The power of partnership is part of what makes the Boilermakers in Canada leaders in industry. Forging and maintaining the strong bonds of collaborative effort and Moving Forward Together with a unified vision help our Union and the Owners and Contractors we work with set the pace in our country. This year’s Boilermaker Industry Tripartite Conference, held in St. Andrews-By-The-Sea, New Brunswick from August 9 – 11, 2022 set a new bar for collective direction toward success for all stakeholders.
“After two years of virtual conferences,” said IVP-Canada Arnie Stadnick, “I’m glad we are all able to meet in person again.”
Sara Scott, Executive Director of the Boilermaker Contractor Association of Canada agreed, and made a point of recognizing the top apprentices that were in attendance at the conference, acknowledging that their skill and commitment is what will help keep our trade at the forefront. Top apprentices in attendance were Mitchell Jarvis and Adam Noel from Local 73, Candace George from Local 203, Nelson Tanguay from Local 271, and Nathan Rudderham and Aric Eissner-Suttie from Local 555
The owners, represented in the opening remarks by Milton Howley, Plant Manager, POA with Nova Scotia Power, offered thanks to retired IVP Eastern Canada Alexander (Sandy) McDonald and retired IVP Canada Joseph Maloney for their efforts making the conference a success over the years. He followed his thanks with a call for a return to the work of subcommittees, and an appreciation for the value of open sharing between all three parties.
Rounding out the greetings was David Noel, Business Manager and Secretary Treasurer for Local 73, who as the hosting Local, bid everyone welcome and encouraged all to “enjoy, have fun, and create lasting bonds.”
Continuing with the theme of mental health and wellness started in the pre-conference workshop, Wednesday morning kicked off with an important discussion of the opioid poisoning crisis in Canada, presented by Dr. Samantha King, Research and Policy Analyst from the Canadian Centre of Substance Use and Addiction. Some important takeaways from her talk include the fact that BC, Alberta, and Ontario are the hardest-hit provinces in terms of deaths from opioid use, that most deaths come from the combination of opioid and a stimulant, and that the construction industry accounts for 30% of all opioid-related deaths. Combined, these make the issue a serious one that we are facing, and according to Dr. King, the single most important thing that can be done to reduce the impact of opioids is to overcome the stigma associated with taking them and with trying to quit them.
Jason McInnis, the Canadian Director of Health and Safety for the Boilermakers reminds all members that they have access to their MAP – Member Assistance Plan (BC and Quebec have stand-alone plans). Additionally, his team is building pilot project focused on educating members about opioids which will be launched in the near future. He also stressed the importance of having naloxone kits on every job site and in every facility to minimize the danger of someone dying from an overdose at work.
Harassment in the workplace is an ongoing, important, and expensive issue, according to workplace consultant Sally Wells, who spoke on the issue. The main takeaway from her talk is that it is important to get involved before a situation gets to the investigation stage: prevention is much more valuable than a cure, and the longer an issue carries on, and the more people get involved, the more complicated and expensive it gets. Social media has also had a huge impact on the workplace environment, providing a new and easy avenue for harassment. On the positive side, however, more people are standing up against harassment as fewer people are willing to put up with poor behaviour just to keep a job.
Hon. Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development Ontario was unfortunately unable to attend, but he sent a pre-recorded message in which he stressed how he loves the Boilermakers and stated that “this country is built by people who shower at the end of the day, not the start.” He also announced the creation of a new agency: Skilled Trades Ontario, which will support grants for apprentices, upgrading tool loans to tool grants, and incentives for hiring apprentices. All good news for the continued development of skilled trades workers.
That warm greeting from Ontario was followed by a passionate message from Hon. Arlene Dunn, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Minister Responsible for Economic Development and Small Business, Minister Responsible for Opportunities, and Minister Responsible for Immigration in the host province of New Brunswick. Minister Dunn has always been a powerful advocate for the unionized skilled trades, and her talk consisted primarily of urging the Boilermakers to get involved in many upcoming opportunities in New Brunswick, including pulp and paper (a new water treatment facility enable the mill to re-use the water), wind, liquified natural gas (talks are ongoing with Repsol), hydrogen (Irving will be the first to introduce hydrogen to the region and has bought electrolyzers to produce the hydrogen from electricity, rather than natural gas), and renewable energy certificates (St. John is looking to run all municipal facilities on renewable energy).
