Our Future, Our Decision, Our Destination
Being a business manager in any local union comes with challenges that nothing properly prepares you for. You often have to make big decisions every day, impacting the local and membership in all kinds of ways; some days you’re making several decisions throughout the day on the fly, and those decisions don’t always work out the way you wanted them to.
Over the last 25 years as Local 230’s Business Manager, I’ve considered three things in every decision: Is it good for the IBEW? Is it good for our Local? And, is it good for the membership (today and tomorrow, and does it pay homage to those that came before me)?
Over the last 125 years, every one of our local’s members sacrificed to get where we are today, so, to not consider the blood, sweat, and tears of those that handed the responsibility to me, in my mind would tear me down as a leader.
Our members typically measure those decisions with, is it good for them? (way simpler, right!) And way too often, that’s not the whole picture. They don’t have to carry the weight of the long-term success of their local on their shoulders, on their minds, or in their hearts. Nobody takes on that role but the Business Manager. Our local unions across Canada have been built on the benefits of those long-term strategies.
For decades, business managers across Canada believed and agreed that our First District Staff should be made up of prior business managers, to have people on our frontline whose metal had been tested and developed the skills necessary for the job. In great consideration, this is something I’ve struggled with over the last few months. I’m running as IEC, and ironically to run as IEC, constitutionally I have to be a business manager, but our IVP doesn’t? Just seems, not quite right.
I want to say, Matt Wayland is a brother and has had the IBEW in his heart and has worked hard in a position we had never had in the past. But he’s never had to wear his decisions, or negotiate an agreement with an anti-union employer, and that’s what I’ve struggled with since the ACPM. It’s one thing to ride the wave of a populist movement, it’s another to back a proven Business Manager.
And, in saying that, after spending 25 years as Business Manager of Local 230 I’ve decided to endorse Russ Shewchuk for IVP Canada. After 11 years as the 2085 Business Manager, Russ came into the IVP job a little demanding. Did it ruffle some feathers? Yup, but he had the future of the IBEW in Canada in his view and he carried that weight. He believed that the direction he wanted us to take was one that would deliver strategic success for IBEW Canada, and that news came today as we topped out over 71,000 members, 9,000 new members and 250 new employers over the past four years. These are real opportunities for our kids, and their kids, and the electrical megaprojects Russ is securing for the IBEW across the country will continue to employ generations to come. These are achievements and benefits we can all celebrate. Like him or not, you can’t say he’s not already doing the job, and doing it well.
Fraternally,
Phil Venoit
Business Manager/ Financial Secretary
IBEW Local 230
