Good day Union Family

Recently you have been seeing calls on our dispatch page for Hazardous Material Handler Helpers and Mechanics. This designation was originally Asbestos Remover in the International Constitution and Bylaws but was changed at the same time as Asbestos Workers was changed to Allied Workers, due to the inability for some members with this designation to find health insurance in the United States. In most cases these workers are not Insulators, they are Asbestos Abatement Members and under the International Constitution and Bylaws they have a different designation, membership card, and per capita tax.

A number of years ago Local 110 started up Local 110A for these workers. The focus of 110A was Commercial Asbestos removal, unfortunately this did not live up to the expectation and 110A became a shell with no membership. In early 2019 one of our Signatory Contractors (AlumaSafway) came to us about the possibility of doing a two year long Asbestos Abatement project for a Client in Central Alberta. This is a full demolition of the plant and could lead to more work as there is a total of five plants slated for demolition in the next few years.

It was clear from the start for a Unionized Contractor to compete in this market they could not pay Insulator wages. The market for Asbestos Abatement Workers in Alberta sits between eighteen dollars per hour on the low side and twenty-five dollars per hour on the high side. After months of consultation and meetings the final rate for a Hazardous Material Mechanic is twenty-eight dollars per hour on the cheque with a total package of thirty-three seventy-five, and a Hazardous Material Helper is twenty-one fifty on the cheque with a total package of twenty-six sixty. Also, in the agreement if Insulators are utilized as Foreman or General Foreman, they will be paid at Insulator rates. Any Insulators working rope access will be paid the insulator rate with a five dollar per hour rope uplift.

In the end the agreement was signed April 2020 for a term of three years for all demolition work for this client. Since, Asbestos Removal is not part of registration bargaining, each project, contractor, or client will have separate agreements that may have variations to the terms and conditions. These agreements are specific to decommissioning and demolition of plants that require Asbestos Abatement. This is not for ongoing maintenance projects that require Asbestos Abatement. These agreements help to secure new work without taking away from our current Mechanical Insulator Agreement terms and conditions.

This is a market that the Union has allowed to be taken over by alternative workforces and this is a small step towards building a workforce and pushing back. It was not the intention that our current Insulator members would be manning these projects, but with all the issues currently it is an option for work if a Member chooses.

In solidarity

Kevin Lecht                                                                          

Business Manager

Good day Union Family

As we all know there are only a few issues that are more polarizing in this Local than name hires and more specifically Foreman name hires.

Currently, under the Provincial Construction Collective Agreement there is the ability for a contractor to hire by name any person who will be engaged as a Foreman. There is no maximum number of Foreman a contractor can have on a project, and there is no specified length of time a member has to be a Foreman after a name hire. The only stipulation on the crew size is, there will be one Foreman for the first three Employees and can supervise up to fifteen, and one Forman for every fifteen employees thereafter.  This was put into place to stop companies from having jobs with no Foreman or having massive crews with only one member being a Foreman. However, we know times have changed, in most cases a large crew for a Foreman would be ten people.

The Local is well aware that we have contractors that abuse the Foreman name hire process. As a Union we follow up on the Foreman name hires to ensure that they are paid Foreman rate and not put down to Journeyman once they complete orientation. In most cases the contractors make sure it is not obvious that they never intended to have the member as a Foreman, but when they do grievances are filed and are usually resolved by the member being made a Foreman. This has also been a huge issue at bargaining for the next Provincial Construction Collective Agreement.

No matter what side of the conversation you fall on everyone understands what some contractors are doing isn’t “right”, but it is not a violation of the Collective Agreement. So, in the end the people that have the power to stop the contractors that are abusing the Foreman name hire is our members. If our members don’t accept Foreman name hires when they know it is questionable that they will be Foreman. If members stop calling soliciting name hires. Then the contractors will be forced to change their process.

In solidarity

Kevin Lecht                                                                          

Business Manager

Good day Union Family

I know a number of our members look forward to the yearly NABTU Trades Women Build Nations Conference. This year the conference was scheduled October 2-5 in Washington DC. Unfortunately, I have just received official notice through our International Office from NABTU that the 2020 Conference has been canceled.

When I receive more information, it will be made available.

In solidarity

Kevin Lecht                                                                          

Business Manager

International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers, Local 110

 

Local 110 is sad to announce that Member Rudolf Hermann passed away May 31, 2020. Brother Rudolf has been a Local 110 member since October 1968.

Service has already been held. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Brother Rudolf may be made to the Alzheimer Society.

Local 110 Officers, Staff and Members extend their deepest condolences to all of Brother Rudolf’s Family and Friends.

 

Kevin Lecht

Business Manager

To Whom it may concern

Recently it has come to our attention that an individual Mark Scott has made a number of racist and inflammatory comments on social media, while at the same time claiming to be a member of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers, Local 110. Although Mr. Scott attended training with our Local and worked less than a month with one of our signatory contractors as a Permit Worker, Mr. Scott is not and has never been a member of our Local. Currently we are taking legal steps to have Mr. Scott cease and desist representing himself as a member of our organization.

