After two decades of steady growth, the traffic control unit at Vancouver, British Columbia, Local 258 was thriving — so much so that the union in recent years was juggling more than 20 contracts for largely identical work. “It was a lot to administer,” Business Manager Cody Gatzke said. “We were always in bargaining.” But…
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Atlantic Canada Local Shows Resilience
When St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Local 2330 recently signed its first-ever agreement covering electrical work on an offshore oil platform, it was another sign that brighter days lie ahead for the IBEW in this Atlantic province. “It’s a few members on a small scope, but it’s a start to bigger things to come,” Local…
MoreIBEW Finds Common Ground With Saskatchewan Leaders to Upgrade Training
The IBEW’s work to enhance electrical training programs across Canada reached a milestone last fall, when it signed a letter of intent with the Saskatchewan government to partner in upgrading the province’s apprenticeships in electrical, powerline and nuclear. The IBEW has a similar agreement with the provincial government in Ontario, in which the Progressive Conservatives…
MoreToronto Local Displaces Rival, Adds Members and Contractors
Toronto Local 353 is the IBEW’s largest local union in Canada, with nearly 13,000 members, but adding to that number remains a top priority. If it means displacing a so-called union that is more friendly to management instead of the workers it represents, so much the better. Local 353 recently won certification votes at Onyx…
MoreManitoba Represented on U.S. Skills Show
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Local 2085 member Madina Nur could feel the pressure last September while competing in the Ideal Championship in West Palm Beach, Fla., and not just because she was the only electrician from Canada to qualify for the electrical tool maker’s annual televised tournament. “As soon as you step in, it’s just like a…
MoreWomen’s Committees More Than Double in First District
Canadian women members are finding new avenues of support as the First District’s number of Women’s Committees recently rocketed from six to 13. Tradeswomen make up roughly 4% of the construction workforce, representing an upward trend. Still, it leaves a lot of opportunity to recruit new members with construction workers in high demand — it’s…
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