July 30, 2013
2013 ISO Conference
From Across North America, 250 Boilermaker delegates met in Las Vegas on July 23-25, 2013, for the Industrial Sector Operations (ISO) Conference to discuss issues that affect members of this Union.
[Click to Enlarge] Some of the Canadian Delegates
All the conference speakers carried a message that connected with the delegates. International President, Newton Jones, spoke on the need for all global unions to work together in standing united in dealing with Multi-National corporations that treat workers as nothing more than cheap labour to governments on both sides of the US & Canadian border changing labour laws that are not in support of Labour.
CLC President Ken Georgetti spoke of how the Harper Government is following the lead of the US when it comes to laws that are designed to create more red tape for the labour movement as in Bill C-377 and Bill C-525, another Private Member's Bill. This bill would make it easier to decertify unions in the federally-regulated sector and almost impossible for workers to certify a union to represent them in the workplace.
Bill C-525 sets the bar so high for workers to join a union that even the bill's sponsor Blaine Calkins, who won 81.5% of the vote in the last election, couldn't get elected if he had to run under the same voting rules he wants for workers. In fact not a single Conservative MP would have been elected in the last election if they had to run under the rules proposed by their caucus colleague. That's unfair and hypocritical.
Professor Barry Bluestone talked on Labour Economics. He explained how the economy expands for all when Unions are strong. Professor Bluestone showed charts that supported his statements. His presentation went from the early 1920's to today. When Unions were weak, working people did not get the gains and when the Unions were strong, the gains were there for all. The local economy grows because workers have money they spend in their communities.
There were many other presentations attended by the delegates including Canadian Legislative Update, Grievance Handling, Contract Negotiations, Labour Arbitration, Canadian Health & Safety update, Trustees Quarterly Audit Workshop and Contract Negotiations.
There was opportunity for delegates to attend sessions that match the industry they are from including manufacturing, railroad, ship building, cement, lime gypsum & mining. These sessions then allowed the delegates to share what is happening in the workplace.
Attending the 2013 ISO conference from Canada were: Lodge D11 - Kevin Sheptycki, Kevin Forsyth; Lodge 73 - Jason McInnis, Kim Blyth, Armund Brun; Lodge 128 - Dalas Santavy; Lodge 146 - Rick Vanderveen, Cyril DeFreitas; Lodge D277 - Randy Morehouse, Steven Ready, Daniel Tickner; Lodge D331 - Kevin Mathews, Wayne Cameron; Lodge D345 - Gary Hurtecant, Gerry Andries; Lodge 359 - Ken Noga, Rob Kappel; Lodge D359 - Glen Rosseker, Stuart Bilodeau, Larry Blazeiko, Brian Frei, Arron Petrie; Lodge D385 - Richard Smith, Chris Edmonds; Lodge D400 - Jordan Dunne, Mike Middletown; Lodge 451 - Jim Quinn, Eian McDonald; Lodge D486 - Steve Holt, Warren Basso, Ryan Lundgren; Lodge D488 - Denise Bolton; Lodge D494 - Stanley Young; Lodge D503 - Jim Cooke, Herman Alec, Francis Alec; Lodge 532 - Leonard Brodner, Myron Shiplack; Lodge D575 - Jeff Olson; Lodge 580 - Yves Fournier, Anthony Brown.
International Staff attending were Edward Power, Cory Channon, Norm Ross, Kent Oliver, Guy Villemure and Richard MacIntosh.