The “showstopper industry”, however, according to Minister Dunn, is small modular reactors, or SMRs. New Brunswick has a plan which will by the end of 2035, will encompass activities to design, build, and operate SMRs. This plan will provide more than 2100 person-years of employment, increase New Brunswick GDP by over $2 billion, and boost federal revenue by $195 million. But the plan demands that New Brunswick be supply chain ready, and for that, they need Boilermakers. The time to get involved in now, as the province will develop training for any contractors who want to be a part of the supply chain, which is expected to be fully operational by 2025.
Following on Minister Dunn’s overview of opportunities in New Brunswick, Ron Oberth, the Special Advisor to the President and CEO of the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries gave an enlightening talk about the Canadian Nuclear Landscape and SMR Developments. Many know that SMRs offer a great potential for providing energy while helping to ease the stresses on the global climate, as well as creating jobs and revenue – it is expected that by 2040, the worldwide SMR industry will be worth approximately $150 billion, and Boilermakers a re a critical element of the development of that industry.
Retired IBB IVP Canada and Founder and National Executive Director of Helmets to Hardhats Canada Joseph Maloney shared some important information about his organization and the work that they do to help veterans transition from working in the Canadian military to rewarding, productive work in the trades, where they can use the skills they have gained while defending our country. His organization is always looking to help more former service members find gainful work in the trades, so, as her reminded us, “Don’t Forget – Hire a Vet.”
The second day of the conference focused on recruitment, inclusion, and workforce development before transitioning to the breakout sessions which offered attendees a choice of digging further into Carbon Capture and Storage, Modular Nuclear Reactors, or Human and Organizational Performance.
Jonathan White, International Representative for IBB Construction Sector Operations presented on overview of the recruitment initiatives that have been undertaken by Local 128, including optimization of the apprentice program and the training delivery agencies. As a result, Local 128 has seen recruitment increase by 62% from 2014. He also mentioned the value of Local 133, the Canadian Boilermakers recruitment local, which works nationally.
The IBB Local 128 Women’s Committee presented on Inclusion in the Workplace as well. Members Genevieve Ellis, Christine Hahn, and Leah McIntyre worked together to share personal experiences of the challenges they faced in pursuit of their dream of becoming a Boilermaker, as well as stressing how important it is not to just actively recruit traditionally excluded groups, but to work to retain them and encourage them to grow and develop in their roles. Retention is the true key to having a diversified and inclusive workplace, and the best way to enhance retention is through education.
Indigenous recruitment was discussed as well, by Emile Gareau, International Representative and National Indigenous Recruiter for the IBB and he also stressed the value of education, saying “education will empower people to move ahead.” Brother Gareau works to represent all three indigenous groups across Canada: First Nations, Inuit, and Metis, and to encourage them to join the IBB as brothers and sisters, as well as encouraging Locals and contractors to actively recruit new hires from these groups.
National Training and Trust Fund’s (NTTF) Director, j’Amey Bevan rounded out the first series of talks by discussing National Training’s Workforce Development Initiatives. NTTF has been making a lot of progress in the last couple of years, including redesigning and updating the Boilermaker Virtual Campus, which Boilermaker apprentices and mentors can use to learn and track progress online. Additionally, Sister Bevan’s team has been developing a national pressure welding program in conjunction with CWB, and with support from UTIP in the form of a $6 million grant. The program will be able to train for up to 18 competencies. The goal of the program is to support over 1800 welders gain pressure welding qualifications.
There is a lot to look forward to, and a lot of work to be done, according to the presenters at this year’s conference, but there is no doubt that the Boilermakers, along with their contractor and owner partners, are up to the challenge and are ready to move forward together.