Thursday, April 13, 2023

A Snapshot of CLAC’s 20,000 BC Members

The trend in BC continues to see significant work opportunities for members. And with a tightening labour market and high inflation, significant wage increases, too.

Guide Magazine

By Kevin Kohut, BC Director

One group that has particularly benefitted from the significant wage increase trend is the approximately 300 Local 501 members working at four Executive Hotels in the Vancouver area. They recently voted in favour of a new four-year agreement that provides the highest wage gains in their history, with some classifications receiving a 15 percent increase in the first year!

As restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic (I shudder at even the reference) began to lift last spring, travellers came out in droves. A combination of the increased business, along with labour shortages in key positions, made the unprecedented hotel negotiations possible.

The union bargaining committee for the 1,500 Local 501 members employed by Canucks Sports and Entertainment is in the midst of ongoing negotiations. These members provide services to people attending events at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

The 150 Local 66 members employed Vedder Transport also ratified an agreement providing them with significant wage and retirement increases. And over 500 members employed by Peace River Hydro Partners Construction Ltd. working at the Site C Clean Energy Project received an arbitration award for a wage opener to their contract providing them with an additional 5 percent increase following a 4.5 percent increase last year. This is likely to be the last large-crew year on the megaproject.

Welcoming Back In-Person Training
Providing training for members in BC has long been a priority, but the pandemic did have a substantial impact on in-person training. We did continue to provide training online. In an exciting development, in the past six months of last year, we partnered with We The Safe Consulting Inc. to provide in-person training at CLAC’s Langley Member Centre. Between online and in-person options, members completed over 25,000 certifications in 2022!

Along with many technical training offerings, we provided Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training to hundreds of members, nonmembers, management, and Indigenous groups. MHFA is a three-day course that provides not only education, but also specialized skills in dealing with mental health crisis intervention. Similar to how traditional first aid training provides temporary care and attention until further medical treatment can be found, MHFA participants learn how to be aware of those undergoing an emotional crisis and how to support them until they can receive appropriate care.

This is essential training for the times we are in as the number of those dealing with mental health struggles increased significantly during the pandemic. Quentin Steen, a representative in the Kelowna Member Centre and a certified MHFA trainer, has done an excellent job leading CLAC Training’s MHFA courses in BC.

Incredible Pipeline Workers
Any snapshot of BC would not be complete without mentioning the incredible work thousands of members are doing in the pipeline industry. This includes the 670-kilometre Coastal GasLink Pipeline project (80 percent complete) and the 1,150-kilometre Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion project (70 percent complete).

What will the rest of 2023 bring? Members can expect significant wage increases and work opportunities to continue throughout the year.

A Snapshot of CLAC’s 20,000 BC Members

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