I am proud to stand before you today to deliver my first President’s Report at our 2024 Annual General Meeting. When I first became actively involved in the union, it was with the goal of improving the lives of our members and their families. I am both humbled and honored that the membership has entrusted me with this position, allowing me to make that mission my primary professional focus for the next three years-and hopefully beyond.
I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Tracy Robertson, our outgoing president, for her dedication to the union during her five years as president and her many years of service as a Unit Representative before that. I aim to build upon the progress she has made while introducing new initiatives to strengthen our union. These efforts will focus on increasing membership engagement, expanding educational and training opportunities, improving communication, and enhancing governance practices.
Some of these changes are already underway. At the Executive Board level, our Unit Representatives now have tools and procedures to better track the issues you bring forward and to clarify the lines of communication between members, their representatives, and the union office.
It’s important to remember that whenever an issue arises in the workplace, no matter how small it may seem, your union representative should always be your first point of contact for advice and support. I have asked all our Unit Representatives to commit to acknowledging all communications within two business days of receipt. While it may take longer to resolve an issue, promptly acknowledging it is an essential first step-and one that we are committed to taking seriously.
More significant changes are also on the horizon. A review of our union’s governance structure, practices, policies, and bylaws is long overdue. To address this, our Governance Sub-Committee has initiated the process of engaging an external firm to evaluate our current practices and guide us toward a more productive and forward-thinking framework.
We have reached out to several firms that we believe share our values and have experience working with labor organizations on similar projects. The selection process is expected to conclude soon, paving the way for potentially the most transformative changes to our local since its founding.
Our goal is to present these proposed changes to the membership for approval at our Spring 2025 meeting. This process aims to establish a more modern, efficient, and effective governance structure that better serves our members and positions our union for long-term success.
Our members have every right to expect more from their union leadership, and this is an expectation we, as a board, are holding ourselves to as well. We have begun identifying areas where we can do more for our members: more social engagement, more educational opportunities, more chances for involvement, and most importantly, stronger representation.
To support these goals, we are in the process of creating policies and frameworks for a variety of new sub-committees. As a union, we are fortunate to have a board that reflects a diverse range of ages, genders, interests, professional experiences, and strengths. It is crucial to draw from that diversity, and as President, I am committed to leveraging these strengths for the benefit of all members.
We anticipate that all sub-committees will begin their work early in the new year.
As your leadership team, we are committed to reinstating the practice of holding monthly unit meetings. These meetings provide an important opportunity for members to connect with their representatives, receive updates on our work, and share any concerns you may have.
We are making every effort to ensure these meetings are accessible to as many members as possible. For those unable to attend onsite meetings, we will hold a monthly meeting at the union hall. Your feedback on the meeting schedule is invaluable-please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts with your representatives. This process is a work in progress, and we are dedicated to making these meetings as accessible and inclusive as possible.
Over the past year, we have experienced several positive developments in Hoisting and Portable. We’ve successfully ratified agreements with AW Leil and Schurman’s Concrete, and we are in the final stages of finalizing new agreements with Irving Equipment and Kent Building Supplies in Charlottetown. Additionally, Jeff Ramsay, our H&P representative on the Executive Board, was recently elected President of the PEI Building Trades, and I have also joined that board.
Being part of this organization’s revival provides us with valuable opportunities to network and collaborate with our union partners in the trades, helping us grow membership within the construction sector. Since the completion of the Confederation Bridge in 1997, our H&P membership has seen a significant decline. Moving forward, it is my goal to seize the opportunity to rebuild this part of our union. Furthermore, I aim to leverage our relationships with other trades to modernize the province’s apprenticeship and licensing
regulations, helping keep PEl’s young skilled labor working in our province on safe work sites.
With supporting infrastructure lagging behind the rapid population growth on our Island, there is a real opportunity for our brothers and sisters in H&P to play a vital role in shaping the future of our province.
The past year has been marked by labor peace for our stationary bargaining units. Shortly, we will be notifying the Eastlink Center in Charlottetown of our intent to begin bargaining. Additionally, Atlantic Enterprises’ current agreement will expire in May 2025. These will be the only negotiations scheduled for 2025 with our current signatories.
While this period of labor peace has been beneficial, it has also meant that I have not had the opportunity to connect meaningfully with stewards from all of our units. I want to assure you that I will make a concerted effort to do so before the new year.
Health PEI continues to be the largest employer of our membership, and we are currently addressing several ongoing issues with this organization. A recurring challenge in our dealings with Health PEI is the inconsistent application of the collective agreement. I have, and will continue to, advocate on behalf of our members for mandatory, standardized management training within Health PEI. It is essential that the organization equips its managers with the tools, knowledge, and expectations necessary to effectively perform in their roles.
Additionally, I have made it clear that IUOE expects to be treated as equals to our peer unions in the health sector, particularly regarding proper notice and the opportunity to negotiate agreements that benefit our members. Far too often, other unions are prioritized, and their agreements are imposed on the rest of us.
Our union’s long-term priority is to include language in our collective agreements that eliminates the need for constant MOAs to temporarily address issues we’ve been highlighting for years. In the short term, we will use feedback from our membership to make these agreements as equitable as possible for as many members as we can. Given the nature of our bargaining unit, not everyone will benefit from every incentive. However, our goal is for everyone to benefit from at least some of them.
Although our most recent collective agreement with Health PEI may still feel new, it is set to expire in 17 months. We have been gathering data on potential proposals and will continue this process, with formal preparations for negotiations starting in the spring. As with all of our bargaining units, our monthly unit meetings provide an opportunity for all members to share their interests and concerns, and we encourage everyone to participate. Your input will be invaluable in helping us reach the best possible agreement for our entire membership.
We stand at a pivotal moment for our union, with exciting opportunities ahead to strengthen our voice, our representation, and our impact. The work we are doing today the improvements in communication, governance, and membership engagement-will lay the foundation for a more resilient and responsive union tomorrow. As we continue to build on past successes and address the challenges ahead, I ask each of you to remain engaged, share your insights, and actively contribute to shaping our future.
Together, we will ensure that our union remains a strong advocate for the well-being of all our members, securing fair agreements and creating a supportive environment for everyone we represent. The road ahead will require continued dedication, collaboration, and a shared commitment to the values that unite us. I look forward to working alongside each of you in the months and years to come as we drive our union forward with purpose and strength.
Thank you for your trust, your support, and your ongoing commitment to the success of our union.
Chad W.S. McNeill
President/Business Manager