What are you sharing your bed with? Worker fired after reporting lice at Suncor Firebag.

I’ve been thinking about how to write about this one, it’s pretty much “worker uses correct channels to raise an issue then gets screwed for it”. We’re all familiar with that kind of thing at SUNCOR aren’t we? Anyways, this guy is an experienced Instrumentation Technician Journeyman. He has some safety concerns and appears to [...]

Imagine being kicked out of your home because your wife had to pee. What the hell are we doing to our workers?

Insane right? This actually happened. I was contacted by the wife involved after she felt humiliated and upset by the harassment and intimidation at Suncor Borealis camp. Her husband now faces trouble at work and loss of his accommodations as a form of harassment. Remember, camp is “home” to tens of thousands of workers who [...]

From the tarsands workers to the world: Hear us!

This was passed to me via email by a worker on one of the biggest sites in the tarsands, where some of the most disturbing worker abuses are taking place. Not surprisingly it is SUNCOR once again. This letter has been sent to the premiers office as well as to many other workers and seems [...]

Situation with Home Depot resolved. So do I continue to shop there? You be the judge.

From the moment I involved twitter and my blog on this issue I was handled with the utmost professionalism and courtesy by Home Depot. Store Manager Mike McLeod was easy to deal with and obviously knows his business. Thank you internet and social media!  Everyone from the manager to the head office complaint resolution woman [...]

Dramatic changes to Union training at IBEW 424 may short change thousands of members. Will they listen?

I hope they listen. If they fix this, it would show that we still have the ability to do good for our own people. Sometimes, pushing the publish button doesn’t feel good it just has to be done. I’ve been waiting & looking for something positive to write about from inside my Union. Unfortunately things [...]

Using Union or Non-Union businesses, Shouldn’t there be more to deciding where to spend my money?

I have a logic beef with, well… with a whole segment of the Union/Labour/Leftie movement of which I am a proud (if dysfunctional) member. So I want to make my case here… My beef is with ideology (which exists on all sides of our system), and how certain things are expected (demanded) within these groups [...]

My first experience being in supervision on the job. ADHD comes in handy!

Can ADHD be an asset in a supervisory or leadership role? I think with a little work it sure can be. I recently got my first official taste of supervision authority as a journeyman electrician. I was made “sub foreman” (also known as lead hand) and put in charge of all the heat trace on [...]

Introduction To Solar Electricity course at IBEW 424 Union Training Centre

So, one of the more popular and useful of the courses offered at the IBEW 424 Union training centre is on solar energy. There is a 1 day introduction course then a 2 day installation course. When you’re done both there is a CSA certification exam you can take as an electrician to be a [...]

EDLC Labour day BBQ is always a blast :) Especially from the sky!

As fun as the day was, it should be solemnly noted that while the number of homeless attendees dropped slightly this year the number of families, working poor, and underemployed has increased significantly. The middle class being shifted to the bottom… I attend this event every year. I get a beautiful day in the park, [...]

ADHDCanuck does UVIC Radio! :) Thanks CFUV for caring about the world beyond your borders.

I did a radio show for almost an hour on CFUV 101.9 FM, which is the University of Victoria campus radio station (though it carries a great deal further). I grew up a few blocks from UVIC, and love my hometown. We spoke about ADHD a little, and got into the tarsands. I covered a [...]