PAGE A6 – May 2009 – The GTA Construction Report
COCA supports Task Force success
Contributed to the GTA Construction Report
member construction asso- Mobilized out of a pre- the chair and senior man- ally facilitated tripartite re-
ciations, the Task Force vailing high level of discon- agement at the WSIB. Chair treat and work together to
In late November of last WSIB Task Force. Com- originally set out to demand tent throughout our industry Mahoney, chief prevention find some common ground
year, a large number of con- prised largely of members that construction be listened that construction was being officer Tom Beegan and solutions around the road
struction employer repre- of COCA’s WSIB-OH&S to and that the issues and ignored by the WSIB, the other WSIB senior execu- forward for the WSIB.
sentatives and association Committee and with the ad- concerns of the industry be Task Force is capably led by tives have met with the Task Feelings among Task Force
leaders convened to form dition of representatives taken seriously by the Clive Thurston of the Force on many occasions members about the tripartite
the Construction Industry from three non-COCA WSIB. OGCA and assisted by vice and positive and construc- are mixed, with some
chair, Ian Cunningham of tive dialogue appears to be strongly in favour, some
COCA. taking place. Issues under generally in favour but do
At its outset, many pre- review include the follow- not believe this is the right
dicted that the Task Force ing: 1) rebalancing of the time, and some firmly
would fizzle and die like so funding framework to pro- against.
many other well-founded vide premium rates that are COCA has been among
and well-intentioned com- competitive with other juris- the very strongest support-
mittees. But the passion of dictions while providing a ers of the Task Force since
the industry for reform has fair level of benefits to sick its formation. COCA is well
persisted and has continued and injured workers; 2) the represented at all meetings
to drive the Task Force to an proposed accreditation pro- and COCA staff drafts most
intensive level of high qual- gram which, thanks to the of the Task Force’s official
ity activity. efforts of the Task Force, letters and position papers.
The Task Force has ac- has been put on hold; 3) the In addition, COCA along
complished a great deal in consolidation of the safe with five other Task Force
the four months since its workplace associations and members provided funding
formation. Clearly its most the amalgamation of our for the drafting of a discus-
significant achievement is CSAO with mining, trans- sion paper that guided delib-
that the WSIB has recog- portation, electrical and erations on the development
nized the ire of construction electrical utilities; 4) experi- of a strong and unified con-
industry employers, in ag- ence rating and the struction industry position
Sod Turning Ceremony for the Middlesex Centre Family Doctor Teaching
gregate its largest financial Morneau-Sobeco report, on mandatory WSIB cover-
Clinic in Ilderton. From left to right: Dr. Brubacher, Dr. Meredith,
contributor. The Task Force which was commissioned age in construction.
Mayor Al Edmondson, and Dr. Freeman. has opened regular lines of by the WSIB but not ap- Since the formation of
communication with both proved by its board of direc- the Task Force, the activities
tors; 5) the financial of COCA’s WSIB-OH&S
sustainability of Ontario’s Committee have been sus-
workers compensation sys- pended. It was felt by man-
tem with its unfunded liabil- agement that COCA was
ity in the neighbourhood of being well served by the
$13 B; 6) the governance of Task Force and that our own
the WSIB and the composi- meetings would be redun-
tion of its board of directors dant. This position was con-
and how the board holds firmed by COCA’s newly
management accountable. formed Policy and Priorities
Perhaps the Task Force Committee (P&P), the
can also take at least some “super committee” responsi-
credit for the initiation of the ble for all of COCA’s policy
round of “meaningful” con- development and advocacy
sultations spearheaded by activities. At its inaugural
WSIB chair Steve Mahoney meeting, members of the
that are currently underway. p&p committee agreed that
The Task Force will be WSIB issues and the COCA
meeting with Mr. Mahoney brand are tied together in-
on April 21 for briefings on separably and that COCA
the financial state of the members expect their
WSIB and its investment provincial federation to be
position, on the efficiency of extremely active on their be-
WSIB operations and on the half on the WSIB file.
success of its prevention ini- Committee members agreed
tiatives including the con- though that COCA should
solidation of the safe not attempt to duplicate the
workplace associations. At work of the Task Force
that time, the Task Force which has proved to be so
will have an opportunity to successful. It was recom-
present its views on all that mended that COCA should
ails the WSIB and the become the secretariat for
preparation of that presenta- the Task Force and formal-
tion is well underway. ize an arrangement for the
In addition to the consul- provision of support serv-
tation on April 21, chair Ma- ices with the Task Force and
honey has also proposed COCA will initiate discus-
that construction industry sions in this regard with the
employers, labour and the Task Force leadership in the
WSIB meet in a profession- near future.
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16