January 29, 2010

Carpenters union in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario forced into merger

ELAINE DELLA-MATTIA

correspondent

SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont.

The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America in Sault Ste. Marie will retain its office and training centre despite a forced merger with the Sudbury local.

The merger of the Sault’s 240 members effectively took place on Jan. 1 with Sudbury’s local 2486 and other parts of northestern Ontario, including North Bay and Timmins. The move marks the end to one of the longest serving locals in the province, which dates back to 1917.

The Sault will retain its office, a business manager and a training centre, but all administrative and financial matters will be handled from the Sudbury office, said Fred Clement, now past president of the Sault’s defunct Local 446.

The local, which had about 80 members, had rejected the merger decision at a special meeting held recently, but failed in its bid at the Labour Relations Board.

The board noted the membership of the aging Sault local was low, organizing was minimal and training and apprenticeship initiatives were scant despite the launch of a new training centre in 2008.

That training centre will continue to be operational with the hopes of slowly increasing membership and ensuring union members are well trained. The Sault local was the smallest unit associated with the 13 member regional councils.

Three other Sault locals, representing electrical workers, sheet metal workers and painters, have previously merged with Sudbury unions.

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