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Saskatchewan
History
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Ten men
who were determined to obtain a better life for electrical
workers everywhere founded the National Brotherhood
of Electrical Workers in St Louis on November 28,
1891. At the time the electrical industry was just
being born and safety standards were non-existent.
One out of two workers were being killed on the job,
wages were low and the workweek varied from 70 to
80 hours. The Union grew, and on December 20, 1899,
it became international with the formation of Local
93 in Ottawa, Ontario and the name changed to International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. (I.B.E.W.)
Records
indicate the following locals were formed in Saskatchewan:
1 572
Regina (1907 – 1932)
2 568
Moose Jaw (1907 – 1918)
3 589
Saskatoon (1907 – 1910)
4 802
Moose Jaw (1918 – 1967)
5 248
Saskatoon (1927 – 1933)
6 1538
Prince Albert (1946 – 1947)
7 1717
Prince Albert (1951 – 1971)
Locals that were chartered and still operate:
1 319
City of Saskatoon (Electrical workers) - 1927
2 529
Saskatoon (Construction electricians) - 1947
3 2038
Regina (Construction electricians) - 1959
4 2067
Regina City - 1959; and SaskPower (Electrical workers)
- 1966
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History
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Civic Employees
Association No. 21 first represented the electrical
workers for the City of Regina. In February 21, 1950
the Electric Utilities Employee Union (E.U.E.U) No.
9 was certified as the bargaining agent for all workers
employed in the City of Regina Electrical System.
A strike
that occurred July 23, 1950 left a lot of dissatisfaction
within the membership and the Canadian Labour Congress
encouraged the workers from Local 9 of E.U.E.U. to select
an appropriate union operating in their field. A vote
for a new union was held and included The International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the National Union
of Municipal Employees and the Oil and Chemical Workers
Union. The I.B.E.W. won and Local 2067 was chartered
on November 1, 1959, with C.C. McVeigh being the first
President/Business Manager.
In 1965 the
Saskatchewan Power Corporation purchased the electrical
generating plant and the distribution system of the
City of Regina. Along with these facilities came the
workers, and I.B.E.W. Local 2067. On November 5, 1965,
the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union (O.C.A.W.),
who represented all other Saskatchewan Power Corporation
workers, attempted to raid I.B.E.W. Local 2067 suggesting
“It simply does not make sense to think that we
can continue as two separate bargaining units”.
This action eventually led to 900 O.C.A.W. Saskatchewan
Power Corporation workers joining I.B.E.W. Local 2067
in 1966.
In the years
that followed other facilities were purchased or built
by the Saskatchewan Power Corporation (later to become
SaskPower) and out of these operations I.B.E.W. Local
2067 gained new members. North Sask Electric workers
and employees at Island Falls Generating Station all
became I.B.E.W. Local 2067 members.
In 1984 Manalta purchased the Popular River Mine in
Coronach, SK from SaskPower. In 1998 Manalta sold its
assets to Luscar Ltd and in 2006 Luscar Ltd. sold it’s
assets to Prairie Mines & Royalties Ltd. The employees
continue to retain their membership in the union and
be represented by I.B.E.W. Local 2067.
In 1988 the City of Swift Current electrical workers
were organized into I.B.E.W. Local 2067.
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Strikes
and Lockouts
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Strikes:
1 July
23, 1950, resolved with the help of a Conciliator,
Justice S.E. Richards, on August 2, 1950.
2 January
11, 1975, the government passed back to work legislation
and appointed Judge Moore as the arbitrator. The results
were a 16.25% raise, a shorter work week and a severance
payout.
3 July
12, 1976, a strike occurred to protest a roll back.
The federal government had established
wage and price controls. Wage increases were rolled back
from 13.65% to 10.25%.
The strike ended August 11, 1976 with the rollback from
13.65% to 11.70%.
Lockout:
1 In
1998, SaskPower locked out I.B.E.W. workers at all
power plants. Management hoped that the remaining workers
would strike and that the government would then legislate
an end to the dispute. The remaining I.B.E.W. workers
did not strike, forcing the government to legislate an
end to the lockout.
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