Posted May 8, 2008 - the Federal Government announced $4.5 million in support of the Construction Sector Council and its efforts to establish a national Labour Market Information Program for the construction industry. This announcement was made by HRSD Minister Monte Solberg at the Building and Construction Trades Legislative Policy Conference in Ottawa earlier this week. This money and continuing government support will assist us in the on-going development of the web-based LMI tracking tool for the Hamilton Ad Hoc Manpower Committee. Click here to see Minister Soleberg's announcement.
Posted March 17, 2007 - the recently renewed Alberta GPMA's are now available for downloading on this site on the Library Page - Collective Agreements. The signing agreements are currently in the hands of the employers and will be out shortly. Alberta Local Union Business managers have already been sent a "working copy".
We are pleased to announce that Brett McKenzie will join the GPMC and the NMC for Canada as National Representative effective March 31, 2008. Brett will assist industry participants in the administration of the various maintenance agreements across Canada and in the further development of the contract maintenance industry in this country. You will be able to reach Brett at the Oakville Administration office once he starts work with us.
The GPMC distributed 17 $500.00 (a total of $8,500) in Halifax/Dartmouth Offshore Industry Education Awards at its annual meeting in Toronto, December 7, 2007. This money was awarded to 17 sons and daughters of Halifax local union members, who are attending post secondary institutions. Recipients were selected through a lottery process. The Committee has distributed over $30,000 since 1992 when a $20,000 donation from Jacobs was made due to the successful retrofit of the Rowan Gorilla III offshore platform.
Alberta Industry and Training Board has awarded the $1,000.00 annual General Presidents' Maintenance Committee Apprenticeship Scholarship to Mr. Ken Van Harberden, a 2nd year bricklayer apprentice. Click here to see the letter of award from Brian Bickley, Chair of the AITB.
Click here to download the Alberta Rose Committee shutdown schedule for 2008 to 2010. This document gives the schedule for major shutdowns planned by Alberta operating facilities such as Syncrude, Suncor, Shell, Dow and Albian Sands. The 2008 schedule shows major shutdowns at Syncrude and Suncor in Ft. McMurray and Petro-Canada in Edmonton.
Contract Maintenance Conference 2007
Fairmont Algonquin, St. Andrews, NB
July 9,10,11, 2007 Meeting Customer Needs
Over 80 union leaders, contract maintenance client representatives and maintenance employers met in St. Andrews, NB to discuss the changing needs of the contract maintenance customer and the response of the industry to those changes. The conference was moderated by Neil Donnelly of Neil Donnelly and Associates and featured industry speakers from major contract maintenance customers, union leadership and maintenance employers. Kathy Jourdain of Chrysalis Performance Group presented information on organizational change and techniques for positive dialogue for constructive change within industries and led the interactive discussion periods. Click on the links below to view the various presentations.
Neil Donnelly moderated and provided focus for the program.
Murratte Graves of Irving Oil outlined Irving's business needs.
Steve Jarvis of Syncrude Canada presented the choices in front of this major oil sands operator.
Bill Mouland of New Brunswick Power gave the corporation's side of the story and what it requires from its contract maintenance system.
Neils Frederiksen of Jacobs Industrial Services outlined the perspective of a 55 year plus union maintenance contractor.
Bob Blakely of the Canadian Office of the Building and Construction Trades Department presented the view from the trade union perspective.
Click here for Kathy Jourdain's presentation at the conference.
Importantly, the conference participants discussed the changing face of our industry and talked positively among themselves as to the required responses to continue with a 55 year old success story. Click to download Kathy's Post-Conference Notes which catalogue the discussion from the groups.
The General Presidents' Maintenance Committee thanks the presenters and the participants for their involvement and genuine desire to preserve and improve our industry. We had a productive industry conference and managed to enjoy some lobster and golf in one of the most beautiful places in Canada.
The Consrtruction Owners Association of Alberta will now recognize construction safety course certification from the Province of Quebec as an alternative to completion of CSTS training. The Quebec ASP Construction's Health and Safety on Construction Sites is an acceptable alternative. Download the COAA recent notice.