Negotiation of the labour agreements

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Negotiation of the labour agreements"

Kerry Wiggins
6 years ago
Views:

1 PUBLISHED FOR THE EMPLOYERS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY September 2010 Vol. 40, n o 7 Negotiation of the labour agreements To obtain details regarding the negotiation of the labour agreements, please contact your employer association or refer to the section Focus conventions collectives of our website at The CCQ awards a scholarship of $2,000 to Nicolas Richard The CCQ awarded a scholarship of $2,000 to Nicolas Richard who was named Best in Québec at the 11 th edition of the Olympiades québécoises de la formation professionnelle et technique. Mr. Richard was granted this title for having obtained the highest score among all those who participated in the Olympiades. Congratulations, Mr. Richard! The CCQ s mobile points of service The towns to be visited in September In September, the CCQ will have mobile points of service in the towns of Dolbeau- Mistassini, Drummondville, Granby, La Malbaie, Saint-Georges, Salaberry-de- Valleyfield, Victoriaville, and Ville-Marie. For further information, turn to the article on page 6.

2 Do you use accounting software? Did you know that several of the accounting software packages used to produce pay checks and monthly reports can also be used for the electronic transmission of your monthly report? All you need to do is to follow a few simple steps. Thanks to this process, your file and that of each of your employees can be updated almost instantly, while your requests for situation letters are processed more rapidly. It s simple and fast! For assistance or to obtain further information, simpy contact our technical support team by telephone at , extension 6939, or by at support.transmission. electronique@ccq.org. Participation by members of the company in the insurance plan Certain members of the company may be insured under the industry s MÉDIC Construction insurance plan. In November 2010, the CCQ will send an insurability notice to the members of the company eligible to be insured and listed in its register of recognized companies. This notice will indicate the amount to be paid to benefit from the insurance coverages under general plan A during the period from January 1 to June 30, Therefore, it is important that the names of your company s directors be registered with the CCQ. If you haven t done so already, don t forget to notify the CCQ if your company has changed directors during the past few months. Who is considered as a member of the company? A member of the company is: a person who is an employer; or a person who is a partner in a corporation which is an employer; or a person who is a director of a legal entity which is an employer; or a person who is the designated representative of a corporation or a legal entity which is an employer. The independent contractor is not considered as a member of the company entitled to participate in the insurance plan. Remember that the member of the company who has lost his or her right to participate in the insurance plan offered to members of the company is no longer eligible to participate. Certain exclusions may apply: for example, a person over 65 years of age can not participate in the MÉDIC Construction insurance plan on a voluntary basis. How can an enterprise obtain employer status for purposes of social benefits? In order to be considered as an employer, for a given insurance period, the enterprise must: have paid the fee of $350 for its registration with the CCQ, if applicable; hold a licence issued by the Régie du bâtiment du Québec, if applicable; have produced a minimum of five monthly reports that meet the following criteria: hours were reported for at least one employee; these work hours were carried out during the period from July 2009 to June However, if your enterprise was not in operation during all of this period of 12 months, it must have produced at least one monthly report for each 2-month period. For example, if your company began its operations in February 2010, it must have produced a minimum of three monthly reports for the five-month period from February to June For further information, refer to the leaflet Participation by Employers in the Social Benefit Plans, available on our website at 2

