Hard Hat - Spring 2011

Uniting ARCCAW members across Alberta and the Northwest Territories

Political Scene

Rounding up the party platforms across the province s, l review Top too’ page, kids ite webs ts highligh

Workday Warm-up

5 minutes to injury prevention

Get the Edge

Outperform with skills training

Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement #40063788 Return undeliverable mail to 200-15210 123 Ave Edmonton,AB T5V 0A3

Spring 2011

The DEWALT Family of Heavy-Duty Cordless Power Tools is proud to announce the arrival of its’ newest addition, the Compact line of 12V MAX* LITHIUM ION cordless tools. Each of the tools in the system weighs less than 3 lbs so you can work all day long. The 12V MAX* LITHIUM ION batteries deliver exceptional performance and extended run-time. Innovative features, such as, one-handed bit loading capability, 3 LED lights and a sleek

12V MAX* 1/4” Impact Driver

contoured handle design are all part of a 12V system that other compact tools will look up to.

12V MAX*

Inspection Camera

12V MAX*

3/8” Drill/Driver

12V MAX*

1/4” Screwdriver

12V MAX*

3/8” Impact Wrench

12V MAX*

Infrared Thermometer

12V MAX*

LED Worklight

*Maximum initial battery pack voltage (measured without a workload) is 12 volts. Measured under a workload, nominal voltage is 10.8.

Copyright ©2010 DEWALT. The following are examples of trademarks for one or more DEWALT power tools and accessories: The yellow and black color scheme; the “D”-shaped air intake grill; the array of pyramids on the handgrip; the kit box configuration; and the array of lozenge-shaped humps on the surface of the tool.

12V MAX* lithium ion is a lightweight yet powerful option that compliments the DEWALT 18v cordless system of tools.

Executive Secretary Treasurer’s

REPORT

Built on Democracy Martyn A. Piper

B

y the time you read this edition

of Hard Hat, the ballots will have been returned and counted and we will know whether the Carpenters and Millwrights have new four-year Provincial Construction Agreements.

The first, and maybe most important aspect of this whole process, is a member having the right to vote.

Around the world daily, if not hourly, people are risking and often losing their lives in an attempt to get the basic right to vote. In Canada and other modern democracies we very often take that right for granted. Last week, the federal government lost out to the balance of the majority of the other three parties and consequently were forced to go to the governor general to call an election.

Many might believe that the result will be the same, but regardless, let’s not pass off this piece of our democracy as a waste of time. If tomorrow the right to vote were taken away, Canadians would hopefully be upset enough to take to the streets.

Another significant piece of the process is to be able to engage in a debate about what one is voting for – talking with neighbours, friends, colleagues, seeking different perspectives, listening and engaging in the lunch room scuttlebutt. There are so many ways to become informed. The electronic media available to us means you barely have to get out of your chair to learn something about the issues of the day.

4

HARDHAT SPRING 2011

The same is true about becoming informed about the proposed collective bargaining agreements.

For those who are active, attending information meetings about a collective agreement or attending candidates meetings and asking pertinent questions may be your forte. The bottom line is this: there is simply no excuse for not participating in democratic processes. After all, democracy is not just about voting; it is about participation. For those who argue they don’t have time to become engaged, the mail-out ballot has negated the necessity to even attend at the union hall. I wonder how far away we are from electronic voting even for public office?

It is said that we always get the government we deserve. I suppose the same can be said for collective agreements. The last provincial election was a disaster in terms of Albertans participating.

Those were some of the lowest voter participation percentages on record. Unfortunately, our union elections and ratification numbers are often not much better.

Every November 11, we rightfully observe Remembrance Day. We remember those men and women who laid down their lives to protect our democratic rights and freedoms, including the right to vote. One might argue that we do their sacrifices a disservice when we can’t bother ourselves to go and engage our democratic rights. Our soldiers, sailors and airmen currently serving overseas are invariably involved in conflicts that are largely about free speech, democracy and the right to vote. It wasn’t so many years ago that women through the suffragette movement fought the good fight to take their rightful place in democracy and obtain the right to vote.

It is also at times like these when we see what is happening in the Middle East and North Africa that we should rededicate ourselves to the democratic process.

What are we about if on one hand we ascribe to liberty, but on the other don’t take the time or make the effort to put it to good use. Play democracy – it’s the best game in town!

Undeliverable mail should be directed to ARCCAW 200-15210 123 Ave Edmonton, AB T5V 0A3 Email: lhelmeczi@albertacarpenters.com Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement # 40063788

Contents

PUBLIShEd FoR:

Alberta Regional Council of Carpenters & Allied Workers 15210 – 123 Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T5V 0A3 Tel: (780) 474-8599 / Fax: (780) 474-8910 www.albertacarpenters.com PUBLIShEd By:

Venture Publishing Inc. 10259 – 105 Street Edmonton, Alberta T5J 1E3 Toll-free: 1-866-227-4276 Phone: (780) 990-0839 Fax: (780) 425-4921 www.venturepublishing.ca

FEATURES

Spring 11

12 Site to See

ARCCAW launches its newly redesigned, visually enhanced website

By Alex Macdonald

14 All the Right Moves

Ward off work site injury with a five-minute warm-up

By Robin Schroffel

18 Support Systems

Safway provides unique scaffolding solution for challenging projects

By Lisa Ricciotti

12

21 The Training Edge

PUBLIShER

Ruth Kelly

ASSocIATE PUBLIShER

Joyce Byrne

Skills development can take your job performance to the next level

By Jim Veenbaas

ARccAW EdIToR

Martyn A. Piper

24 Power Play

EdIToR

Kim Tannas ART dIREcToR

Charles Burke

ASSISTANT ART dIREcToR

Colin Spence

PRodUcTIoN MANAGER

Vanlee Robblee

PRodUcTIoN cooRdINAToR

Betty-Lou Smith

coNTRIBUTING WRITERS

Annalise Klingbeil, Mark Lisac, Alex Macdonald, Lisa Ricciotti, Robin Schroffel, Jim Veenbaas coNTRIBUTING PhoToGRAPhERS ANd ILLUSTRAToRS 3TEN, Buffy Goodman VIcE-PRESIdENT, SALES

Anita McGillis

AdVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE

Leah Mawer

21

26 At the Bargaining Table

By Bob Blakely

DEPARTMENTS

4 Note From the Executive

Secretary Treasurer

By Martyn Piper

6

Site Lines

Millwrights video gets the word out; Q&A with Terry Burton; New training classes; Guess the tool

24

10 Geared Up

SALES ASSISTANT

Julia Ehli

Contents © 2011 by ARCCAW Inc. No part of this publication should be reproduced without written permission.

Important Phone Numbers

Edmonton

Fort McMurray

Calgary

Carpenters Training Centre

Carpenters Health and Welfare

Carpenters Pension

Industrial Workers

Millwright Local 1460 Local Union 1325 and 2103 Dispatch

Are the gears of political power beginning to shift?

By Mark Lisac

780-471-3200 780-743-1442 403-283-0747 780-455-6532 780-477-9131 780-477-9131 403-283-0747 780-430-1460 1-888-944-0818

Tools to help you work better

28 Training and

Apprenticeship Report

By Len Bryden

29 KidZone 30 Parting Shot 31 Training & Events;

In Memoriam oN ThE coVER: Safway scaffolding used during the rehabilitation of Edmonton’s Dawson Bridge hARdhAT SPRING 2011 5

Site Lines

News in Brief

A roundup of news and events from around the region

BY ANNALISE KLINGBEIL

Does Your Back Hurt?

