the recent scandal about faked grades for apprentices graduating from trades training in B.C. clearly exposes the abuses industry is prepared to indulge in to make a quick dollar.
Phil Hochstein and the ICBA, an anti-union contractor alliance paid $147,000 to the B.C. Liberal party for the ability to insert a "wish list" of changes into the trades training program, which included removing the ITAC training regime which had served excellently and to the satisfaction of both employers and apprentices. In its place the ICBA proposed a limited "ticketing " process which allowed a contractor to employ and train workers to job-specific levels, and fast-tracked qualification, without regard to experience levels.
This group also is in the habit of appealing for even more cuts to safety and regulation,as witness;
Examples of Prescriptive Training Legislation and Regulations that Hamper BC Businesses' Competitiveness
Compulsory Trade Certification - This ITAC legislation covers 11 trades in BC and prohibits anyone other than a certified journeyperson or apprentice from working in any facet of these trades, no matter how low the skill requirement. For example, in powerline construction, contractors are forbidden by law from hiring summer students or labourers to do low skill work like digging ditches, erecting structures and carrying equipment. Two independent studies by David Fenn for the Ministry of Labour and Gary Johncox for the Business Council and Coalition of BC Businesses (copies appended) concluded that blanket compulsory certification needed review and was only warranted where compelling public safety concerns exist.
1:1 Apprentice to Journeyperson Ratios - This ITAC policy prohibits an employer from hiring more than one apprentice for each journeyperson on staff. This is a barrier to training for young workers and places arbitrary and unjustified restrictions on an employer's ability to staff jobs as required. There is no evidence to prove that a journeyperson cannot supervise more than one apprentice. In reality, journeypersons act as an occasional advisors and teachers, but allow apprentices to work independently on tasks that they have been trained for. A greater ratio of apprentices would not jeopardize this type of relationship, and this is the kind of choice about human resources that employers should make for themselves.
Safety Acts that Frustrate Productivity
The safety acts covering gas, electrical, elevating devices and pressure vessels all contain qualified worker requirements that are based on age-old craft training jurisdictions. But, the globally-competitive environment we now face demands flexible work practices. For example, our beleaguered pulp and paper mills require multi-skilled individuals who may do some instrument work and some electrical work. But the Electrical Safety Act prevents anyone other than a four-year traditionally trained electrician from doing electrical work. The result is that our mills cannot train their workers for what they do. Workers are forced to be trained to a standard that does not fit industry's needs. The world standard for pulp productivity is under 1.5 hours per tonne and BC mills struggle to get under 2 hours per tonne in large part due to labour inflexibility. The government should set safety standards, but should administer them in a less prescriptive manner."
from a letter from Mr Hochstein to MLA Kevin Falcon, minister for deregulation.
Now amazingly we see under-qualified workers "fast-tracked" into the labor force, where they serve as marginalized and captive labour for low bid industry with no commitment to safety, and no concern for workers, environment or regulation.
and that's why, beyond simply apprentices, we all need unions. We hold the line , often alone , against the quick-fix, quick buck artists who would gut the future for a dollar.
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posted 04 February 2004 04:35 PM
