Windsor has been affectionately called the City of Roses and, in sharp contrast, the Automotive Capital of Canada. It is the southern-most city in Canada, lying south of the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair in close proximity to Detroit, Michigan. These two vibrant industrial cities are linked by bridge and tunnel, and that link is the single most important trade crossing between the United States and Canada. Thirty-three percent of Canada-US truck trade, that is more than $171 billion dollars, uses the Windsor crossing. It is Windsor, Ontario where UA Local 552 makes it home.

  UA Local 552 Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada is a combination local of plumbers, steamfitters and welders. It received its UA charter on November 4th, 1911. We are approximately 500 members which includes 45 1st year to 5th year apprentices. The local’s union office and its training center are housed in one building in a busy section of Windsor; with a jurisdiction that covers Essex and Kent counties.

  Over the past few years, Windsor has experienced additional growth in and around the city. Projects at Brighton Beach, a new power generating station, the Casino Windsor, the City of Windsor Sewage Treatment Plant, a hospital expansion, new schools and renovation of older schools, commercial alcohol, Hiram Walker and A.D.M. have kept Local 552 members, and hundreds of brothers from different UA locals, very busy.

  Daimler Chrysler, Ford, GM, Heinz and other auto part suppliers are major customers of Local 552’s signatory contractors. Windsor employment is cyclical in nature depending on the automotive market. Although, labor union membership is very high in Windsor, non-union competition is present everywhere in Canada as it is in the U.S.

“We know that the future of the UA and our local lies in the hands of our apprentices and the younger generation. We are also aware that the survival of the union contractors depends on the productivity, knowledge, expertise and caliber of our members. In order to accomplish this task, we aggressively started to put more weight into our Training Program.” 30 years ago we purchased this existing building on Tecumseh Road East and renovated it to meet the office and training area needs. “Training was not taken seriously in the old days, but for the past few years the number of courses and the caliber of our training has improved significantly. This is due to the support of our membership, E-Board and the Business Manager. The experienced staff of Local 552’s Training Department, J.A.T.C. and the Mechanical Contractor Association of Windsor work cooperatively designing the training courses that meet the market demand.

  We developed a very good working relationship with our signatory contractors. They donate steel to our training, help us install new appliances and equipment and are always there when we need them. We are very grateful for their continued support.

  Few years ago the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) approved U.A. Local 552’s Training Center as a Training Delivery Agent for the Interprovincial Welding Apprenticeship Program. This program has three levels of training, and each level consists of 240 hours of classroom theory and practical training.

  The interest is there among our members and therefore we have been running this Interprovincial Welding Apprenticeship Program in our Training Centre for the past 4 years.

  Here in Ontario Canada, Plumbers and Steamfitter apprentices attend trade school at colleges sponsored by the Province of Ontario. Our night school is geared to reinforce what the apprentices learn at trade school, and teaches them new courses not offered at the college.” We have been seriously looking into an addition to the Training Center. This addition will give us the space needed for our welders to upgrade their skills on various procedures, run welding and fabrication classes, Plumbing, Steam Fitting, Gas Technician, Petroleum Equipment Mechanic, Valve Repair, Backflow Prevention and other courses.

  In January 2006, the UA acknowledged the excellence of Local 552’s Training Department with a plaque signed by General President William P. Hite. It is a great feeling to be recognized by the UA. This success would not have been possible without the support of the UA office in Canada. In August 2005 UA Journal, General President William P. Hite said the following, “The days of one dimensional mechanics are long gone. The members with the most skills and certifications will be able to chart their own course.” Local 552’s Training Center is testament to this statement, and continues to offer its membership the best training possible.