Journal of Commerce | Russell Hixson | May 31, 2019 B.C. has passed an amendment to the province’s Labour Code, limiting construction union raiding to every three years. The change went against B.C.’s NDP, which appointed an expert panel to review the Labour Relations Code last year. The panel recommended raiding only after a contract was…
Read MoreCompany criminally charged for 2009 B.C. workplace fatality
Journal of Commerce | Russell Hixson | June 3, 2019 Peter Kiewit Sons ULC, an international construction firm, and two of its former employees have been charged with criminal negligence for the death of a worker. The charges laid this month stem from the death of Samuel Fitzpatrick who was working as a rock scaler on…
Read MorePublic invited to share views on workers’ compensation
Ministry of Labour | Victoria | June 3, 2019 A public engagement on British Columbia’s workers’ compensation system and how to shift the system to become more worker centred, as well as how to increase worker and employer confidence, is open for feedback. The public and interested stakeholders are invited to share their views until…
Read MoreUnprecedented criminal charges laid in B.C. worker’s death
Sam Fitzpatrick was killed by a falling boulder on a Peter Kiewit Sons worksite on Feb. 22, 2009 Bethany Lindsay | CBC News | Posted: May 31, 2019 Criminal negligence charges have been filed in the 2009 death of Sam Fitzpatrick on a B.C. worksite, charges that are unprecedented in Canada for a major multinational corporation. Peter…
Read MoreRequest for Feedback – National Energy Board proposed International Power Line Damage Prevention Regulations
The National Energy Board and National Resources Canada are seeking feedback on the proposed International Power Line Damage Prevention Regulations (IPLDPRs) consultation paper. The deadline for comments is June 7, 2019. If you would like to provide comment on the consultation paper, links to the paper and where to send comments are provided below. Proposed International Power Line…
Read MoreRobert Marwood
Note: Rob was COCA’s CMCA-BC Board representative. August 25, 1970 – May 18, 2019 MARWOOD, Robert (Mungie Cakes) born August 25th 1970, passed away suddenly on May 18th, 2019. Rob started his own masonry company in 1994 at the age of 23. Empire Masonry Ltd. is now one of the largest and most successful masonry companies in…
Read MoreVaughn Palmer: Greens force another change to NDP labour legislation
For information only and not an endorsement – this article is shared to ensure members have the context and understanding of current issues that impact the Construction Industry. OPINION: Break with the New Democrats on labour happened on the second anniversary of the Greens-NDP power-sharing deal Vancouver Sun | VAUGHN PALMER | Updated: May 29,…
Read MoreB.C. Liberals, Greens team up to defeat NDP construction raid plan
For information only and not an endorsement – this article is shared to ensure members have the context and understanding of current issues that impact the Construction Industry. Allowing union takeovers every summer went against expert advice Coast Mountain News | TOM FLETCHER | May. 28, 2019 1:30 a.m. B.C. Green Party leader Andrew Weaver…
Read MoreIllecillewaet project faces criticism for cost increase
For information only and not an endorsement – this article is shared to ensure members have the context and understanding of current issues that impact the Construction Industry. Journal of Commerce | Russell Hixson | May 29, 2019 The province of B.C. announced that its Illecillewaet four-laning project will cost $22.3 million more due to rising…
Read MoreTwo years in, CASA is getting results on climate action, housing and more
News Release | Premier’s Office | Wednesday, May 29, 2019 1:15 PM On the eve of the second anniversary of the signing of the Confidence and Supply Agreement (CASA), British Columbians are seeing the benefits of a government that puts people first. “I’m proud to lead a government that’s getting results for people,” said Premier…
Read MoreBill 30, Labour Relations Code Amendment
Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver was instrumental in passing the sub amendment to the Bill introduced by Greg Kyllo, which reduces the “raiding” open period in construction from July and August every year to once every three years only. BCCA played a significant role in educating Andrew Weaver on the issues of concern to our…
Read MoreOP/ED: Truth in Training vs UnionSpeak
For information only and not an endorsement – this article is shared to ensure members have the context and understanding of current issues that impact the Construction Industry. This op-ed by ICBA President Chris Gardner first appeared in The Province newspaper on Wednesday, May 29, 2019. There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics. Decades after Mark Twain…
Read MoreICBA NEWS RELEASE – FOI Reveals That On Apprentices, Open Shop Out-sponsoring Unions 4 to 1
For information only and not an endorsement – this article is shared to ensure members have the context and understanding of current issues that impact the Construction Industry. BURNABY—Non-union construction companies sponsor four times as many trades apprentices as unions in British Columbia, according to documents obtained from the provincial government’s Industry Training Authority through a Freedom of…
Read MoreIndustry Special: Evolution of successful COR™ safety program must be data-driven, says BCCSA
Journal of Commerce | BCCSA | May 28, 2019 WorkSafeBC’s Certificate of Recognition (COR™) safety program has been delivering demonstrable results in reducing the number and severity of workplace incidents since it was introduced in 2003. As the Certifying Partner for the construction industry, the BC Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA) wants to ensure that any evolution…
Read MoreRecent work-related incidents reported to WorkSafeBC
May 23, 2019 These summaries of selected Construction work-related incidents recently reported to WorkSafeBC may help you to prevent similar incidents. See additional summaries online. Injury Type: Undetermined injury to head Core Activity: Industrial, commercial, institutional, or highrise residential contracting or construction Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C. Date of Incident: 2019-May While installing exterior cladding on a building under construction, a…
Read MoreSafety Spotlight: Ceremonies large and small marked Day of Mourning across Canada
Journal of Commerce | Peter Caulfield | May 23, 2019 In 2010, Abdul Salam Rahimi, a professional painter who had immigrated with his family from Afghanistan to Canada, fell 40 feet from scaffolding as he was painting the ceiling of a building in downtown Vancouver. “After my dad’s fall, they let us see him in…
Read MoreBC Housing – Building Smart Events
BC Housing has two events coming in the next few weeks. The first is a 3-hour webinar on May 28, 2019 entitled Building Smart with Airtightness Testing: Building Preparation. This webinar addresses the steps to take when preparing the building for airtightness testing to ensure a successful outcome. The second is also a 3-hour webinar on…
Read More2019 New or Revised ACGIH Threshold Limit Values and BC OELs
The Occupational Health and Safety Regulation provides that Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs) for hazardous chemical substances are generally determined with reference to the Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) set by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). Each year, the ACGIH publishes a list of substances for which they have set new or revised TLVs. When the new or…
Read MoreCone Zone campaign shifts focus to distracted driving
Journal of Commerce | Warren Frey | May 15, 2019 An annual awareness campaign is making sure drivers passing through construction zones know they should not only slow down but stop scrolling. The RCMP Lower Mainland District Integrated Road Safety Unit, Work Zone Safety Alliance and WorkSafeBC are partnering to raise awareness of risks faced by…
Read MoreHigher carbon prices could be a ‘windfall’ for construction: Report
Journal of Commerce | Grant Cameron | May 13, 2019 Canada’s construction industry could be in for a windfall from proposed higher carbon prices, according to a report prepared by a University of Ottawa policy think-tank for Canada’s Building Trades Unions. The higher prices are expected to spur a wave of investment in new construction,…
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