Tradetalk is the quarterly magazine of the BC Building Trades.
THE MAGAZINE OF THE BC BUILDING TRADES
Fall 2021 VOL. 24 No. 3
CERTIFICATION OF SKILLED TRADES ANNOUNCED
PROGRAM EXPLOITS FOREIGN WORKERS page 7 A CAMP FOR WORKING CLASS KIDS page 22
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LiUNA BUILDS COMMUNITIES At LiUNA! Local 1611 we understand the importance of a strong foundation, and we’re committed to helping our communities thrive.
Peace Arch Elementary School Playground Completed January, 2021
Fall 2021, Volume 24, No. 3 Tradetalk is published four times per year by the BC Building Trades INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Brynn Bourke EDITOR Corry Anderson-Fennell PHOTOGRAPHY Michael J.P. Hall DESIGN Hands On Publications Printed in Canada by Mitchell Press All rights reserved. Material published may be reprinted providing permission is granted and credit given. Views are those of the authors, and no statements express the policies of the BC Building Trades, except where indicated. Subscriptions $24 Cdn. per year in Canada and the U.S., $32 international
THE MAGAZINE OF THE BC BUILDING TRADES
President’s message ................................................ 4
Message from the editor ........................................... 5
What’s on your head? Members share their hard hat photos on pages 28 and 29. ON THE COVER: Sheet metal apprentice Keke Nasitwitwi practises her craft with instructor Matt Brown in the background at the Sheet Metal Workers Training Centre in Surrey.
From the Ledge ....................................................... 6
Program exploits foreign workers ............................. 7
Certification of skilled trades announced . ...............12
Getting in on green jobs . ........................................14
Injury claims suppressed: Report .............................19
ISSN 1 480-5421
Publications Mail Agreement 40848506 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: #207 – 88 10th Street New Westminster, B.C. V3M 6H8 COVER PHOTO BY MICHAEL J.P. HALL
A camp for working class kids ................................22
CBTU fights for mobility tax deduction ...................25
Q&A with a former traffic control person ................30
The BC Building Trades Council represents 25 local unions belonging to 13 international unions. There are approximately 40,000 unionized construction workers in B.C.
BC Regional Council of Carpenters , 250-383-8116, bcrcc.ca > Floorlayers Local 1541 , 604-524-6900, bcrcc.ca > Millwrights Local 2736 , 604-525-2736, millwrights2736.com > Pile Drivers Local 2404 , 604-526-2404, piledrivers2404.ca
#207 – 88 10th Street New Westminster, BC V3M 6H8 778-397-2220
info@bcbuildingtrades.org bcbuildingtrades.org PRESIDENT Al Phillips , Plumbers and Pipefitters VICE PRESIDENT Tony Santavenere , Teamsters SECRETARY TREASURER Hamish Stewart , BCRC Carpenters Geoff Higginson , Bricklayers & Tilesetters Roy Bizzutto , Cement Masons Jim Lofty , Electrical Workers Neil Munro , Insulators Dan Jajic , IUPAT District Council 38 Doug Parton , Ironworkers Nav Malhotra , Labourers Miro Maras , Millwright s Brian Cochrane , Operating Engineers Darrell Hawk , Pile Drivers Richard Mangelsdorf ,
Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 2 , 604-584-2021, bac2bc.org Cement Masons & Plasterers Local 919 , 604-585-9198, opcmia919.org Construction & Specialized Workers’ Union Local 1611 , 604-541-1611, cswu1611.org Electrical Workers Local 213 (L. Mainland), 604-571-6500, ibew213.org Electrical Workers Local 230 (V. Island), 250-388-7374, ibew230.org Electrical Workers Local 1003 (Nelson), 250-354-4177, ibew1003.org Electrical Workers Local 993 (Kamloops), 250-376-8755, ibew993.org
Insulators Local 118 , 604-877-0909, insulators118.org IUPAT District Council 38 , 604-524-8334, dc38.ca
Ironworkers Local 97 , 604-879-4191, ironworkerslocal97.com Operating Engineers Local 115 , 604-291-8831, iuoe115.ca Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 170 , 604-526-0441, ualocal170.com Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 324 , 250-382-0415, ualocal324.com Refrigeration Workers Local 516 , 604-882-8212, ua516.org
Sheet Metal, Roofers and Production Workers Local 280 (Van), 604-430-3388, smw280.org Sheet Metal, Roofers and Production Workers Local 276 (Vic), 250-727-3458, smwia276.ca
Teamsters Local 213 , 604-876-5213, teamsters213.org UNITE HERE Local 40 , 604-291-8211, uniteherelocal40.org
Sheet Metal Workers & Roofers Robert Demand , UNITE HERE
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President’s Message By Al Phillips President Tireless work of unions brings benefits for all
WHY JOIN A UNION? If you ask someone who is not a member of one, the response is typically about better wages, better pension and health plans. While these are the quantifiable benefits of being a union member, there are many other, often overlooked reasons why union membership is advantageous, not only to the member but to overall society.
workers and for the end consumer. The same scenario has repeated itself for decades, with unions leading the fight for improvements that benefit all workers: work-free weekends, the eight-hour work day, workplace health and safety, child labour laws, parental leave benefits. As union members, we believe that all work deserves respect and with our collective voice we have the ability and responsibility to better shape the working life of every worker, union or not. This is often referred to as the “spillover effect.” Our victories at the bargaining table, at grievance hearings and through our extensive lobbying efforts raise the bar for all workers and it keeps employers accountable. So when you see an improvement to working conditions such as changes to the Labour Code, WorkSafeBC regulations, increases to minimum wage, the return to skilled trades certification, it is unions through their membership, who have demanded, supported and invested in these efforts. The overall benefit and impacts are immeasurable; felt universally by all workers, their families and society as a whole. The question should really be: Why wouldn’t you join a union?
