Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta Newsletter Issue 3, 2007

“The Voice of the Electrical Industry in the Province of Alberta”11235 - 120 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T5G 2X9 • Phone: (780) 451-2412 Fax: (780) 455-9815 Website: www.ecaa.ab.ca

Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta Newsletter Issue 3, 2007 Convention 2008Convention 2008

“The Voice of the Electrical Industry in the Province of Alberta”11235 - 120 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T5G 2X9 • Phone: (780) 451-2412 Fax: (780) 455-9815 Website: www.ecaa.ab.ca

Jan 30th - Feb 14th

Convention Convention Convention Convention Convention Convention Convention Convention 20082008Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta

President’s MessageIt’s been four months since

the ECAA elections. Where has the summer gone. One

of the self imposed mandates I have is to try to increase contractor member attendance at the local chapter meetings. Find out some of the value/benefits of belonging to our association by attending a Chapter meeting. Meet and socialize with some of your peers and associate members. Get information on issues affecting all contractors, new product lines, code issues, insurance, bonding etc. from our guest speakers. We would encourage you to bring an employee with you to allow them the opportunity to appreciate the value of these meetings as well as the excellent work the ECAA is doing on their behalf.

One of the benefits the ECAA is bringing to it’s members is an opportunity to provide a comprehensive benefit package for it’s members. This plan has been designed to enable the smaller contractors an opportunity to provide benefits for their employees at very competitive rates by utilizing all the Association members/employees in the formula to reduce the premiums. To this end, Sunlife has been busy with the interested contractors but they need you to provide them with the information required so they can provide you with a quote. The quotes that have been done have reflected very well (one quote actually was 45% less than his current plan). For this to work, we need member participation, if you are interested, please contact the ECAA office for the Sunlife contact info.

The first deadline for Convention 2008 is fast approaching. The Bali trip deadline is September 25th. Currently we have 50 confirmed reservations. The Ireland trip deadline will be mid- November. Please check the ECAA website for updates or call the office for more information.

Chapter ReportsCalgary Doug Fraser, PEC

Our first Chapter meeting, held at the Blackfoot Inn was well attended by seventy members and guests. We recognized 15 new masters for their accomplishments

and welcomed one new ECAA member, Photon Electric.

Ken Kruger from Sunlife/Clarica gave a brief presentation on the proposed benefit plan which will be available to members of the Association. Kick off date is November 1st. Members indicated a great deal of interest in the plan with questions and discussion during the presentation.

Maynard Heustis from Enmax emphasized the importance of following the correct procedure when requesting service energization.Brian Phelps from Custom Electric encouraged all Professional Electrical Contractors (PECs) to attend a meeting in Red Deer on September 14th to discuss changes to the proposed PEC Regulation.

Our next Chapter meeting will be held at the Blackfoot Inn on Thursday Oct. 11. Speaker for this meeting will address subguards. There are new regulations in effect as of September 01/07 regarding exhaust fan interlock in new homes. We hope to have a presentation @ the October Calgary chapter meeting to explain.

DJ Coppens

North West Les Dzwonkiewicz, PEC

Mel Giles from Careers the Next Generation invited contractors in the North West Chapter

to a luncheon meeting to discuss the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP). Careers brings together industry, educators, government, communities and students to meet the needs of youth employability and skilled

labour shortages in Alberta. Through the RAP program, Careers enables students to explore career options through workplace internships.

NAIT Grande Prairie campus has requested a meeting with representatives of the local Electrical Contractors and Employers in the Grande Prairie area in an effort to ensure that the needs of the Apprentices and their Employers are being met. This meeting is scheduled for October 19th. Interested parties are asked to please contact the smclean@ecaaa.ab.ca or phone the Association office at 1-800-252-9375.

EdmontonTerry Milot

A Chapter meeting was held on Monday September 17th with fifty-eight contractors and guests

attending. Master electrician certificates were presented to Blair Miller, Stephen Wu, Roland Williams, Bruce Fraser, Roy Sherwood, Cory Gaudette, Dallas McEachern, Adrian Bridge and Sean Fullwood. Mr. Lonnie Chadwick was in attendance to receive his PEC certificate and ring. Membership plaques were presented to Mr. Jim Emes, Emes Electric from Slave Lake and Ms. Cathy White, Sunlife/Clarica Insurance. Congratulations to all!

A topic of discussion was outstanding permits. Members in other chapters appear to have a problem getting a final inspection report to close off their permits. Mr. Stan Misyk explained the process The Inspections Group uses and members did not appear to have a problem in the Edmonton area. The Chapter is looking forward to the return of our Apprenticeship Chair, Mr. Clem Gratton who had surgery following a heart attack this summer. We continue to wish Clem a speedy recovery. The Edmonton Chapter is pleased to welcome Mr. Rob Kinsey, Cdn Power Pac to the Board. Rob will act as liaison between the Edmonton Construction Association and the Edmonton Chapter.

The guest speaker for the evening was Mr. Wayne Watson, a specification writer on Master Format 2004. This will replace the Division 16 format, as four divisions will now be devoted to

electrical work (divisions 25, 26, 27 & 28). The Master Format has been adopted by the Department of Public Works for the Federal Government and the Department of National Defense. Because of a change over in staff, the Alberta Government has been slower to get on board. Further information can be downloaded from www.spex.ca.

A very successful (but cold) Bob Carson Classic Golf tournament was held on Wednesday, September 12th. Successful winners this year were Mr. Art McCandless, Mr. Ray Hauck, Mr. Lyle McConnell and Mr. Gary Schnack. The Larry Wosnock Award of Distinction was presented to Mr. Russ Prosky. In honor of Carmen Nickolson, ECAA’s Provincial Membership Chair and Public Member, a 50/50 draw was held with proceeds being donated to the Mazankowski Heart Institute. The lucky winner was Mr. Don Hansen, High Line Electrical Constructors. (Carmen always golfed with Don in this tournament and we think the draw was fixed from above). Don donated his half of the proceeds back to the Mazankowski Heart Institute and ECAA was able to send a donation of over $1600 in Carmen’s memory. Thank you Don. Mr. Dwight Hunter reminded members that Division 16 curling is starting at the Avonaire. Schedule is 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday and there is room for both individual curlers or teams. You can contact Dwight through the ECAA office (ecaa@ecaa.ab.ca) for more information.

Upcoming meetings are Monday, October 15th (Phoenix Insurance will address Sub-Guard) and Monday November 19th (topic Duty to Accommodate). Both these topics are of major importance to all contractors so we hope to see you in attendance.

Chapter Reports

North East Jonny Nielsen, PEC

The North East Chapter has a meeting scheduled for Monday, October 1st at the Best Western

Wayside Inn in Lloydminster, starting at 5:30 p.m. Agenda items include out-of province electricians working in Alberta; the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP); the Permit Regulation (and homeowners permit); and issues from the Safety Codes Council.

North East Chapter members continue to have problems receiving final inspection reports. This is a liability issue as other contractors can work under these open permits. Chapter Presidents were asked to bring this issue up at their meetings to see if this is a problem in other areas prior to being addressed by the Provincial Board.

The North East Chapter continues to have a great working relationship with the Department of Municipal Affairs and thanks the Minister, the Honorable Ray Danyluk for keeping the lines of communication open. Mr. Lawrence Pirniak’s participation & involvement at the Chapter meetings has shown to be beneficial to the Contacters who are able to directly address their concerns & issues with them.

Labour RelationsBrian Halina, Chair

A lot has happened since the July report was submitted.

Tim Brower has been elected to the position of Business Manager for Local 424 of the IBEW.

After intense negotiations, the negotiating committees for ECAA and the Union arrived at a tentative agreement on August 10th. The tentative agreement

was subsequently voted on and accepted by the Unionized Electrical Contractors and members of Local 424 IBEW.

The agreement has an effective date of August 12th and it has a four year term.

