About Us

About OSWCA Mission & Initiatives A History of Ontario's Water System Board of Directors Young Executives Committee About YEC Member Benefits

OSWCA Mission Statement

  1. To expand business opportunities for our members.
  2. To enhance and protect the interests and welfare of the Ontario Sewer and Watermain industry in the Government of Ontario and its agencies, and through the judicial system. To establish and build a long term, fully comprehensive network of contacts with all level of government including politicians, bureaucrats and all other related parties which are essential to an effective lobby action on issues of concern to members.
  3. To increase the understanding and support of the public, of politicians and of bureaucrats to provide adequate funding measures for the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of Ontario's vital water and wastewater systems.
  4. To promote cooperation with the engineering profession and to enhance the terms and conditions of conducting contracting business as expressed in contracts, specifications and bonds.
  5. To promote safe working conditions and environmentally sound construction practice throughout the sewer and watermain construction industry.
  6. To cooperate fully with sister civil trade organizations with respect to the foregoing and to work to consolidate the joint activities of these groups into an effective coalition.

Initiatives

Lobbying

To establish and bring a strong network of political contacts within all levels of government that will permit effective lobbying.

* The benefit is to have access to government decision makers so as to influence government policies on issues of concern or interest to members.

New Business

To promote the development of new business through the Clean Water Action Committee program with the objective of increasing spending by all levels of government on repair, renovation and renewal of existing sewer and watermain systems.

* The benefit is to significantly increase business opportunities for members and to reduce the degree of cyclical swings in the industry.

Contract Language

To promote the development and acceptance of contract language that will include:

  1. a statement of fair and reasonable risk apportionment;
  2. a clearly defined statement of responsibility with respect to the specifics of risk;
  3. full geodesic and physical disclosure of site conditions reliable for construction activity;
  4. clear statement of means of payment to the contractor with a schedule and procedure of payment and full disclosure by the owner to the contractor of a disruption in planned payment; and,
  5. an assured alternate method of dispute resolution.

Standard Practice/Bidding Practice

To increase the contractor's influence in the preparation and ongoing review of construction documents including contracts, specifications, bonds and insurance policies with the objective of changing the language so as to reflect a fair balance between the owners' interests and those of the contractor.

* The benefit is to remove the inequities which favour the owner at the expense of the contractor from all contract documents.

To monitor the method of bidding and contracts used in the public sector.

* The benefit is to protect the integrity of the bidding process and to ensure that contracts are awarded to the lowest qualified bidder.

Consolidation: Civil Trades

To provide a means of communicating between the civil trades (sewer and watermain, roads, excavation, pipeline, utilities, heavy, concrete and drain) on matters of mutual concern.

* The benefit is to keep all civil trades fully informed regarding pertinent current business events, informed regarding the individual reaction and responses of each civil trade to these situations and to provide an opportunity for all civil trades to speak jointly and thus develop enhanced influence.

Labour Legislation

To effect change in the Labour Relations Act and Rules of Procedure, Regulations and Practice.

* The benefit is to acquire legislation that is responsive to the needs of employers and instills fairness in the review process carried out by the Ministry of labour and/or the Ontario Labour Relations Board.

Membership Services

To provide members with a source of information on specific significant current events affecting sewer and watermain business activities and to act on their behalf as required.

* The benefit is to provide a voice for the industry on specific government activities as they occur.

Safety

To reduce the frequency and severity of accidents in the sewer and watermain construction industry.

* The benefit is to make the industry a better place to work and to reduce the costs of operation.

Training

To provide apprenticeship training to recruits and upgrading training to established workers in the industry.

* The benefit is to attract young recruits into the industry, to upgrade the skills of those already employed in the industry, to increase productivity, and to retain more workers on a long-term career path.

Publications

To provide members with current information about changes in legislation or regulation that affect their day-to-day business affairs, and related information about OSWCA activities on their behalf.

* The benefit is to have a source of information that is specifically relative to the sewer and watermain industry.

Social

To provide members with regular social events

* The benefit is, in addition to building a high profile image for the OSWCA, to provide members with an opportunity to participate in social, professional development, and athletic activities within their own industry.

Membership

As an Association of Associations to recruit other local civil trade associations as members and independent corporate members where a local civil trade association is not available.

To recruit suppliers to the sewer and watermain industry to become members via their own industry association and to encourage them to avail themselves and the facilities of OSWCA to represent their best interests to all levels of government.

* The benefit is to broaden the OSWCA representation across Ontario, to provide more revenue and to increase the range and quality of activities and to increase OSWCA profile and effectiveness.