Crossflow - Fall  2008
(click here for full magazine in Adobe pdf format)

ON THE COVER:  National Competition Set In Historic Quebec City
Once again Ontario apprentices have demonstrated their excellence at the 33rd annual Canadian Sheet Metal Apprenticeship Competition, taking home two of the top three prizes.  Travis Hamilton (Brough Sheet Metal and Local 269), Kingston and Curtis Halstead (Enerdry Constructors Ltd. and Local 397) Thunder Bay scored second and third place respectively. Richard Mangelsdorf (Local 280) Vancouver took top honours with first prize.    Read More...

Harper Salutes Graduates of Sarnia Associations Apprenticeship Program
The Sarnia Construction Association (SCA) recently had the highest-ranking Canadian official possible attend its annual construction association graduation when Prime Minister Stephen Harper walked through the banquet hall doors. It certainly was some big recognition for us, the building trades, the apprentices and the success of the program said Ray Curran, chair of SCA’s local labour relations council. Harper attended SCA’s 41st annual apprentice graduation and told the graduates they will provide the skill and work ethic on which Canada’s future will be built. There were 109 graduates this year from trades such as pipefitters, boilermakers, carpenters and electricians.    Read more...

The Pitfalls of Classifying Workers As Independent Contractors
By A. Paul Devine Linda Nguyen
Canadian companies often seek to shed the label “employee” and simply hire individuals on contract, classifying them as “independent contractors.” Often, the “independent contractors” pressure employers to bestow this status for tax reasons.    Read more...

Group Insurance A Good Deal For All 
Convinced of the merits of offering group insurance to its members, OSM has been engaged in discussions with insurers to determine the breadth of benefits that group insurance would secure.  As Bob Kowano president of Kowano Assurance Agency Incorporated explains, “Traditionally, insurance premiums for small groups are horrendous.  Take the typical small office with a staff of two to three persons.  It stands to reason that insuring individually translates into high individual costs.  However, if a series of “small offices” across the province can be insured under one umbrella, the overall cost will go way down.”  The average age of owners of businesses is also a factor in play.  According to statistics, the average age of those owning businesses in Ontario is roughly 50+.  The cost of the drug benefits for this age group represents a huge cost.  Since the administrative costs of insuring individual companies comes in at around 31%, it is obvious that huge cost savings are realized by grouping together businesses under a common umbrella.   Read more...

DMC Mechancial:  Settign The Bar HIgh
For a company that has only been around for eleven years, DMC Mechanical has created a substantial footprint for itself in major construction sites in the Greater Toronto area.  The mid-size company, which provides HVAC for the commercial, industrial and institutional market, boasts an impressive list of completed projects, including such landmarks as Mt. Sinai and North York General Hospital, Ricoh Coliseum, the BMO Field Exhibition Place and the Terminal 3 expansion at Pearson International Airport.  Its current jobs include the Metropolis in the Toronto Life Square at Yonge and Dundas Streets in downtown Toronto, the RBC Centre, the Archives of Ontario York Research Building at York University, 6775 Financial Drive, a 128,000 square foot commercial facility in the heart of Mississauga, a retrofit of the Royal Conservatory and the expansion of the emergency department at Sunnybrook Hospital, to name only a few.  While the company specializes in ventilation systems for larger structures, Kim Crossman DMC’s president notes that they happily embrace a wide spectrum of work from small jobs to large and complex.   Read more...

Area Amalgamatin All But Complete
Area amalgamation was first identified by the OSM’s Long Range Planning Committee in 2006 as a useful initiative.  At the time, the committee pointed out that with 10 union locals and 13 local associations there was substantial crossover of issues, resulting in inconsistencies and sometimes, genuine confusion.  Ontario is unique in that it has ten local unions when most provinces have a maximum of two.  After conducting local discussions, the committee concluded that it would be much more efficient if it were possible to reach a one-to-one parity between locals and associations.  For one, such a change would represent a real cost saving by removing the need for three directors and three labour relations representatives.  Consequently, at the OSM annual meeting in 2007, a motion that Hamilton/Niagara, Toronto/Peterborough and Sudbury/Sault Ste. Marie would amalgamate by December 31, 2009 was introduced and passed.   Read more...

NTCCC – A National Scope For OSM
Where does a well organized and cohesive provincial organization turn to gain a national perspective?  In the case of OSM, the National Trade Contractors Coalition of Canada (NTCCC) has much to offer, most notably participation in a coalition of major national construction industry members.  Currently the NTCCC is comprised of eight national trade organizations, including the Ontario Sheet Metal and Air Handling Group.  Founding members include the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada, the Canadian Electrical Contractors Association, the Canadian Masonry Contractors Association of Canada, the Canadian Automatic Sprinkler Association and the Canadian Roofing Contractors Association. Given the NTCCC’s reputable profile and its excellent management education programs, a number of other national associations are looking to become a part of this growing organization.  The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors of Canada and the Thermal Insulation Association of Canada joined recently and, according to Richard McKeagan president of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada and NTCCC media liaison, there are several national associations looking at joining the coalition.    Read more...

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