In June, we heard the provincial government announce that we will again be returning to a skilled trade certification system, which means that a tradesperson working on any job in B.C. must be either a certified journeyperson or a registered apprentice. B.C. has not had a compulsory trades system since 2003 when it was axed by the Liberal government. This announcement is the result of years of lobbying by unions who recognize the value of certification and the safety implications of enforcing such a system. While the value of this effort is not easily measured, the long-term positive effect on workers and the general public cannot be ignored. For union members working in the construction trades, this change is not revolutionary. Unions in the Building Trades have always been strong supporters of apprenticeship training (millions are spent collectively by the Building Trades Unions) and most mandate certification as a prerequisite for membership. The benefit to union members is recognition at long last of the value of the skills they bring to the jobsite every day. It’s a big deal. Certification means something. The added value to society is unquestionable. It means that our labour force in B.C. will need to skill up. More opportunities and incentives will be available for those wanting to get into the trades, leading to better jobs and higher wages for the entire industry. The quality of work will inevitably improve, and it will mean improved safety for all
BY SHAWN LUKE
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Message from the Editor Unpaid sick days causing pain and suffering
By Corry Anderson-Fennell Director of Communications
I’VEHAD LOTSOF JOBS. As a teen, I washed dishes at an Italian fast food restaurant and sold toys and pet budgies at Woodward’s department store in Downtown Vancouver. I was a video rental clerk peddling VHS and Betamax copies of Top Gun and Flashdance. The money was as poor as the hours and paid sick days were things my parents got, not me. If I
which he did. Does anyone see the irony in having chiropractic coverage but not paid sick days? Now I may be prone to a few colourful adjectives here and there, but the facts of this story are true. One doesn’t need a lot of paper to connect the dots between construction work, pain, prescription drugs and opioid use. Research says we can add another dot for unpaid sick days, too. According to a study by the American Journal of Public Health, opioid use disorder and opioid overdose deaths are highest among people with physical jobs such as construction, precarious workers and people with no access to paid sick time. The study found that construction workers, in particular, have higher rates of back and other types of musculoskeletal pain and, correspondingly, pain relief is the No. 1 reason for misuse of prescription pain relievers. Fifty-seven per cent of the opioid-related deaths in the dataset came after a workplace injury. Granted, this is an American study, conducted in a country notorious for a medical system that favours the rich and shuns the poor. However, our own data correlates: a 2018 report from the B.C. Coroners Service found that 55 per cent of employed people who died of an illicit drug overdose worked in the skilled construction trades (staggering, when construction workers represent only 15 per cent of the B.C. workforce). Put it all together and you can fairly conclude that construction workers go to work when they’re in pain, and sometimes they use opioids to manage it. Of course, mere paid sick days will not solve the opioid crisis. As chronicled in the last edition of Tradetalk, the crisis is also fueled by the “get ’er done” culture borne of the force and fury of every construction project ever completed. But they’ll help. The BC NDP government is in the midst of consultations to introduce permanent paid sick days into the Employment Standards Act. All the public announcements around the process have emphasized the assistance this would especially bring to B.C.’s lowest paid workers. While that’s undoubtedly correct, paid sick days will also help those who put their bodies in harm’s way to build our communities.
had any hope of keeping my 1971 Dodge Colt in gas and oil for the week, I had to be on death’s door before calling in sick.
Let’s just say that a few people who rented Top Gun from me probably also developed the common cold. But once I became an adult and started working full time in jobs that were supposed to support a family, my employment benefits
“One doesn’t need a lot of paper to connect the dots between construction work, pain, prescription drugs and opioid use. Research says we can add another dot for unpaid sick days, too.”
