Message from the CEO of SICA Jason Henderson
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efore we look ahead to the exciting year ahead, I’d like to bring to your attention some of the significant events that occurred in the SICA universe in 2018. This past year marked my first as CEO of SICA and it was packed full of exciting moments, meetings, events, and challenges. In June we held our most successful golf tournament to date! The feedback we received from the members on this event was significant and encouraging. This has inspired our team to continue to push the boundaries on future SICA events. We continued with the momentum from the golf tournament and hosted our Annual Chair Dinner & Awards Night. This event is always special, because as an association we can take some time to thank and acknowledge our board members for their continued dedication and support of the industry. Then in July the B.C. Government shocked the construction industry with their announcement of the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA). The agreement, which continues to be highly controversial, mandates that all construction workers on large government-funded projects are forced to join one of the B.C. Building Trades unions regardless of their labour affiliation. This rule goes against a persons’ right to choose. SICA, along with our regional partners and the BC Construction Association do not support this new CBA, which was developed without adequate industry consultation. One of SICA’s mandates is to promote fair, open, and transparent procurement practices and we denounce any subjective or preferential eligibility requirements. Together with our provincial partners, SICA has been diligent in getting the opinions of our members to the provincial government regarding this legislation. SICA solicited feedback from our membership regarding the CBA at our town hall meeting held in September 2018, as well as a letter-writing campaign to our MLAs and the premier. Advocacy issues continue to come to the forefront of my daily conversations, and as an organization we are dedicated to voicing our members’ concerns to policy makers and our government. This is where the strength of our construction association network shines; we are able to work with the BC Construction Association and Canadian Construction Association on issues at each level of government. Lastly, 2019 is a special year for the association as it marks our 50th anniversary. Our SICA team and board of directors are preparing to make this year epic! Our goal is to celebrate the thriving construction industry in the southern interior, our members, and to promote the excellence of this industry to the greater community. Construction often gets a bad rap, but as an industry we contribute to 8.6 per cent of B.C.’s GDP1 and can provide individuals with rewarding career opportunities. This is a message SICA will continue to promote to our broader communities and our government representatives. Thank you for your continued support as a SICA member, I hope you can join us at one of our many events we have planned this year! ◆ 1
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BC Construction Industry Fall 2018 Stat Pack, https://www.bccassn.com/media/stat-pack-fall-2018.pdf
Southern Interior Construction Association • Spring 2019
