[Click to enlarge] Lodge 191 members, Shane Skirrow and Carla Karas, at a Victoria Job Fair, March 19th


[Click to enlarge] Lodge President, Peter Littlejohn, at a Nanaimo Job Fair, April 9th Work projections for Lodge 191 in Victoria, BC, have increased significantly and Lodge 191 has been recruiting extensively to increase the supply of qualified welders and metal fabricators.

The Seaspan Shipyard is situated in the Esquimalt graving dock on Southern Vancouver Island. Over the last 20 years, the shipyard has increased their customer base in the ship repair & refit industry. Some of the projects have included the Canadian Navy, BC Ferries, cruise lines and many other international clients. Many of the clients have noticed the proud and highly skilled workforce in the shipyard who get the job done right the first time.

Lodge 191 has the sole bargaining rights in the shipyard and works closely with other unions and the employer Seaspan in providing the service the client expects along with the wages, benefits and work conditions working people expect.

At a Victoria job fair on March 19th, 2015, two members of lodge 191, Shane Skirrow and Carla Karas, were on hand to provide information to those who came to the booth asking about the Boilermakers and Seaspan. Both are a great example of the people who make up the Seaspan crew and the Boilermakers Union. Shane is a red seal fabricator, a work site leader and serves his local lodge as a trustee, while Carla is a welding apprentice who has achieved BC A level, PWP 7 & 10 tickets and a Red Seal welding ticket.

In Nanaimo, BC, on April 9th, 2015, Local lodge President Peter Littlejohn attended a job fair and shared information about the opportunities in the shipyard and what the union has provided him over the years. Peter is a welder who has achieved many of the welding qualifications in pressure, structural and alloys plus he has been a charge hand at the shipyard and worked in the constructor sector of the union.

Boilermakers Lodge 191 is looking for people who have Red Seal qualifications as Boilermakers, metal fabricators or welders. There may be opportunities for retired and transitioning naval hull technicians (QL5 minimum). They are also looking for qualified welders with CWB certificates in all positions, or people with proven experience in the metal industries: fabrication, shipbuilding or construction.

Members of the Union should be checking in with boilermaker.ca for job postings. For those who are not members, click here for more information.