Free Lunch Opens the Door to Nonunion Workers in Vancouver

Nonunion workers queue up for a free lunch.

A "meet-and-greet" barbecue for nonunion workers sponsored by the organizing committee of the British Columbia and Yukon Building Trades Council was a huge draw.

IBEW Vancouver Local 213, as an affiliate of the building trades council, helped organize the June 2002 event, held in downtown Vancouver at Coal Harbor, a major residential area.

"Set up in the middle of multiple nonunion high-rise construction sites, the offer of a free meal drew approximately 300 nonunion workers from all trades," said David Thompson, then-Local 213 organizer/assistant business manager. "The picnic was a great way of connecting with the workers. They were eager to eat and talk and I was able to meet electricians in a non-threatening environment. This makes it much easier to get our union message out and make new contacts."

The building trades organizers "all work together as a group and share ideas," said Thompson, now assistant business manager for IBEW Local 230, Victoria, B.C. "Its really an effective strategy." The organizers recently met again to plan another such barbecue as an organizing effort.

"These kinds of initiatives are what have helped our local grow," said Local 213 Business Manager Rick Dowling. "We are always looking for new ways to attract members to the local."