UBC Hosts First-Ever Scaffolding Conference By Don Procter, Freelance Correspondent For members of Carpenters’ unions and affiliated contractors across Canada, a winter getaway to the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America Centre (UBC) in Las Vegas in mid-February was rewarding for more than the sunny, warm weather. That is because the UBC held its first-ever International Scaffolding Conference — a two-day affair that drew 450 delegates across Canada and the U.S. to hear speakers address everything from safety and labour issues to advanced training models and emerging technologies. Unfortunately many of the delegates got little opportunity to enjoy the sun as the UBC filled the two days with presentations, panel discussion, demonstrations and guest speakers. Jim Smith, Vice President of Canada for UBC and Chair of the conference, told delegates that the role scaffolding contractors play on worksites is increasingly critical to the success of their building partners on jobsites. Instrumental in organizing the conference which was themed Planning Today for Tomorrow, Smith said, “The UBC has invested considerable time, resources into planning and preparing tomorrow’s scaffolder.” The Conference held several industry panel and demonstrations designed to showcase the priority that the UBC is placing on providing the best trained, safest and most productive scaffolder in the industry. There were sessions on workforce assessment, emerging and new markets and developing a Roadmap of Excellence. Vice President Smith stressed that safety is the top priority for the union’s members and its partners. “For the UBC scaffolders and our contractors, it is particularly important due to the heights and dangerous conditions.” Each day started with a safety discussion. Held at UBC’s headquarters and training centre in suburban Las Vegas, the conference drew 175 contractor delegates — a good sign that the building industry is taking notice of the issues scaffolders face, said Doug Banes, first vice-president, UBC. “Without the participation of contractors and owners like you, we’re just talking to ourselves.” The International Training Center was showcased during the event as the contractors learned of the many partnership opportunities that can be developed to increase market share. The conference featured a session on emerging technologies in which Terry Olynyk, manager of PCL Constructors, renewable energy division, described the solar farm industry in Ontario as a burgeoning market and scaffolding contractors have proved a perfect fit for that type of work. To build a typical 10 megawatt solar farm in the province requires 180-200 workers. Anywhere between 60-85 workers are needed just for racking and solar module installation. Through a contract with Recurrent Energy, PCL has had only eight months to build 14 solar farms totaling 107 megawatts throughout southern and eastern Ontario. To gear up for the projects, training was established at several union training centres in Ontario. “It’s good work and if this kind of program continues it can employ many workers throughout Ontario, Canada and North America,” Olynyk told the audience. The two-day conference included an address by Gary Doer, Canadian Ambassador to the U.S., who said improving the aging infrastructure of transmission lines in Canada and the U.S. is important and it will open the door to more scaffolding work. The former premier of Manitoba added that Canada and the U.S. could be “energy secure” in the next five years if it develops its own energy efficiency, energy renewables and oil. Getting the green light for the Keystone pipeline would bring the two countries a step closer to energy independence. The recurring message that was delivered forcefully at the Conference was that the United Brotherhood is a progressive union laser focused on meeting the needs of its partners. Scaffolding contractors left the meeting with plenty of opportunities to build on that partnership in the future.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 03:28:08 +0000
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