Good day Brothers and Sisters, 

As many, if not all, of you already know, Fort McMurray is in a state of evacuation due to the massive wildfires that are ravaging the area. I believe that there isn't one of us who won't be affected in some way. Our Brothers and Sisters, our families, our friends, co-workers and staff are all struggling with devastating effects of these wildfires. Agent Casemore was asked to evacuate and spent most of the late afternoon trying to get out of Fort McMurray. He has just arrived, safe and sound, in St. Albert this morning.

We are already in the works of accessing the International Disaster Fund that will help to cover some of the costs incurred by those Members who are impacted by the fires. Initial assistance can be up to $1500.00 to cover costs such as food and lodging with appropriate documentation (make sure to have your proof of residence in Ft.McMurray and save all receipts!). Once personal damage is known, with proof of loss, additional funds can be provided. We will have more information on how to access these funds over the next few days.

Our thoughts are with those in Fort McMurray today and we hope that no fatalties or serious injuries will be reported as the fire continues to rage on. The effects of the fire are certainly overwhelming, but we must remember that 'things' can be replaced. The lives of our families, our Local 110 family and our friends are more important and must take precedence. I urge you to help as much as you can, in whatever way works for you. It is heartwarming to see the offers of homes, rooms, beds and land to assist our Brothers and Sisters who have been displaced as a result of these fires. Please consider making a donation to the Red Cross if you can. With fires still burning, it is a very real possibility that things may get worse before they get better. We need to stand together and rise above whatever challenges we face. Over the next few days, and for however long it takes, we will be working to give help to those who need it. There is a long road ahead, but we are commited to seeing our Brothers and SIsters through these hards times.

In Solidarity,

BM Kevin Lecht

 

On this April 28th Day of Mourning, Local 110 remembers our lost coworkers, friends and family. We have lost too many Brothers and Sisters to occupational disease across the years. Local 110 Members, Officers and Staff remind all workers to wear the required proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at all times to prevent occupational disease in the future.

Occupational disease related to our trade includes asbestosis, mesothelioma, silicosis, chronic

obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cancer, and asbestos pleural disease. Traderelated occupational disease also includes carpal tunnel syndrome, bursitis:repetitive motion, tendonitis: repetitive motion, hearing loss, dermatitis, and other disease.

Local 110 has a long history in the fight against occupational disease from safe work practice and PPE, to clean lunch and change rooms, to compensation defence, to the tissue bank, to the health programs and lifestyle initiatives at the membership funded WoW Centre. Local 110 Members are encouraged to check out the WoW Centre and to participate/register.

We support this important service to the membership it is helping many Members and families to document work history, identify health risks, take PFTs, and improve workplace safety for all.

Occupational disease prevention requires proper PPE.

Know the product safety risks. Read the WHMIS labels. Plan your work with lifetime safety in mind today's safe work plan will improve your health tomorrow. Wear a mask when handling insulation materials. Make sure the mask fits. Keep your work area as clean as possible. Reduce dust hazards. Wash up before meals and breaks. No coveralls in the lunchroom.

If you are not sure of the PPE requirements for a product ask check the MSDS.

All Local 110 Members and Workers should take occupational diseases seriously and wear the proper PPE.

Alberta OHS Law is clear 'Workplace health and safety is a shared responsibility between employers and workers' this includes lifetime safety to prevent occupational disease.

 Use Your PPE Stop Occupational Disease

Good day Brothers and Sisters

Over the last few days the Local 110 officers have receive a number of calls, regarding possible job action being taken by members of some Building Trades Affiliates, due to the changes in the GPMA Collective Agreement.

The position of Local 110 is that we do not support any illegal work stoppage or strike, by any trade or union. To that end our Local expects our membership to continue to work on all construction and maintenance sites, where we have legal and binding Collective Agreement requiring us to do so.

I know from personal experience, this is a difficult situation for our membership and even harder for the traveler members working through our Local. In this case there are workers across the trades holding out that this is the “right thing to do” despite our legal obligations. We have individuals within our own membership that have the same view. However this is not the way to effect positive change on the job, in our union, or in the maintenance bargaining process.