Local 110 is an organization made up of members from virtually every country in the world. We have all come together to improve working conditions, health and safety, benefits, occupational health and ultimately provide a better quality of life for ourselves and our families through collective bargaining. There is no place for racism, intolerance, hate, discrimination, or harassment in our organization, and any member found to be engaging in these kinds of activities will be dealt with through the Local 110 Bylaws/Code of Conduct and the International Constitution and Bylaws.

As individuals and as a Union, we must be leaders and stand up against racism, hate, and intolerance and work against those in society that seek to divide us as a community. Bringing light to these issues and having the difficult conversations that will come because of it, will only make us stronger as a Union and as a community.

In solidarity

Kevin Lecht                                                                        

Business Manager

Good day Union Family

The International has shipped to Local 110 cloth masks for the members. There are being provided for your safety from the International during this time of COVID 19. These are not medical grade masks and do not replace proper PPE.

Any current Local 110 member can come to the Edmonton Union office and pick up their masks. Please call when you arrive at the building, and they will be brought out to your vehicle. Masks will be shipped to Calgary shortly for distribution and I will update the members when they are available.

If you have any questions, comments, or queries please contact the Edmonton Union Hall.

In solidarity

Kevin Lecht                                                    

Business Manager

May 14, 2020

Good day Union Family

As our Province starts to remove the restrictions that are in place for the COVID 19 pandemic, some business, are starting to reopen to the public. Fortunately for us the WOW Center at Synergy Respiratory & Cardiac Care is starting to see members to complete their Pulmonary Function Tests (PFT). This is going to be a slow restart with limited spots available with the majority of spots set aside for our members on Fridays.

With the up to date PFT members receive the yearly Health Spending Account from the Health and Welfare plan. This year the Health Spending Account is four hundred dollars and can be used for additional benefits or to cover the copayment portion of a service. Members will still be provided the Health Spending Account if they complete the PFT through their own doctor as long as documentation is provided to the Health and Welfare plan that the test has been completed.

The true value of having the PFT completed through the WOW Center is the accessibility of the testing information in the future. Member of our Union have completed thousands of PFT’s and Spirometry tests over the years, some of these tests have allowed for early intervention and have shown progression of different lung diseases. Unfortunately, these tests were almost impossible to obtain when it came time to fight with WCB for proper compensation due to industry exposures. The reason for this is medical records are only held active for about 15 years in Alberta and then they are usually sent to document storage. Once in document storage it is almost impossible to find the records and after a period of time the documents can be destroyed. With the partnership with Local 110 and Synergy Respiratory & Cardiac Care our members records are being retained with the doctor’s office indefinitely so they can be accessed when needed. Also, Synergy Respiratory & Cardiac Care provides the doctors that Local 110 utilized for expert testimony when we are fighting for member benefits with WCB. So, having an ongoing relationship with these doctors can be beneficial if you have issues with WCB coverage in the future.

In solidarity

Kevin Lecht                                                                        

Business Manager

The Officers and Staff are sad to report that Member Blaine Zotzman passed away May 10, 2020. Blaine has been a member of Local 110 since 2004 but had been working through the Local for a number of decades prior. His last job with the Local was Jacobs at Syncrude in 2015.

There will be no service for Mr. Zotzman, and in lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to the Cross Cancer Institute.

Local 110 Members, Officers and Staff extend our deepest condolences to Blaine’s family and friends.

May 5, 2020

Good day Union Family

I have been contacted by the International Office regarding our Members Military Service. The International would like to recognize and honour those Members who have or who are currently serving in the Canadian or American Military. To properly complete this they have tasked the Local Unions to update the Membership information for the applicable Members with the branch of the Military they have or are currently serving.

To help complete our task I am asking any members of Local 110 that have or are currently serving in the Canadian or American Military to email dispatch@insulators110.com. Please include your legal name, membership number, the branch of the Military, and for which Country. This program is for all members in good standing including deceased Members, so if you know of a deceased member who completed Military service please contact their family to have the information provided to the Local.

This will obviously take a significant amount of time for our Locals Officers and Staff to update these records in time for the Internationals cut off, to that end I ask that this information be provided to the Local no later than July 4, 2020. If there are any questions, please contact me at the Edmonton Union hall at (780) 426-2874.

In solidarity

Kevin Lecht                                                                        

Business Manager

International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers, Local 110

The Officers and Staff are saddened to report the passing of Member Vladimir Gutman April 29, 2020. Vlad has been a Member of Local 110 since 1994 and his last project worked on was Fuller Austin at Suncor base plant in 2016.

A service is being held at St James RC Church in Vernon on Tuesday, May 5^th and interment to follow later in Fort Saskatchewan.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Vernon Jubilee Hospital, B.C.
Local 110 Members, Staff and Officers extend our deepest condolences to Vlad’s family and friends.