KITCHENER, Ontario, Oct. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The General Presidents’ Maintenance Committee for Canada (GPMC) and the National Maintenance Council for Canada (NMC) announced the Craftperson of the Year Awards as part of the 8th annual Canadian Safety Achievement Awards (CS2A) ceremony held at the Renaissance Hotel in Edmonton, Alberta on October 22, 2024. The CS2A is a national awards program designed to showcase the exceptional health and safety performance of stakeholders within the confines of the unionized maintenance industry.
The Craftperson of the Year Award honors the outstanding craftsmanship, professionalism, and safety leadership of a skilled building trades union member through their performance on a maintenance job. Renee Melnyk was awarded the coveted C2SA award for Craftperson of the Year for Western Canada. Melnyk is an experienced Master Electrician (IBEW, Local 424) with over 17 years of experience in commercial, industrial, and maintenance industries across Alberta. Melnyk works for Stuart Olson Industrial Maintenance at the Suncor Baseplant in Fort McMurray, Alberta. She has dedicated her career to the electrical trade since completing the Women Building Futures program in 2006. Melnyk joined Stuart Olson (Laird) in 2014 and is highly regarded for her comprehensive knowledge of Turnaround activities and schedule milestones.
Calvin Getchell was the recipient of the CS2A Craftperson of the Year award for Eastern Canada. Getchell embarked on a career in Pipefitter Welding after high school, and after several years of welding, he developed an interest in mechanical maintenance and enrolled in Industrial Mechanic studies. Today, he is completing his fourth-year apprenticeship (Millwrights, Local Union 2262), and appreciates the diverse challenges presented by the maintenance work required for the refinery’s various assets. Getchell is employed by CAM Industrial Solutions ULC and works in the maintenance division at Irving Oil Limited, in Saint John, New Brunswick.
“The CS2A recognizes our valued partnership with Local Unions, Signatory Employers, and Clients,” said Charmaine Symmers, Director of the CS2A program. “We are here to celebrate the commitment to fostering a culture of safety, which is crucial to reducing incidents across the maintenance sector. Together, we can ensure that the unionized maintenance industry remains a safe and thriving environment for all.”
The Craftperson of the Year winners each received a prize package donated by event partner, Milwaukee Tool, a commemorative trophy, and cheque from the GPMC | NMC.
More information about the CS2A can be found at www.CS2A.ca.
About General Presidents’ Maintenance Committee for Canada and the National Maintenance Council for Canada (GPMC | NMC):
The General Presidents’ Maintenance Committee for Canada and the National Maintenance Council for Canada (GPMC | NMC) is an alliance of International Building Trades Unions that has negotiated and administered labour agreements for maintenance work at industrial plants across Canada since 1952. The agreements enable the unionized maintenance industry to employ up to 13 different construction trades under a single set of terms and conditions. The GPMC | NMC, in cooperation with contractors and project owners provides stable, long-term agreements for routine industrial maintenance and short-term agreements for plant shutdowns and intermittent maintenance.
The GPMC | NMC administers collective agreements in eight out of the ten Canadian provinces and in key industrial sectors including oil sands extraction, oil refining, petrochemicals, mining, electricity generation, pulp and paper, natural gas processing, steel production, and consumer product production. The GPMC | NMC hosts the annual Canadian Safety Achievement Awards (CS2A), which showcase and celebrate safety performance with industry partners. More information: gpmccanada.com
For more information:
Nicole Sendey, APR
Communications Manager
General Presidents’ Maintenance Committee for Canada and the National Maintenance Council for Canada (GPMC | NMC)
[email protected]
250-802-2858
gpmccanada.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8e2e5d0a-7926-46cb-baa6-da6dc5cb4046