Canadian Congress Delegates Meet in Vancouver

The Canadian Congress* held its first meeting of the year in Vancouver, British Columbia on the last weekend in January. The two-day agenda featured several outside guest speakers, BAC presenters, and lots of give and take between the 14 delegates and IU officers in attendance.

As it has at past meetings, the Congress focused on the partial windup provisions for IPF Canada participants in Ontario, the result of the pullout of BACU-led locals in Ontario from IPF Canada.
Other topics included:

• an in-depth briefing on Construction Workers, Inc. (CWI), BAC’s system for providing temporary work visas to Canadian members who are interested in working in the U.S. ICE Executive Director Matt Aquiline reported that since its inception, CWI has generated roughly 300,000 work hours and over $9.5 million in wages and fringes for Canadian members;
• a report by Rob Tuzzi, Business Manager of Local 1 British Columbia, on members’ exposure to thallium, a toxic heavy metal, at a British Columbia facility last August, and the rapid and effective response of the International Union and Local 1’s leadership to this serious problem;
• presentations by BAC President John J. Flynn and Secretary-Treasurer Jim Boland summarizing the major elements of IU Canadian programs for trade jurisdiction, education, health and safety, political action, legal activities, CWI, death benefits, communications, member services, relations with the Building Trades and the Canadian Labour Congress, and a full discussion by delegates about those programs; and
• a continuing examination of the Canadian Organizing plan, which was first discussed at the Congress’ session in Saskatchewan in July of last year. After a lengthy debate, it was agreed that Co-Chair Fred Vautour would convene the Canadian Organizing Committee before the Congress’ next meeting in September, and that each Local would be surveyed with regard to the plan.

In a report to the February Executive Council, President Flynn described the Vancouver meeting as “candid and frank… It is better to have a full and honest exchange than to harbor grievances and allow them to get worse because they are not fully addressed.”

BAC Canadian Congress delegates at their January meeting.

To learn more about the work of the Canadian Congress and other Canadian programs and services, visit our website at www.bacweb.org and click on Canadian Pages.