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:: Wednesday, January 05, 2005 ::

BC CARPENTERS CONVENTION - FTQ delegate welcomed December 2004 On The Level
Yves Ouelett, the President of the Fraternité Nationale Local 2366 (Interior Systems and Floorlayers in Quebec) said we are building something great and something strong. We are gaining a lot of respect as Canadian construction workers.”

He said his organization, along with BC Carpenters, are “showing people we can manage our own business. We don’t have to learn from nobody how to work union.”

Ouelett pointed out that Canadians have a higher percentage of workers organized into unions than in the United States. “So who’s going to show the other how to work?”

He said he likes to work with us. “We can learn from each other.” Ouelett explained how his local had recently made a big mistake. After being away from the International for 20 years, they agreed to form a joint council in the interest of better representing workers back in 1998. “Don’t we ever learn?” he asked.

The idea of the joint council was that the small locals would give membership to the larger locals so trades people like plumbers and specialists like ironworkers would be all together and get better representation. “We thought it would be better for the guys,” he said. So they gave the International 1,000 ironworkers and 1,500 plumbers and when they asked for some 100 floorlayers in return the answer was, “We can be together if you become International.” Ouelett said they thought that Local 2366 would go with them. “Never,” he declared.

In Quebec there is a chance every three years for the trades to change unions. “We’re going to give the International Unions the chance to come with us and find out they are Canadian and the money has to stay here and the best person to help them is another Canadian.”

Seven years ago, when Ouelett was first elected president of Local 2366, he represented 22 per cent of the interior system workers and the International had just under 50 per cent. As of last week, he said, “We are equal. But it’s not over. The next raid period will be the worst for them. They lied to us once too often.” Ouelett says a lot of people across Canada are watching them and us. “We are going to be the strongest (union) place in North America,” he claimed, “because we are working for the same goal.”

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