CWA News
The voice of the welding industry in Canada
December, 2006
CWA BOARD ACTIVITIES
There will be a meeting later this week of chapter chairs. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the future of the Canadian Welding Association. Several options are available, as laid out in the report to the Annual General Meeting in September. Each will be considered in terms of how it will affect members, membership benefits, the workload for chapter executives, and the health of the welding industry in Canada. These options include a possible merger or closer cooperation with the Canadian Welding Bureau, various options related to streamlining chapter program management and administration, and broadening the reach of our membership programs. If you have any thoughts on this matter, please let your chapter chair know ASAP.
CWA CHAPTERS
Golden Triangle
The Golden Triangle Chapter is reorganizing itself. Bill Gates and Brian Newman will jointly chair the chapter.
The chapter thanks Bruce James for his untiring work over the years in leading the chapter, organizing events and representing the chapter at CWA’s national level.
The chapter is currently planning programs for winter and spring 2007. These will be led off by the chapter’s ever-popular Try the Technology event. Watch for further announcements.
British Columbia
A new chapter is forming in British Columbia. Brad Moe of Vancouver Shipyards has volunteered to chair the chapter, and Barry Patchett has offered to help. A webpage has been set up for the new chapter on our website.
Members interested in participating in the new chapter’s activities and helping to plan and organize events should contact Brad by email, at bc@cwa-acs.org. The address information for members living in BC and affiliated with the Calgary and Edmonton chapters will be shared with the new BC chapter.
Watch for announcements of chapter events beginning in late winter 2007.
HAMILTON CHAPTER CHALLENGE
The Hamilton chapter is making a difference in the local area with its support of welding at the high-school level. Their goal is to raise $500,000 in equipment, supplies, consumables and cash for welding education by April 2007. They are well on their way, with over $30,000 in cash collected to date.
In addition, the chapter is setting up training sessions for high-school instructors with CWA supplier members. The first session for 25 teachers will focus on MIG welding and will be hosted by Lincoln Electric in its Mississauga training facility.
WELDING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
The welding job market seems to be continuing to be as hot as ever. CWA has posted a few jobs to its website that may interest both new entries and experienced welders.
We also have been approached by two search consultants who have access to welders from Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America. Contact the CWA national office if you are interested in bringing one or more welding professionals to Canada.
For the very first time, we saw a job offered for a welding inspector at $100 per hour. The job was in Fort McMurray and offered overtime after 40 hours, along with transportation and accommodation.
CWA’S ONGOING MEMBERSHIP CONTEST
Our membership needs a boost, and you – our current members – are positioned to make that happen: you’re informed about and familiar with the benefits of CWA membership. We need your help. And there are rewards for success!
The rewards are available to all active members of the association. Recruit a NEW individual member ($70 per year, including GST) to the association and you will receive a gift certificate for $25 at RONA or Canadian Tire. Recruit two members and you will receive two certificates. The more members you bring in, the more certificates you will receive. The contest also applies to sustaining memberships (on a similar percentage basis).
The reward applies only when the new membership is revenue-producing (i.e., adding a new member to a vacancy in a sustaining membership does not produce new revenue).
HOLIDAY HOURS
CWA’s national office will be closed for the holidays during the week of December 25 to 29, 2006.