Chuck Chatten is the Business Representation for the Construction and Specialized Workers’ Union Local 1611.   He has been representing and assisting members in the local area since 1997.  In this interview with Kootenay Career Development Society, he talks about his perspective from working in the Trades since 1965 and as a union representative for the past 14 years.

KCDS: What are the attributes that a person needs to be a construction labourer?

CC: Construction craft labourers are skilled workers who provide a good deal of the physically demanding labour at construction projects so they are required to be in good physical condition. They will find themselves working in all weather — hot weather, wet weather, cold weather, and must accept that unless the working conditions become unsafe due to the weather that their days and / or nights will be subject to whatever weather is happening.  Sometimes the craft labourer might be expected to work 12 hours per day 7 days per week night shift or day shift for extended periods of time — on shutdowns at pulp mills, gas plants, smelters, or coal mines – these clients may be losing over $1million per day by being shut down so they want their plant up and running as soon as possible.

KCDS: What are the types of jobs that people would be doing?

CC: A construction craft labourer might be involved in tunnel or shaft excavations, environmental remediation projects, or demolition sites. They clean and prepare work sites, dig trenches, mix and place concrete, strip formwork, remove, package and transport hazardous materials. Other specialized tasks include operating laser guidance equipment to place pipes, setting and installing pipes for oil and gas lines as well as sewer and water lines. Setting explosives after drilling the holes and loading them to remove small or large rock projections or to remove by excavating the blasted rock for tunnels or ventilation shafts or in road construction are chores performed by construction labourers. You will also find labourers assisting other craft workers such as carpenters, bricklayers, or cement finishers. In addition to these duties construction craft labourers operate a variety of equipment including chain saws; pavement breakers; jackhammers; tampers for compacting backfill; concrete or mortar mixers; hydraulic drills; air tracs; tank drills; vacuum trucks; laser beam equipment; surveying and measuring equipment; perform traffic control; provide Industrial 1st Aid and even provide security services on certain projects.

KCDS: What kind of wages can one expect?

CC: The wages in construction vary from residential, commercial and institutional, industrial, road building and pipeline work . There are many reasons for this and it would take a book to respond in full. The best wages are on sites where a collective agreement is in place and all that means is that a union represents the worker(s) for the purpose of collective bargaining to determine wages and conditions.  A skilled construction craft labourer would be receiving between $24 and $28 per hour plus benefits and higher on anything other than residential construction in 2011. Most important is not the hourly rate but rather the amount of income on the T4, the amount of stability in the industry, whether or not you have transferable skills and most of all — are you happy doing this work?? Some construction craft labourers make $50 or $60,000 in 6 months working long hours and then have time off between jobs while others work in camps at remote locations and with overtime might on average at heavy or industrial make $90,000 and up over a year.

KCDS: In what ways does the union help individuals?

CC: I have touched on what a union does with my comment about negotiating wages and benefits for the membership –this negotiating also sets the standard for others in the private sector… that is just the beginning because the unions also provide the security of pensions so folks can retire with dignity, medical plans to help with dental work, life insurance, wage indemnity, extended health coverage, eye glasses and cover prescription costs. There is protection against harassment and discrimination in the work place, and training to keep the members ready for the changes in how things are done.  Another plus of the union worksite would have to be increased safety. In British Columbia alone in 2009, 6 young workers between 15 and 24 were killed and there were 29 deaths in the construction workforce … compare these numbers with the number of police officers killed or office workers or politicians and you’ll understand why I mention safety. 121 British Columbians lost their lives in 2009 due to something going wrong in the workplace. I believe 60 deaths were from asbestos and don’t know how many of these 60 were also construction related.

KCDS: What advice would you give a person who wanted to become a construction labourer?

CC: My advice to anyone wanting to become a construction craft labourer is to have some conversations with folks who have been involved in the industry for an extended period of time, don’t quit your day job and if you can, make the time take an aptitude test at a college or university to determine if you are at all suited to this type of employment.

KCDS: What is the possibility of work in this region?

CC: Work in this region should be fairly healthy for the next 4 or 5 years especially for those folks who have the training and experience — province wide there are a number of projects which may open doors for those with little or no experience … they will be the projects which we call camp jobs and some of those projects will get going by late May or June this year.

KCDS: Anything else you would like to add so people would have a good understanding of what is involved?

CC: I believe I have covered many things one might give consideration to or encounter. The industry has been very rewarding for me and my family but we were alright with moving all over BC, to Venezuela, and Manitoba before resettling in the Kootenay region.

For more information about work in the trades or as a construction labourer, contact Kootenay Career Development Society at 250.352.6200.