The University of Alberta’s Department of Physical Therapy is looking for volunteers to help with a research study on the effects of exercise for low back pain. Participants, aged 18 to 65, will be randomly assigned to one of two different exercise programs. The exercise routine runs for three weeks and the study consists of questionnaires and supervised and unsupervised exercises. If you have low back pain with or without leg pain and are otherwise in good health, contact Flavio Bonnet at 780 248-2064 or flavio@ualberta.ca or visit www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/pt/ backpainexercisetrial.cfm for more information.

New Training Classes In keeping with its motto of preparing the carpenters of Alberta, the Alberta Carpenters Training Centre has added new classes.

“There are two separate new course offerings and in each of the two course offerings, there are two things that we train on,” says Len Bryden, provincial training co-ordinator at the Alberta Carpenters Training Centre.

One of the new two-day courses will train carpenters in forklift and rough terrain forklift. The second covers aerial work platform and articulated boom aerial work platform (also known as scissor lift and “JLG” training).

Bryden says the new courses are good news for carpenters.

“They’re very important because some of the job sites require the training and we want to make sure that we’re able to offer the training to the membership, paid for through their carpenter training fund, to increase their employment opportunities.”

The most up-to-date information on the new classes, which will be coming soon, can be found by calling the Alberta Carpenters Training Centre or visiting their website at www.abcarptc.ab.ca.

6

HARDHAT SPRING 2011

Leaders Unite For two days in March, managers, training co-ordinators, council members and others from across Canada came together at the Canadian Leadership Conference.

“It’s always an opportunity for the leadership of various Canadian locals and councils to come together and discuss issues that are topical,” says Martyn Piper, executive secretary treasurer of the Alberta Regional Council of Carpenters and Allied Workers.

Approximately 80 people, including Piper, attended the event where agenda items ranged from panel discussions on electronic versus paper training certifications to speakers discussing pension reform.

The annual meeting is an important way for members to share their unique experiences and knowledge. “We’re a big country,” says Piper. “Everybody gets to share different experiences and some of the challenges that they are facing, or new information, or different ways to face an issue.”

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Martyn Piper, Bob Hugh, Rob Carlson, Len Bryden and Derrick Schulte

Guess the Tool Can you guess the name of these antique tools?

These 19th- century tools, which were crafted from japanned ivory or exotic wood and decorated with engraved and polished brass sidings, were famous for their aesthetic appeal.

(Answer Page 9) HARDHAT SPRING 2011

7

Site Lines

News in Brief

A roundup of news and events from around the region

Industry Needs Leaders, Not Managers Q&A with Terry Burton Terry Burton started working in the construction and maintenance industry in 1977 at the Syncrude site in Fort McMurray, after graduating from Memorial University in Newfoundland. He has served in various capacities, most recently with Shell as manager of construction labour resources. Burton is a member of the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board and has a wealth of business and industry knowledge. After close to 35 years in the industry, he’s enjoying a six-month break. Burton, a strong proponent of apprenticeship training, shared his thoughts on the difference between leaders and managers, the apprenticeship industry and the highlights of his lengthy career.

Q: What has been your favourite job?

A: There are two. The manager of labour relations for Canada with Jacobs and certainly the superintendent of extraction at the Suncor site for Jacobs. Both were both pretty good jobs.

Q: What did you like about these jobs?

A: I think the opportunity to interact with a lot of folks and have an impact on what I think is probably one of the most important industries in our country, which is construction and maintenance.

Q: What have been the highlights of your lengthy career in this industry?

A: One of the most important ones to me is the ability to positively impact apprenticeship employment in the province. Other highlights include being a member of the Alberta Apprenticeship Board, being a part of the negotiation of the project labour agreement for the Irving Oil Refinery upgrade project in New Brunswick, as well as the PLA for the Shell Scotford Upgrader expansion project.

Also being the chair of the Construction Owners’ Association Workforce Development Committee ... and my work with ACTIMS

8

HARDHAT

SPRING

2011

(the Alberta Council of Turnaround Industry Maintenance Stakeholders). Those are a few highlights.

or two. It takes time and effort. First of all you have to recognize that there is a difference between a manager and a leader.

Q: What do you think the Building Trades of Alberta has to do to position itself for the future?

A: One of the things I see in the industry is a shortage of leaders at all levels. There is a whole raft of managers in our society, but a limited number of leaders. We need more leaders and fewer managers. There’s a shortage of leaders in the owner community, contract community and building trades community. I think in our society right now, we’ve trained a whole bunch of people to be managers. However, we need more leaders at all levels and within all organizations. It’s not just the groups mentioned above; this is a major issues facing our entire society in general.

Q: What’s that difference?

A: Managers are very good at managing systems and processes ... leaders are folks that have vision, the ability to get things done through others and they’re able to motivate and “lead” people to be the best they can be.

Q: What can we do to build leaders, instead of managers?

A: We need to devote time and resources.

We need to start training people in the art of leadership. This is not something that’s innate; it’s something one needs to develop over time.

It’s not something you can develop in a day

Q: What are your thoughts on the future of apprenticeship training?

A: It’s absolutely essential to our country, province, owners, contractor and labour provider community. There is not enough training of apprentices taking place at this time. It’s the lifeblood of the construction and maintenance industry and needs more focus and commitment by all stakeholders. Owners need to play a great role; their leadership is critical if we are to exceed in this most vital area. As well, we need more females and aboriginals in the trades and we need more industry champions of apprenticeship. And, we need to dispel myths associated with apprenticeship employment.

Millwrights Matter

A recently completed five-minute video aims to shed light on an important and often forgotten trade.

“There are a lot of people out there who can’t even spell millwright, let alone have an idea of what we do for a livelihood,” says Bob Hugh, senior business representative with the Millwrights Machinery Erectors and Maintenance Union Local 1460. Millwrights work with massive pieces of critical machinery, in a job where precision matters. A miniscule mistake of just one-thousandth of an inch can cost a client millions of dollars.

The video, which was made by Calgary-based Regan Productions Ltd., took almost nine months to create and includes clips that show the enormity of the equipment millwrights work on. “We absolutely have to educate about the critical nature and precision work that we do out in the field,” says Hugh. He says millwrights work in very safe environments and are committed to detail, productivity and safety.

Sixteen hours of footage was cut down to a five-minute video loop that shows real millwrights doing their jobs, with an emphasis on building and maintaining

large steam and gas turbines. Funded by the Alberta Regional Council of Carpenters and Allied Workers, the multi-faceted video will be used in a variety of ways. The video will be shown to educate regulators and the general public, as a marketing piece to draw people into the millwright trade, and to promote millwrights within the power-producing industry. “I would like every member of the legislature to have a copy of it, especially ministers. I also want to get it out to our contractor base and our clients, all the power producers in Alberta,” says Hugh.

Footage was gathered from work sites around the province and at the state-of-the-art Provincial Millwright Training Centre in Edmonton. Members of the 1,100-strong Local 1460 Alberta Millwrights star in the video. “It’s real-life members of ours working in the environment where we do a lot of good things,” says Hugh. “We’re Alberta’s best-kept secret and we’re about to change that.”

The union has ordered 1,000 copies of the recently launched DVD, which will be distributed alongside a marketing brochure and shown at trade shows. The video can also be viewed on the Millwrights website at www.albertamillwrights. com/links.html.