included paid sick days. Their plenitude varied by employer but there was always at least a handful available so that a sick worker could take a day or two off to recover from some bug they picked up at the video rental store. So it came as a surprise to learn some years ago that most construction workers don’t get paid sick days. “What?” I asked, flabbergasted, when my partner struggled out of bed one morning and asked me to help him get dressed because the pain in his back was so bad he couldn’t bend over to reach his pants, let alone put them on independently. “Take a sick day,” I commanded. “We don’t get sick days,” he squeaked and winced simultaneously. “It’s construction.” I helped him with his pants, his shirt, his socks and his boots. Then he stumbled off to work for a construction contractor. His boss was sympathetic but not enough to send him home. Instead, he helpfully suggested to my partner that he should visit the chiropractor near the job site on his lunch break,
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From the Ledge Get ready to give the government your opinion — on everything
By Brynn Bourke Interim Executive Director
BY THE TIME TRADETALK hits your doorstep, the results of the federal election should be known. Elections are probably the most important form of consultation a government can have. The stakes couldn’t be higher. But it’s not just your opinion on who should form
government that you’ll be asked about this fall. Both the federal and provincial governments have significant consultations running on core issues for tradespeople. Provincially, the NDP government is running consultations on the Skilled Trades Certification initiative. In essence, the province is restoring compulsory certification for 10 trades. Readers can read more on the initiative in this issue of Tradetalk. You can share your opinion with government by filling out a survey at engage.gov.bc.ca or by completing an online workbook the Industry Training Authority has put together. Also on the provincial front, workers are being asked about their opinion on a permanent paid sick leave program. Earlier this spring, the government introduced three paid days of sick leave for workers effected by COVID-19. This temporary measure is set to expire at the end of this year. What will replace it? The labour movement is calling for 10 days of permanent, employer-paid sick leave. GovTogetherBC has an online survey you can fill out to let government know your opinion. After the survey closes, you’ll still have an opportunity to review the options government puts forwards and weigh in on the model you feel would work best. The federal government is also running a consultation on Employment Insurance. This is a rare opportunity for tradespeople to address the major gaps in the current program. Building Trades unions are calling on the government to eliminate the delay for apprentices trying to access EI and to ensure newly unemployed workers can receive EI benefits while attending skills training or an educational program. We also want to extend the EI Training Support Benefit from four weeks to 16 weeks and create a dedicated Skilled Trades representative inside EI that understands the unique issues tradespeople face. You can read the submission from Canada’s Building Trades on their website at buildingtrades.ca and participate in the federal consultation before it closes on Oct. 8. So, as the headline says, get ready to give the government your opinion – on everything.
THE F I N I SH I NG TRADE S DC38
Representing and training Hazmat Workers • Drywall Finishers Glaziers • Painters • Waterblasters Interior Systems Mechanics IUPAT District Council 38 7621 Kingsway Burnaby, B.C. ph. 604 524-8334 toll-free 1-800-266-1527 www.dc38.ca —www.ftibc.ca
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Workers exploited by foreign worker program Abuse leads to lower wages, disinterest in skilled trades
By David Hogben
PHOTO UNDER CC BY-NC 2.0 LISA/FLICKR
occupations.” In construction, it’s even worse, Leighs said. “Looking at the 28 NOCs (National Occupational Classification) for construction trades, 19 of them saw more than 30 per cent of approved TFWs go to B.C. Of those 19, there were 11 where over 50 per cent of approved TFWs went to B.C.” An Ironworker investigation into the temporary foreign workers approved by the federal government between January 2020 and March 2021 revealed some shocking numbers.
COMPANIES ARE HIRING growing numbers of temporary foreign workers, and the problem is worse in B.C. than any other province. “In a lot of ways, B.C. has been the tip of the spear with the over-exploitation of the Temporary Foreign Worker program,” says BC Building Trades interim executive director Brynn Bourke. “We saw this with HD Mining. We saw this with the Canada Line. We saw this with the Golden Ears Bridge.” The situation has become so bad “some employers have built their entire business model around exploiting and using temporary foreign workers,” Bourke said of the growing problem. Ironworkers Local 97 has been at the forefront of a movement to expose the abuse of the Temporary Foreign Worker program in construction, and how B.C. workers in particular have sustained the brunt of the abuse. “B.C. is vastly overrepresented in the number of construction TFWs received in the country,” Ironworkers International organizer Jonathan Leighs said. The Local 97 member has been investigating the numbers of temporary foreign workers approved to work in Canada and B.C. “B.C. gets up to 30 per cent of the TFWs in Canada across all
DURING THAT PERIOD:
95 per cent of the temporary foreign ironworkers approved were destined for B.C. 80 per cent of the temporary foreign electricians were destined for B.C. 80 per cent of the temporary foreign plumbers were destined for B.C. 76 per cent of carpentry contractors and supervisors were destined for B.C. 74 per cent of glaziers were destined for B.C.
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Obviously, some companies use temporary foreign workers on a scale that demonstrates they are not just filling in during Canadian labour shortages. “One company, LMS Reinforcing Steel, managed to get a huge amount of TFWs,” Leighs said. Temporary foreign workers not only displace Canadian workers, they also drive down the wages of working Canadians. “They effectively set the price of labour. The TFWs come at a guaranteed price so companies can bid with a fixed cost of labour. Everybody else has to regress in wages and bidding prices to those of the TFW employers to be competitive,” Leighs said. “The TFW program basically destroyed the wages of ironworkers in the reinforcing industry.” Ironwork is hard work, so good wages and benefits are critical to attracting Canadians to careers in the trade. “When you are paid well, it makes sense, but if you are not paid better (than someone who is unskilled), you are not going to do the trade,” Leighs said. “So there was a decline in people going into the trade and there was also a decline in getting certified, because what is the point of getting your Red Seal?” A big part of the problem is that employers are advertising jobs at such low rates of pay that no Canadians will take them, said Leighs, and when a contractor doesn’t get any applications, they use that as justification to bring in temporary foreign workers. That could be fixed if they used contracts unions negotiated with employers to set the wages for advertising jobs, said Leighs. Ironworkers are lobbying to have the Temporary Foreign Worker program ended for the construction industry.
