Today’s episode of the America's Work Force Union Podcast featured Chris Flett, Business Manager, and Anthony Noseworthy, Assistant Business Manager and Director of Organizing, from the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 955 in Alberta, Canada. The union's roots are in Canada's oil sands and mining industries, which create challenging work conditions. The pair also discussed a recent successful organizing drive at OEM Remanufacturing and the unique labor laws in Alberta and across Canada.
The first discussion point examined the working conditions faced by Operating Engineers in Alberta's resource-rich environment. Flett explained that Local 955, established in 1948, represents over 12,000 members working across various industries. Both Flett and Noseworthy reflected on their mining backgrounds, highlighting how the local climate affects operations. Freezing temperatures are actually needed for certain reclamation and mining tasks, and the seasonal changes demand adaptive engineering solutions. The union’s membership fluctuates depending on economic cycles, but it remains a vital part of Canada’s oil sands workforce.
Next, Noseworthy discussed a significant organizing victory at OEM Remanufacturing. He recounted how more than 800 workers, previously represented by the Christian Labor Association of Canada, sought stronger representation and a more effective voice on the job. Dissatisfied with limited grievance support and wage disparities, these workers approached Local 955. The organizers guided them through Alberta’s complex labor laws and ultimately secured an overwhelming vote in favor of change. Local 955 now represents these workers, handling both current and outstanding grievances and preparing to negotiate a stronger collective agreement.
Finally, the guests addressed the broader context of Canadian labor laws and organizing within Alberta. Flett said Alberta is known as the “Texas of the North” due to its oil-driven economy and conservative labor policies. Noseworthy described the challenges of organizing in Alberta, where legal procedures can stretch across months or even years, often exhausting workers and stalling momentum. Both leaders highlighted differences in collective bargaining and healthcare compared to the U.S., noting Canada's guaranteed minimum standard of healthcare for all citizens and how that shifts the nature of union negotiations. Despite these obstacles, Local 955 is committed to expanding its organizing efforts, offering hope and a stronger voice for workers seeking real representation.
For more on organizing in Alberta, listen to the full episode of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast above.
America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.
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