Professional Development

Campaign promotes organized contractors

In a bid to "compete more competitively," the Ontario Construction Secretariat (OCS) is launching a campaign to promote organized Workers and Employers (WE).

LINDA WHITE


[ 2006-06-07 ]

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"WE will target buyers and owners of ICI (industrial, commercial and institutional) construction," says Scott Macivor, CEO of the OCS. "Our goal is for unionized contractors to get more work so unionized workers will get to do that work. Obviously, that's mutually beneficial."

The campaign will promote what OCS lists as the benefits of using unionized contractors and their workers. "Our people have better safety and performance records and our members are better skilled because they are better trained," Macivor says. "They have an excellent history of completing jobs on time and on budget."

The campaign will also address negative perceptions about strikes among organized labour. "Our performance record is impressive. We haven't had major work stoppages in ICI in more than 14 years," Macivor says. "In the ICI sector, we have collective bargaining across 25 trades and 25 corresponding contractor groups that happen every three years. That means there is stability for the next three years."

OCS's mandate includes promoting the advancement of the unionized construction industry in Ontario. It promotes the skilled trades among young people through its Future Building career exposition.


"We are trying to target our future potential and make them aware of the opportunities in the trades and management so when we do have vacancies, we can go to the marketplace and have an interested pool," Macivor says.

Interested in a career in the trades? "There are shortages in some parts of the province in some trades, but not in all parts of the province and not in all trades," Macivor says.

"Any chance to do a summer job or gain experience makes you more marketable. It also allows you to get to know people involved and makes you more aware of when there will be vacancies. If you're very mobile -- if you can move around the province, the country or potentially even around the world -- you may have opportunities to serve an apprenticeship elsewhere."

To learn more, visit www.iciconstrauction.com.

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ONT. CONSTRUCTION SECRETARIAT

The Ontario Construction Secretariat represents the 25 employee and the 25 employer bargaining agencies of the unionized industrial, commercial, and institutional (ICI) sector of Ontario's construction industry.



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