Update Aluma Syncrude

We hope this post finds everyone safe and out of harm’s way from the fires. We are confident that all Aluma employees from the Syncrude site have been evacuated and are safe. We would like to thank all who helped with the Fort McMurray fire disastor, from those who gave up their camp rooms for the evacuated families, to those that manned the phones, the liaisons between camps, and everyone else who did their part in this time of crisis. 

 

We would also like to thank those who are continuing to help in other parts of the province and country by opening their homes and hearts by providing food, shelter, transportation and comfort for those in need. 

 

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those who are residents of Ft McMurray and hope this post finds them and their families safe. 

 

We ask anyone who has not done so, to contact their families of their whereabouts.  

 

What Now??

 

On Friday night we were informed that Syncrude will be bringing down its plant and taking it off line. They have procedures to do this safely, and when the time comes, to bring it back online safely. At this time, with the uncertainty of the fires, they have no timeline for startup. Once the region becomes more stable, there will be more information.

 

We will not be issuing Lay Offs for our employees at this time, we encourage everyone to use the below link, set up especially for Ft McMurray evacuees, to start their Employment Insurance claims.

 

Go to: Government of Canada Web Page

Search: Fort McMurray: Important Notice

 

With all of our management and admin team relocated across the province, our resources are limited, we are working at ensuring those who worked May 1-3 (Sun-Tues) will still receive their regular pay on Thursday May 12. All other questions will have to wait until we can regroup and execute a path forward. 

 

Once again, thank you to all of you who helped and continue to help in this time of crisis. 

Update from Shell

As Fort McMurray remains under a mandatory evacuation order, ensuring the safety of those directly affected and their families continues to be our first priority. We continue to evacuate all non-essential staff and other evacuees who are currently at our Albian site on flights to urban centres where resources and support await their arrival.

 

Shell emergency response teams on the ground in Fort McMurray continue to support local and provincial fire crews and we are donating fuel to first responders in the region. Production at our Shell Albian Sands mining operation (capacity 255,000 bbl/d) continues to be shut down so we can focus on the evacuation efforts. We do not have timelines for when production will resume.

 

“The dedication and level of care shown by all those who have worked tirelessly on the response efforts is nothing short of inspiring,” said Shell Executive Vice President Oil Sands, Zoe Yujnovich. “While our main focus continues to be on the safe evacuation our people and community members out of Albian, our thoughts are shifting to the longer term as to how we can support the community’s recovery and rebuild efforts. We are looking at ways we could safely resume some of our mining operations, however it’s too soon to say when this could happen.”

 

Background

  • The Albian site remains safe and secure. As a precaution we are working to enhance the fire mitigation and protection around our operating facilities.
  • More than 7,000 individuals have flown out of the Albian Aerodrome on more than 80 flights since May 3, via multiple airlines who have generously allotted planes and staff.
  • Air quality at site is being continuously monitored and remains at a safe level. We will continue to monitor.
  • Evacuated staff have been asked to get in touch with their supervisors to discuss next steps. We have also set up a phone line staff can call for information on recent developments.
  • An employee donation program has been set up with the Canadian Red Cross to be matched by Shell and the Alberta and Canadian governments.
  •  

Regards

 

Ron Harry
Construction Labour Relations Manager
Shell Canada Limited

 

Potential members for the May 14, 2016 General Membership Meeting

Name

Status

Recommendation

Meeting

Abdi, Amin

1st year

Accept

A

Dakulovic, Zvonimir

Helper

Accept

R

Decoste, Carolane

1st year

Accept

A

Fox, Gareon

1st year

Accept

A

Gnap, Troy

1st year

Accept

A

Hanson, Mitchell

1st year

Accept

A

Hawryschuk, Megan

3rd year

Accept

A

Hussein, Ahmed

1st year

Accept

A

Janelle, Emilie

1st year

Accept

A

Jones, Richard

1st year

Accept

A

Kotelnikov, Andrey

1st year

Reject

A

Meier, Heidi

1st year

Accept

A

Mohamed, Mohamed Hassan

1st year

Accept

A

Naidu, Vik

1st year

Accept

A

Shirwa, Nur

1st year

Reject

R

Toutah, Zauhier

1st year

Accept

A

Yarow, Abdirahman

1st year

Accept

A

 

 

 

 

Adie, Ian

Journeyman

Reject

R

Arnold, Cody

JM transfer 118

Accept

R

Dipasupil, Adrian

Journeyman

Accept

A

Esposito, George

JM transfer 95

Accept

A

Leclerc, Stephan

JM transfer 58

Accept

A

Opperman, Jason

Journeyman

Accept

A

Tembo, Stolo

JM transfer 99

Reject

R

Tucker, Brandon

Journeyman

Accept

A

 

 

 

 

Also please take note of Local 110 Bylaws Section 19- all requirements of this section must be met before being issued membership in Local 110.

