www.ecao.org 6 A FROM THE PRESIDENT, MARK LLOYD A tremendous amount has happened in our community since the last issue of this publication: we had a memorable Conference in Barcelona, we have a new provincial government, ECAO successfully debuted our initial webinar, discussions are underway with the IBEW/ CCO, our social media and online presence has been significantly upgraded, and we have had some changes of representation at the provincial and national level. I hope that everyone came away from Barcelona with a sense of satisfaction and great memories. In my observation it was one of the best conferences we have had, especially with how all of our attendees mingled with one another. The theme of the Conference was “Building Our Community,” and I felt that we were a community at the Conference. Even though the food, sights, events, and location were outstanding, I was most impressed by our leaving there with a feeling of fellowship and clearly sharing common interests and goals. ECAO congratulates our new premiere, Doug Ford, and his team on a rather spectacular victory on June 7. We have reached out to the Premier, the Minister of Labour, and others as the ECAO and as a part of other like-minded groups/associations. In doing so, ECAO has made the new government aware of a number of our issues including the uncertainty of aspects of the Fair Workplaces legislation enacted by their predecessors. While the changes made by that legislation may have created a necessary fairness in some segments of Ontario’s workplaces, it is clear that the legislation’s drafters failed to understand, didn’t consider, or weren’t concerned about the construction industry. ECAO and our members need to make it clear that we are a significant force in this province’s economy! It is our hope to have had a meeting with a number of these elected officials by the time you receive this magazine. It is also extremely important that our members lobby at the grassroots level. So, please get in and see your newly-elected provincial representatives and begin to develop a relationship with them. Bring them into our community. We continue to keep an eye on the proposed Scope of Practice (SoP) reviews to be undertaken by the Ontario College of Trades (OCOT). In addition to staying abreast of developments in this regard, we are being clear that we have concerns that the SoP reviews may devolve into jurisdictional grabs by trade unions other than the IBEW. ECAO continues to emphasize the need to maintain the integrity of the trade New plan benefits, same great service and pricing. HealthSource Plus, a People Corporation Company, has merged with long-time ECAO Associate Member, Skipwith & Associates. Contain costs while enjoying exceptional service with our newly enhanced employee benefits plans for groups of all sizes; 1-3 Employees – Flexibility and low cost options 4-250 Employees – Match current or design your own plan One contact – daily support, booklets, coverage, claims, invoicing Call 1-800-753-0110 or email Jason Ovsenny at JOvsenny@healthsourceplus.com NO COST TO QUOTE