Thursday, October 9, 2025

In Full Swing

Here’s a look at some recent highlights of the work that’s happening with members in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

By Dennis Perrin, Prairies Director

Work for members in the Prairies is in full swing as we head into the fall.

Stewards Training
CLAC is committed to providing you with the best possible representation, and that representation begins with knowledgeable stewards. CLAC’s stewards training is comprehensive, ensuring that you have access to the help you need to address concerns you and your fellow members may have in your workplace.

During the spring, we held regional conferences for stewards in Edmonton (pictured above), Calgary, and Fort McMurray. Each conference was an abbreviated version of past events, where each event was a day and a half in total. A total of 195 stewards attended the three conferences.

The goal this year was to increase attendance by bringing the events closer to home for stewards, and in this the conferences were successful. The theme of the conferences was Leading Together, and stewards participated in sessions on teamwork, conflict resolution, and understanding ourselves and how we operate as both individuals and in the context of our workplace teams.

The general feedback from stewards was positive. Next year, we will return to one large conference for stewards from both Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Dow Path2Zero Project Update
This project, near Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, recently made headlines again where it was reported in the media that the project may be significantly delayed. While concerning for obvious reasons, we have developed a strong relationship with Dow and met with them on the heels of this announcement.

Work on the project has already begun in earnest. CLAC-signatory contractors Aecon Construction Solutions Inc., Integral Energy Services Ltd., Kiewit Energy Construction Co. ULC (KENCO), Ledcor Construction Limited, Nason Contracting Group Ltd., PCL Energy Inc., and Woodland Constructors Ltd. are already performing critical work for the project. While the timeline is being reassessed, Dow remains fully committed to the project’s completion. Commissioning for the major scopes will likely be delayed by a year, so we are pleased to know that the work will continue.

More Training Opportunities for Apprentices
Recently, the Alberta government announced $15 million over the next three academic years to support union training centres that deliver apprenticeship training. Most of the public polytechnic institutions in the province are at full-seat capacity, so this is a great initiative by the government to increase that capacity.

The CLAC Career Development College (CCDC) is an accredited training institution from Alberta Industry and Training (AIT) and has applied for funding through this program to deliver technical training in the carpentry and welding trades. This amazing opportunity would enhance CLAC’s ability to provide greater training opportunities and thus greater career enhancement for members.

In Full Swing

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