“As it is written right now, we are saying it needs to stop in the construction industry,” Leighs said. Only a complete redesign of the program would make it worth saving. “For now, the program is fundamentally broken,” Leighs said. Ironworkers Local 97 started an online campaign this past spring – Our Workers, Our Future – to lobby Ottawa to scrap the TFW program in construction. The Labourers International Union of North America (LiUNA) has also been at the forefront of investigating abuses in the foreign worker program and fighting to protect both Canadian and foreign workers. While the TFW program has been the source of scandals for years, LiUNA research shows the International Mobility Program (IMP) is also used increasingly to bring foreign workers into Canada. “As bad as the TFW program is, the International Mobility Program is even worse,” said Western Canada regional manager Mark Olsen. “The difference is the IMP does not require a labour market impact assessment. There is zero paperwork that the company has to file with the government, zero.” “After the 2014 changes that came in with the federal Conservatives, we have seen a growth in the IMP and a lessening in the TFW program.” In 2013, 66 per cent of foreign workers in B.C. were under the IMP. By 2016, that 66 per cent had gone up to 75 per cent of foreign workers. “None of these streams were designed for the construction industry, but that is clearly what has been happening since 2014,” said Olsen, who was a member of a union and government committee examining the impact of the Temporary Foreign Worker program on the construction industry.
Ironworkers Local 97 has launched a campaign at OurWorkers.ca to end the Temporary Foreign Worker program for construction. IMAGE FROM OURWORKERS.CA
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LiUNA wants the IMP program removed from the construction industry entirely.
commonly earn. “That makes it quite easy for this employer to pass this LMIA and show the government that there is limited to no interest in their job posting.” Including apprentice wages in the calculation severely drives down the rates employers offer when advertising for workers. “It is a significant difference. Our entry level apprentice rate across the province is at 55 per cent of the certified journeyperson rate.” Increasing the median wage companies offer workers in Canada when they advertise on jobbank.gc.ca is critical to improving the process, Carlow said. “In carpentry, it went from $26 to $28 an hour, but I cannot think of one journeyperson carpenter who would take a job for that rate without any of the fringe benefits that are commonplace in the industry. That is roughly $8-an-hour less (hourly base rate) than our provincial standard for a certified journeyperson.” Fair wage rates for British Columbians have already been set through fair, publicly available contracts unions have negotiated with employers. “Union collective agreements should be used in the consideration of prevailing wages,” said Bourke. “It is very clear that labour unions and their contractors have negotiated what they feel are fair deals that are representative of the costs of performing that work,” Bourke said. “So these collective agreements should be the standard of what prevailing wages are considered to be the cost of performing that work.” In addition, Bourke said there are no organizations better qualified than unions to say whether labour shortages exist in their sectors, so governments should turn to them for that expert advice. “Are Canadians or British Columbians available to do that work? If they are, then that TFW application should be denied.” story continued on next page
“With the TFW program, we can lobby for certain changes. If they don’t make the changes, we should get rid of both.” Proposed changes Ottawa announced to the TFWP program in late July “were woefully short of what is needed,” said Olsen. The biggest problem was that the federal Liberals totally ignored the IMP. “So, construction employers will now turn away even more from the TFWP and access foreign workers through the IMP, which does not require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). The proposed changes to the TFWP will lead to even more abuse of foreign workers under the IMP, and that’s likely to be an election issue. “In our opinion, the TFWP and the IMP are the biggest issues facing both Canadian and foreign workers in Canada and changes must be made.” Key problems with the new proposals include: • Companies will not be required to inform temporary foreign workers that they have a right to join a Canadian union. • The changes fail to ensure that the prevailing wage rate used by the government under the program accurately reflects the marketplace. • The changes fail to include a public registry of employers who violate the TFWP and a provision that they should be banned from bidding on any government-related contract. Matt Carlow, a representative for the B.C. Regional Council of Carpenters, says his biggest immediate concern is the way LMIA can be manipulated to drive down wages, and discourage B.C. workers from taking work. Employers advertising jobs use the wages of carpenters and apprentices to calculate the median wage, then advertise the jobs at wage rates lower than Canadians
OPERATIVE PLASTERERS' AND CEMENTMASONS' INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION LOCAL 919
Objectives:
Encourage a high standard of skill among themembers Provide the trade with competent workers Obtain andmaintain a fair standard of wages Assist members in obtaining employment
Protect the jurisdiction of the trade Organize those working in our craft Advance themoral, intellectual, social, & financial condition of our members
Craftsmanship. Prosperity. Responsibility.
12309 Industrial Road Surrey, BC
604.585.9198 1.800.298.6344
Roy Bizzutto, Business Manager & Secretary-Treasurer
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I EARNED THIS MONEY. I BUILT THAT THING.
