Sign banning union recruiter removed from Kamloops construction site

A trade union recruiter was barred from a Kamloops construction site and someone took to advertising his banishment.

Kamloops’ largest ever residential construction site is ample recruitment grounds for Brian Andrews. He said he has tried and so far failed to get access to City Gardens, so he speaks with electricians on their lunch breaks.

Those efforts, however, led someone to post a large sign to the work site fencing. It includes his photo from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers website, noting he is “not permitted on site.”

“They’re doing my job for me is really what they’re doing,” Andrews said.

Photos of the sign at City Gardens have spread widely on social media, especially on Reddit. He noted, however, that while it has spread his image around, it hasn’t translated to additional union recruiting.

Kelson Group, which owns the massive development, knew about the sign, but had it removed when it learned it was posted to a street-facing fence.

“I was made aware of the signage a few weeks ago, but thought it was to be posted at our onsite construction trailer. We found out it was posted on our construction fence on Saturday evening and removed it,” company president Jason Fawcett said in a written statement.

Employers aren’t barred from restricting access to a construction site, even if they are union recruiters. They can place limits on union access, especially when it’s currently a non-union job site.

In this case, Fawcett said there have been safety concerns with Andrews’ access to the site.

“On days where there is a concrete pour for example, we can have many multiple trucks, deliveries, and over 100 people on site, so everyone must be accounted for and aware of safety procedures,” he said.

Fawcett said Kelson Group has no issue with unions approaching workers so long as it’s within approved hours or done with authorized access.

He went on to say a site construction leader raised concerns with the union about Andrews coming on to the site in March, then asked for a meeting or follow-up, but they are still waiting for a response.

Andrews, however, said he was never informed of anyone from the City Gardens site reaching out to the union.

He went on to say he has sought authorized access to the site, but did not receive a response.

As for his recruiting efforts, he said he routinely visits construction sites across his coverage area to pitch workers the prospect of joining the union. The best time is during the day during breaks, he said.

“I’m allowed to talk to them on their lunch break or smoke break, but not when they’re actually working,” Andrews said. “If you’re trying to talk to somebody when they’re leaving for the end of the day, it’s quite hard to get their attention. The last thing they want to do is talk about work.”

There’s no indication electricians at City Gardens are on track to unionize.

Andrews’ recruitment area with IBEW Local 993 includes Prince George where he said recruitment efforts have also sparked pushback.

Another version of the same sign with his photo was posted at a construction site in that city.

“I think they’re having a sale on the sign… but I don’t know if they’ll be using them anymore because of the attention it got,” he said.

The sign in Prince George, however, is within the construction site so only employees can see it, he said.

As for the Kamloops signage, Fawcett said he will personally follow up with the union and will ensure there is internal communication rather than public signage in the future.