Movers' Edge, June/July, 2001

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

CAM’s Board of Directors met on conference calls on May 29 and July 4. A few of the items discussed were:

• Membership numbers for CAM in 2001 are essentially unchanged from 2000, and a membership campaign will be undertaken shortly.
   
• CAM’s National Office will work to make members and non-members aware of the benefits of the Canadian Professional Mover’s Course.
   
• The annual conference will take place on November 19 and 20. The keynote will be Jim Larsen’s day-long seminar on profitability for movers.
   
• The annual golf tournament will be held on September 18 at Cardinal Golf Club north of Toronto.

CAM AWARDS

The board decided that CAM should institute awards for the leaders in our industry. Two awards have been established:

• Founders Award – recognizing pioneering members of the moving industry.
   
• Distinguished Service Award – recognizing prominent members of the industry.

CURRENT BUSINESS CLIMATE

Board members present on the conference call on July 4 were polled about current business conditions. In summary, they believe that:

• The level of business in most areas is good, with numbers of local and international moves remaining strong.
   
• There seem to be fewer corporate moves, and moves to and from the US are down.
   
• The government and a major third-party relocator have recognized the need for increased tariffs.

COMPENSATION, BENEFITS REVIEW

The Compensation Committee, chaired by Board Member Graham Acreman, is now setting the parameters that will be used in preparing a report on compensation and benefits information for the moving industry. The information gathered will allow members to benchmark their labour and transportation costs against those of others in our industry and in other industries. The report will take into account the sales and location of the company, its number of employees, job descriptions for all levels of moving employees, the union environment and the content of employees’ compensation packages.

Methodology for acquiring the data and ensuring confidentiality will be discussed at the next committee meeting on July 6.

AMSA ANNUAL CONFERENCE – TUCSON

All exhibitors at the AMSA conference have been invited to exhibit at our annual conference in November.

INDUSTRY NEWS

A year ago, we reported on hours-of-service rules and the ongoing work of Transport Canada and the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA). On April 25, 2001, Transport Minister David Collenette referred the rules to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Transport and Government Operations. Brian Orrbine, Senior Policy Advisor, Road Safety Programs, Transport Canada, provided the Committee with background on the topic. We’ll report on the next steps as they are announced.

The Canadian Human Rights Commission is revisiting its current policy on drug testing. Recent court decisions have put into question whether drug testing, including random and pre-employment testing, can ever be justified. A change in Canadian policy could put us in conflict with the US, whose rules require that all drivers operating in the country, whether US citizens or not, be members of substance-testing programs. Full information can be seen on the CHRC’s Website, at www.chrc-ccdp.ca.