b'FUNDING MECHANISMTHE INDUSTRY FUNDSam Morra reflects on the Funds early historyS am Morra served theForming Committees such aswould contribute based on a industry as OSWCAsGovernment Relations;percentage of their companys Executive Directorpipe purchases, recalls Morra. and President. He isDevelopment of an industryThe Industry Fund was currently at CondorHealth and Safety Manual; anddesigned in a way to be fair: if Properties as Senioryou got work you gave a little Vice President of Forging strong relationshipsback to the industry. Planning and Development. Inwith other construction this article, Morra remembers theassociations. Later, the Ontario Municipal beginning of the Industry Fund.Manufacturers and Distributors Founded in 1971, OSWCA,In 1990, OSWCA and the OntarioCommittee (OMMDC) came like a lot of other constructionConcrete Pipe Associationonboard, creating a program associations, struggled off and on(OCPA) began exploringthrough which OMMDC through its early decades to findmechanisms that would helpmembers collected OSWCA appropriate and ongoing fundingto fund OSWCAs work on themembers contributions to the mechanisms. However, there wascritical issues within the sewerIndustry Fund.always a strong belief that workingand watermain sector. We spoke together on common issues wouldto major players in the industry benefit member companies andand asked them to believe inFrankly, says Morra, OSWCAs the sewer and watermain industryOSWCA and in themselves asIndustry Fund was the envy of at large.an industry and to start payingother construction associations. into an Industry Fund if they gotWhen we went to the Canadian work, says Morra.Construction Associations As such, in the 1970s and 1980sconference, people were in awe the Association relied heavily onIt was a bold move, adds Morraof what we were able to accom-volunteers; this was a challengecandidly, and there were someplish, he recalls. But we never as more and more critical andat OSWCA who were hesitant totook this support for granted, industry-wide issues were identifiedbelieve it could work. But we hadand OSWCA has always been and solutions proposed.enough confidence in OSWCAsgrateful for the work it is able ability to bring members enoughto do on behalf of the industry As examples, these included: value that they would pay into anbecause of the Industry Fund.Advocating for full-cost pricingIndustry Fund voluntarily.from municipalities for sewer andIMPORTANT STUDIES watermain services; As a result, in 1995 anWith the growth in funding, agreement was struck with theOSWCA was able to hire consul- Advocating for a pay assuranceOCPA that members of OSWCAtants to do important studies on initiative if working in privatewould contribute to an Industrysubjects that have a direct impact industry; Fund; each OSWCA memberon members businesses. 32 H 2 OSWCAWinter/Spring 2020'