COLLEGE OF TRADES RATIO REVIEW FOR: CONSTRUCTION MILLWRIGHTS. SUBMITTED BY THE MILLWRIGHT REGIONAL COUNCIL OF ONTARIO.

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1 COLLEGE OF TRADES RATIO REVIEW FOR: CONSTRUCTION MILLWRIGHTS. SUBMITTED BY THE MILLWRIGHT REGIONAL COUNCIL OF ONTARIO. 1

2 Ratio Review for : Construction Millwright i. The scope of practice of the Construction Millwright trade: A Construction Millwrights work includes the installation, maintenance, retrofit and removal of conveyor systems and most machines found in manufacturing and processing facilities within the Industry. Millwrights work in Power Generating Plants, assembling or dismantling electrical Turbines and Generators. Most of the precision work in Nuclear Power plants is preformed by Millwrights, such as radioactive fuel transfer and handling systems which require work of an extremely precise nature. Millwrights also perform the installations of Wind Turbines and Solar Power assembly. Millwrights work in mining facilities, steel mills, chemical plants, water treatment plants, petroleum plants, paper mills, hospitals and in the auto sector. The skill set of a Millwright includes interpreting drawings and performing layout, rigging and hoisting, assembling, repairing, torch cutting, grinding, welding, establishing gear ratio s, aligning pumps and machining parts. A Millwright must also possess the precision skills necessary to assemble machines with specifications requiring tolerances in the thousands of an inch or millimeter, using precision levels, verniers, dial indicators, micrometers, optical levels and Total Station technology. Millwrights often have to do this work in close proximity to large machinery, in full operation. Millwrights must continually train, retrain and upgrade their skill set, as new technology, along with higher tolerances, continually evolve within the industry At present, the Construction Millwright Journeyperson to Apprentice ratio is 4:1, in 2006, through our Provincial Advisory Committee, we moved to change the ratio to 3:1. Unfortunately, for reasons unknown, this was never changed. Since 2007, the Journeyperson to Apprentice ratio in our Collective Bargaining Agreement has been at 3:1 and that is where we believe the ratio works best. ii. The Apprenticeship program established by the College. The Construction Millwright Apprenticeship program in Ontario consists of 8,000 hours of on the job training, along with (3) in school terms, consisting of Basic, Intermediate and Advanced levels. Each level of school covers an eight week time period with 240 hours of training. Once an Apprentice has completed all of the 720 hours of schooling needed and has accumulated 8,000 hours of on the job training, the Apprentice is then ready to challenge for their Certificate of Qualification as a Construction Millwright. 2

3 iii. How the journeyperson to apprentice ratio for the trade may affect the health and safety of apprentices and journeypersons working in the trade and the public who may be affected by the work. The Construction Millwright industry is a fast paced, continually changing environment, where skill and safety are paramount. A large part of Construction Millwright training deals with the safety of workers, co-workers and the general public. Training and mentoring, is how accidents and injuries are eliminated. It is essential, that Apprentices receive the appropriate number of journeypersons mentoring them, as they continue to develop into Construction Millwrights. The vast amount of skills needed within the Construction Millwright trade, only enhance how important health and safety truly are. Ensuring that health and safety are strictly followed, in accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations for Construction Projects in Ontario. Can best be accomplished, when the less experienced apprentice is mentored and supervised, by the appropriate journeypersons to apprentice ratio. We believe that a Journeyperson to Apprentice ratio of 3:1 works best in our industry. If this is not structured correctly, the apprentice, journeyperson and the public, could be at risk. iv. The effect, if any, of the journeyperson to apprentice ratio of the trade on the environment. Construction Millwrights work in an industry immersed in Nuclear Power plants, petroleum plants, chemical plants, water treatment plants and every imaginable type of processing and manufacturing facility in existence, in Ontario. If the Journeyperson to Apprentice ratio is not structured correctly, and the apprentice is not supervised and mentored appropriately. The public and the environment could be at risk, from noxious fumes, chemical spills, radiation and other disasters. Caused by improper installations and maintenance, on such components as turbines in Nuclear Power plants or pumps and seals within chemical, petroleum and water treatment plants. The best interests of the public and the environment are reflected, in the journeyperson to apprentice ratio. 3

