Uncategorized

Most members of DC-38 realize the many benefits of being a union member.  From higher wages to significant pension and medical benefits to training at our Finishing Trades Institute, DC-38 has a lot to offer members.  What many members don’t realize, however, is that in addition to these services, your union provides support for those with workplace injuries and WorksafeBC claims.

Anybody who has been injured on the job and filed a WorksafeBC claim can tell you how complex and frustrating WorksafeBC can be.  If you’re one of those injured workers, you know first-hand!  If you aren’t, you’ve heard the nightmarish stories!  Fact is, since the Gordon Campbell Liberals changed WorksafeBC laws and policies back in 2002 at the behest of the business community, workers have been getting a raw deal.  Having an advocate “in your corner” when WorksafeBC puts you “on the ropes” can make a big difference.

The average WorksafeBC claim can involve a wide range of issues from wage loss benefits to vocational rehabilitation services to the calculation of a disability award for a permanent impairment sustained at the workplace.  These issues can take many months, oftentimes years, to adjudicate and resolve.

If you have been injured at work or have a WorksafeBC claim that you need some assistance with, come talk to us at DC-38.  We’re here to help.

If our initial review of your evidence suggests that you have a legitimate claim, we will put you in contact with the Workers’ Advocate at the BC Building Trades Council.  Over the last several years the Workers’ Advocate has represented many of our members.  His commitment to DC-38 has been demonstrated by his enthusiasm to help our members “off the ropes” when they get into a tangle with WorksafeBC, the compelling nature of his written as well as oral advocacy, and the significant “wins” he has chalked up.  Those “wins” have included successfully negotiating several vocational rehabilitation plans providing meaningful new skills and knowledge for members who were unable to return to their pre-injury jobs; challenging inaccurate long term wage loss benefits that failed to reflect member earnings; providing qualitative and quantitative research in support of loss of earnings awards that were ultimately granted by WorksafeBC; and arguing successfully for an extension of a disability award beyond the standard age of retirement by ten years, thereby putting over two hundred thousand dollars into a member’s pocket.

At DC-38, we think having a workers’ advocate to assist our members with their WorksafeBC claims is an essential service.  While there is no legal obligation under our collective agreement or statutory laws to do so, we think the WorksafeBC system is far too complicated, and our members have far too much to lose, to go it alone.  So, if you have been injured at work or have a WorksafeBC claim that you need assistance with, contact us.  We’ll go to battle for you!

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

Great news for DC38 hazmat members and contractors…

A B.C. Supreme Court judge has thrown out a lawsuit by an asbestos removal company against WorkSafe B.C., labelling the suit “arrant nonsense.”

It’s the fourth such lawsuit against WorkSafe B.C. launched by Mike Singh, who operates Seattle Environmental Consulting Ltd., and his son Shawn Singh, who heads up ESS Environmental Ltd. All have been dismissed because the suits have been found to be without merit and are an abuse of process, according to the recently released ruling.

The Singhs have launched other complaints — all of which have failed — including to the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal, arguing that WorkSafe B.C. has maliciously…

A new Business Representative and Local Union Officers, as listed here, will be elected to represent the newly-Chartered Lathers, Drywall Finishers, and Allied Trades, Local 163.

This new local, which combines Locals 163 & 2009, has also been renamed to better describe the trades working within it.

Why are the Locals Merging?

In March 2015, pursuant to Sections 46(g) and 180(a) of the General Constitution, the General President, with the approval of the General Executive Board, merged Local 2009 into Local 163. This action was taken to respond to the decreasing memberships, which no longer supported maintaining an Executive Board and full-time Business Representative for each Local.

To provide some perspective, as of today the combined memberships of Local 2009 and Local 163 is 295. By contrast, Painter’s Local 138 and Glaziers Local 1527 have memberships equaling 1330 and 470 respectively.

In April 2016, the District Council 38 Bylaws were updated to reflect the merger, and subsequently ratified by the membership.

At a Special called meeting held on February 9, 2017, the updated Bylaws of “IUPAT Lathers, Drywall Finishers and Allied Trades, Local 163″ were passed by the membership. (Note the name change to reflect the Drywall Finishers as constituent members of Local 163).

Nomination Meeting

A nomination meeting will be held at 5:30 pm on Thursday, March 9th at the Finishing Trades Institute (FTI) in Surrey.

Candidates for the positions must meet the eligibility requirements, as  outlined in Sections 151-156 and 209-212 of the General Constitution, which can be viewed here.

Click here for more information about the nomination meeting and the upcoming Vote.

DC38 and former Premier, Glen Clark, are teaming up to offer a $2,500 annual scholarship to students who are enrolled, or are thinking about enrolling, in the Labour Studies program at SFU.

The scholarship has been established in the name of Glen’s father, James Clark, a long time officer of Painter’s Local 138.

The scholarship will be awarded to a member – or one of their direct family members – of DC38 or a union affiliated with the BC Federation of Labour.

We would love to see one of our members, or their son or daughter, receive this, but please pass this along to your friends or family in other unions so we have a good range of interest.

If interested, please visit our scholarships page

SFU James Clark Scholarship Letter

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.

At a meeting with the leaders of several construction and building trade unions, President Trump reiterated on Monday his interest in directing hundreds of billions of dollars to infrastructure investments, some of it from the federal government, union officials said.

“That was the impression I was taken away with,” said Sean McGarvey, the president of North America’s Building Trades Unions, an umbrella group, on a call with reporters after the meeting. “That the American citizenry and the American Treasury will be invested in building public infrastructure.”

Mr. McGarvey added that Mr. Trump clearly felt that much of the money should come from the private sector and that some of the investments could take the form of … (read more)