I.B.E.W. Local 529

“A DAY’S WORK A DAY’S PAY” Issue 479 I.B.E.W.
Local 529
“Not THE Union” but “YOUR Union” FIRST QUARTER ISSUE 2015 IVER SmUB-­‐STATION another A few of our R
skilled embers working cold day at McArthur River sub-­‐station IN THIS ISSUE Business Manager’s Report
BusinessManager’s
Report
Garnet
G. Greer
Garnet G. Greer Dear Members, Positive Impacts from our new
Collective Bargaining Agreement
We currently have approximately 53 members working in the commercial sector, and I am expecting a busy summer ahead of us. We are asking members employed in our commercial sector to encourage their friends working non-­‐union to submit their application to us. Please do not hesitate to draw my attention to any training requirements which you feel might be helpful in maintaining our competitive edge. I will be in touch in the near future with each of you regarding the Membership Orientation conducted by the International. AECON continues to be our biggest Industrial employer with approximately 93 of our members at their McClean Lake Project. BFI has maintained two full crews at the McArthur River sub-­‐station project with about 25 of our members. Unfortunately we are expecting layoffs for a few of our members from the K+S Legacy Site from Local 2038. We are also expecting layoffs from some of our other sites. There has been a progressive change in Local 529; the two unit system has been eliminated. We now have only one hiring list. Once members are hired off the list the contractor has total portability of workers. The contractor now has the ability to move the workers freely anywhere in the province st
north of the 51 parallel. No subsequent dispatches will be issued from the hall. Furthermore any 529 member can now be utilized for supervision on any project. Name hires may now be selected from the 529 membership at large. Employers are no longer restricted to name hire from the applicable unit. Unification of Local 529
We are commissioning a new sticker to celebrate the elimination of the two unit system in Local 529. We are asking the members to submit their ideas and input on developing our new logo. This has been a very progressive change for the future of our local and it should be commemorated! When layoffs become necessary for I.B.E.W. Local 529 members, there are no longer any unit requirements to keep one member over another. I am still taking applications for the Organizer/Assistant Business Manager position. If interested send in an application and we can discuss the position further. In closing, always feel free to contact me or stop by for a visit. Collective Agreement Booklets
Quick Update: The printers will soon be running a draft copy of our Collective Agreements for us to proofread. If you have any suggestions for adding anything in our back pages that might be helpful to you let us know ASAP. Examples: phone numbers, contact info, etc.
I.B.E.W.LOCAL UNION 529 | Issue 479 2 Proud New
Journeymen
Congratulations to our members who have recently become Journeymen. They have successfully written their I.P. exam and have received their Journeyperson Certificate with Interprovincial Standards Seal. Tanner Anderson Kyle Boyd Colin Churchman Brodie Johnston Michael Michalcewich Kevin Nesbitt Travis Sproxton Dylan Trowell Speaking of top notch Journeymen…and Apprentices… Skills Canada National Competition
Volunteers will assist with m anual labour. Scholarship Recipient
Skills Canada is asking for your help to make sure this event is a success in our city of Saskatoon. Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship Award for $500 from the Apprenticeship Branch g oes to… Apprentice Luke Schutte. Let’s show Local 529’s community involvement. Please contact us to get your name put on t he volunteer list. The event will take place May 27-­‐30, 2015 at Prairieland Park. Upcoming Local Union Events
Prairie Dawg Golf Tournament
Saturday July 25, 2015. 1:00pm start time at The Legends Golf Club in Warman. More details to follow. Some other suggestions for summertime events are: Fishing derby, BBQs, Motorcycle ride to Davidson and meet with 2038 riders, Local Union Ball Team, Habitat for Humanity. Conta
ct organ us if you are
ize an
y o f th willing t o h
elp ou
ese ot
t and her su
ggested ev
ents. Local 529 Retirees Coffee Club
Come visit with the old timers every Tuesday at Tim Hortons on Idylwyld D rive in Saskatoon at 9:30 am. Reminisce about the good old days. I.B.E.W.LOCAL UNION 529 | Issue 479 3 IMPORTANT REMINDERS Watch for your Income Tax
Receipt in the mail
Receipts were sent out at the end of January. If you have not received your receipt or notice errors please contact the hall. Check out the Local Union Webpage
Benefits of Being a Union Member
Updates are being made on a regular basis. Please visit the webpage at: http://www.ibewlocal529.ca/home/ Moving to a
new address?
Contact us by email or phone regarding address changes to ensure you are kept up on important correspondence. The only way to ensure your pension contribution amount is correct is to cross check your pay stubs with your Coughlin year end pension statement. Coughlin Web Portal
Updating your beneficiaries?
Review your designated beneficiaries regularly to ensure any death benefit payable is disbursed accordingly. Forms are available on the webpage and at the hall and must be submitted to Coughlin & Associates. FAST FACTS Keep Your Pay Stubs
Check your current usage of your benefits and Health Care Spending Account balance by logging onto the Coughlin webpage. First time users refer to your monthly statement and enter your 9 digit member number from the right hand corner of your monthly statement. 82.26%
Members who used our dental plan in November. 90.09%
Pension Plan Statement
We will let you know the moment they declare the rate of return for 2014. Pension statements are generally m ailed in April. Health Care Spending Account
Members who used our vision care coverage in November. FOR MORE INFORMATION Never hesitate to call our plan administrator Coughlin & Associates. They are there to assist you. 1-­‐888-­‐204-­‐1234. The current two year Health Care Spending Account allotment to members will come to an end on August 1, 2015! Try to make use of the remaining balance of your Health Care Spending Account as per CRA regulations and guidelines. Any remaining balance as of July 31, 2015 is subject to forfeiture. A new allocation may be considered by the trustees for August 1, 2015. More information will follow in late June of 2015. Help is here. Just ask.
Life gets everyone down once in a while in today’s world. A family assistance program has been established. It is for you and your entire family, no matter what is causing you stress. Professional and confidential counselling is available 24 hours a day. For assistance at any time call: 1-­‐866-­‐757-­‐6620 I.B.E.W.LOCAL UNION 529 | Issue 479 4 Training & Education
LOCAL 529 OFFICE STAFF Desiree McCaffrey:
•
Office Manager. •
Dispatch/Employment Opportunities. •
Accounts Payable/payroll/finance. Arc-­‐Flash Training to be provided in Saskatoon and Yorkton with Aaron Laughlin. •
[email protected] Please contact us for any training inquiries or requirements. Recent Courses
Hertz Equipment Rental provided Zoom Boom and Lift Training in Saskatoon on January 20 and 21, 2015 for 529 members. Coming Soon
Executive
Administrator/Dispatch
Erica Shalley: Administrative Assistant
•
Answers the phone. •
Collects member monthly dues. •
[email protected] Please call 306-384-0529 or email
[email protected] for any concerns.
The office staff is always here to assist you.
Pictured Above L-­‐R: Kurt McIntyre, Jody Waldner, Keenan Shanofer. Member Photo Page
This picture is of a street sign at the SAGD "StatOil" plant by Conklin Alberta where Cody Davis lost his life. StatOil requested to the family that this sign be put up in memory of him. Candice, Cody's sister, unveiled it. McClean Lake Mill Maple Creek Hospital McArthur River sub-­‐station Pictured L-­‐R: David Stushnoff, Rick Riedel, Eric Gelinas. Keep this one for the history books. Three amigos at the last Unit II Meeting held Sept 25, 2014.