After two years of hard work, Local 537 (Hamilton, Ontario) Organizer Tim Last achieved a major milestone. He accomplished not only a personal career goal but an important goal for the organization — under the leadership of Business Manager David Harrison — by organizing Landon Mechanical, the area’s largest nonunion competitor. The company has a significant market share, with 13 jobs on the go and six more about to start.
When Last first began organizing Landon Mechanical, his persistence and consistency started to make an impact. Over time, small groups of workers began leaving the contractor to join Local 537, enticed by the employer-paid pension and benefits package. Even a few forepersons made the switch.
It didn’t take long for management to notice the steady loss of employees.
with Matt Orsini (right), a Local 285 traveler hired
after Landon became a signatory contractor
“If they kept losing their labour force, they would have trouble fulfilling their contracts,” Last recalled.
Crews were stretched so thin that eventually, Landon Mechanical was left with a choice: keep fighting or partner with Local 537 to stabilize their workforce and secure their future.
Last’s pitch to management was simple: “By joining Local 537, you get the labour force you need to not only stay alive and keep thriving, but to grow.”
Since certifying the company of roughly 48 members, Local 537 has already added 25 more members to the company, a huge accomplishment for a local that is already operating at full employment.
Looking back on the organizing campaign, Last sees it as more than just a win for one company.
“I’m very confident this success will inspire other nonunion companies to stop thinking of us as the big bad union,” he said, “and instead see that partnering with us helps their companies grow and be successful.”
In other words, it’s a win-win-win: “The contractor wins by getting skilled labour and opening new markets. We help keep them competitive through subsidized labour. Their employees win with the union package. And our local wins by gaining market shares and strengthening our labour pool for the future.”
But getting there wasn’t always easy. The two-year campaign came with its share of challenges, with Last never knowing just how close he was to a breakthrough. During those tough stretches, he leaned on the Ontario group of organizers, a close-knit group that stays in touch to celebrate victories and offer encouragement when faced with setbacks. That same spirit of collaboration was extended to Local 537 from other Ontario sister locals, who worked alongside Last to support Landon jobs across the greater Toronto area.
This success comes at a time of major growth for Local 537, which has added nearly 200 new members over the past year, including those from Landon Mechanical. Many of those members are now working on a major hospital infrastructure project, while the local has already started supplying members to a battery separator manufacturing facility.
That’s the union difference!