We have crappy tapers, good tapers and excellent tapers. There is no license that I know of that will made a shoddy taper better.

A note from Sean Keane, former owner of Keyon Drywall, just east of Toronto, until that firm went under following massive judgements against it from the WSIB, judgements later proven to have been unwarranted and unjustified, and thrown out on appeal. Keane is suing the WSIB for millions for (he claims) maliciously pursuing his firm with the clear intent of putting him out of business.

“Prior to the last election the next trades to be brought into the (Ontario College of Trades) fold were carpenters and drywallers, a more powerful group than anticipated. The Liberals felt it necessary to put this forced licence on hold. One can wonder why. The pressure exerted was significant and every vote would count.

Now that the election is over, to try and save a failing, corrupt institution, you can bet that – just as the construction industry is now forced to pay premiums to the WSIB – more and more trades will be forced into this organization (the OCOT).

The question always needs to be asked: What does the OCOT provide the consumer other than an extra cost? It’s simply a licence to work; there is no education program hence the essence of being called a “college” is shown to be fraudulent. Unions support them yet the membership (of OCOT) does not. How is that? Is it not the membership that should be making the decisions?

Much like the (situation with the) WSIB, unions put their backs behind it, not for the safety of their members, but for the financial security of their books. They used the propaganda that paying the WSIB would (1) make and individual safer and (2) even out the playing field. Does that not sound familiar? The OCOT promotes the claim that their licence makes for better work and more competent workers. How is that achieved? Are we all fools that fall and believe this crap? I have been in this industry for more than 25 years. I have seen some excellent work as well as some very shoddy work. For example, we have crappy tapers, good tapers and excellent tapers. There is no license that I know of that will make a shoddy taper better.

Yet once again, like the WSIB, you are now forced to pay OCOT – and as sheep led to slaughter we sit back and await our fate. In this case, most pay out of fear and that’s how we are ruled. Those who want to fight back find themselves out-numbered by those who won’t rock the boat. That’s the sad reality of our industry. You can bet the powers that be have grasped this reality and use that fear to keep you under control. Until that changes, prepare yourselves for two things (1) the door of OCOT will be widened to bring in more and more people to pay their salaries and (2) as WSIB seeks mandatory coverage for all, and Bill 119 has not acheived this illigitimate goal, we will see more industries added to their list of mandatory coverage.

In fact I have been contacted by a man running a tiny business that he has received a letter from WSIB seeking to investigate and audit his business to see that he has no employees, which he has not, and also to determine if his business is considered construction. The letter states they came across his company from the Yellow Pages. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you what type of business, nor his name. The shocking reality is the government and WSIB read these articles, look at the names and, in some cases, put more pressure on the individuals that make these sort of claims. The gentlemen told me straight out that he feared retaliation by these unscrupulous people. Now that’s reality.”