Patrick Byrne

On Thursday March 30, 2017, the latest expansion of the FTI was unveiled with plenty of pomp and ceremony. Members of the Provincial Government and the Official Opposition were on hand for this latest unveiling and by all accounts they were very impressed with the new building.

Along with the existing HMA classroom, offices and boardroom, the new building boasts over 14,000 square feet of training space. Included in this expansion is a dedicated area to be specifically used for mock-ups exclusive to hazardous materials abatement training.

Asbestos, and its safe removal, is finally getting the attention it deserves with recent public interest in local media reports about unscrupulous contractors exposing both workers, and the community at large, to deadly asbestos fibres through shoddy work practices. The Federal asbestos ban, the recent resolution at the UBCM with regard to contractor licensing and worker certification and the provincial government’s announcement of a cross ministry working group on this subject, have started the wheels in motion towards stricter controls around the abatement of this dangerous mineral.

With these recent developments at all levels of government, now more than ever, the HMA needs to be at the forefront of the industry with regard to the anticipated legislative changes. The HMA’s expertise and continued lobbying at all levels is starting to pay off and as a result, the HMA will be providing valuable input into this process going forward.

Without the HMA’s continued dedication to providing our Contractors with properly trained workers and our Contractors dedication to safety, the HMA wouldn’t be in the position they currently occupy as the preeminent experts with regard to commercial asbestos abatement.  The facility upgrades have also played a significant role in raising awareness with our local politicians about the HMA’s work. Being able to see first hand what the HMA can do to ensure the proper training of abatement workers was a real eye opener for everyone in attendance at the grand opening.

The HMA will continue to turn out the best trained workers and will work with all of our Contractors to ensure that no more British Colombians are exposed to the dangers of asbestos.

On Thursday March 09, 2017, the newly acclaimed Executive Board of Lathers, Drywall Finishers, and Allied Trades, Local 163, was sworn in at a ceremony held at the Finishing Trades Institute of BC.

Pictured from left to right are, Kevin Weston, Dean Everett, Daryl Olsen, Jim Ewing, Wayne Howatt, Kelvin Campbell, Al Williams and Denis Geuret. Conducting the ceremony at the far right is General President’s Representative, Jack White.

This new local, which combines Locals 163 & 2009, was formed as a result of a constitutional change and has also been renamed to better describe the trades working within it.

Congratulations to you all.

CBTU APPLAUDS GOVERNMENT FOR A BUDGET THAT SUPPORTS THE MIDDLE CLASS

Mar 23, 2017

OTTAWA, March 23, 2017 /CNW/ – Canada’s Building Trades Unions are pleased with the continued support this government has demonstrated for middle class families in the 2017 budget, “Building a Strong Middle Class.” Programs supported in this budget will facilitate the inclusion of under-represented demographics in the workforce will, in turn, benefit all of Canada. Bob Blakely, the Canadian Operating Officer for Canada’s Building Trades Unions said “Providing for the training of young people as well as those that are returning to the workforce, providing support for childcare that will allow the parents of young children to build their skills, will bring new faces onto job sites around Canada.”

The ongoing commitment to infrastructure funding is fundamental to the growth of the economy and middle class jobs. This government continues to see the potential in using infrastructure spending to support the middle class, build more sustainable environments, and create a built environment that will last us generations into the future. Darrell Laboucan, the Ironworkers Canadian Vice-president stated “We stand ready to build the Canada of tomorrow, building by building, road by road, bridge by bridge. Our workers are Canada, and their success is Canada’s success.”

About CBTU

The North America-wide Building Trades coordinates activities and provides resources to 15 affiliated trade unions in the construction, maintenance and fabrication industries. In Canada, CBTU represents 500,000 skilled trades workers.

SOURCE Building & Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO

Thank you for presenting at the BC Building Trades Construction 101 seminar on March 9^th.

We’ve received a lot of feedback from the participants who said they really valued meeting and engaging with unions about training.

I sincerely appreciate the time and effort affiliates put into making the day a success.

We are following up on Chief White’s suggestion that we hold another Construction 101 in an area where we are likely to see an LNG Project and thus attract more First Nations’ participation. (Likely location Prince Rupert).

At the March 16^th Apprenticeship and Training Coordinators Committee, we discussed circulating a sample PowerPoint template. We will circulate one to the Apprenticeship Coordinators list shortly.

Several participants requested copies of the presentations. We would be happy to share them with you. As the size is too large for email, please reply to this letter with your mailing address and we will send you a memory key.

