HISTORY

 

The Ironworker locals in the province of Alberta were established in the late 1940’s by the men who had done the outside erection for the unionized fabrication shops in the province.

After the second world war most of the shops in Alberta were under the jurisdiction of the Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers Union. In 1949, there was a movement by this organization to assimilate the erection crews. Many of these men had worked in other areas and were familiar with the Ironworkers and preferred to belong to this International organization.

In 1949, General Organizer George Holland from Spokane, Washington, was asked to come to Canada to organize the Ironworkers. Two locals were rapidly formed, Local 720 in Edmonton to take care of the Northern part of the province and Local 725 in Calgary to handle the South. A charter signed by General President J.H. Lyons Sr., and General Secretary J.R. Downes, was granted to Local 725 on the fourth of May 1950.

The original members included in the appplication for our Charter were as follows: Brothers Gustave Bienvenu, Frank Butlin, Thomas Donohue, Anton Grenovitch, William Kemp, Fred Kinsman, Charles Nicholls, Tony Richter, Bert Riswald, and Leslie Anton Staples. The first Business Agent for Local 725 was Brother Tony Richter.

Local 725’s jurisdictional area covers about 150,000 square kilometres between the city of Red Deer in the north and the United States’ border in the south.

On March 22, 1951, Local 725 received their first certification from the Alberta Board of Industrial Relations as the recognized bargaining agent for the employees of Dominion Bridge Company Ltd. On May 21st, 1951, Local 725 and 720 signed a one year province wide agreement with this company giving a Journeyman Ironworker $1.80 per hour. This agreement was signed for Local 725 by brother Tony Richter and brother Leo Chikinda.

The first benefit program for Local 725 members was a Health and Welfare plan that began in 1959 with a contribution of five cents per hour. The premium for complete coverage at that time was $4.62 per member per month. A very successful multi-employer pension plan for all members was instituted in the Collective Agreement of April 1970 with a contribution of ten cents per hour. In 1974 reciprocal agreements were signed with several of the other Canadian Locals. July 1, 1988, Local 725 entered into the International Reciprocal Agreement.

All Local 725 Ironworkers can be proud of the pioneers whose foresight and determination made it possible for the lifestyle we all enjoy now!