If Local 110 members are involved with any illegal work stoppage or strike there will be serious financial repercussions for our union, due to damages being sought and won by contractors and clients through the Alberta Labour Board, for delay of project and production. In the case of large oil sands projects these damages could quickly move into the millions of dollars. For some unions these damages can be paid and the funds recovered over time from dues, fines, and assessments of their membership. Unfortunately with the financial situation of Local 110 this may not be an option.

 As a final thought, I would like to remind us all that agreements are not bargained for jobs we don’t have. In these turbulent times all unions need to protect the projects we have, expand into new opportunities and prepare for the next round of negotiations.

Good day Brothers and Sisters

Our Local has been provided with an overtime explanation from the GPMC committee. This document will be provided, along with charts that were provided but would not transfer to the Local 110 web site, at the April 9, 2016 General Membership Meeting. Please see below.

 

Q & A Regarding New OT Structure— AB GPMA Agreements

Is the differentiation between Long Term Maintenance (LTM) and Short Term Maintenance (STM) something NEW?

NO. The Alberta GPMA Collective Agreements have always contained language allowing for a difference between LTM and STM and this has been used in the past in Alberta.

What is STM?

In accordance with Article 6.103 STM is work that is terminated within 30 available days of work.

How is overtime applied for LTM?

The changes to the agreement provide the employer the option to use up to twenty (20) hours of time and one half (1 ½ ) between Monday to Saturday for those engaged in LTM.

Sunday and Statutory Holidays remain as doubletime days.

If working 5 x 8 schedule the employer has the option to work up to an additional 4 hours per day Monday to Friday, and an additional 2 hours per day on a 4 x 10 schedule before doubletime would be applicable.

What happens when a LTM worker begins to work on a turnaround?

Once the conditions of Article 12.601 & 12.602 are met a LTM employee assigned to work on a major shutdown will receive the STM rate.

How is the LTM employee paid if he/she is not assigned to work on a major shutdown?

The LTM employee will continue to receive the LTM rate if not assigned to the shutdown.

How is a LTM employee compensated if required to work on the major turnaround for one week and then returned to work on LTM?

Provided the conditions in Article 12.601 and 12.602 are met a LTM employee would be compensated at the STM rate (and overtime structure) for one week and then returned to the LTM rate.

What is the net difference in hours earned between a LTM and a STM employee when working 50 hours during a work week?

Zero. Earned hours for both are sixty-five.

What is the net difference in hours earned between a LTM and a STM employee when working 40 regular hours during a work week and an additional twenty (20) hours of overtime?

The net difference in hours earned between LTM and STM employee is five (5) hours pay.

Do the changes on the overtime provisions for LTM employees have any implications for those working under the Alberta National Maintenance Agreement (NMA)?

NO. The NMA is a standalone agreement with its own terms and conditions.

Key Understandings:

•Short-Term Maintenance overtime provisions remain unchanged.

•The employer has the option to utilize a maximum of twenty (20) hours of overtime at the rate of timeand one half (1.5x) only on Long-Term Maintenance.

oTime and one-half may be paid up to four (4) hours Monday – Friday, or up to two (2) hours in a 4×10 scenario. Double-time for any hours worked thereafter.

oTime and one-half may be paid on Saturday up to a maximum of twelve (12) hours should therebe any unused hours remaining within the twenty (20) hour parameter of time and one halfduring the work week. Double-time for any hours worked thereafter.

oSundays and Statutory Holidays will be paid at double-time (2x).

•Any work week scenarios totalling 50 hours worked and less result in a parity between Short-TermMaintenance Rates and Long-Term Maintenance Rates.

•Any work week scenarios totalling above 50 hours worked result in a maximum differential of only five (5)hours between Short-Term Maintenance rates and Long-Term Maintenance rates.

oThis weekly differential will remain static regardless of the volume of craft hours being workedeach week. Therefore, the only difference between short-term maintenance and long-termmaintenance overtime provisions will be 5 hours paid plus the applicable vacation pay ONLY forthose work week scenarios having more than 50 hours worked.

