ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA - As construction booms across Canada, the Iron Workers and the Ironworker Management Progressive Action Cooperative Trust (IMPACT) are ensuring that Ironworkers are the best-led, most highly skilled workers in the construction industry with the help of a new Foreman Training course. Held last week at Local 764, St. John’s, Newfoundland, the leadership class attracted 18 Ironworker attendees from the region.
“More work in Canada at projects like Long Harbour and Hebron means there is a need for more Ironworkers in foreman leadership roles,” said Iron Workers General President Walter Wise. “Improving the performance of Ironworkers helps our contractors to be more successful in terms of completing projects safely and on time. Our work is all about safety, quality and productivity.”
Feedback from Ironworkers is consistently positive, and attendees of the most recent course in Newfoundland encouraged the expansion of future courses. “This course is very helpful and covers all aspects of an Ironworker’s job. We are strengthening people in the workplace,” one attendee said.
Launched for the first time earlier this year, Foreman Training has been conducted with the help of IMPACT at local unions across North America. Foreman Training is a three-day course in which participants learn the roles and responsibilities of the foreman. In addition, they learn to create a successful work team, communicate effectively, apply problem-solving skills, document and maintain records, maintain labor-management relations, plan and schedule work, implement a safety program and ensure consistent, superior quality of work.
Local 764 is currently deploying 900 Ironworkers to various projects around Canada, including 500 at Long Harbour and 300 at Hebron in Newfoundland. The Local expects the number of deployed Ironworkers to rise by 300 in the coming months, to about 1200. This construction boom makes experience gained in foreman training ever more valuable, and the Ironworkers are ensuring that its members are prepared to lead.
About the Iron Workers Union:The International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers (IABSO&RIW) was founded in 1896 in Pittsburgh, Penn. They now represent more than 125,000 Ironworkers throughout the United States and Canada. The IABSO&RIW’s mission is to improve the working conditions of its members while promoting constructive relationships with their employers to increase work opportunities.
About IMPACT:The Ironworker Management Progressive Action Cooperative Trust (IMPACT) is an independent labor-management partnership designed to create work opportunities in the North American ironworking industry. Our primary mission is to provide a forum for Ironworkers and signatory contractors to discuss effective strategies to expand job opportunities through innovative labor-management cooperative programs. IMPACT provides expertise in training, construction certifications, marketing, construction project tracking and bidding, insurance and Davis-Bacon compliance efforts. IMPACT also administers a world-class substance abuse program to ensure that Ironworkers are safe, drug-free and ready to work.
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Contact: Brennan Gamwell, Communications Manager, (800) 545-4921