Canadian Congress Meets in Toronto

Canadian Congress delegates, from left: Peter Homan, 1 AB; Rob Tuzzi, 1 BC; Stewart Bezanson, 1 NS; and Mike Gagliano, 6 ON.

The second meeting of the IU Canadian Congress for 2002 was held September 16–17 in Toronto, Ontario. Organizing, pensions, and a series of educational workshops took up the greater part of the Congress’ agenda.
The first portion of the meeting addressed old and new Congress business, including a report by BAC President John J. Flynn on trends relating to Canadian membership, collective bargaining, revenue, and construction activity.

Co-Chair Fred Vautour briefed the Congress on the work of the Millennium Morning Project, with particular emphasis on the union and non-union contractors’ survey.

Delegates also heard from Bob Collins of Prism Economics and Analysis on the progress being made in shaping the second phase of the Canadian Masonry Human Resources Council, or CMHRC — an important Canadian strategic planning corollary to the Millennium Morning Project.

Collins described the 11 task forces that will examine areas such as promotional design in masonry, health and safety, refractory training, certification and mobility. BAC officers will serve on one or more of the task forces.

Delegates also discussed the status of pending litigation with the Ontario breakaway group, BACU, before the Ontario Labour Relations Board. Legal proceedings continue to progress slowly, but without permanent resolution.

The situation has been made even more rancorous by BACU’s accords with the Labourers. An effort by BACU to have certain Ontario locals sanction the accords was setback as the result of an aggressive, on-the-ground counter-effort by BAC. Several locals, including Toronto — the largest local in Ontario — voted overwhelmingly against the merger with the Labourers.

Delegates were also brought up to date on the partial windup plan of IPF Canada. As previously reported, the decision by BACU leaders in Ontario to pull out of IPF Canada in May 2000 put into motion a partial windup for certain participants in the province of Ontario. BACU’s pullout is being legally challenged by three of the 13 Ontario Locals — 6, 7, and 25. Participants in provinces outside Ontario are not affected by the situation, however.

At present, the partial windup for Ontario participants is under review by the Financial Services Commission. The projected reduction in benefits for Ontario participants stands at 14.7 percent, which President Flynn called “a sad state of affairs for those whose benefits have essentially been taken hostage by a group more concerned with solidifying their political base than protecting their members’ retirement security.”

The Canadian Congress Organizing Committee reported on its progress since the Congress’ last meeting, and the Canadian Organizing Plan was unanimously adopted.

Delegates attended a series of educational sessions, among them a communications seminar on negotiation techniques, adopted from the bestseller Getting Past No, and a workshop on the fiduciary responsibilities of Canadian officers.

Deborah Todd, Coordinator of the Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Program (ACAP) based in Regina, Saskatchewan, was on hand to conduct a workshop for Congress delegates similar to one she facilitated at a Region 9 Council meeting earlier this year. Workshops such as these help advance ACAP’s mission, which seeks to bridge cultural gaps between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, and expand employment opportunities for Aboriginal workers.

Following Ms. Todd’s Toronto workshop, President Flynn announced that BAC would be working with Todd and ACAP on several future projects.