Ignacio Sanchez PHOTO BY BRYNN BOURKE
FIGHTING ABUSES BY companies bringing temporary foreign workers to Canada isn’t about fighting against foreign workers. Quite the opposite, Building Trades affiliates have led the battle to protect foreign workers from unscrupulous employers and uncaring governments while protecting their own members. During construction of the Canada Line, BC Building Trades researcher Joe Barrett discovered some 40 Costa Rican, Ecuadoran and Colombian workers on the Canada Line were being paid less than $4 per hour. Barrett speaks Spanish, and was able to communicate easily with all the workers. A lengthy, costly battle began when LiUNA took up their cause. The battle lasted years, but justice was finally served when a union delegation headed to Costa Rica in January 2013 and personally handed cheques for tens of thousands of dollars to each worker. Building Trades interim executive director Brynn Bourke says that was a proud day for B.C.’s unionized construction workers. “When we connected with them, they were making less than $4 an hour. We had to go to court to ensure that they had the right to make a living wage,” Bourke said. When temporary foreign workers are hired, they are our brothers and sisters and should be treated with respect and dignity, she said. “They should not be brought here under a system of exploitation.”
At the time, a then 27-year-old Ignacio Sanchez, who came from Costa Rica to work on the Canada Line, said the settlement was bittersweet. “Every time I use the Canada Line, I see thousands of people. They don’t know who built it. We were hidden underground in the tunnel. I did the work and I think – this is the place they ripped me off. I earned this money. I built that thing.” Sanchez is now a Permanent Resident of Canada and has made a life here. LiUNA regional representative Mark Olsen said changes need to be made to the Temporary Foreign Worker programs now to prevent further abuses as B.C. prepares for many large infrastructure projects. “They believe they can bring in foreign workers and pay them what they are used to being paid at home,” Olsen said. “On the RAV line, they were paying them $3.57 cents an hour.” The RAV line project was just one bad example of many. Olsen recalls when HD Mining said it needed TFWs because almost no Canadians answered its ads for miners, after it said speaking Mandarin would be a requirement for employment. Matt Carlow said, “If we are bringing in foreign workers, let’s bring them in the right way, let’s pay them properly, let’s treat them properly. Let’s take care of them as though they are British Columbians.”
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‘Red Seal’ of approval coming back to B.C. A NEW SKILLED TRADES CERTIFICATION SYSTEM WILL ENSURE WORKERS HAVE THE TRAINING TO DO THEIR JOBS
By Corry Anderson-Fennell
TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION will soon become law for 10 construction and automotive trades. In June, the BC NDP government announced a new skilled trades certification system aimed at addressing the demand for skilled trades workers in B.C., creating more opportunities for underrepresented groups, boosting consumer confidence and ensuring trades workers have the skills they need to work
•
Construction electrician
•
Heavy-duty equipment technician
•
Automotive service technician
• Autobody and collision technician Once the system is implemented, individuals in these trades must be either a certified journeyperson or a registered apprentice to work. Key supports will be identified to support people during the transition to full certification.
safely and competently. “This is a great first step
toward bringing our province in alignment with every other province in Canada that has already recognized the value of formal education for trades workers,” said Brynn Bourke, interim executive director of the BC Building Trades. Bourke said skilled trades certification will help “future- proof” trades workers by making sure they have the skills to undertake the full scope of work that comes with their respective
A public engagement process is also taking place and includes roundtables, community dialogues, an online survey and focused discussions with stakeholders. The government is aiming to introduce legislation next spring, with the first changes expected in the electrical and mechanical trades by 2023, and in automotive trades by 2025. “Trades workers keep our lights
Sheet metal journeypersons Matt Brown and Sheila Sadler.
on, the heating running and our vehicles safe, and deliver the services British Columbians count on,” said Andrew Mercier, parliamentary secretary for skills training and former executive director of the BC Building Trades. “That’s why we want to hear from current tradespeople, those interested in starting their careers and employers on how we can implement a new skilled trades certification system that meets the needs of people and the economy today, with a support system that makes sense for both workers and employers. Every other province in Canada requires tradespeople to be certified. The BC Liberals removed that requirement in 2003 when it eviscerated the apprenticeship system. Without a recognized credential, it can be challenging for workers to transition between projects and industries, resulting in lost wages for workers and their families. Approximately 73,000 job openings are expected in the trades in B.C. through to 2029.
trades. A formal apprenticeship will also ensure they continue to advance as tradespeople, and support them toward their Red Seal certification, which is the trades equivalent of a bachelor’s degree. Based on recommendations from a 16-member stakeholder advisory working group representing industry associations, labour, post-secondary institutions, Indigenous skills trainers and the Industry Training Authority, the 10 initial trades designated for skilled trades certification are:
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Gasfitter Class A and B
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Steamfitter/pipefitter
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Refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic
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Sheet metal worker
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Powerline technician
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Industrial electrician
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TECK SHUTDOWN A CHANCE TO HONE SKILLS By David Hogben
WHEN TECK SHUT DOWN one of its roasters at its Trail smelter for maintenance in April and May, it meant there was potentially dangerous work for B.C. bricklayers, welders and ironworkers. It also meant there was an opportunity for qualified tradespeople and apprentices to learn how to work in a unique environment rebuilding the roaster dome. “A lot of people don’t understand the skill required in industrial projects laying brick. A dome is like an arch that goes in all directions,” said Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 2 president Geoff Higginson. Clayburn Services supervisor Shawn Friesen said the 60-foot diameter, 25-foot high brick dome on the roof of the zinc roaster employed about 40 bricklayers, about 10 of whom were apprentices. Work on the dome must be precise because of the high temperatures and gases inside. “It basically gives them the breakdown of every dome build that they will ever do. If you can do this job, then you can build any dome.” Safety is paramount in such work, and with this project, COVID-19 protocols also needed to be followed. “As with all activities at Trail Operations, our No. 1 priority during this shutdown will be on the health and safety of our employees and
contractors, which includes stringent COVID-19 preventative measures,” Teck said in a news release when it announced the temporary roaster maintenance. Joe Finlay, a Red Seal welder with the Boilermakers Lodge 359, said being a tradesperson is a life-long learning experience, but even more so working on the dome. “Working on the roasters is a bit of an eye- opener. Especially when you understand the processes that Teck does, the substances that you are dealing with that could harm your body.” Finlay and other welders worked on flanges on the outside, international’s bracing and safety guards. “It was something new. I have never been in a roaster, so I had to learn a whole new process and still develop an understanding.” The technical skills were important as was teaching apprentices how to work safely. “We had three apprentices where it was their first job and my most important thing was: ‘Don’t get carried away. Don’t run off somewhere without letting your journey know, even if it’s going to the washroom and hygiene. Wash your hands, clean your respirator, get new cartridges, respect everything, because the more you do that, the less harmful substances you are going to allow in your body.”
