Operating engineers union endorses Ford for re-election
Another construction trades union has thrown its support behind Doug Ford’s re-election campaign.
The International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 793 announced its full endorsement of Ford and the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party for the June 2 provincial election.
The union represents more than 18,000 crane and heavy equipment operators who work in all sectors of the construction industry, industrial and mining sectors across the province.
Local 793 Business Manager Mike Gallagher delivered the endorsement in a letter to Labour, Training and Skills Development Minister Monte McNaughton. In it, Gallagher wrote that the backing is centred on the Progressive Conservative government's clear commitment to the skilled trades in Ontario, their strong emphasis on safety and training, and promise to invest in infrastructure.
"Your party has focused on the recruitment of young workers into the skilled trades and emphasized significant highway, transit, and infrastructure spending to grow our economy, keep employment high and ultimately build our economy back stronger than it was pre-pandemic," said Gallagher.
Gallagher also pointed to McNaughton's legislative approach to preserve the compulsory and voluntary trades and his understanding of the importance of having properly trained and licensed tradespeople doing dangerous work to ensure all workers and the public are protected.
Gallagher listed three reasons why the union has switched its traditional support from the provincial Liberals to Ford and his party for this election
“The number one reason would be his leadership,” Gallagher said. “Doug Ford has shown his leadership throughout the last two years where we had an unprecedented pandemic, and he was able to adapt to changing circumstances that happened very quickly. The ability to keep everyone informed on a weekly basis as Premier Ford did at the time was absolutely essential to the safety of the people here in the province of Ontario and to our members of Local 793.
“Another reason would be the unprecedented $158 billion investment in much-needed infrastructure. We need to keep the economy going, especially with the impact of inflation and the pandemic that we went through. We fully support the investment in needed infrastructure and the commitment to affordable housing which has been made.
“Last but not least, is the commitment to skills training, compulsory certification and mandatory training,” Gallagher added. “Here today we have a graduating class of our students who will go out into the industry and help build it for the future and we need jobs. We need jobs for them and we need support for our skills training. So, it’s definitely hats off to the Premier and his team.”
Ford visited the union’s head office and training facility on May 27 to accept the endorsement. He was joined by McNaughton, Oakville MPP Stephen Crawford and Mayor Rob Burton.
“Each of these organizations knows what it takes to build and each of these unions are lining up behind our plan to build Ontario,” he said. “Every day more and more people are lending their support for our plan to build Ontario and nowhere is that support growing more than among our women and men who work in the skilled trades. I’ve been so proud to welcome the support of a growing number of unions representing the women and men who are building Ontario.