BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU
CAM is working to establish its relationship with the Better Business Bureau across Canada. We have sent our membership list to the BBB and they will report back to us with the current status of each CAM member. CAM itself has become a member of the BBB on a reciprocal basis. CAM members will have the opportunity to join the BBB at a preferential rate.
MEMBERSHIP
We encourage you to join for 2000. Our 2000 Membership Directory is in progress and will be published in April. As mentioned last month, it will be a combination of magazine and directory, and will be published twice a year. As it was for previous membership directories, this magazine will be an important method by which Canadian movers communicate. Please check your listing at www.mover.net/cam/directory/index.html.
LABOUR ISSUES
CAM is working with several federal and provincial government departments and agencies regarding labour practices. The following are the key issues:
- Movers conducting cash deals when no workers’ compensation or tax is collected.
- Movers advertising long-distance inter-provincial services while paying employees under provincial labour laws (i.e., overtime after 40 or 45 hours per week).
- Movers not paying overtime when applicable.
- Clear definition of provincial laws and federal laws.
- A level playing field for all employers.
CANADIAN PROFESSIONAL MOVER’S COURSE
The Canadian Professional Mover’s Course has generated a lot of interest in the moving community. There have been 43 registrations for the course. One van line and the federal government signed up to evaluate the course.
Feedback from the users has been mixed although generally positive. There were a few teething problems in the marking system, with the Website, which has not been always available, and in some of the lessons in which certain concepts vary in definition from company to company. These areas are being ironed out. We encourage feedback.
HRDC
We are endeavouring to get an update on the status of CAM’s "sector partnership" agreement with HDRC. This relates to assistance for the development of occupational standards that will assist the development of the mover’s course and future education efforts.
WWW.MOVER.NET
The CAM Website has been used as a method for the public to get in touch with CAM to find a mover or voice a complaint. Members have used the site with varying degrees of success to advertise for new employees or sell used equipment. A few industry suppliers have used the site to prospect for clients.
MOVING STATISTICS
CAM has rekindled discussions with Pete Pedersen regarding the provision of data, statistics and benchmarks for members. Pete has the go-ahead to prepare an outline of potential useful data sets that members might be interested in along with likely costs to members for access. Pete is working on the survey now to determine members' interest and the value that the information would be to members.
CONSUMER REFERRALS AND COMPLAINTS
The CAM office has received a large number of requests from the public for referrals to reputable movers and complaints about the service from non-members and members (fortunately only a few) alike. Complaints relate to damage, non-fulfillment of promised service, loss of goods and overcharging.
Ontario’s Department of Corporate and Consumer Affairs directs complaints related to movers to CAM. In addition, the department refers consumers to CAM when they ask the department for a referral to a reputable mover. The Better Business Bureau also refers the public to CAM when they receive a complaint or request for referral.
On the positive side, members should be finding that they are getting a few referrals through the course of the year from the national office. When asked to provide a referral, the national office gives the consumer a few member names in the geographic area.
CAM ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION AND BYLAWS
CAM Director, Scott Hickling, has agreed to review CAM’s current bylaws, which admittedly are out of date and reflect the CAM operation in place in the 1980s. Bylaw changes should be tabled and concluded at our AGM in November 2000.
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