October 15, 2010
Lodge 555 members get the job done
Lodge 555 members confirmed that once again they are ready, willing and able to accept the challenge to get the job done safely and on time. At a time when the lodge was required to supply over 400 Boilermakers in Saskatchewan, Backcock & Wilcox needed a crew to rebuild a D-shape Foster Wheeler Boiler in Selkirk, MB.
A proud crew of Boilermakers - Back Row (left to right): Brandon Want, Walter
Driedger, Mike McMullin, Bill Purvis. Front row (left to right): Conrad Bremaud and Joel Wray. Missing from the
photo, Cody Fekete.
Bill Purvis, a 33-year Boilermaker welder reports, "I flame cut the tubes from their seats and the rest of the crew did everything else. They hammered the old tubes out, prepared the tube seats and tube ends, calculated the maximum expansion, installed and expanded the 521 tubes along with the replacement of the skin casing, the Boilermakers did a great job."
Walter Driedger, B&W's superintendent for the job reports, "This was one of the youngest crews to overhaul a boiler. Joel Wray just turned journeymen, Mike McMullin is a third year apprentice, Cote Fekete is a second year apprentice, Conrad Bremaud is a permit welder on his first job with the Boilermakers, Brandon Want, just turned 18 and graduated high school, on his first job with the Boilermakers and Billy Purvis, the foreman and seasoned Boilermaker took the lead."
John Burton the quality control for B&W commented, "I thought these young guys did a good job. I found them to be respectful and appreciative of the information/training given to them and they represented their union well." Burton further added, "As far as Billy Purvis is concerned, he always does a good job and we've come to expect it. Always glad to see his name on the list."
Dallas Rogers, Business Manager of Lodge 555 said, "Lodge 555 is just proud of these Boilermakers, there was a good mix of members on the job and they focused on getting the job done right the first time, satisfying the Employer and Clients needs."
International Vice-President of Western Canada, Joe Maloney said, "Lodge 555 has shown they are able to obtain the crews to get the job done, example is the 400 plus Boilermakers that were needed in Saskatchewan and then at the same time finding the crew for a job in Selkirk, living up to the Boilermaker Advantage."