March 2026 Business Manager’s update

Members of IBEW 2228,

A quick update, as I realize it has been a while since I have posted anything.

Over the month of March, there have been a number of occurrences of note.

Starting off the month, we held the first in-person Executive Board meeting of this election term. It was a busy and productive week, with extensive discussion on the current state of the union, plans for the future, and an opportunity for our new members to settle into their roles. As this was the first time the full board had been together, one of the most important outcomes was seeing how effectively this group works as a team. There was a great deal of discussion and a range of perspectives shared. I will admit that I found myself in disagreement on a few occasions, or perhaps more accurately, they disagreed with me; however, the tone of the dialogue and the willingness of everyone to listen, understand, and clearly express their views ensured that these moments turned any disagreements into opportunities for growth rather than division. In my 12 years attending Executive Board meetings, I don’t know if I have ever left with a stronger sense of a group coming together.

As minutes from these meetings will be released over the coming months, I will not go into detail on the discussions. I will note only a single thing of relevance and that is that I brought forward a draft proposal for a constitutional change to allow online voting in IBEW elections. If approved by our Units, this proposal will be submitted to the Law Committee for consideration at the International Convention in San Diego this fall.

Following the Executive Board meeting, I conducted several site visits across the East Coast while attending new Business Manager training provided by the IBEW First District. During this time, I drafted a second motion requesting a new set of Canadian Pattern Bylaws in the event that the constitutional change for online voting is rejected on the basis of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (LMRDA). While in Halifax as part of this tour, I presented both motions at a Unit meeting, and I am pleased to report that they were approved. They are now being circulated to all Units for a vote, and I have asked our President to set a relatively tight timeline so that, ideally, we will have final approval before the All Canada Progress Meeting in Niagara Falls this May. It is my hope that we can use that opportunity to engage other locals and build support for this initiative within their locals and following that, at the International Convention.

Further to this, and of potential interest to the membership, we have selected Union Powered out of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario as our provider for a grievance tracking system. This is a high priority, ensuring that all active grievances are properly tracked, members receive updates, and nothing is overlooked, while also allowing us to build a searchable database of completed cases to learn from past decisions and remain aware of established precedents. As the first IBEW local to partner with them, we have secured very reasonable terms. The system is well designed and intuitive, provides the functionality we require, allows broad access at a single cost, and includes tools to track grievances effectively while maintaining appropriate anonymity. It also ensures that our data remains in Canada, with the flexibility to export it if needed, and provides the ability to maintain a clear, searchable historical record of resolved grievances.

I will close with a final note. This update is not a comprehensive list of all activities undertaken by the Business Office, but rather highlights items I believe are most relevant to the membership. Among the many other matters underway are the wage arbitration for Nasittuq members, expected to conclude in June, and preparations for bargaining with the Treasury Board for our federal members, including the National Steering Committee, also in June. There are many additional items in progress, so if you would like an update on anything not mentioned here, please feel free to reach out to me directly at any time at Jeff.wendt@ibew2228.ca.

In solidarity,

Jeff Wendt
Business Manager
IBEW 2228