This year’s Presidents, Business Managers and Business Agents Meeting, was held in Baltimore Maryland.
All of the speakers were excellent and informative, with clearly a large amount of Canadian content added to the program. With the expansion of the ISAVE program from the USA into Canada, a number of Canadian locals are having success with expansion of their commercial markets and government relations. The LMCT has now launched a Canadian web site to help show case mechanical insulation in Canada. www.insulatorscanada.ca
There was an informative presentation from the Department of Labor, reviewing with the officers the requirements and process for proper documentation and disclosure of all union financials. Including all plans and the members who were paid out from the plans, wages for staff and officers, expenses, rental costs, maintenance costs, political action funds, and consumables just to name a few. This was a clear look at what Bill 377 is bringing to our Canadian Locals and unfortunately for a local the size of Local 110 a full time accountant is required on staff to insure compliance. With the way the information is presented on the Department of Labor website this information is not being compiled to show any extra transparency to union members, this is an information page for anti-union organizations to know where unions are the weakest and focus their attacks.
Held on the first night of this meeting was the Florence Bernard/Alta Miller Scholarship awards dinner. This year Local 110 did not have any of our applicants win scholarships. So we need our members to flood the international with applications for these scholarships so that Local 110 can have a better showing next year.
Lastly at this meeting General President James Grogan stepped down taking his retirement. The General Executive board made up of all the International Vice Presidents voted to have James "Buddy" McCourt step in to the role of General President and to have Greg Revard take over for Mr. McCourt as General Financial Secretary. Mr. Revard was previously the International Vice President for the Central States Conference. We all wish Mr. McCourt and Mr. Revard the best in their new positions and thank Mr. Grogan for his years of service to our International and all he was able to accomplish for the betterment of the North American Labour Movement.