External Organizing

The big question in every election: How are you going to get the work? 

The simple answer to that - with your help. The long answer - Unionization and Industry engagement.  

 

Our Local Leadership and Membership must start working on the same page if we plan to claw our way back. We all have roles to play. We need to get in front of Workers, Employers, General Contractors, Developers and clients in all areas of Construction, Non-Construction, and Manufacturing with a well thought out plan on what we are willing to do to get that work. 

 

Members/Future Members

Our Members play a critical role in External Organizing. When we have no work, they have two choices - stay out of the trade or go work non-union with few opting for option one. It is our members that are working non-union. Our members know un-represented workers and employers, yet few are advocates for our Union. Few have the discussions needed to change the hearts and minds of our friends that are in our industries but not part of our Union. Our Members are the ones we need to help build the morals and ethics of our Union on and off the job. Our Members have built trusting relationships with Electrical Workers and Employers. It is these relationships that are the most powerful. Paid Organizers are cast with a negative stone, we say what we say because we are paid to say it. This is not the case, it is because we believe in what we say and what can be accomplished. But, with the relationships that our Members have built, these conversations can go a lot further than we can imagine. 

 

Let's find out why our friends and family working and employing in our industries are not part of us so we can work to change our Local Union for the betterment of everyone in our industries.   

We should be the ambassadors, advocators, advertisers, fighters and protecters of our trades, we have the ability to change the hearts and minds of the disgruntled, discouraged and misinformed. First we must believe in ourselves! 

 

Contractors

Organized 

Without contractors our Union would not exist, their success is our success. Our contractors success and future prospect for more work, heavily relies on our ability to do the job at hand in a timely and professional manner.  Meaning they make money on our work ethic and craftsmanship. 

 

Contractors

Un-Represented

We are drastically outnumbered when we look at Union Density. As easily as it is to point the blame, workers need to want to Unionize, and companies need to see the profit. Over the last 6 years, the majority of our new contractors came in voluntarily, but this is not usually the case. Historically workers Unionize the companies and this is the way it should be. 

I do appreciate the contractors that know the worth of their employees and Unionize voluntarily, but if we want good Union jobs, we have to get in front of our Membership to find out why were are not working as a team and how we can work to fix those issues. With the amount of Members working non-union we should be at the labour board weekly. 

 

There are many variables to effectively organizing top down, one of these is contractors don’t know and some don't care to know or see the value of working together.    

 

As Business Manager, I would like to be in front of potential contractors just as much, if not more than our Organizers. I know what we can be when labour and business work hand in hand. But we have a lot of hearts and minds to change within this group. We need to show them, we are not bullies, we are partners. 

 

I have always been a strong proponent of capturing the markets as they are and bargaining effectively and proactively as time passes, but before we can look at this we must meet with our Membership. 

 

There is a lot of work that needs to be done on this front that will take the efforts of a UNION. All for one ! And it starts with us. 

    

Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta (ECAA)

The ECAA could certainly be one of our strongest advocates. 

If we look at Ontario, the Electrical Contractors Association works closely and strongly promotes the IBEW. There is something to be admired here and work toward. I feel that we are falling short with our support and relationship with the ECAA, I also feel they are falling short as well. I will work to ensure this relationship and our participation drastically increases. 

 

As Business Manager I feel the ECAA Meetings are important to attend. It puts us in the room in front of contractors and part of the conversations. We need to network and connect with employers. This is the only way that we can find that common ground to better the Electrical Trade and work to protect it, it will also help change the hearts and minds of the contractors. 

If we are not seen, we are not heard. When we are not seen or heard, how can we show the changes and build the trust needed for contractors to have the confidence in us.