Carpenters' District Council of Ontario Committed to Building up the Waterloo Region

Carpenters' deputation to Region of Waterloo Councillors emphasizes quality, value and heritage

KITCHENER, ON, Jan. 17, 2018 /CNW/ - The Carpenters Local 785 representative, Sean O'Dwyer and Carpenters' District Council of Ontario representative Mark Lewis, provided deputations to the Region of Waterloo's Council meeting tonight to outline the Carpenters' strong history of providing high-quality work in the Region with local workers. This deputation comes at a time when opponents are challenging the process and acting like bullies, using scare tactics and misinformation in an effort to force a change to a fair labour agreement.

"The very room that we're providing our deputations to preserve the Carpenters' ability to provide exceptional work and commitment to the Region of Waterloo was built by unionized carpenters," said Sean O'Dwyer, Coordinator for the Carpenters Local 785. "The irony isn't lost on us. We're proud of the high-quality projects we've delivered to our community and we ask that Council continues to respect Ontario's labour laws so that we can continue to build a bright future for the Region of Waterloo".

Based on Ontario's labour practices and a provincial collective agreement, the Carpenters are certified as Waterloo's provider of Industrial, Commercial and Institutional services. The terms of that agreement are set by law and only affect carpentry work. Other distinct construction sectors, including residential, sewers and watermains, heavy engineering, pipeline and electrical power systems are not subject to the provincial collective agreement. The Carpenters also welcome any opportunity to work with all contractors and subcontractors to deliver high quality projects in the Region of Waterloo.

"Our Carpenters are proud residents of the Region of Waterloo. They live, work and raise families here and are committed to providing value to Waterloo's tax payers because they are Waterloo's tax payers," said Sean O'Dwyer. "In fact, since 1887, union carpenters have been building up this community for their children and neighbours. We'd like to continue doing just that."

Members of Local 785 are working on a number of projects, including the new Kitchener Wastewater Treatment plant. The project is presently ahead of schedule and millions of dollars under budget. It is one of many projects in the community that speaks to the Carpenters long history of building up the Region of Waterloo for a bright future.

In contrast, the Waterloo Wastewater Treatment plant, under development by non-unionized labour, is over budget, severely delayed and under litigation.

About the Carpenters Local 785
Carpenters Local 785 represents men and women working in the Region of Waterloo. With over 600 members, it is one of 16 affiliated Local Unions of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners across the province.

About the Carpenters' District Council of Ontario 
The Carpenters' District Council of Ontario (CDC) represents over 26,000 women and men working in a wide range of areas, including carpentry, drywall, resilient flooring, concrete formwork, underwater construction, welding, scaffolding, and a long list of other construction-related work. In addition, our Union represents many industrial workers and thousands of highly skilled workers in Ontario's health care sector. Learn more at http://www.thecarpentersunion.ca/

Related Links
https://thecarpentersunion.ca/

SOURCE Carpenters' District Council of Ontario

Nikki Holland, [email protected], 905-652-4140