3 Reminder: changes to the contributions to the AECQ Changes to the AECQ s hourly dues and membership fee have come into force, or will soon be coming into force. Hourly dues: increase of $0.01 per hour worked Since August 29, the hourly dues to the AECQ are set at $0.03 per hour worked. You must take this new contribution into account when you produce your monthly report for September Membership fee: $225 payable in one instalment The AECQ membership fee will be increased from $200 to $225 in This fee, which is now payable in one lump sum, must be paid along with your momhtly report for October Minimum dues: no changes As regards the minimum dues, these remain unchanged at $5.00 per month. These dues are compulsory and must be paid even if you have no activities to declare during a monthly period. Activity in the construction industry On the way to beating a record of 35 years! According to our forecasts, 2010 should beat a record that goes back 35 years and that is not all! stated André Ménard, President and CEO of the CCQ. Activity in the construction industry has been consistently vigorous since the beginning of In fact, during the period from January to April, the industry has shown a notable increase of 7% in the volume of work compared to the same period of last year. Three sectors of the construction industry posted strong increases in the number of hours worked. A turnaround was noted in the industrial sector, which was not spared by the recent economic crisis: the number of hours worked rose by 26% since the beginning of the year. The residential sector followed close behind, with a 24% increase in hours worked. Thus, the sector is aligned with the furious increase (+37%) in the number of housing startups. The works performed in the civil engineering and roadworks sector generated a work volume that was up 15% from the volume recorded last year. The startup of the works at the La Romaine hydroelectric complex (North Shore, $6.5 billion) compensates for the completion of projects in the James Bay area. Moreover, much work is ongoing on power distribution lines and mining facilities, as well as in the framework of roadwork and infrastructure projects. As regards the institutional and commercial sector, work volume dropped by 3%. However, during the past months, the startup of a few large-scale construction sites, such as the sites of the CUSM (Montréal, $1.3 billion), the Sommets de la santé (Sherbrooke, $500 million), and the CHUM Research Centre ($475 million), allows to foresee a recovery in the short term. According to our forecasts, activity in the industry could easily attain over 140 million hours, a peak that goes back to Increased activity in almost all the regions An increase in activity can be felt in almost all the regions. The North Shore region stands out as its work volume has tripled (+181%), compared to the same period of 2009, thanks to the Alcoa construction site, the Bloom Lake iron mine site, and the site of the La Romaine hydroelectric complex. The regions of Abitibi- Témiscamingue (+50%) and Québec City also posted strong performances (+13 %), since all the sectors are recording growth in these areas. Activity in the industry also enjoyed good progress in the regions of Saguenay Lac-Saint-Jean (+9%), Mauricie Bois-Francs (+9 %) and Estrie (+7%), three areas where residential construction stole the show. The Bas-Saint-Laurent Gaspésie (+2%), Greater Montréal (+1 %) and Outaouais (+1 %) regions posted more modest increases in work volumes. For the Bay James region, the work peak is now at the Eastmain-1-A Sarcelle Rupert hydroelectric complex. Needed for the next three years: 14,000 new workers per year The growth rate the industry has been enjoying since the beginning of 2010 confirms the dynamism of the construction industry. All indicators tell us that in the course of the years to come, the industry will continue to offer excellent employment opportunities to the graduates of the vocational training centres. Since 2002, the construction industry has welcomed between 11,000 and 15,000 new workers every year. Given the expected increase in employment and the growing need for labour replacement due namely to the ageing of employees and their turnover rate the industry will need roughly 14,000 new workers per year by All the trades will continue to post significant needs. Rest assured that the workers will continue to answer the call. Everything is done to ensure that this objective is attained, asserted Mr. Ménard. 3

4 Activités de perfectionnement de l industrie de la construction The edition is now available The edition of the Répertoire des activités de perfectionnement de l industrie de la construction is now available! A listing of the courses to be offered next fall and winter was sent these past weeks to the workers, employers and all partners of the industry. Since the list of courses is posted on the CCQ s website at the workers can register using the online services, by simply accessing their training file. Encourage your workers to register now. It is a positive gesture that will allow them to develop new skills or update their know-how in a trade or occupation. Your company has specific training needs? We can help you by organizing updating activities tailored to your needs and those of your employees. For further information on the subject, or on the whole of the updating activities, contact us by calling the Info-perfectionnement line at , or contact the promotional officer of your employee association s training fund. Be reminded that these updating activities are the result of the assessment of training needs conducted by the representatives of the employer and union associations in the industry who seat on the vocational subcommittees of the trades and occupations, the regional subcommittees and the Comité de la formation professionnelle de l industrie de la construction (CFPIC). We must also mention that these courses are offered thanks to the financial support of the Fonds de formation de l industrie de la construction and the Plan de formation des travailleurs du secteur résidentiel. New: a mobile unit for training in the fire-protection mechanic trade Beginning this fall, the fire-protection mechanics will have the opportunity to benefit from hands-on training to be offered in different regions! A mobile training unit, equipped with leadingedge fire-protection systems, will travel to several regions. These regions will vary from one year to the next so as to train as many workers as possible. During the months to come, the cities of Longueuil, Terrebonne, Québec, and Saguenay will have the honour of welcoming the mobile training unit. In , the following courses will be offered (in French) in the mobile training unit for the fire-protection mechanic trade: Triggering devices of fire protection systems I: Introduction to detection systems (21 hours); Triggering devices of fire protection systems II: Installation of lines and conductors (40 hours); Inspection and maintenance of a fire pump (40 hours). To find out in which régions the courses will be offered and when these will take place, we invite you to refer to our website at or to the edition of the brochure on updating activities for the fire-protection mechanic trade. For further information, contact the promotional officer of your employer association or call the Info-perfectionnement line at No fees are payable for this service. However, the workers must be entitled to the financial support offered by the Fonds de formation de l industrie de la construction. Your company has specific training needs in the area of fire protection? Don t hesitate to mention it to the promotional officer of your employer association. A course tailored to meet the specific needs of your company could be offered in the mobile training unit. This project was made possible thanks to the financial support of the Fonds de formation de l industrie de la construction. 4

The post-traumatic intervention service Before the effects of trauma settle in Witnesses to an accident on a construction site involuntarily become the victims of the event.

