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Locals may face rec centre hurdle

OWEN SOUND: Head of trades association says union affiliations will give out-of-town bidders advantage

Posted By DENIS LANGLOIS, SUN TIMES STAFF

Posted 3 days ago

Few local tradespeople will win contracts to work on Owen Sound's multimillion-dollar regional recreation complex because of the construction manager's loyalty to unions, says the head of a local trades association.

Doug Sowerby, Grey-Bruce Home Builders and Trades Association president, said "very few" local tradespeople are affiliated with a union, which is required for most contracts related to the recreation centre build.

"Basically, the local money is going to end up going out of town," Sowerby said Wednesday.

Not so, says Coun. Jim McManaman.

While union affiliation is a requirement for most major contracts, he said several tenders and all material supply jobs will also be open to non-unionized workers.

He said the city will encourage all successful contractors to hire locally when possible.

"We have done and we will continue to do everything we can to ensure that local interests are represented," he said.

Aquicon Construction Ltd. has union affiliations, as do most of the firms that also bid on the construction manager position, McManaman said.

Trades positions represented by the Labourer's International Union of North America, United Brotherhood of Carpenters Union, International Union of Operating Engineers and Brick and Allied Craft Union of Canada must be awarded to union members.

McManaman said other jobs, such as electrical and mechanical work, are not linked to the unions.

"We can call it a hybrid. There are some parts of it which are union. There are some parts of it which are available to everybody, union and non-union," he said.

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"When you break down the construction budget, there will be millions of dollars available for union companies to bid on and supply and there will be millions of dollars for non-union (workers) to bid on and supply. I don't think either side is being excluded."

McManaman said successful bidders that have union ties "must offer the jobs to local union members first," according to union rules.

Brad McRoberts, Owen Sound's manager of special capital projects, said 21 tender packages will be prepared for the construction phase of the $37.6- million recreation centre project.

Project planners are almost finished screening companies, as part of a prequalification process, to determine if they meet the criteria to bid. About 80 companies applied for prequalification.

McRoberts said the city will post eligible companies on its website. Only prequalified companies can bid.

Tender packages will be let out as the project unfolds.

The city has a tender posted for excavation and water/sewer relocation. Other tenders will be posted by Aquicon.

Tender packages will be for: excavation/backfill, site servicing, drilled caisson foundations, metal work/carpentry, concrete floors/rink slabs, pools, concrete/ form work, mechanical, electrical, metal siding, masonry, aluminum panel, roofi n g/metal flashing, drywall/acoustics, carpet/flooring, painting, aluminum curtain wall/glazing, curbing and landscaping.