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PHOTO ADAM JONES VIA FLICKR
Jobs for Tomorrow: What are we doing, today? Millions of jobs coming from efficient construction
By Megan Terepocki
The Cape Scott Wind Farm generators were installed by IBEW Local 230 members.
THE BC BUILDING TRADES-COMMISSIONED report Jobs for Tomorrow: Canada’s Building Trades and Net Zero Emissions (2017), concludes that the building and construction trades are vital to meeting Canada’s climate goals. This may not surprise those in the industry who already find themselves reducing the globe’s carbon footprint. “It’s what we do,” says Neil Munro, BC Insulators Local 118 business manager. “Our jobs are green jobs — great Jobs.” The BC Insulators have long recognized the crucial role of mechanical insulation in low-carbon construction, promoting awareness of the issues. Electricians, too, find themselves on the front lines of this green transition. It’s expected that new wind and solar power projects will make a significant contribution to the future energy grid, with solar considered to be rich in potential construction jobs. “I would say we are the cutting edge of green technology,” said Phil Venoit, business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 230. “We built the windfarm in Cape Scott 10 years ago.” The windfarm was the first utility-scale project of its kind to be developed on the West Coast of B.C.
Local 230 members also had a hand in building the solar parkades at two government facilities on Vancouver Island, said Venoit. As a result, the B.C. Institute of Ocean Sciences in Sydney and the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo are now able to offset incoming hydroelectric power with solar energy. Efficient building construction and retrofits are expected to account for a lion’s share of future construction jobs. Venoit said Local 230 members are working on innovative projects that allow a building envelope to control temperatures inside a building, via glass panels placed outside the building. Similar panels, which become opaque or clear with the “flick of a switch,” have been utilized as privacy shields in doctor’s offices. “We know the Green Tsunami is coming,” said Farid Poursoltani, director of business development for the Electrical Joint Training Committee (EJTC), which is a partnership between IBEW Local 213 and the Electrical Contractors Association of B.C. The school is installing an entire solar energy system to be used for hands-on training and for generating electricity for the centre itself. “We now have a fairly good-sized system for training and we’re very excited about it,” said Poursoltani. “Our apprentices
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and journeypersons will know exactly how the PV (photo- voltaic) solar system is connected to the battery storage system and how that whole arrangement is connected to the grid. They will understand how such a system can be utilized to offset the carbon footprint,” he said. The EJTC is also a licensed facility for the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program, which certifies electricians in the safe installation of electric vehicle charging stations. The bottom line for construction workers? “There are millions of hours of work in green jobs,” said Munro. Venoit said he believes B.C. is highly sensitive to climate
change and to where the rest of the world needs to go. There is tremendous potential to unlock other forms of power such as that generated by wave turbines, which is relatively low-impact technology that could be installed up and down the B.C. coast, he said. “The move away from fossil fuels is going to require a huge restructuring of our infrastructure program,” cautioned Venoit.” Electric cars will require more transformers and heavier electrical wires to homes, for example. “What we need to be grappling with is the idea that we have to change,” he said.
Electrical Joint Training Committee (EJTC) is installing an entire solar energy system (below) to be used for hands-on training and for generating electricity for the school itself. The school is also a licensed facility for the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program, which certifies electricians in the safe installation of electric vehicle charging stations (right).