Good day Brothers and Sisters

Over the last week there has been a lot of misinformation regarding the Alberta GPMA implementation. I will try to explain what has been happening and clear up as much confusion as possible.

• As of April 3, 2016 the new conditions of the GPMC agreements in Alberta came into effect.
• Overtime change for the GPMA is on a four tens work week there is twenty hours of time and a half before double time. On compressed work schedules, such as seven on seven off or fourteen on fourteen off, thirty six hours of time and a half will be worked before double time.
• Hourly rate has not changed.
• On March 31, 2016 the General Presidents Maintenance Committee, which is made up of all the vice presidents of all the Building Trades Unions asked the contractors that are signatory to the GPMA agreement to hold off on implementation until a meeting could be had on April 27, 2016. Unfortunately the contractors tried to impose unreasonable conditions in exchange for postponing the implementation of the agreement. This included a refusal to return to the table for further negotiations.

At the April 9, 2016 General Membership Meeting we will try to answer any additional questions that the members may have.

Name	Status	Recommendation	Meeting
Armsworthy, Wayne	1st year	Accept	A
Dehari, Robert	1st year	Accept	A
Doucet, Devin	1st year	Accept	A
Dumais Ashley	1st year	Accept	A
Fisher, Austin	1st year	Accept	A
Ginther, Edward	1st year	Accept	A
Hawker, Eric	1st year	Accept	A
Ismail-Mohamed, Mohamed	1st year	Accept	A
Legere, Robert	1st year	Accept	A
Lozo, Gary	1st year	Accept	A
Morin, Carl	1st year	Accept	A
Nkengfua, Alexander	3rd year	Accept	A
Sawadogo, Moumouni	1st year	Accept	A
Aquin, Bruce	Journeyman Previous Member	Accept	A
Clarke, Robin	JM Transfer 116	Reject	R
Snell, Greg	JM Transfer 97 Previous Member	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.

 

 

Good day Brothers and Sisters

As all of you know the economic situation in Alberta has changed over the last few years. Fortunately for Local 110 we have been able to keep a large percentage of our members working in the Industrial maintenance sector. Long term partners such as Syncrude, Suncor, Shell Scotford, and Dow Fort Saskatchewan have helped this local through slow times in the past, and over the last few years, new clients such as Kearl Lake IOL, Surmont, Strathcona IOL and Dow Prentiss have been added to our maintenance portfolio, creating greater employment opportunities for Local 110 members.

The backbone of all long term union maintenance positions are the Collective Agreements. All maintenance work currently performed through Local 110 is done so under the terms and conditions of either the General Presidents Maintenance Agreement (GPMA) or the National Maintenance Agreement for Alberta (NMA). In the past these agreements have provided the members of Local 110 with industry leading working conditions and wages, while at the same time providing the client with a highly skilled and certified professional workforce and relative labour stability across all trades.

As previously mentioned, these agreements came up for renewal in December 2015. I have just recently been informed that these negotiations have been completed for both the NMA and GPMA. The NMA has been rolled over and all terms and conditions will stay the same for a minimum of one year. As for the GPMA a number of changes have been made and these changes come into effect April 3, 2016. Most changes are around Transfers, Earned Days Off, Local Resident Status and Over Time Pay. These changes will affect members working at Syncrude, Suncor, Surmont, Kearl Lake, McKay River, Dow Fort Saskatchewan, Dow Prentiss, Shell Scotford, Strathcona IOL, Fire Bag, Shell Chemicals, Shell Albian Sands, and CNRL.

A full review of the changes to the GPMA will happen at the April 9, 2016 Local 110 General Membership Meeting in Edmonton.

I strongly suggest that members be in attendance at this meeting especially those who work or are planning to work, in the Fort McMurray area.

Name	Status	Recommendation	Meeting
Burgess, Trace	1st year	Accept	A
Coonce, Crystal	2nd year	Reject	R
Helmer, Kevin	1st year	Accept	A
Knight, Robyn	1st year	Accept	A
Layden, Murray	1st year / JMSMW	Reject	R
Nguyen, Marvin	Helper	Accept	A
Laliberte, Joseph Ron	JM Transfer Local 95	Reject	R

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.