International Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers Local 2067 - Regina

International History

Our founding father Henry Miller, and nine other 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 with that, the name changed to International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. (I.B.E.W.)

Records indicate the following locals were formed in Saskatchewan:

• 572 Regina (1907 – 1932)
• 568 Moose Jaw (1907 – 1918)
• 589 Saskatoon (1907 – 1910)
• 802 Moose Jaw (1918 – 1967)
• 248 Saskatoon (1927 – 1933)
• 1538 Prince Albert (1946 – 1947)
• 1717 Prince Albert (1951 – 1971)

Saskatchewan Locals that were chartered and still operate:

• 319 City of Saskatoon (Electrical workers) – 1927
• 529 Saskatoon (Construction electricians) – 1947
• 2038 Regina (Construction electricians) – 1959
• 2067 Regina City – 1959; and SaskPower (Electrical workers) – 1966

Local 2067 History

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 the vote and Local 2067 was chartered on November 1, 1959, with C.C. McVeigh becoming 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 (officially becoming SaskPower in 1987) and out of these operations, I.B.E.W. Local 2067 gained new members. Employees from North Sask Electric (1973), Headstart Employment Corporation (1980), Island Falls Generating Station, a former HBM&S facility (1981), and Shand Greenhouse (2012) have all become I.B.E.W. Local 2067 members over the years.

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 those assets to Prairie Mines & Royalties Ltd. In 2008 Sherritt Coal purchased the assets of Prairie Mines and Royalties Limited, then in 2014 the interests were sold to Westmoreland Coal Company. The employees continue to retain their membership in the union and are represented by I.B.E.W. Local 2067.

In 1988 the City of Swift Current Light and Power Department employees were organized into I.B.E.W. Local 2067, where they remain members to this day.

Employees of LDM Yorkton Processing GP in Yorkton Saskatchewan were given their first certification order (and Union) on June 24th, 2010, thereby becoming members of IBEW Local 2067. March 29, 2013 saw Louis Dreyfus Commodities buy-out the minority ownership interest in the Yorkton plant from Mitsui, and with that came a name change to LDC Yorkton Processing GP, but the employees remained IBEW. In March 2016, LDC changed their name from Louis Dreyfus Commodities, to Louis Dreyfus Company to reflect the full scale of the company’s operations. This change also had no impact on the union representation of the workers.

On April 11, 2012, ADT Security Services Canada Inc. technical employees were organized by IBEW Local 2067, and were able to obtain their first contract effective January 1, 2013. In December of 2013, Tyco Integrated Fire & Security split from ADT, taking their servicemen with them, but maintaining representation by IBEW, effectively adding a new bargaining unit to IBEW 2067’s portfolio, growing it to 7 certifications. During bargaining with ADT Security Services Canada in 2017, IBEW Local 2067 more than doubled the size of the bargaining unit with the addition of ADT Canada technicians (formerly Protectron).

Allteck, a Utility Contracting Company, was certified on October 9, 2018 to be represented by IBEW Local 2067, after a summer long campaign that ended with a 2/3 vote in favor of the certification.

Strikes and Lockouts

Strikes:

1. Saskatchewan Power Corporation – July 23, 1950, resolved with the help of a Conciliator, Justice S.E. Richards, on August 2, 1950.
2. Saskatchewan Power Corporation – 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. Saskatchewan Power Corporation – 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%.
4. City of Swift Current – May, 2007, a strike ensued for CofS Light and Power employees after going without a contract for more than 4 months.
5. Tyco Integrated Fire and Security – October 18, 2013, IBEW Local 2067 members working for Tyco IF&S were prepared to perform strike action against the employer. The Employer immediately returned to the bargaining table upon receiving strike notice, and a settlement was reached on October 23rd. The imminent strike was averted.

Lockout:

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.