CLAC wants Canadians before TFWs

DATE: October 20, 2011

Fort McMurray, AB—Recent claims made in the media by Local 110 of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers that 200 Canadians have been replaced by temporary foreign workers (TFWs) on a major project in the oilsands were motivated primarily by competition between unions.

As a leading independent Canadian union, CLAC favours the employment of Canadians first. Only after all government-mandated attempts by employers to find qualified Canadian workers are exhausted should TFWs be considered.

CLAC’s position is reflected by our efforts in recruiting workers from across Canada, including many from Atlantic Canada, for projects where labour shortages are critical, such as the oilsands. Lately, CLAC has been working hard to find workers for oil and gas projects in northeastern British Columbia as well as for an infrastructure project in Toronto.

On this particular issue, Suncor’s Firebag 3 project in the oilsands, here are the facts.

• Flint is the contractor for Firebag 3.
• Park Derochie was a subcontractor working for Flint on a portion of its work at Firebag 3.
• At the same time, CLAC had approximately twenty-three insulators working for Flint on a different portion of work for approximately one year.
• Park Derochie’s contract with Flint came to an end, and it laid off all eighty of its employees.
• Flint was awarded another scope of work that included insulating and decided to self-perform.
• Flint needed to hire 200 insulators and asked CLAC, the union with whom it had signed a collective agreement, to help find them.

Flint, with CLAC’s assistance, put a call out for Canadian insulators and was able to find 130 qualified workers from Canada, which left the job short by 70. At that point, Flint recruited and hired TFWs to meet its needs.

Local 110 members could have filled these positions. They would have been welcomed by CLAC, but unfortunately, their union does not allow Local 110 insulators to apply for positions under a CLAC collective agreement. That is a policy for which Local 110’s leadership should answer to their members.

CLAC insulators working for Flint receive wages and benefits that are very competitive with what Local 110’s members were making. For example, while Local 110 members received double time over the weekend and CLAC members received time and a half, Local 110 members have no travel program whereas CLAC members receive a travel allowance and are flown from site to all of the major cities across Canada.

CLAC’s benefit plan is equal to or superior to Local 110’s in every category.
It is important to clarify that TFWs receive exactly the same wages, benefits, and working conditions as our Canadian members do because they are protected by CLAC’s collective agreement.

CLAC believes Canadians should not be denied work because of their union affiliation. This is not a Canadian versus TFW issue. This is a union versus union issue. This is one union not allowing its members to work under another union’s agreement.

This closed shop mentality is out dated and harmful to the interests of union members. Part of the success of recent oilsands development has been the labour availability and stability created by the managed, open site model whereby members of different unions and non-union workers work side by side.

By trying to spin its decision as a political issue, Local 110 is doing nothing for its members, who could have been gainfully employed had their union been more interested in their interests rather than trying to preserve membership dues. CLAC believes inclusion, not exclusion, benefits workers.