Answer to “Guess the Tool” These are William Marples “Ultimatum” braces.

Pictured at top is one with an ebony infill and the bottom one has a beech infill. Hand braces were used from the 15th century to the beginning of the 19th century, although not many were as beautifully crafted as these.

(From Page 7) HARDHAT SPRING 2011

9

Geared Up Tools to help you work better NIFTY NAILER The Senco F-15 Finish Nailer is powered by an 18-volt lithium ion battery and reflex shot technology that provides an instant trigger response. It provides the benefits of a cordless system without the fuel cell costs of gas-powered tools or the slow ramp-up times associated with some battery-powered models.

Free of cumbersome hoses and cords, it weighs in at only six pounds, nearly 2.5 pounds lighter than competitive models, making it easy to operate with one hand.

Senco says it’s perfect for trim crews, remodellers or anyone who does not want to deal with the hassle of a hose and compressor. By not having to buy any fuel cells, this nailer can save users up to $300 a year.

It also features a selectable drive switch, allowing you to choose between contact or sequential actuation and an innovative EZ-Clear feature which clears jams quickly. Applications include finish and trim, baseboard, cabinets, chair rail, decorative trim, door and window casing, furniture trim and panelling. It retails for $440. www.sencofusiontools.com

LIGHTNING STRIKER At just 15 ounces, the new Stanley FatMax Xtreme MIG 15 Hammer is the first lightweight all-steel framing hammer on the market, giving contractors the best of both worlds – the weight of titanium with the strength of steel.

“The industry standard has traditionally been hammers as heavy as 28 or even 32 ounces,” says Scott Moore, VP of marketing, Stanley Black & Decker Canada. But with today’s trend towards lighter products overall, it was time to offer a lightweight option.

“Extensive job site research and countless conversations with our end users helped our engineering team develop a lighter hammer that not only delivers the power professionals need, but also helps to increase their level of productivity, reduce fatigue and improve comfort.”

Launched in February, the MIG 15 can handle virtually any professional wood-framing job, says the company. The hammer’s lighter weight helps to improve control and comfort while also increasing swing speed and strike force. It also features a vibration-dampening grip for even more comfort and a magnetic nail holding slot for one-handed nail starting.

The Stanley Fatmax Xtreme MIG 15 is available with a limited lifetime warranty at independent industrial and home improvement retailers across Alberta at the approximate retail price of $79. www.stanleyhandtools.ca HARDHAT SPRING 2011

10

STICKY SITUATION Scotch Tough Duct Tape – No Residue from 3M is a maximum strength duct tape that comes with a unique promise. For up to six months after application, it remains easily removable without leaving behind a messy, gooey residue. But if you need it to, it’s still tough enough to stick around permanently.

The tape is meant for both indoor and outdoor use and has a variety of applications. Think securing cords, hanging signage, bundling and labelling. It also boasts a UV-resistant, waterproof backing and is engineered to withstand extreme conditions.

Scotch Tough – No Residue is part of the expanded line of Scotch Tough tapes, which also includes Transparent (for discreet patchups), Heavy Duty All-Weather (made to resist the elements), Extreme Hold (for the most demanding jobs), Outdoor Painter’s Clean Removal (hassle-free cleanup for outdoor painting) and Poly Hanging and Tarps (for vertical applications on job sites).

Scotch Tough Duct Tapes are available at most home improvement stores and range in price from $8 to $10. www.3m.com

incorporates a dust collection system which clears the material while you work.

Lasting hundreds of times longer than traditional sandpaper, this tungsten carbide sanding block is available in 60, 80, 120 and 150 grit. It retails for approximately US$20 and can be purchased online. www.duragrit.com/cw

THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WORKING SMOOTH MOVES Rave reviews have been pouring in for Bosch’s Dual-Bevel Glide Miter Saw, with some going so far as to say that it stands to not only revolutionize the way woodworkers work, but the way power tools will be designed and manufactured going forward.

High praise indeed. So what’s so special about it?

By replacing the traditional sliding rail system with a hinged or articulating glide arm (similar to the linkage used in a fourbar suspension design), Bosch created a more compact miter saw that also delivers durable precision that remains true and smooth over time. The saw has no rails protruding from the back, which means it can be pushed up right against the wall, providing for more workspace on job sites and in cramped workshops.

With its robust cast-aluminum arms, the saw remains aligned and calibrated even in harsh conditions and provides smooth travel and better control. As an added measure of control, a glide damper allows users to increase or decrease the glide action to meet their exact needs.

The new Axial-Glide system also offers expanded cutting capacity. Users can make cuts up to 14” horizontally and 6-1/2” vertically. As with other Bosch saws, the bevel controls are all up front, which eliminates the need to reach behind the saw to make adjustments. The saw retails for approximately $700. www.boschtools.com

It’s hard to beat a durable work boot that also happens to be lightweight and comfortable. Add a little green Canadian Standards Association (CSA) tag and it’s no wonder people are talking about Blundstone’s CSA Greenpatch Boots.

“For those working in tougher environments, there should be no compromise when it comes to safety in footwear,” says Ian Heaps of Blundstone Footwear, who explains that these Australian-made boots provide with you with the same easy pull-on, kick-off convenience as regular Blundstones with the extra protection of CSA approval. “Added cushioning and high quality materials offer all-day comfort on even the harshest surfaces,” he adds.

Weatherproof elastic and leather will keep feet dry, while also allowing them to breathe, plus a heat-formed heel provides a snug fit, reducing the risk of blisters. They also feature a broad-fitting tempered steel, Grade 1 safety toe cap plus injection molded soles made without any adhesives, so wearers don’t need to worry about them coming unglued, or rotted stitching. The soles are also heat, slip, oil, acid and electric shock resistant.

Available at shoe stores throughout Alberta (check out the store locator on the website), these boots retail for approximately $190. They come in black, brown and “crazy horse” brown. www.blundstone.ca

SUPER SANDER The Dura-Grit TruSander 90º Carbide Sanding Block is a long-life sanding tools that never wears down or tears – it stays the same grit grade each time you use it, making it a “green” alternative to traditional sandpaper.

The sanding block can also true a rough edge 90º to the work surface, easily round a corner or bevel edges.

It has a variety of applications: hard and soft woods, MDF, PVC, laminates, composites, rubber and fibreglass. Plus it boasts an ergonomic handle and perforated sanding plate that HARDHAT SPRING 2011

11

SITE TO SEE

Photo galleries, dynamic content and member profiles are highlights of the newly redesigned ARCCAW website

By ALEX MACDONALD

12

HARDHAT

SPRING 2011

T

he Regional Council has finally given birth to a brand new website, and members can be proud of one of the most informative and best-designed construction union websites in North America.

Still at the same URL address (www.albertacarpenters.com), the revamped website responds to many of the suggestions that members made last year at special meetings in Edmonton, Fort McMurray and Calgary. The meetings were set up to gather members’ impressions of the old website and to solicit their ideas about what kind of information they wanted in a new one.

Officially launched on February 21, Alex Macdonald & Associates was the concept developer, project manager, photographer and writer. Parcom Marketing of Edmonton designed and programmed the site.

The new site is more informative – especially for members. “We wanted to create much more than an ‘electronic brochure’ website that never changes,” says executive secretary-treasurer Martyn Piper. “So this site has much more news, more photos and even some feature articles.”

