a 600d case in point, 7 St “y = Ht is easy.to visuallza the mul< etiplicity of problems that- would occur in a huge project involving hundreds of mon, a multitude of different union locala and new construction . matarinis ‘": and Rmethods, 7 eh Ontario Hydro forasaw serious ‘labor _problanis arising. during its Niagra River. project, Taking preventive action, a Padical goly- tlon was proposed: the formation of a council ‘of unions through which labor could speak to man-. Bgement. with “one voico,: ‘This *solo: instead of a many-Voléed “choir’’ proposal shocked.se- nior union éxecutives, |: Jealous of their jurfadictlonal rights, the unfon executives, at first refused to consider ‘the idea or even to discuss it with each other, Eventually they saw that the pro}-usal had much merit and they agreed to try it, Both management and union ex- ecutives thus started on: its . way one of the boldest experi- ments in labor relations of re- cent time, a IMPORTED IDEA The Allied Council idea was imported to British Columbia for the Peace River project for the same reasons it was de- veloped In Ontario, mye ‘It was quite possible for an . employer to be faced withanum- ber of different labor agreements covering one job, it was even pos- ‘sible that different. construction trades could negotlate different working hours and different starting : and quitting times, Work stoppages could result from jur- isdictlonal differences, : Such a situation would become]. an administrative nightmare, To avoid this potentlaily chaotic sitwition on the Peace River, % was hoped“ to persuade the unfons concerned that one agree- ment should be negotiated cover- ing all trades on the’ project, Fortunately, most of the bufld= dng trades’ unions in British Co- lumbia had felt for some time that a type of Allied Council ‘flar to: thaé- used... tata’ one agreamatit covering all trades at the Peace project... : ‘ doha Carson, latex manager of the. Staff. Services _ Division, ‘undertook’ responsibility for es-. ‘tabtishing an organization to rep- resent . Hydro-and its..contrac- tors which would - be “author-~ ized to negotiate with'an Allled bia if one were formed; * "ONE EMPLOYER A legal,” firm'was ‘engaged to work out-a ‘draft program.sim- ar + used.” by: Ontario Hydro, but tt was quickly es- tablished that differences.in our ganization impossible to estab- lish,. - . .B.C, labor law does not permit ‘|@ group of. contractors to come together as on association and Ke considered one employer for Purposes of union ¢ertification, Tt .was' necessary to create “one employer” and this led to the birth of Peace Pawer Con- structors Ltd, : “Under the terms of incor- poration of Peace Power Con- structors Ltd., all primé con- tractors were required to be- come shareholders and to secure amployees for thelr work forces through the. rapresentative com- pany, ee - This principle was also ap- plied to sub-contractors. so that the total work force on the pro- ject, with the exception of super- visoyy and engineering . staifs, would’ be hired. by Peace Power ‘Constructors Lid, . At ‘the same time that Peace Power Constructors was being formed, discussions were being construction industry, including the Building Trades Counell and would be in thelr own best in- Peace Project, In Major s. In an age of superlatives, the menormous size and scale of 7 represent no small achievement, The transmission system is a = The moving of 2,500,000 kilo- m Watts of electric powar ‘a dis- @ tance of 600 miles is an under- ge taking calling for the most mod-. gern and ‘sophisticated tech- niques, , f The extremely high transmis- | sion voltage of 500 KV—500,000 |. volts — was selected as offering mm the best and most economical @ solution, At least two, and pos- @ sibly three, complete circuits at m this voltage are required, : Electrical equipment’ for use, at this tremendously high voltage mis of a very special ‘character, pand at the present timeavailable from a sessing advanced manufacturing mechniques as well as high grade mesearch, design, and testing fa= mecilities, Among major suppliers:of the: quipment is Tokyo Shibaura A'Industrial giants," . Key . ” ft before Edison Invented the elec= popularly. known. ‘throughout. the world as. Toshiba’? -. 