Journeymen Get Big One

L.U. 230, Victoria, BC - Longtime Tresurer, Ken Neal has retired. He will be missed, and we hope he has an enjoyable retirement.
We have a new shipyard agreement for two years with a 16 percent wage increase which will put the journeyman rate at $22.43 per hour plus fringes. We have a high rate of pay which attracts and maintains good craftsmen on a high standard of work. We hope the years will stay busy.
Our construction work looks good in British Columbia for the year. If we can change politics and establish a proper labour code, we should be able to get on with our organizing program. As it stands now, we could organize untill we drop and not win the overall vote as long as the employer is allowed to harass and intimidate the employees prior to vote time - even with an 80 percent sign up.

J.R. "Jim" McAvoy, BM - FS

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Organizing for Change

L.U. 230 (i, u, c, em, mar, catv) VICTORIA, BC - Although work was slower last year then we would have liked, our Market Recovery Program regained some ground previously lost to non-union contractors.
Hard work by Phil Venoit and the much needed efforts of some members concluded with some success in organizing by adding Co-Val and Goodhope Electric to our list of signatory contractors.
Members canvassing door-to-door in political opponent's ridings and those who took the time to send in support cards supplied by the Building Trades Council resulted in progress in the political arena. 1998 saw the passage of "Labour friendly" legislation. Bill 26 eliminated the need to negotiate each first contract with our new employers; now they must adopt the standard collective agreement. Also passed were "Leaky Condo" legislation which emphasized "qualified" workers and Workers' Compensation Bill 14 which offered greater protection to workers safety.
Leafleting "Fair Wage" (government) construction sites and subsequent work making unscrupulous employers meet wage obligations, regained our
contractors a majority of these contracts and resulted in hiring "Fair Wage" enforcement officers.
Special thanks to all who volunteered time. There would be little progress without you.
The future looks optimistic if large projects go forward as planned.

L. JORDAN, P.S.

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Recovering our Market

L.U. 230 (i, u, c, em, mar, catv) VICTORIA, BC - A project agreement with Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) and the Allied Hydro Council of British Columbia to build a co-generation plant in Campbell River, will put some of our members to work soon with the site services and grounding package out to tender at the time of writing.
Contractors up and down Vancouver Island are bidding successfully due to our Market Recovery Program, organizing and successful lobbying with regards to the Province's Fair Wage legislation.
Office staff followed up last year's Fair Wage law successes by meeting with the Premier and his caucus. Recommendations were: mandatory audit of each project, hiring an overseeing co-ordinator and for dishonest contractors, escalating fines.
We welcome a new Unit and it's officers from the Federal Dockyard with chairman, Bill Bennett, representing ship repair electronic technicians.
The 16th Annual I.B.E.W. Baskin Pig Roast is being held in Campbell River during July. This is a family affair and all members and their families are welcome.
This is an election year in our local with nominations at the May Unit meetings and the vote held in June. I can't stress enough, the importance of participating in these elections. Casting your vote is what makes our Union a democratic organization.

L. JORDAN, P.S.