Once again, thank you for presenting at Construction 101.

Sincerely,

TOM SIGURDSON

Executive Director

BC Building Trades

On February 16, representatives from DC 38, the FTI and the HMA conducted a “Lunch-and-Learn” with members of the Liberal caucus in Victoria.This was the first occasion where any of the entities connected to District Council 38 had conducted this type of information session with the governing Liberals and by all accounts our presentation was well received.

We wanted to add a bit of a “Wow Factor” to our presentation, so we took along some of the high end equipment actually used in our training at our facility. Many of the MLA’s commented on the fact that this was a little different than any other such presentation they had attended previously. We heard several comments about how impressed the MLA’s were by by complexity and the quality of the equipment we train on. Many were also surprised to hear that since 2005, we have committed almost $5 million dollars in both equipment and facility upgrades provided by the FTI and the HMA.

Greg Kyllo, MLA for (Sushwap) and the Parliamentary Secretary for BC Jobs Plan, thanked us on behalf of the government for helping to enlighten he and his fellow MLA’s about the work we do. Mr. Kyllo also reiterated his governments commitment to apprenticeship and skills training and went on to recognize the important role our combined organizations play in providing that training.

We also took this opportunity to invite the government to the grand opening of our new expansion of our Industrial Painting facility. We will be holding an event on March 30th this year where we will unveil what is probably the finest spray and blast facility in Canada and the Pacific North West.

We hope to conduct future sessions such as this in order to make our politicians more aware about the value we provide to our communities, members, contractors and the clients of construction.

Wednesday August 17, 2016

MP Ahmed Hussen, recently selected our HMA facility to kick off the western leg of his tour trying to garner support for his Private Members Bill C-277 that is seeking to  achieve greater community benefits connected to funding of federal infrastructure projects. He was accompanied by fellow Liberal MP Randeep Sarai as he made his pitch to members of Surrey City Council, the BC Building Trades, the Surrey Board of Trade as well as representatives from  local Surrey education  facilities such as Kwantlen College and the FTI.

Below are some pictures from those meetings.

MP's Randeep Sarai (far left) and Ahmed Hussen (second from right) are welcomed

by FTI Director of Training, Patrick Byrne (far right) to the HMA Training Facility.

Please see the attached Links for information with regard to the upcoming vote on the recently negotiated Memorandum of Agreement for Hazardous Materials Abatement Members. Attached you will find times and locations where the votes will be held along with the document you will be voting on.

hma-ratification-vote-2016

hazmat-moa-2016

DC38 Victoria Update

Sept. 16/16

‘Nothing like this in 20 years’ for DC38 glaziers in Victoria

Construction is booming on southern Vancouver Island.

“With our dynamic approach to the market, and the solid partnerships we have developed with our contractors, we are involved in a healthy share of local projects,” says Maureen Allen, IUPAT DC38 Business Representative.

“We are recruiting now for all our Trades – Drywall Finishers, Painters, and Hazardous Material Workers, and are doubling our number of Glaziers for current projects.”

A key local contractor is Redline Glass which was created in early 2015 when Nathan Suter took over a long-time Victoria glass company.  Nathan is an Island native who completed a glazing apprenticeship through DC38 and worked on dozens of projects before moving into the management side of the business in 2002.

“In our short time as Redline Glass, our affiliation with DC38 has helped us grow; we’ve proven we can take on any scale of project” says Nathan.  “DC38’s collaboration on continuing education, training and safety, ensures Redline always brings the most skilled experts possible to every job, regardless of size.”

Redline Glass and DC38 glaziers are working on two of Victoria’s highest profile construction projects:

• Capital Park; an office, retail, and residential complex covering a six acre site facing the Provincial Legislature, by the South Block Development Corporation. South Block is a partnership of Concert and Jawl Properties, two prominent developers well known for their commitment to the local community and environment.
• 1515 Douglas; a two-tower office and retail complex across from Victoria City Hall, another Jawl Properties development.

“These high profile projects are great showcases for the skill, professionalism, and construction integrity that our members bring to the job,” says Maureen.

Maureen and Nathan both agree that being part of these exciting developments is of benefit to DC38 membership, providing long term employment and apprenticeship opportunities for current and future DC38 Members.

“Our ultimate goal at Redline is consistency” says Nathan “In terms of our DC38 members that means stable income so they can afford to enjoy the great quality of life the Island has to offer, and continued professional development to allow them to succeed personally and professionally.  DC38 has taken an active role in helping us achieve these goals.”