Lodge 128 |

Overview

Lodge 128 was chartered on May 19, 1947 and is one of the largest in the Brotherhood with approximately 2000 members. Lodge 128 members can be found working in the industrial landscape of Ontario in construction and maintenance of petro-chemical plants, nuclear power plants, pulp mills, utility plants, steel mills and fabrication shops. These members will have the Boilermaker Red Seal, Steel Fabrication and Welding Qualifications. There is an apprenticeship program also, with the theory taking place at Humber College.

Lodge 128 has one main office that is in Burlington with 3 sub-offices in the province of Ontario: Sarnia, Sudbury and Thunder Bay.

History

There is a long history of the Boilermaking trade in Ontario and it is probable that there was a Boilermakers Union in the province prior to 1870, but there are no records. There are records of the National Boilermakers Union from Atlanta, Georgia forming lodges in Canada. Lodge 106 was chartered in Toronto on May 6, 1893 later to become lodge 128. This charter lapsed in 1895, being reinstated on March 25, 1898. The first Canadian Vice-President for the Brotherhood came from Lodge 128 in 1908, Nick Quesnel. In 1911, the Charter lapsed until it was reorganized in 1917 as a shipyard and contract shop until 1924 when the charter lapsed again. In 1941, a new charter was granted to lodge 128 which lapsed again sometime after that.

In 1947, Lodge 128 was granted a charter as a construction lodge and contract shop lodge, which has spanned the last 60 years. In the 1950's, there was alot of work in Ontario in the heavy construction industry and the standards improved for the Boilermakers. Boilermakers were becoming members of the middle class with mortgages on the homes they lived in, driving heavily-financed automobiles and sending their children to college. The work was with Ontario Hydro, petro-chemical plants, steel plants, mines, automotive plants and shops. During this time, the first plant maintenance in the International Brotherhood was signed in 1951 in Sarnia. The work continued well into the 1970's with a slow down in the 1980's, returning to full employment in the 2000's.

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