tradetalk BC Building Trades | 15
Construction workers getting flushed Campaign aims to improve sanitation practices for construction workers
By Corry Anderson-Fennell
CONSTRUCTION WORKERS are getting flushed, and they’re tired of it. For three months, construction workers from all over B.C. have been sharing horrendous stories about the unacceptable – to put it mildly – conditions of portable toilets on construction sites,” said Brynn Bourke, interim executive director of the BC Building Trades. “We’ve heard everything from 100 workers having to share two filthy toilets on a single site to near-full portable toilets left to bake in the sun until they are rendered completely unusable by anyone.” But those workers and others are piping up. More than 3,000 people have signed a petition demanding better sanitation practices in the construction industry. The petition was part of the BCBT’s “Get Flushed” campaign, which launched in May, and the results are promising: WorkSafeBC has establishing an internal working group to consult with stakeholders and provide recommendations. “Although our preference would have been WorkSafeBC committing to immediately enforce existing occupational health and safety regulations requiring flush toilets, this is still a good sign, and we will keep the pressure on until construction workers are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve – the same dignity and respect given to workers in other workplaces and industries.” Earlier this year, BCBT commissioned a leading occupational health and safety consulting firm, the Harwood Safety Group, to review sanitation practices in construction in B.C. The report not only found that the industry’s reliance on portable, non- plumbed washroom facilities – porta-potties – to be “wholly
inadequate,” but that the regulations on the books that require flush toilets for construction workers are routinely violated. In fact, only in exceptional circumstances when plumbed facilities cannot be provided “because of the nature of the workplace” should porta-potties be permitted. The report found that there is little in “the nature of the workplace” that prevents the use of trailered, washroom units equipped with flush toilets. The report prompted the United Association Local 170, whose members include plumbers, to launch a parallel campaign called Pipe Up. “It is entirely feasible for most construction worksites to provide facilities connected to mains, water and drainage systems,” said UA Local 170 business manager Al Phillips, who is also president of the 40,000-member BCBT. “Or, at the very least, to have portable trailered plumbed washrooms.” Phillips rightly points out that some sites do offer mobile, trailered flush toilets and even fully plumbed facilities that are connected to infrastructure – but only for the managers. “What message does that send? That we care about the sanitation needs of the managers, but not the trades? It also proves flush units are practical when the contractor wants them to be practical.” Bourke and Phillips emphasize that trailered flush toilets are widely available and affordable, costing as little as $1 a day per worker, to ensure protection from biological hazards. They also note that these units are self-contained thanks to large holding tanks for water, and just need power, which is the first thing brought in on any construction site.
Visit getflushed.ca.
16 | tradetalk Fall 2021
Free menstrual products to be offered to workers on some public construction sites
Mollie Routledge (left) and Chandra Basil-Dugas of IBEW Local 993.
IT’S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. PERIOD. Construction workers on some public construction projects won’t have to worry about not having menstrual products available, thanks to a new initiative by BC Infrastructure Benefits (BCIB), the Crown corporation managing workforce development. Earlier this year, BCIB became the first Crown corporation to join the United Way’s Period Promise, making the commitment to reduce period poverty, de-stigmatize menstruation, and help more people get access to the products they count on. “This commitment removes one of the barriers faced by people who menstruate. The products will be there when they need them, so they can focus on what they do best: building important public infrastructure,” said apprentice steamfitter Miranda Kurucz. Kurucz is a member of Build TogetHER, the women’s committee of the BC Building Trades, and a member of the United Association Local 170. The committee reached out to BCIB amid the current push to attract more women and other underrepresented groups into the skilled construction trades. Currently, women only represent about five per cent of the sector. “We have a skilled trades shortage, so there has been a push for some time to recruit people from underrepresented groups, including women,” said Mollie Routledge, a journey electrician with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 993 and member of Build TogetHER. “The more ways we can demonstrate that construction is welcoming to women, the more inclined they’ll be to consider a career in the sector.” Research by the United Way found that more than 20 per cent of people who menstruate missed work due to being
unable to access menstrual products. Meanwhile, 30 per cent of people who menstruate have had to leave work for the same reason. Menstruation, in fact, is one of the top two reasons that women miss work in Canada. BCIB signing the Period Promise to provide barrier-free menstrual products on construction sites also sends a critical message to the industry, notes Chelsea French, who co-chairs Build TogetHER and is a commercial transportation mechanic and member of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 115. “Menstruation is a biological function, not a women’s issue,” said French. “Removing these barriers helps destigmatize menstruation while being inclusive to all people who menstruate, including nonbinary people and trans men.” BCIB taking this step to embrace barrier-free access to menstrual products could have a profound impact across the construction sector, said the United Way’s Neal Adolph. “It signals that people who menstruate belong in the skilled trades, and have a right to learn the skills to build B.C. And furthermore, it’s the right thing to do, period.” Indeed, Build TogetHER is hopeful this is the start of a trend in the sector, with BCIB an early adopter of what will ultimately become common practice in construction. BCIB employs the skilled labour force on infrastructure projects built under B.C.’s Community Benefits Agreement, including the Pattullo Bridge replacement, the widening of Highway 1, the Broadway Subway and the Cowichan District Hospital replacement. Part of BCIB’s mandate is to create safe and respectful working environments. Pacific Blue Cross is the presenting sponsor of the United Way’s Period Promise campaign.
