Alberta rig welders are preparing to join a labour stand-down in Grande Prairie on Oct. 1, backing independent contractors in British Columbia who say stagnant rates and rising business costs require a wage increase. The action follows a Sept. 1 stand-down launched by Rig Welders of the North Peace, whose members are seeking a minimum rate of $150 an hour and changes to fuel and supply arrangements.

About 160 independent contractors in Fort St. John, Dawson Creek and other communities took part in the initial action. Interest has since spread to Alberta, with welders in Grande Prairie expected to join. Alberta welders in northern and central parts of the province are also expected to be added to the stand-down, according to Vahid Aghdasi, an organizer involved in the movement in Fort St. John, B.C.

Aghdasi said a group of independent welders that had numbered in the double digits grew to more than 1,000 members in British Columbia and Alberta within a few months. He said the wage issue has been building for more than 15 years, as rates have not kept pace with the changing economics of running independent welding businesses.

Craig Fiset, a Fort St. John-based owner of Fiset’s Welding, has worked in the trade since 1997 and has operated his own business since 2004. He plans to travel to Grande Prairie this week to support the Alberta action. “For the most part, it seems long overdue,” he said.

Fiset said the purchasing power of his earnings has fallen sharply since 2008 as the cost of operating a welding business has risen alongside inflation. He estimated that $370 today would be needed to match the purchasing power of $120 in 2008. He also questioned why rates have increased for other trades while welders’ rates have not: “Other trades at the same rate, why has the rate gone up for others and not us?”

A common $150 hourly rate across the region would help local contractors compete for work, Fiset said. He acknowledged that oil and gas companies face financial pressure as well, and said some are trying to make a dollar in a difficult market. “It’s a tough region in B.C. to compete,” he said, adding that Alberta’s involvement could help stop companies from undercutting local contractors by bringing in lower-priced labour.

Fiset said contractors would be satisfied if rates kept pace with inflation, even if there were years without an increase. “If wage just kept up with inflation, most would be happy. Some years may not get a raise in rate.”

He said the Oct. 1 action also represents solidarity among tradespeople. Electricians, gas fitters and truckers are facing their own concerns about compensation and working conditions, he said. “A lot of us are planning to be there to support our neighbours.”

Based on reporting by Edmonton Journal.