District Lodge D11 holds conference

Cement lodges discuss safety, pension, need for global contacts

CLGAW Division Exec. Director James Pressley stresses the importance of making global contacts in the cement industry.

CEMENT DISTRICT Lodge D11 sponsored a three-day conference July 10-12 at Invermere, British Columbia, for union leaders representing the district’s 13 affiliated lodges.

Rob Lauzon, district BM-ST, opened the meeting by introducing Intl. Vice Pres. Joe Maloney. Maloney discussed the Boilermakers’ Canadian Web site (www.boilermaker.ca) and a steward training program that is under development. He also talked about the role Jason McInnis can play, as the national director of health and safety, to assist the members of District Lodge D11.

James Pressley, Assistant to the International President and Executive Director of the Cement Division, reviewed District D11’s financial status, stating that it was in better condition than most cement divisions in the United States. He also talked about his attendance at an international conference for cement unions held in Lisbon, Portugal, in February.

“The main topic of the conference was safety and health,” Pressley said, “but the conference also gave me the opportunity to meet with other leaders of cement unions. The cement industry is very global. If we are going to address some of our concerns, we need these global contacts in the International union community.”

Delegates to the District Lodge D11 meeting, July 10-12, gather for a group photo in Invermere, British Columbia.

Susan Bird, of J.J. McAteer & Associates Inc., the administrator of the Boilermakers’ National Pension Plan in Canada, discussed many aspects of the plan, including its governance, regulations, contributions, solvency, investments, benefits, and retirement options. She said a Web site has been created to allow plan members to learn more about their pension benefits. Plan participants can access information through a link at the Boilermakers’ site (www.boilermaker.ca) or go directly to the pension plan’s site at www.boilermakersbenefits.ca.

Cement District Lodge D11 was chartered in 1987 to represent members in the following local lodges: in Alberta, Local D331 (Exshaw), Local D345 (Calgary), and Locals D359 and D513 (Edmonton); in British Columbia, Local D277 (Bamberton), Locals D385 and D400 (Vancouver), Local D479 (Invermere), Local D486 (New Westminster), and Local D503 (Kamloops); and in Manitoba, Locals D274 and D505 (Winnipeg), and Local D575 (Moosehorn).