The site has also been visually enhanced, with photos prominent throughout. Also, content is no longer static – fresh news and images will be posted on a regular basis. In its first two weeks, the website had already received 20,000 visits from 6,500 unique visitors. That number is expected to climb much higher as word spreads about the site’s dynamic nature.

Another improvement is that most of the site is no longer hidden behind passwords. In the Members section, you’ll find News, Events and many other new features and sources of information. The only portion of the site members will need a password for is the online dispatch system.

The feature articles are found in a section called 15 Minutes of Fame, which includes stories and photos of a few members who are doing some very interesting things in their off-the-job time.

“We want members to read those stories, then contact our webmaster with the names and a few details about other members who are also worth their own 15 Minutes of Fame article for something special they’re doing with their lives,” says Piper.

The site also includes a Photo Gallery filled with shots taken at various work sites over the past year. In the Members section, click on Photo

Gallery, then choose from several galleries.

Click on any photo in a gallery and it will expand.

Use the arrows to navigate through the rest of the gallery in expanded mode.

The Union Education button in the Members section leads to a list of upcoming courses such as Job Steward training, and to a suggestion box for you to suggest ideas for courses you’d like to see us create and run.

Our Member section also includes access to all major contracts, links to union-related websites, a suggestion box and a recommended list of books that make for good reading.

Martyn Piper’s EST Message is the lead page in the Members section. He’ll be updating it every couple of weeks, so keep checking back.

In time, there will be a way to register for electronic news bulletins from the Alberta Regional Council or its member locals.

An additional item of interest is a feature called Job List, which is for employers. Its button can be found on the home page’s left-side menu.

Our Millwright brothers and sisters in Local 1460 continue to operate their own website at www.albertamillwrights.com.

SPECIAL NOTE: Online Dispatch Users If you are a user of the online dispatch system, there is only one change you need to make as a result of the new website. On the new site, to log in to Online Dispatch, click the Dispatch tab at the top-right of either the Home page or the Members page. The rest of the process is the same as before.

HARDHAT SPRING 2011

13

Ward off work site injury with a fiveminute warm-up

By ROBIN SCHROFFEL | Photography by BUFFY GOODMAN

Matt Smith, certified personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist

14

HARDHAT

SPRING 2011

F

ive minutes can change your life – if it helps you avoid a work site injury, says Matt Smith, certified personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist.

As the manager of ARCCAW’s in-house health centre, Smith is a firm believer in the value of warming up before getting down to work.

“Nobody wants to get injured and not be able to work,” he says. That’s why he devised a set of five “dynamic stretches” – simple exercises that stretch and warm up the muscles, bring the joints through their range of motion and get the brain wired up to the different movements.

By doing these before you hit the work site, says Smith, you reduce your chances of getting injured. These movements can also help reduce tension on any nagging pains.

Smith’s stretches target the parts of the body most used – and most prone to injury – in the trades. He encourages workers to be proactive and spend a few minutes working through his regime each day.

As long as the dynamic stretches are done within 20 minutes prior to starting work, you’re good to go, Smith says, adding that the most effective way to do the exercises is on the job site just before starting. “You’re going to get the most value when you’re warming up right before your job.”

There’s only one key to making these exercises work for you, says Smith: by doing them.

“Do something,” he advises. “Doing anything [to warm up] is better than doing nothing.”

The ARCCAW fitness centre, located on the second floor of the union’s Edmonton headquarters, is filled with top-of-the-line equipment that includes free weights, treadmills, weight machines, ellipticals and bikes. It’s available for use to all union members; simply come by with your union ID, a change of clothes and a pair of indoor shoes. Smith is available on site to offer training advice and answer any questions members may have. The fitness centre is open from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday with new hours pending.

Arm Circles With palms facing forward, extend your arms and rotate in forward circles 15 times. Rest a moment and repeat, using backwards circles.

Arm Crossovers Put your arms out in front of you, with palms facing each other. Squeeze your back together while pulling your arms back, opening up your chest. Bring arms forward and cross the left arm over the right to open up your back. Repeat 15 times, alternating top position with left and right arms. Rest a moment and begin again, starting with the right arm.

Forward Bend and Twist With your feet hip-width apart, arms out to the side and a slight bend in the knees, bend forward, keeping your back straight.

Twist to the left, keeping your arms out to the side. Repeat 15 times, alternating twist direction between left and right. Rest a moment and begin again, starting with a twist to the right.

Leg Swings Lift one foot in front of the other, kicking out to the side and coming back over, in front of and past the other foot, like the motion of a pendulum. Repeat 15 times; rest a moment and begin again with the other leg.

Butt Kicks Bend the left knee and kick back through the hip. Alternate legs, like you’re doing an exaggerated version of jogging in place.

Repeat 15 times; rest a moment before beginning again with the other leg first.

HARDHAT SPRING 2011

15

Safway’s innovative scaffolding solutions provide key access for projects in Alberta and beyond

W

hen you think of what went into making

the 2010 Winter Olympics a success, scaffolding doesn’t immediately spring to mind. Yet without the innovative scaffolding specifically designed for multiple venues, the Vancouver Olympics wouldn’t have been the same. TV viewers wouldn’t have watched coverage so close up that it was almost as good as being there; in many cases onsite spectators couldn’t have gained access to the event sites; the spectacular opening and closing ceremonies wouldn’t have had a stage or seating – the list goes on.

“Project plans started 18 months before the event,” says Bill Rogers, vice-president and general manager of Safway’s operations in Canada. “We provided all scaffolding, from up on Whistler and Cypress mountains, to the Pacific Coliseum in the city, to the Richmond speed-skating ice oval. Everything was engineered to meet the unique challenges of a project that demanded adaptability.” In total, more than 600 scaffolds were built including TV camera towers as tall as 60 feet, pedestrian bridges ranging from 26 to 65 feet and 37,000 square feet for the main stage alone.

Rogers rightly calls Safway’s Olympic efforts “ingenious.” Yet those who work in the industry are well aware that few outsiders give a second thought to the role scaffolding plays behind the scenes at countless industrial, commercial, infrastructure and maintenance projects. The public sees the glory of the final

18

HARDHAT

SPRING 2011

structure; scaffolding’s key supporting role in making the final product possible is generally unacknowledged.

That’s why Martyn Piper, executive secretary treasurer of the Alberta Regional Council of Carpenters and Allied Workers (ARCCAW), wants to send a shout-out to provincial union scaffold workers and the scaffolding companies that make their jobs easier.

“Scaffolding is absolutely essential,” says Piper. “It’s the foundation that allows all other tradespeople the access they need to do their jobs, and do them safely. But by its very nature, scaffolding is not permanent, so its importance is often overlooked.” Piper notes that scaffolding accounts for the majority of hours worked by ARCCAW members, who he credits for excellent work under “tough, arduous, often hot, dusty and claustrophobic conditions.”

Scaffolding can also account for 10 to 15 per cent of capital costs, notes Rogers. That’s a significant expense, and he believes Safway’s mission is to find the best way to efficiently and productively build a scaffold, while ensuring the highest safety standards.

Much of Safway’s stellar reputation has been built on its ability to design scaffolding solutions for a project’s specific requirements, using the expertise of local engineering companies and the latest technologies.

In fact, Safway was the first company to use steel scaffolding. When stone mason contractor Reinhold Uecker fell from the wooden scaffold of a church steeple, he set about designing something safer. In 1936 he invented the steel scaffold and founded Safway in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, revolutionizing the construction industry with his new design.

Scaffolding has come a long way since, and Safway continues to be a leader in scaffolding services with its many proprietary designs.