SECTION 19 –MEMBERSHIP

1. Any member who applies to join Local 110, if they are accepted, will pay an initiation fee in the amount of one hundred dollars ($100.00),plus membership card fee, excepting that:

Those members who lapse out of the union from October 23, 2004 and after, will pay an additional amount of money which equals the amount owed for union dues and fines at the time of lapsing, plus a $200.00 reinstatement fee, to reinstate their membership. This amount must be paid in full not more than 30 calendar days from the date of the vote of acceptance by the general membership. The insulator who fails to pay the full amount owing within this time will not be reinstated as a member and will have to reapply for membership.

2. Any individual that makes application to Local 110 and is rejected by vote of the membership.

  • First rejection they will not be able to make new application for a minimum 3 calendar months.
  • Second rejection they will not be able to make new application for a minimum of 6 calendar months.
  • Third or more rejections they will not be able to make new application for a minimum of 12 calendar months.

3. All new members, including members who are transferring their membership to Local 110 must complete New Member Orientation within 180 days from the date they were voted into Local 110 or their membership is void and they will have to reapply for membership.

4. New member orientation will be held in Edmonton and Calgary once every month and in Red Deer and Fort McMurry once every two months.

5. Permit members and Travel Card members requesting membership will not receive their union card and Local 110 will not accept a transfer card, until after the member has taken the oath of membership referred to in the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Constitution at the New Member Orientation.

 

Let Safway know you’re OK

 

Safway has set up a website where management and craft can register for email updates, let the company know that you're OK and where you are, as well as ask questions.

Go to:  http://safwayteamcenter.com/

The Home Page will carry company updates.

The menu bar at the top of the page provides a link to registration page and a link to a number of other links to various information and help resources.

Thank you.

 

Joanie Piwowar, BMgt., CHRP

Human Resources Manager 

International Disaster Relief Fund

For those of you displaced from your homes due to the evacuation of Fort McMurray, we will need to provide documentation in order to access the funds being offered through the International. Please email receipts for costs you have incurred (i.e. hotels, food, etc) as well as rental agreements/ proof of payment for rent for those of you who were renting in Fort McMurray.

All documentation can be emailed to either shannont@insulators110.com OR amandac@insulators110.com

Canadian Red Cross

Good morning Brothers and Sisters,

All Evacuees of the Fort McMurray Wildfires need to register by calling the Red Cross at 1-888-350-6070, or on line at this following website:

 http://www.redcross.ca/how-we-help/emergencies-and-disasters-in-canada/how-we-help-canadians/red-cross-services/northern-alberta-wildfires-registration

This will ensure that Officials will know how to reach you and verify you got out safely.

Suncor Oil Sands Update

(UPDATE FROM SUNCOR LABOUR RELATIONS 8PM THURSDAY)

As forest fires continue in Wood Buffalo, Suncor remains focused on the safety of the community and our employees and their families.

 

Our response has focused on a safe and orderly transport of non-essential and non-resident workers out of the region so that we could make room in our lodges for displaced residents and response-critical employees. We are continuing with this strategy giving priority to those with medical needs and families.

 

In discussions with the province, they’ve now asked that we move all non-essential personnel and displaced residents out of the region as soon as possible so emergency operations can focus all resources on the response efforts and other high level risks in the area. Highway 63 is currently closed and is a high risk transportation corridor, so in order to follow the province’s direction; we’ll be transporting people by air through the Firebag Aerodrome.

 

Non-essential personnel and displaced residents will be transported by bus to leave on flights from the Firebag Aerodrome. Planes are continuing to depart from the Aerodrome to either Edmonton or Calgary as determined by provincial authorities. There is not a current threat to our operations; however, we are closing some of our lodges as a precautionary measure.