4 v. The economic impact of the journeyperson to apprentice ratio of the trade on apprentices, journeypersons, employers and employer associations and, where applicable, on trade unions, employee associations, apprentice training providers and the public. When looking at the economic impact of the journeyperson to apprentice ratio within the Construction Millwright trade, you really have to focus on the bigger picture. There is much more to be lost economically, by lowering the journeyperson to apprentice ratio for Construction Millwrights to 1:1., then there would ever be gained. The only advantage of lowering the ratio to 1:1, is the cost benefit to the employer, who benefits from paying lower wages to more apprentices, as opposed to paying a journeypersons wages. This only occurs in the non-union entity of the industry and creates an unbalanced labour force of 1 st and 2 nd year apprentices that are rarely given a chance to complete their journeyperson status. If they do receive their Certificate of Qualification, they find themselves replaced by 1 st and 2 nd year apprentices, due to the profit advantage to the employer. More importantly, the disadvantage of a 1:1 ratio also reflects on the employer, as their WSIB costs escalate, due to the increase in accidents and injuries associated with not having their apprentices supervised and mentored properly. They will also find production on the jobsite lower, along with an increase in deficiencies, which hurts the industry. This is reflective of the apprentices inexperience. At present with us at a 3:1 ratio, we also respect Industry driven standards within the Construction Millwright trade. We have owner clients who desire Journeypersons only in some of their plants, due to the high technical standards involved, and at the other end we have the odd Low tech project where a lower apprentice ratio is required. Employers are in the business of making a profit, lowering the ratio to 1:1 is similar to cutting corners on a project. You just have to watch Holmes on Homes to understand how impacting that really is. In reality, apprentices, journeypersons, employers, employer associations, trade unions, employee associations, apprentice training providers, the industry and the public, would all take an economic impact, if the ratio was to go down to 1:1. vi. The number of apprentices and journeypersons working in the trade. Throughout the Millwright Regional Council of Ontario, there are currently 2,353 Apprentices and Journeypersons working in the Construction Millwright trade, of those, just under 500 are Apprentices 4

5 vii. The rates of completion for apprentices in an apprentice training program for the trade. The completion rate for apprentices within the Millwright Regional Council of Ontario is 97%, the reason we have such a high completion rate, is that we expect and demand that once an apprentice completes their required schooling and work training, that they then prepare and challenge for their Certificate of Qualification. We feel that their apprenticeship is a start to a fulfilling career and that they have an obligation to fully complete their apprenticeship and become a Construction Millwright Journeyperson. The 3% that do not complete their apprenticeship, either leave on their own or are let go. Unfortunately, we lose a number of journeypersons to employers that do not embrace or finance any apprenticeship program. viii. The journeyperson to apprentice ratio, if any, for a similar trade in other jurisdictions. Looking throughout the country, the majority of Provinces have a 3-1 ratio in their Collective Agreements. ( Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Ontario) Quebec has a 5-1 ratio in their Collective Agreement, Newfoundland and British Columbia have a 4-1 ratio in their Collective Agreements. We believe that a 3-1 Journeyperson to Apprentice ratio works best in our industry. ix. The supply of, and demand for journeypersons in the trade and in the labour market generally. The future labour needs for Construction Millwrights looks very positive, not only across the Province, but also right across the country. There are numerous large, long term projects to which we have been preparing for. We anticipate bringing in additional new Construction Millwright Journeypersons into our organization, along with a substantial increase in Apprentice intakes right across the Province, as the labour market demands. 5

6 x. The attraction and retention of apprentices and journeypersons in the trade. In a perfect world where work is constant, a continual supply of new Apprentices and Journeypersons is steadily forecast as Journeypersons retire or leave the trade. Unfortunately, Local, Provincial, National and World economics do play into the supply and demand of labour. At the start of 2009, the majority of Construction projects forecast came to a halt. That then affected the number of new Apprentices coming into the trade, as there was no work to send them to. On the other side of the coin, there was an increase in the amount of Journeypersons retiring, also due to a lack of work. On a very positive note, the future labour requirements for Construction Millwrights looks very positive for the next several years, that being said we will see a substantial increase in both Apprentices and Journeypersons. xi. The average age of apprentices and journeypersons in the trade and the projected attrition of journeypersons working in the trade. The average age of Apprentices and Journeypersons within the Millwright Regional Council of Ontario, working in the Construction Millwright trade is 44 years of age. We anticipate an increase in Apprentices and Journeypersons working in the Construction Millwright trade over the next several years as opposed to an attrition. This in fact should bring down the average age of Apprentices and Journeypersons within the Millwright Regional Council of Ontario below 44 years of age. 6