Copies will be made available to unionized contractors when the agreement has been signed by both parties.

Committee Reports

Master’s UpdateKelly Morris, PEC

I’m pleased to report that a draft amended Professional Electrical Contractors Regulation has been

received from Legislative Council, and your Masters Committee has met to review these changes and comment. In addition, The P.E.C. Committee met and has reviewed these proposed changes as well.

Committee members from the Department of Municipal Affairs were invited to meet with us, and a third review was completed.

Final changes/edits are identified, and this document will go back to Legislative Council for incorporation. When this information comes back to us, a stakeholder review will launch to solicit support from Master Electricians, and other stakeholders to bring them up to date on what has been accomplished to date, and where we are heading.

We learned in our meeting with Municipal Affairs that our target date can be April 1, 2008 (as opposed to January 1, 2008), as this is the new date that the new Certification and Permit Regulations are expected to come into force and effect. At that point, or shortly after, Municipal Affairs will amend their Regulations to recognize the Certified Master Electrician as one who may obtain electrical permits, versus the Master Electrician we know today.

It has been a long, busy summer, and a long wait for these draft Regulations, and we are very close to the final product, which will be known as the Professional Electrical Contractors and Master Electricians Regulation. The wheels of progress are turning again, and it is anticipated that the stakeholder review may occur in November.

We have learned that Bruce Allen, Director of Safety Services is retiring (effectively retired), and we shall miss his valuable input, advice and direction. This whole effort would not have been possible without Bruce entertaining the notion of speaking with us, and exploring the Master Electrician program, which he, and we, did in tremendous detail. We wish Bruce all the best in his retirement, and I’m sure a lot of his time will be devoted to his art work.

We also learned that Jenine Cerny is leaving the Department as well, to work in the Private Sector. We wish Jenine all the best, and we’ll certainly miss her valuable feedback in future meetings.

I look forward to seeing you at a future Chapter meeting to present what will become the enhanced Master Electrician program for our fair Province, and review how it will work and be accommodated in Regulation.

The Wirtanen Electric Training Foundation is still going strong. By mid October we will have trained and placed in the trade 310 students. These students will attend NAIT after getting further hands on training with the contractors. Some of our early students are now journeymen holding down responsible jobs. Many were clerks ,cooks, bakers and even bookkeepers who wanted to make a meaningful change in life and were afforded an opportunity by training and of course the employment by contractors.

The Wirtanen Electric Training Foundation is funded totally by Ernie Wirtanen’s Foundation with material help from Eecol,Westburne,Leviton, The Cat Rental Store, and Merit Contractors Association. We plan to expand the school to offer additional training to contractor employees who require additional skills in cable fault locating and testing.

We are looking for volunteers to teach pipe bending and other tool skills. If you have a candidate for the school or are able to help as an instructor please call John Gullion at (780) 435-1258. Looking forward to receiving your call.

Public Member RequiredThe Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta is seeking nominations for Public Member on our Board of Directors, as required under the Professional and Occupational Associations Registration Act. The Public member is appointed by the Alberta Government to represent and ensure that the interests of the average Albertan are represented. As a full voting member

they are expected to participate in decision-making, prepare reports, and provide input at public meetings. Individual appointments are for a three-year period (with possible extension for an additional three years). Interested individuals can send a resume with covering letter to the Association. Deadline for receipt is October 15th.

DJ Coppens, Convention Chair

Fifty people are registered for ECAA’s Bali/Hong Kong convention 2008 trip. Deadline for registration is September 25th so if you plan on participating contact Sheri at ECAA (451-2412) or Leanne at Farlie Travel (459-6661) immediately. Thirty-four of the group will be experiencing the Vietnam tour prior.

Registration deadline for Ireland is November 15th. Six registrations (and a lot of phone calls) have been received to date. Airfare and hotels are being released after the deadline date so again, please get your registrations in immediately if you

wish to join President DJ Coppens and his wife Marlene on this trip.

Both conventions will feature industry speakers and an educational portion to the trip. These will be confirmed once registrations have been completed. Looking forward to your participation!