tradetalk BC Building Trades | 17
Workers Advocate’s Message By Merrill O’Donnell Workers Advocate Injury claim suppression and under-claming in the WCB system
UNDER-CLAIMING
THAT BUILDING and construction contractors and subcontractors apply undue pressure on working men and women not to file a claim with the British Columbia Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) when they get injured is a well-known fact. What is not known, however, is how
Setting the threshold at reporting a loss of two or more days of working time, the researchers found that 53.7 per cent did not submit a claim to WCB and 26.7 per cent reported that they received wage continuation from their employer or their workplace sick leave plan. Not surprisingly, under-claiming was more common among immigrant workers, those with a lower educational attainment, workers not attached to a union, those employed with smaller employers, and temporary workers. Gender and age made no difference. Table 1 provides a snapshot of the reasons given for not applying for WCB wage loss benefits by those who lost two or more days of working time. Interestingly, claim suppression was not the leading reason for under-claiming. The most important reasons given were lack of knowledge about entitlement or how to apply for WCB benefits (40.1 per cent) and believing that it was not worth the time to apply for benefits (35.9 per cent). Pressure not to claim, which included pressure from workmates, was reported to be 14.3 per cent.
prevalent this practice is in British Columbia. To answer this question, the Institute for Work & Health and Prism Economics and Analysis recently conducted a study on claim suppression for B.C.’s WCB. This project came to fruition as a result of the good work of Paul Petrie, who in his 2018 report Restoring the Balance noted that “the issue of claim suppression is fraught with allegations that are difficult to document” and recommended “that the Board of Directors consider initiating an independent review of this issue by a qualified organization with a scientific methodology to determine whether and to what extent claims suppression is a significant issue in the BC workers’ compensation system.” Funded by WCB, this research has now concluded and the report was issued in December 2020. To enable the reader to understand the findings of the report, two terms need defining: namely under-claiming and claim suppression. Under-claiming occurs when workers who appear to be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits choose not to submit a claim or having submitted a claim, choose not to proceed with it. While under-claiming may result from improper pressure or inducement by the employer, it may simply be from not knowing how to submit a claim or preferring to rely on a sick leave plan. In contrast, claim suppression is any overt or subtle action by an employer or its agents to discourage a worker from filing a work-related injury or disease claim or from claiming benefits to which he or she is entitled under the Workers’ Compensation Act. Raising the red flag of caution, the researchers note early in their report that “it is not possible through either survey evidence or claim file evidence to form a definitive conclusion on the incidence of under-claiming or claim suppression.”
CLAIM SUPPRESSION
The report used different indicators to estimate the incidence of claim suppression. The estimates ranged from 3.7 to 13.0 per cent of the sample, and the estimates towards the lower end were deemed to be more valid by the researchers. In the lower end of 3.7 per cent of the sample, workers said they did not apply for WCB benefits because they thought they would “get into trouble” or their employer “pressured” them not to apply. Among all cases (regardless of whether the worker filed a claim), 13.0 per cent of the sample reported that their employer asked them not to report time loss and/ or threatened them with making life difficult for them if they proceeded. As every building and construction worker is aware, employer bonus plans that reward a group of workers for being accident-free incentivizes workers to discourage their brothers and sisters from filing a claim with WCB when injured. These bonus plans serve the interests of capital far more than they benefit individual workers. In this context (and in many others!), workers should value their social union rights instead of their individual gain. Not surprisingly, 40.7 per cent of the employers who were found to engage in claim suppression had incentive bonus schemes. In contrast, only 6.4 per cent of the employers who did not engage in claim suppression
18 | tradetalk Fall 2021
Table 1
REASONS FOR NOT APPLYING FOR WCB WAGE-LOSS BENEFITS
%
Lack of knowledge
I did not know I was entitled to WCB wage-loss benefits I did not know how to apply for WCB wage-loss benefits
28.6%
A
16.6%
B
Skilled and Trained Certified Millwrights Machinists Welders Apprentices
40.1%
Either A or B
My employer told me I was not eligible for WCB wage-loss benefits
6.9%
C
Working and Building BC Pulp and Paper Hydro Electric Power Generation Mining Industries
Not worth time
It was not worth the trouble to apply for WCB wage-loss benefits
20.3%
D
0.5%
My injury was minor/not serious
E
Millwrights, Machine Erectors and Maintenance Local Union 2736 #102-580 EBURY PLACE DELTA, BC V3M 6M8 604-525-2736
My employer or my sick leave plan paid my wages while I was off work
17.5%
F
Any of D, E, or F 35.9% Real or perceived inducements or pressure not to claim
Business Manager - Miro Maras Training Coordinator -Carey Simpson info@millwrights2736.com
@millwrights2736 Millwrights Union Local 2736 www.millwrights2736.com
I thought I would get into trouble if I reported my injury to WCB My employer pressured me not apply for WCB benefits
7.8%
G
4.1%
H
11.9%
Either G or H
My fellow employees encouraged me not to apply for WCB benefits because they feared they would lose a bonus
3.2%
J
14.3%
Any of G, H or J
21.6%
Other reasons
participated in incentive schemes. All considered, the report reveals some important data (I say “data” instead of “facts” because this report is based on a relatively small sample – only 699 workers – and notes a wide ambit for error). To begin with, claim suppression in British Columbia ranges from 3.7 to 13.0 per cent, with the lower number being the more likely. Secondly, claim suppression is not the leading reason for under-claiming. Lack of knowledge of entitlement or application procedures (40 per cent), and not believing it is worth the time (36 per cent) are the most common reasons. Thirdly, claim suppression is higher with employers who administer bonus plans for accident-free workplaces. Last but not least, half the workers surveyed who injured themselves at work did not submit a claim for WCB benefits. This data provides food for thought.
tradetalk BC Building Trades | 19
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