Ironworker union executive Marc Arsenault was voted in to succeed Patrick Dillon as business manager and secretary treasurer of the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario at the council’s annual conference Oct. 14.
Arsenault has risen through the ranks of the Ironworkers, serving on the Local 721 executive committee and moving on to work variously as a field rep, organizer and business agent with the Central Ontario Building Trades and Ontario Ironworkers District Council. He was most recently in charge of stakeholder relations with the district council.
Arsenault had been identified for the position this past summer and was formally nominated from the convention floor by Ironworkers council president Kevin Bryenton.
“I was extremely pleased to get a call from Brother Dillon earlier this year as Brother Dillon’s pick in succession plans,” said Bryenton, noting Arsenault has been an important part of a team that has attracted over $15 million in grant funding in the past decade.
Bryenton cited Arsenault’s skills in working with people from diverse positions to find solutions in his address.
Arsenault completed two apprenticeships in the trade, one as a reinforced ironworker and the second as a structural and ornamental ironworker.
Arsenault was unopposed in the vote. The executive transition will take place in December.
The Building Trades Council represents 12 craft unions in the construction sector totalling 150,000 workers.
“This is a great honour to serve on your behalf and on behalf of Ontario’s hard-working building trades members,” said Arsenault after the vote.
“All of us collectively as labour leaders, we are tasked with striving daily to maintain and improve the working conditions in our industry.
“Thank you, Patrick, for the building blocks that you have put in place over your 24 years of leadership and service.”
Dillon later called Arsenault a sound thinker with ample experience in the trades and good knowledge of the power sector.
“He’s got the energy,” said Dillon. “He’s certainly more high tech than I am, so that’ll be helpful for him.
“I think the Building Trades have made a wise choice.”
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