The purpose of this website is to provide important information to bidders and/or successful contractors pertaining to the Electrical Power Systems Construction Association (EPSCA) process and provide easy access to collective agreements and wage schedules. Any questions regarding the following information should be directed to the Workforce Acquisition Department at Hydro One.
Bidding on a Hydro One Tender or Request for Proposal
The EPSCA process commences when the Workforce Acquisition (WFA) department at Hydro One receives a “Request for Labour Requirements Form” from the project manager. The location and nature of the work along with the monetary value, field labour hours, and the anticipated trades to be utilized are taken into consideration when a labour determination is made. There are two possible determinations with respect to labour requirements:
- Form B → collective agreement provisions DO NOT apply;
- Form 1 → collective agreement provisions apply.
If WFA determines that the work is to be completed as Form B work, the contractor is not required to follow the collective agreement provisions but instead must pay a “fair” wage rate as outlined in the Form B Notice. An electronic labour document package is issued and contains the following information:
If WFA determines that the work is to be completed as Form 1 work an electronic labour document package is issued to the project manager for enclosure in the tendering package. The package contains the following information:
- Notification and Determination Form
Outlines the applicable collective agreements and wage schedules for the area where the work is being performed.
- Labour Requirements Package
This package includes the “Acknowledgment of Labour Requirements” which the successful bidder is required to sign as part of the commercial contract. It also contains the following information:
With regards to daily travel/room and board allowance when bidding on contracts - please remember that all EPSCA/CUSW/LIUNA OPDC contracts are FIRM BID. This means that any allowance for daily travel, subsistence or travel and transportation as detailed in the relevant articles for any EPSCA/CUSW/LIUNA OPDC agreement will not be reimbursed by Hydro One. However, it is still the Contractor’s responsibility to pay their employees their appropriate daily travel/board allowance rate as stipulated in the various collective agreements.
Performing Work under EPSCA Contracts
Once the tender has been awarded by Inergi, WFA is notified and in turn sends a letter to the successful bidder indicating that we have been notified that they will be performing the work under the contract. Workforce Acquisition requests the Mark-up Meeting Agenda and Acknowledgment of Labour Requirements be completed and returned to us. Along with the letter we provide a copy of our contractors guide: “A Contractor’s Guide to EPSCA Contracts.” In this guide you will find information pertaining to the pre-job mark-up meeting, employment obligations, hours of work, board and travel allowances, the EPSCA Association Fund, vacation and statutory holiday pay, and the release of holdback monies. The following forms can be found in this guide and are for use while working under an EPSCA contract:
Collective Agreements and Wage Schedules
There are currently eighteen (18) different Electrical Power Systems Construction Association (EPSCA) collective agreements in place. These agreements are negotiated and administered by EPSCA on the behalf of Hydro One and its contractors. Contractors are obligated to comply with the terms and conditions of these EPSCA agreements while working on Hydro One sites. The following agreements and their wage schedules can be found on the EPSCA website:
|
¶
Boilermakers
¶ Carpenters
¶ Cement Masons
¶ IBEW – Generation (Electricians)
¶ IBEW – Transmission (Electricians)
¶ Insulators
¶ Ironworkers
¶ Labourers’ (International)
¶ Millwrights |
¶ Operating Engineers
¶ Painters
¶ Plasterers
¶ Rodmen
¶ Roofers
¶ Sheet Metal Workers
¶ Teamsters
¶ Tile and Terrazzo
¶ United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters
|
Further to these agreements, Hydro One has collective agreements directly with two Building Trade Unions (BTU):
- Canadian Union of Skilled Workers (CUSW)
- Labourers’ International Union of North America – Ontario Provincial District Council (LIUNA – OPDC)
Contractors are obligated to comply with the terms and conditions of these agreements while working on Hydro One sites. With regards to the LIUNA OPDC collective agreement if a contractor is signatory of another LIUNA Collective Agreement, they shall apply the terms and conditions of the Hydro One/LIUNA OPDC collective agreement when performing work on Hydro One property or assets.
Hydro One Collective Agreements and Wage Schedules
CUSW Transmission System Collective Agreement - May 1, 2008 to April 30, 2011
CUSW Wage Schedule
LIUNA OPDC Collective Agreement - May 1, 2007 to April 30, 2010
LIUNA OPDC Wage Schedules: