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Board Meeting
April 30, 2019
Davidson Town Hall
9:00AM -1:00PM
All members
are welcome and encouraged to attend.
(meeting packages will be available on request)
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The Board and members hosted our 2018 AGM on January 29, 2019. Highlights included the following:
- Election of 2019 Board of Directors and Officers
- the Association by-laws were reviewed and amended (a copy is available on the ECAS website "Membership" TAB)
- 2018 year end finacials were presented and approved (for a complete copy of the minutes and financials to go www.ecasask.ca "Members Only TAB" )
- Board President Come Prefontaine presented the Annual Review and State of the Association Report
PRESIDENT
'
S EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In 2018 the board and sta
ff
at ECAS continued to work on growing the membership, expanding member services, strengthening committee work, while ensuring a strong financial position. Most importantly in 2018, the Association advocated for the e
ffi
cient, safe delivery of electrical services in the province. Our strategy to do this was to promote enforcement processes and enhance requirements for electrical contracting in Saskatchewan with government and SaskPower regulators.
2018 accomplishments:
- Two new committees were formed:
- Saskatchewan Electrical Technical Committee
- Saskatchewan Electrical Design Committee
As a trade association, we must be united and strong. The future is going to see many challenges with new and evolving technologies that will present the opportunity for renovators and others to erode the scope of the electrical trade. We need an active membership with appropriate financial resources to meet the challenge of guiding government and industry regulators to ensure a safe, and profitable electrical trade in the years to come.
This has been a challenging year for many of our member companies but we need your ongoing membership and support for the Association if we are going to continue the vital work on our initiatives. We are making headway on numerous long-standing issues and can only sustain this momentum by your membership renewal and participation in the Association, both at the local and provincial level.
I would like to thank all members for their support in my second year as ECAS President. Our Association truly has become the voice for electrical contractors in the province.
A special thank you for the ongoing efforts of our 2018 Board of Directors:
- ECAS established with Priority Saskatchewan that a provincial Master's Electrician licence is not in violation of the New-West Partnership Trade Agreement (NWPTA).
- ECAS was part of the consortium of construction associations to successfully lobby the Saskatchewan government to develop prompt payment legislation.
- ECAS's new website was developed with a membership and ecommerce component. This initiative will provide an annual savings to the Association of approximately $3,500.
- Meetings were held with government procurement directors to ensure fair tendering practices are being utilized.
- Cost savings and the increase in membership revenue resulted in a transfer of approxmiately $15,000 to the contingency fund.
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ECAS Presents Appreciation Plaques
Thank you plaques were presented at the AGM to outgoing Board members Barry Iles, Rob Istace, Garnett Connelly and Wes Saworksy.
Rob Istace Alliance Energy (Saskatoon) (right) receiving his plaque from Côme Prefontaine (outgoing ECAS President) at the AGM.
Pictures for
Barry Iles, Garnett Connelly and Wes Saworsky not available at the time of production.
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TIN CUP 2019
Save the Date!!
In early May email invitations will be sent to all members and past players with an electronic registration package. We sell out every year. Book the date in your calendars!
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We are very pleased to announce the addition of our newest Copper Sponsor.
RS Breakers & Controls has been providing new, used and obsolete electrical equipment to customers across Canada for over 15 years. Whether you're looking for circuit breakers, bus plugs, panel switches or motor controls, our experienced team will save you time and money.
All RS Breakers & Controls products are fully tested to ANSI accredited standards and go through the RS 7-Point Process for cleaning, inspection and additional testing. Plus, every part is backed by the RS 1-Year Warranty because we stand behind everything we do.
RS Breakers & Controls prides itself on unrivaled customer service. The RS 24/7 Emergency Service Centre provides knowledgeable technical support plus hard to find OEM parts. From fast quotes, to on-time delivery, to SAP powered inventory, RS Breakers & Controls ensures customers get what they want, when they want it. For more information contact Scott Cameron scott@rsbreakers.com
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Executive Director's Report
By now you will have received your invoice and notices for the 2019 membership renewal in the ECA of Sk. Thank you, to all in the electrical industry who have renewed your membership and to our new members - welcome to the Association. This is our first year of using our ecommerce website for membership renewal. We thank you for your patience and understanding in this our first year of implementation. If you have not already renewed your membership, please do so in a timely fashion as your ongoing support of ECA of Sk. is extremely important as we continue to make headway on many long-standing advocacy issues.
The Registered Contractor Program has been a very important program to our Association and has attracted many new members. The requirement and process to have member journeypersons certified on the 2018 CEC code has been a great success. The number of journeypersons who have completed code renewal has greatly exceeded all expectations making our industry safer and more compliant with the CEC. Please note that certification continues to be free of charge and offered on-line or in-person by inspectors from the SaskPower Inspections Branch.
There will be continued pressing issues in the advocacy file in 2019. ECA of SK. will continue lobbying for a strong electrical contractor presence during the transition of electrical inspections and licencing to TSASK. In addition, we will be consulting on the final documentation of prompt payment legislation in Saskatchewan and continuing our quest to change the Saskatchewan Electrical Licencing Act to provide for a Master Electrical qualification in the province.
2019 ECA of Sk. Active Committees:
Ad Hoc Committees:
- SCA Advisory Council - Prompt Payment Legislation Committee
- Single Safety Services Agency (TSASK)
Standing Committees:
- SCA Advisory Council
- Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission
- Saskatchewan Bid Depository Committee
- Canadian Electrical Contractors Association
- Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association
- Saskatchewan Electrical Liaison Committee
- Saskatchewan Electrical Technical Committee
- Saskatchewan Electrical Design Committee
Thank you for your past and future support of the Electrical Contracting industry in Saskatchewan. We look forward to representing you again in 2019!
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Federated is a Copper Sponsor of your Association and offers us great support at events and leadership opportunities for our association. As a leading Insurance Company they also provide a great understanding of the needs of contractors. Each edition they offer important information on risk mitigation to support your business. This edition will feature:
5 Tips for Better Password Security
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Save Time & Money with Your Entry-Level Employees
Choosing the right employee can be a daunting and costly task. You or your HR team must post the position, filter through resumes, schedule interviews, perform reference checks and finally offer employment. Once the person has started, you have to put them through all the safety training needed to step foot on the job site. How much time and money does this cost you?
Imagine getting to try an employee for 2 weeks before you commit to hiring them! Imagine this not costing your company a dime while wages and WCB insurance are taken care of! Imagine this employee has all their safety tickets, has entry-level knowledge of tools, materials and basic wiring skills! Image this employee has been screened, interviewed and has already proven eight weeks of amazing attendance, attitude, work ethic and skill development! JUST IMAGINE how much time and money you could save!
You can stop imaging now! Regina Trades & Skills Centre (RTSC) provides the entry-level employees you were just envisioning. They are a demand-led training centre that trains with employment being its' top priority. They meet with industry, determine employment needs, then fill those needs by training students with the skills and behaviours needed to meet or exceed industry expectations.
Regina Trades & Skills Centre will have an Entry-Level Electricians' Course from Jan. 28 - Apr. 5, 2019. This course is designed to provide students with the entry-level skills needed to get started in this trade. The training is done by a journey person electrician and includes basic theory, wiring methods, basic circuits, planning, layout, conduit bending as well as tools and materials.
A very important piece of our education is the work placement. We search for employers looking to hire and partner them with a student for a 2 week placement. RTSC pays their wage and covers WCB insurance. The commitment from the employer is that if the student is a good fit for the company, then there is a good possibility of continuing employment. This placement will take place March 25 - April 5, 2019. They hope you will consider one of their students as a potential employee.
RTSC relies on employers to partner with them and try one of their students. They pride themselves with a 91% employment rate and 98.8% attendance rate (current fiscal Stats). If you are interested in one of these amazing students, want more information or just want to meet the students and see the Training Centre, please contact Melissa Dobrowolski or any of the staff at the RTSC.
It just makes CENTS!
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Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission Is One Of Saskatchewan's Top Employers
We're proud the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission (SATCC) has been named one of Saskatchewan's Top Employers for 2019 by Mediacorp Canada Inc.
SATCC employees are highly engaged and feel valued for the work they do. In turn, they provide exceptional service to our organization's clients: Saskatchewan's apprentices and employers.
Every year, the SATCC oversees an employee engagement survey, administered by Insightrix. In 2018, more than 80 per cent of employees agreed with the statement: "I find my work fulfilling and look forward to coming to work each day." More than 80 per cent of employees agreed their managers give them the freedom to do their job effectively and more than 70 per cent of employees agreed they feel valued for the work they do.
