future we will be in a posi-

tion to erect a new training facility in Regina

too, as we are also at capacity there.

Between work and family I understand that

we all have very busy lives. To make life a

little bit easier we have developed an app

for smart phones to inform the members of

upcoming training. This app can be down-

loaded to your smart phone or accessed as a

web page. The address to download the app

is:

http://m.magmito.com/114565/567483local1

It can also be accessed by scanning the fol-

lowing QR code:

The information on the app will be updated

regularly. I hope everyone has a great sum-

mer and don’t forget, training is the key to

your future.

It has been brought to my attention that a

lot of the new members do not know the

procedure to acquire apprenticeship train-

ing in scaffolding or carpentry. The first step

in the process is to get indentured. Getting

indentured means that you need to sign a

contract with the Saskatchewan Apprentice-

ship Commission and the Carpenters Joint

Training Committee stating that you will

attend training. To do this you need to fill

out and sign a Form 1 and a Form B. These

documents are available from the Saskatoon

or Regina union offices. They can also be

downloaded from:

http://www.saskapprenticeship.ca/FORMS/.

After completing these forms, a copy of your

high school transcripts must also be

attached. These forms are then completed

at the Saskatoon office and forwarded to

the Apprenticeship Commission. Do not

forward these forms yourself as they require

a $150.00 payment which the training fund

will attach at time of application.

After you are indentured you are eligible to

attend training. Those members who have

1200 hours of field experience may apply to

challenge the level 1 scaffold exam. If they

fail the exam, they must take the classroom

training. For those that pass the level 1 ex-

am and have 2400 hours in the trade, they

may apply to challenge the level 2 exam. If

they fail the level 2 exam, they must attend

level 2 classroom training. Level 3 and level

4 must be classroom training.

For those members holding a journeyperson

carpentry ticket you must be indentured in

the scaffold trade if you wish to attend level

training. A journeyperson carpenter is rec-

ognized as a level 3 scaffolder because of

their carpentry status. To progress they

must challenge the level 1 and 2 scaffold

exams and attend level 3 & 4 training.

There is also a scaffold upgrader course. To

be eligible to take the upgrader you must

have 6 years in the scaffold trade and 7200

hours of field experience. After completing

the upgrader you can then write the provin-

cial scaffold exam to acquire your proficien-

cy ticket. The last option is to challenge the

proficiency exam. The same prerequisites

apply in regards to time in the field and

years in the scaffold trade.

All arrangements for exam challenges must

be made through the Provincial Apprentice-

ship Commission.

I hope this helps in explaining the steps re-

quired to obtaining a proficiency ticket in

scaffolding. If you have any questions please

call me.

Safety Disk and R&R Training

Members must keep their Safety Disk

(CSTS ) and Rights and Responsibilities

( R&R ) training up to date. Our provin-

cial industrial and commercial agreements

require that all members have this train-

ing. This training can be done online by

acquiring a “pin” number from either the

Saskatoon or Regina office.

The following is a list of courses that are

eligible for reimbursement in Saskatche-

wan, simply bring in your receipt.

Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship Registration $150.00

Tradesperson Examination $350.00

Tuition Fees: Scaffold $120.00

Carpenter $210.00

Level 1&2 Scaffold challenge $100.00

(Some conditions apply, please contact

training office)

Safety Training

H2S Alive $200.00

Confined Space $150.00

First Aid $100.00

CPR $100.00

Fall Arrest $100.00

Forklift Training $150.00

Leadership for Safety

Excellence $79.50 + tax

CODC Better Supervision $1,417.50

(trainee determined by contractor)

CSTS & R&R

Members No charge

Nonmembers: CSTS $40.00

R&R $50.00

Please call the office in regards to

reimbursement for courses not listed.

Pre-approval is required.

Scaffold Training in Saskatchewan

Bill C-377

We currently have two projects on the go,

one in Roseau River and another in

Sagkeeng, with a third to start here at the

training centre May 4th, 2012. There are a

number of reasons we pursue these part-

nerships: they build skilled local entry level

labour making our contractors better able

to confidently bid and man jobs across the

province, they boost the UBC’s public/

community image, they bring careers and

opportunities to individuals who may not

otherwise have them and they grow mem-

ber training funds.

At a recent union meeting concerns were

raised over apprentices not getting their

raises when they complete school. Getting

apprentices raises as soon as possible is

our top priority here at the hall, but you

are ultimately responsible for your appren-

ticeship. We are working on correcting any

issues that are within our control and even

some that are not. Whether by putting

pressure on Apprenticeship Manitoba to

improve their clearly ineffective reporting

practices or continuing to improve our pro-

cesses here at the hall, we can only fix

problems we know about so please com-

municate your concerns with the depart-

ment. Contact us at any time and leave a

detailed message for Kristina (204) 774-

1609 ext. 2236. We send out letters re-

questing what information we need from

you to process your increase, please open

and read mail from the hall! Apprentices,

please review the following list and ensure

none of these reasons are currently what

may be holding up your raise.

We don’t know where you are working.

You don’t have enough hours.

You have not informed the hall that you

have achieved the hours you were pre-

viously short.

We have not received your marks from

Apprenticeship Manitoba yet.

You have not submitted a record book

(blue book) with credited hours or

hours from a previous employer.

You have not changed employers on

your apprenticeship agreement, in this

case your previous employer would be

receiving correspondence, and Appren-

ticeship Manitoba may not count your

union worked hours.

Your employer has not processed your

rate change; if this is the case you will

receive back pay from the date of the

union hall referral.

Your address is not current. This should

not affect getting your raise, but will

affect our ability to inform you of what

is going on with your apprenticeship,

such as if you are short hours.