Examples include QuikDeck, a modular platform system that can be built safely in the air and configured to fit almost any shape or size, and the SafLock System, a flexible access system that allows workers to erect a rigid platform almost anywhere. The company now has more than 85 locations across North America and set up shop across Canada in 2002. Here in Alberta, Safway operates out of Fort Saskatchewan and Fort McMurray.

“Our core Alberta business is maintenance contracts in the industrial and commercial sector,” says Rogers. “Much of our work is related to the oil sands industry. We differentiate ourselves in a highly competitive field through our performance record and our craftsmanship, always working with the union,” says Rogers.

“Scaffolding can get very creative and Safway is very good at finding unique applications for challenging situations.”

As an example, Rogers cites the new scaffolding design that Safway developed for main-

SUSPENDED SYSTEM: Safway used its QuikDeck system in scaffolding erected to renovate Edmonton’s 97-year-old Dawson bridge

HARDHAT SPRING 2011

19

UNDER THE BRIDGE: Scaffolding work is often overlooked but provides essential access for workers to do their jobs safely

Safway Snapshot tenance work inside the primary separation vessels (PSVs) or cells (PSCs) used in oil sands extraction. Gaining access to maintain a PSC’s slanted inner walls is difficult because of its conical configuration. These large centrifuges taper inwards from an upper span that’s often 100 feet across.

“Our engineering group worked with the oil sands client to develop a scaffolding design that would save maintenance time,” Rogers explains. “It’s based on modifications to our QuikDeck platforms, building four or five different working levels inside the PSC. Since a company has to shut down the upgrader to do the maintenance, reducing the time that the PSC is out of operation is crucial. We introduced the new design in the fall of 2010 and it’s working very well. We reduced shutdown time by 60 per cent, and carpenters enjoy the work since it’s interesting to do something out of the ordinary.”

Safway also used its QuikDeck system, originally designed for bridgework, on a year-long project that many Edmonton motorists well remember – renovations to the 97-year-old Dawson Bridge that links downtown and east Edmonton. Safway has also worked on large capital projects in Alberta, such as the Century Park transformation of the former Heritage Mall site into modern condominiums.

In the U.S., Safway is known as the only scaffolding company so dedicated to safety that it created its own Scaffold Training University.

While more than 43,000 employees and customers have benefited from this training, Rogers says there’s not as much call for something similar in Alberta.

20

HARDHAT

SPRING 2011

• Safway provides scaffolding and access solutions in major industries including commercial, petrochemical, power, bridge and special events • A one-stop scaffold and services supplier, providing customized engineering solutions, project management tools, scaffold rentals and sales, and training and safety • Founded in Wisconsin in 1936 by the inventor of the steel scaffold • Entered the Canadian market in April 2002 • Two Alberta branches: Fort Saskatchewan and Fort McMurray • Product mix includes the patented Safway Systems Scaffold, Sectional Frames, Tube & Clamp, SafMax Frame System, motorized products like swing stages and ground-based hoists and lifts, QuikDeck Suspended Access System, Shoring and its newest product – the SafAscent Wind Turbine Platform • Named one of America’s 12 Safest Companies in 2010 “The union does that job in Alberta through its apprenticeship training program,” says Rogers. “We support union training by hiring apprentices and providing state-of-the-art scaffolding and QuikDecks for ARCCAW’s new training centre. In my opinion, Alberta is a leader across Canada in its training of union carpenters and scaffolders.”

Martyn Piper returns the compliment in his praise for the company.

“Safway is a solid employer in Alberta,” he says. “We enjoy an excellent labour/management relationship and look forward to maintaining that in the future.”

By JIM VEENBAAS

E

ven in today’s increasingly

competitive job market, the most productive, most skilled workers are always in demand and rarely out of work. The link between training, skills and employment hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Alberta Regional Council of Carpenters and Allied Workers (ARCCAW), which has become a leader in training and skill development.

HARDHAT SPRING 2011

21

“Expanding our training is a mission, a goal, a constant thing in my daily life. Training is more important than ever. We want to have the best workers out there, we want high rates of pay and good pension plans so we have to perform,” says Len Bryden, director of training and apprenticeship with the Alberta Carpenters Training Centre.

“When an employer hires someone off the street, they are relying on a resumé or word of mouth. They really don’t know what they are getting. Employers feel confident about our guys and have a good idea about the skill level they are getting.

We think skills training is what gives us an edge over the competition.”

As Alberta industry gears up to expand the oil sands and older workers retire in growing numbers, demands on the workforce will increase. It’s one of the reasons the Regional Council built the 55,000-square-foot Provincial Training and Administration Centre in west Edmonton in 2008. More than half of its space is dedicated to three state-of-the-art scaffolding, carpentry and millwrighting training centres.

The training centre offers Period 1 and Period 2 Carpentry courses as well as a wide range of supplemental programs that teach members everything from blueprint reading and construction surveying to arc welding and stair construction. New courses are continuously being added with the most recent being forklift and aerial work platform training.

“When you get the training, you’re going to be more efficient, more accurate, more knowledgeable. Our hope is that by getting guys trained to a certain level we are going to outwork the competition. Anyone who takes training will have a leg up on others who don’t have training,” says Bryden.

“It all goes back to efficiency, attitude, productivity and professionalism. We try to instill a sense of all four into our training courses. To be out there on the job, to pick up a tool and work is important, but training gives you a sense of what to do and how to work.

You don’t have to waste a lot of time getting someone to show you things.”

ARCCAW is encouraging members to develop a wide range of skills to boost their value on the job site and improve their employability. That

commitment is reflected in the scaffolding program being taught at the training centre.

“I’m always hammering on our members to take more training.

We know it will make them more attractive to employers, who have higher expectations for workers we send out from the union,” says Wilf Pipke, a carpentry instructor at the training centre. “With training, our guys are more productive because they are making the right moves. The non-union guys don’t have the same training we do.

They basically learn from their supervisors and many of them don’t have the same experience as our instructors at the training centre.”

Instructors like Wilf Pipke are always looking for opportunities

“There has been a change in expectations throughout the industry. Employers expect our members to have more training, more knowledge of safety and more skills.”

- Len Bryden

22

HARDHAT

SPRING 2011

to expand their own skills and pass that knowledge onto students. They take their role seriously and stay abreast of the latest trends and advances in the industry. Pipke recently returned from the International Training Centre in Las Vegas, where he took a training course in rafter framing.

“It’s a refresher course. We learn some new techniques to teach apprentices and keep our training updated. We are constantly upgrading our own abilities to train other people. We are all journeymen, we all have 20-plus years’ experience, but we still need to upgrade our skills so we can more effectively train our members,” says Pipke.

“Every time we go to the International Training Centre, we learn something. Just talking to other instructors throughout the United States and Canada, you discover different techniques and find out about the problems they are facing and how that applies to what you are doing.”

With some of the most knowledgeable instructors in the industry, the programs at the training centre are often filled to capacity. To make training more accessible to all members, ARCCAW encourages its people to consider taking instruction at postsecondary schools like NAIT and SAIT. The members are reimbursed through the union’s Education Fund. Employers contribute to the fund as well and they expect workers to upgrade their skills and improve the quality and productivity at each job site.

“There has been a change in expectations throughout the industry. Employers expect our members to have more training, more knowledge of safety and more skills. They are paying us quite well for what we are doing and they expect to have a decent

product coming to them,” says Bryden.

