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Cruszn the Columbia
JUNE 12, 2012 Vol. 117, Issue 114
110
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INCLUDING H.S.T.
PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF
New contract gets strong support from union members
ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALM SALMO
GRAD CHAIRMAN
Multi-million dollar upgrade for aquatic centre BY TIMOTHY SCHAFER Times Staff
It’s not just a lot of hot air about a new project for the city’s aquatic centre. Work has begun this week on the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system at the Trail Aquatic and Leisure Centre, but you likely won’t see it happening. Work is being scheduled for the off-line hours of the centre— between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.—with minimal work being done during the daytime hours. “A lot of it is the stuff that is the mechanics of the building that is in walls or behind the ceilings,” said Trisha Davison, City of Trail parks and recreation director. “There’s not going to be a lot of visually
BY TIMOTHY SCHAFER Times Staff
The sun is shining a little brighter this week now that the details of the deal Local 480 of the United Steelworkers union signed Friday have sunk in. The membership gave its loudest ringing endorsement on a deal that they ever have, with 87.9 per cent of the membership (778 members) that voted saying ‘Yes’ to the tentative collective agreement struck one week prior, with 104 against. With 885 members voting—80 per cent of “It was one of the total membership— the highest it was obvious the deal ratification the negotiators had reached with the manvotes we agement of Teck Trail ever had.” Operations was one they ARMINDO DEMEDEIROS wanted, said Armindo deMedeiros, Local 480 vice president. “It was one of the highest ratification votes we ever had. It’s the highest I’ve ever seen here,” he said. Teck Trail Operations and locals 480 and 9705 of the United Steelworkers put final signatures on the new collective agreement for Trail operations after one month of negotiations that began in earnest April 30. The agreement was ratified and commences June 1, running through to May 31, 2017, replacing the three-year agreement that expired May 31. The agreement was a departure from past deals, said deMedeiros, being one year longer than the customary four the union typically signs, and included the biggest signing bonus the union has ever pulled in at $10,000. But the bonus and the longer contract duration was what the membership wanted, he said, after a priority sheet put out to its membership earlier in the year listed them as top priorities heading into negotiations. Considering what Teck unions on other properties had signed for—including Sparwood, Fording River and Elkview—in their negotiations in the last few months, Local 480 was right in line with their demands. Traditionally the Trail union liked to negotiate with any extra money asked for being put into wages or the pension, but for this time around the
See BONUS, Page 3
noticeable change when people walk in the door.” But people will notice the change once the work is done, she added. The goal of the $2.8-million project is to have a properly functioning HVAC system that includes proper dehumidification and improved energy efficiency while reducing operating costs, said Davison, as well as preserving the facility’s infrastructure. The de-humidifier that served the building’s main pool area failed over 10 years ago and it was never properly repaired, said Davison. As a result over time, issues have arisen with the unit and the building.
See HVAC, Page 3
TCARE bridges gap Program to help people suffering from chronic illness BY BREANNE MASSEY Times Staff
GUY BERTRAND PHOTO
Allan Tognotti, of School District 20’s maintenance department, sets up the chairs in the Cominco Arena for this weekend’s J.L. Crowe Secondary graduation ceremony.
Visualize being told that you have an incurable disease, being handed a couple of pamphlets about it and leaving the doctor’s office in a daze. This experience might be one that you’ve had if you suffer from cancer, congestive heart failure, chronic lung conditions or renal failure. But a three-year pilot program is gearing up in Castlegar and Trail to bridge the gap between health care professionals and people who have recently diagnosed with life-limiting illnesses. “It’s kind of like being the grease for the wheel,” said Brenda Hooper, the Trail Castlegar Augmented Response (TCARE) Coordinator. “What we hope to do is create a model for a program that will work so that we have a number of services out there. It’s about making those health care services—that are already there—
See PARTICIPANTS, Page 3
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