 |
||||
|
|
District 6
This year busier than last / Management changes at the mines (May 2007)  This year may be busier than lastBy Brian Lefevre, Member Representative Can Our Diamond Jubilee celebrations were a success and capped off with the publication of an updated edition of Firing Iron. It was a memorable year that recognized 75 years of serving our members and the creation of our Benefits Plan, Pension Plan and Training Plan, to name just a few. Many members have reaped the benefit of these plans. Contractors in our area tell us that 2007 will be even busier than 2006. Residential work is predicted to reach an all-time high. Columbia Valley will see the most growth with $30 million to $40 million worth of work this year. There is also a proposed 2,000-lot residential subdivision around the two new Gary Player-designed golf courses. Also this year, Cominco will reclaim the railway bed between Cranbrook and the Sullivan Mine in Kimberly. The Brilliant Dam Expansion is winding down. Layoffs and power production will begin in June. Many are wondering when the Waneta Expansion will begin. Tenders may be called in the fall with work being awarded in spring 2008. Please make sure that the dispatch hall you are booked into has your correct contact information so we can get in touch with you when an order comes up. Lastly, we need more of our members’ support in organizing. Without that help we will not make gains against the CLACs of the world which are eroding our industry. The only way to fight back is to organize. In construction, market share is everything. I look forward to another busy year for the membership and hope to see you at one of the monthly meetings or on the job site. Work smartly. Be safe.  Major management changes at the minesBy Gordon Chaisson, Member Representative Hello from Sparwood! Much has happened with management at our coal mines in the Elk Valley. In February, almost all the mines had major changes in managers, HR superintendents, accountants and engineers. The Line Creek mine was scheduled to have a spring shutdown of one week, but it was cancelled due to coal requirements. It may be scheduled for later in the year, but who knows. The summer shutdown is still scheduled for July 28 to Aug. 18. Primarily, maintenance crews will be working. Most of the production crews will be off, however, staffing requirements may change that. I haven’t heard anything lately about the coal mine proposed for the Flat Head Region (Cline Mining). There are pros and cons to this proposal and since the environment is going to be on both federal and provincial election platforms, it is questionable if we will see much progress. The same applies to coal-fired power generation in the valley. |
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Home / Contact us / International Union |
||||