“That’s why attitude is so important. We put all this money and effort into training and employers put money into training as well. We don’t want to blow it with a bad attitude. One of our mottos is to get the job done and we have to live up to that motto.”

RULING ON RATIOS To meet some of the growing demand for construction workers, the Alberta government has changed the ratio of the number of apprentices that a journeyperson can train. Under old rules for most construction occupations, the province allowed employers one apprentice for each journeyperson on staff, which worked out to a 1:1 ratio. Some trades, however had a ratio of one journeyperson to two apprentices. Under new rules that came into effect January 31, the 1:2 ratio has been expanded to 37 additional trades.

TRADESPERSON FOR TODAY The most successful skilled workers have a similar set of assets – good hands, an eye for detail, extensive training, knowledge and experience. What is often overlooked, however, are the intangible qualities that make these people excellent employees who are easy to work with.

Skilled workers who bring a positive attitude to the job are valued not only for their technical expertise, but the impact they have on people around them.

“You have to come to work with the attitude that you are part of the business plan. You have to help your employer make money so they can afford to pay you good money and treat you well. If he’s not making money, you’re not going to have a job tomorrow,” says Len Bryden, director of training and apprenticeship with the Alberta Carpenters Training Centre.

Workers with a poor attitude not only destroy staff morale, they have a direct impact on the profitability of any project. Shoddy workmanship, an indifference to quality and absenteeism can leave a bad taste in employers’ mouths. It only takes a few members from any local to tarnish the image of everyone and diminish the employability of all members.

When the economy is slow and jobs are scarce, attitude might determine who is hired and who isn’t.

“By changing old attitudes and adopting the right frame of mind, getting the right perspective, taking a positive approach and having the right outlook, we can make a monumental difference to the success of a job,” says Randy Dwernychuk, senior instructor at the Alberta Carpenters Training Centre.

“Having a good attitude on the job site just makes your day go better. Some people think that because you’re in this business, you have a licence to complain. If a worker doesn’t like the way he is being treated or the conditions on a job site, there’s a way to ask and communicate your feelings. There’s a lot of different ways to get things done. It doesn’t have to be a confrontation.”

HARDHAT SPRING 2011

23

POWER PLAY Are the gears of political power beginning to shift?

By MARK LISAC

N

ew parties are springing up. Leaders of old ones are resigning. The Progressive Conservatives have sunk in the polls in their 40th straight year in power in Alberta.

Yet the bottom line remains the same as it’s been since 1971: the Progressive Conservatives are in the driver’s seat.

Even at their current average 38 per cent support in the polls, they’re in good shape to win another provincial election.

They can win a majority of seats in the legislature with as little as 34 per cent of the popular vote – as long as the opposition forces remain divided.

The PCs can still count on old loyalties. They’re still trusted by most of the business community and a lot of

24

HARDHAT

SPRING 2011

local government leaders. They still have the biggest and best organization. They still have the most money (enough at any given time to run a $3-million election campaign). They’re still a middle-of-the-road party with fairly wide appeal.

Look at who liked the 2011-12 budget: the Alberta Chambers of Commerce, the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association and the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties. A large number of trade unions are also onside with the government because of the push to restart work on big projects like oil sands upgraders.

The only problem for the provincial Conservatives is that re-election is probable rather than virtually guaranteed. They don’t like to be in that situation. When doubts arise, they usually turn to a new leader. At the same time they reshape some of what they stand for.

It’s a good time for people to make themselves heard. Nervous politicians listen. The trick is to keep them nervous after an election.

But with more choices available, where do people look?

One key will be the new party leaders. The small Alberta Party elects a leader on May 28. The Conservatives go in September, but they use a wide-open voting system that lets anyone willing to buy a $5 party membership cast a ballot – it’s more like a provincewide election to pick a new premier. The Liberals will likely pick a new leader in the fall. New Democrat Leader Brian Mason will stay put, partly because he has been an effective communicator in the media. He’ll try to lead the party to winning back at least the two Edmonton seats it lost in 2008, while hanging onto the two it retained in that election.

Leaders give people a way to understand what their parties are all about. They wield a lot of influence over policy choices. The leader of the governing party single-handedly picks cabinet ministers, as well.

Mostly, leaders form the emotional connection between the political establishment and ordinary voters. If they can’t do that – Ed Stelmach and Liberal leader David Swann are prime examples – their parties are in trouble.

Policy choices are also important.

The Conservatives have been emphasizing economic growth, continued low tax rates and a big infrastructure building program. They insist on balanced budgets, too, but have run into problems there.

They’ve also been trying to keep up with demands for access to health care but haven’t found that job easy.

The Liberals have suffered because of a lack of clear, consistent messages. And they have to put up with the government taking over any of their ideas that prove popular. At the moment, they would slow down infrastructure spending but beef up health, education and social services.

The Wildrose Alliance would slow down construction of buildings and roads as well, and spend about two per cent less than the Conservatives on health and education.

Party leader Danielle Smith is a big fan of private surgery clinics.

She hasn’t had to fight an election over that yet. It’s a sure bet the other parties will attack her on it. There’s never been any sign that Albertans favour privatization in health care.

Those are fairly standard developments. Where might something new come from? Three possibilities stand out.

First, all the parties are counting on a revival of resource revenues. The 2011 provincial budget forecasts that annual oil sands

revenue will climb by more than 70 per cent to $7 billion by 2014.

Any revival of natural gas prices would bring a bonus on top of that.

If the gusher of energy cash doesn’t start flowing again, all of the parties will have to reconsider their approach. So will voters.

The province needs about $11 billion a year in resource revenues to balance the budget. That’s higher than the historic average.

If resource revenues don’t rebound, everyone will have to rethink.

This year’s budget deficit is $3.4 billion. Alberta taxes could go up enough to pay the bills, and still be by far the lowest in the country.

Alternatively, people could look at spending cuts, but those cuts would have to be drastic.

Another way out would be to pay for all infrastructure with borrowed money; right now, the province mostly pays cash.

Second, health costs may cause a crisis. Health accounted for 22 to 24 per cent of provincial spending in the mid-1980s. Now it takes 41 per cent. If the government and doctors can’t find a way to control costs, big changes will be proposed.

The Conservatives seem to lean toward removing or reducing any government responsibility for financing of continuing care for seniors or others, although that’s not certain. If the government stops paying, private insurers would probably step in to help individuals pay the bills.

Other reformers might suggest big changes to the way the health system is managed, and a much bigger effort to keep people healthy. Any comprehensive effort on preventive health would have to take into account poverty and education in order to be effective.

Third, many Albertans seem disengaged from provincial politics. That’s especially true among young people – although they’re disengaged more from traditional parties than from politics.

If this trend continues, parties will have to change the way they operate, or accept being viewed as untrustworthy by a cynical population.

The fallback for some people could be the Alberta Party. It’s tough to see how a party for people who don’t believe in parties would function, though. The more likely possibility is that people would get more involved in single-issue campaigns, and to the interest groups that organize them.

Alberta politics may not be in the middle of as much change as some people think. But it’s hovering on the brink.

Mark Lisac is the publisher and editor of Insight Into Government, a widely read, politically and financially independent weekly newsletter on politics in Alberta. For more information, visit www.insightalberta.ca.

