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| Thursday, May 4 , 2 0 1 7 | 26 Y o u n gpeople m ust be protected: IU O E continued from p.24 Gallagher said it' s disconcerting that a national survey showed more than 40 per cent of employers do not share their workplace health and safety policies with new workers w hen they start on a job. The survey was conducted for Toronto law firm Fasken Martineau. The statistics, he said, show there' s more to be done on the employer' s side. "We have to put into practice what is in our policies," he said, "and w e have to make sure of that, especially w ith young people," he added. Gallagher told those attending the ceremony that it' s also vital that more of the operating engineer trades become compulsory, rather than voluntary. "We need more of the work out there that is dangerous to the public, and dangerous to the workers on the job sites, to become what we call restricted trades." He said Local 793 is seeking compulsory status for concrete pump operators, but other heavy equipment trades should also become restricted trades. "Somebody working on an excavator, for example, and working on a job site should be well-trained and know what they're doing," he said. Local 793 President Joe Redshaw emceed the ceremony and told those attending that a survey done for the Ontario Construction Secretariat showed that the unionized construction industry is 23 per cent safer than the non-union sector. The study examined worker compensation data from the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board for close to 45,000 construction firms and 1.5 million construction workers, reporting for the period from 2006 to 2012. "So what w e' ve been preaching for years is true," said Redshaw. Researchers, he said, are now digging deeper to find out w hy the unionized sector is safer. "We on the inside have our own opinion," Redshaw said. "It' s our commitment to training, the health and safety atmosphere in the unionized sector, and the apprenticeship programs that w e all invest heavily into to train our members on how to operate the equipment. "The secondary factor is that workers know they have the right to refuse to work under the Occupational Health and Safety Act," said Redshaw. "In the non-union sector they are a little bit afraid to go out for fear of their jobs, whereas a union worker knows if he goes out and complains about issues on the project he has the backing of his union," he continued. -- submitted by Grant Cameron, director of communications, International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 793 w w w .insideH A LTO N .com | OAKVILLE BEAVER Presented by W H IT E H O R S E LIQUIDITY PARTNERS FO R In support of V i WELLSPRING '6 wellspring W Sunday, May 14th, 2017,9am Join us on Mother's Day for the 8th Annual Lace Up for Love 1 KM & 5 KM WALK/RUN Spencer Smith Park, Burlington $25.00 Registration Fee, Children 12 and under FREE! Walk or Run alongside your mom, family and friends and enjoy a day of inspiration, fun and fitness in support of people living with cancer in your community. ALL PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE: · Race Kit · Chocolate Medal · First 180 Moms receive an IRONDames BUFF PRIZES FOR: · Top Fundraiser · Top Fundraising Team · Team Spirit · Top Junior Fundraiser r mziis s F u n d s ra is e d w ill s u p p o r t p ro g ra m s a n d s e rv ic e s a t W e lls p rin g B irm in g h a m G ilg a n H o u s e . neStars S H HomeStars Register today at HomeStaj w e llsp rin g.ca/laceu p In partnership with "You can always count on us."" AU TO G R O U P LAG .CA HomeStars