0 fu _ The company- manufactures génerators, transformexs, tur- bines, electrically powered roi- ling stock, all types. of heavy tron tubes, transistors, appli- ances,. broadcast equipment and virtually every kind of ght elec- trical product, fj Toshiba research covers di- versified ‘tlelds ranging from .Simple lighting tonuclear energy and.is carried on by 1,100seten- :tists and engineers -in Japan's ‘largest research centre, The sales, installation and servicing of- heavy electrical products such’ as those in . the Portage. Mountain project are handled in Canada by Toshiba In- ternational Corporation which has’. offices -in Vancouver, San ‘Francisco, Chicago and ‘- New York" nn Tetsuya Nagao of Vancouver, general manager of heavy elec- tricals, said the. parent: com- pany's research division has long been the foundation for-the high degree of engineering skill and quality which millions haye come to expect from products bearing the Toshiba. mark, ; . “To keep 4 sensitive ear to new developments in Japan: and throughout the world, our com- pany maintains a constant liaison with leading local and overseas ¢onsuttants,’? he said, Consultant for Toshiba’s Can- adian operations in heavy elec- .tricals -is*:Philip ‘J. Croft, ; P, -Bng., .who. retired last year as rlectric Co, Ltd, ona of Japan's: manager of the planning subdivi-. “Sfon of B.C, Hydro, eo: S Slash: Hazard . : : Inthe Forest. _ Combustible materiats danger ‘by the accumulation © © of large quantities of log- |. ing slash, A reduction ‘in the _ and living components ofthe tree crowns except theboie,. . ed directly’ related to tree oe yo nderstanding. of the quantity. ne end composition: of the slash. & Measurements were mada’ more than 400 lodgepole * @ trees in central British ~ lumbia to investigate -the . - ount. and kind of fuel that... cumulates after logging. ‘different uf ilization andards. eS The crown weight, defined ‘The percentage ofeach.‘ component ‘within . the com plex varies with average "_,. ameter of the stand, “the: weight, of, all. dead Hydro Council of Brittsh Colums. labor Iaw made'a similar or- |. held with representatives of the|. Founded in 1875, four years | trie light bulb, the: company is electrical equipment, TV sets, |. radios, lamps, batteries, elece | ‘found ‘that the’ provin- otal labor. law did oc ‘unions to -combine ‘and: assign their bargaining rightstoa com- monbody,: 0 .¢ Fhis, then,-ted to the forma tion ‘of the -Alited Hydro Comell ing 18. international : unions dnd 29: ~.cortified ‘locals, “Tt waa: in December “of 1981 that Peace Power, Constructor's commence - -ed'-" bargaining -with the Allfed ‘Hydro Couell of B.C... “By "that time, Peace Power ‘Constructors "Was: legally estab- lished a8.a corporate entity hold= ‘ing ’a contract“ with the former B.C, Electric Company to ‘pro-. vide labor relations" services ‘(ineluding the provision of man- ‘power).’:at the Peace River pra- ject, . oy . DIRECTORS NAMED The board of. directors includ « ed representation from B,C, Electric, the’ Heavy Construc- tion Association of B,C, and the Buliding.. and. Construction: tx- ‘change ‘together with representa- ‘fon from contractors "actively employed. on the project, .-. - While Peace Power Construc- tors was : charged with the role of providing suitable personnel for the labor force, it wasclear- ly -established that respona for the dally direction and af- ficlency of the work force must remain. -with each contractor since he was individtally respon-. sible for completion of his con- tract, . ' Generally, this agreement fol- lowed existing agreements . in ; Department’ of Labor; ; law did “allow local) of British Columbia :represant-- -| dustry, ject. 1, MeL, _ ANTIINFLATION — The agreement with Peace Power ‘Constructors would thua follow °° established procedure in’ the constriction industry, rather than lead it, In this:man- ner it. was planned that the im-| mensé. “Peace project would not “PEACE POWER SOUVENIR EDITION ‘ create inflationary forces Inpri- |: jl tish Columbia's construction id- ‘For both. partners ‘in’ this agreement, some significant gaing were anticipated: . '@ An orderly process for the resolution of all disputes includ- tlon; : . : 2 * A long-term agreement which ing those : of union jurisdic- would not be affected by any dis-. putes in other areas of the con- struction Industry inthe pro- vines; ; . ® An opportunity for labor and Management to join hands’ and demonstrate that a project of |. this. size . could be completed without an’ extraordinary up- ward - spiral in wages and costs, - Under the agreement, hundreds of minor grievances were settI- ed. iocally and only about one a month had to be referred to an arbitrator for solution, row portion of dam at right is now covered with water. ; Opposite intake structure on downstream side of dam is switchyard where power generated at 13,800. volts will be transformed to 500,000 volts for transmission to load centres, Dark shadow cutting through rock abutment _ at opposite end: of dam is 2,300-foot-long apillway. Overhead view of W. A.C. Bennett Dam shows relation- ship of various components. Intake structure above nar- ml These six Toshiba-built 80 MVA, 500 KV transformers ore now energiz hy ' d at the Portage Mountain Powerhouse of B.C. Hydro: bo me my