Brian Cochrane, Business Manager

As 2011 comes to a close, we can look back on our milestone 80th year and recall that we’ve seen excellent opportunities and significant challenges.

Current and upcoming work in Kitimat, and many other areas in B.C., will keep the demand for skilled tradespeople white hot for the foreseeable future.

We have secured project labour agreements with Bechtel and KBR Industrial for major portions of the work in Kitimat. Site preparation for a liquefied natural gas plant was awarded to Ledcor which is affiliated with the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC). It was tendered prior to negotiations for the overall project between KBR and the building trades.

Despite intense efforts to convince Ledcor and KBR to allow us to represent the tradespeople working on this portion of the project, we were unsuccessful. However, the Kitimat area will soon see large numbers of trades- people from building trades unions who will be there for several years. We plan to launch a relentless campaign to organize the workers stuck with a CLAC agreement.

CLAC was recently suspended from the International Trade Union Confederation. The Canadian labour move- ment submitted documents proving that CLAC’s actions undermine labour conditions for workers.

Now, we want to see the B.C. Labour Relations Board suspend them and deny their status under the Labour Code. We have been asking for this for many years.

The Local Union is actively supporting two major proposed projects currently under review: the Site C Dam and Enbridge Gateway Pipeline.

Site C has a projected peak construction workforce of 1,700 workers, the Gateway Pipeline approximately 3,000. If these projects get under way at the same time, there will be significant pressure to supply enough trades- people. We plan to be in front of this curve. Brother Brad Randall, administrator of the IUOE Local 115 Training Association, and other Local Union staff are developing strategies to make sure that we have the capacity to fill all the orders and that our members have the skills for these future projects. We are looking at some new train-

ing delivery models and training partnerships with First Nations groups to ensure that we are ready.

As chairman of the Board of Trustees of the IUOE Local 115 Benefits and Pension Plans, I attended the annual pensioners’ social on Sept. 21. It was an honour to help celebrate the legacy created by our retirees.

It is also a pleasure to welcome Ted Carlson, presi- dent of Mainland Sand and Gravel, to our board as an employer trustee. Ted will be a great asset to the decision- making process at the board.

President Lionel Railton and I have been very active this year making sure that politicians understand the important role that our members play in the future of this province. We will be meeting with Minister of Labour Margaret MacDiarmid to discuss issues impor- tant to our membership.

B.C. has had five different labour ministers in the last three years. The inconsistency has been a great concern to organized labour.

In our 80th year of service, I feel proud and fortu- nate to have had the opportunity to work with so many great members and dedicated staff. All are committed to making whatever changes are necessary to improve the future for Operating Engineers. Steady, positive action is building a stronger Local Union and allows us to start planning for our 90th anniversary only a decade away!

Best wishes to you and your family during the holi- day season. Merry Christmas!