Convention 2008 - Deadline Fast Approaching

In MemoriamECAA was saddened by the loss of two distinguished members over the summer.

Norman Cookshaw passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, June 27th after dealing with heart and lung conditions and diabetes. He was an honorary member of

the Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta and a founding father of the North West Chapter. Condolences go out to his wife Sylvia and sons Kent and Garth and their families.

Carmen Nickolson passed away peacefully on July 12, 2007. Carmen was awarded the ECAA Award of Merit in 1995 for the volunteer hours donated in increasing

membership. She held the positions of Provincial Membership Chair and Public Member at the time of her passing and will be missed on the Board. Condolences to her husband Neil, son Shane (Wendy) and family.

ECAA Launches New Group Benefit PlanNovember 1st Start Date

As a proactive measure to assist current members, especially the smaller contractors, and attract new members, your Board of Directors started the process last year to see if it would be feasible to design and implement our own Group Benefit Plan. We wanted a plan that would be competitive in both benefits available, and pricing. As well, anyone with a group of 5 or less knows that it is very hard to get an affordable plan, with good benefits and no medical checks. It took a great deal of work, and now we are ready to launch our plan.

Many of you have been contacted by our representatives, Ken Kruger and Cathy Whyte to get information for a quote, and those that have provided that information have been very pleased with the results. We are now ready to launch the plan through Sunlife/Clarica November 1st.

To maintain the competitive advantage that we have worked so hard for, we still need more members to provide us with the information to give you a comparison to see how much money we can save you. Of course there is no obligation, and it doesn’t take much time to get the information together. Please call Ken at 467-3699 or Cathy at 930-4272 for more information.

The Contactor

The Contactor is the official publication ofthe Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta.

We welcome articles and paid advertisements.

Contact:Sheri McLean, CAEExecutive Director Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta11235 - 120 StreetEdmonton, AB T5G 2X9(780) 451-2412 or 1-800-252-9375email: smclean @ ecaa.ab.ca

website: www.ecaa.ab.ca

Board of DirectorsElectrical Contractors Association of Alberta

Executive:President: DJ CoppensVice President: Todd McKayTreasurer: Ron MackenzieSecretary: Bob Maslanko, PECPast President: Mike Brunner

Chapter Presidents & ECAA Directors:Edmonton Terry MilotCalgary Doug Fraser, PECCentral Darcy Teichroeb, PECNorth East Jonny Nielsen,PECNorth West Les Dzwonkiewicz, PEC Lethbridge Todd McKayMedicine Hat Glenn PocsikFort McMurray Gord Stuve

Directors-at-Large:North Terry EmmersonSouth Ken Rickbeil, PEC

Committees:ACSA Dave HagenACA (South) Al MillerACA (North) Peter Rasmussen, PECApprenticeship Associate Liaison Terry SawatzkyCECA Willard KondroCode Clem Gratton, PECCommunications Tom Morin, PECConvention ‘08 DJ CoppensConvention ’09 Todd McKayLabour Relations - Union Brian HalinaLabour Relations – Non-Union DJ CoppensLegislation Master’s Kelly Morris, PECMembershipNominations Mike Brunner Willard Kondro Terry MilotPEC Lou Hiemer, PECPublic MemberSafety Codes Council: Fire Keven Lefebvre, PEC Electrical Clem Gratton, PECWays & Means Ron Mackenzie

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Regular: Comtel Electric, Sundre Encore Electric, Calgary Photon Electric, Cochrane

Associate: Brundage Enterprises, Edmonton Phoenix Insurance, Edmonton

CONGRATULATIONS NEW PEC’sLonnie Chadwick, #128

Steven Cromartie, #129

Chris Estericher, #130

Colin Kyle, #131

Grant Sinclair, #132

Francis Koppe, #133

Daniel Tayles, #134

Scott White, #135

Barry Ryziuk, #136

May 10th - 20th

Convention 2008Convention Convention 20082008Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta