Society of Professional Engineers and Associates (SPEA)

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Welcome to SPEA

The Society of Professional Engineers and Associates (SPEA) is an independent union representing over 900 engineers and scientists and 300 technologists and tradespeople who work for Candu Energy Inc. (formerly Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) Candu division) in Mississauga, Ontario and abroad. Formed in 1974, SPEA is one of the oldest professional unions in Canada. Collectively we represent most of Canada's nuclear power reactor design expertise.

We play an integral role in new nuclear reactor builds. In the last fifteen years, hundreds of our members have helped in designing and building new reactors in South Korea, China and, most recently, Romania. Currently we are refurbishing reactors in Ontario (Bruce Power), New Brunswick (Point Lepreau), Korea (Wolseong) and Quebec (Gentilly-2) to extend their operating lifetime. For our refurbishment projects over 100 members have been stationed in the various cities.


May 8, 2012 - Press Release by CEP and CAW - "SNC-Lavalin Puts High-tech Jobs at Risk"

SNC-Lavalin Puts High-tech Jobs at Risk

TORONTO AND OTTAWA, May 8, 2012 /CNW/ - SNC-Lavalin is jeopardizing the future of the struggling CANDU industry, and sending highly-skilled workers out of the country, by forcing its employees into a strike position, say two of Canada's top labour leaders.

The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada and the Canadian Auto Workers union have each pledged one million dollars to help finance a potential strike by the Society of Professional Engineers and Associates.

More than 94 per cent of SPEA members voted recently to take strike action following repeated attempts by their employer to extract concessions at the bargaining table, including a weaker pension plan.

"Our joint support sends a clear message about the importance of keeping highly-skilled workers here in Canada," says CEP President Dave Coles. "We need to be taking measures to keep these jobs in here, not send them down south."

"SNC-Lavalin appears intent on provoking a labour dispute, instead of working to strengthen the industry and promote much needed innovation," said CAW President Ken Lewenza. "This is extremely short-sighted and we will continue to support the SPEA."

Coles says a strike will undoubtedly result in a serious shortage of highly-skilled staff, impacting ongoing projects as well as thousands of spin-offs jobs. He urged SNC-Lavalin to negotiate with the professional engineers and warned that if the company forces a labour dispute, "we will stand behind the SPEA."

For further information:

CEP National President Dave Coles: 613-299-5628
CAW Communications Director Shannon Devine: 416-302-1699

 

7 mai, 2012 - La Presse Les Affaires - Candud: les ingénieurs ne déclenchent pas encore de grève

La Presse Canadienne
Montréal
Les ingénieurs de Candu Énergie, une filiale de SNC-Lavalin (T.SNC), n'ont pas exercé leur mandat de grève, lundi, le temps que leur syndicat discute avec les clients au sujet de l'impact potentiel qu'aurait un arrêt de travail sur les activités de réfection de centrales nucléaires.
Le syndicat qui représente près de 900 ingénieurs, scientifiques, technologues et gens de métier de Candu, la Society of Professional Engineers and Associates (SPEA), avait obtenu un mandat qui lui permettait de déclencher une grève dès dimanche, mais il n'a pas émis d'avis de grève 72 heures à l'avance, tel que l'exige le Code canadien du travail.
Michelle Duncan, porte-parole des 870 membres de la SPEA, a affirmé lundi que le syndicat évaluait la situation.
Read more...
 

May 12, 2011 - Financial Post - FP Letters to the Editor: We are green, EDC says

Readers of the Post should be aware that Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. consists of two parts. One is the CANDU reactor division, based in Mississauga, Ont., and the other is the R&D and waste management division, based in Chalk River, Ont. It is the former that is for sale and, for all but a few years out of the last 20, it has turned a profit while receiving little or no federal support. Its profits have gone back to the federal treasury or to support money-losing operations elsewhere in the company, such as isotope production.

So selling this part of AECL while keeping the remainder will not help Canadian taxpayers in the long term.

Michael Ivanco, vice-president, Society of Professional Engineers and Associates. Mississauga, Ont.

 

7 mai, 2012 - Énergie Candu: les ingénieurs renoncent à la grève... pour l'instant

Les ingénieurs de Candu Énergie, une filiale de SNC-Lavalin (TSX:SNC), n'ont pas exercé leur mandat de grève, lundi, le temps que leur syndicat discute avec les clients au sujet de l'impact potentiel qu'aurait un arrêt de travail sur les activités de réfection de centrales nucléaires.
Le syndicat qui représente près de 900 ingénieurs, scientifiques, technologues et gens de métier de Candu, la Society of Professional Engineers and Associates (SPEA), avait obtenu un mandat qui lui permettait de déclencher une grève dès dimanche, mais il n'a pas émis d'avis de grève 72 heures à l'avance, tel que l'exige le Code canadien du travail.
Michelle Duncan, porte-parole des 870 membres de la SPEA, a affirmé lundi que le syndicat évaluait la situation.
Read more...