Prime Minster Stephen Harper (l.) presents an outstanding apprentice award to L-128 graduating apprentice Joe McLean.
Joe McLean receives outstanding apprentice award
NINE GRADUATING apprentices of Local 128 (Toronto, Ontario) were among those honored May 20th at the 40th anniversary of the Sarnia/Lambton County Mechanical Trades Apprentice Graduation of Southern Ontario.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper congratulated the graduates for choosing such a rewarding career and spoke on the need for more skilled tradespersons in Canada.
Harper presented an award to Local 128 graduate apprentice Joe McLean as the outstanding apprentice for all trades in the Sarnia/Lambton County of Southern Ontario. McLean had earned the highest marks of all trades’ apprentices during his apprenticeship.
In front of Boilermakers, Ironworkers, Pipefitters, Millwrights, Operating Engineers, and other trades, McLean accepted his award, thanking his instructors and expressing a wish for trade solidarity.
“I want to thank Ed Hoffmann, my Boilermaker instructor, for everything he did. He made the class enjoyable and made us work for our marks,” McLean said. “Ed Frerotte, Lodge 128’s training coordinator, also helped me a lot. People should know — if they don’t know already — that Ed Frerotte is a good man.”
McLean, who represented L-128 at the 2007 Canadian Boilermaker apprenticeship competition, further stated: “I wish all the trades would get along; it would just move our cause further ahead. We are all union members working together to get the job done right the first time.”
Graduating with McLean were Local 128 members Jarred Cook, Todd Gardner, Jamie Hastings, Art Lukasiewicz, Stephanie Maughn, Dave McCarthy, Scot McDonald, and Rod McLelland.
