Local 110 is sad to announce that member, Ronald Dirk passed away on Sunday March 5, 2017. Brother Ronald has been a member of Local 110 since December 2012.

A private interment will be held on Thursday March 9, 2017, and there will be a Come & Go Celebration of Life at 3:00 pm at the Assiniboia Inn 680-3 Street SE, Medicine Hat.

Local 110 Officers, Staff and Members extend their deepest condolences to all of Brother Ronald's Family & Friends.

Good day Brothers and Sisters

Here is a survey that is being circulated by the Alberta Government regarding residential construction. For the most part this doesn’t affect our members. However with the movement to multi home buildings and the changes to the Canadian building code our commercial sector is gaining more work in this industry.

This is an opportunity for our members to send a message about proper licensing for builders in Alberta and also speak to the need for certified trade’s people to be used in building both single and multi-family homes in Alberta. If proper rules are put in place for builders it is more likely proper tradespeople will be used making this industry safer and could result in work for members of Local 110.

I ask that you take the time to fill out this survey at the link below and focus as much as possible on safety and certification.

Thank you, in solidarity

Kevin Lecht

https://www.alberta.ca/builder-licensing-engagement.aspx

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.

Open Letter to All Mechanical Insulators in Alberta

As we all know the face of our industry in Alberta has changed and will continue to change. The mega projects that have allowed for wage increases over the last 15 years have died down and we are moving toward a more Maintenance and Small Projects based industry. This is still a significant amount of work for Mechanical Insulators.

Over the last few months there has been a scary trend of middle class trades people taking roll backs in wages, benefits and working conditions. For some trades this could be necessary because of over inflated wage packages, a glutton of certified trades people or a global change where their skill set is no longer in the same demand as before.

These are not the problems of the Mechanical Insulator. Our wage package both Union and Non-Union have increased over the last 15 years, but not significantly when compared to the cost of living or in comparison with other Mechanical Insulators across Canada. As we all know there are not a lot of Mechanical Insulators in Alberta or even throughout North America and even fewer certified Mechanical Insulators. This is why we work with the same people job to job and contractor to contractor.

Lastly, our global work outlook – In 2016 a major US newspaper published the fifteen top industries for growth in the next ten years; Mechanical Insulator was number three. When we look at the changes coming with the Canadian Building Code, the requirements for insulation thickness have in most cases doubled from previous code. Additionally, industry has shifted from the “production at any cost mentality” to a savings approach that looks at issues like replacement costs for mechanical systems due to corrosion under insulation, and the changes to Green House Gas emission taxes and levies.  We are now seeing the business case for the correct mechanical insulation installed by skilled and trained Mechanical Insulators.

So what does this all mean? We are faced with three to five years of slow economic times. However, there will still be work. We as an industry, both Union and Non-Union, need to do what is right for our industry and not get dragged into a race to the bottom. Slashing wages will not create more work, it will only create smaller pay cheques. I ask that every Mechanical Insulator that lives in Alberta, or makes their living from this province, to take pride in your work and demand the wages, benefits and working conditions we deserve as professional Mechanical Insulators.

This won’t be easy, but we are all in this together, Non-Union and Union alike, we have to support our industry and move it forward as a career not just for ourselves, but for generations to come. Remember we are not just applying insulation; we are the only trade that pays for itself through reducing energy loss, reducing GHG’s and reducing maintenance costs through increased life expectancy of mechanical systems.

Our industry united will be able to fight through these difficult economic times and come out stronger on the other side.

In solidarity

Kevin Lecht

Business Manager Heat and Frost Insulators Local 110

Alberta Canada