Op-Eds
Executive Director’s Message – The fight for good jobs
August 21, 2022 SHORTLY AFTER I started working at the BC Building Trades a decade ago, a young man walked into my old executive director’s office. After six years working as a plumbing apprentice, he had just learned that his “apprenticeship” was never registered...
Editor’s Message – Unions: a powerful and effective voice
June 21, 2022 WHEN I LOOK BACK on all the jobs I’ve had, many times I could have used a union. Like the time $10 went missing from our locker room at a fast food restaurant, and the owner decided to bring in her husband, a retired police officer, to...
President’s Message – When union membership is on the rise, communities shine
June 11, 2022 WE ARE THE BC BUILDING TRADES: 25 affiliated unions representing more than 40,000 unionized construction workers in B.C. Most of our craft unions were formed many years ago, several with over 100 years of service to their respective memberships. Like...
Executive Director’s Message – The everlasting mark you leave says ‘We were here’
April 13, 2022 IN THESE DARK DAYS of winter and long into this pandemic, it may feel that normal times will never come again. But I take great comfort in the fact that even in these difficult times, our members are doing something amazing. You’re still building B.C....
Workers Advocate’s Message – Two years and still waiting on Patterson recommendations
March 28, 2022 ABOUT A MONTH before Christmas, I participated in the BC Federation of Labour’s lobby of our provincial New Democratic government. The objective was to underline the importance of moving forward promptly with several initiatives: psychological injuries...
President’s Message – Rebuilding B.C., fighting for what’s right & making our communities better
March 9, 2022 THE PAST FEW YEARS have highlighted the importance of the work of our members in the BC Building Trades unions. Early on in the pandemic, our trades were deemed essential and most of our members continued to work, providing critical services necessary to...
Editor’s message – Apprenticeship is no walk in the park, but you’re not alone in the journey
February 14, 2022 REMEMBER WHEN Bob Seger played in Vancouver in 1996? Not many people do. It was for an album that didn’t do all that well, and when it was over, Seger basically wasn’t seen again until 2006. I went to that concert though. I bought two tickets as a...
Workers Advocate’s Message – Severed fingers — severed trust
January 11, 2022 WHEN KEY MANDATES of the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) are to provide timely return to work and cost effectiveness, you know somebody is going to get hurt. That somebody, of course, is a worker. Oftentimes, it happens when the injured worker is...
Rites of passage – Executive Director’s Message
December 10, 2021 I’VE BEEN WRITING for Tradetalk for a long time. Sometimes under my own name. Sometimes co-authoring with a labour leader or two and sometimes under an alias if I was tackling a particularly salacious issue. I’ve always found writing for Tradetalk...
We have a duty to mentor our apprentices – President’s Message
December 3, 2021 WHEN WE TALK about apprenticeship, we talk of the immeasurable benefits to the apprentice; the start of a lifelong and rewarding career with both on-the-job and classroom learning. Our Building Trades unions have led the industry in offering top-notch...