HARDHAT SPRING 2011

25

At the Bargaining Table

By BOB BLAKELY

A four-year collective agreement could herald a turnaround for organized construction

T

he first time I went to a construction bargaining table in Alberta was in 1974. Since that time I have been involved in “Alberta bargaining” in one way or another and done a considerable amount of bargaining in the other construction jurisdictions across this country. Over the course of nearly 40 years, I have certainly seen a number of bargaining regimes in our industry.

These have ranged from enormous industrial strife with mutual strikes and lockouts which got more and more intense as each bargaining cycle passed, to the complete lack of bargaining and the collapse of the entire bargaining structure. As each one of our more intensely antagonistic bargaining cycles passed, we lost more and more of our market share.

When the crash came in 1984, we didn’t just lose our ability to bargain, we lost our markets completely. I remember the first tentative attempts at getting some of the market share back in bargaining deals in the early ’90s and the somewhat more stable but still acrimonious bargaining system that we carried on into the 21st century.

This bargaining round took my attention. In a significant number of ways it has been very different from any other bargaining that we have ever done or seen before, either here or anywhere else in North America.

It was applied across a diverse and complicated industry. That is difficult to do and took both foresight and intestinal fortitude from the leaders of the various local unions in the province. It addressed complex industry issues in a thoughtful and fulsome way. We have never ever addressed industry issues in any way before other than to head-butt until one side or the other gave up.

Win, lose or draw in the province-wide ratification votes which are now being held for so many trades, what has happened is a more intelligent, more reliable and innovative way to approach bargaining. This system looks at our position in the industry and how unions and union contractors can get more market without impacting the money that a worker should earn.

Tying wage rates to the price of the major commodity that we produce is an idea that makes sense. Establishing different parameters to deal with “travel near home” makes sense too. It makes sense to build a system that will let somebody take time off and not be penalized by losing the overtime days that are otherwise available to be worked. These solutions are imaginative and different from what we have usually done. We have always handled, as an industry, the issues around time off in a punitive way. Maybe this means we are starting to grow up in how we do business with our contractors.

Without sounding too much like a cheerleader, I think that the people on both sides of the bargaining table who invested in what was really a risky prospect for bargaining need to stand up and take a bow. Your lead-

26

HARDHAT

SPRING 2011

BOB BLAKELY

ers in the Carpenters and Millwrights were front and centre in this important initiative, and were there from design to inception to the finalization of the settlements. What they did took courage. It is one of those really important examples of courageous leadership that comes around so seldom as to be the rare exception.

Maybe this will herald one of the turnarounds that we have been looking for in organized construction for quite a while. We need to gain market, membership and work opportunities for you; a four-year deal offers stability to those who will pay for your skills, and an innovative deal offers a chance for our contractors to stay in the game. That is what we need if we want to become and remain both the best paid and the most in demand tradespeople in Canada. Thanks very much for a chance to put my views in print for you. I sincerely hope the next four years will be prosperous and provide you with rewards for your labour commensurate with your exceptional skills and efforts.

Bob Blakely is the Canadian director for the Building and Construction Trades Department.

ALBERTA REGIONAL COUNCIL OF CARPENTERS AND ALLIED WORKERS

Legends Golf & Country Club 53541 Range Road 232, Sherwood Park, AB

• Registration: 6:45-7:45 a.m. • Shotgun Start, Texas Scramble: 8 a.m.

REG I ST RAT I O N FO RM

Fax by July 8, 2011

REGISTRATION FEE: $125/player (includes green fees, power cart, prizes and BBQ steak dinner) Name: Phone: (

)

Fax: (

)

Enter team(s) of golfers at $500/team (4 players at $125 each). Team would include: (All foursomes will be chosen from pairs or singles) 1)

Phone: (

)

2)

Phone: (

)

3)

Phone: (

)

4)

Phone: (

)

FOR CORPORATE DONORS: Our organization would like to offer our support in finding the cure for Juvenile Diabetes by contributing the following cash and/or prizes to the 11th Annual Barrie Regan Golf Tournament: Sponsor a hole: $150 with the right signage at the hole Provide a corporate donation of: $100

$150

$200

$250

$

(other)

Provide prizes: 1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

PLEASE RESPOND BY FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2011 Fax form to: (780) 474-8910 Phone: (780) 474-8599 Make cheque payable to: Alberta Regional Council of Carpenters and Allied Workers Mail to: Linda Helmeczi, Alberta Regional Council, 15210 123 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T5V 0A3 All proceeds go to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation HARDHAT SPRING 2011

27

REPORT

Training and Apprenticeship

Building Momentum

A

s spring arrives and longer and brighter days beckon, this time of year always brings another new and exciting challenge as we build next year’s course schedule (June 2011-June 2012). 2010 was a banner year for the Alberta Carpenters Training Centres, as we trained more members than ever across the province. There isn’t always the class or course available exactly when you request it, but I can say the number of individuals put through various courses, and monies put back in the members’ pockets through reimbursement of approved courses was nothing short of spectacular, and record-breaking!

We are continuing to do what this fund was set up to do, and we plan to keep doing it for a long time to come. We must continue to use our financial resources in a responsible and effective manner for our long-term success.

What have we done to improve our programs lately? We have recently added an intensive 32-hour Hoisting and Rigging program, and you will see Aerial Work Platform and Powered Industrial Truck (forklift and rough terrain forklift) courses offered to our members through our centres in the 2011-2012 schedule. Once we have enough instructors trained, we will offer these programs at all three centres. We are also going to be offering more choices for training to our members working in the I.S.M/drywall areas, and Commercial Door Hardware will be offered in Calgary. Plus, we are taking full advantage of what the International Training Centre can offer us in Train-the-Trainer programs to enhance our skills and abilities in many areas. These are just some of the things we can expect to see happening this year and into 2012.

Level 3 Scaffold Program moves from three to four weeks, with the addition of a full 32-hour Hoisting and Rigging Certification class as an integrated part of the curriculum and also a one-day Introductory Foreman Course. This will continue to solidify the foundations we are building for the future as we approach what could be a demographic disaster. (Many are now retiring, and the gap will widen if we are not building leaders out there!)

Scaffold JM Upgrade for union-recognized JM Carpenter/ Scaffolders moves from four to five weeks, with the same addition to this curriculum as mentioned above. The I.T.T. Program remains at 14 days, Level 1 and 2 Scaffolding will remain at three weeks each, with the incorporation of the UBC Blueprint Reading Certification to be gained throughout these levels, as well as a few other items that will enhance the ability to layout and design scaffolds used in all aspects of the construction industry.

We are continuing our pre-employment carpentry eight-week program with our partners at Trade Winds to Success (www. tradewindstosuccess.ca) in both Calgary and Edmonton locations, and continue to gain experience and momentum with our Alberta

28

HARDHAT SPRING 2011

Len Bryden, Director of Training and Apprenticeship Alberta Carpenters Training Centre

Apprenticeship and Industry Training recognized Period 1 and 2 Carpenter classes, which a minimum of four sessions in total are currently offered in Edmonton. We continue to work toward being able to deliver all levels of apprenticeship to carpenters across this province one day in our future, in partnership with Alberta Apprenticeship, and to date we are having great success. Let’s keep the momentum up and continue to try to do the right things for our trade of carpentry and all things related to it.

A few of our upcoming events: • We are hosting the Skills Canada Regional Competition for the third year running at our Edmonton centre Saturday, April 9.

• We are running the Carpentry Try-A-Trade event for the second year at Provincial Skills Canada May 11-12, and invite all to attend. We utilize our students to participate and demonstrate our trade to thousands of young people.