Processing Apprentice Raises

Pre-Employments and Non-Member Training

Fall Protection Thursday, May 10 @ 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday, June 13@ 6:00 p.m.

Standard First Aid and CPR Friday and Saturday May 11 @ 6:00p.m. &

May 12 @ 8:00a.m.

Rigging Monday to Friday May 14-18 @ 6:00 p.m.

and Saturday, May 19 @ 8:00 a.m.

WHMIS Thursday, May 24 @ 6:00 p.m.

Thursday, June 7 @ 6:00 p.m.

Aerial Lift Operator Monday and Tuesday June 4-5 @ 6:00 p.m.

Confined Space Awareness Tuesday, June 12 @ 6:00 p.m.

Rough Terrain Forklift Operator Monday and Tuesday June 18-19 @ 6:00 p.m.

May and June Training Schedule

Scaffold Belts are available for

members to purchase. The kit

shown is $140.00

Come September 1st 2012, member train-

ing guidelines will be strictly enforced.

Classes that do not reach the minimum

number of participants 2 weeks before the

start date will be cancelled or rescheduled.

Prerequisites must be met prior to register-

ing for courses.

Deposits must be made for ALL courses at

time of registration by either cheque or

credit card.

PLEASE NOTE

Scaffold level four is rescheduled

to the fall. Apprentices must

have their prerequisites and a

$100.00 deposit in order to regis-

ter for class.

REMINDER As of September 1st, 2011 all

scaffold apprentices must have taken the required pre requisites at MTTC within the last 5 years

and certifications must not have expired. All members working as scaffolders need to register as ap-

prentices with the hall.

We are always looking for part

time instructors to teach safety

courses and possibly pre employ-

ments. Please send a resume to

Kristina if you would like to be in-

volved with the training centre.

Manitoba Training Department

Training Director

Kristina Peterson

The Winnipeg training department has

been a very busy place since the last issue.

I am happy to report that members have

been attending courses over the winter to

the tune of over 230 participants. Our

powered equipment courses (Aerial Lift,

Fork Lift and Skid Steer) are becoming

more and more popular as certifications

are being required more often on site and

our contractors want carpenters, mill-

wrights and scaffolders operating those

machines. The introduction of deposits for

classes has decreased the number of no

shows dramatically. In fact, this trial peri-

od has been so successful that we will be

implementing it for all members training

come fall. The current training schedule is

set until the end of June; during July and

August training will be at contractor re-

quest only. In the past we have found

attendance, interest and need for courses

to be very low during the summer months.

Classes will resume in September, but

please take advantage of the courses

offered in the rest of April, May and June.

Especially the scaffold apprentices – June

may be your last opportunity to take your

final prerequisites before technical train-

ing starts again in September. Congratula-

tions to all of our scaffold apprentices who

have completed levels over the winter.

You are truly elevating the trade with your

professional attitude and technical skills.

Concerns regarding the cancelling of classes

have been brought to my attention on a cou-

ple of occasions, we apologize for any incon-

venience this may cause members who were

registered in these courses. Please know

that we do not cancel classes for no reason

and we understand that sometimes your

employer is requesting these certifications. I

would like to explain the reasons behind

courses being cancelled:

Minimum Size: All of our classes have a mini-

mum attendance that must be met in order

to run the class, for most courses it is 6 par-

ticipants. The reason we do this is because it

is a more responsible way to make the most

out of the training fund. Running 4 Fall Pro-

tection classes for 2 members each time

costs you 4 times more than running it once

for 8 participants. Reducing these wasteful

classes enables us to increase other courses

that are higher in demand and more costly

to run.

Register, Register, Register!: Our staff is

very diligent in getting members registered

into classes when they call in, that being said

you need to sign up 2 weeks in advance for

courses. When we are making the decision

whether or not to cancel a course we can

only go by the number of people registered

at that time and only those people will get a

call to inform them that the class is can-

celled. Also, if a class is full and you just

show up, you will, unfortunately, be turned

away. Come to the class you are registered

for! I know from far too many personal ex-

periences how frustrating it is to sit waiting

for members to show up only to have no one

attend and have training dollars wasted.

Instructors: Please bear in mind we are all

working our regular jobs before coming in to

teach class in the evenings and on week-

ends. On rare occasions, due to unforeseen

circumstances, classes need to be cancelled

because the instructor is unable to make it.

Whether this is because the job they are at

goes into forced overtime or a family emer-

gency occurs, we do everything in our power

to replace the instructor in time for the

class. If we are unable to do so we call every-

one registered in the class to let them know

class is cancelled, so be sure that we have

your current phone number on file.

All apprentices must be in good standing and fit for work for required practical components.

Level One Prerequisite Level Two Prerequisite Level Three Prerequisite Level Four Prerequisite

Fall Protection WHMIS

Successful Completion of Level 1 Documentation of

900 hours scaffolding Confined Space Standard First Aid and CPR

Successful Completion of Level 2 Documentation of minimum

1800 hours scaffolding Rigging

Successful Completion of Level 3 Documentation of minimum

3600 hours scaffolding Aerial Lift Rough Terrain Forklift (Zoom Boom)

CSTS

Concerning Cancelled Classes

Simple things you can do to help the

training department operate more effi-

ciently:

Have your cell phone number on file at the

hall and your voice mail initialized (set up).

We will call all the numbers we have on file

for you.

Have your coworkers sign up for classes

when you do.

Take classes before your employer requires

you to have them.

If many members on your site do not have

up to date certifications, ask your supervi-

sor to contact the training department to

arrange for us to come down to the site

during work hours to teach the class.

Complain to us but not just in the trailer. If

we do not know what we are doing wrong,

how can we improve?