The SATCC's client satisfaction surveys show positive results, too.
According to the SATCC's 2017 Apprentice and Employer Satisfaction Surveys, administered by Insightrix, SATCC staff members are doing a great job serving clients. More than 90 per cent of apprentice employers agreed staff members are helpful, friendly and knowledgeable; and more than 80 per cent of apprentices agreed.
The SATCC achieves these sort of results in a few ways. First, the SATCC has active Employee Engagement and Social Committees. These committees help ensure employees' voices are heard and that we're planning fun events in recognition of our staff members' work across the province.
Second, the SATCC strives to build a diverse workforce. We are proud of the number of women working in management and executive roles. More than 50 per cent of the SATCC's managers are women and more than 50 per cent of the SATCC's executive team are women. At the SATCC, we track and aim to grow the number of apprentices from underrepresented groups. (In the skilled trades, women are still an underrepresented group, making up about only 10 per cent of the apprenticeship population.) We want to see a skilled trades workforce that is representative of our province's diverse population. Our hiring practices reflect this goal.
This is the first time the SATCC has applied for and received the Saskatchewan's Top Employer Award. To view the full list of winners, visit:
www.canadastop100.com/sk/.
Organizations who apply for the award are evaluated by the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers on: physical workplace; work atmosphere and social; health, financial and family benefits; vacation and time off; employee communications; performance management; training and skills development; and community involvement.
In addition to facilitating the Canada's Top 100 Employers competition (and the associated special-interest and regional competitions), Mediacorp Canada Inc. operates Eluta.ca, a Canadian job search engine.
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The Canadian Electrical Contractors Association
Working for You!
CECA recently made some major modifications to our website. The new website has been designed to work on all devices, from desktop PC's to mobile phones. You can now order your job site journals or look up the latest ELECTRI Report right from your phone.
All ECAS members were sent emails in November to let you know about the website. The email also included a link to activate your CECA account. Although many members have activated their CECA website membership, there are still a lot of contractors that have not activated their accounts. Without activating your account, you will not have access to the benefits offered by the website. If you have not activated your CECA account and can't find the original email, please let us know and we will resend you an activation link.
As a member of CECA, you are entitled to member discounts on all NECA/CECA publications, ELECTRI International Reports and Canadian Electrical Installation Standards (CEIS). The majority of the ELECTRI International Reports are free downloads for our members.
Also available to our members is an online membership directory. This is a directory containing the business information for all Canadian contractors that are members of CECA. Contractors have full control on how much, if any, information they want displayed in their online directory listing. The online directory is a good way to find partner contractors from other provinces. This is also a good way for customers to search for an electrical contractor. Potential customers now have a way to search for an electrical contractor in their province or city. CECA is also looking at a third search ability which would allow searches for specific regions within a province.
As always, ceca.org is the place to go to get news on how CECA is advocating on your behalf at the national and international levels.
If you have any questions about the new website or the work we have been doing on your behalf, please send an email to
ceca@ceca.org
or call me at 416-491-2414.
Respectfully yours,
Gregg Whitty
CECA Operations Manager
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Saskatchewan Construction Association Advocacy Update
ECAS Newsletter - March 2019
Procurement Day brings together owners, consultants, and contractors for a full day of discussion and relationship building.
The day consists of information around building opportunities for 2019, and updates on the procurement approaches of public and private owners.
The morning will feature presentations, panel discussion and questions with prominent public owners. At noon there will be a break for a luncheon featuring a keynote speaker from the provincial government. The afternoon format will replicate the morning but will feature private sector owners. In both cases, designated time and space have been strategically allocated for building connections with each of our panelists. The day will come to an end with a cash bar and appetizers for casual networking.
Procurement Day is the only construction-exclusive day for information on 2019 procurement opportunities.
Saskatchewan Construction Week will take place April 8-12, 2019. For more information on events and registration go to:
www.constructionweek.ca
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Welcome to the following who have become new members since our last edition.
To download a copy of this logo for your company letterhead or website click here.
Canem Systems Ltd. Saskatoon
Czerwonka's Electric Montmarte
Meridian Solar and Electric Radville
Pinoy Electric Saskatoon
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