5 The post-traumatic intervention service Before the effects of trauma settle in Witnesses to an accident on a construction site involuntarily become the victims of the event. Thanks to an early intervention, it is possible to prevent the worst from happening. A beam falls, an electrical circuit explodes, a lift truck tips over... Construction sites can be fraught with danger and become the scene of serious accidents. Unfortunately, the workers who suffer these events are only rarely the sole victims. Witnesses to the tragedy are also at risk of experiencing an important trauma. However, thanks to a rapid intervention, it is possible to mitigate the long-term consequences of the event. A traumatizing event constitutes in itself a threat to the physical and psychological integrity of the powerless witness to the drama, explains Marie-Véronique Matte, psychologist and advisor for the post-traumatic intervention service of Médic Construction s Construire en santé program. Made vulnerable by the event, a witness is likely to experience a period of acute stress that can affect his or her quality of life and performance at work. Among the reactions that can arise, she notes a long list of negative emotions that integrate fear, anxiety, irritability, or the blues. Physical ailments, such as palpitations, muscle ache, heightened heart action, and increased blood pressure are also frequent. While certain people will fear that the event will repeat itself, or be haunted by nightmares and flashbacks, others will feel the need to isolate themselves or will do everything they can to avoid any thoughts or situations associated with the traumatic event. And since memory and concentration can also be altered, the witnesses to an accident are in turn at risk of causing an accident or being the victim of an accident themselves. These reactions, which occur shortly after the tragedy, are entirely normal, underlines Ms. Matte. It is when they continue over time, affecting social, family and professional life, that the situation becomes problematic. The issue then becomes the state of post-traumatic stress, a serious condition that can greatly hinder the life of the individual. In order to avoid that acute stress degenerates into post-traumatic stress, action must be taken. And fast. By rapidly calling on the post-traumatic intervention service, it is in fact possible to reduce the risk of physical and psychological after-effects, she adds. The post-traumatic intervention allows the witnesses of a serious accident to regain a certain balance and to replace the events in perspective. It is important to note that this is not a psychotherapeutic, but rather a preventive approach, focussed on information and educational sessions on reactions to stress. Thus, individuals are prompted to verbalize their experience and their emotions, and to find ways of relaxing as well as prevention methods so that they may gain a feeling of security upon their return to work. This approach stems from the principle wanting that everything that is not expressed is in fact imprinted, states Ms. Matte. But in order to achieve optimal results and to avoid the crystallization of the stress symptoms, the post-traumatic intervention must ideally be undertaken within 24 hours following the traumatic event. The earlier the intervention, the more the workers will recover rapidly and the less the company will be affected by costs linked to absenteeism and loss of productivity. Your employees are victims of a serious accient on a job site? Don t wait. Call Construire en santé s free and confidential post-traumatic intervention service at

Mobile points of service The towns to be visited in September The CCQ has set up mobile points of service in order to accomodate the workers and employers who live several hundred kilometres away

6 Mobile points of service The towns to be visited in September The CCQ has set up mobile points of service in order to accomodate the workers and employers who live several hundred kilometres away from its regional offices and who wish to meet in person a member of the CCQ team. In September, the CCQ s mobile points of service will be set up in the towns and on the dates indicated in the following table. Since the schedule may be modified, we suggest that you refer to the CCQ s website for confirmation before visiting a point of service. Town Location of point of service Date and time Dolbeau-Mistassini Local Employment Centre of Maria-Chapdeleine September 9, from 10 a.m. to noon 1500, rue Des Érables and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Drummondville Local Employment Centre of Drummondville September 5, from 10:30 a.m. to noon 270, rue Lindsay, 1 er étage and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Granby Local Employment Centre of Haute-Yamaska September 23, from 8:30 a.m. to noon 77, rue Principale, rez-de-chaussée and from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. La Malbaie Local Employment Centre of La Malbaie September 9, from 8:30 a.m. to noon 21, rue Patrick-Morgan and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saint-Georges Local Employment Centre of Saint-Georges September 14, from 8:30 a.m. to noon 11400, 1 re Avenue Est, bureau 30 and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Salaberry-de-Valleyfield Local Employment Centre of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield September 16, from 8:30 a.m. to noon 63A, rue Champlain, bureau 220 and from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Victoriaville Local Employment Centre of Victoriaville September 9, from 10 a.m. to noon 62, rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste, rez-de-chaussée and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Ville-Marie Local Employment Centre of Ville-Marie September 14, from 8:30 a.m. to noon 1-B, rue Notre-Dame The present document is produced solely for information purposes. Only an Act respecting labour relations, vocational training and manpower management in the construction industry, its regulations and the collective agreements in force in the construction industry, have legal value. The Bâtir is a monthly publication intended for the employers of the construction industry. Published by the Direction des communications of the Commission de la construction du Québec, 3530 Jean-Talon Street West, Montreal, Quebec H3R 2G3 Legal Deposit, National Library of Canada ISSN PU (1009)

Labour Day. Results of union poll You plan to perform works or to order works done?

Labour Day. Results of union poll You plan to perform works or to order works done? PUBLISHED FOR THE EMPLOYERS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY July-August 2009 Vol. 39, n o 6 Union poll Results of union poll 2009 Last June 11, the CCQ announced the results of the 12 th union poll, held