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Archived BAC Articles for Canadian Members

IU Canadian Congress Delegates Fine Tune Deliberations
October - November 2004

Local 1 SK Business Manager and Canadian Congress delegate Clarence Medernach, left, confers with BAC Secretary-Treasurer James Boland.

Alexa McDonough, MP of Halifax, fields a question following her address to the Canadian Congress.

At its final 2004 meeting, delegates to the Canadian Congress worked on fine-tuning their deliberative process, addressed the implications of the June Canadian election for labour, and conferred on a range of timely issues. The meeting’s second day was dedicated to a series of educational workshops for delegates and all Canadian Local officers.

In an effort to maximize their meeting time and sharpen their focus on matters of greatest importance to members and the Union, delegates discussed and chose three critical areas on which to concentrate at future meetings: exploring a sustainable dues structure in Canada, organizing and recruitment, and expanding market share.

Former NDP leader and member of Parliament, Alexa McDonough, was the first of two guest speakers on the Congress’ agenda. McDonough called Canada’s recent election, in which Paul Martin’s Liberal Government no longer has a clear majority, “the most negative and cynical ever conducted.” She optimistically pointed out, however, that historically, minority governments have been more accountable and allowed for the highest degree of NDP involvement.

McDonough expressed concern about “the growing gap between the haves and have-nots that is eating away at Canada’s social fabric and soul,” and underscored that strong leadership by union leaders is essential to mobilize members so that “we don’t let 50 years of social democratic achievements slip through our fingers.”

George Gritziotis, Executive Director of the Construction Sector Council (CSC), followed McDonough on the program. CSC is moving forward with Phase 3 of the Canadian Masonry Human Resources Committee study, including developing labour force projections.

Gritziotis’ outlined the Council’s principal labour market concerns and initiatives, many of which paralleled those found in BAC’s recently issued Millennium Morning Project report.

Delegates received a status report on IPF Canada, and attorney Don Eady was on hand to brief delegates on matters before the Ontario Labour Relations Board involving the BACU, and BAC Locals 6, 7, and 25 and the IU.

A total of 15 delegates and officers took advantage of five educational workshops, which included:

Delegates are scheduled to meet again in early 2005.