The Ontario Construction Report – October 2009 – PAGE OCR 5
Representing otherwise unorganized
contractors with political support and
an effective benefits program
STAFF WRITTER – The Ontario Construction Report Special Feature
The Merit OpenShop Contractors Association of Ontario
(MOCAO) is not afraid to step into the political and labour rela-
tions fray, but most members join for a much less controversial
reason: employee benefits.
The provincial association represents companies and em-
ployees who prefer to work without a collective bargaining
agreement negotiated with the industry’s organized trade union
movement.
MOCAO is growing rapidly, in part because its’ unique ben-
efits program, designed for contractors seeking to provide an em-
ployee the working environment and quality of life comparable
to their unionized counterparts – but without onerous costs and
restrictions on their businesses.
“When most people think of the construction sector they think
of big companies and unions,” says MOCAO’s Marie Sonnen-
berg, Executive Director who is responsible for MOCAO’s of-
fice administration member services and growth. “In fact,
two-thirds of Ontario’s construction employees are not in the
unions and many work for smaller companies.”
Conversely, says incoming President Dave MacDonald,
sometimes the unions, coupled with just a few workers and ex-
ploiting loopholes in provincial labour legislation, can wreck
havoc on law-abiding businesses and government agencies,
denying non-union companies the opportunities to bid on public
projects, while forcing small businesses into costly legal fights
over certification when most employees are happy with the way
things are.
For example, in a recent situation in the City of Hamilton,
“two carpenters out of 20 decided they wanted to join the Car-
penters Union,” said MacDonald. This meant that the City faced
the possibility of needing to disqualify most of slightly more than
250 otherwise-eligible outside non-union contractors for city
work. “Only 14 of the 250 contractors had an agreement (with
the Carpenters Union) and could continue to work for the city.”
MacDonald, formerly the MOCOA’s Chairperson, will be
taking on the President’s responsibilities, reflecting a shift and
expansion of the association’s resources.
“Eight years ago, we had one part-time staff member,” says
Domenic Mattina of Mattina Mechanical in Hamilton, the asso-
ciation’s deputy chair, who will be interim chair now that Mac-
Donald is becoming MOCOA’s President, . “Today, we will
have three full time employees.
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Please see page OCR 6
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