• We are planning this year’s yearly Provincial Carpenter/Scaffolder contest for late June, as well as the National UBC Canadian Contest that we are hosting in Edmonton in 2012.

The list of projects we are working on for the benefit of all of us is long.

Stay tuned as we are never standing still.

There is no doubt that we have moved forward with our training centres in this province and across this country in fact, and are always looking for the answers to the next challenge we face out there.

Whether it is with specific training we need to get a raise, or get the job we want, or maybe it is another type of challenge that is happening to us on the job, time has proven that when we work together, and continue to work together, we can get it done and we can all win.

We will be continuing to receive feedback from all of our members and contractors into 2011, and let’s look forward to a productive, interesting and educational year for all of our United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Allied Worker members throughout Alberta, Canada and across North America.

KidZone

By ROBIN SCHROFFEL

Many of the tools used by modern carpenters and tradespeople can be traced back thousands of years to ancient Egypt and other ancient civilizations.

Here in Alberta, wood is all around us. Trees grow in our backyards and 60 per cent of our province is covered by forest. We use wooden pencils to write with, our homes are built from wood, and our pet rabbits even use wood shavings as a bed.

But have you ever imagined what it was like in ancient Egypt? Few trees could survive in the dry desert and the ones that did grow there – trees called acacia, sycamore and juniper – didn’t produce lumber that was good for building. Instead, Ancient Egyptians used sun-dried bricks to build their houses and stone to build their temples and pyramids, saving the wood to make furniture, musical instruments, toys, board games and weapons.

Then: An adze was used to shape wood by planing and carving with a stone or metal blade.

Now: Powered hand planer.

Word Search Circle the Ancient Egyptian-related terms you can find hidden below. Words can be horizontal, vertical or diagonal, frontwards or backwards.

R T P N U M A H K N A T U T L

X N I H P S X M T R E S E D A

K Z P O W E M B Z W E T E R P

D L F Z O M V Y M M U M M E O

N I L E G V Z F E G Y P T S I

B P J Q A F R I C A D F U X S

I W S C I H P Y L G O R E I H

AFRICA PAPYRUS DESERT PHARAOH EGYPT PYRAMID HIEROGLYPHICS SARCOPHAGUS

T O Q N R W G H Z T O O A J A

X E S W H M E C N H J M P Y W

F D M I S U G A H P O C R A S

D E X P R M B A R A C S C P B

U M H D L I P H A R A O H N D

R O M T N E S D I M A R Y P I

A Z M F S U R Y P A P N V R E

V P L B T Q Y F S O I M C P R

HORUS SCARAB MUMMY SPHINX NILE TEMPLE OSIRIS TUTANKHAMUN

Then: Sanding stones were used to smooth and finish wooden surfaces.

Now: Sandpaper, often attached to an electric belt sander.

Then: Holes were drilled into wood with a drill bit, attached to a shaft. A bow (imagine a bow and arrow) had its string wound around this shaft, which was held in place by one hand with a small stone bowl while the bow was pulled back and forth with the other hand to create friction.

Now: Drill press and electric drill.

HARDHAT SPRING 2011

29

Parting Shot

Breaking New Ground

In 1959, J.A. Smith turned the sod to kick off construction of Local 1325’s first union hall, located at 10425 Princess Elizabeth Avenue in Edmonton. An influx of people from Europe had changed the profile and demographics of the local and the construction of the hall spurred a new feeling of belonging and solidarity with one another. In the fall of 1976 a new addition to the hall was completed, increasing its size fourfold.

30

HARDHAT

SPRING 2011

UPCOMING

In Memoriam ARCCAW notes with sorrow the passing of the following members.

LOCAL 1325 George Bailey March 2011, Age 51 William Maloney January 2011, Age 40 Pro Rhey-mond Depro February 2011, Age 59 LOCAL 1460

Training + Events

General Events April 9 Skills Canada Regional Competition The Regional Council is hosting this competition for the third year running at the Edmonton training centre.

May 11-12 2011 Provincial Skills Canada Competition Skills Canada Alberta hosts Alberta’s largest trade and technology career fair at the annual Provincial Skills Competition at the Edmonton Expo Centre.

This free event showcases trade and technology careers in an Olympic-style competition. The Alberta Carpenters Training Centre is running the Carpentry Try-A-Trade event for the second year.

Rob Lapinskie February 2011, Age 42 Oscar Gutierrez February 2011, Age 64 LOCAL 2103 Randy Heintz January 2011, Age 49

Training Meetings

Alberta Carpenters Training Centre

First Wednesday of each month: Local 1325 meeting Third Thursday of each month: Local 2103 meeting Fourth Tuesday of each month: Local 1460 meeting

The following is a sampling of training courses that are open for registration at the time of publication of this edition of Hard Hat. For full listings or more information on training courses, visit www.abcarptc.ab.ca or phone the Edmonton office: 780-455-6532 or toll-free 1-877-455-6532.

• Investment planning and advice • RSP, RRIF, TFSA and RESP guidance • Mutual Funds, GICs and other investment solutions • Mortgage and Borrowing services

Edmonton OSSA Fall Protection: April 19, April 23, April 26, May 7, May 10 OSSA Confined Space: April 30, May 14, May 28 H2S Alive (Enform Certified): May 1, May 15, May 29 Period 2 Carpentry: May 30 to July 22 Industrial Technical Training: May 30 to June 12

Proud to support the Alberta Regional Council of Carpenters & Allied Workers.

Calgary Pre-employment Carpentry Program: May 24 to July 15

Get ahead financially.

Speak to us today for:

Millwrights Training Centre

Camille Coderre Account Manager, Small Business 780-448-7763 camillel.coderre@scotiabank.com ® Registered trademarks of The Bank of Nova Scotia.

000HH.Scotiabank_1-6H.indd 1

1/13/11 4:19:55 PM

Visit www.albertamillwrights.com for a current listing of training courses available.

HARDHAT

SPRING 2011

31

Alberta Carpenters Training Centre We’ve trained North America’s best scaffolders for 15 years.

The Alberta Carpenters Training Centre has delivered its 3-year Scaffolder Apprenticeship and Carpenter JM Upgrade Scaffold Programs, as well as dozens of other safety and skill training programs, to thousands of students in three training centres – Edmonton, Ft. McMurray & Calgary – since 1994.

Our new $23 million centre includes two state-ofthe-art scaffold shops, including one purpose-built to accommodate suspended scaffolding.

ACTC-trained scaffolders work on some of the world’s largest mega-projects. Many of the scaffolds they design and build are unique, highly-complicated, and critical to both human safety and worker productivity.

www.abcarptc.ab.ca

000.ABCarpTraining_1-2H_nBL.indd 1

1/13/10 3:43:38 PM

If you have products or services that demand the attention of the construction industry and want to reach this key target audience, Hard Hat provides a unique forum to access more than 11,000 of the sector’s key decision makers.

The Alberta Regional Council of Carpenters and Allied Workers (ARCCAW) represents more than 11,000 members working across several construction industries, including carpenters, millwrights, scaffolders, interior system mechanics, roofers and floor layers.

For further details or to discuss your advertising needs, contact: Leah Mawer, Account Executive 10259-105 Street, Edmonton, AB T5J 1E3 Tel: (780) 990-0819 ext. 246 • Toll-free: 1-866-227-4276 ext. 246 Email: lmawer@albertaoilmagazine.com Venture Ad 1-2H.indd 1

3/28/11 2:18:13 PM