 

We recognize that employees are concerned about job security. Once we know that everyone and the communities are safe and secure, we will focus on the return to normal operations and the support and logistics that employees and contractors need to return to work as soon as possible.


We will continue to assess the situation and provide regular updates through Facebook, Twitter, suncor.com and email bulletins.


For More Information:

Employees and family members should continue to follow instructions from local authorities.

 

For the most up to date information on the wild fire and evacuations, please visit:

 

Employees are encouraged to follow these accounts for updated information:

 

 

Evacuation Fact Sheet
May 5, 2016

 

All TRAVELLERS

In discussions with the province, they’ve now asked that we move all non-essential personnel and displaced residents out of the region as soon as possible so emergency operations can focus all resources on the response efforts and other high level risks in the area. Highway 63 is currently closed and is a high risk transportation corridor, so in order to follow the province’s direction; we’ll be transporting people by air through the Firebag Aerodrome.

 

Please take note of the following information as you arrive in Calgary or Edmonton.

 

Safety is our top priority so we will carry out a coordinated and staged evacuation. Over the next few days, we will be flying approximately four to five planes per hour out of the region to either Calgary or Edmonton.

 

As you leave for a Suncor flight out of Wood Buffalo, please do the following at your lodge:

  • Go to the front desk — you will be prioritized based on medical/health need, people with children, etc. and scheduled on a bus to the Aerodrome. Once at the Aerodrome, staff will confirm the time of your flight. Flights leave every 15 to 30 minutes.
  • You will be taken to either the Calgary Suncor Aviation Centre or Edmonton International Airport. We will do our best to get you to your preferred destination, but if you end up in an alternate city, we’ll help with bus transportation to get you to the right city (Edmonton or Calgary).
  • You will be allowed one checked bag and one carry-on bag per person. Pets must be in a carrier. Carriers will be available at the Aerodrome.
  • If you need to leave belongings, including your vehicle at the lodge, you are welcome to do so.  However, Suncor is not responsible for loss or damage of any personal belongings.

BOARDING

What do they need to board?

  • During your flight, you will be given further instructions on transportation to an evacuation centre and/or access to further support services as required upon arrival in Calgary or Edmonton Municipal Crisis Centres. The Red Cross and Suncor HR representatives will be available in Edmonton and Calgary to assist you further
  • In addition to the above, if you are a Suncor employee, you will be given an Evacuation Intake Form once you have boarded the plane.  This information is important for being able to continue to monitor your safety and contact you later as required.
  • Suncor shuttle busses will be taking all people between Edmonton and Calgary if you need to go to either location once you land.

ALL EVACUEES FROM SUNCOR SITES

  • When you arrive in Calgary (Suncor Aviation Centre) or Edmonton International Airport:
  • If you have somewhere safe to stay, please proceed to your destination.
  • If you do not have anywhere to stay, a bus will be available to take you:
  • to a local evacuation Centre OR
  • to Calgary or Edmonton (if you need to go to the alternate city)
  • If you go to an evacuation Centre, register with local emergency authorities. We will have Suncor representatives to assist you.
  • If you have a place to stay upon arriving in Calgary or Edmonton, you do not have to board a bus to an evacuation centre. Please safely proceed to your destination.

Syncrude – Turnaround Only

Good day Brothers and Sisters

Syncrude is starting to evacuate people to Edmonton with flights and will be issuing layoffs and Records of Employment so that members can collect Employment Insurance. Noralta and Civio camps will be cleared of all Building Trades Members within the next 48 hours.

At this point there is no information on when the site will be returning people back to work. I understand that members are concerned about their vehicles and tools, however at this time we need to make sure that everyone is safe and we can focus on getting our possessions once it is safe to do so.

When I have further information I will post as soon as possible.

EI Information

Good Morning All,

 

The following is information from the Government of Canada regarding special arrangements for EI for those directly affected by the fires in Fort McMurray.

Please share with anyone in your organization who this may help:

 

http://www.esdc.gc.ca/en/ei/important_notice.page

 

Kind Regards,

Sophie Khorassani
Operations Lead

Alberta Council of Turnaround Industry
Maintenance Stakeholders (“ACTIMS”)
P.O. Box 76182
Calgary, Alberta T2Y 2Z9