Canadian Congress: History in the Making
 Delegates to the BAC 2000 Convention voted unanimously to
amend the IU Constitution in order to establish the IU
Canadian Congress. This Convention action created a new system
of governance to respond to the unique traditions and problems
of Canadian Locals and members, within the framework of
a single, unified, International Union.
Under the Constitution’s
new provisions, delegates to the Canadian Congress were
chosen, and attended the first session of the Congress on
January 26 and 27, in Windsor, Ontario.
The thirteen delegates
present were joined by officers of five Local Unions, which
will be represented on the Congress during future rotations.
Also attending were IU Executive Board members President
John J. Flynn, Secretary-Treasurer Jim Boland, and Executive
Vice Presidents Ken Lambert and Gerald O’Malley.
The
session’s first order of business was nominations
for the office of Canadian Congress Co-Chair. The
Co-Chair will serve as a member of the BAC Executive
Council and as an advisor to the IU Executive Board on
Canadian matters.
Two candidates were nominated——Peter
Homan, Business Manager of Local 2 Alberta and Fred
Vautour, Secretary-Treasurer of the Atlantic Provincial Conference.
A vote by secret mail ballot was conducted, as provided
for by the IU Constitution.
Bob Blakely, director of the Canadian Building
Trades, spoke with delegates about the challenges facing
building trades unions in Canada.
In outlining the Building Trades’ priorities,
Blakely expressed confidence that progress could be
made in these areas:
- creating a legislative lobby
that works;
- enhanced worker mobility
- stronger health and safety
measures; and
- improved, more uniform training systems.
Blakely closed by commending delegates
and Local officers for persevering together to resolve inter-Union
differences under the umbrella of one International Union, and
that their example would be an instructive model for other Internationals.
Delegates
also considered a number of other Union and industry issues:
the national construction outlook; the new International
Reciprocal Agreements; results of a recent Canadian membership
survey; and BAC 2000 Convention actions pertaining to Canadian
economic and political questions.
In addition, delegates
and officers received a year-end status report on IPF Canada,
which included an explanation of the partial wind-up
process for Ontario participants necessitated
by the withdrawal of BACU-led Ontario locals
from IPF Canada in May 2000.
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